I got a Tumblr...

I wasn't going to do it. I saw no point. Then, I realized that many of my friends that are graduating and dispersing around the country have Tumblrs and that it may be a good way to keep in touch. I don't have a Facebook (I know- *gasp*), I like to refer to myself as being apart of the 'resistance.' So Tumblr seemed like a good compromise.
Here is mine, if you are so inclined, I call it "What a waste of time" because, it is.
I am on Spring Break this week! I have to catch up with reading, make sure I have my lines memorized for the Tennessee Williams play I'm in the week I come back, fill orders for my Etsy shop, spring clean, and try to do something fun for me.

Reading Challenges- Sherlock Holmes

I see blogs hosting reading challenges all the time, I've even participated in a few. However, I really want to host my own now.
I've been reading so much Sherlock Holmes, the originals and pastiches and talking to others that either have been as well, or want to start. This is why I suddenly want to host a Sherlock Holmes reading challenge.
Obviously there are several obstacles such as getting the word out and the question: Who wants to start a reading challenge in February?
Perhaps I'll wait and make this a summer reading challenge, in the meantime I'll put out some feelers to see if there is any interest in such an undertaking. Think of it as sort of a book club for those that are enamoured with the great detective.
The exact parameters still have to be determined, but probably the standard 4-6 books and I'll probably include movies as well.
What do you guys think?

So, it's 2011 now

I only have to be excited about this if I acknowledge that time moves in the entirely linear, measured fashion that we say it does. Which I'm still on the fence about. There, I said it.
It does, however, give me an excuse to look back over the (alleged) year 2010 with my spiffy Blogger Stats.
My most read post in the history of this blog is "Death Masks"- a write up I did on a History Channel program in July. It has has four times the views of any of my other top viewed posts.
My readership is international (I knew that thanks to Neci and Traxy- hi guys!), but I didn't realize how extensive it was. My top country of readership is, of course the US, followed by the UK,then Finland, Germany, South Korea, Canada, India, South Africa, Malta, and Australia.
If you're on Blogger but haven't checked out your stats tab, definitely do. It's fascinating and surprising. Somewhat encouraging too. It's nice to know- and have actual figures to back up- that people are reading what you post.
Thanks to everyone that drops by, even if it's only occasionally. So, onward into 2011(you know, if I believed in that linear sort of thing). And I'm giving you all a mischevious grin right now.

This Sums Up Everything

Need I say more? Totally snagged from Bookshelf Porn on Tumblr.

Being Unproductive: a celebration

In light of the giant weight off of my shoulders with all papers complete, a reprieve from classes until Monday and little left to worry about until finals, I enjoyed an extremely unproductive afternoon. The weather was gorgeous, so I went on a long walk around town, but then decided to wander off by the creek in search of a good climbing tree. I haven't climbed a tree in ages and sometimes the urges of my tomboy childhood in the middle of nowhere return.
My search didn't yield anything too promising, the best bet was in some one's yard and that just seemed mildly inappropriate and like it might alienate my neighbors. However, cutting up by the range at the sportsman's club (it was empty, I regretted not bringing my bow, I would have had perfect solitude to practice), I ended up below the cemetery. As I write this I realize it seems slightly creepy, but it was so quiet, I just lay down in the grass- not in the cemetery proper mind you- the sky was that shade of off white that is so common in autumn.
With the tombstones in the distance behind me and the sounds of the water trickling over rocks in the creek, I felt very content. For some reason it made me think of "Ode to a Nightingale" by Keats. Particularly this stanza:

Darkling I listen; and, for many a time
I have been half in love with easeful Death,
Call'd him soft names in many a musèd rhyme,
To take into the air my quiet breath;
Now more than ever seems it rich to die,
To cease upon the midnight with no pain,
While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad
In such an ecstasy!
Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain—
To thy high requiem become a sod.

Hmm... this whole scenario is sounding even more morbid. I couldn't remember the stanza exactly, but some of the words and their impression were floating through my mind. I do feel like perhaps I should watch Bright Star again now. Well to veer away from that, I should tell you I spent most of the rest of the day making things for my Etsy shop and listening to Pandora Radio.
Because of my love of analyzing and debating (English major all the way) I am a member of online forums so that I can discuss some of my obsessions that are more obscure where I live. I've recently become a member of the "Sherlocking" forums and this afternoon I wanted to go waste a bit of time there. To my chagrin the site is currently disabled due to hacking problems. Many of the members are also bloggers, but they all belong to camp Tumblr. Curses to Tumblr and its ridiculous exclusivity- you have to be a member of Tumblr to follow or comment.
I was eager to share the geekery of a recent whim of mine:

I stitched over the top button hole on my coat with red thread. It's a long story, but it has a Sherlock significance.
This has been an extremely long post. I'm going to go drink tea now. Ugh, looking at that photo has made me realize that I have really unattractive, ungainly hands. Well, I guess I should take 'hand model' off the list of possible careers now.

Curmudgeon of the Week

This can be chalked up as another one of my hobbies: misanthropy. I follow a hilarious blog called "The Sassy Curmudgeon" and Una, the blogger extraordinaire, has a series called "Curmudgeon of the Week."
After making a list of annoyances that plagued me over the course of one day ( a Forensic Speech exercise- thanks coach) I submitted it to Una for consideration. Remarkably, I was accepted for this somewhat peculiar honor. You can see my entry here.
There are several things I'd like to add to the list after this latest Forensic Speech Tournament:
Getting up before it's light
Wearing stockings with trousers
$7 salads
Faux-hawks
Pointy witch shoes
Riding in a van full of club music
Being out of fake mustaches
Jerks that make fun of me for liking Jane Austen (she's a brilliant satirist!)
Conflicting suggestions
Dirty Gas Stations
Running out of matches
Itchy sweaters

I'm going to watch PBS for a while and then get to sleep. I might do my Ages 3+ Raccoon puzzle as well. Good times.

Mind Your Manners: Rude People Online

I almost hesitate to post this because my experience as a blogger has been very positive, my small audience has always been excessively polite and supportive, but this is not the case on many websites. I've been noticing so many websites and message boards that are just overrun with trolls. Disagreement, spirited debate, a communion of ideas; that is what these places should house.
There have been some posters that are just purposely provoking for no good reason. There was a poster on a board I used to visit (I haven't been on in over a year, too negative on there now) who would post topics just to spark political arguments that had nothing to do with the subject of the board. She was obnoxious. There is a time and a place for certain discussions and in the wide world of the Internet, you can find those places, so don't plague other boards with it. Sites with posts about mental illness often have cruel remarks as well, how insensitive can people get? I've had so many negative people in my life that I have struggled to overcome, I don't want to deal with them in the virtual plain as well. My only question is, why? Why do they waste the time and energy to make other people miserable? Can't we make our efforts toward positivity instead? What do they gain from beating down strangers about nonsense? They must truly have issues within themselves.
Sorry for the rant, but it is a depressing thing to encounter again and again. Many sites, I simply stop visiting, it's no longer worth it. I hope that other posters will just not respond to them, but sometimes it's hard not to say something and hence, the beast is fed. Of course there are many safe havens with very little drama and I appreciate them, but the crazy always seems to out weigh the sane lately.
....out with the bad. I'm going to cuddle my calico now.

Doctor Who Oops

Apparently this past Saturday when the fourth episode of the new season of Doctor Who, "The Time of Angels," was shown in the UK a little animated advertisement for the upcoming program came across the bottom of the screen during the tension filled last moments of the episode obscuring Matt Smith's lower face for a moment. Viewers were in a bit of an uproar, the BBC received a barrage of calls and emails and they have now issued an apology for the ill timing of the advertisement.
Incidentally, the upcoming show was "Over the Rainbow," another one of those shows searching for the next big west end star (see "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria," "Any Dream Will Do," etc. as other examples. Andrew Lloyd Webber needs to put his time to better use, have you heard the music for the Phantom sequel? Anyway...). Graham Norton, the host of "Over the Rainbow" appeared in animated form in the screen blurb. I hope when they do the next DW special on The Graham Norton show Matt Smith brings up that he ruined most of Britain's Saturday night tv. That would make my day
Honestly, I didn't find the blurb that obnoxious, not compared to the steady stream of such advertisements we get on most US stations. To see the offensive clip (the clip doesn't spoil too much of the episode for those that are waiting for BBCA to show the episode in two weeks), watch it at my new favorite Who blog here. >

Since I'm Not Busy Enough Already...

I applied to be a contributor to the popular music and film blog "The Playlist". It's a different style than I'm used to here and in the paper, but it might be beneficial and it's always good to get one's name out. Who knows, one day someone might pay me to write something. *Dreams*
My first article appeared tonight under my real name, not my creative writing name (Odessa). I also realized that I must start watching more contemporary films and reading magazines like Entertainment Weekly.
You can check out the blog here.
And, because I promised I'd mention it: I had the most peculiar pleasure of meeting my friend Lynn's boyfriend last night. His name is Richard and he runs his own comic company, InterVerse Comics LLC. Our conversation started at a very strange point and hit several others before the evening was through and I had to go to rehearsal. Oh, yes, speaking of busy, I'm performing in a Greek tragedy in an outdoor theatre next month.

Color Me Shame-Faced

After seeing so many other lovely entries about Jane Austen on other blogs, I feel ashamed that I squished her into an entry with mask making below. Though I can't compete with Jane Austen Today's picture of their Austen cupcake, I can tell you that I am planning a little movie marathon for tonight through tomorrow morning. It was going to be a read-a-thon, but I've had a raging headache since I got home from work. Tonight I will be watching Sense and Sensibility 2008 followed by Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, and Emma. I don't have Mansfield Park- it's my least favorite of her books I must admit, and I've overwatched Pride and Prejudice, not to mention it's too long for the relatively short span of time I'm cramming this into. Now should I wear the costume or would that be too much?
“Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery.”