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8 Random Facts About Me
June 5, 2008 · 9 Comments
Have you ever met a barefoot kilt-wearing Viking? I have. His name is Brett and he blogs at 6 weeks. Brett tagged me to come up with eight random facts about myself, a challenge he’s already tackled. This one’s making the rounds! Read all the way to the bottom and see if I tagged YOU. 1. I Have Poetry Disorder Something happens to me when I’m reading and writing a lot of poetry. I start thinking in rhymes, and various poetic devices like alliteration and meter start making random appearances in the pieces... [Read the full story]
Animals
25 Reasons to Become an Animal Welfare Advocate
March 1, 2008 · 15 Comments
. The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated . . . I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man. [Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948] . Animal welfare advocacy is the practice of preventing animal suffering. Being an animal welfare advocate means that you respect, value, and believe in the humane treatment of animals and their inherent right to life. Animal welfare advocates learn, share, discuss, promote, encourage,... [Read the full story]
Business
When Freedom Rang - A Story of Startup Failure
March 7, 2008 · 34 Comments
Today marks one full year since I’ve worked for somebody else. It was precisely 365 days ago that I arrived at work and learned that the company had gone completely out of business. Spent all the money. Didn’t turn a profit. Deep in the red. Over. Done. Goodbye. Some people, when they lose their job, get stressed out and even depressed. Not me. I was relieved. Let me tell you something about companies that go under. They die. And it’s a slow, painful death. Such an organization succumbs to a disease and... [Read the full story]
Culture
American Idol in My Coffee
March 1, 2008 · 18 Comments
Hi. My name is Melissa. And I’m an American Idol addict. It all started back in season one. My mother, of all people, turned me on to Idol. “Melissa, you’ve gotta watch this show,” she said. I sat down and took a gander. After a few minutes I turned to my mom and said, “This show is way too cheesy for me.” I snorted and made a few more derogatory remarks. Then Kelly Clarkson stepped up and belted out a number. I cocked my head. “That wasn’t half bad,” I pointed out. “It was really good,”... [Read the full story]
Philosophy
I Can Make a Difference?
March 1, 2008 · 10 Comments
. When James Chartrand of Men with Pens tagged me to do something nice and then write about it, I thought he was crazy. Okay, I know James is perfectly sane. I’m the one who’s crazy. Because this challenge felt all wrong to me. At first I thought I could just ignore the tag, pretend like I’d never noticed it. Dum de dum. La la la. But my competitive edge kicked in. I broke into a sweat trying come up with the nicest thing to do out of everyone who’d been tagged. And then, I started thinking of all... [Read the full story]
Reviews
The Watson-Guptill Fickle Writer
May 4, 2008 · 9 Comments
… … … … … … … … These days, writers use computers for writing. But most will admit there’s still something about good old-fashioned pen and paper that just gets creativity flowing. It’s difficult to brainstorm on a computer, or jot down notes and random thoughts, and it’s almost impossible to doodle in the margins. Over the years, I’ve collected hordes of journals and notebooks. Some of them are pretty and whimsical. Others are simple and functional.... [Read the full story]
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Writing Forward
Writing Forward
An online resource with news, information, tips, and insight to issues and situations that affect all kinds of writers. Whether you are a freelancer, a blogger, or a fiction or poetry writer, this is the place for you!
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Reviews
… … … … … … … … These days, writers use computers for writing. But most will admit there’s still... [Read more]
Do you ever feel like strapping on a couple of samurai swords and diving headfirst into a parallel universe where pizza delivery is a life or death occupation?... [Read more]
Last week, when Jason Castro sang “Hallelujah” on American Idol, I was astounded by the beauty of his performance, but also inspired by the... [Read more]