wildaspie

Haiku is a Japanese poetry form utilizing a strict meter, consisting of a first line of five syllables, a second of seven syllables, and a final line of five syllables.

For example:

It’s five-seven-five

Meter, with or without rhyme

Often about stuff.

Twitter is a popular Internet social connection service, where users can send “tweets” (messages of no more than 140 characters) to their network, or “followers.” Part of Twitter’s popularity is that these messages can be sent from mobile devices like cellular phones, making up-to-the-minute updates possible. And, best of all, it’s free.

As a Twitter user, I see a lot of brief “this is what I’m doing” messages from my network. It’s dry stuff, really. So one morning I decided I’d arrange my update in haiku. And I’ve been doing it ever since. It’s a little bit of something different that can bring a smile.

And I’d like to invite everyone to join in for a day. On Sunday, November 16, 2008, it would be a blast to see what happens when Twitter goes haiku.

Wild Aspie Awards are coming, October 2008!

Awards will be given to blogs and websites exhibiting excellence in the following categories:

• Artistic Expressions
• Cryptozoology/Paranormal/Weird Stuff
• Dare to be Different
• Design/Layout
• Education
• Humor
• Neurodiverse Author/Focus
• Personal Diary/Survivor/Self-Improvement
• Overall Excellence

Recipients will be reviewed at the Wild Picks and Pans blog, and are encouraged to nominate their own favorite blogs and sites. Nominations can also be made on the Wild Aspie Award Board.

[Note: this is not a “tag” or “meme” – recipients will not select multiple others to which to give the award they receive. Nominations are reviewed by current and past recipients (when available) and final decision rests with the Wild Aspie.]

There’s an email going around that’s presented as a list of books VP-hopeful Palin wanted to ban. Turns out the list (as presented) is “just” a list of books that have been banned or challenged (meaning a request was made to ban them) as recorded by the American Library Association^ (ala.org^ ).

Me, I read “banned” books. Some books, I agree, have no place in grade school libraries (”A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess, as an example). But others - like the Harry Potter series - you’ve got to be kidding me. I can understand the discomfort of a strict Christian parent concerned that the content might lure a child into “the dark arts,” but let’s be rational a moment. The kid is *reading* for *pleasure*. With all of the competition literacy has for a kid’s attention nowadays, let them read whatever they want, as long as they are reading! If you’re really worried, try reading the book yourself first, and if you *really* find it objectionable, go to the library or bookstore and find something better.

Anyway, the Annual Banned Books Week is coming up! Bloggers are often (not always) readers too, so please get the word out.

Celebrating the Freedom to Read:
September 27–October 4, 2008
(link goes to ALA’s Banned Books Week homepage)