A Blast from the Past: Clueless

On January 27, 2013January 26, 2013 By R. PettyIn Movies, ReviewsLeave a comment

It’s time to let my secret out: I love teen movies. I know what you’re thinking. I have seen that reaction first-hand when I admit it’s my second-favorite genre. People are shocked, but many teen movies are funny, entertaining, and pretty true to the time period.

That chick from the Aerosmith videos. The girl with the awesome (or crazy) hats. And the adorably helpless girl in flannel with red hair.

If you grew up in the 90s, you know Clueless – and you know it is a great teen movie. Some of it is unrealistic unless you live in Beverly Hills, but it’s well written and a good flick.

Was I Clueless?

I was 13 when Clueless came out, and I think I saw it on the big screen. I was so jealous of Cher’s (Alicia Silverstone) wardrobe. That movie made me want to go out and buy new clothes. It still has that effect on me!

I rewatched it a few weeks ago and the 90s came flooding back. Sagging, beepers, weave, flannel, and The Cranberries. Ah… 90s music. In 7th grade, I thought Travis the skater guy was cute. I didn’t get all the jokes either, which was probably a good thing. That’s when I started dying my hair, too.

My Grown-up Perspective

If you want someone to see what the 90s were like, Clueless is a movie to show them. The 90s weren’t all about depression, grunge, and crowd surfing. We had our own mix of styles, enjoyed various kinds of music, and I doubt you’ll find a larger group of people who love cartoons and teen shows more than us. We love them so much, Nickelodeon brought them back in 2011 with the 90s Are All That.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is Cher discussing high school boys and why we should not date them. “They roll out of bed, throw on some clothes and a backwards cap, and we’re supposed to swoon?” Amen, sister. I remember watching that in middle school and thinking, “Why do I like the boys at my school?”

Unlike a lot of teen movies, guys dig Clueless – whether they want to admit it or not. The cast is full of cute girls, the guys are genuine, and it’s funny. It is very funny.

Bigger Issues

Clueless touched on a number of subjects that affect teens even today. Worthless classes, teachers (good and bad), relationships and unrequited love, homosexuality, popularity, and cliques. The rich-kid attitude aside, this movie was a great representation of teens and how they interact with each other.

I also appreciate that the cliques in this movie mesh well. That is not something you see very often, and it’s a shame that no matter where you are, there are little groups of uninviting close-knit people. It’s a good thing to mix it up now and then.

Today, we all know the cute (Tai) late Brittany Murphy, the charming (Josh) Paul Rudd, the gorgeous (Dionne) Stacey Dash, and the cool (Travis) Breckin Meyer. These kids and several more, paired with a fun-loving group of adults, created one of the funniest and best teen movies you’ll ever see. Check out the reunion video below!

If You Want to Write: The Creative Mind

On January 20, 2013January 19, 2013 By R. PettyIn Writing for Web and TipsLeave a comment

“… The more clear, tranquil, and unstimulated you are, the slower the ideas come, but the better they are.”

The human mind is a complex and beautiful thing. We process so much information so quickly, sometimes I am amazed that our heads do not literally explode. I know I have felt like mine wanted to.

In Chapter 4 Ueland discusses ideas, inspiration, and creativity in relation to the mind. She states, “Inspiration comes very slowly and quietly.” The inspiration she refers to isn’t that light bulb that goes off and then the words just pour on a page; she describes inspiration in the sense of our ideas and the quality of what we write.

You Don’t Always Have to Be Busy

Ueland explains that we do not always have to be energetic and active in order to have good ideas or write. Instead of wracking our brains and expecting the ideas to flow, we should sit and reflect for a short time. Use this quiet time to clear your mind and find your own voice.

I admit I thought this was bad advice at first. She wanted to me to sit in front of my laptop and try to get a post idea without doing anything? That seemed nuts, but she was right. I took some me time, cooked dinner, and did not think about my post, and it all came together. Maybe resting the mind is needed for good creativity.

There is a fine line between laziness and reflection though. If you lay around and watch TV or read, you are still doing something. You are being lazy. It’s not always a bad thing, but if you need and want to do something and are watching a movie instead, you should think about how that movie accomplishes your goal. That, my friend, is procrastination.

Other Tips About Creativity:

— Be your own critic. Do not worry what others will think.

— Stay away from stimulants and/or drugs that cloud your mind and judgment.

— Be happy with your work. It is more important that you love and are proud of your product. And I bet, if you truly love it, others will too.

— Don’t stress writer’s block. Instead, use that time as your quiet time and jot down ideas or notes. Even those will help you develop thoughts and processes.

We place so much pressure on ourselves, we forget that our minds work at their own pace. We can beat our head against a wall, and nothing good will come out. You can’t force a good idea. I also recommend yoga for exercise and reflection. I have had some of my best ideas come to me about work, family, and for friends in meditation. And it only takes five minutes. We can all work in five minutes and rest our brains.

I hope these tips help those who are struggling with ideas or projects. Sometimes the best thing to do is sit in front of the screen and look out the window. If you have any tips on how you relax or stop thinking, feel free to share below!

Story of the Month: Cold-Weather Karma

On January 15, 2013 By R. PettyIn Short Stories, Story of the MonthLeave a comment

I love my friends. I love them dearly, but sometimes they think they know everything, and I am just a damsel in distress. This is not the case, and sometimes I depend on my good friend karma to help me out.

Cold-Weather Karma

I drive a 350Z, which is not ideal for driving on ice or snow. It’s real-wheel drive and doesn’t have traction on slick surfaces. If it’s too slick, I will spin my back tires and fishtail in circles. As fun as that is, it can be a little inconvenient when I need to get to work.

A good friend offered to give me a ride to work one morning due to inclement weather. He even made a special trip to Starbucks, so we could have our special coffees for work. Sweet, right?

We arrived at the office and started to get out of his vehicle. Then I heard in a mocking tone, “Be careful, you don’t want to fall and hurt yourself,” and “Don’t move too fast,” and “Are you sure you can make it to the door?” He even tried or did open the vehicle door for me.

As he mocked me and my inability to drive in the snow, suddenly his Starbucks cup went flying through the air and he landed on his ass. Yes, in mid-sentence, karma had my back and took his feet out from under him. It looked something like this…

black and white of guy falling on ice — Photo by: http://www.printactivities.com

I couldn’t do anything but laugh. And I mean really laugh, doubled over and barely breathing. Out of instinct I rescued his coffee and continued to laugh. After a moment, I managed to ask if he was okay, and he helped himself up. I handed him his coffee, and we walked into the building, and I was still laughing.

The moral here is simple: Karma is real, and it will make an example out of you. My pal and I still joke about his fall and how horrible I am for laughing and going after the coffee. But he never teased me about the weather again. I think we all know karma would come back again 🙂 Be careful out there!

If You Have to Cry, Go Outside Review

On January 13, 2013January 11, 2013 By R. PettyIn Books2 Comments

I don’t actively seek biographies, but sometimes I am loaned a book that is a “must read” from the lender. A friend of mine loaned me If You Have to Cry, Go Outside and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You by Kelly Cutrone, and I admit it was a must read for me.

Kelly Cutrone is the owner of People’s Revolution, a PR firm with locations in New York and Los Angeles. She is also the author of Normal Gets You Nowhere, produced Kell on Earth, and judged America’s Top Model.

The fashion/celebrity industry has never interested me, so I was a little leery of reading If You Have to Cry, but I liked the title, and my friend was convinced I would love it. She was right. I read this book in a couple of days and learned some interesting things about myself in the process.

What I learned from Kelly Cutrone:

1. It’s okay to make your own religion. With so many people trying to influence you and your beliefs, Cutrone urges readers to make their own religion. No matter what you believe or don’t, it’s okay to have an intimate relationship, completely catered to you, with your faith.

2. I have a style. I like dark fitted clothes, minimum makeup, bare nails, and I usually wear my hair up. I am this way for a lot of reasons, but mostly I would rather sleep in the morning than spend an hour-plus getting ready. I should own and be proud of my style instead of listening to people who try to change it.

3. I’m doing my best. Cutrone discusses entrepreneurship, goals, and taking risks in life. I am not afraid to try new things, try to always be honest (no matter the result), and stick up for myself. Many feel I am harsh and cold, and I’m okay with that. At the end of the day, I have to look at myself in the mirror, not them.

4. You are not entitled to anything. I hear people complain they should make X amount of money because of X. If you want X amount of money, then work your ass off to get it. It doesn’t matter what your degree is, how many people you know, or how hard you worked in the past. What matters is your earn it each day, and if you want more, you work more.

5. Support other women. This one is especially tough for me because I am surrounded by men who I love dearly. I find it harder to relate to women, but I hope over the years to build better relationships with some and create a better balance.

6. Be different and stand out. This is important in all aspects, and if you are truly yourself you can accomplish this with little effort. Each human is unique because we are all different.

7. Discover yourself and cater to your strengths. I love proofreading and editing, and I am good in customer service because I can read people. These are not my only skills, but these are the ones I like the most, so I focus on those as opposed to being driven by money.

8. Have fun. It’s almost impossible to love everything you do because sometimes things suck, but you can try to have a good attitude about everything you do. That makes a huge difference, and you would be amazed at how a good attitude can influence others and make you feel better.

It’s surprising that a randomly loaned 200-page book opened my eyes to things I never knew about myself. Sometimes we are so stressed and busy, we forget to reflect on what we want out of life and from ourselves. So, here’s the challenge: Think about what you want. Then go after it. Cutrone’s story is proof that with hard work, being true to yourself, and taking risks, anything is possible!

Hyphen Help with Words

On January 6, 2013July 13, 2013 By R. PettyIn Grammar and Punctuation, Writing for Web and TipsLeave a comment

As we discussed in Hyphen Help, there are specific rules for using hyphens with words. And the dictionary is your friend.

This week, I’m going to cover the rules of hyphens with one word. Should you use a hyphen or combine the prefix and root word? It depends.

Common terms used in this post:

Prefix = comes at the front of a word (two to four letters)

Suffix = comes at the end of a word (two to four letters)

Proper noun = A particular person (being) or thing, capitalized

Vowel = a, e, i, o, u, sometimes y

Root word = a word within a word that has a prefix or suffix

* Most times it is okay not to use a hyphen. If in doubt, look it up or go without. The following rules are when to use a hyphen with a word:

1. Use a hyphen when a prefix comes before a proper noun. As you can see combining them would look a little odd because the proper noun is capitalized.

Examples: un-American, non-Baptist

2. Use a hyphen if a prefix ends in a or i and the root word begins with the same letter.

Examples: semi-intoxicated, ultra ambitious

3. Hyphenate all words that begin with self. The only exceptions are selfish and selfless.

Examples: self-addressed, self-supporting

4. If the prefix is -ex, use a hyphen.

Examples: ex-husband, ex-Marine

5. If the prefix is re-, only use a hyphen when re- means again and not using a hyphen would create another word.

Examples: re-sort vs. resort; re-creation vs. recreation; re-covered vs. recovered

When to not use a hyphen and just combine the parts to create word:

1. When a prefix ends in one vowel and a root word begins with a different one, combine them.

Examples: antiaircraft, coauthor, preamble

2. If you get a double e or double o, combine the parts. However there are exceptions, so be sure to look it up if you are not sure.

Examples: cooperative, proactive

Exceptions: co-owner, de-emphasize

(The only reason I could see these being exceptions is because they would look odd without the hyphen. If you know the rule, or have another opinion, I’d love to hear it!)

Sources: The Blue Book of Punctuation and Grammar, merriamwebster.com, my brain

Happy New Year and Year-End Review

On December 30, 2012 By R. PettyIn ReviewsLeave a comment

I don’t get the appeal of celebrating New Years. I understand new beginnings and all that, but I believe you can have a new beginning each day. And if I want to drink, I can do so in the privacy of my own home and not risk an accident or DUI.

New Year’s resolutions irritate me the most. No one needs a day to start something. If you want to be healthier, then eat the right foods and exercise. If you want to laugh more, then do things that make you happy. If you hate your job, then find a new one. It’s all about you doing what you want.

When I was a kid, I made these useless resolutions because that’s what I was supposed to do. I learned as I grew older that I could change anything I wanted, any day I wanted. So, for this post I am going to recap 2012 RevPub style — not tell you my goals, hopes and dreams.

This past year has been a good one, and honestly I’m kind of sad to see it go. I am excited about upcoming new posts and projects, and we want to thank all of you for your support and love over the past year. May we all rock 2013!

Raven’s 3 favorite post topics:

Off the Edge

Ghost Stories

Writing for Web

Raven’s favorite project (other than Lil Horsemen):

Reviews

James’ 3 favorite post topics:

The Ghost in the Machine

Writing For Web

Life Lessons from Video Games

James’ favorite projects (other than Lil’ Horsemen):

Story of the Month