Apparently, the writer of Superman did his homework so well that he used a mineral in his work that would only be discovered many years later, in a Serbian mine.
This mineral (with the exact same chemical formula as kryptonite is said to have) was, in fact, discovered only just very recently (see http://science
If anyone finds out more about this new mineral, I'd love to see!
Been getting some really good replies to my last blog (and I'm looking forward to more?), and I've decided that I might want to specify about what I mean by a critique.
1) The reader's genuine response. If there was a part that s/he did or didn't like, but can't explain exactly why, it's still a good thing to know, because the writer might understand better.
2) The reader's opinion on what could be changed, what they feel doesn't flow well and/or is inconsistent.
3) Facts, such as spelling or grammar errors.
4) The reader's overall response to the piece, whether they liked it or not.
These things make up a good crit, in my humble opinion, and this is what I mean when I say the word "critique".
I never know if people will welcome a good crit or not. I never know if there are people here like me, who despise those simple comments of "This is good", and want something more, or if I'm of the minority. I'd like to hear opinions on this. If I get enough positive (that is, people wanting me to delve deeper in my comments) responses, I'll stop leaving those nice, short, simple comments, because leaving them really bugs me anyway. And I promise, if a crit is not asked for specifically, I'll try not to be too harsh.
Replies would be awesome!
Edit: Due to more than one misunderstandi
I learned something very valuable today. I learned how to navigate using my Konsole, rather than just going through the files in a maze. I also learned how to actually *use* my Konsole, which was important, because without knowing how to use it, I couldn't navigate it. Whoo!!!
cd means change directory. To go back a directory, you say cd..
ls is a command used to list what's in the directory you're currently in. It will show all files, folders, and directories.
su means switch user. I use this only when I want to change to the root user, to make permanent changes. I need to use this to install files that I'll want to use (like flash player)
ls -la will list not only the files in the directory, but also what each item does, who can edit the file, etc.
./ is a command, telling the Konsole to use the file selected
We're learning things! I still don't know how to use some of the stuff.....or even what commands to use, but I will eventually!
So, this morning I was awoken by the beeping of my alarm, telling me it was time to get ready for work. Man! I was having a good dream, too! I lay there for a few minutes, remembering my wacky dream, when it suddenly struck me that it would make a really good story (see 89.Short Stories.The Silver Stag!). Crap! I can never remember my dreams once I get up, so I committed it to memery, and, steeling myself, got up, got ready for work, and all that fun stuff, all the while keeping in mind this dream I'd had. And I'd stopped in the middle of. How should it end, I wondered? Well, we'll see if I can remember it through work, and then we'll figure out how it ended, 'cause I sure didn't have time to write it before work.
So, an hour after I clock in, my boss comes up to me and says, "Hey, Erin, would you mind leaving now, and coming back tonight to work night shift instead?"
o.o
Say what? My first thought was, "Augh! I had so nicely gotten out of working with Alicia, how did he wrangle me back into it???" Then, still bemoaning my fate, I went home. About halfway home (it's just across the street, so only about three minutes passed), I suddenly went, "Ahah! I can write down that dream!!!" And I ran the rest of the way to my door. I sat down immediately, and began writing. And I wrote. And wrote. For two hours, without stopping. Barely even paused! And then, finally, I was done! Man, that was the best feeling in the world.
So then, of course, I came here, to post it and share it. Hope y'all like it!
Now....with well over 600 members, one would think that I wouldn't see this anymore. Especially since I rarely open the WC statusbar anymore. I opened it today, on a whim, for the first time in *months*, and lo and behold, the number of online members is thussly: A mere two! Does this still happen often? I don't know, really. You can bet I'm gonna keep an eye on it for the next few days, though, just to see.
Oddly enough the only other member online is in my friends list. Fancy that, ey?
This is sad....Very sad. We should be an active community. I feel that I'm not a very active member, and yet I see that I am probably among the few that are active at all. The very thought breaks my heart! This community should be thriving!
Redneck Dictionary
HEIDI - noun. Greeting.
HIRE YEW - Complete sentence. Remainder of greeting. Usage: "Heidi, hire yew?"
BARD - verb. Past tense of the infinitive "to borrow." Usage: "My brother bard my pickup truck."
MUNTS - noun. A calendar division. Usage: "My brother from Jawjuh bard my pickup truck and I ain't herd from him in munts."
THANK - verb. Ability to cognitively process. Usage: "Ah thank ah'll have a bare."
BARE - noun. An alcoholic beverage made of barley, hops, and yeast. Usage: "Ah thank ah'll have a bare."
IGNERT - adjective. Not smart. See "Arkansas native." Usage: "Them Bammer boys sure are ignert!"
RANCH - noun. A tool used for tight'nin' bolts. Usage: "I thank I left my ranch in the back of that pickup truck my brother from Jawjuh bard a few munts ago."
ALL - noun. A petroleum-base
FAR - noun. A conflagration. Usage: "If my brother from Jawjuh don't change the all in my pickup truck, that thing's gonna catch far."
TAR - noun. A rubber wheel. Usage: "Gee, I hope that brother of mine from Jawjuh don't git a flat tar in my pickup truck."
TIRE - noun. A tall monument. Usage: "Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, I sure do hope to see that Eiffel Tire in Paris sometime."
RETARD - verb. To stop working. Usage: "My grampaw retard at age 65."
FAT - noun, verb. 1. a battle or combat. 2. to engage in battle or combat. Usage: "You younguns keep fat'n, n' ah'm gonna whup y'uh."
RATS - noun. Entitled power or privilege. Usage: "We Southerners are willin' to fat for are rats."
FARN - adjective. Not local. Usage: "I cuddint unnerstand a wurd he sed....mus' be from some farn country."
DID - adjective. Not alive. Usage: "He's did, Jim."
EAR - noun. A colorless, odorless gas: Oxygen. Usage: "He cain't breathe....giv
BOB WAR - noun. A sharp, twisted cable. Usage: "Boy, stay away from that bob war fence."
JEW HERE - noun and verb contraction. Usage: "Jew here that my brother from Jawjuh got a job with that bob war fence cump'ny?"
HAZE - a contraction. Usage: "Is Bubba smart?" "Nah....haze ignert. He ain't thanked but a minnit 'n 'is laf."
SEED - verb, past tense of "to see." Usage: "I ain't never seed New York City."
VIEW - contraction: verb and pronoun. Usage: "I ain't never seed New York City....view?"
GUMMIT - noun. A bureaucratic institution. Usage: "Them gummit boys shore are ignert."
Man, I am on a role! A second poem is posted, titled "I Am". It's pretty good, if I do say so myself. It is written from the perspective of every artist that feels almost as though what they do is not their own work. I know that feeling pretty well, considering that I still don't feel like my poem "Wake" is really my own. I mean, it was all there, in my head, I feel like I wasn't involved in creating it at all, except to write it down.
Anyway, check it out! I feel like I did pretty well conveying what I was thinking in "I Am", and I'd love some feedback.
My week is getting progressively worse. My last day at the bakery was Saturday (yay! Wait...yay?). I was so glad to leave. But now, I'd almost give anything to be back there, however much I despised my job. You see, now I'm in a bit of a conundrum. I'm supposed to start my new job Thursday. Great! You say, What's the problem?
What's the problem, indeed? I'll be making a pretty penny, and I'll likely be able to afford 'net. The problem, my friends, is that I might not *have* the job. Well, why the heck not? Ah, because I have been trying, since Sunday morning (when I missed church, so I wouldn't miss the important phone call that never came) to get hold of my to-be-boss, to no avail. Oh, I saw him once. Sunday afternoon. When he told me he lost my phone number. And so I gave it to him, and he said he'd call me the next morning. Next morning rolls around, and then comes afternoon. So I go back. Oh, he's not here today, he's skiing, and apparently his cell phone is off. But he'll be here tomorrow. Okay! So I come in today. Oh, he's not here today either. I don't know what his excuse is this time, maybe I should ask. But I sure am getting tired of not knowing what my hours will be. If I can't get hold of him by tomorrow evening, I'm going to show up bright and early Thursday morning, ready to work. Meantime, I'm going to spend tomorrow job-hunting and checking back here periodically to see if he's here. Oh boy...
In other news, someone I'd really rather not see is trying to make plans to come visit me.
Still working on my 'net problem. Apparently, it'll be cheaper for me (and easier) if I get cable TV, and then add 'net to the service. About ten dollars a month cheaper, in fact. Can't get DSL or dial-up, 'cause I'm sans phone line, and I wouldn't *use* the phone, so no point in getting one. 'Sides, the phone line plus the 'net service would end up being about the same as the cable TV plus the 'net service. Woot for businesses trying to get every last cent outta ya, eh?
Anyway, what all this means is that I'm stuck waiting for my TV set to be delivered, then I call the cable guys, and wait for them to be able to come in, *then* I will have internet back. Oh boy....
In other news, my new years resolution is to be happier, so I've managed to maintain a mostly joking tone throughout this blog (though I bet y'all can't tell ^.^). At least I am still smiling, though.
Be well, all, and be happy. Smiles make the world go 'round, and they keep anger at bay.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope all is well with y'all, and I'd like to take this chance to mention that I *may* be getting 'net access in my home by the middle of next month. Whoo! We've gotta see when my checks go through, and how soon I can get a guy out to my apartment to install the 'net. Things are looking good! I mean, it only took me an hour and a half to find an internet provider that said, "Sure! We can install 'net access through linux. No problem!" $50 a month, though....So less eating out, and probably a little more ramen. ^^
-dances about cheerfully- I got the job! I am not an employee of a sandwich shop with excellent food, and nice people. I start work tomorrow morning. Happy days!
Yeah, I know it's quick. A small shop, so they had few applicants (I assume), and he hired me on the spot. So, I go in tomorrow morning at 9, an hour before they open, to be trained, and then I start work at opening. Woot! I'll be working about 20 hours a week, at min. wage, plus a share of the tips. Happy, happy.
Still haven't figured out what happened with my phone. On another note, I found out that banking with USAA is a bit of a pain. And my mother said that it would be easy. -.- Soooo, I'm going to start an account at one of the local banks, too. It's great, innit? Yeah, I love my mom and her wonderful, so useful advice. I bet she knew that the only way I'd be able to deposit into my bank account with USAA would be to go through her. This way, she can keep track of my funds. Of course, there's no branch in Merced, either, so she has to do the same thing. -insert gnashing of teeth here- I'm not independent. I'm still entirely dependent on my mother. Of course. That's the way she wanted it. She couldn't stand it when my sister left, and disconnected herself from our mom, so she made sure I wouldn't be able to do the same thing. I am attatched to her, and I'll have to work damn hard to make it otherwise.
So, today, I discovered that my cell phone is possessed. Yes.
I was sitting in the truck, we were coming home, and suddenly my phone started talking--it was on speakerphone. Apparently, it called USAA for me (they were the last people I'd called), and got the automated answering system. I hung up (what was I supposed to do? It was a machine, not a person, so I couldn't really say I was sorry), and checked the key guard. It was on. So, no buttons were pressed that would have possibly dialed the last number called, and it was in its little sock, so it couldn't have opened. I have no idea what happened, and neither do CJ or his sister (who were both in the truck).
On a different note, I have a job interview tomorrow! Whoo! I will be interviewing for a position (any position, they didn't give me an application, and I don't know what they're hiring for, probably a cashier) at a place called "The Kultured Kitchen". They look like a little mom and pop place, but they hire outside the family (obviously). And they have good food. I'm pretty excited about it, as it's within walking distance of the house I'm living in now, it's got good hours, good food, and nice people. And, I really need a job, if I'm to continue living here. Wish me luck!
Raaaah! I have found a new toy! The WritersCo status bar on the right can be hidden and unhidden. So cool!
It's like, Whoosh! It's gone! and Whoosh! It's back! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
-Toy not intended for small children (baby drool might damage the keyboard) or adults with no sense of humor (you must be easily amused). Requires one mouth for sound effects and one finger to click the button.-
This new look is...interesti
I think, actually, that I've seen this stylesheet before. Don't recall being overly fond of it then, either, if I'm thinking of the right thing.
On the other hand, I far prefer this to that horrid "green" choice in the dropdown stylesheet list, so I'll stick with this one until I can get the old look back. No offense meant to whomever came up with the "green" stylesheet. It just gives me a headache, is all. Much like the "Shrooms" stylesheet of ET (and several of the others there...).
I'm back, mostly. I'm still getting settled here, but I have 'net again. Happy days, ne?
I'm going to be gone for an indeterminate amount of time (for those of you who don't already know). I'm moving to southern California on Wednesday, and don't know when I will have regular 'net access again. Hope you're all well.
This storm in the sea of my life has had one good side-effect. I am now suddenly driven to do things. I can't stand to just sit here anymore. I must be up, and about, and doing something. I'm turning this new energy and drive to cleaning up my mom's house while I'm living here, getting in to see my dad, finding a job and an apartment in southern Cali, and visiting people I haven't seen in far too long.
Some time soon, I will disappear for about a week. Don't worry, I'll be back to keep up with my obligations here. But I won't be hanging around much, just long enough to do what I need to, and then I'll be gone again. This is because I'll be down in southern California, dedicating myself to searching out a job and an apartment, and hanging out with my boyfriend's family (the last one when I can't be out searching; the Hunt is my first priority).
Absolutely nothing has gone right today. I may never get to see my dad again.
Note to any staff who may be reading my blog entries:
The below is me venting. I have spoken with [Font] since writing it, and my views have changed somewhat. Also, some things have changed, and are no longer factual (aside from what was already not factual, and my own views). This is simply how I saw the problem at the time I wrote it. Please refrain from messaging me with corrections to any mistakes you might see, or patronizing me.
I do understand that the blog is in poor taste, and I would probably be better removing it. However, telling me what's wrong with it will not make me remove or change it in any way. Thank you for your time.
I have a friend who did nothing more than try to help out a community that he saw lagging. For this, he was banned.
Let us share a moment of silence for this man, and for the administrators who banned him.
While my friend's efforts did not seem a rebellion to me, and I'm sure that they did not seem a rebellion to the other members who joined in the effort, thoughts of rebellion against the unfairness of this entire thing have been growing in my mind (gasp! Better not let them see this, for it will soon be me banned, for my own thoughts that this was an unfair action on their part). I am not trying to stir up trouble (think they'll believe me? They didn't believe him), but I would like to know why, exactly, they found my friend a threat.
I guess that voicing my thoughts on this whole thing will get me sent off with my friend, but in reality, he was the most active member here, aside from the administrators and possibly some of the staff. He is the one that made this community known to me. He is the one that made sure I came back, with his wonderful writings and his contest ideas. He is the reason I didn't leave this site entirely when I saw how dead a place it was. He is not, however, the reason that I will be leaving this site entirely very soon. No, the reason for that is the administrators
In case they didn't, here is what I have gleaned: the 'official' contests were not working. There were fees, questions of copyrights, and other problems. He did not want those problems in his own attempt to awaken the community, so he specifically said they were not to be in his contest section. And anyway, the 'official' contests had their own section.
If that sounds like a rebellion to you, please be sure to tell me how. I fail to see it.
Thank you for your time. You may have your ears back now.