Tribal Blogs

Saving the planet, one tablet at a time

Filed under Infographics by Jennifer Brown on February 1, 2012 at 11:16 am {no comments}

I love my iPad, I use it for everything from reading a book, and writing a post to playing Angry Birds and even changing the channel on the TV (the kid hates when I change the channel on the TV with the iPad). Now I can feel good about using my iPad because tablets are actually pretty good for the environment. According to this infographic by Vanarama,they use less energy than other gadgets (though I would never call my iPad a gadget) and the apps on the mobile devices can be controlled so resources aren’t being wasted. Hell, tablets are even beginning to use solar energy. How cool is that? So go out and buy that tablet you’ve had your eye on, you’ll do the planet some good.

how you and your tablet are saving the planet Saving the planet, one tablet at a time

Provided by Vanarama

Blue Mountain Arts Looking for Poets: Win $300!

Filed under Contests, Events by Jennifer Brown on January 31, 2012 at 10:40 am {no comments}

Image via Wikipedia

Blue Mountain Arts is looking for poets who want to win $300 and have their poetry on a greeting card.

If you can write poetry you could win $300 in Blue Mountain’s Twentieth Biannual Poetry Card Contest.

Cool huh?

Poetry Contest Guidelines:

Poems can be rhyming or non-rhyming, although non-rhyming poetry reads better.
Write about real emotions and feelings. It helps to have some special person or occasion in mind as you write.
Poems are judged on the basis of originality and uniqueness.
English-language entries only, please.
Enter as often as you like!

For the fine print and how to submit your poem click here.

Blue Mountain Arts Looking for Poets: Win $300!

I love being a freelance writer because, you know, it’s so sexy.

Filed under Success Stories by Jennifer Brown on January 31, 2012 at 10:31 am {one comment}

I’ve been a freelance writer for several years now and I am always amazed that people see this job as sexy. I was at the Mall of America yesterday and a clerk in Eddie Bauer asked what I do for a living. I stumbled over my answer because I wear so many hats; freelancer, writer, ghostwriter, blogger, teacher (I will be teacher a class through community education this fall!!) but once I finally got it out he asked if it was as sexy as Charlize Theron made it look in that movie.

I haven’t seen that movie so I don’t know how sexy she made it look but it’s Charlize Theron so obviously it would be really sexy.

Um, no. Freelance writing, ghostwriting, blogging, etc… are not the most sexy of jobs. Unless, of course, you do all these jobs in the adult entertainment world and then I still doubt they’d be sexy…skanky maybe, but probably not sexy.

I didn’t aim to be a freelance writer. This was a career I backed into. I love it, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t something I have been trying to achieve since I was a young girl.

That said, I have always wanted to be a writer. A real writer, one who writes books and makes gobs of money. Unfortunately there are a lot of people reaching for the same apple on that career path and like acting there is a lot of waiting tables until you reach your dream. For me I have to write about things I might not have chosen to so I can earn the money needed to write my book.

Still, not a bad gig.

I don’t have to sit in a cubicle all day, I don’t have a boss who micromanages everything I do. I can wear anything I want to work, I can set my own hours and take off whenever I want. I can pick and choose who I want to work with. I have an incredible amount of freedom and that’s something that is really important to me because I need flexibility as a single mom.

On the other hand, I have no net and I have to hustle each job I get. I work long hours, don’t have time to take off whenever I want and when something goes wrong I have no one to blame but me. Um, and I don’t look like Charlize Theron, unless you count that one movie about the serial killer she did.

Still, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Savvy Writing Careers Has Moved to Better Serve Creative, Freelance and Ghost Writers (savvywritingcareers.wordpress.com)
How to Solve the Five Challenges Freelance Writers Face When They Guest Post (savvywritingcareers.wordpress.com)
Freelance Writer | the Write Man for the Write Job (dennishernz.wordpress.com)

I love being a freelance writer because, you know, its so sexy.

Pinterest: A Social Network Game Changer

Filed under Social Marketing by Jennifer Brown on January 30, 2012 at 2:31 pm {one comment}

As you know we love Pinterest. Kelly and I have been playing around with Pinterest for a few weeks and the love just keeps getting deeper and deeper. Sure it’s pretty and I mentioned before it’s an affiliate marketers dream but according to this infographic Pinterest is a game changer. When it comes to social networking Pinterest is not only changing the rules, it’s breaking the rules and rewriting the rules. Facebook and Twitter will need to pay attention because Pinterest is a social network game changer.

Pinterest, with it’s visually stimulating boards filled with link love and comments and networking will change the way Twitter and Facebook do their thing. Pinterest isn’t a direct threat to Facebook but I have already noticed spending much more time on Pinterest than Facebook in the last couple of weeks. Sure, that could be novelty but I’m not so sure. With the comment sections you can have conversations and continue to network.

I could go on and on about Pinterest, and I will in the next couple of days. For now, have a look at this infographic from Monetate.