No Gas. No fun being broke.

Found the only Quiznos in Santa Clarita, Ca

After searching long and hard, I located the only Quiznos in Santa Clarita. The Quiznos employees are courteous and they also make the best sandwiches.

Honestly, I don't care much for Subway. They use the lowest quality meat in their sandwiches. The only sandwich that I liked was their carne asada, which they stopped serving last year.

Quiznos makes the best quality sandwiches. Visit the location above to have a tasty sandwich today.

http://www.quiznos.com

Quiznos
20655 Soledad Canyon Road, #36
Canyon Country, CA 91351
Phone: 661-424-9668
Fax: 661-424-9238
Mon-Fri 10am-8pm
Sat 11am-8pm
Sun 11:30am-8pm

Delivery Hours:Mon-Sat 11am-7pm
Sunday: 12pm-6pm

Writing tip of the day 9/22/09

The writing tip for the day is to work on time management skills. Society is constantly racing around without having a sense of time. Try to schedule in writing sessions, but do so without making the process feel like a job. This writing tip for the day will confront time management issues that influence the writing process.

Do you feel that time is never on your side? I'm sure that time sensitive issues are rather common issue in everyday life. How can you work on having better time management skills to complete projects?

I found that setting a deadline to an early date helps in the writing process. Additionally, scheduling in fun events disciplines the mind to identify writing as being something fun. Try to condition your mind to stave off procrastination through pushing aside time to write.

Reward yourself for completing a project before a projected deadline. Take for instance; if you complete a project ahead of time, treat yourself out to dinner or purchase some of your wants. Our wants usually take a back seat to relevant needs.

Time management skills influence money, reputations, integrity, and many other important aspects in life. Set goals to deliver projects on a given date. Break down the writing process into steps - assigning a schedule to complete sections of the paper.

When writing a paper, try to avoid being too perfect. Perfectionist traits tend to interfere with the writing process. Open up your mind to making mistakes. You always have the revision process to clean up problem areas within your paper.

In order to strengthen time management skills, a person must understand the root of their time issues. Assess your procrastination woes through using a critical eye. Don't hold back on constructive criticism. Self-analyze your time issues to better your time management skills. Thank you for reading the writing tip of the day.

Remember; Disciplining time will mold a person into a reliable clock.

Have fun utilizing your time to meet writing deadlines.

The Pepsi Way

Enjoy an ice cold Pepsi!

Whole Foods Bakery

Whole Foods has a rich blend of crafty and delicious baked goods. For
any pastry lover, Whole Foods is sure to increase their dessert
cravings. Stop by Whole Foods today to enjoy a tasty treat.

Good location for a movie

Writing tip for the day "Issue"

For now, the writing tip of the day is on hold until I resolve some of my financial issues that is causing me some major stress. I will return with some insightful ideas at a later date. Thank you for understanding. Continue to write with energy.

Going to write a kickass screenplay

In the past week, I decided to write the most awesome script. I'm pumped up for the challenge. I want to conduct a few interviews to inject realism into the film. The project is top secret. I was inspired by a time era and a specific group of people. I'm psyched up right now!

Free employment prepping and workshops

Live in Santa Clarita? Need assistance preparing for employment? Looking for software tutorials? Work>>>>Source offer free workshops and resources.

Call (661) 424-1062
to obtain more information.

Visit 20655 Soledad Canyon Road, #25. Santa Clarita, Ca 91351

Looking for employment in Santa Clarita?

The City of Santa Clarita Enterprise can help you find employment that
is in close proximity to your home, you'll receive a tax credit up to
$36,000, and the agency will prepare you to stand out in from other
employees.

Please call (661) 286-4118 or visit the website at
scenterprisezone.com. Good luck.

Click on picture to print it. Also, pass on the information to others.

Halloween season

Start getting ready.

The writing tip for the day 9/21/09

The writing tip of the day is to self-analyze your life. Write a
personal review about areas that require improvement in your life. This
writing tip will explore the importance of personal self-assessments.

Why should you self-analyze your life? Every person has communication issues. Improving communication weaknesses will assist one in carving out the plans necessary to attract success.

Living life is more about being happy to help others out. Take the
time to self-assess life; determine what you can do to live a more efficient life.

Try to be honest about what you need to do. Sometimes we have to push aside fear. Dreams only come around a few times in a lifetime.

Self-assessments are like architect plans used to build a better life. Thank you for reading the daily writing tip.

Have fun self-analyzing yourself.

The writing tip for the day 9/20/09

The writing tip of the day is to relax. Take some time to enjoy life. After a challenging week, we deserve quality time. Don't try to think too much about the demands in life. Have fun. We will resume the writing tips tomorrow. Thank you.

Writing tip for the day 9/19/09

The writing tip for the day is to write a reaction paper to s specific subject matter. Why take part in this writing activity. Reacting to an issue equips one with the skills to devise alternatives to specific problems. This writing tip will explore writing a reaction paper.

The government is trying to change the healthcare system. Due to having millions of uninsured Americans and excessive medical costs, America has watched the healthcare system struggle for the past 40+ years. There is concern about what the moral values are within healthcare industry. Quality is another major concern. While cost continue to soar, the quality of care is spiraling downward.

Write your reaction paper on either common problems, or ones that you find interesting. You can react to special education in the education system, the No Child Behind Act, energy, abortion, diversity in the workplace, discrimination in the workforce, and to other diverse issues. There are a number of issues that have produce a wide range of responses.

Make sure you use a combination of first and third person. This is one of the very few papers that instructor may allow the first person in an APA paper. React to the problems in your life. Where do you want to be in the future? What mistakes have forced you to abandon a goal? Have you learned from life lessons?

Writing reaction papers stimulates your reasoning skills. Your mind react the same way the subconscious does in split-second moments. Most reaction papers will reflect on benefits, and or disadvantages in program and issues.

Write the 1 page reaction paper to develop analytical skills. While listening to information, a brain processes it, and then responds. Reaction papers are useful for repairing problems. Thank you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Have fun writing a reaction paper.

Writing tip for the day 9/18/09

The writing tip for the day is to write a 1 page analysis on one of your favorite songs. People that have music learning styles are able to learn through listening to and analyzing music. This writing tip will explore the influence of music.

Why should you listen to music? Most people listen to music for entertainment purposes while others focus on the theme within a song. Have you ever noticed that most songs have a story? People can learn from music because it has a direct message.

Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer highlights the struggles in life, and how having faith will help people make it through the tough times. Listen to a song; write a 1 page analysis reflecting on the music. How do connect with it?

A music learning style is valuable because the mind uses music to process the meaning of various music. Try to find a connection between the music and your life. Every individual will write something different due to their obstacles and challenges.

Before, I used to focus on the music - the instrumental and the words. Now when I listen to music, I look for a direct theme. You'll find it easy to write a 1 page analysis to a song. Even if the music just has instrumental melodies only, the music is still trying to convey a specific theme. Thank you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Have fun taking part in the 1 page music writing activity.

There are good people in this world

While shopping at Walmart, I left my wallet on a shelf near the diet
section. When I went to pay, the cashier asked to see my ID. I realized I
didn't have my wallet. I remembered that I left the wallet in the
section.

I quickly ran over to the diet section. The wallet wasn't there. I
notified the cashier that my wallet was missing. She directed me over
to the store manager, which called customer service.

Customer Service confirmed that they had my wallet. I would like to
know who turned in my wallet. I pray that they have a great life.

The moral behind the story is to turn in lost wallets to ensure
others don't experience. You will be rewarded for your effort. The
cashier did a good job of asking for my ID.

The person that turned in my wallet deserves a great life. They saved
me from having severe stress. I'm a lucky person.

Having a Thai beer that sure tastes good

This is an awesome tasting beer. It's called Singha, a lager beer.

I'm just relaxing for a few minutes. Have a ton more to write for
the weekend.

Check out a really nice Thai restaurant called Phad Thai in Santa Clarita right off of Valencia Blvd. Great food.

West LA Veteran's Hospital

This is the slowest I have ever seen the Triage center in West LA Veteran's Hospital. Before I visited the location, I prepared to be there waiting for the entire night. The average wait is usually 5-8+ hours.

I grabbed a quick dinner, fueled the car, and made a deposit for one of my bills. I also brought my laptop along foe the all-niter.

My wait was only 2 minutes. The physician called my name 5 minutes after the initial check-in.

Sometimes you plan for the worst, like a storm, and the forecast turns out to be perfect. On this very night, the weather was perfect.

Always prepare yourself for the worst. It's better to be safe than sorry.

A writer's library

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8WDFGFR_Bc&feature=youtube_gdata

The writing tip for the day 9/17/09

The writing tip for the day is to expand your library. Surrounding
yourself with books will improve your linguistic learning style. This
writing tip will explore the importance in building a library.

My library of books are now resting on a bookcase. This is 95% of my
library. I have film, communications, government, public policy,
business, public relations, art, writing, Christian and adolescence
counseling, novels, medical, multicultural, and many other books.

In order to be a effective writer, you need to have access to credible
sources. It took me years to piece together this library. It was
also expensive too. The books are well worth the cost. There is no
other investment that surpasses knowledge.

Reading is the best strategy to becoming an good writer. If you have
the luxury in doing so, piece together a library of books.

I was told that I'm well versed in many different areas. I would
like to think that I could have intellectual conversions due to my
heightened knowledge.

Reading expands intelligence through exposing the brain to a
positive learning atmosphere. Psychologists and researchers coined the
environment learning process as brain enrichment. Don't hold back your
brain from learning new areas of concentration.

I take pride in my library. Start a library of your own to condition
your mind. Treat yourself to an intellectual piece of literature. Thank
you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Start a library today. Have fun reading.

Trying out the new mail to blogger

The mail-to-blogger is a really cool feature. I think it will expand
my writing. Now I can share pictures and video. Awesome.

Making a run at the Screenwriting Expo's Creative Screenwriting Contest - Cyberspace Open

Last night I joined the Screenwriting Expo screenwriting competition. The first scene will be e-mailed to me tomorrow night.

I'm hoping to make it to the final round. I will report on what I write, and how far I make it in the screenwriting contest. Wish me luck! I'll need plenty of it.

It's a been a rock of a day

Rock music is inspiring. If you really listen to the words, you will notice that each of the song have a message. The instrumental is awesome too! I value good music.

Since I hve been going through hardship for the past 15 years, I listen to music differently than before.

Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer and White Snake's Here I go Again are both inspiring songs that confront struggles and dreams.

Writing tip for the day 9/16/09

The writing tip for the day is to write about your life in 2 pages. Many people find it challenging to write about personal accomplishments, goals, and interests. Why should you take part in this writing exercise? Person self-assessments are useful for planning, finding goals, and to increase analytical skills. This writing tip for the day will explore writing personal statements.

Writing about your life is a simple process? That what's people would like to believe when they try to prepare a personal statement. Why do so many struggle to write a personal statement? Student fear they'll make a costly mistake that will prevent them from attaining a want, a need, a goal, and to have a better life. Writing personal statements are written for scholarships, to gain acceptance into a college, to attract interest, and for a flurry of other purposes.

Writing a personal statement will help you build analytical skills. Having analytical skills can help an individual develop a cognitive perception of the word around them. What does it mean to have a cognitive perception. A person has to analyze information, which will assist them with form a perception about a particular issue.

Write your personal statement to demonstrate an understanding a life journey; not to over impress. A person needs to share what their purpose is in life. Many students fail to include personal struggles because they feel it will harm their chances.

You have to demonstrate what you learned from your mistakes. Mention the "C" course grade. Don't be afraid to share your failures. Every person in the world has made a mistake at one time or another. Including life lessons in a person assessment injects realism into the process. Disclosing mistakes will give the evaluating embodiment the sense that you understand take accountability for your actions.

The best tip I can give you is to write your personal essays like films. Talk about your personal struggles (conflicts or obstacles in life), determination, accomplishments, interests, and what you will do to represent the awarding body. Writing about your life, especially one that you lived yourself, can be hard if you try to impress instead of building value into failures and mistakes.

When you write a personal essay, think about the value of a journey. Every journey has a series of tests - obstacles and challenges, which conditions a person with the experience they need to accomplish success. Take a moment to write a personal essay.

Be honest and concise in the assessment. Also, be sure make connections. What did you learn from the life experience, and how has it prepared you to meet the next challenge? Thank you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Have fun writing the personal essay.

Writing tip of the day 9/15/09

The writing tip of the day is to take an intelligence learning assessment to determine your learning style strengths. Why should you be aware of your learning style? If you find out your learning style strengths, then you'll know what type of learning best suits you. Learning styles are what makes people efficient learners.

There are 8 learning styles: linguistic, math and logics, intrapersonal, interpersonal, visual, musical, naturalistic, and physical. Every learning style has the ability to improve the learning process.A person that understands their learn stye strengths can take advantage of the value information - structure their education to meet their learning needs.

After taking the assessment, view the results to pinpoint your strengths. Your learning strengths will assist with the writing process. Why? Take for instance; a linguistic learning style suggests that a person is capable in learning throught writing, reading, speaking, and listening.

Discovering your learning style will make you a much better learner, which in result can make you a better writer. Thank you for reading the writing tips.

Have fun finding your learning style.

Would like an I-phone

Phone would be worth the money. It has the most awesome applications.

I want to prepare writing tips for the day on the go.

Writing tip for the day 09/14/2009

The writing tip for the day is to write a blog. Why should you write a blog? I find writing blogs to be exciting because you don't have to write use sources. You have the option to write however you want to without having any stress. This writing tip is going to explore writing a blog.

Writing a blog is unlike any other type writing. There is no stress involved with producing a blog because all you need is time and creativity. On the opposing side, academic papers cause students to experience the pressure of trying to write a perfect paper.

Instructors try to act as if they're skilled professionals. They expect students to write to the point of exhaustion. Students have to utilize their time and energy into writing a paper. Afterward, instructors tear a paper apart because of failing to support the thesis. Blogs are nothing like academic papers.

A person has the opportunity to write about any event, subject, and other exciting things. You can even write about daily activities. Blogs give a writer the freedom to choose their destination without having the added stress in trying to please an instructor.

While writing blogs, the words spill out onto the screen. You don't have to worry about the next word because the next 10 words are waiting on deck, ready to be typed out.

Sign up to start a blog site, or even consider writing comments, or whatever excites you about blogging. Blogging is fun; you can express yourself. Write a blog using the assigned blog template; you have to worry about to correct sentence structure because your only focus is adding creativity to your articles.

Trying to meet instructor demands, program requirements, and dealing with other issues compromise the writing process. The mind can lose interest very easily. Give yourself a chance to enjoy the written word.

Take a moment to sit down, and relax. Write a blog on anything that you like to without having any stress. The best part to writing a blog is freedom. You will notice that freeing your mind produces creatives bodies of work. Thank you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Have fun writing a blog!

Rest in Peace Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze will be remembered for his "Nobody puts Baby in the corner" line. The actor was a true professional that captured the heart of audiences in each of his memorable roles.

Ghost is one of those films that many will carry on in their minds as being the high point of Swayze's career. Women adored him, and men wanted be like him - having the girls swoon all over them.

The time has come to say goodbye to Patrick Swayze. We respect him for what he has accomplished, and for the legacy he left behind. Another bright spot in entertainment leaves at such a young age. Rest in peace Patrick Swayze. May there be a place for you to dance up in heaven.

Rest in Peace Patrick Swayze
1952-2009

Magic Writer Mission Statement

Writing tip for the day 9/13/09

The writing tip of the day is to rest. I sure need the rest. Sometimes we have to slow down to rejuvenate our lives. I have been over writing, not finding enough time to even eat. I hope that everyone find a moment to relax.

The writing tip of the day is to take part in a relaxing activity. Write down some goals that you want to accomplish for the upcoming week. Read a book. Go watch a movie. Relax your mind. I will also take some time to rest. Thank you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Have fun doing what makes you happy.

Click on pictures next to side panel

Every picture on the side panel takes you on an exciting journey. Click on a picture today, and see where it takes you. Have fun!

Making money, referrals, and stuff

Please take advantage of the following website links. The AT&T link will give you access to their wide range of deals. Also, the referral code is provided below the AT&T logo. After you sign up for AT&T, please take advantage of the referral program so you can also make some cash too.

Cactus Coupon is a really cool website. Please follow the link on the side panel. It has coupons for everything you can possibly think of. When you sign up to get cash back for using their link, you will be rerouted to the main website that you want to shop on.

Why not make money for making purchases on the Internet. Cactus Coupons gives you cash back credit for making a purchase. Under each deal, they will supply you with the cash back percentage.

Instead of just going to Target, go through the Cactus Coupon link, which will take you to the same website. The trick is that Cactus coupons receives advertising revenue; they share a portion of it with you. Going through their website first will help you to make some money. You still have access to the all of the sales and deals to the many websites you enjoy shopping on.

Shutter stock is a company that allows members to download photos from people like us. Apply for an account to make money off of your photos and film stock. You still retain rights to the content.

Make sure you upload your best quality photos that have good lighting, composition, and are marketable. Shutter Stock charges vendors a flat rate fee to download pictures and film stock, which they can use for news footage, marketing, and other purposes. Make money with photos and film stock.

Check out all offers on the right side of blog. Thank you all for your support.

Writing tip for the day 9/12/09

The writing tip for the day is to visit a museum. It doesn't have to be one of those modern art museums that charge you an admission fee. Any museum will do just fine. This writing tip will increase your interest for history. If you're not already a history buff, then you will find a museum an exciting part of your day.

While driving to Northern California to visit my family, I always see a Railroad Museum off the side of the road. Even though the museum is approximately 7 miles from my parent's home, I can never find the time to stop there. Maybe next time, near the holiday season, I will take the time to visit the railroad museum.

In 2005, my fiance and I went on a cross-country road trip to deliver her dog to her parents out in Orlando, Florida. We drove from San Jose, Ca to Orlando, Florida in four days. It was a really nice to see other States' outside of California. As we passed through Arizona, I saw this dinosaur museum park I wanted to visit.

Due to the lack of time, we had to continue on out journey. We didn't have the time to visit Roswell, New Mexico. Time is always a factor in our busy life. We have to drop off the dog, and then fly back home because of college final exams. There are so many time that I just wanted to go on a journey, out to a place that I have never seen before.

Tomorrow, if I can find time, I want to visit a lighthouse. With being out in California, we have a rich tradition in Spanish style lighthouses. Many of the lighthouses were made in the 1700-1800's. If you live near the coast, visit Google, and type in lighthouses for your State. I'm sure that you will find one near your home. You may have to take a drive, but it will be worth well the trip. Lighthouses have the museum feel to them.

In Pasadena, there is a nice Southwestern museum there. It's an Indian museum that has a historical feel to it. Every museum gives a person that historical vibe. I appreciate, and value the importance of history.

New York City has many nice museums that are praised in the art community. San Francisco also takes pride in their history. They have the Legion of Honor Museum. In addition, the cable car museum features old out-of-commission cable cars.

If you live in Southern California, go out to Long Beach to visit the Queen Mary. Though they say the ship is haunted, don't be afraid of the stories unless you feel a tap, or hear a voice. The haunted tours are fun, and informational. Enjoy the historical element of the ship itself. The Queen Mary was used in World War II to transfer soldiers.

The most exciting museums to visit are ones that are in Europe. I always wanted to go out to Italy, France, and England. Virgin Airlines has these great package deals that take on a multi-city tour through the most popular cities in Europe. You will find the most exquisite artwork in the world there.

Egypt is be one of the most fascinating places on Earth because it holds thousands of years of history. If you can't visit Egypt, then check out one of those IMAX theaters that show Egypt from within. Visiting the Great Pyramids would be a dream experience. Read some literature on Egypt; ask your mind to take you on an adventure through the pyramids. Egypt is one of those places that you have to visit. I would put it on my Top 10 list of things to do before you die.

If you have the luxury of doing so, go on a cruise in the Gulf of Mexico. Visit all of the ports to witness the mesmerizing shrines, pyramids, and the history of Mexico. In art classes, I used to view slides of Pre-Colombian Art. Imagine if you had the ability to witness it in person. There is plenty of museums in most of the ports. Be sure that you stay close with your group. Don't wonder off with any stranger. Taking a cruise is a valuable. I still have yet to go on a cruise.

I enjoyed studying art in college. I always ventured outside of the film core classes to take art. As a writer, you have to adopt your visual senses in producing creative work. Many times our classes had to go on art trips. We never ventured outside of the State, only to the nearest museum to gather material for a term paper. I value the art classes for what it does for the mind - increase visual perception.

Take the time out of your busy schedule, and make a trip to any museum. The focus of the exercise is to see the history that comes along with history. Museums have a unique way of piecing together the grandest artwork, and the rarest artifacts to bring history to life.

If you can't find time to visit a museum, go downtown, and walk around in the shops there. Make sure to bring your digital camera along with you. I would recommend you have at least a 2gb+ memory card, and a backup battery. Take pictures of the downtown.

When you arrive back on home, write a fact piece about the history of the place. Think about the historical importance of the museum, or historical significance of the location. The writing exercise will give you the ability capture history through your own imagination Instead of reading, watching, or hearing about history, you can live the moment within your mind. Thank you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Have fun going on your journey to discover history in museum. Remember; Discover the passion for history in your mind - live the experience in your heart.

Writing tip for the day 9/11/09

The writing tip for the day is to take a walk with a book. Set some time aside to go walking down a trail, around the block, to the store, or to any other place that is relaxing. Walking is good for the mind. Intrapersonal learners use exercise as an outlet to think about their problems. Try to only think about the walk. Make sure you bring a book along with you.

Why is it good to go out for a walk with a book? Think about all the distraction you have at home. Where is there any time to sit down and read a book? The moment you find some quiet time, another challenge or an obstacle enters your space. Reading a good book seems to be an impossible task. You notice that consider reading a task.

With the way that we operate in life, every activity appears like a task. Going out for a relaxing moment is something looked as being selfish. Please find the time to go out for a walk. Bring a good book with you. You owe it to yourself to relax. You have earned it. Don't feel selfish about talking a walk. Life will still function without you for an hour, or however long it takes to make the journey.

In taking a walk, your mind can focus on the nice breeze, the fresh air, and the book. You don't have to go out for a hike. A nice brisk walk will do just fine. The most important companion on the trip will be the book. It will be the only companion that is not going to argue with you. The book is not going to tell you that you're wrong, or that you need to do something in a certain way. The only affection the book is acting for is to have its pages turned once in a while.

Make sure the book is a relaxation story try to avoid taking your work along with you. You have all work to deal with your office work and college assignments. This walk is for you, and you only. Imagine the story, focus on the setting, and visualize it. Now add sounds and dialogue to the setting. Think of the smell. The way things feel in the setting. Can you taste food? Find your most favorite dish, and enjoy it.

Make sure you do this exercise while in a safe area. Don't endanger yourself. I urge you to do this activity. Yes, it's an activity, and not a task. After you take this walk, write a 1 page journal entry about how clear your mind feels. What is it that you enjoyed most about the walk? You should be relaxed enough to reflect on the book. I assure you that retaining information while exercising is much easier than trying to do it in a stressful environment. Thank you for reading the daily writing tip.

Have fun reading and walking. This may be the most relaxing moment of your week because it only involves yourself. You just have to please yourself.

Blackberry Curve is out of commission

The scroll wheel broke off of my Blackberry Curve 8300. in addition, the phone cuts off in the middle of calls. The phone is a disaster.

Last week, the scroll wheel stop rolling down. I then switched it to scroll downward. After trying to make a call, the wheel assembly just fell apart. Think of trying to use a computer without a functional mouse.

If you know all the commands, you may be able to escape a mouse problem, but a Blackberry without a scroll wheel is like not having a phone at all.

I want to get the IPhone, but its' going to cost me $370 for the 32gb one. I only have $300 in 3g cards. Apparently, Apple has to charge $70 tax for the $299 IPhone because of California's subsidized policy on reduced priced phones. There is always a catch to everything. We have to pay invisible taxes on tings we don't see.

I guess I will be without a phone until I can find another $70 to make the purchase. I want to get the 32gb iPhone because I learned from having an Apple laptop that having more storage space maintains optimum performance.

The cost of living out here in Southern California is bankrupting me. I pay my bills on time, but it's getting harder, almost impossible to survive. I don't even know what I will do next month to survive.

My writing goal must happen soon, or I'm going to be toast like my Blackberry Curve. Just thought I should share the Blackberry disaster.

Writing tip of the day 9/10/09

The writing tip for the day is to visit a bookstore (Barnes & Noble or Border) to read an interesting body of work (novel, magazine, writing, etc). I find bookstores to be most interesting because of the social gatherings there. This writing tip of the day will explore communication in a bookstore.

While reading a body of writing, listen to some various conversations - it's not eves-dropping in a critical sense. Try to detect whether the conversations are close relationships or onetime occurrences. Analyzing relationships, verbal communication, listening, and body language will help you write better. Why?

A screenwriter, novelist, and any other writer needs to describe people. They have to do so using visual cues that suggest a particular action. Screenwriters have to do more work analyzing character actions because they only have visuals, and some dialogue to work with in a script.

A screenwriter should avoid overusing sound in the action section. Including too much sound will push away from the main focus, influencing the direction of a script. Surely, action scripts have a ton of sound. But how can you reveal sounds without suggesting them?

In the action section, a writer can show an explosion using good description. Tell the reader what they're supposed to see in result of a particular action. If you want to mention that a tire falls off, the axle grinds on the cement, and the sparks ignite a gasoline sill, then you can imagine substitute sounds using action.

Scripts depend on invisible sounds, which allows a reader to imagine a sound. You also have the option to introduce sounds, but try to use alternate techniques to refrain from overusing sound.

What does all of the preceding information have to do with communication in a bookstore? Observing communication make writing more efficient. Jot down simple notes as if you're going to give a speech on communication in relationships.

During the writing process, reflect in the communication challenges, and relationships, which will switch your mind gears to accommodate character interaction. Having characters interact in such a way helps a writer determine close relationships versus onetime encounters.

Since some movie theaters are nearby bookstores, watch moviegoer couples interact with one another. If you have to, take notes in a little memo pad. The observation exercise assists one with identifying real-life communication in their simplest form.

Once you strengthen your ability to master communication in relationships, the new-found experience will lead you to writing multi-dimensional characters. Focus on listening, distractions, interruptions, and other aspects of communication to make a script, and or a story more realistic. A writer has to explore outside strategies to improve their writing techniques.

Purchasing writing books on how to improve writing, or listening to a lecture in what another writer does to write great stories may be somewhat useful, but going out there to experience real-life communication for yourself will do wonders for the writing process.

Remember to keep your distance. Every conservation has a proximity. As an observer, stay close enough to hear, but don't impose, or make it appear obvious you're listening to a conversation. Think of the exercise as a research study involving ways to improving communication in relationships - a communication study without subjects being aware of the occurrence. Thank you for reading the daily writing tip.

Have fun observing real-life communication.

Writiting tip of the day 9/9/09

The writing tip of the day is to read Plato's Apology. Why should you read this piece? After reading Plato's eloquent work, I was able to write using a unique style. Reading philosophy will spark your creative abilities to inspire eloquent writing.

While philosophy may appear to be tedious, the analysis within the field has the ability to induce creativity. Philosophy conditions the subconscious mind into switching gears, making the conscious mind analyze an intended focus with a sense of purpose. Many people find writing to be boring because their mind associates the process as being an unbearable activity.

What if you can reprogram the mind to enjoying writing? Reading philosophical pieces will program the mind to accept writing as something enlightening to the mind. With the quality of writing and the constructive arguments in philosophy, you will find it east to improve your analytical skills. Having the ability to analyze creative work inspires the writing process.

Read Plato's Apology to find inspiration about being original. When you write, you will be able to write with a voice. It's like a musician reading a poem to improve their song writing skills. We don't have to imitate success of others, but instead we can learn to make our own journey. Thank you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Have fun reading Plato's Apology to enlighten the writing process.

Decoding your Dreams

I want to start up a discussion about decoding dreams. Anyone that has questions about their dreams, please leave a comment below.

Although I am not a professional, I have written many projects on dreams, analyzed dream books, and also took on counseling courses. I'm sure I can assist you in finding out what your dreams are trying to communicate to you.

Decoding dreams will help one resolve their waking problems. I have written a few blogs on both the examination and the toilet dream. Keep a log of all your dreams. We can start up a discussion about how to decode your dreams to resolve waking problems.

How can we use dreams to better our lives?

When is proscrastinating acceptable?

Procrastination is only acceptable if it's done to prevent a flawed policy. Health care and prison reform need ample time to be carefully drafted in such a way to prevent abuse.

Universal Health care requires more time. The three-strikes-and-you're-out policy caused a budget downfall, which forced California to seek financial alternatives by selling stuff on Ebay. Lawmakers have to write these policies correctly, in a sense where it serves the community justice. Writing policies should be used to keep balance in society, not ruin an entire State.

The government is spending far too much money on programs and on ineffective policies. Whenever a new policy is implemented into law, regulatory commissions have to monitor it. too much money is wasted on things that make the problem worse. It's alright to procrastinate to get better results. Forget alternatives, come up with primary solutions.

Drawing is an inexpensive hobby

Take up on drawing today. Anyone has the ability to draw. Wal-Mart and Barnes & Noble have an inventory of drawing supplies. You can purchase a pack of charcoal sticks, and a pad of drawing paper for less than $10. That's all you need to produce nice images.

Check out some of the random drawings on Magic Writer. You will see how much fun you can have with drawing images. Don't limit yourself; draw everything - be naturalistic.

"Imagine the possibilities in pursuing a dream, then transfer that vision into its simplest form"

Lighthouses symbolize leadership, direction, and destination

The following link will take you to a website that provides an extensive list of all the lighthouses in California.

Visit a lighthouse to increase your vision for leadership, goals, and to imagine a destination in physical form. Take a photograph or even draw a picture of a lighthouse.

Every dreams has a destination. "Once a light shines from a distance, just stay on course until you reach your dream destination."


http://www.rudyalicelighthouse.net/CalLts/CalLts.htm

Writing tip for the day 9/08/09

The writing tip for the day is to draw something you want most in life. You don't have to be an artist to take part in this activity. The goal of drawing your wants, desires, or pleasures in life is to explore the inner meaning of a dream. Investing time into sketching a dream image will build more value into going after success.

With every stroke of the drawing utensil, your vision becomes more clearer. After completing a sketched image, write a one page analysis on what moves you about the dream. Every person has a specific want in life. They know what makes them smile. What dreams inspire you most? Try to figure out what inspires you to live a dream.

My dream is to write films in Hollywood. Since 1994, everything that I have done in life has revolved around that specific goal. I find inspiration in every written word. I don't limit my writing to one specific area of writing because I know that screenwriters have to write for a more diverse audience than in the past. Why do I have a writing dream? In essence, I find motivation in inspiring others to chase after their dreams. Every person deserves to live a dream.

Analyzing the dream image from many different perspectives. Why do you want to live this dream? Do you know what it takes to accomplish the dream? Think of actual sleeping dreams you had in the past. The subconscious has the tendency to act on its like an intrapersonal entity carrying out activities without consulting the conscious mind. Try to merge the conscious and subconscious minds together to work as a team to accomplish a dream.

The mind understands the value of a dream. I picked up on drawing as an outlet away from writing. What I noticed about drawing is that it has the same power as writing. Any creative writer has ability to produce sketched images.

The drawing and analysis activity motivates one to chase after your dreams because they can imagine the dream. Drawing and writing about your dream conditions the mind to realize success. Thank you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Have fun drawing and analyzing your dream image.

Imagining a Dream

In order to live a dream, you have to imagine it. Instead of putting your dreams behind the pile, make them the center of attention. Frame your dream within your mind. Get one of the best frames in the world. This is no ordinary dream.

It deserves one of those fancy frames that couples buy for their wedding photos. You will be living with this dream for the rest of your life.

Many times a person loses focus of a dream. Take a moment to relax. Sit down on the softest sofa, on the grass in a park, or at the most quietest place. Close your eyes; try to picture what the dream road looks like.

Whenever you experience an unfortunate round of challenges, imagine the dream again. Rediscovering your groove will reaffirm the dream, giving you a sense of purpose for go after it.

Keep dreaming; soon your dreams will be a waking success.

Make it a habit to select all and copy content before submitting

Every writer knows that losing good work is frustrating. In the world of writing, time means everything. Deadlines can make it break a project. Make it a habit to select all and copy any content before submitting it. Why?

While technology has come a log way, it also interferes with our creativity. We have to be especially careful to avoid trusting technology to deliver out work.

Copy every body of work before electing to submit. This advice goes for any student, professional, occasional web surfer, and for any other person. After successfully submitting work, then thee is nothing to worry about. If the system goes haywire, at least you have the ability to log in again, and paste the content.

Not every writer likes to use Microsoft Word or the word processing programs to create work. Blog websites have work processing templates that spark good writing.

Remember; select the work, copy it, and have it on standby just in case the submission process fails.

Writing tip for the day 9/07/09

The writing tip for the day is to reflect on your journey. Take a moment to think about your accomplishments. If you feel that you have failed to accomplish anything, be positive that everything in life takes time. Writing is about know knowing, experiencing, and learning about a subject. This writing tip will help you learn about your future.

Many people take part in the writing process. Some enjoy it more than others while another batch of people despise the act of any writing activities. The process of writing is one that links to transformation. A writers need to know the story direction, as well as their own destination. One could identify the direction as being the journey, which uses a set of directions to guide one in a journey to uncover their hidden potential.

The unconscious mind is aware of what you want, but it refuses to make that information available. With putting your goals in perspective, your unconscious mind will share your desires within dreams. Focus on dreams as being a search engine, or even a GPS to guide you to the right destination. We spend too much time trying to figure out what we want. There is not enough planning involved; finding ways to make your wants a reality. People are not selfish for wanting to accomplish dreams.

Dreams have the ability to transform an ordinary person into a success story. Some people assume that people have to be smart, have ideal physical characteristics, and need to know someone successful. Another group may suggest that hanging out with successful people helps one to program success into their mind.

Wealthy people tend to be portrayed in the Hollywood films such as Titanic as being boring elitists - discussing politics, investments, and money during every given moment. Wealthy people understand the system of success. Some fall into success overnight, and others have to work hard to spread their vision. Remember; live life for your own dreams, don't misfire on success due to outside influences.

What is the goal of this writing activity? Essentially, a person can't realize their success unless they understand the journey in reaching the destination. Any strong leader knows about journeys and destinations. They have single handedly carried each successful accomplishment into realizing their dreams. President Obama made the transformation from educator to being the first African American President of the United States. Every dream is possible. Never place a limit on success.

Reflect on the accomplishments you have done to this point in your life. What have you learned in the process? Have you gained a perspective about life? Every accomplishment prepares a person to take on another challenge. A person that constantly fails may lose hope of the destination. It is important to know your destination.

Make the journey to capture to capture your dreams. Obstacles and challenges transform people from wanting a dream into one that is living a dream. The difference between a dream and success is accomplishments. Once a person accomplishes a dream, they feel successful. Not every dream will gain social attention. Go after a dream because you have a desire to make yourself happy.

After reflecting on your accomplishments, write down what you would like to accomplish in the near future. Plan short-term goals first to designate a starting point. Once you become comfortable with short-term goals, go after the long-terms success that awaits you. Write down any obstacles and potential challenges that may steer you off course, making the journey more challenging, and your negative thoughts more invasive. Settle down; enjoy the simple moments in life.

Every student, writer, professional, and person needs a sense of direction. They have to know what they want out of life. Writing down what you want is a start, but going after what it takes to accomplish a dream takes strategy. Map out your writing with the same system; beginning a journey, discussing the issues, and concluding with delivering your successful completion to a destination. Thank you for reading the daily writing tips.

Have fun using direction to complete any task, goal, and dream.

The Blog Spot is the Best

After trying out other writing accounts, I have found the Blog Spot to have the best writing processor software? Why? Other companies have software issues that cause me to lose valuable work after the submission process.

I spend too much trying to figure out software issues. E-mail accounts have the same tendency to log out after you send a powerful e-mail. The Blog Spot programmed their website in such a way, it prevent a blogger from losing content.

The Blog Spot allows one to public a post. If the system logs out, just log back in. The blog contents will be saved and published. The word processor also saved the blog during the process of typing the content. I have never lost any valuable work on the website.

After trial and error, and many frustrating moments, I have discovered that the Blog Spot is the most efficient website for publishing posts. The Blog Spot gets the Gold Excellence Aware for the best blogger website.

Life tip for the day

Whenever you make any credit card or other bill payments online, be sure to confirm the right amount and the correct bank account. Some people have more than 1 account to make payments. Online mistakes are common.

Take for instance; you want to make a car payment on Capital One for $300, but you're rushing to beat the deadline or other things are distracting. What happens? The payment link has the total payoff or the last month statement ending balanced preselected. What makes matters worse are that you also selected the wrong account. After going through the process, you fail to confirm the selections.

After making a payment, view the pending payment to ensure that it is the right amount and coming from the right account. Taking a second to confirm will save you from making costly mistakes. Also make your mistakes worth the trouble. In the future, you may need to ask for a fee removed because of not having enough funds or due to identity theft.

Double check everything you do that involves money. Losing out on fees and having bad credit is not worth the trouble. Money is too hard to make these days. Good luck.

Writing tip for the day 9/6/09

The writing tip of the day is to analyze a film using a critical eye. This writing activity will help a writer analyze the theme of a film. Many people watch film for action, an escape from reality, and for a number of various reasons. In this writing tip for the day, I plan to discuss Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire to confront life experiences as being the basis for maturity.

Slumdog Millionaire was widely received as being a great film because the theme pushed back from the act of selfishness. Many people tend to be selfish to the point they have refuse to help others. The film demonstrates what challenges and obstacles it takes to accomplish a dream. Every person should have a sense of purpose in life. People that don't appreciate the film mismanage the message of a dream. Jamal's dream never change from the moment; his goal is to find his true love Latika, after he loses her during each stage of his life - childhood, adolescents, and early adulthood.

People give up on love too easily, even abandoning relationships after a few obstacles. Jamal makes it known that his search for long is going to be the theme through the course of the film. Winning the show is a secondary goal that takes backseat to finding his soul-mate.

In the film's opening, the audience wonders how Jamal will win the money. They never think about Jamal's struggles, hie true love, and the passion he has for living life. After Jamal meets his true love for first time, then a new goal surfaces. Will Jamal be able to be with Latika? In essence, Jamal keeps losing Latika over-and-over again, but never gives up in trying to go after her.

In a waking life, people are not as focused as Jamal. They abandon goals because of money, outside influences, and are unable to formulate an opinion. It is common for one to want something because another has it. So does that mean one has to step over another to get something they think they deserve? Jamal has the ability to make decisions without relying on others. Life experiences, being open-minded, and using critical thinking helps a person rationalize life as they perceive it.

Having a cognitive perception is being able to analyze information without being forced into thinking a collective way. The media manipulates people because many assume that every piece of information is accurate. People are unable to use a cognitive perception to analyze the world, instead they latch onto mass thought.

Slumdog Millionaire was a great film because it used life experiences as a measure for maturity. In reading the screenplay, Boyle signed up because he recognized the strength of the message, noting that every game show answer has a beginning, middle, and end. The writing was done so well, maybe even too perfect, that the audience feels as if they are walking in Jamal's shoes, experiencing every every one of the obstacles to go after his dream - to find his true love.

People enjoy Slumdog Millionaire because Jamal focuses on love instead of being rich. Jamal experiences so much misfortune, but never uses his grave misfortunes as an excuse to failing life; he goes after what he wants in life. Jamal is able to move on after struggle without letting the world defeat him. He does so with courage, hope, and faith, never giving up on his dream to find Latika.

The film proves that cognitive abilities are learned through life experiences, and not because of age, or physical growth. Jamal relies on his life experiences to guide him from one challenge to another. One film ,in particular, delves into a life one leads without cognitive abilities.

In Penny Marshall's Big, Josh (played by Tom Hanks) struggles in the adult world. Even though he physical development suggests that he is an adult, he lacks the life experiences gained in adolescent development, ones that helps an adolescent to mentally function as an adult. Josh doesn't understand simple adult phrases such as "sleepover and pledge." Indeed, his mental frame of mind lack the cognitive abilities in critical thinking, reasoning, and life experience. Adolescence prepares an adolescent to make transition into the adult world.

Susan's ex-boyfriend treats Josh with the same manner as he was treated him in the first conference. Josh realizes that he needs more time to grow up as an adolescent to weather the challenges in being an adult, not just physically, but having mental preparedness to deal with adulthood - failure, making mistakes, and rejection.

The only positive traits Josh has is his manners, which is because he still has an adolescent mind. Most likely his parents taught him to be respectful to others. Adults have the tendency to rub off as being rude and immature because they are too stubborn, negative, critical, and have a whole slew of other problem that encourages negativity.

Josh's character was not ready to make the transition from being an adolescent to dealing with adult challenges. In time, he will have the opportunity to live his life, and gain valuable experiences to meet the challenges. On the opposing side, Jamal is not expected to be successful because he is from the Slums. The Inspectors mentions that most of the kids from the Slums are liars and cheats. Jamal is unlike other Slum kids due to his life experiences.

Jamal is passionate young man that care about the value of life. He followed a dream with his heart, going after happiness in the tune of love. Money never motivate him or even influence his desire to chase after his dreams. When Jamal won the money, all he could think of was Latika.

Any other person would be acting like a child - jumping up and down, yelling, screaming, and crying. After leaving the show, he sat down at the train station, looking unhappy and inspired. He didn't care that he was a millionaire. The only person on his mind was Latika, the true love that mattered most in his life.

A person that has a cognitive perception analyzes the plot, themes, emotional elements, and the intended message of a film. Critical film writing uses a different perceptual style than just looked at film for pure entertainment. Essentially, there is nothing is wrong with disliking a film for a complex plot.

The simple meaning in Slumdog Millionaire; Jamal becomes mature from his life experiences. Even without parents to raise him - guide him through life - he is still able to value love, relationships, has respect, and good manners. He is an honest young man that answers every question with an answer.

As a writer myself, I analyze the film differently for others. I went through many film college courses, and have written stories myself. After earning multiple degrees, and even serving in the military a decade ago, I acquired a majority of my maturity through the rigorous challenges of living life. Intense hardships have a way with making a person mature.

Maturity doesn't come with physical age, adulthood needs life experiences to promote mental growth - psychosocial conditions. A person doesn't have to be educated to be mature. Maturity is gained through measuring the will to defeat obstacles, which helps one realize the value of a dream. Jamal's love for Latika has no boundaries. He would have traveled to the ends of the Earth to find her.

Analyzing film using a critical eye builds a perception, which is useful for decoding themes and subplots within a film. Every film has a hidden message. Slumdog Millionaire has many themes; a few of theme most obvious themes consist of challenging love, life experiences, dreams, and maturity. Finding films that focus on personal interests and relevant issues will increase cognitive perception. Slumdog Millionaire is one of those rare films that has the power to inspire people to chase after their dreams.

You can use the critical film writing activity to analyze any body of work, further exploring diverse perspectives. Thank you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Have fun analyzing a film using a critical eye.

Drawing of a multicultural woman

Beachfront Drawing in Charcoal

Color pencil drawing of a beach

Character Sketch for one of my working screenplays

This girl is going to be one of the characters for a horror screenplay I wrote 3 years ago in a short film writing course.

The 6 Six Steps of a Character

I saved this character study from an acting class I took 10 years ago. My acting teacher suggested that this character study would help an actor become the character. Writers can also use this copy to write their character in any format: screenplay, novel, creative stories, and any other bodies of work that call upon constructing a character. Good luck in crafting your characters.

A writer's library: My personal library of resources

IMG_4485.JPG

Attention Screenwriter: Affordable Black Card Stock at Wal-Mart

Any writer that is submitting a screenplay knows they have to sandwich their work in-between two sheets of 60lb card stock, giving the studio a good meal of a read.

Wal-Mart sell 50 sheets sheets of 60lb black card stock paper for $3.95. The Writer's Store in Los Angeles sell the same card stock for %9.95, but you get 24 sheets.

As a writer, you have to save money because you don't much to spend. Check out Wal-Mart for black card stock that works perfectly to cover your prized screenplay.

Writing tip for the day 9/5/09

The writing tip of the day is to write a fact piece. What is a fact piece? Essentially, a fact piece combines personal story with facts in-between the real events. Why take part in the fact piece writing activity?

A fact piece gives a writer incentive to research facts that are similar to their personal life story. If a person is writing a story about a casino, they can combine facts about gambling addition between the narrative events. An example below demonstrates the process.


Example

Judy fiercely pulls the lever on a slot machine. Her skin appears dry. A hint of moisture coats her forehead like cake frosting. She licks her dry lips to moisten them. Elderly casino patrons pass by, trying to look for an open machine. Some of the elderly have those motorized carts, which carry oxygen bottles in the back compartment.

One elderly man swipes his credit card in the ATM machine. His scans the casino floor, intently focusing on one open machine. The spindling of the money breaks his concentration. He quickly grabs the money, and rushes off to the machine.

"Elderly people make up the target gambling audience. They invest time, and their life savings into slot machines. Casino send marketing literature to elderly patrons, offering free accommodations, and buffet incentives to entice them."

A fact piece helps one associate the creative personal story with real facts. Writing creative stories about your life are fun. Adding facts in-between spice up the story, making the piece realistic, and something that is important. A fact piece reads like a new piece. How can you begin writing a fact piece?

Think of an experience that excite you, one you want to inform others about; it can be anything. You can even write about your pets. Locate common facts about the subject matter. If you're writing about a rescue dog, include facts about the number of rescue dogs that live in shelters. Discuss the number of rescue pets that experience abuse. Be consistent with the facts you choose to focus on throughout the body of work.

Writing a fact piece will make you a better researcher, and a better academic writers. Any writer can use the fact piece to improve their research skills. Screenwriters have to do fact-based research to prepare screenplays. The story doesn't have to be entirely real, but including facts bring out the life in a piece.

I have been writing blogs for the past three months. To this day, I have only a few followers. Even with investing time leaving comments, having a Twitter, and a Facebook account, finding an audience is challenging. Maybe I will consider writing fact pieces about popular issues. I have written some good articles responding to other bodies of work.

People trust articles from credible sources. Professionally driven articles on reliable websites attract a large audience because there are facts involved. News writers prepare article based on researching facts. They assemble news reels to report the facts. Fact pieces have the resonance of music.

Find a personal experience that inspires, or one that you think assists another to make a batter decision. Research some facts that focus on the theme of the story. In actuality, a fact piece is like an academic research paper. Students conduct research to locate facts, which helps them to write research papers.

Writing a fact piece is sure to be fun, and also very rewarding. I have written facts pieces in university creative writing courses. I remember hearing students read their fact pieces. From experience, I can tell you that the fact piece is fun because you have the ability to act as a news reporter. Thank you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Have fun writing the fact piece; be creative to write your stylish fact piece.

The Blackberry of Doom

For the past few years, I have been using a Blackberry Curve 8300. In the past few months, the scroll wheel started acting up, no longer responding. The scroll wheel goes up, side-to-side, but not done. I need the wheel to roll down because I can't shut off the alarm, check any text messages, and scroll down to any program below the breaking point.

My Blackberry is giving me headaches. A few times today, I found myself wanting to throw the phone across the apartment, but realized that I would be out of a phone. I want to get the new 3 Gs Iphone. Right now, I only have half of the amount. I don't want to get the 8GB or 16GB version. The 32 GB for $300 is a great deal, considering that my Apple Powerbook only has a 60GB hard drive.

Blackberry's poor designed scroll wheels is frustrating to the point that I may have to start using an old LG phone again. The scroll wheel is a total disaster. Tried to avoid purchasing any phone that has a scroll wheel. Without a functioning scroll, thre is no way to surf around the various applications. The only way I can check my text messages is to start from the oldest message.

The next time you plan to purchase a new cellular phone, avoid any that has the scroll ball in the center. Trust me, it is no worth the frustration in dealing with the obstacles of trying to maneuver around the phone. Imagine if your Laptop mouse failed to work, and you were unable to surf around the web. My Blackberry makes me feel the same exact way right about now.

How do you shop for an engagement ring - A man's perspective

Before proposing to your girlfriend, make sure you have the right ring. Many women have a specific ring they have in mind. Always listen to them. They usually gives you hints about what rings they like and want most.

Think of the ring purchase as being something you have to live with for the rest of your life. Don't let your girlfriend trick you, or even trust that they don't want a nice ring. The engagement reflects you as a person. If you buy a ring they don't want, you will hear an earful for the rest of your life.

Make the right decision the first time around in buying an engagement ring. What should you look when going out to buy an engagement ring? Engagement rings are tricky because many people are electing to buy the setting separate. Set rings don't always have the best quality diamonds. The first ring I purchased was from Samuel's Jewelers. It was a 1 ct. platinum diamond ring with princess cut stones.

The mistakes I made was to purchase the right ring. She was extremely excited about the ring. I could remember how happy she was about the ring. What went wrong? Since the ring was from a jewelry store in the mall, it had poor quality diamonds. After a year or so, some black spots started to surface in the center stone.

The ring reflected me as a person. She would judge me for buying something I thought she liked. She was even with me on that day of the purchase. Don't allow them to go with you. Be intrapersonal in carrying out a ring purchase. Your girlfriend may attack your lack of creativity.

On out first Valentine's Day, I bought a really nice Scott Kay platinum solitaire. I wanted to give her something special for our first Valentine's Day. There was one problem. I couldn't afford a diamond. The ring had a cubic zirconium as the center stone. The side diamond were real. The setting cost me almost $2000.

A diamond would have pushed me back another $5000. With being a college student at the time, I couldn't afford to make such an expensive purchase. Believe me when I tell you that I got ridiculed for deciding to purchase that ring.

Since that time, I learned about what to look for in a diamond. You have to listen to what ring you're girl desires most. Why? They will always remember the first ring. Having a good memory is better to trying to forget a bad one. The following will briefly detail how to shop for an engagement ring.


1. Figure out what setting your girlfriend desires most.

2. If your girlfriend like platinum; ask them what they think of white gold

3. Figure out designer they like: Scott Kay, Tacori, and etc...

4) After you figure out the gold setting, move onto the diamond.

5) Choose the diamond wisely. You have to consider the 4 C's - Clarity, Cut, Color, and carat weight.

6) The 4 C's each have equal importance. What to consider? Go with the size of a diamond. I would not go with anything less than a 1ct. Women say they'll be happy with a .50, .60, and even a .75, but don't accept that as being believable.

7) If you're struggling to make a ring purchase, try to save up for it, or even consider visiting online for deals. OverStock.com, and BlueNile.com have great rings - with or without the diamond center stone. Also consider consulting Bill at Topper's Jewelers in Redwood City, California or go to their website at http://www.topperjewelers.com/

8). Now that you have the 1 Carat weight picked out, you should consider the diamond color and the cut as being equally important to bring out the brilliance in the stone. Do not go less than H for color. I would suggest going with G because it's less expensive than D-F color stones, and you still get a quality diamond stone. The diamond cut should be no less than very good. Don't go lower than very good. If you want a nice cut stone, go with excellent cut ones. Very good cut stones are still nice.

9) Lastly, the clarity, which many assume is most important, needs to be no less than SI1. Anything less, then you have to deal with an earful of complaints as to why black spots are forming in the stone. The black spots in I stone are actually hidden. Over the course of time - wear and tear - the inclusions become more visible. If you want a good clarity stone, go with VS2 stones. You get a better value for your money. The stone looks great, and you don't spend a ton on VS1-F clarity stones which are sure to bankrupt you if you're on funds.

10). After considering all the steps, you now either have a platinum, yellow gold, or a white gold setting. Your ideal diamond is at least 1ct, G color, very good cut, and a VS2. To save money, you can go with a 1ct, G-H color, very good cut, and a SI1 stone. Have the diamond mounted into the stone by the same jewelry store that sells you the diamond. Some have deals - Toppers - where the mounting is free. Places like Jareds charge $250 for diamond mounting - even if you buy the diamond there.

11). You now have the perfect ring to propose to your girlfriend. It's one less problem to deal with in the future. Make your girlfriend happy now so she doesn't regret you later when life goes downhill. The ring is always important.

There are many deals for good quality rings. You don't have to go with a separate setting and diamond. Still consider the 4 C's in the center stone diamond. Platinum rings are going to cost more than double that of a white gold rings. Look into possibly purchasing a white gold setting, which gives you more financial flexibility in finding the perfect diamond.

Most women will be happy with a ring because of the symbolism factor. If you're with a materialistic female, then they will complain about the ring if it doesn't meet their expectations. Make sure you listen to what ring they desire most, and then compromise on a good ring. If you want to avoid problems in the future, draft a personal contract to make them accept that ring. If they complain about the ring, then they will be penalized for their gripes. Take away something that they like most.

You don't take the ring purchase that serious, but be sure to purchase a ring they like. If they want round stones, don't go out and buy a pear shape one. Consider the type of diamond. There are many different shapes - princess, round, marquee, and etc.. Now that you have the information for making a ring purchase, consider looking for interest free payment plans, save up the funds, and or get cheap interest loan. Don't be forced into making a huge purchase when you can't afford it.

Lastly, I left out the most important point. I always preach to others about making sure that your diamond is GIA certified. If you're going to spend money in purchasing an engagement or other other diamond ring, you need to be sure that you're receiving what you asked for in return, a certified diamond.

Whenever purchasing any diamond jewelry (earrings, pendants, rings, & bracelets), I always ask if the diamond is GIA certified. I forget to mention the GIA. I have a GIA certificate for every diamond that I bought for my fiance, but it crossed my mind because I was too focused on other aspects of the diamond. Thank you Elle for reminding me about the GIA certificate.

Best of luck to anyone that plans to take the next step into getting engaged.

Writing tip for the day 9/4/09

The writing tip for the day is to write about a trip, either current, or a past one. Writing about a trip sparks interest in the writing. Usually, most trips are fun and exciting. People take trips to relax the mind. They want to get away from all the pressure, the expectations, and stress. Writing about a trip is rewarding because there is strong potential for a good story.

While on a vaction, or after you arrive back home, take the time to write about your trip. Think about the weather. Was it hot or cold? Was the sky clear or did it have clouds? The type of people - personalities, physical, and their mood. Was there any conflict? Were a couple angering about something? Did you notice anything that different than other places? When preparing the review, as yourself questions.

The writing process is never easy. It presents many challenges, making you sometimes feel as it's a job. Writing jobs are demanding, but the writers that do them enjoy the work. Most of the time, they are living their dream. Writing about something interesting such as a current, or past trip will condition your mind to associate writing as something interesting.

In writing well, a person has to want to write. Students that avoid writing only make the act of doing the practice stressful. Writing about a trip, even if it's only a half page, will keep your creative mind on standby. Writing about a current trip will keep the information fresh, and full of life. Past trips also have that same impact, but one has tap into their memory back to resurface the events.

You will find that writing about a trip will make boring subject more interesting? Why? When you writing an academic project, or a professional article, you can ask questions in your mind about the scenery. What would it be like to go on a trip the place. Every assignment has a physical location. In writing about business, you have the ability to imagine New York City. A government pieces enter the Washington D.C. forum. the Revolutions of 1849 go into the European venues. World War II delves into the Paris, Italy, and other fascinating cities.

If there is no physical location, find out the person that developed the idea. What are they from? Find a trip in every body of writing. Credible sources that you use have publishing cities, and many times other countries. Train your mind to associate every body of work with a physical location - a trip to encourage the mind never to lose interest in the writing process. Thank you for reading the writing tip for the day.

Have fun reflecting on a trip, or making on to capture the attention of the mind

Writing tip for the day 8/03/09

The writing tip for the day is to find a scenic photograph you have taken before. Once you locate this mesmerizing image, sit down, and analyze it. Allow your mind to enter the visual space. Imagine characters walking around, interacting, and going about their daily activities. Photographs have the ability to spark the unconscious mind.

Photographs alert the visual senses. Visual perception consists of two processes. There is the conscious one that processes information in real-time. Then there is also the subconscious visual perception, which deals with processing images at the rate of more than 10+ million bits per second. A person can't fathom the speed of such processes because they take place without anyone ever knowing. It's more like silent visual processing, which activate on cue, and without any warning.

As a writer analyzing a photograph, write a one page summary, describe the scenery using creative language. The goal of this exercise is to induce visual creativity, which in result also rewards a writer with an ability to write visual scenes on demand. Student can make use of this activity to write creative bodies of work. Employing the visual perception transforms a mind form a spectator into one that consists of critical analysis.

Film fans watch movies for pure enjoyment. Film critics break down films using creative flavor, providing necessary feedback to influence a moviegoer. A director makes a film with a vision. They imagine the script playing in their minds, and capture the reality of a project.

A screenwriter is an architect of a film; they have to construct scenes using visual, auditory dialogue and sounds, and format the story in such a way which creates excitement. Analyzing a photo will put you in the same league as other professionals - using a creative mind to create stories.

I urge you to try this photo activity. You will be surprised on how much better you can write creative descriptions. Analyzing a photographs using a visual perception will spark the internal sensory of the mind - cognitive perception - help you analysis writing and visual art. After taking part in this visual perception activity - imagining, describing, and analyzing - prepare a story right award.

You will immediately notice your mind flowing with ideas and words. Write a story using the photo as the setting for the scene. Visual subconscious and conscious perception have their own sense of power.

Have fun using the writing tip to advance your creativity. Remember; check out the daily writing tips, and keep up with them to improve your writing abilities.

Article of the Day: Text Messaging Ban and Utah's Imprisonment

Utah’s legislature has taken one of the toughest stances, passing a law that imposes a penalty of up to 15 years in prison for texting while driving.

The above quote was extracted from an article on MSN that discussed lawmakers' goal to ban text messaging in many ensuing States. Utah is taking an excessive stand on texting while driving, which is treating a violator like a violate criminal.

Imprisoning a person texting while in the seat of their vehicle is extreme. Will Utah actually prosecute a person to the extent of the law? Their 15 year in prison penalty is going to send their state spiraling down, causing them to severe serious budget constraints.

California's budget crisis is due to the 3-strikes-and-you're-out law. Lawmakers originally wrote the law to confront violence criminals, but the implementation process misdirected the scope of the law, causing many non-violent crimes to be locked away for 25 years to life.

Due to the 3 Strike's law, California's budget unraveled, causing the state billions in added costs to imprison these criminals. Imagine using a violate law to place a nonviolent criminal in prison for the rest of their life because of stealing a piece of pizza, writing a bad check for $150, and for other minor offenses that are felonies.

Poor policymaking takes away funding from other programs. Utah plans to unveil a law that target drivers for text messaging. Should there be any inclusions as to which violators are to be imprisoned? The prison time should fit the severity of the crime. Are drunk drivers going to receive the same offense, or may even less, for killing another in a fatal accident?

Utah's law, and any other State that offer such an extreme sentence for text messaging is mismanaging policymaking - abusing power. After the Utah law, I feel that more needs to done about confronting other damaging issues than to imprison people for up to 15 years for texting while driving. It will be interesting whether the courts' wil actually carry out any texting sentences

Why punish the taxpayers' for another person text messaging? A fine should be proposed for text messaging. The fine could as much as it is for littering on the road while driving. Policymakers looking to vote on the text messaging law must consider the cost to the State. In retrospect, making poor decisions in the lawmaking will have a long-term impact on a State, their citizens, and the integrity of legal system itself.

If you would like to read more about the article, please copy & paste the link below.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32584570/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets

Being successful as a writer is hard because of financial distress

When choosing a career as a writer, you lack short-term success. Writing is a long-term career decision that has its ups and downs. Financial distress is sure to plague you. I have to struggle each, and every month to figure out how to survive. I have a great deal of stress, which never subsides, not even during relaxing moments. You can't take a shower without thinking about ideas, new words, sentence structure, writing techniques, and the dreaded financial obligations. Your mind is constantly working until it shuts down for morning, afternoon, or even the night. Sleeping is secondary to working. Being successful as a writer is hard because of financial distress.

If I made enough money to survive, then writing would be so much more efficient. I invest the majority of my time helping others to realize their dreams. I have dozens of scripts sitting around. I have a quote book that I have been preparing for the past year, which has about 75 pages full of inspiring quotes. In addition, dozens of my notebooks have marketable story ideas, mini notepads contain dialogue, journals are full of dreams, memory sticks storing interesting characters, and other creative work gathering dust in plastic bins.

Why haven't I been able to e successful as a writer? The main reason is because I don't have financial security. I have to worry about bills all the time. Basically, the only activities I take part in is writing, college, and paying bills. I don't go out and purchase anything besides books, and writing supplies.

I have heard of people starting up websites to ask for donations. They request help to pay for bills because they fell into debt due to a spending problem. In asking for donations to finance the time it takes to write quality articles to help others, I have not made a single penny. I don't have any blog traffic to click on advertisements. I write to help people, but in helping others become successful, my dreams end up sitting on the back burner, waiting for the right time to make them a reality. Everyone knows that if you wait for a dream, the opportunity will come and go.

I will never be able to live my dreams because I am buried in student loans, can't find the time to market my work to publishing vendors and studios, and have to constantly worry about surviving. With a good education - multiple college degrees - past military experience, quality writing abilities, effective communication skills, and a strong analytical mind, I make less than a high school kid does at a fast food restaurant.

How do I find incentive to continue writing? I have hope, and faith which makes me believe that I will be given an opportunity to succeed. People used to reject my dreams in wanting to be a professional writer, but now they believe in my abilities. Hard work does pay off in the end. I have been working hard for most of my life. I give advice to others. I want to help them avoid bad decision making that is sure to set them back. Through the written word, I try to inspire people to go after their dreams.

Financial distress influences my ability to live a dream. I know that because of money, there is a strong chance that I may never accomplish my goals. I will never give up in trying to be a professional writer. I have earned the chance to demonstrate my value as a writer. I know a great deal about history, laws, government, policy, communication, healthcare, science, leadership, writing, and many other areas of concentration.

Right now, I have been feeling down about my future. I just realized that waiting to accomplish a dream is not good enough. I need to make changes, or risk losing everything. What should a person do when they have what it takes to deliver the goods? Time is going against me. Various dreams, one in particular, hinted that I need to go after my goals now, or risking losing my sense of purpose in the future. Without waking dreams, what is my purpose in life? I want to do more in life than just have fun.

I started to write this piece using a writing dream and money as the theme of the essay, but didn't know where it would lead to. The last few days, I have been feeling that life never gives you a chance to be happy. I have overworked my mind, doing way too much to keep others happy. The goals I set in 1994 - wanting to work in Hollywood - are quickly evaporating like water on hot pavement. I want to enjoy my success now, then to have my work praised long after I leave this world.

I noticed that doing wrong in life helps one to become successful. I don't want to change my ability to help others make their dreams possible. If I don't accomplish my dreams, or even realize my potential, then I have to accept that making others people happy will be my purpose in life. Financial distress is deteriorating my body and mind like a wildfire. I don't know how much more time that I have left to carry out my dreams. There comes a time when you have to make a decision.

Many people suggest that money doesn't make people happy, or even successful. Money has influenced every decision that I made in the past 15+ years. I have major headaches, chest pain, back stiffness, and other issues because of money. I have experienced major hardship relating to money. I never ask to be compensated for the good things that I've done for others. I worked as an Air Force medical technician in a military hospital, caring for patients; really making a difference. I also took part in teamwork at many other jobs. When you do so much good, then sometimes you question life. Money is the reason I can't live a dream. Eventually, I will experience health problems due to not being able to find financial security.

As for being a writer, you have to worry about what it takes to make your dreams possible - to realize your potential. Many people that will try to influence your dreams, even making you abandon them. I have to figure out what it will take to survive in the next month. I'm constantly worrying about the future. I know that millions of families are struggling too, but if I can make it as a writer, I can attract more attention to help these people. As an aspiring writer, my voice is nonexistent. People never listen to what I have to say unless I have the credentials to back up the advice. Right now, my writing voice is weak.

My dreams are going up in flames, carrying off into the sky without me. I may never get to experience success because financial distress is suffocating my goals. I chose this direction in life. I could have gone another route. What I realize is that dreams have a price tag attached to them. You have to finance your dreams with hard work, paying huge interest in process, and possibly even wasting some lucrative opportunities in other career fields. Is it worth paying for a lifetime of struggles just to chase after a dream? I think so.

When I try to do the right thing, it never works out. I have been turned down for many jobs. Being overqualified seems to be the theme. Another is not having enough experience in a specific area of concentration. I was given an opportunity to go after a San Francisco City job. Initially, the City of SF kept denying me. They even denied me from taking the test, but a year later, they finally gave me the opportunity to take it. I scored one of the highest scores on the city test. The good and bad news always arrived in a form of a letter.

You could tell by the way the letter started off whether the bad news was good or bad. The good news laid out the ground work quick, wasting no time in informing you of their intentions. After earning a high test score, I applied for dozens of jobs. I met the minimum requirements, but had quality experience and education. Each time after applying, I received a letter telling me that other people were more qualified than me. What do you do when you're always rejected on everything you try to do in getting ahead. You keep trying until you get it right.

As of now, I am struggling to capture success because of not having enough money to survive. It's like trying to reel in a gigantic fish with a small test-line. It's like running out of printer ink right before the last page prints out. It's like missing a green light, costing you to lose a room to rent - making you have to live in car for another 7 months. It's like being ripped off by multiple roommates not wanting to pay rent and other bills. It's like having to take a class multiple times because nobody wants to help you do the work. It's like helping others to live their dreams while you have to wait for yours. It's like having all the skills, but no opportunities to use them.

Life is never fair. You have to make decisions because of money. I lose a ton of sleep writing articles for people that never want to read them. I leave comments on many forums. I have done everything possible to attract an audience, but it never works out. I don't want to play the role of having people feel sorry for me because of recurring hardship. I want to defeat these never ending challenges. I have hurdled every obstacle. When the race gets tough, I try harder to move along.

I have never given up on anything that seems hopeless. Right before my brother and his wife's wedding, the radiator hose popped in the middle of the desert. As daunting as it seemed at the time, I never gave up trying, eventually making it to the wedding in the nick of time. Without ever having any bad experiences, I may not be a good writer. Though, I have to admit that being successful as a writer is hard because of financial distress.