Right now, absolutely nothing. President Obama has to review the bill then sign or veto the bill. It’s not law just yet, and without reading the seven thousand miles worth of pages in the bill we won’t know how soon the reforms will take place–it certainly won’t be overnight.

The highlights of the bill freelancers need to know about:

According to the news reports I’ve seen, higher premiums for pre-existing conditions will be outlawed under the bill. Again, there’s no word on how long the insurance companies get to jack you around on pre-existing medical conditions.

You WILL be REQUIRED BY LAW to carry health insurance. You face legal consequences for not having the insurance. This seems to be a “breathing tax” in the minds of some, and I have difficulty arguing against that thinking.

I personally find this the most troubling part of the coverage aside from a couple of other highly controversial points I wont’ dive into here because they are irrelevant to the basic freelancer’s need to get affordable coverage. (The points themselves are NOT irrelevant in and of themselves.)

More heartening are the federal subsidies that are said to be available for those who can’t afford to carry health insurance. Also good–the elimination of higher premiums based on gender or medical history.

Freelancers, it’s going to be a good while before we know how this affects us. Stay tuned.

–Joe Wallace

Copyright 2005, Catherine L. Tully

by Catherine L. Tully

Yes…this is more ranting about how you need to get physical activity into your day as a writer. Here are four easy ways to add some:

1. Walk to the mailbox every time you need to mail something. Even if it is six blocks away. And yes, even if it’s raining. Bring an umbrella.

2. Pace while on the phone when possible. I know this won’t work for an interview, but for all other calls, walk the carpet.

3. Hang an index card on the wall above your computer that says, “stomach”. Every time you read it, sit up straight and tighten your stomach muscles for a count of 30.

4. Use a timer to keep yourself from sitting at the computer too long. Set it for half-hour increments and walk around for a few minutes when it goes off.

These are just a few simple tips that will keep you from toiling away at your desk for hours on end with no physical activity. Do what you can!

That’s why I’ve declared Thursdays as UNFOLLOW THURSDAY. It works exactly the same as FOLLOW FRIDAY, except in reverse. Name your names, folks–shame them into ending the Twitter spam all together.

For those who don’t know about FOLLOW FRIDAY, and now UNFOLLOW THURSDAY, you simply type in Follow Friday: @TinyNugget, @Freelancezone, @CrimsonForehead, whoever else you want to follow and announce to the world that you’ve followed them

Unfollow Thursday works the same: type UNFOLLOW THURSDAY: @SpammerKing, @CheesyTweeter, @DumbSEO and anybody else you want to unfollow and tweet away.

Take THAT, Twitter spammers.

–Joe Wallace

I hadn’t see this site before, but Writing Forward had a nice post on creative writing that I thought I would share with Freelance-Zone readers today. It is advice from several writers, not just one, which is always interesting. While you are there, check out the rest of the site–it’s got some neat stuff on it. Personally, I enjoyed the areas on grammar and better writing. (BTW, this is one of the 2009 Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers too!)

Well, the holidays are right around the corner–so I thought I would do a “gift ideas” post for writers. Most of us are friends with other writers, so it goes without saying that we not only would like to get some of these, but can give a few as well. Please share if you have others!

Here are my ten suggestions:

1. Stephen King’s book, On Writing. It’s terrific.

2. A gift card for a nice meal out….

3. A great pen.

4. Some type of lovely framed photo to hang near the desk. Preferably with a motivational saying on it and lots of nature.

5. A coffee/tea mug. Large ones are fantastic.

6. One of those hand-held massagers. Works wonders when you have to tough it out on a deadline.

7. A subscription to some kind of magazine. And it’s extra nice when it isn’t one that you need.

8. Movie tickets. Great for those afternoons where you are blocked and need to get out of your head.

9. Thick, cushy socks.

10. Tech toys. Anything like a cute flash drive, ergonomic mouse or fancy laptop case is more than appreciated.

Let me know what you’d like to see in your stocking this year…

Freelance job sites like eLance and other for-a-fee providers, quake in your boots. TweetMyJobs has just changed your landscape probably forever with what its marketing hype calls “the largest Twitter job board in the world”. Pretty bold stuff for a company that didn’t exist this time last year, but that’s how things move in the Twitter world–it wasn’t three years ago Twitter wasn’t even a player in the game, now they rule a massive chunk of the online market.

I used TweetMyJobs for the first time yesterday to see what the fuss was about, and I can tell you that the for-pay sites are in trouble. Subscriber-based job sites have reached the end of their usefulness thanks to TweetMyJobs, and unless this fails to catch on with the folks posting the jobs themselves, FREElance is about to be FREE once again.

Sites like TweetMyJobs might not completely replace the Craigslist scraper sites–I predict many will start scraping/copy-pasting TweetMyJobs as well, but the speed and ubiquity of Twitter makes the scrapers irrelevant too if employers make a big shift to Twitter.

That’s an “if” I am willing to bet happens in a big way.

by Catherine L. Tully

Are you a writer who is looking for a good digital camera? If so, this piece on CNNMoney.com is perfect for you! It lists four good ones, along with what type of person they work best for. Remember…the holidays are coming…you could put one of these on your list!

There has been a lot of hype about the new Motorola Droid, but the question is–does it live up to the buzz? I personally have not held one in my hands, but I am here to share some reviews with you that may help you decide. Personally, I’m sticking with my (beloved) iPhone…

Check out CNET–they even do a video review–pretty cool.

The Huffington Post offers their input on the Droid.

PC Mag gives an extremely thorough review of the Droid and its capabilities.

All in all, it looks like the Droid is a winner…

Number one cause of the winter blues? Lack of sun exposure. Don’t make the mistake of missing out on some sunlight time, even if it’s just to walk around the block in a hurry as the winter wind tries to push you back inside.

Don’t freelance in isolation, either. This winter, make a point to get into some coffee shops and do your work–be out and among the people, sit in a window with some sun streaming in when you can, and give yourself plenty to look forward to when the day is done.

This winter could be–depending on where you live–a true ordeal. We’re bracing for the worst here in Chicago and it won’t be easy to take our own medicine, but it’s absolutely critical to make the effort. Otherwise productivity suffers, money flies away, and your career starts to feel like a chore. The word “free” is the first part of the term “freelancing” for a reason.

We know how corny that last line was, trust us. We aren’t proud, but no matter; here are five ways you can kick the blahs in the head this winter:

1. Exercise when you feel the blues coming. It doesn’t even have to be a LOT of exercise. Try 20 pushups and sit ups, some jumping jacks, whatever you can do at home in your PJs to get the blood pumping again. A burst of adrenaline is good for clearing away the cobwebs.

2. Stop and do something else for a little bit when you feel those frustrations rising–you know the ones, those frustrated-out-of-depression symptoms of the winter blahs. Watch a half hour of television, drink some coffee, read a few pages in a favorite book. Whatever it is you wind up doing, let it take you away from work for a bit.

3. Get out of the house! The moment you feel those four walls closing in, get away from them–even if it’s only to take out the trash and check the mail. The activity and the time away from the machine will do your brain plenty of good. Get a more extended time outside the home when you can, but take the break regardless.

4. Work out three times a week. Some like to schedule the workout in the middle of the day to break up the monotony, others like to reward themselves at the end of the day. However you do it, make the workout part of your anti-blahs toolbox.

5. Avoid excess sugar and when you do indulge, work it off with a vigorous walk, some housecleaning or yoga. Sugar doesn’t help the blahs stay away–but some love to reward themselves with it (yes, that would be ME). When you do, put some extra activity on the back end of that reward to avoid a sugar crash AND to keep the guilties at bay.

–Joe Wallace

Copyright 2008, Catherine L. Tully

OK writers–here’s a chance to earn a prize–just for telling your own freelancing horror story…