If it ain't broke...

Earth Day, as you all know, was this week. A lot of people get into a frenzy about the environment and "being green". I love these people because at least they're thinking about it for two seconds. For a lot of other people, though, this is not the case. Before I talk about those people, though, I'd like to make it clear that I am NOT a Democrat or a  Republican. I am an Independent. With that said, I've noticed that a lot of Right-Wingers are shrugging off the environmental issue claiming that "We don't have a problem" and "Aren't there bigger issues at hand?"

Well, perhaps. But if we can do something to prevent a problem, then why wouldn't you want to?Instead of waiting for a big problem to occur, we can be proactive and help sustain a healthy ecosystem. There are a lot of little things you can do to help the environment and it really wouldn't take any more time to do them than the things you're doing now. Here are a couple of them:

1. Purchase some reusable shopping bags. In some stores they're less than a dollar. This way you can take them with you whenever you need to go shopping. 

2. Use "Energy Smart" light bulbs. They conserve energy and save you money. What can be better than a little extra cash in your pocket?

3. Buy a water filter for your home so that you can store your own clean water in reusable travel bottles.  

I know you may have heard these suggestions before, but that is because they're very small things that make a huge difference. Let's face it: it's not as though I'm asking you to run out and buy a hybrid car, but with gas prices like these...Why wouldn't you want to?

Happy Earth Day

Writer's Block

I've been watching one of my favorite new movies of the last couple of years, Stranger Than Fiction and I've been thinking about all of the reasons why I love the movie. Honestly, it's the kind of film I hope I can be involved with some day. When I saw it in the theater I had an initial "that was delicious" type of reaction, but like any good foodie would know, it's all of the nuances of flavor that make a great dish. In the hope of figuring out flavors, I've given this a lot of thought. 

First of all, there is the obvious: the Cast. Will Ferrell turns in a great performance as a for-once non-over-the-top character. I'm not saying I don't love Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, because I really REALLY do, but it's just not as satisfying as this. He's so endearing that it's very disarming. Of course Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson are great in the film as well, that should go without saying. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Queen Latifa are also good. The music is charming. Love Spoon. Zach Helm did a brilliant job on the screenplay because the dialogue is wonderful and there are parts that couldn't possibly have been put better. What touches me personally, though, is Marc Foster's approach to Karen Eiffel's writing technique. Imagining herself into every situation to the point where it's completely real to her is very effective visually and articulates perfectly what it's like to compose fiction. 

As someone who does this on a regular basis, it's easy to see her behavior in a manner that echoes a whisper of "I understand" in my subconscious. Sometimes, to me, writer's block can be suffocating, so when she (Eiffel) is going insane, it's completely understandable. Lately I've been working on two stories simultaneously. The first story has been put on hold for two reasons:

1. I discovered Literature was not the right medium for that story.

2. It was time to make way for a new story. 

So I've been trying to figure out the first story. Drawing the blueprints, if you will. The second story is substantially less complicated, so it's already under construction. But I feel like I'm being pulled in a thousand different directions. On top of those two stories, I always have my poetry, which to me is just like that cat that lives in the ally. It pops it's head in every once in a while, but you never count on seeing it and making it come around is just going to force it away. Writing poetry is no way to make a living, but I do love it. I think that writing is a public service. We authors do not condescend to think that our work brings meaning to the lives of others (correction: I do not think that my work would bring meaning to the lives of others), but fiction is very much like the dessert of the Literary world. What would Spaghetti be without Tiramisu? 

Karen Eiffel puts it far more eloquently, though:

"And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction."

Twenty-Something Cougar

Though I don't plan on participating in the behavior that pop culture associates with the label, I am particularly proud to say that I am a Cougar. More specifically, I'm a CSUSM Cougar. I was recently admitted to this University and I'm planning on getting my B.A. in Literature and Writing. Unfortunately the one thing this does mean that is in the negative is that I'm going to have to move again. It's not that I don't like trying anything new, but all of the organization and packing is very tedious and stressful. 

The positive part is that it's going to mean a lot of change in my life. For example, I finally get to study at a real University, taking classes that are going to matter toward what I want to do with my life. I'm not saying that community college doesn't matter, not at all. It's just that your mind is still occupied on whether or not you're going to get to move up to that "next level" of education, so it prevents you from being allowed to focus on the information you're supposed to be retaining. The courses I'm going to be taking in the Fall will probably not be any different from the ones I've taken in the past, but I'm looking forward to a stress-free learning environment. Of course there is the added bonus of a completely new pool of people to get to know, but honestly I'm just looking forward to getting my degree so that I can start a new life in familiar territory.