Friday Fragments

It is Friday, and it is the third day of absolutely gorgeous weather. I think I'm justified in sharing this song with you. It's called "Spring" by Your Heart.



It's also a free download if you absolutely must have it on your media playing devices. :)

1) Jesi Marie was kind enough to share this picture with me.

Thought the cheetah with an eyeglass was a bit random, but it's funny. :D

2) I've been showing this to everyone because it's just so funny. These people took the music video for Total Eclipse of the Heart and rewrote the lyrics so that the song fit the music video. Hilarity ensues like you wouldn't believe. Embedding has been disabled for it, but here's the link.

3) Did you hear about the Fukishima Fifty? They're these nuclear power plant workers who stayed behind at the plant to make sure that nothing worse happens, even though it greatly endangers their well-being. Now that's heroism, ladies and gentlemen.

Well, have a good weekend!

The Writer Nutrition Pyramid

It's a bit flawed, but then again, it's just a joke.

(I got a little bored.)

Qs for Yous*

*Title pilfered and modified from Rachelle Gardner. I am so sorry.

It's so beautiful outside that I can't concentrate on anything. I actually skipped class (OK, so that was more of the fact that I needed to go to the Secretary of State and get my registration renewed). So here are some questions for all of you out there.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? (To clarify, just in case: do you outline your stories, or do you make them up as you go along?)
I'm more of a plotter, but leave wiggle room.

Where's your starting point for writing? Do you usually think of the characters first? The basic premise? The plot? Title first? First sentence? Last sentence? A particular scene? Anything else I failed to mention?
I tend to flip-flop between the characters and the premise.

Music while you write?
Only instrumental here. Can't concentrate if it has words.

And now it's your turn. :)

Because the video isn't working.

Here's a song called I Am The First Fifty Digits of Pi. It's kind of amazing.

The aforementioned proper post.

So I finally heard about the New Play Project. And I got in. :D It actually turns out that one of my old classmates from EfA Drama and Screenwriting in high school is in the class, too. I don't know if I mentioned what we're actually going to be doing in the class. We're going to be writing a live serial over the semester, so that'll be really cool.

In honor of National Pi Day, here's a math-related love poem containing all the math concepts I understand. :) It's called Casting Nines.

If I were casting nines
And I cast out you
I’d cast out seven
And then me two

If we were a triangle
You’d be Leg B
I’d be Leg A
So the hypotenuse is you and me

If I was X
And you were Y
Then our love would be
(xy)2 = ∏

You’re my common denominator
My other digit and radius
The 1 degree who makes 360
Dividing by zero would destroy us

(xy)2 / 0 = ………

But since you’ve been gone
Since you left me
Our right triangle
Became my isosceles

I was casting nines
I cast out you
So I’ll cast out seven
And then me two.

Have a nice day, everybody.

Happy Pi Day!

I scheduled this entry to post automatically at 3:14 in the morning. Well, EST.

Now here's what pi sounds like.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Proper post later. At 3:14 in the afternoon. :D

Sorry about that.

Here's a puppy.

An Appeal for Sanity to Michigan's Governor

(I know I have this tendency to get borderline political at times. But dang it, I am angry and I have a blog. With that being said...)

Dear Governor Snyder,

Let me tell you about my younger sister Laura. She's a better person than you'll ever be, so please attend carefully. Laura loves to sing and dance. She was in ballet last year, and she used to participate in Challenger League every year. She loves watching movies with the close caption on so she can copy down the words, and I swear she can act out entire movies by herself. She is funny and yes, she's spoiled, but she's spoiled sweet. She's endlessly supportive of everything everyone does - pretty much the world's #1 fan.

Yeah, Laura was diagnosed with moderate autism when she was two. Thankfully, she got a lot of support and help from WMU's ABA studies, the Croyden Avenue school, and lots of other schools with AI classrooms. It certainly helped that both my parents work with developmentally disabled adults. She graduated from Schoolcraft High School back in 2009 with her friend Travis. It was probably one of the happiest days of her life.

And let me tell you something about her teachers. They worked so hard with her. They taught her how to handle some everyday tasks, they got her involved in choir and gym, and they even pitched in and bought her a trophy when she graduated. And my sister, though a delight, can be a drama queen.

Let's cut to you. You are cutting all the wrong things. Get a clue, guy - when you start taking money from education, people get angry. People start wondering what they were on last November. And when you start taking money from education, here's some news. That affects their actual education. Now we're seeing special education cuts in schools all over the state. Over in Allegan, they are talking about just putting special ed students in regular ed classes. Even though these kids have completely different needs. That makes total sense.

It's bad enough that you're cutting from what the government apparently considers the expendable industry (it's more than obvious they think that), but now you are taking help from people who really need it. Hey, Mr. Snyder? At which point are you going to start twirling your moustache?

The rate of autism is not decreasing. 1 in 125 kids were diagnosed with it in 2009. This year, it's 1 in 110. Schools need proper funding to give them the education they need. Stop wearing your stupid hat and think of a better plan.

Sincerely,
Carissa Hanson