~*~*~ THE RAT RACE REBELLION TELEWORK BULLETIN ~*~*~ Dear Reader, A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR “Moms who blog” have been getting increasing attention in the media and the “blogosphere” lately, so today we bring you a great interview with the Alaska mom behind the popular blog “Scribbit.” (Tidbit -- She almost ended up on the TV show, “Wife Swap.”) We also tell you about a new book on the perils of hyperparenting, by bestselling author Carl Honore; talk about the rise in home-based errand-running businesses; report on the disappearing numbers of stay-at-home moms in the UK; “and so much more”! Plus -- A nicely-screened batch of telework jobs and freelance projects, served up piping hot. Enjoy! Good Luck! Be Well! “MOMS WHO BLOG” -- INTERVIEW WITH MICHELLE MITCHELL OF “SCRIBBIT” According to blogging expert (and Forbes Top 25 Blogger) Darren Rowse, blogs written by moms are a trend to watch, as moms gain market clout through their growing consumer-purchase decisionmaking power. To find out more about “moms who blog,” we sought out Michelle Mitchell, author of a popular blog named Scribbit, “a Blog About Motherhood in Alaska.” Michelle, who once turned down a “Wife Swap” TV role (she’ll tell you more about it), blogs about a wide array of interesting topics with a wry but gentle style, and it’s understandable why star entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki selected her blog for his exclusive Alltop list of momblogs. RRR: You were born and raised in Alaska, which is probably pretty unusual among moms who blog. Tell us a bit about your family connection to Alaska. MICHELLE MITCHELL: My grandparents moved to Anchorage back in 1949, when the city was hardly more than a tent town. Being a third-generation Alaskan is rather unusual -- everything is so new here and so many people that live in Anchorage are transplants (including my husband) that you don't meet that many people who have been born and raised here. Yes, it can be dark and cold and isolated, but Alaska's been good to us. The economy is strong and there's a spirit of optimism here that makes it a good place to raise a family and put down roots. I wrote about my favorite things about Alaska and the things I miss from living here. Though I haven't given up on the idea of someday retiring to my private beach in Wailea, Maui -- with complete Wi-Fi access, of course. RRR: Tell us about your editing and writing background, and how it has contributed to your blog. MICHELLE MITCHELL: I studied journalism and English in college and worked as an editor for on-campus academic journals. From there I went to Washington D.C., where I worked at the National Archives on a research project involving Civil War veterans' records (I don't know how many times I've typed the words "piles," "dysentery," "ague," and "rheumatism" in my life). Once I had children, I stayed at home with them and did little bits of freelance writing and editing but nothing of significance until I began Scribbit back in June 2005. However, even with that background the biggest thing I've done to improve my writing by far has been writing a daily blog. Producing words is an exercise, and just like doing pull-ups on a bar, the more you exercise your writing muscle the stronger it will get -- it's all about practice, practice, practice. RRR: What led you to begin blogging, and what do you like most -- and least -- about it? MICHELLE MITCHELL: Like so many, I started blogging because I love to write -- make that have to write -- and it was an easy outlet for me. My husband has always been so encouraging and two years ago he sent me a link to a list of mom blogs that Guy Kawasaki put together after he attended BlogHer 2006. I clicked through to the blogs on his list and thought, "Hey, I can do that!" and set about trying to prove it. Two years later Guy was kind enough to include me in his Alltop list of momblogs, and I'll be speaking at BlogHer 2008 in San Francisco -- kind of a Circle of Life thing if there ever was one. My favorite thing about blogging is the way it's helped me improve my writing skills and given me something to create -- creativity is critical to many areas of life -- and the thing I like least is probably having to market myself to advertisers. I'm not good at drumming up advertising business, and I've been pretty weak in that area. I'd much rather be writing than emailing companies to sell ad space. Luckily, things have picked up since I opened for ads back in January, so I have to do less work and they're starting to come to me. It hasn't been easy for me at all. RRR: For moms who are thinking of blogging, name three bloggers (besides Darren Rowse and Skellie, whom we often suggest here) you would recommend, and why. MICHELLE MITCHELL: Oh this is easy, I have about 200 blogs on my feed list and I'd recommend them all, but specifically I'll go with three blogs in three different areas. For sheer writing skill I'd recommend either Planet Nomad (whom I interviewed last month) or Mental Tesserae, who writes about life imitating art. For food mixed with great stories see Foodblogga. For funny visit Jeana at Days to Come. Though I keep a manageable list on my blog roll and would recommend any of those listed there. RRR: Name the best moment you've ever had as a blogger, and the worst. MICHELLE MITCHELL: How about I mention my funniest moment as a blogger instead? This one tops the Swedish guy who emailed me to set up a date for his single son living here in Anchorage. The producers at ABC contacted me to offer me $20,000 to appear on Wife Swap. I turned them down but it made for a great post. My worst moment blogging actually came just this March, when I hit a low point emotionally and swore I was giving it up. My husband once again acted as cheerleader and helped me pull through it and now I'm hearing a lot of "I told you so's" as things have once again picked up and gone forward, just as he predicted they would. He's great. RRR: Can you give us a general sense of how much money you make per year blogging, and what your financial goals are as a blogger? MICHELLE MITCHELL: As I mentioned above, I just opened up for paid ads back in January. I was waiting until I felt my traffic had built up enough to warrant it (plus I wasn't sure how to go about managing my own ads, so I put it off a little). So far I've made enough to pay for a lot of investing I've done. For example, I've registered Scribbit as a trademark nationally and here in Alaska, set myself up as an LLC, opened up separate business accounts and post office boxes, applied for a business license, redesigned my template, created a logo and designed custom business cards. Plus new equipment like a new laptop, traveling to BlogHer this summer, etc. Scribbit is paying for itself now and a few extras. Of course that doesn't take into account the things companies send me to review, the toys and fun stuff adds up too, but isn't really reflected in the pay check. I'd like to be making a couple thousand a month by the end of the year; that's my goal so far and that's actually completely realistic. RRR: What revenue-generating options (i.e., ad platforms) have worked for your blog, and which ones haven't? MICHELLE MITCHELL: I opted to manage all of my own ads. I looked into Google AdSense but felt it just didn't pay enough. Then I looked into BlogHerAds, but they place restrictions on your content (i.e. reviews). So I manage all my ads myself, which is a lot of work but at least I get to keep all the revenue. There are other sites like Textlink.com that will pay you for ads, even things like being an Amazon affiliate, but the reality is, it's very hard to make a living blogging just as it's hard to make a living as a professional writer in traditional media. RRR: Has your husband been involved in your blog? If so, in what way, and if not, why not? MICHELLE MITCHELL: My husband Andrew introduced me to the concept of blogging and has been my biggest support. He's very tech-savvy and helped me learn rudimentary HTML and CSS (though I'm still no professional programmer). It was his idea for me to put together the custom search engine for momblogs and he always sends me links and suggestions he thinks would be of interest. Though I do all the writing, if it hadn't been for him I wouldn't have started a blog and wouldn't still be blogging. RRR: If you could take only one novel, one CD and one DVD to a desert island, which would they be, and why? MICHELLE MITCHELL: Tough one . . . As for books it would be a toss up between Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner or Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (I'm re-reading The Fountainhead right now). My favorite CD would probably be The Joshua Tree by U2 -- 25 years later and I can still listen to that album/cassette/CD (doesn't that just date me?), so it would be a good bet I could handle it marooned on an island. My favorite DVD is the easiest -- Lord of the Rings, all three extended versions. It's what? Seventy or 80 hours of viewing pleasure? I'd probably still be watching by the time the rescue boat arrived. My favorite of the trilogy is The Two Towers. RRR: Thanks, Michelle, and good luck with Scribbit. ## UK STAY-AT-HOME MOM NUMBERS DISAPPEARING, DESPITE PREFERENCES In the UK, as here in the US, the Rat Race is steadily eliminating the last stay-at-home moms -- those valiant holdouts in the post-1950s movement to transform suburbs into “bedroom communities” (aka ghost towns). According to a recent survey cited in the Times Online, financial pressures have thinned the ranks of full-time moms by 24% in the past 15 years -- from 2.7M to 2.04M -- with one in three women returning to the office before their child reaches two. By 2010, their numbers are expected to fall below 2M. (Many US moms, of course -- not to mention mothers in developing countries -- would say that two years at home with a new baby is quite a luxury. Dads in the US, for their part, are still unlikely to get parental leave at all.) The trend goes against the preference of most mothers, the study adds, with 75% stating that if money were no object, they’d rather care for their children themselves. Looking at these numbers, one can’t help but appreciate certain ironies. The purpose of technology, we were told not so long ago, is to create more leisure time for men and women. (I wonder what happened to that message? It seems to have dropped off the tape.) Indeed, according to experts in the 1950s and ‘60s, the great challenge long before 2008 was to have been to fill the many hours in the day freed up by computers, robots, etc. I don’t know about you, but even without global warming, I’m not sure it’s [Wait a sec. Sorry! Gotta check my BlackBerry!] quite working out the way it was planned…. For the Times article, see http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article3922827.ece HOME-BASED ERRAND BUSINESSES (PERSONAL CONCIERGES) ON THE RISE A recent San Diego Union-Tribune article on the rise of personal concierges (who can either be local or “virtual,” or a blend of the two) prompts me to mention this niche again. The Rat Race means nothing if not “time starvation,” and we’ve often talked about how personal services (Personal Virtual Assistants, home-based concierges, local errand-running services, etc.) will be a “hot” trend for some time to come. For readers who are just joining the discussion, we’re referring to services like: -- Personal calendaring, schedule management, and overall “Girl Friday” support for busy executives (Most rising executives have inadequate admin backup, in or out of the office); -- “Lifestyle management” services -- scheduling, calendaring, helping with social and family commitments -- for busy professional moms, who must often juggle family responsibilities with business duties (Whether you’re pro or con, the “working couple” model is fast becoming the norm); -- Household support services, which can include anything from helping to find a reading tutor for a second-grader, to walking the dog, taking the car for an oil change, picking up the dry cleaning, waiting for “the cable guy,” etc. If you’re interested in getting started in the personal-services niche (rates quoted in the San Diego article range from $25 to $65 per hour, and many Virtual Assistants make comparable fees, so the income can be worthwhile), I’d recommend two books: Chris’ and mine, of course (“The 2-Second Commute,” which covers Virtual Assistants and home-based virtual services generally), and Katharine Giovanni’s how-to for concierges, “The Concierge Manual.” The Concierge Manual, Third Edition For the San Diego Union-Tribune article, see http://tinyurl.com/59v45z . AIR POLLUTION CAUSES BLOOD CLOTS, NEW HARVARD STUDY SAYS Well, in addition to obesity, heart attacks, strokes, insomnia (What is this, a Medicaid questionnaire?) and sundry other pesky distractions that come from commuting and other Rat Race pastimes, the folks at Harvard tell us we can get blood clots, too, from breathing dirty air. That’s grim enough, I suppose, but sitting here a stone’s throw from Northern Virginia’s Capital Beltway, not far from the Mixing Bowl (the local name for the Harmonic Convergence of the Beltway and two other “freeways”), I have to wonder how much dirtier my air is than what the Harvard boys are breathing. In another few years, when, with the accumulated grime, I look like a museum exhibit from Pompeii, the experts will tell us that people who live near freeways have pathology rates X times higher than “the norm.” Thanks, Harvard. Go beat Yale. (The article’s online at http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/107178.php .) BZZAGENT IS RECRUITING FOR AGENTS, STARTS AT $8 PER HOUR BzzAgent, an established marketing / media firm based in Boston, Mass., contacted us recently to share its recruiting drive for part-time Communications Specialists, who may “work wherever Internet access exists.” The openings, which we’ve posted to RatRaceRebellion.com but also wanted to mention here so you didn’t miss them, involve “reading and analyzing and writing a large volume of responses to Word-of-Mouth marketing reports.” A college degree is preferred but not required. For more, see http://www.ratracerebellion.com/bzz-comdev.html . RAT RACE REBELLION BOOK REVIEW -- “UNDER PRESSURE: RESCUING OUR CHILDREN FROM THE CULTURE OF HYPER-PARENTING,” BY CARL HONORE Carl Honore has written a wonderful book. It should be required reading for every parent caught up in the Rat Race of modern living, where hypercompetitive childrearing may soon rule the day (and the night). What’s it about? Among other things: -- How the Far East, where a “win at any cost” academic culture increasingly prevails, “has seen an explosion in the number of children dropping out of school or committing suicide.” -- How the surge in homework (even many advocates limit their recommendation to “a daily maximum of 10 minutes per grade level”) and the emphasis on test-taking are putting children off school and learning, stunting their imaginations, and “burning them out” at ever-younger ages. -- How removing exploration and adventure from children’s lives, and keeping them indoors or “under watch” too many hours of the day, creates timid, anxious, and hyperactive young people. -- How schools in Finland, where homework and testing are minimized and play is encouraged, consistently rank among the highest in the world in student test scores. -- How spending time together is more important than spending money. Some readers have complained that Honore’s style is too “journalistic” (he’s a Canadian journalist living in London, and has written for The Economist and other publications, in addition to penning the bestseller, “In Praise of Slowness”), and there were a few times in the book when I wanted him to dwell longer on a subject or in a locale. But overall, I think his style and his themes are well-matched, with a momentum that, thankfully, feels less like homework and more like the exploration and eager interest we’d like our children to share. For more on Carl Honore or to purchase “Under Pressure,” see: -- Amazon book purchase page, at http://tinyurl.com/3foooe -- Honore’s website, at http://www.carlhonore.com -- Honore on YouTube, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIh72rfCVsk For a reaction to hyperparenting -- the “free-range child” (which includes an interview with Carl Honore) -- see http://tinyurl.com/5q9b6f . FROM THE R3 MAILBAG -- QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME, AND OTHER RAT RACE TOPICS DEAR R3: My wife and I have adult children and grandchildren living hither and yon, and we’d like to get everybody together on the phone once in awhile for a “mini family reunion.” But we don’t have a conference call option on our phone, and we want to keep costs down. Can you recommend a low-cost option? R3: FreeConferenceCall.com is a good free service (Chris and I use it often), where you pay only your own long-distance charges. You can get an account quickly online (http://www.freeconferencecall.com), and they’ll give you a dial-in and caller ID number, etc. (It’s available internationally, as long as you can call a US number.) They offer a recording service, too -- for that occasional wayward offspring who was too busy to tune in! FRUGAL AND SIMPLE LIVING Here’s the herd of freebies and moneysavers that our giveaway wranglers brought in this week. (US-only, I’m afraid, unless otherwise indicated.) Enjoy! -- Free ice cream at Wal-Mart May 18: http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/BREAKING%20NEWS/1486140/ -- Free Enfamil formula samples: http://www.enfamil.com/NGARsample/ -- Free Konsyl shaker cup for natural fiber supplements: http://www.konsyl.com/freesamples.html -- Free Dove hair care products: http://www.doveloveyourhair.com/ (Click the “Get a Free Sample” link at the bottom of the page.) -- Coupon for free Coffee-Mate (CAN only): https://www.coffeemate.ca/ -- Free Metamucil Berry Burst sample (US and PR): http://metamucil.safeprocessing.com/?src=metamucil -- Free Prilosec OTC sample: https://www.prilosecotc.com/common/getRegProcessor.do?method=init&CAMPAIGN=FREE_SAMPLE&TEMPLATE=UNIVERSAL&CI=POTC -- Free Sabino Hair Moisture Block sample: http://www.sabinohair.com/popup.html -- Free Brut After Shave Balm sample: http://brutworld.com/quickandsimple.php -- Free Aveeno Night Cream sample and coupon: https://www.aveeno.com/free-sample-lifting.jsp;jsessionid=6wYCJLucQMDP7YXqVk RAT RACE QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Any idiot can face a crisis -- it’s this day-to-day living that wears you out.” -- Anton Chekhov Rebelliously Yours, Michael Michael D. Haaren, Editor-in-Chief The Rat Race Rebellion =>=> New Leads for Home-Based Jobs and Projects <=<= *Editor’s Note: All positions are screened, but we can’t of course “guarantee” the legitimacy of any hirer or lead, so please do your own ‘due diligence’ as well! All positions are paid unless otherwise noted. The amount of compensation is included in the summary when given in the underlying lead. Also, please note that on occasion the hirer will decide to change the description or the availability of the job or project shortly AFTER the summary is published here. (Unfortunately, we have no control over this.) Therefore, be sure to read the underlying ad carefully, and apply promptly for any job that interests you. ||||| 1. Assistant Service Leader for VIPdesk (US) ||||| US-based virtual concierge and call center firm VIPdesk seeks an Assistant Service Leader. “The Assistant Service Leader is responsible for the day-to-day operations of customer service delivery as well as team support and development. The operational aspects of this position include overseeing day-to-day operations by providing program expert advice to Brand Ambassadors [customer service agents]. This person will monitor all communications traffic, ensuring that a variety of Client requirements are being met or exceeded, and serve as an escalation point for customer incidents.” A sampling of qualifications (quoted from the lead) includes: * High school degree/equivalent required. Some college preferred. * 2-3 years direct service delivery experience to end customers preferred. * Leadership experience with call center industry and/or hospitality industry preferred. * Computer skills including strong ability to navigate Internet and strong knowledge of Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, Outlook). => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/4xllqx <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 2. Senior Copywriter / Brochure Pro / Consumer ||||| US-based ad agency Ruden Marketing is looking for a freelance “Senior Copywriter / Brochure Pro / Consumer,” preferably with experience promoting law firms. => Learn More: http://www.creativehotlist.com/index.asp?linkTarget=fullJob.asp&jobID=120263 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 3. Personal Finance Blogger ||||| BillSavings.com, a new website under development, is looking for a Blogger on Personal Finance and related issues. “The ideal candidate will have experience in a related field, but you don’t need to be an “expert”. Blogging or business writing experience is required.” Expects 10 posts per week, pays $10 per post. => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1312 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 4. Freelance “Search Engine Campaign” (SEO) Expert ||||| US-based design firm D. Woolwine & Co. seeks an SEO Expert for project work. “Expert needed in both paid and natural search engine strategies with expertise in the latest search engine trends and algorithms.” => Learn More: http://www.creativehotlist.com/index.asp?linkTarget=fullJob.asp&jobID=120161 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 5. *Harvard Business School Blog Editor ||||| HBS is looking for a freelance Assistant Editor for their blog network. “The blog editor ensures that all content published in the Harvard Business blog network is Web-ready, takes advantage of all available blog functionality, and is error free.” Must have a Bachelor’s and at least 3 years’ professional editorial experience. Schedule is 20 hours per week, at $50 per hour. *(Editor’s Note: Positions of this kind are usually offsite. However, the lead mentions onsite amenities, so applicants will need to either confirm that telework is allowed, or talk them into it. Go for it -- this looks like a great gig.) => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=77561&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 6. Instructional Designer for McGraw-Hill ||||| International publisher McGraw-Hill is looking for “an experienced Instructional Designer with EFL or language learning experience to design, develop and maintain content and curriculum products, learning support resources and delivery/assessment methodologies as well as to review, enhance, and improve existing templates.” Ideal candidate minimum qualifications include “2 years instructional design work in professional / educational environment” and “EFL or language learning experience.” => Learn More: http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=17432 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 7. Freelance Website Designer ||||| US-based ad agency Atlas Buying Group seeks a Website Designer “with trade pricing. Applicants must have experience with creating websites for different industries.” => Learn More: http://www.creativehotlist.com/index.asp?linkTarget=fullJob.asp&jobID=119697 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~Advertisement~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chris and Mike here -- Do you need writing experience to qualify for freelance writing, blogging, proofreading or editorial jobs? Want to demonstrate your expertise for hiring managers or prospective clients? We recommend Helium (it’s free). You can get writing experience with an easy-to-start blog, and be eligible for compensation while you learn. You can also choose among many popular topics, and build your credentials while you write about what interests you. For more, click here. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 8. Medical Transcriptionists (US) ||||| US-based transcription firm Transform seeks part-time MTs with at least 3 years’ experience, to work with Discharge Summaries. => Learn More: http://mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=15587 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 9. Dog Blogger ||||| Dogster.com is looking for a Dog Blogger with blogging experience. Will make a minimum of 50 posts per month. “Cover a wide range of topics relevant to dog lovers: daily real-world news and events, food recalls, adoption and rescue, puppy mills, entertainment, celebrities, etc., as well as the latest happenings on Dogster.” “Compensation is based on level of experience and blog traffic.” => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=77577&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 10. Development Director for Foreign-Policy Nonprofit (“Continental US”) ||||| US-based activist nonprofit Just Foreign Policy is looking for a full-time Development Director. “Successful candidates will have experience with fundraising, grant writing, and building relationships with foundations and individual donors. Experience soliciting donations on-line from members is also beneficial.” => Learn More: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/278269-19 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 11. Freelance Book Production Editor ||||| Book production services company TexTech is looking for a Book Production Editor with at least 5 year’s book production experience. “Would be responsible for overseeing all stages of production from raw manuscript to release of final files…” Duties also include evaluating manuscripts for editorial involvement and working with publisher and author on project needs. => Learn More: http://bbboston.org/pageJobs_view.cfm?jobid=6721 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 12. Music Bloggers (“Work from anywhere”) ||||| Orble.com is looking for Music Bloggers. “Writers should be able to put together interesting and engaging content, enjoy sharing their opinions, and want to be part of a growing community.” “Rate of pay is 50% of the advertising revenue generated by your blog.” => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1310 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 13. Medical Review Specialist I for WellPoint (California RN license required) ||||| US-based health benefits firm WellPoint seeks a full-time Medical Review Specialist I. “Reviews and analyzes institutional and professional claims and supporting medical documents to determine medical necessity of billed services and benefits payable according to established guidelines.” Requirements include “2 years of college or the equivalent and a minimum of 4 years health care experience or any combination of education and experience…” => Learn More: http://wkdiversity.careercast.com/texis/jobsearch/details.html?id=48294bf16d61560 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 14. Medical Transcriptionists (US) ||||| US-based transcription firm Deventure Health Partners seeks full-time MTs with at least 3 years’ experience. “[We’re] seeking voice recognition editors experienced with the eScription platform.” “Many shifts available.” => Learn More: http://mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=15585 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 15. Marketing Director for Personal Finance Blog ||||| Budget advice site WiseBread.com seeks a Marketing Director. Must have “solid experience marketing / blogging for a successful website.” Responsibilities include (quoting): -- Develop and implement marketing campaigns. -- Build relationships with top bloggers and the media. -- Interact with readers via e-mail and the forum. -- Write press releases, site copy, roundup posts, etc. Pays $800 guaranteed base per month for 80 hours, plus incentive for traffic. “May consider shorter hours, higher base pay, or larger bonuses if you are extremely efficient / effective.” => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1320 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 16. Medical Transcriptionists (US) ||||| US-based transcription firm MyMedTrans is looking for full-time MTs with at least 2 years’ experience, for “many types of transcription.” => Learn More: http://mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=15578 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 17. “Parenting Tweens” Expert (“Work from anywhere”) ||||| Information supersite About.com, owned by the NY Times, is looking for an Expert (“Guide”) on Parenting Tweens. “The ideal guide will be someone with professional experience working with tweens or practical experience raising children ages 9-12, who has a keen interest and appreciation for children in this age group.” Involves a substantial writing commitment. Pays a minimum of $725 monthly for the first two years. Additional compensation based on popularity of pages. => Learn More: http://beaguide.about.com/topics.htm <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 18. Web Copywriter ||||| BillSavings.com is looking for a Web Copywriter with basic HTML and excellent Internet research and copywriting skills. “No formal education requirements.” “The key functions are: * Creation of original, unique, top-grade, factual content based on Internet research for a variety of consumer website topics (details upon qualification) * Posting of written articles via our custom content management system * Other related duties as assigned” Pays $40 per 800-1000 word article. => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1313 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 19. Web 2.0 Design Guru ||||| Belgium-based WonderGraphs seeks a Web 2.0 Design Guru. “We are looking for creative talent to design our company logo and identity, our website, and the look & feel / UI of our application. “You breathe web design and have a solid portfolio of web 2.0 and UI designs. Technical skills are a plus.” => Learn More: http://www.authenticjobs.com/jobs/2289/ <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 20. Google Website Evaluators, Bilingual Spanish-English (US or CAN) ||||| Google continues to advertise for bilingual part-time “Quality Raters” to evaluate websites. Requirements include an “in depth, up-to-date familiarity with any Spanish speaking culture, media, and Web culture.” => Learn More: http://www.google.com/support/jobs/bin/answer.py?answer=61505 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ******************************* That’s this week’s issue, Dear Reader. Until next week’s issue, don’t forget to visit us for fresh job leads at http://www.ratracerebellion.com/job_postings.htm ! Rebelliously Yours, Michael -- Michael D. Haaren, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief Staffcentrix, LLC Email: mhaaren@staffcentrix.com Co-author of the bestseller on working from home as a Virtual Assistant, THE 2-SECOND COMMUTE, now available at Amazon.com or http://www.2secondcommute.com. See what else we’re up to on the Web, at http://www.WAHBoom.com (our new work-at-home site for Boomers), http://www.msvas.com (our Military Spouse Virtual Assistant community), and http://www.fse-entrepreneur.com (our Foreign Service spouse e-Entrepreneur community). ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ All contents copyright 2008 Staffcentrix, LLC, "The most trusted name in home-based careers."(TM, SM) All rights reserved.