boring explanatory post

Let's see - first off I'll say I joined the Matador Travel Network. It's wicked cool, check it out. I have many travel stories to share, so I will do some there (and cross-post here).

I've been taking creative writing which has inspired me to journal frequently. So what I may do is look up a prompt or think of something and write about it for 5 minutes. This is just an exercise to keep me writing. I would post the stuff here, and label it as fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.

I want to make an effort to blog more. To write more in general. Creative writing has fed my urge to do so, again.

Also, I got a netbook recently and I am testing out the browser Flock, which allows you to blog really easily and quickly.

I will be traveling for most of August with my trusty eeepc and Jeff and hope to blog about it along the way. We are going to the West Coast! Visiting Eric in LA, Patrick in SF, then going to Sacramento to get picked up by Amy who lives in Yuba City then driving to Salem to pick up Hannah then Portland, for a full day, Seattle, for a full day, and Vancouver, for two full days, then driving back. Jeff and I are taking the Greyhound from LA to SF and SF to Sacramento and back. It's pretty cheap. Also we got United tickets for under $300! Not shabby. Really excited about it.

I am working at Busch Gardens this summer and visiting with Jeff as much as possibly.

In addition, Tal is going to be here for second session any day now and we'll have sexy fun times.

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Discworld progress

This post exists simply to keep track of my progress in completing my reading of the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. For this list, I'm not counting short stories, mapps, science books, quiz books, diaries, or other miscellaneous books - just novels (though that doesn't mean I don't want to read those, too. I may add them later.) It is in chronological order by date of publication according to Wikipedia and I will do my best to recall the date/time period read of each book. The appropriate story arc is in brackets.

The Colour of Magic [Rincewind] - read 2005

The Light Fantastic [Rincewind] - read 2005

Equal Rites [Witches/Wizards] - read 12 March 2010

Mort [Death] - read 13 August 2007

Sourcery [Rincewind/Wizards] - read 18 August 2007

Wyrd Sisters [Witches] - read 4 July 2011

Pyramids [Miscellaneous] - read 1 May 2011

Guards! Guards! [City Watch] - read 7 March 2009

Faust Eric [Rincewind] - read 24 April 2011

Moving Pictures [Misc.] - read 28 June 2009

Reaper Man [Death/Wizards] - read 18 May 2006

Witches Abroad [Witches] - read 30 July 2007

Small Gods [Misc.] - read 4 December 2008

Lords and Ladies [Witches/Wizards] - read 16 December 2009

Men at Arms [City Watch] - read 16 October 2009

Soul Music [Death/Wizards] - read 21 May 2007

Interesting Times [Rincewind/Wizards] - read 30 June 2009

Maskerade [Witches] - read 18 May 2009

Feet of Clay [City Watch] - read 4 May 2009

Hogfather [Death/Wizards] - read 20 January 2007

Jingo [City Watch] - read 10 February 2010

The Last Continent [Rincewind/Wizards] - read 2005

Carpe Jugulum [Witches] - read 29 July 2006

The Fifth Elephant [City Watch] - read 18 July 2009

The Truth [misc.] - read 23 July 2009

Thief of Time [Death/History Monks] - read 2008

The Last Hero [Rincewind]

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents [misc.] - read 27 July 2009

Night Watch [City Watch/History Monks] - read 2005

The Wee Free Men [Tiffany Aching] - read 4 May 2009

Monstrous Regiment [misc.] - read 12 February 2006

A Hat Full of Sky [Tiffany Aching/Witches] - read 10 May 2010

Going Postal [Moist von Lipwig] - read 2005

Thud! [City Watch] - read 17 June 2007

Wintersmith [Tiffany Aching/Witches] - read July 2010

Making Money [Moist von Lipwig] - read 20 December 2008

The Unseen Academicals [Wizards] - read 25 January 2010

I Shall Wear Midnight [Tiffany Aching]

I now have 2 to go.

Lyrics to the musical Jeff and I created

Good Morning (lyrics by Jeff):

Good morning

It's another day of class

Good morning

You know I'd rather pass

But today will be different

Get up come along

Today

I'm gonna burst into song

Random Girl on the Street (lyrics by Rachel):

Hey! Wait a minute

I think I've seen you before

You're that girl that I always see

Walking to the class that's such a bore

You're so familiar and yet

I'm not sure that we have met

So can you tell me what's your name?

(pause)

Yes, it was that very same

I'm pretty sure I met you at a party

Turn-In Time (lyrics by Jeff):

When I began this paper

I would have rather done anything

I was mad, I was angry, I was more than annoyed

But now I have learned to sing

Turn-in time

It's the happiest time of the year

I just can't get enough

Of turn-in time

The Book (lyrics by Rachel):

I am here to have a look

For a very special book

A book that I can read today

I do believe that it's this way

It's over here upon this shelf

I don't think that I need any help

To find what I am looking for

Oh gosh these shelves are such a chore

Oh! Here it is indeed!

The very book I long to read!

Pasta Please (lyrics by Jeff - this is a shortened version):

When I eat there's such a range

Of possibilities

But there's only one thing I want

And that is pasta please

Pasta please

I think it's the bee's knees

Oh, don't be a pasta tease

I just want some pasta please

Bedtime (lyrics by Jeff):

Today was quite a day

I was glad to spend with you

But the night is fast approaching

We have one thing left to do

We had fed time

Read time

Now it's time for bed time

Sheep time

Weep time

Now it's time for sleep time

Tomorrow is a brand new day

---

To watch the abridged version (it had to be about 2 minutes for our contest, go here. Full version to come.)

An assortment of stumblings.

Inspired by mental_floss, I got an account on StumbleUpon and started stumbling. Now that I've switched to Chrome (at least for now, we'll see though), it's a bit more annoying, since there's no StumbleUpon toolbar - yet. But Chrome is constantly getting better. I just need to remember to use 'incognito mode' for when I go to protected sites.

Anyway, here's a list of some things I've, shall we say, stumbled upon:

-It's pointed me to some great pictures and artwork.

-17 cool magnet tricks

-Heartwarming story about a rescued greyhound

-A nice list of pin-up pictures of some lovely celebs

-A couple professional photographers' websites.

-Amazing pizza guy

-WikiSky, which is super cool

-Pictures taken at the exact right time

-Food porn (aka really delicious-looking pictures of food)

That's all I feel like posting now. I encourage you to try out StumbleUpon, especially if you're bored.

A Jihad For Love

Parvez Sharma's A Jihad for Love is the first ever documentary to discuss the coexistence of Islam and homosexuality. Like other monotheistic religions, Islam bans homosexuality pretty much across the board. This film showed people from various parts of the world (South Africa, Egypt, France, Iran, India, Turkey) and their personal struggle (or jihad, which translates to struggle) to find a place for their homosexual desires or acts in their religion. Some people clearly had an easier time reconciling their relationship with Allah with their personal tendencies than others. It was very interesting, and taught me a lot about laws governing homosexuality around the world, and a lot about Islam, a religion I knew little about. One of the people interviewed was a South African imam who had been cast out by his community after coming out, but was trying to argue a different interpretation of the Qur'an in the only verses in which it (arguably) covers homosexuality, which is with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. After the film, there was a discussion led by a professor of Middle Eastern Studies. A few things really stuck out for me in the discussion. First, the professor argued that if the clerics and scholars did not keep up with lived experience they would become marginalized, as has happened with Christianity. Also, someone argued that the movement for gay rights would gain momentum much like the movement for women's rights. Someone countered, saying there are a lot more women than there are homosexuals. Then a member of Lambda mentioned that while there aren't as many homosexuals, there are plenty of allies. As soon as someone realizes that homosexuality hurts no one, and therefore the marginalization of homosexuals is more harmful than homosexuality itself (as one Muslim woman in the film put it, "I was just loving, I didn't hurt anyone") and will see that that is unjust.

The film was certainly eye-opening, but left space for hope that Islam may come to see homosexuality as another type of love, and not as haram. All monotheistic religions have trouble with this, and some of the worst trouble comes from interpretation.

Heroes: The Show I Love to Hate

I sort of can't believe I'm still watching Heroes. Granted, the first season was, IMHO, fantastic. It had some cliches, sure, but was clever and fun to watch, I felt. So I became sort of an addict, which is what they want you to do, I'm sure. I watched season 2. The first half of it, before the writers' strike, I was enjoying. No, it certainly wasn't as good as the first season but it was still gripping and all that. After the writers' strike, it went way downhill. That second half of the second season was just barely watchable. Damn, world, you need saving again? Can't you keep yourself out of trouble for about 2 seconds?

And then... season 3 started up. Some of the questions in the beginning of season 2 have never been answered. In fact, the storyline just pretended that never ever happened. What about the Irish chick trapped in the future? Dear god, did you forget about her?

Anyway, this season (although they're pretending it's 2 seasons... whatever) has reached new and amazing levels of tackiness! I know the writers have changed... they need to change back, or try something else! Whatever they're doing, it's terrible (or terribly hilarious?). Yet I still watch it. WHY? I guess I just love to hate it.

This week's episode featured Nathan being dumb and disappointing everyone, Peter being emo, Claire being all teenager-y, Sylar being mysterious, Noah Bennet being all secretly good, and Danko being a prick. Wait, you're telling me that's like every episode? Oh. Right. Well... we found out Claire can't get drunk! What a nifty ability! And Sylar is, again, only pretend dead. I guess that time when they were like 'maybe we'll make Sylar good', they decided to be like, nah, just messing with you... again. Sylar is at least on someone's side now... only not the one we should be rooting for. Unless you're just so disillusioned with the characters that you want them all to die. Wouldn't blame you.