Weekly Short Stories Contest and Company! discussion

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message 1101: by Ajay (new)

Ajay (ajay_n) | 1138 comments That's wonderful, Guy! I've always found calligraphy to be fascinating. It would be great if you can post some pictures here.


message 1102: by Guy (new)

Guy (egajd) | 11249 comments Kat, Ajay, I uploaded an image of one of my better calligraphed pieces into my profile photos, if you are interested.

I'll give you three of my favourites, Kat:
A Book of Scripts by Alfred Fairbank;
Calligraphic Styles by Tom Gourdie;
and
Written Letters: 29 Alphabets for Calligraphers by Jacqueline Svaren.


message 1103: by Caitlan (new)

Caitlan (lionesserampant) | 2869 comments Thanks Guy!


message 1104: by Kymela (new)

Kymela (kymelatejasi) | 674 comments Anyone online? I am still sick and need A LOT of help with my English final which is a summary and response, my weakest style.


message 1105: by Caitlan (new)

Caitlan (lionesserampant) | 2869 comments I'm here, but I don't think I'll be much help. I'm not good at writing anything unless it's creative writing.

haha, I phrased that weird. I'm not good at writing essays and such.


message 1106: by Kymela (new)

Kymela (kymelatejasi) | 674 comments Heh, I'm not good at giving reviews, either. Are you able to help with grammar? Word's grammar check doesn't work at all.


message 1107: by Caitlan (new)

Caitlan (lionesserampant) | 2869 comments If you post it, I can read through it and see if anything is wrong.


message 1108: by Kymela (last edited Oct 18, 2012 02:15PM) (new)

Kymela (kymelatejasi) | 674 comments Thank you! Here is the first paragraph which is where my weak spot is.

In her essay, The Argument Culture, Deborah Tannen attempts to explain to her readers how America has become a culture of arguing only two sides of any discussion and gives an example of how they can change that. The problem with debates in America, is that most people think there are only two sides to any subject. The reason for this, as Tannen explains, is simply language; not just in everyday conversation, but also in the media. Everything on the news is said to be a “debate,” a “war,” or a “battle” between two parties or individuals. One specific example she gives is scientific studies in language by saying, “The power of words to shape perception has been proved by researchers in controlled experiments” (269). The experiment Tannen uses shows how people remember an accident when asked questions using two different words to explain how two cars crashed – “smashed” or “bumped.” There is also the idea that every conversation and topic has to have two sides and only two sides. The Holocaust is one topic mentioned, those who deny it ever happened are voicing what they think is “’the other side’ in a ‘debate’” (269). This sort of thinking “results in conviction that everything has another side – and people begin to doubt the existence of any facts at all” (269). Tannen tells how technology pulls people apart and how the need to turn everything into a debate results in distorting facts, wasting time, limits thinking, and even encourages lying. Finally, how this can be changed by changing our language – asking for “all sides” instead of just “the other side” and not using so many words related to war and sports to describe a discussion.


message 1109: by Kymela (new)

Kymela (kymelatejasi) | 674 comments Nevermind...I just realised the stupid thing was due on Monday instead of today like everything else was.


message 1110: by Kymela (new)

Kymela (kymelatejasi) | 674 comments I just failed my English class because of that. :'(


message 1111: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments I didn’t know it was possible to fail an English class.


message 1112: by Caitlan (new)

Caitlan (lionesserampant) | 2869 comments Do you still need me to read through it, Saira?


message 1113: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie (chasmofbooks) | 2875 comments M wrote: "How does anyone learn a foreign language these days if all a student has to do is use an online translator?"

Well, I didn't have a teacher so I ugh "used my resources."


message 1114: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie (chasmofbooks) | 2875 comments Saira wrote: "I just failed my English class because of that. :'("

That sucks. :(


message 1115: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments Stephanie! You’re alive!


message 1116: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments I figured she had been sucked into the NaNoWriMo black hole. That’s in November, isn’t it?


message 1117: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments It’s waaaaaay past my bedtime. Jane’s gone to the high school football game (she loves those), and I’ve been waiting up. I’d go with her, if only a football game could be half as exciting as watching ants crawl across the patio.


message 1118: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments There’s nothing wrong with you. You have a clean bill of health. Next!


message 1119: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments Older men are bad for you. You need a soccer player who is studying to be a dentist. Dentists make lots of money.


message 1120: by Edward (new)

Edward (edwardtheresejr) | 2434 comments Okay, I have nothing against sports, but have never watched more than three halves of a game over the course of a year. What do you perscribe, Dr. M?

Just don't play a Tetris rip-off with the pills you stuff down my throat.


message 1121: by M (last edited Oct 19, 2012 08:17PM) (new)

M | 11617 comments I’m against universal prescriptions. Some people really love football. My parents, for instance. I was unlucky enough to be born immune to the charm of sports. As you can imagine, I never did very well at them.

I prescribe what Jung prescribed: what at the same time attracts and terrifies you is the path you should take.


message 1122: by Edward (new)

Edward (edwardtheresejr) | 2434 comments That'd be writing. Usually an obsession is something you can't tear yourself away from; my obsession with writing is something I have to drag my feet to, always with a steady build of dread ... until I actually start writing. No matter how much I tell myself that I'd be fine once I start typing, the fear still makes me hesitant.

Which sounds absolutely insane. I know my best friend would scoff at the idea (but he scoffs at all ideas except his own).


message 1123: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments Well, Edward, at the risk of understatement, I’ll make the point that you’re exceptionally good at writing. I’ll have to remember what you posted as an example of Jung’s principle.


message 1124: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments Goodnight, pirates! May you have Friday night dreams of piles of doubloons, bottles of rum, and an island breeze that rustles the palms.


message 1125: by Edward (new)

Edward (edwardtheresejr) | 2434 comments Why a nervous laugh?


message 1126: by C. J., Cool yet firm like ice (new)

C. J. Scurria (goodreadscomcj_scurria) | 4483 comments Alex (Al) wrote: "I really hate football games. I just hate football. I'd rather watch college boys play around with a soccer ball. Mmmm."

I am not a fan of it either. I have watched just one Australian football game and I thought that was a lot of fun to see. Our American football is not like that. I just can't keep my attention span active for that long of time...


message 1127: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie (chasmofbooks) | 2875 comments M wrote: "Stephanie! You’re alive!"

Haha. Yeah, I am. No, I haven't been sucked into NaNoWriMo yet. I've been working on some other projects.


message 1128: by Kymela (new)

Kymela (kymelatejasi) | 674 comments I'm still really out of it and am completely lost in this conversation. Doesn't help that two of my coworkers don't think I have any authority at all even though I've been there longer than they have. XP


message 1129: by Christa VG (new)

Christa VG (christa-ronpaul2012) Hey Alex can I start a game? Or is starting threads a mod thing?


message 1130: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments You’re right, Christa. There’s supposed to be a rule about only moderators starting new threads, but I can’t find it. There’s no mention of it in the Group Rules thread. The most successful thread, the haiku thread, wasn’t started by a moderator.


message 1131: by Christa VG (last edited Oct 22, 2012 09:26AM) (new)

Christa VG (christa-ronpaul2012) I wanted to start a game called "Guess the Quote" which is pretty much what is say's. One person puts up a quote and the first person to get it right get to put up the next one.

And I don't care if I'm not allowed to put up threads I just didn't want to bother you if I could do it.


message 1132: by Christa VG (new)

Christa VG (christa-ronpaul2012) Okay thanks AL! And it is totally PG as long as the people posting the quotes keep it fairly clean :D


message 1133: by Caitlan (new)

Caitlan (lionesserampant) | 2869 comments XD


message 1134: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie (chasmofbooks) | 2875 comments You know, being sick stinks and is nice at the same time. As long as you aren't so sick you can't do anything.


message 1135: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie (chasmofbooks) | 2875 comments I bet.


message 1136: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments I’m tempted here to quote Kat.


message 1137: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie (chasmofbooks) | 2875 comments What's the quote?


message 1138: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments “XD”


message 1139: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments There’s something mystical about it. All I can figure is that it’s a different version of Windows.


message 1140: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments Microsoft Windows? It makes me think of wanting to throw my computer out the window. I think that’s why they named the program that.


message 1141: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments The Windows version is have is XP. I don’t know what that stands for. I figured “XD” must stand for “extra damnable.”


message 1142: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments Yikes! That tells me what I have to look forward to.


message 1143: by Edward (new)

Edward (edwardtheresejr) | 2434 comments 7 is alright; it has most of the good qualities from XP and Vista. I just don't know what they were thinking with Vista ...

Of course, I have 7 Starter, which is just awful.

Anyway ... who goes to a McDonald's at 1600 on a Tuesday? Because my work just kinda exploded around that time.


message 1144: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments Maybe a busload of people stopped, or maybe the high school band all got hungry for the same thing and forgot about practice.


message 1145: by Caitlan (new)

Caitlan (lionesserampant) | 2869 comments Haha, you guys already know that XD is kinda my signature XD


message 1146: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments Oh, that’s funny! I’m not supposed to be laughing. I’m supposed to be sleepy.


message 1147: by Caitlan (new)

Caitlan (lionesserampant) | 2869 comments Then go to sleep XP


message 1148: by M (new)

M | 11617 comments Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.


message 1149: by Caitlan (new)

Caitlan (lionesserampant) | 2869 comments lololollololololololololololololololo


message 1150: by Ajay (new)

Ajay (ajay_n) | 1138 comments hisssssssssssssssss (sorry guys): remember I am supposed to be the king of snakes ;) lol..


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