The Story of Stuff

Every so often I tout the importance of space clearing in order to open ourselves up to new things. The inherent problem in space clearing, of course, is that it suggests we are buying, owning, acquiring things we may not really need to begin with. I'm the worst example, I'm definitely addicted to consumption. (Picture me with cartoon-like rotating eyes say "I must have things. More things!).

At any rate, as our society continues to have conversations about "greener" living, no matter where you stand on the issue, it is good to arm yourself with as much information as you can. Along your path to education, you may want to watch the 20-minute video "The Story of Stuff." If you've ever wondered where your things come from, this video gives you a great overview on how products are made and distributed.

The Story of Stuff.

Book Rewards Programs

I hate paying full price. I'm not cheap, I've been known to spend ridiculous amounts of money on a sushi lunch, but still I always feel challenged to be able to come up with a better deal on the items I purchase.

For books, though, I'm covered. In addition to the fabulous discounts at Amazon.com, for those times I just don't want to wait three days for my book, both the major book chains, Borders and Barnes and Noble, have "rewards" programs. So if you're a book-a-holic like me, you might want to consider one or the other of these programs.

Borders Rewards is my favorite because it costs nada, zip, nothing. You collect points and every time you spend $150 in a month, you get a $5 reward. The best part of the program is that every single week Borders sends you at least one coupon by email. (Often 30% off the price of a book, but the offers vary.)

Borders Rewards

Barnes & Noble, on the other hand, offers you a flat 10% off every single item you purchase, with higher discounts for hard covers and bestsellers. The annual cost is $25, which is not a bad deal either, especially since the discounts also apply at all in-store Starbucks. (Discounted ice mochas, yum!) B&N also periodically send coupons via email, but they aren't as regular as Borders.

Barnes & Noble Membership

So go forth and never pay full price for books again.


(Writing Sparks Newsletter: 2/15/08)

What to Do in Case of a Zombie Attack. . .

Since this is the Halloween issue of the Writing Sparks, I couldn't go without letting you all know what to do in case of a Zombie attack. This fun three-minute video will keep you prepared should you meet a creature of the night.

www.commoncraft.com/zombies

This article was posted in the October 26 issue of OnceWritten.com's Writing Sparks newsletter.

The Literature Map

Are you looking for a new author? You have your favorites but want something just a little bit different to read. As much as that sounds like the slogan for OnceWritten.com, it also is a truism for a site known as The Literature Map. This map only points to the better known authors, so it's not great for discovery the unheard of ones. However, it does offer a fun way to find new authors that have a similar style to your faves. Simply type a name of an author, and the site will create a map of similar authors. The closer in the map an author is, the closer his style will match that of the name you entered.

www.literature-map.com

This article was posted in the August 10 issue of OnceWritten.com's Writing Sparks newsletter.

Holiday Tradition

A holiday tradition my family enjoys is that every year our Christmas Eve dinner consists of some type of seafood dish. (Yummy). Seems we aren't the only ones. This 2004 article from the San Francisco Chronicle details people's favorite holiday seafood meals (with recipes.)

www.sfgate.com.



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OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Favorite TV Catch Phrases

TV Land has just listed the top 100 television catch phrases of all times. From "You're Fired," to "Where's the Beef," this is a fun list, with many phrases that will really take you back in time. "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV." Before you check the list, try to write down as many of your favorites, and then take a look at which ones made the final list. My favorite catch phrase that didn't make the list? "Plop, plop, fizz, fizz" 

www.tvland.com/originals/catchphrases/quotes.jhtml.




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Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Homemade Holiday Cards

Are you looking to personalize your card giving efforts this year. Maybe you're hoping to save a few pennies on the expensive process known as card giving. The very cool making-greeting-cards.com website has lots of easy ideas for making really cool homemade cards. Most of the cards are easy to make, and you will get some great ideas over there. To check out their selection of holiday cards, visit www.making-greeting-cards.com/christmas-cards-ideas.html.


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Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

What's Up in Your Neighborhood?

I live in Hollywood. A place that once was glamorous, then spent the better part of four decades being ratty and gross, and now is dedicating much energy to becoming trendy and glamorous once again. I like the community, because the people reflect this dichotomy. Hipsters live alongside out-of-work actors.

What has always seemed odd to me is the huge divide between income and housing costs in my community. The average household income here is 27K annually (less than half the state average) but the average home price is is more than 500K and the average apartment rent is $1,600 which is nearly 25% higher than the state average. How are all us poor people affording to live in this community, I ask?

Want the inside skinny on your neighborhood? Visit www.neighboroo.com to learn more about the (U.S.) community where you live.



Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

What do Nietzsche and Family Circus Have in Common?

Not that much really, except for maybe the website LosAnjealous.com. This site will take random quotes from Nietzsche and combines them with random pictures from the Family Circus cartoon. (You know the round Bill Keane cartoons with the dog Barfy?) Sounds weird, right, but these pictures really do seem to match up quite well with the quotes. And with such quotes like "Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man," Nietzsche seems to have been writing directly to the needs of writers.

www.losanjealous.com/nfc/

Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Need a Pick Me Up?

The fun new book Pick Me Up (September 2006, DK Children) offers a wealth of information on things children and adults should know as well as things they may want to know. After all, does anyone really NEED to know how to make fake movie vomit? From a graphic timeline of how and when dinosaurs ruled the earth to information on the dynamics of color, there's a whole lot of knowledge packed in this book. Equally engaging is the Pick Me Up website. It's a non-linear path with no rhyme or reason (and some of the links are slow to react), but if you want to enjoy a great time sucker with an educational bonus, then this is the place to go.

http://kiddk.com/static/html/pickmeup/

Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Anyone Else Tired of Campaign Commercials?

First, my apologies to international readers. I usually like to keep this section more international. But if you are a breathing American (resident) with a television set, you can't help but be over saturated with election commercials. In California the hot-issues are Prop 87--The Clean Energy Bill, and whether Governor Schwarzenegger is too much like President Bush to re-elect. (I'm not editorializing, just recapping some of the commercials for you).

If you are a responsible voter, interested in becoming a responsible voter, or a writer looking for more information on government officials, the Vote Smart website is the perfect resource. The site provides information on candidates and elected officials. You can enter your zip code, find the candidates running for office in your area, and also see who your current state and federal representatives are.

Dig deeper and the site even has biographical information on current officials, including their voting record, what their positions are on key issues, and even how their campaigns are financed. An overview of ballot issues can also be found here. This is one heck of a resource for voters and for writers www.vote-smart.org.


Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts?
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.

Coming Soon. . . To a Television Near You

Okay, even the most productive and prolific among us need a little downtime. And while I'm not a huge fan of the television (I don't even have cable), I admit that every fall I get excited about the potential offered by the new season.

As always, there are a few television programs coming next season that have caught my eye. With the first premieres having aired early this week, it's time to start plotting my fall TV consumption strategy. (By October my madness will wear off, but I admit there's so much advertising right now, I'm totally caught up in the hype.)

If you're interested in finding out when your favorites and anticipated new favorites will air, check out: www.metacritic.com/tv/seasons/2006fall/index.shtml. For a channel by channel line up, check out this page: www.metacritic.com/tv/seasons/2006fall/networks.shtml. Then get back to writing, okay?


Get Past the Block
OnceWritten.com offers weekly tips and suggestions to help get you motivated and moving beyond the things that block you. To sign up for a weekly shot of inspiration, subscribe to the OnceWritten.com Writing Sparks newsletter.

Need Creative Writing Prompts
OnceWritten.com offers brand new, FREE, creative writing prompts every week. Feeling stumped in your writing? Check out the OnceWritten.com Free Creative Writing Prompts page.