Jeff had often sat on a marble bench in the hall outside a courtroom. But this time it was different. This time he slouched, head hanging down, bristled chin in hand, eyes closed waiting his turn to testify. His palms were as wet as his mouth was dry; his pallor merged seamlessly with his only rumpled white shirt, the one he reserved for court appearances. This time, there’d be no run-of-the-mill, roll-me-over-in–the-clover testimony.

Jeff was eyewitness to a horrifying homicide, called by the DA to testify for the People Versus Jimmy “Weasel” Ingra, the Godfather’s hit man from Detroit and the Godfather himself. The Godfather got word to Jeff promising a long and languishing death if he ratted. The DA swished Jeff into witness protection. Bodyguards chaperoned him everywhere. It made dates with Alice pretty clumsy.

Even in guarded witness protection a crooked cop had come to see him. “The mob has bruisers bad as bloodhounds at search and destroy,” the cop told him. “They can find a mite in a mile-high pile of muck and smash it into a droplet of dew on a dam. Everyone likes you, Sanders. Try to stay alive.” Jeff had swallowed hard.

The great oak courtroom door opened. A cherubic face with double chin and dark curly hair appeared. “You’re up next, Jeff. About 10 minutes,” the bailiff said.

“Thanks, Herby,” Jeff replied. “I’m about as ready as I’m ever going to be.” Jeff knew that wasn’t true.

The ten minutes that followed were the longest Jeff had ever known.

* * *

“The whole thing’s a fluke,” Jeff had told Alice at dinner last week. His petite blond girlfriend reached to take his hand in hers and squeezed it gently.

“Alice, I just want to get out of this alive and not hunted by hoods or wanted by the FBI. It’s a fluke! I thought it was an ordinary climb –the-fire-escape-and–get-pictures-of-the- dame-in-bed-with-a-lover and what do I see? The weasel was sitting on this DEA drug agent’s face while the Godfather walloped the guy’s ribs with a steel club ’til they’re turned to sand. Then he makes mince meat of the guy’s manhood. I got so scared I forgot to film it. The DA thinks I did take pictures and burned them. Honest, Alice, I didn’t do that. But I did see it pretty clearly. If I hadn’t lost my keys at the scene, the DA wouldn’t know I was there.” He squeezed her hand. “Aw, honey. I just want to get out alive and marry you.” Alice forced a scared smile. The uniformed cop standing over by the door chuckled.

* * *

Jeff’s heartbeat resonated rhythmically in his ears, a thumping metronome unable to distract him from his dreadful dilemma. He felt as vulnerable as a vulture on a weather vane.

Ten minutes to show time, Jeff told himself. I got to figure out what I’m gonna do. I’m not ready to die, but dammit, somebody’s got to stop the mob. I tell it like it is, the Godfather goes down and his lieutenants come after me. I can say maybe I didn’t see it all clearly. I was twenty-five yards away and the window was dirty. My glasses were smudged. How could I be sure beyond the shadow of a doubt? After all It was, night. It was cloudy. No moon. They were in a dark corner of a large room, from where I watched. I’d had a couple a beers before climbing that fire escape. I hadn’t slept for a couple a days. He could bend the testimony in favor of the Godfather.

Jeff thought about his father. He didn’t know why for sure, but he could see his father telling him, “When you lie, Jeff, you have to remember every detail or you’ll get caught up in it.” Jeff remembered his dad. In the dark he could still see himself sitting on his dad’s knee, twirling dad’s graying locks between the thumb and forefinger of one hand while sucking his thumb on the other. “Daddy, I don’t want to tell any lies.” He felt his throat choking, his eyes beginning to tear. He suppressed sobs..

Now he heard the screaming; the bones breaking; the explosive fart when the Godfather smashed the bat across the guy’s belly. He smelled the sickening smell and heard the last yelp of the victim. Surely he died with that blow, Jeff thought.

Daddy, where are you? I need you, daddy, he thought. What should I do daddy? Daddy, I’m scared.

Then Alice jumped into his mind’s eye. “I love you, Jeff,” he could hear her saying. He could hear her voice cracking; see her eyes searching his soul. He felt her warm breath on his chest.“I want you with me forever, Jeff.”

“You can be a real hero, Jeff.” Now it was the DA. “We got a good shot at putting these bastards so far away you’d need a space searching telescope to find them. Tell what you saw, Jeff. Just the truth.”

“You have to remember your lie or you get caught in it, Jeff. Better, don’t lie.” It was his dad. Jeff rolled his left thumb against his forefinger and put he his right thumb in his mouth.

* * *

The bailiff’s hand on his shoulder jolted Jeff back to reality. He looked up to see the policeman who guarded him unsnap the flap on his holster so the gun would come out easily. He rose. He pursed his lips, pulled down the back skirt of his jacket and then straightened his tie. “OK,” he said. “Let’s boogey.”

Flanked by the bailiff and the policeman, Jeff stood straight and tall walking down the aisle. The back rows of the courtroom were filled with mostly shabby looking spectators. Some whispered as he walked by. “Nail ‘em, Mr. Sanders. Give ‘em hell” and things like that. Jeff recognized a few mobsters scattered in the crowd. They looked at him and shook their heads slowly. One of them raised his forefinger to his lips and nodded. Jeff clenched his teeth.

The bailiff opened the gate in front of the spectators’ section and Jeff passed between two large desks covered with folders and files. The DA and his staff sat in wooden captain’s chairs behind the desk to the left. Their suits had “Men’s Warehouse” written all over them. The defense team sat on his right. Imported Italian duds, Jeff thought. The Godfather stared at Jeff and pursed his lips into an upside down smile. He looked like a fashion plate out of Gentlemen’s Quarterly.

Then he saw Alice. Second to the left in the third row. She put on her stoic face made up perfectly as if her cosmetics were painted by numbers. No smile. No tears. A little like the Mona Lisa, Jeff thought. She glows. She always glows. A giant glob of molasses seemed to have gotten caught between Jeff’s heavy heart and stiffened stomach.

At the witness stand Jeff stood. “Put your left hand on the bible, Mr. Sanders, and raise your right hand,” the bailiff said. Jeff forced a smiled and complied. The bailiff spoke slowly:

“Jeffery Sanders, do you solemnly swear . . .?”

Melvin M. Harter is a retired physician. He specialized in evaluation of the causes and extent of injury and disability. He has become a freelance writer and author of the novel, Some Kind of Angel. This sci-fi thriller explores the world of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and genocide. For more, visit Some Kind of Angel and view the video trailer.

If you are going to present a character that is unusual for any number of reasons, or provide circumstances that are different, you must be prepared to provide explanatory material. A tale involving a period of social upheaval will be little understood, if you do not offer some explanation why actions result in the reactions that occur. A story dealing with the period of the Industrial Revolution, for example, would be difficult in the extreme to tell without some recounting of the effect it had upon the gentry and their mores.

As another example, let us examine the introduction of a ‘different’ type of character. To do so, let me suggest a look at El Tigre.

Stories of immigrants to the United States have included those of Irish families escaping the potato famine, and Germans and French fleeing from religious persecution. They also have told of some English who came to America for the same reason, and of others to escape prison. The stories of Jewish, Chinese, and assorted others’ journey to this country have been set forth for numerous reasons, not the least of which was to discover gold. Stories of any of these characters, therefore, are not new and need no explanatory pages.

Johan Heinrich von Manfred, the man who becomes El Tigre, is different. He is of the Prussian Aristocratic class. Both his position and the circumstances of his entrance to school must be explained. An explanation of the weapons of the time also must be provided. It was an era when the sword and knife still were important weapons. Firearms were single shot muskets and pistols. When Johann finally obtains one of the first revolving weapons, a description of the unique difference is of great importance to the following episodes.

As the young man moves into Spain to fight in the 1st Carlist War, his activities are meaningless without an explanation of the political maneuvering that led up to the confrontation. Similarly, the story does not develop without the reasons being given for the precarious position of his mentor in Spain. When he moves on to America, an understanding of the often only alluded to basic problems leading to Texas’ fight for independence, adds immeasurably to the story line.

So, to reiterate, there are certain times when introduction of information drops are necessary to the story line, and with respect to this material “often being enjoyed enough to be favorably mentioned in reviews,” let me provide specific examples. I said that “it may not be totally compatible to a few readers.” An unsigned review for the Magazine of the Western Writers of America did not like the “huge information drops,” but admitted “the subject matter is intriguing” and that “(the book) is an interesting look at a type of immigrant not often written about.” However, all of the other reviewers either did not find the inclusion of the explanatory material in any way bothersome, or actually made a point of including favorable remarks about it. The review by the main book reviewer in the monthly Chronicle of the 80,000 member Single Action Shooting Society printed in its entirety on my web page, is a case in point. The 5 star review by Mel Kligman in Amazon, the review by the AC Peoples Media Co. Review Editor, Louise Harris, and the full review by the well-known Gun Columnist John Taffin provide similar endorsement of the inclusions.

The general consensus, therefore, certainly would seem to be in favor of including explanatory material if the author believes it is necessary to, or will enhance, the story line.

John H. Manhold is a retired professor and scientific journal editor. He is an author of several textbooks, a lexicon in four languages and now novels that often require extensive research. He provides coaching on various types and phases of writing. Please see John Manhold for more information, and an address.

Choosing Wedding Flowers is one of the most important decisions you will make. Considering that it will be the most important day of your life that decision needs to be one you can live with, happily, for the rest of your life. Before you start selecting flowers for your wedding there are lots of things you need to have planned such as your Wedding colors, do you have a theme, how large your wedding will be, will it be formal or more casual and at the beach or a Cathedral.

Whatever the theme, size or venue of your wedding, its best to choose flowers in season as out of season flowers can be very pricy. If your wedding will be outdoors try to choose fresh cut flowers that will hold up to the elements. Hardy varieties will hold up to the strain of the day better as well. You don’t want to have your flowers drooping and turning brown at the reception.

Choosing Your Bridal Bouquet.

Your Bridal Bouquet will be the most important accessory you will purchase for your Wedding day. Vibrant colors are becoming more popular in bridal flowers and bouquets. You are not limited to the pastel colors or solid white of days gone by unless that is what you prefer.

Bridal Bouquets come in several basic shapes such as;

Round which does not have to be perfectly round and the flowers can be tightly clustered or loose with a more airy look. Within the Round Shapes there is the Nosegay with is a smaller Victorian style cluster of flowers. The Beidermeier shape which consists of rings of flowers, with each ring representing a different type of flower.

Crescent shape bouquets can be symmetrical or asymmetrical with the sides flowing downward.

The Arm bouquet consists of long stem flowers cradled in your arm.

The Cascade or Teardrop Bouquets are round at the top and come to a point at the bottom usually with streamers of ribbon or flowers.

Single Stem arrangements are becoming more popular. They are typically long stem flowers decorated with streamers, ribbon or lace.

The most important question to ask yourself before you select your bouquet is, what will you do with it after the wedding? Will you put it on display in your home? Will you find a way to preserve it?

Since it is becoming more popular to use vibrant colors in weddings, this includes the flowers. More and more brides are choosing Silk Flowers. In most cases silk flowers are cheaper, they keep longer. A very popular idea is to mix silk flowers with fresh flowers, especially in center piece arrangements.

Popular Wedding Flower Meanings.

I have found some very interesting meanings for flowers most commonly used for Weddings. Flowers take on different meanings when combined with other types of flowers and when combined with other colors of the same type of flower. Here is a list of some of the more popular Wedding flowers for each of the four seasons and some of their meanings. The flower meanings I have listed come from a variety of sources and are by no means exact because nobody really knows.

Spring Wedding Flowers;

Amaryllis means Pride and Radiant Beauty.

Apple Blossom means Good Fortune and Better Things To Come.

Lily means Majesty, Innocence and Honor.

Peony means Bashful, Happy Marriage and Prosperity

Sweet Pea means Lasting Pleasure.

Tulip means Passion and Happy Years.

Summer Wedding Flowers;

Calla Lily means Magnificent Beauty.

Daisy means Innocence and Purity.

Hydrangea means Vanity.

Iris means Wisdom, Faith and Hope.

White Rose means Honor, Reverence, Purity.

Queen Annes Lace means Sanctuary or Haven.

Autumn Wedding Flowers;

Aster means Elegance, Daintiness and Patience.

Chrysanthemum means Cheerfulness, Optimism and Joy.

Gerbera Daisy means Purity and Cheerfulness.

Statice means Remembrance and Success.

Winter Wedding Flowers;

Camellia means Gratitude and Graciousness.

Gardenia means Joy, Sweet Love and Good Luck.

Jasmine means Amiability and Elegance.

Orchid means Rare Beauty, Long Life and Refinement.

Deby has been a writer for Christmas Decorations and Gifts for several years. Select to view Christmas Decorations Ideas. We also have a great selection of Wedding Table Decorations.

For those women who have long curly hair they prefer their hair shorter, the reason they gave is not because they thought they will have more attractive appearance but due to the fact that shorter hair is much easier to manage and cheaper to maintain.

Wouldn’t you like to know long curly hair care tips?

Hair Moisture is Important

If you have long curly hair, do not apply too much strange substance on your hair, pull it too tight with your hair brush and you should refrain from using hot air to straightened it. What you should do is just let it naturally curly. This is because if you are spending too much time and effort you will be annoyed.

By applying quality shampoos as well as quality conditioners to your hair are parts of curly hair care. It’s vital to maintain the proper moisture level because curly hair needs more moisture.

Be Sure to Use Correct Shampoo

Curly hair care experts recommends not to use clarifying shampoos on curly hair for more than once a month. Another suggestion is that not to choose transparent shampoo because it is an indication that it contains detergents that will reduce your hair moisture and if smooth manageable long curly hair is what you want. When applying shampoo on your hair be sure to be gentle.

The next useful tip for curly hair care is before you comb your hair make sure it is wet and using a comb is a good idea if you want to take out any tangles that you might have and it is also to create a part in you hair. You should only apply a brush to your hair is before you are going to wash it. Deep conditioning is important for curly hair care which should be done twice a month. Purchase some hair masks or quality conditioners instead of hot oil.

Put sufficient amount of conditioner in your hair and place a shower cap over your hair and then put a hot towel around the shower cap and leave it there for about an hour and then wash it out of your hair. These process should be done after you have shampooed your hair.

Ensuring that you are only eating a healthy diet full of nutrients as well as vitamins and avoid junk food is another good curly hair care tip. The healthiness of your hair decreases if you don’t have the right amount of nutrients in your system. If you would like to maintain your hair healthy and attractive, knowing about curly hair care is very important

Before you considering buying some hair care products online, make sure you check Hazel Hughes’ excellent free report on curly-hair-care

If a client hires you as a “work-for-hire” ghostwriter, then the client pays you for your work, and he owns all rights. Make sure: 1) You receive a 50% retainer before you begin the work; and 2) You receive the balance at or right before delivery. That’s it. If the book turns out to be a great success, great! That’s wonderful! You should be extremely proud — but from a distance! To be a successful ghostwriter, you must enjoy your glory as a ghostwriter in the shadows. Many ghostwriters prefer it that way.

TIP #1: As a ghostwriter, you should always try to meet the needs of the true “author” of the work. Cover the content they want and do your best to make the client happy.

TIP #2: As with writing any book, ghostwriting involves lot of revisions and changes as far out as two months, especially if the book needs to go through an editor or publisher. You should make changes as needed. However, don’t wait on final payment if your client hasn’t received final approval from his publisher.

TIP #3: Always write your ghostwrites as if they are your own. Write with quality and professionalism in mind.

TIP #4: Never sign a non-compete contract on the subject of gaming or poker. It is crazy for the client to ask but crazier for you to do it. If a client asks for one, walk away. You have your own work to protect as well as the client’s work.

TIP #5: You owe the client exceptional work and the client you work for owes you money for a job well done.

TIP #6: If your client is dissatisfied with the end result, even after he’s paid you, make it right for the client. Satisfied clients usually become repeat clients; they will bring you steady work and referrals.

TIP #7: Consider using a pen name as a ghostwriter.

My friend, Shelly Unger, a freelance writer and ghostwriter, said she uses a pen name when she ghostwrites. She said, “I’ve written most of my ghostwrites and presented them to my clients under a pen name. First, if someone decides to spam me, there’s no harm done to the name for which I write my own work under. Secondly, when I write for a client, I have no idea what the client will do to the work, after all it is his work once it leaves my hands. The client may add content which I may not like or he may write something that is not my style of writing.” This is something to remember if you write for clients as ghostwrites. The client hires you to do a job and the client owns the work after it leaves your hands.

You can find many ghostwriting gigs on FreelanceWriting.com, Elance.com, Guru.com, GetAFreelancer.com, Indeed.com, and CraigsList.com. The other way is to create your own ghostwriting gigs by networking and marketing.

If you choose to write your own books and e-books, then follow these tips:

TIP # 1: Know your market and know where you can gain the most readership.

TIP # 2: Remember, non-fiction typically outsells fiction.

TIP # 3: Have your manuscript ready before you approach a publisher for electronic submissions or for trade submissions.

TIP # 4: As you are writing your manuscript, begin searching for markets where you will want to submit your work.

TIP # 5: Buy a Writer’s Market book so you can read over the markets and decide the best market for your manuscript.

TIP # 6: Avoid work-for-hire contracts from publishers. Sure, what publisher wouldn’t prefer to pay an up-front fee to a writer in lieu of royalties? Go for the royalties and take a chance on your own talents.

TIP # 7: Know your topic.

Brian Scott is a freelance writer for http://www.FreelanceWriting.com, a free website offering freelance writing jobs and hundreds of writer’s guidelines to paying magazines. Read his blog for freelance writers at http://workingwritersnewsletter.blogspot.com

Many individuals who lack writing skills drive down rates, way below what professional writers can rightfully charge. If the true professionals do not keep up their prices, this will become an even bigger problem. Just because writers from other countries want to work for eight or nine American dollars per hour, this doesn’t mean you should. As a writer, you can earn far more than many freelance writers — and certainly more than freelance writers who speak little English but still bid on the English-speaking jobs at much lower rates.

Visit any writer’s marketplace and scan through the projects. You will discover all types of bid prices and proposals. What you won’t see is how these writers came up with their bid prices or how they decided what and what not to include in their bid proposals. Often times these writers don’t know how they came up with their fees for bidding either. It becomes obvious when you see the same project posting listed under different genres or price ranges. Some of the same writers will bid on the same projects with a large spread in proposed bids. It is quite comical.

If you want prospective clients to take you seriously, you need to do three things: 1) You need a website that lists your rates; 2) You need to be consistent with your rates; and 3) You need to collect a retainer up front before you start.

Freelance writers need to know what they can charge based on the job at hand. This can vary depending on the marketplace. When it comes down to freelance writing, here is the truth in a nutshell: You can charge whatever it is you want to charge. You can base your fees on whatever you want to base your fees. The trick is finding someone to pay it who believes it is a fair price.

Freelance writers are a rare breed. Many of them are quite difficult. There is no need to be one of them. Decide on your fees and stick to them. Keeping your fees consistent enables you to keep your bookkeeping simple. You are a writer, not an accountant. Simplicity in accounting should appeal to you. Regardless of how much work you find, keep yourself grounded. Make your job fun. Take things in stride. The money will come.

The following information will help you set your rates. These rates may vary according to your experience and specialization.

WHAT TO CHARGE

Many writers will charge way too much for their services while others will charge way too little. You can find current market rates in Writer’s Market. You can also use the following as a guideline until you feel you have a good sense of what you want to charge. Remember, you can charge anything you want to charge. Always ask yourself what your time and skills are worth. More importantly, do clients feel you are worth what you are charging?

Take a look:

• News Articles ( web related ): $15-50 per page

• E-books:$15-25 per page

• Novels and Books: $75 per page

• Radio Commentary: $200 per hour

• Magazine articles: Expect anywhere from $600-$2000 per article

• Articles for web content, not related to news: $10-$50 per article based on word count and other aspects of the job (such as keywords, etc.)

Some writers prefer to charge by the word too. This is slightly different as it varies on several factors. If you are going to charge on a per word basis, decide how much that is and stick with it on all your projects of varying lengths. Often the rate per word charge fluctuates by writer depending on what the writer is writing (article, book, and web content).

Whatever you choose to charge, consider the time you spend creating the work. Remember, if you are an educated writer in your field, you should be able to realize anywhere from $30-$75 per hour.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER ABOUT RATES

You cannot please everyone all of the time. You will find publishers, editors, and clients who hire you on a fast turn around. Even though they expect quality, they also expect you to write top-notch, award-winning material.

If a client tells you up front the deadline is important, be realistic in your talents and realize you are at a disadvantage before you start. If you have a demanding buyer with demanding deadlines, then realize you may feel you cannot craft the best copy you can. You should know your own pace and when you know you can’t deliver your best manuscript. If this is the case, then ask the client for more time.

Also watch for up and coming savvy trade book publishers who hire writers to write an e-book and fully intend to market it as a trade paperback. Know this before you take the job. In fact, when you bid on e-books, expect it. If you want to charge more based on that possibility, then build it into your bid. Often, if you approach a potential client by e-mail, they will respond with a request for an author to pen an e-book for them. Many times this ghostwritten book will end up on the shelves. As long as you did your job and you got paid, what do you care? Sure, the client may have used a less than honest approach, but as a writer, you will see this every day on the freelance postings. These clients are trying to save money and this is why they do this. You can’t really blame them. The client wants to turn a book over quickly too. If they were to present a ghostwriter with a writing opportunity to write a manuscript for publication, it would take much longer and cost a lot more for their manuscript.

Even though many people work with a rate sheet as their guide, others realize it is sometimes impossible to stick to their rates. You should establish some parameters when varying from your rates if you decide to offer a discount to a client. If you are working within a tight deadline, don’t vary much because 18 hour days can be part of your reality when you’re up against a tight web content deadline. By the end of those jobs, you want clients to pay you. Writers should stick to a rate sheet for their services. When pushed to turn out a job quickly, you should never discount a project, but instead raise your rates!

Another subject has come up in many incidences on the subject of whether the writer should charge for re-writes. Many writers do charge for re-writes, especially if the client is unreasonable. If you provide re-writes for a client, make sure the client has paid you in full for the project.

Brian Scott is a freelance writer for http://www.FreelanceWriting.com, a free website offering freelance writing jobs and hundreds of writer’s guidelines to paying magazines. Read his blog for freelance writers at http://workingwritersnewsletter.blogspot.com

Proofreaders are the final line of defense before publication of material. Even though their lot is often lumped in with that of copywriters and editors, they are in fact a different breed altogether. After initial editing for clarity and coherence, and typesetting of a manuscript, the publishers rely on freelance proofreaders to check for formatting, spelling and manuscript errors/omissions. Freelance proofreaders hone an impeccable sense of grammar, and their spelling is second to none. More importantly, they pay attention to minuscule details. They carefully read every line and cross-reference with the original manuscript. Proofreaders make all the difference between a perfect run and a thousand disseminated copies of an error-riddled manuscript. Elsewhere, proof-readers pore over web content, brochures, and just about anything that requires error-checking.

Error-correction requires one of two things, depending on for whom and for what medium the finished product is being generated. Don’t panic, however, as the requirements to become a successful freelance proofreading are not nearly as prolific as one might imagine.

If one is proofreading for hard copy, such as a book, then the publisher requires you to know the correct “mark-up” conventions, as dictated by the chosen Style Manual of the employer. Consult the Chicago Manual of Style as a baseline for all other Style Manuals. Many big publishers will have their own bastardized style format which they will introduce to you during the process of undertaking a proof-reading position. Corrections you mark for would be implemented or reviewed by another party and the final manuscript would move to the next stage of publication.

However, if you find yourself employed within a less formal setting, then you are both the one to mark and correct a manuscript. Manuals of style are much less important here, and you may find that your role cross-pollinates somewhat with that of a freelance copywriter, as text may require rewrites under your guidance.

Gaining work to proofread and write may be initially difficult, as your abilities remain unproven. A few good ways to build an impressive CV include finding part-time work with a facility that already provides proof reading services, and a degree or diploma with a focus on formal editing will help (but this is by no means necessary) to impress skeptical clients. Forming relationships with established copywriters and proof-readers (as well as SEO technicians), will lead to trickle-down benefits as overflow from their successes comes to you. As always, the local community (particularly restaurants and other service-type establishments) is a viable source of income and networking, and offers gigs to rewrite menus and advertising content.

Volunteer positions on websites and an online blog that showcases your writing and/or abilities can also be helpful. Never forget to take advantage of unorthodox opportunities like contacting websites and organizations about poorly written or extremely typo-riddled print. Offer to produce new copy and give them a sample of a rewritten passage from their published text as proof of your viability. While this may not work all the time, you may just impress enough to get your foot in the door, and that’s all you need.

While your job description may be radically different depending on the expectations of those who employ you, with the proviso that you bring high-level language skills and a beady editor’s eye for detail to the table, appreciation for your work skills is assured. Here your best hope for steady employment lies with being fluid and adaptable. Ready yourself to fill roles wherever and whenever they pop up, and you’re sure to succeed.

Brian Scott is a freelance writer for http://www.FreelanceWriting.com, a free website offering freelance writing jobs and hundreds of writer’s guidelines to paying magazines. Read his blog for freelance writers at http://workingwritersnewsletter.blogspot.com

For prose in one language to reach another without it being cruelly and sometimes hilariously mangled, it needs that human touch. Many people understand translation is spending long hours burning the midnight oil with a dictionary in either hand, but that simply is not so. Being bi-lingual is one thing; being fluent and understanding the connotations and implications of prose in each language is an entirely different thing. And let’s not forget about all that comes with working to be a skilled writer, as a complex and difficult personal enterprise.

Taking all of the above into account, as a freelance translator, your job will lie not in the hard, fast and loose distilling of basic meaning from one language to another, as in real-time verbal translation. No, instead you’ll be faced with taking a written manuscript (be it technical or classical) and carefully translating it into the target language.

Sounds difficult? Certainly, but it’s also rewarding! A writer who wants to rise to the top of his or her craft does well to take the time to not only write well, by the standards of their peers, but also to intimately comprehend the syntax and grammar of their chosen language.

One of the most oft-recommended pathways to marked improvement in an area like freelance translation is to dedicate yourself to intimately learning a second language beside your own mother-tongue. Besides the infinitely rewarding consequences (whether you’re looking for new social connections, a complex intellectual challenge or simply a way to qualify for far-flung international work), it can also act as a doorway to lucrative employment. As with most things, the more work you do, the better you get, the more work you get to do.

Why? Not only are translators rare, but they act in themselves as gateways to new markets. Right now, you’re reading this article in English. While the native audience for the language is huge, an even greater percentage of the literate world has no access to it for a lack of English-language skills. Unlocking that massive percentile can mean a vastly improved gross turnover for any organization with a significantly established interest.

So, if one presumes you’ve got a serious handle on at least two languages and an eye for the written word, how do you go about cultivating a successful career from such a useful skill? Firstly, you build up your portfolio, and you make a name for yourself. Find magazine or newspaper articles and translate them (with all original credit attached, of course), and then post them to a free blog you can set up through online services such as Google’s Blogger and Wordpress’ blogging platforms.

As a step up, translate book prose from small or local book and magazine publishers, and attempt to get in touch with the appropriate publishers about producing a translated work. Never underestimate the value of pro-bono work. If it comes to that, look for restaurants and businesses that deal or sell using your languages of choice, and offer to provide them with the appropriate alternate signage should they be lacking it, or, alternately, should you find it lacking.

Websites often will accept offers to translate their content into new languages to increase their appeal. Trawling the SourceForge or FreshMeat databases for projects to fan-translate older video games scripts or to produce official translated versions of open-source software can net you with impressive credentials when you look to accept contract work from larger organizations.

Don’t forget to practice technical translation, since we all know how prolific those little user-instruction booklets bundled with your latest microwave or vacuum cleaner are. You know, the ones with the seventeen different sets of translated instructions?

It won’t be unusual to discover your writing skills can be just as in demand as those that power your incredible translation abilities. Always keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to combine the skill-sets of a writer and translator, as one who not only writes the original material but then goes on to translate it!

Translators often have to actively sell their skills to the market through cold calling and constant inquisitiveness regarding any potential need to produce translated material. Always draw the line at begging; but by the same token, don’t be afraid to go in for the hard sell when you think it’s appropriate. Impress with your willingness to seek out work and to prove yourself, and you can often find yourself already in the door.

Brian Scott is a freelance writer for http://www.FreelanceWriting.com, a free website offering freelance writing jobs and hundreds of writer’s guidelines to paying magazines. Read his blog for freelance writers at http://workingwritersnewsletter.blogspot.com

Wedding lingerie can take a couple of different forms. First of all, there’s the garments that you will wear during the wedding itself. These will be based on both your taste and the style of wedding dress that you choose. Let’s say you have a strapless gown. If that’s the case, then you’re going to need a strapless bra or bustier to give your bust lift and shape. Some brides opt for a corset so that they can achieve just the silhouette they desire.

When choosing a bra or bustier, make sure to try it on with your gown before and after alterations have been made. Wear your wedding lingerie when getting fitted for alterations so that the seamstress is sure to get exactly the right fit. When you go to pick up your dress, try it again to make sure the lines all fall in the proper places. This will also help ensure that there isn’t any part of the undergarments that peeks out of your dress. While you want your lingerie to be beautiful, you probably only want you and the groom to actually see it!

The second type of wedding lingerie is the one you wear on your wedding night. This is the one that most women tend to spend the most time choosing. Women want it to be sexy and special, yet stick to the traditional white or off-white color, but the choice is entirely up to you. Since this wedding lingerie will not be seen by anyone else, experimenting with different patterns or colors is perfectly acceptable as long as it’s something that makes you feel sexy and comfortable.

Whether you’re looking for wedding lingerie to wear before or after the ceremony, you’ll want to take the top into consideration when choosing the rest of the outfit. If your bustier has garter straps, for example, then you will want to purchase thigh-high stockings instead of pantyhose. A lot of erotic lingerie tops come with thong bottoms, so if you don’t feel comfortable wearing a g-string during your wedding (or on your wedding night), then you’re going to want to shop for a different pair of panties that match your bra or bustier.

Finally, make sure that any wedding lingerie you wear under your dress isn’t too bulky. If your gown is a lightweight shift-type dress, then a full bustier might actually detract from the dress. The same is true for pantie lines. You want a nice, smooth look so that only you and your groom know what’s going on underneath.

Amanda Cotterill has been involved in the sexy bridal lingerie market for many years. This article outlines the benefits of choosing bridal lingerie as if that needed much explaining! Please include this credit if you use this article.

The truth is that most people believe the present rate of melting ice mass is a natural occurrence, however, this is not the case. This rapid meltdown is not necessarily the result of man-made processes any longer. This meltdown is speeded up because most of the planet’s ecological structures are no longer functioning in optimum ways. As a result these ice masses can no longer remain in existence while the rest of the ecology is already so damaged.

Many people are beginning to notice the consequences of pollution. The resulting ecological damage is causing much hardship for most people on all continents. With so many severely polluted waterways, atmospheric pollution everywhere, and in some parts of the world the food quality being affected, it is important to become aware and also more proactive about reducing pollution.

It is often overlooked that pollution is the main contributor to the current meltdown. Our severely ecologically damaged environment – with its own environmental processes – can from a higher perspective no longer support these processes in the best possible ways.

It is of utmost importance to look at what can be done to preserve our precious planet, our natural heritage, for our own benefit. This includes all ice structures such as icebergs, glaciers, Arctic ice and ice in mountainous regions, as these are all facets of a whole complex ecological structure.

Most people have not given much thought as to what will happen once these ice masses have disappeared and the molecular structures of all the ice, in particular that on land has changed from a frozen to a more fluid state. What would eventually happen with the climate when there is hardly any ice left?

With humans already polluting most parts of the world, will there be more man-made pollution once the newly gained land is occupied, worsening the never-ending cycle of ecological destruction? Humanity is running out of time and it needs to stop this increasing cycle of polluting the planet.

While this melting of icecaps and glaciers is of concern because of the ecological damage to the environment, this meltdown is also happening as a result of the overall process of global warming. The present meltdown is an intricate part of a whole long chain of events affecting the climate; with this melting of ice structures placed somewhere in the middle. Once all these climate change events have completed, which is expected to be around 2025, the environment will be severely damaged. There will be almost no remaining land ice and in all likelihood constant cataclysmic events happening, resulting in more and more environmental problems.

While most of humanity is not too concerned yet about the melting of these large ice structures, there is a real concern from the Spirit world about the outcome because ultimately, humanity’s own survival is at stake.

While there is still enough time to make adequate change to reverse the never-ending cycle of pollution, few people are looking in that direction, they are often looking in the other direction.

Mia receives information about the planet