Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 111
December 29, 2015
This Study Makes Me Sad
Recently, I read an article about a study that was conducted. The results? People who end texts in periods are viewed as insincere, "probably because the people sending them are heartless." Washington post article.
WTF? When did using proper grammar make someone heartless?
FWIW, I always text in complete sentences with proper punctuation. I also capitalize the words that require capitalization, and get so frustrated when auto correct messes up my words. I am not being insincere and I'm not heartless. I simply believe that abandoning proper grammar is barbaric.
The article I linked to also mentions that the exclamation mark makes people believe you're being more sincere. This is a follow-up study. Exclamation marks? I like them. I use them, but sparingly. If everything ends in ! how do you know when I'm really excited about something? Writers are taught not to overuse exclamation marks. Sigh.
I'm not opposed to language being fluid, but seriously, let's keep some standards. Like proper punctuation without hyperbole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (see what I did here?)
WTF? When did using proper grammar make someone heartless?
FWIW, I always text in complete sentences with proper punctuation. I also capitalize the words that require capitalization, and get so frustrated when auto correct messes up my words. I am not being insincere and I'm not heartless. I simply believe that abandoning proper grammar is barbaric.
The article I linked to also mentions that the exclamation mark makes people believe you're being more sincere. This is a follow-up study. Exclamation marks? I like them. I use them, but sparingly. If everything ends in ! how do you know when I'm really excited about something? Writers are taught not to overuse exclamation marks. Sigh.
I'm not opposed to language being fluid, but seriously, let's keep some standards. Like proper punctuation without hyperbole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (see what I did here?)
December 27, 2015
Historical Lasts
These events are most likely the last time these things will happen.
December 24, 2015
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!!!(to those who celebrate the holiday)
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December 22, 2015
I Think I've Been Adopted
The other night, I was sitting on my couch, television on while I talked to my mom when I heard something. I muted the television and said, "I hear meowing." I walked to the back door to check the patio and what do I see? You guessed it--a cat.
I tried water, but she (he?) didn't want that. I went back inside and opened a can of tuna. This was more like it. She (he?) ate everything I put out, which was about half a can. I went back and added everything left in the can and the cat finished it all. We then played a game of in and out of the house. She'd (I really think it's a girl cat, but I could totally be wrong) put her feet on the step inside, but couldn't quite bring herself to come in.
When I got home from work the next day, my dad says, "Your friend came to the front door looking for you and now she's waiting at the back door." And sure enough, there she was.
She's sweet and friendly and must have been someone's pet. She's also dirty, some of her fur is matted, and she's got mud/food/crap stuck in the fur around her mouth. She needs a bath and a brushing and a trip to the vet.
I'm not exactly sure I want to be adopted. My last cat died a while ago, and when I moved to Atlanta, I didn't bring down the cat carrier or the litter box, or brushes. On the other hand, she's far too sweet a cat to just let her run loose until she dies. Outdoor cats don't live that long, and if I'm right about her originally being someone's pet, she might live a shorter life than a feral cat left outdoors.
I'm already checking out the cost of food bowls and litter boxes and the kitty convict collars. I'm sure there will be more stories to come.
I tried water, but she (he?) didn't want that. I went back inside and opened a can of tuna. This was more like it. She (he?) ate everything I put out, which was about half a can. I went back and added everything left in the can and the cat finished it all. We then played a game of in and out of the house. She'd (I really think it's a girl cat, but I could totally be wrong) put her feet on the step inside, but couldn't quite bring herself to come in.
When I got home from work the next day, my dad says, "Your friend came to the front door looking for you and now she's waiting at the back door." And sure enough, there she was.
She's sweet and friendly and must have been someone's pet. She's also dirty, some of her fur is matted, and she's got mud/food/crap stuck in the fur around her mouth. She needs a bath and a brushing and a trip to the vet.
I'm not exactly sure I want to be adopted. My last cat died a while ago, and when I moved to Atlanta, I didn't bring down the cat carrier or the litter box, or brushes. On the other hand, she's far too sweet a cat to just let her run loose until she dies. Outdoor cats don't live that long, and if I'm right about her originally being someone's pet, she might live a shorter life than a feral cat left outdoors.
I'm already checking out the cost of food bowls and litter boxes and the kitty convict collars. I'm sure there will be more stories to come.
December 20, 2015
Silent Night
A little Christmas music for those who celebrate.
December 17, 2015
More Screen Real Estate
At my day job, we work with two monitors. I actually need another screen or two, but even two have spoiled me forever. When I'm at home, I want the screen real estate that I have at work. If I sat at a desk while I wrote, I could have it at some point, but I don't. I like to write in my family room on my laptop.
Overall, that's not too bad when I'm actually writing. The pain (and the desire for more screen space) comes in when I'm editing what I already wrote. I want to see the entire page at a size that's legible and I can't have that.
I've thought about hooking the laptop up via HDMI to the television and using that as my giant monitor, but the cable I use to go between my laptop and TV is heavy and it starts annoying me. I've thought about writing on the laptop and editing on the desktop, but I feel too antsy there. Mostly because the room has boxes and papers to be filed everywhere. I never finished putting everything away there after my move. Of course, if I put stuff away in there...but let's not go crazy. :-)
My current laptop is 16 inches, so it's not as if I'm working on a small screen to begin with, but as my six-year-old laptop is getting close to retirement age, I'm eyeing the 17 inch ones. Which will be heavier and won't solve my screen problems anyway because I'm used to the dual monitors at work. Which is where the story started. Ah, well. Back to editing.
Overall, that's not too bad when I'm actually writing. The pain (and the desire for more screen space) comes in when I'm editing what I already wrote. I want to see the entire page at a size that's legible and I can't have that.
I've thought about hooking the laptop up via HDMI to the television and using that as my giant monitor, but the cable I use to go between my laptop and TV is heavy and it starts annoying me. I've thought about writing on the laptop and editing on the desktop, but I feel too antsy there. Mostly because the room has boxes and papers to be filed everywhere. I never finished putting everything away there after my move. Of course, if I put stuff away in there...but let's not go crazy. :-)
My current laptop is 16 inches, so it's not as if I'm working on a small screen to begin with, but as my six-year-old laptop is getting close to retirement age, I'm eyeing the 17 inch ones. Which will be heavier and won't solve my screen problems anyway because I'm used to the dual monitors at work. Which is where the story started. Ah, well. Back to editing.
December 15, 2015
Office Supply Addiction
Nothing makes my eyes light up faster than office supplies. I especially love paper and pens, but anything in that category can keep me enthralled for hours. I try to keep it in check because I have more paper and pens and file folders, etc than one person needs, but it's hard.
For example, when I bought a paper planner I convinced myself that I needed new pens too. Erasable ones in a rainbow of colors because (of course) I would use color-coding like die-hard organizers do. For that same reason, I bought erasable highlighters because I'd color code with them, too. Unfortunately, organization is not a strong point for me. I currently use just one of my erasable pens (in raspberry) to write in my planner. I mark off my completed items with the highlighter. Singular. Although I will switch colors there just for a change of pace.
I carry a steno pad with me all the time to jot down ideas for my stories. I have perforated pads of paper in various colors (again, I planned to color code, but that didn't happen) with a wide variety of pens. I love the gel pens best, but I've had some of them so long, they've gone dry. Same with my super fine point markers.
On the weekend of Black Friday with all the sales, I saw a label maker on sale for super cheap. I coveted that label maker even though I already have one that I don't use often enough to justify a second one. I did resist (barely), but it was hard.
There are a lot of writers who admit to sharing my office supply addiction, so I guess I'm normal enough--for an author. I wish, though, that I could be as organized as all my pens and paper suggest I should be.
For example, when I bought a paper planner I convinced myself that I needed new pens too. Erasable ones in a rainbow of colors because (of course) I would use color-coding like die-hard organizers do. For that same reason, I bought erasable highlighters because I'd color code with them, too. Unfortunately, organization is not a strong point for me. I currently use just one of my erasable pens (in raspberry) to write in my planner. I mark off my completed items with the highlighter. Singular. Although I will switch colors there just for a change of pace.
I carry a steno pad with me all the time to jot down ideas for my stories. I have perforated pads of paper in various colors (again, I planned to color code, but that didn't happen) with a wide variety of pens. I love the gel pens best, but I've had some of them so long, they've gone dry. Same with my super fine point markers.
On the weekend of Black Friday with all the sales, I saw a label maker on sale for super cheap. I coveted that label maker even though I already have one that I don't use often enough to justify a second one. I did resist (barely), but it was hard.
There are a lot of writers who admit to sharing my office supply addiction, so I guess I'm normal enough--for an author. I wish, though, that I could be as organized as all my pens and paper suggest I should be.
December 13, 2015
How Mucus Keeps Us Healthy
I appreciate the job mucus does, but seriously, I could probably get by with less.
December 10, 2015
The Pantser's Lament
On the spectrum between writing by the seat of the pants and plotting, I definitely fall on the pantser side of the equation. I've tried to learn to plot, but it takes all the joy out of writing for me to know too much about the story. I like to write and let it unfold. Usually.
Right now, I'm pretty frustrated. I have less than 1500 words to go to reach a rough draft of a proposal (that's about 60 pages or 15,000 words) and I have no idea what happens next. The characters aren't sharing that information with me. Usually, they help me out and guide me to the next thing. At the moment, though, they're just staring at each other spouting inanities. It's enough to make a writer weep.
I thought Okay, work on the synopsis--maybe that will unstick you. This is a sign of sheer desperation as writing synopses is easily one of my least favorite things to do, although when it's completed, it is helpful to have a general idea of which direction the story is headed. This, too, failed. I made some notes about ideas I have for my heroine to resolve her issues, but no synopsis.
This is the times when I envy the plotters. They don't sit and stare off into space, searching for some answer to what happens next.They know what happens next in their stories. I don't. So I'll mull some more and hope either my hero and heroine feel like sharing or I get struck by an epiphany.
Right now, I'm pretty frustrated. I have less than 1500 words to go to reach a rough draft of a proposal (that's about 60 pages or 15,000 words) and I have no idea what happens next. The characters aren't sharing that information with me. Usually, they help me out and guide me to the next thing. At the moment, though, they're just staring at each other spouting inanities. It's enough to make a writer weep.
I thought Okay, work on the synopsis--maybe that will unstick you. This is a sign of sheer desperation as writing synopses is easily one of my least favorite things to do, although when it's completed, it is helpful to have a general idea of which direction the story is headed. This, too, failed. I made some notes about ideas I have for my heroine to resolve her issues, but no synopsis.
This is the times when I envy the plotters. They don't sit and stare off into space, searching for some answer to what happens next.They know what happens next in their stories. I don't. So I'll mull some more and hope either my hero and heroine feel like sharing or I get struck by an epiphany.
December 8, 2015
Batman, Robin and the Bad Guys
Watching Batman as an adult is a great way to spend a couple of hours. I'm talking about the 1966 movie with Adam West, Burt Ward, Burgess Meredith, Lee Meriwether and the others. I think kids would see the action, but adults can see the humor. It's campy as hell and the actors knew it and I think that's part of the fun.
While my parents are living with me, we've been watching a lot of movies. Because my mom doesn't like swearing or sexy stuff, that limits what we can watch. We've seen a lot of kids' movies, but Batman is the only movie that's kept both my parents awake until the closing credits.
Near the beginning, Batman has a shark chomping down on his leg. Robin's response? "Holy Sardine, Batman." Heh!
The plot is over the top. The bad guys have teamed up (Penguin, Cat Woman, The Joker, and The Riddler) to take over the world by kidnapping the movie's version of the United Nations. They have a device that dehydrates people, turning them into dust. They can be re-hydrated later.
I will confess that while the movie is a lot of fun, I usually end up rooting for the bad guys. I love Cat Woman and the Penguin and Cesar Romero's Joker. Their costumes are great (I especially love the colors of the Joker's suit!) and they're more fun than Batman and Robin are. I also love reading romances with bad boy heroes, so that might say something about me, I guess.
But of course, Batman won the day. He can do everything and has every gadget. He always seems to be carrying the right one with him when the chips are down, too. And the few times he didn't save himself, dumb luck saved them. Like the bat copter crashing into a pile of foam rubber.
Aside from rooting for the bad guys, the other thing that kind of bugs me about the movie is the way Cat Woman is shown not fighting. She stands around and lets the men fight. I also hated the fact that she trips as she's fleeing from Batman and then just stays there instead of trying to get up. Especially while Batman and Robin are just standing around, not doing anything. I know, it was made in 1966, but still...
Anyway, it's good fun and I think it's something the whole family can watch and be entertained by. It's live action, but very cartoony and no one really gets hurt. An enjoyable enough way to spend a couple of hours.
While my parents are living with me, we've been watching a lot of movies. Because my mom doesn't like swearing or sexy stuff, that limits what we can watch. We've seen a lot of kids' movies, but Batman is the only movie that's kept both my parents awake until the closing credits.
Near the beginning, Batman has a shark chomping down on his leg. Robin's response? "Holy Sardine, Batman." Heh!
The plot is over the top. The bad guys have teamed up (Penguin, Cat Woman, The Joker, and The Riddler) to take over the world by kidnapping the movie's version of the United Nations. They have a device that dehydrates people, turning them into dust. They can be re-hydrated later.
I will confess that while the movie is a lot of fun, I usually end up rooting for the bad guys. I love Cat Woman and the Penguin and Cesar Romero's Joker. Their costumes are great (I especially love the colors of the Joker's suit!) and they're more fun than Batman and Robin are. I also love reading romances with bad boy heroes, so that might say something about me, I guess.
But of course, Batman won the day. He can do everything and has every gadget. He always seems to be carrying the right one with him when the chips are down, too. And the few times he didn't save himself, dumb luck saved them. Like the bat copter crashing into a pile of foam rubber.
Aside from rooting for the bad guys, the other thing that kind of bugs me about the movie is the way Cat Woman is shown not fighting. She stands around and lets the men fight. I also hated the fact that she trips as she's fleeing from Batman and then just stays there instead of trying to get up. Especially while Batman and Robin are just standing around, not doing anything. I know, it was made in 1966, but still...
Anyway, it's good fun and I think it's something the whole family can watch and be entertained by. It's live action, but very cartoony and no one really gets hurt. An enjoyable enough way to spend a couple of hours.
