Criminal law is probably what you think about first when you think of the law, right? No surprise, especially with all the criminal law TV shows and all the junk we’re inundated with on the news.
This month’s website will help satisfy your cravings for information about all things criminal law. And if you’re also a freelance writer, you might get some ideas about how to set up a great website for an attorney.
This particular site is specific to the law firm of a Los Angeles Criminal lawyer, but much of the information is relevant no matter where you live (in this country, at least). No matter the crime someone is accused of, everyone deserves a fair trial (in my opinion). Even though I once wanted to be a prosecutor, I know that defense attorneys are essential to an eventually fair justice system.
Take a look a the site and let us know what you think. If you’ve started contacting attorneys to write for, let us know that too.
As you may or may not know, I was going to be a lawyer in my past life. So anything law-related catches my eye, and we all know that the legal system needs plenty of good writers. If you’re a freelance writer, make sure to approach lawyers too.
Though I was primarily interested in being a prosecutor, I know that our justice system isn’t complete without good defense attorneys. After all, being accused of a crime doesn’t mean you’re guilty. And even if you are, the punishment should fit the crime. Defense attorneys are critical to help keep things fair.
If you are a resident of Los Angeles and you need a federal criminal lawyer, or a federal courthouse lawyer, check out the Los Angeles Federal Attorneys Lawyers site.
The site is full of information about how the federal system works in Los Angeles, California, including federal sentencing guidelines.
Even if you’re not in LA, you might learn something new about how the criminal justice system works. It’s fascinating, whether or not you agree with it (part of the reason I decided not to pursue criminal law).
One of the blogging trends I’d like to implement is treating my blog like a newspaper or magazine. Both have regular features, which helps keep the publication current, and helps the publisher think of what to write next.
I’ll be featuring websites or links that I find during my internet travels, and hopefully you’ll check them out and let us know what you think.
This week I found out about the Japanese American Citizens League. This non-profit civil rights organization is based out of Los Angeles, California, and began before World War II. I particularly like that the group honors a Woman of the Year, pays homage to its elders, and even offers a scholarships to at-risk youth.
The JACL is dedicated to promoting and preserving the values and culture of Japanese Americans, and they do so much for the community as a whole.
Even more impressive, the Downtown Los Angeles JACL fought for, and won, compensation for Japanese Americans that were wrongfully put in U.S. concentration camps during WWII. At the same time, tens of thousands of Japanese Americans volunteered their services as soldiers during the war. The JACL is hoping to get the U.S. Postal Service to honor these brave men with a commemorative stamp.
Take a look at the Downtown Los Angeles Japanese American Citizens League site to learn more. The history of this group of Americans is rich, and as I always say, you can never learn too much. My thanks to George for telling me about this amazing organization.
Stay tuned for next week’s website or link of the week. Please let us know what you enjoyed about this one.
Interested in some good reading about web hosting?
When looking for hosting for a new or even current blog, doing your homework also includes reading what others think. Not just what others think about your potential host, but also what people think of web hosting in general. There’s so much to learn, and I’m fan of research. That’s probably why I’m addicted to the Internet.
I just found a new blog with lots of web hosting articles.
From my understanding, the rest of the website isn’t launched yet, so don’t be turned off by the articles. There’s more to come, including tutorials and more specific web host information.
If you check out the site, let us know what you think about it.
I mentioned a while back that I joined Entrecard, and I thought it might be time to tell everyone how much I like it.
Entrecard Pros
One of the best things about Entrecard is that I’ve met a lot of other bloggers. I’ve made some new online friends, I’ve found some really great blogs, and I’ve even made some money.
With the influx of traffic comes clicks on my sidebar items, so I’ve made a few sales and some Adsense money. I’ve also written several guest posts, which has brought me even more traffic. Recently, a cool site started a contest that featured my blog. (Thanks Leisa!)
I’ve also decided on an Entrecard philosophy for dropping cards. I don’t drop cards on blogs that I don’t want to support for whatever personal reasons. I like the idea that Entrecard popularity could wind up being a democratic process, so I do my part by not “voting” for some.
Entrecard Cons
Entrecard can take a bit of time, because you have to visit a lot of sites to drop your card (which earns you Entrecredits). And if you’re like me, you can’t help but read some of the posts as you go along.
Besides the amount of time it takes to maintain a high position or to grow your site, I have one more complaint. Though Entrecarders do visit often and even leave comments, my subscribership hasn’t budged.
I also gave up offering my writing service for Entrecredits. For now. I wound up taking on too many projects, and I wasn’t sure that the amount I was “charging” was really worth my time and effort. I wound up refunding (plus interest) several buyers’ credits. My time is probably better spent trying to get new clients that pay real money. Now that Entrecard is starting a service for buying and selling credits for real money, I might start again, but I’ll only do one project at a time.
Have you tried Entrecard? If not, why not? If so, have you noticed any particularly good or bad things so far?
In the not-so-distant past I was a substitute teacher for about six years. More recently, I’ve toyed with the idea of subbing again, or possibly even going back to school to get my certification. For me, substitute teaching was actual teaching, not just babysitting. I made it a point to follow the regular teacher’s lesson plans, and I brought along my own plans just in case.
As a freelance writer or home-based business owner, you may consider substituting because you’ll have some flexibility in your work-life, and you can even teach kids about your profession.
If you do decide to teach, check out this new blog for teachers called, appropriately, Teacher Lingo. It’s chock full of lesson plans, teacher blogs, and a helpful forum. I would love for it to have a special section for substitutes, though.
If you’ve ever taught, you know that teachers do talk to each other, but aside from lunchtime, you don’t really have a chance to connect with everyone. Teacher Lingo is basically a really cool social networking group.
Just like any other social networking site, there are contests from time to time. You can win a $50 gift card to either Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com if you share one of your lesson plans in March.
Even if you’re never going to teach, I think it’s an interesting blog that could serve as a model for others.
Have you ever been a teacher? Would you consider substitute teaching as a way to supplement your freelance income?
Are you a work-at-home parent? Even if you’re a home-based entrepreneur without children, this resource list is gold.
The list includes 100 resources, from articles to blogs (mine is included…very nice), to networks and miscellaneous information. Everything’s online, so there’s no need to run to the library.
Even if you don’t have time right now, just go to The Bootstrapper’s site and bookmark the WAHM’s Toolbox. This is a list you don’t want to ignore.
In my Entrecard sitehopping I’ve found a lot of gems. One of the great things about Entrecard is that the users let the company know when there are inappropriate or spam blogs. So I’ve found nothing but quality blogs so far.
If you’ve looked at any of my articles in the sidebar you know that I used to have pet rats. So when I found a blog that talked about the history of the Chinese New Year’s Year of the Rat (2008), I couldn’t help but be intrigued.
For Singapore Entrepreneurs Only is a really interesting blog with a lot of useful information for entrepreneurs anywhere in the world.
The post about the Year of the Rat taught me how the rat came to be on the Chinese calendar, and gave some interesting predictions about the year 2008. Rats are fascinating creatures, known to be intelligent and tenacious. The Year of the Rat promises to be eventful with major political changes and a calm stock market.
Read more about the predictions for this year at For Singapore Entrepreneurs Only. While you’re there, take a look around. There’s something for everyone.
I’ve written a few articles for Associated Content now, as I said I would in a previous post. I’m not thrilled, I must say. Sure, there’s a learning curve as to what they want, but I don’t know if I have the patience to figure it all out. Of the 7 or so articles I’ve submitted, two have been accepted for upfront payment for under $4.
Several others were declined for various reasons. One article was determined to be “humor,” which they don’t usually offer upfront payments for. Another had spelling “errors” (I disagree with their spellchecker, but I fixed the words their system “caught”), and another one or two just weren’t the types of articles they offer payments for (current events and articles that aren’t “in-depth” enough.
Luckily, I’ve been able to take some of the declined articles and sell them elsewhere instead. Otherwise I’m just leaving them as “Performance Paid” articles, and we’ll see what happens.
So check out my AC posts and my recent HubPages posts. Enjoy, and let me know what you think:
Training your cockatiel to whistle
Thinking of getting a pet cockatiel?
My first pet rat
Male or female rats?
Starting from scratch with a new laptop
Calming a toddler: Count to 20 method
Freelance writing, Home Business, Web writing, Websites, Writing | Theda K. | February 5, 2009 | 
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