Tangible Darkness

Yearbook

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 16:53:00 +0000

So I showed up to the Yearbook meeting yesterday with my friend. (Her Blog)
It turns out that they're doing very poorly. We have to sell 300 in three weeks in order to break even on printing costs.
So if you go to Brooks: GO TO THE OFFICE AND ORDER A YEARBOOK, DAMMIT!
And come to the weekly Thursday lunch-time meetings.
They need Photoshoppers and people to put together pages. Mr. B is totally swamped this year and won't be able to help out a whole lot, so we're looking for another teacher to help.

In other news... I'm going to April Wine on Sunday, and getting my braces off on Monday. I'm all excited, it will be great, fantastic, and wonderful. On Saturday I'm going to my friend's house with other friends to play DnD. And today, I have basketball. And my dad is coming home from his week-long excursion over on the Island.

Life is good.

Well Then.

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:04:00 +0000

So I was sitting next to my friend Alex (go check him out at his blog), and I said, "pshh blogger," as he was signing in. It was a joke of course because I also am fond of it. Then he said, "pshh livejournal," which is where I usually update. It got me thinking that I had not, indeed, been on my blogspot in a very long time.

So this is just a quick update post. I have some classes that I'm enjoying very much this semester as well as a spare block. I'm in my spare block at this moment and am blogging to kill time. I have an ancient history course called Comparative Civilizations that I also share with Alex and several other friends. Rowan (find here here) is in it also, as well as Kyran and my buddy Will.

Regarding my last post from nearly a year ago (oops), I not only continued wheelchair basketball but I continued for another season. I even have my own jersey and it has my favourite number (9!) on it. Yay. Ummm okay, I have nothing else of importance with which to update so this is it.

Ze Incredible Rubik's Cube

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Wed, 19 May 2010 04:22:00 +0000

My buddy Alex has been pestering me since I got my cube to learn F2L, which for you non-cubers means "first two layers". It's a method of doing the first side and the second layer in fewer moves than the official site shows you how.
He's also been pestering me to learn how to orient the last layer and how to fix permutations. He uses diagrams from Badmephisto's website, so this morning that's where I went. Alex taught me how to identify which diagram to use and when a while back, so I was pretty much set.

Anyhoo, that's kinda what I've been doing all day. That, and wheelchair basketball. It was a lot of fun and I met some great new people!! Definitely want to do that again. I've been trying to be more spontaneous, or at least trying to take advantage of more opportunities. Will keep you updated on how that goes! :D

Math

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Mon, 17 May 2010 04:34:00 +0000

I still cannot wrap my head around this idea: I like math. Ever since I was young, I have hated mathematics with a passion. Why start loving it now?
Several reasons.
I get it.
This year I've just been getting the math, I understand most of it and I love doing the procedures.

Great teacher.
With tricky subjects like math, a great teacher is absolutely key. For some reason this year's teacher explained it to me in a way that made sense. So now I love math!

It's easy when you know how.
And as explained before, I now know how. And also as explained before, I love doing the procedures. Why? Because they work and I feel a sense of accomplishment. And math is great for your brain functionality, too. I still love language but hey. Why not use my brain to the fullest extent that I can?

Society

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Fri, 14 May 2010 04:36:00 +0000

Kyran's Latest Post. Please go read it. I agree with most, if not all, of what he has expressed (his parts in bold) there.

I once had to come up with my own quote for an English 11 project. My quote was, "Society has molded us to believe we aren't being molded."

Society has told us that spontaneity doesn't get us anywhere but trouble. It's so untrue, though - people are out there taking risks all the time and so many success stories have come out of it. Sometimes you fail, yes. But you learn and you live life and have experiences. Life wouldn't be fun if it was all success and no failure.

Society has told us that we need education to succeed. Not always the case, either.

Society has told us to conform or be left in the dust. I see nonconformists everywhere, and it looks like they're doing plenty fine to me.

Thoughts?

Music While Working?

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Sun, 09 May 2010 22:56:00 +0000

Music while working - blessing or curse? I personally think it really depends on what kind of work it is that you are doing. If it involves concentration, I don't listen to music because it's much too distracting. If I need background noise while working on something that is mostly trial-and-error or routine, like coding, then I'll listen to something soft. My favourite song to listen to on repeat while coding is Violet Hill by Coldplay.

When I'm doing physical work, I love listening to music because it takes away some of the boredom and tediousness that can result. Music has been proven to increase productivity, too. Good stuff!

Why I Love the Internet

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Sat, 08 May 2010 21:20:00 +0000

It's no secret to the people in my life that I am an internet junkie. I have literally spent entire days on the computer - with barely a food break or bathroom break in between.

Generally I'm on for around three hours per day, less on weekdays and more on weekends. But why am I on the internet? What good does it do for me? Here are a few of my favourite things about the internet:

Accessibility
Have you ever noticed how tedious it is to look up things in a book? Sure, the old-fashioned way is great. But books go out of date very quickly. While this is true of some sites on the internet as well, news sites that are updated often are a wonderful source of information. On top of this, they are usually only a few clicks away.

Information Sharing
Since the rise of the internet and social networking, people from all over the world can get in touch instantly. You can find out the latest news from your friend in Sydney, Australia or ask your friend in Japan a quick question about their area for your school report.

Variety
Don't like a certain website? Don't go to it. With literally billions of webpages on the internet, there is sure to be something to please even the most finicky reader.
Great sites like StumbleUpon have opened up the internet like never before. Choose your interests, click "Stumble" and away you go. I've found some of my favourite websites with that tool.

Discovery
With variety comes discovery. I have discovered so many new bands and songs that I otherwise would never have heard of, on the internet. I've discovered valuable resources for an aspiring writer such as myself.

The internet is really an amazing invention. Sure, there are a lot of negatives that come along with it, just as with every new technology. But I believe that if used properly, the internet is a great tool for any person to use.

Day 27 - Ultimate Facebook Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 02:46:00 +0000

Yes, I have gone 27 days without Facebook. Nearly a month! Mr. B has offered a very expensive prize to the winner, however with the way things have been running I think he might have several in the works.

Anyhoo, onto important journalling, over on my LJ. Adios! :3

Being Sick Is No Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:31:00 +0000

But when I sleep through it, I sure dream a lot. Weird, eh?
What's the weirdest thing you've ever dreamt?

Doodles: Goldmines of the Drawing World

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:21:00 +0000

Especially when they're drawn in thin sharpie on mini-paper pads. Just a thought.

Know what? To heck with prearranged titles!

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:29:00 +0000

I restrict myself too much when I prearrange things like that! Drives me nuts. I want to start a webcomic. (Inspired by http://xkcd.com) However, now that I've mentioned it I probably won't ever do anything on it. Now then. Perhaps I'll just have to scan and upload some of my doodles and see what goes from there. I hope my new printer/scanner/copier will scan into the computer.

I'm currently reading Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with every intention of continuing once I'm done with The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. This book suits me perfectly, for it is slightly complex mathematically but the humour and wit is incredibly amazing. I do believe it is because Douglas Adams is British.

Off I go, more xkcd to read and MLIAs to browse.

Picking a Blog Name

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:23:00 +0000

So you want a title for your new blog. Or maybe you'd like to change your old title to something fresh and relevant. Here are some techniques I've found that work well when I'm choosing names for any of my sites.

1) Write down things that interest you.
Do you like the colour green? Write it down. Do you like potatoes? Write it down. Anything at all… adjectives and nouns, verbs and adverbs. Once you think you have enough to work with, start playing with them by putting two random words together.
Jumping Lollipops? You never know, it might catch on one day.

2) Find a handy-dandy Blog Name Generator. I like using http://namethingy.com for inspiration. If you decide to use it, just click each name that might be useful for coming up with your blog name. Play around with the words it provides. The name for this blog originated from "Tangy Darkness". My mind exploded in all different directions and grasped the idea of tangible darkness. It seemed like a neat concept, and a good blog title.

3) Say words out loud. When I said my title idea out loud, it rolled off the tongue very nicely. Even though the first word might be a mouthful, to me the name seems easy to remember.

4) Ask for opinions! If you're talking to some people online, and you have more than one title idea, ask which they like best. Your readers know what they are attracted to in a blog, so take their advice. If more people that you speak to are attracted to "Green Potatoes Weekly" than "Jumping Lollipops," it's likely that reflects the opinion of the general public.

5) If you're into the name you chose, your enthusiasm will show. This energy will be carried into your writing, and your reader will be more engaged in what you say. If you're not enthusiastic about your material, neither will your reader. It's okay to change your blog's title. Although it may be best to do this early on when you don't have a large readership yet, you could do it virtually any time as long as you advertise the change so as not to confuse your readers.

If you have any suggestions or tried-and-true advice of your own, feel free to leave a comment! I'd love to hear what you have to say.

What this Blog is About

noreply@blogger.com (Mackenzie) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:59:00 +0000

Welcome to Tangible Darkness. This weblog will cover a wide variety of topics ranging from the pointless to the insane, and perhaps covering some serious topics as well.

If you have a request for a topic for me to write about, feel free to drop me a line: sweet.cat.meow@gmail.com
Include "Tangible Darkness" in the subject line so I can prioritize my emails (I get dozens every day).

Upcoming titles:
Picking a Blog Name
Writing - A Beginner's Guide
The Rubik's Cube - It's Not That Hard!