tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-339167032024-03-05T13:26:09.468-05:00The Literary OcicatMeghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-36404008435724998222011-04-04T14:18:00.002-04:002011-04-04T14:37:07.625-04:00Blarging<span style="font-family: times new roman;">I'm super tired today. I probably slept too much. And I've just been cranky today. I don't know why. I tried to go fight some goblins in <span style="font-style: italic;">Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</span>, but Kiri (my cat) wouldn't leave me alone. It's hard to do anything with a cat in your face. So now I'm trying to brainstorm ideas for an Easter basket exchange that I'm doing (which should be a lot of fun when I start getting some ideas). Which led me to the Internet. Which led me here. To complain about how grouchy I am. I'll probably feel better after I eat something.<br /><br />In other news, there's tons of nerdy entertainment coming out soon, so that's cool. I recently saw <span style="font-style: italic;">Limited</span>, the movie with Bradley Cooper about a guy who takes a pill and becomes super smart; <span style="font-style: italic;">The Adjustment Bureau</span>, with Matt Damon; and <span style="font-style: italic;">Tangled</span>. I think <span style="font-style: italic;">Tangled</span> was my favorite, but I liked them all pretty well. Mostly I'm excited for <span style="font-style: italic;">Thor</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Captain America</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Cowboys and Aliens</span>, and, growingly, <span style="font-style: italic;">Green Lantern</span>, all movies coming out between now and the end of summer. Until then, I have tons of books on my reading list. I have book ADD right now or something, because I've started something like half a dozen books and haven't finished most of them. I just started <span style="font-style: italic;">Mockingjay</span>, the conclusion of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and I should be able to finish that one. The rest might have to be returned to the library until I'm more in the mood for them. I have to wait until July for the next Dresden Files book (dang you, Jim Butcher!). I know I keep coming back to it, but the last one ended on a huge cliffhanger! What am I supposed to do? I need my Dresden fix! Maybe the new season of Doctor Who starting on the 23rd (of April! 20 days!) will tide me over.<br /><br />So. Those are all the nerd-related entertainments I'm looking forward to. I think it's lunchtime now.<br /></span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-54024193153655031182010-11-15T21:41:00.009-05:002010-11-19T13:57:40.010-05:00Autumnal Renewal<span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">Yes, I am ignoring the horribly emo embarrass</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">ing post that was my last one. I am also vowing never, ever to write a post at stupid o'clock ever again. My good judgment goes to bed long before the rest of me.<br /><br />Let's see now, what have I been up to? I got a job. 'S'okay. It sometimes requires me to get up very early, which my cat loves. She thinks I should do it everyday. This makes me not happy on days when I don't have to get up early. Ummm...Otherwise my life is</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"> kinda boring. Not in a bad way. Just in a not interesting way.<br /><br />Entertainment? I've watched most of Eureka, a Scifi (Syfy?) series which is hilarious and pretty great. I think it's my second-favorite show next to Doctor Who. Warehouse 13, also a Scifi, or whatever, series (which had a crossover with Eureka in the most rece</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">nt seasons) is also good, but I'm not as attached to it. I also just started Veronica Mars, based on <a href="http://ranteumptom.blogspot.com/">my brother's</a> recommendation. It is also pretty great and I am enjoying it immensely. Also, Castle had a steampunk episode that totally made my week that week. I love Castle so much. Oh, and the modern Sherlock Holm</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">es that was on PBS was pretty great, too. I like that phrase, don't I?<br /><br />Books, books...I decided a couple of months ago that I haven't read enough scifi (the genre, not the channel) and so I started compiling a scifi book list to</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"> gradually work through. It's been rather slow going, but I think it's been worth it. I read <span style="font-style: italic;">Little Brother </span>by Cory Doctorow and it was amazing. I also read most of a space opera epic that was pretty great (although I had to return it before I finished it and haven't gotten around to checking it out again). And I'm 2/3 of the way through a cyberpunky trilogy that I personally really like, but it is not for a general audience, so I wouldn't give it blanket recommen</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">dation. I also have</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"> a growing list of YA lit that certain members of my family have been insisting I read. I suppose the sooner I read them, the sooner they'll stop asking about them. Finally, I read the Dresden Files short story anthology that just came out and it only makes me want the next to come now instead of in March (or May or something). I may or may not go more into depth about some of these in later posts.<br /><br />I know most (all?) of you aren't webcomic readers, but <a href="http://www.abominable.cc/">The Abominable Charles Christopher</a> by Karl Kerschl is brilliant. One of the best things I've ever read. Equal parts cute, moving, thoughtful. The artwork alone makes it worth it. It updates on Wednesd</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">ays, so it only takes a little time once you get past the archives, which won't take long since you won't be able to get away. It is so completely worth it. Or you could just read the first chapter in the book my other brother (not the one mentioned above and not at all to do with Neil Gaiman's <span style="font-style: italic;">Coraline</span>) was thoughtful enough to order for me (and he got the super special awesome edition, too). I'm going to have to do a post on that story. And on TACC (that's how the "in the know" people abbreviate it). Look at t</span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">his adorable fox. Don't you want to read his story?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRgsPCpvq2HBEEQVHfNseW4b7AATdltCu4uoKLpbfh_zm9PjyDefpOaHxfhdGwabbP5XlPz53bmPC2iheZHUT0ddnjQD4RVE3ypDjftpxKm_d86Axr_ccfSSXYMxcVYHl2kE5/s1600/Townsen.jpeg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 68px; height: 68px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSRgsPCpvq2HBEEQVHfNseW4b7AATdltCu4uoKLpbfh_zm9PjyDefpOaHxfhdGwabbP5XlPz53bmPC2iheZHUT0ddnjQD4RVE3ypDjftpxKm_d86Axr_ccfSSXYMxcVYHl2kE5/s320/Townsen.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539987407444019410" border="0" /></a>Well, there went my goal of keeping my posts relatively short. As a parting gift, a little poem I wrote (in high school) about my favorite season.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The air grows cool,<br />days shorten and<br />nights lengthen;<br />the wind crispens<br />as footsteps start to crackle.<br />Skies shift,<br />grey to blue to black<br />and back again.<br />The trees catch fire,<br />oh so slowly,<br />slowly burning the leaves away.<br /><br /></span></span></div><p style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8kUELt4a4h4sHYHBH5TQnVQZm7dk60DAGOECdPKGnq3ebKtYGLdo8OYz6f4EdmHduzaaFPjq99G0D_2eSPG7vrNBQpQEd10kf0PT-M1DcVysCunLlaXWT-kP_f5DrIoEjElo/s1600/Autumn+Trees.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8kUELt4a4h4sHYHBH5TQnVQZm7dk60DAGOECdPKGnq3ebKtYGLdo8OYz6f4EdmHduzaaFPjq99G0D_2eSPG7vrNBQpQEd10kf0PT-M1DcVysCunLlaXWT-kP_f5DrIoEjElo/s320/Autumn+Trees.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539987974945126386" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal"></p>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-33973545360942585842010-05-23T00:34:00.002-04:002010-05-23T03:02:10.810-04:00To sleep, perchance to dream...<span style="font-family: times new roman;">No, I'm not talking about death (although that is what that quote pertains to in <span style="font-style: italic;">Hamlet</span> (in case you didn't know where it came from)). I'm going to talk about dreams. Eventually. (This post is super long, by the by. I couldn't find a satisfactory place to cut it and make it two posts.)<br /><br />First, an apology. It's been longer than I meant it to be since I've written here. Also, though I should doubtless get out of this habit, a preemptive apology for the likely rambling turns I'll be taking. I haven't planned this out at all and it's rather later than I ought to be up right now.<br /><br />Second, a warning. I have, for the most part, been rather lighthearted here. There hasn't really been much substantive musing. I suppose the transportation post could have been something, at least in the beginning, but it didn't end up as much. This isn't going to be lighthearted. It may devolve into a rant. Just thought you might want to prepare yourself. That being said, I will try to include some pictures.<br /><br />Now, on to dreams.<br /><br />Do you remember when you were little? And adults would often ask what you wanted to be when you grew up? What did you say? Astronaut? President? Explorer? Doctor? Vet? Singer? Actor?<br /><br />And then, slowly, maybe you realized that the chance of your dream coming true was kind of ridiculous and you decided to do something else. And that's fine. It really is. I'm not criticizing. Certainly not everyone can become president when they grow up.<br /><br />I don't think it's wrong to change. Maybe you really wanted to be an vet when you were little. And then you realized how allergic you were to most everything that moves and some things that don't and how nervous you get around even just the cat your family has had since before you can remember and you thought to yourself, "Y'know, self? I'd probably be pretty miserable as a vet. So if I'm not going to be that when I grow up, what will I be?" That was me. Well, I don't know the exact reasoning, but eventually I decided that it wasn't for me. I think there must have been something between vet and author, but for the life of me I cannot remember what. And that's what I want to be now. Not necessarily when I grow up, because I'm rather doubtful that I will ever do that, but in the future. And I don't expect it to be any time soon. But that is my dream. Well, that's my big dream.<br /><br />I have a lot of little dreams, too. It's a different kind of dreaming, more imagining, really, but it's just as important. I look up at the stars at night sometimes and I get the little dropping sensation in the pit of my stomach (the kind you get when you go over especially steep hills in a car (or, y'know, rollercoasters)) as I imagine gravity reversing and myself falling up into the universe around us. I seriously consider what I would do in the event of the (robot/zombie/general) apocalypse (the Facebook quizzes all tell me I'll survive the zombie apocalypse, so no worries there). I have imaginary conversations with the house elves who keep eating our food and taking our stuff (or at least moving it) and remind them to feed the Eater of Socks (which is from Terry Pratchett's <span style="font-style: italic;">Hogfather</span> if anyone was wondering). I wonder if I would really have the guts to hop into a blue police box with a strange man who claims to be a time traveler (Doctor Who, and I totally would). I debate with friends and family what the best super power would be or explore which one I would most want (and perhaps how I'd get it) and try to explain why personal teleportation would solve all our problems.<br /><br />And a lot of people don't do this kind of thing.<br /><br />It seems to me that a lot of people get to the "I don't want to be a vet after all" part, but then they kind of stop. Somewhere in the growing up part of life, people stop dreaming. They stop wondering what the aliens just on the other side of the stars are thinking as they study us. They stop pinpointing the exact moment in time when they and their alternate self in the parallel universe diverged.<br /><br />I understand that I don't have very much to worry about right now. I'm living at home and don't have to worry about food money or rent or paying really any expenses except those for my own amusement. I don't have kids. I'm not in school right now. There's a lot of space in my head not being taken up by worries that a lot of people have.<br /><br />But it really saddens me, how much people aren't dreaming.<br /><br />And it angers me when those that won't dream get annoyed with those that do.<br /><br />I don't know how many times I've had to listen to comments (and sometimes more than comments) about how hard it is to support yourself as a writer. Or how many weird looks I've gotten. Or exasperated looks. Or lectures about getting my act together and doing something useful with my time.<br /><br />Just recently I've gotten several projects into my head that won't leave me alone. One is teaching myself guitar. The other, inspired by a steampunk jewelery book, is to try some of the designs out and investigate participating a little in the steampunk culture, instead of just looking at and going, "Ooh, pretty." (See previous post on steampunk.)<br /><br />To both of these ideas, mini-dreams, if you would, I have often gotten dubious looks and lectures and a general sense of "never going to happen."<br /><br />Stop it. Just stop.<br /><br />Yeah, I realize that maybe I don't have all the skills required to do the modifications usually necessary in making anything steampunk. So why can't I learn them? And I know I might never be great at guitar, but I'm doing it for me and my enjoyment, not to perform for other people. So leave me alone about it.<br /><br />I am sick and tired of being ridiculed and reprimanded and shot down for dreaming. (Sorry, I couldn't think of a third "r.") Don't tell me to get my head out of the clouds. I will build my castles in the air and then I will invent hover-supports to keep them up there. I will dream the impossible dream. And the improbable ones too. I will get really excited and involved and emotionally invested with the stories I am experiencing through various media (books, tv, and so forth).<br /><br />I will not be more realistic. If I'm being unrealistic, then reality sucks and we should change it. Or find a new one.<br /><br />xkcd has a strip that I found recently. I won't post it here, because they swear in the last few panels, but the main panel is great and this is what it said:<br /><br />"The infinite possibilities each day holds should stagger the mind. The sheer number of experiences I could have is uncountable, breathtaking. And I'm sitting here refreshing my inbox. We live trapped in loops, reliving a few days over and over, and we envision only a handful of paths laid out ahead of us.We see the same things each day, we respond the same way, we think the same thoughts, each day a slight variation on the last, every moment smoothly following the gentle curves of societal norms. We act like if we just get through today, tomorrow our dreams will come back to us.<br /><br />"And no, I don't have all the answers. I don't know how to jolt myself into seeing what each moment could become. But I do know one thing: the solution doesn't involve watering down my every little idea and creative impulse for the sake of some day easing my fit into a mold. It doesn't involve tempering my life to better fit someone's expectations. It doesn't involve constantly holding back for fear of shaking things up." (<a href="http://xkcd.com/137/">This is the actual strip</a>.)<br /><br />I suppose the strip was the inspiration for this post.<br /><br />I'm not perfect. My way is not necessarily the best way. I've succeeded in screwing up my life pretty completely. I apologize to my friends and family who are finding out about this here, as I had intended on sending out an email with some explanation before this, but I have...run into problems at BYU. I am on academic suspension as a result of grades. I am not where I thought I would be in my life. I'm living at home until further notice, trying to get a job, maybe/probably going on a mission sometime next year. And some would argue that at least a portion of my problems have something to do with my dreaming. And maybe they're right. Maybe my castles in the air could use a ladder or to to allow access from the ground.<br /><br />But don't ever, <span style="font-style: italic;">ever</span> expect me to stop dreaming. And stop telling me, or anyone else for that matter, the things I/they (we?) can't do. Maybe I can and maybe I can't. Won't it be fun finding out?<br /><br />Maybe by striving for the impossible now, we make something merely improbable for the next generation.</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><br />I think maybe this is where my love of speculative fiction, in all its forms and media, comes from. (Speculative fiction is scifi, fantasy, and the other borderline genre.) It's full of people doing impossible things. It treats impossibilities as matters of fact and has people go on to achieve things even more impossible. It is the stories about the ordinary people who got caught up in extraordinary events. It's made of dreams. It's the dreams of dreams. It enriches your own dreams. I couldn't have thought of half the things I've thought of without the books and movies and music and shows that I love.<br /><br />I have a better grasp on reality as it is (as opposed to as it should be) than many people who know me might realize.<br /><br />I know that my approach to life right now is flawed. I know I need to fix the way I do some things. I know that some of my dreams are rightly considered impossible, okay? I know it's an uphill battle of Ragnarokian proportions to become a successful, published author.<br /><br />And I know that a lot of my imaginings aren't possible for me right now. No, I don't know most, if not all, the techniques I'd need to make the jewelery in that book. And I wouldn't be ready for the Doctor to appear in the TARDIS. I'm in no shape to do the amount of running that would be necessary to accompany him. (Yes, I'm referencing Doctor Who again. Go watch some of it and come back and it will make more sense, especially if it's from the new series. Especially if it's David Tennant's Doctor.) But these dreams are what inspire me to make myself better. This is what leads me to acquire, or leads me to want to acquire, kind of strange skills. This is why I want to get in better shape and get back into school to take classes that teach me things.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">I think that's what dreams are for. That, and giving a little more magic and wonder to life.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Maybe I'm just tired and frustrated and worn out and disgruntled from job hunting.</span> And sorry, no pictures.</span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-19935254778228985232010-05-07T03:35:00.008-04:002010-05-07T04:56:13.155-04:00First ImpressionsI went to a midnight showing of Iron Man 2 tonight, to show my nerd solidarity. By myself, which is kinda pathetic, but I think it was worth it. The first one came out when I was still in high school (and it may have been AP season at the time), so I made the wise decision and did not got to the midnight showing (plus, I didn't realize how awesome it would be). So I wanted to go this time. And I did (and I plan to do all of the Avenger line movies (the newest Hulk (we shall forget that the earlier one existed and never speak of it again), the Iron Man movies, the coming Thor and Captain America movies and (drumroll) the Avengers movie that brings it all together!), 'cause I am that excited for them). And now, still a little pumped from the movie, I wanted to get my first impressions out there. Doubtless I will see this once (or twice...or thrice) more, and I may do a more in-depth thing later. But first impression?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">It was AWESOME</span></span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSvPNdyTBDYuPWnx1O2br4hgjTio5sc6qWcX0fsFpqkIetDhylqIxFyyuoJsy69buPchNT1N4QSLea6yIf_dCagx9JkCbU79DzJl85GFmlazQ_uUqcq1CyIGsp8WuqU5sQZHj/s1600/iron+1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbSvPNdyTBDYuPWnx1O2br4hgjTio5sc6qWcX0fsFpqkIetDhylqIxFyyuoJsy69buPchNT1N4QSLea6yIf_dCagx9JkCbU79DzJl85GFmlazQ_uUqcq1CyIGsp8WuqU5sQZHj/s320/iron+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468447335870910050" border="0" /></a>In a week or so (maybe less), I'll organize all my thoughts about the superhero movies and explain a little to my non-comic savvy readers about a some things I've mentioned here and more that I'll be mentioning there. But here's to make a long story short (too late!) (at least it was until I edited this, but I wanted to leave the <span style="font-style: italic;">Clue</span> reference): the Iron Man movies have captured the comics (or, at least, my sense/experience of the comics) to a T. A T as in Tony Stark, because there could never be a better Tony Stark than Robert Downey, Jr. Thank you, RDJ, for taking this part. Everyone else was good, too, even though they changed the guy who plays Rhodes (I think I like this one better). I was especially surprised by how much I like Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Mickey Rourke as Whiplash (he didn't impress me in the previews).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGLNPRy7GC-QS8UeQKq1cnR47MgaG3vMSJO8BihJtbzjk95C54FQftIzDKjIuTWHfuHgy23xnzOcFdZjaJgDlGuEWaXXVq3UA8wzzikMzZ3Tg0ySUjgzeZJXofSSIyet2I9nh/s1600/Tony+Stark.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGLNPRy7GC-QS8UeQKq1cnR47MgaG3vMSJO8BihJtbzjk95C54FQftIzDKjIuTWHfuHgy23xnzOcFdZjaJgDlGuEWaXXVq3UA8wzzikMzZ3Tg0ySUjgzeZJXofSSIyet2I9nh/s320/Tony+Stark.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468447573231459474" border="0" /></a>And the writing was so great. They got the snark right, they got the action right, and there was some real emotion (even more than the last one, which did have some). And it was hilarious. And I think it was even cleaner than the last one (at least figuratively): no swearing (that I noticed, and I don't actually remember if they swore in the last one), and, very surprisingly (considering this is Tony Stark we're talking about), no sex (although there were scantily-ish (not, like, bikini scanty or anything..although there were those Ironettes or whatever they were called...) clad women and a skin-tight stealth suit on Black Widow). And not bloody at all. (This last but about being cleaner is probably only important to my Mormon readers, but I think that's the majority of you, so I included it.)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6Ap65OGdzw8dnWeZJnUz8VP7FHyY5ByfcjGj3Ph4KlRA4XLJ1zGBu4dAbTnbFYjVl5hokz3BVy52Wt37szBo-uOoaeJ3JS6hnOa3FdE9KIpuejJtxoW78PH38wRY663FTBWg/s1600/iron+man+2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6Ap65OGdzw8dnWeZJnUz8VP7FHyY5ByfcjGj3Ph4KlRA4XLJ1zGBu4dAbTnbFYjVl5hokz3BVy52Wt37szBo-uOoaeJ3JS6hnOa3FdE9KIpuejJtxoW78PH38wRY663FTBWg/s320/iron+man+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468447131666938834" border="0" /></a></span></span>Lastly (I promise), they avoided Spiderman 3 syndrome. I was worried, because from the previews, there were a lot of storylines going on. You had Whiplash with his vendetta against the Starks, the military drama, the mysterious buff suits Tony and Rhodes face together, Rhodes and Tony's relationship, Tony's and Pepper's relationship, Black Widow as a new character, background S.H.I.E.L.D. stuff going on, and then some stuff they didn't even have in the previews at all (or nearly)...There was a lot to cover. But it did not end up like Spiderman 3, where they just had too many storylines going on (a movie doesn't need 3 or 4 villains!). In Iron Man 2 they condensed it all nicely and it fit together like an especially well-made puzzle. It was a thing of beauty.<br /><br />So, I highly recommend it. It was so great. There is an after-credits thing, but it may not be especially exciting to those not familiar with all the things going on to line up all the Avengers movies. Like the last one, with Nick Fury being revealed (another perfect casting...), which isn't exciting unless you know who Nick Fury is and what he is in charge of. But it made me squee. Well, it was more like a "Yeah!" with a double fist pump (which in this case is both fists going over my head at the same time), but you get the idea.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-71398116805491714762010-05-04T13:17:00.006-04:002010-05-04T15:32:45.746-04:00I'm Spreading the AwesomeI was not expecting to be blogging again so soon, but I read about this thing going on with the blogosphere today, <a href="http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/2010/05/spreading-awesome.html">Spreading the Awesome</a>. (I read it on <a href="http://io9.com/5530399/skip-the-pretty-decent-books-and-go-straight-to-the-ten+star-ones">io9</a>, which is a nerd blog and awesome as well). It's all about recommending awesome (as in 10-star) books. I thought it was not only a great idea, but something I should do. As I love to read, you can expect to have many book recommendations in the future, but for now, I'm trying to think of the absolutely best books (which means not only did I enjoy them, but I think they are actual quality books) I have read. This is kinda hard. I enjoy many books, but I also recognize that they aren't necessarily all that great. I tried to think of ones that might be new to those I know are reading my blog (yes, I know every single person in my family has heard of at least the one series, but they're so good I couldn't resist), but I apologize in case you've heard me gush about these before. Also, these might not be your cup of tea. But I think they are excellent.<br /><br />First off, books that I absolutely love, but not many people seem to have read: Robin Hobb's books, starting with the Farseer trilogy, starting with <span style="font-style: italic;">Assassin's Apprentice</span>. She has two more trilogies that take place in the same world (and the last connects the first two), but I haven't finished them yet. (There's also some more coming out now, and she's written other books, some under a different name.) My reading stamina is oddly decreasing over the years and I don't have the attention span for epics anymore. But they are high on the list for when I feel like reading epics again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWVMpf0ZMukCa0QyDtz0wCGnPTWXj1wOtAJJ-VyFGWldzmOT8q0D0QjGxQ4ZtV6cSWzJcMPXOopTiijnXvAKQ8DvtA00hsgCVGO8OvuKdHdMdE9JgaMiu98Q6OYCd_wuG2DV8/s1600/AssassinsApprentice.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWVMpf0ZMukCa0QyDtz0wCGnPTWXj1wOtAJJ-VyFGWldzmOT8q0D0QjGxQ4ZtV6cSWzJcMPXOopTiijnXvAKQ8DvtA00hsgCVGO8OvuKdHdMdE9JgaMiu98Q6OYCd_wuG2DV8/s320/AssassinsApprentice.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467478691754223762" border="0" /></a>A brief intro: it is fantasy (high fantasy?) but the magic is very subtle, not wizards in long robes waving their arms to produce big bursts of light and such. It follows the life of FitzChivalry Farseer (Fitz), the illegitimate son of the crown prince of the Six Duchies as he navigates the politics of his land while trying to defend it from raiders of the OutIslands. Warning: these aren't very happy books. They had me crying a lot. But they do end satisfyingly and are beautifully written. They really are just magnificent and so intricate it's kind of mind boggling.<br /><br />Robin Hobb is one of my favorite authors because she's so dang mysterious (or at least, she used to be). Her bio was simply "Robin Hobb lives in Washington state." Then was added the bit about how she sometimes writes as Megan Lindholm, whose bios said the same except reverse. No picture, that was it. It was great.<br /><br />Next, Megan Whalen Turner's The Queen's Thief series, starting with <span style="font-style: italic;">The Thief</span>. I haven't read the most recent one, but I love the first three. Anyone who can write a first person book and still surprise me with the twist at the end deserves a prize (and I don't feel like she really cheated by just not telling you stuff, like some stories I've read). I love these books so much. And the new covers are so gorgeous.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthIfJ52Cu12HoHtkg1_jtgjrmk0I8hMpC9UowyCB8AeawoL6l6V4ipLuigkSaFI6q0At7ltwRT2fsr21VRG4hhD8HqhDmHF4eNk4PsbxEdkocMM8NDZLMf6RDoMEP-vYIZ-rm/s1600/the-thief.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthIfJ52Cu12HoHtkg1_jtgjrmk0I8hMpC9UowyCB8AeawoL6l6V4ipLuigkSaFI6q0At7ltwRT2fsr21VRG4hhD8HqhDmHF4eNk4PsbxEdkocMM8NDZLMf6RDoMEP-vYIZ-rm/s320/the-thief.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467479037461412386" border="0" /></a>Intro: fantasy again, but not much magic (and most of that seems to come in the first book, other than the occasional visit of a god or two). It's kind of alternate history as well, a sort of alternate Greece or something. I can't say too much, for fear of spoiling the twist, but it's largely about Gen, a charming little thief, and the shifting politics between three small nations trying to maintain their independence from the far larger nations on all sides. Man, I need to read these again...<br /><br />A new series that I started just a few weeks ago: the Temeraire books by Naomi Novik, starting with <span style="font-style: italic;">His Majesty's Dragon</span>. Alternate history, Napoleonic wars <span style="font-weight: bold;">with dragons</span>. I don't have to say more (although I will). Go read them. Also, Novik's style is so great, right on the nose. Very like Jane Austen/Patrick O'Brian. And the dragons are just hilarious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NZfOweq7FSZ-5cA1Vxz50NBAQa6k-mJQySmkjSvuN9B6ro67h46_KRknl9qAMYbKOsTkJyhjHJagYq064_vDw1DqK5Nlz2mbaLVK8Y7hVqJLaeThfHhx-MhtZBw2dBmOskpa/s1600/novik1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6NZfOweq7FSZ-5cA1Vxz50NBAQa6k-mJQySmkjSvuN9B6ro67h46_KRknl9qAMYbKOsTkJyhjHJagYq064_vDw1DqK5Nlz2mbaLVK8Y7hVqJLaeThfHhx-MhtZBw2dBmOskpa/s320/novik1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467479319915941298" border="0" /></a>Synopsis: Captain William Laurence, formerly of the Royal Navy, harnesses a rare Chinese dragonette captured from a French ship, names him Temeraire and joins the Air Corps. It's so great. I've read the first three and have the next two sitting staring at me accusingly for not having started them yet.<br /><br />This is all I will write about books today, although there are so many more. These are not only enjoyable (oh so very) books, but I think they are really fantastically written as well. So, here's me doing my part to spread the awesome. You should do yours. Oh, and <a href="http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/p/recommended-reads.html">here's the reading list that's being assembled</a> (I have no idea if I will make it on, but I don't really think so or care). It is being updated over the next few days. I am sad to say that I haven't even heard of most of these, and have read even fewer, but I will definitely be checking them out in the days to come.<br /><br />Update: I just found out that Spreading the Awesome started yesterday, but oh well.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-82196765466685074272010-05-03T19:37:00.004-04:002010-05-03T19:49:10.653-04:00Nothing in Particular<span style="font-family: times new roman;">I know I should write something interesting here, but I don't have the concentration right now to do a lolcats post (which is the next one I plan to do) because it involves a lot of pictures and this blog-writing layout is really annoying about posting pictures. So you get me rambling about whatever it is I'm thinking about (which is nothing much right now). Yeah, you can really feel free to just skip this one. Mostly, I'm just letting you know that I'm still alive and still paying attention to my blog.</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><br /><br />I'm looking for employment right now. I don't like looking for it. I gave my resume to a music shop, which I think I would be quite suited to work at and I think would be pretty fun, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I've also been told about some bank jobs, which would doubtless be good experience and pay better, but would be less fun.</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><br /><br />Also, I want to get an acoustic guitar and teach myself to play, but I haven't done gotten one yet, and haven't figured out exactly how I'm going to teach myself. One step at a time, I guess.</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><br /><br />I feel like there was something else I was going to mention, but I don't remember what. So I guess it won't be mentioned. I hope things are going well for whoever is reading this and stay tuned for lolcat hilarity. You know, eventually...</span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-42678716727879807702010-04-21T10:26:00.009-04:002010-04-21T13:05:31.640-04:00Musings on Life, Episode 1<span style="font-family:times new roman;">I am going to try my utmost to make sense, but I make no promises. Consider yourself fairly warned, or else.<br /><br />Also, I've realized that I'm kind of preachy and/or condescending maybe (is didactic the right word?) and I am trying to remedy this. Please let me know if I do or d</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">o not.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">So, kind of oddly (although this is eventually going somewhere, I promise), I've thought a lot about the evolution of transportation and its effect on communication between people. There used to be a kind of camaraderie amongst travelers, back when any travel of any length took weeks or months. People walking down the road or riding horses could nod and wave an</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">d smile and maybe fall in and chat with other people on the same road. There was even more safety sticking with a larger group in some places. And even with wagons, people were out in the air and could </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">be shouted to or at with ease. Even when richer people were bouncing along in carriages, they would stop at wayhouses and inns and maybe they would take a me</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">al or two in the common room, amongst all the rest of the travelers. (Note: Most of this I have gleaned from reading fiction and not actual research, </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">b</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">ut I think it holds fairly true nonetheless.)<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTpFwf2DY9VEs5igwy2zkrQm1cJeRXkBbiLgfEB55s3d0YOUB7marjQqdPv2JZa4rfmU6kmGt33c7EEcpoHenFWzOvXXCIFwXLyl_IN-9fw61AKTsjL354mM0RMu3NHhP5QI4/s1600/On_the_way.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 182px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTpFwf2DY9VEs5igwy2zkrQm1cJeRXkBbiLgfEB55s3d0YOUB7marjQqdPv2JZa4rfmU6kmGt33c7EEcpoHenFWzOvXXCIFwXLyl_IN-9fw61AKTsjL354mM0RMu3NHhP5QI4/s320/On_the_way.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462611263687176226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Now, by and large, we travel around in a little room </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">o</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">n </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">wheels. Because that's what a car <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span>. We are mostly completely enclosed in our own space and we can shut out the rest of the world. Also, the speeds we drive at, especially long-distance driving, would make conversation with other cars near impossible. In hotels, many people, if not most, scurry back and forth in the halls from their rooms to the dining room or the laundry or maybe the pool or game room, keeping their heads down and avoiding contact with the other patrons of the hotel. At least, that's what I do, and I think it holds true with a lot of people.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8dbZFjGOuxIhelDYf93I1Dn5n-r1Db4I5hpqcOMcoJ593Nk-iOpcRtpZ3MGh-LISk8_4D5lnvwaTaRxgEnYKusN5mNsFbAJN2MzEWKGPjqeC-ZbGaIYmIxNHhb5dJQce3vIK/s1600/walking-busy-street-2-big.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8dbZFjGOuxIhelDYf93I1Dn5n-r1Db4I5hpqcOMcoJ593Nk-iOpcRtpZ3MGh-LISk8_4D5lnvwaTaRxgEnYKusN5mNsFbAJN2MzEWKGPjqeC-ZbGaIYmIxNHhb5dJQce3vIK/s320/walking-busy-street-2-big.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462611724855072610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Technology has helped very little. Now in places where we might have engaged in some manner with our fellow travelers (i.e. buses, metros, trains, planes, or </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">walking down the street), we stick in our headphones (or maybe earplugs, on planes and long-distance buses) or keep our cellphones glued to our ears and ignore the other people around us in much the same way as they ignore us. There are still some people who will try to engage their neighbor in conversation, especially, in my mind, on planes, but I know that I would mostly find this an unwelcome intrusion into my life. I would probably be quietly annoyed with these people, they'd probably realize this, and then they'd leave me to Vergil (my iPod, remember) and book.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedPDp2U2FtwaiDi7GVBKa2tOAxxM19dCJ84sIUItvF4MZ8KPwaEv0z5AeK8faweZsjzgkA3aQhYrMWqFSL-KI4a5zWhHXUoLYUvxY7m8HZszyE4bg3GLTkmmEzCM_EELaehOz/s1600/100_7303_busy_broadway.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 227px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedPDp2U2FtwaiDi7GVBKa2tOAxxM19dCJ84sIUItvF4MZ8KPwaEv0z5AeK8faweZsjzgkA3aQhYrMWqFSL-KI4a5zWhHXUoLYUvxY7m8HZszyE4bg3GLTkmmEzCM_EELaehOz/s320/100_7303_busy_broadway.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462611929973903042" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">However guilty I am of doing my share of insulating myself against other travelers (and I do love my Vergil), I find this a little sad. In this day and age, with internet and Facebook and cellphones, shouldn't we be even more connected to the world and not less? Yeah, connection with people we know is different than connection with complete strangers, but it's still a little sad. Especially since travel is so much easier now. I can go to China in however many hours (hours!) that flight is, instead of the sixish months it took to get there, what, a couple hundred years ago? That's amazing! And yet, I barely look at the people I walk past, some them people I probably walk past every day who probably think of me as that weird headphones girl who is always making weird gestures with her hands (faux-conducting classical music) or playing air-guitar or bobbing her head mouthing the w</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">ords to songs that no one else is hearing. And yet (again), I don't seriously plan on altering my behavior anytime in the near future.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">So what am I doing to try to connect to the world? I'm being a jerk.<br /><br />I am one of those people who loves to drive with the windows down, and I think a large part of that is to blast my music out the windows. Really loudly. (Also, I sing along, but that is less to expose the world to my lovely (ha!) voice and more because I love to sing</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> along with the songs (even classical)). I do this with any music I happen to be listening to, so the people on the street and in the surrounding cars may be subjected to classical, eighties, anime, or the really random amount of music that I have managed to become attached to through the years. I have never found a genre of music that I absolutely did not like. Not country, there is some country that I like. Not rap, because even if I don't listen to any completely rap artist, I am quite attached to Linkin Park and they have a fair bit of rap. More often than not the music will have</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> words, because, as I've said, I love to sing along and it's a tad more satisfying with words to the songs than with classical music (or anime, where most of the words are Japanese, so I don't really know them).<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5MhVV-KinaO12UU-lDtX_XyfKtJdvCJ5Y_fvk9PE5UnWB8riz1zfSvQz03WHs5BI3xef4z-tUbAMIJ067R4KD0gTCdGnMX4st8VZ7yqXzZaNehL-t59m3Yn3NjyWoYdRrBne/s1600/ist2_5699521-devil-horns-hand-gesture.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 74px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5MhVV-KinaO12UU-lDtX_XyfKtJdvCJ5Y_fvk9PE5UnWB8riz1zfSvQz03WHs5BI3xef4z-tUbAMIJ067R4KD0gTCdGnMX4st8VZ7yqXzZaNehL-t59m3Yn3NjyWoYdRrBne/s320/ist2_5699521-devil-horns-hand-gesture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462614110453863858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Now, I myself think I have pretty good taste in music</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">, but I would, wouldn't I? And I'm certainly not trying to be malicious with my music-blasting. Mostly, I like to think that I am maybe bringing a little culture into people's lives (if I happen to be rocking out </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">to Mozart or Bach or Tchaikovsky), or introducing them to some music they hadn't listened to before and will spend years trying to track down on the internet. See there? New music and an adventure and a story to tell your kids and/or nephews/nieces and/or just your friends.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">This is how I am trying to break down the walls we'v</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">e built as we travel. This is my contribution to the traveler's society. Being the jerk who blasts music out the windows of her car. Sure, I could try talking to someone once in a while, but where's the fun in that? It's much more fun to be the loud music jerk.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">So how do you reach out to your fellow travelers? What're your thoughts about the evolution of travel and communication? Or your thoughts about my method of trying to change our travel isolation? Or your thoughts on anything at all? Really, I'm open to just about anything.<br /></span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-27116461095369809512010-04-10T16:08:00.010-04:002010-04-10T17:02:45.333-04:00For Your Consideration<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Isn't that the title of a movie? Whatever.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">My sister advised me that I should try and post something at least once a week. I suppose I should, lest I fall into the habit of not posting anything, ever.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I am going to post here a few online games (all completely free, I promise) that have caught my attention over the last few years. None of them take very long, so this shouldn't be a huge time-waster for anyone, unless you follow links on the pages I link you too, but I take no responsibility for that.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The first, and I think it was the first online game that was truly thought provoking for me (not to mention it led, in one way or another, to several others mentioned below) is </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;" >(I Fell in Love With) The Majesty of Colors</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. It's controlled solely with the mouse. You are a Lovecraftian (being similar to the monsters that H.P. Lovecraft wrote in his short stories) sea monster. You can affect your surroundings in various ways, resulting in several different endings. It's really quite brilliant. I'm not saying it's perfect, but it has found its way into my heart as one of my favorite go-to games when I'm bored.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: times new roman;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85sIq35tFG6kiEiqj-XkzURf-c3xwm9oG0LSOGqvCgbPuwxhDlfyPB4ST6UNF-_wp3z2Tjio-NK9J68CN2L3NY0TBLYut9KMqxkNfdaC9HYtA-oxqnMjxET1Fw-WnOJDkSIcX/s1600/gswmajestyshot.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 424px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85sIq35tFG6kiEiqj-XkzURf-c3xwm9oG0LSOGqvCgbPuwxhDlfyPB4ST6UNF-_wp3z2Tjio-NK9J68CN2L3NY0TBLYut9KMqxkNfdaC9HYtA-oxqnMjxET1Fw-WnOJDkSIcX/s320/gswmajestyshot.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458607056020153858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(I Fell in Love With) The Majesty of Colors</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;">You can find this game any number of places. I found it <a href="http://armorgames.com/play/3314/the-majesty-of-colors">here</a></span>. <a href="http://jayisgames.com/archives/2008/12/the_majesty_of_colors.php">This</a> is a review and a walkthrough (if you get stuck). It also links to a different site from which to play the game. <a href="http://armorgames.com/author/GregoryWeir">This page</a> also contains several other games by the same creator, Gregory Weir. My favorites are <span style="font-style: italic;">Exploit</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Bars of Black and White</span>. Not as thought provoking, but pretty good nonetheless.<br /></div></div><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Majesty of Colors</span> led me to <a href="http://www.ludomancy.com/blog/">Daniel Benmergui</a>.He's created several games, but the ones I like the best are </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;" >I Wish I Were the Moon</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> and </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;" >Today I Die</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. They have their own very unique styles of gameplay. In </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;" >I Wish I Were the Moon</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">, you change the environment by taking "pictures" of objects and moving them around (one click takes the picture, another makes the object in the picture move to wherever you moved the frame). There are, again, several different endings (also, a really pretty harp piece). </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;" >Today I Die</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> is kind of strange and a little creepy. You change the environment you are in by dragging different words into the text; you have to do certain things in each environment to unlock new words to place in the text. It also has very pretty music.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ20vcPzvWU8eegPapHyXCtxJI6clyFXRG9F-TdzMQaqJELRiQDOW-z2b_hrI8zTLr13mPAjAL4M2igA_gqJ0kUUbTz8gBp3d13XEIdZYLhkkZLj_bQolqGJUsjneMW6_ChLw7/s1600/moon2.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 139px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ20vcPzvWU8eegPapHyXCtxJI6clyFXRG9F-TdzMQaqJELRiQDOW-z2b_hrI8zTLr13mPAjAL4M2igA_gqJ0kUUbTz8gBp3d13XEIdZYLhkkZLj_bQolqGJUsjneMW6_ChLw7/s320/moon2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458610666509414882" border="0" /></a><a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFVhJLHjM28tUGzWD7FndZdmoZAFSXhMSPai2lta7Fau3zEA1067BGDXqtEUM7BzfolGM-DMsLR2l-tsOYGG-TT8c7ueQJILXcEJ6CICySiKjJN6nXit9S9ntwpXgUN55dmx_/s1600/today+i+die.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFVhJLHjM28tUGzWD7FndZdmoZAFSXhMSPai2lta7Fau3zEA1067BGDXqtEUM7BzfolGM-DMsLR2l-tsOYGG-TT8c7ueQJILXcEJ6CICySiKjJN6nXit9S9ntwpXgUN55dmx_/s320/today+i+die.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458611152265725618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Both <span style="font-style: italic;">I Wish I Were the Moon</span> (pictured left) and <span style="font-style: italic;">Today I Die</span> (pictured right) can be found at David Benmergui's blog (as linked to above). On the right side are links to his games (through screenshots of the games) and these are the two on top. If you get stuck, there are walkthroughs online if you search "(game title) walkthrough."</span><br /></div><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The last game that I'm going to give you today is </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;" >Gray</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. It's a political commentary. Usually I wouldn't go near a political-type game, but this one is very clever and has an interesting game-play. And it resonated with me, the non-political that I am. It's very simple and easy to figure out and requires no walkthrough, although you should know that the first stage is the longest and they each get shorter after that. </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:times new roman;" >Gray</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> can be found </span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.intuitiongames.com/gray/">here</a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGQjYoPUkD_hHQf5TldOGEAZrhSSw-Yh6qBh9W4DvwXM8sIfEAWRi9PSGLDWTPQC-wcW4bAkpMpn3ci3_sY5UvPbmfq4BX2MwswdbGZ2E3XLSz9-VPuwCtmZySJM9Lrx_zuRk/s1600/gray.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGQjYoPUkD_hHQf5TldOGEAZrhSSw-Yh6qBh9W4DvwXM8sIfEAWRi9PSGLDWTPQC-wcW4bAkpMpn3ci3_sY5UvPbmfq4BX2MwswdbGZ2E3XLSz9-VPuwCtmZySJM9Lrx_zuRk/s320/gray.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458613612635630034" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Gray<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" >So, I hope these games get you thinking a little bit, 0r that you simply enjoy the beauty and ingenuity that went into them. Also, I really like Bon Jovi. That is all.</span><br /></div></div>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-32866466912173950792010-04-03T15:12:00.002-04:002010-04-03T15:29:39.633-04:00Bored out of my mind<span style="font-family: times new roman;">That's right, out of my <span style="font-weight: bold;">mind</span>. I'm working in a computer lab on campus and it's Conference weekend (General Conference, a semiannual thingy the Mormon church does, for my non-Mormon readers) which means this computer lab is EMPTY. Yes, I get paid to sit here and do nothing. At the same time, there is <span style="font-weight: bold;">nothing to do</span>. I'm not really complaining because this is a sweet job and I love it, but I guess this is just my way of telling you that this post has little point.<br /><br />I am right now listening to a "Rockin' Out" playlist that I made today, largely full of songs that I have been introduced to through Guitar/Band Hero. For years and years I didn't understand why Guitar Hero was so freakin' popular, but then I was introduced to it maybe a month or two ago and now I have seen the light. It is <span style="font-weight: bold;">fun</span>. It doesn't have the story-driven appeal of most of my favorite video games but it has a huge wish-fulfillment aspect. Who hasn't wanted to be a rock star, at least a little bit? That's right, no one. And Guitar Hero does a superb job of simulating the guitar playing experience. Also, when I played Band Hero, I realized how fun it is to do vocals (at least on songs that I know). I just hope I don't annoy those I play with <span style="font-style: italic;">too</span> much...<br /><br />Anyway, my experience with Guitar Hero has a) introduced me to a lot of new music that I might otherwise have never listened to and b) made me much more physically emotive when listening to music, which I'm sure has earned me many weird looks on campus when I am listening to Vergil (my iPod). So this morning, after last night's Band Hero session with some fine, fine people, I went on iTunes and got some of my favorite songs that I've heard from Guitar/Band Hero and put them and a few other appropriate songs on a playlist that I have dubbed "Rockin' Out." And since the computer lab is pretty much empty I can be much more physically emotive than I would usually be. That is what I'm doing. Eventually I might actually do something productive...Ha, yeah right. Hope things are going well for you all. I'm going back to rockin' out.<br /></span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-16109024691968874592010-03-24T23:12:00.015-04:002010-03-25T00:53:50.813-04:00Steampunk: It's Just That Awesome<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">This is quite unprecedented. Due to the number of comments on my introductory post to my new blogging attempt, and the fact that most of them mentioned steampunk, I decided to do a steampunk post. Steampunk is awesome and it fascinates me and I don't really know why. Mostly, this is an introduction to steampunk the way I see it. There are some recommendations at the end of things to watch and a brief musing on what makes steampunk so cool.</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /><br />Disclaimer:</span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> I do not claim to be an expert in steampunk. Feel free to correct me, but please do not make me feel stupid. Thank you.</span><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />Warning</span></span>: <span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:100%;">There are a lot of pictures in this post. It's easier to explain steampunk with pictures.</span> Also, I found most of these pictures by Google Imaging "steampunk," sometimes specifying the type of thing, like "steampunk goggles" or "steampunk robot." And with the examples, those are just things I know about. So, none of these images are mine.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPW7DHz_Iq4tDrBgZRMdNuGvP5eItU7Pd4UE25HhGwiYixDZmBIs-5tYFwZA9Lr9NHqZFxmIIrRJw4OMO5kbR9jCsKKnqAQE48cKDP-RJyC8QFecNI9PxHkEI_5UwaokpGCtRd/s1600/Steampunk.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 352px; height: 441px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPW7DHz_Iq4tDrBgZRMdNuGvP5eItU7Pd4UE25HhGwiYixDZmBIs-5tYFwZA9Lr9NHqZFxmIIrRJw4OMO5kbR9jCsKKnqAQE48cKDP-RJyC8QFecNI9PxHkEI_5UwaokpGCtRd/s320/Steampunk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452403498538058834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">I've always had a hard time explaining steampunk, both what it is and why I like it so much. The best I've heard it described (by my brother, Eric, if I remember correctly) is the aesthetic of the Industrial Revolution</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> era with ridiculously advanced technology powered by steam, of all things. Imagine that, steam in steampunk.</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> It isn't constrained to Industrial Revolution, but I don't think I've ever seen it much earlier or any later than WWII.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-sU8flZ0SQBjxki_V2tFwJpYO8M0y3bwEGT-EAnm5SCc9JDLIMlTImnN-RUfRDQPGco-gmVzp_Wn0gvDo84597TH_TDAiolLmBzFzFGN3UOV1k7JpVE3fOK4UrkmX_YuPN1J/s1600/steampunk+3.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-sU8flZ0SQBjxki_V2tFwJpYO8M0y3bwEGT-EAnm5SCc9JDLIMlTImnN-RUfRDQPGco-gmVzp_Wn0gvDo84597TH_TDAiolLmBzFzFGN3UOV1k7JpVE3fOK4UrkmX_YuPN1J/s320/steampunk+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452403036953690482" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQASHx5e5M7tw2Db4rUBYNWuqU1gxUbd7c4Zpl0PI75XQOk8xNmHrlK2HoZhO8b4oAjfrxXpxztZBcZqTXAZuQEhouFhxshQRx58tpRLSCPS_EpZu8D2GXmk58vpDId5pGhyyK/s1600/Steampunk+2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQASHx5e5M7tw2Db4rUBYNWuqU1gxUbd7c4Zpl0PI75XQOk8xNmHrlK2HoZhO8b4oAjfrxXpxztZBcZqTXAZuQEhouFhxshQRx58tpRLSCPS_EpZu8D2GXmk58vpDId5pGhyyK/s320/Steampunk+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452403300511034658" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:courier new;">To the left and right are a taste of the kinds of images steampunk evokes and below is a picture of some steampunkers all dressed up in their con (convention, as in some sort of sci-fi (probably) convention) best (I'm assuming it's a con, I don't really know)<span style="font-family:courier new;">. As you can see, there are a wide variety of looks you can go for from upper class to street urchin and everything in between.</span> And some of them are toting some lovely examples of the obligatory steampunk accessories.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMxb4RGtNu8fejuEua2cd_B84HvpLQPYo9LFrFaQmW4ZaqkPQBDlDrBFtDG7xkHXw2aB_eu9OzWRAqdPsSq9ZmO32Fn95rqb1ehVhwm118ylWnGK9yWY3Vsiw1BW1JfMnHurd/s1600/Costumes+1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 382px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMxb4RGtNu8fejuEua2cd_B84HvpLQPYo9LFrFaQmW4ZaqkPQBDlDrBFtDG7xkHXw2aB_eu9OzWRAqdPsSq9ZmO32Fn95rqb1ehVhwm118ylWnGK9yWY3Vsiw1BW1JfMnHurd/s320/Costumes+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452402200703588290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">People enamored of this subculture (if that's the right word) and handicraftier than I have taken to modifying everyday things into said accessories, sometimes for cons and sometimes just for home decorating. I have run across several sites with pictures of said homes and they make me wish I had that kind of money to burn. Someday, someday.</span><span style="font-family:courier new;"> Also, there is a sub-subculture that steampunkifies Star Wars and what they accomplish is pretty darn cool.</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1GdzQszCMFZRIIpky_QYbHl0A-ah8WMemDKTYjyJQi7tWmXYIstSAvvfoT7iQUj9JTMhIUulAOrJmDjWDBgebZYcG9-WLQlGmvNbVgLuNqHF7OPBr12OQ1-Y37Vd4_aa5-Tj/s1600/Fan.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1GdzQszCMFZRIIpky_QYbHl0A-ah8WMemDKTYjyJQi7tWmXYIstSAvvfoT7iQUj9JTMhIUulAOrJmDjWDBgebZYcG9-WLQlGmvNbVgLuNqHF7OPBr12OQ1-Y37Vd4_aa5-Tj/s320/Fan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452401801984334466" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">a guitar</span></span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJSY7Z6FZ94L7Cxbcg4lDfjIyerRkQTE8Fvrv9OBppEHu7gCZj4j7yckBWPCM9e53cVcimq4Hzkr2eSjx7sAevkKAOMidDiZGBkme1zZ5IRGUwafNkqPhMK7Nzlsem3p8pFUS/s1600/guitar.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDJSY7Z6FZ94L7Cxbcg4lDfjIyerRkQTE8Fvrv9OBppEHu7gCZj4j7yckBWPCM9e53cVcimq4Hzkr2eSjx7sAevkKAOMidDiZGBkme1zZ5IRGUwafNkqPhMK7Nzlsem3p8pFUS/s320/guitar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452401663260152578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><br />a fan</span></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlV_Nxu2Jp94P6g9Z4LeEMFTfnHTFYovf8gIaFJvJIInsD7updrRE9KR4xNt3NY4ZSl64hqB71inYflIKZFg9ltANS8arEB6lTmdrz7aYGqD9MRpz6w6OdOPVqhDqhskNSxIuN/s1600/Nerf.jpeg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlV_Nxu2Jp94P6g9Z4LeEMFTfnHTFYovf8gIaFJvJIInsD7updrRE9KR4xNt3NY4ZSl64hqB71inYflIKZFg9ltANS8arEB6lTmdrz7aYGqD9MRpz6w6OdOPVqhDqhskNSxIuN/s320/Nerf.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452401998702201458" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Previously seen Nerf guns</span></span>. <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">Oh, what I would do with more time, money, and talent.</span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzx6ewiGYat4wQQWhNzJ3LwehOEyz-SbbiortTfks-O7EicuRndQoAGit4cBrGW-nuR-X34nuvSxGdD9JnaREt7d8ZAuiZjr3DRzeCG3E2_lG2j_kb34GCb5nwApsham-jYmbE/s1600/automobile.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzx6ewiGYat4wQQWhNzJ3LwehOEyz-SbbiortTfks-O7EicuRndQoAGit4cBrGW-nuR-X34nuvSxGdD9JnaREt7d8ZAuiZjr3DRzeCG3E2_lG2j_kb34GCb5nwApsham-jYmbE/s320/automobile.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452401378740267858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">What a steampunk car bike thing might look like.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MhXUwNHbaBjmIaL1LS_RDwqdBCpaQofLRXXaSsm3cjjjRT6R7IU_zuNhZixAX2VbGKlZNQzvd85HLmGMclYw-sPkuecY8Y98sRSkpHCUQop_8EN3EnFFbYxNBP7lzZ7jsKYi/s1600/Computer.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9MhXUwNHbaBjmIaL1LS_RDwqdBCpaQofLRXXaSsm3cjjjRT6R7IU_zuNhZixAX2VbGKlZNQzvd85HLmGMclYw-sPkuecY8Y98sRSkpHCUQop_8EN3EnFFbYxNBP7lzZ7jsKYi/s320/Computer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452401206119323234" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpEm60dmeZvhJSaFCNohVzbKjMAlY8fp8ksLZaDQY0D_bEkQ-hkBLzfu4KX61tO5-Rado6IizMH83hWZilrnCeaS0JEthjgivdO60ZgQoMyukGH00-asJSCptl9SihpcAdpRB/s1600/iPod.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 167px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpEm60dmeZvhJSaFCNohVzbKjMAlY8fp8ksLZaDQY0D_bEkQ-hkBLzfu4KX61tO5-Rado6IizMH83hWZilrnCeaS0JEthjgivdO60ZgQoMyukGH00-asJSCptl9SihpcAdpRB/s320/iPod.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452401043779902338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">These are some technologies that may be commonplace now, but would have been absurdly advanced in the time periods steampunk usually takes place in. An iPod skin imagining a steampunk iPod to the left, a laptop to the right</span>.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroqGzhBVPIewo_alutYcBh7RJsbdnlpslPb_FSy59cPfnnip793b0ghT8dJhsqXPL5M_M6acJH-5nxNdTvEbPLIUJZVad8QXmLyn4g3YIZ2f1vC2828YxMtyWxxSdQP7teCKT/s1600/Ironman.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroqGzhBVPIewo_alutYcBh7RJsbdnlpslPb_FSy59cPfnnip793b0ghT8dJhsqXPL5M_M6acJH-5nxNdTvEbPLIUJZVad8QXmLyn4g3YIZ2f1vC2828YxMtyWxxSdQP7teCKT/s320/Ironman.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452402623375560994" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Steampunk Ironman</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdaXp5bdEm9e2Azwm_5oZy5c3t4W8MbVOHUVmQwOlN8kzgIFF_zAH88-pOt9V-mjFKHx3cOT5kgkQ0McdUzcRM6ftZsUllSujvTjK4waZoUyrxxq4Pjom-lNd_tikyJBn5b-_/s1600/SpiderRobot.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdaXp5bdEm9e2Azwm_5oZy5c3t4W8MbVOHUVmQwOlN8kzgIFF_zAH88-pOt9V-mjFKHx3cOT5kgkQ0McdUzcRM6ftZsUllSujvTjK4waZoUyrxxq4Pjom-lNd_tikyJBn5b-_/s320/SpiderRobot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452400782285179586" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >Steampunk Spider Robot</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIdaXp5bdEm9e2Azwm_5oZy5c3t4W8MbVOHUVmQwOlN8kzgIFF_zAH88-pOt9V-mjFKHx3cOT5kgkQ0McdUzcRM6ftZsUllSujvTjK4waZoUyrxxq4Pjom-lNd_tikyJBn5b-_/s1600/SpiderRobot.jpg"></a><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVs6Myt2YL-mweFOxziO8Pr8I-a78qeiX1CeXnyNCNvB80-IUd2gvfTkHPpz2LgtnLsYU_DK7zt-Oj-7v2mTJ8J08Eu8aP8hUIwgFZS83qJfS_zCLAm3kAQ5wwYHQKNWCvGpc/s1600/Watch+1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 141px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVs6Myt2YL-mweFOxziO8Pr8I-a78qeiX1CeXnyNCNvB80-IUd2gvfTkHPpz2LgtnLsYU_DK7zt-Oj-7v2mTJ8J08Eu8aP8hUIwgFZS83qJfS_zCLAm3kAQ5wwYHQKNWCvGpc/s320/Watch+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452400463937379954" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgin0j-L9t-VSWU7-Njla07jz4bwEnZnwGW4-dtt9UcQQCiOKJ1wj9H_As7qowpoRo9i_3928NBOfbcw9OJRaNfOFqD4QwVYCiYJ-d7s70xG0H9ntzzNrwbodDf22Cr-IGgHJGy/s1600/Watch+2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgin0j-L9t-VSWU7-Njla07jz4bwEnZnwGW4-dtt9UcQQCiOKJ1wj9H_As7qowpoRo9i_3928NBOfbcw9OJRaNfOFqD4QwVYCiYJ-d7s70xG0H9ntzzNrwbodDf22Cr-IGgHJGy/s320/Watch+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452400573977047314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">There are certain items that tend to turn up rather often in steampunk. Clockwork and watches are one of these. There are almost always visible gears in the many contraptions that pop up, as well as watches that do what super-fancy spy watches do (or some steampunk-era equivalent) but look a lot cooler because they do it with old fashioned watches and a lot of add-ons. Another common entity is the modified gun. They will often look like souped-up guns of the Industrial Revolution era, but will do cool things like shoot lasers or something. Also, air transport will more often than not include a lot more dirigibles (or blimps or whatever).</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFVFr6lkZ_36qLPH7wBCWsiDaw0dC8LcJPSFodyLY_7KVI7_W_G1I3ptFx5KfOVQ70aUy2SBbJsfaSghkJoBZ6olZesiB6wZYBQOt5y7lDEfSZirpRb9e1hktRQsN9Ss_E-3Q/s1600/dirigible.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFVFr6lkZ_36qLPH7wBCWsiDaw0dC8LcJPSFodyLY_7KVI7_W_G1I3ptFx5KfOVQ70aUy2SBbJsfaSghkJoBZ6olZesiB6wZYBQOt5y7lDEfSZirpRb9e1hktRQsN9Ss_E-3Q/s320/dirigible.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452400233954159602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLb7pTRl4w5J6xQgHTiVUEnpTp52oqGnqae0jmp23fzWAkqR3K99Q9_McXP4UlfuDOhKLFCbOMay1dBpdtoDrSqXUydHWSfsqewa8S6G5ZETmPYW9m25m6EcflWjKdIM5G2W_/s1600/goggles+1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLb7pTRl4w5J6xQgHTiVUEnpTp52oqGnqae0jmp23fzWAkqR3K99Q9_McXP4UlfuDOhKLFCbOMay1dBpdtoDrSqXUydHWSfsqewa8S6G5ZETmPYW9m25m6EcflWjKdIM5G2W_/s320/goggles+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452399748463684050" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDx4UpKTLLVw7r84y819Ahj7a8QQUHY-88wkE2-yrGh2tj__mlwF-B7rQbNHLkFaVB9UM_cAf914FVlyryVgGSEozs7dPGoUQtHvQmR3svRAAEjFNFxCafjGp3fqEhrUrWlhgx/s1600/goggles+2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDx4UpKTLLVw7r84y819Ahj7a8QQUHY-88wkE2-yrGh2tj__mlwF-B7rQbNHLkFaVB9UM_cAf914FVlyryVgGSEozs7dPGoUQtHvQmR3svRAAEjFNFxCafjGp3fqEhrUrWlhgx/s320/goggles+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452400034982774002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />Steampunkers will also probably have cool goggles. They range from the less-is-more variety (left) to the more-is-always-better (right) to the kind of absurd, I don't exactly what it is but it looks cool and has clockwork (below).</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSWg2th7II794dMRAaVh5NgXy2BQ-YZVvg_x-k4l9zVAjXcR2QBxPMUECxfsyrXwF008VaEh7lbb_2w-KUfInIWEt8KTuRTykR7pCiMuT_4BwW2T0dLN0iBQ6_Fcx4o-HvAOh/s1600/Thingy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSWg2th7II794dMRAaVh5NgXy2BQ-YZVvg_x-k4l9zVAjXcR2QBxPMUECxfsyrXwF008VaEh7lbb_2w-KUfInIWEt8KTuRTykR7pCiMuT_4BwW2T0dLN0iBQ6_Fcx4o-HvAOh/s320/Thingy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452399612225393874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Now, here is some consumable steampunk. The first steampunk that I think I came into contact with was Steamboy, an anime movie. I really need to watch it again, because I don't remember anything about it except that I liked it and that it had Patrick Stewart as a voice actor (which automatically makes it worth watching at least once). I can't even remember why my family decided to watch it. I have a hunch that it was my brother Chris's doing (Chris is older than Eric).</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJWebEgPgkfIUqKER6PfSe-H7z2tEP4Ihmxmr6We4gqCQV79eGhZtgrqljx7kJGrf3QhUpZ72tfK-kyyFBe-2qyiFEVNSGe8z2cIyi5yvEmCray48id_H_ArWCQ8T-Tg_lxHU/s1600/Steamboy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJWebEgPgkfIUqKER6PfSe-H7z2tEP4Ihmxmr6We4gqCQV79eGhZtgrqljx7kJGrf3QhUpZ72tfK-kyyFBe-2qyiFEVNSGe8z2cIyi5yvEmCray48id_H_ArWCQ8T-Tg_lxHU/s320/Steamboy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452398451888526850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZx-vBl4RfErG84CM839kMqrTlJeTqguAsKfD0rk2bseMYsxpB2gxjfUg8wrCJgkH9hIkA67bto_0dEjCxJB0mKXj9DJspzUzl7WNKHgyDpBcJ8V3pd7o_uZUmUanAZ3W8FmEW/s1600/last-exile_01.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 310px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZx-vBl4RfErG84CM839kMqrTlJeTqguAsKfD0rk2bseMYsxpB2gxjfUg8wrCJgkH9hIkA67bto_0dEjCxJB0mKXj9DJspzUzl7WNKHgyDpBcJ8V3pd7o_uZUmUanAZ3W8FmEW/s320/last-exile_01.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452397441430984162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBjcOwu9VEdswanU84gORHfl3J1keaDs-7duMHKu3qTgwqFO3BsIBOmburgPI93Csbi3JfisgWBAAEpUMr0-307MpYPpnAtCILoDKgvWdDpJDHvx0gHI_rwJgJ9LXhLhj_EY_/s1600/last_exile_152_1024.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBjcOwu9VEdswanU84gORHfl3J1keaDs-7duMHKu3qTgwqFO3BsIBOmburgPI93Csbi3JfisgWBAAEpUMr0-307MpYPpnAtCILoDKgvWdDpJDHvx0gHI_rwJgJ9LXhLhj_EY_/s320/last_exile_152_1024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452397518635698930" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Last Exile is an anime that didn't wow me the first time I experienced it (I got one or two volumes on DVD for my birthday one year), but I think I need to give it another try. I did fall in love with the music and have had the soundtrack for years (and yes, I am listening to it as I write this).</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvzQDQnAcHer_MPhc__m6f1AcCCpaQRObUuJeAyfI3KYEeFPiVQt5y_UMP2zQR6E5LVp-YK_-i0KYCLN9S8zmh7wjj2mOI8ev1Kt36gX14mKC1QoEihv8w_REy7vzkTrtwwvv/s1600/steampunkanthocover.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvzQDQnAcHer_MPhc__m6f1AcCCpaQRObUuJeAyfI3KYEeFPiVQt5y_UMP2zQR6E5LVp-YK_-i0KYCLN9S8zmh7wjj2mOI8ev1Kt36gX14mKC1QoEihv8w_REy7vzkTrtwwvv/s320/steampunkanthocover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452397324019337026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">This is the cover of a steampunk anthology (I think there may be two out, now) that I heard about through io9.com (a nerd blog that is pretty awesome). I haven't checked it out, nor have I read any other steampunk, but it seems like a good starting place.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAiX_DTRRuEIaC32ZoJkOWx8GpC78qY_6EMOSUOA8CQxec9UinrFry1vv98P1aVbu_yrMdr8SKtkaU9G1x2MRrral3RRv3T0DqjMI12ewdzD3zhPAukXI1ckQBbM5u2zNhE2-/s1600/full-metal-alchemist-wallpaper-11.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 316px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAiX_DTRRuEIaC32ZoJkOWx8GpC78qY_6EMOSUOA8CQxec9UinrFry1vv98P1aVbu_yrMdr8SKtkaU9G1x2MRrral3RRv3T0DqjMI12ewdzD3zhPAukXI1ckQBbM5u2zNhE2-/s320/full-metal-alchemist-wallpaper-11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452398642741860546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;">Fullmetal Alchemist is steampunkish. It takes place in the right kind of time period and it has the whole alchemy-instead-of-science thing that means there's some wicked cool technology floating around (including auto-mail limbs as seen in the picture above) and it certainly has the steampunk vibe, so I'm counting it. I greatly enjoyed the original series; I haven't had a chance to read the manga or watch the new anime (a re-do of the old anime to make it closer to the manga called Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood). I will warn you that it gets trippy.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7ZRS1PaE5CyBiV-4vq246mnTmMwhkxX93bRiqJEG0kfG5nmEYJgTwmz0HWe1QbwyfbKTA6baYoWU8sAGu0EZLfY8pTV6RX6n_5woPiFWR2woO6iVTqmEVtyhBJ0BVy1dtPGy/s1600/Sherlock-Holmes-movie-poster_290.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 245px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7ZRS1PaE5CyBiV-4vq246mnTmMwhkxX93bRiqJEG0kfG5nmEYJgTwmz0HWe1QbwyfbKTA6baYoWU8sAGu0EZLfY8pTV6RX6n_5woPiFWR2woO6iVTqmEVtyhBJ0BVy1dtPGy/s320/Sherlock-Holmes-movie-poster_290.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452405426807453378" border="0" /></a>Also, the 2009 Sherlock Holmes featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law had a very steampunk vibe, especially with the doomsday device. Maybe that's the reason I liked it so much...<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:courier new;">As has been stated, I don't really understand my attraction to steampunk or why it is so much stronger than my attraction to similar subcultures like cyberpunk. Maybe it's that I've always leaned more toward old fashioned than futuristic. I did grow up on things like the Jane Austen movies (all right, I didn't grow up on them, but they were definitely around). Also, at heart, I'm a but of a romantic and that lends itself to the kinds of time periods that produce steampunk. And come on, a laser gun that looks like an old-fashioned pistol but with maybe a few lights and gears is just </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:courier new;" >cool</span><span style="font-family:courier new;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">With steampunk, the internet is your friend and Google is your best friend. There are several sites specializing in the steampunk look (although they tend to be kind of obscenely expensive with some of the stuff). A lot of it comes down to customization, which is very sad for a handicraft impaired person such as myself, but such is life. For the moment I admire it from afar and dream of spray-painting my Nerf Maverick to look like a certain picture you may have seen floating around the internet...</span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-682438499662032502010-03-24T17:51:00.008-04:002010-03-24T18:10:56.839-04:00Blogging once again on the horizon? Perhaps, perhaps.<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Don't get your hopes up. This may go absolutely nowhere. Almost certainly there will be little about my day-to-day life. But I have ideas that I would like to share (regardless of whether anyone would like to listen) and so it looks like this blog isn't completely dead (barely). Some topics that are coming down the pipeline.</span> <ul style="font-family: times new roman;"><li>Some inventions that should be given top priority. Now.</li><li>Comic Books: An Underappreciated Medium</li><li>I Can Has Cheezburger and the Hypocrisy of My Grammatical Tolerance<br /></li><li>Steampunk -- It Really Is Fascinating</li></ul><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0z51qGST5NpcOBaAkIstXvpIJT6YN42sd9jbcS6uQWmiln1oUlqQSA9WVQXucV7leTXdJDLhW7s8bwrcN3BkuAPNkKTa7ghZ3i4GR56vOP0KFuNO7EG7Bo0_d_svp-3CvEMeH/s1600/steampunk-landscape.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0z51qGST5NpcOBaAkIstXvpIJT6YN42sd9jbcS6uQWmiln1oUlqQSA9WVQXucV7leTXdJDLhW7s8bwrcN3BkuAPNkKTa7ghZ3i4GR56vOP0KFuNO7EG7Bo0_d_svp-3CvEMeH/s320/steampunk-landscape.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452325319985568402" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxln3Poidf1K93vRhbb-ARYzxgRBG3J92ljbwR64ZktnDkLVqL3RqrRmqrVVXw7VaTTtl1vDJpXCBZrqLpUzvgSBpWFGhs20yYBLDtkPWk6N-ayx5x1yp6feHTyDX0MPb7xKt/s1600/Steampunk_by_flyingdebris.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxln3Poidf1K93vRhbb-ARYzxgRBG3J92ljbwR64ZktnDkLVqL3RqrRmqrVVXw7VaTTtl1vDJpXCBZrqLpUzvgSBpWFGhs20yYBLDtkPWk6N-ayx5x1yp6feHTyDX0MPb7xKt/s320/Steampunk_by_flyingdebris.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452325257152266594" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">It's a robot (pronounced robit)! Several, actually.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyT3dEpqbPXiCFO93NFGHPSUSDEUySV41qJTosg5B6-R9B9Nua-i29LrV7rccid62bMVfR5Q-qJaKyT5jeBXhrT9fBaY_KtUaId-XbgyIAXg1A7rsD02Yx3knGsDq4awbXqi6s/s1600/steampunk-nerf-guns.jpeg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyT3dEpqbPXiCFO93NFGHPSUSDEUySV41qJTosg5B6-R9B9Nua-i29LrV7rccid62bMVfR5Q-qJaKyT5jeBXhrT9fBaY_KtUaId-XbgyIAXg1A7rsD02Yx3knGsDq4awbXqi6s/s320/steampunk-nerf-guns.jpeg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452325164841341234" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Yes, I wish my Nerf gun looked like this.</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I thought some pictures would liven things up. You can never go wrong with steampunk.<br /><br />There are probably others that have slipped my mind. I'm going to go </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">loiter around until my next class. Or maybe a nap. Hmmm, decisions, decisions...</span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-61785817951742593512009-04-23T01:40:00.001-04:002009-04-23T01:41:31.032-04:00FailYeah, so The Blogging Initiative failed. Still, stay tuned. New posts are coming soon to an Internet near you...Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-5763294268467372722009-03-23T01:59:00.003-04:002009-03-23T02:03:11.813-04:00Litcat '09: The Blogging Initiative<span style="font-family: times new roman;">Although I should undoubtedly be going to bed, I decided to use my new blogging motivation to kickstart Litcat '09: The Blogging Initiative. I will attempt to blog every week. I cannot promise it will be interesting. Eventually, once I'm in the habit and such, I will probably only blog when I feel I have something worth blogging about. Until then, I apologize now for unsatisfactory entries.<br /></span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-55725155488320821042008-11-16T01:54:00.002-05:002008-11-16T01:59:24.637-05:00Back AgainI'm back again! Now that I am in college, I figure that this blog will get much more interesting. Also, I have deleted all the AP U.S. posts. But now I am going to sleep. But for anyone reading this (which is probably only going to be my sister, who has seen the one and will probably ignore the other) watch Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog at drhorrible.com and read Looking for Group at lfgcomic.com (admittedly, most people won't find this nearly as funny as I do). Also, I was very pleased with Quantum of Solace. A very good sequel to Casino Royale, it confirmed Daniel Craig as my favorite Bond. Now I want to watch Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace right next to each other... Anyway, I'm going to bed.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-35048747671575267972007-10-27T22:34:00.000-04:002007-10-27T22:38:50.216-04:00Blech.<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Goodness gracious, look who it is, back from the dead. School is no fun. Life, pretty much, is no fun. Humbug. And bah. Here is what I think, in the words of Terry Pratchett's Death in <em>Sourcery</em>: "<span style="font-size:85%;">CATS. CATS ARE NICE.</span>" And that's all.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">And really, why do I even have this blog? It's not like anyone ever reads it. It's just a sophisticated way of talking to myself.</span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-1159794459862134612006-10-02T09:02:00.000-04:002006-10-02T09:07:39.873-04:00Taste for History<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Whenever I read, my cat tries to eat my book; also, she will try to chew on them when they are sitting on the bed. She especially has a taste for my history books. Last year, in AP Euro, and this year, in AP American, she would always try to take a bite out of my textbook when I was reading it. Usually it's just the corner, but recently she tried to take out the middle of a page. Apparently she has a taste for history.</span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-1158520862607870232006-09-17T14:55:00.000-04:002006-09-17T15:22:16.056-04:00Ocicats<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4472/3729/1600/ocicat1.3.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4472/3729/200/ocicat1.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="140" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4472/3729/200/ocicat4.jpg" width="148" border="0" /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4472/3729/1600/close%20up%20ocicat.0.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4472/3729/320/close%20up%20ocicat.0.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4472/3729/1600/ocicat2.1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4472/3729/320/ocicat2.1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Ocicats are <u>awesome</u>. None of these are <em>my</em> ocicat. Pictures of <em>my</em> ocicat will be coming soon(i</span>sh).</span> -Meg S.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-1158014053542456182006-09-11T18:30:00.000-04:002006-09-11T18:36:40.766-04:00A Very Good DayToday was a very good day. I got my license and first chair in the orchestra I'm in. I doubt anyone really cares, but I felt like telling the world. Today was a <em>very, very</em> good day.<br /><br />Good day!<br />-Meg S.Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33916703.post-1157495038874009972006-09-05T17:01:00.000-04:002006-09-13T22:18:56.536-04:00"!!!!!"<span style="font-family:times new roman;">"Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of an insane mind."<br />-Terry Pratchett, <u>Reaper Man</u></span><br /><u></u><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">"From the back, Vetinari looked like a carnivorous flamingo."<br />-Terry Pratchett, <u>Men at Arms</u> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">"Winners never talk about glorious victories. That's because they're the ones who see what the battlefield looks like afterwards. It's only the losers who have glorious victories."<br />-Terry Pratchett, <u>Small Gods</u></span><br /><u></u><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">"Sometimes there has to be a civil war, and sometimes, afterwards, it's best to pretend something didn't happen. Sometimes people have to do a job, and then they have to be forgotten."<br />-Terry Pratchett, <u>Men at Arms</u> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">"(...) perfectly ordinary books, printed on commonplace paper in mundane ink. It would be a mistake to think that they weren't also dangerous, just because reading them didn't make fireworks go off in the sky. Reading them sometimes did the more dangerous trick of making fireworks go off in the privacy of the reader's brain."<br />-Terry Pratchett, <u>Soul Music</u> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">"They think they want good government and justice for all, Vimes, yet what is it they really crave, deep in their hearts? Only that things go on as normal and tomorrow is pretty much like today."<br />-Terry Pratchett, <u>Feet of Clay</u> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">"'Why are our people going out there?' said Mr Boggis of the Thieves' Guild.<br />'Because they are showing a brisk pioneering spirit and seeking wealth and... additional wealth in a new land,' said Lord Vetinari.<br />'What's in it for the Klatchians?' said Lord Downey.<br />'Oh, they've gone out there because they are a bunch of unprincipled opportunists always ready to grab something for nothing,' said Lord Vetinari. [...] The Patrician looked down again at his notes. 'Oh, I do beg your pardon,' he said. 'I seem to have read those last two sentences in the wrong order."<br />-Terry Pratchett, <u>Jingo</u><br /><br /><br />I like to read. A lot. One of my favorite authors, if you hadn't guessed, is Terry Pratchett. He's a British Fantasy/Humor author. That's all I have to say today.<br />-Meg S.</span>Meghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12895836001477562392noreply@blogger.com0