Today is the first day of November, and you know what THAT means, right? Well, you might THINK you know what it means - that I'm going to do the same thing I've done for the past two Novembers - NaBloWriMo, but I have some sad news: I'm not.
Instead, I'm doing what November was created for - NaNoWriMo. You may recall my past explanations of my understanding of how this came to me - a coupla guys decided that November was a kind of dull work month, what with people settling into pre-holiday mode and not working a lot, so why not start writing that novel you've been postponing? They've created a web site for wanna-be writers to track their novel writing progress. The goal is to have 50,000 words written by the end of November. It doesn't have to be good or edited, it's just about the volume - you can do the editing and fine tuning later on.
I tried it a few years ago before realizing that my few right-hemisphere brain cells maybe aren't geared towards creative writing, since I had a beginning, but no middle or end - kind of like my life actually. But this year, I've put some thought into it and actually have an idea, an actual plot, if you will - with actual middle and end. It might go somewhere. It might not. And I might post some of it here. I might not. We'll see.
I do have some draft blog posts that I just need to finish up before publishing - mostly about my summer adventures - a trip to Washington, and another to New Mexico. I'll try to get those up at some point during the month so this blog doesn't just sit dormant.
Meanwhile, it's not too late for you, potential novelists, to sign up for NaNoWriMo. If you do, add me as a writing buddy - EllJayPea.
Happy writing!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
The Scott Expedition
Two people, Ben Saunders and Tarka L’Herpiniere, are attempting to retrace the 1910 Scott Expedition Antarctic expedition to the South Pole, some 1,800 miles.
You can track the team's progress here.
You can track the team's progress here.
Monday, October 28, 2013
How to Time Travel
Because this video does a much better job than I ever could at explaining it, here's a nice little tutorial on three simple ways, and three not-so-simple ways, you can time travel. Got your time machine ready?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FflcA85zcOM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FflcA85zcOM
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
My Fair Lady - A Clarification
MJ asks a great question about Julie Andrews in My Fair
Lady. She questions my veracity in referencing Julie Andrews singing any songs
from that musical as it was Audrey Hepburn who played the role in the film.
Right?
Right you are, MJ. Audrey Hepburn did indeed play Eliza Doolittle in the film version. She beat out Julie Andrews for the part, which seemed unfair at the time, as Julie had created that role for the original Broadway production. It seemed like it would be the perfect fit for her to make the transition from stage to film, but it wasn’t to be. Audrey got the part instead, but couldn’t vocallyhandle the tricky Lerner and Loewe songs, so her singing voice was dubbed.
Meanwhile, since Julie had some unexpected free time on her hands, she went on to work for Walt Disney in her first feature film in the role of Mary Poppins…and subsequently won the Academy Award for best actress that year (1964).
As a side note, there is a film coming out this December about the making of Mary Poppins, “Saving Mr. Banks.” It stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as a resistant PL Travers who doesn’t want her character turned into a singing, animated character. I cannot wait to see it – early buzz (a friend of mine has already seen it) is that it’s practically perfect.
At any rate, that’s why I felt justified in attributing My Fair Lady lyrics to Julie Andrews.
Right you are, MJ. Audrey Hepburn did indeed play Eliza Doolittle in the film version. She beat out Julie Andrews for the part, which seemed unfair at the time, as Julie had created that role for the original Broadway production. It seemed like it would be the perfect fit for her to make the transition from stage to film, but it wasn’t to be. Audrey got the part instead, but couldn’t vocallyhandle the tricky Lerner and Loewe songs, so her singing voice was dubbed.
Meanwhile, since Julie had some unexpected free time on her hands, she went on to work for Walt Disney in her first feature film in the role of Mary Poppins…and subsequently won the Academy Award for best actress that year (1964).
As a side note, there is a film coming out this December about the making of Mary Poppins, “Saving Mr. Banks.” It stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as a resistant PL Travers who doesn’t want her character turned into a singing, animated character. I cannot wait to see it – early buzz (a friend of mine has already seen it) is that it’s practically perfect.
At any rate, that’s why I felt justified in attributing My Fair Lady lyrics to Julie Andrews.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Also on October 1...
EllJayPea: Today is Julie Andrews's birthday!
Linda: I will sing a little Sound of Music in her honor
EllJayPea: Oh, Super (califragilisticexpialidocious)!
Linda: Or a little My Fair Lady?
Linda: Cinderella?
EllJayPea: Only if you do it from your own little corner
Linda: In my own little chair?
EllJayPea: Or with a little bit o' luck, just a little bit
o' luck
Linda: (hahaha!!) Bloomin' luck!
EllJayPea: You could sing and dance all night. Yes, you
could dance all night.
Linda: and still beg for more
Linda: I just might. It's one of my favorite things.
EllJayPea: We could go to Wendy's house to look for a doe, a deer.
EllJayPea: And if you have to take any medicine, I
understand a spoonful of sugar is the way to help it go down. In the most
delightful way.
Linda: I will remember that tonight when I take my menopause
and allergy pills!
Linda: (not a song)
EllJayPea: yeah, that's a different musical.
How the Government Shutdown Is Affecting Me Personally, and a Resolution
EllJayPea: so one of the affects of the government shut
down? NO PANDA CAM
CinniMinion: WHAT [stomps]
EllJayPea: they're still taking care of the animals, but the
zoo is shut down, and so is the camera
CinniMinion: ooooo. Now i'm just mad
EllJayPea: hahaha. Now it's PERSONAL
CinniMinion: National Zoo Panda Cam Will Be Turned Off,
Along With Our Happiness, In Federal Government Shutdown
EllJayPea: LOL
CinniMinion: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam/
That's borking. It's not my baby butterstick
EllJayPea: That panda is clearly dead
CinniMinion: Or stuffed
That one is blinking and twitching its ears. BUT IT NOT MY
BABY BUTTERSTICK
EllJayPea: Why is it so bright at 1:18 in the morning????
(referring to the twitching ears panda)
Oh, it's not a LIVE feed.
CinniMinion: This is clearly on a loop
EllJayPea: They're asleep.
CinniMinion: IT SAID LIVE
EllJayPea: Cuz sometimes it IS
CinniMinion: Well for heaven's sake. If this is not live, couldn't
they show a BETTER DAMN CLIP?!?!
EllJayPea: They're just happy theirs doesn't look Dead or
STUFFED
CinniMinion: HA!
CinniMinion: twitch twitch
EllJayPea: loop loop
CinniMinion: I am going to use my extra day off and go to DC
and balance their damn budget and MAKE THEM TURN ON MY PANDA CAM
EllJayPea: I just don't understand why no one in Washington
has SEEN Dave yet. If they all just watched that movie....or if they watched
the FREAKING PANDA CAM, they wouldn't hate each other and would want to have a
budget resolution.
CinniMinion: All they need to do is watch a baby panda and a
mother panda and they would have a damn balanced budget.
EllJayPea: They'd be all, Hey, Tom ( R) from Minnesota, I'm
Harry (D ) from California. I love you, man. I saw the pandas. How can we hate
each other with Baby Butterstick in the world? Let's settle this budget thing
once and for all.
CinniMinion: RIGHT??!!!
EllJayPea: I think so, yes.
CinniMinion: Not all "THEY'VE LOST THEIR MINDS"
said Tom (D) from Nevada.
EllJayPea: Freaking Tom from Nevada.
CinniMinion: Damn him. He hates pandas.
CinniMinion: [PUNCH]
EllJayPea: He's THE DEVIL
EllJayPea: And I think you meant to say [THROAT punch]
CinniMinion: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
CinniMinion: Everyone in the room
CinniMinion: BAM BAM BAM BAM
EllJayPea: Yes!
CinniMinion: Senators doubled over everywhere
EllJayPea: hi YA!
EllJayPea: You're like Kung Fu Panda because you're Kung
Fu-ing FOR the Pandas
CinniMinion: Me: Now turn on the damn panda cam an no one
else will get hurt." /end scene
EllJayPea: Turn on the panda cam AND watch it for 24 hours
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
This Week's Life Lesson: Beware of Warnings
When someone tells you what they think one of their character flaws is, you should pay attention to that. They’re not telling you that because they want you to contradict them; they’re telling you as a warning. All warnings should be given proper heed and attention.
I’m not suggesting that you encourage or ignore the bad
behavior. As an example, if someone you are just getting to know says, “I’m not
a very good friend,” this isn’t your opportunity to prove you have some
superpower that changes someone’s personality or behavior. And even if you try
to be the best friend ever to the self-proclaimed bad friend, that doesn’t mean
that person is going to change that attribute of theirs to compensate and prove
otherwise. No, this is your opportunity to learn why that person stated that,
then decide if it’s a risk you want to accept into your life.
This is tough to do, especially at the beginning of a
friendship or relationship. At that stage, we’re all a bit giddy and stupid, or
giddily stupid, to the point of actually behaving stupidly. Think about the
times you’ve seen friends do stupid things in a relationship because they’re
blinded by the person’s charms, rather than being realistic about the person’s
flaws. It’s not to say you can’t still pursue a relationship with that person,
but you have been forewarned.
Likewise, how does that person respond to you when you tell
them what your greatest flaw is?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)