Ok so I wrote this...piece... I guess you could say, (I dunno what to call it). But blogger is being stupid and won't let me copy and paste it from word. So I'm putting it on fb under my notes.
Go check it out:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&suggest¬e_id=65514682692&id=
sry if the link doesn't work. But you know where to find me on fb anyways.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
says the bard: "we are such stuff as dreams are made of"
There's this author named Charles de Lint whom I totally love - love as in I love his books. I was getting really anxious today (which is slightly more problematic for me than for most other people since I have the lovely tendency of getting panic attacks) and for a break I picked up this book I have by him that I haven't read yet entitled Forests of the Heart.
Now Charles de Lint writes books that mix fantasy with the "real world" as it were. And that is severely understating his books but nevertheless, in a nutshell that's what he does. The thing with him however, is that he does it like no other. I have never been able to find another author like him that can tell a story in that way, or make me feel the way that I do when I read his books. It's almost like a drug I suppose. It leaves you high, and all of your senses as well as your mind raw and tingley.
I was reading Matt's blog Deep Into Winter We All Must Go today and among other things he was talking about his love for music - how it is his heart and what he lives for and as soon as I read it I smiled because I know exactly what he's talking about. The only difference is that I live for words, for stories, for writing.
Writing to me is something as natural as breathing as cliched as that sounds. It's just what I do. I fill countless notebooks with journal entries, poems, songs, stories. It's weird, but if I don't write for a while I feel almost ill. I need to put things to paper - or to a post or a word document lol, I feel good when I do.
What has this to do with Charles de Lint? I want to be able to use my words to make people feel the way I do when I read his books. I want to suck people in and captivate them. I want characters to seem like flesh and blood people. If I could do that...I would be incandescently happy.
I know. A writer. Me.
But why not.
Now Charles de Lint writes books that mix fantasy with the "real world" as it were. And that is severely understating his books but nevertheless, in a nutshell that's what he does. The thing with him however, is that he does it like no other. I have never been able to find another author like him that can tell a story in that way, or make me feel the way that I do when I read his books. It's almost like a drug I suppose. It leaves you high, and all of your senses as well as your mind raw and tingley.
I was reading Matt's blog Deep Into Winter We All Must Go today and among other things he was talking about his love for music - how it is his heart and what he lives for and as soon as I read it I smiled because I know exactly what he's talking about. The only difference is that I live for words, for stories, for writing.
Writing to me is something as natural as breathing as cliched as that sounds. It's just what I do. I fill countless notebooks with journal entries, poems, songs, stories. It's weird, but if I don't write for a while I feel almost ill. I need to put things to paper - or to a post or a word document lol, I feel good when I do.
What has this to do with Charles de Lint? I want to be able to use my words to make people feel the way I do when I read his books. I want to suck people in and captivate them. I want characters to seem like flesh and blood people. If I could do that...I would be incandescently happy.
I know. A writer. Me.
But why not.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
what do you want for your birthday?
That question is starting to come up quite frequently - probably because my birthday is in...14 days (yeah I totally just counted). I'm going to be 22. I'm a bit excited. Anyway, back on point - I do not know what I would like for my birthday. I mean I don't really need cds, though books are always good. A friend of mine suggested asking for an external hard drive which is smart but I don't really want one - I mean I don't think I need one. And for all that I would like, like an ipod touch or a blackberry - no definitely a blackberry, I don't need one. I have a working phone and a working ipod. You see my problem? I don't really need anything.
What I would really like you can't really buy me. I mean I would like a career in Kingston. A place to live in Kingston, and money. Alright, yeah yeah technically you can give me money. You're missing the point.
*contemplating*
Alright one thing I would like I have to admit is a shopping trip to get some new clothes since I haven't gone shopping since like err...last summer. And technically my housemates are going to get me a pair of lululemon pants since I asked for those - I can't justify buying them, they're expensive.
sry this is a completely materialistic post. But it's weird. This year I can't decide what I want (in life/from life). I mean I always know what I want. Always. And this year I've been having some difficulty in deciding. I'm pretty sure God or fate is having a slight chuckle at my expense at the moment lol.
What I would really like you can't really buy me. I mean I would like a career in Kingston. A place to live in Kingston, and money. Alright, yeah yeah technically you can give me money. You're missing the point.
*contemplating*
Alright one thing I would like I have to admit is a shopping trip to get some new clothes since I haven't gone shopping since like err...last summer. And technically my housemates are going to get me a pair of lululemon pants since I asked for those - I can't justify buying them, they're expensive.
sry this is a completely materialistic post. But it's weird. This year I can't decide what I want (in life/from life). I mean I always know what I want. Always. And this year I've been having some difficulty in deciding. I'm pretty sure God or fate is having a slight chuckle at my expense at the moment lol.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Demand Better
Queens History department emailed all of it's history students today informing us of the budget cuts that the department is undergoing in the next couple of years.
You know what I basically took away from the email? That history (as well as many other small departments in the university) are basically getting whittled down into nothing.
What happened to providing a GOOD education? Apparently that principle got cut along with the budget.
The other kicker is that our programs are getting cut and guess what, that's right, our tuition isn't.
Now perhaps you're saying, but there's a massive economic situation at the moment which is why everyone has to scale back, and that's a totally legit statement. But what happens when you scale back so much that you are unable to provide a good education? What happens to the number of students who wish to apply? What happens to the jobs that need to be filled but no one is qualified to take them because those qualifications didn't make it past round one of budget cuts?
Perhaps you think I'm over exaggerating the situation? History is taking a 5% budget cut this year, and then a 6% cut next year and then an 8% cut the year after that. There's not going to be a history department soon enough.
The problem boils down to the current economic situation, the provincial government who has scaled back the amount of money it is giving to Queens, and Queens itself for constructing grossly over budgeted buildings instead of taking care of its programs.
What do we need to do?
Demand better. Better from our school, and our government.
If we don't, if we become complacent - we'll we're basically saying that it's alright. And if you don't think that your voice can make a difference then you've just shown why studying history is important - history shows us that it's those one voices that can really change and impact the world.
So speak up. Demand better.
You know what I basically took away from the email? That history (as well as many other small departments in the university) are basically getting whittled down into nothing.
What happened to providing a GOOD education? Apparently that principle got cut along with the budget.
The other kicker is that our programs are getting cut and guess what, that's right, our tuition isn't.
Now perhaps you're saying, but there's a massive economic situation at the moment which is why everyone has to scale back, and that's a totally legit statement. But what happens when you scale back so much that you are unable to provide a good education? What happens to the number of students who wish to apply? What happens to the jobs that need to be filled but no one is qualified to take them because those qualifications didn't make it past round one of budget cuts?
Perhaps you think I'm over exaggerating the situation? History is taking a 5% budget cut this year, and then a 6% cut next year and then an 8% cut the year after that. There's not going to be a history department soon enough.
The problem boils down to the current economic situation, the provincial government who has scaled back the amount of money it is giving to Queens, and Queens itself for constructing grossly over budgeted buildings instead of taking care of its programs.
What do we need to do?
Demand better. Better from our school, and our government.
If we don't, if we become complacent - we'll we're basically saying that it's alright. And if you don't think that your voice can make a difference then you've just shown why studying history is important - history shows us that it's those one voices that can really change and impact the world.
So speak up. Demand better.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Awake but Dreaming
I will never understand those who go to bed early. I mean I understand when you're so exhausted that you just need to sleep no matter what time it is. But the night is the best time I find. There's something about it that just appeals to me. So much more appealing than bedtime.
I just finished watching like 3 episodes of Dark Angel (yeah yeah mock my tv choice) and even though it's almost 1 am I find myself not really tired. Actually I'm a bit bored. Did you know there is basically no one to talk to at about 1 am? Is everyone seriously sleeping?
Alot of the time I find that I wish I didn't need to sleep as much as I do. Of course there are good moments when thinking of sleep - like curling up in blankets and not being cold anymore (yeah you guessed it that's a big one for me) or waking up and then realizing that you don't have to go and do anything but can stay in bed for as long as you want. Those are awesome moments. But think of all the cool things that you could do with all of the time that you spend sleeping. I totally understand the sentiment that you can sleep when you're dead.
I think another reason I'm not in the biggest rush to get to bed is that last night I had this creepy dream that I got assaulted. Then I was in the hospital and I called literally everyone I knew in Kingston and there was no answer from anyone. And I got embarrassed in front of the police officer who thought it was slightly pathetic that I couldn't reach anyone to come to the hospital to see me.
Because of that dream I was not in a chipper headspace this morning let me tell you. And then I walked outside and it was damn cold. I mean cold cold. Where the heck is spring? That's what I want to know.
Alright that's my 1 am rant. I think I might go and watch another episode of Dark Angel...hey what else is a girl to do when she's bored at this time in the morning?
I just finished watching like 3 episodes of Dark Angel (yeah yeah mock my tv choice) and even though it's almost 1 am I find myself not really tired. Actually I'm a bit bored. Did you know there is basically no one to talk to at about 1 am? Is everyone seriously sleeping?
Alot of the time I find that I wish I didn't need to sleep as much as I do. Of course there are good moments when thinking of sleep - like curling up in blankets and not being cold anymore (yeah you guessed it that's a big one for me) or waking up and then realizing that you don't have to go and do anything but can stay in bed for as long as you want. Those are awesome moments. But think of all the cool things that you could do with all of the time that you spend sleeping. I totally understand the sentiment that you can sleep when you're dead.
I think another reason I'm not in the biggest rush to get to bed is that last night I had this creepy dream that I got assaulted. Then I was in the hospital and I called literally everyone I knew in Kingston and there was no answer from anyone. And I got embarrassed in front of the police officer who thought it was slightly pathetic that I couldn't reach anyone to come to the hospital to see me.
Because of that dream I was not in a chipper headspace this morning let me tell you. And then I walked outside and it was damn cold. I mean cold cold. Where the heck is spring? That's what I want to know.
Alright that's my 1 am rant. I think I might go and watch another episode of Dark Angel...hey what else is a girl to do when she's bored at this time in the morning?
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