NaNoWordSprints Prompts for July 2017 – Week 4

Well, here’s the last week of the Twitter prompts from July’s Camp NaNoWriMo session. Have fun using them in your stories!

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July 22, 2017, 9:15am-1:25pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 16

30 min	what will change everything
30 min	fame and fortune
30 min	the mystery continues
30 min	steal your soul
30 min	bucking the trend
30 min	in for a treat
30 min	another one bites the dust

 

July 22, 2017, 10:00pm-1:00am (UTC-8)
The Sprints Account Sprints Part 1

10 min	becoming aware
20 min	something new and interesting
10 min	completely incomprehensible
30 min	accidental invention
10 min	learning something new
20 min	know it all
10 min	party
30 min	delusional
20 min	limitless

 

July 23, 2017, 6:30pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
The Sprints Account Sprints Part 2

10 min	far behind
20 min	wicked smart
10 min	secrecy and manipulation
30 min	the games people play
10 min	sly, satisfied grin
20 min	getting bigger and bigger
10 min	infectious and charming
30 min	devoid of mercy
15 min	adorable, inevitable, or intense

 

July 25, 2017, 10:15pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
The Sprint Monster

20 min	a monster is coming
15 min	escape route
20 min	chase scene
30 min	plot holes

 

July 26, 2017, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 17

30 min	one track mind
30 min	attracted a following
30 min	dulled the edge
30 min	fallacy in this reasoning
30 min	a bit about bananas
30 min	a somewhat different technique
30 min	pretty obscure

 

July 27, 2017, 7:00pm-1:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 18

10 min	don’t be silly
20 min	connect somewhere
30 min	emotional distress
10 min	floating around
20 min	otherwise working
30 min	commonly understood
10 min	no longer despair
10 min	see a resurgence
20 min	scary stuff
30 min	before the fight was over
10 min	shocked by how things went
20 min	new evidence
30 min	it may not be real
10 min	prepared for the fallout
20 min	unqualified reservations
30 min	they want to flee

 

July 28, 2017, 7:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 19

10 min	constantly on the move
20 min	encouraging an overhaul
30 min	the original was released
10 min	more than a bit insane
20 min	a direct link
30 min	knocking it out of commission
10 min	no one can hear you scream
10 min	back to square one
20 min	stronger together
30 min	decided to fight back
10 min	voice in the fog
20 min	slippery slope
15 min	risking their lives
10 min	invent and explore
20 min	got back up again
30 min	a potentially dangerous situation
10 min	in a single bound
30 min	behind the scenes

 

July 29, 2017, 10:00am-6:00pm (UTC-8)
Strange Idioms

10 min	Bob’s your uncle (used to conclude a set of instructions)
20 min	a different kettle of fish (a different thing altogether)
30 min	donkey’s years (a very long time)
10 min	all mouth and no trousers (boastful but can’t back himself up)
20 min	cat got your tongue (point out someone’s silence)
30 min	chew the fat (to gossip)
10 min	under the weather (to feel ill or tired)
20 min	to go pear-shaped (describe something gone wrong)
30 min	a piece of cake (it’s really easy)
10 min	damp squid (something that fails to meet expectations)
15 min	cold turkey (abruptly giving up a habit or addiction)
30 min	my neck of the woods (area where I live)
10 min	give someone the stick (criticize or mock someone)
20 min	thick as thieves (close friends)
30 min	throw a spanner in the works (do something to complicate a plan or prevent from succeeding)
10 min	wipe the floor with someone (defeat someone easily)
20 min	won’t touch it with a barge pole (something so unappealing you wouldn’t want to go anywhere near it)
30 min	pot calling the kettle black (point out hypocrisy)
15 min	when pigs fly (something that will never happen)

 

July 29, 2017, 11:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Titles from Books Published on June 2012

10 min	villains for hire
20 min	at his command
30 min	unraveling the past
10 min	darkness devours
20 min	chasing evil
30 min	a tangled affair
20 min	gone missing

 

July 30, 2017, 7:30am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 20

10 min	work well enough
30 min	piercing cry and panic
30 min	there’s nothing wrong
30 min	not so kind
30 min	full of accusations
30 min	might not be the best place
30 min	poking around
30 min	reinventing the wheel

 

July 30, 2017, 3:00pm-6:30pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 21

30 min	better than the real thing
30 min	astonished to discover
30 min	heighten tension
30 min	freak accident
30 min	know for certain
30 min	what happens after fairy-tale endings

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NaNoWordSprints Prompts for July 2017 – Week 3

I got delayed a bit because I was having internet connectivity issues, but here’s week 3 from the sprints account in July…

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July 15, 2017, 2:00pm-4:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 7

10 min	some of the meanest tricks
20 min	entertaining debate
30 min	huge implications
10 min	protect and preserve
20 min	recent troubles

July 15, 2017, 5:00pm-7:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 8

10 min	they’ve had some delays
20 min	free to wander
30 min	unfathomably complex
10 min	a swirling vortex
20 min	forced to endure

 

July 15, 2017, 8:15pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Titles from Books Published on October 2015

10 min	forgotten voices
20 min	damage control
30 min	walk through fire
20 min	out to lunch

 

July 15, 2017, 10:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Titles from Books Published on January 2017

10 min	dead run
20 min	the rule maker
30 min	game of lies
10 min	a rustle of silk
20 min	driven to distraction

 

July 16, 2017, 2:00pm-4:00pm (UTC-8)
Titles from Books Published on April 2013

10 min	a nearly perfect copy
20 min	hair raising
30 min	no strings attached
10 min	sinner’s heart
20 min	no stranger to scandal

 

July 16, 2017, 7:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 9

10 min	holding back tears
20 min	repair procedure
30 min	misconceptions and lies
10 min	thoroughly debunked
20 min	safe crossing
30 min	astounding and awkward
15 min	inevitable consequence
10 min	magical and wonderous place
20 min	feeling the pressure
30 min	whatever the truth
15 min	lack of movement
20 min	the unfortunate result

 

July 17, 2017, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 10

30 min	broken on purpose
30 min	getting it wrong
30 min	sense of adventure
30 min	appear abandoned
30 min	no rhyme or reason
30 min	peculiar method
30 min	confront the fact

 

July 17, 2017, 8:30pm-1:00am (UTC-8)
Postcards

10 min	making a grand entrance
20 min	surprise hug
30 min	deadly capture
10 min	where dreams come true
20 min	under construction
30 min	sleepy friends
10 min	bizarre visions
20 min	funny expression
30 min	deserved accolades
10 min	haunted
20 min	investigations

 

July 18, 2017, 10:00pm-1:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 11

10 min	outside acceptable
20 min	errant stab in the dark
30 min	sooner than expected
10 min	the ugly truth
20 min	told not to flirt with one another
10 min	considerable injury
20 min	power and versatility
15 min	hearts remain pure

 

July 19, 2017, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 12

30 min	alive and well
30 min	running late
30 min	stopped working
30 min	abandoned and derelict
30 min	the big fireworks
30 min	without hesitation or shame
30 min	deep in the dark

 

July 19, 2017, 11:30pm-1:00am (UTC-8)
Meow Sprints

10 min	all cats are gray in the dark
20 min	busier than a one-eyed cat watching two mouse holes
30 min	cat got your tongue
15 min	the cat’s out of the bag

 

July 20, 2017, 7:00pm-1:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 13

10 min	don’t mess around
20 min	played host
30 min	a common item
10 min	making a point
20 min	saves another life
30 min	looking extraordinarily bad
10 min	double take
10 min	something emerges
20 min	available for the first time
30 min	come to a resolution
10 min	the guy most people think that did it
20 min	exactly what it sounds like
30 min	reserves of composure, ingenuity and stoicism
10 min	into the wild
25 min	earliest fear

 

July 21, 2017, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 14

30 min	fly in any direction
30 min	love wiill tear us apart
30 min	silver lining
30 min	very sharp
30 min	eminently worthy
30 min	precarious survival
30 min	bizarre and insightful

 

July 21, 2017, 6:00pm-1:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 15

10 min	money to burn
20 min	learn the hard way
30 min	exclusivity and indifference
10 min	completely beside the point
20 min	bold move
30 min	fall and redemption
10 min	very poor choice
20 min	a strange hissing noise
30 min	bound to happen sooner or later
10 min	it’s gonna cost us
20 min	worth recalling
30 min	his cover is blown
10 min	greatly influenced
20 min	strange bedfellows
30 min	double standards
30 min	at least it can be a little naughty

NaNoWordSprints Prompts for July 2017 – Week 2

Here’s week 2 from the sprints account in July…

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July 8, 2017, 11:00am-2:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 3

10 min	glaring omission
20 min	he did not believe he could lose
30 min	trying to put it all together
10 min	imperfect and incomplete
20 min	open to interpretation
30 min	lurks in the shadows
20 min	bad romance

 

July 8, 2017, 10:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Two Syllable Rhymes Part 1

10 min	wonder, blunder, plunder, thunder
20 min	follow, wallow, hollow, swallow
30 min	enchant, decant, transplant, eggplant
10 min	hamlet, magnet, casket, ratchet
15 min	snappy, happy, sappy, nappy

 

July 9, 2017, 1:30pm-4:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 4

10 min	causing a stir
20 min	suddenly made known
30 min	a matter of life and death
10 min	informative letters
15 min	a fascinating archive
30 min	you’re doing it wrong

 

July 9, 2017, 7:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 5

10 min	culinary delights
20 min	out-ranking the homegrown talent
30 min	so annoying
10 min	professional curmudgeon
20 min	explain how it works
30 min	restored to life
10 min	the missing link
20 min	enjoy the process of getting there
30 min	disheartening pessimism
10 min	a significant section
20 min	ferocity is essential
30 min	still a gamble

 

July 10, 2017, 7:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 6

10 min	remembering the beginning
20 min	free running shenanigans
30 min	save you in return
10 min	changing context
20 min	bourgeois respectability
30 min	everything he knows
10 min	one of the most important figures
20 min	high quality
30 min	at the very edge
10 min	boundaries have changed
15 min	honoring and rewarding
30 min	another reason to be careful

 

July 11, 2017, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Titles from Books Published on October 2008

10 min	night secrets
20 min	beautiful liars
30 min	veiled truth
10 min	too close to home
20 min	the chosen sin
30 min	a spoonful of poison
10 min	little divas
20 min	forbidden fruit
15 min	the love of danger
20 min	terms of surrender

 

July 12, 2017, 10:45pm-1:00am (UTC-8)
Two Syllable Rhymes Part 2

10 min	adore, galore, ignore, restore
20 min	skylight, birthright, shipwright, airtight
30 min	contort, support, retort, distort
10 min	rooftop, backdrop, workshop, eavesdrop
20 min	bombshell, doorbell, resell, death knell
15 min	shoulder, boulder, smolder, older

 

July 13, 2017, 7:00pm-9:00pm (UTC-8)
Titles from Books Published on October 2009 Part 1

10 min	his secret agenda
20 min	bound to shadows
30 min	voices in the dark
10 min	breaking the rules
20 min	perfect mistake

 

July 13, 2017, 11:00pm-1:00am (UTC-8)
Titles from Books Published on October 2009 Part 2

10 min	best enemies
20 min	up close and personal
30 min	the long wait for tomorrow
10 min	persuit of honor
20 min	a change had to come

 

July 14, 2017, 8:00pm-1:00am (UTC-8)
Titles from Books Published on December 2015

10 min	enemy in the dark
20 min	desperate measures
30 min	friends to die for
10 min	target engaged
20 min	brute force
30 min	one tempting proposal
10 min	an evil mind
20 min	the final move
30 min	trusting a stranger
10 min	thrill of the chase
20 min	too close to home
30 min	the cost of the forbidden

NaNoWordSprints Prompts for July 2017 – Week 1

Yep, I’m late again. It always seems like it takes me a while to get these together. But finally here they are: the @NaNoWordSprints prompts that I tweeted out during July.  These are in a slightly different format than before, but hopefully it’s self-explanatory. Have fun if you decide to use them on your own!

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June 30, 2017, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Beginning Tropes

15 min	action prologue
20 min	big first choice
10 min	chilly reception
30 min	dramatic chase opening
20 min	dream intro
10 min	doomed hometown
15 min	it was a dark and stormy night
20 min	once upon a time
30 min	the magic comes back
10 min	starts with their funeral
5 min	when it all began
20 min	a hero is born
30 min	inciting incident
10 min	pride before a fall
10 min	open door
30 min	a twist of fate

 

July 1, 2017, 9:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Postcards sent on April 2017

10 min	a gathering
20 min	device
30 min	map
10 min	cat in the window
20 min	mysterious manuscript
30 min	sea captain
20 min	arrows

 

July 1, 2017, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Idioms from around the world

10 min	There is no cow on the ice
20 min	Pay the duck
30 min	Wear a cat
10 min	not my circus not my monkey
15 min	the demon of midday
30 min	to let a frog out of your mouth
10 min	into the mouth of the wolf
20 min	to ride as a hare
30 min	flat out like a lizard drinking
5 min	to give someone pumpkins

 

July 2, 2017, 9:00am-10:00am (UTC-8)
Coffeeshop Prompts

10 min	scone
15 min	coffee
15 min	trendy

 

July 2, 2017, 2:00pm-4:00pm (UTC-8)
SFMOMA

10 min	seascape
20 min	wings
30 min	please do not touch
10 min	couple
20 min	not supposed to be there

 

July 2, 2017, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Reaction Tropes

10 min	blank stare
20 min	security cling
30 min	stunned silence
10 min	unstoppable rage
15 min	villainous breakdown
30 min	implied answer
10 min	collective groan
20 min	disappointed in you
15 min	dramatic drop
20 min	mock surprise reaction

 

July 3, 2017, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Idioms

10 min	skin of your teeth
20 min	carry your heart on your sleeve
30 min	kick the bucket
10 min	bite the bullet
20 min	it’s raining cats and dogs
30 min	through the eye of a needle
10 min	skeleton in the cupboard
20 min	eat humble pie
15 min	separate the wheat from the chaff
20 min	add insult to injury

 

July 4, 2017, 12:00pm-4:00pm (UTC-8)
Food Idioms

10 min	don’t cry over spilled milk
20 min	not my cup of tea
30 min	egg someone on
10 min	piece of cake
20 min	forbidden fruit
30 min	rotten apple
10 min	sugarcoat
20 min	go bananas
15 min	too many cooks spoil the stew
20 min	whole enchilada

 

July 4, 2017, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 1

10 min	a fruitless hunt
20 min	this stuff is going to be everywhere
30 min	became an obsession
10 min	well versed in the dark arts
20 min	have nothing in common
30 min	chased by the enemy
10 min	change your mind
20 min	remain an enigma
15 min	whether you asked for it or not
20 min	sights and sounds

 

July 6, 2017, 10:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Cat Pics

10 min	a terrible mistake
20 min	miniature
30 min	an unwanted companion
10 min	angst
20 min	floating by

 

July 7, 2017, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases Part 2

10 min	most embarassing protest
20 min	pretty lights
30 min	a new balance of power
10 min	you don’t want to meet these guys in a dark alley
20 min	masks of agony
30 min	a photographic mystery
10 min	secrets of a true master
20 min	in line with the heart
15 min	somebody’s watching you
20 min	goodness had nothing to do with it

Moo

Other than a couple postcard posts, I admit I haven’t been as on the ball on the blog as I’d like to be. Sometimes you have grand plans to get things done, but then…distractions!

I’m not the sort of person to sit around and do nothing–especially when I’m in a new place that I want to explore the heck out of–but part of the blame can also be put at the paws of my newest roommate, Moo. She follows me around and talks more than I do. The gift of gab is strong with this one.

I got Moo over the Memorial Day Weekend at the local shelter which was overflowing with cats (it was kitten season). There were also lots of potential adopters there, too, but they were only interested in the kittens. I was the only one specifically wanting an adult cat. Moo seemed rather chill and for me, it was quick and painless to bring her home since I didn’t join in the fray to fight over the cute kittens.

The last time I had a pet, I was seven, and it was just a bunch of goldfish. But don’t worry, I’ve been thinking quite a while about getting a cat and I’m well aware of all the responsibility, time, and money it requires for being a pet owner. It’s a long term thing, and I know I’ll have to be there for Moo when she’s old and sick and not just when she’s younger and active.

Anyways, don’t worry about being spammed with a kazillion cat pics from yet another source on the internet. I’m not very good at taking pictures of moving targets and even I know blurry cat photos don’t make for good blog posts.

Postcard #155 – Squamish

I haven’t been to Squamish before, but I’d imagine it would be an interesting place to visit, particularly during the summer. I might be back in Vancouver around Christmas time, so if I decided to go there then, it’ll depend on the weather and the conditions of the roads.

As for getting postcards from Canada via Postcrossing–it’s actually kind of rare. It’s the same with Mexico. I think it’s because there aren’t as many people participating in those two countries as it is in the US.

Postcard #144 – Growing Things

I really enjoy strange postcards. Tourist postcards can literally be a dime a dozen. This one definitely counts as odd. Because who would think that a picture of someone’s plant hobby would make a nice postcard? Besides, this raises some questions. Who’s growing this stuff? What’s being grown? Why are there paintings/drawings in the background? Why is this arranged this way in the first place?

Notes from Los Angeles

After the whole move and everything, I totally forgot about my pitstops in Los Angeles. The photos below include works from LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art), The Broad, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, and Little Saigon in Westminster.

 

Moved to the Suburban Jungle

For those of you who have not been following my Twitter feed, I have recently moved from San Diego to the San Francisco Bay Area. I had been doing some intensive job searching the past six months or so–primarily because I knew that I really needed to get out of academia. I’m sure I could have done okay in it if I were in the right environment and working with the right people, but that’s really hard to find. Besides, I was really tired of the long hours, getting paid peanuts, and the unrealistic expectations which I’ve seen driven more than one person crazy.

To be honest, I was mostly tired of getting paid peanuts. I know my worth. And for the amount of skilled work I do–which is in the service of science and the betterment of human health–I knew I shouldn’t be paid less than some secretary who occasionally fiddled around with spreadsheets on a bad day. So I decided to go to the “dark side”, a.k.a. industry. I mean, sure, it’s not completely altruistic and as I’m finding out, there are other sorts of challenges I have to face. But at least now, I’m not employed by people who are deathly allergic to weekends and I’m getting paid enough to cover my rent and maybe have some savings left over.

Anyways, work at the new place is interesting so far. I probably will say very little about it (if any) seeing that I’m in R&D and have signed all these confidentiality forms. So I guess I’ll just leave it as an exercise to the reader to imagine what I’m doing.

Moving is always an interesting proposition. For most of my adult life, I have either lived out in the middle of nowhere or in cities. I swore that I would never go back to suburbia. Yet here I am, in suburbia. And yes, in some aspects, it’s as horrifying as one might imagine it to be. I lived in the suburbs while I was growing up, and I really did not like the upwardly mobile snootiness that went with it. Mostly because I stuck out like a sore thumb.

I still feel like I stick out like a sore thumb. Not because of how I look or dress–as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to camouflage myself better–but my way of looking at things. The advantage now, of course, is that I’m not as stuck in suburbia as I was when I was a kid without a driver’s license and no access to public transportation. I can easily go into the city without much trouble or even drive into the wilderness (with a little bit of planning) if I wanted to.

To be fair, though, not all suburbs are quite the same. Here, there’s an added layer of the tech world to contend with–the assumption that if you’re going to fit in, you’re going to have to show off your smarts, ambition, and newly acquired bling. You go to some place like Target in order to get toilet paper and laundry detergent and you find soccer moms on every aisle, chatting to people about their high-powered jobs at some startup while juggling their kids’ extracurriculars.

I mean, of course I want to do well career-wise. But I don’t particularly want my ambition to bleed into every other aspect of my life. I guess that’s where the philosophies of the average suburbanite and mine diverge. I don’t want my life choices to be driven by the need for status or succeeding in the yuppie rat race. I just want to avoid the bullshit and do whatever I find that’s both practical and fun.

(I’m also trying to aim for minimalism which is the complete opposite of the obsession with stuff people around here seem to have, but that’s a topic for another blog post…)

NaNoWordSprints Prompts for April 2017

Oops, I’m late. But I have a very good reason! I’ve been in the middle of moving in the last part of April. But finally here they are: the @NaNoWordSprints prompts that I tweeted out during April. Have fun if you decide to use them on your own!

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March 31, 2017, 4:00pm-6:00pm (UTC-8)
Parts of First Lines

• It was a bright cold day in April (15 min)
• It was the best of times, it was the worst of times (20 min)
• It was a wrong number that started it (30 min)

March 31, 2017, 11:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 1)

• Before it happens (10 min)
• He went about humiliating them (20 min)
• Last of the true romantics (10 min)
• Crystal clear results (15 min)
• Wasn’t a total bust (20 min)
• Well, this won’t last long (10 min)
• The good old days (30 min)
• An out-of-this-world deal (20 min)

April 1, 2017, 1:30pm-2:30pm (UTC-8)
Plot Bunny Infomercial

• Something hilarious and eye opening (10 min)
• Something sinister happens in some very old archives (20 min)
• This kiss of death (5 min)

April 1, 2017, 8:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 2)

• I’m still digging (10 min)
• Been around awhile (20 min)
• Go over the edge (30 min)
• The packing peanuts are much better (10 min)
• Chaotic, irrational, raucous (20 min)

April 2, 2017, 9:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Art at Lestat’s

• Wake up and die (10 min)
• Up in the air (20 min)
• Apocalypse (30 min)
• Burning leaf (10 min)
• Floundering (20 min)
• Unlikely romance (30 min)
• An unexpected gift (10 min)
• Unconvincing disguise (10 min)

April 2, 2017, 5:00pm-8:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 3)

• Feeling morally superior (10 min)
• Covered in shattered glass (20 min)
• A combination of openness and secrecy (30 min)
• Believed to be dangerous or potentially violent (10 min)
• Find a loophole (15 min)
• Keeping your friends close and your enemies closer (30 min)
• There’s just something about this place that turns people into monsters (20 min)

April 3, 2017, 8:00am-10:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 4)

• Draw the line (20 min)
• Tell them exactly how you feel (30 min)
• The swirling vortex (10 min)
• Hero in jogging pants (20 min)
• The next big thing (5 min)

April 3, 2017, 1:00pm-4:00pm (UTC-8)
Postcard Prompts 

• Tea house (10 min)
• Promanade (20 min)
• Polar bears/out of place (30 min)
• Coast to cactus (10 min)
• Village (20 min)
• Under the spotlight (30 min)
• Ancient times (20 min)

April 3, 2017, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Plug Your Ears…It’s Kpop!

• Wake me up (10 min)
• Mr. Ambiguous (20 min)
• Very nice (30 min)
• Mind your own business (10 min)
• Please don’t (20 min)
• Last goodbye (30 min)
• Chase me (10 min)
• Apology (20 min)
• Broken doll (30 min)
• Butterfly (10 min)
• Don’t look at me like that (20 min)
• The closer (30 min)
• Windy day (10 min)
• Jackpot (20 min)
• Coup d’état (10 min)

April 4, 2017, 10:30am-4:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 5)

• Mind-boggling (10 min)
• A slightly better chance (20 min)
• Bad news for the twins (30 min)
• All it takes is vision and guts (10 min)
• Can’t hold it back (20 min)
• Something disturbing (30 min)
• It’s always nice to be reminded what a horrible person some people think you are (10 min)
• A recipe for disaster (20 min)
• Pretty close to their limit (30 min)
• Now they’ve done it (10 min)
• For evil to triumph all that is necessary is for good men to do nothing (25 min)
• Continue to have problems with it (10 min)
• Cheap self-esteem boost (15 min)
• Sorry to hear he died (20 min)

April 4, 2017, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Disney Songs

• A whole new world (10 min)
• I see the light (20 min)
• I won’t say I’m in love (30 min)
• I’ll make a man out of you (10 min)
• Something there (20 min)
• Out there (30 min)
• Zero to hero (10 min)
• Let it go (20 min)
• Poor unfortunate souls (30 min)
• Friends on the other side (10 min)

April 5, 2017, 11:00pm-1:30am (UTC-8)
Madam Sprints (Part 1)

• Strength (10 min)
• Burden (20 min)
• Secret plans, hidden dishonor, frustration and the possibility of failure (30 min)
• A hard struggle (10 min)
• Stubborn (20 min)
• Emotional dejection, disappointment and sorrow over past events (30 min)

April 6, 2017, 9:15pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Madam Sprints (Part 2)

• Initiative (10 min)
• Surprise (20 min)
• Advantage (30 min)
• Mysterious appearance (10 min)
• Attraction (20 min)
• Not normal (30 min)

April 7, 2017, 8:30pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 6)

• But it’s so small (10 min)
• Now here’s a doozy of an ethical dilemma (20 min)
• Just lighten up (30 min)
• Hostage rescue (10 min)
• Why do we assume that any part of what was captured was the truth? (20 min)
• Your chance to come clean (30 min)
• Some of them are selling information (10 min)
• A noble experiment (20 min)
• Separated at birth (15 min)

April 8, 2017, 10:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 7)

• Go there and take your chances (10 min)
• Isn’t particularly secure (20 min)
• During a storm (30 min)
• More than meets the eye (10 min)
• At least there’s hope somewhere (15 min)
• Funny and interesting (5 min)

April 8, 2017, 6:30pm-8:30pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 8)

• A slight overreaction (10 min)
• No doubt has the talent (20 min)
• A new, separate vulnerability (30 min)
• Unclear on the concept (10 min)
• Sometimes people are stupid (20 min)

April 9, 2017, 7:30am-10:00am (UTC-8)
Vampire Cafe Sprints

• Burst into flame (10 min)
• Bitey adversary (20 min)
• Looking a little pale (30 min)
• Bloodlust (10 min)
• Garlic breath (20 min)
• Mysterious happenings (30 min)

April 11, 2017, 7:00am-8:00am (UTC-8)
Moving

• Decisions must be made (10 min)
• A very high price (20 min)
• The devil’s bargain (15 min)

April 11, 2017, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 9)

• Contradictory statements (10 min)
• Well, it’s about time (20 min)
• Save a lot of effort (30 min)
• The most valuable property (10 min)
• Turned up empty (20 min)
• A dangerous ideal (30 min)
• Paranoiac delusions (10 min)
• That got him kicked off (20 min)
• The last to know about it (30 min)
• Fun and games (5 min)

April 12, 2017, 2:00pm-4:00pm (UTC-8)
Asian Art Museum

• Cascade of letters (10 min)
• The treasure wall (20 min)
• Ensnared (30 min)
• Freaking out (10 min)
• Fish out of water (15 min)
• Catching a ride (5 min)

April 12, 2017, 8:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 10)

• Growing pains (10 min)
• A charming personality (20 min)
• Relentless navel gazing (30 min)
• Crazy like a fox (10 min)
• Throw them out (20 min)
• Prepare to die (30 min)
• House was burning down (10 min)
• Another diatribe (20 min)
• One of the great tragedies (30 min)
• Delaying tactic (5 min)

April 13, 2017, 10:45pm-1:00am (UTC-8)
Driving

• Stuck (10 min)
• Stinky (20 min)
• Getting caught (30 min)
• Signs (10 min)
• Loud music (20 min)
• Rage (10 min)

April 14, 2017, 8:30am-12:30pm (UTC-8)
Soundtracks (Part 1)

• Stardust (10 min)
• The hollow (20 min)
• A beautiful mind (30 min)
• Pride and prejudice (10 min)
• The king’s speech (20 min)
• House of cards (30 min)
• The crow (10 min)
• Willow (20 min)
• Hook (30 min)
• Inception (5 min)

April 14, 2017, 4:30pm-6:30pm (UTC-8)
Meow Sprints

• Seeing double (10 min)
• Disguise (10 min)
• Secret relationship (30 min)
• Sniper (10 min)
• Conquering snow (10 min)
• Flying (20 min)

April 15, 2017, 9:20am-1:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 11)

• And you thought you had a bad day (10 min)
• Start a revolution (20 min)
• The ultimate goal (30 min)
• Refuse and risk death (10 min)
• Done with wit and love (20 min)
• Before it’s too late (30 min)
• Some are just lucky (10 min)
• A limited resource (20 min)
• Masterminded the plot (20 min)

April 15, 2017, 2:30pm-5:30pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 12)

• Make a difference (10 min)
• What’s the catch? (20 min)
• Vast wasteland (30 min)
• Transfer control (10 min)
• Do whatever it takes (20 min)
• Potentially harmful effects (30 min)
• Fallen through the crack (20 min)

April 16, 2017, 7:40am-11:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 13)

• Seen to be believed (10 min)
• Highly respected (20 min)
• The naughty ones (30 min)
• We do this all the time (10 min)
• A kick in the gut (20 min)
• Broken the pledge (30 min)
• Signal succumbs to noise (10 min)
• Someone makes a complaint (15 min)
• Fooling themselves (10 min)

April 16, 2017, 2:45pm-6:30pm (UTC-8)
Soundtracks (Part 2)

• Glory (10 min)
• Lady in the water (20 min)
• Dances with wolves (30 min)
• Legends of the fall (10 min)
• Tomorrow never dies (20 min)
• The terminal (30 min)
• Far and away (10 min)
• Dangerous beauty (20 min)
• The missing (30 min)

April 17, 2017, 9:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 14)

• Get no respect (10 min)
• Not yet available (20 min)
• One of the best (30 min)
• Definitely not the one (10 min)
• Not terribly serious (20 min)
• They’re giving up (30 min)
• Too much to swallow (15 min)

April 18, 2017, 6:00pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 15)

• The blunt truth (10 min)
• To get kissed (20 min)
• Considerable velocity (30 min)
• No natural resistance (10 min)
• Wish list (20 min)
• A couple days late (30 min)
• Once again lose faith (10 min)
• Crash and burn (20 min)
• Backing down (30 min)
• Offer another gift (5 min)

April 19, 2017, 9:30pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 16)

• Might implode (30 min)
• Jumps the shark (30 min)
• Keep coming back (30 min)
• Everything within our power (30 min)

April 20, 2017, 11:15am-3:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 17)

• The full spectrum (10 min)
• Vintage photographs (20 min)
• In the planning (30 min)
• Prepared for the coming onslaught (10 min)
• Free advice (20 min)
• Angst ridden (30 min)
• Unusual sensation (10 min)
• And you thought your morning was bad (20 min)
• The hard questions (30 min)

April 21, 2017, 1:00pm-3:00pm (UTC-8)
The Broad (Part 1)

• I’m sorry (10 min)
• You’re a very special person (20 min)
• Like you, I despair (30 min)
• Spray (10 min)
• Birds (15 min)

April 21, 2017, 9:30pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
The Broad (Part 2)

• Going up (10 min)
• A traveler (20 min)
• Dragon (30 min)
• Funny faces (10 min)
• Cooking (20 min)
• An overwhelming sadness (30 min)

April 22, 2017, 11:30am-1:00pm (UTC-8)
LA Times Festival of Books

• A question of character (10 min)
• You can’t go home again (20 min)
• Public and private languages (20 min)
• Girls with dangerous friends (10 min)

April 23, 2017, 7:30am-11:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 18)

• Lightning on demand (10 min)
• Weird things (20 min)
• Inspiring or just silly? (30 min)
• The truth behind the spin (10 min)
• Sticks and stones (20 min)
• The scream (30 min)
• Can’t see the forest for the trees (10 min)
• Radically different (10 min)
• A battle of wits (30 min)

April 23, 2017, 8:40pm-10:00pm (UTC-8)
LA Times Festival of Books (Part 2)

• The hunters and the hunted (10 min)
• Disappearing acts (20 min)
• Walking the line (30 min)

April 24, 2017, 7:00am-11:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 19)

• Logical fallacy (10 min)
• The solution is really quite simple (20 min)
• Finally goes off the deep end (30 min)
• Turn down the lights (10 min)
• Not proud (20 min)
• The world is in your hands (30 min)
• He’s back (10 min)
• Sinister speculations (20 min)
• Going for broke (30 min)
• Burning sky (5 min)

April 24, 2017, 9:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 20)

• Amazing, unsettling, inspiring (10 min)
• A series of beautiful illustrations (20 min)
• An interesting chain of events (30 min)
• Upon first meeting (10 min)
• Courageous and truthful (20 min)
• Next door yet worlds apart (30 min)
• Sees things a little differently (20 min)

April 25, 2017, 11:30am-3:30pm (UTC-8)
Idioms (Part 1)

• Once in a blue moon (10 min)
• Not playing with a full deck (20 min)
• Not a spark of decency (30 min)
• Piece of cake (10 min)
• Kill two birds with one stone (20 min)
• Keep something at bay (30 min)
• It takes two to tango (10 min)
• Every cloud has a silver lining (20 min)
• Drastic times call for drastic measures (30 min)
• In the heat of the moment (5 min)

April 25, 2017, 9:00pm-12:00am (UTC-8)
Idioms (Part 2)

• Add insult to injury (10 min)
• Ace in the hole (20 min)
• Barking up the wrong tree (30 min)
• Sleep with the fishes (10 min)
• Spill the beans (20 min)
• Take with a grain of salt (30 min)
• Throw under the bus (10 min)
• Get bent out of shape (5 min)

April 26, 2017, 12:00pm-4:00pm (UTC-8)
From Random Wikipedia Articles

• Mistakenly thought (10 min)
• Point of no return (20 min)
• Purposes and interests (30 min)
• Delicate in appearance (10 min)
• The old part of town (20 min)
• Conscientious objector (30 min)
• Gradually strengthened (10 min)
• Arms and artifacts (20 min)
• A new contract (30 min)
• Inadvertently released (5 min)

April 26, 2017, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 21)

• Vehemently opposed (10 min)
• Tipping point (20 min)
• Coming back in new ways (30 min)
• Earnest and undeniable (10 min)
• A special place (20 min)
• Under threat (30 min)
• Massive advances (10 min)
• Part of a trend (20 min)
• Sit down together (30 min)
• Warning signs (10 min)
• The real and the artificial intertwine (20 min)
• Embarrassing attempt (30 min)
• Effectively organize (10 min)
• Incredibly simple (20 min)
• Something shiny (15 min)

April 27, 2017, 11:05am-2:35pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 22)

• This would be it (10 min)
• Single, bored and lonely (20 min)
• The thrills of amateur surgery (30 min)
• Debut performance (10 min)
• Animal combat (20 min)
• A very narrow focus (30 min)
• Riding the waves (10 min)
• Entirely at fault (15 min)
• A little too close to the truth (15 min)

April 27, 2017, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 23)

• Undo the damage (10 min)
• Pure comedy gold (20 min)
• Comes in many guises (30 min)
• Coercive interrogation methods (10 min)
• Emergency action (20 min)
• Making contact (30 min)
• Not impressed (10 min)
• Tactics and devices (20 min)
• Afraid to come forward (30 min)
• You can never have too much (10 min)
• Making appearances (20 min)
• Common landmarks (30 min)
• Looking for a gift (10 min)
• A secret hollow book (20 min)
• There’s still not enough (10 min)

April 28, 2017, 3:00pm-7:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 24)

• Lose most of its value (10 min)
• Ambassador of hope (20 min)
• Some people take it more seriously (30 min)
• Legendary fighters (10 min)
• Gone from the world (20 min)
• It’s all in the mind (30 min)
• Dark outrage (10 min)
• Music and light (20 min)
• Free and uneasy (30 min)
• Fundamental differences (10 min)

April 28, 2017, 8:00pm-2:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 25)

• A little inspiration (10 min)
• Wasn’t all that pleased (20 min)
• A matter of life and death (30 min)
• Be difficult (10 min)
• Arguments that never end (20 min)
• The trap (30 min)
• The opposite direction (10 min)
• Make the insurmountable look insignificant (20 min)
• The ugly side (30 min)
• In stunning detail (10 min)
• Strong enough to seize power (20 min)
• Explosive energy (30 min)
• Many strands (10 min)
• Quite a collection (20 min)
• A classic trick (15 min)

April 29, 2017, 6:30am-10:00am (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 26)

• You only live once (30 min)
• Tiny, beautiful and exquisitely cruel (30 min)
• Challenge your senses (30 min)
• Take a stand (30 min)
• Symbolic gestures (30 min)
• Tensions high on both sides (30 min)

April 30, 2017, 8:00am-12:00pm (UTC-8)
Common Phrases (Part 27)

• A thousand year old ruin (30 min)
• Terror takes the sound before you make it (30 min)
• Alarm bells (30 min)
• The last ones leave us know (30 min)
• Gone but not forgotten (30 min)
• Held a strange sway (30 min)
• What lies beneath (30 min)