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It's still Sunday. Midnight was 16 hours ago? No, it's still Sunday

3/4/2013

4 Comments

 
        Hello from Monday. Rachael needed to use a computer last night so I let her use mine in exchange for some delicious homemade bread and a blog deadline extension. And now the blog's finally here:
Question Sunday/Monday/Funday:

Anna Beth

What's your favorite/most frequented level of reality?
I probably spend the most time on Levels 2 and 3. Between those, I’d say I prefer level 3. I also really like the idea of level 4, but I definitely spend the least time there.

Do you think everyone--or at least a lot of people--have the same levels of their thoughts? For the ones who don't, what do you think they think about?
I don’t know if anyone else defines it the way we do, but I think everyone definitely thinks on levels 1 and 2. I mean, I’m not in anyone else’s head so you’d have to ask them, but I think most people think in ways that fit in the levels we made…maybe? idk

What's your favorite restaurant/place to get chicken?

Well, it’s Walmart now since Amy introduced me to their delectable popcorn chicken.

How many different stories do you have cataloged in your head right now that you could write in some form if you really wanted to?

          I don’t really know how to answer this question. How detailed or minimal does the idea need to be before it counts? Obviously if it’s on the minimal side, I have tons. But if only full or mostly full plots count, I don’t think I have very many. 
            And I think most of you know about the ideas that I have some stuff, but not much, thought out like ‘The Traveler’ or (what I used to call the ‘Essay Story’) what Anna Beth called ‘The Profound Story’. (btw, have I ever mentioned that I like working titles and how odd they usually are?). And of course there’s the ‘Log Cabin Story’ that we all worked on together. Back in middle school I had ideas for a story where a group of kids became stranded on a really weird tropical island (the idea later got turned into a crappy short story) and an idea for a trilogy following three siblings who become master thieves. Both of those got fairly fleshed out, and though I haven’t thought about them in years I think I still have the notes for them somewhere in my room.    
            Then from high school I remember ‘Olyan’ and ‘Globetrekkers’, two story ideas that came from when I was supposed to be brainstorming for a Geography assignment. ‘Globetrekkers’ actually had a basic plot line figured out, and I still have the notes and even the draft of the first chapter (no you can’t see it). The story followed 10 students and 2 program leaders as they traveled through different countries for a program sort of similar to Semester at Sea (but without the cruise ship). ‘Olyan’ was supposed to be a fantasy novel, but it had absolutely no plot, only character names. During class I would amuse myself by collecting any words that I had accidentally misspelled as I was taking notes and see if they would make descent character names. So Olyan came from a rushed scribble of Olympian. The 16 names I ended up with are still on my computer.
        Then if you count my time spent on level 5, well, there’s more. One followed a group of shape shifting wolves, another on an alien invasion, another on the aftermath of a virus wiping out most of the population, etc. So, I’m not sure what you were looking for for this question, but hopefully I answered it. 

What are some of your other ideas for drawings to fill your wall by the window?
I believe I promised you a Queen Elizabeth Corgi, but you can put that wherever you want.
I’ll just take the list directly from my phone, in no particular order:
-Moya & Talyn
-Pilot
-Farscape coin
-DRD 1812 fetching slippers (or coffee or the newspaper or something)
-Balto & Jenna + Northern Lights
-Appa
-maybe a basic map of the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender
-Wishbone
-some kind of wolf drawing (idk what yet)

What's the best book you've read so far this year?
I can’t remember for sure if I read it at the very end of last year or the very beginning of this year, but I’m going to say The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson. I’d highly recommend you all to read it (if, you know, we ever really took book suggestions from each other seriously and actually read what we suggest, lol).

What books have you been wanting to read but haven't gotten around to it yet?
There are two books (maybe more but I can’t remember anymore at the moment) that I’ve wanted to read for quite a long time now but either haven’t found the time or haven’t found any copies of the book anywhere

If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler – Italo Calvino     *it’s not at the library or any of the bookstores, and I don’t know if I really want it enough to actually buy it online since none of the descriptions are description-y enough. But what I have found is just SO intriguing: “The narrative is about a reader trying to read a book called If on a winter's night a traveller.”

A Dog’s Life: An Autobiography of a Stray – Ann Martin    *scratch my first annotation, I think I’ve vaguely wanted to read this since middle school

I also have an archive on my phone of books I’ve found out about over that last few months that seem intriguing (The list has actually gotten a lot shorter recently since I magically “found” time to read for fun instead of schoolwork):

Son – Lois Lowry
The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life – Tara Altebrando
Infects – Sean Beaudoin
The Turning – Francine Prose
Assault – Brian Falkner
Winter Thunder – Mari Sandoz
Undead – Kirsty Mckay
Partials – Dan Wells
Lindsey Lost – Suzanne Marie Phillips
Dark Inside – Jeyn Roberts    *just got this one from the library yesterday
Starling – Lesley Livingston
Ireland – Melody Carlson
The Maze Runner Trilogy – James Dashner
The Waiting Sky – Lara Zielin
This is Not a Test – Courtney Summers
Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution – Holly Tucker
Thou Shalt Not Road Trip – Antony John
The Magic Circle – Katherine Neville
The Magic Circle – Donna Jo Napoli
Ashfall – Mike Mullen

Also:
 Mere Christianity
Screwtape Letters
Macbeth

Why are books and visual media too different to compare? (in reference to your conversation with Rachael last night)
        I don’t remember saying they were too different to compare. If I said it, to what specifically was I referring?
You can compare and contrast them, it’s just notable to say that they both have their own pros and cons. Sometimes I think people are quick to put down visual media inferior to books (or vice versa) when they can both offer so much. 

After sitting here for like 10 minutes, I give on trying to remember all the things I wanted to say here. Note to self: when you’re having an awesome debate and discussion in your head, WRITE IT DOWN SO YOU DON’T FORGET WHAT YOU WANTED TO SAY.

You know, I also had a really cool thing to say about the concepts of Art and Science the other day, but that’s totally gone now too, sigh.

What is your favorite type of visual media: tv, movies, or online video?
Hard choice.
I’m going to choose TV this time.

Who do you think was best dressed at the Oscars?
I really liked Jennifer Lawrence’s dress. (though it would have been cooler if it burst into flames and ended looking like a mockingjay…)
Picture
Picture
Why is "Best Original Song" a weird category?
     It’s weird if nominees include songs that don’t actually appear in the film and are just in the credits (we were talking on Oscar night whether or not that was the case since we hadn’t seen the nominated movies). To me there’s a big difference between credits and the actual film. Once the story’s over, the song shouldn’t get the same credit towards that movie. It makes sense in my head. All the other awards honor something that went towards making the film as a whole. A song in the credits does not make a movie better.

Why the heck did Michelle Obama butt into the Oscars?
Because she could. I guess if you had the ability to make yourself a presenter you would too? (not that she should have been there…)

If you could design a college class on anything, what would your ideal class be like?
Wait, is this asking what subject matter the class is on or what the structure of the class is?
Subject matter: bread, pizza, cake
Structure: Eat bread, pizza, cake

How many items on the Human Test apply to you?
Of the 27 items I counted on the Human Test, 15 applied to me….I believe I passed the Human Test

Is anything objective?
Objective: (adj.) - (of a person or their judgment) Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.

        Very unlikely. People can only see and think from their own point of view, so it’s kind inevitable that at least a little bit of their personality or how they were raised (etc) would leak into their judgment on an issue. So complete objectivity is probably unattainable. Even a computer needs a person to tell it how to make decisions, which could be a form of bias.
        The cool thing about humans is that we can at least try to see from another point of view, and can often do well enough. It’s important to look at a situation both from your own perspective and the other parties involved, as well as the end result of the whole ordeal. (you can empathize with a murderer, but the end result is still that someone was the cause of someone else’s death and should therefore be punished accordingly)

Gah, this question is hard.

Who's your favorite superhero?
Eh, I was never much for superheroes, but I don’t want to choose something easy like Superman.
So…I like Green Arrow 

What 5 things would you add to your current buckletlist?
- explore Pompeii
- enjoy a natural hot spring
- either make or get sent on an intense quest
- backcountry camping
-Have dinner with someone I had only dreamed of meeting

How has fiction/media helped shape who you are and/or affected how you view the world?
Fiction/media shows us potential. It shows how we as individuals or we as a society can act and react to different scenarios, feelings, disasters, etc whether they be good or bad. It lets me get a look into someone else’s mind while at the same time (usually) seeing a reflection of my own self. Seeing (or trying to see) through different perspectives often let’s me see the good in the world, though sometimes it can also make me hate humanity *coughJulieoftheWolvescough*

I have no idea what I’m saying here.
Stop giving me hard questions.

What was your favorite book as a child?
I was kinda obsessed with the Berenstain Bears books as a kid.
But my favorite may have been White Fang or The Good Dog.

How do you differentiate between a "crush" and a "passing fancy?"
Crushes last longer.

How did a Jonas brother get a part in the 25th anniversary concert of Les Mis???
In ENGLAND!?!
He probably auditioned?


Rachael

What's your favorite vegetable?
Peas if they’re cooked the way I like them (which hardly ever happens)
But you can’t go wrong with raw carrots.  

Favorite soup?
Miso soup

Do you like stew?
Probably? I don’t remember the last time I had stew (if ever)

Would you wear a fake fur coat?
Sure, if I liked the way it looked.

What kind of alcohol would you consider sampling?
I don’t know

 Favorite tree?
I’m gonna pick Aspen because I like the word aspen (and the aspen tree can be pretty)

Ideas where the treasure is?
On Earth

How do you know it's north of Santa Fe?
  I don’t. But there’s wilderness and canyon’s surrounding it to the north, and the guy’s from New Mexico (I’m pretty sure Santa Fe). Apparently a Santa Fe Jeweler who knows the guy has been out looking 20 times already. I feel like it’s most likely within a couple hours drive of Santa Fe, but we still have a few months to look over the clues and decide where to look and stuff before we go on the trip.

 If all the soda products and squeeze it's disappeared, what would you drink?
Is Kool-aid still around? I could live off of that. Lemonade can also be good if it’s sweet enough (huzzah church lemonade!)

Can you believe we'll be in Florida later this week?
Yes!
Woohoo!

What disease did cured ham have?
Swine Flu

Do you think the people who work for Lipton are allowed to have coffee breaks?
No

What's something we don't know about you?
Did you know I liked odd working titles? I guess I mentioned that earlier. I can’t open my eyes underwater.

I thought of a great superpower-- the ability to bring things in/out of reality I.e. to control reality. Can you think of a better/cooler/more powerful one?

My favorite is never going to stop being telekinesis.

Do you think I would/could be corrupted with power?
yes

How should I go about using my power--should I if I can be corrupted?
Make me more bread. Corrupt? Pfft, if you’re making me food, go ahead (unless corrupt means bad food?)

Should I hide my identity (by wearing a costume/mask or whatever) or go all Tony Stark?
 Hide your identity. Gives you more reason to design cool costumes that way.


Sara

Why does Joss Whedon have to repeatedly rip out my heart and stomp on it?    
(at least for Firefly) it was to make you really believe there was potential for real risk in the final battle. Without…certain things happening…you wouldn’t really believe anything bad would happen to the characters that have been around for a long time – at least that’s what Joss Whedon thinks

Does he take some sort of cruel pleasure in seeing me miserable?
Yes
Definitely. Yes.

What exactly is brain dead? How do doctors tell whether someone is?
According to friend internet
Brain death is the irreversible end of all brain activity (including involuntary activity necessary to sustain life) due to total necrosis of the cerebral neurons following loss of brain oxygenation.
(not to be confused with ‘persistent vegetative state’: a disorder of consciousness in which patients with severe brain damage are in a state of partial arousal rather than true awareness. It is a diagnosis of some uncertainty in that it deals with a syndrome. After four weeks in a vegetative state, the patient is classified as in a persistent vegetative state. This diagnosis is classified as a permanent vegetative state after approximately one year of being in a vegetative state)
A brain-dead individual has no clinical evidence of brain function upon physical examination. This includes no response to pain and no cranial nerve reflexes. Reflexes include pupillary response (fixed pupils), oculocephalic reflex, corneal reflex, no response to the caloric reflex test and no spontaneous respirations.
An individual determined to be brain dead is legally and clinically dead.

Why can't I ever do my homework before Sunday afternoon?
  Because if you leave for the last possible day, you’ll be older and wiser than any other time.
But Mainly
and also a little bit of this if you replace Tumblr with YouTube.

But hey, I have a solution

What are you most looking forward to about Florida?
The smell of the beach

Is 21 any more exciting than 20?
Yeah! You get to have the cool sideways license!
Oh yeah, and you can drink alcohol or whatever…

Favorite subject to draw/paint/render artistically in some way?
When I was younger it was definitely horses. It was basically my go-to.
Now I think it’s wolves (or floor plans)

Without spoiling me, what did you think of The Madness Underneath?
 Hehe, if feelings are spoilers, then don’t continue.

Over all it’s a good book. There were parts where I was like this and like this
And closer to the end there was some
But ...
then ...
.................
Wait

This and This and this
oh wait, oops, definitely not that last one. I meant THIS
and then some of  This, This, This, and This.


I also had the pleasure of seeing Anna Beth’s reaction which started off as this
But ended in this, this, and this.

Rachael’s reaction was more like this, this, this, and this.

I’d imagine Amy’s reaction would be like this

TL;DR


Mr. 15

What's the difference between a Ferrari and a sack of dead kittens?
You don’t have a Ferrari in your garage. Are you related to Rachael by any chance?

-------------------

Man, that took forever. The winner this week is Sara because finding all the gifs I wanted to use to answer you was SO MUCH FUN.

Love,
Jill

P.S.
This week in things Weebly Doesn't Think are Words:
else's
Walmart
vice versa
Berenstain
Tumblr
pupillary
oculocephalic
respirations

4 Comments
Anna Beth
3/4/2013 08:42:30 am

That's a lot of ideas, and they all sound cool. You should write them! Also, I wasn't aware of your fondness for working titles--well, except for the ones on Farscape that just never got changed. Working titles are fun. Especially when you hate trying to think of real titles.
I wouldn't have guessed that Talyn was spelled like that, but it's a sci fi show, so I should have figured.
Wishbone! lol!
Book recommendations, what? Maybe in 5 years...
The books vs. visual media debate reminds me of a couple of fun words I learned in Film Adaptation class last semester. Logophilia: a love of words as something almost sacred. Iconophobia: suspicion of visual images. So that's like when someone automatically assumes that a book is better than a movie. I agree with you. Different forms of media have different but often equal merits.
Oh, Jennifer Lawrence. She's magnificent.
Songs in the credits deserve some, well, credit. Like what about when there's a perfect song to go with the story, but it's not the kind of movie that has lyrical songs in it? So then you stick the song in the credits and it's still recognized and affiliated with the movie because it fits with the overall theme and content, but it doesn't compromise the integrity of the film by adding an unnecessary song within the story. I think the credits songs count to a certain extent. Plus, the music in the credits always makes me excited as I triumphantly walk out of the theater. lol
Just because most of Hollywood is metaphorically in bed with Obama and his left-wing politics doesn't mean Michelle Obama has anything to do with film or any reason to be there. Dumb. I mean, it was fine for her to accept, because that's an awesome opportunity, but it's unacceptable that the Academy asked her in the first place. And it would be the same principle if it were a republican. Well, except Ronald Reagan, because he was actually an actor! Sorry. Mini-rant.
Congrats on being a human! :)
The objectivity question is hard because you, The Jill, are the exception. lol
Why Green Arrow? Is it because Barrowman is in the tv show?
We get to go on an intense quest this summer!!!! And go camping...in the country...ish. And maybe you'll get to have dinner with a youtuber. Dude, our road trip has the potential to knock three items off your bucket list.
I like your answer to the fiction/media/worldview question. And hard questions are what question days (and friends) are for.
But is there a "passing fancy" expiration date?
Peas? Peas? It's like I don't know you at all! P.S. Can we have green beans with the mac and cheese?
I'm pretty sure I read an interview with the guy that said it was north of Santa Fe.
I really appreciate your use of gifs in this blog. Without tumblr, I don't have nearly enough gifs in my life. THANK YOU!
Okay, after continuing to read I LOOOVVVVEE YOUR GIF USAGE!!!!! gifsgifsgifsgifsgifs

Reply
Anna Beth
3/4/2013 08:43:03 am

Definitely didn't realize how long that comment was...

Reply
Rachael Misiuta
3/4/2013 09:11:47 am

Lol AB
And I thought of another quick question that may/may not have been answered in the past: when you think of a new story, what perpetuates the idea? The plot, characters, setting?

Reply
Sara
3/4/2013 09:21:37 am

- your gif response was basically the best thing ever. I love it when you guys tell me stories via gifs :) Although now I'm scared... is this gonna be another Serenity?
And speaking of Serenity, why must you give me all the feels ALL OVER AGAIN?!?! AAHHHHHHHH

Reply



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