Orbis Writings

I’m Back

Don — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 19:49:52 +0000

Well, I have been away for a good while. Lots of things have been happening, well, mostly just my salsa. I have been practicing a lot and its been keeping me away from everything else.

So I thought that I would take some time to say hi. And see what’s going on with the bolg friends I had made.

See ya around.

Posted in writing Tagged: salsa

The End Is Near

Don — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:14:06 +0000

The giant particle collider’s switch is about to be flicked. We are doomed. Why didn’t we listen.

The skeptics theorize that a byproduct of the collisions could be micro black holes, subatomic versions of collapsed stars whose gravity is so strong they can suck in planets and other stars.

We’re going to get sucked into a mini-black hole just like in those Looney Tunes cartoons where a house implodes into a small hole then takes the rest of the cartoon world with it.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/10/lhc.collider.ap/index.html

Vampire Baby Or Is It Resurection

Don — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:49:50 +0000

They call this one a miracle. I think it must have touched with the blood of a recently deceased turned vampire. Or maybe it’s a Jesus thing.

The baby, weighing only 600 grams at birth, spent at least five hours inside one of the hospital’s refrigerated storage units, before her parents, who had taken her to be buried, began noticing some movement.

Could Jesus have been buried in a fridge as well, causing the resurection?

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSLI23405020080819

Writing From My Ipod Touch

Don — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:00:25 +0000

For the last few weeks I’ve been writing from my iPod touch. So far it’s been a great experience because I can write when ever I want to no pressure. Sure, I’m not writing my novel in record time, but it is allowing me to put a lot more touch onto my writing.
I’m able to write about life and the nuances of each character. Of allows me to concentrate only on the here and now of my story and not so much worry about what I need my characters to do to reach a particular junction in the story.
hopefully come the cold I’ll be able to spend a lot more time on my writing any getting the sicker done. But right now I’m enjoying my salsa. This weekend there is a three salsa festival at the Old Port in Montréal.

Have fun and enjoy your summer

Writing Using An iPod Touch

Don — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:04:05 +0000

As I mentioned before, I have been doing a lot of salsa this summer. And I have been practicing, but my rhythm still sucked as told by one of my dance partners. It was the kick in the butt I needed to get my rhythm in gear.

So I decided I needed to get an MP3 player so I could listen to a lot of salsa and get the rhythm. I had made a decision to get Apple’s iPod Nano. it does what I need it to do and costs a whopping $189 CDN. Much more expensive than the Walkman of earlier days.

When I got to the Apple section of the Future Shop store, I played a little with the iPod Nano, but then saw the vibrant iPod Touch. I had to try it. And after a little marketinf genius from Steve Jobs inside my head, I ended up getting the iPod Touch at a whopping $278 CDN.

The iPod Touch has done everything it needs to for music. Plus it provides Wi-Fi which is cool and email access and the Safari web browser. The iPod Touch is not only an MP3 player, but it’s also a great tool.

What I soon discovered what the Notes application, that allows me to type up notes on the bus or where ever I am. But what is also great is that the onscreen keyboard is not bad at all. I have used the Blackberry before and was used to its layout. But the iPod Touch’s keyboard is still very good. You need to pay more attention to your typing initially, but after a while it becomes very easy to type.

All this time I have been trying to find a portable computer that was compact enough to carry around for my writing needs. It turns out the ipod Touch fulfills that need very well. I haven’t any serious writing on it yet, so I’m not sure of its limitations, if any. But looking forward to using it.

So for those looking for an MP3 and a compact writing tool, check out Apple’s iPod Touch. Apple knows how to build interfaces. This is my first Apple product and I’m impressed.

It’s Summer

Don — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:22:19 +0000

One thing that’s great about summer. It forces you to get out. Do sports. Hopefully enjoy a little sun and relax. So with that I’ve kind of relaxed on my blog posting. No fear, I’m still writing.

There are a few things that I have learned over the last few weeks that I will share eventually when my brain has a couple of minutes to actually put some deep thoughts together.

What’s going in my life right now. Well Salsa for one. I’ve started my advanced course. I know a lot of moves. But when it comes to going a different club where the music is not familiar, I falter. I can’t keep my rhythm on fast beat songs. And I need to get that or else I won’t be able to follow my friends around. Which really sucks.

I’ve also been doing a lot of cycling. About two 50km trips a week. And a paying side project that chews up on night a week. I have a busy life. So I try to steal 30-60 minutes before/after work to do some writing.

Regarding Salsa, I’m taking two courses at the same time, Salsa adavanced (as I said above) and a reggaeton course. All fun shit.

Enjoy your summer.

Word Of The Day: pusillanimous

Don — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:40:58 +0000

So that’s where that word comes from. You know, the P word, the one you call your friends when they’re too chicken to do something. You know, “You’re such a pusi.” When what they’re actually saying is, “You’re such as pusillanimous person.”

This is word I can get behind. So to speak.

Godzilla: Final Wars

Don — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:35:40 +0000

I love Godzilla movies, all of them. I have to admit that the latest one, Godzilla: Finals Wars, is the best. Movies can’t get any cheesier than this one. Scenes that don’t advance the story line, plot that goes all over the place. A third of the dialog is in English and the rest in Japanese.

The creativity that has gone into this movie is just amazing. But the effects are all over the place. In some places they use CGI, other places they use those cheesy tank models. There are a couple of real car stunts. They still use the people in costumes, too.

The tension building is much better and the suspense is great.

But in the end Godzilla still kicks ass.

Word Of The Day: Supernumerary

Don — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:59:49 +0000

I love this word, it’s so much fun to pronounce, supernumerary. It’s almost has hard to pronounce as aluminum. But much much more fun. Supernumerary can be used so often. The amount of weight your body holds is supernumerary in respect to the BMI.

These words serve as supernumerary in this post to provide and example, which I get really isn’t supernumerary.

Have fun.

My Absenteeism

Don — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:48:02 +0000

I haven’t posted much latelly. It’s not that I’ve stopped writing or stopped learning. But I think that I have reached a stage where I know enought; I think; and now I’m just smoothing out the bumps. Most of the stuff I have been learning recently has been about my writing style more than anything else and learning to flesh out my characters.

I’m at a stage where I am free to have fun and not worry so much about doing something wrong. Everything recently has all been about style, cause and effect and character relationship.

One thing I will admit that I am having a hard time with is involving more than two characters in a conversation. But I think this has more to do with definiting my characters and finding their place in the world more than anything else. Which I think may be a post in the future. But not sure when yet.

Gotta go. Keep writing.