Prex J.D.V. Ybasco's Blog, page 26
May 7, 2017
Reading Goal Achieved… with a little cheat
I updated my Goodreads after finishing L. Frank Baum’s The Sea Fairies and lo and behold, I managed to read 80 books, my target for 2017.
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But I will let you in on a little secret: seventy four of those were Japanese comic books.
I used to think that counting comic books as part of one’s reading challenge is cheating. Then again, I asked myself, at least I got to read volumes of comic books and finishing ONE PIECE from Volume 20 to 85 was already a difficult feat in itself that manga enthusiasts hardly take as a challenge.
As this is just the fifth month, most likely, I will still be able to read more impressive stuff and finish my TBR list. Who knows how many I will be able to finish at the end of the year? That’s part of the excitement, isn’t it?
I’m currently poring over :
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May 6, 2017
Vancouver Public Library
Inspiration comes in the form of one of the libraries I hope to visit.
Source: Vancouver Public Library
May 5, 2017
Teacher of the Week
8-year old student : Actually every semester, there are two big exams, Midterm and Finals.
Teacher: Honey, when you get older, you’ll realize that in college, you get three exams in one semester.
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ANNOUNCEMENT: Wizarding World Book Club
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Coming June 2017 from Pottermore, the official Wizarding World Book Club awaits: https://t.co/WPHQnsarID #wwbookclub pic.twitter.com/l56HGSaoU1
— Pottermore (@pottermore) May 5, 2017
You can visit Pottermore’s official website by clicking on the tweet’s link or here:
https://www.pottermore.com/news/wizarding-world-book-club-coming-soon-to-pottermore
Now I know what my annual Harry Potter Marathon is for. Get ready for me.
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May 4, 2017
Student of the Week
Student: You are not tiny. You are just a little short.
Teacher:
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May 3, 2017
I don’t wear INTJ on my sleeve. Neither should you.
This article has been published in Medium.
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Or I better say, I decided to have it published in Medium. Since my vision for this site is to highlight Literacy and Literature, an article about one’s pursuit of her MBTI type is hardly connected unless I give a lengthy lecture about Carl Jung and Cognitive Processes.
Please read it from here:
View story at Medium.com
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April 29, 2017
APRIL Articles
That time flies so fast is a cliche you don’t need to hear from me but that’s the truth. To be fair, I have to admit that this month, I managed to finish ONE PIECE Manga and two psychology books. It’s time for a new batch of articles! Feel free to click on the article titles to be redirected- I know my summaries and reactions tend to have very little content.
Mister Horizontal & Miss Vertical: A Minimalist Illustrated Meditation on How We Become Who We Are
The patterns are entertaining. Do not be mislead by the photos though because the topic is beyond them.
Uninspirational Quotes for People Who Hate Inspirational Quotes
Yes, this is not exactly what people may call an article but I got this from Ms Lea Salonga’s Twitter.
I like this in particular:
Be yourself,
No one else wants to be you.
Our Smallness and the Cosmic Scale: How Big the Universe Is Relative to Us, Animated
Sometimes, it amazes me how people tend to forget that there is something bigger than the four corners of office cubicles or comfortable homes they confine themselves in.
The Hidden Upsides of Revenge
They don’t say ‘revenge is a dish best served cold’ for nothing.
How to make the best mojito
I love Mojito and I do believe it’s the best drink for summer. Then again, I drink it no matter what season we have. I can’t wait to be able to perfect my own recipe, though.
The Nothingness of Personality: Young Borges on the Self
I’m still in a love-and-hate relationship with my personality test results but I do love reading articles about how people perceive personality.
There are 19 Smiles but only 6 are for Happiness
For a person who doesn’t smile often, this article is precious. In fact, while writing this, a part of my brain is counting how many smiles I put on my face show happiness.
The Marathon Men: Suicidal man will run alongside stranger who talked him down from a bridge
J.K. Rowling quoted this and since she’s the J.K. Rowling, what she says is beautiful must really be extraordinary.
This is a beautiful and extraordinary thing. https://t.co/JMyjPZpqKd
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 23, 2017
It must be a twist of fate but it is fascinating that unsung heroes get the recognition they deserve through social media.
It must be because I’ve read too much about MBTI and Carl Jung’s Cognitive Processes these days that I can’t learn to disassociate typology to how people write but I’m taking a shot at it: O’Keeffe might be an INTP. I cannot say for sure because I am not a certified typologist, I haven’t learned everything that has to be learned about Cognitive Processes but based on the chunk of letters provided in this link, I can somehow see a thinking process that concerned itself with what was already in the writer’s brain, paired by how she could recognize patterns ‘subconsciously.’ Her disregard for public opinion is also another consideration.
Here’s How Much Coffee Is Really Safe to Drink
Hurrah for four cups of coffee a day! How big the cup is a different topic. Just remember, 400 mg = 4 cups of 8-ounce coffee.
What articles have you read this month?
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April 28, 2017
A Realization, Stranger than Fiction
Joe Kerr and I finished this movie the other night and I can’t help but think…
This is the kind of literature I want to write.
As a writer, I am also plagued by bouts of mental block, a sudden lack of inspiration, creativity drought. People who don’t run out of things to say nor write are certainly admirable but I find it useless to ‘recreate’ a story in a genre where many aspiring writers thrive. Who am I to assume that a plot consisting of boy-meets-girl-and-live-happily-ever-after can be made better by my purple prose?
However, those classic novels, those epic movies that a huge number of audience in Rotten Tomatoes failed to appreciate, they have withstood the test of time because they tend to attack Literature in its most vulnerable part- Originality.
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Fanfiction.net and Archive of Our Own writers have made romance and fantasy their domain and I dare not try to nurture myself in that soil where various weeds can grow. Take away the kisses, the lovey-dovey stares, the touch of the characters bodies, and you will be left without a soul. However, there are powerful writers there, whom I respect; how they patiently weaved plots, how they brought their readers to look at a scene from a different point of view that you can’t help but wonder: Why is this a fanfiction? Why couldn’t she have written a work of her own? Why is this for FREE?
It may take ten years, like Karen Eiffel, who have succumbed to being ‘good enough.’ But my dream is bigger than that. I still believe it’s not bad to hope for something that can outlast the writer.
I hope mine does.
Note:
Kudos, Zach Helm for the wonderful screenplay which, I assure you is worth more than 62 Rotten tomatoes.
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April 27, 2017
STUDENT OF THE WEEK
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南澳春季路跑 Nanao Spring Run, 21km Marathon
4.22.17
Student of the Week
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