What I'm Listening To: Us-Regina Spektor
In the midst of karate lessons and just plain life, I finally have a brief chance to sit down and blog. President Barack Obama is coming to the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Tuesday and I'm going to get a chance to hear him speak. It's a great moment for the University, regardless of anyone's political affiliations. I am definitely psyched, although miffed about the place where they decided to have him speak. It's ridiculous. Let's have our president on campus and put him in the worst place possible. Absolutely ridiculous. The main point of interest is that he's probably going to be talking about Russ Feingold's campaign and giving him some support. I personally don't even care what he's talking about just as long as he's coming.
You all already know my views on Republicans and Democrats (if you don't see this post), but with the election primaries already having passed, the political world is in a blur. I don't even want to try and unravel everything that went on. However, when reading the New York Times the other day, I thought that there were some interesting articles about September 11th. I know it's a week later, but it's interesting to think about how much emotion and energy that day produces. There is talk about a mosque being built on or near Ground Zero and people are having a fit. I think that is ridiculous and intolerant. One article states that there was actually a prayer room in the the Twin Towers where many Muslims went to pray and worship when the towers went down. There's even some nut job pastor in Gainesville, Florida talking about having a national 'Burn a Koran day' and spreading hate (his 15 minutes of fame need to be OVER). This does nothing for our troops and even worsens the situation over there, only escalating the violence. Muslims were victims of that tragedy as well and it's time that people recognized that and focused on moving forward instead of pulling people behind and engaging in discriminatory activities.
In other news, my new website is almost done and work on the book is going really well, on schedule to be finished in December as planned. But honestly, for the rest of this week I'm going to be on a President buzz so check back for updates on that.
Showing posts with label book progress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book progress. Show all posts
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
If I had Pilgrim Powers...
What I'm Listening To: 21 by the Cranberries
Our power went out yesterday for nearly the whole day. I'm not sure if this was meant to instill a healthy respect of electricity in me, but it worked. A lot. In fact, I love electricity so much that I think I could compose a whole sonnet about it for you now. Or a haiku. Maybe even free verse, but I'll spare you from that. You are also spared from the super loud singing of "Hallelujah" that I've indulged in right now. The problem for me was that even though I had planned to take a break from typing my book, blogging, and other work to save my hands, I couldn't do anything. No TV or movie watching, no reading except by candle or flashlight, eating outside to have more light, stopping myself from the telltale reflex to flip on a light--I just felt antsy. Finally, after annoying my family, I stopped trying to read while holding a flashlight on by inserting it into the crevice of my arm or knee and just left my house and walked. And walked. But in reality I only walked over to the nearby park and utilized the swings. I hadn't been to a park in a while, much less sat in a swing and it felt nice in the cool air to swing into the night.
Honestly, I've become very comfortable, almost dependent on electricity. Much of my day (and apparently relaxation time) centers around the ability to have light or for machines to function. I seriously wonder how the Pilgrims or settlers were able to just live outside. I mean I know that they had their little candles and lanterns, but come on. Did they just feel their way around things (I stubbed my toe twice) or just become comfortable with looking like anything when they headed out for the day? I bet that is the reason why they all had bad eyesight. That's just common sense, not statistically speaking or anything. It also makes me think about the types of electricity and power that we have now and what happens when it all goes away. I guess I'd better start working on my pilgrim powers right now so that I can be ready whenever that day comes.
Our power went out yesterday for nearly the whole day. I'm not sure if this was meant to instill a healthy respect of electricity in me, but it worked. A lot. In fact, I love electricity so much that I think I could compose a whole sonnet about it for you now. Or a haiku. Maybe even free verse, but I'll spare you from that. You are also spared from the super loud singing of "Hallelujah" that I've indulged in right now. The problem for me was that even though I had planned to take a break from typing my book, blogging, and other work to save my hands, I couldn't do anything. No TV or movie watching, no reading except by candle or flashlight, eating outside to have more light, stopping myself from the telltale reflex to flip on a light--I just felt antsy. Finally, after annoying my family, I stopped trying to read while holding a flashlight on by inserting it into the crevice of my arm or knee and just left my house and walked. And walked. But in reality I only walked over to the nearby park and utilized the swings. I hadn't been to a park in a while, much less sat in a swing and it felt nice in the cool air to swing into the night.
Honestly, I've become very comfortable, almost dependent on electricity. Much of my day (and apparently relaxation time) centers around the ability to have light or for machines to function. I seriously wonder how the Pilgrims or settlers were able to just live outside. I mean I know that they had their little candles and lanterns, but come on. Did they just feel their way around things (I stubbed my toe twice) or just become comfortable with looking like anything when they headed out for the day? I bet that is the reason why they all had bad eyesight. That's just common sense, not statistically speaking or anything. It also makes me think about the types of electricity and power that we have now and what happens when it all goes away. I guess I'd better start working on my pilgrim powers right now so that I can be ready whenever that day comes.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Age of Creepy Crawlers
What I'm Listening To: Freaks Come Out At Night-Whodini
Literally they do.
While on my nocturnal musings, around 1:30 am, two centipedes came out and sat there staring at me. One of the things that you have to know about me is that bugs give me the heebie-jeebies. Seriously, I tell people that I hate nature, but in reality I love sunsets, playing on beaches, hiking, and scouring mountain ranges if our fuzzy friends would take a hiatus when I'm there. That's the other thing as well; if I see a bug, I can't rest until it's dead. I feel like an axe murderer planning intricate ways to kill people when I see bugs in my house. It makes me go into hyper mode. So naturally, I woke my brother up. I could take on one, but two of them were uneven odds and one happened to be high on the wall while the other was lower. Also, if you've ever seen a centipede move, PHEW. They are like the Nascar of the insects or something. I had on flip flops, but even so, it was crazy. To make an uninteresting story short, my brother proceeded to try and kill the higher centipede with a towel, it fell to the floor and scampered into his room and then he eventually triumphed over evil. I faced down the other centipede and smashed it to bits with a wedge heel that I retrieved from my room. And then I yelled at the dead centipede. No, I actually did this after I eventually killed it and said, "Take that. I wish you would get up and see what I do. You better stay dead!" Then once I fully realized that it wasn't going to resurrect itself, I sheepishly went to my room.
Now that my gladiator battle with the centipedes has been thoroughly related to the masses, I wanted to recap what I've been up to for the past few days. First of all, something is seriously wrong with my hands. Seriously bad carpal tunnel. Or arthritis. But if I have arthritis before I turn 21, then I will know for sure that the world is a cruel and unfeeling place. Even so, I've had to tone it down a bit and take drugs (I feel as though I need to elaborate here: I call every and all of my meds drugs, so please don't go calling the cops on me, especially because I feel like we can be awesome friends). It's helping a little bit. But even so, I've had to figure out another way to keep blogging, so in honor of my blogoversary, which was a few days ago, I am slightly transitioning into a video blog. Oh there will still be writing, I can't live without that, but mostly video. Although I do hope you'll excuse my awful video camera/editing skills (I am so not tech savvy).
The last reason why I haven't been updating as much is because I'm prepping for my free ebook release. It will definitely be by Christmas. The book is almost done, but as any writer knows, you have to go through tons of editing and revisions, etc. I've also switched over to a voice activated program to save my hands. It's awesome and creepy at the same time when your computer listens to you. I feel so high-tech. I even contemplated speaking in a Darth Vader voice to my computer to make it listen better but decided that maybe that was taking it too far. My cousin designed the book cover, and I'll probably post it up here soon, I've gotten proofs for the logo designs for my new website and feedback on that, and I'm gearing up to head Prime Magazine again this year. Well, the ten digits are screaming out in pain, so I'd better stop for today and bid you all adieu for now ;)
Literally they do.
While on my nocturnal musings, around 1:30 am, two centipedes came out and sat there staring at me. One of the things that you have to know about me is that bugs give me the heebie-jeebies. Seriously, I tell people that I hate nature, but in reality I love sunsets, playing on beaches, hiking, and scouring mountain ranges if our fuzzy friends would take a hiatus when I'm there. That's the other thing as well; if I see a bug, I can't rest until it's dead. I feel like an axe murderer planning intricate ways to kill people when I see bugs in my house. It makes me go into hyper mode. So naturally, I woke my brother up. I could take on one, but two of them were uneven odds and one happened to be high on the wall while the other was lower. Also, if you've ever seen a centipede move, PHEW. They are like the Nascar of the insects or something. I had on flip flops, but even so, it was crazy. To make an uninteresting story short, my brother proceeded to try and kill the higher centipede with a towel, it fell to the floor and scampered into his room and then he eventually triumphed over evil. I faced down the other centipede and smashed it to bits with a wedge heel that I retrieved from my room. And then I yelled at the dead centipede. No, I actually did this after I eventually killed it and said, "Take that. I wish you would get up and see what I do. You better stay dead!" Then once I fully realized that it wasn't going to resurrect itself, I sheepishly went to my room.
Now that my gladiator battle with the centipedes has been thoroughly related to the masses, I wanted to recap what I've been up to for the past few days. First of all, something is seriously wrong with my hands. Seriously bad carpal tunnel. Or arthritis. But if I have arthritis before I turn 21, then I will know for sure that the world is a cruel and unfeeling place. Even so, I've had to tone it down a bit and take drugs (I feel as though I need to elaborate here: I call every and all of my meds drugs, so please don't go calling the cops on me, especially because I feel like we can be awesome friends). It's helping a little bit. But even so, I've had to figure out another way to keep blogging, so in honor of my blogoversary, which was a few days ago, I am slightly transitioning into a video blog. Oh there will still be writing, I can't live without that, but mostly video. Although I do hope you'll excuse my awful video camera/editing skills (I am so not tech savvy).
The last reason why I haven't been updating as much is because I'm prepping for my free ebook release. It will definitely be by Christmas. The book is almost done, but as any writer knows, you have to go through tons of editing and revisions, etc. I've also switched over to a voice activated program to save my hands. It's awesome and creepy at the same time when your computer listens to you. I feel so high-tech. I even contemplated speaking in a Darth Vader voice to my computer to make it listen better but decided that maybe that was taking it too far. My cousin designed the book cover, and I'll probably post it up here soon, I've gotten proofs for the logo designs for my new website and feedback on that, and I'm gearing up to head Prime Magazine again this year. Well, the ten digits are screaming out in pain, so I'd better stop for today and bid you all adieu for now ;)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Reaching for the Stars is Easy when You have a Platform that Touches Them
What I'm Listening To: Miracles Happen-Mya
I'm still recovering from an awful bout of carpal tunnel, but I should be fine within the next few days. I just wanted to update you on my website overhaul. I am so excited about it! I have spent the last few days outlining marketing plans, budgeting proposals, figuring out photo shoots and the book cover design and am absolutely exhausted. Who knew that publishing had this much math/work involved? (And if you only knew how awful at math I was, you would understand my dismay). I guess that's what has happened over time. At least writing the book is the same, but those days of writing the book and sending it off for the tell tale stork to drop onto a publisher's doorstep are over. Now you have to be somebody to get something published. Well, technically you don't really have to be somebody, you could be anybody, but it's a lot easier if you are somebody. Like Oprah. Or Howard Stern. Or Snookie (kidding, I don't even watch Jersey Shore but I guarantee you that Snookie would get a deal before I do because she has a platform.)
What is this elusive platform you say? Apparently it's something that authors have to built on, so it helps if you are somebody. It's kind of a catch 22--most people are trying to become published authors to be somebody, but in reality you already have to be somebody to become a published author. Now isn't that a regrettable instance of reverse psychology? And literally, you could be any somebody, as shown by celebrities like Tyra, Hilary Duff, and Lauren Conrad with Lo Bosworth from The Hills who tried their hand at publishing. And they all got the deals, not because they definitely had the talent (that is TBD...kind of) but because they were considered famous and mostly everyone in the U.S. knew about them (last part might be debatable).
So here is my stab at trying to be somebody. It kind of takes a ton of hard work and a little money to be somebody, as I am finding out. Somebodies have websites and blogs and have friends. Apparently I don't have enough of the latter, so I'm going to make 50 new friends in every one of the fifty states of the U.S. and hope that they will like me as a friend so much that they will tell their friends. And then their friends will tell their friends. And since friends like to know what other friends are doing, they'll learn about the books. And possibly want to read them. I should add this into my 5-year marketing plan. It could work with a lot of effort. Then I'll go by continent. Basically, Noah Lukeman, a literary agent that you've probably heard me brag about, told me (or rather wrote me in one of his books) to be somebody and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Maybe then, he'll want to be one of my new friends and want to take me on as a client. Maybe so?...ah wishful thinking
I'm still recovering from an awful bout of carpal tunnel, but I should be fine within the next few days. I just wanted to update you on my website overhaul. I am so excited about it! I have spent the last few days outlining marketing plans, budgeting proposals, figuring out photo shoots and the book cover design and am absolutely exhausted. Who knew that publishing had this much math/work involved? (And if you only knew how awful at math I was, you would understand my dismay). I guess that's what has happened over time. At least writing the book is the same, but those days of writing the book and sending it off for the tell tale stork to drop onto a publisher's doorstep are over. Now you have to be somebody to get something published. Well, technically you don't really have to be somebody, you could be anybody, but it's a lot easier if you are somebody. Like Oprah. Or Howard Stern. Or Snookie (kidding, I don't even watch Jersey Shore but I guarantee you that Snookie would get a deal before I do because she has a platform.)
What is this elusive platform you say? Apparently it's something that authors have to built on, so it helps if you are somebody. It's kind of a catch 22--most people are trying to become published authors to be somebody, but in reality you already have to be somebody to become a published author. Now isn't that a regrettable instance of reverse psychology? And literally, you could be any somebody, as shown by celebrities like Tyra, Hilary Duff, and Lauren Conrad with Lo Bosworth from The Hills who tried their hand at publishing. And they all got the deals, not because they definitely had the talent (that is TBD...kind of) but because they were considered famous and mostly everyone in the U.S. knew about them (last part might be debatable).
So here is my stab at trying to be somebody. It kind of takes a ton of hard work and a little money to be somebody, as I am finding out. Somebodies have websites and blogs and have friends. Apparently I don't have enough of the latter, so I'm going to make 50 new friends in every one of the fifty states of the U.S. and hope that they will like me as a friend so much that they will tell their friends. And then their friends will tell their friends. And since friends like to know what other friends are doing, they'll learn about the books. And possibly want to read them. I should add this into my 5-year marketing plan. It could work with a lot of effort. Then I'll go by continent. Basically, Noah Lukeman, a literary agent that you've probably heard me brag about, told me (or rather wrote me in one of his books) to be somebody and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Maybe then, he'll want to be one of my new friends and want to take me on as a client. Maybe so?...ah wishful thinking
Saturday, July 17, 2010
You musn't be afraid to dream a little bigger darling
What I'm Listening To: You lost me-Christina Aguilera
I went to see Inception tonight with two of my good friends and let me tell you, it is mind boggling. I think that it was done exceptionally well. I wasn't sure if I'd like Ellen Page in it, but she did well. All of the actors did and when magic like that happens, when everyone is giving 110%, movies become masterpieces. The mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Before I went to see Inception though, I had to take serious inventory of the book to see exactly how close it was to being done and I developed a six year marketing plan. I probably should have developed a ten-year plan, but the six-year one took me the entire day. Expect a free book as a Christmas present from me by this Christmas if I can get my website and pictures off of the ground. I'm happy with the plan because I realize that Rome wasn't built in a day. I just hope that I can finish the book and begin working on another one. Then maybe I can be someone in about five years and someone will want to represent me. At least that is what Noah Lukeman assures me. I think that my problem is that I had a dream of being great at a young age and I needed to realize that there is no time frame on greatness. Greatness is innate, and if you have it in you, it will eventually happen if you do everything in your power to help that seed spring into life. That and I am a strong believer of prayer. I have a lot of work ahead, but anyone who wants to make it anywhere can expect that. After it happens, I need to take a long vacation in the Virgin Islands or something or go on a cruise.
Besides that, it was really hot today and I should probably stop typing before I encourage arthritis or carpal tunnel, which is why there probably won't be a post tomorrow. I think I'm going to get one of those voice activated programs that will type while you talk. I think that is going to be a good investment.
I went to see Inception tonight with two of my good friends and let me tell you, it is mind boggling. I think that it was done exceptionally well. I wasn't sure if I'd like Ellen Page in it, but she did well. All of the actors did and when magic like that happens, when everyone is giving 110%, movies become masterpieces. The mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Before I went to see Inception though, I had to take serious inventory of the book to see exactly how close it was to being done and I developed a six year marketing plan. I probably should have developed a ten-year plan, but the six-year one took me the entire day. Expect a free book as a Christmas present from me by this Christmas if I can get my website and pictures off of the ground. I'm happy with the plan because I realize that Rome wasn't built in a day. I just hope that I can finish the book and begin working on another one. Then maybe I can be someone in about five years and someone will want to represent me. At least that is what Noah Lukeman assures me. I think that my problem is that I had a dream of being great at a young age and I needed to realize that there is no time frame on greatness. Greatness is innate, and if you have it in you, it will eventually happen if you do everything in your power to help that seed spring into life. That and I am a strong believer of prayer. I have a lot of work ahead, but anyone who wants to make it anywhere can expect that. After it happens, I need to take a long vacation in the Virgin Islands or something or go on a cruise.
Besides that, it was really hot today and I should probably stop typing before I encourage arthritis or carpal tunnel, which is why there probably won't be a post tomorrow. I think I'm going to get one of those voice activated programs that will type while you talk. I think that is going to be a good investment.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Cooking Spree
What I'm Listening To: Fotografia-Nelly Furtado ft. Juanes
My second favorite movie is Man on Fire with Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning. It's got everything--Spanish, bomb soundtrack, drama, torture, the Bible, revenge and awesome camera movement. It's literally a movie masterpiece. And no one can forget the acting, it's amazing. Unbelievably my dad had never watched it, so he was intrigued when he was supposed to be doing work. If you don't know what my favorite movie is, it's the Adventures of Robin Hood 1938 with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Haviland--that movie has everything a top-notch movie should (classics rule, Gone With the Wind with Scarlett and Rhett are CRAZY).
Anyway, today is about my baking skills. I've discovered that baking has been a latent talent for me and I seriously want to start cooking awesome things for myself. I literally made 12 dozen cookies yesterday for my co-workers at ICM. It was semi-brutal, but they loved it. I made two pans of double chocolate chip cookies from scratch and there were only six left for me to bring home. The gluten free sugar cookies were huge and everyone seemed to like them. Although I went half off of the recipe and half by what one woman said in the comments, the cookies came out exceptionally well. They really weren't bad, and were a nice alternative/change. But that Bob's Red Mill flour was super expensive, like $10. I feel sorry for people who are allergic to gluten not because they can't eat regularly, but because they're probably going broke trying to eat normally. One of my co-workers can't have gluten, so I decided to make them. The sugar cookies on the other hand, were a different story. They were still good, just super thick so next time I'll put milk in them. One of my co-workers called them naughty...
I'll have to make the double chocolate cookies again when I leave, but so far I'm focusing on doing my homework for my journalism internship class and finishing up the book. I wasn't even aware how close I was to being done so I am definitely excited. Even though I'm not going to finish in the time that I wanted to, I am still going to finish in the next 2-3 months, maybe even before then!
My second favorite movie is Man on Fire with Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning. It's got everything--Spanish, bomb soundtrack, drama, torture, the Bible, revenge and awesome camera movement. It's literally a movie masterpiece. And no one can forget the acting, it's amazing. Unbelievably my dad had never watched it, so he was intrigued when he was supposed to be doing work. If you don't know what my favorite movie is, it's the Adventures of Robin Hood 1938 with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Haviland--that movie has everything a top-notch movie should (classics rule, Gone With the Wind with Scarlett and Rhett are CRAZY).
Anyway, today is about my baking skills. I've discovered that baking has been a latent talent for me and I seriously want to start cooking awesome things for myself. I literally made 12 dozen cookies yesterday for my co-workers at ICM. It was semi-brutal, but they loved it. I made two pans of double chocolate chip cookies from scratch and there were only six left for me to bring home. The gluten free sugar cookies were huge and everyone seemed to like them. Although I went half off of the recipe and half by what one woman said in the comments, the cookies came out exceptionally well. They really weren't bad, and were a nice alternative/change. But that Bob's Red Mill flour was super expensive, like $10. I feel sorry for people who are allergic to gluten not because they can't eat regularly, but because they're probably going broke trying to eat normally. One of my co-workers can't have gluten, so I decided to make them. The sugar cookies on the other hand, were a different story. They were still good, just super thick so next time I'll put milk in them. One of my co-workers called them naughty...
I'll have to make the double chocolate cookies again when I leave, but so far I'm focusing on doing my homework for my journalism internship class and finishing up the book. I wasn't even aware how close I was to being done so I am definitely excited. Even though I'm not going to finish in the time that I wanted to, I am still going to finish in the next 2-3 months, maybe even before then!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Life and Lebron
What I'm Listening To: Follow Me Down by 30H!3 ft. Neon Hitch
It's been a LONG hiatus, so my apologies, but this summer has been jam packed with things to do. As such, I am going to keep this post short, sweet and hopefully to the point and earn your forgiveness back by posting frequently.
The basics are that I am an intern for the ICM Corporation this summer and I love it. I started June 1st and its simply been an amazing experience. That has taken up a large chunk of my time as I work from 10:00am-4:00pm every day. I am a copywriter so typing for six hours takes a little toil on my hands but it definitely pushes me to be creative and find more innovative ways to do my job. Yesterday, we got name plates to set on our desks, so it's official: we're a part of the team. My co-workers are really awesome people and the environment is great. I would definitely come back to work there for another summer or something if they would have me back.
I recently discovered that I have a baking talent. I have made a devil's food cake, dulce de leche cake, double chocolate chip cookies, a jello cake, lava cakes, and a caramel cake and pound cake is next on the list. I actually enjoy baking a lot, but I probably won't have the time later on. But along with baking comes great responsibility--working out. I had to really make a commitment to staying in shape so I've been focusing on developing my body with solely body weight exercises. The amount of push up and squat variations that one can do is amazing so I'll do those until I start hitting the gym later.
Basically, this summer has been a lot of watching Angel, writing the book (I think I'm almost halfway there), trying to catch up with friends, cooking, the internship, devotional time with God and working on my relationship with Him, and focusing on getting back into shape. Usually, I'm so exhausted that there is no time to really post things, but now that things have more or less settled down, I am a little more free.
Oh, there was one other thing that has recently happened in the news and I only want to devote minimal time to it because it's really not life-changing in my opinion. Everyone is up in arms because of the way Lebron James left Cleveland and went to the Miami Heat. My opinion is that he gave them 7 years and it was his choice to leave. People do get traded or moved around all the time. However, I do believe that he could have done it another way, even if he did give the money he earned from all of those tv telecasts and special programs to charity, that was still dragged out far too long and probably the reason why people are upset. Ok, sports time over ;)
It's been a LONG hiatus, so my apologies, but this summer has been jam packed with things to do. As such, I am going to keep this post short, sweet and hopefully to the point and earn your forgiveness back by posting frequently.
The basics are that I am an intern for the ICM Corporation this summer and I love it. I started June 1st and its simply been an amazing experience. That has taken up a large chunk of my time as I work from 10:00am-4:00pm every day. I am a copywriter so typing for six hours takes a little toil on my hands but it definitely pushes me to be creative and find more innovative ways to do my job. Yesterday, we got name plates to set on our desks, so it's official: we're a part of the team. My co-workers are really awesome people and the environment is great. I would definitely come back to work there for another summer or something if they would have me back.
I recently discovered that I have a baking talent. I have made a devil's food cake, dulce de leche cake, double chocolate chip cookies, a jello cake, lava cakes, and a caramel cake and pound cake is next on the list. I actually enjoy baking a lot, but I probably won't have the time later on. But along with baking comes great responsibility--working out. I had to really make a commitment to staying in shape so I've been focusing on developing my body with solely body weight exercises. The amount of push up and squat variations that one can do is amazing so I'll do those until I start hitting the gym later.
Basically, this summer has been a lot of watching Angel, writing the book (I think I'm almost halfway there), trying to catch up with friends, cooking, the internship, devotional time with God and working on my relationship with Him, and focusing on getting back into shape. Usually, I'm so exhausted that there is no time to really post things, but now that things have more or less settled down, I am a little more free.
Oh, there was one other thing that has recently happened in the news and I only want to devote minimal time to it because it's really not life-changing in my opinion. Everyone is up in arms because of the way Lebron James left Cleveland and went to the Miami Heat. My opinion is that he gave them 7 years and it was his choice to leave. People do get traded or moved around all the time. However, I do believe that he could have done it another way, even if he did give the money he earned from all of those tv telecasts and special programs to charity, that was still dragged out far too long and probably the reason why people are upset. Ok, sports time over ;)
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Paranormal Romance
What I'm Listening To: Love Don't Cost A Thing-JLo
This is old news, but I had to blog about it anyway. So apparently Tyra is going to write a fiction novel called "Modelland" as well as Lo Bosworth, a girl from The Hills. It's called the Lo-Down. Creative I know. The latter is a book on dating.
The other reason that I've been slightly distant from the blog is because I've simply needed a break from everything. Literally everything. I've been holed up in my room watching marathons of House and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. One thing that I've noticed about myself, in terms of the shows I choose to watch, is that I'm a huge fan of paranormal romance. For some reason, it just makes it that much more heightened and real because there's usually always a problem and danger. My favorite shows either have this type or romance or comedy because on the romance side, there's so much drama and then the other side is the comic relief that I desperately need afterwards. In the following, you will either know what I'm talking about or be almost completely lost, but bear with me as I'm only going to use three examples:
Exhibit A: Charmed (more specifically Cole and Phoebe)
Cole was a demon and Phoebe was a witch. Witches fight and kill demons so there was already drama right there. Cole was only supposed to manipulate her so that he could kill she and her sisters, but then he fell in love and turned good. Then the Source infected Cole and he became completely evil, but Phoebe thought he was still in love with her but he was only using her. She even found out that he was the Source and became his queen in the underworld. But eventually, he tried to usurp the world and kill her sisters, and she had to make a choice between him and her sisters and kills him with the other two sisters.
Exhibit B: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Buffy and Angel)
Oh, Buffy and Angel. This is classic: a vampire and a vampire slayer falling in love. What are the odds? Clearly he was bad before, now he's trying to atone for his sins, then after they make love, POOF he goes bad again because he loses his soul. He commits a few murders, basically acts like a world class jerk. This is rather human/juvenile behavior, not necessarily "I'm an evil vampire who's lived for over 200 years" behavior. Here's what I don't get/am opposed to: he's bad, but he's still clearly obsessed with her and reverts to basically stalker tricks. Then FINALLY, Buffy's friend Willow is able to curse him again with a soul, but the last thing he did while he was still bad vamp was awaken a demon who will swallow the world into hell and all the humans with it. The way he could awaken it was with his blood and Buffy learns that the only way they could defeat the demon Acathla was with Angel's blood as well. So literally a minute before the demon awakens, Angel has his soul back, there's a tearful reunion and some kissing, and then the world starts to go to hell. Buffy doesn't have a choice (well she does, but it's rather obvious what she has to do), so she tells Angel to close his eyes and then stabs him through with a sword and he goes to hell along with the demon. That was so brutal to watch (but then in the next season they resurrect him, but then he leaves later in the season and there's more angsty stuff)
Appendix a: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Arwen and Aragorn)
This is not a show, but it's three movies that I simply adore. This is the most amazing, pure relationship that I've ever seen. An elf and a mortal in a relationship. Elves live forever and mortals die, so clearly that's a problem. Arwen gives up her mortality for Aragorn and waits for him through the years as he's on his quest, refusing to go away to the undying lands with her people, and not knowing if Aragorn has remarried because he thought that she did go. Aragorn drew strength from Arwen's memory and stayed true to her (even though there was that pesky Eowyn who we all had to feel sorry for) and they eventually met again and married. It makes me want a little Evenstar necklace of my own (I am such a LOTR geek).
Appendix b: Alias (Vaughn and Sydney)
This isn't paranormal, but it was so UNBELIEVABLY ANGST filled that I had to include it. The abridged version of all of the painful, but delicious seasons: The appeal of this show is that it's so filled with secrets, betrayal, espionage, and world travel, plus wigs and costumes that it was almost paranormal for me. Sydney is a secret agent for SD-6, an agency that she once thought was the CIA (before they murdered her fiancee). Then she goes to work for the real CIA and Vaughn is assigned to be her handler. He clearly cannot stay professional with her and begins to care for her. Sydney reciprocates those feelings and then we're hit with a bombshell: he has a girlfriend (tangent: I LOVED Michael Vartan playing Vaughn in this show, but Vaughn was SUCH a complete tool). Then finally he breaks up with the girlfriend and he and Sydney begin to go out. Everything is fabulous, and then suddenly, Sydney basically goes into a coma for two years, but everyone else thinks she's dead and Sydney thinks that only a day has passed. So then they send Vaughn over and he happens to be married (all right, if the love of your life died, personally, I think it would take longer than two years for you to get over them and marry someone else). This is where the uber angst factor comes in and Sydney now has to work with Vaughn and his wife Lauren in the CIA. The kicker is that Lauren is a spy sent to get CIA secrets from Vaughn by marrying him. Vaughn and Sydney eventually figure this out and then as Lauren is about to kill Sydney, Vaughn kills her. So now we're back to the happy time and Sydney and Vaughn start dating again for about a season. He asks her to marry him, she's pregnant with his child, everything is good, and then they're going on the vacation that they never got to take, and a car runs into them. Apparently Vaughn works for a another agency so that he can try to find his father, and they off him. (I can't believe they killed the eye candy off of the show. That's probably the reason why I have yet to watch the rest of the 5th season, besides the fact that they got rid of a lot of people.) I think he eventually comes back and guest stars, but it still made me mad. That ranks as the most angsty relationship EVER.
So if you like drama and angst or heightened emotional feelings, feel free to check out a couple of these shows.
This is old news, but I had to blog about it anyway. So apparently Tyra is going to write a fiction novel called "Modelland" as well as Lo Bosworth, a girl from The Hills. It's called the Lo-Down. Creative I know. The latter is a book on dating.
The other reason that I've been slightly distant from the blog is because I've simply needed a break from everything. Literally everything. I've been holed up in my room watching marathons of House and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. One thing that I've noticed about myself, in terms of the shows I choose to watch, is that I'm a huge fan of paranormal romance. For some reason, it just makes it that much more heightened and real because there's usually always a problem and danger. My favorite shows either have this type or romance or comedy because on the romance side, there's so much drama and then the other side is the comic relief that I desperately need afterwards. In the following, you will either know what I'm talking about or be almost completely lost, but bear with me as I'm only going to use three examples:
Exhibit A: Charmed (more specifically Cole and Phoebe)
Cole was a demon and Phoebe was a witch. Witches fight and kill demons so there was already drama right there. Cole was only supposed to manipulate her so that he could kill she and her sisters, but then he fell in love and turned good. Then the Source infected Cole and he became completely evil, but Phoebe thought he was still in love with her but he was only using her. She even found out that he was the Source and became his queen in the underworld. But eventually, he tried to usurp the world and kill her sisters, and she had to make a choice between him and her sisters and kills him with the other two sisters.
Exhibit B: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Buffy and Angel)
Oh, Buffy and Angel. This is classic: a vampire and a vampire slayer falling in love. What are the odds? Clearly he was bad before, now he's trying to atone for his sins, then after they make love, POOF he goes bad again because he loses his soul. He commits a few murders, basically acts like a world class jerk. This is rather human/juvenile behavior, not necessarily "I'm an evil vampire who's lived for over 200 years" behavior. Here's what I don't get/am opposed to: he's bad, but he's still clearly obsessed with her and reverts to basically stalker tricks. Then FINALLY, Buffy's friend Willow is able to curse him again with a soul, but the last thing he did while he was still bad vamp was awaken a demon who will swallow the world into hell and all the humans with it. The way he could awaken it was with his blood and Buffy learns that the only way they could defeat the demon Acathla was with Angel's blood as well. So literally a minute before the demon awakens, Angel has his soul back, there's a tearful reunion and some kissing, and then the world starts to go to hell. Buffy doesn't have a choice (well she does, but it's rather obvious what she has to do), so she tells Angel to close his eyes and then stabs him through with a sword and he goes to hell along with the demon. That was so brutal to watch (but then in the next season they resurrect him, but then he leaves later in the season and there's more angsty stuff)
Appendix a: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Arwen and Aragorn)
This is not a show, but it's three movies that I simply adore. This is the most amazing, pure relationship that I've ever seen. An elf and a mortal in a relationship. Elves live forever and mortals die, so clearly that's a problem. Arwen gives up her mortality for Aragorn and waits for him through the years as he's on his quest, refusing to go away to the undying lands with her people, and not knowing if Aragorn has remarried because he thought that she did go. Aragorn drew strength from Arwen's memory and stayed true to her (even though there was that pesky Eowyn who we all had to feel sorry for) and they eventually met again and married. It makes me want a little Evenstar necklace of my own (I am such a LOTR geek).
Appendix b: Alias (Vaughn and Sydney)
This isn't paranormal, but it was so UNBELIEVABLY ANGST filled that I had to include it. The abridged version of all of the painful, but delicious seasons: The appeal of this show is that it's so filled with secrets, betrayal, espionage, and world travel, plus wigs and costumes that it was almost paranormal for me. Sydney is a secret agent for SD-6, an agency that she once thought was the CIA (before they murdered her fiancee). Then she goes to work for the real CIA and Vaughn is assigned to be her handler. He clearly cannot stay professional with her and begins to care for her. Sydney reciprocates those feelings and then we're hit with a bombshell: he has a girlfriend (tangent: I LOVED Michael Vartan playing Vaughn in this show, but Vaughn was SUCH a complete tool). Then finally he breaks up with the girlfriend and he and Sydney begin to go out. Everything is fabulous, and then suddenly, Sydney basically goes into a coma for two years, but everyone else thinks she's dead and Sydney thinks that only a day has passed. So then they send Vaughn over and he happens to be married (all right, if the love of your life died, personally, I think it would take longer than two years for you to get over them and marry someone else). This is where the uber angst factor comes in and Sydney now has to work with Vaughn and his wife Lauren in the CIA. The kicker is that Lauren is a spy sent to get CIA secrets from Vaughn by marrying him. Vaughn and Sydney eventually figure this out and then as Lauren is about to kill Sydney, Vaughn kills her. So now we're back to the happy time and Sydney and Vaughn start dating again for about a season. He asks her to marry him, she's pregnant with his child, everything is good, and then they're going on the vacation that they never got to take, and a car runs into them. Apparently Vaughn works for a another agency so that he can try to find his father, and they off him. (I can't believe they killed the eye candy off of the show. That's probably the reason why I have yet to watch the rest of the 5th season, besides the fact that they got rid of a lot of people.) I think he eventually comes back and guest stars, but it still made me mad. That ranks as the most angsty relationship EVER.
So if you like drama and angst or heightened emotional feelings, feel free to check out a couple of these shows.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
5 more weeks I'll go crazy...
What I'm Listening To: Be on You-Flo Rida ft. Ne-Yo
Census. Student Council Elections. Today has been a blur. Classes are getting ridiculous. I think it's interesting that college students have to count themselves at college and not at their homes. I've been stressed, hence I've been buying up the world. New dresses and clothes. At least it's not my other stress reliever (chocolate) because that would end up being worse in the long run. I know that you have to treat yourself, but I treat myself entirely too well sometimes. Ergo, the Chanel No. 5 perfume. Sometimes I have a Queen of Sheba complex--next thing you know I'll be trying to get their limited edition Black Satin nail polish. I really want it. It's black with a platinum finish that makes your nails look silky smooth and shiny like patent leather. Everyone is out of it in the U.S. and the polish made in France doesn't have the platinum finish that the one in the U.S. had. They say that black onyx by OPI is similar but I already have a cheaper black nail polish and I already bought a ton of China Glaze nail polish. I'll have to review them after I try them because I haven't tried these polish brands before. See this is what I mean by treating myself with little things. Food as well. I gave up sushi for Lent and immediately afterward treated myself to a sushi weekend. Perfumes and shoes are next on the list. Question: if any of you have tried Armani Code or Armani White Diamonds please tell me which one is better?
Weird topic in class, we studied dialects. African American English was basically the case study. I have another question for you, which dialect sounds the worst to you and which one is the best?
I think I'm going to try to submit to some more contests for Nostalgia, but I'm done submitting to agents for a bit. I'm going to continue writing my new book because my target date for that is by the end of the summer, right before I leave for Spain, and I'm really excited for both events. Now if I could just get an internship...
Census. Student Council Elections. Today has been a blur. Classes are getting ridiculous. I think it's interesting that college students have to count themselves at college and not at their homes. I've been stressed, hence I've been buying up the world. New dresses and clothes. At least it's not my other stress reliever (chocolate) because that would end up being worse in the long run. I know that you have to treat yourself, but I treat myself entirely too well sometimes. Ergo, the Chanel No. 5 perfume. Sometimes I have a Queen of Sheba complex--next thing you know I'll be trying to get their limited edition Black Satin nail polish. I really want it. It's black with a platinum finish that makes your nails look silky smooth and shiny like patent leather. Everyone is out of it in the U.S. and the polish made in France doesn't have the platinum finish that the one in the U.S. had. They say that black onyx by OPI is similar but I already have a cheaper black nail polish and I already bought a ton of China Glaze nail polish. I'll have to review them after I try them because I haven't tried these polish brands before. See this is what I mean by treating myself with little things. Food as well. I gave up sushi for Lent and immediately afterward treated myself to a sushi weekend. Perfumes and shoes are next on the list. Question: if any of you have tried Armani Code or Armani White Diamonds please tell me which one is better?
Weird topic in class, we studied dialects. African American English was basically the case study. I have another question for you, which dialect sounds the worst to you and which one is the best?
I think I'm going to try to submit to some more contests for Nostalgia, but I'm done submitting to agents for a bit. I'm going to continue writing my new book because my target date for that is by the end of the summer, right before I leave for Spain, and I'm really excited for both events. Now if I could just get an internship...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Back from Outer Space...& Fantasy
What I'm Listening To: Striving-Dave Hollister
Ha, not that kind of fantasy, I'm talking about the genre. I love the fantasy genre and reading about dragons and witches and mythological creatures and magic. And stories about the Greek gods fascinate me. Today I wanted to blog about some of the fantasy conventions and rules (guidelines) to adhere to, which is probably a good idea considering that I want to be a fantasy writer.
Fantasy is usually about world building and the books tend to run a little longer than other genres. Usually the books are 80,000-150,000 words. I love the fact that with fantasy, you can create your own world,or it's an alternate version of our world. There is usually magic, something mythical, or something paranormal happening in the book. Here are some good world building questions to ask yourself when starting to write a Fantasy novel from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America's page. For even more tips, the online fantasy magazine Fantasy Factor has some really good tips for beginners or if you're trying to find a market for your work. If you're serious about writing fantasy, I would also check out the book The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy, good for beginners and seasoned writers. There's also a volume 2 and 3 if you'd like to continue expanding your knowledge. That's my spoonful of wisdom for today, and of course as I keep discovering and learning, I'll be sure to pass along the pearls!
I've been planning for my Spain trip and if any of you have any recommendations on places to go in Europe, let me know. I 'm really excited for it and already planning all of the things that I'm think I'm going to do, such as buy a Spanish cookbook and learn how to cook the food, as I might starve or come back with a weird eating habit if I don't.
Other news, none except that I plan to have my new fantasy book done by the end of the summer.
Ha, not that kind of fantasy, I'm talking about the genre. I love the fantasy genre and reading about dragons and witches and mythological creatures and magic. And stories about the Greek gods fascinate me. Today I wanted to blog about some of the fantasy conventions and rules (guidelines) to adhere to, which is probably a good idea considering that I want to be a fantasy writer.
Fantasy is usually about world building and the books tend to run a little longer than other genres. Usually the books are 80,000-150,000 words. I love the fact that with fantasy, you can create your own world,or it's an alternate version of our world. There is usually magic, something mythical, or something paranormal happening in the book. Here are some good world building questions to ask yourself when starting to write a Fantasy novel from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America's page. For even more tips, the online fantasy magazine Fantasy Factor has some really good tips for beginners or if you're trying to find a market for your work. If you're serious about writing fantasy, I would also check out the book The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy, good for beginners and seasoned writers. There's also a volume 2 and 3 if you'd like to continue expanding your knowledge. That's my spoonful of wisdom for today, and of course as I keep discovering and learning, I'll be sure to pass along the pearls!
I've been planning for my Spain trip and if any of you have any recommendations on places to go in Europe, let me know. I 'm really excited for it and already planning all of the things that I'm think I'm going to do, such as buy a Spanish cookbook and learn how to cook the food, as I might starve or come back with a weird eating habit if I don't.
Other news, none except that I plan to have my new fantasy book done by the end of the summer.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Termination of my Spring
What I'm Listening To: Freedom-David Gray
It's Monday and I'm still at home in Milwaukee. WHAT?, you say. My eyes have gotten worse since my corneal ulcer and the Stein's would not refill my contacts. Ergo, I have an appointment tomorrow morning and didn't feel like going to school and coming back. That would waste gas. So I'm at home checking to see if I have any homework that I need to get done (which is most likely true) and waiting on tomorrow. I'll probably end up watching movies with my siblings later on.
In book news, I managed to write about two chapters for the new book. I think I just needed to relax, and I watched Alias. I wasn't completely lazy though. I did a lot of edits for Nostalgia and queried a bunch of agents. I think it's almost time to send out my next batch and I can also work some more on the new book. Technically it's conference season, but I don't have the time or the money to go to another conference this year, so we'll see. The best I can do it query and reshape and hope that everything still ends up fine. I just want to say that Alias is amazing. It just is. I love it. Especially the characters of Marshall and Jack, they make the show. For some reason, I identify with Sydney, the main character. In my life I see some weird similarities to her life. I'm on the fifth and final season so hopefully I will be able to finish it soon.
Another random thing that I heard, via Colleen Lindsay's twitter, Nicholas Sparks is adapting Hemmingway's story A Call to Arms and for now Robert Pattinson and Miley Cyrus are set to star in it. I don't know how I feel about this, but it's leaning more toward a negative side of things.
Other news, I'm just trying to get through these five weeks until the end of school and exams and plan for Spain mostly.
It's Monday and I'm still at home in Milwaukee. WHAT?, you say. My eyes have gotten worse since my corneal ulcer and the Stein's would not refill my contacts. Ergo, I have an appointment tomorrow morning and didn't feel like going to school and coming back. That would waste gas. So I'm at home checking to see if I have any homework that I need to get done (which is most likely true) and waiting on tomorrow. I'll probably end up watching movies with my siblings later on.
In book news, I managed to write about two chapters for the new book. I think I just needed to relax, and I watched Alias. I wasn't completely lazy though. I did a lot of edits for Nostalgia and queried a bunch of agents. I think it's almost time to send out my next batch and I can also work some more on the new book. Technically it's conference season, but I don't have the time or the money to go to another conference this year, so we'll see. The best I can do it query and reshape and hope that everything still ends up fine. I just want to say that Alias is amazing. It just is. I love it. Especially the characters of Marshall and Jack, they make the show. For some reason, I identify with Sydney, the main character. In my life I see some weird similarities to her life. I'm on the fifth and final season so hopefully I will be able to finish it soon.
Another random thing that I heard, via Colleen Lindsay's twitter, Nicholas Sparks is adapting Hemmingway's story A Call to Arms and for now Robert Pattinson and Miley Cyrus are set to star in it. I don't know how I feel about this, but it's leaning more toward a negative side of things.
Other news, I'm just trying to get through these five weeks until the end of school and exams and plan for Spain mostly.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
March Madness!
What I'm Listening To: Knock On Wood-Eddie Floyd
Before I say anything, I just want to wish everyone a happy belated St. Patrick's Day. I represented my Irish side of the family with a sparkling swash of green, and it was amazing to see people out in green everywhere. I sometimes think that people don't really wear it, especially the more darker green because they don't want to walk around looking like grass all the time. Speaking of grass, the snow has finally melted and it has actually been hot up here, which is saying a lot for Wisconsin. It was 55 degrees and people were out in their shorts and flip flops, which I think is doing too much, but whatever. Yesterday I saw my first bikini. Usually, crazy people congregate out on Bascom Hill or in front of the Kohl Center and sunbathe. Literally. They have towels and lay out in bathing suits, which I think is ridiculous especially because we are no where near a beach or sand except for the sand that they used to melt the snow this winter (which didn't). So girls are just randomly outside in bikinis which is uncomfortable for our male population (or the day they've been waiting for the whole year) and for prospective students walking around. It's not that hard to leave some of your clothes out. If we were in Miami in a beach, I wouldn't be as adamant, but since we're actually in residential areas, it's unacceptable. End rant...
Anyway, it's that fateful time of year again! People at work, people in council and all of my friends are asking for my March Madness brackets. I'm not even close to filling mine out and they're due tomorrow. Somebody lend a hand... I most likely won't be able to watch that much anyway because of the book and other random things that prevent me from watching a lot of TV. But I'll follow vicariously through other people and hopefully be able to catch a few games. What are your fantasy teams or brackets? Enlighten me!
On another note, MIDTERMS ARE FINALLY OVER! Yes! This weekend is going to be good because hopefully I can sleep. I was studying with my friend Kylie for our Spanish midterm and I was literally falling asleep in the middle of my conversations with her, so stuff would come out random. Example, I was talking to her about La Malinche and then all of a sudden I would talk about how I had money in my Bible and how this was a good thing for the community because I would be able to help them out. I don't actually have/keep money in my Bible and I swear I ripped off a story from Chicken Soup from the Teenage Soul or something for that. Most of the time she would look at me and a lot of the time she would turn to her laptop until I woke up to what I was actually saying. Scary. This is why I need to stop going to bed at 2:30am and waking up at 7:45am everyday. Happy Thursday everyone and hopefully these blog posts will keep on coming!
Before I say anything, I just want to wish everyone a happy belated St. Patrick's Day. I represented my Irish side of the family with a sparkling swash of green, and it was amazing to see people out in green everywhere. I sometimes think that people don't really wear it, especially the more darker green because they don't want to walk around looking like grass all the time. Speaking of grass, the snow has finally melted and it has actually been hot up here, which is saying a lot for Wisconsin. It was 55 degrees and people were out in their shorts and flip flops, which I think is doing too much, but whatever. Yesterday I saw my first bikini. Usually, crazy people congregate out on Bascom Hill or in front of the Kohl Center and sunbathe. Literally. They have towels and lay out in bathing suits, which I think is ridiculous especially because we are no where near a beach or sand except for the sand that they used to melt the snow this winter (which didn't). So girls are just randomly outside in bikinis which is uncomfortable for our male population (or the day they've been waiting for the whole year) and for prospective students walking around. It's not that hard to leave some of your clothes out. If we were in Miami in a beach, I wouldn't be as adamant, but since we're actually in residential areas, it's unacceptable. End rant...
Anyway, it's that fateful time of year again! People at work, people in council and all of my friends are asking for my March Madness brackets. I'm not even close to filling mine out and they're due tomorrow. Somebody lend a hand... I most likely won't be able to watch that much anyway because of the book and other random things that prevent me from watching a lot of TV. But I'll follow vicariously through other people and hopefully be able to catch a few games. What are your fantasy teams or brackets? Enlighten me!
On another note, MIDTERMS ARE FINALLY OVER! Yes! This weekend is going to be good because hopefully I can sleep. I was studying with my friend Kylie for our Spanish midterm and I was literally falling asleep in the middle of my conversations with her, so stuff would come out random. Example, I was talking to her about La Malinche and then all of a sudden I would talk about how I had money in my Bible and how this was a good thing for the community because I would be able to help them out. I don't actually have/keep money in my Bible and I swear I ripped off a story from Chicken Soup from the Teenage Soul or something for that. Most of the time she would look at me and a lot of the time she would turn to her laptop until I woke up to what I was actually saying. Scary. This is why I need to stop going to bed at 2:30am and waking up at 7:45am everyday. Happy Thursday everyone and hopefully these blog posts will keep on coming!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Midterms & Nicholas Sparks
What I'm Listening To: Proud Mary-Tina Turner and Ike
I feel at peace, except for the throbbing in my calves. I did a stair workout the other day, combined with a strengthening workout for my calves and a 5 min ab workout thrown in. Boy, did I feel refreshed. I have missed being as physically active as I was in the past.
Midterms are still raging. This week into the next is my hell week. I have a midterm for my ComDis 240 class on Thursday, two on Monday; one for Spanish 223 and the other for AOS 100, and then my next exam is Wednesday for Philosophy 210. I will need on the strength I can muster to get into next week. Everything is looking up now that I got accepted to Spain, and everything is falling into place. Even the most trivial, such as my hair. If you, woman or man, are ever worried about hair growth or loss, get Beauty4Ashes and I guarantee you that you will see a difference. It is working wonders for my hair and is making me wonder whether I am going to get kinky twists or not when I go to Spain.
So when I'm taking a break from midterms, I am writing. I am now at a little over 10,000 words, basically the first two chapters, but I am trying to concentrate on midterms these next two weeks so not a whole bunch of writing will get done. And then spring break! I'm so excited to go on spring break that I can barely contain myself, mainly because I have never really gone anywhere for spring break and this year I am going to Daytona beach with a couple of people. The poetry contest is supposed to be announced this month and the next phase of the ABNA awards is next week as well. Keep wishing me luck! I had to do some more research for the worlds, especially Vanheimr because I had to know what I wanted in order to draw it. I am no Tolkien, but I do believe that my little worlds look fabulous. Norse mythology is amazing, I wish they had more books based on it, but at least my new one can be a modern interpretation of it.
Minor detail: my phone broke so I'm using my old phone (going back to the good old Pantech Matrix) and going in between that and my HTC Touch so that I'm still able to talk to people. It could be worse, but because I'm not on Facebook and can't really use my phone, the only options left are email and twitter.
Another minor detail, so my co-worker Joanna and I were having a conversation about Nicholas Sparks and his books/movies. I loved A Walk to Remember and The Notebook as movies (I've only read A Walk to Remember), but we noticed a disturbing pattern. Basically all of his books have someone tragically in love and then someone has a terminal disease and dies or something. And I'm no expert on this, especially because I haven't been published yet, but I almost wish he would write something different, maybe a story about someone who had an amazing love story with a normal life without the audience feeling sorry for them because they had a disease--something different. I mean, he's the master at that and he'll probably keep doing it because he makes money at it and that's all he's really known for, but I'm tired of seeing his books being made into movies because 1) I feel like they aren't accurate to his books anyway and 2) It's the same old story and he really tells it the same old way (formula: terminal disease, someone falls in love and someone leaves or dies). Think about it, I'm only going to reference a few: The Notebook=Alzheimer's and old age, A Walk to Remember= Leukemia, Dear John =autism, Last Song =stomach cancer, Message in a Bottle (he died trying to save someone from drowning, but you get the picture). But people will keep buying the books and watching the movies (I probably will torture myself and see Last Song, ONLY to see if it's any different, but it just sounds painfully the same).
And another thing, the fact that he Miley Cyrus said jump and he basically said how high made me sad. The writing process for this script was basically that she wanted a film to break out of her kiddie roles and said she wanted to do something like A Walk to Remember because that helped Mandy Moore. So Disney made a few calls and he wrote up a screenplay (before the book mind you) and then SHE and her family agreed and approved it and there you have Last Song. I'm waiting to see how good this acting will be and I don't know if I agree with how that was done, that scares me, but whatever, that's basically how rich people exercising their money get what they want. That's just my opinion though...
I feel at peace, except for the throbbing in my calves. I did a stair workout the other day, combined with a strengthening workout for my calves and a 5 min ab workout thrown in. Boy, did I feel refreshed. I have missed being as physically active as I was in the past.
Midterms are still raging. This week into the next is my hell week. I have a midterm for my ComDis 240 class on Thursday, two on Monday; one for Spanish 223 and the other for AOS 100, and then my next exam is Wednesday for Philosophy 210. I will need on the strength I can muster to get into next week. Everything is looking up now that I got accepted to Spain, and everything is falling into place. Even the most trivial, such as my hair. If you, woman or man, are ever worried about hair growth or loss, get Beauty4Ashes and I guarantee you that you will see a difference. It is working wonders for my hair and is making me wonder whether I am going to get kinky twists or not when I go to Spain.
So when I'm taking a break from midterms, I am writing. I am now at a little over 10,000 words, basically the first two chapters, but I am trying to concentrate on midterms these next two weeks so not a whole bunch of writing will get done. And then spring break! I'm so excited to go on spring break that I can barely contain myself, mainly because I have never really gone anywhere for spring break and this year I am going to Daytona beach with a couple of people. The poetry contest is supposed to be announced this month and the next phase of the ABNA awards is next week as well. Keep wishing me luck! I had to do some more research for the worlds, especially Vanheimr because I had to know what I wanted in order to draw it. I am no Tolkien, but I do believe that my little worlds look fabulous. Norse mythology is amazing, I wish they had more books based on it, but at least my new one can be a modern interpretation of it.
Minor detail: my phone broke so I'm using my old phone (going back to the good old Pantech Matrix) and going in between that and my HTC Touch so that I'm still able to talk to people. It could be worse, but because I'm not on Facebook and can't really use my phone, the only options left are email and twitter.
Another minor detail, so my co-worker Joanna and I were having a conversation about Nicholas Sparks and his books/movies. I loved A Walk to Remember and The Notebook as movies (I've only read A Walk to Remember), but we noticed a disturbing pattern. Basically all of his books have someone tragically in love and then someone has a terminal disease and dies or something. And I'm no expert on this, especially because I haven't been published yet, but I almost wish he would write something different, maybe a story about someone who had an amazing love story with a normal life without the audience feeling sorry for them because they had a disease--something different. I mean, he's the master at that and he'll probably keep doing it because he makes money at it and that's all he's really known for, but I'm tired of seeing his books being made into movies because 1) I feel like they aren't accurate to his books anyway and 2) It's the same old story and he really tells it the same old way (formula: terminal disease, someone falls in love and someone leaves or dies). Think about it, I'm only going to reference a few: The Notebook=Alzheimer's and old age, A Walk to Remember= Leukemia, Dear John =autism, Last Song =stomach cancer, Message in a Bottle (he died trying to save someone from drowning, but you get the picture). But people will keep buying the books and watching the movies (I probably will torture myself and see Last Song, ONLY to see if it's any different, but it just sounds painfully the same).
And another thing, the fact that he Miley Cyrus said jump and he basically said how high made me sad. The writing process for this script was basically that she wanted a film to break out of her kiddie roles and said she wanted to do something like A Walk to Remember because that helped Mandy Moore. So Disney made a few calls and he wrote up a screenplay (before the book mind you) and then SHE and her family agreed and approved it and there you have Last Song. I'm waiting to see how good this acting will be and I don't know if I agree with how that was done, that scares me, but whatever, that's basically how rich people exercising their money get what they want. That's just my opinion though...
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Top 10 Traits of a Christian Boyfriend
What I'm Listening To: Beautiful-Snoop Dogg
Thought this was so interesting, so I decided to share it. Personally, I think many of the traits should be a part of every man who wants to be with a woman. The end of the article said this:
"Bottom line: He is loving, complimenting, sincere, committed, caring, respectable, honest, trustworthy (yes, they go together). Because of our humanness, none of us is perfect. However those qualities that you see exhibited in his life now, reveal the ways he handles circumstances that will arise at a later date or if you should both decide that your relationship is serious and leads to marriage. You should compliment each other, as you learn of the other's strengths and weaknesses."
That is so true. I would even rename the article and you can read the full article here. I also read the article for the top 10 traits for the Christian girlfriend. That one was so down to earth I thought it was hilarious.
Happy New Year everyone! It's 2010! Sorry I'm so late in wishing you all a fabulous year. I also read my horoscope for the year last night and it said that this is going to be the year to get things done. I've been pretty optimistic about the book lately, almost done with the first run through and getting ready to do another run through soon. I just ordered a lot of books on Amazon (most about writing books), but the fun reading that I did buy was the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr. I can already tell that they are going to be amazing and can't wait to start reading them. I love fantasy stories about fairies or mythical creatures. It's the ultimate book experience because these authors literally transport you to another world or immerse your world with elements from another world.
That's basically it for now, I've just been writing in my room and pounding out some things. I think next or soon I'll post my bucket list and let you see what I've come up with. Revel in the beginning of your new year ;)
Thought this was so interesting, so I decided to share it. Personally, I think many of the traits should be a part of every man who wants to be with a woman. The end of the article said this:
"Bottom line: He is loving, complimenting, sincere, committed, caring, respectable, honest, trustworthy (yes, they go together). Because of our humanness, none of us is perfect. However those qualities that you see exhibited in his life now, reveal the ways he handles circumstances that will arise at a later date or if you should both decide that your relationship is serious and leads to marriage. You should compliment each other, as you learn of the other's strengths and weaknesses."
That is so true. I would even rename the article and you can read the full article here. I also read the article for the top 10 traits for the Christian girlfriend. That one was so down to earth I thought it was hilarious.
Happy New Year everyone! It's 2010! Sorry I'm so late in wishing you all a fabulous year. I also read my horoscope for the year last night and it said that this is going to be the year to get things done. I've been pretty optimistic about the book lately, almost done with the first run through and getting ready to do another run through soon. I just ordered a lot of books on Amazon (most about writing books), but the fun reading that I did buy was the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr. I can already tell that they are going to be amazing and can't wait to start reading them. I love fantasy stories about fairies or mythical creatures. It's the ultimate book experience because these authors literally transport you to another world or immerse your world with elements from another world.
That's basically it for now, I've just been writing in my room and pounding out some things. I think next or soon I'll post my bucket list and let you see what I've come up with. Revel in the beginning of your new year ;)
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Places to go #3, Return from Ashwaubenon, and hitting the books (literally)
What I'm Listening To: By Your Side-Tenth Avenue North (LOVE it)
Just got back from Ashwaubenon tonight. It's been an eventful week with Dad's birthday yesterday and my sister's basketball tournament. It was nice seeing people and being able to relax in Green Bay. Also, I got to eat some spicy curry chicken with angel hair pasta at an Italian restaurant called Grazies. It was really good. The downside is that our table happened to be on a slant and my strawberry lemondade slid off the table without warning and absolutely drenched my Jones New York coat, or a little something like that. Luckily, nothing was spilled directly on me. But since it was Dad's birthday, his meal was free, which is why I definitely recommend going on your birthday. But they also have specialty nights (Wednesday was $10 T-bone steak, Sunday bottomless pasta bowls) and specials on drinks. And everything, down to the noodles and sauce, is made from scratch.
And in reality, I clearly do not need to be spending any money, but there is a website called jewelry4free.com and it's completely legit! I just bought a citrine ring. The only catch is that you pay shipping which is usually around $10 or less. But why even grouch about that when what you're getting is QUALITY sterling silver and usually retails at about $50 or more. It makes for a great present to someone (or yourself).
And it was great having two days to semi relax, but now the pressure is really on and I'm pressed for time. I have to update my website and compile a directory of 80 agents that I want to work with, plus read my finished novel and see if there are any FINAL edits that I want to do. Publishers Marketplace will most likely see a subsciption from me after the new year. I should probably cancel my subcription to Writer's Market. Don't get me wrong, Writer's Market is great, espeicially for writers who are just starting out and really inexpensive for what it offers (at the moment it's $5.99/mo). The issue for me is that they don't provide the sales and deals that an agent makes, which is what I need right now to take me to the next level in finding an agent. Or at least, this is what Noah Lukeman has been telling me...(if you haven't read him and you're an author please do so).
Besides, Publishers Marketplace is $20/mo., and if I'm really serious about writing, I should be able to squeeze that out of myself. Even if I am a college student paying money to go to school so that I can get a job to make me money so that I can pay for all of those years of school. Does that sound counterproductive to anyone else?
Also, I just came up with an awesome new story idea, so I'm stopping progress on the sequel to Nostalgia and starting an entirely new idea. It should be fun and I'm definitely excited to start on that and show it to the world. I just realized I'm juggling about four book projects at the moment....
Just got back from Ashwaubenon tonight. It's been an eventful week with Dad's birthday yesterday and my sister's basketball tournament. It was nice seeing people and being able to relax in Green Bay. Also, I got to eat some spicy curry chicken with angel hair pasta at an Italian restaurant called Grazies. It was really good. The downside is that our table happened to be on a slant and my strawberry lemondade slid off the table without warning and absolutely drenched my Jones New York coat, or a little something like that. Luckily, nothing was spilled directly on me. But since it was Dad's birthday, his meal was free, which is why I definitely recommend going on your birthday. But they also have specialty nights (Wednesday was $10 T-bone steak, Sunday bottomless pasta bowls) and specials on drinks. And everything, down to the noodles and sauce, is made from scratch.
And in reality, I clearly do not need to be spending any money, but there is a website called jewelry4free.com and it's completely legit! I just bought a citrine ring. The only catch is that you pay shipping which is usually around $10 or less. But why even grouch about that when what you're getting is QUALITY sterling silver and usually retails at about $50 or more. It makes for a great present to someone (or yourself).
And it was great having two days to semi relax, but now the pressure is really on and I'm pressed for time. I have to update my website and compile a directory of 80 agents that I want to work with, plus read my finished novel and see if there are any FINAL edits that I want to do. Publishers Marketplace will most likely see a subsciption from me after the new year. I should probably cancel my subcription to Writer's Market. Don't get me wrong, Writer's Market is great, espeicially for writers who are just starting out and really inexpensive for what it offers (at the moment it's $5.99/mo). The issue for me is that they don't provide the sales and deals that an agent makes, which is what I need right now to take me to the next level in finding an agent. Or at least, this is what Noah Lukeman has been telling me...(if you haven't read him and you're an author please do so).
Besides, Publishers Marketplace is $20/mo., and if I'm really serious about writing, I should be able to squeeze that out of myself. Even if I am a college student paying money to go to school so that I can get a job to make me money so that I can pay for all of those years of school. Does that sound counterproductive to anyone else?
Also, I just came up with an awesome new story idea, so I'm stopping progress on the sequel to Nostalgia and starting an entirely new idea. It should be fun and I'm definitely excited to start on that and show it to the world. I just realized I'm juggling about four book projects at the moment....
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