Reader Questions #1

     Who doesn't like interesting questions? My favourite game show, "Jeopardy," is all about the questions. A good question will tell you as much about a person as a good answer. Philosophy is all about asking questions, but it's also about douchy answers. I prefer to stick with non-douchy answers. I'll try to do so below with our very first set of Reader Questions. It's very exciting to have questions to answer since I'm always so filled with questions to ask. I'm one of those strange people who enjoys filling out forms and questionnaires. I love being asked questions! Once, my aunt asked me over the phone, "An M.P. [member of Canadian parliament] used a term the other day and I didn't know what it meant. Katie, what's a MILF?" Yup, amazing, right? I love a good question! I can't share them all at once, but I've chosen a couple of good ones to answer below in our first ever Reader Questions.

Do you like people taking pictures of you?
Signed, Posing in Peterborough

      You know, I love posing for pictures. I love the idea of having a forever-frozen memory of a great moment. I take hundreds of pictures. I like to share cute pictures of my cat, pictures of food I've prepared (as you've seen in previous posts), and pictures of friends (though I often forget to actually take pictures when I'm out with friends!).

      Here's the thing.

      I'm not terribly photogenic. It's not that I'm not cute- I'm definitely cute when I put a little effort in. Pictures of me just don't accurately convey that cuteness. A guy I worked with once asked me why 50% of my Facebook pictures were of my cat. I told him there were two reasons: my cat can't take pictures of me since she can't operate the camera and she's far more photogenic than I am (except for one picture which makes me laugh every time I see it). I make weird, rubber faces without realizing it (I do this in conversation as well, but no one regularly documents my conversation in photos, thank goodness!). What can a girl do? Embrace it and remember that every one of these pictures documents a great moment and a wonderful memory in rubber faces, crooked eyes, and hilarious body language. I'm a party in a photo. So yeah, snap a picture- and be sure to post it on Facebook and tag me in it.

When bad pictures happen to cute girls

 I like to call this one Sweet Pea's "Come here, Sailor!" look

What book are you reading right now?
Signed, Reading in Regina

      I just finished Of Matters Great and Small (1975) by Isaac Asimov. I'm only too aware of how few things I really know- especially since I'm a liberal arts major- so I love reading non-fiction books to learn new things. I tend to have these strong urges for learning when I'm out of school for more than two weeks, so I try to keep a small stock of pre-loved books on my bookshelf. When I moved to Ontario, I didn't pack any books. I got a few for Christmas, but they were fiction and a cookbook (all wonderful books!). Luckily, there is an amazing used bookstore downtown and I visited a few weeks ago. Even more fortunate, the bookstore was having a 50% off sale for the entire month of March! Since I'm on a tight (almost non-existent) budget I bought five books for $12.50: three Asimov essay collections (I've got a couple of these in storage and I love them!), one Carl Sagan novel, and one Stephen Hawking novel.

      These wonderful, affordable finds should keep me busy for a while. I can't devour science and mathematics quite as quickly as a Stephen King novel. Next up, I'll be reading the Sagan novel The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence (1977). If I ever go back to school, I'd love to study science, perhaps evolutionary biology. I should choose some sort of technology, but the brain wants what it wants! Clearly, I've gone with this sentiment before- check out the philosophy degree in the box in the storage closet.

Asimov makes science fun!

How do you motivate yourself to keep writing when no one is leaving comments or sharing the links?

Signed, Curious in Calgary

      This one is easy. I like to write. I enjoy coming up with ideas. I like having that spark and having an outlet. It's great to have a place to share my ideas. For most of my adult life, I've written things that I had to write: papers for school and reports for work. I've enjoyed this writing, but it's nice to choose my own topics and write for myself.

      I also thought that this blog might be a great tool for me someday. I've looked at job ads that have asked for a writing portfolio and I never had that, aside from school papers. I think it would be pretty interesting to have a whole array of posts with different topics to share with a potential employer. Right? I mean, if you want to read my Bataille paper I'll send you a copy. I can write a mock incident report or Plan of Care to share. This blog is a demonstration of a more generalized writing style- not to mention that I don't get to share my sense of humour in school papers or work reports very often.

      So, if other people are reading (and you are reading- Blogspot tells me how many reads each post receives) that's a bonus. If people were to love my blog so much that they feel a burning urge to comment and share my blog with their friends, well, that would be the icing on the cake. Imagine this blog is a delicious chocolate cake- and remember that chocolate cake always tastes best with icing. Don't be stingy with the icing.

      I hope the Reader Questions keep coming so we can all share in this- feel free to post them right here on the blog or on the blog's Facebook page. Remember, you can post them anonymously on the blog! If you've got a question you've been aching to ask me, send it in!

© Katie Jolicoeur and Blackhearts & Raspberry Tarts, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, written or visual, without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Katie Jolicoeur and Blackhearts & Raspberry Tarts with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.