Web 2.0 What Does It Really Mean?

Here is a post for my CSIS 1000 class, practicing use of Web 2.0 and such. Check this out. Actually, you might not want to... My thoughts and comments on the video? Not worth your time, but I am a diligent student and do the work asked of me. Three cheers.

And Thus it Continues...

I haven't died. I think I'm the only one who reads this thing anyhow, but nonetheless, my apologies for pathetic blogging. I have an easier time keeping up with my other blog because it has purpose and direction. Here, I feel no purpose and direction.

Books I have recently read, reread, or started:

• The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton. Yes this was my first time reading The Outsiders. I really enjoyed the voice of Ponyboy, but it sounded a lot like a girl trying to write like a guy (which it is). And the plot was a little too far fetched for me. But it was a fast and enjoyable read.
• Tex, S.E. Hinton. I enjoyed Tex much better than The Outsiders. I like how fast and smoothly Hinton's novels read. Basic plot line: Coming of age story. My question is, what happens to Tex after Mason goes to college?
• Animal Dreams, Barbara Kingsolver. I loved Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible, so I was excited to read another book by her. Animal Dreams started out good. It was a little slow and reflective for my tastes, but I liked it. Then about ten pages to the end I lost all interest in the plot. I skipped ahead to assure that things turn out okay and gave up on it. Beautifully written book, but not what I hoped. Basic plot: Woman returns to hometown to look after (sort of) her alzheimer inflicted father and comes to find herself and falls in love.
  
• Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert. I got about a third of the way through and haven't finished yet, though I still might. It was painfully slow. I have a feeling the remainder of the novel is much of the same. Basic plot: Deeply unhappy Madame Bovary searchs for happiness in all the wrong places.
  
• Out of The Dust, Karen Hesse. It's a children's book, supposedly, but I love it and if you haven't read it, please do so. It's a novel written in simple, beautiful poetry. Great plot. Great poetry. Loved it. Basic plot: Coming of age story in the Dust Bowl, but that's almost simplifying it too much.
  
• The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Kim Edwards. I enjoyed this book, but I felt as though it was trying to be too much. I got bored with all the lengthy side stories and their deeper meanings. Still, good plot, interesting read, and beautiful. Basic plot: Unbeknownst to his wife, a well-meaning doctor gives up his newborn Down Syndrome daughter. Unbeknownst to the doctor, she thrives in a loving family. Story of how the two families grow through the years and the effect giving up this baby has on both families.
• Long After Dark, Todd R. Petersen. This is a collection of short stories and a novella. The author is my English professor, and it's been really interesting to read his work. The stories are sharp, different, and curious. Cool read. I haven't finished it just yet.

Is unbeknownst a word?

What's Coming

This semester has been busy! I guess that's good.

What I'm working on right now is an audio recording for my English 2010 class, a piece that would fit into a show of This American Life, a Chicago Public Radio show. Writing the show is the easy part, recording is the hard part. I am using the Audacity program to edit the recording, but I haven't yet figured out how to do the actual recording. Any advice? I think I will borrow a recording mic from the school and hook it up to my laptop. If I can get technologically advance enough, I'll try to post the recording.

Other work has been research essays, a poetry analysis or two, and essays for Critical Lit--all to dull to post here.

To post: Recently read books, pictures of life, recent writing, etc...

January

I have been disloyal to the name of the blog and have neglected to post any recent writing... Well, there hasn't been much recent writing. I am working on a short story right now, and we'll see where that winds up.

It is January. And it's cold! I don't think I said much about Christmas. It was wonderful to be home with the family. I should post some pictures of the break, but I'm feeling pleasantly relaxed and lazy and don't really want to.

I'm going to go cook myself some food. I apologize for the lackluster blogging. I have been restless lately and I don't write much when I'm restless. I am waiting for lightning blots to rain from heaven. What would you like me to post?

Recommended

I have a rather serious addiction to books. I set aside grocery money every week to stalk the book sections of Deseret Industries and the Catholic Thrift Shoppe. I love used books. It is fantastic, of course, to find a used book in mint condition for cheap, but sometimes it is more fun to find a clearly well loved copy. I have also found recommendations of a creative writing I took this fall to be superb.

As of lately, down time at work has afforded a fair deal of free time to read. So, here goes some recommendations of recently (as in the past few months) read books.

I am an ardent lover of poetry. For those who share a similar love I recommend:

• The McSweeney's Book of Poets Picking Poets
  
• Poetry 180, Billy Collins
• Good Poems, Garrison Keillor

I have recently discovered the short story. For those learning to love it try these short stories in particular and others from the collections in which they are found:

• "Keith," The Hotel Eden, Ron Carlson
• "Note To Sixth Grade Self," How To Breathe Underwater, Julie Orringer
• "A Temporary Matter," The New Granta Book of the American Short Story, Jhumpa Lahiri'

For those interested in creative nonfiction:

• In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction, Annie Dillard

And lastly, the novel. Here is where I ask for recommendations. It has been too long since I was entirely engrossed in a novel. I did try a few of the popular reads, like Memoirs of a Geisha and The Kite Runner. I would recommend the latter, as for Memoirs of a Geisha, it was beautifully written, but a frustrating plot. Any suggestions of purely engrossing novels?

Familia!

Dear Blog--

I'm sorry to have been so slovenly on my blogging. Finals Week just wound up and things have been a little crazy! I put together a website of my writing this last semester for my Creative Writing Final. If you'd like to view the site, send an email my way so I can issue an official "invitation."

In other news, Merry Christmas! Snow has visited my house, a first in a many, many years. It certainly brightens the Christmas spirit! But it won't really feel like Christmas until I am home from college with the family. There's just something about family. It isn't really Christmas without them!

Speaking of family, here are a few pictures from Thanksgiving break.

Quirky Confessions

A Few Really Odd Details About Val That You Probably Didn't Care To Know

Warning: This list is really peculiar and pretty embarrassing so if you'd rather not know such details about me, then don't read.

1. I like lists-- like this one.
2. I don't like the sound of alarms. It's not that I mind waking up to them, but I just don't like the sound. I prefer a phone with a loud vibrator to awake me. Unfortunately, my phone is too suave and quiet now for this to work.
3. On the lines of alarms-- I don't like waking up fives and zeros, like 6:30 or 6:35. I prefer times that end in twos, fours, sixes, and nines, like 6:32, 6:34, 6:36, and 6:39. Nines are rare. Eights are okay occasionally.
4. Speaking of nines, nine is my lucky number. I was born in the ninth month, on the 29th day, in the year 1989 at 9:03 am. Fate? I think so.
5. I passionately despise being cold. For example, my toes are cold right now and it's distracting me.
6. I don't like my feet.
7. My arms are hairy. And when I first wrote that I spelled hairy as "harry."
   
8. I buy dirt cheap clothes and then never wear them. Then I feel guilty for my frivolous spending and hang onto the said article of clothing forever. It's terrible.
9. Along the lines of clothes, I wear shirts, shoes, jeans, etc... that I don't like very much every once in a while so they have their "turn." Sometimes these offending pieces of clothing are those same pieces mentioned in number eight. I also listen to crappy CD's every so often for the same reason.
10. I am mildly obsessed with words and names. I am registered on pregnancy sites (okay only one) so I can explore the name databases and chat with expectant mothers. I supposedly had a baby girl in September. Must get pregnant again... And www.thesaurus.com and www.behindthename.com are two other favorite sites of mine. I have favorite words that are just comfortable to use.
    
11. Did I mention I really, really don't like being cold?
12. I have favorite spots, like a favorite position on the couch, seat at the kitchen table, desks in classes, and such. I am not overly bothered by upsets in my system, but it throws me off kilter for just a minute. The only favorite spot I am very particular about is my parking spots.
    
13. I love juice. I drink a lot of juice. Apple juice to be specific. Wal Mart apple juice is rather icky. Once in a rather stressful week I counted eight half empty cups of icky Wal Mart juice scattered throughout the kitchen. Bad Valerie.
    
14. I refer to people by their full names on frequent occasions. Like I said, I like names.
15. My roommates just reminded me I eat cereal very often. I'd like to give a brief shout out to all those who have first of all even heard of King Vitamin and second of all enjoy eating it.
16. I sleep in the same spot, in the same position every night. I am told I sleep like a corpse. Or a mummy. Take your pick. I have a horrible confession. My bed at home actually has a butt imprint of just where I sleep at night.
    
17. My roommates say I brush my teeth a lot. But I don't think so. I brush after I eat. Is that odd? Yesterday, the dental hygienist complimented me on my clean teeth and nice gums. It made my day.
18. Speaking of dentists, I feel horribly guilty when he tells me to floss more (even though I floss quite often), so guilty I get sick to my stomach.
    
19. Before going to the hairdresser, I always do my hair really cute and dress up. I don't want the hairdressers to think poorly of me.
    
20. I can be kind to a fault. And sometimes I store all this pent up meanness and just snap and that's not pretty.
21. I have a very hard time saying no. I can be too passive. Which is odd, because I am either too passive, or way too stubborn. Rarely in the middle.
    
22. I passionately love poetry. Poetry deserves to be read out loud. Unfortunately, there is little room for privacy in a house with five girls, so the other day I read poetry out loud on the bottom of the basement stairs. Parks and mountainous locations are also good for the reading of poetry.
23. This list makes me sound like I might be in serious need of professional mental help. I promise I'm okay.
    
24. I tend to be overly apologetic.
    
25. I sometimes forget to feed myself.
    
26. I love grocery shopping. Really, I love it.
27. I also love book stores, particularly used book stores. When I'm having a bad day, I like going to book stores and just letting the pages upon pages of print absorb my stress.
    
28. When I forget to do something important, I feel excessively guilty and can't stop thinking about it until it's done, even if there is nothing I can do about it for quite some time. Sometimes writing the item up in a list helps.
29. My feet have warmed up, but now my hands are cold.
    

Okay now that I have exposed myself in a scandalous fashion, it's your turn. To which of my quirks can you relate? And any of your own quirks you'd like to confess? It's oddly therapeutic to get that all out there in a nice tidy list. I recommend it thoroughly. I like lists.