How to Write an Awesome Blog Post in Five Steps

Writing a blog post is a little like driving; you can study the highway code (or read articles telling you how to write a blog post) for months, but nothing can prepare you for the real thing like getting behind the wheel and hitting the open road. Or something.

Now that I’m done thoroughly mangling that vague metaphor, let’s get down to business. You know you need to start blogging to grow your business, but you don’t know how. In this post, I’ll show you how to write a blog post in five simple steps that people will actually want to read. Ready? Let’s get started.

Choose a Topic That Interests YOU

There’s an old maxim that states, “No fun for the writer, no fun for the reader.” No matter what industry you’re working in, as a blogger, you should live and die by this statement.

Before you do any of the following steps, be sure to pick a topic that actually interests you. Nothing – and I mean NOTHING – will kill a blog post more effectively than a lack of enthusiasm from the writer. You can tell when a writer is bored by their subject, and it’s so cringe-worthy it’s a little embarrassing.

Xiaomi keen on working with Indian startups in mobile technology

 Xiaomi, which recently closed a $1-billion funding round, is keen to work with Indian startups in mobile technology, content aggregation and connected devices, a top company executive has told ET. For Xiaomi India , setting up its own startup ecosystem, like it has done in China, is one of its key priorities this year. "We may co-develop, invest or launch their products. We have discussed with a few startups so far," said Manu Jain, Xiaomi's India head,...

Mobile technology to track missing children in SAARC nations

October 29, 2013 | PTI

KOLKATA: Using mobile and GPS technologies, a SAARC body is trying to develop a digital system to track missing children at the regional level and combat cross-border trafficking. "We are now seriously looking at how digital technology can be applied to control cross-border trafficking. Hopefully after 2015, we will have an integrated system based on mobile or GPS technologies which can be applied in all the eight SAARC...

Aurus Network raises Rs 18 crore to invest in R&D, mobile technology

BENGALURU: Online education solutions provider Aurus Network has raised a Rs 18-crore series A round in equal partnership with IDG Ventures and Kalaari Capital, which it will invest in its flagship product SuperProfs.com. SuperProfs offers live online lectures, or classroom solutions, to students through its teachers and professors. "With the new round of funds, we will invest in R&D, mobile technology and expand our product offerings to include more...

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Ed Corey, February eBirder of the Month

lease join us in congratulating Ed Corey of Raleigh, North Carolina, winner of the February 2016  sponsored by Carl Zeiss Sports Optic. Our February winner was drawn from among those who submitted at least 15 eligible checklists using eBird Mobile in February. Ed’s name was drawn randomly from the 2,427 eBirders who achieved the February challenge threshold. Ed will receive newfor his eBirding efforts. We asked Ed to tell us a little more about himself, his use of eBird, and his love of birds – read on for more!

“My name is Ed Corey, and I’m an eBirder.”  They say the first step to recovery is accepting it, right?  For roughly the past 10 years, I’ve enjoyed tracking my progress as a birder, chasing rare birds and logging my lifelist.  Challenging myself from year to year, county to county, has become a fire that drives me to get out and observe birds all across North Carolina, but also in recent years to new and different places such as Southeast Arizona and San Diego County.

The versatility of eBird has become essential to my work with the NC Division of Parks and Recreation.  As the Inventory Biologist for the division, I am tasked with tracking rare and uncommon species in the state park units throughout NC.  

Over the last few years, I’ve been fortunate enough to get out in the field with a group of like-minded birders near Raleigh, my base of operations.  This group of friends has been integral to helping me further my knowledge and appreciation of birds, from encouraging me to get out on  out of Cape Hatteras, to chasing to gathering and discussing our birding finds over tasty beverages every few months.  It’s great to have a repository into which we can log those finds, and fun to add some “competition” in the form of the  for state and counties!

A Clean Water Crisis

1......The water you drink today has likely been around in one form or another sincedinosaurs roamed the Earth, hundreds of millions of years ago.

While the amount of freshwater on the planet has remained fairly constant over time—continually recycled through the atmosphere and back into our cups—the population has exploded. This means that every year competition for a clean, copious supply of water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and sustaining life intensifies.

Water scarcity is an abstract concept to many and a stark reality for others. It is the result of myriad environmental, political, economic, and social forces.

Freshwater makes up a very small fraction of all water on the planet. While nearly 70 percent of the world is covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is fresh. The rest is saline and ocean-based. Even then, just 1 percent of our freshwater is easily accessible, with much of it trapped in glaciers and snowfields. In essence, only 0.007 percent of the planet's water is available to fuel and feed its 6.8 billion people.

Due to geography, climate, engineering, regulation, and competition for resources, some regions seem relatively flush with freshwater, while others face drought and debilitating pollution. In much of the developing world, clean water is either hard to come by or a commodity that requires laborious work or significant currency to obtain.

2....water is life

Wherever they are, people need water to survive. Not only is the human body 60 percent water, the resource is also essential for producing food, clothing, and computers, moving our waste stream, and keeping us and the environment healthy.

Unfortunately, humans have proved to be inefficient water users. (The average hamburger takes 2,400 liters, or 630 gallons, of water to produce, and many water-intensive crops, such as cotton, are grown in arid regions.)

According to the United Nations, water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change.

The challenge we face now is how to effectively conserve, manage, and distribute the water we have. National Geographic's Freshwater Web siteencourages you to explore the local stories and global trends defining the world's water crisis. Learn where freshwater resources exist; how they are used; and how climate, technology, policy, and people play a role in both creating obstacles and finding solutions. Peruse the site to learn how you can make a difference by reducing your water footprint and getting involved with local and global water conservation and advocacy efforts.

General Types of Bearings and How They Work

Generally speaking, a bearing is a device that is used to enable rotational or linear movement, while reducing friction and handling stress. Resembling wheels, bearings literally enable devices to roll, which reduces the friction between the surface of the bearing and the surface it’s rolling over. It’s significantly easier to move, both in a rotary or linear fashion, when friction is reduced—this also enhances speed and efficiency.

In order to serve all these functions, bearings make use of a relatively simple structure: a ball with internal and external smooth metal surfaces, to aid in rolling. The ball itself carries the weight of the load—the force of the load’s weight is what drives the bearing’s rotation. However, not all loads put force on a bearing in the same manner. There are two different kinds of loading: radial and thrust. 

 

A radial load, as in a pulley, simply puts weight on the bearing in a manner that causes the bearing to roll or rotate as a result of tension. A thrust load is significantly different, and puts stress on the bearing in an entirely different way. If a bearing (think of a tire) is flipped on its side (think now of a tire swing) and subject to complete force at that angle (think of three children sitting on the tire swing), this is called thrust load. A bearing that is used to support a bar stool is an example of a bearing that is subject only to thrust load.

 

Many bearings are prone to experiencing both radial and thrust loads. Car tires, for example, carry a radial load when driving in a straight line: the tires roll forward in a rotational manner as a result of tension and the weight they are supporting. However, when a car goes around a corner, it is subject to thrust load because the tires are no longer moving solely in a radial fashion and cornering force weighs on the side of the bearing.

• Roller Bearings

Roller bearings are designed to carry heavy loads—the primary roller is a cylinder, which means the load is distributed over a larger area, enabling the bearing to handle larger amounts of weight. This structure, however, means the bearing can handle primarily radial loads, but is not suited to thrust loads. For applications where space is an issue, a needle bearing can be used. Needle bearings work with small diameter cylinders, so they are easier to fit in smaller applications.

 

• Ball Thrust Bearings

These kinds of bearings are designed to handle almost exclusively thrust loads in low-speed low-weight applications. Bar stools, for example, make use of ball thrust bearings to support the seat.

 

• Roller Thrust Bearings

Roller thrust bearings, much like ball thrust bearings, handle thrust loads. The difference, however, lies in the amount of weight the bearing can handle: roller thrust bearings can support significantly larger amounts of thrust load, and are therefore found in car transmissions, where they are used to support helical gears. Gear support in general is a common application for roller thrust bearings.

 

• Tapered Roller Bearings

This style of bearing is designed to handle large radial and thrust loads—as a result of their load versatility, they are found in car hubs due to the extreme amount of both radial and thrust loads that car wheels are expected to carry.

 

ToDo ToDay: Carolyn Malachi, The Olympics

D.C. singer Carolyn Malachi has made long strides in a relatively short time. Her debut album, Revenge of the Smart Chicks, was self-released in 2008; by 2010, her song “Orion,” which detailed a complicated romance between a mermaid and astronaut, was nominated for a Grammy. Tonight, Malachi headlines a benefit show tonight to aid independent artists in developing countries. Read more >>> (Marcus J. Moore)

Carolyn Malachi performs with Jayarr at 8 p.m. tonight at Montserrat House, 2016 9th St. NW. $15. montserrathouse.com.

EAT THIS

It's no Los Pollos Hermanos (what's up, Breaking Bad fans!), but Pollo Campero is giving away free empanadas today at all D.C.-area locations. The Latin American fast-food chain is introducing three types of empanadas for you to try: spicy chicken, citrus chicken, and black bean and cheese. Pollo Campero has locations in Columbia Heights (3229 14th St. NW) as well as Manassas, Falls Church, Herndon, Gaithersburg, Adelphi, Laurel, and Wheaton, Md. (Jessica Sidman)

OH AND ALSO

The Olympics kick off tonight at 7:30 p.m., and you should be watching them with a beverage in your hand. Catch the opening ceremony at The Brixton, Biergarten Haus, Open City, Good Stuff Eatery, The Queen Vic, orPing Pong Dim Sum, or tag along on the H Street Olympic bar crawl, which starts at The Argonaut at 5:30 p.m.

If you were Lemmy from Motörhead, you’d drink a bottle of Jack Daniel’s a day, too. Not because you’d have a giant growth on your face, or even because you were an alcoholic. No, you’d guzzle firewater because, after 37 years of writing countless iterations of the same great punk-metal anthem, you’re still only one slot above a turdcore band like Asking Alexandria on theMayhem Festival tour. Read more >>> (Christopher Porter)

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival begins Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Jiffy Lube Live, 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow. $26.50–$69.50. livenation.com.

Want ToDo ToDay sent to your inbox five days a week? Sign up here.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

FROM MAR. 9: U.S. Artillery Shatters Peace of South Korea's 'Rocket Valley' With Barrage

He said the drills were "unprecedented, the largest-scale joint war drills, surpassing all the previous drills, going on for nearly two months."

North Korea routinely condemns the drills, which began earlier this month and run until the end of April, as a rehearsal for an invasion. The U.S. says they are defensive and that it has no plans to invade

The North has gone through this year's by launching a series of short-range missiles that have landed within the ocean, inflicting no injury. the newest of those came weekday, with the North test-firing a short-range projectile one hundred twenty five miles on its coast, consistent with the South Korean military.

In January, Pyongyang conducted a nuclear take a look at, followed by what it aforementioned was a satellite launch in Gregorian calendar month that was condemned internationally as protect testing prohibited missile technology.

Jon, at the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the AP it had been "ridiculous, a false argument" to mention that the country's nuclear program display a threat to alternative nations.

He aforementioned a nuclear arsenal was "the solely thanks to effectively deter the persistent nuclear threat and war provocations from the U.S. … as long because the U.S. persists in its moves to stifle our socialist system."

On Saturday, North Korea's info web site North Korea nowadays announce a computer-generated video of a submarine-launched nuclear missile destroying Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on weekday handed  organized labor a significant conclusion, deadlocking four to four in an exceedingly case that had vulnerable to cripple the flexibility of public unions to gather fees from staff World Health Organization selected to not be part of and failed to need to procure the unions’ talks activities.

It was the starkest illustration nevertheless of however the overtime of Justice Antonin Scalia last month has blocked the facility of the court’s four remaining conservatives to maneuver the law to the proper.

The case was brought by ten CA public schoolteachers. A ruling in their favor would have affected immeasurable government staff and weakened public-sector unions, that stood to lose fees each from staff World Health Organization objected to the positions the unions take and from those that merely selected to not be part of whereas profiting from the unions’ efforts on their behalf.

When the case was argued in Gregorian calendar month, the court’s conservative majority appeared able to say that forcing public staff to support unions that they had declined to affix violates the primary change. Justice Scalia’s queries were systematically hostile to the unions.

Zika Virus Sread World Wide

The World Health Organization declared the Zika virus and its suspected link to birth defects a world public health emergency on Mon, a rare move that signals the seriousness of the natural event and offers countries new tools to fight it.

An outbreak of the Zika virus, that is transmitted by mosquitoes, was detected in Brazil in might and has since affected into quite twenty countries in geographical area, together with 2 new ones declared Monday: Central American nation and Jamaica.

The main worry is over the virus’s attainable link to microcephalus, a condition that causes babies to turn with outstandingly little heads and, within the overwhelming majority of cases, broken brains. reportable cases of microcephalus square measure rising sharply in Brazil, ground zero for the sickness, tho' researchers have nevertheless to determine that Zika causes the condition.

At a press conference in Geneva, Dr. Margaret Chan, the director general of the W.H.O, acknowledged that the understanding of the affiliation between the Zika virus and microcephalus was hazy and same that the uncertainty placed “a significant burden” on pregnant ladies and their families throughout terra firma. She same the emergency designation would permit the health agency to coordinate the various efforts to urge urgently required answers. officers same analysis on the consequences of Zika in pregnant ladies was current in a minimum of 3 countries: Brazil, South American nation and Salvador.

“The proof is growing and it’s obtaining robust,” Dr. Chan said. “So I accepted, even on microcephalus alone, that it's spare to decision associate degree emergency. we'd like a coordinated international response.”

But the agency stopped wanting advising pregnant ladies to not trip the affected region, a precaution that yank health officers began recommending last month. Some international health specialists contended the W.H.O.’s call was a lot of concerning politics than drugs. Brazil is making ready to host the Olympiad this summer, and any ban on travel, even only for pregnant ladies, would deliver a heavy blow to the Brazilian government.

“I suppose there was a political overtone,” same Lawrence O. Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and international Health Law at Georgetown University. “If it were my girl and she or he was pregnant or thinking of obtaining pregnant, i might fully warn her off of attending to a Zika-affected country, 

Zika Virus
Complete coverage of the unfold of Zika virus and efforts to contain it.
Zika Study might facilitate Overcome associate degree Obstacle to immunizing agent analysis
MAR 28
Birth Defects Tied to Zika in Panama
MAR 22
Experimental immunizing agent Shows Promise Against a variety of breakbone fever
MAR 21
Study of Zika natural event Estimates one in one hundred Risk of microcephalus
MAR 15
Women WHO Brought Zika Fears Home With Them
MAR 14
See More »

Related Coverage

Australia to start observance for Zika Virus February. 1, 2016

Tears and befuddlement in Brazilian town Facing Zika Crisis January. 29, 2016
The current natural event of Zika has taken the planet unexpectedly. The virus was 1st known in 1947 in African country, and for years lived largely in monkeys. however last might in Brazil, cases began increasing drastically. The W.H.O. has calculable that four million individuals might be infected by the tip of the year. The fast unfold is as a result of individuals within the Americas haven't developed immunity, public health specialists say.

Egyptian Airlines passenger plane hijacked to meet demand, the kidnappers of asylum and ex-wife

Cairo: Egyptian airline hijackers who hijacked a passenger plane has been sought asylum from the Cyprus government and his former wife.
Plane hijacker wanted the plane to Istanbul to take the captain told him that after the fuel for which there have so long taken off at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus. 30 Egyptians, including the aircraft flight crew members 7, 8 US, 4 British, 2 Belgian, Italian and 4 were a citizen of the Netherlands.
After Zealand airport says Cyprus kysrkary TV hijackers were 3 crew members and 4 passengers leaving all other foreigners. Talks with Egyptian officials hijackers are still ongoing, which it has asked to meet with his former wife and asylum in Cyprus. His ex-wife, which has been called the airport.
Larnaca deployed personnel at the airport suspended air traffic and the number of surrounding aircraft in vehicles, ambulances and fire, act of hijacking art aircraft that the President of Cyprus terrorism, the Cyprus government they ensure the protection of innocent travelers whose lives take all measures.