The Traveling Smoothie Tag!

Okay, a little slow to do this one, but better late than never, right?

Mercy Vaughn at Not At All Stupid tagged me (thank you, Mercy!) and here are the rules for this Traveling Smoothie Tag:

1. Put an uncolored copy of the smoothie into the post (for video bloggers, print it out or insert it into your video).

2. Color in another copy of the smoothie. Be creative and color the smoothie, straw, and background, if you wish.

3. Insert your colored smoothie in your post/ video/ webpage. If you wish, you may include the location of the smoothie. Be as general or specific as you wish.

4. Name five blogging/ video blogging/ DeviantArt friends who will then have to fill out the smoothie, too. Also remember to link to them, because linking to people makes sad people happy.

This has to be one of the more interesting tags I've done. :)

But I'm going to have to break the rules a bit. While Mercy printed hers out (view her awesome smoothie and description HERE) the printer's out of ink, the scanner doesn't work with the computer that's connected to the Internet, and I don't vlog. Hence, I decided to go digital.

Ta-da! My Sumopaint-enhanced smoothie:

The smoothie for those days when life needs a bit more bright blue drink in a glass decorated with purple and silver flowers, and a slight drop-shadow.

About the drop-shadow: I spent way too much time fooling around with Sumopaint's layers and effects and whatnot. It is one of the best image editors I've found (though Flame Painter is still unrivaled when it comes to playing around with color), with hundreds of options. Have I mentioned it's free, too?

Now, for the people I tag (not to say they're sad people, but because I think it will be fun to see what they'll come up with):

Memzie at The Last Memzie
Madeline Bartos
Emily Rose at Mist of the Blossom Rain

(And I'm cheating here and listing only three. If you want to make up the fourth and fifth, go ahead . . .)

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What kind of smoothie/drink are you in the mood for right now?

Also, I'm a featured blogger over at Ali Cross's blog! Hope you'll stop by.

-----The Golden Eagle

It's All Fun And Games Blogfest!

Yes, today is the It's All Fun and Games Blogfest hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh!

The idea? Post three of your favorite games, whatever they may be--no restrictions.

My three:

1. Mancala

(SOURCE)

This is the standard sort of board, although there are versions where four people can play. The theory (in case you've never heard of it before) is to "capture" as many of those little pieces as possible by moving them around the board; there are several different ways you can play, by moving clockwise, counterclockwise, allowing people to take pieces when they land in an empty pit, etc.

I love it, for some reason--and I have a lot of fun memories of playing mancala before and during dance recitals. (50+ kids, one dressing room, two hours 'till your number, what else is there?)

If you want to play against a computer, go HERE.

2. Scrabble

(SOURCE)

Hard, sometimes (especially when the vowel monster hits and gives you what feels like all the "E"s in the bag) but a lot of fun. Objective: get as many points as you can on a 15x15 square board using randomly-chosen letters in a bag of 100. There are varying ways of playing this one, too; 7-letter, 9-letter, (the way my mom and I usually do), with score limits, etc.

3. Tetris

(SOURCE)

Because it's fun to eliminate as many lines as possible, and I thought I should include something electronic. Goal for this game is to arrange tetrominoes (the shapes you see) so that they make up solid lines across, which disappear as they join up.

Also, Tetris has been proved to improve cognitive brain functions, such as "movement, critical thinking, reasoning, language and processing". No, really.

To play online, go HERE.

**********

So, what are some of your favorite games?


-----The Golden Eagle

You Asked--And Here Are My Answers!

Last week--for my 400th post--I sent out a call for questions, and here are what people asked:

Summer Ross asked: Do you believe in love at first sight?

Depends on what you mean by love. If you mean attraction, then sure. How else would humans get on in this world if they weren't attracted to each other? But if you mean a deep, soulful connection in which two people share an instant bond . . . no.

Which do you believe came first the chicken or the egg?

The egg. My theory is that if an animal that looked vaguely like a chicken produced something that looked even more like a chicken, the egg would be the source of the chicken because it was closer down the evolutionary lines.

Brian asked: Your profile says you are also a musician, so what music do you play?

I play the violin and piano, and it's mostly classical. Beethoven. Bach. Accolay. Vivaldi. Clementi. Those people. :)

~Nicole Duclerior~ asked: Are you known to carry around a notebook for jotting down story or character ideas as they come to you?

No. Notebooks, I find, are too hard to get organized. I have to flip through pages and search for things. (I like electronics--CTRL+F is so easy) But I do have a small box where I keep a stack of notes with things that  struck me at some point and that might inspire/help later on in my writing.

What's your favorite way to capture such inspiration if you don't have a notebook handy?

Memory, and if that fails, scribbling it onto the back of my hand.

(So okay, maybe I've never been forced to go to such desperate lengths. But I would be willing to try it.)

Malcolm asked: How do you fit all these posts into the rest of your life?

Thanks to being homeschooled, it's fairly easy to find at least some time to blog every day.

Do you blog and comment on a schedule, randomly or whenever you need a break from everything else?

I try to stick to a schedule (or at least something that passes for one) but sometimes I'll blog just because I feel like it, usually when my writing isn't going so well or I need a break from other things I'm doing.

Robyn asked: Coffee or tea?

Tea, since it smells a lot better to me than coffee (I've never had coffee).

Dark chocolate or white chocolate?

I don't like chocolate.

And the most important question, I know you write science fiction. Have you always written it? Or have you written other stuff as well? Do tell!

I started writing SF because I finished reading a novel where I absolutely LOVED the world the author had built. I didn't really like the characters, and I didn't really like the plot (despite the fact I wrote an essay on the book) but the world really cinched it for me--and then I thought "Hey! Maybe I could try writing something like that!"

As for other genres, I've written Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Mystery, Adventure, YA, MG, and Historical Fiction.

Mist of the blossom rain asked: Do you ever go back and look at your earlier posts?

If I'm in the mood for cringing, laughing, and shaking my head at myself. I can't believe some of my earlier posts. :P

Amanda the Aspiring asked: Why the Eagle's Aerie/what prompted this name?

I wanted something that said ME, and I wanted it to be unique, so no one would confuse it with another name. I considered "The Dragon Scroll" (I love dragons) and "An Eagle's Clifftop View" (close, but not quite) and eventually settled on "The Eagle's Aerial Perspective". (I also considered many possible pseudonyms, like The Golden Dragon, The Sea Eagle, names like that.)

What's your favorite book of all time?

My favorite book of all time? THAT IS AN EVIL QUESTION. But if pressed . . . my favorite book of all time is the dictionary. It's very helpful. And I can find out so much by just opening to a single page.

Edith F. asked:

What is your favorite font for working on stories with?

Right now that would be Eurostile. Here is an example of the oh-so-awesome Eurostile:

After being close to unconscious for over a month, Crew C3 watched him closely to make sure nothing drastic occurred.

   His eyes opened, and he stared at the white ceiling for a long time, getting his bearings. He shifted and flexed his hands, paying attention to every movement. 

(And before you ask . . . yes, that is actually part of my WIP.)

Single-space or double-space when you're drafting?

Single-space. I despise double-space.

Old Kitty asked: Who is/are your favourite author or authors? (top 5!)

Only 5?! *sigh*

Frank Beddor

Eoin Colfer

Khaled Hosseini

Catherine Jinks

Trenton Lee Stewart

(I could bring up so many more, but that’s what I could think of at the moment.)

Jules asked: 2 favorites, song and quote?

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever"--Mahatma Ghandi.

OR:

“Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read"--Groucho Marx.

I don't listen to that many songs, really. Most of the music I listen to is instrumental. But how about "Windy"?

Liz Pezzuto asked: What's the one book (that is, already written by another author) that you wished you had written?

Oh, good question! I suppose Harry Potter would be the obvious answer here, but I wouldn't really want to be known for writing that book, much as I love it.

I really wish I had written The Kite Runner. (The writing is amazing, the plot has the ever-shocking twist, and the characters are wonderful. It made me sniffle a bit at the end, too.)

N. R. Williams, Sharon K. Mayhew, and Carol Kilgore all wanted to know what my first name is.

I suppose I neglected to tell you that I'm under surveillance by the FBI and an undercover agent to boot, so I can't divulge that information.

(AKA I'd rather keep my identity private. Not that I think you're all out to get me, but you never know online . . . and even though a first name doesn't tell you much compared to a last name, I'm going to continue to make sure I’m known as just The Golden Eagle.)

Alex J. Cavanaugh asked: I remember reading that you are not over 18. Really?

Really, dude.

Mason Canyon asked: What part of the U.S. do you live in?

I live above the 30-degree latitude and below the 50-degree latitude.

Jai Joshi asked: If you were a tree then what tree would you be?

Mangrove.

Laughingwolf asked: What is your fave recipe [you like preparing]?

I don't do much cooking, actually. But I love making bread, and there are these rolls with rice flour/honey topping that my mom came up with, and they are excellent.

Milo James Fowler asked: From one homeschool-survivor to another: How do you socialize in the real world?

(Another homeschooler! Awesome.)


Dance, basically. I've been doing it for over 8 years now.

The Words Crafter asked: I know you love science shows like Discovery Channel (me, too) and NOVA. Is there a tv show that you watch that has no redeeming value other than you simply enjoy it? Or a movie? Or a book?

The movie of The Princess Diaries has no redeeming value, right? I love watching that move . . .

Brave Chickens asked: Which Harry Potter ability would you love to have?

Besides being magical? :D

Hermione or Luna? Which character do you like more?

I love Luna even more in the movies (at least from what I've seen) than I do in the book, but Hermione's amazing in her own way . . . ack. Neither, I guess!

Shaynie asked: You are a girl ;), and you seem to enjoy a lot of stuff that many girls do not enjoy, such as science and math (stereotypical, I know, but that is just how it seems to be!). So, my question is, do you also like to do girly stuff? Like clothes, shopping, makeup, jewelry, etc.?

I love dancing--and, in particular, ballet. What gets girlier than pink satin shoes and ribbons and skirts and tutus? (Yes, I have worn tutus.)


I also love knitting, weaving, and latch hook, and beading can be fun.

Joanna asked: I was going to ask if you are a girl or a boy but most bloggers seem to have you pegged as a girl, so are you a girl?


Yup!

How do you find time to blog and comment?


I do it in rotation, mostly--I'll post one day, visit a few blogs, then not post the next and try to get through all the backlog on the Dashboard. (I don't use Google Reader, since I always found it difficult.)

*****

Well, there you have it, everyone! *whew* Thanks for asking, everyone! It was fun coming up with answers.


Anything else? :)


-----The Golden Eagle

Some Things People Have Said

Here's a list:

"There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home."

{President and founder of Digital Equipment Kenneth Olsen, 1977.}

(Good heavens. You mean that I've been following a dying trend . . . ?)

"Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality in 10 years."

{President of vacuum company Lewyt Alexander Lewyt, 1957.}

(I want a nuclear-powered vacuum cleaner, 'cause that sounds like the ultimate dust-attacker. Apparently, they're quite overdue.)

"With over 50 foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn't likely to carve out a big slice of the U.S. market."

{Business Week magazine, 1968.}

(And Toyota, Subaru, Suzuki, Mazda, Nissan, Mitsubishi are . . . what, Antarctic?)

"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."

{French military strategist, future World War I Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch, 1911.}

(Too bad the rest of the world didn't think so . . .)

"[Man will never reach the moon] regardless of all future scientific advances."

{Inventor of the audion tube and father of radio Dr. Lee De Forest, 1967.}

(What about women?)

"[Television] won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night."

{Head of 20th Century-Fox Darryl F. Zanuck, 1946.}

(Billions of people must be bored out of their minds, then.)

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."

{Western Union Internal Memo, 1876.}

(Email, right?)

"The Earth is the center of the universe."

{Ptolemy, 2nd Century.}

(And the USA is the center of the Earth.

Just kidding about that. Really. It's not. It's important, but not the center.)

"Nothing of importance happened today."

{King George III of England, July 4th 1776.}


(Nothing like, you know, the colonies declaring their independence from under good ol' George's rule?)

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."

{U.S. Commissioner of Patents, Charles H. Duell, 1899.}

(Then where were all the patents for computers and whatnot? Don't tell me the U.S. Patent Office has been holding out on us since 1899 . . .)

"These Google guys, they want to be billionaires and rock stars and go to conferences and all that. Let us see if they still want to run the business in two to three years."

{CEO of Microsoft Bill Gates, 2003.}

(Rock stars? You can become a rock star by starting up an Internet search provider? I'm there.)


Got anything to add? Any stupid/funny quotes you know of?

-----The Golden Eagle

How To: Beaming Someone Up Into A Spaceship

(Copied from The Alien's Handbook To Life's Greatest Activities--Seventh Edition)


Things You'll Need For The Beaming Up Into The Spaceship Part Of The Shenanigans:

A) A ship.

   Preferably with jump drive, back-up circuitry, and plenty of emergency calling numbers in case of . . . well, emergency.

B) A Kick-A** crew not averse to abducting beaming up your desired target.

   Now available at KA Crews R Us™!

C) A Captain for the ship.

   NOTE: Please add to your requirements: "Brain necessary!" Beware of the cheaper ones. They often come at a lower IQ.

D) A Beamer-Upper©

   NEW: Buy half-price at your local Space-Mart™! Deluxe edition includes: FASTER beaming up! EFFICIENT teleportation! FREE take out lunch!


Basic Over-Land (over-sea abductions beaming ups are much harder--please see Appendix F for further information!): How To Beam Them Up:

A) Go into orbit around Earth.

   Please, try not to smash all those pesky satellites. It's bad for your solar windshields!

B) Find a particularly delectable human.

   Male/Female, doesn't matter. They're all human. Except, avoid the ones with suits and convoys and stuffy Secret Service guards--Presidents don't take well to being abducted beamed up. You'll just get those irritating dragonfly-aircraft-thing-ers.

C) Position your ship above the desired human, and wait until darkness.

   DO NOT interrupt satellite transmissions. Humans get crabby if they can't read the next piece of email, usually consisting of something resembling an unintelligible noise made in the throat. Or Larynx. Or . . . does this handbook look like an anatomy book or something?

   Also, be sure that it is dark enough! You don't want to become infamous as the stupidest alien in history for being seen by the masses.

D) Fire up your Beamer-Upper©!

   Note: Beamer-Upper© products have a nasty habit of giving off brilliant flashes of light, so be sure that you're wearing Beamer-Upper© 360 Protection Goggles when proceeding.

E) Ignore screaming human.

   They WILL scream. Or look at you with a triumphant/vindicated expression, and say that they've always believed in aliens. If the latter, Laser-Shockr© them. Then they'll cower.


What To Do Afterwards:

A) Ship them off to a zoo.

   Zoos are paying big bucks for live, conscious humans!

B) Keep it as a pet.

   Humans are annoyingly stupid, though. They'll insist that they have to do this and that and whatever--they never learn anything. Galaxy Pitbulls are better for the family.

C) Give it to your girlfriend/boyfriend.

   Your Alien GF/BF will absolutely adore this new thing to cuddle when you're gone! (Note: this project is also a good way of getting away from him/her.)

D) Put it back down to Earth when you discover it's just a pain in the--*ahem*

   This is the wisest option.


A Last Word Of Advice:

No matter which option you choose, be sure to get the heck out of there once you're done.


***Final Note: Please do not try this at home.***


-----The Golden Eagle

The Great Blogging Experiment Blogfest begins tomorrow! There were 153 entries last time I checked--those are a lot of blogs to read, but I know I'm going to be visiting at least a few! I might have to do a lot of it on Saturday, but I'll at least be visiting the people I follow. :)

You can still join if you haven't yet! *gasps* Just go HERE.

*****

I have been invited to celebrate Icewolf's 200th Post Party! Thanks, Icewolf!

The rules are to pass it on to three people, then have them pass it on to three others. (If you're not familiar with Da Lovely World of What-Not, then here's the explanation: Icewolf sets up situations and you and your characters type out scenes; those scenes are built on by other readers and the story expands into what's usually full-blown action!)

Choosing only three is going to be difficult, but here are my picks:

Caroline
Katie/Popular Joker
and
Brena

-----The Golden Eagle