Although I have my email address set up to receive comment notifications from Blogger, it seems that I only get notified for every tenth comment or so. This has been happening for a few months now.
So if you think your comments are being spurned, it's probably because I don't know they're there. For now I'm checking recent posts frequently for new comments, but hopefully I'll figure out the problem soon.
Showing posts with label blogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogger. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Welcome Back!
Things have changed here!
For regular readers of the blog, the first thing you'll notice is that I'm posting under my real name; after years of humming and hawing I have decided to put Muffy St. Bernard to rest, at least temporarily. There are a lot of reasons for this (and I've discussed many of them before) but the upshot is that I can redirect my energies: instead of spending time, energy, and money (not to mention razors) on doing drag, I can focus more on making music instead.
Hence the new title of the blog: "Lemurian Congress." Ten years of "UPhold" were enough, and the name change signifies a somewhat more polished direction. I've been collaborating with other musicians recently and we're doing some great stuff...stay tuned for samples.
Third: less New Yorker articles. For whatever reason I don't find myself reading the back issues at the moment. Hopefully my own original writing will be a suitable replacement.
I hope you'll stick around and that you'll find the blog as interesting and diverse as it always was. So welcome back!
For regular readers of the blog, the first thing you'll notice is that I'm posting under my real name; after years of humming and hawing I have decided to put Muffy St. Bernard to rest, at least temporarily. There are a lot of reasons for this (and I've discussed many of them before) but the upshot is that I can redirect my energies: instead of spending time, energy, and money (not to mention razors) on doing drag, I can focus more on making music instead.
Hence the new title of the blog: "Lemurian Congress." Ten years of "UPhold" were enough, and the name change signifies a somewhat more polished direction. I've been collaborating with other musicians recently and we're doing some great stuff...stay tuned for samples.
Third: less New Yorker articles. For whatever reason I don't find myself reading the back issues at the moment. Hopefully my own original writing will be a suitable replacement.
I hope you'll stick around and that you'll find the blog as interesting and diverse as it always was. So welcome back!
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Official Spam Zone!
Over the years this blog has been spammed occasionally, but during the last month it's really picked up. Each morning I'm informed of new spam comments linking to viagra, computer software, and all the rest of the usual stuff.
Turning on word verification appears to have stumped the spambots, but I'm happy to announce that both "Clerk" (Learn dance online!) and "Rash" (Getcher mobile phone accessories!) have persevered, manually tailoring their messages to the blog subjects. I particularly like Rash's approach.
If it gets any worse I'll need to turn on comment moderation (or briefly disable comments until the flurry dies down), but in order to give ALL visitors a chance to enjoy my blog, I'm designating this particular post a SPAM-SAFE ZONE! I won't delete spam comments attached to this message! Go ahead and promote fly-fishing, Russian brides, and fraudulent insurance scams...maybe somebody will actually click on your links!
The policy for the rest of the blog remains unchanged, but please let THIS post be your happy playground!
Turning on word verification appears to have stumped the spambots, but I'm happy to announce that both "Clerk" (Learn dance online!) and "Rash" (Getcher mobile phone accessories!) have persevered, manually tailoring their messages to the blog subjects. I particularly like Rash's approach.
If it gets any worse I'll need to turn on comment moderation (or briefly disable comments until the flurry dies down), but in order to give ALL visitors a chance to enjoy my blog, I'm designating this particular post a SPAM-SAFE ZONE! I won't delete spam comments attached to this message! Go ahead and promote fly-fishing, Russian brides, and fraudulent insurance scams...maybe somebody will actually click on your links!
The policy for the rest of the blog remains unchanged, but please let THIS post be your happy playground!
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Reload!
Another blog post lull, but NOT for lack of material! There are lots of things I want to post about but circumstances have conspired to keep me away from the computer. I'm only writing this now because Zsa Zsa is asleep on my lap.
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Muffyoglb
There comes a time, with any endeavor, when I feel that I've said everything I want to say within certain parameters. Having set myself a goal of tone and style, and having laid down rules for my own behaviour, I have a blast for two or three years and then -- slowly -- my enthusiasm wanes. That's how I felt with the Bollybob reviews and with the old She-Devils radio show.
Unfortunately that's also how I've begun to feel about "The Muffyblog."
When I started the blog I unconsciously chose the approach of writing first-person, experience-based posts in an almost "essay" style. I'd just started my technical writing job and, perhaps influenced by it, I tried to stay away from fanciful things, unfinished ideas, or just plain fantasy.
When I DID write inscrutable posts I fell afoul of my OTHER rule, one more consciously-decided: to respond to EVERY SINGLE COMMENT that anybody left for me. I wanted to be warm and friendly and welcoming. But whenever somebody asked me "what did you MEAN by that?" I felt the need to answer their question, even though I feel that inscrutable posts should NOT be explained.
In addition, I felt that I couldn't just respond to a comment by saying simply "Thanks!" or "I agree," I needed to write MEANINGFUL responses, which became increasingly difficult the more informal the comments were. In short, I felt I needed to write mini-essays to comments that the person probably didn't even expect a RESPONSE to, let alone one that was interesting or entertaining or meaningful.
As my mailbox filled with notifications of comments posted I grew increasingly avoidant. If I didn't meet a quota of at least one post for every day of the month, I felt like I was failing. And I had that nagging, familiar feeling that there were no more posts left in my head because I'd already said everything I'd wanted to.
---
The idea of "The Muffyoglb" is a liberation from this. It's a subtle change of philosophy. Rather than needing to write sociological studies of every experience in my life -- and not posting them until I've thought them through to some extent -- "The Muffyoglb" will be a spot for me to post what I feel like posting. I'm sure there will be unconscious rules for what I've posted -- that's inevitable -- but at least they'll be different rules, and hopefully more inspiring to me.
As for the comments, that's where the CONSCIOUS change is: I have promised myself that I no longer need to respond to them. I still crave them, and I'll read every single one of them, and if there are some that I want to answer then I definitely will...but I'll no longer NEED to. Comments will foremost be reader-created addendums to posts, if any are made.
---
Thank you for reading "The Muffyblog" and "The Muffyglob" over the last few years! Maybe "The Muffyoglb" will be exactly the same, or maybe it will go totally stagnant, but either way I feel like a weight has been removed from my back...and that's a good thing for me. It's probably a good thing for the blog as well!
Unfortunately that's also how I've begun to feel about "The Muffyblog."
When I started the blog I unconsciously chose the approach of writing first-person, experience-based posts in an almost "essay" style. I'd just started my technical writing job and, perhaps influenced by it, I tried to stay away from fanciful things, unfinished ideas, or just plain fantasy.
When I DID write inscrutable posts I fell afoul of my OTHER rule, one more consciously-decided: to respond to EVERY SINGLE COMMENT that anybody left for me. I wanted to be warm and friendly and welcoming. But whenever somebody asked me "what did you MEAN by that?" I felt the need to answer their question, even though I feel that inscrutable posts should NOT be explained.
In addition, I felt that I couldn't just respond to a comment by saying simply "Thanks!" or "I agree," I needed to write MEANINGFUL responses, which became increasingly difficult the more informal the comments were. In short, I felt I needed to write mini-essays to comments that the person probably didn't even expect a RESPONSE to, let alone one that was interesting or entertaining or meaningful.
As my mailbox filled with notifications of comments posted I grew increasingly avoidant. If I didn't meet a quota of at least one post for every day of the month, I felt like I was failing. And I had that nagging, familiar feeling that there were no more posts left in my head because I'd already said everything I'd wanted to.
---
The idea of "The Muffyoglb" is a liberation from this. It's a subtle change of philosophy. Rather than needing to write sociological studies of every experience in my life -- and not posting them until I've thought them through to some extent -- "The Muffyoglb" will be a spot for me to post what I feel like posting. I'm sure there will be unconscious rules for what I've posted -- that's inevitable -- but at least they'll be different rules, and hopefully more inspiring to me.
As for the comments, that's where the CONSCIOUS change is: I have promised myself that I no longer need to respond to them. I still crave them, and I'll read every single one of them, and if there are some that I want to answer then I definitely will...but I'll no longer NEED to. Comments will foremost be reader-created addendums to posts, if any are made.
---
Thank you for reading "The Muffyblog" and "The Muffyglob" over the last few years! Maybe "The Muffyoglb" will be exactly the same, or maybe it will go totally stagnant, but either way I feel like a weight has been removed from my back...and that's a good thing for me. It's probably a good thing for the blog as well!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
How to Find a Muffy
I love my web stats. They tell me exactly how people find out about me, and compile for me all those words that I should use more often in order to increase my web traffic: "boobs," "muff," "stockings," "thick ankles," and -- I kid you not -- "jumper pants."
But other than telling me how to attract attention with word-porn, my stats tell me what my most popular posts have been. My scary movie list is forever popular (and increasingly so as Hallowe'en approaches) and the list of breast-euphemisms in my Benny Hill evaluation makes it a perennial favourite. People frequently visit my Sgt. Pepper's movie review as well, for reasons that I'll never understand.
Enough about my blog...how do people find my now (mostly) static website? Usually through Indian blogs which reference my reviews (or ebay auctioneers and forum posters who steal my screenshots). By looking at my site stats I see that most people find the website AFTER they've discovered the blog, and not the reverse.
Here's a selection of the some of the most popular Google searches that bring people to my site (edited for interest and respectability): "muff," "crotch," "Wumpus," "skin disease," "Return of the Living Dead Workprint," "little pre teenagers," "girl crotch," "crotch girl," "leopard disease," and "weird skin disease."
If I can find a way to work a "crotch disease" into my web repertoire, my traffic will go through the roof!
Then there's my Flickr site, which inspired this post to begin with. For two years my traffic has remained at a steady average of 150 hits per day. But look at my hits during the past month:
My Flickr views have jumped tremendously during the last two days! The somewhat gradual rise indicates that word-of-mouth or web-propagation is involved, but the more detailed Flickr statistics provide no clues; just that 10% of my two-year traffic has occurred during this week alone, and that these viewers arrive directly at my Flickr profile instead of at a specific picture.
I assume that a Flickr user has featured me in some capacity, and that he or she (or more likely "he-she" given the people who tend to feature me) has a lot of visitors who have followed the lead. These people are FLOCKING to the "Daily Muffy" adventures, which is really cool because I wish more people would see them.
All that considered, what are the most popular Flickr pictures? Anything that involves "boots" apparently (like these two), or plastic handcuffs, and for some reason this picture has always gotten lots of views.
So what can we take from all of this? Mainly that internet traffic is a fickle and unpredictable thing, and that people who do web searches are usually looking for kink. Hmmm.
But other than telling me how to attract attention with word-porn, my stats tell me what my most popular posts have been. My scary movie list is forever popular (and increasingly so as Hallowe'en approaches) and the list of breast-euphemisms in my Benny Hill evaluation makes it a perennial favourite. People frequently visit my Sgt. Pepper's movie review as well, for reasons that I'll never understand.
Enough about my blog...how do people find my now (mostly) static website? Usually through Indian blogs which reference my reviews (or ebay auctioneers and forum posters who steal my screenshots). By looking at my site stats I see that most people find the website AFTER they've discovered the blog, and not the reverse.
Here's a selection of the some of the most popular Google searches that bring people to my site (edited for interest and respectability): "muff," "crotch," "Wumpus," "skin disease," "Return of the Living Dead Workprint," "little pre teenagers," "girl crotch," "crotch girl," "leopard disease," and "weird skin disease."
If I can find a way to work a "crotch disease" into my web repertoire, my traffic will go through the roof!
Then there's my Flickr site, which inspired this post to begin with. For two years my traffic has remained at a steady average of 150 hits per day. But look at my hits during the past month:
My Flickr views have jumped tremendously during the last two days! The somewhat gradual rise indicates that word-of-mouth or web-propagation is involved, but the more detailed Flickr statistics provide no clues; just that 10% of my two-year traffic has occurred during this week alone, and that these viewers arrive directly at my Flickr profile instead of at a specific picture.I assume that a Flickr user has featured me in some capacity, and that he or she (or more likely "he-she" given the people who tend to feature me) has a lot of visitors who have followed the lead. These people are FLOCKING to the "Daily Muffy" adventures, which is really cool because I wish more people would see them.
All that considered, what are the most popular Flickr pictures? Anything that involves "boots" apparently (like these two), or plastic handcuffs, and for some reason this picture has always gotten lots of views.
So what can we take from all of this? Mainly that internet traffic is a fickle and unpredictable thing, and that people who do web searches are usually looking for kink. Hmmm.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Recent Neglect of Blog
Since you asked (Kimber!) and since I can score more points with an actual blog ENTRY as opposed to just a COMMENT, let me explain why I haven't been blogging recently.
First off, everything that I'm doing is a "coming up" thing; I have plenty of projects and plans on the go, but I've learned not to talk about those things until they actually happen. As soon as I write about them they appear mundane or flawed. It's sometimes just best to keep yourself idealistic.
The MAIN issue, however, is that my blogging routine has been disrupted.
I used to write entries early in the morning -- before going to work -- and sometimes in the evenings. But since my cat is now eating soft food, enough of my morning routine has been taken up by washing her food dish, scraping out new food, and storing the scraps she hasn't eaten. That alone has edged "blogging" (and "reading the New Yorker") temporarily off my morning schedule.
It doesn't help that, ever since she got sick last month, she spends every moment possible on my lap. It isn't easy to type with a cat on your lap. Currently my left wrist is under her chin and my right one is bent out around her back.
Then, I've been spending a few hours each night digitizing, cataloging, and burning old master tapes of music...those tapes won't last forever, and the ancient 4-track recorder will someday break down. Before that happens I want to get everything of interest off those tapes and onto CD.
So rather than sit down and write an entry at night, I'm sitting down and dumping old sound experiments from 1994 onto my computer. When I'm done that I hardly feel like sitting anymore, so I get up and do other things. No blogging!
But this kind of thing happens now and then and I always come around. I'll find ways of rearranging my schedule and I'll get back on track. So keep checking the blog...it's not dead!
First off, everything that I'm doing is a "coming up" thing; I have plenty of projects and plans on the go, but I've learned not to talk about those things until they actually happen. As soon as I write about them they appear mundane or flawed. It's sometimes just best to keep yourself idealistic.
The MAIN issue, however, is that my blogging routine has been disrupted.
I used to write entries early in the morning -- before going to work -- and sometimes in the evenings. But since my cat is now eating soft food, enough of my morning routine has been taken up by washing her food dish, scraping out new food, and storing the scraps she hasn't eaten. That alone has edged "blogging" (and "reading the New Yorker") temporarily off my morning schedule.
It doesn't help that, ever since she got sick last month, she spends every moment possible on my lap. It isn't easy to type with a cat on your lap. Currently my left wrist is under her chin and my right one is bent out around her back.
Then, I've been spending a few hours each night digitizing, cataloging, and burning old master tapes of music...those tapes won't last forever, and the ancient 4-track recorder will someday break down. Before that happens I want to get everything of interest off those tapes and onto CD.
So rather than sit down and write an entry at night, I'm sitting down and dumping old sound experiments from 1994 onto my computer. When I'm done that I hardly feel like sitting anymore, so I get up and do other things. No blogging!
But this kind of thing happens now and then and I always come around. I'll find ways of rearranging my schedule and I'll get back on track. So keep checking the blog...it's not dead!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Toss and Turn
Sleep has always been difficult for me at the best of times, but I go through phases when it's downright maddening. Some nights I'll lie there for two hours or more and still be wide awake.
I've learned that there is a physical "sleep zone" that I need to reach. In this zone I feel mentally drowsy and comfortable, the real world starts to retreat, the images in my head take on a hazy quality. Once I'm in that spot I can happily congratulate myself and be unconscious in a few minutes.
GETTING to that zone has always been the trouble, because there are "things" in the way. Sometimes these things are physical -- like a high energy level, an uncomfortable sleeping area, or blood sugar that's out of whack. But most of the time the obstacle is a mental one. I have "things on my mind" and my mind won't let them go without a fight.
One technique I've used for a long time is to let each mental "thing" appear in front of my eyes -- like a future task that's worrying me or an activity I'm looking forward to -- and then I mentally burn them in a quick flash that instantly disappears. If I can do this fast, for all those things, then there are no mental left-overs. But the difficulty is that the very mental process of imagining these flashes is ANOTHER "thing," and I must make sure not to dwell upon it in any way: just let the flash happen and instantly forget it happened.
When that doesn't work I try something I discovered last year: I visualize a bright white "square wave" -- a blocky line with a few 90-degree angles in it -- accompanied by a deafening, clean, unmusical tone. My brain instantly starts to whip around to concentrate on those other things," and each time it starts to grasp one I intensify the tone and bring the square wave in again. This works for more bothersome "things" but is easy to get tired of...if it doesn't work after ten minutes or so it just won't work at all.
For the past two weeks I've had A LOT of trouble sleeping, because I'm experiencing this burning creative urge: a need to devise new projects and consider old projects. I'll go to bed and instantly start writing blog entries in my head, or considering musical possibilities, or sketching out storyboards. When this happens I start to lose more and more sleep, which is ironic because if I actually GOT enough sleep I'd have the energy to follow THROUGH with all those plans.
All these visualization things I've mentioned are ways of turning abstract mental "things" into nearly physical objects, because physical objects can be destroyed or ignored or -- even better -- turned off.
So now, in this time of sleep-crisis, I've been trying out a new technique. I imagine a little cave full of filmstrip machines -- remember those? -- and each one is showing a different basic TYPE of "thing." Rather than projecting SPECIFIC things, like "I can't believe I said that thing to so-and-so last year" -- as I've always done before -- I now lump all those "things" into categories -- like "regrets," for instance. I let them play for a while and then, one-by-one, turn the filmstrip machines off until finally the cave is dark.
Besides "regrets" I commonly have an "anticipated worry" machine, and a "reruns" machine for all those times I obsessively re-run recent events in my head. I have a "chores" machine devoted to the things I haven't done yet (like clean out the litterbox) and a "work" machine for stuff I've neglected at work. I have a "self worries" machine for agonizing about my own shortcomings and another machine for "grudges."
Not all of them are negative. There's a "creativity" machine for all the projects I'm working on, and an occasionally-active "state of the world" machine that speaks for itself. There's one for "worrying about others" and one for "remembering neat things," and of course a "song in my head" machine for those pop songs that just won't let me sleep.
The one problem I've had with this new routine is that, as I'm walking around turning off these machines, I'm often thinking "I'll need to blog about this activity I'm doing," which is a sort of inconceivable meta-machine that can't be conceptualized and can only be ignored. Now that I HAVE blogged about it, I hope that hurdle can be overcome and that I'll sleep like the dead tonight.
I've learned that there is a physical "sleep zone" that I need to reach. In this zone I feel mentally drowsy and comfortable, the real world starts to retreat, the images in my head take on a hazy quality. Once I'm in that spot I can happily congratulate myself and be unconscious in a few minutes.
GETTING to that zone has always been the trouble, because there are "things" in the way. Sometimes these things are physical -- like a high energy level, an uncomfortable sleeping area, or blood sugar that's out of whack. But most of the time the obstacle is a mental one. I have "things on my mind" and my mind won't let them go without a fight.
One technique I've used for a long time is to let each mental "thing" appear in front of my eyes -- like a future task that's worrying me or an activity I'm looking forward to -- and then I mentally burn them in a quick flash that instantly disappears. If I can do this fast, for all those things, then there are no mental left-overs. But the difficulty is that the very mental process of imagining these flashes is ANOTHER "thing," and I must make sure not to dwell upon it in any way: just let the flash happen and instantly forget it happened.
When that doesn't work I try something I discovered last year: I visualize a bright white "square wave" -- a blocky line with a few 90-degree angles in it -- accompanied by a deafening, clean, unmusical tone. My brain instantly starts to whip around to concentrate on those other things," and each time it starts to grasp one I intensify the tone and bring the square wave in again. This works for more bothersome "things" but is easy to get tired of...if it doesn't work after ten minutes or so it just won't work at all.
For the past two weeks I've had A LOT of trouble sleeping, because I'm experiencing this burning creative urge: a need to devise new projects and consider old projects. I'll go to bed and instantly start writing blog entries in my head, or considering musical possibilities, or sketching out storyboards. When this happens I start to lose more and more sleep, which is ironic because if I actually GOT enough sleep I'd have the energy to follow THROUGH with all those plans.
All these visualization things I've mentioned are ways of turning abstract mental "things" into nearly physical objects, because physical objects can be destroyed or ignored or -- even better -- turned off.
So now, in this time of sleep-crisis, I've been trying out a new technique. I imagine a little cave full of filmstrip machines -- remember those? -- and each one is showing a different basic TYPE of "thing." Rather than projecting SPECIFIC things, like "I can't believe I said that thing to so-and-so last year" -- as I've always done before -- I now lump all those "things" into categories -- like "regrets," for instance. I let them play for a while and then, one-by-one, turn the filmstrip machines off until finally the cave is dark.
Besides "regrets" I commonly have an "anticipated worry" machine, and a "reruns" machine for all those times I obsessively re-run recent events in my head. I have a "chores" machine devoted to the things I haven't done yet (like clean out the litterbox) and a "work" machine for stuff I've neglected at work. I have a "self worries" machine for agonizing about my own shortcomings and another machine for "grudges."
Not all of them are negative. There's a "creativity" machine for all the projects I'm working on, and an occasionally-active "state of the world" machine that speaks for itself. There's one for "worrying about others" and one for "remembering neat things," and of course a "song in my head" machine for those pop songs that just won't let me sleep.
The one problem I've had with this new routine is that, as I'm walking around turning off these machines, I'm often thinking "I'll need to blog about this activity I'm doing," which is a sort of inconceivable meta-machine that can't be conceptualized and can only be ignored. Now that I HAVE blogged about it, I hope that hurdle can be overcome and that I'll sleep like the dead tonight.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Inspiration...None
Nope, I haven't updated much lately. Sometimes I feel demon-driven to post entries, and other times -- like now -- I don't.
It doesn't help that everything I'm doing at the moment would sound dull, lifeless, and repetitive if put into a blog entry. Do you (the reader) care about my almost being finished John Barth's novel "Coming Soon!!!"? Probably not, but don't worry, you'll see a post about it soon.
Do you care that Rudolph (the squirrel) thumps himself down on my balcony every morning, but that he doesn't actually eat the peanuts I give them...he just stuffs them in his mouth and go hides them somewhere? No skin off your nose, I'm sure!
How about my latest project: to paw meticulously through the 100-odd master tapes & CDs, mix-down tapes, and 4-track sample collections with the aim of cataloging and digitizing them all? Do you care about the forgotten odds-and-ends I'm finding? Hardly!
So please don't fear that this blog is "languishing." It's just going through one of its periodic quiet periods. I DO have things I'd like to write about, but they either take more preparation than I have energy for or they're too much like other things I've just written about.
I'm sure we can all sleep easier now.
It doesn't help that everything I'm doing at the moment would sound dull, lifeless, and repetitive if put into a blog entry. Do you (the reader) care about my almost being finished John Barth's novel "Coming Soon!!!"? Probably not, but don't worry, you'll see a post about it soon.
Do you care that Rudolph (the squirrel) thumps himself down on my balcony every morning, but that he doesn't actually eat the peanuts I give them...he just stuffs them in his mouth and go hides them somewhere? No skin off your nose, I'm sure!
How about my latest project: to paw meticulously through the 100-odd master tapes & CDs, mix-down tapes, and 4-track sample collections with the aim of cataloging and digitizing them all? Do you care about the forgotten odds-and-ends I'm finding? Hardly!
So please don't fear that this blog is "languishing." It's just going through one of its periodic quiet periods. I DO have things I'd like to write about, but they either take more preparation than I have energy for or they're too much like other things I've just written about.
I'm sure we can all sleep easier now.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
The League of the Shameless (pink-ish) Lions!
Hilda has graciously awarded me the "Shameless Lions Writing Circle" award for Powerful Words, and I'm thrilled to receive it. I love reading her blog and it's always been an inspiration, for the reasons given below.
See, as part of this award we're supposed to list three things that are necessary for good, powerful writing. I wish I knew more about that than I do -- I'm still in the process of re-learning all those things about writing that I've somehow shied away from during the past fifteen years, and this blog is part of that -- but I can at least say what attracts ME to a writer's fiction.
- Always the same, but different. A distinct voice through all works that occasionally delves into different styles and themes. When I read a new story or book by an author, I want to know instantly who wrote it, but I don't want to instantly know what happens next. This cheap shot's for YOU, John Barth.
- Self-awareness. I like to see the author in the works. Whether they do this out of insecurity or out of vanity I don't care. I don't need a literal author-surrogate jumping into the text, but when I see an "I" in a sea of "he's and she's and they's," I fall in love. Though there's a lot to be said for straight-forward unselfconsciousness too.
- Gusto. An obvious joy at what they do. I'll even excuse some shoddiness if I believe the author NEEDS to write what he or she is writing. I've gotten so sick of cookie-cutter potboilers that I particularly enjoy an author who doesn't CARE if the pot boils (or who, most likely, provides enough heat for boiling simply by writing what they write).
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Blogroll Additions
I've added two new blogs to the informal blogroll on the right. "Searching for a Unifying Theme" is run by Adrian, friend for 30 years (and counting). I'd love to tell you what his blog is really about, but since he's still SEARCHING for a unifying theme, I'm afraid to speculate lest it gel prematurely.
For literature and liberal education see "Apocaloopsis," helmed by Ambrose Mensch (who should be familiar to you if you're following the Barthathon).
Finally, check out "That Day in May" by...hey, her name isn't advertised! So let me just say she's an excellent photographer, a great writer, a lover of all furry beasties, and signed up for NaBloPoMo. Shiver!
For literature and liberal education see "Apocaloopsis," helmed by Ambrose Mensch (who should be familiar to you if you're following the Barthathon).
Finally, check out "That Day in May" by...hey, her name isn't advertised! So let me just say she's an excellent photographer, a great writer, a lover of all furry beasties, and signed up for NaBloPoMo. Shiver!
Early Morning Observations
For your edification:
- My cat's stomach does NOT run on daylight savings time.
- It is very easy to take off false eyelashes...they just pull off. But last night BOTH of them were firmly and impossibly stuck to my real eyelashes, and it took ten painful minutes with tweezers to pull them off. I have no idea how this happened.
- If I don't manage 365 blog entries this year I will consider myself an outright failure.
- My one superpower is the ability to postpone illness until after an event has finished. For two weeks an autumn cold has been lurking in the darkest recesses of my body, asking repeatedly "can I come out and play?" and jacking up my blood sugar. This afternoon, after birthday and Hallowe'en and Kink show and breakfast, I will lay spread-eagled on my living room floor and scream "TAKE ME!" And it will.
- I dreamed that I was walking to work in the rain, and my cat was following me, and we accidentally stumbled over the hidden entrance to Reverend Phelp's basement. I woke up before I learned anything juicy, but I DID see that they keep all of their paperwork in cheap cardboard filing cabinets.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Blogroll
I've finally gotten around to adding a blogroll to the right-hand column. These are blogs that I read for inspiration and entertainment, and hopefully you'll check them out.
I'd like to draw attention to Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Interrobang, whose author is ALSO embarking on a structured walking tour of Kitchener/Waterloo!
More will be added when I discover (or remember them). And if you think I'll enjoy your blog, drop me a line.
I'd like to draw attention to Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Interrobang, whose author is ALSO embarking on a structured walking tour of Kitchener/Waterloo!
More will be added when I discover (or remember them). And if you think I'll enjoy your blog, drop me a line.
Monday, September 17, 2007
BusWalk Aftershock
Over at Footprint they have picked up on the "BusWalk blip," and included a disturbing queen picture that is not in fact me (in case you wondered).
People keep yelling at me on the street, "hey, are you on a tour right now?" and I have to tell them that I'm only on my lunch break. Lots of Uptown folk who I see all the time but never actually "meet" are breaking the ice, which is nice, except when they're kooks (none so far!). Some are just saying hi, others seem quite enthusiastic about the idea of wandering around and seeing mundane things, which makes me feel much less abnormal than usual. And also makes me feel extremely visible.
It's always nice to meet new people, and I hope the recent arrivals enjoy the blog!
People keep yelling at me on the street, "hey, are you on a tour right now?" and I have to tell them that I'm only on my lunch break. Lots of Uptown folk who I see all the time but never actually "meet" are breaking the ice, which is nice, except when they're kooks (none so far!). Some are just saying hi, others seem quite enthusiastic about the idea of wandering around and seeing mundane things, which makes me feel much less abnormal than usual. And also makes me feel extremely visible.
It's always nice to meet new people, and I hope the recent arrivals enjoy the blog!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Blog Formulae
Slander against people who may someday read the blog? No.
Nasty things said about people who may someday read the blog and therefore be sad or vindictive? Probably not.
Comments which may be stupidly misconstrued and therefore put me on a "no fly" list? No.
Personal details about friends, relatives, and neighbours? Probably not.
Esoteria about myself that nobody else can possibly relate to? Of course! Except for dreams which are notoriously dull to read about.
Reviews of music, films, or books that portray me as a passive pop-culture sponge? Only one per page, hopefully.
Whining? Depression? Sympathy? Only when necessary.
Attempts at putting the world into logical order? Yes, but only when I feel like I either know what I'm talking about and/or can be entertaining about the subject.
Politics? Rarely.
True love? Bah!
Nasty things said about people who may someday read the blog and therefore be sad or vindictive? Probably not.
Comments which may be stupidly misconstrued and therefore put me on a "no fly" list? No.
Personal details about friends, relatives, and neighbours? Probably not.
Esoteria about myself that nobody else can possibly relate to? Of course! Except for dreams which are notoriously dull to read about.
Reviews of music, films, or books that portray me as a passive pop-culture sponge? Only one per page, hopefully.
Whining? Depression? Sympathy? Only when necessary.
Attempts at putting the world into logical order? Yes, but only when I feel like I either know what I'm talking about and/or can be entertaining about the subject.
Politics? Rarely.
True love? Bah!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Book Meme Squared
"Meme Queen Hilda" (over at The Mind Wobbles) put this one up and I couldn't help responding.
What are you reading right now?
"Giles Goat Boy" by John Barth.
Do you have any idea what you'll read when you're done with that?
Definitely "Letters" by John Barth...I've decided to read (and re-read) all of his books in chronological order, partly because "Letters" (which I've never read) deals with characters from all his previous novels. I couldn't read it without going back for a refresher.
What's the worst thing you were ever forced to read?
"Nights in the Underground" by Marie-Claire Blais. I was stuck in a hotel room with this book and it was the most whiny, choppy, self-indulgent piece of crap I've ever laid eyes on. I couldn't finish it. I was feeling whiny and self-indulgent enough as it was.
What's the one book you always recommend to just about anyone?
I've stopped recommending books to people, but "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez would probably be the one if I started again.
Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don't they?
No. I like to own books, not rent them. Libraries never have books by the authors I like, and I've never found libraries to be very comfortable places to read.
Is there a book you absolutely love, but for some reason, people never think it sounds interesting, or maybe they read it and don't like it at all?
"Gravity's Rainbow" by Thomas Pynchon, but I'm not surprised when people don't enjoy it.
Do you read books while you eat?
Yes, especially during breakfast. Certain books can be tucked under the plate and read "no-handed," as long as you move the toast around.
While you bathe?
Yes, but never anything very meaningful.
While you watch movies or TV?
No, too distracting, and that would take away from my "nail-filing and sandwich-making time."
While you listen to music?
No, though I can play Solitaire to music.
While you're on the computer?
No, I like to touch pages.
When you were little, did other children tease you about your reading habits?
A bit, but it was always playful teasing, especially because I read books that their parents wouldn't have approved of, so I was kind of cool. And all of my friends were avid readers too.
What's the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn't put it down?
Any book that I was very close to finishing. I get so excited at the end of a book -- either because I love the book, or because I hate it and can't wait to read a different one -- that I don't begrudge a few hours of lost sleep. But sometimes I misjudge how long it will take me to finish a book...
What are you reading right now?
"Giles Goat Boy" by John Barth.
Do you have any idea what you'll read when you're done with that?
Definitely "Letters" by John Barth...I've decided to read (and re-read) all of his books in chronological order, partly because "Letters" (which I've never read) deals with characters from all his previous novels. I couldn't read it without going back for a refresher.
What's the worst thing you were ever forced to read?
"Nights in the Underground" by Marie-Claire Blais. I was stuck in a hotel room with this book and it was the most whiny, choppy, self-indulgent piece of crap I've ever laid eyes on. I couldn't finish it. I was feeling whiny and self-indulgent enough as it was.
What's the one book you always recommend to just about anyone?
I've stopped recommending books to people, but "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez would probably be the one if I started again.
Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don't they?
No. I like to own books, not rent them. Libraries never have books by the authors I like, and I've never found libraries to be very comfortable places to read.
Is there a book you absolutely love, but for some reason, people never think it sounds interesting, or maybe they read it and don't like it at all?
"Gravity's Rainbow" by Thomas Pynchon, but I'm not surprised when people don't enjoy it.
Do you read books while you eat?
Yes, especially during breakfast. Certain books can be tucked under the plate and read "no-handed," as long as you move the toast around.
While you bathe?
Yes, but never anything very meaningful.
While you watch movies or TV?
No, too distracting, and that would take away from my "nail-filing and sandwich-making time."
While you listen to music?
No, though I can play Solitaire to music.
While you're on the computer?
No, I like to touch pages.
When you were little, did other children tease you about your reading habits?
A bit, but it was always playful teasing, especially because I read books that their parents wouldn't have approved of, so I was kind of cool. And all of my friends were avid readers too.
What's the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn't put it down?
Any book that I was very close to finishing. I get so excited at the end of a book -- either because I love the book, or because I hate it and can't wait to read a different one -- that I don't begrudge a few hours of lost sleep. But sometimes I misjudge how long it will take me to finish a book...
Friday, June 22, 2007
Languishing
I apologize for not updating the blog much during the last few weeks. Besides a general busy-ness (I'll be in Toronto this weekend staffing the Pridetoberfest booth, and in July I'll be playing a non-speaking role in a webcast film series) and ongoing work on a complicated UPhold track ("The Road to Avondale"), I've mostly been nursing my hand.
As work gets more hectic (and involves more quick fiddling with documents), the strain on my tendonitis gets more extreme, and the less I can do outside of work. This includes typing blogs, cooking, opening windows, picking stuff up, and generally being useful.
I've found that soaking it in icewater makes a world of difference. But it's awfully hard to type when one hand is completely submerged in icewater, believe me.
Hopefully things will get back on track on Monday. And I'm sure I'll have lots of adventures to tell y'all about...
As work gets more hectic (and involves more quick fiddling with documents), the strain on my tendonitis gets more extreme, and the less I can do outside of work. This includes typing blogs, cooking, opening windows, picking stuff up, and generally being useful.
I've found that soaking it in icewater makes a world of difference. But it's awfully hard to type when one hand is completely submerged in icewater, believe me.
Hopefully things will get back on track on Monday. And I'm sure I'll have lots of adventures to tell y'all about...
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Henning Fixed My Blogger!
Thanks to his unparalleled expertise with cascading style sheets, Henning NOT ONLY repaired my blogger template...but he even explained what was wrong with it!
I must also credit Henning with first introducing me to Dana International, and also credit him with patience when I used to hide in the bathroom after customers yelled at me. Thanks, Henning!
I must also credit Henning with first introducing me to Dana International, and also credit him with patience when I used to hide in the bathroom after customers yelled at me. Thanks, Henning!
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Messy Blog Template
I'm aware that the new-fangled templates in Blogger are causing my posts to look a little weird. Specifically, the leading between the lines changes after the first ordered list or block quote, which cannot be accounted for in any HTML code that I can control.
I could either fix this by putting a fake block quote at the beginning of every post, or I could just ignore it the way I'm supposedly ignoring my pores.
I could either fix this by putting a fake block quote at the beginning of every post, or I could just ignore it the way I'm supposedly ignoring my pores.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Goodness Me, It's the New Blogger!
After dealing with the endless prompts I've finally switched to the new version of Blogger. I assume it's been out long enough for them to have ironed out the kinks. And look: there are tags at the bottom! Gosh, I've always wanted tags...
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