Learning Through Words

I wanted to re-introduce a review of my favorite miniseries, which I originally reviewed back in 2008, John Adams. I can’t say enough things about this BRILLIANT adaptation. Really, I can’t. Paul Giamatti was amazing as the opinionated, determined second president of the United States. Laura Linney was a wonderfully understated Abigail in appearance, but fierce in intellect. I always enjoy Tom Wilkinson’s performances, and he certainly did not disappoint as Benjamin Franklin. David Morse, an actor I’m not really familiar with, looked EXACTLY like the George Washington we’ve seen in paintings.

I’m a history lover, and it has always fascinated me how the decisions were made by the Continental Congress to separate from Britain. This miniseries, produced by Tom Hanks, details that, but it isn’t boring - rather, it is exquisitely illuminating. Indeed, our founding fathers (as David McCullough, my literary hero and author of the book that the miniseries was based upon) weren’t perfect, and this miniseries shows that.

The long life (90 years) of John Adams was one of triumph, failure, love, and loss. This miniseries shows all of that and more. Fact: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826 - the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence!

Of course, what is most remembered is the great love story between John and Abigail. Abigail was his advisor in everything, and their partnership was one of true strength. David McCullough said in the American Experience story of John and Abigail Adams the following: “There’s a saying that ‘True love is not gazing into each other’s eyes, but but looking out together in the same direction’. If ever there was a couple who looked out in the same direction, it was John and Abigail Adams.”

Thanks to the YouTube user mev186, you can see the ending (not a spoiler!) of this miniseries which features the actual words that John and Abigail wrote to each other. This actually made me cry, and here it is:

I prefer reading non-fiction as opposed to fiction, simply because, for me, it’s more fun to read something and be like, that really happened?! However, I will occasionally read fiction, and The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is one of those exceptions.

The main character of the book is a detective named Thursday Next. She lives in a futuristic version of 1985 (already a parody!) where people travel through time, and extinct creatures like Dodos have been resurrected as pets. Thursday is, specifically, a literary detective. In this, the first book of the Thursday Next series, she has to catch a villain named Archeron Hades. Hades has taken his despicable acts too far when he abducts Jane Eyre from her novel. Thursday has to enter the book and stop him, while at the same time saving a classic piece of literature.

What makes this book so excellent is because it makes what would be an otherwise implausible situation completely plausible, despite it obviously being fiction. Wordplay and literary allusions make this book especially notable. This is one brilliant book!

I’m not an affiliate for any of the sites or products in this post that I link to or mention in any way.

We all know that dyeing and straightening hair can leave it dry, and the ends brittle. However, I’ve come to realize that these things, oh, things that I thought were “so cool” to do when I was a teenager, have made my hair quite displeased with me in the years since. I don’t dye my hair anymore (and I plan not to until those pesky gray hairs show up - hopefully that’s a few years away yet), but my hair remains dry. I have also embraced my curly hair, and only straighten it minimally if I want to wear it long and not pulled back, but yet frizz has a way of finding me.

Although I still use the 365 shampoo sometimes, I switched it up a bit, and have been trying Andalou Naturals shampoo, which includes sweet orange and argan oil. First off, I love the smell of this shampoo. It’s soothing while it’s working, and it has a nice after smell - not too overpowering, just right for me. I do pair it with a conditioner (that’s a review for another day), which might influence said smell, though.

Actual usage tips for this product? Only a small amount is needed as far as I’m concerned. I have long hair, and I use about a nickel sized dollop, concentrating on the ends, and letting it sit for a little bit (a minute or two) so that the product got a chance to absorb.

This shampoo uses fruit stem cell science for hair renewal. I have been using the shampoo on a nearly daily basis for a couple of months now, and it is just now starting to really work. Although my hair did have the initial smooth feeling right after each wash, the frizz would return as soon as I let my hair air dry.

This is definitely a shampoo that requires patience, but the results are quite nice. This shampoo can be purchased at the Andalou Naturals official website.

I’m not an affiliate for any of the sites or products in this post that I link to or mention in any way.

Regardless of how busy I am, I like to look at the latest freelance writing job listings on various sites, because those can reveal the current direction that the freelance writing industry is going in overall. For example, lately it seems that technology and finance articles are what many clients are seeking writers for. I have also noticed that some job advertisements aren’t really advertisements at all, but rather ways for various people to market their websites or to take advantage of writers. It’s really important for freelance writers to be aware of what does, and does not, make for a promising job advertisement.

First of all, I have seen many “sketchy” advertisements, wherein it’ll be just one sentence asking for a writer. Oftentimes, this sentence is poorly spelled. Advertisements such as these can be fake, meaning that whoever posted the advertisement is looking for e-mail addresses to send unwanted opportunities (spam) to. Instead, look for advertisements that clearly outline job responsibilities/requirements and more information about the client or client’s website.

However, when the client includes the name of their website in the advertisement, it could be a marketing tactic, meaning that there really isn’t a job, but rather the “client” is trying to get more traffic to their website. Other advertisements will claim that their website is a new business - you can find out if this is true or not by going to websites such as Whois.sc (I’m not an affiliate of this site, by the way) to verify when the current owner registered the site.

Something else to look out for are writing samples. If an advertisement asks for a writing sample in the form of a link to work that is already published somewhere online, then that’s okay. Advertisements that ask for specific writing samples about a topic and promise payment for the sample are “proceed at your own risk” sorts of things.

My suggestion is to avoid an advertisement that asks for a writing sample that has to do with a specific topic and mentions nothing about payment. Why? Because some people look for samples and then, when they get writer responses with those samples, actually just take them, re-word them, and use them for their own benefit, without ever letting the writer know the status of their application. It’s not right, but it happens, and it’s something to definitely watch out for.

Yes, it can definitely be frustrating looking through all the jobs and determining which ones are real. However, the more information that is provided, the better. Be sure to also do an internet search on company names that are mentioned in advertisements, along with the word “scam”, as another precaution.

Applying to freelance writing job advertisements takes patience. I personally think that it’s rude for clients not to contact applicants when they haven’t received a job, but that’s the way it is much of the time. You might want to apply to a couple of jobs so that you’re not waiting on only one response. Above all, it’s your career, so it’s your discernment that is most important when it comes to finding freelance writing jobs.

Closets have a tendency to get cluttered rather quickly. They’re the go-to place for storing things that you might not need now, but feel sure that you will at some point. Some people try to keep their closets clean, while others stuff everything in there, shut the door (if the closet has a door) and hope for the best. It’s better to take a day (or more, if your closet is so messy it’s ridiculous) and clean/organize everything that’s in there.

The whole closet-cleaning situation can be tricky, because some closets look visibly clean, but actually have a lot of old things in them that need to be gotten rid of to make more space. Regardless of what situation you find your closet in, here are some closet organization tips:

• Begin by literally taking everything out of your closet so that you can start from scratch. This way, you can see all the space that’s available to you without clothes or other items blocking the view. Put all of your clothes and items in one place for the time being. It’s a good idea to keep everything in the same room as the closet if possible.
• Dust has a way of accumulating no matter what. Tackle that dust before you do anything else; your nose (and your clothes) will thank you for it later. You can use a clean sock or, my personal preference, a Swiffer. You might need to vacuum the closet floor, too.
• Now it’s time to start sorting through all the things you took out of your closet. Make piles according to clothing or item type. So, for example, make piles for shoes, t-shirts, sweaters, formal clothes, jackets, things like that.
• Check out the smaller items or accessories that you have, shoes included. If you don’t already have certain places built into the closet for those items, purchase some clear plastic totes, put the accessories in there by type (such as all belts in one tote, all hair accessories in another) and place the totes on the closet floor if possible, or on closet shelves.
• Sort through all of the clothes piles, one by one, and select what you want to keep from what you don’t. What you don’t want can be given to charity, but launder those clothes first. Be sure to get a trash bag and throw away any clothes that aren’t fit to be worn.
• Sometimes, accessories (not clothes) that you don’t want anymore, but are in great shape, can be given as gifts to people you know would like them.
• The remaining items that are in piles should be things that you know you want to wear or keep. Get all your clothes hangers together in one pile. That way, you can easily reach the hangers for each pile of clothes.
• Some people like to put off-season clothes away somewhere other than their closet until they’re needed, but I prefer to just keep everything in my closet no matter the season. To conserve space, you can get hangers that tier themselves to hang multiple clothing items. An example of this is the If things need to be ironed, this is the time to do that, too. Fold the clothing items that you’ll be putting on shelves - again, keep things organized by separating them according to type.
• Start putting your clothes back into the closet, being mindful of how you’ll find things easily - everyone has their own organization methods, regardless of how messy their closet has been before. It might take some relocating of various items to a dresser, but just take your time. Not only will your closet be cleaner, but if you make an effort to keep the closet relatively clean, it will be so much quicker and easier to find things.

Closet Organization Resources

If you have no idea where to purchase affordable items for closet organizing, here are some helpful links:

• Bed Bath & Beyond (Online and in stores)
• Space Savers (Online Only)
• Linens ‘n Things (Online Only)
• Kmart (Online and in stores)
• Target (Online and in stores)

I’m not an affiliate for any of the sites or products in this post that I link to or mention in any way.