What I read on the web: 18/08/13

August 18, 2013August 24, 2013 / Lisa

I’ve had this sitting here and forgot to publish (what a great start to my idea of regular blogging!)

At least I’m not I’m not these guys though. Who forgets to build an elevator shaft in a skyscraper?

I really wouldn’t mind planning my travel around visiting these bookstores. This one is my favourite:

It reminds me of Harry Potter. Looks like I’m going to Holland one day!

These look like some cool DIYs to do. They also use up old cereal boxes – a different form of recycling.

Panic at the Disco release a new single and I think it’s actually pretty good!

There was the sneak peek for season three of Homeland. Please stop with the ugly crying, Carrie.

Katy Perry’s new single dropped early − LOVIN’ IT.

I watched this incredible footage of the Japanese Tsunami. It’s quite long, but an incredible watch.

I agree with this article on the fact whether you’re a night owl or a morning lark it influences your personality. What I don’t agree with is that night owls are meant to be extroverts whereas morning larks are meant to be introverts. Personally, I think they got this around the wrong way. Both Man Piece and I are night owls and both of us are introverts.

Yes, there probably is cross-over between the two, but most of the morning larks I know are also extroverts. Go figure, science.

Lastly, Benedict Cumberbatch did this:

Absolute final say, kiwis are fierce:

My week on the web: 11/08/13

August 11, 2013 / Lisa

I have realised recently that I have not blogged much lately. Work has been quite busy and stressful, so the last thing I want to do when coming home from from work is continuing to write.

Several of the blogs I follow do a weekly round up of various things. Whether its images, favourite links or DIYs they’ve seen.

So as a way to have at least one blog a week, I’m going to attempt a weekly round up of what I have found interesting on the internets, or what I have contributed to the bottomless realm.

First up is 24 Reasons A Panda Should Never Be Your BFF from my favourite website Buzzfeed. Mostly the reason is because pandas tend to fall a lot. Be prepared for many hilariously cute panda falling off/over things gifs. Enjoy!

Next – another from Buzzfeed – is one on How To Microwave Mug Cakes That Actually Taste Good. I really, really want this book. Every attempt of mine at making a mud cake has not exactly been great, this book could solve all of that! And come on, I’m quite the baker, so I really don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Probably the microwave. It’s always the microwave.

With the sale of both The Boston Globe and The Washington Post in the last week (ish), for, quite frankly, pitiful sums – seriously, Instagram is worth more than for what TWP sold for. And the fact since I started in journalism it has all been doom and gloom about its decline – this article from 10,000 Words was quite refreshing. “The more we talk about journalism being alive, the more people – including us – will start to believe it.

Another from the glorious Buzzfeed – 56 Totally Wearable Harry Potter-Themed Accessories – I put forth without comment.

This image of a koala from Cute Overload. Look at him all cute and widdle!

This article from Thought Catalog perfectly describes what an introvert is. I am one, so I implore my friends to read this to try and understand me a little bit better, because I suck at explaining it.

According to this article, chaos and clutter mean that you are more creative, so I will no longer apologise for my messy desk (or messy house).

There are several pieces of clothing from City Chic which I would like, and I may just buy them thanks to my tax refund. Here, here, here, and here.

Finally, I have started writing for a short story blog (this was posted slightly more than a week ago, but I haven’t posted about it). Here is my post from July.

Here is a picture of delicious marshmallow pudding to round things off:

Madame Tussauds

August 11, 2013 / Lisa

I finally went to Madame Tussauds and, quite frankly, it was a little disappointing.

Good thing I didn’t pay for it! (Thanks McDonald’s – back when it was doing the Monopoly promotion, I ended up winning a free attraction pass. I cashed it in for Tussauds and have had it sitting there for months now.)

Along I went yesterday, I knew it would probably have a few people wandering around, because Saturday. I did not expect to encounter all the inconsiderate people pushing and jostling just to get a photo with a wax figurine – cause that’s all they are! Sure they’re modeled off the actual person, but they are not the actual person. People, huh.

So, it wasn’t the greatest experience, but it was interesting to read the history of how it got started and how the wax figures are made – it takes a lot of hours. A lot.

It was also very focused on Australian figures, which I could care less about. The London/New York/Las Vegas Tussauds would probably be a lot more interesting and it would be far better to go with someone, that by yourself.

Anyway, here are some of the figures at Sydney:

Banjo Paterson, James Cook, Rove and Fred Hollows.

Flamin’ mongrels!

Writers vs Listeners

August 9, 2013 / Lisa

There are two types of people in this world – listeners and writers – according to this article on Thought Catalog.

I am the latter.

This quote is rather telling:

Writers don’t know anguish — they are anguish. They are the voice of self-destructiveness. They are their only saviors. Writers smear upon blank canvases with paint made of their own suffering. They understand that a piece is never complete without the price — a toll that is rarely forgotten.

To read, or not to read, that is the question.

June 12, 2013 / Lisa / 2 Comments

A few weeks ago a friend put me onto some Stephen King quotes about writing.

I found them very interesting, but one of them gave me an idea.

I’m a slow reader, but I usually get through seventy or eighty books a year, most fiction. I don’t read in order to study the craft; I read because I like to read.

This got me thinking – how many books do I read in a year? Definitely not 70 or 80. I’m actually quite slack on reading. Or at least have been.

However, since I got my kindle, and have a half hour train ride morning and night, I have been reading so much more lately. I’ve even begun reading in the half hour before I go to sleep again.

I really do like to read, I’ve always been quite an avid reader. And in order to be a good writer, you should read, because you learn a lot from it, so says Stephen King* again.

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.

So my idea is to a) keep track of the books I am reading and b) aim to read about 70 or 80 books this year.

Now, I know I probably won’t get there simply because I do have a 9 to 5 job, unlike Stephen King, but you have to start somewhere.

I’m going to set up a “Book Index” like my recipes index to keep track of the books I’ve read and the ones I want to read this year. I’ll also try to incorporate my Goodreads account somehow, as I have it, yet barely use it.

And maybe, just maybe, if I read more, I might be inspired to write more.

*Note to self: read more Stephen King.