The Hub Summary - My hubs for the 2nd 60 day challenge
61When you first take stock of the 60 day challenge it seems an overwhelming task. You are pledging to write thrity hubs in thirty days. Now we all know as writers we can fill thirty spaces with words in thirty days, but the real question is can we write thirty hubs anyone will want to read or search for on Google, which as we all know is the key to success for an online writer?
Trying to narrow our focus into some pre-selected categories is nother set of reins we place on our creativity. You see as we read other hubs and go about our lives we come across interesting topics that seem well-suited to our skills. To make the most of our experience, however we must learn to focus our efforts on the chosen topics, which I have successfully done.
- The 60dc2 - More online traffic, better web analysis skills, higher google page ranks, meeting new f
This is the hub log where I detail my experience in the second 60 day challenge. It has been a wild ride, with great jumps in visitors to my hubs as well as welcome increases in AdSense and Amazon income.
Topic #1 Finance
So are you asking the obvious question: What are exchange traded funds? If so you are in a fraternity (or sorority, ladies) that is shrinking rapidly. ETFs have exploding growth, topping 1,000 total funds earlier this year. Actually there were less than 100 as recently as 2003, but over the last four years the growth in the number of exchange traded funds has been 400%.
Exchange traded funds have some similarities to stocks in that they will be traded through stock exchanges. They will mostly try to stay in line with some kind of stock market index like the S&P 500
If you live in Canada, your Canadian stock market is the Totonto Stock Exchange. In America it is the NYSE or New York Stock Exchange. But I am confident most of us know very little about the stock exchanges or foregin bourses of the other major economies of the world. Stock market results around the world are so intertwined that not knowinf the neames of the foreign stock funds leaves us at a disadvantage as we try to get the most from our stock market experience.
Can you name the stock exchange of your home country? Sure you can as you certainly hear a stock market report every day detailing the ups and downs of stock market prices as they absorb the effects of economic conditions in our respective countries as well as other countries around the world. Globalization of the financial world means that every stock market is tied to every other one, whether it is the New York Stock Exchange, the Canadian stock market, known as the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Euronext the comprehensive European Union stock market or the more recognized London Stock Exchange.
Are you lost when it comes to understanding the terms of the stock market? Do words like Index Fund, mutual fund and exchange traded fund make you shake your head? You want to collect the best funds in your portfolio to drive your retirement strategy but you have no idea what all this nonsense means. The stock prices that fill the daily stock quotes look like nothing but more gibberish, leading you to want to stay out of this fray. A good financial advisor would be your best bet to make sure you know what is happening with your money as they can tell you every last excruciating detail of what is involved.
Why not pay your credit card bill online? If you are here you are compfortable with using the internet. The Credit card companies are going to be happy to see online credit card payment his thie web site as it means they have your money. If you pay credit card bills this way you have less head ache as you reduce the paper trash that fills your mail box, trouble finding or buying stamps and the trip to your mail receptacle.
You need to make your credit card payments within the grace period provded by the credit card companies and paying your crdiet card bill online makes it easier for you to pick when your payment is sent.
The business of finance changes rapidly every day, with a plethora of world events driving the stock markets of the world up and down with rises and drops significant enough to make a roller coaster envious. The world economies play off each other in ways our ancestors would have never conceived. That is why an online currency converter is a great tool to have in your arsenal of financial tools.
The Forex currency rates are fluid just like the stock exchange indexes, meaning they can fluctuate minute by minute, making the best time to buy or sell vary enough that you need to be able to pin down the best time for your actions of selling or buying stocks from other countries. There is nothing more maddening than executing a trade and seeing that your choice of timing is horrible due to the exchange rate at the moment being so bad.
Are you staring at a credit card bill with a large balance? Have you checked the web for credit solutions to help you handle your credit card account debt? Does your credit card payment disappear into the abyss due to your large interest payments? Is this problem with a bank credit card as well as cards issue by regular credit card companies? If so you have a lot of company as millions face unmanageable credit card debt each month. We are inundated with fantastic offers of credit and if we are not careful these offers of convenience can become anchors that will drag us to the depths of financial disaster.
When you get to the place that your credit card debt puts you in a position where you cannot make reasonable payments to overcome the debt, the convenience changes to potentially ruinous situation. Many folks have had their credit damaged in such a way that even in the current period of record low mortgage rates they cannot take advantage of the situation due to their credit being rated at such a poor level. This plague has made us captives to our plastic. We must change the way we handle our cards so they are not our master.
Some Christmas tree decorators love Christmas so much they would say any time is the right time to pull out the handcrafted Christmas ornaments and have at the process of placing the tree decorations on your chosen tree. Well, unless you happen to have an artificial Christmas tree you would be best advised to let the Christmas lights and decorations hold down their space in your storage room until the weather at least begins to cool a bit. otherwise you stans the risk of your real tree drying out and becoming a fire hazard.
If you have a daughter or grand daughter you likely have heard about the line of dolls that are known as the American Girl dolls. Did you know you could buy the American Girl Dolls online? There is a large selection to buy within the Amazon web site.
These are not like the dolls of our youth, as the intricate design of the faces are quite a far cry from the baby dolls when i was a child, forty years ago. Indeed these dolls have a whole different generational look as the development of more precise processes has allowed even toy design to reach into the twenty first century. There are no flaws in these dolls and their accompanying paraphernalia, clothes, pajamas and other accessories are of similar quality.
Do you have a daughter, niece or granddaughter that loves the American Girl dolls? You may want to check out the set of collectible ornaments offered by hallmark that celebrate these historical replicas of American heritage. The set of ornaments highlights each of the dolls in the series and makes a wonderful addition to yout Chirstmas tree decorating scheme.
Gift finder you can rejoice when you order gift cards online to satify those hard to suit gift recipients on your Christmas list. It is so easy to buy gift cards online, especially to the marquee restaurants everyone loves. The selection of restaurant gift cards online is amazing and sure to make you glad you thought of this option.
If you want a gift idea that will satisfy anyone on your list, you will want to read this hub. All of us ponder for hours about the perfect Christmas gift to get for those we love. But if the truth is told, most of us do not need anything we will receive as a gift this Christmas. My wife complains every year about this exercise, especially the part about trying to determine what we can gift to someone who already has the buying power to purchase their needs.
Are you looking for the perfect gift for a teen ager for Christmas? Your search can end right here. Every teen age kid loves music and loves to download music from online sources as it gives them easy access to the most popular groups and hottest songs. An iTunes music download gift card is a way you can meet their need. To make the whole process more seamless you can order the gift cards online. That is right you can do even more of your Christmas shopping online.
Did you know you can order gift cards online that will allow your gamers to take part in the Xbox Live phenomenon? What is the Xbox Live phenomenon? It is a service offered by Microsoft Corporation for its Xbox gaming platform where gamers can take part in a multiplayer game experience. As more and more games offer a digital delivery option the game developers are tying into online options for you to purchase the game cards.
When you buy gift cards online for the Xbox Live network you give your gamers what they will need to play with the other multitudes of gamers on the Xbox Live network. Probably many of those gamers will be their friends who have found the Xbox Live network but do not know about buying the gift cards online. Basically this is a pre-paid option to let someone try out the service for whatever period they choose.
Legos have been around since before I was a kid. Of course we did not have the mix of marketing that has delivered such themed LEGO sets as the Sponge bob Legos, star war Legos, Harry Potter Legos or even the Batman Legos sets. These themed sets allow your little one to expand their imagination in building while enjoying their favorite characters.
Many hours have been spent clicking these brightly colored blocks together to form shapes and structures that kids find to be fascinating. It is a great way to allow your child to stretch their imagination and learn about arranging shapes of varying sizes
Do you need a new computer? Have you struggled with the bulky and inconvenience of a desktop model for way too long? Then maybe a new laptop for Christmas would make you happy. A laptop PC can do everything desktop model can do, so you have no concern about losing functionality by switching to the portable cousin to what we first came to know as the personal computer.
With brands available from all the major personal computer manufacturers there is so many models with varying amenities to choose from. You can have great amounts of RAM, unlimited storage variations and the ultimate in high definition graphics to make your applications look really great. In short there is little reason not to add a new laptop to your Christmas list of this year.
If you love watching the antics of Gregory House, the cranky, pill-popping entity that solves mind boggling medical cases on the Fox network for the last seven television seasons you will want to buy the latest DVD set from online sources to get the best buy. House M.D. season six is available for online purchase now just in time to review before the new season begins.
Buying the DVD collection of House MD means you can review the shows at your leisure so you can replay the scenes where the medical jargon passes you up in frenetic seasons where Hugh Laurie, Jesses Spencer, Olivia Wilde, Lisa Edelstein and the rest of the cast do their best hospital employee impersonations.
URL: http://hubpages.com/hub/buy-flags-onlinemake-a-nice-Christmas-flag-displaybuy-Christmas-flags-online
Do you decorate every single area in your home for Christmas? Have you ever considered Christmas themed garden flag to hang outside your home? If you already have seasonal garden flags or United States of America you may buy flags for every season already. You should know you can buy flags online with themes for Christmas display. A flag display with the Christmas theme may be the best way to show your Christmas spirit during the daylight hours while your elaborate lighting displays are turned off.
You can buy flags for Christmas starting about the first of October in stores, but buying online is something you can do anytime. Discount flags are available with Christmas themes just after Christmas and at all times from the online vendors.
Topic 3 Creative Writing
This is chapter 31 of the 40 part serial named Jenny's Life. Jenny Drake is a high school senior with just days left in her high school career. However, what should be carefree days are littered with a littany of troubles, including her mother's mental illness, questions about her father's fidelity and her brother wrongfully accused of a heinous crime.
Jenny has finally reached a day long circled on her calendar, the trip to the state championships where she will try to defend her title as the state's fast in the mile. The effects of her conversation with her mother's doctor are so good that she awakes care free and ready to embrace the day.
Finally the day Jenny Drake has anticipated for alomst a year has come, the state track championship finals. She, Tara and Cindy Craven have spent the last half day improving their friendship as they prepare for what is expected to be an unforgettable finals race.
Unexpectedly, as least to Jenny, Pete Pertovsky's dad has showed up at the finals. Jenny prepares herself for a conversation with the head of a family she suddenly has become way too connected with.
For your pleasure I present a new 40 part serial I have titled "The Family Secrets" and will follow the members of a family as they gather for their yearly family vacation at the lake house they have visited each summer for over three decades. This year however secrets abound as it seems everyone knows something no one else knows and once all the news is known the family will be forever changed.
The family of Cyrus and Elaine DeMarco, their five kids along with several grand children are all on their way to the annual family gathering at their sprawling lake house. Everyone brings a collection of secrets unknown to the others. The house has always had some amount of clandestine activity, but usually just some harmless surprises orchestrated for the benefit of the younger family members. This time around when the secrets begin to be uncovered a long term change to the family will follow.
This is chapter 32 of the 40 part serial named Jenny's Life. jenny Drake is a high school senior with just days left in her high school career. However, what should be carefree days are littered with a littany of troubles, including her mother's mental illness, questions about her father's fidelity and her brother wrongfully accused of a heinous crime.
Jenny, Tara, Cindy Craven and the rest of the Reynolds Senior high track team are on their way to Jenny's date with destiny. Three contenders for the girls state track title in the mile are getting to be good friends as they learn more about what Jenny has been dealing with lately. Tara reveals her greatest desire while they are on the trip.
All the members of the Demarco family are on their way to the annual family gathering at the sprawling lake house. Cyrus and Elaine, still coming to grips with the realities of their breakup after almost five decades of marriage arrive first, eager to maintain the illusion of their marriage for the sake of their kids.
A surprise awaits as their caretaker Rachu Kumiyaski has his mother settled in the cottage built to the flank of the main house. This is just another of the many unexpected events set to unfold during the fortnight that will reveal many more shocking revelations.
Jenny Drake's return to the state track finals is complete, with only a couple more preliminary races to go before the showcase event. Just moments after an encounter with Oleg Pertovsky her new good friend Martika Kelly introduces Jenny to a man capable of changing both their lives, F.B.I. Special Agent Marcel Raymond.
Jenny gets words of reassurance as she listens to Martika explain how and why an F.B.I. agent is with her at the meet. Jenny also finds out another bit of news that changes the way she thinks about another person in her life.
Cy and Elaine DeMarco arrive at their sprawling lake house first, which means they can successfully arrange the house to look like they are still married, concealing their separation from the rest of the family. They receive their own surprise when they realize their Japanese caretaker has moved his elderly mother into the unattached cottage and she will be sharing their time at the refuge.
As their children arrive and realize the cottage is taken, their plans to avoid sharing some of their secrets are dealt an unexpected complication. Now the secrets threaten to reveal themselves ahead of their schedules.
Topic 4 Internet
You may not consider yourself part of the legion of internet users who make web analysis a part of their regimen when writing online. But in your quest to do proper google search engine optimization homework you are doing just that. The Google page rank is always a matter of concern to you even as you try to increase your online traffic by writing about things people type into the Google search engine as they seek to increase their knowledge.
The internet offers no end to the possible places to find games to while away your time. Realarcade online games is one of these sites. The Real arcade online collection includes any type of game that tickles your fancy. There are hidden object games, time management games, puzzle games, strategy, word games, nation building titles and some that are just plain silly. But I suppose that may be the point, huh?
One of the web sites you will want to check out is the Real Arcade site. Once a standalone operation RealArcade merged with GameHouse to present a unified platform for the gamer to come and download games if they like. Once games were only available on disk, but now you can buy and download pc games online.
URL: http://hubpages.com/hub/Lucky-TrainFacebooks-newest-gameSocial-GamesFacebooks-Lucky-Train-Game
Do you play any of the games on Facebook? I mean games like Farmville, Frontierville, City of Wonder and the like? I seem to have a number of friends who do this as I am always getting requests to join them in their adventures. I am only active in the granddaddy of them all Farmville, but have found a new game that has captured my interest, which is called Lucky Train. It combines the same concepts of all the games, which is social connection to build up your presence with a love of mine from childhood, trains, to deliver an interesting little game.
Like all other games on Facebook that I have tried Lucky Train is dependent on you enticing your friends to join you in your effort to build up your county in this example. The main goal is to extend your train line to others thereby adding stops and the potential to generate cash which allows you to buy more structures and faster trains. It is a numerically based equation very similar to Farmville, Frontierville and every other Facebook game.
Topic 5 Religion
URL: http://hubpages.com/hub/Operation-Christmas-Child-Saring-Gods-love-with-the-world
Do you know what it is like to change the way a group of people go about trying to be a blessing to others? I do. I was a member at a church for 14 years and we were taking part in the wonderful program started by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief organization based in Boone, North Carolina, which was called Operation Christmas Child. In essence Operation Christmas Child was started to provide a Christmas gift to children around the world, one that was supplied by people such as the one at my church who wanted a way to be part of a world mission.
This mission outreach opportunity was unique in that it did not require hundreds or even thousands of dollars from the person taking part in the mission opportunity. Actually the cost of providing a gift for children less blessed around the world could be as little as $10 to $15. There are few children within the United States, save those in economically affected situations who will be satisfied with such a small amount spent on their Christmas gifts. The children around the world who benefit from Operation Christmas Child are an exception. If not for this program many of them would have no gift at all.
URL: http://hubpages.com/hub/Our-Family-Mission-Statement-Choosing-to-proclaim-our-Christian-faith
Telling others about what Jesus Christ has done in my life and that of my family is the most important thing I can do with the time i have left on this earth. I have something that has held a prominent spot on my refrigerator for a few years that I expect to be there as long as I am alive. It is a laminated card that has a magnet attached to hold it in place where it can be read by each member of my family every day and by anyone who visits our home and has the opportunity to see it. The object is not remarkable in itself, but I hope the words contained underneath the laminate face will inspire all who take the time to read the words and consider their meaning.
URL: http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Greatest-Christmas-Gift-of-all
The greatest Christmas gift is something that cannot be bought or sold. It is very simply the birth of Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago. Give me the opportunity to tell you why I believe this by reading through this hub. You will not be sorry you did, I promise you that.
What is the greatest Christmas gift you ever received? Was it a doll or a ball you cherished from the moment you tore through the brightly covered wrapping paper on the fantastic Christmas morn? Everyone has a favorite Christmas memory, a time when everything in the word was right for a period and we were able to joy in the excitement of receiving our deepest desire.
HH - You should try this, it really revs up your writing juices and gets you a lot of followers.
I really want to do this. I must find the time!
sarah _ It is a great experience where you get to rub elbows with some great and experienced hubbers. There is a good comeraderie you won't get on the forums.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Dobson, Your hub summary is awesome just like your hubs. 30 hubs in 30 days is a great accomplishment. I've enjoyed reading your hubs over the last 30 days. I'm looking forward to the next 30 days. :)
Good for you Dobson! Congrats! I am still plugging away in hope of reaching my 30 in the next couple of days! I have truly enjoyed your work and your story series has often moved me emotionally. Glad to remain a loyal follower on hub pages.
K9
Wendy - Thanks for the compliments on this hub and the others I created for the challenge. I like the challenge as it pushes you not only to create a hub each day but a QUALITY hub. Anyone can arrange words to make a hub, but i want mine to make sense, be interesting and catch on with Google.
K9 - I have ultimate faith you will get to 30 and be glad you have taken on this impressive task. We are proving that 30 in 30 is not impossible and that quality hubs can be done as well.
Dobson< I don't know how you do it. I get bogged down with finding the perfect picture, experimenting with alyouts, and etc. then I know i need to take a day or so to read and comment, and work on my blog. I'm trying to open an online niche store(amazon) and write a children's book.I'm lucky to get one hub done a WEEK, let alone a day! CONGRATS!
Great selection... Very well done.
Must get down and do mine
bayoulady - It is just a matter of committing and carving out the time.
LM - Thanks for the compliment and i hope you find the hubs informative.
humagaia - It just takes a bit of time.
Well done! Working on mine & wasn't sure how to write it. I am finding it more difficult than actually writing the hubs.
Great summary on your accomplishments! You have done something already that many others can commit to. Now is the time we all come together and propel each others hub into infinity.
PDS - I too found this to be intimidating and left it until nearly the end.
Boomer - I am ready to stand with you and Shari in pumping up the challengers as we head into the promotion phase.
Congratulations on finishing phase 1!!! Yay!!!
kaltopsyd - Much more challenging than I expected to get thrity hubs together.
Hey Dobson, nicely done. Congratulations on finishing your 30 hubs in 30 days, first phase of the 60 Day Challenge. The hard part is done and now you can sorta rest and relax. Thank you for sharing your Hub Summary. :)
Cagsil - Thanks for reading and giving your feedback. I am thinking about tinkering a bit with it to make it easier to read.
Excellent summary, Dobson - you have written plenty of content for each Hub, so that will give us all plenty to work with :)
Nice one Dobson, YOOHOO< we are on our way to the next phase promotion, Maita
Good job on finishing your 30 hubs! Great summary! I'm looking forward to seeing what's next in phase 2...
Maita and Lisa - Thanks for the kind words and the reading and commenting. I am looking forward to phase 2 and hope I can squeeze out enough time to get it done.
Hello, hello, 20 months ago
Congratulation and well done.