This photo of bee badges was taken by Ashley and submitted to the qbee group on flickr.

I must have gotten really into this book at some point, because while the main character Meursault was on trial, I found my internal monologue practically shouting for him to lie, to say certain things that would at least prevent the death penalty. Say that you didn’t have an indifference to your mother’s death; say instead that she wanted you to go out and have fun and improve your life after she was gone. Don’t say that it didn’t make any difference how you were at her funeral, say instead that this calm, reserved state is just how you handle grief, that inside you were bawling but how could you be expected to act such a way in front of a bunch of strangers? Instead of saying that you simply “couldn’t take care of her any longer,” say that you knew she would have been happier in a home, with friends, and others of her age with similar interests… I was saying these things, but he wasn’t thinking them.

I wanted him to shout it out, though, because I too felt like he didn’t have a say in his own trial, that trials always seem to be entirely too third-person, that the persecuted is never able to defend himself; he has to instead rely on everyone else’s opinion of him.

I wanted him to show remorse, even if it was just for the fact that he’d never feel a woman’s touch again. I wanted him to outwardly show all the right emotions, even if inside they were for other things. I realized, though, towards the end, that it was the complete opposite. He was thinking of his mother, always, in a way that could hardly be called indifferent. Sure, he wasn’t recounting all the emotional aspects of their relationship, but he was thinking of advice she had given, of the times she had said something that only now applied to his life. I do this all the time and it’s because I respect and appreciate the concern my parents always had for me. Even if he didn’t have the ability to shout to the roof tops that he loved her, he did anyway.

It is a rather exceptional title for this book. Despite that I can see these traits in him, and despite that the entire book was narrated first-person and from his point of view, one is still left with a feeling of indifference. By the end, it seems only natural that he’ll probably be executed for what he did, even though earlier, inside, I was crying out for his welfare. Even though I know it wasn’t premeditated and the trial seemed a little unfair, it all spanned out in a perfectly logical way and it only makes sense that this would be the outcome. I don’t know him.

What I love most about this book, however, is the effect it has on the reader, or in any case, the effect it had on me as a reader. I wouldn’t be able to say if it would have the same effect on any other reader, but I would still recommend it because of this happenstance. You go through a lot of emotions but eventually end up as unattached as he is.

At first you don’t know what to make of it, but by part two, you’re on his side and defending him to the very thread of your being. Nothing particular caused this. He didn’t say something that made you like him more; you just seemed to gradually become his best friend. However, as you get closer to the end, you find yourself thinking more and more in his terms: yes, he’s probably right, this was probably inevitable; or yes, he is guilty, he does deserve this. I think it’s that last speech that really detaches the reader from him, and it doesn’t make you wonder if his appeal panned out or if he really was taken to the guillotine. You close the book knowing that he was a stranger to all the characters and to you, and the story is over. It really doesn’t matter if he lives or dies.

My edition is hardcover and 123 pages, probably not even the length of an amateur NaNoWriMo novel (if you guess about 400 words per page, you get 49,500 words for the book), and yet it takes you across the spectrum and back again. Beautifully accomplished.

If you wish to use my vase outline, you can right click and save the image below. It is in GIF format.

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It is my extreme pleasure to “interview” our staff bees and find out more about the jobs and tasks they have and how The Quilting Bee plays a part in each of their lives.

Probably every bee knows the staff member I have chosen to take a closer look at for this first staff profile. In fact, many of you have gone to her for help with everything from specific WordPress customizations to general website design tips. She is a very knowledgeable bee as well as a down to earth friend. I am, of course, talking about our very own Melissa, Bee #188.

Melissa was actually born in the country of Panama and lived there for almost a year. Her family is a military one, so when she was growing up she had the opportunity to move around a lot. She’s lived in some exotic locations such as Japan, Mexico, and Suriname. She’s got to visit a lot of neat places too, such as Guatemala, Barbados, Aruba, and Costa Rica. “I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything!,” Melissa says.

Melissa joined The Quilting Bee back on July 4, 2006. In the two years she has been a bee, she’s really made quite a name for herself. She holds several staff positions including: Princess Bee (BBS Moderator), Honeybee, Workerbee, Pixel Team Member, Daily Bee Staff member, and most recently Melissa has become a Programmer Bee.

I asked Melissa what staff position she felt was most rewarding and she said being a Princess Bee. Melissa loves helping out with the more intricate things that go on behind the scenes and knowing that she is a close part of a great community. It really makes her feel quite fulfilled.

Each staff position comes with its own challenges (even the easiest staff position for Melissa – being a Honeybee). Melissa feels that even though she’s just become a Programmer Bee that it will be her biggest challenge. She was sure to point out that she expects it will be super fun but at the same time, it will challenge her coding skills and help her learn a great deal more.

I asked Melissa about her job as a WorkerBee. Melissa really wants her bees to have a trade log to make her job easier. She said, “That’s the only thing that ends up frustrating me when I do the monthly checks. Trade logs in list format by date are the best ones. I’ve seen some try to keep track by putting the trade date in the ALT attribute of the patch image, but its frustrating to have to hover over each patch to get the date. Just a regular, listed log is perfect.”

If you’re not a Quilting Bee member and you’re thinking about joining, Melissa has some tips for you. As a Honeybee, she looks for obvious requirements in voting on potential newbees, but she also looks for someone who is personable, interesting, and who she feels would enhance the club community. She is really impressed if the applicant makes an effort in their quilt or patch design before even being accepted. She adds that following the general rules is always a plus too.

Melissa has real life experience with bees as well. Her parents actually have a honeybee farm. Melissa has helped them take out comb and harvest honey. She’s also helped her mom make beauty products from the beeswax! She’s been stung as couple of times, but it was nothing serious. She was stung for the first time when she was three or four years old. She said, “I remember I was at my grandparents’ farm and one stung me right on the thumb! I was shocked!”

Melissa always is willing to go above and beyond to help fellow members of The Quilting Bee. I asked some members for their thoughts on Melissa. Here are just a few things members had to say about this kind hearted bee:

Hev, Bee #78 said, “”Melissa is willing to help someone no matter how many times she has to explain the same thing over again. She is always there to talk to. She has this uncanny ability to figure out any part of WordPress that isn’t working and make it work, lol. Basically, she is a all around wonderful friend, that I am so happy that I have met. I don’t know what I would do without her sometimes.”"

Joni, #24 said: “Melissa helped me install Word Press on my domain. She is extremely knowledgeable and a great help!”

Mendifae, #31 said, “Melissa has made me feel welcome into this club from the very first time I met her. She is sweet, caring and sooo funny! I don’t think the Qbee or the IRC chats would be nearly as much fun without her!”

Arien, Bee #88, was lucky enough to meet Melissa in person! Arien had lots of stories and comments to share including this: “She never makes you feel dumb when you ask what could be viewed as a question you ought to know the answer to. And she has all the patience in the world until you either “get it” or she ends up doing “it” for you. Not that um.. I made her do anything for me… no, not me!”

Melissa thinks about The Quilting Bee all the time! She says she really loves the club, and her goals are to get The Daily Bee as customized as possible and to get Lean Bee back up and running. She also adds that she wants to help newbees feel welcome and to get to know everyone even more!

The Quilting Bee just wouldn’t be the same without Melissa. Like Rachael, Bee #222, says, “Melly is adorable. She’s funny, and intelligent, and completely round the bend! She always knows how to cheer me up when I’m not feeling so great, and she’s always up for a laugh.” If you ever need a helping hand, Melissa’s always there to do whatever she can.

Regular contest rules apply such as:

1. Patches must be 40×40
2. Patches must be transparent (gifs or pngs)
3. Patches must have clear stitching
4. Patches must not be animated

Fee free to use any of our patch templates found here.

Each bee is allowed to submit one patch only. Please bee-mail your entries to Ashley (Bee #267) or Rachael (Bee #222). The deadline to submit contest entries will be Saturday, August 16th. At that time, all entries will be posted for voting.

Get creative, and good luck!

Everyone gets busy sometimes and forgets this very important step in the trading process. However, make an effort to confirm every trade even if it is a trade you initiated yourself. A quick email to let someone know you’ve added their patch is a nice gesture and can encourage more conversation between you and the other bee.

Remember when trading to give the bee all of your contact information (Name, Bee Number, Email, and URL) and to let them know you’ve accepted their trade and added their patch to your quilt.

You can use this as paint or glue. This is an easy way to add glitter that will not fall off to your creations.

What you need

• Aleens Clear Quick Drying Tacky Glue
• Modge Podge
• fine glitter (I used white)
• Foam paintbrush (sold in craft & hardware stores)
• A small plastic dish
• Many tooth picks, preferably not the fine pointed ones
• Food coloring to color if you want
• small amount of water

What you do

1. Mix one part tacky glue, modgepodge, and glitter in small dish.
2. Mix with a toothpick adding water as needed until it is a soupy consistency/
3. If you want to add color now is the time. Add a drop of food coloring at a time mixing each drop completely before adding more until desired color is reached.
4. Take foam paintbrush and
   ]]> http://dailybee.theqbee.net/how-to/how-to-make-glitter-glue-paint/feed/ 0 http://dailybee.theqbee.net/music-reviews/the-pussycat-dolls-when-i-grow-up/ http://dailybee.theqbee.net/music-reviews/the-pussycat-dolls-when-i-grow-up/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:30:22 +0000 Rachael http://dailybee.theqbee.net/?p=80 After a somewhat lengthy break from the spotlight, no doubt due to the attempt at a solo career on the part of Nicole Scherzinger, the Pussycat Dolls are back. And they mean business.

   “When I Grow Up” is a very raunchy song about how the pussycat dolls felt at a young age. When they grew up, they wanted to be famous. Now they are grown up and famous, so it looks like their wishes came true!

   The video which accompanies this song is not entirely appropriate for viewing by young girls. If you think listening to the song is raunchy, the video definitely tops that.

   Without the video, I think this is a great song. It’s catchy, it’s fun to sing to, and it’s relatable. It definitely has that PCD Funk to it.

   With the video, I worry slightly about who’s going to be seeing it. If I had young daughters, they would not be watching this. I don’t see anything wrong in women being feisty and sexy, but sometimes I think the Pussycat Dolls can take that a bit far.

   ]]> http://dailybee.theqbee.net/music-reviews/the-pussycat-dolls-when-i-grow-up/feed/ 4 http://dailybee.theqbee.net/photos/busy-bumble-bee/ http://dailybee.theqbee.net/photos/busy-bumble-bee/#comments Wed, 06 Aug 2008 01:50:54 +0000 Jem http://dailybee.theqbee.net/?p=76

   Taken some 5-6 years ago, it seemed almost inevitable that my first contribution to the Photos of The Daily Bee would be one of our bumbley friends. What better way to start a series of hopefully interesting amateur photography?

   ]]> http://dailybee.theqbee.net/photos/busy-bumble-bee/feed/ 3