Get Active. Go Green! in Texas

Texas is making improvements toward sustainability all over the state in education, energy and the environment. Are you doing your part? Get Active. Go Green!

Education

Beginning in January, 2011, the University of Texas at Arlington will offer a Master of Science in Sustainability program in its downtown Dallas location. The one year, 36-hour program, targeted to attorneys, architects, government employees and educators, will focus on the green building (LEED) project, the Energy Star program and high-density development. Full story at UTA.

Environmental

Through a partnership between the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the University of North Texas in Arlington, four air quality monitors will be installed in North Texas to check for pollution from gas drilling. Full story at TCEQ.

Energy

According to a recent report by the Dallas Morning News, electricity prices across Texas are finally below the national average. Now, you can shop for less expensive energy! Full story at Power to Choose.

Get Active. Go Green! with delmetria millener, a freelance writer based in Texas. Contact her at thawriter@thawriter.biz.

Heal Holiday Depression, Naturally

The holiday season is a time of love and happiness, joy and peace—a joining of family and friends, eating, celebration and sharing. However, for some people it can also be a time of depression and desolation. People who suffer from what experts refer to as "holiday depression" battle during the holidays with financial burdens, loneliness, unrealistic expectations, stress, fatigue, nostalgia, anxiety and other psychological factors.

But there are cures—natural cures—that not only help heal holiday depression, but prevent the disorder from returning each year. These natural remedies can also be used throughout the year anytime stress, anxiety or depression becomes an issue. These remedies are easy to pull off and do not require much preparation or activity.

To start, make sure you are eating an abundance of colorful, fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking lemon and water. The sour flavor helps activate the liver which promotes natural healing. Be sure to include green, leafy vegetables like as a nice, big salad with olive oil dressing and drink plenty of water. A spinach salad with walnuts sounds great right about now!

Getting through holiday depression doesn’t stop with what you eat. How you dress, your activities and thought process can also play a part in your high or low mood. To that end, wear bright colors when the weather’s gloomy, volunteer and ease into the holidays with thoughts of helping and hearing other people’s stories—good or bad—because it will allow you to see how valuable your contributions are and that your situation is not always as bad as you think.

During the holidays, depending on your geography, the weather is cool and breezy. So, whenever you can, get outside and take a walk or run. Breathe deeply so the fresh air can generate more oxygen to clear your head.

One thing we all need to do is minimize expectations of family and friends, to avoid unnecessary stress and intensity. Realize that the season is not about what fits your family’s or friends’ image of you and how you’re living. Trying too hard to please or convince your family and friends that you “fit” in some category or image that they have of you can rapidly spiral you into depression

The holidays are the perfect season to catch up on your rest. Getting enough sleep is critical to ending holiday depression because when you’re awake many hours, the liver cannot regenerate like it’s designed to do during late hours.

By all means, avoid consuming too much sugar, refined carbohydrates and empty calorie snacks. Instead, snack on raw vegetables or eat healthy foods you have at home before going to a party so you won’t feel obligated to pile up on energy zapping foods.

Finally, herbs are also a natural way to heal depression. St. John’s Wart and lemon balm are just two of the hundreds of natural, already prepared products that will help restore your energy. A visit to your local, natural food store can help you find out what’s available.

Other Tips:

• Take a warm shower with a cold rinse
• Get lots of natural light
• Laugh a lot to produce hormones that lift your mood
• Exercise
• Plan for next year
• Write out at least 10 things you will accomplish in the new year; share with friends or family

Get Active. Go Green! with delmetria millener, a freelance writer based in Texas. Contact her at thawriter@thawriter.biz.

Mel Gibson - Are We Seriously Going to Do This?!

According to reports from various news sources, actor and director Mel Gibson is a racist and off his rocker for the racist rants he left on his girlfriend’s voicemail. On the contrary, Mel Gibson is not coo-coo. He is an in-your-face representation of how all Americans think today. It is the rest of the world that needs psychological evaluation for being naive enough to believe that racism died with integration and the election of a Black president.

What Gibson was recorded saying is what all Americans say or think at some point in their day-to-day interactions with people. The only difference in most people and Gibson—he was recorded. Apparently annoyed by her provocative attire, Gibson’s tirade, this time, is an open-hand slap on the face of Blacks.
While there has been progress that moved America from the harsh, blatant realities of racism, America still bleeds from sores called racism. But, it is absurd how we all sit on our high-horses, judge Gibson and pretend that in the privacy of our own homes and cars, we do not throw our own blatant rants of racism.

From the Mexican driving without insurance and the neighborhood going to hell because the *ggas moved in, to the terrorist Iranians, incense-burning Africans or weed-smoking Jamaicans, we all stereotype and have all lamented our disdain or outright dislike for other races when we are angry. It’s just the way of the world.

So let’s get off those high-horses and focus on news a little more important to the forward-movement of our society. Because at the end of the day we will still go see Gibson’s movies and still vote for him at the Oscars(R).

The Future of Freelancing: The Science (Not Art) of the Magazine Pitch

The Future of Freelancing: The Science (Not Art) of the Magazine Pitch

Effective Book Marketing for Authors

Dilemma: I am trying to network and find ways to promote my next book but it looks like I'm getting nowhere. I have been trying to schedule appointments with the newspapers and I need to get in touch with local stations, and I'm looking for a publicist or some type of marketing company.

Solution(s): Unfortunately, you've been going about it all wrong. It'll be a new day when you can get an appointment with newspapers (local, regional or national) to promote your book. That's not the way. And regarding the marketing company, do you have the finances to hire one or a publicist? If not, it'll be a total waste of time to search and you don't want to burn any bridges.


If you're self-publishing, definitely invest in a publicist, marketing professional or try to secure a literary agent. I would also include a writing coach as a must. It'll be one of your best investments.


If you're trying to go it alone, try these strategies:

• Send out newsworthy press releases
• Get a professional book review
• Appeal to book clubs
• Brand yourself every chance you get
• Use social media effectively

Ultimately, writing the book is easy. It's what comes after - trying to get it promoted and sold - that's the hardest part of the entire process. The bottom line is what you want for your bottom line in book sales, which means investing significant dollars in your marketing strategy, whichever one you choose.


Visit http://www.thawriter.biz/ to learn about my Author Services that can help you jump-start your writing career or boost the one you have!


Until next time,

America the Beautiful? Not So Much!

Erykah Badu. In her "Window Seat" video, the neo-Queen stripped naked as she walked along the JFK assassination site in downtown Dallas. According to Badu, she was speaking out against "groupthink," or conforming. The singer further noted on Twitter, "the butt naked truth is powerful America!"

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA. When Golden Girls star, Bea Arthur, died a year ago on April 25, she left money to the animal rights organization in her will. To mark the one-year anniversary of her death, PETA published an ad that features the "Golden Girl" attacking the "Golden Arches," McDonald's, for their refusal to stop their chicken-slaughtering practices.

On Earth Day, April 22, on a full-page in the Chicago Tribune, the ad read, "McCruelty: It's enough to make Bea Arthur roll over in her grave." Arthur was a firm supporter of PETA and animal rights activist.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. In a reality-show format, world-renowned chef and best-selling author, Jamie Oliver, attempts to keep Americans alive by improving our eating habits. By teaching America how to cook and prepare healthier foods, Jamie is on a mission to keep (especially) our youth from dying too soon of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other diseases related to unhealthy eating habits.

Last week, I visited a park with a pond that was riddled with pollution. That's the picture that I have shown. Driving down the street, the expressways are bumper-to-bumper with only one person in each car, all going the same way. Animals are being cloned and treated cruelly, foods are being genetically modified and salt and sugar is abundant in everything because Americans are spoiled, greedy, overindulgent brats.

As I look around at all the unneccesary pollution, poison and savagery, I wonder, how can anyone with a clear conscious treat where they live like we do and not feel "funny" about it?

Seeing such blatant disrespect for Mother Earth gets under my skin like almost nothing else. Like the others, in my capacity as the Texas director of the African American Environmentalist Association, I'm taking on an environmental cause with a fierce vengence.

As a writer, it is my job, my duty and my responsibility to report news and information. I'm obligated to tell the facts and not make shit up. Therefore, in honor of Mother Earth's 40th year, I. will. take. my. pen, and. I. will. write.

I will tell the truth, no matter how harsh. I will reveal the truth no matter how insensitive it may sound. I will appeal to my colleagues and other writers to help me with my mission, and I will cause change. This is my cause. I am an advocate.

Finally, I loved and "got" Erykah's video; I applaud PETA and Bea in life and death and I strongly support Jamie. But for those of you that turned your nose up in disgust at Erykah, rolled negativity off your tongues at PETA or dismissed Jamie as rubbish, *eff u!*

I challenge you to discover something that you're the utmost passionate about; something so meaningful that it keeps you up at night thinking of ways to change it, challenge it, revise it or amend it, and tell me what extremes would you be willing to go, to resolve it.

Revolution. Start yours because I'm starting mine—Get Active. Go Green!

Get Active. Write Green! April is Earth Month!

As part of our environmental responsibility, by recycling, reusing, reducing and educating, we are protecting and restoring the Earth’s resources. Do your part to help make Earth Day last all year long! Enter my "Green Week" contest.

To enter, meet me each week to donate as many used books and magazines that you can find to recycle! Attach your name, contact information and the week's Green Blog topic to your donation. The person that donates the most will win their choice of a FREE writing coaching session, FREE editing or a FREE writing project!

Meet me in Dallas each Wednesday at TBAAL (The Black Academy of Arts & Letters), located on the corner of Akard and Canton between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Or, meet me in McKinney each Thursday at the Starbucks on the corner of Custer and Eldorado between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. (Disclaimer: TBAAL and Starbucks are not affiliated with this contest.)

April 1st marks the beginning of Earth Month, and April 22nd, Earth Day. I hope that you spent the entire year making small lifestyle changes that will make a huge, positive impact on Planet Earth.

Are you embarrassed by your lack of effort? Are you proud of the small, but significant effort you put forth? Did your small deeds turn to big deeds until eventually they became part of your lifestyle? Who else did you try to educate? Are you eager to do more?

Whatever you did, there are so many more ways to help save our planet. Writer's especially need to be more aware of their green habits (or lack thereof) because we use a lot of paper. There are several ways we can all be greener. As a booster, I've made a list to get you started or keep you advocating:

Think Before You Print. Reading and editing content on your computer screen exclusively is challenging at first. But with practice, it gets easier and much more convenient, and you'll save a lot of paper.

Economize on Paper Usage. Use half sheets instead of whole sheets whenever possible. Create lists on your laptop, computer or cell and delete or file them when completed. Use post-its when you can instead of pads, notepaper instead of notebooks.

Reuse Paper. If there is printed material on one side, write on the other side. Use double-sided printing whenever possible.

Recycle Printer Cartridges and Toner Tubes. When you purchase a new cartridge or tube, use the box to dispose of the old ones properly.

Recycle Shredded Paper. If you don’t own a personal shredder or use a local shredding service, join other business owners to arrange a pick up at networking or association meetings and share the costs.

Recycle Books and Magazines. Instead of tossing them out, either resell them, trade them or donate them to other writers or organizations that want or need them.

Try to Query Electronically. When you can, submit queries online. It's faster, more convenient and definitely cheaper.

Don't Buy It. Find it Online. Instead of buying lots of books, or using gas to travel to workshops or other writing classes, find them online! There are tons of e-books, reference books, workshops and writing courses online that can cut out the need for buying books and gas.

Get Active. Write Green!

I Died At 40 and My Pubic Hairs Are Gray

When I was in my 20s, I had the energy of a teenager. I was on fire! I was beginning my career, I was enjoying life, I was head-over-heels in love, I had spiritual peace and I found strength being a mom. I learned a lot through the daily hustle and bustle of keeping up with my children, teaching them new things, watching them learn about life and the world around them, "listening" to them grow. I was fortified.

In my 30s, I still had the energy of a 20-year old. I was back in school, still learning, still teaching my children, still loving love and confronting my spiritual views. I got a kick out of being the "oldest" student in my class, but instead of feeling out of place, I felt empowered, capable. My classmates enjoyed learning from me. They wanted to hear what I had to say because my knowledge flowed. My professors enjoyed the challenge from me. I became a dancer again.

I didn't want to change the world, but I was determined to get the world to open their eyes and think, one magazine article at a time. My mind was reeling with ideas and invention. Between the kids' nap time and dinner time, I developed strategies to make them all a reality. I also cooked, cleaned, did laundry, dusted, vacuumed, had sex, wrote, had more sex, picked up toys, read to the kids, got them bathed and into bed, then had more sex before I wrote one final time.

Living was great! Sex was priority. Several times a day, unthinkable times a week. I was in my bubble with the people and things around me, within me that I love, fulfilling me. I was proud to be a stay-at-home/work-from-home mom. I practiced until I learned how to be a devoted mate. I developed.

I noticed the first gray pubic hair when I was 33. I found it amusing. It was an indication that I was maturing. I was arriving! If I could have worn pants with the crouch out to show the world I'm a mature woman, I would have. It was exciting. It was my right of passage; my badge of honor. It was sensually revealing. It was like wearing that one earring that screamed, "I'm different; mysterious." So I walked around smiling all the time. Brilliant.

By 37, there was a small patch. I thought it was cool. Eclectic. So, I got a bunch of meaningful tattoos on my body. I was looking for and finding my natural, eccentric self. I was rad. I stopped getting perms and continued my vegetarian lifestyle, inventing and creating wonderful, scrumptuously, palet-pleasing dishes. I took naturalism to the next level. No pills, no traditional doctors. No insurance. Just me, nature, healthy foods, my naturopath, herbs, natural remedies, wholesome sex and an all around healthy lifestyle.

I lost 50 lbs. by walking and doing 200 jumping jacks, 3 times a day. My energy level was amazing! I was a teenager again. I found Green so my kids and I walked to the grocery store instead of driving. We played outside, went swimming often, we turned cartwheels. We danced. We had wonderful conversations. I was the cheermom for my daughter and the team mom for my son, and I was preparing to send one off to college. We were busy. I checked my patch of gray pubic hair often throughout the day to remind myself that I'm every woman.

I had sex outside on a blanket when it was chilly with just us and the moon. I had sex in the car right outside my door. I had sex at the club when everyone was gone. I wore tastefully revealing clothes, walked with my head a little higher and my career was at its peak. I glowed.

But somewhere between 38 and 40, I guess I stopped looking at my gray patch, because now, there is no black and I have no life. I'm dead.

At 40, I wake up with no purpose; I go to bed with no plan. My mind has the energy of a 20-year old, still. But my body..it just does nothing. There's no sign of life. This is not what I envisioned 40 to be. I always synonymated myself with the likes of Janet Jackson, Mary J. or Halle. The looks, the energy, the success: getting it in at 40 like Beyonce at 27. They problem is, they are. I'm not.

I'm not sure what happened. Most days it feels like I'm walking backwards, away from civilization into a cocoon. The wind currents are taking me back fast. I'm in "Nightmare on Elm Street" because I want to wake up, but I can't open my eyes. They're glued shut. I can't get a grip.

The dreams are still there, but the plans to make them reality are a blur. There's no energy to sort them out. I don't know where to start; how to start. I'm out of sync. I'm off-balance. I'm mortified.

My kids are just humans now. While I still enjoy watching them grow, I find it quite silly that they're going one way one minute, then like a flash of light, they morph toward something strange, different. Odd, I guess. But I'm sure my parents felt the same way about me. Probably still do. They definitely still do.

As one of the most romantic, sensual, sexual people that I think I know, my sex life no longer exists. Strangely though, this part just ceased fire over the past few months--well into my 40th year. So something must be up there. There's no more affection. No more cuddling. No more consideration. Just seems like obligation. Or habit.

Maybe that's an indicator that the relationship is over after all these years. Maybe it was only supposed to last from babies to college. Or could it be that the 60 pounds I gained, the full-blown gray pubic area and my natural d0 is not that appealing. Who the hell knows? Do I even have the energy to care?

I guess I should since my energy is not spent on anything else. I'm not sure, but I don't think I'm cooking, cleaning, socializing or hoping anymore. I'm just not sure. Although...I have to be eating and doing something: I'm fat, my house is not too shabby and I catch a movie once or twice a year. That's social. Right?

My career is...laughable, at best. My life is a rhombus. People are passing me by. Life is passing me by. Success. is. passing. me. by. My brother says I'm like Jay-Z. Great for 40. That is amusing.

I'm not real sure how to tame this nothingness that I've become. I want to, but..but what? I'm out of sorts. And if one person tells me to turn to God again, I'm going to scream! God and I are out-of-sync, right now. He knows it. I know it. The solution is not turning to Him. He's still right there. He's letting me do it. So spare me. Or not. Maybe the right person hasn't given the right advice. I think I go for the profound before I move.

I just have to be still right now because I'm searching for something and I won't know what that is until I find it. Hinduism fascinates me. Buddhism intrigues me. Scientology scares me. Kabbalahism impresses me, then pisses me off. So I'll keep studying.

But for now. I'm dead and my pubic hairs are ALL still gray. Maybe I should just cut them off. Maybe I should just stop looking. They're no longer my muse.

But I will rise again.

Or not. It just sounds dramatic; climatic. I probably won't though.

...until next time.

WTH?! IM LOL @ MY DAP: Teens & Technology

What the hell?! I'm laughing out loud at my dumb ass parents.

With technology wrapped securely in peer pressure, cyber-sex, communicating and conniving is extremely easy for teenagers today. As parents, we can guide and teach our children to do right from wrong, but it's challenging when you're up against technology to raise teenagers these days. We can shelter and mold, but eventually, your teens will go "outside." And when they do, let' hope the safety shields we've erected around them don't break.

During my generation as a teen, our parents thought it was hard to raise us. There were no cell phones, iPhones, iPods or any of the other techology that's available to teenages today. But somehow, my parents always managed to find out what I had going on.

It was that damn village! You know the village: "the one that it takes to raise one child." Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Taylor. Yes. That one. No matter where I went, by the time I got home, my mom and dad knew of my every move. Prying eyes made it extremely difficult to even think about kissing, let alone having sex.

I begin to take notice of the realness of technology when, on one ocassion, I took my daughter's phone thinking I was punishing her by temporarily cutting off her connection to "her world," but soon enough I realized it didn't matter. There are so many other ways to "stay connected."

You can text on the iTouch and on a Wii. At school, although they claim to install filters and blocks, social networking sites, IM, e-mail and chat technology are accessible because teenagers know how to "back door" their way around the filters. Note: additionally, schools are becoming so Web-based that failing is almost a guarantee without liberal access to most areas on the Web!

Then there's dating by way of technology. (Dating? I call it fucking.) When I was in school, love notes went something like this: "Do you like me?" And at the bottom, the Yes or No check box would glare at you like the sun on ice. Today, MMS, social sites and Web cams makes it too easy to show a guy or a girl what you have to offer before they decide to give away their "cookies."

Monitoring your cell phone bill to keep track of who and what they text is no help. Sites like Text4free and other online phone systems help them out with that! You can turn off the radio and TV, but they can get movies and radio on phones, computers and iPods. And forget about when they go to school and use their friends' phones and pods too!

For now, it's an uphill battle. The best methods I've found so far is to spend as much time with them as you can and expose them to more positive things and culture. We take our teens' phones at night. After school, they go off between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to make time for homework, family time and chores, then back off and in our room by 11 p.m. for the youngest and Midnight for the oldest.

Lucky charms, meditation and prayers to you parents!

PS-relying on that village is gone. Try to call a parent about their kid these days and the parents will come after you! Beat your kid and the cops come after you! *Sigh*

Until next time...

The Writer's Way Pt. 2

Follow the Rules or Else

I'm having a hard time processing this whole "friends and family writing is free" theme that is trying to rob me of my livlihood.

I'm not sure whether my friends and family think because I'm a professional writer I'm obligated to write for them for free as their "hook up." Or worse, if they just don't respect what I do because I'm not a clock puncher, and don't take my career seriously.

Regardless, if you have a writer friend or family member, here are some etiquette, rules, guidelines and/or procedures that can help you remain respectful of the writing process:

1. Writing is our career. Please do not ask a professional writer to write for free. Writing is our business. Consider: would you go to work and work for free? Probably not, so please don't expect us to. Instead, tell them your budget up front and work out a payment plan.

2. Respect our time. Self-employed people wear many hats: bookkeeper, sales person, collections agency, project manager--on top of having to do the work you're designed to do. So, while it may seem that working from home or having your own office is easy, it's not. So please, hold the sighs and sarcasm when we say, "we can't."

Rule of thumb: An organized writer will have their day planned out and shouldn't have a whole lot of time to do work for other people, and especially for free. (Writers, if you do have loads of free time, something's off. There's always opportunity for business building and marketing.)

3. Be understanding. There's simply not a lot of productivity in social networking media if you're not promoting yourself or your work. So if we don't e-mail, text, chat, Facebook, Tweet or MySpace back immediately, please understand that we're probably checking business e-mails or sending out business-building messages to generate business that will ultimately pay our bills.

There. See? That's not so bad is it? There's only three rules. Follow.

The Writer's Way Pt. 1

Just Say No

Recently, I found my "To Do" list filled with time-consuming writing projects that I was not getting paid to write. Suddenly, the majority of the work I did was for a friend or family member--free! And because I'm a self-subscribed perfectionist, whether I'm writing for free or charging, I tackle all assignments like I'm getting paid.

Writers, you know the drill: you sweat bullets because you find yourself staring at a blank page for hours; you hear time ticking away really loud while the rest of the world is in suspended animation except your clock, and finally you question your ability as a writer when you've suddenly let the deadline sneak upon you which means you'll have to pull an all-nighter, only to realize you had another day.

I'm not sure how I let it get so out of control, but things had become so miserable, I'd started avoiding calls from everyone I know. Instead, I welcomed "Unknown" calls because I struggled with telling people no. I knew that I had to find a solution when a friend insisted I write her blog for her on a weekly basis for free! WTF?!

I was too out done. So here's what I did. I created a few "sound bites" that I've rehearsed and belt out like an automated operator whenever someone asks me to work for free. They go like this:

1. Sure I can do your resume! I only charge $[insert rate] and I can have it to you within two days. You can even pay on my Web site!

2. Of course I'll help with that essay. I usually charge $[insert rate] for essays, but for you, I'll only charge $[insert discounted rate].

I lost quite a bit of my "clientele" after that, but I was no longer stressed. Now I know that when I sit down to write for someone, PayPal will notify me that "You Have Received New Funds!"