I’ve decided guilt will play no part in this blog, or it will never survive.

When I was young, I tried numerous times to keep a journal. I would write diligently for a few days, then get busy and miss writing about some stuff then get behind and finally, just give up. For some reason I felt I had to update the journal and keep it current on EVERYTHING. The list in my head of things to write about would grow longer, and then it felt like a chore to record it all and … well, it became another thing to do instead of a real outlet for anything.

Then I realized that I had no obligation to record my life day-by-day for any reason. It wasn’t a biography, it was a storage device for all the extra thoughts in my head and the reflections on my life, and even if an event was a big deal in my life that didn’t mean I had to write about it if I didn’t want to. I barely mention my wedding at all in my journal, not because it wasn’t a big deal for me (it was!!) but because there was so much that happened that day I didn’t know where to start and it would have simply been a record of the events, which is what pictures are for. Once I realized that it didn’t matter if I put it down for a month or two and that I did not have to account for the time I missed writing, then my journal became something I have with me always, and scribble in gladly.

If you are having trouble keeping a journal or a blog and would like to start, try to concentrate on writing what you want, not what you feel you should report upon. This isn’t the news, and although updates are great, don’t beat yourself up over not writing about every event, even if it is a big one. Let the content flow out of you to create an organic collection of thoughts and art and updates, catching all the creative flow your mind can’t hold in anymore. My journals have ideas, sketches, accounts, mumbo-jumbo, funny quotes, scribbles, emotional confessions and cartoon characters. I tape in old concert tickets, cards I find funny, polaroid pictures and random stickers. I let my 2-year old nephew colour on a bunch of pages. I coloured a bunch of pages. I complain about loud people on their cell phone and write down directions to the dentist. I don’t make it pretty, I just make it full, and when it is, I start another.

This applies to blogging too – life may get busy and I may not post on my blog for a few days, but don’t give up on me and I will be back to post when there is something worth posting about, I promise.

For some reason it has this library of really dorky photo frames you can use on pictures taken on the phone, such as this fantastic one I used to turn the feline Hoover, Ollie, into a wild west gunslinger.

I suppose it’s time for me to weigh in on the “Live Earth” event held this past weekend, though I find myself to be decidedly apathetic about the entire ordeal. I don’t feel moved. I don’t feel enlightened. I don’t feel aware. The 24-hour super-concert held around the world was designed to increase awareness about the perils of global warming and incite change on the world’s energy policies. While using more resources and generating more greenhouse gasses than most countries will in a year.

I think the concerts missed the mark on two major areas, but they were large enough blunders to bury the message under a mountain of public concern and scorn. They did not provide enough new information or any suggestions more sophisticated than flicking off the lights; and, although they did make small mention to the fact that changing x-amount of incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent would lead to X-amount of energy savings, they were not prepared to provide critics with a credible prediction for total expected energy-savings that all the Live Earth events worldwide would lead to, which would have convinced the sceptics that the energy used for the concerts was worth it.

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Deficient though I may be in the area of terrorist elimination, I think I can give Jack Bauer a run for his money when it comes to useful but unusual shoulder-bag contents. Inspired by Jamie’s post about the mysterious contents of Jack Bauer’s bag, I decided to do a little inventory myself. I’m not making this up, I swear.

Leather Journal
Three red pens (two functional)
Metallic Silver Sharpie
Make Magazine current issue
7 hair elastics
15 Beaded flower petals
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Here’s a cute read from Jamie Chisholm of Barstool Sports:

Jack Bauer’s bag terrifies me. Since the newest season of 24 kicked off, Jack has unleashed his typical level of death and maiming, often armed with only his over-the-shoulder messenger bag. The bag never leaves his side. In fact, if the mystery of Jack’s bag was a logic question on the LSAT’s it would go something like this: Jack Bauer’s bag never leaves his side. Jack Bauer kills people. Therefore, Jack Bauer’s bag kills people.But what exactly is in Jack’s bag? That mysterious bag has enabled Jack to single-handedly throttle the plans of an international terrorist organization with seemingly unlimited resources and manpower. After countless hours of research, I have unraveled the mystery of what Jack keeps in his jaunty over-the-shoulder number that enables him to fight a one man battle against global terrorism. Here is the invoice from Jack’s bag:

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