August 30, 2007
Sleep Deprived
I am not getting enough sleep; that much is true. It is 4:14 and I am still up for no reason. I could have gone to bed six hours ago, but I didn't. I'll probably get up at 8, and then be tired for the rest of the day.
August 24, 2007
The Giver
I read The Giver today, which used to be my favorite book back in the day...I first read it in the fifth grade, when my teacher was Mrs. Wilson, who is the cousin or niece of Dr. Wehrbein, who teaches in the physics department. Anyway, The Giver is a pretty good book, and I recommend that you read it if you haven't. The New York Times called it "a powerful and provocative novel," thus proving (possibly) that it is a good book to read.
I have, however, been finding places in books that make me think "what the hell?" and stuff like that. For instance, they don't talk about cars or other vehicles at all...then The Giver brings it up like it is normal. Everyone riding around on bikes, and The Giver gets a car all of a sudden? Does that even make sense?
The author, Lois Lowry, seems to not use language as effectively as she should. When Jonas is thinking of the rules he has broken, right after crossing the bridge separating his community from others, Lowry builds up the "suspense" and "mood" or whatever...she says that Jonas doesn't take his bike, but his fathers bike. Why?
"It was necessary because it had the child seat attached to the back."
Anyone, even a fifth grader, can see that Jonas is going to take a child with him...and the only child is Gabriel...so you know that he has decided to take Gabriel.
Then Lowry has to ruin it all by saying: "And he had taken Gabriel, too."
We know, Lois, we know. Why did you have to spoil this glorious moment?
And then, when it is snowing and Jonas is ascending the hill with Gabriel, Jonas continues to ride the bike. It wouldn't have been so bad, but we know that the snow is at least four inches deep (Lowry describes how the snow covers Jonas's feet)...so why is he still trying to ride the bike?
And then, in about a minute and a half, Jonas is at the top of the hill, where he finds the sled. And the snow up there is probably pretty deep too, thus making it seem like there is a pretty big difference in snow fall in just a couple hundred meters...it just doesn't make sense.
Blah blah blah
Anyway, there's all kinds of things that I am starting to question. I guess it is good, though, because it shows that I am looking at the writing, not just the story.
Okay. That is all for now. I've read four books since Sunday, and am tentatively planning to start reading Prey by Michael Crichton tomorrow and finish it on Sunday.
Five books in one week is pretty good, I think.
Very refreshing.
And motivating.
I have, however, been finding places in books that make me think "what the hell?" and stuff like that. For instance, they don't talk about cars or other vehicles at all...then The Giver brings it up like it is normal. Everyone riding around on bikes, and The Giver gets a car all of a sudden? Does that even make sense?
The author, Lois Lowry, seems to not use language as effectively as she should. When Jonas is thinking of the rules he has broken, right after crossing the bridge separating his community from others, Lowry builds up the "suspense" and "mood" or whatever...she says that Jonas doesn't take his bike, but his fathers bike. Why?
"It was necessary because it had the child seat attached to the back."
Anyone, even a fifth grader, can see that Jonas is going to take a child with him...and the only child is Gabriel...so you know that he has decided to take Gabriel.
Then Lowry has to ruin it all by saying: "And he had taken Gabriel, too."
We know, Lois, we know. Why did you have to spoil this glorious moment?
And then, when it is snowing and Jonas is ascending the hill with Gabriel, Jonas continues to ride the bike. It wouldn't have been so bad, but we know that the snow is at least four inches deep (Lowry describes how the snow covers Jonas's feet)...so why is he still trying to ride the bike?
And then, in about a minute and a half, Jonas is at the top of the hill, where he finds the sled. And the snow up there is probably pretty deep too, thus making it seem like there is a pretty big difference in snow fall in just a couple hundred meters...it just doesn't make sense.
Blah blah blah
Anyway, there's all kinds of things that I am starting to question. I guess it is good, though, because it shows that I am looking at the writing, not just the story.
Okay. That is all for now. I've read four books since Sunday, and am tentatively planning to start reading Prey by Michael Crichton tomorrow and finish it on Sunday.
Five books in one week is pretty good, I think.
Very refreshing.
And motivating.
Fahrenheit 451
Just got done reading Fahrenheit 451 for the first time...sat down and read it front to back, taking two breaks...one to eat a bowl of Golden Puffs, and one to go take a piss.
The book was pretty good, I guess. Very poetic language, you could say. There were some times, though, where there was too much description and explanation of things that I couldn't focus on...I don't really remember what they were, but there were some long passages in there that were pretty hard to get through.
However, there were an even greater number of examples that deserved to be praised, such as:
"Montag lay watching the dead-alive thing fiddle the air and die."
There were others, too, but I don't remember where they were.
The book was pretty good, I guess. Very poetic language, you could say. There were some times, though, where there was too much description and explanation of things that I couldn't focus on...I don't really remember what they were, but there were some long passages in there that were pretty hard to get through.
However, there were an even greater number of examples that deserved to be praised, such as:
"Montag lay watching the dead-alive thing fiddle the air and die."
There were others, too, but I don't remember where they were.
August 20, 2007
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
I just finished reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. That means in the past thirteen hours I have read two entire books. It feels good to know that I have been productive.
I am not really feeling tired at all. I've been awake since 8:00 on Sunday, and will stay awake until probably 12 am Tuesday. It is good for the body, I bet, to stay up for long periods of time. It makes a person stronger, I am sure.
I have been listening to Faure's and Durufle's Requiems for the past five or so hours. They are beautiful, and make me want to compose a requiem of my own...but to whom shall I dedicate it? I hope to no one. My requiem will simply exist.
I am not really feeling tired at all. I've been awake since 8:00 on Sunday, and will stay awake until probably 12 am Tuesday. It is good for the body, I bet, to stay up for long periods of time. It makes a person stronger, I am sure.
I have been listening to Faure's and Durufle's Requiems for the past five or so hours. They are beautiful, and make me want to compose a requiem of my own...but to whom shall I dedicate it? I hope to no one. My requiem will simply exist.
Flowers for Algernon
I read Flowers for Algernon today...the whole thing! It was the best book I have read in a long time (well, I haven't read a book for a long time either.) Anyway, I think novels appeal to me more than short stories...maybe. I am not sure. But maybe sometime, it would be good to at least attempt to write a novel...maybe. I am not sure.
So,
Flowers for Algernon was put on some kind of "Most Challenged Books of 1990-2000," meaning that some people thought that this book was unfit for students or libraries or something, so they tried to ban it. I don't know why anyone wants to ban anything...I think the more ideas you have running around in your head, like bees in a hive, the better. Fuck censorship. Fuck it in the ass. Censorship only perks the interests of the people. I hope that someday, someone tries to censor me, because then there will be a big rally and then the police would come and there would be tear gas and riots, and afterwards I will win! I will beat censorship, and then support a world-wide movement that encourages the widespread distribution and creation of explicit material.
So,
Flowers for Algernon was put on some kind of "Most Challenged Books of 1990-2000," meaning that some people thought that this book was unfit for students or libraries or something, so they tried to ban it. I don't know why anyone wants to ban anything...I think the more ideas you have running around in your head, like bees in a hive, the better. Fuck censorship. Fuck it in the ass. Censorship only perks the interests of the people. I hope that someday, someone tries to censor me, because then there will be a big rally and then the police would come and there would be tear gas and riots, and afterwards I will win! I will beat censorship, and then support a world-wide movement that encourages the widespread distribution and creation of explicit material.
August 15, 2007
More:
Here is some more stuff:
1) Wesleyan sucks because they close down the pool at random times for no reason at all. I might get a membership at the YMCA just so that I can go at regular times.
2) I fought some kind of depression last week, which sucked, which came out of nowhere and stabbed me in the gut.
3) "I was the only one in the room with a bullet in their gut." Remember that line? Do you? Do you? Isn't that the one?
4) Dom brought some stuff to work today and we made Vietnamese food...spring rolls, they were, and we stuffed them with shrimp, beef, lettuce, cucumber, chives, and soy bean sauce.
5) In the afternoon I went to two stores around 25th and O, and Indian one and a Thai one, and bought good stuff so that I can make some good meals. Yum.
6) I got the bass here in my room, sitting next to the guitar. The band is going to happen, I just know it. Get ready.
7) I can't think of anything else to say, except that I went to bed at nine o'clock last night, like an old man. It felt good. Oh yeah, and I have been sleeping on the floor for the past three weeks. I started off in the first week of July, but only lasted like two nights, but now I have been doing it for a long, long time.
8) That is all for now. G'day mate.
1) Wesleyan sucks because they close down the pool at random times for no reason at all. I might get a membership at the YMCA just so that I can go at regular times.
2) I fought some kind of depression last week, which sucked, which came out of nowhere and stabbed me in the gut.
3) "I was the only one in the room with a bullet in their gut." Remember that line? Do you? Do you? Isn't that the one?
4) Dom brought some stuff to work today and we made Vietnamese food...spring rolls, they were, and we stuffed them with shrimp, beef, lettuce, cucumber, chives, and soy bean sauce.
5) In the afternoon I went to two stores around 25th and O, and Indian one and a Thai one, and bought good stuff so that I can make some good meals. Yum.
6) I got the bass here in my room, sitting next to the guitar. The band is going to happen, I just know it. Get ready.
7) I can't think of anything else to say, except that I went to bed at nine o'clock last night, like an old man. It felt good. Oh yeah, and I have been sleeping on the floor for the past three weeks. I started off in the first week of July, but only lasted like two nights, but now I have been doing it for a long, long time.
8) That is all for now. G'day mate.
August 12, 2007
Trying
I have been trying to write more...well, it's not like I never do, it's just that I try to hard when I sit down and write that I get frustrated and it seems that I don't get anything done really. So now, I have spent a lot of the day trying to get in some kind of writing mood so that I can concentrate and write some good stuff.
My problem is, I think I have found out, is that I am seeing that stories are much more complex than I ever imagined, and that to write a good story is to expend a fantastic amount of effort which produces something entirely amazing.
No, I have not done so yet. Never have I felt really satisfied with a story. Sure, I can tell a story, no problem, I could tell forty seven of them right now. I just have to start writing something, anything. I could write "the cat was born with no left paw" and then write a story about it. I would write how I usually do, and make it enjoyable to read, quite possibly, but what I realize now is that there is much more to a story than I ever thought. To transform yourself from a "storyteller" to a "writer" you have to do so much more, you have to have a moment when everything...when everything is written in such a way that it brings tears to your eyes. Even stuff that is not sad will affect the reader, just because of the stuff that is in the story.
No, I do not explain myself well, but I never do. Basically, I am trying my hardest to not simply tell a story, but take it a step farther and really WRITE. That is my goal for the next week...I hope I can come up with something.
My problem is, I think I have found out, is that I am seeing that stories are much more complex than I ever imagined, and that to write a good story is to expend a fantastic amount of effort which produces something entirely amazing.
No, I have not done so yet. Never have I felt really satisfied with a story. Sure, I can tell a story, no problem, I could tell forty seven of them right now. I just have to start writing something, anything. I could write "the cat was born with no left paw" and then write a story about it. I would write how I usually do, and make it enjoyable to read, quite possibly, but what I realize now is that there is much more to a story than I ever thought. To transform yourself from a "storyteller" to a "writer" you have to do so much more, you have to have a moment when everything...when everything is written in such a way that it brings tears to your eyes. Even stuff that is not sad will affect the reader, just because of the stuff that is in the story.
No, I do not explain myself well, but I never do. Basically, I am trying my hardest to not simply tell a story, but take it a step farther and really WRITE. That is my goal for the next week...I hope I can come up with something.
August 09, 2007
Update
My life has been pretty "blah" for a while. I need something to spice it up, perhaps some hot sauce or some Thai food.
I am going home tomorrow with my bro and my mom and dad are going to grill some chicken and fish and burgers and potatoes and vegetables.
I get to see my cat Nacho. She will be 14 in 20 days! Oh my! Where have the years gone! I was a second grader or something like that when she was born. What a wise soul she must be!
I have not been turning on the air conditioner because I am trying to save money. It is not too bad, actually. I have acclimated well. Plus, the hot weather makes you stronger. Plus, it is good to sweat; it cleanses the body.
I am trying to cut out the refined sugars because they cause crazy spikes in blood glucose level. I am trying to eat low GI carbs, like the oatmeal I eat for breakfast.
I like dim rooms. Like my room right now; the only light is from a lava lamp that has not yet warmed up so right now there are chunks of that plastic they use in there floating around. It looks like a cave, sort of.
School starts soon. I am not buying any books, except for my poetry class. That is the only one I actually want to go to. All the others will not be fun. I will probably just sit there and draw pictures of little sea urchins and aliens and flowers and bags of licorice.
Some hot girls moved in next door to me. Maybe I should bake some cookies and take them some. What do you think?
I am going home tomorrow with my bro and my mom and dad are going to grill some chicken and fish and burgers and potatoes and vegetables.
I get to see my cat Nacho. She will be 14 in 20 days! Oh my! Where have the years gone! I was a second grader or something like that when she was born. What a wise soul she must be!
I have not been turning on the air conditioner because I am trying to save money. It is not too bad, actually. I have acclimated well. Plus, the hot weather makes you stronger. Plus, it is good to sweat; it cleanses the body.
I am trying to cut out the refined sugars because they cause crazy spikes in blood glucose level. I am trying to eat low GI carbs, like the oatmeal I eat for breakfast.
I like dim rooms. Like my room right now; the only light is from a lava lamp that has not yet warmed up so right now there are chunks of that plastic they use in there floating around. It looks like a cave, sort of.
School starts soon. I am not buying any books, except for my poetry class. That is the only one I actually want to go to. All the others will not be fun. I will probably just sit there and draw pictures of little sea urchins and aliens and flowers and bags of licorice.
Some hot girls moved in next door to me. Maybe I should bake some cookies and take them some. What do you think?
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