Post 80: Review Boars

Or something that rhymes with boars that I don't wish to say. My blog is classier than that. Or rather, I don't really want to start incorporating curse words on my blog, just yet. I will save that kind of talk when I am in the two-three hundred post zone.

So, what am I talking about? Well, not that long ago I mentioned that I have a poetry.com account. Part of what I liked about it is people had to give feedback. I mean, you have to review two, to post anything.

Except, now people aren't really giving real reviews. At least not true reviews. People seem ot be writing up a small blurb making standard commentary about word choice and imagery then copying it and pasting it. And, of course, all this praise is not alone,they also leave a link in the review back to their own work which they ask you to reveiw in exchange for their "helpful" review.

I get that people want more reviews but this seems to negate the purpose of the two to post priniciple. If you aren't going to leave a real review, then you are wasting other's time. In order to get the poem posted I did two real reviews of other poems, so just copying and pasting nonsense reviews doesn't help anyone. In fact, it hurts me because once you've received reviews, your poem is taken out of the queue that of need to be reviewed poems. So, it may hurt any chance of my poem getting any real reviews.

It is also about as helpful as if they put "its a poem" as the comment, because of if it isn't real feedback I don't have anyway of gaging what I need to work on versus what I'm good at. 

It is a harmful and pointless form of self-promotion. The peole who enjoy doing reviews would have reviewed them anyway, and those who don't aren't going to do  it just because they see the link. And I am certainly not going to go out of my way to review their work when they couldn't be bothered to review mine when they were supposed to. 

It is just frustrating. It is like someone who has never been in your house showing up on your door step and saying, "I love that it has walls and floors, you should come to my house and tell me about how much you like the artwork and themes I have chosen for each of the rooms and tell me what you think they say about the rest of house, as well as how they relate to me as a person."

I mean, it is like a restaurant owner on Yelp commenting on another restaurant with "I like that it has food." And then expecting that person to come to their restaurant and giving them a positive thought out review. 

I use the term that I made because they seem the type that will start like this but soon won't care about the reviews at all. They will just want people to give them five stars. In fact, I saw a 5f5 comment on someone's poem not that long ago. (If you don't know, it means five for five. So, they rated five starts and want the person they rated to return the favor.) But that isn't an honest opinion or an honest reflection on the quality of the poem.

It almost damages the poem because even if the poem was 5 star worthy, the fact that stars were bought taints any potential praise that could be given to the poem. 

I probably won't use this website much anymore. Not that I use it all that often anyway. I write sonnets and almost epics more often than anything else, and they are not really appreciated on this site. Though, I haven't tried an almost epic. But, I figured since they tend to be long I would only be asking for fake reviews because they tend to be on the long side they would only test people's patience. 

I feel I've gotten a little more babble-y than usual. So, I'm going to end it for now. It might be awhile befofre I post again. Lots of things are due in the next few weeks, so I will scarcely have the free time to blog. 

Post 79: Trains, Planes and Automobiles

I'm surprised this isn't already a post. I checked my old ones and it doesn't look like I have, as of yet, talked about the different modes of transportation and my views on them. And doesn't that just sound fascinating? (As people everywhere roll their eyes or chuckle in the distance.) Maybe not...but there are a lot of things that could be said. And as for the funny, it is my job to track that down and drag it into the post.


Trains come first in the title, so I will talk about them first. But it won't take too long because I don't really care much for trains. I have nothing against them either. I just find them kind of dull. The train to downtown here is a lot faster than the bus, though. But I like the bus better. I don't know why. Well, that isn't true I do kind of know why. I like that with the bus it runs all day. The train only runs at certain times, in certain directions. There is more freedom and less stress in taking the bus then.


Though, honestly, even if that wasn't true I think I still might prefer the bus.


Planes are okay. I don't really like flying as much as I did in the past. I used to love it, especially at take off or landing when I could look out and see the city shrink or grow. It was cool. Then, partially because the novelty of that wore off and partially because turbulence on one of my flights caused the plane to go sideways (really, really randomly). It was so shocking and so out of nowhere, the flight attendant that had been serving drinks flew across peoples' laps.


That killed a little of the thrill.


I like car rides, but they make me so sleepy. I don't know why, but after ten - fifteen minutes in the car I am ready for a nap. And it is always true. I will wake up and be energetic, I will get ready to go and be fine, then I get in the car and ten minutes later it is like someone zapped away all my energy. What's up with that?


I like car rides, because I don't have to worry about how clean things are. I mean, buses are kind of gross. I'm sure whenever I get sick nowadays it is something I contracted from riding on the bus.


And, oh my gosh, the other day I was on the bus and this guy comes and sits down like a few seats away, right next to some other guy, and five minutes after he sits down he starts eating fried chicken. Right there, on the bus. And this disgusting, yellow grease is dripping down his arm as he tears it apart with his teeth (and chews with his mouth open, by the way). It was so gross, but that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part is that he LEFT THE BONES BEHIND. Right next to the guy who he sat next. And not like in the bucket or bag either, directly on the seat.


Don't believe me, click here.


So, you know, when you are thinking about whether to drive or take the bus and going over the 'being more green' argument just remember that this guy could end up sitting next to you. I ride the bus anyway. I figure it doesn't really matter how I travel these people find me. Like the young woman who told me her life story at the bus stop (including her physical confrontation with her cousin at her last family reunion as well as about her first pregnancy scare). Or like the older gentlemen who explained to me how I was like his youngest granddaughter, because she too had short hair and he didn't understand why women were cutting their hair short these days.


I guess that is the biggest danger when it comes to public transportation- other people. Which is kind of funny, and it reminds me of the Sartre quote, "Hell- is other people".


Not to say public transport is that bad, in many ways it is very conveinant, but it can be a nightmare too.


That's all for now, folks. Headed off to class here momentarily.

Post 78: Identity Theft

Identity theft is a serious crime that a lot of people fear, but some people most actually face. Even I have had a sort of run in with it. When I was 16, I received a letter that I owed money to an online website. They claimed I had made a purchase with 'my' credit card and it had not covered the purchase. I wasn't even old enough to get a credit card at the time, so I couldn't have bought anything at all.


My mom took care of it, at the time. But it did make me more aware about where I leave my wallet. Except, in Canada, it would be hard to do much damage with what I have. I have no credit card, I have not applied for one nor will I for the foreseeable future.  I could get one, but there is not one for them to take. And debit cards are not really compatible with online shopping. In stores, you are asked for a pin code.


But, today I realized there are other ways that some can take something and use it to their advantage in your name. My mom injured herself recently, so I've been helping out when I can. Today, she asked if I could check out a book for her from the library. She gave me her library card. (She is getting her Ph.D at the same University I am attending). I went in and checked out a book.


Not a cheap book either, but it didn't matter that it wasn't my card. I could have wracked up a large library fine and sold the books for myself elsewhere. Though, I wouldn't get much from it.


Except, I went to the counter because it was a text book. Which is what I was most shocked by. I was going to check out a laptop on my card, but I forgot mine. Before I realized that, I had asked for a laptop. She almost put it on my mom's card.


My mom and I have different last names. She is twice my age with long red hair. My hair is...well, Technicolor. The point is that it was obvious it wasn't my card. You have to show them your card to check out a laptop, but the fact it clearly wasn't my card wasn't going to stop me from checking one out.


If I lost my card and they checked out a laptop, then sold it off somewhere. I would owe the school hundreds of dollars! For doing nothing, but the laptop would be out in my name so I would be responsible for its disappearance.


It is shocking that she did not even ask about why it wasn't my card. I know there are still worse examples and worse scenarios that could happen, but it worries me as a student without a credit card.


I'd like to think that the worst problem with losing my card is not being able to back up my bus pass or not being able to check out a book, not that someone else might check out a book or laptop.


I guess, it is a good realization to have. Now that I know it is an issue, I can do a better job at trying to prevent it.


I think I've talked about all that I wanted to, so I'm going to end the post here. Hope everyone had a good Fathers' Day.

Post 77: Birthdays and Other Holidays

I don't know if I've ever talked about these things before. Probably in passing but not much more. I have a list of things I've already talked about on here. But that isn't on the list. Though, it is slightly outdated. Anyway, it seems an appropriate topic because today is Fathers' Day and next Saturday is my birthday. I am turning some number old. I'm sure that some where, maybe even on Blogger, there is mention of my age. It wouldn't be that hard to find either.


Googling my name (SamanthieR) brings up my YouTube, my DeviantArt, my FanFicition, and even my account with an online flashcard making site. It brings up old blogs and FictionPress. Somewhere in all these sites is my age. Or a link or hint as to where else my age can be found.




But does anyone real care that much about how old I am?




Anyway, my birthday is coming up. And what am I doing for it? Nothing! Well, nothing is planned so far. I will have more birthdays to come and I just am not in a celebratory mood. I am still in classes, I even have a four class on my birthday. So, really, I am feeling like this year can be a year I just let slide as far as celebrations go.




I remember old birthdays, like when I was like 8 and had a pool party and princess cake. I remember my 11-13th birthdays were spent at Wild Rivers water park with friends. My 15th birthday I had a sleep over and made charm bracelets with friends, then watched The Pirate Movie. I remember that my 16th party was sad, because I was leaving California and I remember singing karaoke. For my 17th, I went back to California to visit people. The rest are vague. I guess as I get older, they aren't as exciting to me.




I wonder why.




Anyway, what I do get excited about, as far as holidays and the like are concerned, is Halloween. I love Halloween. Though, not as much in Canada. People don't dress up or go trick-or-treating the same way they did in California. It was a big deal. Here it isn't. I guess, that makes sense. It is really cold here, so going out at night in costume isn't much fun.




I like Christmas. It is nice getting together with the family and seeing people. It is one of the few times my family gets together. At least, where most of the family gets together.




I like Thanksgiving. I really like squash. And pumpkin spice lattes, which may not be a Thanksgiving thing, but I is a thanksgiving season thing.




Easter was a lot of fun when I was younger and had to search for eggs and believed in the Easter bunny. I like Valentine's Day. It is fun and when you're not in school and the awkwardness of card giving is lifted, it is more fun.




Those are the main ones that currently come to mind.




Midterms are behind me now, turning one in Monday, but it is done and I can relax a few moments before the assignments pick up again. So, I will take this time to kick back and get ahead on reading.

Post 76: A Penny Saved

 "A penny saved is a penny earned." - Benjamin Franklin

I don't know exactly what Franklin meant when he said this, something about saving money as a good idea, but really it is missing more context. But is is certainly a catchy phrase, and one that I think I found my own context for today. 

Now, I have always had a love-hate relationship with EA and iTunes. EA, if you didn't know, is the company responsible for Sims. iTunes, well, is iTunes. I love Sims, I talk about it enough for that to be clear. I love iTunes. I talk about it a lot, as well. But, sometimes, sometimes they just make me want to tear my hair out. 

Recently, Sims 3 games went on sale. Games that were originally like $40, went down to $20 a few months after release, and are now being offered for even less. One game I spent $30 is now being sold for about $6. SIX DOLLARS. SIX. If I had waited like a year after its release, I could have saved $24. 

So, if I had saved that penny ($30), I would be $24 dollars richer than I am now. And if I saved that and didn't buy the game at all I would be $30 richer. But, let's face it, that isn't all that likely. I am a SimsAholic. A SimsAddict. A SimEr. A Sim...I don't know. Some games have specific titles for their players or nicknames, but I don't know what it is for Sims. But, whatever it is, I'm it. Minus any socialization in the forums, which would probably have made it easier for me to say what the nickname is. 

Anyway, a similar thing happens with iTunes. Less often, but it is still annoying. It happens for the most part with TV Seasons, they are between $20 and $40 most of the time, but every once and awhile they go on sale for between $7 and $20. I don't buy TV seasons unless they are on sale, in fact, if I buy a TV anything it is most likely on sale. 

Or free. Free TV episode of the Week is how I got a large majority of my TV show inventory. And Beauty and the Beast, which I don't really like, I got the first season for about $8. Of course, if I had saved it, and watched the show online or on air I would know that I wouldn't really like it. Though, I did like some of the earlier episodes, so maybe it would have balanced out. 

 It also happens on iTunes with songs. I bought seven new songs over the past few months, and recently a new Top Pop Songs of 2014 thing came out on iTunes, with about 20 songs cut from $1.29 to $0.69. Four of the songs I bought were there. That means if I had waited anywhere between a month and a few days I could have saved money. Enough to buy at least one, maybe two, more songs. 

iTunes is less predictable than Sims. I know Sims prices will go down the nearer it gets to the era of Sims 4, but part of me worries something will happen. Katy Perry Sweet Treats, an expansion for Sims 3 that is now retired, came and went before I had a chance to get it. There are versions of it out there, but they all seem to be about $40. And all it comes with is some weird clothes and like a park. No new world, almost no clothes for guys, no clothes for kids. But, because it is retired on the site, people will have to pay more to get it from other companies. 

It is the only Sim Game/Expansion/Stuff Pack for Sims 3 that I don't have. It is also the only one I don't really want. I want it because the game as little circles at the bottom of the window that tells you which you have and don't have, and it is the only one not indicated. I want it because true SimErs brag about having them all (part of the reason I avoid the forums, people seem to feel very entitled there). But none of the stuff really appeals to me. 

I like World Adventures. It is fun visiting countries, and I am a big fan of the karate and photography skills. I like Seasons. I like the ice skating skill. I like Generations, it comes with a prom for teens. Into the Future came with hair I liked, but mostly I wanted it because I thought it would be cool. Though, it was kind of a letdown. I mean, the "into the future" part is more like just another town that is not super different other than some robots. But, these are still all games I wanted. Ones I waited for, as I watched trailers and sneak peaks and kept money set aside in anticipation for. 

Sweet Treats wasn't like that. But, I still want it. Now. I didn't before. But, I do now. 

Anyway, all this has me thinking about Sims 4. Which, I'm not really looking forward to anyway it looks kind of odd. Of course, I felt the same about going from Sims 3 from Sims 2, but now I really like Sims 3 over Sims 2. But, I think this time I will wait. Wait until the price goes down, maybe I will even wait until Sims 5 is announced to start collecting because I'm sure by then there will be expansion packs and stuff packs to look at. Then, I will have time to play with the base game to see if I like it. And when I decide, the expansions will be cheaper as well. 

But, of course, this may go out the window as soon as Sims 4 goes on display near me. 

I think it helps that it looks more high maintenance that Sims 3. 

I mean, Sims 2 it took about 30 min. to make a character. Going through all the outfits. Body shape and face shape had fewer choices and while there were more outfits and clothes right off the bat, Sims 3 makes them color customizable. So, characters in Sims 3 can take an hour to get all the details and things into place. But Sims 4, you can mold the characters like clay. You can choose their height, the way they walk, and I think I even heard something about changing feet size.

I mean, there are a million ways to personalize them, which is great but sounds like a hassle as well. 

So, we shall see. We will wait and we will see. In the meantime, I will just glare at iTunes for its unpredictability, while simultaneously loving it for reasons that are too many to list and too weird to try to. 

Post 75: Living On vs. Off-Campus

So, since I have had the opportunity to live both on and off campus these past few years as a University student, I think I would like to take this opportunity to talk a little about the experiences I've had with each. After all, there are a lot of people out there trying to choose which is right for them.


Keeping in mind, I lived on-campus at two different Universities and in two very different arrangements.


Starting from my earliest experience at UVic (yes, I am disclosing the name of the University), I lived in Cluster. Cluster, while an odd sounding name, is kind of like an apartment. It has four bedrooms (single-person), two bathrooms (toilet and sink), one shower in between, and a kitchen. The kitchen has two fridges, a decent amount of counter space, and a stove. It does not have a microwave, kettle, or other such appliances. The kitchen area has a table, and just to the side of the kitchen area is a common area.


The bedroom, I did not fully appreciate at the time for its size. The University I am at now had tiny bedrooms. The bedroom at UVic, was bigger by at least a foot maybe two in each direction. It also had two windows to allow in sun, something more rare where I am at now (the sun, not the windows).


It had a dresser and an actual closet. Where I was last, where I still attend, had no closet and more of an armoire with a place to hang things and drawers all in one, which had less space but also took up a lot of space in the room. It had a bed with a mattress, once again where I was last had more of a mat like you use in Gym class. There was a desk, which was basically the same.


The bathroom...well, I thought with fewer people it would stay cleaner...I was wrong. The bathroom itself was usually fine, but the shower certainly got grungy.


The common area was also pretty gross. Not that it was left gross, but more that the carpets were a nasty greyish color and had some mysterious stains of unknown origin. And it is school furniture, it isn't like there is a comfortable couch. It is a somewhat padded bench like thing. And unless someone brings a TV, it is not really a place where you'd want to hang out much.


The kitchen was my favorite thing about this place when I was there. I enjoy cooking, but even people who don't like cooking will probably enjoy the freedom of making things. Or, at least, buying pre-made things and re-heating them whenever they want.


From what I remember, which may have changed, the cafeteria was not 24/7. So, if you woke up at 3am starving, you were just out of luck.


The last place I lived in campus, was in the dorms. And as I have already said, my room was A LOT smaller. Or rather, since my room at UVic already seemed small, it was hard to imagine that it would be possible to get a smaller room. Although, I should probably point out that my friends who lived in the dorms (both single-person and two-person) had bigger rooms than Cluster. I guess, since we get the kitchen and our own little common space, it made sense we also didn't get big(ger) rooms.


Anyway, the room was small. It was small and had the bulky armoire, a desk, a bed, and a mini-fridge. The mini-fridge is kind of nice. It makes for a good place to store drinks and things. The common area for the floor also had two stoves, two microwaves, and a sink. It also had two tea kettles, but I don't know if those were ones that were provided or brought.


The bathroom, of which for our section there were three (one handicapped), was not as bad as I had thought it would be. There were two stalls with toilets (or a urinal, since one restroom was supposed to be the men's room) and a room with shower. The room had a good a mount of space between a little bench and the actual shower, so you could bring your stuff and change without getting wet.


I ended up in an all-girl wing of the dorm, so there were no awkward run-ins in the bathroom, but also no non-awkward ones anywhere else in the area.


Now, I've kind of catalogued more than anything else, I should probably talk more about my experience.


Honestly, I liked living on campus.


I think between the two places I stayed, I liked Cluster better. But, it was a bigger room and I like cooking.


In general, though, if you live on-campus you have more of an opportunity to meet people, commuting is faster (I woke up at 8:15 some days when I had an 8:30 class, and was never late) , you are more in-the-know about what is happening on campus, and it can be a lot of fun. But, you can't just expect to meet more people by living on-campus. You can go right from your class back to your room, you can avoid people and the cafeteria, and you may only meet your dorm mates in passing.


And just because you don't live on campus doesn't mean you won't meet anyone. A lot of the people I have met and talk to from both Universities, I met in tutorials or class. Tutorials are a good place to meet people, because you are required to talk and interact with people.


As the saying goes 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend', midterms and finals, essays and exams, bad grades and poor attendance are your enemy. So, go and find a friend with that same enemy, and no matter where you live, you will get through University for the better.


Right now I live at home, which is nice because my room (while, sadly, not much bigger than a dorm room) does have a bigger, better bed. It has a desk and dresser as well, but they are all mine. There is something about ownership that just seems to make them better. And, while I could no longer get away with waking up 15 minutes before class, with an hour and a half commute, it is more affordable. And I still have had the chance to meet people and make friends, so which ever way you go, you can't go wrong.


Though, I recommend looking at the room and thinking about what is best for you. If you like cooking, a place like Cluster would work well for you. If you really want to meet a lot of people, dorms is still good because dorms often go on outings together. I didn't, but I could have if I had wanted to. If you cannot do your own laundry, you should live at home or, at least, stay close to home (or learn!).


Also, look at the room online, if that is an option. So, you know what to expect and what you might need to bring. I brought a cork board to my last room, because it didn't have one and I used it a lot from Cluster.


Best wishes to all of you, especially to those faced with tough decisions right now.


That's all for now. If you have any questions, let me know.

Post 74: Scrap-Booking and Nooking

Today, in this moment, I want to talk about scrapbooking. I love the scrapbooking. Or rather, I love the idea of it. It is one of those things that seems better in theory than practice for me. I take a lot of pictures, not as much as I used to because I don't have anything besides my phone camera, but I still take quite a few. And when I was in high school photography classes, I could check out a camera.

And I almost always had one checked out. I took a lot of pictures, some really weird and others more professional. 

For my sixteenth birthday, my friends got me a scrapbook to put the pictures in. At first, I was like, 'this is the best thing ever'! I mean, the little stickers you can buy at craft stores alone are enough to get me excited about it, but then after I did a few pages, I suddenly changed my mind. 

I am a mood ring, ever-changing and indecisive. And I can be pretty colorful, as well. 

This can cause problems because I often change my mind. I do this with my stories all the time. I suddenly feel like going a different way or working on a different topic, but when I do I never finish what I am working on. 

So, there I was with a scrapbook, three pages down and I suddenly wanted to do it a different way. I was doing a kind of collage with pictures of friends, but then I thought 'what about a sort of friend yearbook'? Like what they do for graduating seniors, where I put a small bio by their pictures. That way when I'm older or, even now, and I forget, I have the things that matter where I can make sure I never forget. 

Then, I thought, what about my family? Should I include them? They were there for all these things as well. Then, I was like, well should I start when I was young? Should this be like a summary with a page for every few years? Should I make it just one year?

There are two too many ways to go about it and too many ways it could be changed. And hard copies make it hard to change them. 

Which is why I was excited when I found MyScrapNook. A website that lets you create a scrapbook. You can change the pictures, the theme, the words and anything else you want. So, I can make a scrapbook with just friends. I can make a scrapbook with friends and family. I can make a scrapbook ten different ways and save them as ten different ones or just change the one I'm working on. 

The only downside is that you can only get 8 pages if you don't pay for it. There are lots of things that are limited unless you pay for it, but that is okay. All I wanted to do I was able to do. 

Post 73: Pet Peeves Series - Hypocrites

So, what I think will be most interesting about this post for me is how it turns out. Last time, I was inspired by a strong feeling of frustration because I had just dealt with the consequences of someone finishing off the toilet paper and not restocking. So, I was kind of annoyed. Luckily, I caught it, but was still quite frustrated.

This time, however, I am talking about a pet peeve, but I haven't just had to deal with the pet peeve. So, it will be interesting to see if the language is any different or if talking about inspires the feeling of frustration that I was feeling last time. Because I will be writing from two different places and in two different moods. 

So, let us get started then. 

To be honest, I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about hypocrites or not. I considered doing public spitting, which I find annoying and gross. But also unsanitary. I mean, what if the spitter misses the ground and hits someone? 

But, then I decided that hypocrites bug me a lot more than spitters. 

There are a lot of different ways that people can be hypocritical. The most common appearance nowadays is online. If you don't know, there are a lot of people who dub themselves, "grammar nazis" or are dubbed as such. Which, I think is horribly inappropriate. But, what ever, this is also the generation with songs that have the singers comparing themselves to horrible serial killers like it is cool, so what do you expect? 

But my problem with these folks is that they will go on and on about how much it annoys them when people mix you're and your, its and it's, effect and affect, their or there or they're, and who or whom, but they do it themselves! They spend all this time being rude about someone's grammar or spelling, and yet they are making mistakes as they correct them. 

I am not perfect. Even as an English major who spends a lot of time writing, I still make these mistakes. Usually because I am going really fast. I know the difference, but am just not thinking about the words themselves as I am putting them down. 

As I read some of my older posts, I see these mistakes. I try and correct them, because I know they are incorrect, but I don't notice them until I go back. My main focus, whether good or bad, at the time of writing is to get my message down. I guess you could say it is substance over style. 

And it is the same for some of the people making these mistakes; they didn't mean to do them. They may not have realized they made them and may not have felt the need to go back and change them if their point still came across in the message or comment. 

So, the rudeness alone annoys me. But these people have the audacity to lecture and insult people for these things, but don't bother to check their own comments? Honestly, if you go to any video on YouTube, you are almost guaranteed to find comments that look like this, "this band is awesome. their the best." - "their the best? you are such an idiot. it is THERE. loser." or some thing like "THEY'RE, the best. How do you not know that? you are so dum." 

Those were pretty tame examples, but it happens way too often.

Hypocrites of all kinds annoy me. Something you might notice when you hear me rant about Bewitched. He always says 'don't use magic, don't use magic' then suddenly he is out of gas or running late for work and his tune suddenly changes to 'use magic for me'. 

I think these people just hold a special place in my heart as especially annoying because they are being rude as they do it.  

Post 72: Sonnets

Today, I am going to talk about sonnets. Sonnets are wonderful. A sonnet is a type of poetic form, originating in Italy. There are multiple varieties of sonnets, the three most common are Spenserian, Petrarchan (Italian), and Shakespearean (English).

The Spenserian Sonnet: a b a b - b c b c - c d c d - e e

The Petrarchan Sonnet: a b b a  - a b b a (c d c d c d) or (c d d c d c) or (c d e c d e) or (c d e c e d)

The Shakespearean Sonnet: a b a b - c d c d - e f e f - gg

I have found the Shakespearean to be my favourite, though I have tried them all. It is the most flexible, I feel. It also is made easier because there is more variation of rhymes. Having to rhyme two line endings is simpler than following further through the sonnet with four lines. I also like the alternating line endings better than the ABBA of the Petrarchan.

I decided to talk about this today, because we wrote a sonnet by committee in my English class. It was hard to write as a group and, honestly, the last two lines of it drive me a little nuts.

Here it is...

How could I compare your Love;

Through Sparta to Thermopylae?

From the grace of God above

to shatter thy fearful monopoly?

Your beauty transcends what is only seen

Your spirit matches the purest of gold

The live we have with virtue will stay clean

And it will stay strong even when you're old

And you, my love, I doth obey

As the holy father hath ordained

To rise and do thy bidding day by day,

Another property you have gained

Hundred years a slave

To a never ending rage

So, you can kind of seem why it is driving me nuts, I assume. The rhyme is a little off, but mostly what it is, is that it doesn't fit. I mean, it is light and lovey before and then it is rage and slavery.

Anyway, doesn't matter that much. Which ever group wins best sonnet gets out of the quiz. But it is a five point quiz. And my guess is that she won't tell us until the day of the quiz who won. Also, it is just off the reading. So, it isn't like I am going to not do the reading or studying, it just alleviates a bit of pressure. 

Now, I can't have a post about sonnets without talking about my sonnets. Of which, I now have twenty and an additional three in progress. One thing that I have noticed while writing these is how rare it seems to find other, more modern sonnets. It seems like it is a form that has been for the most part retired. Free verse seems to be the most dominant form of poetry around these days. Especially on poetry.com, a website that allows you to post your poetry and get reviews. And it is guaranteed to get reviews. Because in order for some to post a poem, they have to review two.  

The first two sonnets I posted on the site got mixed reviews. Mostly good, but one poet commented that it wasn't a poem. When I explained to him it was sonnet, which is a type of poetic form, he never replied. But, posted on a later sonnet saying the same thing. 

Which, annoyed me to know end. 

But, anyway, most of what I come across is free verse. Like 95% of it is free verse. And because of that it seems like free verse gets more stars and better reviews, even with less time and quality. 

Here are two poems I posted, one free verse and one sonnet. 

You Can Be Anything

I held on to what I believed 
Both hands gripping on to the dream 
As if sheer human will were enough to make it happen 
As if just wanting it was enough 
As if just working for it was enough 
As if pouring every essence of my being into it was enough 
But it wasn't, it isn't 
Little kids get told they can be anything they want 
As long as they try hard enough, they will get it 
That is what I was told, what I believed 
But it was all a lie, a sugar coating of reality 
Because no one has the guts to admit, 
Sometimes it doesn't matter 
Sometimes you can work until you bleed 
Sometimes you can give until you have nothing left 
And it still won't be enough to make it 
Because it isn't just about you give in this life 
It is about what you are given coming into it 
You cannot be a singer, if you cannot sing 
No matter how hard you try 
You cannot be a lawyer, if you cannot afford school 
Because a degree is something you have to buy 
So let us add an asterisk or a note to the end of that saying 
"You can be anything" 
As long as you have the money and means 
The dedication and talent, and luck on your side  
With all these things, you might just have a shot at your dreams  

Live Your Dreams and No Less

Shall I sing out in joy or cry in pain?
Dance through the night or fall down to my knees? 
Will you puddle jump or hide from the rain?
Build up a fire or let yourself freeze?
Sing say you, jump say I for life is short
And time is wasted when spent in sorrow
So live and be merry, play and make sport
Gather new friends wherever you may go
You should heed my words and take my advice
For I know what a sad life sorrow makes
Like an anchor it weighs down men to mice
And leaves volumes of tears as big as lakes
Banish the anchor, embrace happiness
Find your passion, live your dreams and no less 

The sonnet took a while to write, it took time and effort. It took thought. I wrote the free verse to make a point. I set a timer for two minutes and just wrote. Two minutes of effort in the free verse, an hour on the sonnet, and the two poems received the same rating 4/5. 

Also, the someone else made a comment about the sonnet's structure, but their comment made it very clear that they didn't know what a sonnet was. I have only posted a few sonnets on this site, for that reason. 

People just don't seem to appreciate sonnets as much as they used to. And since, I find most free verse tedious and pointless, like they were too lazy to rhyme but didn't want to write enough to make it a story either, that doesn't bode well for me. Though, I generally dislike free verse, I'd like to point out now that I have found some that I like. But sonnets remain my favorite.  

Post 71: Hypothetical Situations

I want to spend this post talking a little bit about hypothetical situations and their importance, and then I want to answer a few (5) that I found interesting. 

Hypothetical situations are just what the name implies, situations that are hypothetical. But, there is a little more to it than that. These situations work for so many different things and areas that it is unlikely you will go through life without coming across one. 

They come up in job interviews, ('how would you handle this situation' questions), they come up in philosophy ('imagine you have two people one who does good to do good and the other who does good to get something out of it, are they both equally good people?'), and everyday life ('what will I do if it rains tomorrow?').  There are variety of uses and occurrences makes them important. 

But they are also pretty fun. They allow you to try and figure out how you would handle a particular situation before it occurs or it allows you to just have fun thinking about something that might never happen. 

Below are examples that were interesting to answer, but not likely to happen in real life. 

1) Would you be willing to spend a night alone in a remote house that is supposedly haunted, just for the sake of it? (knowing nothing more about the history of the house than that) There is no electricity though there is running water and other utilities, and you can bring your own flashlight and/or lantern and such. The nearest neighbors live 5 miles away.

No, I'm not an idiot and I have seen a lot of horror movies that start just like this. I might be on the fence about the existence of ghosts, and I may not think of them as the vicious entities portrayed in movies, but I am not about to take that chance. I don't want my obituary reading like one of those stereotypical, naive girls in horror movies who goes to shower after hearing a noise or decides to stay in the house even after they have been shoved down a flight of stairs.

2) Would you accept $10,000,000 in U.S. dollars (or the equivalent in whatever currency) to leave your country and never set foot in it again?

Of course. For that much money, I would go to England and never set foot in Canada, or anywhere else in North America, for that matter. If my family wants to visit me, I could fly them to me. Or I will buy a cruise ship and just sail to them, but not leave the boat. 

3) If you knew of a way to use your estate, following your death, to greatly benefit all of humanity, would you do it and leave only a minimal amount (10%) to your family?

Assuming that I actually had an estate worth leaving, I would leave it to benefit humanity. My family would still get something and, assuming that what I left did greatly benefit society, then it would benefit my family as well.

4) Would you rather be given $10,000 for your own use, or be able to give $1000 anonymously to 100 strangers? You can't pick who it's given to, though you know that all of the people could really use the money.

I would rather get $10,000 for my own use. Then, I would have the opportunity to give it to people I knew needed it. It might not be as much but who knows what kind of people are in the group of 100. What if they would use the money for drugs? What if they would use the money to buy weapons? What if it would further a gambling habit while the person's family was at home starving? Meanwhile, if I get the money I could give it to people I know who are struggling to pay for school or to people I know who could use it and would use it for a good cause. 

5) You 'somehow' know for certain that you will die of an incurable disease within three months. Would you allow yourself to be cryogenically frozen *within the week* if you knew it would give you a modest chance of being revived in 1,000 years and living a greatly extended life?

No way. I mean, I am not going to give up the small amount of time I have left with my friends and family for a slight chance that in 1,000 years I will wake up and have an extended life. What if I wake up and there is no cure? Or if there is a cure, I walk outside and am hit by a flying car? It would make it pointless. I would rather stay and spend my last three months with my friends and family. 

Post 70: The Kinds of Pride

Today, I kind of want to talk about pride. I think there are different kinds of pride that follow from the reasons why people are proud. For example, people can feel pride for their kids, no matter how involved they actually were in shaping their kid's life. Even if they were not involved at all, they see that their kid has achieved something and feel proud of themselves. Which doesn't really make sense to me.

I'm not a parent, though. So, maybe it is a parent thing. I mean, I know that physically they were involved in creating the kid, but genes are only part of what shapes a person.

There is also the pride you feel in things because you worked for them. I mean, really worked for them with blood, sweat, tears, and hours of time and effort. Or maybe less, but you still put in effort to get the result that you got. This one makes the most sense to me. It is also kind of why I sometimes find it hard not to focus on the numbers, like I discussed some in an earlier post. Numbers are tangible. You can see that you have improved if the number improves.

It is actually one of the reasons I like working on things in Excel. Like making lists or working on them. Because if there is a number, I can measure what I've done and how much. I can be proud and say I've done a thousand lines in five hours. Or if I am writing, I can say I've done 2,000 words in an hour. I can mark how far I've gone. Which can make me feel proud. If I only used to be able to do 1,000 words in an hour, I feel like I improved.

Then there is pride that people just have. I mean, there really seems to be no justified reason behind it. They just are proud. I guess, without a reason at all to back it up on, it is really kind of hollow. Yet, it does come tied up with self-confidence. And as long as it is kept in check, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. It is only when it causes a person's ego to grow so much that they are incapable of admitting any faults or ever changing.

I think more often than not that this kind of pride starts out as a pride in accomplishments, but the person becomes so focused on some action of the past that they never change.

This comes on Kitchen Nightmares, yet I am going to talk about that show again. A lot of the chefs are really proud of their food and when questioned they point to these awards they won in the past, like 10 or 20 years in the past. And they refuse to accept that maybe what was good then isn't as good now, or that the standards have fallen. They are so proud of their food that they are blinded to the problems with it.

Last kind of pride I want to talk about is the fragile pride that comes along with anyone who expresses themselves artistically. Whether it be music, art, poetry, writing, etc. Now not all people in this boat may face the same issues, some may only face this issue when they are first starting out. Others may always find this an issue. What I am talking about is the pride you feel when you accomplish something and you worked so hard on it that it has become a part of you, but you have to accept that others may not see its value.

When you look at a spreadsheet or grade report, people can see what you have done. They can measure it, quantify it, analyze it, and whatever else they choose.

It isn't the same with art. Sure, you can say you spent hours on it, but it can't be quantified in numbers the same way. And simply saying how long you worked on it doesn't express how much effort was put into it. How much love and emotion or how much passion.

It is the same with writing. Yes, you can do a word count. But, truly good pieces of writing aren't about the length, but about the content. It doesn't matter if you have a million words down, if it is just the same word over and over.

But not everyone understands that and they try and put into to mathematical terms. They try and set a value to something that you put your heart into, and knowing his can effect how much pride you feel for something.

I am always proud of my stories or poems, even when I know they are a mess, because I know how much I put into them. But there are certain people that I feel incredibly anxious asking to read what I have written, because I know they won't understand how much I put into them.

And there is always a part of yourself that attaches to these things, so when they are criticized (not critiqued, but truly criticized) it can hurt. Which is why, I think calling it a fragile pride makes sense. If everyone says they hate it, it might effect how much pride you feel towards it, but it will never go away completely because you know how much went into it.

Anyway, that is all I really wanted to talk about today. So, I will say adieu until next time.