Rihanna: A Good Girl Gone Badass? Or Bad Ass Girl Gone Worse?

She's stunning. Beautiful. Breathtaking even. Powerful. And let's not forget talented.

The thing that bothers me though is Rihanna is a walking oxymoron.

She goes on a national news program to talk about having ended her relationship with Chris Brown because of the profound message that staying with him would send to young girls that look up to her.

Yet, she appears to dispel everything that America has been trying to teach young girls and boys since the beginning of time about education, success, image, sex and most of all...grace.

She did not graduate from high school because as she says she got too busy for school (it shows in many of her responses, by-the-way); she has tattoos of guns on her body promoting violence or a violent notion; she's using her nakedness to promote her..image..album (??), and she claims to want the "Chris Brown" thing behind her, yet she reopens the wound by slandering a man on national television who had already been "beaten" by public criticism.

It seems like Rihanna's toying with the notion of being an example to young girls as a publicity stunt to boost her image (whatever that is) and sales, and it appears to be working. So if that's her idea of being an example to young girls, she needs to think again.

She neesd to quit using her night of abuse as a free pass to be irresponsible in hopes that your fans and the public will take pity and cry, "Oh, look what she's resorted to as a result of Chris Brown beating her." If she doesn't, young girls all over the world will indulge themselves in anti-social behaviors, then cry, "my situation is a result of my actions" when they come under fire for them.

From domestic abuse and drugs, to teen parenting and illiteracy, and as a topper, the economy, anti-social behaviors among teens is too big of an epidemic to toy with for personal or professional gain.

Call to Action: Rihanna, if you're sincerely concerned about the integrity of young girls, why not create opportunities to show them how sexy success looks fully clothed. It's doable.

...but wait. Did she mention what kind of an example she wanted to be? Did she say positive? Wait..gotta go re-read the Diane Sawyer transcript.

Thanks for spending time with me!

If you have any topic suggestions or topics you'd like me to research and blog about, please e-mail me at thawriter@thawriter.biz.



Until next time...

So You Want to Write and Publish a Book...Can You?

Lately, it seems like a lot of people want to write a book, or are looking for someone to pen what they believe is the most brilliant book ever. If you're either one of these people, let's chat.

So, you want to write?

Have you ever had your writing published? And not necessarily traditionally. I mean do you blog frequently? Have you ever published a newsletter? Have you ever written short stories or poems that you've shared with others for critique?

If the answer is no, how do you know if you're qualified to write a book? How do you know you're a good storyteller or that your story is a good one to be told? There is the rare occasion where some people just know. I was one of those people. I don't write well because I've had formal writing training. I write well because I can. But not everyone does. And that's what you need to find out.

Start by writing something and having it critiqued by someone other than family and friends. Family and friends always want what's best for you and usually offer encouragement and support instead of honest feedback. Instead, join a writers or critique group and/or attend writers workshops and conferences to get honest feedback on your writing.

Worried about being embarrassed? Think about this: would you rather other writers like you embarrass you with the truth so you can improve, or would you rather invest your time and money to be published, only to get the ultimate embarrassment: no one buys your book?

So you want to hire a writer?

Why would I (meaning readers) care about your story? Be prepared with a good answer to that question because it's exactly what a professional writer is going to ask--if he or she is good.

Many people believe their story is a good one; it may be. But before you try to publish, find out if 1-the story has already been told, and 2-what will move me about your story?

For example, if you're a cancer survivor and I am too, why would I want to read your story? I already know it. I know all you had to endure and/or sacrifice. Or, if you're a cancer survivor and I lost a love one to cancer, do I really want to hear about your triumph when I lost so much?

You have to make sure that your story stands out. What is your "X" factor? How can you write a story more unique than the next story just like it? Will your story affect me? Move me? Impact me? Shock me? Scare me? Encourage me? And if either, why or how?

If you can't find these elements, you may need to simply journal or keep a diary.

When you've answered all these questions and you're ready to hire a writer, make sure they're capable to do the type of writing you need. Compare their rates and ensure their availability and talent.

Be careful of writers that specialize in a specific writing category. Would you want a scientific writer to write your romance novel? If they're capable, why not? But usually, excellence is not an act, but a habit, and what you do the most is what you'll do the best. So if all their experience is scientific, then probably not.

Just make sure you see samples, look for a Web site or portfolio with testimonials and if available, references from past clients.

If you have a writing-related question, send an e-mail to thawriter@thawriter.biz. Thanks for spending time with me.

i write for the very reason i breathe...

Birthday Parties and their Meanings

I used to always wonder who made up the idea of birthdays and birthday parties. I loved them as a kid, but when I got older, all the sole attention embarrassed me. So, I wanted to find out who "invented" them so I could find him and kick his ass! (I'm sure it was a man..bday parties have been around so long, I'm sure a woman didn't have the balls to tell someone she invented something so brilliant--ouch!)

So I did my research. A long time ago in Europe, people believed that evil spirits were attracted to people, but moreso on their birthdays (go figure). So, for protection, friends and family would gather with the birthday person to bring food, drinks and gifts, and spread laughter and good cheer, which would ultimately scare off the evil spirits (really..).

And those candles on the cake? Once upon a time, people prayed over the flames of an open fire so the smoke would carry their thoughts and requests up to the gods. Of course today, it is believed that if you blow out your candles with one breath, your wish would come true!

Wow.

If you have any topic suggestions or topics you'd like me to research and blog about, please e-mail me at thawriter@thawriter.biz. Thanks for spending time with me!

You Have to Pick! Femme or Stud? (Do You?)

I recently read someone's blog post polling readers on whether there is a femme shortage; if femmes are going back to men and why are more femmes dressing like studs. Translation: femmes are feminine gay women and stud's are masculine dressed gay women. Case in point: see Cynthia Nixon of "Sex and the City" and her girlfriend in the photo next door.

I thought this was a pretty shallow poll and felt compelled to "gently" respond. After all, who's business is it anyway how a person dresses or decides to love.

So, to address the question, why do more femmes seem to be dressing like studs, I think it's a simple matter of learning who you are and becoming bold enough to stand up to or for that. It doesn't necessarily have to mean a movement, it just means, developing as a person. On the one hand, as you grow, you become a reflection of what you're taught at home. Catholic or Baptist? Democrat or Republican? Straight or Gay? Life is habitual.

As girls, mother's never assume their daughters will be gay, so they dress them like girls: frills and lace. But the more a person is exposed to the world and all it has to offer, you start to adjust your thinking and habits, and slowly begin to mold into the you you're comfortable with. And if your male energy prompts you to feel more confident and comfortable dressed masculine--you do that.

And on whether there's a shortage: I just think women are tired of being made to feel it's necessary to wear a sign across their chests that scream, "I eat pussy for breakfast!" Women who are sound in their sexuality don't waste time labeling themselves, or screaming from the top of a mountain, "I'm gay and I'm femme!" Instead of being unnecessarily vocal about their sexuality, "real" gay women associate themselves with their kindred peers. Their social circles become other women they meet through exclusive clubs or groups for lesbian/bisexual women, and through associations.

For example, the affluent don't go around screaming, "I'm rich! I'm rich!" Instead, you'll find them shopping on Rodeo Drive as opposed to Target, or rooming at the Beverly Hills Hotel versus Comfort Inn. So what looks like a shortage is in essence has turned into handling your lifestyle with sophistication and privacy.

Finally, on are femmes going back to men: These days, it seems that being a lesbian or bisexual woman is a fad or trend. While it probably pisses those who really are lesbian or bisexual off, even to the point of feeling mimicked, the seeming acceptance from society is an uncloseted opportunity for women to get to know themselves and make an informed choice. If being with a woman helps a woman heal after a bad breakup with a man, she's more likely to go back to a man.

On the other hand, I do think more women are bisexual than ever before. Again, I believe it's a societal acceptance that gives women the green light to decide who they want to be with, be it man or woman. While a lot of women might get unintentionally used in the process, it's a process all the same.

Oh, Joe.

Joe Jackson has been a controversial topic even before MJ's death. He's been labeled one of the toughest, meanest, opportunistics dads of all time--all of which might be true.

While Joe was no Cliff Huxtable, he didn't love his children--all of his children--any less. One of my followers commented that it would have been nice if he [Joe] had tempered that intensity with some fatherly love.

As the adage goes: Actions speak louder than words. Ergo, Joe's love for his children is precisely what drove him to push them so hard to prevent their future empoverishment like he experienced early in his life. As proof, a few nights after MJ's death, on ABC's 20/20, not only did Jermaine send gratitude to his dad, he emphatically denied having been abused, and so have other of his siblings in past interviews.

What has happened is, laws put in place to protect children, has made the line of defining abuse very thin. I can't think of an adult who can't remember childhood ass whippings from their fathers or mothers, but who also grew up psychologically sound. Today, however, techniques such as time-out, punishment/grounding and withholding allowance calls for spankings to be considered abuse.

Jermaine noted some of his brothers and sisters "were more sensitive than others." And culturally, black males have always shown their love for their children through a firm tongue and strict discipline (i.e., James Evans, Fred Sanford, George Jefferson to name a few). Rarely did you see them bestowing terms of endearment or affection upon their children. But their love was no less than that of their mothers'.

And there it is. Every family, every story, has to have a "bad guy;" a scapegoat. For the Jackson's, Joe's it. But Joe's not so bad. As the custody hearings get underway to decide the fate (or destiny) of MJ's children, Larry King reported that it is Joseph Jackson who is making attempts to unite Kathering and Debbie despite their growning animosity.

Enough said. Right? So why don't we just "Leave Joe Alone?"

Michael Jackson: Born to Entertain

Since Thursday, June 25th, 2009, when we all learned that Micheal Jackson was dead, I've been listening to news reports on the radio, reading the papers, watching broadcasts and following blogs. On most, the consensus is the same: poor, poor Michael. He will be sorely missed.

I've been trying to log this entry for just as long. I mean, what can you say that hasn't already been said? Everyone, for the most part feels the same--sad. Numbly sad. So every time I try, I stall; get the proverbial "writer's block," then move on to something else, vowing to finish this later. Well, later is here. So I guess it's time for me to just spit it out.

A different perspective...

A source I routinely connect with who was working on MJ's tour building back drops called and chit chatted with me about how he felt. Wow. What a different perspective. Despite how well and vibrant reports say MJ looked, my source noted that he looked frail and skinny--except when he danced. Then, he came alive.

Nevertheless, MJ's death leaves as big a mess as the controversies surrounding his life. For example, the promoters lost $85M on tickets that probably need to be refunded. But who in their right mind would want a refund? The sentimental value of having one of those tickets is priceless--definitely on the "conversation piece" list, and equally, the monetary value of those tickets will be phenomenal if not already.

There is also a $20M price tag on the investment of the sets, all the people connected who didn't get paid won't, and many jobs will be lost.

But here's a thought: as it's said, "the show must go on." So why not show recordings of the preparation of the concert on a big screen; add some other aethetics and clips from the past and present and have a few celebrities show up and do a tribute? That way, people still get paid and memories from the experience by workers, performers and fans will last eternally.

Megastar...

Cartoonist, Mike Luckovich, is under the gun for his sketches of MJ in life and death. The most profound one to me, which shed light on just how big MJ is/was/always will be, is the one interrupting the Savior's second coming for a Michael Jackson update. That's big. And so not far from reality. In fact, the word "megastar" was created to describe MJ some time after he started his solo career because he had become so successful.

Bad taste...

As I sit here still watching and listening to clips and stories of MJ's life, especially about his debt and personal struggles, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, all the leeches surrounding him sucking out of him of any chance of normalcy. His addiction to narcotics, the controversies and finally his death..I can't help but note, Michael was just tired.

Unfortunately, this is one of the most numbing, historical tragedies that I've had an opportunity to live to witness. That's not to discount the indescribable events of 9/11, the senseless assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger or any other worst calamities of this century.

MJ's death is uncomfortably tragic in the sense that it seems that despite all his giving and kindness, his entire life was riddled with pain: emotionally, physically and mentally.

Self-imposed defeat?...
There is one thing that unnerves me to the core: everyone is looking for something or someone to blame. I get that the pressure from the media, family, fans and work was over-the-top. But at what point do we take accountability for our actions, behavior and seek help? If you see that being around little boys gets you caught up, untangle yourself from the web. If you become addicted to narcotics and your love ones plead with you to get help, surrender. If you find yourself changing from a cute little black boy to a distorted, white man, seek counseling. If you see your finances slipping from under you, make some adjustments.

Abuse or desperation...
Fingers are consistently pointed at Joe Jackson for pushing MJ into his Neverland fantasy. But when I think about celebrities: Tiger Woods, Venus/Serena Williams, Beyonce, Michael Jordan, Mike Tyson or any person who succeeds at what they do, I conclude that it takes practice, dedication, commitment and persistence to the craft to become "the King." Afterall, isn't that what they all strive for? And even though our parents might push a little harder than "normal," was Joe's intent to catapult all his children toward success abuse? Or a father's desperation to save his children from the poverty he endured most of his life?

In some interviews Michael says it was because of his father that he became the star he was. In others, he claims the abuse made him want to succeed to get away. But, from the many biopics of the Jackson family's rise to fame, inclusive of the hard work, the kids are laughing, singing, dancing, playing outside and interacting with other children their ages. What more did they want? Friends? Overrated. In most large families, your family members are your friends. I'm living proof. Did they not want the fame? Did he not want to sing and dance or be in a position to afford to do all the good he did?

As parents, don't we all want success for our children? I find myself wondering, if Joe Jackson said f%$k it and left him to his own notions, would he have become the legend he was? I tip my hat to Joesph Jackson. He did everything he could, the only way he knew how to provide for his family.

Throwed or Genius...
"He didn't have a childhood." That statement is overrated, a cop-out and justification for MJ's mental seclusion on fantasy island and bizarre behavior with animals and kids. But did his weirdness classify him as "throwed" or did it just bolster him to the genius category? After all, Einstein, Freud and Beethoven were considered off, but geniuses nontheless. Yes, he occasionally walked around with a damn monkey around his neck, but MJ also broke several world records during his career. You decide.

In or out...
Was MJ a closet homosexual? Who cares?!

Born to entertain...
Of all the songs that have been playing on television and the radio, one that has been playing over and over in my head is my favorite Jackson song, "We're Here to Entertain You."

When we were tiny little boys
We used to dance, we used to sing
Before we even learned to crawl or walk

As we grew up, we didn't change
Somehow we knew, right from the start
We'd love the spotlights and the stage
Because we were born to entertain...

...he did that. Sleep well Michael.

Visit my other blogs: www.thawriter.blogspot.com, www.thagagg.blogspot.com.

Promotional Markets for Your Writing

When it’s time to start marketing your writing, try the following markets:

Organizations

• Fraternal
• Writers groups
• Church
• Military
• Ethnic groups in your book
• Political organizations
• Organizations related to book's subject
• Your home owners' association
• Organizations your spouse, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts/great-aunts belongs to
  

Schools

• From elementary to post graduate, write a list of schools you, your spouse, mother, father and children attend(ed)
• Target departments interested in your subject
• Alumni magazines

Geography

• Where does your book or article take place? Make a list.
• Join AAA and get their tour books for the states your writing covered.
• Compile a list of museums/attractions interested in your work.
• Where have you lived?
• Historical figures in your novel or writing

Magazines

• An editor might be interested to know that a writer who is published in his/her magazine has a book out.
• Target publications interested in your topic.
  

Public

• Give talks and get lists
• Pass out business cards
• Libraries

Everyday People

• Friends
• Neighbors
• Your doctor, dentist, optometrist, hair stylist, vet, piano tuner, lawyer, lawn boy, post office, bank.
• Now, multiply that list by listing "everyday people" for your spouse, mother, siblings, great-aunt Matilde.
• Email

These are just a very few of the many markets in which to target your work. Good luck! Let me know of others so I can share with other writers.

Make EARTH DAY Last All Year Long!

As a writer, I try to fuse all of my passions and causes together, and with pen in hand, help educate about important topics such as saving our planet, living healthier, protecting animals and advocating for teens and tweens within the LGBT community.

This month, I want to remind or inform everyone that April is Earth Month and April 22nd is EARTH DAY.

In celebration of this day, month and cause, help me make EARTH DAY last all year long by visiting Get Active. Go Green! to learn what you can do to become better educated, informed and ACTIVE!

ENTER OUR GET ACTIVE. GO GREEN! RAFFLE TO WIN FREE GAS, GROCERIES AND MORE!

Until next time...
couler avec la lumiére et l'univers

Make EARTH DAY Last All Year Long

As a writer, I try to fuse all of my passions and causes together, and with pen in hand, help educate about important topics such as saving our planet, living healthier, protecting animals and advocating for teens and tweens within the LGBT community.

This month, I want to remind or inform everyone that April is Earth Month and April 22nd is EARTH DAY. In celebration of this day, month and cause, help me make EARTH DAY last all year long by visiting Get Active. Go Green! to learn what you can do to become better educated, informed and ACTIVE!

ENTER OUR GET ACTIVE. GO GREEN! CONTEST TO WIN FREE GAS, GROCERIES AND MORE!

Until next time...
couler avec la lumiére et l'univers

Job Fairs

Attending job fairs is fast becoming one of the biggest wastes of time, gas and energy of all time.

I recently attended a couple of job fairs in Dallas to try my luck in the proverbial "Corporate America." Each experience helped me to decide that never again, unless I was forced at gunpoint, will I put myself through such grueling, disappointing, awkward experiences.

At each one, there were no visible instructions or guides to tell us what to expect. However, one

particular fair stands out as downright comedic. After two hours of putting all the puzzle pieces together on what to do and where to go, in a building that had no air conditioning to mix with the 90 degree temperature outside, I finally made it to a potential employer, only to be told to visit their Web site and complete their application online. And there it is. I got dressed and spent money on gas to travel to downtown Dallas only to visit about 15 employers who all said visit their Web site.

WTF?!

When will someone create the virtual job fair where at a certain time of day, employers will have a group of decision-makers log on to their Web site and wait to receive applications and resumes from potential employees? Then, in a "chatroom" setting, interview applicants and follow up with an in-person interview with candidates their interested in.

In the age of technology, that makes SO much more sense to me. Am I the only one?

Usually, most people who attend job fairs do not have jobs so (duh) who needs to waste money on gas for a wasted, ineffective trip? A virtual job fair would save gas, time and the sanity of both job seekers and employers everywhere!

Now why didn't I think of that! Oh. I did.

Until next time...couler avec la lumiére et l'univers

WTF?!

Okay, so I was trying not to comment on the Presy's chimp cartoon plight, but after receiving tons of e-mails on the subject (well, not that many, but you know how people

exaggerate when trying to make a point), I feel compelled to give my two cents. (And trust me, two cents on this subject is all I have. And, I scraped this up. It's just too energy sapping.)

First of all, how in the hell does a major publication that is supposed to be accountable for the integrity of what it prints allow a cartoonist's ignorance to infect its pages with blatant disrespect for our Presy?! Actually, dude is not ignorant. He is a very astute artist and knew exactly what the hell he was doing and knew without a doubt that his deliberate display of racism would be published for all the world to see.

So okay, the cartoonist and the paper declares, in short, those who felt offended misinterpreted the point of the cartoon. Okay, then. Sure.

Note: Big ups to all those who took their time to go out and boycott the New York Post. The thing is, I didn't get to see that powerful, moving event. Why? Because many major networks, including CNN, didn't consider it a newsworthy event. Hunh?

So, let me get this straight: In the U.S., Chris Brown beating the shit out of Rihanna is a more newsworthy event than potential death threats, ridicule, humiliation and racism against our Pres? Wow.

And come on B&N! How do you not know when a non-employee is putting a book in your display window?! Please come with one better than that.

So...where do we go from here? Well, I can tell you all this: get over it. Racism, covert and overt, personal and institutionalized exists and always will. So I say, don't get too caught up and waste too much energy moaning and complaining about it.

Instead, do something. The best thing? Turn their purses upside down. If you stop buying from the likes of B&N (damn, they were/are my fave; I'm still undecided) and The New York Post, or stop watching CNN, maybe they'll catch a clue that you cannot slander people and get away with it.

Karma is and always has been a bitch.

Until next time,

couler avec la lumiére et l'univers

It's TAKS Season..Again! (Not You Mr. IRS)

All over Texas today, students are nervous, were unable to sleep, have lost their hair and sanity, cannot eat, have stomach problems, broke out in hives, probably had suicidal thoughts or worse.

The reason?

Today, students are taking the TAKS test. (Are you serious? Let me get this straight: if some students don't pass this TAKS test, they will either fail or not graduate, even if otherwise their grade point average is passing?! Someone please e-mail or call or comment on this blog and tell me I'm wrong!)

It is unbearable to see our childen stressing like adults over a damn test!

Oddly, I haven't met any parent, educator or academic administrator yet who disagrees that the TAKS test is jeopardizing the real education of children. Our kids spend all school year being taught how to take a test to gauge how smart Texas is; but what about how smart the children are? What am I missing?

Teaching has taken on the shape of an assembly line methodology, or some sick domino effect! If the students fail, the teachers eventually lose their jobs. However, the Catch 22 is, teachers are no longer allowed to use their creativity to teach the individual child. They are teaching a group how to pass the TAKS exam. ARGH!

Homework is a joke. Students rarely have it because teachers are not allowed to assign that much of it, and when they do, students go home clueless about what to do. They can't ask their teachers for help because they cannot be late for the next class (that equals detention or referral) or it's not tutoring day or they have to schedule a time to meet with the teacher after school or send a request to Congress to get a Bill passed. (And of course if they have to ride the bus home, they can forget it.) (Oh, and the teachers have to be off the campus no later than about 30 minutes after school lets out.)

Some classes don't even use books anymore. Instead, everything is either online or students get a TAKS worksheet, use their own notes (but are not taught how to take good notes), look at an overhead or use a TAKS workbook that they cannot bring home, that drills them on learning to identify that a glove is to a hand just as a tablecloth is to a table. Or, is the wood to the table and the hand to the finger? It's all B to the S to me.

What is going on? Teachers are next in line to parents! And all parents know that it takes creativity to raise a child, so why should teaching be any different? All children do not learn the same way or at the same pace. Children expect you to care about them! They expect you to guide them! They expect you to prepare them for a wonderful life that we all guarantee they can have if they get an education! Good grief.

Our kids are human beings, not case studies or projects. Instead of spending all year preparing for a test that most teachers don't even support, how about spending the year letting teachers teach some old fashion reading, writing, arithmetic, handwriting, spelling and grammar? (Cursive writing is not even a requirement anymore, and handwriting classes are obsolete!)

Recently, I judged some essays written by eighth graders competing for scholarships. Out of about 50 that I read, 45 read like first graders wrote them! It made my stomach hurt. Across the board, the spelling, grammar, structure and content was embarrassing. I thought I was reading text messages on paper!

Doesn't anyone get it? If teachers are allowed to TEACH..really teach, then at the very least, our children can communicate their thoughts, write a complete sentence and know how to count. Let's get that part right first. Who created this rule and who are we trying to build up—the kids or the government?

Even the students get it. My teenage daughter told me she hates the TAKS. She called it stupid and said, instead of taking some test that doesn't make sense to pass to the next grade or graduate, if you have good grades by the end of the year, you should be able to take a semester exam, pass that, average it all and go on. If not, then you fail.

How's that for government policy?

Picture this for a school marquee: "State High School—Recognized. Students' Education—Overlooked.

Until next time,
couler avec la lumiére et l'univers

Almost Like the Serenity Prayer. Or Not.

Nationwide insurance company airs a commercial that definitively states, “Life comes at you fast.

And it does.

The economy is bad. People are losing jobs. Your kids might not be doing well in school. Maybe you’re in prison or going. Maybe your home will be foreclosed and you have nowhere to go. You may be losing a dangerous amount of money in stocks. You might be having trouble paying all your bills or finding a job. Maybe your unemployment just ran out or your family member is on drugs. Maybe, just maybe, your spouse or partner is cheating on you or beating on you but you just don’t want to let go. In any case, somewhere, something is going terribly wrong for someone.

The enigma: How do you deal with it?

How can you make the world stop spinning—or even slow down—long enough to grab hold and regain control?

Sometimes, you just get tired. And in the meantime, life keeps moving. Suicide is definitely not the answer. Neither is murder, drinking, doing drugs or indulging in any other toxic behavior, chemical nor vice.

There is no point in fighting it. There's no running from it. You’ve got to find peace, because the thing is, a day, a week or even a year from now, you’ll look back on this time and decide it really wasn’t that bad.

Instead, try to figure out the message from it all. What did I do years ago or in a past lifetime ago to get to this point? How did I move on? How was I changed? Here’s a clue:

*Change the things you can
*Figure out how to deal with those you can't--but deal with them head on
*Prioritize and don’t feel pressured to sway
*Seek help, not pity
(Did I say see HELP, not PITY?)
*Listen to your body and the universe then flow that way

Above the rest, LEARN THE LESSON from it all and APPLY it.

Until next time,
couler avec la lumiére et l'univers

Green. The New Black Ink.

The following is the beginning of a series of tips that I want to introduce so that we can all become greener writers!

Use this information to reflect on your habits as a writer; improve your habits as a writer; tell us about the alterations you made as a writer.

Ready for a challenge?

TIP #1 - Write On Recycled Paper

According to the US EPA, recycling one short ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7 thousand US gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Of course you can buy recycled paper, but what could be more fun, exciting and out-of-the-box for a writer than to recycle paper by making your own writing pads, notebooks or journals!

If you work in an office where the extra sheet of paper comes out of the printer to identify the user, save those, and when you've accumulated a nice size stack, cut it in half, two-hold punch each half at the top then insert paper fasteners to create two memo pads. Or, use the entire stack to make a notebook or journal!

That was SO easy.

Until next time...
couler avec la lumiére et l'univers