Musical Squares

There's this awesome blog my friend showed to me where they have this musical squares. I'd highly recommend giving it a shot.

http://seawitchery.tumblr.com/post/4070384205/i-started-out-clicking-strategically-and-by-the

WARNING: Extremely fun. You may become addicted.

And this little piggy went wee, wee, wee... to my biology class.

(N.B. This is writer's blog #5)

It was that warm April day where fate decided to get a good laugh at my expense. I was placed into a group with a science-geek, a cheerleader, a vegan, and a mexican boy who didn't speak much english. Together, we were the team destined to conquer one of the most common trials found in highschool biology-- animal dissection.

What started with an uneasy sense of optimism amongst our group quickly spiraled down into chaos. We were given a fetal pig to dissect and it didn't take long for our team mates to get eliminated one by one. The cheerleader didn't want to get her nails dirty (cliche, I know, but I say this in all seriousness) and ran off to go talk to her friend about the latest gossip. The science-geek (who previously had been psyched about the prospects of the gore behind chopping up the fetal pig) quickly retired to the bathroom sink where he could be found throwing up the latest lunchroom edibles. And between the vegan, the mexican, and myself-- your average, quiet, tiny ninth grade girl-- there was an ongoing conflict where the mexican boy thought it'd be funny to throw dead pig parts at the vegan boy which quickly eliminately the two as compatible partners, leaving me to finish the dissection alone.

Honestly, there's very little I remember from the actual dissection besides the smell, the moment of piercing into the pig's flesh, and the fact that the lining inside of the pig looked like a dark rainbow metallic color. It did bring however, bring a whole new sense realism to how the inside of life systems work, similar to how Susan Offner writers that after her first dissection it showed her "that the world was a rational place, and that knowledge and understanding can come from serious study of real specimens and real data" (American Biology Teacher). When doing something hands on, it makes it more real to you. Offner states this with her main claim that "you can have a student regurgitate on a paper-andpencil test that a mamal's lungs are spongy, but there is no way that the student will understand what spongy means unless they see a real lung" (American Biology Teacher). I know that in my college level chemistry classes, I always prefer in-lab experiments over the virtual ones because I feel I get alot more out of the learning experience. However, my appreciation for real experiences came with age and maturity, something I don't think ninth graders carry as much of. Which is where I find the flaw in current day biology dissections.

Biology is typically taught as a ninth or tenth grade classroom course where all students are required to participate. In my classroom, there was no alternative to the activity besides skipping the class, which should never have to be the only alternative. I think that it would have been wiser to make this experience something gained from higher level biology courses rather than a univerally required activity during ninth grade classrooms. I feel that students who are taking biology by choice an additional year (as I did during my senior year of highschool) would be better suited for the activity. If a student isn't planning to have a career in a science-oriented field, or isn't taking the biology class by choice, then it seems less appropriate for them to be forced into the activity. Also, even if it continues to be found in common classrooms at a ninth grade level, there should be the option to choose either a virtual dissection or an in-lab experience.  Not only will this cater to the small percentage of students who's personal beliefs might prevent them from performing dissections, it also caters to the students who doing feel uncomfortable with the dissection. For the science-geek in my group that ended up throwing up or the vegan boy, they probably would have learned more by being forced to use a virtual lab than forced to suffer through an actual one.

I sympathize with the PETA's articles "Dissection: Lessons in Cruelty" when they talk about how millions of animals are killed for this practice. It would seem like a waste of an animal when students goof off and play around by throwing dead animal parts at each other. However, I don't believe it should be eliminated entirely. There should simply be an appropriate adjustment to the student crowd that performs the dissection so that it is targeted towards a more mature group who can appreciate the knowledge they get through the experience. For ninth grade classrooms now, they could try testing out more of the virtual dissection programs that PETA mentions in their article such as DissectionWorks or The Digital Frog.

This topic tends to have a wide range of opinions, and personally, I'd look for some compromise between the positions. Going back, if I had a choice between the virtual and actual dissection, I probably would have still selected the actual dissection. However, with the virtual option it would have removed some of the partners I had from the group which could have been filled with more appreciative mature students.

(for anyone maybe having to do research on this topic, below are two useful articles I read over for my class)

Works Cited:

Offner, Susan. "The Case for Dissection." Opposing Viewpoints: Animal Rights. Ed. Andrew Harnack. San
Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. <http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010111219&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=viva2_nvcc&version=1.0>.

(PETA), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "Dissection Teaches Students Lessons in Cruelty." At Issue: Animal Experimentation. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. <http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=GSRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010002235&source=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=viva2_nvcc&version=1.0>.

Love Throughout Time

An ancent roman/greek myth I've always enjoyed was the one of Baucis and Philemon (here's a link to their story if you're curious http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baucis_and_Philemon).

At the end of their life, it is said they got to die together and turn into trees which are forever entertwined. This always struck me as a really romantic concept which I was reminded about after seeing the bones pictured above. I wonder what their story was? What happened to them?  I'm also happy for them-- that they were able to die in the comfort of one another.

P.S. The bones were found 25 miles south of where Romeo and Juliet's story takes place. Interesting coincidence.

Ode to the World of Warcraft

(N.B this is wrtier's blog #4)


As I sit here picking my brain for some inspiration, I turn to one of my fall backs. World of Warcraft. The realm of Azorath actually came as a follow up to my previous obline abode of Everquest's land of Norrath. Between these two games, my love for MMORPGs (massive multiplayer online role playing games) has flourished.


Looking back, I begin to remember what brought me into this area of gaming. Many of my friends who are less approving of this hobby make it sound like there is a disease where you catch the "WOW PLAGUE" and essentially are addicted to the game regardless of it being fun. I'll admit, while I see quite a bit of people who do seem over the top with their gaming habits, I would argue with moderation this plague is really just like any other past time. And just like other hobbies it's even taught me a thing or two about life.
I started playing Everquest with my dad and younger sister probably when I was about 11-12 years old. It was awesome to have this video game as a shared activity we could partake in. I learned different lessons about dealing with people (being the only person between the three of us who was willing to set up groups, I quickly learned to meet and greet people). My typing and spelling skills skyrocketed and I also learned not to steal (after I had stolen someone else's loot for an item afterwards the incredible guilt and returned it with a huge apology and offered to comphensate them with gold). Ever since then, I never wanted to relive a moment of shame like that.

When my dad and sister put a hold on playing EQ, I wasn't exactly ready to give it up. This is when I tried out playing on a roleplaying server instead. For those of you not familiar with online lingo, on a roleplaying server basically you are acting out your character as you go through and level through the game. This would mean rather than saying "hey, stfu and gimme my loot" you could say "HARK. Unhand my loot you scoundrel or face the kiss of my blade!" (not exactly that melodramatic, but you get the idea). I joined a guild which was home to these evil sadistic vampire dark elves, and through my experiences with them I become alot better at thinking on the spot as well as improving my ability to write fantasy stories and dialogue scenes.

All good things come to an end, and when the server's prestige and guild's population faded away, so did I. It wasn't until years later I picked up World of Warcraft. For a month or two I tried out a roleplaying server there and while I enjoyed it, it wasn't enough to keep me in the game. It wasn't until I met my current boyfriend a year ago that I got back into it. With him and another friend of ours working together, I was able to raise my human shadowpriestess where now I'm currently level 85 (the highlest level available right now). This brings me to where now, side by side, I conquer adversary with my boyfriend as we continue to pursue defeat of more difficult enemies and gaining better armor leading towards the ultimate defeat of Nefarian.

This is where I pause.

You may begin to wonder what's with the biography sphiel about my gaming history, but it all leads up in my train of though to my point. I have just recently started to make my second character to level which made me realize I just stepped on the path to become of the people I typically judged most. (Granted, I have friends who are these people and they're still cool people regardless), but I always frowned up the person who put the enough time into the game to level up 8 separate level 80s. And while I am beginning to emphasize with them as I make my second main character, I also think that compared to some other players, I tend to draw a line between what is acceptable/innacceptable for gaming behavior.

This goes for any hobby, but I feel like there are two main elements that help me feel as though WoW isn't a waste of time. 1) Because I'm playing with my boyfriend and we're currently dating long distance, it provides a fun alternative to hang out. When you sit down at a computer and watch your boyfriends little avatar running around with you, it makes the distance seem less. 2) I considerably limit my game play. Coming from someone who watches no television and rarely a movie, I spend mainly Wednesdays and Thursdays on WoW later in the evening during the week. This comes in a balance where I need to keep my homework and studies under control in order to allow myself to play the game. And finally 3) play it while it's fun. You don't want to use WoW as a time waster otherwise you really will waste hours upon hours on it. 

I've also enjoyed how it acted as another form of "people watching" (that activity you do when you go specifically to a park or a mall to sit on a bench and watch people.. sometimes for social anthropology classes). As one of the limited number of girls playing the game at high end content, I've gained an interesting perspective on how people act in the game. It's funny to hear how guys are in a dude realm, because most of the time I get away with chilling in the background on Ventrilo (a microphone/headset program which lets you talk with other players online). You also get caught up following along with guild drama (where I've experienced meeting people ranging from your regular annoying twit to a psycho ex-army solider who hacks into finding out other people's real life personas). In life in general, you have to learn to deal with a variety of people no matter what "world" you're in.

There's countless experiences and memories associated behind Everquest and World of Warcraft, which have overall led to a fun experience. I'd recommend it to other people to try out so long as you drag a friend of yours down the rabbit hole with you. I think the whole experience is alot more fun when you're sharing it with someone you share face-time with as well.

Keeping Sane in the Rain

 

And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down.

Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.

Gilber K. Chesterton

Monet Madness

When I was little, the first artist I ever learned about was Monet. There's a replica of his painting at the pediatrician I went to when I was little of Waterlilies. I stil think it's a gorgeous piece.

I bite my thumb at you, sir!

Alright all you hooligans-- in the past week I've come across some various forms of insults. This whole insult-craze started with Webster.com list of uncommon insults (http://www.merriam-webster.com/top-ten-lists/top-10-rare-and-amusing-insults/cockalorum.html).

Today, I came across this list of insults thanks to stumble-upon(http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1hPaX2/mistupid.com/people/page086.htm) many of which I found amusing or clever. Below are the some of my favorites from the list:

“I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.”
Clarence Darrow

“He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.”
William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)

"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?"
Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)

“I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.”
Mark Twain

“He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends."
Oscar Wilde

“I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend... if you have one.”
George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

“Cannot possibly attend first night; will attend second, if there is one.”
Winston Churchill’s response to George Bernard Shaw

“I feel so miserable without you; it’s almost like having you here.”
Stephen Bishop

“I’ve just learned about his illness. Let’s hope it’s nothing trivial.”
Irvin S. Cobb

“He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others.”
Samuel Johnson

“He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up.”
Paul Keating

“Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?”
Mark Twain

“His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.”
Mae West

“Winston, if you were my husband, I would poison your coffee!”
Lady Astor to Winston Churchill at a dinner party

“Madam, if I were your husband, I would drink it!”
Winston Churchill’s response to Lady Astor

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."
Moses Hadas

"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure."
Jack E. Leonard

"They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge."
Thomas Brackett Reed

"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily."
Charles, Count Talleyrand

"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him."
Forrest Tucker

"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any one I know."
Abraham Lincoln 

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts — for support rather than illumination."
Andrew Lang

“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.”
Oscar Wilde

"That depends, my lord, whether I embrace your mistress or your principles."
John Wilkes's response to The Earl of Sandwich

"A modest little person, with much to be modest about."
Winston Churchill

So begon with thee, and perhaps find an opportune moment to cast out one of these snazzy insults.

A Rambling of Relativity

(*N.B. This fits into the response #3 catagory)
Earlier today admist making a cake (which didn't turn out so well-- it ended up having giant pudding spots in it... don't ask) I was talking to my sister about her Theory of Knowledge class where they had been having a discussion about cultural relativism. She pointed out two theories:

1. That two people from two different cultures with two different ideas can each be right within their culture within their standards of morality. Basically that the universe defines no "one correct answer". For example, when comparing cultures where eating your grandparent in cannabalistic behavior is accepted in some rural regions as a great honor to yourself and them, versus societies that find cannabalism to be an unacceptable practice, there is no universal force that would say that "eating grandparents is wrong/right". (To clarify, when I refer to universal force we're going to keep this argument away from a religious aspect and more into a scientific perspective where by the laws of nature, there is no force that defines right/wrong in this case).
2. Even on something where many people had different views, there was still only one right answer. For example, it used to be where there were mixed feelings whether the world was round or flat, but the world ultimately was always round.

At first, I began to argue for #2 that there were some things that were wrong universally, like killing a person-- but then there's a question of whether killing a person is always wrong, if you're doing it for the right reasons.  I'm typically drawn to the idea that doing harm upon another person is wrong (e.g. killing them) because it imposes control over that person. However, if harm is done upon the person that was harming others (e.g. the killer) then the typical standard that "killing is wrong" goes out the window because it will depend on the level of harm they imposed what should happen to them as "justice".  For example, if you had a killer kill a victim, then the killer has imposed their will upon the victim (leading to the victim's death). Because the killer imposed his will upon the victim, he forfits the right to not have others' wills forced upon him (potentially leading to the killer's death). But then there's an issue of whether or not anyone deserves to die brutally. If the killer brutally murders the victim, does the killer deserve to be brutally murdered in return? Some would say yes, but there comes an issue about inhumane treatment towards others and how no matter what that person did to someone else, and no matter how much pain they "deserve" in return, there are certain boundaries of behavior that shouldn't be crossed. But that, would be a cultural perspective, what is "humane" and where the boundaries of action are.

I can't help but wonder as I sift through this scenario in my mind, if "humane" is just a relative term. That depending on what culture you come from, your definition of "humane" changes... I supposed that goes back to the defining point in #1 that two different cultures have their standards based off their own system of morality and ethics.

It makes you wonder if globally then, majority rules. Because the "majority" of the world sees killing as wrong, then it is considered wrong. This whole process for me looking up two videos.

The first is a video about an interview with Armin Meiwes who was a cannibal that ate a willing victim in Germany (view discretion advised).

http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/cannibalistic-killer-tells-all/xlto4tt

The second video I found as a follow up to the first was about different cases of "body enhancement" where people have body adjustments made ranging from whiskers attached to their face, horn implants, extensive tattoos, to split reptillian tongues.

http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/freaking-out/x9zw5cv

In Freaking Out video, there was an interesting quote. The man who was the artist behind the body enhancements was asked what the difference whas between plastic surgery and his body enhancement process. He said that, "plastic surgery is modifying the body towards what society considers normal. My artform is extreme individualism". 

People strive for this "extreme individualism" but I've found from my observations in life that often times you'll see people who are trying to be an "outcast" or "weirdo" end up forming their own clique. Kind of like people striving to be Juggalos (a group of people some of my friends were discussing earlier when wanting to go to the Gathering of the Juggalos as a joke. This video gives you an idea about what the gathering is about if you're curious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdIby6G6gsw). The Juggalos are basically a group of people trying to go for extreme behavior that wouldn't follow what is deemed proper by the majority of society.

What would happen though if the majority of people became what is considered "weird" or "unique" now? Then the standards of majority rule would flip, and what seems normal to us now would be considered the anomaly. People who then wanted to become an extreme invididualist would try to find something that is toned down since everyone might be lizard people in this universe.

All kidding aside, this all kind of followed a consistent train of thought I had earlier. It basically wraps up to where I'm trying to find the relativity behind these things. Who knew that a conversation with my sister while making an ill-conceived cake would lead to coming up with alternate universes of snake people in my head. All in a day's work.

Ak-centz?

As of the past couple hours, I'm having to start the decision making process on whether I want to learn spanish or french first (because in my lifetime I'm sure I'll learn both at some point). Right now I'm stuck because while spanish is the 4th most spoken language in the world (french is the 12th) I tend to prefer the way French sounds. Regardless, this whole process reminded me of this lovely website I came across when preparing for a short performance I had to do in an arabic accent:

http://accent.gmu.edu/index.php

You can go to "Browse" then "atlas/regions" and click on an area of the world and listen to the accent that someone from that country carries when speaking English. Useful theater tool, but fascinating to check out in general. Enjoy!

Literature and Butterflies

(*N.B. this is the entry #2 submission)

Literature and butterflies are the two sweetest passions known to man.

-Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977)

Butterflies (either literally as beauty in the world... or perhaps the butterflies of sensation in our tummy) and literature really do carry massive weight in what makes this world wonderful. When I think of literature, I think of an expansion of capabilities, a growth of empathy-- of understanding. With all of this potential laid within literature, it'd be a shame if we didn't make the most out of it. In order to reap the full benefits of a piece of work, we need to first learn how to harvest the potential of...

Literary Analysis.

I find that there are some basic steps I take when faced with a new piece of literature. To better elaborate on my method of going about with analysis, I would like to reference Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for death". Poetry I find tends to be one of the more tricky forms of literature to tackle, so I'd like to give guidepoints behind analyzing a piece using this more challenging form of writing.

Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.

We slowly drove, he knew no haste,
And I had put away
My labor, and my leisure too,
For his civility.

We passed the school, where children strove
At recess, in the ring;
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.

Or rather, he passed us;
The dews grew quivering and chill,
For only gossamer my gown,
My tippet only tulle.

We paused before a house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.

Since then 'tis centuries, and yet each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.

1. Understand the basic meaning of the litarature. Try to block off segments (in the case of a poem, go by stanzas) and read through it and figure out what the whole passage is about. I find that writing a one line summary of the individual sections helps. This way, you can always go back later and quickly refresh yourself on what the poem was about. (In the poem above, it is about a person being taken off by death to their grave, the passage as they travel there, and how as they lie in their grave they can always remember the day they were taken off).
2. Look for words or phrases you don't understand and look them up. This goes hand-in-hand with step one, because when you figure out what a particular word means, it will help you understand the section of the work. Writers are very particular about their word choice, and chances are there is a specific point to why they chose one word over another. For example, in the fifth stanza, the word "cornice" was used. After looking it up, I found that a cornice is a "decorative band of metal or wood running along a corner or edge". This is something you would expect to find on top of a house by the roof, so when Dickinson says the cornice was a mound, it implies that the house is actually the grave underground. Because I understand this particular word, it brought an understanding to how the person was going to their grave.
3. Find all the cases where a literary or rhetorical device is being used (from my experience with latin, I found this website was a great aid with understanding the rheotorical devices:<http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/rhetoric.html>). When a literary device or tool is used, it typically means the writer is trying to place emphasis on a particular idea in that segment. For example, in fourth stanza, there is an alliteration in "for only gossamer my gown" between gossamer/gown. This drew my attention to this line and after looking up gossamer I discovered there were two meanings present. Gossamer is either "something extremely light and delicate" or a "film of cobwebs floating in the air in calm clear weather". This provides the meaning of a withering sort of fabric but also how there is an allusion to spiders which are usually found in dark places, like a grave. Because I had my attention drawn to this line with the literary device, I was able to pick up on the significant imagery in understanding the passage that the person will wither away in the grave.
4. Put the passage in context to the whole work. This becomes especially critical in novels (e.g. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), epic poetry (e.g. The Odessy), or plays (e.g. Hamlet) because often times with understanding how it connects to the rest of the work, it will help you understand the work as a whole. Ask yourself "so what?", or why the passage matters at all. If you can answer this for yourself, you will be able to understand the entire work much better and help yourself understand themes and motifs in the literature.

When I go about this process, I tend to use highlighters, underlining, circling, arrows, doodles, etc. all as my aid. Find what makes you most comfortable in this process. The writer's main goal is to have some effect on you, so if you lend yourself to understanding their piece better with proper analysis, you be much more likely to find the worth behind their piece.

 

Who knows? Maybe you will even find some butterflies.

Edit: I forgot to mention, that when it comes to reading someone else's analysis on a work (e.g. KPA, key passage analysis style) you should be open minded to what they have to offer. They've already gone through all of the steps above, so when you read through their analysis it can help has a jumpstart in your own interpretation of a passage.  By getting their perspective versus yours, you may end up being able to see the passage in a whole new light, find a new meaning or better understanding of something. In general, it lends yourself to being more empathetic as a person if you are open minded to taking in a new thought and giving it a chance of seeming valid in your mind. If you don't agree with it, that's fine, but at least you gave it a chance and now afterwards had good reasoning for why you don't agree with it. Kind of like in commercials, don't believe everything you see or read because there can be some false advertising.

Be a concious reader but more importantly-- an active thinker!
(and yes, I'm aware that was incredibly cheesy...)

Another Library Visitation

*note: This is the submition for the "entry 1" blog assignment

I love those moments when you think something is going to be plain and ordinary, but then you're proved wrong when it's EXTRAordinary (i.e. beyond-ordinary). Last Wednesday, one of my classes had the class go to the library for a lecture on utilizing library resources. Unlike the several similar-oriented lectures I had in the past-- this visit wasn't showing us how to use the library resources online so much as why we should use them. From a lecturing standpoint, I felt like this was a great angle come from. Worst case scenario, someone could figure out how to use the online resources on their own, but if you convince them to want to go through the effort, I think it leaves a more lasting impact.

The librarian, Kevin, turned out to be a visual learner (similar to myself) and throughout the lecture he would have various images to support his thoughts. For example, when comparing google to a research database, he put up two images; one of a tricycle and another of a car. While at first glance this seemed silly, I have to get him credit-- the image stuck. He also alluded to a deck of cars as the pool for the database, and showed us various tricks on how you would specifically look up either the black row, a particular number, a set of two numbers, or a specific color with a two possible suit matches. Each time he threw out a new combo, it was posed like a riddle, and there were a couple moments where the answer wasn't what I expected. It humbles you in a sense to realize we're not all high and mighty internet searchers despite our google expertise (I still remember the day I got all excited for learning how to search for a specific word using " " haha).

Here's some select pointers that I found especially nice from the lecture:

• bibme.com is a good MLA citation website (I have used easybib.com in the past, but I like the design on this a bit more)
• choose keywords that would appear the smallest amount of times (this might seem obvious, but I can't count how many times I'll type alot of unneccesary words that the search engine does recognize, learning to use this tip might save time)
• To discover 5 sources for a paper, you have to read 15-20 (I already do this basically when I search around databases, but I'll have to keep this in mind for my next English paper)
• The difference between "and" and "or" in a search engine (and = get both terms in the search; or = search in both piles and combine them)
• If you put "?" at the end of a work, it opens it up to various endings (e.g. lead paint? = lead painter, painting, paint, etc.)
• "Computers give you what you ask for, not what you want" -Kevin (in otherwords, becoming knowledgable about how you ask a computer something can mean all the world in terms of researching)

Overall, I had a pleasant experience and I appreciate the new attitude I have on research databases. I can now start applying them to my own personal affairs.

Tidbits of Catnip

Alice came to a fork in the road.  "Which road do I take?" she asked.
"Where do you want to go?" responded the Cheshire cat.
"I don't know," Alice answered.
"Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter."
~Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Video Game Dance (Not DDR)

Haha, when digging through my old favorite files.. this was taken from "Funneh" (which I cleverly spelled wrong so it'd look odd, i.e. "funny"). I wish I could get my friends to do this at a LAN party...would rock so much!

Teddy Grahams and Dragons

There comes a point when we all eventually searched the internet for the first time. I specifically remember the first two strongest memories from those first couple of days searching the WWW.

1) I saw my first picture of a starving child from Africa. Because I happened to be eating a box of teddy grahams at that point, and because I was so young, that was the first moment it hit me that not everyone gets to eat. From then on, I couldn't look at teddy grahams the same way...



But then... the best thing I found (and to this day I revisit the website remembering how much I loved to spend time on it), was Lair 2000. It's a site completely dedicated to dragons. Below here is the home page link:

http://www.lair2000.net/Dragon_Lair/Dragon_Lair.html

After digging through the site I found a poem that really connected with me. It's called "Where did all the dragons go" by Fay Robinson. It emphasized a point that to this day I stick with-- that dragons are real, but they're just not here. I've always been a believer of magic and whatnot, but especially in dragons.

Where Did All The Dragons Go?

by Fay Robinson

 

Long ago and by and by, Dragons ruled the earth and sky. They scaled the mountains, climbed the trees, slept in castles, swam in seas. and flew, they FLEW the turquoise skies with gilded wings and amber eyes. Some with feathers, some with scales, Some with furry heads and tails. Gentle dragons, young and old, hoarding gemstones, guarding gold, gathering in dragon crowds, breathing fire, making clouds. The fiery games that dragons played made men and women quite afraid. but children always understood that dragons in their hearts, were good: they loved to join the dragon fun-- dancing, prancing in the sun, roaring, singing, telling tales, soaring over hills and dales. Then one starry autumn night, the dragons woke up with a fright. Their leader's voice boomed overhead-- "Now's the time" was all it said. Little dragons, big ones too, every one knew what to do. Those on mountains, those in trees, those in castles, those in seas, all let out a dragon sigh, all took wing and filled the sky. Children heard a thunderous sound as dragon wings beat all around. From every home across the land, children scurried hand in hand and watched those dragons flying by, watched and sadly wondered why. Sparks, like lightning, lit the way Dragons slowly flew away-- over mountains, over trees, over castles, over seas-- then, at the edge of earth and sky, dragons called a sad good-bye. That's the last 'twas ever heard of dragons---not another word. Where did all the dragons go? The smartest scholars still don't know. But next time there's a thunderstorm, watch the smoky gray clouds form, watch the lightning flash its light, hear the thunder in the night. It might be so we don't forget that dragons could be living yet-- waiting in a world nearby just beyond the earth and sky.

http://www.lair2000.net/Dragon_Animations1/poem/Where_Did_All_The_Dragons_Go.html

I was able to learn one of the basic 101 points behind internet use. It comes with both the good and the bad, and while you might run into some sad, crude, or frustrating material as you surf, you also have a chance to find some truly magical things.

Captivated by Black Sheep

They say the only way to cure an obsession with a song that's stuck in your head is to listen to it. This is a song taken from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. While I've got to say, that was definitely an odd movie (and uber awkward if you ever happen to see the bloopers-- the actors look so uncomfortable!) it had some awesome music. This is by far my favorite song, and I personally like this rendition more than the original singer's by Metric.

Here's the link to SPVTW's version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CJHKmB9tsc

This is the only version I can find on the youtube video inserter that's close to the above video (but the above was my favorite one so far). This is literally taken from the move, but if you're interested in hearing just the music, check out the above link.

This is the original artist's rendition of the song. Still good, but not as good in my opinion (also, you have to wait till about 0:50sec to hear the singing as a heads up).



Gun Point, Gone Pointless

I have a collection of favorites on my laptop under the file "Pure Happiness". This consists of different links that I've found in my travels across the internet that never fail to make me crack a smile or cheer me up. The above video was supposedly unable to air on television. I have got to say though, if I ever did see it on television, I would have been thoroughly entertained. Brings video games to life-- literally, haha.

Zombie Craze

With the current fad of preparation for zombies taking over the world (which luckily I have a good friend and brother who are both well versed in zombie-survival skills) I've found that I've gained some major inspiration in my theatre writing from some of the art that has developed from it. Specifically-- a dance routine from So You Think You Can Dance where a dance group was performing to Roisin Murphy's Ramalama Bang Bang. Below are different links to the video (just in case one gets taken down eventually!)

(and another just in case)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze3vtKpCoaE&feature=related

Never before have zombies been so cool, or inspiring for me!

Painting: Bouquet Bloody Sunday

This painting is by a favorite painter of mine who's work I saw when visiting New York. His name is François dIzarny and here is the link to more of this work: http://www.galeries-bartoux.com/index.php?lang=en&m=0&rub=1&artiste=46

Sculpture: Futurity

"Now, more than ever, our world needs a comtemporary art of beatuy and meaning; an art rooted in realism that portray sthe good and the beautiful in the human spirit."

This quote and sculpture are both by one of my favorite artists, Michael Wilkinson. If you want to check out his website, here's the URL: http://www.michaelwilkinson.com/I.htm

Photograph: The Essence of Imagination



There's more below the surface.

This photography is actually a composite image of four photographs created by Ralph A. Clevenger in 1999, who is a professional nature/underwater photographer.

Getting To Know Me

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." (Dr. Seuss)

You are who you are, and with that comes the values and ideals that you stand for, as well as what you like to do. Over the course of this blog, I hope I can share with you what I stand for, different sides of the facets that make me who I am. For starters though, lets skim the surface with a lovely list of some of the things I enjoy doing (in no particular order):

-Playing the piano
-Chess
-Home decor (i.e. decorating homes)
-World of Warcraft
-Reading Classical Latin
-Reading in general (typically non fiction books that are about learning a new idea, skill, etc.)
-*Acting*
- Mythology
-Dancing
-Medical/health topics
-Martial arts (mainly Tae Kwon Do)
-Photography
-Running
-...to be continued...

I'll probably end up writing about each of these at some point and time, but for now it provides a quick glance at some of the things that interest me.

Greetings

Hey, this is The Irish Actress, and welcome to my blog! It's January 2011, the fresh start of a new year. A doorway has opened up for us of new beginnings. Fun fact-- "January" comes from the ancient roman god Janus, the god of doorways, beginnings, endings, and time. So as we start off this year, it's worth being mindful that now is our chance to start fresh and face life with fresh enthusiasm. I'm certainly ready for it, and hopefully you the reader are too.