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!