Day One of the Truth Behind the Nursery Rhyme Week: Humpty Dumpty/ Ring Around the Rosy

We have all seen or heard a nursery rhyme before, and, perhaps, we have recited one ourselves out of joy, at night before going to bed, or with our friends on the playground. But, did we really understood what it meant? Here's the history of some of the most famous nursery rhymes in all the world...

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,

All the King's Horses and all the King's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again.

Humpty Dumpty was a colloquial term used in fifteenth century England describing someone who was obese. This has given rise to various, but inaccurate, theories surrounding the identity of Humpty Dumpty. The image of Humpty Dumpty was made famous by the illustrations included in the 'Alice through the looking glass' novel by Lewis Carroll. However, Humpty Dumpty was not a person pilloried in the famous rhyme!

Humpty Dumpty was in fact believed to be a large cannon!  It was used during the English Civil War (1642 - 1649) in the Siege of Colchester (13 Jun 1648 - 27 Aug 1648). Colchester was strongly fortified by the Royalists and was laid to siege by the Parliamentarians (Roundheads). In 1648 the town of Colchester was a walled town with a castle and several churches and was protected by the city wall. Standing immediately adjacent the city wall, was St Mary's Church. A huge cannon, colloquially called Humpty Dumpty, was strategically placed on the wall next to St Mary's Church. The historical events detailing the siege of Colchester are well documented - references to the cannon ( Humpty Dumpty) are as follows:

• June 15th 1648 - St Mary's Church is fortified and a large cannon is placed on the roof which was fired by ‘One-Eyed Jack Thompson'
• July 14th / July 15th 1648 - The Royalist fort within the walls at St Mary's church is blown to pieces and their main cannon battery  ( Humpty Dumpty) is destroyed.
• August 28th 1648 - The Royalists lay down their arms, open the gates of Colchester and surrender to the Parliamentarians

A shot from a Parliamentary cannon succeeded in damaging the wall beneath Humpty Dumpty which caused the cannon to tumble to the ground. The Royalists, or Cavaliers, 'all the King's men' attempted to raise Humpty Dumpty on to another part of the wall. However, because the cannon, or Humpty Dumpty, was so heavy ' All the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put Humpty together again!' This had a drastic consequence for the Royalists as the strategically important town of Colchester fell to the Parliamentarians after a siege lasting eleven weeks. Earliest traceable publication 1810.

Ring around the rosy

A pocketful of posies

"Ashes, Ashes"

We all fall down!

This rhyme dates back to the Great Plague of London in 1665. The symptoms of bubonic plague included a rosy red ring-shaped rash, which inspired the first line. It was believed that the disease was carried by bad smells, so people frequently carried pockets full of fresh herbs, or "posies." The "ashes, ashes" line is believed to refer to the cremation of the bodies of those who died from the plague.

Original information and images can be found at...

http://brainz.org/24-terrifying-thoughtful-and-absurd-nursery-rhymes-children/ and

http://www.rhymes.org.uk/

Weekend Wonder: Shah Wharton

And contestant number two is.....dum dum dum.....Shah Wharton! Now, I have known Shah for a little while now, before my days as a blogger. We first met on WEbook.com where we shared our poetry and she became a very active member of the Writer's Guild writing contests I help judge on a regular basis. She's a lovely lady and here's a bit more about here in her own words...

General Questions…

Name: Shah Wharton

Penname: Shahw1

A sentence or two about yourself: I’m complex in the simplest terms.

Link to blog: wordsinsync.blogspot.com

A sentence or two on what your blog is about: Words, paint, film: creativity in all forms. Also, on a more personal note: survivor life and mental illness.

Book Lover Questions…

What is your favorite book and why? I really cannot choose. A favorite is Dracula because it’s written so well, because the characters are powerfully present, and the vampires are mean, old and ugly! Although I do love the Damon’s in our more contemporary vampire world, it’s good to remind ourselves that vampires would not be beautiful.

Other favorites?  All True Bloods, Twilights, Larrson’s trilogy, Carmilla, Maya Angelo’s biography collection and her poetry.

What’s your favorite genre to read? I love horror (egs. The Strain) and most period dramas (Emma and Sense and Sensibility). There is quite a bridge between those I realize – I don’t have any explanation for that. And psychological thrillers too (Shutter Island, Silence of the Lambs). I would hazard a guess that I’m a thrill seeker. In the horror there is the thrill of impending death, in the period dramas there is always a struggle to secure love, and in the psychological thriller – well there’s always a chase to a climactic ending, where all things become cleverly revealed and concluded. Aside from these I love to check in with poetry and short stories too for instant gratification.

Where do you like to read? In bed with hot milk. Otherwise, whenever I’m travelling – It’s my valium!

Do you prefer paper books or ebooks? eBooks now because it’s a bookshelf in my handbag. I can buy books anywhere and read them on my phone, kindle, laptop. It’s a marvelous invention ecologically too. I thought I’d really miss the feel of paper in my hand but I don’t. The one thing I do miss is the cover. You do get cover’s on kindles but they’re black and white. Not the same as a glossy cover. But you’d get that on an iPad.

Do you prefer to buy or borrow books? I buy them on my kindle, but I’d buy or borrow when I read books. Not sure it bothers me either way. I enjoyed seeing other peoples bookmarks, imagining what there liked on that page if they underlined something. I used to do that a lot. Pencil everywhere. You can make notes and share highlights on kindle.

Do you stop reading when you are tired or when you hit chapter breaks? I usually try to reach the next chapter before putting it down. But if I’m tired I would just put it down and sleep – I have trouble sleeping so if my eyes tell me to sleep I don’t argue!

When you finish a book do you usually keep it, throw it away, sell it, or give it away? All of the above. It was from the proceeds of selling books that I purchased my kindle. I do have a lot which I wouldn’t sell or get rid of in any way. But most of the reads from the last couple of years were great to read once but I knew I’d never read them again. Plus we moved from U.K to Dubai in October  2010 so needed to reduce my bulk a little ;)

What helps you decide on a book? (Book reviews, suggested by friend, by browsing the shelves, etc.) Again, all of the above. I look for genre, plot, cover, reviews, and recommendation – not necessarily in that order.

Do prefer to read a book that stands on its own or is a part of a series?  I prefer series to stand alone books generally, so I’d usually read all of a series if I pick up the first one. I read all of Vampire Diaries and everyone knows they’re not the best written books ever – far from it – but I started so I’ll finish. I get addicted to characters

So You Want to be a Writer questions…

A few sentences about your writing: What do you write (blog entries, novels, poetry, etc)? Why do you write?I write because it makes sense. I can’t put it any other way and mean it. It just feels correct to me. Nothing else ever felt right. I wish I’d done more of it when I was younger. I wish I’d studied it at university. I wish I’d taken those dreams, tracked them down and shackled them to my heart. But I didn’t, so I’m going to have to do so now.

I began writing poetry early, influenced and egged on by my dad. It was my cathartic tool for many years. The only people allowed to see it were my dad and the occasional friend. Then, only a couple of years ago I found WeBook.com. Fabulous. I finally put my writing out there to be reviewed. People were kind and left great feedback about my poems. It built my confidence greatly.

Then, filled to the brim with enthusiasm (and quite manic I recall) I started writing a novel, though it started out as my first short story. Eight chapters in one go, I wrote. I’ve been editing it ever since. With the help of people like you, Aubrie, I’ve learned a lot about grammar that I’d never learned (my school was not one of the best). Since then I’ve been submitting to some of the challenges on WeBook and elsewhere. I got two of my poems published and one of my short stories came second in a writing challenge. In fact, I found I learned so much from writing short stories that I wrote went on to write lots of them.

I really want to finish my first novel this year.

Did you always know that you wanted to write? Yes, but I never felt able. I came from a working class background where women were raised to be wives and mothers, not write books or go to university. I always dreamed of becoming a writer, moaning because reality prevented it. I realize now that I am a writer. I always was.

Favorite Questions…

What’s your favorite food? Sunday Roast with all the trimmings.

Favorite color? Red or black.

Favorite song? Just Like a Woman by Bob Dylan, sung by Nina Simone.

Favorite movie? Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Psycho, Frankie and Johnny, 28 Days Later (and 28 Weeks Later), loads…. Harry Potter (all of them),

Favorite TV show? True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Walking Dead, Eastenders, Desperate Housewives, loads….

Random Questions…

If you developed a superpower what would it be and why?  To fly – I used to dream as a child that if I ran fast enough I would fly. I was bullied at school and longed for this to be true.

What did you want to be when you were little? Apart from a flying superhero who wasn’t bullied – errrm – that’s easy: A female version of Bob Dylan. Yep, my dad was proud of that wish. He used to write poems and songs for local bands and he loved Bob. I wanted to be a singer song-writer like him. Alas, I couldn’t sing, and used to skip guitar lessons with my uncle because my fingers were so sore after a few lessons. 

;(

What is the answer to life? Let inspiration be your guide…

*****

Well, that's it! Another round of applause for our Weekend Wonder! Feel free to ask questions, start up some discussion. I am sure Shah would be more than willing to communicate with you guys!

Also, you can be a Weekend Wonder too! Just check out this post to find out how...A Celebration for 200 Followers! Until next weekend my Wonders!

Weekend Wonder: Matt Dimitroff

Today is is the beginning of our KICK OFF WEEKEND! Weekend Wonders is a chance to meet and greet some of your fellow followers here at Who's Your Editor?! I invite any followers that have been in the box since the beginning, that have been hanging around for a few months or a few weeks, and those that are fresh on the skillet! Also, if you are interested in becoming a Weekend Wonder yourself then please check out this link...A Celebration for 200 Followers!

Now, please let me introduce to you...

General Questions…

Name: Matthew Robert Dimitroff

Penname: Usually “Mathias,” but on Blogspot, it’s “BlessidMerc.”

A sentence or two about yourself: I am a writer. I like writering.

Link to blog: blessidmerc.blogspot.com

A sentence or two on what your blog is about: I just post what I’ve written. I don’t really blog about life because my own lacks flair.

Book Lover Questions…

What is your favorite book and why? The Divine Comedy. I’m not a fan of poetry, but this chronicle is closer to being a novel and it provides such a grand view of the afterlife that I’ve not seen elsewhere. It’s inspirational to me.

Other favorites? Death: A Life, World War Z, The Zombie Survival Guide.

What’s your favorite genre to read? I look at it the way I look at movies or music: I don’t have a favorite genre, just specific books or authors.

Where do you like to read? Usually my bed, but I’ve spent hours in Barnes & Noble reading a manuscript.

Do you prefer paper books or ebooks? Paper, though I’ve never held an ebook.

Do you prefer to buy or borrow books? Is reading in-store considered “borrowing”?

Do you stop reading when you are tired or when you hit chapter breaks? When I reach a page that ends with a period and doesn’t wrap to the next page.

When you finish a book do you usually keep it, throw it away, sell it, or give it away? I keep everything.

What helps you decide on a book? (Book reviews, suggested by friend, by browsing the shelves, etc.) The title.

Do you prefer to read a book that stands on its own or is a part of a series? Not applicable.

So You Want to be a Writer Questions…

A few sentences about your writing: What do you write (blog entries, novels, poetry, etc)? Why do you write? I’ve written teleplays, short stories, and most recently flash fiction. I write because it comes easily to me and I have a desire to share my mind.

Did you always know that you wanted to write? No, absolutely not. The greatest ideas always come spur of the moment.

Favorite Questions…

What’s your favorite food? Broccoli.

Favorite color? Black.

Favorite song? I don’t have one, but Goldfrapp’s “Utopia” often comes to mind when I am posed this question.

Favorite movie? Lady in the Water. Please do not judge my own writing abilities upon this.

Favorite TV show? I dunno, Quantum Leap?

Random Questions…

If you developed a superpower what would it be and why? They say you can learn a lot about a person based upon this question. I had developed a profound answer once before, but it has slipped my mind. Maybe I’d like to be a genie.

What did you want to be when you were little? Jim Carrey. Good God.

What is the answer to life? I wonder how many people will respond with “42.” Life isn’t really a question that needs answering. It’s an ongoing scientific method. You analyze your surroundings, hypothesize choices that come along, experiment in various ways, collect data and learn from your experiences, and then you conclude your life.

*****

That was Matt! A big thank you to Matt for being one of those genuine followers, infinitely interested, dedicated to writing meaningful comments, and for being the brave fellow to go FIRST! Let's give him a big hand.

Discussion Topic: What is Literature?

Well, I bring this topic up because of something that recently happened in my World Literature class. At first, I found it very funny. Then, I realized that maybe I was being a bit of a stuck up biotch for finding it funny. Now, I’m just curious.

First, here’s the story. My professor, as a way of introducing everyone in the class to each other, handed us each a sheet of questions, paired us off, and then asked us to interview each other. We asked for each other’s names, what our intended major was, what literature classes we had taken before, and, at the very end, what literature we had read recently—all very generic and easy questions to answer…or so I thought.

As we took turns introducing our partners to the class, I found that we were a pretty diverse group: freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, English majors, nursing majors, art majors, ??? majors, 1^st-8^th literature class, etc. It made things interesting. But, what made it funny was the recent pieces of literature people had read: The Great Gatsby, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Midnight’s Children, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Twilight, True Blood…Noticing a rather comical trend or am I just being a completely awful person for rolling my eyes at this point?

Don’t get me wrong, I am NO literature nazi. In fact, literature is quite near the bottom of my list (with the exception of classic Victorian literature and some children’s Literature). Still, sometimes I prefer a good old Science Fiction, monster say “Arrrgh!”, high action kind of young adult novel. However, I do know the difference! Even my professor couldn’t help but mention, “One of these days we will discuss what literature is.” After that, I was done. I would have been rolling on the floor if it wouldn’t have been so disruptive and if it wouldn’t have given my fellow classmates a legitimate reason to think I was insane.

Now, there are several different definitions that explain what literature “is”, but I think it’s nice to put it in your own words. For me, literature is a piece of writing (prose or verse) that has some extra layer to it. It’s not just a story. It’s has timeless references and social repercussions. It can be analyzed and broken down for further meaning. It’s an allegory for something more ambiguous than the piece itself. It’s…stuffy. Yeah, that works. :)

So, is my story funny to you yet? Or am I too harsh on my fellow (strange) classmates?

What is your definition of literature?

Read any great literature lately? Or have you read any great “literature” lately?

My FINAL Classes as an Undergraduate!

Many of you have asked about my classes thus far, knowing that I am in my last semester and will soon graduate with my bachelors. (At last!) So, I thought I would make a post of it and let you guys know what I have been up to the last two weeks.

I have a rather simple schedule. On Mondays, I have Advanced Creative Writing and Shakespeare. On Tuesday, I have World Literature. On Wednesday, I have Advanced Creative Writing again and Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. And, on Thursdays, I have World Literature again. All in all (like I have mentioned before) it’s a lot of reading and a lot of writing, but I have enjoyed just about every minute of it. I don’t even mind the 3 ½ hour breaks I have on Mondays and Wednesdays in between my classes. That time is where I get a lot of my reading done in the small (sometimes quiet) library. (NOTE: Today I picked a study table right next to the pencil sharpener. BIG MISTAKE! You'd think people would have discover PENS by now!)

Anyway, I wrote up a quick questionnaire for myself to help share my semester so far.

Class descriptions:

·         Advanced Creative Writing- The class is basically a forum for students (and other older members of the community who are taking it as a no-credit class) who are particularly serious about their own writings and the writings of others. The assignments are very open. The professor usually assigns a topic or gives a prompt for anyone who wants it, but if we prefer to work on our own project we can do that instead (as long as we have confirmed it with the professor beforehand.) Mondays are usually considered a draft day. We discuss our reading from the book “Deepening Fiction” by Sarah Stone and Ron Nyren (usually something on character development, writer’s block, giving and receiving feedback, etc). Then, volunteers read the manuscripts they have brought in and we critique them as a class. Anyone who did not get the chance to be critiqued has copies made of their work and it is passed out among a few of the other students to be reviewed on Wednesday.

·         Shakespeare- What can I really say about a Shakespeare class? It’s pretty straight forward. We watch a movie of the play, read the play on our own, write journals about our reading once a week, and then we discuss it in class. A few essays are sprinkled in here and there. Don’t get me wrong, I actually enjoy Shakespeare, the class is just normal.

·         World Literature- I have done almost every literature class on the planet. (Not really, but it feels like it.) I have taken Early American Lit, Early British Lit, Medieval Lit, Contemporary British Lit, Environmental Lit, Author Study on Edgar Allen Poe, Literary Theory, and more. World Lit is run just like any other lit class, but world lit is a completely different realm. The politics in the stories are different, the writing styles vary, and a lot of the stories are translations. It’s a little strange, but I am getting used to it. It’s nice exploring different authors. At the end of the semester we will be reading “100 Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

·         Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature- This is by far my favorite class so far (and I have only been to it twice)! The professor is so into the content (having edited the anthology we are using) but also because he is just the biggest geek about it all. (In the best way, of course.) We are currently reading Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” which is so much better than I thought it would be. We also watch lots of movies. (THE ORIGINALS! NEVER THE REMAKES!) My professor seems like quite the purest. And our discussions are always very lively.

Best part: Conversations in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Lit. So many people are willing to talk. We bring up subjects like the end of the world, sea monsters from Atlantis, mad scientists that make robots to replace rebel leaders, contemporary genre fiction, silent films, etc. Just really interesting stuff, especially for someone that reads this kind of content anyway, and also loves to write it at the same time.

Worst part: The very first night, I lost my keys!!! I thought I had locked them in my car, but they weren’t there. It was after 9:00 PM, most of the class rooms were dark, all the offices were closed, only the library was open, but thankfully there was a security guard on call and he had actually received my keys from some kind soul that turned them in 3 hours before I even realized they were gone!!! I was so scared that I would have to call my parents who were undoubtedly already in bed and a 30-40 minute drive away! It could have been an utter disaster!!!

Favorite professor thus far? My Sci-Fi/Fantasy Lit. Prof. He’s just such a freak about genre movies, shows, and books. He’s met so many different people (such as Andre the Giant, Ray Bradbury, and Stephen King!) He’s also hilarious and speaks very openly about “terrible remakes” and “the most awful, overrated, unoriginal movies with gangly blue people (ahem! Avatar.)”

Favorite reading so far? Frankenstein or A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Basically, any of the longer works. I’ve already had to read so many short stories and they’re just kind of blah! To me.

Something new I learned: Shakespeare did not write all of his works on his own. In fact, he had many corroborators, such as his entire theatre company and the government. I’ll explain further if this makes no sense. Also, many people theorize that he may not have existed at all because he just disappears, drops out of the records, for years at a time!

New people I have met: Well, I must explain one thing first. The STRANGEST people on this entire PLANET go to NMC. (Perhaps that says something about me!? Gasp!) But, no, seriously, some strange a** people go to this college! I don’t know what it is, but they all decided to just meet up and surround me. I said it when I was a freshman and going there and I say it again as a fifth year senior. I’m getting the feeling that you guys can’t even understand this. It’s just so STRANGE!!! There are a lot of “those” people here and they annoy the crap out of me. There’s just something off, that’s all I am saying. (I need to write a separate post about this. Be looking for that within the next week or so.) I can’t explain it!!!

Thoughts in general: Avoid the people (mostly) and I think this semester will be pretty okay. I’m not too worried about it and I can’t wait to graduate! YEAH!

Awake vs. Awaken vs. Wake vs. Waken

Gosh! I did not think this would be so complicated! But out of all the different examples I looked at, this one seemed to be the most thorough. So, I will once again refer to DailyWritingTips.com and give you this answer!

(NOTE: Remember to take deep breaths while reading this one! Naturally, you already know a lot of this. It's just strange to see it written out.)

The past tense of the verb awake gives lots of people fits. Should it be “awoken” or “awakened”? The same confusion attaches to the verbs awaken, wake, and waken.

In modern usage, all of these verbs may be used intransitively or transitively:

awake
intransitive: to come out of the state of sleep; to cease to sleep
transitive: to arouse (someone) from sleep.
awaken
intransitive: to arise or spring into existence
transitive: to rouse from sleep
wake
intransitive: to be or remain awake; to keep oneself, or be kept, awake
transitive: to rouse from sleep or unconsciousness
waken
intransitive: to cease to sleep; to become awake
transitive: To rouse (a person or animal) from sleep or unconsciousness.

Confusion about the past tense forms stems from the fact that the words evolved from two Old English verbs, one of which was “strong” and one of which was “weak.”

Note: Certain OE “strong” verbs developed past tense forms that end in -en in modern English. OE “weak” verbs developed past tense forms that end in -ed in modern English. In the case of awake and wake, we may choose to use either the strong or the weak endings:

awake / awoke / (have) awoken
awake / awaked / (have) awaked
wake / woke / (have) woken
wake / waked / (have) waked

In the case of awaken and waken, the weak ending is standard.

awaken / awakened / (have) awakened
waken / wakened / (have) wakened

Although these words mean more or less the same thing, I think they’ve all remained in the language because they express different slivers of meaning about waking and wakefulness.

Wake, wake up, and waken are possibly the most commonly used words for the literal act of rousing a sleeper.

Around 6 a.m. the technician returns to wake the patient and remove the sensors.
Why does Atticus wake the children in the middle of the night?
Getting your teenager to wake up in the morning
your cries have woken the master
I have woken up in the middle of the night not being able to breathe…
The thunder woke me.
I was woken by the thunder.

Next comes waken:

In 29% of patients, the pain is severe enough to waken the patient.
I often waken in the night and can’t go back to sleep.
Just when you thought there was nothing going on, the sun is going to waken!

Awake and Awaken are also used for the literal waking of a sleeper, but in addition, these words carry literary and theological connotations that simple wake does not. Sinners are exhorted to awaken to their transgressions. Self-help gurus show us how to awaken various aspects of our personalities:

How to Awaken your Divine Intuition
How to Awaken Your Inner Child
Awaken the Writer Within

Both awake and awaken are popular title words:

When We Dead Awaken
Awaken the Giant Within
14 Steps to Awaken the Sacred Feminine
Awake
The sleeper awakes

And of course, there’s Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening.”
Journalists use awaken to establish a serious tone:

Omar Bongo’s Demise Should Awaken Continent’s Tyrants
Oil spill should awaken us to nuclear danger.
This grave incident should awaken society to rid itself of prejudice.

Here are a few more examples showing the different forms in action. You may find that you want to use different words for transitive and intransitive use.

Transitive

Don’t wake the baby.
Don’t waken the baby.
She woke the patient at 3 a.m.
Has she waked the patient for her meds?
You have woken the patient too soon!
The alarm never wakes him.
Have you awakened the guards?

Intransitive
Sometimes I wake in the night.
Sometimes I waken in the night.
Sometimes I awake in the night.
Sometimes I awaken in the night.
I awoke at midnight.

Bottom line: Choose the form or forms you prefer. There’s so much confusion and disagreement about these words and their past tense forms that you ought to be safe no matter what you decide. (As long as you stay away from inventions like “awokened.”)

*****

Original information can be found at: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/awoken-or-awakened/

A Celebration for 200 Followers!

Who thought it would only take a few months to reach 200 followers!? I am thrilled beyond compare and I wish to celebrate it with all of you.

In the last few weeks I have seen some blogs doing some truely wonderful things to expose their followers (in only the best ways, of course) and I wish to do the same. So, I propose this...

The very first "WYE? Weekend Wonders!" Every person on this planet is a wonder, a creature of strange curiosities, interesting characteristics, and enthusiastic opinions that they wish to share or we wish to uncover. Every Saturday and Sunday, I wish to introduce you to these kinds of people, but it is all up to you if you want to be featured in the first place.

Here's how things shall procede...

1. Tell me in the comments (or email me at RedMatinee7007@aol.com) that you would like to be a Weekend Wonder!
2. In that same message, give me your email address as well.
3. I will send you a questionaire. (Every questionaire will be just about the same for everyone (the main parts focusing on reading and writing) so that we may see the true diversity in each and every person.)
4. Fill out the questionaire as soon as you can and send it back to me.
5. I will set up a schedule and let you know when you will be featured. Then, watch every Saturday and Sunday to read the other features!

Does that sound like a good plan? I certainly hope so!

NOW, let me know if you want to be featured (and leave me an email) and I will get a questionaire out to you in tip-top-shape!

Poll #4 Results: Why do you blog?

Ah! How I love a good poll result in the morning! Let’s get right to it because there is a lot to cover this time around.

At the top! With 31%, “I’m having fun!” I am so happy that most of you are having fun with blogging. In truth, for me at least, it is not something I would want to do if it weren’t fun.

In second place, with 25%, “I’m a writer.” Yes, you all are. In a recent questionnaire for bloggers there are questions such as “As a writer, what are you trying to say to people? Or why did you start writing? Or when did you realize you were a writer?” and so many people were like “I don’t want to be a writer” and “I’m not a writer.” YES, YOU ARE! Blogging IS writing! Just like poem writing, article writing, novel writing, essay writing, it’s ALL writing and MAKES YOU A WRITER! I’m glad some of you realize that. (This option received my first vote.)

In third place, with 11%, “I could be cleaning my house or working out, but I prefer to do this.” Wouldn’t we all! I know there are some people out there who claim to enjoy cleaning and/or working out, but I am sooooo not one of those people. Lol. I will prefer blogging, or reading, or shopping, or HOMEWORK every time over cleaning or working out.

In fourth place, with 8%, we have two different options: “I want to make people aware of something important to me” and “Other, because the answers provided weren’t even close.” First off, I chose to add the “I want to make people aware of something important to me” option because there are many personal reasons why people start blogging. I have seen blogs about homeschooling, handicapped children, mental illness, abuse, literacy, cooking, dieting, et cetera. These are all great things to inform people about. (This option received my second and final vote. As some of you may know, I am a advocated of reading, especially teen reading (currently the age group that is least likely to read), and families reading together.) Finally, I’m curious as to what other reasons you have for blogging. After I put up the poll, I thought of a few things, such as updating people about your family or just a good old rant session here and there. I know there are so many more though so PLEASE SHARE IN THE COMMENTS!

In fifth place, with 7%, we have, “I’m trapped with only a computer to save me.” I know how this feels sometimes, when I am so busy and the computer becomes one of my only social interactions. :(.

 In sixth place, with 6%, we have, “I want to start up my business.” I think those of you starting up a business are very brave. It’s difficult starting your own business, especially with the economy the way it is and money being hard to come by. Plus, a blog is free, so why not!

In, seventh place, with 2%, we have two different options: “I’m bored” and “I’m a 65 year-old man who likes to pose as a 25 year-old woman.” Firstly, if you’re bored, I think blogging is a great thing to turn to. Not only are you writing and reading, but you’re sharing ideas and starting conversations. Lastly…I’m concerned. I was only a psychology major for a month, but I know a 65 year-old man posing as a 35 year-old woman is abnormal. Please seek help.

Well, that’s it for this poll. On to another one, equally as fabulous.

SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS!

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WELCOME BACK!

Well, it’s over with. Who’s Your Editor? has had a pretty significant facelift and I am proud to say that I have done it all on my own. (Take that graphic design major!) :). The best part, though, is that I can get back to blogging! I have a lot planned and I hope my busy schedule will allow me to keep up.

With that being said, I do want to let you guys know that I may not be blogging every day like I have been. As much as I want to, I already have a pretty hefty homework schedule with school. (This weekend alone, I have to write a 1 page essay (FINISHED), a 2 page essay, I have to read A Midsummer Night’s Dream (FINISHED), half of Frankenstein, 3 chapters  in creative writing, and 37 pages in world literature.) Not completely fun. Anyway, I will aim to blog in my free time.

In the mean time, come check out the new features!

New Features:

Different Color Scheme- Red/Gray/Black

Lighter background- Found on blogger
New Header- Made it myself!

Pages!- To help relieve the clutter

Home- This will bring you back to the main screen and the almost daily blog posts.     

Get to Know Me- This is where you can learn a bit more about me. It has my profile, interesting facts, and contact information (email included in case you ever need it).

Follow Me if You Dare- The new home for our revolution. It includes my take on being better followers, a button for you to grab, and my list of my favorite followers!

Bookmark Break Challenge 2011- The new home for my reading challenge. It includes what I will be doing for the challenge, the rules for all competitors (You could be next!), a list of the current competitors, and my list of books that I have completed this year.

Buttons- This is the place where I will post any of my buttons, the buttons of friends, blog hops I have entered, directories where you can post your blog, and other websites that are worth a look. Also, if you are a follower and I haven’t grabbed your button yet, shoot me a message and I will come get it.

Blog Topics- This is a lot like the blog topics that I had before at the bottom of my page, but this one is clearer and will allow you to go through old posts easily and find the ones that have topics you are most interested in. (Located on the bottom of the left sidebar.)

Buttons with Code Dialogue Box- Now my buttons are easier to get than ever! Just scroll all the way to the bottom of this page and see for yourself!

Old Features You Love!:

Daily Updates- This lets you know the little stuff that is going on, kind of like a status update. Make sure to read it every time you stop by because most likely it has changed. (Located at the top of the blog.)

Subscribe- I know that some of you find Blogger’s Dashboard annoying. It’s hard to keep track of some of your favorite blogs that way. What my subscribe gadget does (located at the top of the left sidebar) is it allows you to get updates about my blog through your email or other social websites! Cool stuff.

Followers- Following or checking out other followers is just as easy as it was before. (located to the left.)

Live Counter- Keep track of how many times my blog has been viewed! (Located on the left sidebar.)

Popular Posts- So, you found today’s post to be awesome? Come and check out the top 10 past posts that everyone enjoyed the most. (Located on the left sidebar.)

Blog Archive- Find past posts easily. (Located on the left sidebar.)

Poll- It’s not going anywhere! I will still have a poll (located at the very bottom of this page) for you to vote on on a pretty regular basis. (PS. Results for the 4^th poll “Why do you blog?” go up TOMORROW! THAT MEANS YOU ONLY HAVE ONE MORE DAY LEFT TO VOTE! SO, GO DO THAT NOW!)

It's good to be back!

Shutting Down for a Makeover!

For those of you who may have missed the news, I'm giving my blog a makeover! So, if you are stopping in during the chaos, DON'T PANIC! Everything should be in order by the end of the week!

Isn't it just crazy what you can do with a computer?

I'm shutting down from Monday (today) until Friday (January 21). I'll see you all on Saturday!

How do I Identify an English Major?

Well, I am heading back to that place of higher learning tomorrow. It is my last semester before I can graduate with a bachelor's degree in English with a concentration in creative writing and two minors in both art and history. It all sounds so fun and grand. I'm so very close! However, I feel that this is going to be hardest semester EVER! because I have 3 literature classes (Shakespeare, World Literature, and Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature) and then I have and Advanced Creative Writing class. Basically, that boils down to hours upon hours of reading and writing (almost more than humanly possible)! I'm willing to accept all the luck I can get!

And, just in case you were wondering how to identify a poor soul such as myself, here are 20 ways to identify an English major...

1.  They usually have at least one book on their person at all times.

2.  They always have to buy the most books for their classes at the beginning of each semester.

3.  Everyone assumes they want to teach for a living.

4.  They get annoyed when everyone assumes they want to teach for a living.

5.  They look up on the Internet “What can you do with an English major?” just so they can answer that question to the best of their ability every time it is asked!

6.  They read and write more than they eat.

7.  Their idea of homework is a 3-10 page essay, not short answer questions.

8.  Their idea of an exam is a timed essay, not multiple choice questions.

9.  Their textbooks are written by Poe, Chaucer, Dickens, Melville, Shakespeare, Irving, Coleridge, etc. and not Pearson Education or Prentice Hall.

10.  They consider using TextSpeech outside of texting a sin.

11.  The words "interpret" and "analyze" are very familiar to them.

12.  They laugh inside when people have trouble interpreting modern day English let alone a 600 year old translation.

13.  They find subjects like grammar and syntax to be fun.

14.  They find APA to be uselessly redundant and superfluous.

15.  They like to use several synonyms in the same sentence and insist that each one means something different!

16. They can interpret what someone is trying to say and then explain it to others better.

17. They write the best BS on the planet.

18. They write the best BS on the planet.

19. They write the best BS on the planet.

20. They enjoy making lists.

******
Now, are you in school?
If so, what is your intended major or (if in high school) what do you like to study?
If not, what did you major in in college or what did you enjoy studying?

Must-Reads #3: “The Gemma Doyle Trilogy” by Libba Bray

Title: The Gemma Doyle Trilogy (A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing)

Author: Libba Bray

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Edition: Paperback: 2003

Back Cover Summary: Gemma Doyle isn’t like other girls. Girls with impeccable manners, who speak when spoken to, who remember their station, and who will lie back and think of England when it’s required of them.

No, sixteen-year-old Gemma is an island unto herself, sent to Spence Academy in London after tragedy strikes her family in India. Lonely, guilt-ridden, and prone to visions of the future that have an uncomfortable habit of coming true, Gemma finds a chilly reception. But she’s not completely alone…she’d been followed by a mysterious young man, who warns her to close her mind against the visions.

For it’s at Spence that Gemma’s power to attract the supernatural unfolds; there she becomes entangled with the school’s most powerful girls and discovers her mother’s connection to a shadowy group called the Order. It’s there that her destiny waits…if only she can believe in it.

*******

The first thing that stood out to me about this book was the cover. It instantly hit me as a book I would enjoy reading. It looked to be in a time period I love and the girl on the cover had red hair just like me. :) (Ohhh! When things are simple.)

High Notes: It definitely turned out to be in a time period I love! (Victorian England) so that was a giant plus for me. But would it follow up with equally interesting characters? Yes, it did. Gemma is a very interesting character. She goes from a rather carefree adventurer, loved by her family, to a motherless young woman who has been dumped off at a boarding school for girls, inhabited by stuck up prisses (some of which you grow to love or hate), surrounded by woods full of gypsies, and smothered in dark secrets. Oh! And there is a secret portal to another world that only Gemma can open! From the very start I was intrigued and continued to be all the way until the third book (which slowed down quite a bit, but picked up in the end, thankfully.)

There is also a pretty good love story between  Gemma and one of the gypsy boys.

Low Notes: As intriguing as the “other” world may sound, the real world was actually more interesting. In the other world, Gemma and her friends have powers, which they spend conjuring butterflies and flowers. (This is not a joke. Butterflies and flowers. Wouldn’t you do something else if you had powers?) Every now and then, they venture from a relatively safe meadow to other parts of the world and encounter interesting creatures, but other than that, it’s rather boring. I very much preferred when the girls were in the real world, running from a secret order, uncovering the past of the boarding school, avoiding embarrassing marriage proposals, and getting out of all the trouble they found themselves in.

Ratings:

Character Development: 4.5/5

Dialogue: 5/5

Prose: 4/5

Believability: 3/5 (I would give it a five if the whole book was based solely in the “real” world, but the “other” worldly stuff was ridiculous for the most part. Butterflies and flowers!)

Style and Grammar: 5/5

Overall Rating: 86% Fascinating!

Alas, I Did Not Win :(

So, the giveaway for the blog makeover has ended and some other lucky girl has won. I honestly can't wait to see what it ends up looking like, but this also means that I have to do my own blog design. So, I say again, I will be shutting down the blog, from MONDAY until FRIDAY this coming week!

During that time, I will be changing the background, font, all the colors, adding pages, making everything pretty and legible! YEAH! LET'S HAVE A PARTY!

For you today, I also have a list of things I came up with to consider when redesigning your blog (if perchance you ever find yourself in the same situation)...

1) Relevance...Over the last few days, I have been scanning the templates and trying to find images I could use. I found many pretty pictures and designs that I loved, but were they relevant to the theme of my blog? NO! Does that mean that the only kinds of images I can use are books and pens? NO. It just means that my template should not distract or mislead followers about the content of my blog. It should work with the content.

2) Clutter...I find this to be an epidemic in the blogging world. So many blogs suffer from clutter, bordering on HOARDING! I do not feel like we should be afraid to clean house every now and then or design our blog in a way (either by adding pages or just by removing some gadgets or buttons) that our home page can be clear of gobblygook that new followers will not understand. Also, the less clutter, the faster your blog will load.

3) Text Font...Text Font is vitally important because that's what your followers have to stare at all the time! I find that San Serif is better than Serif (For those of you who think I just started speaking a different language, that means that type that has straight, clean lines with no small features or end strokes (such as Arial), are better than fancy fonts or fonts that have end strokes (such as Times New Roman). Also, as the number one rule of graphic design states "Only use headline fonts for headlines and text font for text!"

4) Personalize Your Design...A great way to have a successful blog it to have one that looks unique and unlike any of your friends'. This doesn't mean you can't use the templates that Blogger.com or whatever other host website you are in provides. It just means that you should be tweaking it, change the color, the text, the background image, etc.

That's about it. If I think of anything else in my process, I will let you guys know! :)

PS. Don't forget to vote on the most recent poll at the bottom of the page. This poll will end while I am shut down, but when I return, I will be revealing the results, and if I have all your votes, the results will be all the better.

PPS. REMEMBER: I will be shut down MONDAY through FRIDAY! There will be NO POSTS during that time, just a whole lot of CHAOS! I will be changing the blog around all the time, so you can come and check things out, but it will be crazy, crazy, CRAZY!

PPPS. PLEASE return on SATURDAY! (not tomorrow's Saturday, but the Saturday after that) when I start posting again and you can see the complete blog design! (You can come by on tomorrow's Saturday though because I will be posting as usual.)

PPPPS. See you guys tomorrow and Sunday and then it is Adios! for 5 days.

PPPPPS. Is that clear? Are you tired of the post scripts yet?

7 More of the Best Worst Movies (Part 2)

Now for the continuation of the best-worst movies EVER…

11) Final Destination (2000) Starring: Devon Sawa, Ali Larter and Kerr Smith. As though life wasn’t hard enough without Death trying to kill you in the simplest but cleverest ways possible. He has made every part of your life a trap, the plane you fly on, the bathroom you use, the house you live in, the car you drive, the bus that passes by, and more. Every choice you make could set the design in motion, and if you change that design, Death isn’t going to like it. This is the movie that started it all, the long string of four movies that never quite lived up to the first, but shared unique death defying acts.

12) Overboard (1987) Starring: Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. So, you had it all! You were rich, lived on a luxury boat, and could treat people any way you wanted. Then, you went ahead and fell of that boat, got yourself some amnesia, only to be left in the hands of that handsome carpenter that you treated like dirt the previous day. Now you’re supposedly the mother of his children and falling in love with the simple, but loving life you never had. Sound ridiculous? Well, it is, but it works and it is one of the most adorable and funny romantic comedies I have ever seen.

13) Cruel Intentions (1999) Starring: Sarah Michelle Geller, Ryan Phillippe, and Reese Witherspoon. Let’s make a bet! Those words seemed so innocent until seeing this royally messed up film about a step brother and sister who make a bet that if the brother can bed the self proclaimed virgin-til-marriage, he can have the one woman that would never give it up to him, his stepsister. And, if he can’t, the stepsister gets his sexy car. Of course, nothing turns out as well planned. The stepbrother falls in love for the first time in his entire lengthy romantic career and the stepsister just grows more and more sadistic and jealous. Please note, that although this film spawn two sequels, they do not even come close to being half as interesting as the original and do not qualify for this list by any means.

14) 3 Ninjas (1992) Starring: Victor Wong, Michael Treanor, and Max Elliot Slade. For every one of my lists, there seems to be a movie about ninjas because they are so cool! Or so I thought of this move when it first came out. (I was 6 years old.) Now, I don’t find it as cool, but it is still very much a part of my childhood. My cousins and I actually watched this together on Christmas Eve! It’s like Home Alone, if only Macaulay Culkin were three ninja brothers in training and there were surfer dudes and other ninjas trying to get into his house and kidnap him instead of burglars. Oh, and if there were an annoying, little, buck-toothed, next-door-neighbor girl that had a crush on him. Just a good family movie.

BONUS!

15) Disturbing Behavior (1998) Starring: James Marsden, Katie Holmes, and Nick Stahl. I thought of this film at the last minute. I saw it when I was in high school and only rediscovered it recently when I found it for $5.99 at FYE. So, you remember high school, right? And do you remember those goody-brown-nosing-annoying-overachieving-zombies that couldn’t do an off thing to save their life? Well, what if they were really brainwashed by the system, altered to be perfect, rewired to conform, and designed to remove any “bad” elements from the community? That’s exactly what happens in this movie, and it is up to the students from the outcast clique to figure out what the he** is going on.

THE END!

Let me know your thoughts and to see my other choices for the best-worst movies, please follow these helpful links…

The 7 Best-Worst Movies

and

7 More of the Best-Worst Movies (Part 1)

7 More of the Best-Worst Movies (Part 1)

Well, I'm back with more of those terrible movies that you can't help but love and force all your friends to love, if only you could convince them to watch the movies in the first place. They are the kinds of movies that look like they could be awesome, and even though the critics discarded them as nothing more than Hollywood's step child of a distant niece of your late uncle who nobody ever really talked to or even considered a part of the family in the first place, they are still AWESOME in their own little way!

To see the original 7 best-worst moves ever, please visit this link... The 7 Best-Worst Movies! Otherwise, read on for the continuation!

8) Into the Blue (2005) Starring: Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, and Scott Caan. Not only is this a great movie for oogling gorgeous people, with perfect abs in bathing suits, but it also has a half way decent plot line. You have a plane crash, some treasure hunting, skee-doo shenanigans, cocaine dealing, shark attacks, bad cops, high speed boat chases, car chases, gun shots, axe fighting, and underwater getaways where people can hold their breath for over four minutes. Seem like a lot? Well, it works somehow!

9) Stay Alive (2006) Starring: Jon Foster, Samaire Armstrong, Frankie Muniz, and Sophia Bush. Like I mentioned before, I’m not one for horror flicks, especially the ones that depend merely on gallons of fake blood, slamming doors, high pitched noises, things that pop out at convenient moments of tension, and a guy who knows how to slam on a keyboard and call it a soundtrack! Of course, you can’t get rid of all of that stuff or else you wouldn’t really have a horror movie. I guess what I am saying is that Stay Alive uses some of this stuff, but sparingly. Also, what a concept! We play games where we kill zombies, fight in wars, and jump off ledges; anything and everything we would never do in life, but we do it in the game because we know we are safe. But what if we weren’t? What if playing the game and staying alive meant your very own life? If you die in the game, you die in real life. Would you still play?

10) Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995) Starring: Jason David Frank and Amy Jo Johnson. DO NOT LAUGH AT ME! I am sharing with you my deepest, darkest secrets and that is no laughing matter. I LOVE this movie. I have ever since I was a very young girl, playing power rangers with my very best friend from childhood! I was the pink ranger, my friend was the purple ranger (a ranger we had to make up because no one wanted to be the yellow ranger), and then if her little sister was playing with us, we made her be the yellow ranger (she minded, but she wanted to play with us so much that she went with it. What a TROOPER!) Anyway, this movie is based off the first American season on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (the best season) and I used to rent it every time my parents and I went to the video store. Later (probably about 10 years later) I found the movie on DVD and I HAD to HAVE it! So, I bought it and I still really enjoy turning it on from time to time. It also came along with the second movie about the Power Rangers Turbo which is a fun movie too. I also never realized how hot the original red ranger (Jason) was. Lol.

Ok, now I am going to cut this short and share something sooooo embarrassing with you guys! Again, NO LAUGHING! Okay, you can laugh, but I don’t care because my friends and I had a blast doing this, but I’ll totally smack you if you diss this!

It is a Power Rangers Spoof that my best friends and I filmed about 3 summers ago. We were really into doing stuff like this at the time and had a free afternoon :) Perhaps, if you all behave very nicely and tell me how much you enjoyed this little video, I will be kind enough to share the others with you one day. WE WILL SEE!

PS. I'm the one in the green.

POWER RANGERS: AN EMPIRE GANG PRODUCTION

 

Okay, I assume you guys have been good and did not make fun of me too much. So, here's one more video that you are allowed to laugh at! In fact, laugh until your head falls off!

THE BLOOPERS

PS. Don't forget to come back tomorrow for PART 2 where I finish off the list of the Best-Worst movies of all time! Also, please share your thoughts with me! Do you agree with my list of the Best-Worst movies? Are there any that you would add? How hard did you really laugh at my videos? Will you be returning to Who's Your Editor? after witnessing such insanity? Can you ever take me seriously again?

Until next time, crazy people!