Friday, October 14, 2005
The Benefits of Insomnia--or May I Present a Ghost Story?
Being too sick to manage to do school properly has sucked, but there have been advantages. The first advantage is, of course, the fact I am now in closer proximity to many of my friends and can actually LIVE with my husband. Living away from Tony has been awful for both of us. However, he's got a life planted in Dayton, so we endured the "long distance relationship" for two years while I was at UK. (Translation: a lot of gas was used and our phone bills were astronomical.)
The second advantage is that I got a needed break from Social Psychology--I love my career, but I was missing all the other parts of my life. I missed being able to just hang out with friends without feeling guilty for not studying enough. I missed reading a book for pleasure rather than to support an argument or as a spark I'd use in a paper or study.
I really missed writing for the SAKE of writing, because I actually love to do it. One day I want to become a phenomenal writer, but the only way I've ever seen that happen occurs when people actually do it constantly. This year has at least given me an opportunity to make more "writing mistakes". With luck, this means that I'll actually write something that is amazing rather than "OK" or forgettable.
I have insomnia sometimes. It goes with the MS--my limbs start to tingle, I wake up feeling like pins have been driven into my body and sleep simply won't occur anytime soon. Today I found myself awake at four a.m.--what can a city dweller do at four a.m. that won't annoy the hell out of her spouse? It's annoying enough that I have insomnia, I'd feel reprehensible if I made Tony sick by ruining his health by depriving him of sleep. Solution: yoga, exercise, and writing.
Nobody wants to read ten pages of my scrawl (which I'm finally typing out) on a blog. Here's the deal: you like what you read and actually desire to read the rest of the story, you write me at lynx_cat2005@yahoo.com and I'll send you the rest. If you decide to plagarize me, shame on you--it ain't that good and needs some rewrites still. However, if you have a good feel for what is or isn't working on the story, could you do me a favor and point it out to me so I can actually improve?
The Taking Hour
Be suspicious of any hour. None of them are as innocent as they seem. The Ancient Egyptians understood this; ever seen a museum exhibit in which they reconstruct a burial chamber? In such a chamber, they retell the story of the treacherous journey Ra takes each day to present us with the son. Each hour holds a different adversary. Once Ra’s journey is finished, he still isn’t done. He’s still got to go through the entire process again. However, Ra makes it and human beings can live or play at the beach. Makes you think we’re somewhat ungrateful, doesn’t it?
The Ancient Egyptians forgot to warn humanity of the worst hour. This hour is greedy, unpredictable. I like to refer to it as the Taking hour.
The second advantage is that I got a needed break from Social Psychology--I love my career, but I was missing all the other parts of my life. I missed being able to just hang out with friends without feeling guilty for not studying enough. I missed reading a book for pleasure rather than to support an argument or as a spark I'd use in a paper or study.
I really missed writing for the SAKE of writing, because I actually love to do it. One day I want to become a phenomenal writer, but the only way I've ever seen that happen occurs when people actually do it constantly. This year has at least given me an opportunity to make more "writing mistakes". With luck, this means that I'll actually write something that is amazing rather than "OK" or forgettable.
I have insomnia sometimes. It goes with the MS--my limbs start to tingle, I wake up feeling like pins have been driven into my body and sleep simply won't occur anytime soon. Today I found myself awake at four a.m.--what can a city dweller do at four a.m. that won't annoy the hell out of her spouse? It's annoying enough that I have insomnia, I'd feel reprehensible if I made Tony sick by ruining his health by depriving him of sleep. Solution: yoga, exercise, and writing.
Nobody wants to read ten pages of my scrawl (which I'm finally typing out) on a blog. Here's the deal: you like what you read and actually desire to read the rest of the story, you write me at lynx_cat2005@yahoo.com and I'll send you the rest. If you decide to plagarize me, shame on you--it ain't that good and needs some rewrites still. However, if you have a good feel for what is or isn't working on the story, could you do me a favor and point it out to me so I can actually improve?
The Taking Hour
Be suspicious of any hour. None of them are as innocent as they seem. The Ancient Egyptians understood this; ever seen a museum exhibit in which they reconstruct a burial chamber? In such a chamber, they retell the story of the treacherous journey Ra takes each day to present us with the son. Each hour holds a different adversary. Once Ra’s journey is finished, he still isn’t done. He’s still got to go through the entire process again. However, Ra makes it and human beings can live or play at the beach. Makes you think we’re somewhat ungrateful, doesn’t it?
The Ancient Egyptians forgot to warn humanity of the worst hour. This hour is greedy, unpredictable. I like to refer to it as the Taking hour.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Comic Books Worth Your Time
I admit it, I'm a comic book freak. Maybe that's not surprising because I love books and good stories. Why be too picky about the form they take? Before you insult me and proclaim me a poor judge, find out more about me. You can't call me anti-intellectual, because I have IQ tests, published stuff, lots of honors, scholarly papers, and a couple of Master's degrees to prove you wrong!
With that in mind, I decided it's time to recommend a couple of amazing series in the hopes that people will recommend other fantastic work to me:
Current series that I am officially in love with:
1.) Fables by Bill Willingham. This series took my breath away and won a few awards to boot. It's a comic book "soap opera" based upon our beloved fairy tales characters, who have taken over a place deep in New York City as well as a farm in upstate New York because they were exiled from their original magical realms. Do you know that Prince Charming is a character in this story? Do you know that he's a serial womanizer? Oh, and how can anybody ever resist a tale which has the Big Bad Wolf as a vyable romantic lead?
2.) Pulse by Brian Michael Bendis. Before you read this gem, make sure to check out Alias, which is a series starring a "not so good comicbook superhero" named Jessica Jones. Jones realizes that being a superhero isn't for her after she is brainwashed by a supervillan and becomes a private detective instead. She's a remarkable character who is unique in that she's human enough to identify with. Before Bendis came onto the comic book scene, I was strictly a DC and independent comic girl. Bendis has made me reconsider my position.
Some oldies that deserve looking over:
1.) Sandman by Neil Gaiman. In fact, look over ANY comic book series that this man writes for. You will never be disappointed.
2.) Swamp Thing by Alan Moore; League of Extrodinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore; From Hell by Alan Moore, OK, ANYTHING by Alan Moore. Disregard any bad movies based off his stuff (The League of Extrodinary Gentlemen was incredibly bad), take any really good movies to heart (From Hell was exceptional even if it did purposefully try to make the ending happier). This man opened the door for all the people working today whose work I admire.
3.) Oh, and if you do read Sandman, check out Willingham's take on Thessaly--a woman you'd never notice because she strikes you as "too boring" with her owl glasses and brownette appearance. Ha:)
With that in mind, I decided it's time to recommend a couple of amazing series in the hopes that people will recommend other fantastic work to me:
Current series that I am officially in love with:
1.) Fables by Bill Willingham. This series took my breath away and won a few awards to boot. It's a comic book "soap opera" based upon our beloved fairy tales characters, who have taken over a place deep in New York City as well as a farm in upstate New York because they were exiled from their original magical realms. Do you know that Prince Charming is a character in this story? Do you know that he's a serial womanizer? Oh, and how can anybody ever resist a tale which has the Big Bad Wolf as a vyable romantic lead?
2.) Pulse by Brian Michael Bendis. Before you read this gem, make sure to check out Alias, which is a series starring a "not so good comicbook superhero" named Jessica Jones. Jones realizes that being a superhero isn't for her after she is brainwashed by a supervillan and becomes a private detective instead. She's a remarkable character who is unique in that she's human enough to identify with. Before Bendis came onto the comic book scene, I was strictly a DC and independent comic girl. Bendis has made me reconsider my position.
Some oldies that deserve looking over:
1.) Sandman by Neil Gaiman. In fact, look over ANY comic book series that this man writes for. You will never be disappointed.
2.) Swamp Thing by Alan Moore; League of Extrodinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore; From Hell by Alan Moore, OK, ANYTHING by Alan Moore. Disregard any bad movies based off his stuff (The League of Extrodinary Gentlemen was incredibly bad), take any really good movies to heart (From Hell was exceptional even if it did purposefully try to make the ending happier). This man opened the door for all the people working today whose work I admire.
3.) Oh, and if you do read Sandman, check out Willingham's take on Thessaly--a woman you'd never notice because she strikes you as "too boring" with her owl glasses and brownette appearance. Ha:)
Monday, October 10, 2005
I accept your challenge! (finally)
7 things I plan to do before I die
1.) Learn to bake bread that doesn’t resemble a hockey puck
2.) Finish all the novels/poems/short stories that are in my head
3.) Speak French well enough so that any Francophone who hears me won’t clutch his/her head in pain
4.) Visit Scotland, and see Montreal in the spring one more time
5.) Learn to play one instrument half decently
6.) Learn to can and freeze vegetables as well as my mom could
7.) Stop breathing
7 things I can do right now (sorry, nothing real sexy here):
1.) Summarize the Watergate scandal in a clear and concise fashion
2.) Cross my eyes
3.) Type 65 words per minute with 97% accuracy
4.) Amuse a cat
5.) Speed read
6.) Make the best chocolate chip cookies ever
7.) Be tolerant
7 things I can't do
1.) Have clear skin
2.) Eat enough vegetables
3.) Force people to love me
4.) Slack off at work
5.) Drink a whole beer without gagging
6.) Keep my apartment clean
7.) Learn to love the works of J.R.R. Tolkien
Phrases overused:
1.) "asshat”
2.) “tool/toolbox”
3.) “smoking crack/high”
4.) "Yeeaaahh" (as skepticism)
5.) "[insert curse word here]"
6.) "Noooo!" (in amazement, not anger)
7.) “poster child for [insert dysfunctional state of existence here]”
Celebrity crushes:
1.) Colin Mochrie (yeah, that’d be the balding middle-aged Scottish-Canadian improv comedian)
2.) um, that’s pretty much it, sorry, although I have been known to get through a long/boring movie by figuring out which actor in any given scene I might have sex with (hint: no Scientologists need apply). This also applies to random TV shows that I find myself sucked into. Wouldn’t dignify that with the name “crush” though.
1.) Learn to bake bread that doesn’t resemble a hockey puck
2.) Finish all the novels/poems/short stories that are in my head
3.) Speak French well enough so that any Francophone who hears me won’t clutch his/her head in pain
4.) Visit Scotland, and see Montreal in the spring one more time
5.) Learn to play one instrument half decently
6.) Learn to can and freeze vegetables as well as my mom could
7.) Stop breathing
7 things I can do right now (sorry, nothing real sexy here):
1.) Summarize the Watergate scandal in a clear and concise fashion
2.) Cross my eyes
3.) Type 65 words per minute with 97% accuracy
4.) Amuse a cat
5.) Speed read
6.) Make the best chocolate chip cookies ever
7.) Be tolerant
7 things I can't do
1.) Have clear skin
2.) Eat enough vegetables
3.) Force people to love me
4.) Slack off at work
5.) Drink a whole beer without gagging
6.) Keep my apartment clean
7.) Learn to love the works of J.R.R. Tolkien
Phrases overused:
1.) "asshat”
2.) “tool/toolbox”
3.) “smoking crack/high”
4.) "Yeeaaahh" (as skepticism)
5.) "[insert curse word here]"
6.) "Noooo!" (in amazement, not anger)
7.) “poster child for [insert dysfunctional state of existence here]”
Celebrity crushes:
1.) Colin Mochrie (yeah, that’d be the balding middle-aged Scottish-Canadian improv comedian)
2.) um, that’s pretty much it, sorry, although I have been known to get through a long/boring movie by figuring out which actor in any given scene I might have sex with (hint: no Scientologists need apply). This also applies to random TV shows that I find myself sucked into. Wouldn’t dignify that with the name “crush” though.
