The World Around Us

If you are a writer like me, you might have heard that writing about “niche topics” is a good idea. At first, the idea sounds illogical. Why would you want to write about a topic that very few people are interested in? That doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. I write in three niche areas, and while I have received benefits of writing in all of them, I don’t consider these topics to be ones that nobody is interested in.

I have learned that as a writer, I benefit from writing about the same topic over and over. I sort of fell into my first niche, Survivor, without even trying. It has been my most profitable topic as a freelance writer so far. I write episode recaps on every episode, and I usually try to come up with a preview of the season to come before the season comes out (and if I can find a leak and write about the season before CBS makes its official announcement, even better). By consistently writing in that niche, I can link all my articles together, which allows people to surf among what I’ve written. People also know that I’ll always have a recap available (generally by the next morning) of the episode that aired the night before.

The second niche topic I write about is car reviews. I didn’t really choose that topic, I work for the company that owns Automobile.com, and they give me plenty of work. Since I get paid by the review, I get the most short-term gain, but it doesn’t give me a stream of continuous income like writing for myself does. It’s amazing what you can learn about a subject by researching the topic and writing about it for hours every week. While in the past, I never really paid too much attention about cars (except Mustangs, my dream automobile), I can now look at many cars and tell you something about them; how powerful that truck is, whether the car you bought is the base model or an upgrade, etc. While watching a 60 Minutes interview with Shawn White earlier today on Tivo, I noticed that Shawn had a Lamborghini Murcielago… they mentioned on the show that it was a Lamborghini, but I could just tell by looking at the car that it was a Murcielago: I could tell you the approximate price Shawn paid for the car, and how fast it goes, as well.

The third niche topic that I write about is the Olympics. I wrote my first Olympics web page, on the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, nearly a year ago. Tickets hadn’t gone on sale yet at that point. I’ve always been a fan of the Olympics, even though I don’t really care for traditional sports like football or baseball. After I wrote about Vancouver, I started writing about the other future Olympics. I then figured out that there were limitless things to say about the Olympics, considering that they’ve been around for 100 years now, and thousands of athletes compete in each Olympics. I launched my World Competes blog and web site last month; I figured that there never would be a lack of things to write about. Although I have watched the Olympics for about as long as I can remember, by writing about the Olympics every day, I learn a lot. This is a benefit about choosing a niche and writing about it.

Although I still write about topics that interest me outside of these niche topics, I know more than the average person about my niches. This helps me write about these topics better.

Now, the only sports I really pay much attention to are the Olympics… but sometimes it’s a little hard to ignore that there’s a Superbowl that people watch too. Especially as a writer, sometimes you can capitalize on things like that. Last year I wrote an article about Superbowl party foods that were easy to make. This year, my pastor has been singing a line of “When the Saints Go Marching In” in church; I’m not sure whether he is a New Orleans fan or not, but he likes to tease people about the Cardinals losing (I live in Arizona).

The only thing that I really am interested in regarding the Superbowl is the commercials. For the past couple of years, I have been Tivo’ing the game, and then I’ve been fast-forwarding through all the boring football to get to the commercials. When I lived in Italy in the Navy, we used to get a half day the Monday after the Superbowl, because the guys that wanted to watch it would have to watch it in the middle of the night. Sometimes we had the option of coming in at normal time and leaving early instead, if we didn’t watch the Superbowl (military television overseas doesn’t have the commercials, so the Superbowl was useless to me).

Sometimes the commercials haven’t been the… cleanest… I guess you could say. I was pretty happy when I heard that Focus on the Family was going to be putting on a pro-life ad in the Superbowl. But I was shocked when I heard that CBS’s “standards board” had rejected a commercial for “male dating”.

So good for them. I guess I’ll keep supporting the company by watching Survivor every Thursday, starting on the 11th (that and the Olympics on NBC… got a lot of TV coming up).

Last night, President Barack Obama gave his State of the Union address. I didn’t watch it in it’s entirety, but from the little bit that I have seen, I found a couple of his comments interesting… it related to how he referred to the other two branches of government.

To the Supreme Court, he reprimanded them for making a ruling that basically gutted McCain-Feingold. In past elections, businesses (and I suppose, wealthy individuals) were prohibited from funding issue-based advertising during a political campaign. The Supreme Court ruled that by not allowing people and businesses to pay for their own political ads, they were limiting free speech. Obama chastised the Supreme Court (with the nine justices sitting right in front of him) during the speech.

He also took a dig at the legislature. Obama was upset that the senate blocked a bill that he wanted. No worries… Obama said that he’ll get around the blocked bill by issuing an executive order instead.

So what is the difference, I ask, between Obama and a dictator? If it doesn’t matter what the legislature says (he can issue an executive order to get around it), why do we even have a legislature? Perhaps the Supreme Court can declare executive orders unconstitutional (which they should be). I wonder how he would get around that.

I just learned that I’ve been doing things the hard way, presumably since I started using Wordpress. I just had a huge “duh” moment. If you’re using Wordpress to write your blog, perhaps you can benefit.

Photos liven up anything that you see on the internet. The problem is getting the photos to your site. I can often find a photo to use (although not for this post) using Wikimedia Commons or sxc.hu, or sometimes I have my own photos. Now you can use Creative Commons photos if you attribute the photo, and you can always use public domain photos, but you can’t steal their bandwidth. So you have to get it on your server. So I’ve always downloaded the picture, then manually uploaded it through cPanel. It can be a pain, especially because then you have to type in the location of the photo manually.

While working on The World Competes (which I’m really excited about), I noticed a little button on the top of my screen: Add media. All I have to do is click on a little button, and it will let me browse my hard drive for the photo I want, give it alt text (where I can easily put Creative Commons info), and save it on the server for me. Then it’s in my library to use later. Doh. It’s so much easier to do now.

So if you haven’t seen that little button up there, you can save yourself a lot of time by using it. Yay!

Choo Choo! All Aboard the Good News Express! I was sent a copy of The Cheerful Grump to review by the Passkeys Foundation. Just who is the Passkeys Foundation? They are trying to help kids build better character (and don’t we need a little more of that in these days? They offer grants to elementary schools to implement a character-building curriculum, have an essay contest for middle schoolers, and assist with mentoring (which kids undergoing difficult situations at home could really use). As far as I know, they seem to be a great organization, but do they have good products?

The Cheerful Grump is one of four stories from the Good News Express book series. The entire set of four can be purchased by the company for $20, or you can purchase books individually for $7.50. They accept credit, debit, and even Paypal (but not Discover Card).

So what do you get for your money? Well, just taking a look at Amazon.com prices for other hardback books (which is what you get), almost every book costs more than $7.50. Plus, the Good News Express books all come with a CD with the stories and songs. So you’re getting a pretty good deal, especially if you buy four for $20.

But is the book any good? The book is geared towards 3 to 5 year olds, but kids this age won’t be able to read it on their own, unless they’re headed for genius. The book has many two syllable names, and the name of one of the characters, Evangeline, is four syllables long. My seven-year old can read this book, however, and she keeps it in her room and reads it sometimes at night. I read this book to my three-year-old, and it kept him interested. So I would say that this book is something that many kids would enjoy.

Not only is the book good, but the book teaches about having a good attitude, even when things don’t go your way. Even adults can use that lesson from time to time. The main character, Bramwell, is excited for Card-Writing Day, where he could write beautiful cards with rhymes for all of his friends. Unfortunately, he trips and breaks his arm, and can’t write. Although his friends try to cheer him up, he cannot be consoled, because now he can’t write notes.

He ends up talking to someone else who is worse off than him, and he realizes that he doesn’t need to have a grumpy attitude, and that he can still make people feel better, even if he can’t write cards for a while.

The illustrations are cute and the book is generally well-written. The only thing that I would say could be improved in this book is that the six main characters aren’t really introduced well, although a child reading this book over and over again probably wouldn’t need that. I think that this book could use quite a few more than four books in the series too. I really like the concept of these books, and my kids enjoy it.

This book is well worth checking out. I think that kids through elementary school could enjoy this book. You will have to read this book to younger kids, but readers will probably want to take this and keep it with the rest of their library.

I love the Olympics; I don’t really pay much attention to sports most of the time, but I think the Olympics are great. I started writing about the Olympics last spring. There’s a lot to write about, because there have been so many Olympic games, athletes, and controversies over the years. There is so much to write about, that I decided to start an Olympics blog, The World Competes. So if you like the Olympics, check it out. Today, you can find out who is going to skate and snowboard for Team USA in 2010.

We recently had the chance to try out Mathletics.com. We were given a free subscription in exchange for a review. My seven-year-old tried out the program as part of her math curriculum. This program allows kids to be able to compete with other kids all around the country in basic math skills, and allows them to practice their math facts in exchange for virtual rewards.

The math games that my daughter played looked like they could be a lot of fun. You set up the account with your child’s level, and they are paired up in competition with kids of similar skill levels. I set up my daughter with a second grade account, even though she is taking a third grade math class, as she is technically in the second grade.

Many kids, I think, would really enjoy this sort of competition. My daughter would have two or three other kids that she would compete against, and she would have to answer a series of math problems quickly, in order to try to win a race. While I know that I would enjoy a competition like that, it frustrated my daughter. Even though I don’t let her lose when I play games with her, she still tends to be a perfectionist, and hates it when she loses. So what would be fun for many people was frustrating for her, because she didn’t win all the time (because she was competing against other intelligent kids around the world). She did win sometimes, just not all the time.

The other thing that was difficult for her was the speed that she had to recall her math facts at. Now, we do times tests nearly every day. Sometimes we do more than one times test (sometimes a subtraction one and a multiplication one, for example). My daughter doesn’t mind times tests when she’s doing facts that she knows well, but when she’s dealing with facts that she is still learning (doubles plus one subtraction facts, for example), she gets frustrated. At the time she was competing against the other kids, many times, the facts that were being asked were ones that she did not have down pat. When she couldn’t recall a fact right away, she was frustrated (my daughter will not use her fingers to add or subtract, but that’s another story).

There was one feature of Mathletics that she did not find frustrating. She liked the activities… perhaps not as much as she likes watching Martha Speaks or playing on Webkinz.com, but they didn’t frustrate her, and they did provide motivation. As she completed the activities, she would earn points, which led to awards and certificates. At times, these questions could be challenging, but they were questions that she was capable of doing. If she has difficulty with a question, there is an explanation with how to solve the problem. Earning points and awards would earn points to spend in the Mathletics shop, where my daughter was able to buy things like accessories and hair styles.

An annual student subscription to Mathletics is $59. When you sign up, you are asked a question: Do you know the human calculator’s favorite number? If you know the answer (9) then you can get Mathletics for $49. Is it for everyone? I think that it’s great for kids that thrive on competition. Perhaps some day it will be a good program for my daughter too; she just might be a little immature to handle tough competition. There is a 10 day money back guarantee, so if you end up trying it out and discover that your kid doesn’t thrive so much on the competition, you’re not out anything. I think that in some cases, younger kids don’t like to play games when they don’t win all the time, but some kids love this sort of thing.

I would try this program again with my daughter, if she gets to the point where she can handle losing every now and then. I’d try it out with my son too.

A short while ago, I was given the chance to try out Kinderbach for free, in exchange for a review.  My kids loved it!  Even my three-year-old enjoyed it.  If you have a keyboard at home and small children, Kinderbach is an excellent introduction to both music and to the keyboard. Kinderbach is created for children ages 3 to 7… my seven year old enjoyed it as much as my three-year-old, but older children might find the program to be immature for them.

Kinderbach has a schedule with daily lessons for your kids to enjoy.  There are games and activities, coloring sheets, and video lessons to help kids become acquainted with the keyboard and how to play it.

I remember when I was in the first grade, I played “Mary Had a Little Lamb” at a talent show. I didn’t know how to find the starting key, so I played it all in sharps. Woops. It was okay though, because I was six. I didn’t have any formal piano lessons, so I didn’t know that the way that the black keys were grouped together would tell you where to start playing a piece. Kinderbach uses the lovable Dodi the Donkey (who has a house on the piano keyboard) to help kids find the notes that they need, so they can find the right note to start a song like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on.

Some of the games my kids liked to go back to. Like there was a high-low game where you would stand up on the high notes, and squat down on the low notes. My seven and my three year olds love that one!

Music education has been part of our school since Kindergarten. We have BJU Music K, 1, and 2, and by far, I prefer Kinderbach, and so do my kids. Kinderbach isn’t going to teach your kids to be maestros, but they will give them a good introduction. I will probably buy some of the upper levels on DVD for my kids next year, they like it so much. Considering that I pay more than $100 per year for the BJU curriculum, Kinderbach’s DVD cost of $40.45 per 10 week course is a bargain. You can also get the lessons over the internet for $19.95 a month, or $95.88 for a year.

As an adult who sings in my church choir, I know far too many adults that don’t know how to play an instrument, or even read music. If you want your children to be able to read and play music, Kinderbach is a great introduction for small children!

2010 HAPPY NEW YEAR! by gravityx9

Wow, this year has gone by fast! So many changes have occurred this year… this was my first year as a freelance writer, and the first year that I was ever hired to write for anybody. It’s been a year of ups and downs… my employer gave me almost no work in September and October, so I had plenty of time to focus on my freelance work, now they’re giving me so much work that I’m almost swamped! 3 AM writing sessions are not uncommon around here right now, they’re giving us so much to do.

While technically the new decade doesn’t start for another year, popular culture tends to remember the previous decade when the ten’s digit flips over. I can’t believe it’s time to look back on another decade! What a decade it was! Personally, I started out the decade as a Naval Officer and no kids, I ended the decade with two great kids and a work-at-home job writing. So many things have happened that changed the world: September 11th, Hurricane Katrina, the global recession. I put together my list of the top stories in this Squidoo page on The Top 10 News Stories of the Decade.

The year has been crazy as well. Here is my take on the Top Conservative News Stories of 2009.

Christmas ~ by AriesAspirations

I hope that everyone is having a good Christmas. So far, it’s been a pretty good Christmas season. They’re swamping me at work at my writing job, so the bills are getting paid; my friend has started working. Even most of my family gathered for Christmas Eve together, as they always have. I couldn’t go this year, but I was there via phone, which was all I could do (mainly because they were giving me almost no work in September and October).

I can’t believe that the year (decade) is almost over. This year has certainly been a year of political changes, and the decade has been a year of changes both for the world and for my life. But that is in another week.

Meanwhile, I read my kids “The Night Before Christmas”, and my daughter “Christmas Every Day”. We got to open one present each (my daughter was excited to open a Webkinz; little does she know that she’s going to get three more plushes and another pet code before tomorrow is up).

I think that one of the most exciting things this year was seeing my friends get a Christmas after all. They had lost all of their income, and had no money. I knew that I was going to buy their kids each a present so that they’d have something under the tree. She told me today that the people at her new job pitched in and took all of the kid’s toys out of layaway, and bought them more presents. I was so excited to hear that. I told her that she never knew if a Christmas miracle would occur, knowing that I was bringing gifts, and she got a bigger miracle than even I would have expected! I was so excited for her… but isn’t that a little of what Christmas is all about? Showing kindness to people who can’t do anything in return? Giving to Toys For Tots, or a family without toys, or food to people who have little. While I may enjoy the gifts that I get tomorrow, I think that giving to my friend, and seeing the miracle that her co-workers pulled off, will be the highlight of this Christmas.

BTW - You can’t outgive God. The day after we decided to give gifts to our friends, we received a card in the mail with more cash than we were planning on spending on them. While I don’t always receive a financial return immediately after I choose to help someone else out, God has always taken care of us, even when times have been tough. We went through a period of almost a year when my dh’s employment was sporadic to nonexistent, and amazingly, all our bills were paid.