tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57072832009-02-24T04:40:39.231+08:00irreverence and irrelevance from a smart, sexy, Filipina writer, grammarian, trivia buff, comic book creator, compulsive reader, gamer, wife, and momNikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comBlogger368125http://creativecommons.org/images/public/somerights20.gifHi, this is Nikki! Thanks for checking out the XML content feed for my blog, Contradiction in Terms. You should really be looking at this through a newsreader or some kind of syndication.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1158299597226913972006-09-15T13:43:00.000+08:002006-09-15T13:55:57.296+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.combibliobibuli: "There are those who become drunk on books, as on wine or similar intoxicants."--from Jeffrey Kacirk's Forgotten EnglishBy the way, for the kind people who've expressed interest in my...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/09/what-i-am-is-what-i-am-are-you-what.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1157000082014764742006-08-31T12:34:00.000+08:002006-08-31T12:54:42.026+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comAugust has been an extremely lucky month for me. I'm getting my second Palanca tomorrow night (Yippee!); have received confirmation that seven of my stories and one comics script have been accepted...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/08/fortune-smiles.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1156308242002476202006-08-23T12:32:00.000+08:002006-08-23T12:44:02.016+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comReceived a stunning 36 incidences of spam today, all on the same topic.Listen, spammers, there is nothing wrong with my erection, okay? Geez.Speaking of Dr. Seuss (if you didn't get the title...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/08/that-spam-i-am-that-spam-i-am.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1156224305446997012006-08-22T13:03:00.000+08:002006-08-22T13:30:29.300+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comOkay, one of the reasons I haven't been posting is that I'm no longer pleased with the look of the blog--it was designed to accommodate a side blog, but now it looks like the folks at sideblog.com...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/08/annoyingly-brief-update.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1154657684262300382006-08-04T10:14:00.000+08:002006-08-04T10:16:24.686+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comYes, I know it's been a long while.I'll be back eventually; but for now, Sage, at least, is blogging again.Check out her latest entry here.<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/08/dear-everyone.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1149565238888655772006-06-06T11:19:00.000+08:002006-06-06T17:15:48.250+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comLast night, my husband and I were watching House, the medical drama that focuses on the brilliant but infuriating, eponymously named Dr. House. The featured illness for the episode was Multiple...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/06/house-hold-drama.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1149048060935304452006-05-31T11:58:00.000+08:002006-05-31T12:03:07.510+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comadapted from the Visayan folktaleThe king of all the animals was very tired one evening and wanted to rest. But he could not sleep because he kept hearing the high-pitched, croaking laughter of his...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/05/why-mosquitoes-hum-flash-fiction.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1145599496758316682006-04-21T14:02:00.000+08:002006-04-21T14:04:56.766+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comBecause people keep asking me about it, I’ve decided to put up a sort of online crash course on copywriting. This will be a series, published weekly or, you know, whenever I happen to feel like it.So...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/04/copywriting-101-definition.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1145337214058361472006-04-18T13:06:00.000+08:002006-04-18T13:13:34.073+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comWhoopee! Vin has selected my submission as the opening story for his dragon anthology; I'm just tickled persimmon (which, you know, is kind of like "pink", but more intense). Here's the first few...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/04/glass-excerpt.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1145268430348850252006-04-17T17:53:00.000+08:002006-04-17T18:07:10.753+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comI've changed my email address because I'm sick of the spam: no, my love life does not need a boost; no, I am not interested in low cost, high quality stock; no, I am not drowning under the weight of...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/04/fyi.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1143616216673152402006-03-29T15:07:00.000+08:002006-03-29T15:10:16.676+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comI’ve been blog-silent for over a month. So look, in order to prevent this sort of thing from recurring, here’s what I need you to say to me next December, when clients start offering me their annual...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/03/yes-i-know.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1143615919151631582006-03-29T14:55:00.000+08:002006-03-29T15:05:19.166+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comSage turned four and I turned thirty-three. My birthday has mysteriously been going on for over a month now, with Husband showering me with a plethora of presents that culminated in an iPod with...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/03/in-meantime-while-i-was-out-of.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1139123361513113932006-02-05T14:26:00.000+08:002006-02-05T15:10:14.683+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comSage's fourth birthday is rolling around on February 14th, and we are having the usual party for her on the 18th (because we are not delusional enough to expect people to actually show up on a...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/02/little-girl-get-bigger-step-four.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1138856969496978102006-02-02T13:04:00.000+08:002006-02-02T13:09:29.510+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comMy friend Jaime (I pronounce it "Jamie", but spell it the Irish way) has a blog! He is a publisher, an accomplished writer/artist, a superlative singer, and, to me, the very definition of the word...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/02/lookee.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1138686512736186372006-01-31T13:43:00.000+08:002006-01-31T13:48:32.750+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.com(part four of a four-part short story)“How long did you think you could conceal her nature beneath a fountain?” the leader asked Madame Astranzia contemptuously, even as he viciously kicked in the...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/01/emberwild_31.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1138166809583861862006-01-25T12:59:00.000+08:002006-01-25T13:26:49.703+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comThe wonderful people over at Our Own Voice have decided to publish my short story, Heritage, previously seen in this here blog. Gracious editor Reme just emailed me out of the blue--which is probably...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/01/and-now-we-do-dance-of-joy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1138076327966453642006-01-24T12:14:00.000+08:002006-01-24T12:21:09.110+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.com(part three of a four-part short story)“I love you,” Nicolas said to Sorrow, as they lay in the starlit dark of the Ebon Room, the sourceless chirping of crickets becoming audible once more in the...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/01/emberwild_24.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1137995555594662762006-01-23T13:48:00.000+08:002006-01-23T13:53:49.403+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comI don't usually do the quiz thing, but I spotted this one over at Alex's, and the result was just too funny for me not to post.Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.comCue earthquake-calamity footage with...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/01/what-would-my-movie-biography-be.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1137655939292009722006-01-19T14:45:00.000+08:002006-01-19T15:36:08.066+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.com...If you trust in yourself... and believe in your dreams... and follow your star...""Yes?""... you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/01/why-i-love-pratchett.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1137653043584244472006-01-19T14:35:00.000+08:002006-01-19T15:38:52.966+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comBecause, among myriad other reasons, Dean has seen fit to order us up a DSL connection that at last saves me from the agony and frustration of dial-up--and saves you, fellow blogger, from my unjust...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/01/why-i-love-my-husband.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1137480319882883542006-01-17T14:38:00.000+08:002006-01-17T14:45:19.886+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.com(part two of a four-part short story)Here, atop an irysk-fur rug mottled a pleasing indigo and cream, was strewn a sultan’s ransom of pillows hand-stitched by the otherwise-violent desert tribeswomen...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/01/emberwild_17.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1137121201500324392006-01-13T10:27:00.000+08:002006-01-14T13:03:55.866+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comYes, I know this is a tad belated. Blame it on the jet lag.1. Lose the seven pounds I gained over the holidays. Stupid American-sized food portions. Now I utterly have to do this or risk no longer...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-years-resolutions.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1137058394774746582006-01-12T17:31:00.000+08:002006-01-12T17:38:35.963+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.comOkay, this is for my friend Gigi, who wanted to know if she should know about “anything blog-related beyond posting or simple design”. Now I happen to think everyone should know about keywords, but...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/01/keywords-are-key.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1136846612764269822006-01-10T06:35:00.000+08:002006-01-10T07:00:09.943+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.com(part one of a four-part short story)You must understand that all of this occurred some thirteen years ago, when I was young still and the Empire had but newly begun its campaign to rid the realm of...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/01/emberwild.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5707283.post-1136483891460777152006-01-06T01:16:00.000+08:002006-01-06T12:36:03.826+08:00Nikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08859864566677329466noreply@blogger.com...from our two-week sojourn in Florida, visiting my mom, stepdad, brother, and sister-in-law for the holidays. We generally had a hell of a time, though mostly all we did was shop* (which I'm sure...<br/> <br/> [[Want more? Visit my actual blog at http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com!]]http://nikkialfar.blogspot.com/2006/01/were-baaack.html