Thursday, December 29, 2011

HanukkAHRT

My fellow blogger JRose gifted us with a colouring page!! With a llama!! And ghouls!! Was too tempted. Here is my piece of art!! Go on the cheeseblarg to get your own picture to draw!! Great fun and laughs!!


You see it's sunny outside, as indicated by the bright yellow colouring in the window!! yay!



Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Wiki Wiki What: One Year Anniversary

December 26th 2010 - I posted my first blog post on here entitled What's To Come? 183 posts, 3 blog stories, a bundle of top ten lists, and multiple rants later, it's time to celebrate the first anniversary of my little baby Wiki Wiki What!!


STATISTICS

Total pageviews : 8,771 and counting
Most Popular Month : November 2011 - 1,391 pageviews
Least Popular Month : December 2010 - 51 pageviews


Top ten posts

Who is Pittacus Lore? - 852 pageviews
Earthquake Hits Japan - 355 pageviews
SCRE4M Review - 230 pageviews
I ♥ Denmark - 131 pageviews

Click on the title to the read the blog post!!


Top ten referring websites

Google.com - 1,694 clicks
Facebook.com - 455 clicks
Google.co.uk - 399 clicks
Google.ca - 312 clicks
Google.co.in - 259 clicks
Bing.com - 187 clicks
Google.com.au - 157 clicks
images.search.yahoo.com - 128 clicks
Google.de - 116 clicks
Domar.ru - 38 clicks


Top ten search keywords (and they are quite funny)

Pittacus lore wiki - 309
Mara Wilson - 109
Hostel - 108
Mara wilson now - 87
Pittacus lore wikipedia - 78
Tiger blood wiki - 48
Mara elizabeth wilson all grown up - 29
People of interest tv show - 27
mara wilson grown up - 25
the other side of the island - 22
 
Hmmm... why do I get this feeling Mara Wilson is extremely popular? And Go Allegra Goodman Go! Her book rounds out the top ten!!
 
 
Top ten pageviews by Country

United States - 3,194 pageviews
Canada - 1,411 pageviews
United Kingdom - 703 pageviews
India - 371 pageviews
Germany - 343 pageviews
Australia - 240 pageviews
Russia - 163 pageviews
Netherlands - 155 pageviews
Denmark - 101 pageviews
Philippines - 76 pageviews
 
 
Blog Story Stats

Jesus Murphy (Including specials) - 416 pageviews
Friday the 13th (Including alternate ending) - 274 pageviews
The Infected (Unfinished) - 216 pageviews and counting

Click on the title to read all of the chapters!!


I have to say that I have been having a lot of fun with this blog and can't wait to bring it to another level. I have been a bit distant this month from Wiki Wiki What, safe Tuesdays when I post a new chapter of The Infected: Blog Story.

Wiki Wiki What will change in the new year with every month having a specific theme to it, which I find helps me post more. You know, I am getting old, creative ideas aren't flowing as easily as before. :)

And seriously, who doesn't love themes?




I wish my little blog a happy first anniversary and hopefully many more to come afterwards. Thanks to everyone who is reading, I wish in the new year you will post more comments, whether it be advice for my writing, criticism of a particular post, or just shared experiences.

With that being said, Happy New-Year to all!!!


Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink
 





Tuesday, December 27, 2011

The Infected: Blog Story (18)


eighteen: reflections

It's hard to picture a happy ending with Felix. But then again, I can barely imagine a life without him now. We've been surviving for the past fourty two days and some would argue we've been doing a poor job. My limbs are weak, my mind is as sharp as a dull knife, and with this unexpected pregnancy, my hormones are shifting worst then freight elevators.

But as I try and catch some shut eye in the back of the Jeep, somewhere isolated in the Appalachian valley, my mind suddenly drifts to a series of what ifs. What if I had ran towards David's house instead of back home? Would David be alive now instead of Felix? And what if Felix had been unable to manage his sister's attacks?

Felix shifts in his sleep an he accidently elbows me in the ribs. I can't take it. I wiggle myself out of my sleeping bag and slip my way into the front seat. The windows have a thick frost on them, and in the black of the night I am unable to see anything outside the Jeep. I hate that!

I turn the key into the ignition, sparking the car to life on the batterie's energy and decide to check the radio. It's become an obsession of mine. Still nothing though, on every channel it is nothing but static. I sigh catch my reflection in the vanity mirror above my head. The flap is down and I can see my face for the first time in three weeks.

I look dreadful. My eyes are puffy, my skin is grey. My lips are nothing but thin red lines that cover my teeth. I'm a shadow of my old self. My bushy brown hair is a tangled mess and impulsively, I feel like chopping it off.

I start rumaging through the glove compartment and find nothing. Then I remember the first aid kit in the back besides the water cooler. I try not to make a sound and open the door. I check back to see if it has awakened Felix when it happens. The door flies open, pulling me with it and I fall in the snow beside the Jeep.

I get to my hands and knees and find myself in front of a very large zombie. And he doesn't look frozen to me. It snaps it mouth and tries to lunge at me.

"FEELIX!!" I scream and jump to my feet just as the bastard swings its claws at me. This one is quick and he is ferocious. His skin has barely decayed although it is striped black with veins and he has that distinctive rotting smell. The evil in his eyes is unbearable to look at. It has every intent to rip me to shreads and I have nothing to defend myself with.

I try and run around it but the zombie is fast and before I can move it lunges. It can't scratch me. Dear Lord, please don't let this fucking bastard touch me. I let out a shriek as I kick it in the shin, breaking its leg as if it was a rotted log. It caws and moans and tries to grab onto me as I run past it. Doesn't even care about his wound. The bastard only wants my flesh.

"FELIX!!" I open the door of the Jeep and grab mister sleepyhead's axe. I swing back around, raise the axe above my head and bring it down on the zombie's skull, severing his head in half.

I linger there for a minute, as snow begins to fall around me. Black puss begins to stain the white blanket of snow around the zombie. I look up at the moon and it shines so bright tonight. My heartbeat settles down.

Normal as if I just had sunday supper I place the axe back inside the Jeep, grab the scissors from the first aid kit and raise them to the lock of hair I have in my hand.






Saturday, December 24, 2011

The Infected: A Very Merry Xmas Special

two years prior to infection

Snow is falling down in lush and thick snowflakes, covering the grounds of New-York City within hours. It was a beautiful sight to see from the penthouse suite of the Ritz-Carleton. Charles Olsen was standing behind the glass pane, admiring the white cityscape below him while he enjoyed a glass of MacCutcheon - his favourite whisky.

His wife, Sarabeth, was just putting on her final pieces of jewellery and then they would be off to their annual Christmas fundraiser. Charles had alot to accomplish tonight and he thought maybe his wife was taking her time on purpose.

"Are you almost done, Beth? He's waiting for us." Charles says as he raises his glass and finishes the remaining whisky. He's impatient at closing the deal. He would finally be able to expand the business, a dream of his since he first took over Olsen Pharmaceuticals from his ailing father.

Sarabeth walks out of the bathroom and Charles turns around to admire her beauty.

"Too bad you're inside doesn't match your outside." He says and walks towards the door.

"Ever so charming, Charles." Sarabeth lets out and follows her husband out of the hotel suite.


*****

Charles shifts uncomfortably in his seat while his wife pours herself another glass of champagne. They are in their limo, on their way to Carnegie Hall. Mr. Olsen's cellphone rings and it breaks the tense silence.

"Hello. Oh, hi Charlotte. Yes, we're on our way there now." Charles rolls his eyes and answers with a series of yesses. "I'm sure Grams can take care of it. I'm really busy right now, Charlotte. Yes. Have a good night, sweetie."

He shuts off his cellphone and slips it back in his pocket. He feels his wife's cold stare on him and looks at her.

"Can't take five minutes to talk to her?" Sarabeth says as she chugs the remnants of her champagne cup.

"I don't see you picking up your phone to call her back." Charles answers back flatly just as the limo comes to a stop and the chauffeur announces their destination.

"Now put a smile on. We have a deal to close." Charles says as he steps out of the limo and into the cold Christmas night.

*****

Carnegie Hall is adorned with blinking, vivid Christmas lights and brought to life with tall, massive Christmas trees. There is festive music playing smoothly in the background and the guests are chattering away while enjoying tiny, tasteful hors-d'oeuvres.

Sarabeth is discussing the current crisis in Darfour when her husband suddenly pulls her away for a private meeting. They walk hand-in-hand, smiling to each other as if madly in love. They make their way out of the hall and into a side hallway that leads to a private chamber in the west wing.

Evergreen garlands hang criss-crossed above them and discrete red lighting sets a very festive tone. A man dressed as Santa Claus greets them at the door and lets them in. Although he looks harmless, Charles can only guess what kind of weapons are concealed under the jolly red suit.

Sarabeth and Charles walk inside the room like old lovers. It's astonishing how well they can play the part. A man dressed in black sits at the desk in the middle of the room, two croonies on either side of him. He gestures for Charles and his wife to take a seat. They smile and sit down across from the man.

"I'm glad you accepted my invitation. Have you finally accepted the offer?" The man says sharply, a certain whimsy in his voice.

"We will be breaking hundreds of federal laws along the way. You are certain nothing will happen to us?" Charles says and he is convincing in his plight for both he and his wife's safety.

"You will be working for the US government, Mr. Olsen. I assure you immunity in return for your research."

Charles goes to speak but Sarabeth cuts him off and she genuinely sounds concerned. "Will this be used in war, Mr. Secretary of Defense? This weapon could be extremely dangerous."

"Call me Robert, I insist. Now don't be silly, we have no intention on actually using the chemical agent. We simply want to possess the technology."

At first Charles can't tell if the Secretary of Defense is angry or just taken aback by his wife's untimely rude comment. Charles excuses her on basis of a glass of champagne too much and asks her politely to leave and let the grown men discuss the important issues. Sarabeth scoffs and turns to leave. She doesn't forget to wink flirticiously at Mr. Secretary of Defense.

"Now what were we talking about, Mr. Olsen?"

"We were just about to seal the deal. I formulate this weapon of mass destruction and you pay me billions of dollars." Charles says, and accepts the cigar that is handed to him by one of Robert Scott's goons.

"You'll make millions of Americans proud, Mr. Olsen, I hope you know that. If you can do this...master the dead...we will be unstoppable," says Secretary of Defense Robert Scott; a certain brightness in his eyes as he delivers the last line.

Charles had always distrusted politicians and men like Robert Scott, but this deal was too good to fork over. If he realised his objectives, the United States of America would hold the power to reanimate the dead.

*****

Charles joins his wife, who is chatting away with Margaret Jones, and politely asks her to dance. Sarabeth accepts gracefully and gives her hand to her husband. He leads her to the dancefloor and as they get swallowed in by the crowd and the sounds of Christmas music, Sarabeth whispers in her husband's ear:

"Once this is over, I want a divorce"

"Well...Merry Christmas to you, too" Charles answers back, a smile forming across his face.



Friday, December 23, 2011

The Infected: Blog Story (17)

seventeen: northbound


David was prepared for this. There's gas cans in the back, canned goods neatly placed in a box beside the thirty gallons of water. I found women's clothing as well. Maybe he was fighting it out with someone else, like Felix and I.

All of that doesn't even matter anymore. David is dead. Aleksandra must have stayed back and followed us into Del Rio. She knew what I thought of David, knew my deep feelings for him. She murdered him in cold blood. Felix has tried to reassure me, tell me everything will be okay but it won't. Nothing will ever be the same. We have been left for dead by our God.

"What are you thinking about?" Felix asks me as we pass the sign which once informed drivers that they were nearing Oklahoma City. With the zombie infection, we now see those signs as warnings. Cities are dangerous now.

I turn to look at him. His eyes are sulken and the skin around them is puffy and dark. God has left us for dead. "Thinkin' about how our God abandoned us here."

"God has nothing to do with this." Felix says, trying to reassure me. He keeps his eyes on the road.

"Right. He only created us, has nothing to do with destroying us. Get it." I'm being mean to him again. I can't help it. I doubt he would be interested in me back in the old world. I know he wasn't. I declared my love for him in front of the whole school and he denied me a response and only laughed. He changed, I know that. But the situation we are in has left him with only one choice. Me.

"You are still alive, Charlie. Don't you think He has something to do with it?"

"Everyone I cared for is dead. Don't preach to me, Felix, it won't work. Anyhow, I stopped believing in Him way before any of all this happened."

"Then why do you feel abandonned by Him?" Felix asks me.

"Can we change the subject? I'm sorry I even brought it up."

"Yeah. Check the stations, we haven't done it in a while."

Since we left Del Rio last week we have been checking the radio several times a day, hoping to find a broadcast of survivors at the least, one from the US army at best. Nothing but static noise responded. Our plan was to head north into the forests. I read in several books that zombies tend to freeze quicker then humans, therefore unable to attack us.

Felix and I had made a pact though that a strong broadcast message could influence our destination but only if both people felt safe about the decision.

I play with the tuner, going up the dials but still there is nothing. I sigh and look out the window. The landscape has changed so much;  i've never been passed Amarillo, Texas - where daddy's sister Camilla lives. It's so cold up here and as we contour Oklahoma city, the first snow falls. Even for mid-october, snow in these parts of the southern states is rare. Our atmosphere is changing.

"I think we'll be able to go into the big cities from here on out." Felix suggests as we enter Norman, Oklahoma.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea. There's much worst then zombies lurking around now, Felix. Who knows, Canada might even be safe. America can be quarantined for all we know."

"No, Aleks even said she saw news reports of attacks in Japan and England before all of this went down here. No, you know it as much as me. They spread fast." Felix says as he pulls over in front of a pharmacy. The casual mention of her name shoots an arrow of pain in my heart. David is dead. This town is dead. A few zombies walk here and there but nothing threatening.

Felix steps out of the Jeep but not before I suggest going in instead of him. "You keep watch, i'll go in."

He gives me a suspicious look, mainly because it's always been Felix who has went inside the stores we looted. He finally concedes and gets back inside the Jeep. I give him a kiss and make him promise he won't leave me behind.

*****

The pharmacy is completly trashed. I don't stop to look, I know exactly what I want. The aisles are completly ransacked and it takes me some time before I find what it was I came in for. Among the opened pill bottles and scattered boxes of allergy medicine, I find the blue box that can answer my question. I pick it up and read the small print below the brand name. Clear Blue. Get a clear answer.

I pull down my pants and squat right there in Norman's only Pharmacy. I follow procedure and get back up, I don't even bother to pull up my pants. It promises results within minutes. The longest time delay of my life. I can't have a baby. Not now. Not ever.

Something begins to appear in the circular frame that is suppose to tell if i'm with child or not. The words finally appear on the little screen. Pregnant 2-3. I drop the stick to the ground and remain stiff, my pants around my ankle. Felix walks in and it takes some time before I notice him.

"What are you doing?" He asks me, a puzzled look on his face.

"Um, had to pee." I pull up my pants, grab a box of tampons to throw him off the scent and walk back out. "Nothing good to loot." I say as I pass him.

He lingers there for a second and then walks out of the pharmacy without saying a word. Something tells me he knows what I did.



Monday, December 19, 2011

The Infected: Blog Story (16)

sixteen: lightning strikes twice

We're in the heart of Maybell forest, Felix sleeping soundlessly beside me. I shake him just a bit only to confirm that he truly is asleep. I be careful not to trip over the rope that we tie around our camp. It has several bells on it to wake us up in case a zombie came to close. Never happened yet.

I step over the rope and find the closest tree I can find. I hide behind it and within seconds, I am throwing up the canned carrots and stale bread we had for supper. Why can't I keep anything down? As I crouch beneath the massive pine tree, I can't help but to notice how weak my legs are. I look up at my arms. They are so tiny.

I hurl up a couple more times before I return to my uncomfortable blanket. It barely muffles the rocks that litter the forest floor. I snuggle in against Felix's warm body. In the fall it can get terribly cold at night in northern Texas. Tonight is no exception.

*****

Felix wakes me with a start. I shoot my arm back and grab my makeshift spear. The baseball bat is in my other hand within seconds.

"Whoa, we're not being attacked. Sorry, shouldn't have been so dramatic" Felix says with a smile. I blush and drop my weapons.

"Don't ever do that again!" I slap him on the shoulder and laugh under my breath. It's crazy how my world has changed in the last month. But i'm alive. Felix is alive. He's all I have now.

"Getting lost in my eyes?"

I snap back to now and contemplate Felix's handsome features. His messy hair and impressive body is only enhanced by the deep green of his eyes. "Don't you know, I can find my way out of anything. Never get lost." I smile and start folding my blanket and put it in my pack. Felix is already prepared.

We've been watching Del Rio from afar for the past three days. We know where the dead gather and they seem to have formed groups and within those groups some have particular patterns. As I had noticed earlier, they are slowly rotting away, their bodies slowing down and their skin is striped black. But they are strong, and nothing slows them down except blunt trauma to the brain.

We've yet to see any survivors and thank fucking God we haven't seen the likes of Aleks since our scuffle at Romero Foods. But now. Now we're going in for David. I need to know what happened to him.

"We should be at David's house in five minutes if we don't encounter any of those bastards. You ready?" Felix tells me as he rests the axe on his shoulder.

"Yeah. Don't forget, we don't die here Felix. We are going to find David. And then we're going far far away from here."

He takes in a deep breath and I go in for a kiss. Felix pulls away and i'm left wanting more.

"Come on, we can't waste anymore time." He says and walks towards the edge of the forest where Onco street begins. I roll my eyes and follow him begrudgingly.

At the corner of Onco and Palm sits the Price family townhouse. There are several zombies crawling about but nothing terrifyingly serious. Most of the bastards are all up near the mall. Some dumbasses have decided to try and survive there. Worst thing to do is lock yourself in somewhere.

"Ready?" Felix asks me

"For David Price" I whisper and grip my weapons proudly. My heart is fucking beating hard. Jesus Christ.

Felix starts running and I soon catch up to him. He runs to the first zombie we encounter and he swings the axe vertically slicing off the top of the bastard's head. I keep on going and stop in front of the dead girl that is crawling in front of me.

Victoria Crow.

Her eyes are so hollow. She's decaying rapidly, faster then the other ones we've seen. I feel good putting her out of her misery. Even she doesn't deserve this. I raise my spear above my head and bring it down through her softened skull.

Felix joins me and gasps. I forgot that they were friends. The old world seems so far away now.

"Come on, we need to move!" I say pulling him away, pulling him towards David's house.

Just then I hear a low rumble in the distance, almost like a motor running. I grab onto Felix just as a red Jeep comes screeching around the corner and pulls to a stop right before us. David is sitting in the driver's seat. David. I can't believe it.

"DAVID!" I cry out, and begin to cry; of excitement, of joy, of relief. David is safe. He's alive. I start running towards the Jeep when I hear it. A gunshot. We don't have guns. I turn around to see if Felix was shot but he seems okay.

In the distance, I notice Aleksandra walking out of the forest, her arms raised and in her hand she carries a gun. David.

I spin around and see David clutching at a wound in his chest. His white shirt is soaked with blood. No, no, not now, not David. He's alive. NO.

"NO!! No!" I run to the jeep and open the door. David slumps into my arms and we both fall to the pavement. Felix comes running up behind me and helps me lie David down.

He's shaking violently and there is blood everywhere. I hear another gunshot and then Felix screams at me to get in the Jeep.

"WE CAN'T LEAVE DAVID!" I yell, as Felix jumps into the driver's seat. David isn't moving anymore. He's limp and heavy in my arms. This isn't happening.

"CHARLIE!! GET IN THE FUCKING CAR!"

I kiss David on the cheek. "I miss you"

Gunshots ring around me and I see Aleksandra running closer towards us. I run around the Jeep and jump inside just as Felix puts it in drive and floors it, leaving Aleks and David behind, leaving Del Rio once more with pain and tragedy.

I'm numb and while Felix drives onto the highway, I watch the sun set behind the hills and soon I fall asleep. Tonight I dream of David.





Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Infected: Blog Story (15)

fifteen: escape

"There you are!" I say, finding Felix in the backroom, filling up a large garbage bag with anything edible he can find. "I've been calling your name for ten minutes." I rest against the door frame and admire his beauty. Although his survival skills have turned me completly away, I can't resist looking at him as he flexes all those muscles.

Just then he looks up at me and his eyes catch mine. We linger there for a second. But then thoughts of David creep in and I look away, slightly embarassed.

"I'm just finishing up here. Is the front all ready?" He answers me. Felix puts in the last can of food and gets up from the tiled floor. I can't help but to realise how much he changed in the past two weeks.

"Um, yeah. I did everything you asked. We should be ready to leave before dawn" I turn to leave but not before Felix grabs my wrist and pulls me in for a kiss. I abandon myself to lust and my mouth answers back wildly. I kick the door shut and keep whatever happened in there to myself.

*****

Being in Romero Foods for thirteen days has been rough on my mental state. We've rationned the little food that was left and we have half a garbage bag left for our walk back to Del Rio. I've kept this from Felix but for the past four days, I have been vomiting every night. We aren't getting enough vitamins. Grams always made sure I ate right.

I join Felix by the back door just as he prepares the finishing touches of our escape plan. It consisted of blowing up the entrance, attracting the zombies to the noise. If all goes well, we'll be able to escape using the back door. I'm crossing my fingers.

Felix lights the makeshift fuse and as the spark travels, we arm ourselves. We managed to find several convenient weapons. I have a knife which I fashioned at the end of a stick and a metal baseball bat. Felix has an axe.

"You ready?" Felix asks me, his hand resting on the doorknob.

I'm not ready to go back out there. The spark nears the inflamable contraption we created, and i'm not ready for the next move. I take a deep breath just before the store bursts into flames. Felix shoves the door open and drags me outside with him.

The sun and moon share the sky and lights the desolate landscape in blue. There isn't a zombie in site.

"Come on!" Felix screams and we start running towards the highway, our legs barely capable of keeping up with our anticipation. I cry as as I run and don't bother to look back. I've left myself there. I will never be the same again.

*****

We're sitting on the grass, just on the outskirts of Del Rio. Felix is rubbing my back, comforting me. He understand how hard it is to go back. We both left our families behind.

"So how do you wanna do this?" Felix asks me, and gives me a peck on the cheek.

"I don't want to go by my house. I say we go in through Maybell forest, and then use Onco street to get to David's house. And we wait for morning." I answer, looking out at what used to be my hometown. Only ruins were left. From the highway, it looked like a ghost town.

"And you're still sure you want to do this?" Felix says with caution, and it makes me laugh a bit.

"I've come to terms with the fact that David is probably dead. But I need to know."

He starts rubbing my neck and soon i'm resting on top of him, his hands running freely through my hair.

"Promise me you'll never leave me, Felix. I don't want to be alone"

He leans in and kisses my forehead. My eyelids are heavy. I'm so tired.

"I promise you I will never leave your side."

My thoughts drift and soon i'm knocked cold. I don't dream. Haven't dreamed in three weeks.







Wednesday, November 23, 2011

November 23th: Elderly R.E.S.P.E.C.T. and other rants

I haven't had a good rant in a while. And today is the PERFECT day for a rant.


Fat Snow Woman DietingSnow, buses, and bloody cellphones

It seems like every time the first snow hits the ground, people go crazy and forget how to drive causing accidents, which in turns, causes traffic, which in turns, makes me arrive late for work. Why? Because buses lose all efficiency in snowstorms. And to top it all off, I was stuck next to a fuckin' cellphone freak who not only had one conversation, not two, but three. Seriously, at 8h30 in the morning??

Overcharging and odd restrictions

Do you all remember when you had to pay to use interact? And then it was only small independently owned bussiness who would charge? Well, imagine that the University of Ottawa charges us 0.25$ every time we use our debit card on campus. Ridiculous, right? The B.L.T bagel is 5.37$. Small coffee is close to a toonie!!!! And then they charge you to use interact!! lmao!!



Elderly R.E.S.P.E.C.T. and dumb ass laptops
Snowman baby - Snow Scene
It took 10 minutes before someone offered up their seat to an elderly woman on the bus tonight after work. 10 minutes, and it wasn't even a young person, it was a woman in her late thirties, early fourties. I was so mad! I felt likle going up front and asking them what the hell their problem was! And then when I got home to rant about all this on my blog, it took over an hour before my laptop actually decided to start up. It would not turn on for some odd reason! Argh - never had this problem with the desktop!




Well, it wasn't really a big rant. More of a venting session. Yeah, that's it. A venting session.

Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink



Sunday, November 20, 2011

Nobember 21st: A Facebook Launch!

I've officially started a facebook page for my blog!!

I've seen many bloggers manage multiple accounts related to their blog for publicity but also to interact directly with the reader. Facebook is a great tool to share videos, laugh at the same photo, and discuss over a heated status update.

It's a place where people can communicate, share ideas, and discuss the current events. I love having a debate over taboos, and find that some forums are heavy on the language and limited in the open-minded department.

Eleven's Ink at Wiki Wiki What is everything but limited. So come on over, click on Like and partake in the social discussion!

The page will contain exclusive videos and photos not seen on the blog, cool behind-the-blog stories, and micro-posts -stories too small to be published here!

Thursdays will be specially celebrated with links to some of my favourite blogs and bios on other bloggers.

Join me on "Current Event Mondays" to discuss the latest in news, sports, and entertainment!

Wiki Wiki What is expanding, don't miss out on the fun!! Reach us by clicking on the like button on the right or click on the link below the official facebook page photo!!


FACEBOOK LINK



Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink

November 20th: 2 br0ke girls

I stated previously in my blog that 30 minute sitcoms were just not for me. Then I watched 2 Broke Girls.


It's a hilarious show on CBS starring Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs as Max and and Caroline, two very different women working togheter in a rundown diner. It was created by Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cummings who is also producing and starring in her own show, Whitney, on rival network NBC.


Max is a sassy, joke-spitting, nearly poor waitress who also works as a nanny for a upper east-side rich family. Caroline was born into riches but lost everything when her father was busted for ripping off his investors. She gets a job at the diner where Max works at, and soon they become friends, roommates, and business partners.

The premise of the show is the girls trying to gather $250,000 to open their cupcake business which each show ending with a tally of how much they saved so far. They participate in odd jobs to make ends meat and collect every bit of coins they can to launch their enterprise.

It has been criticized for it's very raunchy humour, some critics calling it borderline racism but seriously, people need to lighten up. Have the critics seen the show The Game?? They often make crude remarks and stereotypical jokes about white people and nobody ever flipped a switch so as long as the jokes aren't gratuitous, it's all good in my books!

All in all, what makes this show work is the rapport between the two girls, Dennings and Behrs. They work so well togheter and seem to feed off each other's energy. It's almost a throwback to earlier situation comedies and you can truly see the chemistry between both actresses.

If you haven't caught up on this sensational sitcom, you still have time to get in the know!





What sitcom do you like? What are your thoughts about 2 Broke Girls?

Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink




Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Infected: Blog Story (14)

fourteen: not normal anymore

"What the fuck, Aleks!" I say the moment Felix finished barricating the front door to Romero Foods, the local supermarket the size of a two car garage. I quickly notice it's already been raided.

"I'd like to remind you I'm the one with the gun" Aleks says, and the tone is nothing close to friendly.

"Whoa. Let's chill out." Felix chimes in. Everything I thought about him before; the strong jock, the confident guy, all of that disapeared with the rest of humanity. He's nothing but a scared little boy. Funny how our roles reversed from our first day out of Del Rio. He still hasn't come to grips with this. We are our only way out. There is no plan B.

"We will not chill out! Aleks, what the fuck did you do? You killed those kids! You shot them!" I'm borderline hysterical, clutching at my brown curly mane, my eyes twisted in anger. I can't stand looking at her.

"They could have harmed us! Taken our guns! I've seen shit nightmares are made of, Charlie. You think it's those beasts, those pour bastards that you need to worry about?" She says, pointing at the ghouls that are banging against the storefront window. "It's not them you have to fear it's us. Humans. Men will rape you before they help you."

"Oh Jesus Christ, cut the crap Aleks. Those kids wouldn't have raped any of us. If you don't give me your gun, I want you to leave." I say, crossing my arms against my chest. I'm tired, I'm hungry and I want to find a place of safety. It's not here and it's not with her. I'm even doubting Felix's ability to survive.

"You want me to leave?" She laughs and it doesn't come from the heart nor the soul but from somewhere dark. Aleks is seriously unstable. "Do you want me to leave?" She asks, looking over at Felix.

He looks at me then back at Aleks. His reaction time is dissapointing. I thought Felix would have been with me on this, supported me in this decision. We both knew it would come to this it was just a matter of time before it did. If we wait, she may turn on us with those guns.

"Don't even bother, I'll leave." I don't even look at Felix as I make my way towards the door. I don't know what will happen the moment I open it, but I figure it's better then waiting for my turn at the receiving end of the pistol's barrel.

"Wait!" It's Felix, he has his hand against the door. His eyes staring back into mine. "Don't go," he says in a whisper, barely audible. The smooth skin of his cheek caresses mine. He turns and confronts Aleks. "We don't want trouble. But since you have the guns, I think it would be fair for you to leave. Give us time to gather some stuff."

He isn't super confident and I can hear the break in his voice. This world isn't the same. The sooner he realizes that, the better. We can't be pushed aside. Aleks looks like a young girl. But inside, she's an animal like the rest of us. That thirst for blood, for suvival, it always manages to find its way to the top. I don't want to be anywhere near her when it does.

"You guys are pathetic." I was expecting her to threaten us, force us into a corner and kill us point blank. She just struts over to the door and before walking out she turns to us. "You won't make it to California. You don't know this world any better then you did the last. Best of luck to you both." She winks and flips her blonde hair back and simply walks out into the streets.

As Felix runs over to secure the door again, I hear gunshots outside and my heart finally begins to find it's rythm again. She's gone. "I feel so much safer already" I say, sitting down in one of the aisles. I reach for something, anything and settle for a family size bag of peanuts.

Felix sits across from me with several chocolate bars. The place was looted and anything consistent or anywhere near nutritious had been taken. From the looks of it though, we still could walk away with several bags.

"Still want to go look for David?" Felix says, biting off a chunk of his Mars bar.

"Yes. I think going home will do us good. We have to make a decision, Felix."

"And what's that?"

I scoop up a handful of peanuts and chow them down in a second. I still have bits of peanuts in my mouth when I answer.

"We can't walk around forever. And I don't want to be anywhere near that crazy nutjob ever again; if she is heading to Cali, I say we look for David and head north. The west coast can't be the only safe place. It can't."

I make myself believe it. I've seen zombie movies before. Who knows if California is even safe. If anywhere is safe. As we sit and eat in Romero Foods, I finally take it all in. I will never see my family again. I drop the bag of peanuts and begin to sob.

I will always have to fight to survive.




November 19th: A French Revolution!!

I'm french-canadian. Maybe some francophone readers have not noticed it because of my main use of the english language, but I am certain anglophones have caught on that I don't master Shakespeares language.

Quebec, the province I live in, is the only francophone province in Canada. We have our own television networks and radio stations that cater to our linguistic preferences and every year, a slew of movies from La Belle Province are applauded across the world.

If you speak french, you should check out these 19 Produits du Québec.


Grande Ourse
A rare gem in Quebec television. The only hard sci-fi show and ohmygod did it ever kick ass! Because there is so little funding for arts and entertainment in Canada, big shows like these only air for one maybe two seasons with only 6-8 episodes each. More of a mini-series, really. They eventually made a movie several years later but it lacked the depth of the series' storyline. Stars my favourite Quebec actress Fanny Malette as Gastonne.



Aveux
I blogged about this show before here. Once again, this is more of a mini-series since it's only one season long. The casting is flawless, the acting is amazing, and some scenes will seriously leave you crying. So good!



Bon Cop, Bad Cop
Probably one of the most famous Quebec movie out there. It is bilingual and is a satire/dark comedy about the stupid fight between anglophones and francophones in Canada. It is kind of funny but you have to be in a particular kind of mood to laugh.



Elles Étaient Cinq
This is a really sad movie about the reality of criminal rights. Five girls host a party at one of the girls parent's cottage. Manon and Sophie decide to head to town to get more alcohol. When they return, a guy in a jeep stops when Sophie sticks her thumb out. What happens next changes the lives of all five girls and shines a light on how tolerent we are at parole hearings.



Babine
The very first Quebec fairytale. It leans more towards Grimm then Disney though. But all in all, it's still very much a family film and it contains everything and anything that makes this type of movie magical.



La Guerre des Tuques
Oh a classic! Every Quebecker has seen this movie in their lifetime. It's a staple during the christmas holidays and it still has its place in 2011. Kids will be kids!



Nos Étés
This one is still too fresh to be a classic but it will hold that title in the future. An epic tale of family ties, families at war, and all set in different time periods that marked our nation. Stunning series!



Les Chevaliers d'Émeraude
A very popular children's book series about knights defending their country against the humanoid insects that come from across the sea. It has been rumoured that it would be made into a television series but that has yet to happen. A spin-off book series set after the events of the twelfth and final book of Chevalier d'Émeraudes was released a couple of years ago but I lost interest.



NRJ 104.1
The most popular french-speaking radio channel in Quebec. Many celebrities have hosted shows on this dial that has been refashioned from Energie to NRJ, the international chain of francophone music. Thanks to it we get french remixes of popular songs. Unfortunately we also get this:


Lance et Compte
This series has been around for 25 years, spawned 7 seasons, 6 TV movies and a big screen adaptation two years ago. It launched the career of Marina Orsini, who has become Quebec's sweetheart. It included real NHL hockeys teams into the drama and is the most sucessful francophone show in Quebec.



C.R.A.Z.Y.
This film travelled the world and won numerous prestigious awards such as the City Award at TiFF, the Jury's Prize at the Morocco Film Festival, the Genie award for Best Motion Picture, and won the Audience Award at the American Film Insitute Fest in Los Angeles. C.R.A.Z.Y. uses classic rock music - mostly Pink Floyd - as a backdrop to the movie. It tells the struggle of a homosexual boy growing up in the 70's with four macho brothers and a very strict conservative dad.



Les Boys
Oh another classic movie. It was a major sucessful movie that was followed by three sequels and an equally sucessful tv show which is in its fourth season. It got a lot of critisicsm for having similar plotlines and ideas as Lance et Compte and even have some of the same actors. The theme song for the movie has become Eric Lapointe's most requested song. Let's listen to it.



Roméo et Juliette
Almost every country - or nation with enough ressources to finance a film - has remade Shakespeare's tale of star-crossed lover. In the Quebec version, the story has been modernized and depicts a harsh-reality of our social classes and how we've grown to accept it as is. One of the better versions of Romeo & Juliet.



Le Collectionneur
This movie is based on Chrystine Brouillet's bestseller of the same name. I absolutely loved the book about a detective trying to solve a string of murders happening in Montreal. The movie came out almost at the same time as The Bone Collector with Denzel Washington and it had audiences confused as the french translation for the Washington flick was similar to Le Collectionneur. Suffice to say, it's now become a cult classic.

Le Collectionneur - CHRYSTINE BROUILLET


Aurore
This is a story most Quebeckers wished they hadn't heard. The true story of Aurore Gagnon - a severely tortured child who eventually died at the hands of her step-mother - has been told numerous times but none more painfully accurate then the 2005 adaptation by Luc Dionne, a remake of the 1952 film Little Aurore: Child Martyr.



Un Souper Presque Parfait
I guess you can compare this show with The Food Network's Dinner Party Wars, in which people compete for a grand prize by trying to out-perform their fellow competitors in the fields of hosting and cooking. In the Quebec version, it is five guests and and they are featured from monday to friday with each day reserved for one of the competitors. It is oddly entertaining!!



Karmina
A vampire movie with Quebec slang. Ya, totally fucking hilarious!




Wariwulf
From the author of the Amos Daragon series, Bryan Perro branched off several years ago to devellop a story set in ancient Egypt about a boy with the mystical powers to transform into a wolf. There is ALOT of characters in this one, in the same vein as Chevalier D'émeraude but the story is weaven so much more intricately.


Fanny Malette
I love this actress so much she deserves her own showcase slot! I first saw her in the supernatural series Grande-Ourse and have been feverishly stalking her every moves since. She stole my heart in Continental: Un film sans fusils, and her portrayal of the conflicted mother in Les 7 Jours du Talion can take anyone's breath away and reduce them to tears. Hands down, one of our bests. Her portrayal of Gastonne in Grande Ourse is an example of how much quirkiness is tolerated in television. She was cast against producers wishes in the series Nos Étés as Nora but soon convinced TV execs when her character became a fan favourite. I hated her, but I loved hating her.

 
 



If you are away from home, I hope you enjoyed this! What's your favourite thing Made in Québec?


Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink

Friday, November 18, 2011

November 18th: Old Schoolers

Crap. This month is National Blog Posting Month or NaBloPoMo for us geeks. The whole point of this is to blog every single day. Total and utter fail on my part.

I hosted an old-school supper with friends last night and one bottle of wine turned to three and by the end of the night I was singing, volunteering to host a bachelor party and dreading my day at work today. I can't believe I got drunk on a work night. Oddly enough, I was super productive at work and got all of my shit done before lunch. :) 

With that being said. I failed my mission. I will have more then 30 posts this month but because of yesterday I failed my NaBloPoMo 2011. *sigh* But last night was seriously worth it!!



Meat Lover Lasagna

1 can (796ml) Diced Tomatoes
1 can (680ml) Tomatoe Sauce
1 can (156ml) Tomatoe Paste
2 small packs of ground porc, veal, and beef (it comes in a trio mix)
1 red onion
1 bag (700g) spaghetti vegetable mix.
Pepper,sea salt, parsley, dill weed, cumin, and red pepper flakes to taste
I believe 6 slices of bacon for garnish but I can't remember...


Health-Conscious Lasagna

Same spaghetti sauce as the meat-lover (it makes enough for two big lasagnas)
Multi-grain lasagna
Low-fat ricotta cheese
baby spinach
low fat mozzarella cheese











The Last Supper-ish


THE FOUR LATE-NIGHTERS







Ohhh what a night! Laughs and nostalgia! And 90's music!! ahahaha


Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink


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