Monday, April 20, 2009

Day 20: Downsizing.

Woooo 20 days into BEDA! *dances*

Now on to important things.

I know I just sound like a bandwagon hopper when I say this, because other people who highly influence my life (namely Alex and Hayley) just announced (in a way) something similar.... but I am going to try to stop wasting so much time on websites that don't add anything to my life.

To clarify, there are some Internet sites that are very important to me. This blog is growing to be one of my favorite things to do because I never feel more comfortable than when I am writing down my thoughts. YouTube is important to me. Obviously my email is one of my life supports, and I love keeping up with my favorite blogs and things because a ton of my friends are brilliant writers and I love reading their words.

But I'm going to stop cross posting my blogs on Maureen Johnson's ning. It's just extra work that gets me nothing beyond a few more comments from people who read it over there. It already exists HERE, it doesn't need to be there.

I think I'll stop dailybooth. This was a hard decision because I LIKE dailybooth, but I was looking at my usual tabs today on firefox and it was one that I didn't really care if it was there or not so I decided it would go. I was living a nice, happy, fulfilled life before dailybooth existed, so I can easily revert back to that.

I've already reduced my facebook time to checking my inbox for messages and replying to only the necessary wall posts. The myspace was abandoned months ago, but I have picked it back up for the sake of preparing fans for our new album. And this morning I deleted about 60 of my youtube subscriptions that I just don't watch anymore.

I miss reading.
When I was younger, I would read a book in a day. I would come home from school and I would grab my book and sit in the living room on my favorite side of the couch by the lamp and read until dinner. And then I would read after dinner until it was time for bed. And then I would read under my covers with a flashlight unless I heard my dad walk by my room in which case I would flick off the light and lie still, pretending to be asleep.
Ever since I was introduced to social networking sites and the magic of the refresh button, I don't read much anymore.

I'm not an extreme enough person to just delete everything like Alex, but I am cutting down. I'm missing out on things I like to do, because I am too busy reading about what every else is doing. THAT, my friends, is a sad, sad statement.


Kayley left me a comment on my blog yesterday asking me the following question because she is a smartass, so I will now humor her with my answer:

Q. Who is your favourite fiveawesomegirl?
A. ME

I have my childbirth class today and I am so excited.
That being said, two night ago I had a dream that I had a child and I buckled the child into its car seat and we were going somewhere together. And then my dream shifted and I hopped on a bike and was exploring and finding all these awesome places and then my dream shifted again and I remembered the child and knew I'd forgotten to crack the window and it was probably suffocating. :/
And last night I dreamed I was showing someone how to change diapers. I don't even really know how to change diapers.
What is this class doing to meeee.


Grammar lesson of the day.

It's = it is.
"It's a beautiful day!" = correct.
"That is not how it's supposed to look." = correct
"Give the dog it's bone." = NOT CORRECT.

It looks like it should be a possessive, but trust me, it is not. ALWAYS do the "it is" test. Always.


That's all. I have a growing fondness for the people who read my blog and especially those of you who comment. This is such a nice little pocket of webspace. Thank you for inhabiting it with me. :)


Today's Word: Insongnia
The condition when you have a song stuck in your head and you can't get it out. -morgan.
(I always thought there needed to be a word for this.)

The Office: Season 5, Episode 2
Doctor Who: Season 3, Episode 1

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65 comments:

Jessica Bergman "TheOtherJessica" said...

In regards to the it's VS. its...I think we should also mention the your VS you're. "You are" = you're! As in, you're awesome...or you're late for school..which coincidentally, I am.

Stefan said...

I feel like the farther you get from youtube comments the nicer comments tend to be.

could you imagine if all the text comments on youtube were video comments? sorry for ruining your day with that thought! :(

Elizabeth... said...

I love what you said about reading.
I've felt the same way for a while now because internet is sort of suffocating. I suppose I used to have more time to read when there was less homework but it was only 3 years ago when I could get through about 30 books in a 2 week easter holiday. It was a push to read 2 this last one. I swear to myself I have to get back into devouring books like I used to.

Trisf: the struggle and subsequent hilarity of trying to get a group of people into a tiny photobooth to get a group photo.

Phyllis said...

so i've been on youtube for like 2 years now, never made videos though, just had a ton of subscriptions. i too have been influenced by alex to downsize all internet crack. i just deleted about 20 blogs, and 200 subscriptions. i deleted facebook, dailybooth, and twitter from my safari tabs. i'm feeling good. though i did just get a tumblr. two steps forward, one step back.

Mustikoita said...

I deleted my facebook too because I really don't get anything out of it; my friends don't use it much so it's mainly peope from school I don't talk to. I have't been on Dailybooth in ages, but I still like Twitter. There are just too many addictive websites on the internet! :)

Jordan Cwierz said...

I wasn't cross posting my blogs on the Ning for a while, then just recently I started to. Funny how that works.

Thanks for the grammar lesson. Hopefully it's an eye opener to someone who can't fully grasp the arcane rules of English. Are you like me insofar that you hate when people make mistakes like mixing up there/their/they're? That crap drives me crazy.

kittenpaws33 said...

I totally did the whole read under the covers with a flashlight thing - I miss being able to finish books :(

hethe - when you get confused about an article use - "hethe cat chased the mouse"

Unknown said...

ha "insongnia"....excellent
should be word of the month because it happens so often...well at least it does to me :D

John said...

I love YouTube dearly but I find that you don't get haters on blogger because they don't have the will or patience to read a whole blog then say something pathetic like "you're gay".

I think its a nice niche that brings pleasant people together and for that I salute Kristina :D

Emily Prieditis said...

I actually kow exactly what you mean about the internet and the refresh button (lol), I used to do so much more but now I'm always on here!
Your blogs are awesome btw!
=)

Anonymous said...

I want to go back to being that book-crazy child, too. In middle school, I literally walked through the hallways with my nose in a book. I somehow maneuvered around all the moving people and made it to my locker and class without missing a single sentence. I miss those days.

+Christina+

Crystal said...

Yeah, I deleted a lot of my YT subscriptions, too. Facebook has been gone for a few days, and MySpace has been gone for months. The only other thing I have is LiveJournal, which I can't get rid of; it's too therapeutic.

abbs866 said...

I've done the internet downsizing as well. It's liberating, isn't it? You just begin to feel like yo can breathe again, and go outside, and the world continues without your computer.
I think this is one of my all time favorite blog posts of yours.
Trismse - What would have happened if Bella had triplets.

Nicholas said...

I miss reading as well... I used to read so so much, but nowadays my reading habit has shriveled up and crawled under a pillow somewhere...

I'm also in the bandwagon with downsizing. The only thing really unnecessary that I still do is blip.fm. It's basically a waste of time, but still... I need a little more time to let it go.

Teryn said...

I definitely know what you mean about the unneeded websites. I'm trying to cut down myself and DailyBooth has become more of an 'I have to' rather than an 'I want to' and so I think I will be deleting that sometime today.

I'm finding the same thing about reading recently, too!! I mean honestly it's like the internet is just there waiting and when you go on it, it swallows you whole and never returns you! You and Alex, however, are showing us that there is hope! I miss reading... a lot. I have a bookshelf that consists of books that I want to read in my lifetime. Whenever I see/hear of a book I want to read, I add it to the shelf and eventually I will get to it. But it makes me sad all of a sudden when the shelf just becomes more and more stuffed and I am hardly reading anything.

Well thanks for letting me bore you with my oober long comment!!

Oletha said...

I am going to miss your face on DailyBooth. :(

But <3 for the grammar lesson :D

Unknown said...

You're right! Mrs. Nermion does give me insongia! I swear my whole family must think I'm gay because that's all I sing.

And I have grown a fondness for you as you have for us (or so you say).

This is mostly because if someone would mention Kristina Horner (Not that many people I know bring you up often) I would say "Or she is jut Monday on 5AG" but now I would say "Oh she is that girl who goes to a college where they play Zombie Vs. Humans and she is a Grammar freak and talented at not just making videos"....
....
Actually...
I would still say "That girl from 5AG" but I would THINK the other one

(:

Whats a word for something you think but down say...

Phead - A phrase you say in your head

Hayley Hoover said...

*cough cough cough* Excuse me, ma'am. Grammar Fairy speaking. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!

Sarah said...

I think it's great that you're downsizing on the things you do online--sometimes I feel the same way about the stuff I do on the internet.

So I think I'm going to try doing it too :)

And anyways, I miss reading also!

Scott said...

Internet downsizing is definitely something I've been doing lately, too. Suddenly, the refresh button seems more like a burden than an interest, and e-peen has become something of the past. I love it. Just like I love your blog.

Anonymous said...

I've been neglecting my reading due to the addictive-ness of the internet too. :/

My goal for this year was to read 50 books, and so far I've only read 5 books. Eeek. But I'm trying to lessen my internet time, and it seems to be working.

I know it's hard not to be online whenever you have free time, but I'm sure that your books and your friends will thank you for it in the end.

janitorbud said...

i know exactly what you mean about missing reading. i was thinking about that yesterday actually. my friend reads SO MUCH, and i haven't actually tried to read a lot in years.
haha i taught a couple of people in my lit class the other day about its and it's.

Moo said...

Dratio: The ratio a Draco in the Potter books.

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean about not doing anything because you're seeing what other people are doing. I do it often and i'm trying to leave the cave more often.

Anyhootie, I love your blog.

Unknown said...

I always do the it is test to make sure it makes sense. This is the captcha code so I'll make up a little definition for it if I can think of one.

Grration: the amount of time you are frustrated about something.
Example: My geometry homework takes a long grration of time.

Haha, that's sucky but oh well :P

Lou said...

This is my favorite word yet, perhaps because i am always in a state of insongnia.
Also, the "it is" test is pretty much the number one most important test for a student... screw that, for a human being. Vertical line test? No thanks. "You are" test? important, but hopefully automatic. The WASL? NEVER. But the "it is" test? Definitely.
And I did the same thing with reading when I was younger. Except when I was called for dinner it was "One more chapter PLEEEEASE?!" every single time. And then after one more chapter it was "but *something dramatic and intense* just happened, I can't stop NOW!"
.... yeah. That still happens. At college.

Lydia Knight said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lydia Knight said...

I absolutely agree with you and everyone here about downsizing the internet usage. I was inspired by Alex to cut down too. I'd already stopped using DailyBooth a few weeks ago and today I deleted my MySpace and Unsubscribed to people I don't really watch, ETC.. Because I would love to start reading more again, and well.. just getting out often! :P

I love reading your blog though. I couldn't give that up :)

<3

Anonymous said...

Hey Kristina! I love your blog!
And to go with all the 28 comments above me, totally agree with you on the social networking issue...I had that problem, but then I was inspired by your book challenge on 5ag last year and made it my new years resolution to read 30 books this year. I'm so happy because I've started reading again and I realized how much I missed it. :) thanks so much and keep up the awesome posts! I hope you still blog a lot after BEDA because it keeps me entertained and is a wonderful procrastination method.

Katy said...

"This is such a nice little pocket of webspace. Thank you for inhabiting it with me. :)"

I like inhabiting you. Wait. That didn't come out right.

On Reading: I don't feel I read as much anymore, but I do feel I get more out of reading. I understand the themes and the deeper meanings and I appreciate literature so much more now, so it doesn't really bother me that I don't read as much. Quality over quantity, right? (: Plus, I sometimes feel that I have to give myself a break between books...

I just finished reading Cat's Cradle, so I thought, "Yeah, I'll start a completely different book!" and started reading I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, which is COMPLETELY different, in terms of themes and ideas and writing styles and everything.

Tangent. Sorry. <3

kkupcake said...

mrs nerimon DOES give me insongnia!!!!!!!!!!!

Kelly said...

I think downsizing on internet and media consumption can be good - but also I know that it can be hard to do, especially for people who have made real friendships and have important relationships with people over the internet.
It's really refreshing to read your blog (along with hayley's) because I get to see more than just the 5AG or personal channel Kristina and I learn a lot from your wisdom being older and all.
Thanks for blogging!

Kelly said...

Mrs. Nerimon needs to be my ringtone...can you provide an MP3 link ;-)?

Indigo said...

prophobya-a feeling of agreeing with a phobia

Anonymous said...

I really like your grammar interlude today! Also, I always tell people that my dreams switch and no one says that it happens to them! I am greatful that I am not alone and that your brain moves as quickly as mine does! Haha. Also, some of my friends don't dream in color which is weird.

My word was hounp -- Verb form of "hop on up." Ex) I was talking to the cowboy and he told me to 'hounp that saddle!'

Gina said...

THANK YOU for spreading awareness about it's/its :D. "Its" is seriously one of my favourite words because it is so rare to see it used properly.

About internet clutter... I've realised recently that I am not nearly as dependent on the internet as I thought. For example I just spent two weeks travelling with limited internet access, and when I did go online all I felt the need to do was check my email and check facebook. Just the knowledge that I don't need everything else is good enough for me... I don't feel the need to cull sites cause when I'm bored I like them, and when I'm not I can just not go to them!

Melody said...

synobon - It's like a cinnamon bun, only with GRAMMAR!!!
...Sorry, my Capcha code just turned into a very strange commercial.

billowycapeofdoom said...

I had just deleted like 200 facebook friends when Alex posted that video and was trying to figure out what else to get rid of. :P
But there are some things that I just don't want to get rid of just cause I don't want to. :P
And I've been feeling like I don't get to read enough anymore either with school and the internet, so I'm trying to change that. :)

asdflkjhasdflkjhasdfkjh said...

I know exactly what you mean. I find myself online nowadays using the time I used to spend reading.

I've taken a month-long facebook hiatus and have cut back on internet use for a different reason though - AP's are coming up.

The proper word for insongnia actually already exists, as "earworm." But insongnia sounds better.

Lawand: Wands which are made out of Veela hair.

HeyLukey said...

i think where growing fond of ur blog 2 :P thanks for letting us read

Refreshstanation - sitting on the internet refreshing when other more important tasked need attention

Callidora said...

Distalic: The opposite of italic or un-italicized text.

Jess said...

Swah- a word of multiple meaning when you can't come up with just the right adjective.

Anonymous said...

Sad as it is I never actually understood the it thing. Ever. And I'm a junior in high school. In AP english. But your grammar lesson made it click. So Thank You! And downsizing is a pretty good idea. Good Luck!

Faith said...

I read a lot two, but less than I used to. Now that I think about it, when I started youtube 2 years ago, I started reading less.

Also, I realized a while ago that I need to stop trying to make friends over the internet and concentrate on my few irl relationships. The more time I spend online, the less connected I feel to my peers at school.

Manda said...

Don't worry, I'm jumping on the bandwagon too... I just decided to spend more time doing things that actually lead towards what I ultimately want to do. Its so simple isn't it? But why did it take so long to get around to? lol. I hope it all goes well for you.

Oh and I thought I should tell you that thanks to your 5AG challenge last year to read 50 books I am doing that this year which has helped considerably with the "I don't read enough any more!" problem. :-) So - thanks!
xo

Molly said...

Good job for downsizing. One thing, in regards to posting on the ning, you can import your blog posts using the RSS feed option without actually having to do anything (ex: http://maureenjohnson.ning.com/profile/Molly - my blog isn't actually hosted on the ning). That way, your blog posts appear there, but if anyone clicks on the post they are taken to your blog here. Easily done!

Sarahalala said...

I have been thinking lately about how I miss reading too! I particularly miss the joy of reading - getting home from elementary school and being SO excited to pick up that book again, just hoping that I wouldn't get called away to do anything else, not being able to go to bed until I've finished the book. I don't feel that joy in reading as much anymore - maybe it's a part of being a student and spending so much time reading academic things??

Thank YOU for writing this blog and sharing it with us - I really enjoy reading it.

Matt said...

I think that the definition to "insongnia" should be amended to include the times when you get a song stuck in your head and you are unable to sleep because of it.

...or does that only happen to me?

Kristi said...

I just wanted to let you know that your blog is one of things that I look forward to all day. :) You are a wonderful, entertaining writer.

Sunbr - when girls go tanning and their skin gets brown, and therefore darker than their hair.

Morgan Johnson said...

Your Grammar Lesson of the Day is fantastic. I absolutely hate it when people use homonyms/homophones like that incorrectly.

I also thank you for choosing my word. I'm glad everyone likes it! (Ah, yes, Hans...that is the actual word!)

alyson said...

I recently did the same thing.
I didn't delete things but I did stop following many people on twitter, and deleted friends on facebook that I had talked to one in middle school or something.
I feel the same way about blogging, I could never get rid of it because it's so comfortable.

Nurse-Study-Travel-Repeat said...

i <3 u kristina

hannah said...

grrrr I didn't have insongnia until i read the tags.

Bianca23 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bianca23 said...

I so agree with you on the "internet consumes your real life" thing. I've also deleted a lot of people I've followed on Twitter and some YouTube subcriptions. There are just too many great things on the web but it keeps you from other things, which saddens me sometimes.

I used to read a lot when I was younger, but because of a busy school life and the internet I didn't read anymore. But around November last year I've started to read again and it gave me so much joy and happiness, that I now read much more. It just feels so good to lose myself in a book!

This is getting a long comment ;) I really like your blog, you're such a good and entertaining writer. It's interesting to read about you and your life. I hope you'll keep writing blogs when BEDA is over.

bassrocks9 said...

Haha I definitely think I have "mrs. nerimon" insongnia.

and that's really a great idea to try to purge excess web-viewing, and i know that i should be doing that since i am definitely addicted to the internet, but i am not strong enough.

it's too bad your ending dailybooth, since you're a very photogenic person. :)

...i want to be mrs. nerimon, so we can build a little house with a lawn, and watch our love go on and on and on and on and on and nerimon...

Anonymous said...

i feel exactly the same about internet... i just spent a few days at my great-aunt's house with no internet and I managed to read 2 books, one of them being over 500 pages long! I don't have the time, well I don't FIND the time when I have a computer bear me, and that makes me sad...

so, good for you trying to spend less time on the net, and good luck! ;)

x0brittx0 said...

i just thought you should know that i have struggled with the apostrophe in the contraction "it's" and the possessive form of "it" for as long as i can remember. like, literally since they taught that to us in school. it has been almost a full day since i read your blog and guess what ... I'VE DONE IT CORRECTLY ALL DAY!!! i'm so excited, you have no idea.

i feel like i owe you money now.

Caliowin said...

I'm glad you are enjoying your blog as I love reading it each day. :) I hope you continue to update it very regularly after BEDA, because I'll miss it.

Ana said...

I wrote a blog on Maureen's ning about this today. I agree with you completely, we spend so much time on the internet, and for what? Reading tweets is not important, it's not important to take a photo every day (although I did commit to it but I'm getting bored and annoyed because I don't have ideas), etc.
At least we still have your blog and videos :) xx

Oh, yeah, that chick Arya said...

I am in middle school and everyday i just read. I read and read. well its hard when there is facebook and twitter. I also feel kind of like what your doing is a internet strike-ish. ;)

Laila said...

The condition "insongnia" has a real life term too - its called an "earworm"

Here's the wiki link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earworm

Tessa Jones said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Manderiffic said...

Our mutual grammar obsession is so completely and utterly grand.

Jeremy said...

What I love about internet is that you can find any book no matter how old it is.
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