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Feb 5, 2013

GIF is pronounced Jif

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GIF is pronounced Jif

            The correct pronunciation of the Word of the Year 2012 sounds like a brand of peanut butter. I did not know that. What I did know about GIF had something to do with pictures that showed movement. For example, the baby dancing to the “ooga chaka” song back in 1996. If you never watched the dancing baby GIF, you are missing out. Like anything else you’re looking for, just Google it. That baby will dance eternally on the World Wide Web. dancingbaby2

So it seems there were many people unaware of the correct pronunciation of the acronym. Graphics Interchange Format, the words this acronym is formed from, begins with a soft “g” sound. Pronouncing it gif sounding like gift makes the most sense. But now we all know GIF is pronounced with a hard “g” sounding like genius. I hope this clears things up but I can still hear myself mispronouncing GIF in my head, as I write.

The GIF was 25 last year. I was curious to see what a new and improved GIF image might look like since its conception. Video games have made leaps and bounds in the past 25 years. Back in the day my friends and I gathered to play Atari and Nintendo in my parent’s basement.  They were simple games and graphics with few complex concepts. Like the outdated video games, the GIF files from 1997 are just images with a few portraying some movement. Looking at the top 50 GIF files of 2012 I immediately realized the GIF has grown-up artistically.

obama

Of the top 35 GIF files in 1997, 24 were still images.  Last year’s top 54 GIF images were all looped, showing action. It seems the GIF is rarely a still picture, but instead a cleverly crafted series of images on a continuous loop. Most of these images convey humor or sarcasm while others are just cool looking. At one time it was the rage to embed GIF images on a MySpace page. MySpace is no longer the place to be on the Internet. The large number of electronic devices available makes sharing GIF images easy on cell phones, laptops, notepads and more. Entire web communities have developed around the concept of sharing GIF files. Tumblr and Flicker are popular websites to share simple, single images to complex loops of action.

Jeff Gordon Levi

I looked at numerous GIF images and saw the value in these little “clips” as a marketing tool. Pop-up ads are loaded with GIF images made to draw your eyes from the content of the website you are viewing. The flashing images appearing in various places on a website are impossible to ignore. Some GIFs are created to fool a viewer into believing it is necessary to click on them to continue on a website. The pop-up GIF will instead redirect them to a new website offering something the viewer has no interest in seeing. Tricky bastards aren’t they?

The GIF is a remarkable tool on the Internet. They look cool, make you laugh and lead you astray while surfing the web. People just love GIF images and once you know what you’re looking for, you will see GIFs on almost every website you visit. GIFs are fun, flashy and fantastic. With all these wonderful attributes GIF images possess, why has it taken 25 long years to declare GIF an official word?

Filed Under: Professional Writing Class · Tagged: , , ,
Feb 3, 2013

Implosion video of the South Bay Power Plant in San Diego

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Implosion video of the South Bay Power Plant in San Diego.

Filed Under: Local and Worldwide News · Tagged: , ,
Jan 31, 2013

Stage of Life~Intern

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As an intern at http://www.stageoflife.com I am to keep a personal blog site of my own.  I already have one so that was a quick check mark in the done column.

I’ve served about one week now into my internship.  In that time I have:

1/17/2013 Spoke to employer by phone.   .5

1/25/13 Met to discuss duties of internship, exchange ideas   1.5

1/26/13  Blogged on SOL and personal blog   1.0

1/27/13  Blogged and read on SOL   .25

1/28/13  Spoke to Eric on phone, submitted 2 posts to Eric via email   .25

1/31/13  Possible Teen author: Kat Zhang http://www.katzhangwriter.com,  Possible Marriage blogger at Thingsyourealizeafteryougetmarried.com,  Personal blog (daily/weekly log)   1.

Total hours:  4.5 of 120

Upcoming work list:  Blog ideas, blogger list, Intro to my project A & B

Meeting with Eric 2/1/2013

 

 

Filed Under: College, Professional Writing Class · Tagged: , , , ,
Jan 30, 2013

Amish Mafia: Here’s the truth

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What ya gonna do when they come for you?

What ya gonna do when they come for you?

Discovery Channel you had a good idea here with this Amish Mafia show.  It is a show that tells a story about some events that may or may not have really happened in Lancaster, PA and a bit in Ohio.  It tries to be a reality show, but it is not.

If it were a reality show we would see Esther Schmucker and Levi Stoltzfus learning they will be traveling to FL for a spontaneous vacation.  Esther knew they were going to FL, and that “Oh that’s just creepy” line was just good acting on her part.  She’s not an actress.  But she would like to be.  Esther would also like to be a model.  Her boyfriend (though they seem to have broken up) was a black rapper that goes by The Real Mirkat who smokes bongs in his videos.  He has nothing bad to say about Esther and considers her a wonderful person.  I haven’t spoke to Esther in over a week, but I wonder if she says the same.

Then there is Allen Bieler, a local repeat in the news.  He loves running from the cops.  Probably because of that weed, pills, etc. that was in the car.  He is listed as a paid actor on the set of Amish Mafia.  He has worked for them in the past in recording Amish stories.  Yes, he did get adopted and did live in Lancaster.  He currently lives in Lancaster, out free without bail.  Amazing, a “mafia member” out of jail and no need for bail.  Mafia my ass.

And Levi Stoltzfus, the Mafia Boss.  The only thing Levi is boss of is his deck and siding business.  His business has been around for a long time but only last year joined the Better Business Bureau.  I’m sure to look as legit as possible now that he would be on television as the Boss of Lancaster County.  Did I mention Levi is a cousin of one of the girls from Breaking Amish?  Levi if you’re the boss how about finding out where the Amish puppy mills are and doing something about it?  Or what about the horses sold off for slaughter at auction?  Oh wait Levi, you are guilty of doing just that.  Is the head of the Amish Mafia really that broke he has to take his horses to auction and not donate them to an horse rescue?  People don’t want to hear about Levi sending his horses get whacked and making some cash too.

Twitter Wars could be another show for TLC oops, Discovery Channel.  (Esther worked for TLC on their series Breaking Amish.  TLC and DC are produced by the same company)  Esther was on Twitter but has since decided it’s just insane.  Levi Stoltzfus account has been suspended…don’t know who suspended.  There are other “characters” that may or may not be on Twitter making disgusting comments.  I wonder if Levi is regretting taking the part of Boss Man.  So much drama for just an Amish man….well, for a non-Amish man.

So it’s fake.  FAKE….fake….yep fake.  Come on, you already knew it.  I won’t twist the knife but: IT’S FAKE!!  The “cast” of Amish locals are no longer friends.  It is strictly business for them.  Can you imagine having to work with Merlin?  Some nutbag they found in Ohio to be Levi’s rival.  At least they don’t have to fake hate and contempt.  No acting required for that.

Thank God it is fake because Lancaster County doesn’t need Robin Hood like characters brandishing semi-automatic weapons.  And where the heck did they find Jolin, the finest maybe Mennonite, now maybe living in the area.  At least til this roller-coaster ride comes to an end.  Now that a local business that gives tours of the Amish area has decided to add a tour of filming locations, the show could become even more popular.  Perhaps it won’t matter if it’s fake.  If it brings business to Amish community, that will be a plus.

Just admit there is no mafia in Lancaster.  And this show and supposed mafia people have nothing to do with the horrible shootings at Nickels Mine School, and I’ll be happy.  Otherwise, I’m coming to find out.  That reporter in Hollywood won’t be coming, but I can….and will.

Hunting down the mafia,

~Pattie

P.S. This makes for great creative nonfiction.  I’m going to ace this class and term.

UPDATE: 6/15/2013

I used the Amish Mafia as the thesis of my Religious Secrets and Conspiracy final paper.

Click these links to read the results of my deeper delve into the Amish Mafia.

http://girlboxer1970.com/2013/05/10/the-amish-mafia-conspiracy-21st-century-reality-tv/

http://girlboxer1970.com/2013/02/13/amish-mafia-levi-called/

http://girlboxer1970.com/2013/01/21/amish-mafia-story/

http://girlboxer1970.com/2013/02/17/levi-loses-control-amishmafia/

http://girlboxer1970.com/2013/03/07/freeman-is-the-man/

http://girlboxer1970.com/2013/02/08/esther-keeps-the-kitchen-hot/

Filed Under: Amish Mafia, College, Professional Writing Class · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 28, 2013

Should I go to school sick?

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No. Let me repeat that, No.

Classrooms are enclosed germ capsules. Everything from the doorknob you touched to enter the room to the desk you sit at has germs on it. I’m not trying to freak you out but college (and high school) are cold and flu havens.

Missing a day or two of classes in order to get some rest, fluids and possibly hold down some food is a small sacrifice compared to coming down with the all-out, full-blown super-flu that is not only making humans miserable, it’s also taking lives. That’s right, you can DIE from the flu. When you look at it from that perspective, missing a few days is much better than missing weeks of school or even death. Hard to graduate dead.

From a personal experience last term, I learned not caring for one’s health has bad consequences. From Thanksgiving break through the end of the fall term in December, I was sick. Not just the sniffles or a cough but projectile vomiting, extreme pain in my stomach and fevers that came and went.

I missed the entire last week of classes which included three finals. That should have struck me to the bones in panic but I was so ill, I didn’t even realize I missed my finals. In and out of the hospital, trying to keep hydrated and stomach food…it’s a blur.

The good news is, once I recovered, I was permitted to make up all my finals without penalty. I’ve found that professors care more about your health then a test score. Even during finals week. So if your stomach is upset, your running a fever, vomiting, sneezing and/or coughing, stay home or in your dorm. Avoid spreading your germs to your family or roommates. Wash your hands very often and don’t touch your face. You would be amazed how often you touch your face without thought.

Don’t believe me…watch someone else and count how often they touch their face.

Keep the flu out of school!
~Pattie

Filed Under: College · Tagged: , , ,
Jan 27, 2013

What is creative nonfiction?

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The genre of writing termed Creative Nonfiction refers to a style with nearly limitless boundaries.  This style has existed for centuries but has only recently been termed a “genre” in literary circles.  This type of nonfiction is expressed in the form of journaling, blogging, diaries, and autobiographies but is not limited to this style of writing.  It is a combination of the established genres: fiction, drama, and poetry into the fourth genre, creative nonfiction.

There are six pronounced elements in creative nonfiction.  An essay may have one or two to all five of these elements.

  1. Personal Presence- a writer of creative nonfiction should include their own reflection and experience.  The essay should be written as if speaking directly to the reader.
  2. Self-Discovery and Self-Exploration- a writer should include their own interests, opinions, observations, goals, analysis, rants and raves.  The readers should feel as though they are learning about the author, while the author is also learning about themselves.
  3. Flexibility of Form- the days of a strict format in both fiction and nonfiction are long past.  Writers of nonfiction are encouraged to “break the rules” of traditional story format.  There are no rules to follow giving writer’s complete freedom to write in their own voice and form.
  4. Literary Approaches to Language- the language of nonfiction is what guides the reader along in the discoveries and exploration of the writer.  It can be intimate, poetic, figurative, informative, from the past, looking to the future, etc.
  5. Veracity- this is the reliability of the author story as truthful.  In creative nonfiction, it is assumed that what is written are the actual thoughts of the author.  These thoughts, based on memories, research or experiences, generally are left unverified.

Creative nonfiction is a genre that gives a writer freedom in the first person to connect to readers on a personal level.  When a reader connects with a writer’s life, career, triumphs, failures, uncertainties, etc. it becomes a bond that only creative nonfiction can accomplish.

Begin your creative nonfiction experience at http://www.stageoflife.com.

~P.

Filed Under: College, Professional Writing Class · Tagged: , , , , , , ,
Jan 26, 2013

Stage of Life, The Spartan & Girlboxer1970 Unite

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SOL image

Everyone is in a stage of life.  

And they are all personal.

What stage of life are you in?  My life as a college student has grown.  I was hired as an intern at Stage of Life LLC, a company that privately hosts a website to promote writing in and about any stage of your life.  The Spartan is my college’s newspaper.  I write articles and also serve as the online editor of The Spartan.  And last but not least, I am Girlboxer1970, mastermind of writing about my life and finding people who care.

A blog was the best idea Dr. Travis K. ever suggested to me.

I’ve been combining my Spartan articles with my blog since mid 2012.  Now my work as an intern at Stage of Life.com will be combined with the written and online version of the Spartan http://www.spartanycpnewspaper.wordpress.com.  As a student I have to blog about my experiences in each of the ten main life stages of the website.  In YCP’s Creative Nonfiction class I have to keep a journal.  I write for the newspaper.  I write.  And then, I write some more.

Ever think about writing a blog?  Or an article for a campus or local newspaper?  Soon I will have a column on http://www.stageoflife.com and will be prompting story ideas, writing about personal experiences, choosing finalists for contest submitted stories, randomly choosing bloggers to feature, and advising on how to write a blog someone will be interested in reading.  That’s what it’s all about.  When people begin to read what you write.

I encourage everyone to check out the Stage of Life blogging community.  If you have a blog, it will give you exposure as you share your stories.  Don’t have a blog?  No excuses…follow me to http://www.stageoflife.com a membership FREE, AD FREE, and FREE CONTEST website that I am honored to become part of.

Like Stage of Life  and YCP The Spartan Newspaper of Facebook.

Follow onTwitter:  @StageofLife  Follow me: @girlboxer1970

Rock it out, write it now, submit….it’s legit.

~P.

Filed Under: College, Professional Writing Class, York College Spartan · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 24, 2013

Assault Weapons, Bullet Buttons & Thumb Holes

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What the hell is going on in Harrisburg and this gun show?

Now a huge event for Harrisburg has been cancelled because so many vendors boycotted the gun show.  They boycotted because:

“Initially, the company that stages the annual Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg said it decided to ban the sale of “certain products” (semi-automatic weapons) to avoid attracting attention, given the current debate over gun control and gun safety.” (Harrisburg Patriot)

So people are all fired up at this foreign company for forbidding us American’s to tote whatever gun we choose.  American’s have it in our Constitution that we can bare arms and no one is going to take that from us, especially some British owned company.  How dare they tell us we can’t have assault weapons and huge magazines to load with shells?  Not two bullets, not five bullets, but twenty or thirty or a hundred bullets.

Well, I guess they can because the show is cancelled and may or may not be rescheduled.

When I think about all this, it’s not like the British can say, “Oh we never have someone get trigger happy and take innocent lives.”  There are people all over the world that go off their rocker and shoot-up schools, churches, movie theaters, restaurants, etc.

So I’m a bit wishy-washy.  I know guns don’t kill people, people kill people.  I grew up around guns.  I’ve shot rifles, shot-guns and handguns.  I even owned a handgun at one point.  I’ve never had the urge to shoot anyone my entire life.  And I didn’t even know what a bullet button or thumb hole was.  I do now.

Then, there are those ‘”others” who want to shoot people just for fun or attention or because they are mentally ill.  Sure, they can get a gun illegally, if anyone tries hard enough, they can get a gun too.  It’s the person who kills, not the gun.

Come on, let’s be honest with ourselves.  Do we really want assault weapons available to citizens?  Does anyone not fighting a war or crime need a gun that holds a magazine of shells?  I imagine shooting targets, plastic jugs or if you’re in the Amish Mafia, watermelons, would be a blast with an AK-47 but the reality is we have police and military to carry that type of firearm.

I definitely don’t see a need for assault weapons to be displayed and sold at a giant gun rally held less than an hour from my home.

Wait…it’s cancelled….oh well, I wasn’t attending anyway.

It seems strange to me that vendors would boycott the show, especially companies that didn’t even sell guns to start with.  Yeah, you vendors and speakers were all standing up for our second amendment, I get that.  But now no one is selling anything…not bows, arrows, shotguns, gun cases, scopes, trigger guards, nothing.

I’d give up my second amendment in a heartbeat if it would stop this country from being the most likely place to be killed by a gun.  Think about it.

~P.

Filed Under: Just Life, Local and Worldwide News · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,
Jan 21, 2013

Amish Mafia Story

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I have been trying to narrow down who is really from the show Amish Mafia on Twitter.  Why?  Because people are in a frenzy to learn more about these non-actors in a reality show in Lancaster, PA.  Will they want to talk to me?  Tell me more of their story?

Time will tell….

Levi, Merlin, Allen, Esther, John, Jolin…..call me maybe?

~P

More Amish Mafia

http://girlboxer1970.com/2013/01/30/amish-mafia-heres-the-truth/

http://girlboxer1970.com/2013/02/13/amish-mafia-levi-called/

http://girlboxer1970.com/2013/05/10/the-amish-mafia-conspiracy-21st-century-reality-tv/

 

Filed Under: Amish Mafia, College, Professional Writing Class · Tagged: , , , , ,
Jan 19, 2013

YCP squirrels are fearless photo M. Adams

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YCP squirrels are fearless photo M. Adams

Classes resume at York College of PA. I’m ready for another series of great Spartan Newspaper and a more active online paper. Send me your campus pictures, stories, story ideas, videos from improve shows and anything else you can think of related to life at York College of PA! pcrider@ycp.edu

Filed Under: Dreams, York College Spartan · Tagged: , , , ,
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