Book I just published in digital format - Decide My Quest 1: The Ice Dragon and the Blue Rose on Amazon.com.
Showing posts with label Creative Work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Creative Work. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 06, 2019
Tuesday, January 07, 2014
Using a thorn to write
Capital thorn: Þ
Lowercase thorn: þ
Capital eth: Ð
Lowercase eth: ð
Thorn represents the unvoiced th sound, as in the words thin, things, wither, and eighth. Eth represents the voiced th sound, as in the words the, that, those, feather, and clothe. When these letters were in common use, they were often used interchangeably, regardless to which th sound was actually used. Additionally, the letter Y was often used in place of thorn since print type fonts of Medieval times didn't have the letter thorn. This means, "Ye Olde Shoppe" was really pronounced "The Old Shop", no different than today. In this case, the "Y" was a replacement for the letter thorn, which represented the voiced th sound of the word "the". (Further discussion on English sounds that are missing letters.)
So, I've decided to play around with the idea of using thorn in its rightful place within the English language. The following is a republished old article, where the letters th (representing the voiced and unvoiced th sounds) are replaced with the letter thorn.
INFAMOUS MINIATURE GOLF STORY
Ok...here's þe infamous Miniature Golf story..
Þis one time, like two years ago, I took Miriam to play Miniature Golf at a Golfland in San Jose. She hadn't been to a Miniature Golf place in aeons. So, we get our clubs, balls, scorecard and pencils, þen head to þe first tee. Being þe gentleman þat I am, I let her go first. She bends down by sticking her ass up in þe air as usual (þis being a family type place, mind you) to put þe ball on þe black mat. It starts rolling around a bit, but finally she makes it stay in place. While þis was going on, I'm watching her out of þe corner of my eye, just kinda waiting for her to get her ball to stop rolling around. Getting þe ball to stay in place was, of course, a pointless exercise given what she does next.
She swings. I hear a panicked "Oh!". She's looking back at me, embarrassed, kinda laughing, kinda whimpering. Þen I notice þe club is no longer in her hands. I briefly look around for it, confused. Þen I realize, she's þrown þe club up in þe air during her swing! I ask, "Where did you þrow þe club?" Þen I realize furþer, þe club went straight up in þe air! Worse yet, it hasn't come down yet! Þen, my even more profound realization is þat it has now been 5 seconds, from when I was wondering why Miriam was embarrassed to þis moment (when I realized þe club was still up in þe air), and þe club was still up in þe air! I shout at Miriam, "Get out of þe way!", while using pure instinct as to where not be when it finally decided to come back down to Earþ. We boþ duck and run. I turn around, worried þat þis magic club (which has now been in þe air for over 6 seconds) might land on someone else. To my relief, it tumbles to þe ground safely, right on þe spot þat Miriam and I had just ran away from.
We laughed it off, and were relieved no one got hurt. But to þis day, we wonder how þe hell þis club shot straight up out of her hands into þe air far enough to land in þe same spot a whole 7 seconds later!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Ice Dragon and the Blue Rose (my first original work!)
Announcing the release of my first electronically published book (ebook) on Amazon.com called Decide My Quest: The Ice Dragon and the Blue Rose. This is an interactive adventure where you are a young man who must battle the Ice Dragon and find the Blue Rose in order to marry the Princess. The new innovation of the Decide My Quest (TM) series is you get to see events in your quest from different points of view based on decisions you make. The challenge in writing an interactive adventure in electronic form was providing a method to allow the reader to make decisions on which actions to take in the story. This is accomplished by providing links at the end of each chapter. You can use the normal interface to click on those links, similar to how you click on the chapter links in an ebook's List of Contents.
This book was fun to write, and I hope fun to read and navigate. It is meant primarily for younger readers (9 and up), but older readers will hopefully appreciate it as well. It's $2.99 on Amazon.com. That's a bargin for a book of its lenght. Similar style printed interactive adventures cost much more for less story.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
A Walk Through the Forest (old high school assignment)
Statistics:
By Matthew Lorono
Dated 7/26/89
For English Class (High School) writing assignment
Teacher review and bonus: "Excellent! Bravo! +25"
Personal commentary: This is fairly inventive written work that is surprisingly entertaining, despite the fact that I was 16 when I wrote it. It is in a simpler yet still enjoyably moody style. It does mix past and present tenses in a way that I would now avoid.
A Walk through the Forest
To who ever sees this:
I was walking along the yellow lined edge of the forest of Evaile. The trees around [me were] of a dark rotten nature. As I walked on, the trees seemed to close in, ever so unnoticeably, but yet, I did notice. I noticed only after I stopped walking. It was then I saw. I saw the trees closing in on me. One branch even dared to tap [me] on the should[er]. I looked. It was a branch of a tree I remembered seeing just five minutes before.
The Sun was going down, and I continued to walk on, to avoid being stuck in the trees; walking along the yellow lined edge of the forest of Evaile. The forest [grew] closer, overlapping the path, even as the very same forest [grew] darker. Yet, I still walked. I still walked through this forest.
It was now twilight, and I still walked. The trees closed in so that I brushed up against them continuously. I gained many scratches, but I still walked on and on. The trees now seemed to take on [the persona] of some evil torturing force. Yet I resisted, withheld, and walked on. The trees closed in even more closely. I was now walking through them, blazing a trail through the trees, and yet I walked on. Wait! I decided I should stop. The moment I did stop is the same moment I fell through the ground into an underground [cavern]. My antennae were brok[en]. My bubble bursted. My brain liquefied.
These are my last words to the Universe. Those who may find this, please take it to Gor and tell my family, for I am dead.
High General Lansorrit-
Banvon Tō of Gor
By Matthew Lorono
Dated 7/26/89
For English Class (High School) writing assignment
Teacher review and bonus: "Excellent! Bravo! +25"
Personal commentary: This is fairly inventive written work that is surprisingly entertaining, despite the fact that I was 16 when I wrote it. It is in a simpler yet still enjoyably moody style. It does mix past and present tenses in a way that I would now avoid.
To who ever sees this:
I was walking along the yellow lined edge of the forest of Evaile. The trees around [me were] of a dark rotten nature. As I walked on, the trees seemed to close in, ever so unnoticeably, but yet, I did notice. I noticed only after I stopped walking. It was then I saw. I saw the trees closing in on me. One branch even dared to tap [me] on the should[er]. I looked. It was a branch of a tree I remembered seeing just five minutes before.
The Sun was going down, and I continued to walk on, to avoid being stuck in the trees; walking along the yellow lined edge of the forest of Evaile. The forest [grew] closer, overlapping the path, even as the very same forest [grew] darker. Yet, I still walked. I still walked through this forest.
It was now twilight, and I still walked. The trees closed in so that I brushed up against them continuously. I gained many scratches, but I still walked on and on. The trees now seemed to take on [the persona] of some evil torturing force. Yet I resisted, withheld, and walked on. The trees closed in even more closely. I was now walking through them, blazing a trail through the trees, and yet I walked on. Wait! I decided I should stop. The moment I did stop is the same moment I fell through the ground into an underground [cavern]. My antennae were brok[en]. My bubble bursted. My brain liquefied.
These are my last words to the Universe. Those who may find this, please take it to Gor and tell my family, for I am dead.
High General Lansorrit-
Banvon Tō of Gor
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Another Land (old high school assignment)
Statistics:
By Matthew Lorono
Dated 7/26/89
For English Class (High School) writing assignment
Teacher review and bonus: "Excellent descriptions! +25"
Personal commentary: The goal of this written work was to push myself to describe something completely new in relatable term, but not to resort to writing about the macabre. At the time I felt this work was better than it really is. It’s a bit repetitive.
Another Land
There was a place of another plane of life on some uncharted planet. This place was to the north of the smallest continent of the planet in a tree littered plateau with a brown sky at day, as brown as cherry oak; and a light mist that can move into one's very soul causing a peace within. The smell of the plateau was one of freshness. It made one feel young. The days and nights were both of a crisp, calm, and cool origin. One's soul would seem to reach out to the mist and try to join with it. To open your mouth would make your tongue swell up with sensations of sweetness that would encourage one's soul to reach out to the mist even more than just feeling the crisp, calm coolness. The muscles of any creature would feel relieved at the very sight of this land. Being in this land would make one, of any intelligence, to lose any sense of direction or of time. Both seemed to stand still before the wake of the mist of that land. For that reason, little and big sounds alike spread little distances. A huge bell's toll would toll not far enough to make a signal to others more than a football field's length away. It's a land of peace, tranquility, enjoyment, and everlasting unendingness. A land that fulfills to an extreme all of the sensations experience by the sensational creature called human.
By Matthew Lorono
Dated 7/26/89
For English Class (High School) writing assignment
Teacher review and bonus: "Excellent descriptions! +25"
Personal commentary: The goal of this written work was to push myself to describe something completely new in relatable term, but not to resort to writing about the macabre. At the time I felt this work was better than it really is. It’s a bit repetitive.
There was a place of another plane of life on some uncharted planet. This place was to the north of the smallest continent of the planet in a tree littered plateau with a brown sky at day, as brown as cherry oak; and a light mist that can move into one's very soul causing a peace within. The smell of the plateau was one of freshness. It made one feel young. The days and nights were both of a crisp, calm, and cool origin. One's soul would seem to reach out to the mist and try to join with it. To open your mouth would make your tongue swell up with sensations of sweetness that would encourage one's soul to reach out to the mist even more than just feeling the crisp, calm coolness. The muscles of any creature would feel relieved at the very sight of this land. Being in this land would make one, of any intelligence, to lose any sense of direction or of time. Both seemed to stand still before the wake of the mist of that land. For that reason, little and big sounds alike spread little distances. A huge bell's toll would toll not far enough to make a signal to others more than a football field's length away. It's a land of peace, tranquility, enjoyment, and everlasting unendingness. A land that fulfills to an extreme all of the sensations experience by the sensational creature called human.
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Man Lost for 2 Days in Cube Maze
CHICAGO, IL – AP October 30, 2006 – Police reported that local man Michael Tanner who was recently reported missing for over 48 hours was found at work, lost in the maze of cubicles. According to authorities, the local firm where Michael Tanner had just started working has over 5 acres of cubicles in one building. The building is divided into four sections, each nearly filled with cubicles from wall to wall.
Michael Tanner had just started working at the firm earlier in the week. His wife became concerned after he didn’t return home from his first day of employment and contacted the local police. After he was missing for 24 hours, they opened a missing person case and began a local search for Mr. Tanner.
“We didn’t know where to look. Mr. Tanner reportedly commuted to work by bus. This didn’t provide us with any leads to follow,” stated one of the investigating officers.
A co-worker actually found Michael Tanner after seeing an email bulletin issued by the human resources department asking everyone if anyone had any information as to his whereabouts. “I got this email from HR asking for help in finding Michael. They included his badge ID photo. As soon as I saw it, I know who it was. Michael appeared to be working in the cube next to mine this morning when I walked in. He seemed disheveled and out-of-it, so I assumed he was [an] IT [member] setting up the cube for a new employee. Who knew he was actually lost?” reported Imam Wong who discovered Michael Tanner.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s as though this firm’s cubicles actual form some sort of wilderness of technology,” stated the police chief.
Michael Tanner stated he was happy to be found. He had an urgent need to use the restroom near the end of the work day. When he got out of the restroom, he had forgotten which way he came from. He looked around for someone to ask, but couldn’t find anyone in any of the nearby cubicles. Apparently, because of a series of recent lay-offs, over 80% of the cubicles had remained unoccupied. It turns out that the maze of cubicles was so vast, even the Exit signs weren’t any help. When he finally did find an exit, he realized he had forgotten his ID badge to allow him to leave. After spending over half an hour trying to find his way to the main entrance or security, he settled into a nearby cubicle to rest. He fell asleep.
The next day, embarrassed by his predicament, he simply roamed an area of cubicles that were actually only 1000 feet from his own cubicle. “When I woke up, other employees had already come and started work in nearby cubes. I felt embarrassed. I attempted to leave the area to find another group of employees who maybe didn’t see me sleeping. After awhile, I just picked a desk to rest at. I didn’t see a single person the rest of the day. I knew my wife must be worried, so I attempted to use a phone to call out, but didn’t remember the code to dial outside. So I tried to call the front desk, but they didn’t set up 0 to get the operator. The operator was actually a four digit code that would be impossible to guess,” stated Michael Tanner.
After failing to again find his way out for a second day, he again settled in a random cubicle. “I was tired and hungry and not thinking straight by this point,” he added.
Again, he had awoken after nearby coworkers started work. I was even more embarrassed than the day before. “I just sat up and pretended to be working by turning on the computer and trying to get it to logon on. I guess this is when Imam first saw me”, Michael Tanner continued. “He just came up to me and said, `Are you Michael Tanner?’. I replied that I was and he gave me this big smile and said a lot of people where looking for me. I was so happy, but so very embarrassed too.”
“I’m just happy we found him,” his wife elated.
The firm’s HR department issued a statement which read in part, “We are gratified that Mr. Tanner was found safe and secure. Measures have been taken to improve navigability of our complex.”
Asked as to why Michael Tanner couldn’t just look over the cubicle walls, his wife responded, “He’s only 5 feet 3 inches tall. He’s short, but not a little person. I’m told their cube walls are the standard 6 foot tall. Large corporations need to take greater care in designing the layout of their cube mazes. My husband has experienced a traumatic experience similar to that of being lost in the wilderness.”
Michael Tanner had just started working at the firm earlier in the week. His wife became concerned after he didn’t return home from his first day of employment and contacted the local police. After he was missing for 24 hours, they opened a missing person case and began a local search for Mr. Tanner.
“We didn’t know where to look. Mr. Tanner reportedly commuted to work by bus. This didn’t provide us with any leads to follow,” stated one of the investigating officers.
A co-worker actually found Michael Tanner after seeing an email bulletin issued by the human resources department asking everyone if anyone had any information as to his whereabouts. “I got this email from HR asking for help in finding Michael. They included his badge ID photo. As soon as I saw it, I know who it was. Michael appeared to be working in the cube next to mine this morning when I walked in. He seemed disheveled and out-of-it, so I assumed he was [an] IT [member] setting up the cube for a new employee. Who knew he was actually lost?” reported Imam Wong who discovered Michael Tanner.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s as though this firm’s cubicles actual form some sort of wilderness of technology,” stated the police chief.
Michael Tanner stated he was happy to be found. He had an urgent need to use the restroom near the end of the work day. When he got out of the restroom, he had forgotten which way he came from. He looked around for someone to ask, but couldn’t find anyone in any of the nearby cubicles. Apparently, because of a series of recent lay-offs, over 80% of the cubicles had remained unoccupied. It turns out that the maze of cubicles was so vast, even the Exit signs weren’t any help. When he finally did find an exit, he realized he had forgotten his ID badge to allow him to leave. After spending over half an hour trying to find his way to the main entrance or security, he settled into a nearby cubicle to rest. He fell asleep.
The next day, embarrassed by his predicament, he simply roamed an area of cubicles that were actually only 1000 feet from his own cubicle. “When I woke up, other employees had already come and started work in nearby cubes. I felt embarrassed. I attempted to leave the area to find another group of employees who maybe didn’t see me sleeping. After awhile, I just picked a desk to rest at. I didn’t see a single person the rest of the day. I knew my wife must be worried, so I attempted to use a phone to call out, but didn’t remember the code to dial outside. So I tried to call the front desk, but they didn’t set up 0 to get the operator. The operator was actually a four digit code that would be impossible to guess,” stated Michael Tanner.
After failing to again find his way out for a second day, he again settled in a random cubicle. “I was tired and hungry and not thinking straight by this point,” he added.
Again, he had awoken after nearby coworkers started work. I was even more embarrassed than the day before. “I just sat up and pretended to be working by turning on the computer and trying to get it to logon on. I guess this is when Imam first saw me”, Michael Tanner continued. “He just came up to me and said, `Are you Michael Tanner?’. I replied that I was and he gave me this big smile and said a lot of people where looking for me. I was so happy, but so very embarrassed too.”
“I’m just happy we found him,” his wife elated.
The firm’s HR department issued a statement which read in part, “We are gratified that Mr. Tanner was found safe and secure. Measures have been taken to improve navigability of our complex.”
Asked as to why Michael Tanner couldn’t just look over the cubicle walls, his wife responded, “He’s only 5 feet 3 inches tall. He’s short, but not a little person. I’m told their cube walls are the standard 6 foot tall. Large corporations need to take greater care in designing the layout of their cube mazes. My husband has experienced a traumatic experience similar to that of being lost in the wilderness.”
Sunday, January 10, 2010
What's my story?
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Kate *****
>Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 11:53 AM
>To: Matthew *****
>Subject: RE: HI!!
>
>Thangs are great. I'm swamped at work. Took yesterday off to receive 2
>deliveries-a new king bed and a frig. Worked in the garden, walked the dog,
>and totally enjoyed the warm weather. Holidays were delightful.
>What's your story?
What's my story, you ask? Well, at the age of 5 I was living in a home for the mentally insane. My father was a doctor in love with his patient, but like many love affairs in insane asylums, the romance was not meant to last. He moved on, leaving my mother pregnant with me and my evil twin, Horus. We grew up in an orphanage. Horus was always trying to do evil by helping nasty old ladies to cross the street and becoming a lackey for the local YMCA. I, for my part, decided to take a more mundane path. At the age of 8, I built a ray gun that would destroy the moon, which I have proven is the cause of evil insanity. That moon, it's so bright at night, keeping me awake...awake...awake. For some reason this upset the authorities. Something about leaving the Earth helpless at the mercy of huge moon debris, I think, as if that matters to me. So, the nefarious forces of the ATF intervened, taking my ray gun away to use for their own selfish purposes. At that moment, I set out on a life that would allow me to one day rule the world and destroy evil everywhere. I've almost completed my plan twice in the past 10 years, only to be thwarted by some super hero or another. If I have to hear the words, "I'm Batman!" hoarsely uttered by that bat brained fool one more time, I'm going to go crazy myself. He will be the first to go when I am King of Everything, and then I will eliminate my nemesis, Horus where ever he is! ::maniacal laugh::
As for this week, I've just been busy here at work...really busy too. Lots going on. I'm excited about going to Vegas in a couple weeks! woohoo!
>From: Kate *****
>Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 11:53 AM
>To: Matthew *****
>Subject: RE: HI!!
>
>Thangs are great. I'm swamped at work. Took yesterday off to receive 2
>deliveries-a new king bed and a frig. Worked in the garden, walked the dog,
>and totally enjoyed the warm weather. Holidays were delightful.
>What's your story?
What's my story, you ask? Well, at the age of 5 I was living in a home for the mentally insane. My father was a doctor in love with his patient, but like many love affairs in insane asylums, the romance was not meant to last. He moved on, leaving my mother pregnant with me and my evil twin, Horus. We grew up in an orphanage. Horus was always trying to do evil by helping nasty old ladies to cross the street and becoming a lackey for the local YMCA. I, for my part, decided to take a more mundane path. At the age of 8, I built a ray gun that would destroy the moon, which I have proven is the cause of evil insanity. That moon, it's so bright at night, keeping me awake...awake...awake. For some reason this upset the authorities. Something about leaving the Earth helpless at the mercy of huge moon debris, I think, as if that matters to me. So, the nefarious forces of the ATF intervened, taking my ray gun away to use for their own selfish purposes. At that moment, I set out on a life that would allow me to one day rule the world and destroy evil everywhere. I've almost completed my plan twice in the past 10 years, only to be thwarted by some super hero or another. If I have to hear the words, "I'm Batman!" hoarsely uttered by that bat brained fool one more time, I'm going to go crazy myself. He will be the first to go when I am King of Everything, and then I will eliminate my nemesis, Horus where ever he is! ::maniacal laugh::
As for this week, I've just been busy here at work...really busy too. Lots going on. I'm excited about going to Vegas in a couple weeks! woohoo!
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