Tuesday 20 November 2012

Funny Quotes

The following are just some funny quotes I came across when I was surfing the web. I started searching "NHL lockout" on Google and ended up on some random site with some pretty funny stuff. I think I am going to start posting a new funny quote weekly. Enjoy!


A recent police study found that you are much more likely to get shot by a fat cop if you run.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

Sometimes when I close my eyes, I can’t see.

Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.

Grey Cup Preditions


If you watch the CFL, you know it's impossible to predict anything in the league. But now it's time to predict who is going to win the Grey Cup right? Well if you ask me, I predict Toronto to win by a long shot. I am not a sports analyst by any stretch, but home field advantage plays a huge factor in my theory. Like BC last year, I feel like Toronto will win at home, and it's only fitting considering they won the first ever grey cup, to win again on the 100 year anniversary. I'll be honest, I hope the Stamps win, but I just don't think they will be able to. I guess we will find out on Sunday for sure!

Reading Reflection #5 (iPhone)

Character iPhone.... Orin Boyd

Apps,

Hangman- I chose this app because Orin Boyd is constantly thinking of suicide and hanging himself. I think it would kind of be ironic to see this app on his phone, but for some reason I think he would have it.
Alcoholic's Anonymous- I chose this app because Orin is constantly having troubles with alcohol in the novel. He is open about being an alcoholic, but won't even consider getting treatment.
Dictionary- Orin is not the smartest guy around, and throughout the novel, I seem to get the impression he isn't very literate. Throughout the novel, the other characters seem to use complex words around Orin, and I think a dictionary would be helpful for him.
Flashlight- Orin always seems to find himself in dark alleys or hallways, and he always lights a match so he can see where he is going, I think a flashlight app would help him a lot in those predicaments.
Survival App- Orin always says, there is nothing more to life then survival, and he always claims he could survive in any environment. I chose this app, because I think Orin know's himself he couldn't survive in any circumstance and this app would probably become in handy sometime.
ESPN- I chose this app because Orin loves football, and he is always checking up on the score and standings.
Music- Orin's only real soft spot is music, and I feel it's very important to help him get through hard times.
Learn to  Swim- Ironically enough, at the beginning of the novel, Orin falls into a pool and doesn't know how to swim. He needs to learn.
18000 Lame Jokes- I chose this app because Orin is the king of lame jokes, I started to question where he gets them all from
Anger App- Orin always seems to have some sort of built up anger inside of him. The only was he can let it out is by breaking stuff. I think this app would actually help him, so he can break virtual things, not everything else when he is angry.

On the back of Orin's phone, I chose to draw lady liberty and the quote "justice for all" Orin seems to think the law revolves around him, so I think lady justice is appropriate. In a way, there is even some imagery to that in the novel, when Orin is pictured in this one scene, blindfolded with a knife in his hand. Law is something that is part of Orin's everyday life, and something he strives to control. I think it's only fitting for him to carry this image around, on his phone.

Reading Reflection # 9

Twitter fiction is going pretty good so far... I have no real complaints. As of yesterday I have 20 of my 30 tweets completed, but I think I will need some more to finish my story. Finding something I could get myself excited to write about was the hardest part. I think that's because I don't normally write stories, especially stories where one thought has to be limited to 140 characters. I am however kind of surprised with how smoothly my story flows, I had expected it to be the complete opposite, and more choppy. My story is based around a man who gets lost while out hiking. I don't want to give it all away, but lets just say, he's lucky if he gets out alive. The character development is my story is pretty slow, and I am trying to see what I can do to speed it up. I don't want to give everything about the protagonist away just yet, but I feel the reader's need to know certain things about him right off the hop. One other aspect I am finding a little tricky is staying completely to what's important in the story. As an author, I like to throw things at the reader that they don't suspect, but I find myself limiting this, just due to the fact it holds no real importance. I chose to go with the more extended short story because I feel, I cant get a decent piece of work out of just 3 tweets.

As for, the VAKS'ing, I found that very easy to include into my story. Maybe my writing style is just that way, but I had no difficulties with that what so ever. Dialogue was a little bit more tricky, being that I had to focus more on what was important. I find myself making the character's speech very black and white, and I think I am going to try and add some personality to what they have to say. Today we looked at the so what? in class. I like to think, the moral of my story is pretty clear, but the true test will come when someone else reads it. This week I plan to finish up my rough draft and move on to editing and finalizing. I think I have some ideas of pictures I will add to my story already, but I will keep those a surprise until later.

Monday 19 November 2012

MLIA

I came across this #MLIA (M Life Is Average) when I was exploring twitter. I think there are almost a mash up between rambling autobiographies and 6 word memoirs, plus they are super random but fun to read. Here are a couple I really liked


Writing Reflection (Newspaper Blackout)


Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed the newspaper blackout poetry, and to be honest I have never like any sort of poetry before. At first, I found it difficult to make a poem out of a newspaper article, but when I started just taking out words that appealed to me, the rest of the poem seemed to come together. The hardest part for me was flow throughout the poem and at times it seemed the words I chose made the poem choppy. I think at that point I was being too specific on my word selection. I started picking different words, and mostly words that could transition thoughts and ideas. I mean all the words were there, it was just a matter of picking the right ones. As for my poems, I was very happy with how they turned out. What surprised me the most was how I could transform an article into something unique and completely different then the original. The only other difficulty I had was finding the right article. I think lots of news articles nowadays, lack in rich vocabulary, and I think that's something poetry strives for. To make a good poem, I needed an article with some personality, and something that didn't just state the facts. I learnt as a writer, the article was just a starting point for the poem. It was almost like a puzzle you put together yourself using the words. I think, I showed myself I can be more creative then I thought I was, and I am really proud of how my poems turned out.

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Blackout Poetry 3

Like nobody else,
The Canadian
A resident alien of
Extraordinary ability
and someone unique.
Canada
My home
Canada is the best,
And living here
I can,
I'll be able to.

Blackout Poetry 2

Reviled, defiant
Brought shame.
In my heart
Life in pain.
I've been forgiven
Been loved
Been me
Been hated
Often Fighting back tears
Was found,
But never on the right track

Blackout Poetry 1

Plagued, weakened
And in malaise
I will expand,
For it is said
I'm Strong

Reading Response #7 (New book)

Then We Came to the End
By: Joshua Ferris
Pages 1-27

So just in case you did not see the title (new book), I just started reading Then We Came to the End by John Ferris. To be honest I am so happy I started reading a new book because my last one, was just too confusing and boring at times. This one on the other hand, is something I can relate to, and the stories although fiction feel, more real, almost like I am in the book. This novel is about a company, who in financial downfall starts laying off employees, one at a time, no one knowing who is next, and for no apparent reason.

At the beginning of the novel it was difficult keeping all the numerous subplots in place. Already there are about 12 characters and their stories jump around so much, making me feel not part of the group, almost like a new hire to the company. The book is told through a second person perspective, but someone who we are yet to know the name of, and someone with a bit of a bizarre personality. To be honest, I don't even know if the narrator has a personality at this point. Everything seems to be told black and white, the way the narrator and everyone else see it. But everything seems to be comical and hilarious. I like this because, the story isn't told through one persons opinions, but rather everyone else as a whole. Maybe the narrator is the company itself. The characterization in this story happens very quickly and by page 25, you know a whole lot about every character.

One reason why I like this book so much is because something similar happened to me this summer with my past employer. Our company lost much of our funding and people were starting to get laid off. Unfortunately  I was also laid off, but not as quickly as the others. Like the narrator in this novel, I took a back seat to everyone before me, and I could pick out reasons why they were laid off, until inevitably it was my turn. I didn't understand why or how that could happen to me, and like most of the characters I began to feel down on myself. As I continue to read, I am curious to see how being laid off effects the characters, having been through it myself. One prediction I have at this point is that one of the employees who is laid off is going to come back and seek revenge on the company. 

Writing Response


All this talk about the future and where we plan to be next year has really got me thinking and stressed out to be honest. There is so much pressure on teens my age, and I don't understand why. Let people find themselves and what they really want to do, and the rest should fall into place. Some people know exactly where they want to be and others have no clue, but that's fine. Everyone will figure it out sooner or later and there is no need to rush into something you won't end up loving.

 My whole life I have wanted to be a police officer like my dad, uncle's and soon to be cousin. It's one of those things that runs in the family. Unlike what most people think, there is no pressure on me to become a police officer and my parents are always reminding me to keep my options open and to consider other careers. Next year, I plan to apply to both the Winnipeg and Saskatoon Police Forces. My heart is in Winnipeg and a close second is Saskatoon. Lots of people doubt I will get in at such a young age, and my goal is to prove them wrong. If however I don't get in, I plan to continue my education at the University level and pursue a degree in a police related field. I feel there is no rush to become a police officer and I want to experience as many things in life as possible before then.

When I first started this class, I really didn't understand how a blog could be such a useful tool, to essentially sell myself as a ideal candidate for a job. Unlike Facebook or another social media network, a blog offers the ability to show your professional and academic side. When a potential employer or university takes a look at my blog, I have nothing to hide, and I feel it's a direct representation of me, my interests and abilities. Like you always say Ms. McL, it's a virtual resume. My blog is something that I am proud of, and something someone can see and use to know me.

Comments....

http://goo.gl/c23sh
 The first comment I made was on Jenine's blog. When I read this six word memoir of her's, I realized it spoke to me differently then everyone else. In a way it made me realize I look more to the future then live in the moment. It made me think about slowing down and seeing what's going on around me before always thinking about moving on. I felt it was important to show that her memoir can mean different things for everyone and it definitely did for me.

http://goo.gl/1dgMU
The second comment I made was on Jacqueline's blog.  Jacqueline talked about how she was different from everyone else, and I appreciated that. I wouldn't call it solace, but I wanted to let her know people are jealous of that, and it's something everyone should strive for. Me included, I am proud to not always follow the status quo.

http://goo.gl/IBjYf
One other comment I made was on Katelyn's blog. While I was looking at her blog, I noticed one of her six word memoirs that was similar to mine. I think maybe we share the same problem, and maybe we are under estimating the power of telling the truth. I offered some insight to what I was dealing with and how I plan to approach my problem. I hope this helps her and maybe she will do the same, and tell the truth and regain a clean slate.

So far, I really enjoy posting comments on other people's blog. It's like constructive graffiti, and if I feel I have something to say I can say it in a responsible way. Almost like a conversation with them where I can offer my opinions and questions about something they posted or said. Oddly enough, I find myself posting comments on people's blogs when I can relate to them or the idea they are putting across. I don' think its worth my time to comment on something I don't agree with, or something I can't relate too. By doing this, I feel my comments pay more homage to whoever's work I am commenting on, and I think my comments are more meaningful. That's not to say, I don't offer constructive criticism when it's due,  it's just that I need to connect to something before I feel the need comment. I try to be insightful and offer them another point of view for their post. Something to make them think, and something they can respond to. I think bad comments, are comments that hold no importance.... like wow that's super great. Bad comments are like a meal you don't like and leave a bad taste in your mouth. They don't offer anything that gets the person thinking.  Bad comments generally don't contribute anything to the post.

Finally, I think there are numerous benefits to posting comments on other people's work. It gives me the opportunity to show how I feel about what they wrote, and the thoughts it inspired in me. I think commenting opens a conversation and the expression of similar and different ideas. When someone comments on my blog, it really gets me thinking about what I said, and how other's may perceive it. I especially like questions, some criticism, and to see what idea's and opinions I may have provoked. I haven't got a whole lot of comments, but the ones I did receive have really helped me to see how others read and respond to my work.

Reading Response # 6

The Honor Farm
By : John Westermann
Pages 201-267 (End of Book)

So I just finished reading the Honor Farm by: John Westermann. The book took me a lot longer to finish then expected, and I think that is due to all the content and the confusing story lines. It didn't really surprise me and I don't intend on ruining the story for anyone when I found out that Orin Boyd is indeed murdered at the end.  It's just that I didn't expect it to happen so soon, and at the end we don't even know who killed him for sure. I have an idea, but since the book is over and there is no sequel, I guess I will never know for sure.

Like I said before, the story line of this book was hard to follow because there was so much going on between different characters and the author jumped around from different peoples perspectives without letting us in on who's mind or thoughts we were experiencing as readers. It was always a guessing game, and the whole time, I was left thinking and often confused by what I had just read. I think however that was the authors intention. It was an investigation the whole time, and as readers we decide ourselves who we think is the killer. When I look back on the novel, I can actually think of 3 different characters who may have killed Orin, Alex and the Police Commissioners son. Maybe they are all guilty of one particular murder, but we just don't know for sure and that's what frustrates me! Almost every other book I have read in my life has a definitive or at least a sufficient ending that satisfies my curiosity, but this one doesn't. It's gone so far, I sometimes lay in bed at night questioning myself. Did I miss something? I just can't wrap my head around it. Maybe it was a set up the whole time. It might be possible you don't come out of the Honor Farm, maybe you go there to be killed, but is there any honor in that?

One aspect I did begin to like however was the character development. From the start of the book we never know a whole lot about one character in particular  and by doing this, the author made it hard for us to relate to someone in specific. The character who intrigued me the most was Orin Boyd. As we learnt more about him, it was almost like he was a polar opposite to me. Except one thing. He was a police officer, and that is what I  want to be in the future. I can relate to him from that but nothing else. Orin never really loves anyone, and throughout the story it's almost hard to see him as a human being. He is exactly what I strive not to be, especially as a police officer. Being written by a retired  police officer however, this confused me. This book maybe even serves as a cautionary tale, to the life associated to being a police officer. The things you see and how they can affect you.

In the end, I guess in a way, I did enjoy this book. It opened my eyes to some aspects of policing and life in general that I have never thought of before. I think the reason why there is no ending to the novel, is so we can write it ourselves, and that's what I plan to do. I think I will try reading another one of his books sometime in the future, but for now, I need to relax and read something a little less intense. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a murder mystery, and to any one who it doesn't bother not knowing who the murderer is in the end. Happy reading!

Reading Response # 4

The Honor Farm
By: John Westermann
Pages.  67-201

I am about half way through my book now and things are getting intense. Orin is definitely getting closer to finding out the truth about the suicide. One thing in particular intrigues me, and that is a new character by the name of John. No one really knows much about him, but he`s been in the background the whole time. During this passage of the book, another suspicious death occurs, and everything seems to point directly to him as the culprit. Consequently, the man who is found dead (Alex Charers) was rooming with the commissioners son before his alleged suicide. He may have been the answer to all of Orin's questions and Orin is the only one who believes John killed Alex and maybe even the commissionaires son.

One part of this passage I don't understand, is why all the other inmates seem to be comfortable with covering Alex's death up with the term of just another suicide. No body seems to show any remorse or concern for what's going on around them. I think they are afraid of what's happening and maybe even fear they are next. One prediction I have at this point is that Orin is the next to commit "suicide" or be murdered. I just think the others are starting to see him as a threat. It's becoming obvious why he is there, and everyone else seems to be avoiding him.

One aspect that seems to be returning consistently is Orin's problem with alcohol. A different side to him appears when he is intoxicated, and surprisingly it's a side more human. When Orin is drunk, some of the hidden fears and emotions he normally hides come out, and he is more likable as a person. I think this reveals  some of the difficulties Orin has had and how he copes with them. In a way, I can relate to Orin in this passage. Having many police officers in my family, I can see sometimes that things bother them and everyone has different ways to cope with it. In Orin's case it's alcohol, and without it Orin is a sad, weakened man.

Another connection I made at this point, is again with Orin. Orin just doesn't fit in with the other inmates, and sometimes I feel the same way with high school. For me, I don't like partying and doing what the majority does. I feel better sometimes doing my own thing and what others think doesn't really bother me, much like Orin. I don't always go with the flow and like Orin, I sometimes question why.