- CBC - Canada Votes main page. The following are the four ridings that incorporate parts of Saskatoon:
- Riding 229: Blackstrap, comments
- Riding 236: Saskatoon-Humboldt, comments
- Riding 237: Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar, comments
- Riding 238: Saskatoon-Wanuskewin and comments from people in this riding (This is the riding I live in.)
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Election Time in Saskatoon
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
The Internet Oracle
Last spring my brother sent me a link to this digest because there was a great Monty Python style spoof of the Lord of the Rings that began it. I had completely forgotten about the Oracle otherwise.
Here's a little taste of what you might find there:
1352-02
The Internet Oracle has pondered your question deeply. Your question was:
> O Oracle most helpful, |
} Like you, I'm stumped. |
The Usenet Oracle has pondered your question deeply. Your question was:
> I made some cookies the other day. They were chocolate chip. When I |
} Hmm. Mutineering chocolate. |
All in all it's fun stuff! Most questions and answers are a lot longer, so you're up for a fair amount of reading!
Thursday, December 15, 2005
More Videos
Voice over guys go to award show
Here's a local one! (language warning)
Funny breastfeeding video
These next two are of a couple of impressive amputees. I thought I'd put them here in case I want to check them out next term. (I'll be taking a class on amputations next term.)
Amputee playing video dance game
Amputee in swim meet
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Video Links
The Shining... if it was a happy movie
George Bush's speech writer
Balancing Point
Karate master video
Contortionist
Catch Phrase
Man, I still can't stop laughing over the last one! And I've seen it like three, four times now!
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
NaNoWriMo Follow Up
First, my graph of progress:
Next, the myriad of icons:
And for the final thing to put up I also wanted a copy of the winner's certificate that I received, but it's in PDF and if I scan it the lettering would be too small to read. Instead, I'll just type it out here:
Lorianne Earl
Has completed the astounding feat of producing:
The Modern Fairy Tale
between November 1 and November 30, 2005. By accomplishing the heroic deed of drafting
an entire 50,000-word novel in one ridiculously busy month, the writer has achieved the rank of
Winner
As the bearer of this title, the author shall be entitled to an array of adoration and praise from fans, and envious glares from less prolific novelists.
The author shall also be officially logged in the National Novel Writing Month Gallery of Heroes,
where his or her name shall stand as an inspiring testament to the unforgettable month when one lone writer battled a ferocious deadline and emerged victorious.
We congratulate you, writer, and record the contents of this certificate into the NaNoWriMo Winners archive with all statutes and bylaws withstanding.
So I guess that's it for now. Now what am I going to blog about? ;-)
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
NaNo - Day 29
I have had quite a lot to celebrate tonight! First off, I finally won NaNoWriMo for the first time, this being the fourth year I've participated. Yay me for coming back from 'failing' for three years and doing what I didn't think was possible!Yay! I finished! And a day early even! And if you'd like to see my NaNoWriMo profile you can check it out here. Tomorrow I'll show off the goodies I get for winning.
Then, when I finished writing tonight, WordPerfect 9 told me I had 50133 words. Yay! I was finished! Part of me had been hoping for 51000 words or 53000 words, but I decided to be happy with the word count I had. Eager to prove my win, I converted it to text and uploaded it into the word count validator. I just took it for granted that the validator would tell me I had the 50133 words or so that I figured there was! It was so exciting afterwards to see Winner! written on the page after it accepted my document.
I spent a minute or so looking over the winners info page, then opened a new window to see if I could find the information again. I wanted to be able to get everything another time. Instead of clicking on 'edit profile' I accidentally clicked 'view profile.' I said yay as I looked at the little 2005 winner banner around my picture. Then I noticed that my blue line was way above the 50k line. I thought it was weird. Why would they put it way over? Then my eye caught the number it said for my word count - 62874!!! That's an extra 12741 words that the validator added to my word count! A full week's writing! I don't know if it was all the French I had thrown into my novel or what, but wow! What a fabulous surprise!!!
Word Count Goal: 48343
Actual Word Count: 62874 or 50133
NaNo - Day 28
My main character had a really great day today. Two things happened to her that I have been looking forward to all month. I'm not exactly sure how to get from here to the end. I was thinking of maybe writing an epilogue. Maybe I'll write that first and see how many words I still need to write. Then I can fill in the plot hole after.
I'm hoping to make tomorrow my last day!!! 3879 words left minimum. Yay!
Word count goal: 46676
Actual word count: 46121
Sunday, November 27, 2005
NaNo - Day 27
Word count goal: 45009
Actual word count: 42781
Saturday, November 26, 2005
NaNo - Day 26
Now I'm behind again. Most people seem to make use of the weekends to catch up. Not me, apparently! Enh, I might be able to catch up again tomorrow. I'm busy for most of the day after 2pm, though, so I guess we shall see.
Oh, and my brother has written over 90000 words. He's only 3/4 of the way to his goal. He has to write about 30000 more words in the next 4 days. Luckily he took those days off work...
Word count goal: 43342
Actual word count: 42781
Friday, November 25, 2005
NaNo - Day 25
Okay, now that I've gotten that out of the way. I didn't write super lots today, but I also didn't spend much time at it. Gwen and I got together and wrote at Louis' for a while today. We wrote for about 35 minutes, and I wrote about 1000 words in that time! That's quite fast for me! I feel like I'm just getting the ending set up at this point. There's a chance that I might run out of story before 50,000 words, but I think it's pretty slim. Also, I can go back and add in a bunch of description, so I'm not worried about having to come up with a bunch of stuff spontaneously at the last minute.
I'm set for a sort of busy weekend, so we'll see how much I get written, but I would really, really love to finish on Sunday. I guess we shall see....
Today's word count goal: 41675
Actual word count: 42347
Thursday, November 24, 2005
NaNo - Day 24
I really hope I can finish writing this on the weekend. I want time back!!!
Word Count Goal: 40008
Actual Word Count: 40134 . . . slightly ahead again!
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
NaNo - Day 23
So now I'm almost caught up again. I'm about 2/3 of a day behind in my word count, but I'm not too worried about that. In an absolutely ideal world situation I'd finish this weekend, so that I could start studying for finals with everyone else in my class. On Friday I'm meeting another WriMo to work on our novels at Louis' for a while. Looking at her word count, there's a chance she could finish her novel that day! I'm hoping that will keep me focused on getting a lot written then. Another good day tomorrow and I could cross 40k! Wow! That's so hard to imagine.
It also feel really good to see the number of words left to write shrinking. Now it's to the point where it's fairly small when compared to the words I've already written. Less than 13k to go! It's almost like "Wow, that's not too much!" It's nice to have some enthusiasm back for this project.
Today I was also pleased to find a graph that I could put up here on my blog. Now you can quickly see where my word count is in relation to where it should be if I kept a steady pace through the month. When I first got it today my estimated finish date was Dec. 4. It's nice to see that come closer to the end of Novelber. Here is a link to the profile of the awesomely nice guy who designed the graph and shared it with the NaNoWriMo world (note: requires Flash): Rick, AKA knowbuddy Now here is a guy with some good karma coming his way!
Word Count Goal: 38341
Actual Word Count: 37100
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
NaNo - Day 22
So yeah, I was writing and the love interest guy who had been so promising just a couple days ago turned into a total dink, so my main character broke up with him. The main problem with that is that now I have to write that they get back together so that they can break up at the novel's climax. It's been a tough relationship to write, because I just want her to be with a different guy. She will be, but she's not allowed to yet.
Word count goal: 36674
Actual word count: 34206
Monday, November 21, 2005
NaNo - Day 21
My main character is just getting ready for a big date tonight, but she can't decide what shirt to wear. She just finished a week where I half-assedly wrote about what she did. I don't want to focus too much right now on stuff that won't advance development of the story very much.
Word count goal: 35007
Actual word count: 32190
Sunday, November 20, 2005
NaNo - Day 20
Well, the last few days have put me behind. I'm not sure when I'll catch up again, but as long as I can write 1667 words a day I won't get any further behind.
Word Count Goal: 33340
Actual Word Count: 31111
Saturday, November 19, 2005
NaNo - Day 19
Word Count Goal: 31673
Actual Word Count: 27911
Friday, November 18, 2005
NaNo - Day 18
Word Count Goal: 30006
Actual Word Count: 27911
Canada's 100 Most Important Books
English
11. Anne of Green Gables (1908) Lucy Maud Montgomery (don't remember reading for sure)
39. The Stone Angel (1964) Margaret Laurence
58. Red Lights on the Prairies (1971) James H. Gray
66. Alligator Pie (1974) Dennis Lee (don't remember reading for sure)
79. The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) Margaret Atwood
French
14. Maria Chapdelaine (1914) Louis Hémon
22. Bonheur d’occasion (The Tin Flute) (1945) Gabrielle Roy
25. Les Plouffe (The Plouffe Family) (1948) Roger Lemelin
48. Les belles-sœurs (1968) Michel Tremblay
And of course my favourite from this list was Red Lights on the Prairies. I'm a bit of a local history buff, and it was interesting to read about the early history of prostitution in various cities in the prairie provinces. I like the section on Calgary in particular: there were some very interesting characters in the brothel business there, I tell you!
Thursday, November 17, 2005
NaNo - Day 17
Word Count Goal: 28339
Actual Word Count: 27911
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
NaNo - Day 16
So anyway, when I finished up writing tonight I was tied for 3635th place. Go me.
Word count goal: 26672
Actual word count: 27022
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
NaNo - Day 15
Today I wrote for a while before I had to go to dancing, then wrote again for a while after I got home. I really, really, really wanted to make it to 25000 words today, so I stayed up until 12:45 writing. I made it! That means that I am now on pace with people who are writing 1667 words/day. I'm contemplating changing my goals to match this pace, since I reached it early and have been ahead of my goals for a while.
I did fluff up my word count tonight quite a bit. I had my main character study for a French test by reading the ending of Tristan et Iseut, which is a tragic love story. That fluffing up added 890 words. Oh well, it says in the book (No Plot, No Problem) that it's okay to do that.
Word count goal: 23000
Actual word count: 25083
New Goals:
Nov. 16 26672 Nov. 17 28339 Nov. 18 30,006 Nov. 19 31673
Nov. 20 33340 Nov. 21 35007 Nov. 22 36674 Nov. 23 38341
Nov. 24 40008 Nov. 25 41675 Nov. 26 43342
Nov. 27 45009 Nov. 28 46676 Nov. 29 48343 Nov. 30 50000!
Monday, November 14, 2005
NaNo - Day 14
Word count goal: 21000
Actual wordcount: 22514
Intellidating
At least you'd be doing/watching something interesting if the date wasn't going well. My main concern would be that maybe you wouldn't have time to actually talk and get to know each other. But then, I guess it's probably just supposed to be a way to meet someone who you want to learn more about later, set up your own dates, etc.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
NaNo - Day 13
Also, in the "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" forum in NaNoWriMo, somebody started up a NO QUIT club. Today I made up a file with the names of everyone who posted there and what their wordcount is. In a couple days I will go back, check the wordcounts of those people, then list everyone there who has not yet quit (i.e. they updated their word count since Friday). Right now there is 66 people. Probably a pretty big job, but I'm feeling like things are going pretty well, so I'd like to be able to congratulate the other people who keep trucking along.
I had my second cameo in my novel today, and Lynette you're mentioned there too. Unfortunately I can't quote it here because my novel is on a laptop without a CD burner, and my desktop computer has no floppy drive. You'll just have to wait until I get around to that, I guess.
Today's word goal: 18000
Actual word count: 21201
Saturday, November 12, 2005
NaNo - Day 12
So my main character and her friend got drunk at Amigo's: main character because she was getting mad about the guy she was supposed to meet not being there, her friend because she was weirded out by her English prof being in the band she was watching. They both really liked the band's music though, and went up and danced. I went up and danced too! In the story, that is. I'm pretty sure I did in real life last year, too! ;-) Heh, it was kind of fun to write my characters into something I experienced in my own life.
Word count goal: 15000
Actual word count: 18047 (over 36% done!)
Friday, November 11, 2005
NaNo - Day 11
My main character went to Amigo's but her date wasn't there yet, so she's sitting with a couple of friends chatting while a weird band finishes their set on stage. My main character's best friend is all weirded out because Joel, her English prof, is there. Just wait until she finds out he's in the next band that performs!
Today's word goal: 12000
Actual word count: 15048
Thursday, November 10, 2005
NaNo - Day 10
My main character has a date tomorrow! How cool! And they're gonna go see my friends' now defunct band play at Amigo's last year. And I get to have a cameo of myself there in the audience! How fun is that!
Word Count goal: 11000
Actual word count: 12283
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Which of the X-Men are you?
You scored as Rogue. Rogue is a strong but tragic personality. She loves Gambit. Because of her mutant powers, she cannot touch anyone without hurting them. Therefore, she longs for human contact. However, this southern gal's strong personality has allowed her to deal with this. Powers: Absorbs lifeforce and powers by touch, Super strength, and flight
Most Comprehensive X-Men Personality Quiz 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com |
NaNo - Day 9, part 2
Today's word count goal: 9500
Actual word count: 10065
Edit: I did indeed write after class. Word count is now 10368. Well on my way to tomorrow's goal.
NaNo - Day 9
My main character finished talking on the phone, did some reading for school, and is now getting ready to go out. It sure feels like it takes a long time to get her to do anything exciting! She's supposed to be going out - how long is it going to take for me to write her to get there! Probably not for another 1000 words or so at the detailed pace I'm going at!
Today's word count goal: 9500
Actaul word count: 9619
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
NaNo - Day 8
I have all morning tomorrow to do whatever I like, and no school until 1:30. I plan to sleep in, then spend some time writing. Woohoo!
Word count goal: 8500
Actual word count: 8574
Mouse River, Souris River
What if other American place names were translated into English?
Des Moines, Iowa --> Some Monks, Iowa
Des Lacs, North Dakota --> Some Lakes, North Dakota
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho --> Alene's Heart, Idaho
Lac qui Parle, Minnesota --> Lake that Talks, Minnesota
La Salle, Minnesota --> The Room, Minnesota
La Grange, Wyoming --> The Barn, Wyoming
It just doesn't have the same ring, does it?
I really like some of the French names we have in Saskatchewan (where few people speak French). Bienfait (pronounced like 'bean fate') translates to 'well done' in English. My favourite would have to be the Qu'appelle Valley (and river). It's such a beautiful place, and the name is sort of mysterious ('what's calling?'): it's a romantic combination and I just can't imagine ever wanting to change it.
Monday, November 07, 2005
NaNo - Day 7
So my main character is currently devising a way to get closer to her love interest. He told her about a good band playing at a club, and so she's going to see if her best friend will go with her.
Word count goal: 7500
Actual word count: 7537
The roadsign of my life
|
From Go-Quiz.com
Personally, I thought I'd be a lot closer to Confusion Lane than Childbirth Hospital. But yeah, drive carefully
Sunday, November 06, 2005
NaNo - Day 6
Today my main character went to work at her job as a customer service attendent at a bank near the university. She talked to a co-worker, piddled around, then she ate an apple fritter and bought some raffle tickets from another co-worker. At the end a guy who she'd been flirting with all summer came in. This is going to be the love interest guy. Now I should be getting the story going along! I'm not exactly sure how yet, but she's going to give him her phone number before he leaves. Maybe on an appointment card, or something.
Today's word goal: 6500
Actual word count: 7040
Saturday, November 05, 2005
NaNo - Day 5
I think I've experienced my first plot bunny. My understanding is that a plot bunny is a story element that pops out of nowhere and places itself in your novel. Joel, if you're reading this, it involves you. My main character's best friend is in your first year English class and has something of a crush on you. She's not about to pursue anything, but my main character (Kaylea) was trying to push her into it. I'll keep you posted!
Word goal for today: 4500
Actual word count: 5359
Friday, November 04, 2005
NaNo - Day 4
Today my character wandered around the university some, bought some textbooks, ran into a French guy from her French class, then walked home. When she was at the bookstore she browsed through the physical therapy section and picked up a textbook. I copied one paragraph from one of my textbooks while she 'read' it. Ah the things we do to attain our daily wordcount goals! And no this novel will never be published, so I have no worries about plagiarism. I'd be more worried about boring people to tears...
Todays goal: 2500
Actual wordcount: 2520
Thursday, November 03, 2005
NaNo - Day 3
Instead, here's a link to weird lines that people have written and later gone back to shake their heads over - Nanoisms.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
NaNo - Day 2
And then, as they both lay drowning in the golden warmth of the afterglow, he rolled over and farted. The paint rolled down the walls, and she covered her face with a pillow.
Today's goal: 1000 words
Actual word count: 1014 words
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
NaNo - Day 1
So far my novel is pretty lame. I can't wait until it gets more interesting. I have to make sure that I make my main character likable, so that I'll want to find out what she's up to.
Today's word goal: 500 words
Actual writing: 477 words
Monday, October 31, 2005
The NaNo Plan
Less than 5 hours until National Novel Writing Month begins! So, this year I haven't spent a heck of a lot of time getting much planned, so I guess I'll mostly be winging it! I have about a half dozen characters that I've thought of, and I don't think any of them have names yet. I've got a basic plot idea, but nothing significant planned, no secondary plot lines or anything like that. What I do have is a plan of action:
- I've borrowed a laptop computer so that the internet will be less of a temptation (oh those evil NaNo fora!) and so that I can take my novel away with me (to school for breaks, to Regina, etc.).
- I plan to write for 30 minutes when I come home from school, then write later in the night after I've gotten some school work done (I'm thinking of starting around 10 or 11 p.m.).
- I have a daily word count goal. Instead of going with the standard 1667 words per day, I've looked at how busy I am and set goals accordingly.
Here are my wordcount goals:
- Week 1: Nov. 1-3: 500 words, Nov. 4,7: 1000 words, Nov. 5,6,: 2000 words Total: 7500 words
- Week 2: Nov. 8-11: 1000 words, Nov. 10: 1500 words, Nov. 12-14: 3000 words Total: 21,000 words
- Week 3: Nov. 15-18: 1000 words, Nov. 19-21: 2000 words Total: 32,000 words
- Week 4+: Nov. 22-30: 2000 words Total: 50,000 words
Or if that makes no sense to you, this is where I'd like my wordcount to be at the end of each day:
Nov. 1 500 Nov. 2 1000 Nov. 3 1500 Nov. 4 2500
Nov. 5 4500 Nov. 6 6500 Nov. 7 7500 Nov. 8 8500
Nov. 9 9500 Nov. 10 11000 Nov. 11 12000 Nov. 12 15000
Nov. 13 18000 Nov. 14 21000 Nov. 15 23000 Nov. 16 24000
Nov. 17 25000 Nov. 18 26000 Nov. 19 28000 Nov. 20 30000
Nov. 21 32000 Nov. 22 34000 Nov. 23 36000 Nov. 24 38000
Nov. 25 40000 Nov. 26 42000 Nov. 27 44000 Nov. 28 46000
Nov. 29 48000 Nov. 30 50000!
Early on the wordcount goals are pretty low, so I should be able to meet my goals without too much hardship. This will allow me to feel good about how the writing is going, and motivate me to continue pushing on. November 11 is a day I've only set to write 1000 words, but I have absolutely no commitments that day and should be able to get much more written. I've also set myself a couple of rewards this year:
- If I reach 25000 words before Nov. 19 (when I am likely going to Regina for a dance event), I will allow myself to buy a nice dance object when I am down there. Something like music, jewelry, a sword, a drum. I made $60 dancing last weekend, and I've set that money aside for the trip.
- If I reach 50000 words I will buy myself the Earthworm Jim cartoon series. Yay!
Saturday, October 29, 2005
The Highwayman
Part One
I
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding-
Riding-riding-
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
II
He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,
A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin;
They fitted with never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh!
And he rode with a jewelled twinkle,
His pistol butts a-twinkle,
His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.
III
Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,
And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;
He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Bess, the landlord's daughter,
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
IV
And dark in the old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked
Where Tim the ostler listened; his face was white and peaked;
His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay,
But he loved the landlord's daughter,
The landlord's red-lipped daughter,
Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say-
V
"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;
Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,
Then look for me by moonlight,
Watch for me by moonlight,
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."
VI
He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand,
But she loosened her hair i' the casement! His face burnt like a brand
As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast;
And he kissed its waves in the moonlight,
(Oh, sweet black waves in the moonlight!)
Then he tugged at his rein in the moonlight, and galloped away to the West.
Part Two
I
He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon;
And out o' the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon,
When the road was a gipsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor,
A red-coat troop came marching-
Marching-marching-
King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door.
II
They said no word to the landlord, they drank his ale instead,
But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed;
Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side!
There was death at every window;
And hell at one dark window;
For Bess could see, through the casement, the road that he would ride.
III
They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest;
They bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!
"Now keep good watch!" and they kissed her.
She heard the dead man say-
Look for me by moonlight;
Watch for me by moonlight;
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way!
IV
She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good!
She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood!
They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like
years,
Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,
Cold, on the stroke of midnight,
The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!
V
The tip of one finger touched it; she strove no more for the rest!
Up, she stood up to attention, with the barrel beneath her breast,
She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again;
For the road lay bare in the moonlight;
Blank and bare in the moonlight;
And the blood of her veins in the moonlight throbbed to her love's refrain.
VI
Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs
ringing clear;
Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did
not hear?
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,
The highwayman came riding,
Riding, riding!
The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up strait and still!
VII
Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot-tlot, in the echoing night!
Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light!
Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,
Then her finger moved in the moonlight,
Her musket shattered the moonlight,
Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him-with her death.
VIII
He turned; he spurred to the West; he did not know who stood
Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood!
Not till the dawn he heard it, his face grew grey to hear
How Bess, the landlord's daughter,
The landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.
IX
Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,
With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high!
Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat,
When they shot him down on the highway,
Down like a dog on the highway,
And he lay in his blood on the highway, with a bunch of lace at his throat.
* * * * * *
X
And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
A highwayman comes riding-
Riding-riding-
A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.
XI
Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard,
And he taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred;
He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Bess, the landlord's daughter,
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
Saying
"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy.
Smarter than a monkey
The Monkey's Final Score: 15 right out of 60
You asserted your intellectual superiority brilliantly! The monkey is now left contemplating his own inferiority. Where others have failed to claim the mantel of unequivocal dominance over lesser species, you have truly succeeded! Congratulations on besting the ape and reaffirming the capabilities of the human mind. You have done mankind proud.
You scored in the 88th percentile.
(88% of quiz takers scored worse than you)
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Link: Take the Trivia Challenge
Thursday, October 20, 2005
How I will die...
You scored as Disappear. Your death will be by disappearing, probably a camping trip gone wrong or an evening hike you never returned from. Always remember that one guy who was hiking alone and got in a rock slide. He could have died, but he cut his own hand off to save himself. Don't end up like him (or worse, dead).
How Will You Die?? created with QuizFarm.com |
This is a pretty bleak result! Disappearance, suicide, and bomb all tied! Not that any of the answers would lead to something good like me living forever. At least I don't need to worry about dying in an accident...
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
How weird are you...
You Are 60% Weird |
You're so weird, you think you're *totally* normal. Right? But you wig out even the biggest of circus freaks! |
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Aagh! Where am I?
I'm still hoping to do NaNoWriMo this year, but I don't think I'll do the idea I mentioned before. I have more of a chick lit idea now, with a woman who falls for a married man (who never tells her he's married) then gets a nasty trouncing for it when she is confronted by an acquaintance about it. Her life falls apart, but in the end you know it will get better. I've decided that if that it takes me less than 50,000 words to write that, then I'll warp my characters into the plots I had planned out for the last few years but never got to use (i.e. my main characters get abducted onto the Spaceship Love Machine (2003), later escaping back to earth but finding they're 1000 years in the past in Iceland (2002)). I plan to start my novel with one of the '50 Last Dates' from last years NaNo novel plans.
I've planned out how much I think I can write in a day, gauging by what things I've got going on in November. I'll be starting out slow, then coming in with higher word counts at the end of the month. I'm also trying to start preparing now for some big things in the first week of November (midterm, presentation) so that I'm not wasting lots of energy on them instead of my novel.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
seems i've been tagged...
For me that would be this post:
Thursday, June 09, 2005
y.e.t.a.n.o.t.h.e.r.e.b.a.y.l.i.n.k.
I've been looking for percussion instruments on eBay lately. Maybe if you bought it you could make your money back by charging people money not to hit them with it! Newfoundland Ugly Stick
As you can see, this post is not even 5 sentences long. However, if you believe that a period always ends a sentence, then I guess my 5th sentence could be "n."
How very profound.
P.S. This is my 65th post.
Friday, September 30, 2005
New World Record for Ironing Set by Canadian
I actually heard an interview on CBC radio earlier this month when Suresh Joachim set a world record for rocking in a rocking chair. He wants to set the world record for the most world records. He uses these records as an opportunity to raise money for the Universal Fund for Suffering Children. He and his wife set three world records at their wedding: most groomsmen, most bridesmaids, and longest wedding bouquet.
I can't say I feel very inspired to beat him, but a solo dance marathon does sound fun.
25 Things to do for Fun
- See a movie
- Make a movie
- Body painting
- Draw on a pregnant belly
- Karaoke
- Go swimming
- Try to make a food explode
- Make up a silly choreography
- Write a story with someone, alternating sentences/paragraphs/whatever
- Write a sappy love song
- Make some food, show up on a friend's doorstep, and invite yourself over for supper
- Pin someone down and tickle them
- Use a soundboard and prank call someone
- Race to see who can take the longest to eat a chocolate bar
- Invent a martial art
- Make up a language for you and your friends to use
- Wear frilly underwear like a little girl would
- Lie in the grass and watch the clouds/stars/birds/meteors/monsters/etc.
- Invent a new sandwich
- Synchronized sunflower seed spitting
- Makeover or spa night at home
- Go to a park and watch kids play
- Pretend to be supermodels and take pictures of each other in model poses
- Make up names for body parts that don't need names
- Develop a very silly walk indeed
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Aaaagh! I Know I Shouldn't ...
A Thousand Metres Underground
P.S. Don't take a handful of salt product in your hand when you have a cut on your palm. Ow ow ow ow ow!
Friday, September 23, 2005
Shine Day
Anyway, I had a really good time doing it this year. In the morning I was with my partners at a fairly busy mall, largely populated by retired people during the day (Market Mall). I found it to be a good opportunity to get to know some of my classmates a little better. There were also two highlights:
- When one guy put his money into the slot, he also dropped what appeared to be his grocery list into the box. Examining it later we found that it said "tomatoes, cheese, dinner buns - nice bum!" It was pretty funny....
- A driver for a seniors residence made several drop offs and pick ups while we were standing at the entrance. I don't recall him donating, but once he came out of the mall with half a dozen doughnuts for the three of us! Very sweet man!
What kind of belly dancer are you? Quiz
You are an American Tribal Style Belly Dancer! So
it's not one hundred percent authentic, but who
cares? It looks really cool, you have a great
time doing it and the costumes are fantastic.
You're not into all the glitz of cabaret but
you can never have too many Kuchi medallions on
your turban. Undulate on, tribal chick!
What Kind of Belly Dancer are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Google Blog Search
- Dr. Lorianne DiSabato's blogs Hoarded Ordinaries, Dr. D's Domain, and Creative Mindfulness
- Lorianne nolastname's blog Minutia
- Lorianne otherdifferentnolastname's blog at X111.com
- LoriAnne yetanothernolastname's blog Women Writers
- Lorianne lastnamenotgiven's blog c'est la vie
- Lorianne nosurname's blog The Straightest Edge
- Lorianne guesswhatnolastname's blog at LiveJournal
- Lorianne nolastnameinFrance's blog Carpe Diem
Newness
Now that I'm back at school I'm finding I'm having quite a few new experiences:
- I belong to a new class of students and have had to learn 29 names
- I got a new mattress set for my bed, and have been sleeping quite comfortably for the past week
- I got a new computer - how do you like it? ;-)
- I joined a recreational ultimate disc (i.e. frisbee) team... I haven't been involved in a team sport for 15 years.
- I went to a party with a hottub in a van. Very fun!
Monday, September 12, 2005
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Thursday, September 08, 2005
I'm such a sucker...
Edit (Sept. 13/05):
For some "memorable" quotes from the Earthworm Jim show, check out this.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Back to School
First day of class and I'm already behind in my reading - or at least I will be tomorrow!
Edit:
Oh! I almost forgot! Today when I was at the Admin building a girl working there recognized me. She said she'd seen me around a lot. The main reason why she recognizes me is that I look pretty much exactly the same as her friend Phaedra (not sure of the spelling). Now, when most people say you look just like so and so there might be a few features in common, but you don't really look that similar. I've actually met Phaedra once. She was in the audience at a dance performance once, and somebody introduced us. She was a little heavier than me, but she looked just like me! Unfortunately I was wearing a turban and had weird dance make-up on, so she couldn't really see it herself.
That's such a weird thing though - knowing there's someone out there who looks just like you. I wonder how old she is? I wonder what her life is like? It's hard to believe that someone who looks so much like me, isn't related to me. She should be my long lost twin. Hmmmmm.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
I'm one hot doll!
If I was a paper doll, this is what I'd look like! Cool shoes, hey! (... I have way too much time on my hands.)
American Natural and Unnatural Disasters
Here are some numbers from back then (taken from a website by U.S. Geological Survey, Earthquake Hazards Program):
Dead - more than 3,000 (including the chief of fire departments - bad news that one)
Homeless - 225,000 from a total population of about 400,000
Buildings destroyed - over 28,000
Monetary loss - more than $400,000,000!!!!!!!
I've also found a first hand report of the earthquake written by Edith Weatherred. One paragraph in particular caught my eye, as it shows interesting similarities and differences to the situation in New Orleans right now:
There was hurrying to get together families and friends. Excitement ran high but people were gently one with the other as they crowded in the middle of the streets, each moment fully expecting the earth to again be set in motion. Faces appeared at windows calling for help. The wounded and dying fell by the way. Thousands crowded the open squares in the heart of the city. The scenes were appalling. Those fortunate enough to get together a few personal effects were piling them in heaps in the square. Beds were made for the wounded, and, before one could realize it, the National Guards, Federal soldiers, Red Cross Society and other good people were setting up tents and tenderly caring for the sick and the dead.It seems as though people were more cooperative in that crisis, but the horror of death and destruction was equal. Help, according to this account, was also accessible more quickly. My guess is that looting was largely prevented by this.
To learn more about the earthquake, you could also read the official report from 1907. If you would like to look at pictures, I'd suggest this site.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
A Dancing Day
Tonight we performed at a wedding in Borden. The bride is a woman who used to perform with us, but for the last couple years she's been busy operating the Sand Castle Ranch outside of Borden. The audience was quite good. It was easy to get them to come up and dance with us, and they even seemed to enjoy it! Very cool.
Friday, September 02, 2005
New Orleans' blogs
I just wanted to share an entry from the first one I read Sept. 1 check it out here . Reading the comments section is pretty disturbing: for example, one guy is posting under the name David Duke (who was a white supremicist in the news something like 10-15 years ago).
Another one (this one was mentioned on CNN) is written by a guy who has locked himself up at work since before the hurricane hit. He used to be in the army, and he's really gotten into soldier mode. He just started it up on Aug. 26, something for his friends to read, and now there are people reading his blog from all over the world It's been very interesting to read. http://mgno.com/
Here are some pictures they've taken http://www.tampabusiness.com/directnic/
He is supplying live video feed from three different URLs (all the same footage). Sometimes it shows the city, other times it shows the people at his workplace:
http://old.mises.org:88/NO
http://old.mises.org:88/NO2
http://194.97.144.25/NewOrleans
Getting to know your friends
1. First name: Lorianne
2. Were you named after anyone? I was creatively named after my great grandmother Laura, and we share the same initials (her maiden name was Errickson) . . . at least until she got married. I inherited a watch that used to be hers, but it was engraved after she was married. If I want those initials to fit, then I'll have to marry a guy whose last name starts with B and I'll also have to feel inclined to change my name.
3. Do you wish on stars? No, but I remember doing that as a kid, staring at the sky out my bedroom window. Brings back good memories.
4. When did you last cry? Last weekend, I think or a couple days before that - August 25ish.
5. Do you like your handwriting? no. I tend to print, and haven't used writing in years.
6. What is your favorite lunch meat? summer sausage?
7. What is your birth date? February 25, 1974
8. What is your most embarrassing CD? I got rid of all the CDs I didn't like last weekend, so I just own good music now!
9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with yourself? Yes, and we'd have a great time.
10. Are you a daredevil? I am more likely to say crazy things to do than to actually do them.
11. Have you ever told a secret you swore not to tell?
Yes, but only to people who didn't know that person. You know, venting to people who could have no idea who the person was, it's safer.
12. Do looks matter? Somewhat, but I find myself much more attracted to behaviours.
13. How do you release anger? I go silent and fume.
14. Where is your second home? I guess that would be Jay's place. I mean, if he's going to be gone, someone may as well be living there! ;-)
15. Do you trust others too easily? No, probably the opposite.
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Hmmm, my favourite stuffed toy was Pungee, some sort of weird knitted dog/bear/animal thing with a shirt and socks. His neck didn't have enough stuffing, so he looks pretty freaky with his head hanging down all floppy.
17. What class in high school do you think was totally useless? none
18. Do you have a journal? Does this blog count?
19. Do you use sarcasm a lot? whatever....
20. Favorite movie(s). Monty Python movies, Princess Bride, Willow, Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Man with Two Brains, The Shawshank Redemption, Dead Again
21. What are your nicknames(acceptable)? Lori . . . I don't think I've had a nickname since high school
22. Would you bungee jump? No, the thought of jumping off of something and stopping seems jarring. Don't feel like doing that to my joints. I'm probably still a little afraid of heights too.
23. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? not usually
24. Do you think that you are strong? Yeah, but only because people tell me I am. It's mostly due to core body strength, so I can use my legs to power upper body movements.
25. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? not sure, something fruity
26. What size of shoe do you wear? 6 or 6 1/2
27. What are your favorite colors? green, orange, and purple
28. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? I wish I felt better about myself.
29. Who do you miss most? Probably Debbie. We got to know each other well only in the two weeks before she moved away. It's kind of like getting cheated out of having a really fabulous friend.
30. Do you want everyone you send this to to send it back? Sure, either e-mail it to me or leave a comment where I can find it
31. What color pants are you wearing? But I'm not wearing any pants... just kidding, darkish blue (jeans)
32. What are you listening to right now? CNN in the other room, and my neighbour's lawn mower
33. What was the last thing you ate? free pancakes and sausages
34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? orange
35. What is the weather like right now? sunny and breezy
36. Last person you talked to on the phone? my boss, Mindy
37. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? faces
38. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes, she's even shorter than me! :-p
39. Favorite Drink? water
40. Favorite sport? to watch: short track speed skating, to participate in: ultimate frisbee
41. Hair Color? blonde
42. Do you wear contacts? nope, hardly even need my glasses
43. Favorite Food? pizza
44. Last Movie You Watched? Adaptation (at least there's someone in the world who is at least as messed up as me)
45. Favorite Day of the Year: Any 25th day of the month, because I can countdown both Christmas and my birthday
46. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Happy Endings
47. Summer or winter? Summer
48. Hugs or kisses? both please
49. What is Your Favorite Dessert? Key Lime pie is pretty good
50. Who is most likely to respond? loaded question - not answering
51. Who is least likely to respond? loaded question - not answering
52. Where Would You Want to Go on your Next Vacation? My dream vacation is a Mediterranean cruise.
53. What Books are you reading? The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and Classics of Western Literature: Bloom County 1986-1989 (remember that comic strip? Very funny, and I enjoy the political commentary even 20 years later)
54. What's on your mouse pad? don't have one
55. What did you Watch Last Night on TV? CNN coverage of Hurricane Katrina (getting a little obsessed too, but it's so heartbreaking)
56. Favorite Smells? new leaves in spring, cookies baking in the oven
57. Rolling Stones or the Beatles? The Beatles
58. What's the furthest you've been away from home? Probably either southern Wisconsin or western Washington state
Cooties
Anyway, on his way out Paul Martin passed by the line where I was waiting for pancakes, so I got to shake his hand. Later on Brad Trost (a local member of parliament) also shook my hand. Now I feel all covered in politician cooties. I hope it's not infectious.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Steps towards something beautiful
Tonight I found a website that teaches you how to make your own skirt pattern. It can be found here. This would be a starting point for me to adapt from. I'm not sure I want to put a zipper in the waistband (I've never sewn one in before), and if I do I might put it in the side instead of the back, just to make it easier to get into the costume. I have plans to put at least one triangular insert into the hemline to add fullness to the skirt in the back
This is an exciting step for me! Sometimes I'm too afraid of wrecking something really nice that I don't end up actually making anything. I feel well on my way now, though, so I don't think that's likely to happen.
How grammatically correct I am
You are a MASTER of the English language!
Huzzah. While your English is not exactly
perfect, you are still more grammatically
correct than just about every American. Others
admire the way you speak and could learn a lot
from listening to you. Still, there is always
room for improvement...
How grammatically correct are you? (Revised with answer key)
brought to you by Quizilla
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Gazal research begins
The Ghazal: An Inevitable Unity by Jenny Burdge
That Bastard Ghazal by Andy Weaver
It's a little odd how Ghazal means literally "speaking with women" in Arabic, and means "the last meloncholic cry of deer cornered by hunters" in Farsi and Urdu. I can't help but think that really says something about communication between the sexes!
It seems like such an interesting poetic form. It's sort of exciting to think of writing a poem that can have couplets so thematically different from one another. Is there a way to interpret this in dance form? Hmmmmmmmmm...
Friday, August 19, 2005
Brain Explosion
Now that that's over with . . .
I have had a lot of really good experiences lately. They weren't all happy, fun experiences, but I feel positively impacted by them.
Tonight I went to see the movie Sabah at the Broadway Theatre. It's a Canadian movie about an Arab-Canadian woman whose family became even more traditionally Muslim after they moved to Canada. Sabah turns 40 at the beginning of the movie and starts to take some risks. Some really wonderful changes happened in her life, and her family's as well. There was lots of belly dancing in it (along the line of Arab women's social dance, not belly dance club performances). There was dancing all through the end credits. It was really inspiring to see a woman take risks, and find love and a new identity and happiness. The movie was so good I almost cried! To read more about the story click here. It was interesting to see Roula Said mentioned in the credits. She was the belly dance instructor, wrote and performed some of the music, and acted as well. She is a singer in the group Doula.
Last weekend one of my favourite bands played at Lydia's - The Plaid Tongued Devils. They had a vehicle problem on Friday night, and we left at 1:00 and didn't get to see them perform. On Saturday a big bunch of friends went out and saw the show. It was a lot of fun. And a cute drunk guy hit on me all night! That was a treat! Usually I feel so invisible and uninteresting. It was really awesome to get some attention. We never hooked up (couldn't find him at the end of the night), but I like to think that somewhere out there in Saskatoon there's a guy talking about the hot girl he met at Lydia's, wondering if he'll ever see her again! Maybe this is a sign that non-drunk, young (as opposed to the drunk 40+ year olds who hit on me), cute guys could possibly be interested in me too. We'll have to see if I take any risks to meet someone new at the next show they play here . . .
A few weeks ago I went to watch DancEgypt perform at the Billy Tent (at Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan). Just as I was walking up to the tent and before I could see anything, I heard them playing one of my favourite songs, Gazal by Essam Rashad. For years I have been wanting to make a choreography to that song. It evokes so many strong emotions in me, and I think it could be a really powerful performance piece. In April I was telling my friend Debbie about this song, and how I had recently decided I probably wasn't a mature enough dancer to express what I wanted to with it. Fast forward to me walking up to the tent to see a much less experienced dancer performing to this song. My heart sank and I felt practically sick. I have been too intimidated by the song and the emotion of it all to even make this choreography, and here is someone dancing to my music!!! I can't even say if they danced well, because my attention was drawn so strongly inside of me. I've been thinking about this a lot ever since, contemplating what to do to make this happen. Some of the ideas I've had so far:
- Contact a modern dance choreographer and get them to help me map out the feeling and rough stage positioning for the song. This would be a framework for me to build a choreography off of. I'm thinking of taking this step because I want this to be a very expressive piece, and I'd like to take it a step up from what I've done with previously choreographed work.
- I've noticed that if I listen to the song over and over again, I sort of get paralyzed and can't plan. I was thinking that if I listened to the song once then videotaped myself dancing to it once, I would probably do some interesting interpretation while not being overwhelmed by it. Do this enough times over a couple of months and I would be sure to have several lovely moves ready to put into a choreography.
- Give myself some time. If this is such an important piece of music for me, then the creative process deserves some time to be savoured. Initially I was thinking of performing this at Medicomania, but that only gives me a couple months. I think that's why I didn't work on it last year.
This choreography obsession has gotten me thinking of working on a dance costume I've also wanted to make for years. I have pretty much all the materials to make it, and in the last week or so I've bought more beads and a bra for it. The fabric has such beautiful colours in it, but it has a striped pattern in it. I think I would like some help designing and cutting out the skirt, because I haven't worked with fabric with such a large pattern in it before.
So, as you can see, my brain has been pretty much been wanting to explode for a while. At least it's out now, and didn't make a big mess everywhere.