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August 24, 2010
Posted by Carla René in: Accountability, Advice, African-American, Attitude, Biography & Memoir, Book Marketing Online, Book Review, Books, Business, Business Management, Cancer, Cap and Trade, Children, China, Climate Change, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communications, Communism, Community, Computers, Congress, Contributor's Audio/Video, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Diet, Economic Crisis, Economics, Education, Energy, Entertainment, Environment, Environmental Issues, Faith, Family, Fiction, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Relations, Freedom, Freelance Author, General Topics, Geopolitical Events, Global Warming, Governance, Habit Change, Health & Fitness, Healthcare, Heroes, History, Homeland Security, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Internet, Internet Advice, Interview, Islam, Journalism, Latino & Hispanic, Legal, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Literature, Marketing, Marriage, Medical, Men's Issues, Mental Health, Mexico, Military, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Music, Native American, Nature/Wildlife, Non-Fiction, Nutrition, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Philosophical Genres, Poetry, Politics, Publishing, Question of the Day, Recovery, Relationships, Religion, Republican, Rhyme, Satire, Self-Help, Sex, Short Stories, Social Aspects, Social Classes, Social Issues, Sociology, Spirituality, Sports, Technology, Television, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Travel, Uncategorized, Website Instructions, Weight loss, Wellness, Women's Perspective, Women's Rights, Working Women, Workplace, World Issues, Writing Essentials
Begun back sometime in 2001, this book was originally a fluke of an idea… [...]
August 21, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Communications, Creative Writing, Fiction, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner
Our site has viewers from all over the world. As I have in the past – I invite all writers, from all countries and languages, to become contributors to our site. It does not matter where you reside – or in what language you want to use to communicate – our purpose for having [...]
August 10, 2010

The more I read about the history of the Palestinian people, the more I am reminded of the history of America’s indigenous people since Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Hispaniola in 1492. In both cases ethnic cleansing with its accompanying genocide were norms, especially when the indigenous peoples fought back. In both cases the indigenous populations were treated with disrespect, contempt and removal. And in both cases, genocide and ethnic cleansing were denied by the conquerors and their friends. In the public discourse, we’re the good guys, they the villains. As Israeli historian Shlomo Sand says “what history does not wish to relate, it omits[1]” as if omitting it wipes the slate of history clean. It does not. Eventually, liked or not, truth emerges and has to be faced. Continue reading “His name was Mohammed, and he was a good man”
July 2, 2010
Visits
4,726
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Pages/Visit
- The average number of pages viewed during a visit to your site. Repeated views of a single page are counted.
Pages/Visit
1.72
Site Avg: 1.72 (0.00%)
|
- Avg. Time on Site
- The average duration of a visit to your site.
Avg. Time on Site
00:01:50
Site Avg: 00:01:50 (0.00%)
|
- % New Visits
- The percentage of visits by people who had never visited your site before.
% New Visits
77.74%
Site Avg: 77.74% (0.00%)
|
- Bounce Rate
- The percentage of single-page visits (i.e. visits in which the person left your site from the entrance page).
Bounce Rate
72.79%
Site Avg: 72.79% (0.00%)
|
| 1. |
|
3,476 |
1.79 |
00:02:04 |
75.00% |
71.32% |
| 2. |
|
222 |
1.74 |
00:01:42 |
64.41% |
59.91% |
| 3. |
|
192 |
1.55 |
00:01:38 |
83.33% |
71.35% |
| 4. |
|
129 |
1.50 |
00:00:56 |
94.57% |
78.29% |
| 5. |
|
50 |
1.04 |
00:00:11 |
98.00% |
96.00% |
| 6. |
|
43 |
1.30 |
00:01:06 |
93.02% |
74.42% |
| 7. |
|
40 |
1.30 |
00:00:34 |
92.50% |
77.50% |
| 8. |
|
37 |
2.59 |
00:02:17 |
83.78% |
83.78% |
| 9. |
|
34 |
1.59 |
00:00:56 |
94.12% |
70.59% |
| 10. |
|
28 |
1.36 |
00:01:08 |
75.00% |
78.57% |
| 11. |
|
24 |
1.04 |
00:00:06 |
100.00% |
95.83% |
| 12. |
|
22 |
1.32 |
00:01:12 |
100.00% |
86.36% |
| 13. |
|
20 |
1.05 |
00:00:51 |
45.00% |
95.00% |
| 14. |
|
18 |
1.17 |
00:00:42 |
77.78% |
83.33% |
| 15. |
|
17 |
1.18 |
00:00:21 |
94.12% |
82.35% |
| 16. |
|
17 |
1.76 |
00:04:22 |
52.94% |
64.71% |
| 17. |
|
15 |
1.00 |
00:00:00 |
80.00% |
100.00% |
| 18. |
|
15 |
1.60 |
00:01:22 |
93.33% |
73.33% |
| 19. |
|
15 |
1.47 |
00:00:18 |
100.00% |
86.67% |
| 20. |
|
July 2, 2010
Pageviews
8,131
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Unique Pageviews
- The number of visits during which one or more of these pages was viewed.
Unique Pageviews
6,645
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Avg. Time on Page
- The average amount of time visitors spent viewing this set of pages or page.
Avg. Time on Page
00:02:33
Site Avg: 00:02:33 (0.00%)
|
- Bounce Rate
- The percentage of single page visits resulting from this set of pages or page.
Bounce Rate
72.79%
Site Avg: 72.79% (0.00%)
|
- % Exit
- The percentage of site exits that occurred from this set of pages or page.
% Exit
58.12%
Site Avg: 58.12% (0.00%)
|
- $ Index
- The average value of this page or set of pages. $Index is (Ecommerce revenue + Total Goal Value) divided by Pageviews for the page(s).
$ Index
$0.00
Site Avg: $0.00 (0.00%)
|
| 1. |
|
1,302 |
780 |
00:02:06 |
29.63% |
32.03% |
$0.00 |
| 2. |
|
367 |
291 |
00:02:55 |
68.86% |
56.95% |
$0.00 |
| 3. |
|
302 |
287 |
00:04:50 |
90.94% |
88.41% |
$0.00 |
| 4. |
|
186 |
129 |
00:01:27 |
54.69% |
67.74% |
$0.00 |
| 5. |
|
158 |
140 |
00:04:33 |
84.80% |
77.85% |
$0.00 |
| 6. |
|
121 |
113 |
00:05:00 |
92.92% |
91.74% |
$0.00 |
| 7. |
|
116 |
98 |
00:06:43 |
66.13% |
60.34% |
$0.00 |
| 8. |
|
108 |
90 |
00:02:35 |
81.11% |
82.41% |
$0.00 |
| 9. |
|
106 |
99 |
00:01:43 |
91.92% |
92.45% |
$0.00 |
| 10. |
|
103 |
87 |
00:03:15 |
83.53% |
83.50% |
$0.00 |
| 11. |
|
86 |
71 |
00:01:07 |
69.57% |
72.09% |
$0.00 |
| 12. |
|
80 |
76 |
00:03:27 |
94.59% |
95.00% |
$0.00 |
| 13. |
|
80 |
53 |
00:01:01 |
21.88% |
21.25% |
$0.00 |
| 14. |
|
72 |
63 |
00:02:41 |
93.10% |
80.56% |
$0.00 |
| 15. |
|
69 |
47 |
00:00:11 |
65.96% |
68.12% |
$0.00 |
| 16. |
|
60 |
54 |
00:02:02 |
92.59% |
88.33% |
$0.00 |
| 17. |
|
53 |
36 |
00:00:35 |
50.00% |
28.30% |
$0.00 |
| 18. |
|
52 |
50 |
00:04:03 |
93.88% |
94.23% |
$0.00 |
| 19. |
|
50 |
44 |
00:02:02 |
66.67% |
54.00% |
$0.00 |
| 20. |
|
June 1, 2010
Visits
5,990
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Pages/Visit
- The average number of pages viewed during a visit to your site. Repeated views of a single page are counted.
Pages/Visit
1.74
Site Avg: 1.74 (0.00%)
|
- Avg. Time on Site
- The average duration of a visit to your site.
Avg. Time on Site
00:01:55
Site Avg: 00:01:55 (0.00%)
|
- % New Visits
- The percentage of visits by people who had never visited your site before.
% New Visits
76.21%
Site Avg: 76.19% (0.02%)
|
- Bounce Rate
- The percentage of single-page visits (i.e. visits in which the person left your site from the entrance page).
Bounce Rate
72.65%
Site Avg: 72.65% (0.00%)
|
| 1. |
|
4,096 |
1.86 |
00:02:17 |
72.46% |
69.78% |
| 2. |
|
351 |
1.65 |
00:00:56 |
70.94% |
66.95% |
| 3. |
|
333 |
1.26 |
00:00:50 |
82.28% |
80.78% |
| 4. |
|
219 |
1.57 |
00:01:17 |
94.52% |
79.00% |
| 5. |
|
90 |
1.20 |
00:00:49 |
95.56% |
85.56% |
| 6. |
|
63 |
1.38 |
00:01:38 |
96.83% |
82.54% |
| 7. |
|
47 |
3.98 |
00:09:12 |
19.15% |
12.77% |
| 8. |
|
38 |
1.55 |
00:00:49 |
76.32% |
76.32% |
| 9. |
|
38 |
1.58 |
00:00:34 |
89.47% |
81.58% |
| 10. |
|
37 |
1.46 |
00:00:40 |
48.65% |
89.19% |
| 11. |
|
34 |
1.50 |
00:00:52 |
88.24% |
79.41% |
| 12. |
|
27 |
1.15 |
00:00:42 |
100.00% |
92.59% |
| 13. |
|
26 |
1.12 |
00:00:05 |
92.31% |
92.31% |
| 14. |
|
23 |
1.17 |
00:00:09 |
86.96% |
91.30% |
| 15. |
|
23 |
1.35 |
00:00:30 |
95.65% |
86.96% |
| 16. |
|
22 |
1.50 |
00:02:25 |
95.45% |
72.73% |
| 17. |
|
20 |
1.90 |
00:07:09 |
30.00% |
50.00% |
| 18. |
|
18 |
1.00 |
00:00:27 |
100.00% |
94.44% |
| 19. |
|
18 |
1.17 |
00:00:26 |
88.89% |
88.89% |
| 20. |
|
18 |
1.06 |
00:00:02 |
100.00% |
94.44% |
| 21. |
|
18 |
1.11 |
00:00:05 |
94.44% |
88.89% |
| 22. |
|
16 |
1.00 |
00:00:00 |
100.00% |
100.00% |
| 23. |
|
16 |
1.56 |
00:00:42 |
100.00% |
81.25% |
| 24. |
|
14 |
1.07 |
00:00:02 |
100.00% |
92.86% |
| 25. |
|
June 1, 2010
Pageviews
10,394
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Unique Pageviews
- The number of visits during which one or more of these pages was viewed.
Unique Pageviews
8,233
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Avg. Time on Page
- The average amount of time visitors spent viewing this set of pages or page.
Avg. Time on Page
00:02:36
Site Avg: 00:02:36 (0.00%)
|
- Bounce Rate
- The percentage of single page visits resulting from this set of pages or page.
Bounce Rate
72.67%
Site Avg: 72.67% (0.00%)
|
- % Exit
- The percentage of site exits that occurred from this set of pages or page.
% Exit
57.62%
Site Avg: 57.62% (0.00%)
|
- $ Index
- The average value of this page or set of pages. $Index is (Ecommerce revenue + Total Goal Value) divided by Pageviews for the page(s).
$ Index
$0.00
Site Avg: $0.00 (0.00%)
|
| 1. |
|
2,015 |
1,106 |
00:02:16 |
28.50% |
31.17% |
$0.00 |
| 2. |
|
382 |
278 |
00:01:58 |
57.36% |
68.32% |
$0.00 |
| 3. |
|
259 |
192 |
00:02:34 |
51.85% |
49.81% |
$0.00 |
| 4. |
|
235 |
217 |
00:03:42 |
92.12% |
85.96% |
$0.00 |
| 5. |
|
142 |
97 |
00:01:51 |
65.59% |
57.04% |
$0.00 |
| 6. |
|
137 |
111 |
00:01:48 |
79.28% |
79.56% |
$0.00 |
| 7. |
|
132 |
121 |
00:01:51 |
94.07% |
88.64% |
$0.00 |
| 8. |
|
117 |
106 |
00:02:13 |
88.00% |
68.38% |
$0.00 |
| 9. |
|
108 |
102 |
00:04:33 |
85.71% |
80.56% |
$0.00 |
| 10. |
|
80 |
57 |
00:04:13 |
43.24% |
45.00% |
$0.00 |
| 11. |
|
79 |
73 |
00:02:55 |
91.30% |
86.08% |
$0.00 |
| 12. |
|
77 |
73 |
00:03:37 |
93.06% |
94.81% |
$0.00 |
| 13. |
|
76 |
48 |
00:00:45 |
60.42% |
63.16% |
$0.00 |
| 14. |
|
76 |
73 |
00:05:54 |
94.52% |
94.74% |
$0.00 |
| 15. |
|
69 |
69 |
00:00:00 |
100.00% |
100.00% |
$0.00 |
| 16. |
|
68 |
55 |
00:06:47 |
70.37% |
51.47% |
$0.00 |
| 17. |
|
67 |
64 |
00:03:00 |
95.31% |
94.03% |
$0.00 |
| 18. |
|
64 |
62 |
00:08:23 |
98.39% |
96.88% |
$0.00 |
| 19. |
|
58 |
31 |
00:01:23 |
13.33% |
20.69% |
$0.00 |
| 20. |
|
57 |
49 |
00:06:21 |
86.67% |
54.39% |
$0.00 |
| 21. |
|
57 |
31 |
00:01:10 |
35.29% |
24.56% |
$0.00 |
| 22. |
|
56 |
55 |
00:03:29 |
98.18% |
98.21% |
$0.00 |
| 23. |
|
54 |
50 |
00:06:26 |
92.00% |
92.59% |
$0.00 |
| 24. |
|
54 |
51 |
00:02:51 |
90.48% |
81.48% |
$0.00 |
| 25. |
|
May 28, 2010
Posted by Muhammad Cohen in: Biography & Memoir, Book Review, Books, Business, Current Events, Economic Crisis, Economics, Finance, Journalism, Morality, Non-Fiction, Publishing, The Pundit's Corner
Harry Markopolos, who tried to stop Bernard Madoff’s multibillion dollar fraud, is a genuine hero. But he needed a ghostwriter to tell his story properly. [...]
May 20, 2010
The year escapes me when I try to remember it but the events never leave my memory for long. It was well past midnight and I was still in grade school when my journalist father came in drunk. It was the only time in my life that I saw him like that. He was brought home by a friend who happened to be one of the first black Atlanta policemen. Together they had traveled to the execution of a black man who had been convicted of raping a white woman in a poor white area called Cabbagetown. The woman said her attacker was a well dressed tall light skinned black man. The man they arrested and eventually executed was short and dark. He was a minister as well. The only thing I knew for many years was that my father came home drunk and ended up crying that he had failed to save this man. I was peeking out of my bedroom door watching and listening as my siblings slept and my mother plied him with coffee. Years later I wanted to write about what happened to make my father drink. It became a novel entitled “No Death by Unknown Hands.” Continue reading The Evolution of “No Death by Unknown Hands”
May 17, 2010
Many Saturdays as a young girl I was given the reward of spending the afternoon with my dad at the paper where he was the city editor. It was more than the joy of getting away from younger siblings and the chores being the oldest brought me. It was a place that I got to get the news before anyone else. Before the national news made the paper it came through on the Associated Press machine, a ticking time-bomb in my dad’s office that printed out the news in a flash. I would go there and sit with a pile of paper in my lap that covered everything that was happening in the world. Sometimes I couldn’t believe all the things that were happening, and weren’t getting reported on in a daily black newspaper. In fact sometimes things weren’t reported in any of the local papers at all. It was as if keeping the public in the dark about some news was the best way to keep the country focused on national issues of importance.
Today we have our own buttons to leaking news with computers, instant news and messaging and cell phones that will alert you when a celebrity has a baby or when a celebrity takes a drink. It is news faster than the old AP machines could peck out. It’s too much news that brings us so much information. And a lot of that information is about war. Continue reading Too Much News, Too Much War
May 14, 2010
Posted by seamus in: Accountability, Advice, African-American, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Communications, Congress, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Economics, Entertainment, Freedom, Governance, Homeland Security, Inspiration & Motivation, Islam, Journalism, Life Experiences, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Politics, Republican, Social Aspects, Social Classes, Social Issues, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, World Issues
Amazing how many high government officals (including the Attorney General), political pundits, politicians, school officials and religious leaders comment so harshly on the immigration law in Arizona and publicly admit they haven’t read the ten page document.
The document basically states that when being stopped for a traffic violation or questioned concerning a crime that [...]
May 14, 2010
Posted by seamus in: Accountability, Advice, Attitude, Business, Cap and Trade, Commentary, Communications, Congress, Creative Writing, Current Events, Democrat, Economics, Entertainment, Finance, Freedom, General Topics, Geopolitical Events, Governance, Homeland Security, Humor, Journalism, Life Experiences, Lifestyle, Literature, Minorities, Morality, Motivation, Opinion, Personal Experiences, Politics, Recovery, Republican, Satire, Self-Help, Social Aspects, Social Issues, Sociology, Terrorism, The Economy, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, Women's Rights, Working Women, World Issues
Pick Your Reason 10. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies’ profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn’t.
9. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the [...]
May 8, 2010
Lessons From Another ‘Long War’
The British stood their ground when they were under terror siege.
New York remains on high alert. There is virtually no one here who does not understand that we and Washington are what we were on Sept. 11 almost nine years ago: the main and primary targets. Last weekend’s events in Times Square demonstrated again that our enemies are persistent and focused if not, in the case of Faisal Shahzad and, 4½ months ago, of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the would-be underwear bomber, very good at murdering. They both appear to have been wayward sons of their nations’ establishments—Shahzad’s father was a retired vice marshal of Pakistan’s air force, Abdulmutallab’s a prominent Nigerian banker—and essentially stupid. But they will be followed by others who are not so hapless.
New Yorkers the past week have discussed all this with appropriate concern. We speak of who Shahzad is—how they found him, how they lost him, how they caught him—and of the sturdy T-shirt salesman, the mounted cop, the airport screener who spotted his name. We speculate about what happened in the moments before Shahzad, his keys still in the car, fled Times Square. But there is no air of panic; we knew we were a target, we have absorbed this information, factored it in, included it as a fact of our lives and concluded there’s little we can do about it. “If you see something, say something” as we’ve all memorized from buses and train stations. Continue reading Lessons From Another ‘Long War’
May 1, 2010
Visits
12,003
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Pages/Visit
- The average number of pages viewed during a visit to your site. Repeated views of a single page are counted.
Pages/Visit
1.82
Site Avg: 1.82 (0.00%)
|
- Avg. Time on Site
- The average duration of a visit to your site.
Avg. Time on Site
00:02:07
Site Avg: 00:02:07 (0.00%)
|
- % New Visits
- The percentage of visits by people who had never visited your site before.
% New Visits
74.85%
Site Avg: 74.82% (0.03%)
|
- Bounce Rate
- The percentage of single-page visits (i.e. visits in which the person left your site from the entrance page).
Bounce Rate
71.47%
Site Avg: 71.47% (0.00%)
|
| 1. |
|
8,149 |
1.96 |
00:02:32 |
70.06% |
67.85% |
| 2. |
|
765 |
1.32 |
00:00:57 |
79.48% |
80.39% |
| 3. |
|
646 |
1.70 |
00:01:17 |
79.26% |
74.46% |
| 4. |
|
403 |
1.64 |
00:01:23 |
95.04% |
76.92% |
| 5. |
|
204 |
1.29 |
00:00:41 |
94.61% |
87.25% |
| 6. |
|
145 |
1.35 |
00:01:17 |
94.48% |
82.76% |
| 7. |
|
110 |
3.64 |
00:07:03 |
21.82% |
18.18% |
| 8. |
|
86 |
2.59 |
00:02:21 |
82.56% |
53.49% |
| 9. |
|
74 |
1.51 |
00:00:41 |
55.41% |
82.43% |
| 10. |
|
67 |
1.36 |
00:00:22 |
94.03% |
86.57% |
| 11. |
|
66 |
2.55 |
00:03:47 |
72.73% |
68.18% |
| 12. |
|
62 |
1.16 |
00:00:30 |
93.55% |
87.10% |
| 13. |
|
61 |
1.44 |
00:00:53 |
96.72% |
83.61% |
| 14. |
|
53 |
1.09 |
00:00:22 |
98.11% |
94.34% |
| 15. |
|
53 |
1.32 |
00:00:33 |
90.57% |
86.79% |
| 16. |
|
47 |
1.09 |
00:00:07 |
91.49% |
93.62% |
| 17. |
|
40 |
2.15 |
00:07:02 |
32.50% |
47.50% |
| 18. |
|
37 |
1.49 |
00:01:50 |
97.30% |
72.97% |
| 19. |
|
37 |
1.08 |
00:00:21 |
100.00% |
89.19% |
| 20. |
|
36 |
1.00 |
00:00:00 |
91.67% |
100.00% |
| 21. |
|
36 |
1.14 |
00:00:20 |
91.67% |
86.11% |
| 22. |
|
32 |
1.34 |
00:00:30 |
100.00% |
81.25% |
| 23. |
|
29 |
1.10 |
00:00:08 |
96.55% |
89.66% |
| 24. |
|
28 |
2.14 |
00:02:03 |
92.86% |
89.29% |
| 25. |
|
27 |
1.33 |
00:00:42 |
85.19% |
81.48% |
| 26. |
|
26 |
1.15 |
00:00:13 |
96.15% |
88.46% |
| 27. |
|
26 |
1.27 |
00:00:47 |
80.77% |
84.62% |
| 28. |
|
25 |
1.36 |
00:00:11 |
92.00% |
84.00% |
| 29. |
|
23 |
1.04 |
00:00:01 |
100.00% |
95.65% |
| 30. |
|
May 1, 2010
Pageviews
21,839
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Unique Pageviews
- The number of visits during which one or more of these pages was viewed.
Unique Pageviews
17,139
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Avg. Time on Page
- The average amount of time visitors spent viewing this set of pages or page.
Avg. Time on Page
00:02:35
Site Avg: 00:02:35 (0.00%)
|
- Bounce Rate
- The percentage of single page visits resulting from this set of pages or page.
Bounce Rate
71.48%
Site Avg: 71.48% (0.00%)
|
- % Exit
- The percentage of site exits that occurred from this set of pages or page.
% Exit
54.96%
Site Avg: 54.96% (0.00%)
|
- $ Index
- The average value of this page or set of pages. $Index is (Ecommerce revenue + Total Goal Value) divided by Pageviews for the page(s).
$ Index
$0.00
Site Avg: $0.00 (0.00%)
|
| 1. |
|
4,265 |
2,280 |
00:02:23 |
26.59% |
29.10% |
$0.00 |
| 2. |
|
623 |
440 |
00:02:24 |
51.02% |
44.30% |
$0.00 |
| 3. |
|
382 |
278 |
00:01:58 |
57.36% |
68.32% |
$0.00 |
| 4. |
|
252 |
206 |
00:01:50 |
80.98% |
80.95% |
$0.00 |
| 5. |
|
251 |
236 |
00:03:28 |
93.53% |
91.63% |
$0.00 |
| 6. |
|
234 |
166 |
00:02:07 |
65.22% |
59.40% |
$0.00 |
| 7. |
|
225 |
213 |
00:03:36 |
92.50% |
88.44% |
$0.00 |
| 8. |
|
186 |
180 |
00:04:42 |
95.56% |
95.16% |
$0.00 |
| 9. |
|
167 |
114 |
00:00:29 |
64.04% |
68.26% |
$0.00 |
| 10. |
|
156 |
140 |
00:03:39 |
90.57% |
70.51% |
$0.00 |
| 11. |
|
144 |
140 |
00:04:10 |
94.96% |
94.44% |
$0.00 |
| 12. |
|
133 |
127 |
00:05:14 |
96.06% |
95.49% |
$0.00 |
| 13. |
|
133 |
132 |
00:02:07 |
96.97% |
96.99% |
$0.00 |
| 14. |
|
131 |
123 |
00:05:01 |
89.43% |
90.08% |
$0.00 |
| 15. |
|
126 |
119 |
00:02:38 |
95.58% |
89.68% |
$0.00 |
| 16. |
|
126 |
118 |
00:02:53 |
91.45% |
92.86% |
$0.00 |
| 17. |
|
125 |
72 |
00:00:29 |
52.38% |
36.80% |
$0.00 |
| 18. |
|
117 |
96 |
00:04:34 |
66.67% |
58.12% |
$0.00 |
| 19. |
|
117 |
106 |
00:02:13 |
88.00% |
68.38% |
$0.00 |
| 20. |
|
117 |
66 |
00:04:27 |
58.82% |
31.62% |
$0.00 |
| 21. |
|
113 |
73 |
00:01:13 |
25.00% |
22.12% |
$0.00 |
| 22. |
|
110 |
97 |
00:06:29 |
88.46% |
66.36% |
$0.00 |
| 23. |
|
110 |
60 |
00:01:19 |
34.38% |
25.45% |
$0.00 |
| 24. |
|
108 |
102 |
00:04:33 |
85.71% |
80.56% |
$0.00 |
| 25. |
|
107 |
81 |
00:02:46 |
54.39% |
50.47% |
$0.00 |
| 26. |
|
106 |
97 |
00:03:25 |
90.36% |
82.08% |
$0.00 |
| 27. |
|
105 |
72 |
00:01:57 |
0.00% |
40.00% |
$0.00 |
| 28. |
|
103 |
85 |
00:03:32 |
56.00% |
53.40% |
$0.00 |
| 29. |
|
100 |
84 |
00:01:21 |
76.32% |
52.00% |
$0.00 |
| 30. |
|
April 30, 2010
Back in the early 60s when I was in grade school I was given a treat on many Saturdays of going to The Atlanta Daily World, the paper where my father was City Editor, and spending the day with him as he put the Sunday edition ‘to bed’. I learned all the lingo for his profession because I knew that was what I wanted to be: a journalist. My favorite thing to do at the paper was read what came across the Associted Press wire. I could get a sampling of everything going on around the world before it came out in any of Atlanta’s papers the next day. It was an inside practice that I loved for years and inserted in my novel “No Death by Unknown Hands” which is about a 14 year old girl who wants to be a writer like her dad in Atlanta in 1952. (You can read the first chapter of this novel on Tim Roux’s site http://nightreading.ning.com/). It never occurred to me as I longed for the chance to be a newspaper woman that most women were never be allowed to handle real news.
Then there was Evelyn Cunningham who died at the age of 94 and worked for for than 20 years for The Pittsburgh Courier. Continue reading When a Woman Wants to Be a Writer
March 27, 2010
Visits
12,320
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Pages/Visit
- The average number of pages viewed during a visit to your site. Repeated views of a single page are counted.
Pages/Visit
2.01
Site Avg: 2.01 (0.00%)
|
- Avg. Time on Site
- The average duration of a visit to your site.
Avg. Time on Site
00:02:35
Site Avg: 00:02:35 (0.00%)
|
- % New Visits
- The percentage of visits by people who had never visited your site before.
% New Visits
71.11%
Site Avg: 71.07% (0.06%)
|
- Bounce Rate
- The percentage of single-page visits (i.e. visits in which the person left your site from the entrance page).
Bounce Rate
69.72%
Site Avg: 69.72% (0.00%)
|
| 1. |
|
8,408 |
2.20 |
00:03:11 |
64.01% |
64.90% |
| 2. |
|
796 |
1.44 |
00:01:01 |
78.14% |
80.90% |
| 3. |
|
562 |
1.57 |
00:01:17 |
91.81% |
84.88% |
| 4. |
|
465 |
1.90 |
00:01:40 |
91.40% |
74.19% |
| 5. |
|
211 |
1.45 |
00:00:38 |
92.89% |
86.26% |
| 6. |
|
164 |
1.37 |
00:00:53 |
93.29% |
82.93% |
| 7. |
|
107 |
3.53 |
00:05:52 |
30.84% |
28.04% |
| 8. |
|
104 |
2.78 |
00:06:41 |
71.15% |
65.38% |
| 9. |
|
93 |
2.74 |
00:02:31 |
74.19% |
48.39% |
| 10. |
|
72 |
1.86 |
00:01:19 |
90.28% |
83.33% |
| 11. |
|
71 |
1.27 |
00:00:57 |
98.59% |
87.32% |
| 12. |
|
68 |
1.37 |
00:00:45 |
92.65% |
83.82% |
| 13. |
|
53 |
1.13 |
00:00:07 |
98.11% |
90.57% |
| 14. |
|
52 |
1.06 |
00:00:14 |
98.08% |
92.31% |
| 15. |
|
52 |
1.65 |
00:00:49 |
69.23% |
71.15% |
| 16. |
|
45 |
1.29 |
00:00:40 |
93.33% |
84.44% |
| 17. |
|
43 |
1.14 |
00:00:17 |
93.02% |
88.37% |
| 18. |
|
40 |
1.10 |
00:00:08 |
100.00% |
90.00% |
| 19. |
|
37 |
1.03 |
00:00:06 |
91.89% |
97.30% |
| 20. |
|
32 |
1.12 |
00:00:34 |
96.88% |
84.38% |
| 21. |
|
32 |
1.28 |
00:00:37 |
100.00% |
84.38% |
| 22. |
|
30 |
1.30 |
00:00:28 |
96.67% |
86.67% |
| 23. |
|
28 |
2.11 |
00:05:39 |
46.43% |
50.00% |
| 24. |
|
27 |
2.15 |
00:02:06 |
92.59% |
92.59% |
| 25. |
|
25 |
1.44 |
00:00:51 |
92.00% |
84.00% |
| 26. |
|
25 |
1.08 |
00:00:17 |
92.00% |
92.00% |
| 27. |
|
25 |
1.28 |
00:00:17 |
100.00% |
76.00% |
| 28. |
|
25 |
1.12 |
00:00:30 |
44.00% |
88.00% |
| 29. |
|
24 |
1.25 |
00:00:11 |
95.83% |
87.50% |
| 30. |
|
23 |
1.26 |
00:00:38 |
82.61% |
82.61% |
| Continue reading SWI – Total List of Countries visiting SWI over the last 60 days |
March 27, 2010
Pageviews
24,716
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Unique Pageviews
- The number of visits during which one or more of these pages was viewed.
Unique Pageviews
18,596
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Avg. Time on Page
- The average amount of time visitors spent viewing this set of pages or page.
Avg. Time on Page
00:02:34
Site Avg: 00:02:34 (0.00%)
|
- Bounce Rate
- The percentage of single page visits resulting from this set of pages or page.
Bounce Rate
69.72%
Site Avg: 69.72% (0.00%)
|
- % Exit
- The percentage of site exits that occurred from this set of pages or page.
% Exit
49.84%
Site Avg: 49.84% (0.00%)
|
- $ Index
- The average value of this page or set of pages. $Index is (Ecommerce revenue + Total Goal Value) divided by Pageviews for the page(s).
$ Index
$0.00
Site Avg: $0.00 (0.00%)
|
| 1. |
|
5,712 |
2,674 |
00:02:49 |
28.13% |
27.10% |
$0.00 |
| 2. |
|
774 |
509 |
00:02:09 |
45.54% |
37.47% |
$0.00 |
| 3. |
|
274 |
194 |
00:02:35 |
62.50% |
61.68% |
$0.00 |
| 4. |
|
238 |
191 |
00:02:33 |
77.89% |
78.99% |
$0.00 |
| 5. |
|
229 |
221 |
00:06:24 |
92.27% |
95.20% |
$0.00 |
| 6. |
|
227 |
212 |
00:03:31 |
94.34% |
92.07% |
$0.00 |
| 7. |
|
209 |
153 |
00:00:09 |
69.28% |
73.21% |
$0.00 |
| 8. |
|
174 |
164 |
00:02:37 |
93.25% |
91.38% |
$0.00 |
| 9. |
|
165 |
90 |
00:01:12 |
46.15% |
36.97% |
$0.00 |
| 10. |
|
152 |
128 |
00:02:11 |
82.00% |
48.68% |
$0.00 |
| 11. |
|
150 |
144 |
00:04:05 |
90.97% |
90.67% |
$0.00 |
| 12. |
|
146 |
144 |
00:01:49 |
95.14% |
95.21% |
$0.00 |
| 13. |
|
138 |
132 |
00:03:22 |
95.24% |
90.58% |
$0.00 |
| 14. |
|
136 |
122 |
00:05:49 |
82.98% |
72.79% |
$0.00 |
| 15. |
|
123 |
36 |
00:00:09 |
28.57% |
4.88% |
$0.00 |
| 16. |
|
122 |
118 |
00:02:37 |
93.81% |
94.26% |
$0.00 |
| 17. |
|
122 |
106 |
00:05:59 |
87.76% |
83.61% |
$0.00 |
| 18. |
|
118 |
40 |
00:01:01 |
100.00% |
14.41% |
$0.00 |
| 19. |
|
118 |
94 |
00:00:45 |
32.31% |
26.27% |
$0.00 |
| 20. |
|
118 |
99 |
00:00:53 |
75.27% |
73.73% |
$0.00 |
| 21. |
|
116 |
111 |
00:03:27 |
95.50% |
95.69% |
$0.00 |
| 22. |
|
116 |
95 |
00:04:34 |
66.10% |
57.76% |
$0.00 |
| 23. |
|
111 |
99 |
00:03:41 |
85.71% |
86.49% |
$0.00 |
| 24. |
|
110 |
76 |
00:02:07 |
50.00% |
37.27% |
$0.00 |
| 25. |
|
105 |
99 |
00:03:19 |
93.94% |
93.33% |
$0.00 |
| 26. |
|
104 |
57 |
00:04:18 |
58.33% |
28.85% |
$0.00 |
| 27. |
|
102 |
78 |
00:02:26 |
55.56% |
50.00% |
$0.00 |
| 28. |
|
102 |
71 |
00:00:41 |
60.00% |
29.41% |
$0.00 |
| 29. |
|
101 |
91 |
00:01:10 |
13.75% |
27.72% |
$0.00 |
| 30. |
|
98 |
90 |
00:02:41 |
87.64% |
88.78% |
$0.00 |
| Continue reading SWI – Top 300 Page Views over the last 60 days |
March 20, 2010
Is There a Place?
by Bob Grant
Is there a place where minds can meet?
Is there a place where thoughts can greet?
Is there a place where debate takes place?
Is there a place for all kinds of race?
Is there a place where discussions are real?
Is there a place for passions [...]
February 28, 2010
Visits
11,511
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Pages/Visit
- The average number of pages viewed during a visit to your site. Repeated views of a single page are counted.
Pages/Visit
2.34
Site Avg: 2.34 (0.00%)
|
- Avg. Time on Site
- The average duration of a visit to your site.
Avg. Time on Site
00:03:09
Site Avg: 00:03:09 (0.00%)
|
- % New Visits
- The percentage of visits by people who had never visited your site before.
% New Visits
65.83%
Site Avg: 65.81% (0.04%)
|
- Bounce Rate
- The percentage of single-page visits (i.e. visits in which the person left your site from the entrance page).
Bounce Rate
66.88%
Site Avg: 66.88% (0.00%)
|
| 1. |
|
8,009 |
2.63 |
00:03:54 |
57.70% |
61.58% |
| 2. |
|
747 |
1.56 |
00:01:12 |
74.16% |
81.39% |
| 3. |
|
511 |
1.30 |
00:00:42 |
96.09% |
87.67% |
| 4. |
|
429 |
2.02 |
00:02:09 |
89.74% |
73.66% |
| 5. |
|
165 |
1.79 |
00:01:09 |
84.85% |
79.39% |
| 6. |
|
128 |
5.13 |
00:08:03 |
27.34% |
23.44% |
| 7. |
|
123 |
1.33 |
00:00:46 |
95.93% |
82.93% |
| 8. |
|
103 |
2.42 |
00:05:59 |
76.70% |
72.82% |
| 9. |
|
81 |
1.27 |
00:00:50 |
92.59% |
87.65% |
| 10. |
|
50 |
2.64 |
00:02:04 |
62.00% |
34.00% |
| 11. |
|
49 |
2.22 |
00:01:41 |
89.80% |
83.67% |
| 12. |
|
48 |
1.19 |
00:00:32 |
89.58% |
87.50% |
| 13. |
|
44 |
1.20 |
00:00:14 |
100.00% |
86.36% |
| 14. |
|
42 |
1.52 |
00:00:53 |
95.24% |
76.19% |
| 15. |
|
41 |
1.20 |
00:00:20 |
95.12% |
82.93% |
| 16. |
|
40 |
1.10 |
00:00:06 |
97.50% |
92.50% |
| 17. |
|
37 |
1.11 |
00:00:19 |
100.00% |
89.19% |
| 18. |
|
37 |
1.49 |
00:00:32 |
86.49% |
72.97% |
| 19. |
|
32 |
1.22 |
00:01:42 |
87.50% |
87.50% |
| 20. |
|
29 |
1.86 |
00:01:19 Continue reading SWI – Total List of Countries visiting SWI over the last 60 days |
February 28, 2010
Pageviews
26,981
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Unique Pageviews
- The number of visits during which one or more of these pages was viewed.
Unique Pageviews
18,950
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Avg. Time on Page
- The average amount of time visitors spent viewing this set of pages or page.
Avg. Time on Page
00:02:21
Site Avg: 00:02:21 (0.00%)
|
- Bounce Rate
- The percentage of single page visits resulting from this set of pages or page.
Bounce Rate
66.89%
Site Avg: 66.89% (0.00%)
|
- % Exit
- The percentage of site exits that occurred from this set of pages or page.
% Exit
42.66%
Site Avg: 42.66% (0.00%)
|
- $ Index
- The average value of this page or set of pages. $Index is (Ecommerce revenue + Total Goal Value) divided by Pageviews for the page(s).
$ Index
$0.00
Site Avg: $0.00 (0.00%)
|
| 1. |
|
7,184 |
3,136 |
00:02:36 |
29.72% |
25.71% |
$0.00 |
| 2. |
|
674 |
427 |
00:02:27 |
38.57% |
33.53% |
$0.00 |
| 3. |
|
430 |
168 |
00:00:47 |
40.21% |
22.33% |
$0.00 |
| 4. |
|
336 |
69 |
00:00:07 |
7.14% |
2.38% |
$0.00 |
| 5. |
|
231 |
163 |
00:02:48 |
61.25% |
61.47% |
$0.00 |
| 6. |
|
217 |
172 |
00:02:22 |
75.58% |
77.88% |
$0.00 |
| 7. |
|
209 |
181 |
00:06:03 |
84.96% |
66.51% |
$0.00 |
| 8. |
|
203 |
155 |
00:00:44 |
67.18% |
62.07% |
$0.00 |
| 9. |
|
201 |
151 |
00:00:09 |
74.17% |
75.12% |
$0.00 |
| 10. |
|
198 |
182 |
00:03:50 |
92.82% |
90.40% |
$0.00 |
| 11. |
|
194 |
179 |
00:02:46 |
90.91% |
89.18% |
$0.00 |
| 12. |
|
188 |
182 |
00:05:03 |
93.41% |
95.74% |
$0.00 |
| 13. |
|
183 |
120 |
00:00:36 |
36.00% |
26.78% |
$0.00 |
| 14. |
|
179 |
155 |
00:03:00 |
83.64% |
48.04% |
$0.00 |
| 15. |
|
156 |
56 |
00:01:33 |
87.50% |
19.87% |
$0.00 |
| 16. |
|
148 |
144 |
00:04:11 |
96.45% |
93.92% |
$0.00 |
| 17. |
|
145 |
84 |
00:00:32 |
51.61% |
22.07% |
$0.00 |
| 18. |
|
126 |
112 |
00:05:43 |
82.76% |
71.43% |
$0.00 |
| 19. |
|
123 |
120 |
00:01:37 |
95.83% |
95.93% |
$0.00 |
| 20. |
|
122 |
20 Continue reading SWI – Top 500 Page Views over the last 60 days |
February 25, 2010
We first put our site on the Internet in December 2008 – since then we have had over 110,000 viewers visit our site. We extend an invitation to all writers to become contributors. If you are interested please reply to SpeakWithoutInterruption@gmail.com and let us know the type of writings [...]
February 11, 2010
Complete this sentence – If I did not have the freedom to write I would…………
We welcome your thoughts and comments.
February 4, 2010
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Creative Writing, Current Events, Fiction, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Publishing, Short Stories, The Writer's Corner
What is a Writer? Is is someone who has been trained as one or someone who believes they are one? Is is someone who uses big words and knows proper grammar or is it someone who writes the way they feel with spelling and grammatical errors? Is it someone who has published books, articles, [...]
February 2, 2010
I have had both a personal, and business, relationship with China – and its people – since 2003. I have written articles – posted to our site – regarding China and have made it no secret regarding my extreme interest in having contributors, from China, post their articles to our site. I am excited [...]
February 1, 2010
Below are the results – from Google Analytics – for our SWI site showing the Top 200 pages visited over the past 12 months:
Pageviews
128,896
% of Site Total:
100.00%
|
- Unique Pageviews
- The number of visits during which one or more of these pages was viewed.
Unique Pageviews
90,609
% of Site Total: 100.00%
|
- Avg. Time on Page
- The average amount of time visitors spent viewing this set of pages or page.
Avg. Time on Page
00:02:45
Site Avg: 00:02:45 (0.00%)
|
- Bounce Rate
- The percentage of single page visits resulting from this set of pages or page.
Bounce Rate
64.67%
Site Avg: 64.67% (0.00%)
|
- % Exit
- The percentage of site exits that occurred from this set of pages or page.
% Exit
41.61%
Site Avg: 41.61% (0.00%)
|
- $ Index
- The average value of this page or set of pages. $Index is (Ecommerce revenue + Total Goal Value) divided by Pageviews for the page(s).
$ Index
$0.00
Site Avg: $0.00 (0.00%)
|
| 1. |
|
27,232 |
12,904 |
00:03:16 |
34.71% |
26.68% |
$0.00 |
| 2. |
|
19,101 |
9,877 |
00:02:57 |
38.13% |
28.75% |
$0.00 |
| 3. |
|
943 |
588 |
00:03:31 |
52.07% |
33.40% |
$0.00 |
| 4. |
|
692 |
550 |
00:01:24 |
45.71% |
21.82% |
$0.00 |
| 5. |
|
655 |
595 |
00:02:53 |
89.15% |
83.97% |
$0.00 |
| 6. |
|
633 |
178 |
00:00:17 |
7.32% |
6.48% |
$0.00 |
| 7. |
|
625 |
502 |
00:01:45 |
66.04% |
64.48% |
$0.00 |
| 8. |
|
610 |
272 |
00:00:56 |
44.85% |
26.72% |
$0.00 |
| 9. |
|
499 |
410 |
00:01:34 |
54.84% |
27.86% |
$0.00 |
| 10. |
|
414 |
329 |
00:01:51 |
75.00% |
26.09% |
$0.00 Continue reading February 2010 (Content by Title – Previous 12 Months) |
January 29, 2010
SWI is pleased to announce ‘Night Reading’ – a publishing opportunity for not only our own SWI contributors but to all writers who are interested in getting their works published. Below is this initial announcement from our contributors Tim Roux and Bruce Essar:
Bruce Essar and I invite you to join our new Ning [...]
January 6, 2010
The mass of instant information that is the Internet and Mass Media could free each and everyone of us to become more informed and knowledgeable. Then we could all come together as a new smarter, kinder society and deal with all of our problems in wise and wonderful ways.
But that’s not exactly what’s happening is it? Instead, we search the Ether and Net for information and opinions that match our own. We listen to our favorite music, read our favorite writers, and watch our favorite stars. In effect, we’re creating tribes of like minded individuals who do not share truths, but rather, protect their own ideals against the onslaught of “absolute wrongness” being spouted by other tribes.
Conservatives go to the sites and channels that they like, liberals read the blogs and view the videos that they prefer. It’s not as simple as that, just because there are so many variations on each major theme, If you are an angry conservative, small government supporter who likes to shout at the TV from your hard-earned arm chair there are lots of shows, blogs and sites waiting to enthrall you with your own “cosmic rightness.” Continue reading Our own little worlds
December 18, 2009
Posted by Bob Grant - Editor in: Books, Creative Writing, Freelance Author, Journalism, Literature, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Short Stories, The Media, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Writing Essentials
Our Online Magazine was started in December 2008. Since then we have had visitors to our site that represent 165 countries. Although we have a few contributing writers – outside the U.S. – we “very much” want more. Many, many, many more! If you come to our site from outside the USA – and would like to become a [...]
December 11, 2009

By Alan Caruba
As frequent readers of my commentaries know, I began my working life as a journalist. This, of course, ruined me for honest work!
As a result, I migrated into public relations, a craft or trade that likes to think of itself as a profession, but other than medicine, why would one want to be thought of in the same way as lawyers?
Nowadays, every endeavor with its own trade association calls itself a profession. All one needs is a Code of Ethics that its members can ignore and, voila, you’re a professional.
Journalists think of themselves as professionals and they too have a Code of Ethics as put forth by the Society of Professional Journalists. Let it be noted that I have been and still am a SPJ member for more than twenty-five years and, for much of that time, I also subscribed to Editor & Publisher, a publication that has been around for 108 years.
E&P died on Thursday. It was shut down by its parent company, Nielsen, along with The Hollywood Reporter.
If anything signals a near-death experience for print journalism; that is to say, the process by which the combined talent and efforts of reporters, columnists, photographers, and editors produced a daily portrait of a city, a state, the nation and the world, the loss of Editor & Publisher pretty much says “the times they are a-changing.” Continue reading Journalism isn’t Dead, but Newspapers are
November 8, 2009
Posted by Tim Roux in: African-American, China, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Relations, History, Homeland Security, Islam, Journalism, Latino & Hispanic, Military, Morality, Politics, Religion, Republican, Sociology, Terrorism, Women's Rights
In Britain it is now a criminal offence to make any statement which might incite racial hatred. So, if you go around saying that all Irishmen are stupid or all Welshmen are thieves, then you may well find yourself helping the police with their enquiries and facing a sharp fine or even a term of imprisonment.
Some commentators consider this law to be draconian but it does take a clear political stance and one thing I have learnt over my lifetime is that nearly all racism is neither random nor ‘naturally’ grassroots-derived but rather politically or economically motivated, indeed directed.
Once upon a time, not so long ago, black Africans were slaves or treated as slaves. They were shackled, they died in transit under inhuman conditions, they were worked to death, they were unpaid. How do you justify treating a fellow human being this way? How can it be possible even legally to rape and execute black Africans at whim?
There was a simple answer. Black Africans were not human, they were sub-human. Indeed, they hailed from another, lesser, branch of the human family altogether. And there was no shortage of commentators and pseudo-scientists who popped up to argue that black Africans were so bestial that they were really no different from a cow or a horse, that they were incapable of moral understanding (probably the most obscene argument in history), that they were beyond civilisation and, yes, if you measured their brains they were smaller and lighter than a white man’s. Continue reading Should there be a law against it?
October 3, 2009
Posted by cmusico in: Advice, Attitude, Biography & Memoir, Economic Crisis, Economics, Faith, Family, Finance, Habit Change, Health & Fitness, Humor, Inspiration & Motivation, Journalism, Life Experiences, Motivation, Nutrition, Personal Experiences, Recovery, Relationships, Weight loss
This month marks a rather large milestone in my life — it’s the official one-year anniversary of my real-world independence. This time last year, I moved into my apartment in Jersey City. Sure, I stayed in the dorms at Seton Hall University, but I always went home for the summer. This was different, though. This time I was moving out for good.
In that time, we’ve seen a lot go on in the world around us. Our economy collapsed, the Mets collapsed (again), the Phillies actually won the World Series, the Steelers won another Super Bowl, we had our first black president, and about 3,000 celebrities passed away.
Personally, I’ve seen a lot happen as well. I’ve lost about 20 pounds, seen my job transform in good and bad ways, and learned a whole lot about how strong and resilient I can be when necessary. I’m a big believer that a lot of the events that happen in our lives do influence how we act with regard to our finances. Here are eight of the most important lessons that I’ve learned in the past year — and lived to tell you all:

- Family is important and will always be there for you. I could go on forever about how this is true, but the moment that really brought it home — quasi-literally — for me was when I thought everything was falling apart. My rent went up, I was forced to take more unpaid days off at work, and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to continue to live the life that I wanted. I really thought my money would run out. This was way off-base, but it took a phone call home one snowy night this past February to my mother to set me straight. She made me realize that all the money I was pooling should be used as tools for my goals, not just to sit idle. This epiphany moment helped me take a fresh look at my finances — and life. Continue reading A Look Back: One Year of Independence
September 18, 2009
As stated in SWI Roots http://www.speakwithoutinterruption.com/site/swi-roots/ I have no credentials or experience to have started our Speak Without Interruption Online Magazine. I just had an idea – and with the tremendous help of my Son-in-law plus the writers who took a chance on an unknown site – we are experiencing an ever increasing audience [...]
September 17, 2009
Wednesday’s are generally good days. You’re halfway through the week, “hump day” if you will. (I know, I know. Today’s Thursday. This is a postmortem.) We’re almost to the weekend. Furthermore, when I used to live at home, it was the day of the “Good Breakfast” — a sausage and egg sandwich on a bagel, with a few extra sausage patties on the side.
But every other Wednesday it’s even better. Why? Pay day! My job pays us every other week, which gives me an opportunity to add to my checking and savings accounts — which is always a good thing.
Because my paycheck varies a bit each pay period due to furlough days at least once per month, every time I sit down to allocate my money I do as follows: Continue reading Paycheck Palooza
September 17, 2009
Characteristics of professional writers
All generalizations are false, a paradox. Any SWI reader who aspires to writing as a career should know what it will be like and what personal characteristics and behavior work. This applies in every career and profession—education, focus and energy in a specific discipline are essential to success—but extends to physiology and psychology: athletes need size, strength, agility and hand-eye coordination, often courage and indifference to pain; dancers and skaters need poise, flexibility and esthetic sensibilities, plus specialized, measurable physiological traits. The list is endless.
Writers need brains and their focused application.
Consider the typical attitude, lifestyle and characteristics of a book writer, especially fiction (today fiction comprises only 25% of annual $25B U.S. book sales; 75% of fiction sales are ‘romance’). Many of these criteria apply to writing non-fiction, but since a novel is among the most difficult kinds of writing, it is a useful baseline.
—literate
A writer must be highly literate. It is difficult or impossible to succeed without mastery of spelling, syntax and grammar, honed daily. Plus a large, growing vocabulary, knowledge of research sources and the ability to discriminate between words that sound and look somewhat alike but have very or even slightly different meanings. Consider ‘affect’ and ‘effect,’ ‘flaunt’ or ‘flout,’ ‘its’ and ‘it’s,’ ‘bullion’ and ‘bouillon,’ ‘prescribe’/‘proscribe’ and ‘pore’ vs. ‘pour’—this last an illiteracy inserted into one of my works by an ignorant ‘editor.’ Or ‘tasty’ vs. ‘tasteful’—not remotely the same. Webster’s Unabridged cites hundreds of examples. These examples may sound simplistic but they are mistakes that infuriate literate readers. Continue reading Final Thoughts on Writing and Writers from John Joss
September 16, 2009
HANDY TOOLS FOR EVERY WRITER
These core activities and attitudes—think of them as tools—are essential to writers with basic writing skills who want to succeed in a trade with few, if any, shortcuts:
● Write daily. Once done, edit meticulously, including your email. If it’s finished work for which you are being judged or paid, find a friend or editor to give you a ‘sanity check’ to save you from yourself. You wrote a flaming letter, fully justified? Fine. Now set it aside and toss, shred or burn it later.
● Embrace new situations, without prejudging them, especially if they are different from your daily life and preferences. Soak them up and look for the next learning experience. Pay attention. Learn all you can about other places, people, attitudes and behavior. No limits. Most of this learning is ‘free,’ sometimes painful.
● Start writing on your project now. Put down the first thought or idea that comes to your mind, however seemingly simplistic or inappropriate. Nothing is crueler to a writer than the tyranny of the blank page or screen, the basis for writer’s block. Once you have set something down, you have broken the block and can proceed. Many writers think outlines help. Continue reading More Thoughts on Writing from John Joss
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Books by SWI Contributors
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The Great March
Tomorrow is the 47th Anniversary of the March on Washington. It is a significant date in the history of this country, August 28, 1963. Never before had so many American people, 300,000 or more, gathered in one place to lift in one voice of shared concern for “jobs, and freedom”, and equality for all Americans. Others have tried to duplicate the event and its success but this political rally organized by civil rights, labor, and religious organizations calling on all Americans in support of civil and economic rights for African-Americans, that took place in Washington, D.C, were Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial would come to be known as “The Great March on Washington“.
At 6:30 the morning of August 28, 1963 my grandfather in Pennsylvania and my parents in New York City boarded two buses both bound for Washington in the District of Columbia. All three of them were journalist; all three were Americans of African decent; all three held great expectation, pride and there was a jubilant hope in their hearts. Continue reading The Great March