All posts by Robin

I'm a woman in my early thirties living in North Carolina, USA, and I have a lot of varied interests; I love creative writing, music composition, web design, surfing the Internet, thinking out loud, and gaming. And yes, my glasses are crooked. :)
Thursday in the Zone

Old-School Gaming, Part IV: StarFox 64

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If I ever have to fly a plane and turn out even passably good at it, I’ll have StarFox 64 to thank. As one of the first really serious simulation games I played as a young teen back in 1997, this game has stuck with me as a challenging favorite.


This is the StarFox 64 introduction sequence, which opens up part of the story for you, as well as introducing the main characters: Fox McCloud, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, and Falco Lombardi.


This video is the (hilarious) Nintendo Power-produced teaser for StarFox 64, which demonstrates all the newness that came with the game, such as the Rumble Pak and the 3-D graphics.


Continuing the introduction, the first mission’s preface lays out more of the story. Basically, Fox McCloud’s father was captured (and most likely killed) by the mad scientist Andross while trying to stop him invading the Lylat system. Now Andross is invading the Lylat system (again!) and must be stopped.

This video includes the first mission, in which you learn the following things:

  • “Do a barrel roll!”, also known as the takeaway meme from this game 😛
  • The game continually pulls you forward, so there’s little time for investigating much beyond your narrow flight path
  • Slippy is technically a dude, but does not sound like a dude at all (LOL)
  • Peppy has a remarkably fake, almost laughable Southern accent…but only in some scenes
  • Falco’s commentary defines “snarky” before it was a common word.
  • The Backflip will quickly become your favorite evasion technique, as well as a maneuvering trick.
  • Charging your laser and allowing the targeting system to lock on is a great technique for accuracy, especially flying as fast as you generally have to.
  • Collect all the glimmering rings you can; silver rings heal you up, and 3 golden rings give you a permanent health increase and occasionally an extra life.
  • Shoot everything. Who knows, that random 3-D blob might have a bonus hidden in it!


Aside from playing missions, you can also get better at flying by going into Training Mode (seen here in this video). I spent so much time here as a kid, just playing around. LOL


This video shows that it’s possible to kamikaze into bosses and destroy them, apparently. LOL! (Watch for Peppy’s ill-timed comment at the end for extra LOL)


The stark beauty of flying through the meteor belt…kinda reminds me of Star Wars. Wait, that’s the whole point of the game, never mind. 😛


Apart from using the Arwing (the flying ship), you can also use a tank during land missions that require it. The tank is a little harder and slower to maneuver than the ship, so take that into account!


Also, on the planet Aquas, you get to use a submarine; I was terrible at it, but that’s mainly because the levels are generally dark and harder to navigate. If you time your torpedoes right, you can light the way ahead much better.


This video collects together all the boss fights in the game…


…but here’s a little trivia: there are two final-boss endings to this game. This one is the “Easy” battle against Andross (to which I say: “Easy? Are you kidding?”). Many gamers say this ending allows Andross to live instead of being completely wiped out.


And this is the “Hard” ending, which involves Fox’s long-lost father leading him from the battlefield and out of Andross’ realm before it all explodes. (I admit, I never saw this ending. I don’t remember fighting Andross’ brain, nor the flight sequence at the end. Fail! I r not hardcore gamer… xD Guess I get to replay and see if I can find this ending for myself! 🙂 )

To Play StarFox 64

Aside from being released on the N64 back in 1997, this game was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console as well. However, there is also a newer version called StarFox 64 3D, released for the Nintendo 3DS handheld system.

StarFox 64 @ Wikipedia; see more information about the remake for the 3DS here.

Wednesday in the Word

We Aren’t the Judges–God Is

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Romans 14:13
12 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

This advice from the apostle Paul is at least 2,000 years old–and yet we modern Christians still haven’t learned from it, if the church’s actions themselves to be believed.

One of the main outside critiques I hear about the modern Christian church is that it is full of “judgmental” people. Yet we Christians often refute this claim as vehemently as if we were being accused of a horrible crime. “We’re not judgmental!” we say in defense of ourselves. “Jesus taught us to be loving and kind, and compassionate!”

That He did, most certainly. But how long is it till someone from church slips up, and we can’t help but gossip just a little bit about them?

  • “Didja hear what So-and-so did? I heard he’s been sleepin’ around, right under the missus’ nose…”
  • “Well, I heard that So-and-so’s goin’ drinkin’ at all hours, drinkin’ and dancin’ like she ain’t got no shame!”

And, after we’ve finished our gossip, we usually add the phrase, “And they still think they’re a Christian.”

That right there is judgment of our fellow Christians. The Roman church was doing it too, and the apostle Paul rebuked them for it in this verse. He knew that Christians judging each other could lead to more sin and corruption within the church than anything, and he wanted to halt it before it got too much worse.

When we judge one another, especially harshly, we make it harder for the one we’ve judged to return to church, to worship with us, maybe even to pray or have a personal relationship with Christ. After all, when church reminds you of all the people who’ll be looking at you askance, why would you even try to return? Harsh judgment is an obstacle and a stumbling block to others, especially when we too sin and make mistakes.

When we become saved, we do not magically become unable to sin anymore. Our human nature is still there, though Jesus has paid the cost of all our sin and we no longer have to answer for it all. And so, being still imperfect, we are not suitable to judge each other–only God, being perfect and holy, is suitable to judge each of us.

Every person in church is battling sin in some form; as a church, we are simply a family of believers worshipping God together. The best thing we can do is to lift each other up and encourage each other to keep battling that sin, and to support one another when the battle seems nearly lost. To rush to judgment is to doom that person to a lost battle, and perhaps even a lost war.

Tuesday on the Soapbox

The Reigning Queen of Mondegreens: My Misheard Lyrics

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Despite my love of literature and music, and despite my aptitude for both subjects, I am laughably terrible at deciphering verbal words, whether spoken or sung. Mumbled speech or not looking directly at a person’s lips while they are speaking leads to hilarious misunderstandings. And, as you’ll see in the following blog post, trying to decipher sung lyrics from a song can result in awesomely bad mondegreens.

Definition of a Mondegreen

From Dictionary.com:

mondegreen: a word or phrase resulting from a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that has been heard. (Origin: 1954; coined by Sylvia Wright, U.S. writer, from the line “laid him on the green,” interpreted as “Lady Mondegreen,” in a Scottish ballad.)

Some Examples


Song: “Shotgun” – Jr. Walker and the All-Stars; tune video to about 0:25

Actual Lyric The Lyric I Heard
“Shoot ‘im ‘fore he run now” “Shoot up Orville Redenbacher”

Upon hearing this song for the first time as a 10-year-old, I turned to my dad and asked, in this horrified voice, “Why do they wanna kill the popcorn man?!” LOL


Song: “Mickey” – Toni Basil; tune video to about 1:45

Actual Lyric The Lyric I Heard
“I’ll take it like a man” “I’m kinky like a man”

…My lyric makes sense, doesn’t it? Kinda…sorta? 😛


Song: “Hungry Eyes” – Eric Carmen; tune video to about 1:00

Actual Lyric The Lyric I Heard
“Hungry eyes” “Come three eyes”

Okay, okay, in my defense, I was 3 when I first heard the song… xD


Song: “Devil with the Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly” – Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels; tune video to about 2:05

Actual Lyric The Lyric I Heard
“See Miss Molly rockin’ in the house of delight” “See Miss Molly rockin’ in the house with good light”

And this is why you enunciate your words when you sing! Otherwise, people can hear all sorts of strangeness. 😛


Song: “Jesus Loves Me” – traditional Christian children’s hymn; tune video to about 0:34

Actual Lyric The Lyric I Heard
“They are weak but He is strong” “They are weak but He is JOAN!”

I never heard my Nannie laugh so hard as when I sung my version of “Jesus Loves Me” on the way home from Sunday school one morning. I think there’s a rather incriminating tape of this lying around the house somewhere… xD


Song: “You Sexy Thing” – Hot Chocolate; tune video to about 0:18

Actual Lyric The Lyric I Heard
“Where ya from, you sexy thing?” “What is wrong, you sexy thing?”

Until about two weeks ago, I thought my hearing of the lyric was correct. My boyfriend, whose ears seem to be incredibly accurate lyric-picker-uppers, corrected me. 😛


Song: “You Really Got Me” – The Kinks; tune video to about 0:33

Actual Lyric The Lyric I Heard
“You really got me!” “You really got mad!”

I went around singing this as a little kid, completely oblivious to my mishearing, till all the adults in the room busted out in big ole laughs. 😛

BONUS: Mondegreens from Mom and Dad

Apparently, I get this “talent” for mishearing lyrics honestly. Here are some of the mondegreens Mom and Dad have come up with over the years:


Song: “Five O’Clock World” – The Vogues; tune video to about 0:20

Actual Lyric The Lyric Mom Heard
“It’s a five o’clock world when the whistle blows” “It’s a five o’clock world and the wind’s so cold”


Song: “I Can’t Get No (Satisfaction)” – The Rolling Stones; tune video to 0:10

Actual Lyric The Lyric Dad Heard
“I can’t get no girl reaction” “I can’t get no gut reaction”


Song: “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” – The Beatles; tune video to about 1:00

Actual Lyric The Lyric Mom Heard
“I can’t hide” “I get hives”


Song: “Dance to the Music” – Sly and the Family Stone; tune video to about 1:05

Actual Lyric The Lyric Mom Heard
“I’m gonna add some bottom” “I’ve got a handsome bottom”


Song: “Black Water” – The Doobie Brothers; start video at beginning

Actual Lyric The Lyric Dad Heard
“I built me a raft and she’s ready for floatin'” “I built me a refuge, she’s ready for clover”
Monday in the HTMLab

Make Yourself a (Font) Map

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As webdesigners, we make use of hundreds (and possibly thousands) of different fonts every year, choosing just the right text ook for each of our layouts, small graphics, headers, and other projects. Symbol fonts, especially, have become very popular as a way to design matching social media icons, as well as general site commands (like Refresh).

However, if you’re working with many different symbol fonts, it can be difficult to remember which symbol occurs on which key when you’re using a particular font. Or, you may want a particular symbol and can’t remember which font has it. Fruitless searching follows, usually with a little (or a lot) of frustration included.

That is, unless you create something I like to call a “font map.”

What IS a Font Map?

This is an example of the font maps I’ve created for myself–this one corresponds to the Wingdings font, which is default on most Windows computers. The top group of four rows contains all the symbols that can be created with lowercase keys; the bottom group is all the symbols that are created by hitting Shift and a key.

How Do You Make a Font Map of Your Own?

You will need an image creation program–I use Photoshop, but even Microsoft Paint can do it (as I discovered while writing up this blog post!).

  1. Open a new blank image in your image creation program.
  2. Select the Text tool, and place a text box or text cursor onto your image.
  3. Type out all of the generally available keys on your keyboard, like I’ve demonstrated below:

    `1234567890-=
    qwertyuiop[]\
    asdfghjkl;’
    zxcvbnm,./

    ~!@#$%^&*()_+
    QWERTYUIOP{}|
    ASDFGHJKL:”
    ZXCVBNM<>?

  4. Select all the text you just typed/copy-pasted, and change the font to the symbol font you want to map out. Make sure the font size is big enough for you to read easily!
  5. Presto! A new font map! (If you want to, you can label the two different groups as I have done, and put the title of the font on the image, too. Just makes using your new font map a little easier.)

Does This Really Help? You Better Believe It!

I’ve been using font maps successfully in web design for several years now–it’s a real time-saver, meaning less minutes wasted typing and backspacing on my image till I find the right symbol. In seconds, I can flip through all my font maps, find the symbol I’m looking for, and be on my way to a finished design.

Try making one for yourself, and see how much easier it is to use the various symbol fonts in your designs. You’ll thank yourself later!

Saturday with the Spark

Why Write Fanfiction?

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Most people might assume, after learning that I am a writer, that I have been writing stories with original characters all my life. That is, at best, only partially true.

In fact, for a very long time, I struggled with creating characters, naming them, everything. I had no problem coming up with great plotlines–it’s just that the character creation part was difficult, for whatever reason. Especially as a young writer (referring to single-digits ages), I never could seem to come up with original characters that were good enough for my plotlines, but I could always match plotlines with established stories, taking old stories in new directions.

And so, quite by accident, I became an author of what I now know as fanfiction, at a very young age. (For instance: somewhere in my house, there is a very old fanfiction about Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty hanging out and playing games, written on steno notebook paper in blue highlighter because I was about six-and-a-half and thought the blue ink was “pretty.” xD)

What Exactly IS Fanfiction?

Fanfiction is basically a new work of written fiction based off a movie, TV show, video game, or book; fanfiction authors can borrow nearly all, some, or nearly none of the original work’s characters, settings, and plotline in order to shape their own creation.

Fanfiction’s Slightly Bad Reputation

However, fanfiction in general has gotten a bad rap, for two reasons:

  1. It is usually considered a type of “derivative work,” which is kinda-sorta-not plagiarism–you are borrowing someone else’s characters to act out your plot;
  2. The fanfiction form has been used more for writing pornographic scenes than really doing anything new with the established characters.

Some established authors hate that their works get fanfic’ed, some are fine with it, and some are indifferent entirely. But many writers and literature lovers dislike the field of fanfic authors greatly, mostly because of these two reasons. They even go so far as to say that fanfic authors are not “real” writers at all, since they borrow rather than create their own characters.

Why Fanfiction Is Actually Not So Bad

However, this criticism misses part of the point of fanfiction: doing something new with established characters. It’s kind of like playing in a literary “sandbox,” just trying new things, seeing what happens. It can free creativity (and inspire new plotlines) in a way that struggling to create original characters can stifle.

For instance, my old story about Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty hanging out as friends might sound silly. But I was willing to step outside the box of traditional thought, even then, and try something new with the characters. It made writing a whole lot more fun; I got to toy around like a chemist mixing chemicals and substances in a lab. It wasn’t the best story on earth, but it wasn’t meant to be–it was done for fun, and for the experience of trying new ideas.

I think of fanfiction primarily as flattery to the original author of the work; after all, they’ve made awesome characters in a well-designed world, otherwise people would not respond by trying to work with those characters in that world. I don’t believe that fanfic authors are trying to steal anybody’s credit (I certainly don’t approach it that way, at least); it’s just that sometimes, your creativity gets to boiling when a great author’s work has struck a chord within you.

I also believe that fanfiction can be a good training ground for new authors. Certainly I cut my teeth as a writer by writing fanfic! Where I once struggled with creating good original characters, I have now become good enough to trust my instincts while pulling together characters for my own novel. Where I once worried that my style was too trite and boring, I have now tightened up my writing style through practice with fanfictions of all sorts.

I do agree that some fanfics are a little difficult to read because they seem so personal to the fanfic author; I also agree that some fanfic authors go a little overboard. But one cannot become a better writer without practice and input from readers, and fanfiction sites can be great places to get feedback and share the stories that have been bubbling inside your brain. And after all, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to read it! 🙂

To Learn More about Fanfiction

The potential legal pitfalls of publishing fanfiction online is well covered by ChillingEffects.org’s Fanfiction article–you do have to be careful publishing it!

But, on the positive side, there are many fanfiction archive websites online, as well as numerous fanfic author communities through Livejournal, Tumblr, WordPress, and many others. Here are just a few links I know of:

WARNING: Not all may be safe for work, and some may have more adult-themed stories, as discussed earlier in this article.

Most-Recommended

Fanfiction.net
MediaMiner.org
FictionPress.com

Other Excellent Sites

Archive Of Our Own
Mibba.com
Figment.com
ImagineFanfiction.com
Wattpad.com
Fictionesque.com
ForeverFandom.net
FanficAuthors.net
MyFandoms.com (also for fan videos and art)
FicWad.com

Lists of Fanfiction Sites

Fanfiction Directory
Fanfiction Sites: A List on Squidoo.com

Friday around the Web

John Lennon on Happiness, Snicker-Worthy Puns, Ocean Lightning, and Life Hacks

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John Lennon on Happiness and Life Goals (image)
Download, and post on your inspiration wall.

Puns, Puns, Puns
For those who enjoy wordplay, here are some groaners in the form of puns. (Warning: snickers and guffaws ahead)

Lightning Over the Ocean
AMAZING capture of nature at work! (This has to be time-lapse…either that, or this was a REALLY bad storm!)

17 Tips to Make Your Life Easier
Cornmeal to get rid of ants, safety pin to ward off static cling, reheating pizza without making it soggy, and other awesome life hacks!

Thursday in the Zone

Old-School Gaming, Part III: Donkey Kong Country

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As a kid, I loved just toying around on games, not having to beat a level in a certain time limit. Unfortunately, most of the games in my childhood valued completion under pressure rather than discovering every single nook and cranny within the game…

That is, almost every game I played except for one series: the Donkey Kong Country series. In this game series and this one alone (it seemed), the more you hunted around and tried new things, the more cool secrets you could discover–though some were harder to spot than others. Let me show you just a fun cross-section of the first game in this series…


The above video is the (hilarious) game intro and a playthrough of the first level, Jungle Hijinks. The main conflict in the game is that King K. Rool has stolen Donkey Kong’s beloved banana stash, and he and Diddy Kong have to fight to get it all back.


Each level ramps up just a little in difficulty and variety of challenges, but none of the levels are without secrets and fun stuff to discover along the way. This one is Ropey Rampage, the second level, which involves a lot of well-timed swings on ropes to get through the level, very unlike the level before it.


In this game, you have to use props more than power-ups to get around and complete levels–one of these props is the “cannon barrel”, which propels you more quickly across dangerous areas and can even get you into secret areas. (This particular example video comes from DKC for GBA, but it shows the barrel shooting accurately enough.)


The different scenery within the game provides new challenges with every section of the game map. For instance, the Underground levels have more bouncy tires (my favorite prop for jumping high or long distances), and the Underwater levels have waving kelp for walls, some of which you can swim through to get to secrets.


This game also had some of the finest background music of its day. Here’s an example of the Underwater level music…soothing, with just hints of how vast the water is. 🙂


This video, showing the secrets in the Oil Drum Alley map, is but an example of the hidden areas, items, and challenges sprinkled liberally throughout the game. Since the game isn’t timed, it’s well worth exploring around in each level and not trying to hurry through–you might just stumble across a HUGE advantage!


For instance, the hidden Ostrich-flying minigame…one of my favorite minigames in the whole series, just because you get to play as the Ostrich character and fly around collecting little golden ostriches to get extra lives.


Remember how I said some of DKC’s secrets are harder to get to than others? This video is a collection of how to find all the hardest hidden rooms in the game. (Now that I’ve seen this, I realize how much stuff I didn’t find on my last playthrough, many years ago! :O )


And, as with most video games of its day, DKC doesn’t fail to deliver difficult but rewarding boss battles. (This video covers all the boss battles in the game…I remember hating that purple squawking bird-thing with all the passion in my 9-year-old heart. xD)


There are also some funny scenes in the game besides the intro screen. For instance, if you lose a minigame and are playing Diddy as your primary character, he throws down his hat and stomps on it. (However, the player on this video got an interesting effect by having Diddy slide around just before the loss was triggered.) DKC has fun little human (or monkey) moments like this throughout the game.


One last secret: this video shows several warps to avoid certain levels in the game. And to think, I made it through every single level when I was a kid… 😛

To Play Donkey Kong Country

This game was released for the SNES in 1994, and was made available for various other systems through the years, including the Wii’s Virtual Console in 2006. There’s also a new game for the Wii called Donkey Kong Country Returns, which is a new story set in the same world as the original DKC.

Donkey Kong Country @ Wikipedia.com


Bonus: Though this is a ROM hack, it’s still worth watching–using a mine cart from later levels as a battering ram to get through the first level super-fast. I LOL’ed in real life watching this ownage. 😛

Wednesday in the Word

All The Little Miracles We Never Notice

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Psalm 66:1-5
1 Shout with joy to God, all the earth! 2 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! 3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. 4 All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.” 5 Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf!

This psalm calls us all to praise God for the wonderful works He has done and continues to do. But it might surprise us to know just how many “wonderful works” God does in our lives every day–in fact, there are likely thousands of little miracles that happen to us each day, without us ever noticing.

I used to think that there were simply “happy coincidences” that led me to run into an old friend who’d been on my mind earlier, or which made me just a few minutes later leaving the house, and kept me from being in the path of a dangerous person. I have since come to realize that these “happy coincidences” are indeed God’s works, just as much as the “big miracles” of healing, rescue from peril, and grand opportunities. Every time we get behind the wheel and end up where we intend to go in one piece, that’s a little miracle, after all.

If we paused in our daily prayers long enough to praise God for all the miracles He does for us every day, we would never stop praising Him. Since I reconnected with God and realized how much He works for our benefit, I’ve taken to praising him when I narrowly avoid an accident on the highway, or when I hear from an old friend after a long time, as well as when someone at church is healed from major disease. His works are indeed “awesome”–we can’t comprehend how much God does for each one of us, and how perfectly He works everything out.

Praising God in this way, taking time to remember all the little things that went right as well as all the big prayer requests that were answered, has really bolstered my faith. I face life with a much more positive attitude than I used to–which, considering how much of a complainer I used to be, is saying something. Now, I still have worries and I still fret about things sometimes, but when I remember all the tiny details He’s already taken care of for me, how can I not trust Him to carry me through the big problems, too?

Tuesday on the Soapbox

Exercise to Fit YOUR Life

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One of the stupidest things I think I’ve ever tried to do is take up early-morning running as an exercise routine.

Why do I consider it stupid for me? Because I’m a) not a morning person, AT ALL, and b) I hate pointless walking and running. And yet, I attempted it, for a few days at least, because I had been coached by every fitness guide and every social more that running was a “real” exercise, regimented, routine, and perfect. Even though I hated every minute–no, wait, every SECOND–I kept trying, because I thought this was the only way to start getting “really” fit, to be considered “working out.”

You can imagine how long it took before I gave up on that particular exercise routine, and with good reason. It simply didn’t fit my life, my personality, my schedule–it just didn’t work for me. I believe that many people are making this same mistake when they choose their exercise routines.

Why Would We Force Ourselves to Do Un-fun Exercise?

There are many reasons for this, I believe. Maybe we’re all hearkening back to gym classes of yore, doing the exercises we were taught were “good” for us. Maybe we’re merely mimicking what friends and relatives do, or what society’s social guidelines tell us is “real” exercise. Heck, maybe we’re just doing what our buddies are doing because we don’t want to be alone while we exercise.

But when we do not put real thought into matching our exercise to our lifestyle, our personalities, even our likes and values…well, we end up giving up on it after a while, don’t we?

Choosing a Fun Exercise Does NOT Mean You’re Weak!

Exercise is not punishment. I’m going to repeat that–EXERCISE IS NOT PUNISHMENT. And yet, this is how many of us view it, because pain and humiliation is all we have experienced in association with exercise.

For instance, the sharp pain of shoulder bones, spine, and hip bones grinding against the glossed gym floor beneath you as you try to do crunches. Or the incredible pressure in your wrists, hands, and toes as you try to lift yourself up off the ground into a push-up; grunting and sweating as you try and try (and fail and fail) to lift your own body weight, feeling the silent judgments of everyone else in the room as you do so. (I recount merely my own experience with such grinding, tedious exercises, and yet I’m sure I’m not the only one with such a tale to tell.)

When this kind of exercise routine is touted as “real” exercise, with no “fun” alternatives for the layperson, is it any wonder most of us who need exercise the most have given up on it entirely? When exercise is associated with severe discomfort/pain, plus the feeling of “never being able to get it right,” who in their right minds would WANT to inflict this on themselves?

I’ll admit, exercise, especially for the person who is out of shape (like me), will involve SOME pain and some extra effort–but it should not leave you absolutely bedridden the next day. Maybe “real” athletes and fit people will think I lack willpower and am just whining, but I speak as one who is not training for the Olympics or trying to win a marathon. I just want to be able to walk down the stairs without pain in my joints, and walk up the stairs without being out of breath.

I think most ordinary people would agree with me on this score. It is not that we are weak or unworthy folk–it is that we are not as far along on the “fitness” continuum as others may be. And that is not a crime, to have to start at the beginning when it comes to fitness.

Choose an Exercise That You Can Enjoy and Actually Do

When I say “start at the beginning,” I mean both physically and mentally. We must start with exercise that trains the muscles gently at first, getting us used to exercising again; we must also start with exercise that we enjoy, that fits into our schedules and brings out the best in our personalities instead of the worst.

For instance, I never succeeded with a workout routine for very long until I joined the Zumba class, as I have mentioned in this blog before, back in April of this year and June of last year. Being as musical as I am, and enjoying Latin dance music and R&B music as I do, Zumba appealed to me from a mental and emotional standpoint. Not only that, I love to dance and like to learn about different dance moves; I usually pair simple physical moves with the music I’m listening to anyway.

So it was natural and logical that I should enjoy the Zumba class, because it appealed to a natural strength in me (music) as well as an interest (dancing). Though it was difficult at first, especially when I tried to do absolutely EVERYTHING that the very fit instructor was doing, I still had a little fun attempting the moves. That little bit of fun, plus the unexpected camaraderie I found with my Zumba classmates, brought me back the next week. And the next. And even the next.

I don’t think I’m unusual in continuing with an exercise that I enjoy, versus trying and failing to keep to an unnatural routine. But everyone is different: there are people who will enjoy a 5 a.m. run much more than they would enjoy a Zumba dance class, for instance. I may not understand why they would choose to get up so horribly early, or why they would choose to run pointlessly, but I can’t put my judgment on their choice of exercise; it’s what works for them, just as Zumba works for me.

Selecting Your Perfect Exercise Style

Think about your body’s natural state.

Are you a night owl or an early bird? Do you find yourself energized by exercise, or soothed towards sleep? Asking these kinds of questions about how your body normally is will help you figure outwhat time of day you should exercise.

For instance, I’m a severe night owl (if I’m up at 6 a.m., it’s probably because I haven’t been to bed yet), and exercise makes me all warm and sleepy. Thus, an early-morning exercise routine would not work for my body’s natural state (I’d be a very cranky zombie all day), but my Thursday evening Zumba class fits me just fine–I can wake up later in the day if I need to, and after Zumba I can come home, shower, and actually get to bed before midnight. 😛

Think about your favorite hobbies, especially anything involving physical movement.

What do you like to do with your free time? What are your interests? These can point the way to a general style of exercise you’ll enjoy best. A love of basketball or affinity for watching basketball games may just translate itself into a daily half-hour practice at the local basketball court with a few friends, for instance.

For me, my love of music and dance translated itself perfectly into Zumba; I get to hear about an hour of good dancey music, and I get to learn new moves, all while dancing in the same room with other people. It’s almost like rehearsing for a dance performance, the way I did when I was a little girl–there’s the same kind of social group formed by the class, and the same kind of rush when you finally learn how to do that stinkin’ turn just right. 😛

Think about what you realistically have time for.

What does your daily schedule look like? How about weekly, or monthly? Being realistic about what time you can carve out for exercise is important to fitting it in and making it part of your life. If you’re always running around doing errands from morning to evening all week and barely have any time to breathe from Monday morning to Friday evening, then trying to fit in exercise during the week is probably not going to work for you. But doing some exercise on Saturday and Sunday might be just the ticket, instead.

I wasn’t sure that the Thursday night Zumba class would work for me in the beginning; however, it fit into an “empty” night that would have otherwise been a night for me to lay around being bored at home. Though I’m involved in other church and community activities on other weeknights, Thursdays have stayed my Zumba days (thankfully!). This has kept me coming back to class, when perhaps otherwise I might have let it go after a month or two.

Think about your exercise personality.

Do you enjoy the serenity of a solid, unchanging routine, or do you get easily bored without something different to do every time you exercise? Do you prefer to focus on perfect form and pinpoint muscle toning, or do you prefer to do exercises that feel more like useful, everyday activities? Answering these questions will help you figure out what specific kind of exercise you’d enjoy doing.

For me, I hate doing pointless, repetitive exercises that seem to have no bearing on real life (I have the same problem with math, LOL). Zumba is neither repetitive nor pointless–I get to learn new moves every time I go, which keeps it fresh, and the dance moves can be translated to my free time (and music-listening time) very easily. 😀

Summary

Exercise must be fun if it’s going to be done. It may sound trite, and the rhyme may sound dumb, but it’s the first truth about any physical activity–it must be enjoyable. It also must fit into your life, blending with everything else you do and everything you value. After all, if your exercise routine isn’t fun, doesn’t mesh with your life, and feels pointless, it’s probably not going to be “your routine” for long!

Monday in the HTMLab

How Do You Make a Resizing Icon Bar for Your Website?

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Today, instead of an informative article, I have a question for my readers. How do you make an animated, resizing icon bar?

Example Images of What I’d Like to Create


This is a smaller example of how I’d like the icon bar to look when a user loads the main page; larger icons, easy to click on.


This is a smaller example of how I’d like the icon bar to minimize when a user clicks an icon and goes into one of the content areas of the site; smaller icons, but still visible.

Usage and Placement of the Icon Bar

Ideally, I’d like the icon bar to run horizontally along the very top of the page, so that the navigation for the site is not too obtrusive for reading. It would also be awesome if the user could expand the icon bar out again by hovering over this bar.

Is This Even Possible?

I have found a few tutorials that kinda sorta do this, but don’t really get the exact same functionality.

The jQuery “Sliding Panel” Code

w3schools.com has these tutorials and examples for building a sliding panel or animated panel. This could possibly work for opening and closing a menu, and perhaps even a navigation bar like I wish for.

However, I’m not sure how to make the icons display bigger when users first visit the site. I think I’d probably have to stay with the same icon sizes so that the rest of the layout wouldn’t be thrown off with bigger images.

The JavaScript Hide/Show Menu Code

CSSCreator.com shows a way to hide and show specific divided layers with a Javascript in your header and some special classes created in your CSS.

This type of solution can produce a menu that is very easy to hide away when not needed, but it wouldn’t be automatically opened when the user first loads the page–it could end up being confusing rather than helpful to users.

What’s Your Answer?

Do you know of a way that I could create this resizing icon bar? Let me know in the comments! (If we can figure this out together, I may be able to debut this new trick on the upcoming Version 13 of WithinMyWorld.org!