My New Obsession

There's A Reason I Don't Write Haiku

Twisted spine

The rose bows

      Dead

Horses together

   Nibbling

In the pasture

Flowers fight

 To earn a spot

Above the surface

Haiku Guy Response

The book, Haiku Guy, was a pretty interesting novel to read. It was an interesting writing style; switching back and forth between modern and ancient times. After a while, this did get annoying, but it's an interesting way to  confront this story.

This story was pretty interesting, though. Boring, yes, but the way it was set up made it a little more interesting. The characters, on the other hand, were extremely interesting. I loved the way that they are described, and their different attitudes toward haiku. Their nicknames were a little strange, but definitely set their personalities. But, I did not like it when David G Lanove brought himself and his friends into Buck-Teeth's world. I didn't understand the necessity to bring these people into a completely different story; they belong in their own.

Also, the haiku's throughout the book were very interesting to read, even though I don't like reading/writing haiku...at all. It set the standards of "good haiku," which I will not reach, but for some reason, I'm not aiming to become the best haiku writer of the class.

Over all, this book was pretty enjoyable to read. Even though I would not read it again, I did not mind reading this for class. Take out the characters going into other peoples stories, and I would enjoy it even more!

Inspiration

The Last Post for Class

I made this blog for a class assignment, thinking that it was a pointless thing to do. With Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, I didn't think that this website would be much. On a small level, I was wrong. There are so many blogs on here, and it's obvious that people take a lot of time to make them interesting. These blogs are also varying in topics: motherhood, cars, animals, and entertainment. Thankfully, I've only seen one or two that are written by someone who thinks whining to a blog will help their poor, poor lives.

So yes, I was proven wrong about blogging. It's not just complaining about your life; it's mostly talking about the things that you enjoy doing, or things that interest you. This website is small compared to "Tumblr," and something about that I enjoy. It doesn't freeze up randomly, and it seems like people are less self-centered here. Again, it's extremely annoying when people use their blogs to complain about their life...but here I go complaining; dang.

Even though making this blog was just an assignment for a creative writing class, I think I might continue to add onto it. The class blogs are ending, but hopefully my interest will stay with A New Distraction.

Ten "Interesting Questions"

As an assignment, I'm supposed to think of ten thought provoking questions to ask. So...here are my questions:

1. Where would you go if there was a zombie apocalypse? 
2. What is your greatest fear?
3. Do you think zodiac signs are crap? I do.
4. What's your favorite animal?
5. Would you prefer summer or winter?
6. Does anyone actually enjoy thinking of questions out there?
7. Do you use the computer or the television more?
8. How often do you use the internet?
9. Do you have an opinion about the meat industry?
10. DO YOU LIKE PONIES?

In Ten Years

These are the days of quickly growing technology, Facebook, and Blueray discs. Have you seen the movie "Wall-E?" I believe that is how we are going to be. Sitting in a chair all day, massively obese, and talking to people on screens two inches from our faces even if the person is right next to us.
Technology is allowing us to talk to people easily and quickly, but it doesn't let us socialize as directly as talking on the phone would, or meeting in public. We are getting sucked into the social websites that are growing, except for Myspace, that's shrinking, and it's like we aren't as physically close to people as we could be. I suppose we can get to know each other by talking online, but we lose that connection that we can have with people, which I love having.
Another thing that people are very interested in right now are robots. Those scare the crap out of me. They're cool, but I've watched one to many "robots take over the world" movies to trust the intelligence of something made of metal and plastic. With this new intelligent Watson, it's getting closer and closer to an "I-Robot" situation. Hopefully Will Smith comes and destroys all of the robots before they try to take over the world.

The Animals

Lately, I have been thinking about animal cruelty. Videos from PETA running through my mind about chicken nuggets and veal. Thankfully, I am vegetarian and I don't feel the need to shove these nuggets of chicken carcasses into my stomach, but it's still hard to see these videos of how they are made, and just how animals are treated in general.
When you look into an animal's eyes, you can tell that they love you unconditionally. No matter how poor you are, or what you look like. But people still beat them just because they have their own problems. A dog didn't do anything, and neither did a cat or horse, or any other animal for that matter. If you start beating a harmless creature, you should know that there is something wrong with you.

I know a horse who was abused. He was left in his stall for nearly two years, and when people found him, there was three feet of crap that he was living in. When the horse, Jadir, was brought to the barn where I ride, he spent stall time walking in circles around the stall, creating a perfect circle that reappeared everyday, even if new shavings were put over it. And when he was being led into the pasture, he ran into it because he just doesn't know what to do with himself. People did this to Jadir, a sweet, thirteen hand brown pony with a thick, soft coat. People are the reason that he couldn't be ridden, because he didn't know what to do. People are the reason that when he was first brought out of his prison, he fell because he didn't more around, except for his stall.
Jadir is gone now, he moved to an animal rescue after at least eight years at the barn I go to. His owners were an older couple, and it was a hard choice for them to give him up. Unlike others, who just get rid of animals like they are any object. That is the thing that makes me angry. Animals are the center of my life, especially horses, and when I look at Carbon Copy, I know that if anyone tried to hurt him, I am prepared to hurt them back.

The Cougar

Of course I had to choose this photo as a writing prompt. The lipstick, the man in the background. It is all saying "Our marriage sucks." At least that's what I believe. Just the man's face on his cellphone; he can't even take a moment to get ready for a party with his wife, who looks at least ten years older then him. Maybe that's why she is putting so much lipstick on, and why she curled her hair into those tight rings against her scalp.
But back to the man; his unbuttoned shirt and scraggly hair shouts that he doesn't want to go to a party with his cougar wife. Maybe he's on the phone with his lover, whispering angrily that he can't talk right now, he has to pretend that he thinks his wife looks ten-years younger with all that lipstick smeared across her originally thin lips. Then he'll go to the party, walking behind his wife in her red pants suit, drink everything he can reach, and when they get home, he'll sneak downstairs after she falls asleep to watch television. Those hours he spends thinking; why did I marry the cougar?

Winter Fun Run

On the cold winter morning at the end of January, my family and I headed out to a 9k to celebrate my father's birthday. To get right to the point, the fun started while we were walking down the road to the start line. There were runners everywhere, mostly scrawny older men, but they were all smiling and pumped up. The adrenaline really went crazy when a small green car came speeding down the road, sending runners jumping out of the way and hitting one on the hip with his sidemirror. The bald headed man driving the car stopped and got out after a runner slapped his car.
I couldn't stop the giggles when the skinny runners gathered around the man. They stood yelling at each other, then pushing, then a couple of punches were swung. The best part was that a runner went into the man's car and stole his keys so he couldn't drive away. Five people were on their phones calling 911, and an elderly man held the maniac down. The race started before the police came, so it was just me, my mom and brother, and a couple of administrators waiting for the police. My mom had positioned me in front of my brother, and behind her. She was obviously fuming, sending messages that shouldn't be said out loud with her eyes to the man. As we watched the man sweet talking the cops and blaming it on the runners, I became angrier and angrier. How is that man, who nearly hit my family, me, and about ten other runners, talking casually to the three officers?
When we walked by the group, my mom interupted. She let the man know that he scared the shit out of her, and that he needed anger management. This sentence was repeated about ten times before one of the cops pulled us aside to get my mom's side of the situation. I believe that the cop was playing with us and trying to make us think he was on our side by trashtalking the man. It was starting to fascinate me, this cop's way of getting the "trust" and explaining why he couldn't arrest this man.
All of this fun really just made my day. But we all forgot about it after the suprise party for my mom after the run. Yet, I still think that the police officers could have arrested that small headed jerk who scared the shit out of my mom.

Carbon during the fall. Adorable.