B-i-l challenged me to do go a week
posting a max of 140 characters per update. He's evil; I'm intrigued. Let the
self-abnegation begin!
(136)
(136)
Week 3 since Bear's disappearance.
Probably sulking, supplanted by the usurper Theodore. More disturbing: Daniel
refuses to mount a search. (139)
August 14
"Twitter" abbreviations r like ancient Hebrew. Old scrolls, no vwls (vowels), ok. But information age? Seriously? Sad language devolution.
"Twitter" abbreviations r like ancient Hebrew. Old scrolls, no vwls (vowels), ok. But information age? Seriously? Sad language devolution.
Gail Homer Berry Tdr--prbbl. Hbrw's jst th mst fms. Pls Jwsh frnds hv mntnd th mssng vwls. & 'v rd abt t n bks. Nd trnsltn? (107)
Translation: Tedra—probably. Hebrew’s just the most famous. Plus Jewish friends have mentioned the missing vowels. And I’ve read about it in books. Need translation?
Gail Homer Berry With vowels, above comment minus last two words would be 134. Saved 27 characters. Worthwhile? Nope. (100)
Just read "Bear's Baptism"
story to writing camp kids using Theodore "Teddy" to act it out.
Ultimate usurpation of poor Bear! Guilt! (132)
Reading Les Miserables. Do we feel
sorrier for the ex-convict raising a teen-age girl, or for the girl being
raised by a clueless ex-con? (137)
[Someone asks if these short posts will become a permanent style.]
Gail Homer Berry [Name]--just for 1 wk. It's an interesting exercise & builds character. Seems I'm replacing quality w/quantity, tho. Feels like a poor trade. (139)
Eric & Daniel have gotten
sanguine about the nightly "lights out/book arrest." Now Sam also
hands over books as soon as he sees me coming.
(138)
(138)
Brian Thomas Now if only your posts had words cavemen like me could understand. (94, including this text)
Gail Homer Berry @Brian: Me hyper-verbal, loquacious wordsmith. You math person. [Gail points] Word woman...math man. Ugh! Caveman capiche? I mean, u get it? (140)
Years ago, I heard a story about a
girl @ BYU Japanese house. Unable to communicate nuanced feelings, she had a
nervous breakdown. Sympathy! (140)
Gail Homer Berry http://www.byu.edu/oncampushousing/flsr.shtml
(Explanation of target language immersion "houses.") (98)
August 16
"I'm not even going potty all the way! I'm only going potty a little bit!" --Gail trying (unsuccessfully) to divest herself of an audience. (139)
"I'm not even going potty all the way! I'm only going potty a little bit!" --Gail trying (unsuccessfully) to divest herself of an audience. (139)
Clint Kimball Almost all of your statuses have been 136+ characters. I
get the sense you're struggling with that upper limit. (112)
Clint Kimball Yeah, I don't feel bad either. I have no problem whatsoever rubbing it in your face that I can use as many characters as I want in my reply. (141)
Gail Homer Berry @ Clint -- HAHA--! [Laughter syllables truncated by stupid rationing requirements.]
(83)
Gail Homer Berry @ Carolyn: Short answer: YES! Long answer: Not if u laugh a lot. Mirth makes me feel appreciated & redeems some joy from this torture.
(134)
Q1: Sociopath?
Q2: 1 pic = 1K words =>Overbudget?
117 +/- approx. 5000
(139)
Translation: Eric built a torture chamber and showed it to me. My first question was “Is he turning into a sociopath?” My second question was, “If I post a picture, and that picture is worth a thousand words, does that mean that I’m way overbudget in my character count?”
I had 117 so far, plus or minus 5,000 more characters if you counted the picture against me. And adding that tally brought my final text to 139 characters.
Gail Homer Berry Lego guy dangles by feet over fire &/or lava while
impaled by cruel guard's saber. (82)
Snoopy: It was a dark & stormy
nite. Suddenly a shot rang out. The maid screamed.
Me: Everybody died & they all lived happly vr ftr.
ARGH!
(140)
Me: Everybody died & they all lived happly vr ftr.
ARGH!
(140)
Matthew Calabresi Sounds like a vague retelling of "Clue: The
Movie"
Gail Homer Berry A demonstration of what we lose by imposing silly length
restrictions. Disciplined brevity is good, in moderation, but so is nuance.
Sigh. (139)
New paradigm: brevity thwarts
decryption. I will embrace this format w/zeal, honoring the tradition that
includes "sighted sub; sank same." (140)
Tressa Winmill Mitchell You know you're almost waxing poetic. You could work this to your advantage.
Gail Homer Berry Practice makes perfect.
Tennyson: 'To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.'
Gail: To edit, re-write, cringe, then misspell "shEld."
(138)
As Harry Potter character deaths
mount, I keep offering grief counseling. Boys look bemused and refuse. No
emotional investment! Weird... (137)
"Sam, change out of your
wet...um...Thingies...right now!" [Blanking on "swim trunks"]
Irreversible vocab damage? [Nail biting]
(127)
Irreversible vocab damage? [Nail biting]
(127)
Home stretch: 1) 2.5 days of torture
remain, 2) planning lengthy, loopy, loquacious blog post on it, 3) past
screaming; mostly whimpering.
(138)
(138)
2 gener8 a
plot, I always say,
Just torture karacters. O dire day!
4 now I no exactly how it feels
+ theres no plot, just silly poem peals.
(139)
Just torture karacters. O dire day!
4 now I no exactly how it feels
+ theres no plot, just silly poem peals.
(139)
Translation:
“To generate a plot,” I always say,
“Just torture characters.” O dire day!
For now I know exactly how it feels--
Plus there’s not plot, just silly poem peals.
And commentary:
“To generate a plot,” I always say,
“Just torture characters.” O dire day!
For now I know exactly how it feels--
Plus there’s not plot, just silly poem peals.
And commentary:
I faced
layered irony.
Reading Lois McMaster Bujold taught me something amazing. When I’m writing a fictional story, I think “What’s the worst thing I could possibly do to this character?”—and then I do it.
Reading Lois McMaster Bujold taught me something amazing. When I’m writing a fictional story, I think “What’s the worst thing I could possibly do to this character?”—and then I do it.
And it
works! You get all kinds of interesting and funny results that way. (Bwahaha!)
Now I was doing it to myself. And it worked! I got all kinds of interesting and funny results.
It was uncomfortable, though, and it gave me sudden sympathy for all the characters I’ve ever forced to experience messy minions, asphyxiation, orange polka dots, and long division. If things were reversed, what would they do to me?
This silly poem claimed that I was torturing myself to no good purpose since the exercise wasn’t generating a plot, just bad verse. (And I don’t believe suffering innately confers good karma: taking the epidural does not mean you’re a spiritual cripple who loves your baby less.)
The lack of plot was not entirely true, though. Yes, the length restriction were driving me batty, but I was also enjoying how the challenge was generating an awesome conversation among my friends, and that conversation, plus my “hammed up” suffering, were all becoming part of a greater, funny story.
I was torturing myself and tickling myself at the same time.
Yes, I’m crazy.
Now I was doing it to myself. And it worked! I got all kinds of interesting and funny results.
It was uncomfortable, though, and it gave me sudden sympathy for all the characters I’ve ever forced to experience messy minions, asphyxiation, orange polka dots, and long division. If things were reversed, what would they do to me?
This silly poem claimed that I was torturing myself to no good purpose since the exercise wasn’t generating a plot, just bad verse. (And I don’t believe suffering innately confers good karma: taking the epidural does not mean you’re a spiritual cripple who loves your baby less.)
The lack of plot was not entirely true, though. Yes, the length restriction were driving me batty, but I was also enjoying how the challenge was generating an awesome conversation among my friends, and that conversation, plus my “hammed up” suffering, were all becoming part of a greater, funny story.
I was torturing myself and tickling myself at the same time.
Yes, I’m crazy.
A new dIrectiv: 2 sAv spAs, I vow
2 spel "long vowls" w/capitals, lIk now.
& also swAr that I'l elimin8
rEdundant leters. This'l B so gr8!
(138)
Translation:
A new directive: to save space, I vow
To spell “long vowels” with capitals, like now.
And also swear that I’ll eliminate
Redundant letters. This will be so great!
Phillip Porter And so it begins.
2 spel "long vowls" w/capitals, lIk now.
& also swAr that I'l elimin8
rEdundant leters. This'l B so gr8!
(138)
Translation:
A new directive: to save space, I vow
To spell “long vowels” with capitals, like now.
And also swear that I’ll eliminate
Redundant letters. This will be so great!
Phillip Porter And so it begins.
Gail Homer Berry @ Phillip--so what begins? The rapid devolution of
"twitter/texting" English is already underway, and my insanity is
also well documented. (138)
Matthew Calabresi I feel like I'm witnessing some sort of triumph of the human
spirit, but it's of someone whose only goal in life is to bounce off of padded
walls.
Gail Homer Berry
A padded cell no prison makes
if I have paper, quill,
And no restrictions on their use.
(Plus real food, not swill.)
(117)
A padded cell no prison makes
if I have paper, quill,
And no restrictions on their use.
(Plus real food, not swill.)
(117)
Gail Homer Berry
A second thought--I'd get more done
Without my kids in tow;
But with no reader feedback...?
Nah, I guess that I won't go.
(122)
Gail Homer Berry
@ Matthew--I am laughing, still,
@ comment u just made.
My big regret? My meter changed.
I've played, strayed, prayed, and paid.
(128)
Commentary: It drove me crazy that I switched from straight iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line with alternating accents) in my original poem posts to a pattern of 8/6/8/6 syllable lines, albeit still in iambic feet in the comments. That’s what I mean by my “meter” changing.
A second thought--I'd get more done
Without my kids in tow;
But with no reader feedback...?
Nah, I guess that I won't go.
(122)
Gail Homer Berry
@ Matthew--I am laughing, still,
@ comment u just made.
My big regret? My meter changed.
I've played, strayed, prayed, and paid.
(128)
Commentary: It drove me crazy that I switched from straight iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line with alternating accents) in my original poem posts to a pattern of 8/6/8/6 syllable lines, albeit still in iambic feet in the comments. That’s what I mean by my “meter” changing.
Carolyn Homer Thomas I feel like Brian and I should have also imposed a "no
non-standard abbreviation" limit on you, too. I HATE l33tspeak with a
fiery passion.
Gail Homer Berry
I hAt it 2! But how else cud
I skwEz a 4-lIn stanza
In2 restrictions u impOzd?
Cant soar, just glide. Lufthansa!
(112)
Translation:
I hate it, too! But how else could
I squeeze a four-line stanza
Into restrictions you imposed?
Can’t soar, just glide. Lufthansa!
Commentary:
Well, obviously “Lufthansa” was a stretch. I was trying to evoke imagery of a majestic bird hobbled by a clipped wing, or a sleek airplane hampered by silly governmental regulations. Something that should be soaring but is just managing an awkward glide. I was also desperate for a rhyme.
It's also true I hated the "mixed cAs" spelling. Awful. And obnoxious. Another sad compromise.
At no point, though, did I ever say "wood of" instead of "would have." i hav sum standerds
I hAt it 2! But how else cud
I skwEz a 4-lIn stanza
In2 restrictions u impOzd?
Cant soar, just glide. Lufthansa!
(112)
Translation:
I hate it, too! But how else could
I squeeze a four-line stanza
Into restrictions you imposed?
Can’t soar, just glide. Lufthansa!
Commentary:
Well, obviously “Lufthansa” was a stretch. I was trying to evoke imagery of a majestic bird hobbled by a clipped wing, or a sleek airplane hampered by silly governmental regulations. Something that should be soaring but is just managing an awkward glide. I was also desperate for a rhyme.
It's also true I hated the "mixed cAs" spelling. Awful. And obnoxious. Another sad compromise.
At no point, though, did I ever say "wood of" instead of "would have." i hav sum standerds
Carolyn Homer Thomas considering you had another 30 characters with that one,
I'm pretty sure you could have done it.
Gail Homer Berry
That last one, true. I did it to
Annoy you, natcherly,
But pause and think: though it pained you,
the "scorched earth" burned, more, me.
(136)
Gail Homer Berry
Some "triage" principles apply
to all my verse, I fear.
If I must change 1 vowel, then
perhaps I /all/ should shear.
(116)
Commentary: I did consider, seriously, capitalizing even words where it was unnecessary, like “mE” and “hE”, just for uniformity. I refrained. Aren’t you proud of me?
Clint Kimball If it were me I would have truncated your original post to:
"I've got it! I'll replace long vowels with capital letters and eliminate redundant characters! (95)"
Then again the truncation would defeat purpose of the post in the first place. Hmm...
Gail Homer Berry @Clint:
Two motivations have I: first,
From all this pain, make art;
The second--it's ignoble, aye--
To others, pain impart.
2 Ne 2:27
(136)
Commentary: I’m particularly proud of that one. I think it was the favorite poem I wrote that week.
The scripture reference is about how Satan is selfish and “seeks to make all men miserable like unto himself.”
It’s petty and cruel and I ought to be ashamed of myself. But I will confess I took an unholy pleasure in spreading the suffering around. And it DID help me feel better.
As Alcatraz Smedry would say, “I am not a nice person.” Also “Authors write books for one, and only one, reason: because we like to torture people.”
Yup.
If U cud undrstand my prEvyus pOms,
I pity U, mE, languj & al tOms.
The rIming is such fun thO; I intend
2 kEp it up 'til I or English rend
(140)
I pity U, mE, languj & al tOms.
The rIming is such fun thO; I intend
2 kEp it up 'til I or English rend
(140)
Translation:
If you could understand my previous poems,
I pity you, me, language, and all
tomes.
The rhyming is such fun, though; I
intend
To keep it up ‘till I or English
rend.
I've hit my stride! I'm writing
terse, cute odes.
Just ten. More. Hours. Pray I don't expl--
Just ten. More. Hours. Pray I don't expl--
Aftermath:
I survived!
As an over-reaction, I wrote a loquacious blog post about how I'm normally:
+Articulate with adverbs, appreciative of allomorphs, authoritative on articles, antsy at antecedents, and even ardent about aspectful auxiliary verbs.
+Babblish*, even with bound morphemes.
+Chatteritive*, using classifiers in compound-complex clumps of clauses. Copiously circumlocutious...
...and on through the alphabet.
Then, just as I was regaining some equilibrium, I spent many hours doing some very dry technical writing. That threw me off-kilter again.
At the moment, I am still experiencing some severe over-corrections, like babbling maniacally. (More than usual. And I heard that.)
I am confident that I'll return to "normal" Gail style...any day now.
I survived!
As an over-reaction, I wrote a loquacious blog post about how I'm normally:
+Articulate with adverbs, appreciative of allomorphs, authoritative on articles, antsy at antecedents, and even ardent about aspectful auxiliary verbs.
+Babblish*, even with bound morphemes.
+Chatteritive*, using classifiers in compound-complex clumps of clauses. Copiously circumlocutious...
...and on through the alphabet.
Then, just as I was regaining some equilibrium, I spent many hours doing some very dry technical writing. That threw me off-kilter again.
At the moment, I am still experiencing some severe over-corrections, like babbling maniacally. (More than usual. And I heard that.)
I am confident that I'll return to "normal" Gail style...any day now.
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