I DID IT I DID IT I DID IT!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Bookie intermission
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodMy review
rating: 3 of 5 stars
A disconcerting look at a possibility of the future if women were taken away what the worked hard for... equality. I can't in good conscience give this more than a fair rating, since I found so many things in it that a copyeditor should have caught (however, I can't help but wonder if that was on purpose or not, considering women are no longer allowed to read or write within the story of the book).
View all my reviews.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Why Editing Matters
I'm a copy editor, and damn proud of it. I worked really hard to get the position, and was copyediting almost a full year in my previous position before I got my promotion to full-fledged copy editor at my job. I work at a publishing company, which is not the same as being a copy editor at a newspaper, I know, however recent news has compelled me to speak about this.
Editors and copy editors are losing their jobs at an alarming rate, and part of the reason (besides our failing economy) is that people don't see the need for that job function. I say, what could be MORE necessary? Spell check doesn't catch everything, and writers that think they're putting something coherent on the page usually are not. And really, that's to be expected... have often have you written something that differs from what you meant to say? An odd "and" instead of an "are", a misspelling of someone's name, a random typo... this are just some of the items that a copy editor would catch. Though you may not know the difference between "everyday" and "every day" ("everyday" is a modifier, such as "everyday hero", while "every day" as two words would be found in the sentence, "I brush my hair a hundred times every day"), I'm sure you would be more than a little put-off that a newspaper inadvertently had "Obbama" in print. Copy editing lends credibility... it's the constant question, "Did you really mean to say this?"
Please go to Why Editing Matters for the 118 reasons (thus far) that editing matters.
For more information about job losses in the newspaper industry, see here, or read Gene Weingarten's ode to copy editors here.
Editors and copy editors are losing their jobs at an alarming rate, and part of the reason (besides our failing economy) is that people don't see the need for that job function. I say, what could be MORE necessary? Spell check doesn't catch everything, and writers that think they're putting something coherent on the page usually are not. And really, that's to be expected... have often have you written something that differs from what you meant to say? An odd "and" instead of an "are", a misspelling of someone's name, a random typo... this are just some of the items that a copy editor would catch. Though you may not know the difference between "everyday" and "every day" ("everyday" is a modifier, such as "everyday hero", while "every day" as two words would be found in the sentence, "I brush my hair a hundred times every day"), I'm sure you would be more than a little put-off that a newspaper inadvertently had "Obbama" in print. Copy editing lends credibility... it's the constant question, "Did you really mean to say this?"
Please go to Why Editing Matters for the 118 reasons (thus far) that editing matters.
For more information about job losses in the newspaper industry, see here, or read Gene Weingarten's ode to copy editors here.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Psychic Training Camp starts today!
I signed up for a class on Intuition at the Open Center. It's being taught by Stacey Wolf, author of the book Psychic Living and others. The class starts tonight and runs for six weeks. Very excited!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
10 Favorite Time Wasters
I like last week's Ten on Tuesday better, but was too late in seeing it. Here's this week: my time wasters.
1) The Internet. So broad a time waster that most of the items on this list will be internet-related.
2) Facebook, and every application that runs under facebook... I could spend HOURS on it.
3) Reading blogs, mostly Grammarphobia.
4) Pogo games. I blame Dave for this new obsession... I love games like Word Whomp and Word Riot. Damn him.
5) Reading magazines with a red pen in hand. Yes, I know, I get paid to copyedit, so why do it for free? One: I stay sharp, and two: I'm surprised how many typos and inconsistencies get through to press. If I find something while I'm reading, I want that red pen by my side to mark it, even if it's only me that sees it.
6) Watching the map on Bookcrossing.com. It makes me jealous when I see books in Australia being caught, and they're not mine. The further one of mine went is Maine. Drat.
7) I Love the 80s marathons... damn VH1 for exploiting my childhood nostalgia.
8) Surfing Sephora for makeup tips, current trends, and limited edition makeup. It is the Mecca for any makeup nut.
9) Playing America's Psychic Challenge on Lifetime.com.
10) Making music playlists. I have a small journal specifically for themed playlists, such as "Love Sucks Vol. II", "Witchy Mix", and "Workout Mix". I am a music freak.
1) The Internet. So broad a time waster that most of the items on this list will be internet-related.
2) Facebook, and every application that runs under facebook... I could spend HOURS on it.
3) Reading blogs, mostly Grammarphobia.
4) Pogo games. I blame Dave for this new obsession... I love games like Word Whomp and Word Riot. Damn him.
5) Reading magazines with a red pen in hand. Yes, I know, I get paid to copyedit, so why do it for free? One: I stay sharp, and two: I'm surprised how many typos and inconsistencies get through to press. If I find something while I'm reading, I want that red pen by my side to mark it, even if it's only me that sees it.
6) Watching the map on Bookcrossing.com. It makes me jealous when I see books in Australia being caught, and they're not mine. The further one of mine went is Maine. Drat.
7) I Love the 80s marathons... damn VH1 for exploiting my childhood nostalgia.
8) Surfing Sephora for makeup tips, current trends, and limited edition makeup. It is the Mecca for any makeup nut.
9) Playing America's Psychic Challenge on Lifetime.com.
10) Making music playlists. I have a small journal specifically for themed playlists, such as "Love Sucks Vol. II", "Witchy Mix", and "Workout Mix". I am a music freak.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Five on Friday
yoinked from the May 2nd Five on Friday, since this is the newest one on their site:
1. What types of board games do you like to play, if any?
Usually I'll play Monopoly, Pictionary, Sorry!, and The Game of Life. Just played Apples to Apples last Saturday, which was a lot of fun. I'd play that again in a heartbeat. Oh, and Cranium... because it has a bunch of games in one. And Trivial Pursuit, any version.
2. How often do you play board games?
Not very often... more likely to play them as drinking games.
3. What is your absolutely favorite game?
Probably Trivial Pursuit, since I've been playing that the longest. I started on the regular adult Trivial Pursuit when I was five or so.
4. Describe your Monopoly strategy.
I have none... I'm really terrible at it. I just buy and buy and buy until I have no money left. I'm pathetic.
5. Do you feel that board games are becoming obsolete with the rise in computer and video gaming?
I feel like video gaming is more of an isolated thing. You kind of do it on your own. Board games bring people together more, so yes, they're not as popular, but I don't think they'll die out entirely.
1. What types of board games do you like to play, if any?
Usually I'll play Monopoly, Pictionary, Sorry!, and The Game of Life. Just played Apples to Apples last Saturday, which was a lot of fun. I'd play that again in a heartbeat. Oh, and Cranium... because it has a bunch of games in one. And Trivial Pursuit, any version.
2. How often do you play board games?
Not very often... more likely to play them as drinking games.
3. What is your absolutely favorite game?
Probably Trivial Pursuit, since I've been playing that the longest. I started on the regular adult Trivial Pursuit when I was five or so.
4. Describe your Monopoly strategy.
I have none... I'm really terrible at it. I just buy and buy and buy until I have no money left. I'm pathetic.
5. Do you feel that board games are becoming obsolete with the rise in computer and video gaming?
I feel like video gaming is more of an isolated thing. You kind of do it on your own. Board games bring people together more, so yes, they're not as popular, but I don't think they'll die out entirely.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
notes found while cleaning
While I was cleaning up I found a few notebooks that I used in high school (the majority of which from my senior year '99). They really cracked me up to read them... especially since it'll be ten years next year since my high school graduation. Funny to think that in high school everything was so important and life-or-death when it really wasn't. I feel like I've changed so much since high school in all the right ways. Looking back I felt like I was such a mousy, quiet person. I'm still introverted, and yet not.
A few choice tidbits from my journals of yore (most of these are within notes from AP Lit class):
"she thinks she's so smart but she's actually not and she forces her views on other people who really don't want to listen to her" [about a girl that really annoyed me that was in ALL my AP classes, and I think had a thing for my former crush]
"Me and Eric have this whole sexual tension thing going on and it's really annoying." [about said former crush that I no longer had a crush on... I had this odd feeling that he started to like me as soon as I DIDN'T like him anymore]
"Alyson is going to tell Janet that I defended those kids from Littleton that killed people but that's not true. Why did she tell Dad of all people who won't understand me at all" [regarding my sister and stepmother... I love my sister dearly and we've become much closer as I've gotten older, but sometimes she completely misunderstands me. this was right after Columbine happened]
I also found another entry in the same notebook dated in April of '05... right after my resignation from the nutritionist's office. It's about my inability to interact with people to do things that ever person needs to get done:
"It's been over a year since my last interview. Wish that job had worked out better than it did. Wish the office manager wasn't a devious snipe. So, moving on.
I've always been paranoid about new experiences. Riding the train. Riding the subway. Going into a big city all by myself. DMV. Banking. It's as if I want to get it perfect the first time. There's just no way. It's statistically impossible.
I'm attempting to be as zen as possible. Drank some herbal tea this morning, taking deep breaths, listening to soothing music.
I'm scared about getting lost. I'm scared of getting hit by (another) car. It feels like any fear in the world someone could have, I have had."
I'm so damn intuitive and insightful about other people's lives and not my own. It's either a symptom of I see what will happen and I don't want it to happen so I deny I see it in the first place. Prime example is knowing a relationship is wrong for you but letting it go on for longer than it should have, just to make it work. There's a difference between learning lessons and trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
*sigh* Time for bed.
A few choice tidbits from my journals of yore (most of these are within notes from AP Lit class):
"she thinks she's so smart but she's actually not and she forces her views on other people who really don't want to listen to her" [about a girl that really annoyed me that was in ALL my AP classes, and I think had a thing for my former crush]
"Me and Eric have this whole sexual tension thing going on and it's really annoying." [about said former crush that I no longer had a crush on... I had this odd feeling that he started to like me as soon as I DIDN'T like him anymore]
"Alyson is going to tell Janet that I defended those kids from Littleton that killed people but that's not true. Why did she tell Dad of all people who won't understand me at all" [regarding my sister and stepmother... I love my sister dearly and we've become much closer as I've gotten older, but sometimes she completely misunderstands me. this was right after Columbine happened]
I also found another entry in the same notebook dated in April of '05... right after my resignation from the nutritionist's office. It's about my inability to interact with people to do things that ever person needs to get done:
"It's been over a year since my last interview. Wish that job had worked out better than it did. Wish the office manager wasn't a devious snipe. So, moving on.
I've always been paranoid about new experiences. Riding the train. Riding the subway. Going into a big city all by myself. DMV. Banking. It's as if I want to get it perfect the first time. There's just no way. It's statistically impossible.
I'm attempting to be as zen as possible. Drank some herbal tea this morning, taking deep breaths, listening to soothing music.
I'm scared about getting lost. I'm scared of getting hit by (another) car. It feels like any fear in the world someone could have, I have had."
I'm so damn intuitive and insightful about other people's lives and not my own. It's either a symptom of I see what will happen and I don't want it to happen so I deny I see it in the first place. Prime example is knowing a relationship is wrong for you but letting it go on for longer than it should have, just to make it work. There's a difference between learning lessons and trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
*sigh* Time for bed.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
thoughts on rock band
I honestly think that more bands should be submitting their songs to be made into downloadable songs for Rock Band. Why, you ask? Because I have gotten into a lot of new bands and discovered new songs I like because of it!
Examples:
I'm So Sick by Flyleaf (bass and vocals)
Why Do You Love Me by Garbage (bass and vocals)
Epic by Faith No More (bass)
Live Forever by Oasis (bass and vocals)
Tom Sawyer by Rush (bass and vocals)
Limelight by Rush (vocals)
Foreplay/Long Time by Boston (bass and vocals)
Here I Go Again by Ok Go (bass and vocals)
Move Along by The All-American Rejects (bass and vocals)
Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden (bass and vocals)
Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (bass and vocals)
Crushcrushcrush by Paramore (vocals)
Songs I Would Love to See as Downloadables:
Midlife Crisis by Faith No More
Subdivisions by Rush
Mystic Rhythms by Rush (not gonna happen, I know, but I can still hope)
Baba O'Riley by The Who
Fear of the Dark by Iron Maiden
Afterlife by Dream Theater
Rock the Night by Europe
Evanescence? Anyone?
Foreigner? Anyone? Can I get a hell yeah?
xposted to titanstrike
Examples:
I'm So Sick by Flyleaf (bass and vocals)
Why Do You Love Me by Garbage (bass and vocals)
Epic by Faith No More (bass)
Live Forever by Oasis (bass and vocals)
Tom Sawyer by Rush (bass and vocals)
Limelight by Rush (vocals)
Foreplay/Long Time by Boston (bass and vocals)
Here I Go Again by Ok Go (bass and vocals)
Move Along by The All-American Rejects (bass and vocals)
Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden (bass and vocals)
Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (bass and vocals)
Crushcrushcrush by Paramore (vocals)
Songs I Would Love to See as Downloadables:
Midlife Crisis by Faith No More
Subdivisions by Rush
Mystic Rhythms by Rush (not gonna happen, I know, but I can still hope)
Baba O'Riley by The Who
Fear of the Dark by Iron Maiden
Afterlife by Dream Theater
Rock the Night by Europe
Evanescence? Anyone?
Foreigner? Anyone? Can I get a hell yeah?
xposted to titanstrike
Monday, March 17, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Temple of Craft—spinning attempts
It must have been a magical night at Temple of Craft on Monday (that or the mead I was drinking), because finally, FINALLY, I spun yarn with a drop spindle. I've been trying for months now. It sunk in on Monday, and span a little more last night. Lookie!
Before spinning, the roving looks like this... like flurry, fluffy jello ready to be molded!
And after, the yarn wound around the shaft of the drop spindle. I use a Top Spindle.
I can't wait until I follow the process all the way through someday—carding the wool, dyeing it, plying it, spinning it, winding it, and knitting it!
Before spinning, the roving looks like this... like flurry, fluffy jello ready to be molded!
And after, the yarn wound around the shaft of the drop spindle. I use a Top Spindle.
I can't wait until I follow the process all the way through someday—carding the wool, dyeing it, plying it, spinning it, winding it, and knitting it!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
sprucing up the links
Hi, everybody that knows of the existence of this page.
I added a few links on spirituality for your viewing pleasure, including a couple for readings (tarot or otherwise). Yes, this is something I believe in, and no, I don't think it's a load of hooey. I think, like many of our other senses, intuition and psychic moments get overlooked, and not really thought about. How many times have you been truly grateful for your vision, your sense of smell, taste, touch and used these senses thoroughly and fully? Really truly? Do you believe you fully use these senses? Do you believe we fully use all the capabilities we are given? I don't. I think intuition is swept under the rug and dismissed at an early age, and it is very hard to go back to learning to trust it after we're told by adults to not believe what we see with our "sixth sense." But that's just my opinion.
We all have gut instincts, and sometimes, no matter how hard we try to rationalize them away, they stick with us and we have to go with them. Usually, it ends up changing our lives for the better. Why not use these gut feelings to enhance our lives? Seems to make sense to me!
I added a few links on spirituality for your viewing pleasure, including a couple for readings (tarot or otherwise). Yes, this is something I believe in, and no, I don't think it's a load of hooey. I think, like many of our other senses, intuition and psychic moments get overlooked, and not really thought about. How many times have you been truly grateful for your vision, your sense of smell, taste, touch and used these senses thoroughly and fully? Really truly? Do you believe you fully use these senses? Do you believe we fully use all the capabilities we are given? I don't. I think intuition is swept under the rug and dismissed at an early age, and it is very hard to go back to learning to trust it after we're told by adults to not believe what we see with our "sixth sense." But that's just my opinion.
We all have gut instincts, and sometimes, no matter how hard we try to rationalize them away, they stick with us and we have to go with them. Usually, it ends up changing our lives for the better. Why not use these gut feelings to enhance our lives? Seems to make sense to me!
Friday, February 22, 2008
lyricalness
Let It Take You by Goldfrapp
They sail light, ocean
Sail this night, ocean
Sail at light day, sail here
Filling my sleep so gently
Just let it take you
Just let it steer
Just let it take you
They sail light, ocean
Sail this night, ocean
Shimmer like gold, they're singing
Filling my sleep so gently
Just let it take you
Just let it steer
Just let it take you
This is easy
Just let it take you
Just let it steer
Just let it take you
This is easy
They sail light, ocean
Sail this night, ocean
Sail at light day, sail here
Filling my sleep so gently
Just let it take you
Just let it steer
Just let it take you
They sail light, ocean
Sail this night, ocean
Shimmer like gold, they're singing
Filling my sleep so gently
Just let it take you
Just let it steer
Just let it take you
This is easy
Just let it take you
Just let it steer
Just let it take you
This is easy
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Temple of Craft Anti-Valentine
The fruit of my labor last night at Temple of Craft
These felt hearts were filled with batting, lavender buds, and ground white sage. Before sewing the two sides together I embroidered both sides of the heart. While stitching the two sides together I attached a felt cutout of a bat wing. Ta-DAH! Instant anti-Valentine sachet.
These felt hearts were filled with batting, lavender buds, and ground white sage. Before sewing the two sides together I embroidered both sides of the heart. While stitching the two sides together I attached a felt cutout of a bat wing. Ta-DAH! Instant anti-Valentine sachet.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
I will be your goddamn guilty pleasure
I've kept this blog on the d/l from everyone I know. Anyone that knows me on myspace or facebook has not encountered this blog yet (hopefully). This, of course, gives me the freedom to write about whoever and whatever the fuck I want. So, whatever stranger that comes across this little webvoid of mine... enjoy. Enjoy my pain, misery, joy, and many indiscretions.
I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of. I've cheated, lied, stolen, smoked the cheeb, and done various other unsavory things that would send me straight to Hell, if I believed that sort of place existed (I don't). A lot of the worst stuff that I've done has been involved in keeping someone close to me.
Recently, an ex of mine has come back into my life. Not just an ex... kinda THE EX... the one that I pictured proposing to me, marrying, perhaps having kids with. The big one. He liked to play mind games, and he was good at them... especially the game of catching me, having me, subsequently getting bored with me, and dumping me. That game he was a master of.
To be continued...
I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of. I've cheated, lied, stolen, smoked the cheeb, and done various other unsavory things that would send me straight to Hell, if I believed that sort of place existed (I don't). A lot of the worst stuff that I've done has been involved in keeping someone close to me.
Recently, an ex of mine has come back into my life. Not just an ex... kinda THE EX... the one that I pictured proposing to me, marrying, perhaps having kids with. The big one. He liked to play mind games, and he was good at them... especially the game of catching me, having me, subsequently getting bored with me, and dumping me. That game he was a master of.
To be continued...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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