Leather Jacket/ Writing a Screenplay/ the Problem with Food Network Challenge

So, as I peered into my walk-in closet in my basement room in my parent's new home in Omaha, I was greeted by the clothing rejects that didn't make the cut for me to bring to college. I also saw an old friend in the form of the world's best leather jacket. I wore it when I was 11 years old when my dad didn't want it anymore and the copper leather arms out-lengthed my own. It made me feel like Tom Cruise from Top Gun. Well, 10 years later, th jacket was still in my closet, unworn for probably 8 years. I tried it on and it looks like one of those shorty jackets girls think are fashionable. And you know what? I still feel like Tom Cruise (the good Tom Cruise).

I wore it around today and I felt pretty BA. Although, I can't wear it around forever since its A)old and B) too small for me. So, I want a new one of the exact same thing, but I think they stopped making them like 15 years ago. So, I've been scowering the internet for one...it just sucks because the jacket pre-dates the internet, so I don't really know what its called or where to look for archived Banana Republic clothing. Wish me luck...

So, my step-uncle as got me reading his novel, which is pretty cool. He says he re-acquired the rights to make it into a move and wants me to write the screenplay for him. So, over the past couple of days, I've been reading it. Its pretty impressive that he wrote this thing...I know from writing my own fiction stuff (mainly screenplays) that it DEFINATELY ISN'T EASY. Trust me. When I'm writing, I'd usually rather be doing something else- and I mean anything else. Like watching Home Cooking with Sandra Lee or something. Anyway, the point is, writing a novel is a horrible pain, and I'm proud he was able to do it.

Unfortunately, I don't feel like it works as a screenplay because of it's sparse conflict. Meaning, should I try to adapt it, the story would be radically different. I'll be honest, I'm not really sure what to say when he asks 'what do you think?" I'm not for lying, but I want to be truthful about the story's shortcommings. If you have advice, please tell me...

Lastly, as I was reading the novel last night, I was watching Food Network Challenge- more specifically the one in which the chocolatiers have to make 4 ft replicas of world landmarks (Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower...) completely out of chocolate. Its not my favorite show, but its pretty cool how talented these people are. The one thing I wonder, though, is this: If there are so many starving people in the world, why are we making a 100 ft. Mickey Mouse Sculpture out of popcorn? Or why a gigantic cake made to look like Ursula from The Little Mermaid that wont get eaten? I feel like this show is wrong because it wastes A TON of food that doesn't necessarily have to feed the whole of Africa, but could be used for homeless Americans, at the very least. I'm not a real politico, I just wish our culture could spot this. I mean, is art really worth this kind of amount of massive waste? Especially when we have millions of needy? I love Food Network, but I can't bring myself to watch this show anymore.

Though I have to admit, the Eiffel Tower out of Dark chocolate was pretty bitchin'