The End?

Yup, this is my last official class post. I don't know if I'm going to keep up with this blog. I could. I do like the title. But definitely not three times a week. I'm simply not interesting enough for that. And, if I'm blogging so much I'm not out doing things to blog about. I'm definitely taking the rest of December off, though, and then I'll decide whether or not to come back to the blog-o-world. I have considered a Not So Southern blog, all about me--sort of southerner--here in the icy, windy north. My first year in Baltimore was filled with funny mishaps, often because of this cultural gap. The second has been less so, but then I haven't been out and about as much either. Since I don't work and I have inernet at home, I don't spend quite as much time on the streets as I used to do. Not that I was "working the streets" but I walked on them, ran into people, saw many a man peeing in a bus stop, slipped on banana peels, accidentally protested Constellation energy.

My life has gotten entirely too dull in the last six months. Well, maybe I'll continue this blog just to force myself to go out and report on Baltimore and reconnect with my life of mishap.

In the meantime, there are still weevils in the tack, I'll be in the fighting tops for our next engagement, and Quig's been banned from cards until he pays what he owes. Finally, the honorable General Erastus B. Tyler is coming aboard and that's something to look forward too.

Cheers,
LV

After Thursday

When I left the lab today everything was working. When I got home, nothing was. Of course, as it turns out my code just won't work in Internet Explorer. Which I'm great with. It is, according to a friend, working just peachy in Mozilla. So, huzzah!

I'm half through with all three revisions. Well, with two revisions, I can't guess on the fiction piece. There are colostomy bags, frozen babies, and pirate hunters. They make it difficult to guess where everything is going. What's up for when all the fun is done? Buying a winter coat. Finding a part-time job. Reading. So many things I want to read. And a Christmas tree.

But, first, a party for editorial style. That's right. Wine and food at Arthur's house. I'm always a little weirded out by going to professors' houses. Is this just me? Just my own awkwardness with authority? Something left over from elementary school? Am I the only one? (Like Highlander. Good movie. Except for the one, which is not.)

Oh, well, forward to the awkward! (And  maybe a piano.)

Cheers,
LV

Almost

So, despite a week in WV in which I did not have any access to the Creative Suite I am nearly done with my e-pub page. I uploaded everything but one page, which I will complete tomorrow morning. I'm very excited. I asked my FB friends for help, but if anyone out there has the time and wants to user test my site I would appreciate it:

Not-So-Southern Magnetic Cockney

Like it, hate it, see major mistakes? I would appreciate any and all feed back. Just remember, the Fill-in-the-blank page has not been posted to the internet so that link will be dead. Hope all is going well with your projects!

Cheers,
LV

Another Question

During class someone took us to an image site that had government photos, only I can't find it. Can anyone send me that?

The reason for this question is the fail of a group project that I'm working on for my editorial style class. Of three of us, the one who volunteered to design the newsletter failed miserably. I'm curious if any government images might work in my and my other partners attempt to fix the horrible-ness of it all.

We're in graduate school, by now I woul dhave thought everyone I worked iwth in a group would pull their weight. If someone had a conflict I would have thought they'd inform someone so they could pick up the slack.

I'm really infuriated. Frustrated. And I wanted to spend my last night in WV hanging out with my mom. Instead, I'm doing what I can from here to prepare to spend hours in the Design Lab tomorrow. Really fantastic.

Cheers,
LV

Phantom Line

Question: Does anyone know the poem from which "I screamed O City" comes? I think that's the line, it might not be quite right. Because I can't place it. I think I knew at one time, but just now it is gone. I ask because I wrote a poem using this line for a class and now I want/need to know its origin.


Cheers,
LV

Revisioning

The trouble with revising during the semester is that I haven't spent enough time away from my own writing. Really, when I look at it to revise it I feel like I'm getting stuck with someone on the train for 10 hours that has habits that correlate to all of my pet peeves: they scrape their teeth on their fork as they eat, they stretch into my seat, maybe they even smell. It may be that they are nice and interesting and have other fine qualities, but 10 hours on a train ride isn't the likely place to discover them. Nor is three months packed in with the same texts the likely place for me to find something true about them. Good or bad, by the end of the semester I can't tell. It's all junk and I have only more junk to add to it. Next summer I'll look at my writing, and the revisions, and have something useful to say about them. But right now? Right now it's all bollox.

Cheers,
LV

Seriously, America?

In just a few days I'll be flying home. Oh, where is my ship? Where are the days of climbing aboard a wooden vessel and getting some wind in the canvas and eating weevils in the hard tack?

But seriously. I'm concerned. Not just about the body scanners (which I will refuse, if it comes to it) but the aggressive get-a-grope they are calling a pat down. I'm worried that Maryland appears to have some sort of law that states that  no one is allowed to videotape police officers--or someone is interpreting it that way. And apparently Illinois really does. I'm concerned that Oklahoma's amendment stating that all judges would have to adhere only to state and federal law (as opposed to any foreign law) is being challenged. I'm concerned that illegal immigrants can get driver's licenses. I'm concerned that a New Jersey judge upheld a man's right to rape and beat his wife under Sharia law. (Note: It was later overturned in appeals.) And I'm concerned that we want to continue drilling off-shore. I don't know where to begin with the horror. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed and furious.

What's happening out there?

Cheers,
LV