Vote Cyclor

Writer's Block: It's Never Too Early...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:27:15 GMT

Black Friday is the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. When are you planning on beginning your holiday shopping?

Sponsored by Best Buy. Find holiday gifts for everyone on your list.

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I started like, two months ago. I'm practically done already because I want to avoid being trampled to death by throngs of Christmas-shopping zombies.

R.I.P.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:04:21 GMT

Jean-Claude is dead. From their website:

"Jeanne-Claude, 74, American artist and resident of New York City, died suddenly November 18, 2009 as a result of of complications due to a ruptured brain aneurysm.

Christo is deeply saddened by the passing of his wife, partner and collaborator and is committed to honor the promise they made to each other many years ago: The art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude will continue.

Christo is dedicated to completing their current works in progress: Over The River, Project for the Arkansas River, State of Colorado, and The Mastaba, Project for the United Arab Emirates, as Jeanne-Claude would wish.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude met in Paris, France in November, 1958, sharing the same date of birth and have worked together for 51 years creating temporary works of art.

It is Jeanne-Claude's wish that her body be donated to scientific research.

A memorial will be announced at a later date. Christo requests that flowers not be sent. Memorial gifts may be made to the charity of your choice."

I remember hearing them come to speak at Allegheny. It was a great presentation and getting a look behind the scenes and at some of their older work was really interesting. A few years ago, they were here in D.C., and I talked my parents into going to with me to the presentation. Again, a great experience.

Writer's Block: Mysterious benefactor

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:29:46 GMT

If you could give a secret gift of any value to one anonymous recipient, who would you choose and what would you give them?

Submitted By enchantra71

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I just feel the need to point out that if they're an "anonymous recepient" I wouldn't be choosing them. If I knew who they were, they wuldn't be anonymous now, would they?

STASH BUSTING or WHO WANTS FREE STUFF?

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:12:24 GMT

I've taken a look at my yarn stash, and decided I need to do something about it if I want to keep it from conquering my space.

So, here's the deal: leave me a message (either in the comments, or via Facebook, or e-mail, or any other way you feel like it) with your name, address, etc and I'll knit and send you something at some point, hopefully within the next six months or so. Within reason, I'm willing to take requests. In other words: no sweaters.

Writer's Block: Come here often?

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:34:57 GMT

What's the best pick-up line you ever heard (or tried)? What's the worst? If you're instantly attracted to someone, will a stupid pick-up line dampen your interest?

Submitted By downfall35

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I can't say anything about good pick-up lines, as I'm not really the type to try them.
I did put the question of the worst pick-up line to my friends once and they came up with the following:

"Excuse me, but does this rag smell like chloroform to you?"

NOT the greatest week ever

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:57:11 GMT

So, I was up in Pittsburgh last weekend to see Jess, and mostly to spend some time with her poor little rat, Remy, who wasn't doing so well. Even in the 36 hours or so I was there, I could see him getting worse. He passed away Tuesday morning. He was a great little guy, even if he didn't get along with any of his animal brethren. He loved to cuddle, and give kisses. I miss him.

And then I spent Wednesday morning in the dentist's chair getting my first root canal. An unpleasant experience, but not as bad as I was expecting. It isn't hurting too much now, but it is annoying. I need to be careful about what/how I eat, so I just haven't been. Probably good for me to eat less, but it does mean I'm humgry all the time. I'm actually looking forward to going to the dentist next Thursday so I can get this tooth fixed for good with a crown and get back to eating like a normal person.

On the bright side, I'm planning on going to the MD Renn Fest with Joya this weekend, but it's kind of a bummer because the food is half the fun and I won't be able to enjoy it as much as usual. Also because, like an idiot, I made plans to go with Taryn and her friends next weekend without checking the calendar, and only later realized that my friend Sara is getting married on Saturday the 10th. Which I'm crazy excited about, but that means two years in a row that I've missed going with Taryn :(

Writer's Block: Most inspiring teacher

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:28:45 GMT

Who is the most inspiring teacher you ever had and why? How often do you think about what they taught you? How has it changed your life?

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This is tough for me, because 'most inspiring' is a rather nebulous criteria.

There was Ms. Moy, my first grade teacher, who was just absolutely fabulous and encouraging to our developing minds. Her class was where I learned to read, and her patience with me certainly helped instill a lifelong love of books, and of learning in general.

There was my 7th grade science teacher (I feel terrible, because I can't remember his name. But then, he couldn't remember mine, either, so I guess it evens out), who was a tough teacher, but made the class come alive, and made the subject actually interesting. That was the last year he taught, because afterwards, he got very sick and ended up in a wheelchair. It saddens me to think about, but he's probably passed on by now.

Mr. Perschbacher was my high school geometry teacher, and despite having actually taught me a thing or two about math in a way that made me actually enjoy it (which was largely believed an impossibility until then), what I valued most was his attitude. He never gave us 'tests'; he had 'opportunity days'. Yes, it's a cheap trick, and we all knew it, but that was honestly how he wanted us to think about it. It wasn't a test, it was an opportunity to show what we'd learned and boost our grade in the process. He taught me to try and see the positive side of things, which is certainly something I've used far more often than calculating the area of an irregular polygon or anything to do with radians.

The Bakkens, both Kerry and Chris, were my college writing professors. I don't even know where to begin to describe what they taught me. Looking back at what I wrote in high school, or even in my freshman and sophmore years at Allegheny, Some of it just sets my teeth on edge after having taken their classes and learned how to write well; how to choose the best words, and how to put them together to fully express what I want to across. I also learned the value of editing and rewriting-- somerthing I'd dimly been aware of, but never really applied until I'd taken classes with them. It doesn't matter how terrible your first draft is; it's just a first draft. That's the whole point of a first draft, tog et the idea out there on paper, and then change it around and make it better. And those are lessons that I continue to use, if not as frequently as I would like.

Raymond Chandler

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:03:16 GMT

So, I'm reading The High Window, and I just came across a line that sums up part of why I love Raymond Chandler so much:

"From thirty feet away she looked like a lot of class. From tenfeet away she looked like something made up to be seen from thirty feet away."

His humor is dry and sarcastic, and delivered with absolute perfect timing to both remind us that L.A. is full of people pretending to be somebody else, and often to break dramatic tension. The man was a genius, and I feel bad for him because the genre he helped invent (noir), has become a total cliche thanks to--ironically--Hollywood. A movie can't give you the subtle humor, or the perfect turn of phrase that Chandler's novels are absolutely full of. For all his bravado and outward roughness, Phillip Marlowe is a very complex character, and that all gets lost on the screen because we don't get his narration and inner monologue, which is vital to the tone of the stories.

Edvard Much-- Lady From the Sea

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:08:57 GMT

I've always liked Edvard Much. I did a project about him for an art class back in high school and realized that his life was by turns fascinating and tragic. It's a pity nobody remembers him for anything beyond The Scream.

Writer's Block: As the Cookie Crumbles

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:33:19 GMT

If you ran the fortune cookie factory, what message would you make sure gets put in a cookie?

Submitted By 123ekaterina

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"Help, I'm being held hostage in a fortune cookie factory!"

Writer's Block: Kindness of Strangers

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:02:17 GMT

Would you donate a kidney or bone marrow to a stranger?

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Does it have to be mine, or can I donate somebody else's organs/tissue that I, err... just happen to have in the freezer?

But seriously, I think I would, depending on who the stranger was. I mean, would I give a kidney to somebody who wrecked theirs with alcohol abuse? Probably not. To a cancer patient? I'd certainly consider it.

Writer's Block: Commercial Appeal

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:28:53 GMT

What is your favorite commercial from your childhood? Bonus points if you include a video of it.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtml5rWA9ZQ

I refuse to explain why.

A question

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:37:41 GMT

So, here's something I was pondering earlier today, because I got bored and let my mind wander:

Which would be worse, having a limb cut off now, or being non-lethally stabbed every day for the rest of your life?

I have my answer, but am curious what other people think. I was considering using the dilemma either literally or metaphorically in a story I may write at some point in the future.

whatever

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:42:18 GMT

This is me feeling to need to post something.
This is an LJ post.
It has no real meaning or purpose.

Have some semi-random links:

http://www.superherosupplies.com/

http://dullegriet.wordpress.com/2008/05/23/hexagon-blanket-tutorial/

Writer's Block: Significant Change

Thu, 28 May 2009 18:38:57 GMT

Have you ever tried to change yourself for someone you were in a relationship with (or wanted to be in a relationship with)? Did it work?

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Have I ever not changed for somebody? My point is that I'm more and more discovering that I'm some kind of... sociomorph. That is to say, I find myself adapting and changing to whatever social situation I find myself in. Romantic relationships, being the strongest social situation, cause me to adapt the most. So yes, I contantly change as a defense mechanism, dapting myself to whoever I happen to be around.
Does it work? Sometimes. Often at the expense of my long-term mental stability, though.

On Vacation

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:58:22 GMT

I'm heading to New York City with the family tomorrow for my brother's birthday (he was born there, some 28 years ago). Looking forward to the trip, as I've never been there myself. Also looking forward to getting out of town and away from the office. WIll hvae more to say when I get back, I'm sure.

Happy Red Wolf Day!

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 01:25:33 GMT

click te picture for information and ways to help!

Fleetwood Mac, my car, and other Tales of Interest

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:12:44 GMT

So I was at the Fleetwood Mac concert at the Verizon Center last night. They still sound perfect and put on a great show. From what I could tell. Y'see, the Verizon Center isn't a great venue for a concert. IT's a sports arena, so the seating is stadium seating. I was on the end of the very highest row possible (almost... there's a half-row of seats higher, row Q. I shouldn't complain, though the tickets were a gift. Thanks Mom and Dad!), near the far end of the court. They'd be decent seats for a basketball game, but when you set up a stage on one end of a basketball court, a lot of people have to crane their necks to see anything. So my neck is sore. And I was getting serious vertigo waiting for the concert to start. So glad I didn't get anything to eat at the concession stand, or it would have ended up all over the woman sitting in front of me. But anyway... zero complaints about the music, or the performance. Just about the venue. I mind it much more enjoyable to be at an outdoor arena like Merriweather Post Pavillion or Wolf Trap.

I feel bad about my car having problems. I was going to take my friend Taryn to the concert, but then I couldn't get up to Baltimore in time to pick her up and everything because my car didn't get fixed until 3:00pm yesterday. Total FUBAR on finding someone to go with me... it's a long, complicated story, but my dad ended up joining me, which was nice, even if he did miss the first half of the concert.
So Taryn-- I wanna make it up to you. How's another lovingly baked cheesecake sound?

Oh, my car... it's such a love/hate relationship. I love it when it works and gets me where I need to go. I hate it every few months when it needs something else done to it that costs a large proportion of what I paid for it in the first place (sometimes even more than what I paid for it--damn electrical system...). MEthinks it's time to start looking for a new one. And by 'new' I mean 'new to me'. Sayonara savings.

Watchmen

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:00:34 GMT

So, I went and saw Watchmen last night. I thought it was actually pretty well done, and stayed more or less true to all the ideas and plot of the comic, if not to the exact specifics. The changes that were made were done well and make sense without changing the overall meaning of the story. Despite what some critics say, I didn't think it dragged at all. But then, I'm familiar with the source material.
Also, I think I just might need to buy the soundtrack. It was a really strong one, reflecting the time period the story occurs. Good job on not overdoing the super-modern techno or resorting to crappy pop music.
Most of the characters were played very well, even if they weren't written so well. I felt that Laurie in particular was under-developed as anything more than a sex symbol/love interest. Which is unfortuante, because she's a much more complex character than that, and it wiould've been nice to see some depth to a female character in a superhero movie. At least she wasn't a "damsel in distress".
All in all, I'd probably give it an B+/A-

Ben's car: the continuing saga

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:59:00 GMT

GRahhhHHH!
SO, I was out running errands yesterday when my check engine light came on. I took it to the Honda dealer,because they're open on Sunday and I need my car back ASAP. THey just called me back to say that I need a new catalytic converter. Ugh. This is gonna cost way too much money. And of course thery don't have the part in stock, they need to order it, so they can't even do anything until tomorrow... and I need it back by 2pm. They say they should have it done by three, but I'm hoping they finish sooner.
Have I mentioned that I hate my car?

Soccer Hooligans get their own Magic card.

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:27:18 GMT

Read the flavor text if you don't get it.

Writer's Block: Open Arms

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:38:51 GMT

Have you ever spontaneously hugged someone you didn't know? Or received an unexpected embrace from a stranger?

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Yes, yes I have. My freshman year at Allegheny I got a hug from some girl who mistook me for from behind for someone she actually knew. It was more than a little disconcerting for everyone involved.

Computer Tales

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:37:40 GMT

Well, with Adam's help and generous donation of his old computer, I have managed to install Windows XP again. Now I just need to try and get as many files as possible off my old hard drive, and try to get the internt connected. I just diodn't have the energy to mess around with internet settings and my wireless card and everything after installing windows last night. SO, slow progress, but I'll take it.

In other news, I'm happy that Scrabbulous has returned to Facebook. Apparently all they had to do to aviod a lawsuit was change their name. It is now called Lexulous.

ALso, I think I may be coming down with something. I can't get sick now, I've got plans for the weekend... Well, early to bed and drink plenty of fluids and keep my fingers crossed.

Writer's Block: From A to Z

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 04:29:30 GMT

Using one word for each letter of the alphabet, make a list of the words you most associate with yourself or that you feel best describe you.

Submitted By mesila

View 504 Answers

Alive
Blue
Comic book geek
Delusional
Edumacated
Future uncertain
Got a new high score on Hexic last week (199,995).
Human
Irate
Jack of many trades, master of very few.
King of... something or other. I forget what exactly.
Laundry, I should do it.
Male
Nonsensical
Obsessive
Person
QWERTY order, I almost put this list in it.
Rats,they are adorable, I don't care what you say.
Secretly a dabolical mastermind out to conquer the world
Trademark 1983
Under the weather
Vacuum is a word that looks wrong when yo write it out.
Writer
Xenomorph
You I like, but everybody else not so much.
Zygote (former)

Ok, so this list doesn't mke munch sense, I admit. But I had fun with it.

Happy New Year 2009

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:36:48 GMT

**Posted from the office, since the tiny gnomes who make my home computer work have gone on strike**

Well, it's another new year. Here's hoping that 2009 is better than 2008 was. And honestly, 2008 wasn't so bad... until about August/September.
In any case, I'd like to take the opportunity to apologize sincerely to anybody I may have hurt over the course of the last year, and to forgve anyone who may have hurt me. As Bazooka Joe once said: "Don't carry grudges, they only weigh you down."