Could I Make It Through A Day With No Technology?

Posted in General by

Here’s a prompt for today (courtesy of The Daily Post, done by wordpress): Your phone, laptop, tab, ipad and desktop are dead. Will you make it through a normal working day and evening? What would you miss the most?

I’ve been meaning to do this post for a while, as in, I’ve had the email since mid-April.  What with the possibility of the end of the world, I thought I’d finally answer it.  Besides, it’s been a while since I’ve done a writing prompt, so it’s about time.

I have major issues with this question.  What kind of phone are they refering to?  Because I rarely use my cell phone, so I’d be fine if I didn’t use it.  However, because I rarely use it, I only need to charge every 1-2 weeks.  Or do they mean landline?  Why wouldn’t my landline or my cell phone work?  By tab, do they mean a tablet?  Because I don’t have one, nor do I have an i-Pad, so that wouldn’t be a problem.  Why wouldn’t my desktop work?  As for my laptop, there’s no way I could use it.  My battery is now completely dead, so it needs to be plugged in at all times.  I can’t afford a battery, so hopefully I won’t need to rely on battery power anytime soon. 

This question really isn’t worded very well- it definitely needs to be more clear, but I’ll do my best.  It seems like it’s geared toward what we would do if there were no power, so that’s how I’ll answer it.

So what would I do?  Probably read, or attempt to work on my plot bunnies, and do a little outlining.  Maybe edit the 2 novels I actually have printed out.  Try to learn to crochet or knit, since I have a crochet for dummies, and a book about how to knit. 

I don’t work right now, so work wouldn’t be affected, but since I listen to a lot of podcasts, and work on my novels, I’d probably miss my laptop the most. 

Since the question doesn’t mention handheld gaming systems, like the DS, mp3 players, or tv, I’d totally listen to my iPod, watch some tv and play some video games. 

I would definitely be able to get through a day with no technology, although it would probably be really hard, especially the first few hours.  If I absolutely felt the need to write, I’d probably turn to pen and paper.  I hate handwriting actual novels- mostly because part of my first nano was handwritten, since I worked on it while taking the bus everywhere, and then I’d type it up when I got home.  It was a pain, and I never did it again.  So I’d probably outline it, and type it up whenever the power comes back.

My Blog Is Different!

Posted in General by

You might have noticed that my blog looks different now!  I decided to change the theme, as well as making some changes to the pages I have.  If you go over to the Projects page, you’ll see a page devoted to my NaNo history, a page about previous, non-NaNo projects, and of course, everything I’m currently working on.  I’ve been meaning to do a NaNo page for a while, and yesterday I decided I really needed to do it.  Especially since NaNo is the basis for a lot of my writing, and helped me work on some stuff I started way back in high school.  The about this blog page is also updated, plus there’s a contact info page, so be sure to check that out if you want to email me or find me on twitter or goodreads.

I didn’t really like how the old page did subpages (seeing as I now have several now) so I decided to find a them that did subpages slightly better…and I found one I liked!  I hope you enjoy the new layout.

The writing went fairly well this week, and I sort of stuck to the schedule I came up with earlier this year.  I’m hoping that I’ll be able to stick to it more, because I want to get more of a routine going.  Writing in the mornings is working out better than the afternoon, although the afternoon is working fine too.  Overall, I managed to get to my 125 word goal, and for the most part, added a little extra.  I think I’ll aim for 150 words per project, with the goal of adding as much as I can to that.

I also made some progress with the David Starkey book, and I’m particularly glad I checked it out from the library, because it’s gotten even more dull and tedious than it already was.  The intro was pretty off-putting, and I’m actually not sure if I’ll finish it or it.  I’m determined to, but it’s frustrating that he felt the need to talk about Henry’s divorce from Katherine of Aragon TWICE!  And pretty much the same info but from Katherine’s perspective and then Anne’s.  It’s more about the political aspect of his marriages, as opposed to a more cultural version.  I appreciate the research but it’s just so much information that it’s overwhelming.  As of right now, I wouldn’t recommend the book to anyone.

I worked on one of the characters from one of my plot bunnies, and did a little mind-map.  There’s an actual program (which is free) that does this, but I find it a little hard to use when I tested it out.  I might keep my handwritten one, but I may end up using One Note instead.  Still, it’s more than what I had at the beginning of the week.  Maybe this will be the week that I actually take a look at all my plot bunny notes!

I didn’t lose any weight either, which isn’t a surprise considering i didn’t exercise and ate crap all week.  But surprisingly, I didn’t gain any weight either.  Maybe I need to just…go to the gym and stuff.

A Brief History Of The Vikings

Posted in Books by

Book: A Brief History Of The Vikings by Jonathan Clements

Pages/Format: 229/Paperback

My Thoughts: I was completely bored reading this book.  I think I’ve read it before, but I honestly can’t remember.  There’s nothing that’s memorable, and it was really hard for me to get through it because it was really tedious.  It certainly is brief, only clocking in at 229 pages.  The best part of the book (besides finishing it) were the maps and family trees that were in the appendix.

I did like that the first chapter focused completely on the myths and legends of the Vikings, which is the only thing I remember from the actual book.  While I love mythology, I don’t remember anything from that chapter.  It’s unfortunate too, because that chapter alone would’ve bumped up my rating a little more.

However, for such a brief account, the amount of information was overwhelming.  And it was so tedious that I read a chapter every day or two, because that was all I could handle reading.  And that was barely tolerable.

It’s really not a good sign when the most memorable part of the book was finishing it.  Being serious though, the fact that the three things I remember are the maps, the pictures, and the timeline of rulers/family trees isn’t good.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5.  If not for the maps, timeline/family trees and pictures, it would’ve received a 1.

Graceling

Posted in Books by

Book: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Pages/Format: 471/Hardcover

My Thoughts: Graceling about Katsa, who carries the Grace of killing.  In the world that Cashore thought up, there are people who are born with extreme skills (called Graces) and they are both fear and exploited.  Katsa lives with her uncle, who is King of the Middluns,  and does his dirty work.

Like Fairy Tale, I was bored reading it, and I liked the premise of the book more than I liked the actual book.  I loved the world she built, and I loved the idea of people being born with extreme skills and being feared and exploited and even shunned because of it.

It was very well-written, but I didn’t like the pace of the novel during certain parts of the book.  I would’ve liked to have gotten into Katsa’s head a little more, and to see what she was thinking. 

Katsa’s very independent and insisted that she would never get married.  It was nice to see such an indpendent female. 

For a debut novel, it was decent, and I’m hoping that her second book (which is a prequel to this one) is better.

Rating: It gets a 3 out of 5.  I liked it, but felt there was room for improvement.

Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls

Posted in Music by

I came across Oliver Boyd And The Remembralls when I was listening to Accio-Potter Wizard Radio, and he’s become one of my all-time favorite wrock bands.

I only have the Bare Bones EP and the Open At The Close single, but I’m currently trying to hunt down the cd which has We Are The DA and Dumbledore’s Song, because those two are my favorites.

The songs are really catchy and great pop songs.  I could definitely see them being played on the radio if the lyrics were slightly different.  Plus, whenever I listen to any of his songs, I’m reminded of why I fell in love with the series, and he captures the books so well.  I can’t quite put my finger on why I get so emotional whenever I listen to his music, but I start feeling all nostagic when I listen to him.  Maybe that’s what it is, nostalgia.  It’s the same feeling I get when I listen to the Gin Blossoms.

I’ve decided that my theme song is Just A Hufflepuff, because that’s the house I’d be in if Iwere to attend Hogwarts.  I’m still waiting for my Hogwarts Letter.  Failing that, I’ll go to Pigfarts.  I just need to find a rocketship to Mars.

Anyway, I love the Bare Bones EP, and it’s really hard to pick a favorite off it, but I think I’d have to go with Just A Hufflepuff.  Flight of The Prince, Flash Bang Done, Train To Nowhere, and Lupin’s Tale are also on it, and I think that would be the order if I had to rank them.

Open At The Close is a pretty good too, but for some reason, I haven’t listened to it as much as the others.

His songs seem to be a pretty good mix of catchy songs and slow songs.  The first time I heard Dumbledore’s Song, I started crying because he captured Harry’s feelings so well.  And We Are The DA is such a good anthem- it captures the spirit of the DA so well.

He has a few other EP’s on iTunes, but unfortunately, none of them have Dumbledore’s song or We Are The DA.  I’m pretty sure I’ll like those too.

Fairy Tale

Posted in Books by

Book: Fairy Tale By Cyn Balog

Pages/Format: 248/Hardcover

My Thoughts: This book is Morgan and her best friend/boyfriend Cam.  About a week before their 16th birthday, Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay, and tells Morgan that Cam is a fairy, and needs to take his place as Fairy King.  Morgan, however, decides to fool the fairies, because they are meant for each other.

It was just okay for me.  In the end, Cam goes off to the Otherworld to be the Fairy King, and Pip takes his place.  No one remembers Cam except for Morgan, who’s immune to fairy magic. 

I was kinda bored reading it, and I kept wondering why she was in love with Cam.  She was so dependant on him, and the whole time, I wanted them to break up.  It felt too forced, and we don’t see too much of Cam. 

I wanted to like it, because the premise was so intriguing, but it was hard to actually like the book.  Plus, we don’t really learn anything about the fairies, which is unfortunate, because that would have made the book so much more interesting. 

It is her first novel, so I’m hoping that’s why it wasn’t completely amazing.  I’m interested in what Balog’s future works, and hopefully they’ll be a little more developed than this one.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.  It wasn’t good, but it wasn’t bad either.  It was a quick read and it did have a happy ending.

House Recap

Posted in TV by

Last night was the House season finale, and it’ll be my last season recap. At least until In Plain Sight is done for the season.

Anyway, I saw an article that said Lisa Edelstein, who plays Cuddy, isn’t going to come back. Sorta sad, since the article said next season might be the last season. But then again, I’ve liked Cuddy less and less, and the female characters tend to be annoying- they’re all pretty much the same type of character.

Here’s the actual episode recap:

So, we open with Cuddy in front of a house (hers, I’m presuming) telling the police that if House ever gets near her, she wants him in jail. 

We then go to a street performer who gets set on fire, which House and his team watch while he’s recovering from his attempt to perform surgery on himself.  House is getting more ridiculous- while I accept he’s slightly ridiculous (it is part of his charm), it’s getting to be way over the top. 

It turns out the street performer is sick, but set herself up so that House would be her doctor.  Not a big surprise, since it’s happened a few times throughout the series.  I felt like solving the case was secondary to everything else going on.  Turns out she had a diagnosis from a different doctor. 

We went back to Cuddy’s house, with Wilson telling the police that House is probably at a bar, one that suits how he feels inside.  `Then we have Wilson talking to House about how House is being really self-destructive, and deal with his problems instead of self-medicating. 

And then the last 5 minutes happened.  House speeds off, and then comes back, driving into Cuddy’s house, giving her the hairbrush she left at his house back.  The episode ends with House at a beach. 

As for what I thought:

I was curious as to how Cuddy would exit.  It kinda seems like she might make a guest appearance or two.  It’s almost as though this episode was filmed and then Edelstein decided she didn’t want to renew her contract for the next season.  Unfortunately, it didn’t end how I thought it would. 

It’s not my favorite episode, and it felt really disjointed.  I want to know what’s going to happen next season- how is Edelstein leaving going to affect the show?  Is there going to be someone new for the dean of medicine or is it going to be someone we know?  Or is that role going to be conspicuously absent?  That leaves Olivia Wilde as the sole female, but now that’s she’s starting to focus on a movie career, will she be around as much next season?  If not, will someone be added to the team, like they did with Amber Tamblyn?  

And what’s going to happen with Talb’s wife being pregnant, as well, as the other woman he’s been sleeping with?  That’ll be an interesting story arc.

Overall, things felt so unresolved, like we didn’t really get anywhere or learn anything important.

Percy Jackson And The Olympians: Book 5

Posted in Books by

Book: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Pages/Format: 381/Hardcover

My Thoughts: Well, I finally finished the Percy Jackson series.  It was just okay for me. 

In The Last Olympian, Percy leads Camp Half-Blood to battle against the Titans in order to protect Mount Olympus.  It was action-packed, but it seemed to move rather slowly for having quite a bit of action in it. 

Percy did seem to be slightly more mature in this book, which is an improvement over the other four books in which he pretty was the same kid at the age of 12 as compared to his 15-year-old self.  That was one of the things that annoyed me throughout the series.  I wasn’t expecting any dramatic changes but there should’ve have been some change, however small. 

Anyway, the mythology element was really interesting, and it turns out that Rachel Dare, who appeared in the previous 2 novels, is the new Oracle of Delphi.  All of the minor Greek Gods get cabins at Camp Half-Blood, Mount Olympus is rebuilt, and the gods are going to recognize all of their children by the age of 13. 

The most surprising thing was that Percy turned down the chance to be a god, instead asking that all children of the gods get recognized, and that everyone gets a cabin at camp, as well as asking that they free those titans who are innocent.  It was bold, but they agreed to it.  I wasn’t expecting Percy to turn down the offer of godhood, but he really does want to be normal (even though he’s not).

The one thing I could see coming was a prophecy given by Rachel near the end of the book.  The one thing that popped into my mind was that he’s totally setting it up for another series involving different campers, possibly with some of the characters from this series in the background.  Plus, Percy and Annabeth finally get together.  That was also really obvious, since it was totally set up since the beginning. 

It was a slightly disappointing conclusion, but relative to all the other books…it worked.  Kind of.  It could have been better.

Rating: Despite the fact that this book was slightly disappointing, it gets a 3.5 out of 5.  There were things I liked, and the mythology is most of why it got a 3.5.

Just…Writing

Posted in General by

I’m glad I’m back to my normal word goals, because that really does work better for me. 

I think I’m going to write a minimum of 125 words for all 6 of the projects I’m working on.  If I write more, great.  But if it’s close to 125, that’s okay too.  I tend to go over.  I’ve consistently decided to go over my word limit, although that’s partially because I try to finish the paragraph I’m working on. 

I didn’t work on any of my plot bunnies, other than to do some research for my historical fiction.  I did get an idea for my NCIS fanfiction after watching the NCIS season finale, so I might try writing something about who’s selling top-secret information.

I only lost 1/2 a pound over the last week, but that’s because I decided I didn’t want to go the gym, and it was kinda hard getting my eating under control, so the fact that I lost any weight at all is good.  I still need to get my eating under control, but it’s getting easier, especially since I’ve been doing some batch cooking.

Fruits Basket, Volume 2

Posted in Books by

Book: Fruits Basket, Volume 2 by Natsuki Takaya

Pages/Format: 200/Paperback

My Thoughts: I loved it!  One really cool thing about this series is that starting with this volume, there’s a short description of each of the characters at the beginning of the book.  The character list gets longer as we get introduced to more characters, plus there’s a page devoted to the story so far.  Also cool is the fact that there’s instructions on how to Play Rich Man, Poor Man, which is mentioned a few times in volume 1, info about the year of the rat, fan art, and a sound effect index.

In Volume 2, we learn that Tohru’s 2 best friends (Hanajima and Arisa) sleep over at the Sohma house, and grudgingly approve of her new living arrangements.  We also get introduced to Momiji Sohma, who Tohru meets one day at work.  Momiji is the rabbit in the Zodiac. 

So, there’s a culture festival at school, and Tohru’s class has an onigiri booth.  Yuki wears the dress that the class convinces him he needs to wear, and distracts everyone when Momiji decides to hug Tohru.  We learn that Hatori had to suppress the memories of his former fiancee because Akito, the head of the family, disapproved.  Kyo and Yuki decide to miss the mandaory family dinner for New Years after running into Hanajima because they didn’t want to leave Tohru alone. 

So, I really liked the artwork, which is really detailed.  I love how even when the characters aren’t talking, I still know what’s going on and can tell what they’re thinking.  Scattered throught the book are notes from the author: some are “ultra special blah blah blahs” while others just random side notes where the author talks about video games she’s playing or writes about the characters. 

Rating: It gets a 5 out 5!  The storyline is cool, there’s really detailed illustrations and I love the random notes.  Plus, the character list becomes important later in the series because we get introduced to more and more characters.