I first read this inspirational poem framed in a calligraphy poster on the wall in a friend’s parents’ home in Newmarket, back when I was still attending York University. I read it as a positive credo for life and it spoke to the eternal optimist in me, without being naïve or condescending as some popular poems are wont to [...]
Archive for October, 2006
Desiderata ["Things to be desired"]
Posted in Language, Writers & Writing, Mind, Body & Spirit on 11 October, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
Casting Call
Posted in 101 things, Language, Writers & Writing on 10 October, 2006 | 1 Comment »
Sometimes it feels as if you have set yourself the contest of trying to solve a complex, time-limited mathematical equation in trying to come up with a new cast of characters to tell a story. In this case, I’m working on a longer piece for my 101 things list that uniquely deals with issues of an embarrassing [...]
411 on RSS Feeds
Posted in Technology on 10 October, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around this newfangled ‘RSS’ business for awhile now. RSS stands for ”Really Simple Syndication”, “Rich Site Summary”, and/or “RDF Site Summary” (even its name is up for debate, depending on your source) and it’s basically a standardized format used to subscribe to websites and blogs to read or receive content. [...]
Sundown
Posted in Language, Writers & Writing on 9 October, 2006 | 1 Comment »
A narrow rectangle opens up the sky—a shy, brief hole in the clouds where the rosy fire of the sun like a polished ruby at dusk appears—criss-crossed by sturdy bands of cloud.
It stays to say its final goodbyes before sinking, sinking, so quickly—like a stone to the bottom of the river.
And the sky closes up behind it, [...]
Linguistic Divide
Posted in Language, Writers & Writing on 8 October, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
How come some people confuse the word ‘immigrant’ with ‘refugee’?
Isn’t there a big difference? Is this a cultural or linguistic phenomenon? And if so, how come some fail to recognize and/or acknowledge it?
Say Cheese
Posted in Food & Drink on 7 October, 2006 | 2 Comments »
I’m becoming addicted to cheese. I know, this is bad. I crave it morning, noon, and night, set to ride on a dairy-induced high. There’s something enticing about a creamy texture combined with the sharp bite of whole jalapeños or the mild nuttiness of a semi-soft, surface ripened cheese.
I scan the cheese display at the [...]
Flash Flash Revolution
Posted in Language, Writers & Writing on 6 October, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
A few years ago, I became interested in the newer writing genre of ‘flash fiction’. In 2003, after reading John Gould’s Kilter: 55 Fictions, shortlisted for the Giller, I was hooked.
Flash fiction, also called ‘micro fiction’, ’sudden fiction’, and my personal favourite, ‘postcard fiction’, is generally characterized as a short, short story told in 2,000 words or less, [...]
Feeling Peevish?
Posted in Random on 5 October, 2006 | 4 Comments »
I’m planning to write a piece/short story on pet peeves in the near future.
[define pet peeve : a minor annoyance that can provoke extreme frustration in some people.]
I’m wondering… what are some of your pet peeves? And what kinds of emotional responses do you end up feeling?
Personally, it drives me crazy when people at work [...]
