Sealed with a...

I've been waiting for a newspaper editor to respond to my last email. She had contacted me about a possible writing opportunity, and I responded eagerly...two weeks ago. She has not written to me since then. So I examined the various reasons for this silence:

- The position isn't available yet.
- My writing sample failed to impress.
- My email was caught in the web.
- She was abducted by aliens and lost wi-fi service.

But in rereading my email to her, I'm beginning to think it was that very response that turned her away. It was friendly, polite, properly signed, and it contained contact information:
Or so I thought. But no, I actually sent this:
I emailed an emoticon. A depressing animated emoticon, no less! Now I AM depressed. You can't see the animation, but the face is actually at the apex of its frown in this image. It's like saying, "Don't call me - you'll regret it!" It would only be worse if I'd sent the enraged emoticon that shoots steam out of its ears:

More realistic would have been the guy begging...for a job.

Or "I'm so cool, you already have hired me":

So remember this, dear friends, when you write an email in HTML formatting, don't use any punctuation that could be misconstrued as a face. You might end up with one of these:

Elementary-Based Statistics

While researching today, I stumbled upon one of the websites that links people to former classmates. The site had a sample profile of my old elementary school, and I was surprised at the statistics:

10% of graduates from your elementary school like FRIENDS
18% of graduates from your elementary school like GARDENING
20% of graduates from your elementary school like GRUNGE
30% of graduates from your elementary school like ANIMATIONS/CARTOONS
46% of graduates from your elementary school like CATS

As you can see, only a fair few people like having friends. Perhaps this is why they spend so much time pursuing other solitary diversions, like gardening, grunge music, or cats, all of which seem inconsistent in their affection. However, I think everyone can agree that cartoons are better than friends and grunge music combined.

Vehicularly Environmental

I'm all about going green, but I'm not too impressed by electric/hybrid cars. Not enough to get excited.

Hybrids generally run on electricity up to a certain point, say 25-30 mph, and then the gasoline kicks in. This is supposed to save on fossil fuels. So, less oil and more electricity.

But doesn't that just mean more coal, etc. is being burned up by the electric company in the average 8 hours required to charge these cars? It's not terribly impressive until we get those off-shore wind farms going. Then the power doesn't have to be made, simply harnessed.

I guess hybrids also relieve dependence on foreign oil, so good for them.

Buyer Beware: While better for the environment and your daily commute, these cars may be swallowed whole by larger vehicles or stolen by thieves who can bench press more than 50 lbs.

For Claire

Let's go to Britain.

www.cupcakebouquet.co.uk

Getting Started: Freelancer

I'm freelancing! Officially.

Last week, I visited a local newspaper (which is fairly new, but well-established) to see if they were hiring staff in "layout, copy-editing, mostly writing--anything, please--ANYTHING, I'm begging you!"

The editor informed me they were not. But I could freelance any articles the reporters didn't have time to write! He named a price, and I accepted, thanking the gods for having escaped the minimum wage world of work-study. Then he invited me to the 8 a.m. Monday morning editorial meeting.

Ouch. Mucho ouch. I'm mildly fascinated by, but not proud of, my ability to remain solidly in bed, despite the thrashing of alarm clocks and glare of morning light. After summer's months of going to bed and awaking much too late, I was not eager to blow this opportunity by sleeping in. On Sunday night before bed, I literally prayed. "Dear God, could you please - I know it's my responsibility - never mind - I just need to wake up tomorrow, thanks. From Laura." *

BUT apparently this was the newpaper's first early Monday meeting, and the time was not terribly popular for anyone. At 8:01, I was the first writer at the office, besides the editor. Karma and luck have rewarded me with an invite to Thursday's editorial meeting at 11 a.m.

So, for work: one of the staffwriters was in my high school band and graduated a year ahead of me. She generously gave me one of her stories on a local nature conservatory's annual fundraiser, which I finished and will hopefully see printed this week! I also have a long-term project on local going-green efforts for the paper's quarterly magazine.

So that's my story for now. Still sending resumes and waiting to hear back from other places, but at least I'm doing something!



*I guess you're supposed to end prayers with "Amen," but it always feels like I'm reading a letter, the proper closing of which is a signature.