Why Twitter Doesn't Suck

A few years ago, I'd put up a post about how much I disliked Twitter. For those of you who won't read it, which I'm assuming is most of you, especially now that I'm giving you this shortcut, these were my main reasons for the anti-Twitter rampage:

• It was difficult to use and also sort of pointless.
• It showed me lots of random posts by people doing mundane stuff. 
• It didn't allow for adequate expression due to the character limit, which in turn resulted in people tweeting multiple times an hour, which again leads to my previous point. 
• Every time I replied to someone, it showed up as a new tweet.

After trying it out for a while, I decided it wasn't for me and simply stopped using it.

Then, over these summer holidays, I watched Heroes for the first time (yes, I'm many years behind on lots of TV shows. I only just started watching Buffy recently, after finishing Heroes). I loved the show and wanted to find out where else I could see Milo Ventimiglia and Zachary Quinto. I figured I could also follow them on facebook, but Milo doesn't seem to have a facebook page (although there is a fan page with at least a couple of creepily obsessive fans).

After a few moments of perplexity over what to do next, I remembered this little thing called Twitter, and it turned out that he was on it. So I decided to give the site another chance, and I'm glad I did.

Ventimiglia tweets often enough to keep things interesting but not so much that it gets annoying.
Also, get this: he actually replies! Especially when he's on a flight, apparently. There was this one time he was my entire news feed because he was replying to tweets for about 5 hours straight. Not that any of his followers were complaining, I'm sure. I mean, seriously, replying to so many people instead of taking a nap or something - how very nice of him!


Stephen Amell and Neil Gaiman also use Twitter

We all know Neil Gaiman's got a wonderful way with words. His tweets are funny and entertaining, and since he's Gaiman, even when you see promotional tweets, you're not thinking "Oh god, stop!" Instead, you're probably thanking him for gracing you with information like where you can get signed copies of his books and so on.

Stephen Amell is someone I started following on facebook after watching Arrow, and while I didn't expect him to be exactly like the character he plays, I was pleasantly surprised to discover how funny he is. Recently, I saw that he posts more often on Twitter. One more reason for me to not give up on this site.


The 140 character limit is actually rather fun

Of all the annoying traits Twitter possesses, this one was initially at the top of my list. However, with all the precis writing in school and flash fiction in college, I decided I was more than capable of turning it into a sort of challenge.

Oh wait, to Barney, the challenge would have been to use more than 140 characters. Hmm, I really didn't think that one through. Ah, whatever. Those pictures are staying right there.

This reminds me of how funny NPH's first few tweets were. Before he understood the character limit, sentences would just stop abruptly, often mid-word, if I remember right. I'd like to put up screenshots, but there's no way I'm scrolling to the very beginning of his page (especially with my aggravatingly slow internet).

Coming back to what I was saying before the NPH distraction, I swore to always use exactly 140 characters to make the most of every post. Even if I really didn't need to. I discovered it was fun and not so hard to do. Also, when I'd done it the first few times, no one seemed to care, and for a while I'd slipped into using fewer characters than I could (gasp!)
But then I reminded myself that no one really cares what you do on twitter most of the time unless you're famous, and that there was one person who cared about sticking it to the character limit: me.

I've learnt that a 140 character tweet is called a twoosh. And that's the last time I'm using that word because it sounds incredibly stupid. Way stupider than "tweet".


Quick scrolling

Since there's a character limit, even though people tweet often, posts are really short. This means you can quickly scroll down without wasting time on uninteresting things. I don't follow too many people, so a few seconds of scrolling shows me the entire day's new tweets.


#Hashtags

Some hashtags are pretty crazy, and it's a lot of fun to see the different wacky things people have to say about them. #foodafilm and #dressamovie were a couple I really liked. Okay, they were the only ones I bothered to look at, but the point is, they were fun.
That being said, some people really need to stop using hashtags with every other word. Unless it's in a parody like the one with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake:

  #funnyvideo #LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

So, those are all the reasons why, although my problems with Twitter haven't disappeared and are still quite valid, I've reversed my general opinion of the site. I rather like it now.

Also, did I mention that Milo Ventimiglia uses Twitter and replies to lots of messages?

No Nos.

Phones are helpful when you need to check the time, but when I'm at home, I still rely on the wall clock. Whose dial started falling apart a couple of weeks ago. Soon, part of it was torn and hanging off the surface, which made all three hands stop at that point even though the battery was still working.

So when I took the dial off, I decided to replace it with something slightly more creative than the regular digits on a clock. Not that I didn't have more pressing work to do, but drawing on a wall clock is probably the next best thing to drawing on a wall, and who doesn't want to do that? Also, I'm surprisingly focused with stuff like this, especially when there are more important things to be done. Anyway, this is what it looks like now.

Most of it is easy to figure out, but I do tend to have outlandish ideas sometimes, so maybe this might make more sense with an explanation. Not that anyone really needs to know what my clock looks like, but it's another of my attempts to "make good art", so here goes:



1. Unicorn (or unihorn, as I like to call it)

Simple enough to understand, I'm sure. Unicorn = one horn. Could have used a rhino if I'd wanted it to be more representative of where I come from, but anyway...
Also, unicorns are unique. One of a kind.

2. Yin and Yang

Also pretty obvious, the two main balancing forces of the universe and all that jazz.

3. The Fates

There's the one who spins the thread, the one who measures it, and the one who cuts, so here's the spindle, a measuring tape, and scissors. And the thread of life, of course.

4. Seasons of Love

A combination of two things that come in fours: seasons - summer (sun), spring (leaf), monsoon (water drops. Maybe a dry leaf if you're from a place with autumn instead), and winter (snowflakes. We don't have snow - or proper winter, really - in most parts of the country, but I like drawing snowflakes). Also, the human heart has four chambers. Seasons + heart = awesome Rent song.

5. Pentagram = Elements

Representation of the five elements in harmony. Not sure how harmonious mine are with the pentagram being that wonky, but life isn't perfect anyway.

6. Death                                      

Most people would probably relate sixes with abs or beer or cricket, but for some reason, the only thing I could think of was how when you die, you're put six feet under. A coffin seemed too morbid to draw on a clock. It would be like an ominous voice going "Your time is up! Muhahahaha!"
I love Terry Pratchett, so Death it is. Also, this looks a lot cooler than a can of beer although the latter would have been easier to draw.

                                                                                                               

7. Music + Rainbow

Another combination: a treble clef (which isn't really a musical note, but it conveys the idea) and what appears to be blank music sheets with extra lines but is supposed to be the seven colours of the rainbow. The dial was supposed to be multicoloured. In my defence, all the colours combined give you white, so there.

8. Octopus

Pretty obvious, with the eight tentacles.

9. Cat

Nine lives. Again, simple and obvious.

10. Bowling Pins

The most boring one of the lot, in my opinion, but I couldn't think of anything else. Funny, considering how I seem to round things to the nearest ten so often while counting.
A much cooler idea would have been numbers, but the whole point of doing this was to avoid using digits.

11. Football + Movie

Eleven people on a football team, as you know. But the thing I immediately associated with "eleven" was "Ocean's", i.e. the movie. So there you have what is supposed to be an ocean wave. I'm cheesy, I know. But at least I didn't draw George Clooney.

12. Zodiac Signs

There are twelve signs in all, but I only drew the one that's generally considered the twelfth. Also, it's my sign, so I had no scruples about choosing it over the others.




Not bad for an accidental project, right? So, to paraphrase Gaiman, whenever things fall apart or there's too much stuff you don't want to do that needs to be done, (or even when everything in your life is absolutely lovely) here's the best thing you can do: make good art.
Or at least make, and hopefully it'll be art, and good.

‪#‎BookBucketChallenge

An enthusiastic reader must surely agree that it's stupid to limit the number of books you can talk about, especially when that number is as low as ten. Also, sometimes lists just ain’t enough. These books are special and deserve more than just a mere mention, so here goes:

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

A book so sublime I can’t even begin to find words to describe it in a way that will do it justice. All I can say is, if I had to pick just one book as my favourite, (which is excruciatingly hard) it would be this one.

Mortimer Says Nothing – Joan Aiken

This is a children’s book that mom brought me from a library well over a decade ago. I read it just that once and haven’t seen it anywhere ever since, but it’s stayed with me all these years. It had three hilarious short stories of a young girl and her raven Mortimer who says only one word: "nevermore". It was only years later that I read Poe and realized Joan Aiken's not just a great children’s writer but also a sneaky genius.

The Black Magician Trilogy – Trudi Canavan

It's been quite a few years since these books too, and I still feel extremely privileged to have read them. I’ve enjoyed several great books after this trilogy, but unless I read it again and find I've changed my mind about its awesomeness, I can safely say this is my favourite fantasy series so far.

The Bartimaeus Trilogy – Jonathan Stroud

My favourite fantasy series after TBMT. The story has some of the grimness you can expect to find in fantasy, but it also made me laugh and laugh and laugh. And cry a little bit on the last page. It's a book in which the numerous footnotes are the best part. Like this one:

We communicated with pithy, rather monosyllabic thoughts: viz. Run, Jump, Where? Left, Up, Duck,* etc.
*This latter was an observation I made on the edge of a lake. Nathaniel unfortunately took it as a command, which resulted in our temporary immersion.

The Stepford Wives – Ira Levin

The most intriguing book I’ve ever had the good fortune to read. Which is remarkable considering it’s just a little novel with crisp, straightforward writing, ordinary characters, and a simple story that’s perfectly easy to understand except for the one little bit that leaves you guessing. It moves fast, is freakishly gripping, and, quite frankly, gave me chills by being unnaturally mind-blowing. Based on this book, I’d say this guy is to writing what Tesla is to science.

A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

Dickens is one of those writers who I thought wrote unreasonably wordy stories and was relevant in this century solely as a tormentor of high school students like me. That was before I read this book. Typical Dickensian writing, but somehow strangely fascinating and, over time, quite wonderful. It has plenty of epic lines and gives us Sidney Carton, one of the most beautiful human characters in the history of fiction.

And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie                                

Remember all her novels in which you know the murderer is the one who’s introduced as the nice person with absolutely no apparent motive or opportunity to be a killer? This one is different. It was my first Christie book, so obviously everything else by her seemed drab in comparison. It’s a murder mystery that's thrilling even if you've read it before.

Oh, The Places You'll Go! – Dr. Seuss

If anyone else had written something like this, I may have dismissed it as preachy garbage and mentally slapped the author for being annoyingly self-righteous and filling people’s heads with pseudo-motivational gunk. But this is inspiring and uplifting in a way that doesn't make you feel like you've accidentally stumbled into a cult of stoned yoga-doing hippies.

Maskerade – Terry Pratchett

Many people might say that this is far from being the best book in the Discworld series, but to me, it's the best of them all (though I should probably mention that by "all", I mean the few books I've read from that vast collection). I don't recall laughing that hard and that much with any other book, and the phantom's letter is a stroke of sheer brilliance from an otherwise generally brilliant writer.

Ahahahahaha! Ahahahaha! Aahahaha!
BEWARE!!!!!
Yrs Sincerely,
The Opera Ghost

"What sort of person," said Salzella patiently, "sits down and writes a maniacal laugh? And all those exclamation marks, you notice? Five? A sure sign of someone who wears his underpants on his head. Opera can do that to a man."

And he takes a dig at Sherlock Holmes as well:

“Well, I think," said Nobby, "that when you rule out the impossible, whatever is left, however improbable, ain't worth hanging around for on a cold night wonderin' about when you could be getting on the outside of a big drink.” 

The Bunnies' Get Well Soup – Joan Elizabeth Goodman

This was one of my favourite books when I was little, and though I outgrew it long, long ago, I'm still (and shall always be) extremely fond of it. It's a sweet, simple story with splendid illustrations by the author and a recipe for the Get Well Soup that I used to wish mom would make instead of laughing at me for being naive enough to believe it was a real recipe.

Ten books/series done! *drumroll*
But I'm not done yet.
Here are some authors whose books would have been on the list if I had had the ability to choose just one of their works:

Neil Gaiman – If there’s one person who can make me fall in love with words, it’s him. He makes darkness in any form enchanting, can really mess with your head, and leaves you feeling like you're not the same person you were before you read him. Also, he gave us what might just be the best piece of advice in the world: the best way to deal with anything life throws at you is to "make good art".
Best speech ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plWexCID-kA

Shel Silverstein – Wrote tremendously funny poetry that I will read and enjoy over and over again. I know I should be telling you to buy his books, but you need him more than he needs you, so here, read his poetry:
http://shelsilverstein.yolasite.com/table-of-contents.php

Roald Dahl – One of those rare writers who has produced equally fantastic works for both children and adults. If you didn’t read his books growing up, I truly feel sorry for you. But hey, it's never too late to start! 

Oscar Wilde – The most quotable person that ever was and ever will be. Clever, funny, outrageous genius, that guy. He's someone I earnestly wish I could have met! I’m sure I’d have loved him. We would have gotten along wonderfully, I think. Or he would have hated me for not being supremely awesome. But Wilde being Wilde, I'd have gladly accepted (and even treasured) his condescension in place of love from a few other people.
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Oscar_Wilde/

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – I don’t need to explain, do I? It’s elementary, dear (your name). Of course, if you’ve actually read the entire series, you would know Holmes never said that – not even with "Watson" in the bracket, I mean – in any of the books. True story, non-readers. 

Lewis Carroll – His writing can be analyzed at so many levels. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass may be children’s books, but they seem relevant to almost any context, such as politics, philosophy, drugs, math, religion, history, etc. So surreal but scientific, whimsical yet logical, silly yet sensible. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Just ask any of the hundreds of people who have referred to it in their writings, screen adaptations, general musings, and so on. Also, the Jabberwocky is a marvellous poem – one of my favourites.
Here's an interesting link that discusses the Alice books: http://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/alice10.html

Giovanni Guareschi – My Home, Sweet Home is a really cute collection of short stories about the everyday adventures of an Italian family, and the Don Camillo series is an absolutely delightful collection that's fun to read but also deals with serious issues and often takes on a satirical form. It revolves around two main characters: Don Camillo, a priest with very normal human tendencies, and communist mayor Peppone, DC's nemesis whom he's forced to work with every once in a while. One of the main highlights for me is a very cool Christ (with a rather wicked sense of humour) who DC communicates with mainly through the crucifix in his church, often venting his frustration and receiving (not altogether unhelpful) advice and gentle admonitions.

"Down with capitalism!" said Comrade Rondella.
"Death to priests!" roared Peppone, looking Don Camillo straight in the eye.
As Don Camillo raised his cup he gave Peppone an eloquent kick in the shins.

I've written more than I thought I would, so I shall end with just a list of ten authors I'd have liked to write about but won't, which is sort of what I was supposed to do in the first place:

Beatrix Potter
Roger Hargreaves
Enid Blyton
Richmal Crompton
Dav Pilkey
L. Frank Baum
P. G. Wodehouse
Demetri Martin

Goscinny and Uderzo – Asterix Series

These books are amazing on multiple levels even though all of them work around the same basic concept of Gauls drinking magic potion and beating the crap out of Romans and anyone else they want to beat up. They have tons of clever puns everywhere, starting right from the characters' names, include wonderful illustrations, successfully make Caesar seem quite the douchebag, and contain several highly memorable and quotable lines.

J. K. Rowling – Harry Potter Series

Many people my age seem to think it’s no longer cool to say they enjoyed Harry Potter. Sure, we've all read books since then that make us feel like our reading habits have evolved, but people who read them as young kids can't deny the magic of the alternate universe it created. It’s even more untrue than saying you never really enjoyed anything about the Backstreet Boys.

Yeah . . . I can't just do a normal list with no explanation at all. Not when it comes to books. But hey, I'm finally done. For now.

What's in a Name? (Part 2)

I started blogging on my birthday a long, long time ago, but as is the case with anything I'm involved in, things got a little befuddled (/befuddling? See what I mean?) Anyway, here's what I wanted to announce: this blog is exactly three years old today! Good thing too, or I'd have put off this post until goodness knows when.

That being said, let the name-calling continue!

Funny, I don't remember Bill Gates having a different background colour. Oh well.

Here's part one, if you missed it.

To everyone who's been reading my blog, thankee! May you be forever blessed with perfect coffee, rain, music, and whatever it is that you people like.