Quotational Inspiration

So. I went looking for inspiration for a post and googled “What should I blog about”( I did. I really,really did.). I came across this article (which I loved) whose advice I decided to take.

Reading quotes is one of the ways I prefer to pass the incredibly large amounts of free time I now have. I’m going to combine two of the “Things to blog about” and make a list of a bunch of random quotes and see if they inspire me to write anything interesting at all.

Here goes;

History, real solemn history, I cannot be interested in. . . .The quarrels of popes and kings, with wars and pestilences in every page; the men all so good for nothing, and hardly any women at all.

-Jane Austen

This one made me laugh and shake my head in agreement. It doesn’t mean I hate reading anything historical. On the contrary, historical fiction is one of my favorite genres with regards to books or movies. I am, although, inclined to reading about great women in history as opposed to men. On this point I agree with her, all the men (atleast the ones I’ve read about) seem to want all the pleasures of power with none of the responsibilities! Maybe I am being unjust in my quick judgment but it is what I have percieved about them. The women, on the other hand, were amazing. Queen Elizabeth I, Juana Of Castille, Anne Boleyn, Catherine Of Aragon. All brilliant, independent and ambitious women. You might disagree with me about Anne Boleyn but I still loved her.

I know that’s probably not her point but well..Its mine!

So basically, I love this quote and it reminds me of another. Much to BWC and Fuzzy’s chagrin I am going to quote Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl;

Anne Boleyn thought only with her heart and she got her head chopped off. So her daughter Elizabeth made a vow never to marry a man. She married her country.

-Blair Waldorf

Whatever you may say, I like her! She’s intelligent,funny and I enjoy watching her.

Moving on to our next quote:

Dreams are the eraser dust I blow off my page.
They fade into the emptiness, another dark gray day.
Dreams are only memories of the plans I had back then.
Dreams are eraser dust and now I use a pen.

-Edgar Allan Poe

I have nothing to say about this one except that its brilliant and I love it.

Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.

-Anonymous

Makes you smile doesn’t it? Its like a secret only those of us who read share. This reminds of something. When I was little, I always wondered who this Anonymous was who wrote such brilliant things. Every book or website I went to had its largest portion consisting of contributions by this man named Anonymous. It took me some time to learn what it really meant!

Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

~P.J. O’Rourke

XD Sorry, there no other way for me to express my reaction at this one!

So, there you go. This qualifies as some semblance to a post, right?As I leave,here are some quotes by people born on our birthdays!

Mine first;

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.

Henry Louis Mencken, born on September 12, 1880,

American humorous journalist and critic of American life who influenced US fiction through the 1920s, 1880-1956

BWC’s next;

All truth is parallel; All truth is untrue.

Rozz Williams,born on November 6, 1963

Singer of Goth band Christian Death, American musician, singer, poet and artist, 1963-1998

Finally, Fuzzy’s;

You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.

Naguib Mahfouz,born on December 11, 1911
Egyptian novelist and screenplay writer 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature, b.1911

Until Next Time!

Bookmark

This month’s theme for NaBloPoMo is ‘routine’ , so I figured I should do a ‘Bookmark’-post.What’s more routine (or boring) coming from me, yeah?

I defy you to call this book boring, though.Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger is a book that stalked me until I finally gave in and bought a copy already.

A book that opens with

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them.”

hardly requires recommending, but I shall persist.Holden Caulfield is both narrator and lead character of this “story” that reads more like the inside of his head for all its “classic novel” status. He is a cynical teenager who has been expelled from a few schools, and at the start of the novel runs away from this last one ( Pencey Prep). He classes himself as a failure in every subject except for English, for which every Holden child seems to have inclination. This only adds fuel to fire as he already finds the adult world “phony”, and decides to catch a train to New York , although he does not inform his family of this, imagining (correctly) that the consequences could be nothing pleasant. New york disappoints him with more ‘phoniness’ , and he indulges in some, himself. Eventually, he sneaks home to see his younger sister, Phoebe, whom he clearly adores, and who is also almost the only person he seems to want to communicate with (the lack of phoniness helps, I suppose). He then decides to stay with the Antolinis -Mr.Antolini was a former English teacher and good friend. He is disturbed by Antonlini’s patting his head while asleep and leaves his house only to wander the city. Finally, he tells Phoebe that he plans to head west.His sister wants desperately to go with him, but he refuses. To pacify the girl, he takes her to Central Park Zoo, where he observes her thrill as she rides the carousel. The author chooses not to reveal Holden’s final decision, only saying that he “feels sick ” and will attend yet another school in September. Holden seems even to miss his phony roomies, although his attitusde is not much altered.

Put like that, the story is nothing special, but its charm lies in Holden’s slang and the incredibly honest style of writing.Further, his unreliable sense of perception leaves lots of room for interpretation and debate. He is most definitely an unforgettable character and reason enough for the book’s Cult label.

Bottom line: Must read,five stars.. in Holden’s own words ” It kills me”.

If after all that, you still need persuading, I’ll borrow the author’s words:

“Boy, when you’re dead, they really fix you up. I hope to hell when I do die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddamn cemetery. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you’re dead? Nobody.”

“Sensitive. That killed me. That guy Morrow was about as sensitive as a toilet seat.”

” Anyway, I’m sort of glad they’ve got the atomic bomb invented. If there’s ever another war, I’m going to sit right the hell on top of it. I’ll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will.”

On Michaels.

So, this is our first official blog post for the NaBloPoMo. Yay!

I’ve been thinking, ‘why are they crying so much for Michael Jackson?’ He’s dead, leave him be (with his brains, I might add.) True, he’s this iconic, global singer, but I think he should just R.I.P. (not pieces.)  Michael Crichton too died this year, though the news was hardly splattered all over the front page. In fact, it was just a tiny snippet in the ‘International’ page.

So yes, I’m a huge fan of M.C. I swear, he was a genius and his sci-fi’s are just mind-blowing. (I’ve been trying to get the other two to read his books.) I started with ‘Next’ (as against most people who start with ‘Jurassic Park’) because that happened to be the only book with my uncle.  You do need a bit of scientific knowledge to understand, it doesn’t ask for much. You get the feel of ‘everything is possible.’ Also, I love the way he gives you a hell load of facts all interspersed among the pages of a compelling adventure.

Ya know, I feel science should be taught like this. I mean, give the students stories and real-life accounts and not long texts of theory that force you into rote memory. Try and tell them that you want itty-bitty nano-bots to duplicate and give a long-winded speech on it. Yawn. Give ‘em ‘Prey’ to read and that’s a whole new thing.

Guess that’s all for now.   Oh and a random note: I’ve decided to continue Japanese classes for level 3. Wish me luck!

Basically, I have nothing to say.

The title explains it all I believe, but I am going to attempt a post all the same.

 

 

Stuff you should (not really) know;

• My braces came off!
• I still haven’t gotten into a college.
• Most of my life consists of sleeping, eating and being almost criminally lazy. All this is to be blamed on my sudden acquirement of huge amounts of time and nothing to do.
• I’m bored sick.

That’s about it.

In other news, I recently read this brilliant book by C.W. Gortner called “ The Last Queen“. Its about Queen Juana of Spain who was more popularly known as Juana La Loca (Juana The Mad). It offers an insight into her life.  She’s  the (less famous) older sister of Katherine (Catalina) of Aragon, the infamous first wife of King Henry VIII.

The book is written in rich, almost lyrical prose. So much so, that you feel like you’re there, seeing, smelling and sensing all these things. I love his descriptions. Juana’s character has been well- researched (at least it seems that way, I’m no expert on the subject) and you forget that a man is behind this narration which is written entirely in Juana’s point of view.The book makes you feel.  The author makes you fall in love with his lead (I did).

All the characters are well-written and have dimension. She (Juana) comes across as a strong-willed, intelligent woman, far ahead of her times who has been wronged by the men in her life. I do not believe that Juana Of Castille was actually mad. I think she was driven to do the things that she did.

In short, A very well- written book and absolutely cannot be put down! Must Read.

I’m reading Emma by Jane Austen right now and I absolutely love it! ( More of the bubbly, over-flowing enthusiasm for you there. ;) )

 

I think that’s about all that I can bore you with right now.  Here’s a quote I really love  from a movie I’ve never seen but really, really want to.

Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? – - Carpe – - hear it? – - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.

-John Keating

-Dead Poet’s Society

See you later!

EDIT: Apparently, I do have something to say.

Verse

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

— Wendell Berry

One of those poems that you just ( or I just, at any rate) instantly recognize.. feel like the author took the words right out of your head.

Another one, an old favourite:

By W.H Auden

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

Thank (whom?) for good poetry!

Random Update On Our Lives.

Hey there!! Long time.

So Lucid here, got Sims 3  and we’ve been going on and on about it. It’s awesome! And now, thanks to her overflowing, bubbly enthusiasm I  have started to re-love Sims and obsessed with it. (I had uninstalled it temporarily as I spent way too much time on it.)

Yesterday, we went to “Citi Center ” where the tortured me to try out dresses. *gah* And we realized we talk a LOT over a half-empty (am I a pessimist??) bottle of coke.

So, the next you wanna get us to talk(er… write?) a lot, just gives us a small bottle of coke.

What you missed

Hi, there. Just thought I’d let you in on all the things us busy folks have been up to while we left you rotters hanging. ( Note: Not really.In fact I, at least, have been displaying a level of (in)activity only otherwise observed in certain enthusiastic hibernators.).Anyway, as always, this doesn’t mean we haven’t anything amusing for you.

The Contract*

The Big Locke Lamora-Deal:

I think we might’ve mentioned the first book on this blog, previously (and if we haven’t, you will definitely find a Bookmark post on it within the week). The sequel, Red Seas Under Red Skies is just as awesome, and boy do I mean AWEsome! So, you’d think Lucid would be dying to see for herself, wouldn’t you? Except, that ass of a girl seems to have vowed not to read ANYthing** I recommend in the same year that I do (go figure!). This time, though, she promised me she’d read it and accepted my generous deadline. This was last Saturday.It has been a week.Has she read it? NO. Why has she not read it? Because she (and here I quote)  “Watched a Cricket match” , “C’mon, went to bed early!” and to top it all off..READ ANOTHER BOOK ( that I had  expressly forbidden her to read without finishing this one, first.).

Would YOU wantonly associate with this girl? Would you, I ask?! And yet, being the benevolent person I am, I did NOT reveal the ending as I’d threatened I would, if she didn’t read it on time. And what do I get in return? The girl lies. L-I-E-S. Yes, she LIES. She told me, she said, ” Oh, I read about 250 pages ” two days ago, and now? “Oh..Er..250 pages?”  after having read through the day.

I. Am. Fuming.(Justifiably)***

So, I sent her this:

Befitting, no?

Wait till you hear the rest of it (Yes, there actually is MORE!)!

SHOPPING:

Yesterday, Lucid and the other asses in my life along with myself went shopping for the biggest ass of the lot– A certain Sanjana, for anyone who cares for details– seeing as her birthday is coming up. And we bought her a dress ( Will post a pic later) because that is exactly what she wants.Apparently, though, this just wasn’t good enough, oh no! I had to try on 50-and-a-half dresses to satisfy them (I’m supposedly the closest in size). Not so terrible, you’d think –except I don’t do dresses. And just to add fuel to fire, they kept giggling outside of the changing room and making the kind of comments that I cannot repeat in good conscience.**** Sanj had better buy me a freaking MANSION in return, that’s what!

Some friends.

Poop Mountains

After reading Chinx’s post I happen to remember the story of a cute li’l innocent girl (okay, you might wanna cough as hard as you can) who stepped into one-such poop mountain and never realized it. She came home and walked across the living room, and tossed her shoes in a corner, oblivious to the stink. Her mommy noticed it and scolded the wee widdle girlie for not looking where she walks. The little girlie stuck her tongue at her mommy and ran off to play in another pair of shoes.

THE END.

Ok, I’m pretty sure everyone would’ve stepped on a poop-mountain (which might be from a dog, cow, elephant.. well.. you get the picture!) at some point in their life.

And then there’s crow poop. There are some who actually consider crow poop falling on them lucky. I would say it was BAD luck.

Well that’s enough poop-y nonsense for now.

P.S. I was considering pictures, and then, decided against it. :P

I now have a favorite movie

Well, for now anyway. I thought I would announce it to the world, and also assure anyone whose reading this that we are, in fact, still alive and kicking.
Its Breakfast at Tiffany’s! I adore Audrey Hepburn. I’d only seen her in Sabrina but she is absolutely amazing. *Gets in line to buy her*

If you haven’t seen it. Go now!

I love Cat. And Paul. And her clothes, Ohmigod,her clothes. They are gorgeous! Even that atrocious hat that looks like it has a roll of bubble wrap stuck on it( *points right*) looks good on her!

I might even just write a post on how gorgeous her clothes were. But then again I might be in danger of being murdered by BWC and Fuzzy. As if they don’t get enough of my clothes obsession in real life!

Later my people. I swear I will write an honest to goodness post about poop mountains (the cow kind) very soon. Promising innit? :)

And again, I love the clothes. See you later Darlings!

VOTE!