If This Does Not Bring Tears to Your Eyes, I Cannot Help You

L. O. L.

YAL Blog - "Living Dead Girl" by Elizabeth Scott

Title: Living Dead Girl

Author: Elizabeth Scott

ISBN: 1-4169-6060-0

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Date of Publication: September 2009

Reading Level: 16 and older

Keywords:

Books in Print:

JUVENILE FICTION / General

JUVENILE FICTION / Law & Crime

CHILDREN'S FICTION

KIDNAPPING – FICTION

Awards and Recognition:

2009 ALA Best Book for Young Adults

2009 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers

2009 ALA Teens’ Top Ten Nominee

2009 Amelia Bloomer Project YA Fiction Pick

2009 NYPL Stuff for the Teen Age Selection

2008 VOYA Editor’s Choice for Teens

A 2008 ABC Best Book for Children-Teen Selection

A TeenReads.com Best Book of 2008

I’m not sure if this should go under “Awards,” but “Living Dead Girl” was listed in the ALA List of Banned Books in 2009-10 (source: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/free_downloads/2010banned.pdf)

Synopsis: (from Books in Print) - Once upon a time, I was a little girl who disappeared. Once upon a time, my name was not Alice. Once upon a time, I didn't know how lucky I was. When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends -- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over. Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her. This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

Comments: “Living Dead Girl” is a book that you want to put down and never read again, yet you have to keep reading until the end.  The content is highly disturbing in its description of rape and abuse of a young girl – it is definitely something for older teens, but even age may not be a good enough indicator of whether a teen would be able to handle reading this book.  One of my 12^th grade students started to read it and said she couldn’t finish it because it was so disturbing.

As far as being a thriller, the book lives up to that description in spades.  I felt compelled to keep reading to see if “Alice” would ever escape from her captor, in spite of the graphic content.  Scott writes from “Alice’s” first-person POV and uses present tense (much the way “The Hunger Games” is written), so that is likely a contributing factor to the sense of urgency.  This is probably the closest a writer could get in terms of getting inside the mind of a victim of kidnap and rape – understanding what goes through their minds.  “Alice” even notes that the stories she sees on daytime talk TV are very much like hers.  When people ask why these people couldn’t just get out of abusive situation, she tries to explain to herself (and to the reader) that there is simply nothing left of her to want to leave.  She has many opportunities to run away or to call for help, but her captor has her enslaved mentally just as much as physically.

Without even looking at others’ reviews, I can already say that people will have wide and varying opinions about this book.  Some will love it because of its intense, fast-paced and realistic storytelling and others will hate it because of how intense it is (not to mention the graphic content).  Even my own students are split in whether they like it or not (As an aside, this was a book that was requested for purchase from the students).  But it’s definitely an attention-grabbing story.  I’m personally glad I read it, though I don’t know if I will ever read it again.

Up Next: "Pirates: Scourge of the Seas" by John Reeve Carpenter

YAL Blog - "Powder Monkey: Adventures of a Young Sailor" by Paul Dowswell

Title: Powder Monkey: Adventures of a Young Sailor   

Author: Paul Dowswell

ISBN: 1-58234-675-5

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children

Date of Publication: October 2005

Reading Level: Books in Print lists it at grades 4-7, but I would put it at grades 7 and up for more mature content

Genre: Historical Fiction

Keywords:
- Books in Print listed these:
   JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / Apes, Monkeys, etc.
   JUVENILE FICTION / General
   CHILDREN'S FICTION
   MONKEYS - FICTION
- These are what I came up with:
   British Navy
   Naval Warfare
   Seafaring
   Napoleonic Wars
   18th Century European History
   Maritime Battles
   Rankings in British Navy

Plot Summary: Sam Witchall is a 13-year-old boy who wishes to be a sailor.  He starts off on a British merchant ship, but is later pressed into the British Royal Navy as a "powder monkey" where his job is to load gunpowder into the cannons in the event of a battle.  The book tells his adventures on the frigate Miranda, detailing the every day life of a sailor as well as intense battles.

Comments: The bio on Dowswell says that this book is his first work of fiction, though he has written historical YA non-fiction before.  Dowswell's background in non-fiction is evident in this book, as much of it reads like a factual book on British Naval history.  As a narrator, Sam does not mince words when it comes to describing the cramped and often unsanitary conditions of his voyage on the Miranda.  The battle sequences are also very graphic and violent, which makes me question Books in Print listing it as suitable for grades 4-7 (or maybe I'm just being overly cautious).  The story gets more interesting later as aspects of the characters' lives outside of the Navy are explored (the family they left behind, reasons that they're in the Navy, etc.) and also during a very graphic and intense battle when many of Sam's friends are killed or captured by a Spanish fleet.


This book was recommended to me by one of my freshmen students who had actually done a PowerPoint project for his English class on the British Navy because he had read this book.  He also used the sources listed at the back of the book for his research project, so if someone has an interest in British Naval history, then this would be a good fiction book for them to read.

Next Up: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

YAL Blog - "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

Apologies for the lateness of this post - I had it done last week and life simply got in the way.

(I've wanted to review these books for so long.  And I'll probably add more here since it's a less-formal venue than the blog for my class).  Seeing as this is for the final book in "The Hunger Games" series, SPOILERS are a given.

Title - Mockingjay

Author - Suzanne Collins

ISBN: 0439023513

Publisher - Scholastic

Date of Publication - August 2010

Reading Level - 13 and up

Genre - Science Fiction

Keywords - Science-Fiction, Action/Adventure, Dystopian Future, War, Government, Entertainment, Family, Interpersonal Relationships, Mental Health

Plot Summary - In the third and final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss Everdeen has been scooped up by the rebellion against the Capitol of Panem, headed by the mysterious District 13.  As a former participant and victor of Panem's annual Hunger Games, she becomes the symbol of the rebellion - the Mockingjay.

Comments - A sign of a truly well-written story is one that puts you in the shoes of the main character and doesn't give you time to take a breath, even when those shoes come untied. As I read Mockingjay (for the third time, now), I felt as though I was Katniss, seeing the rebellion through her eyes - watching people she cares about make sacrifices for her success, debating whether to become the symbol of the rebellion, realizing that so many sides were manipulating her and others in order to get the outcomes they wanted. The most intriguing part - Katniss isn't even sure what she wants because everything she wants has been taken from her.

This is a fitting end to the trilogy, which started out intense and fast-paced and that trend continues in Mockingjay. Tracking Katniss' journey from the moment she takes her sister's place in the Hunger Games, through Catching Fire and now Mockingjay is a sobering experience - showing how much the characters depend on her when she's only sixteen-seventeen throughout the series. There are light-hearted moments interspersed throughout (from the flirtations of Finnick Odair to the "Crazy Cat" game Katniss plays with her sister's cat during a bombing raid on District 13), but they serve as a contrast to what Katniss is fighting for. I see why these books are so popular, in spite of many criticisms being raised against them (too mature for young adult audiences, too violent, etc.) but I think that teenagers can handle more than adults give them credit for. It's not just the first-person narration Collins employs and it's not just the action that sucks the reader in - it's the reality and empathy Collins creates in this world. The reader believes that they would act the way Katniss would - or maybe how Peeta or Haymitch or even Coin would act. The reader comes into the story and becomes one of the characters - and I think that, above all, inspires kids in no other way.

Extra Commentary I Didn't Give on the Class Blog - I love these books so, so much. It took me until this third reading of Mockingjay to figure out why - and it's not just the action or the shipping or any of that stuff. What kills me the most is that Katniss and Peeta and all these kids are just kids. No older than my sisters or the kids I teach at school. I know it's just a book, but reading all the things they're put through - not to mention how very real the action is - it breaks my heart.  I've said it before - I love stories that make me part of the action and evoke emotion from me.  "Harry Potter" does that.  "Doctor Who" does that.  And now, "The Hunger Games" does it.  I can't imagine that Katniss and Peeta live any sort of "Happily Ever After" and certainly the epilogue of Mockingjay does not pretend to the contrary - but they do try.  And I think that honesty is the best thing you can give to kids.  Life is not always happy and it kicks you in the head so many times - but that's no reason to not try.

Next Up: "Powder Monkey" by Paul Dowswell

YAL Blog - "Golden" by Cameron Dokey

(I didn't think I'd actually finish this today, but I did, so here is the first installment of the YAL Blog, cross-posted from Blackboard)

Title: Golden: A Retelling of "Rapunzel"
Author: Cameron Dokey
ISBN: 1-4169-3926-1
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing (Imprint: Simon Pulse)
Date of Publication: June 2007
Reading Level: 12+
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Keywords:
Books in Print suggested these: [Books in Print is a library cataloging database]
JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic
JUVENILE FICTION / General
CHILDREN'S FICTION
MAGIC - FICTION
WIZARDS - FICTION

These are the ones I thought of before I looked at BiP:
Folklore, Fairy Tales, Heroes, Fantasy, Family Relationships, Romance, Adoption

Plot Summary: Before Rapunzel was born, her parents make a deal with the sorceress, Melisande, when she catches Rapunzel's father in her garden.  If Rapunzel's mother cannot love the child when she is first born, the baby will go to Melisande.  When Rapunzel is born without any hair, her mother declares that she does not love her child and Rapunzel is raised by the kind sorceress.  When Rapunzel turns 16, Melisande tells her adopted daughter of Rue, Melisande's biological daughter, who was locked in a tower by an evil wizard.  Rapunzel must help Rue break the enchantment keeping Rue in tower in two days or they'll both be cursed.

Comments: This is a very solid retelling of "Rapunzel" with some surprisingly modern themes.  The idea that the sorceress in this story is actually Rapunzel's adopted mother may appeal to young adults who have been adopted or who are in foster homes.  In fact, adoption comes up again with the introduction of Harry, a boy whose parents have died and he has been raised by a traveling tinker names Mr. Jones.  Melisande's reasoning for taking Rapunzel from her parents is explained (whether or not it's to the satisfaction of the reader) is given in the fact that Melisande's power is that she can see into the hearts of others and see what people really treasure and cherish.  Rapunzel, though not Melisande's biological daughter, inherits this gift which helps her save Rue from the tower.

I quite liked the twist of making Rapunzel completely bald.  It makes for some nice character development in the story.  The townspeople don't trust Melisande and it only gets worse when Rapunzel's kerchief falls off and everyone sees she is bald and only assume that she was cursed by the sorceress.  This makes the friendship of Mr. Jones and Harry that much more important when they are finally introduced.

I did get a little lost in the middle where Melisande and Rapunzel travel to the tower where Rue has been locked away (Rue is the one with the long golden hair in this story).  Some of the mechanics of Rue's curse were a little fuzzy, so I didn't quite get what Rapunzel was trying to do when... well, I don't want to spoil the ending.

Overall, a very good read with some wonderful characterization.  This book is part of the larger "Once Upon a Time" series, so if you're looking for other classic fairy tale retellings, there are at least twenty other titles in the series (many are also written by Cameron Dokey, if you are a fan of her style).

YAL Blog - Combining My Usual Nerdiness With Actual Schoolwork

This semester, I am taking a Young Adult Library Services class.  Unlike my other classes this one is completely online, so there are some attributes quite unique to this course.  One of my assignments is to read one YA novel a week and post a review about it on our class Young Adult Literature (YAL) blogs.  This is to help us all become acquainted with many different YA titles, though I can already tell you that it will be rare to see me without my nose in some book (whether it be a textbook or novel) or typing on my computer.

I'm actually quite excited about this assignment because I like YA literature and this is basically reading fun books for school credit!  Plus, every Wednesday, the English PolyCom class has set aside 30 minutes for the kids to do some silent reading.  The main teacher also has a book to read and he's told me I could do the same, so I could read while I'm at work and write my review when I get home (one more reason why working at the high school is such fun).

Also, since I have been less-than motivated (or inspired) to blog with any kind of regularity, I have decided I am going to cross-post my book reviews from my school blog to this blog.  I think this will make it more fun for me and also give my loyal readers (all five of you) something enjoyable to read from me.  Just as a heads-up, there is a certain format I need to follow for my class, but I don't think any of you fine literate folks will have any trouble following my train of thought.

In other news, I regret to inform you all that I have turned to the dark side.  Yes, it's true - I have a Twitter account.  I have several reasons for this: (1) - Some of the blogs I follow haven't updated lately, but they have posted new things on their Twitter feeds, so I figure if I want their updates, I should have a place to do that.  (2) - I have been anything but positive toward Twitter, but without actually trying it out.  I came to the conclusion that I should at least try it out before I throw it completely out the window.  If, after a month or so, I decide I have no real use for it, I will delete my account and will need never deal with the Twitter-sphere again.  But who knows - maybe I'll actually come to like it (I can hear Twitter junkies all around the world laughing maniacally).  In any case, if you're interested in following me, my username (handle, tag, thing, whatever) is @wildcat_media.

There goes the phone again - I swear, it's rang about five times since I began this post.

Self-Reflection, Professional Development and Verbage

My graduate classes started up again last week.








Seriously - I'm stoked. I've got three classes this semester instead of my usual two, so I'm going to be busier than usual. But it's a good kind of busy.

My first assignment is a reflection of myself in the program so far. It's supposed to be kind of informal - no real page limit. It's billed as a chance for me to look at how far I've come and what I still want to learn. Which is nice to start off the semester with a little fluffy assignment - just to get myself back in the groove of working, but it's not enough to send my brain into over-fried-overdrive.

But... (yes, there's always a "but," coming, isn't there?)

When I start to actually writing this reflection, I can't help but get into the high-stilted, beat-around-the-bush, take-a-million-years-to-say-hello, writing style that I inevitably land in when I write for a class. I can be informal and relaxed on my blog - even with a SERIOUS BUSINESS topic - but sitting down to pen any kind of academic writing turns me into Wordy Wanda.

For example, this is an actual excerpt from the rough draft of my reflection:

"I find that kids who are good at academics, sports and/or arts get lots of recognition and encouragement for their talents, as well they should. But I’ve noticed that kids who have less-traditional talents, such as construction, welding, family-consumer sciences or other so-called vocational fields, get less encouragement – they may not see their interests as something practical in life."

Mmm 'kay - so, what I was trying to say is that there are kids with talents that almost always get recognized while there are kids with other talents that are just as good that sometimes get overlooked. Sort of like "You want to be a cook for a living? Why?" Part of what I want to do is encourage kids with those "secondary" talents to work at it and develop where their interests lie and never mind what chess club, piano lesson or dance class they're signed up for this week. But I can't say it like that in my academic writing because... I really don't know why.

I hate, hate, HATE when I want to just write one sentence or phrase and it turns into a long wordy piece of crap. One thing that I can't stand about writing business emails for my dad is that I think the people he's writing to must be idiots because he's had to tell them THE SAME STINKING THING at least three or four times, just with different wording. Good grief, how many different ways are there to spell "cat" before you realize he's talking about a small household pet that sheds all over the furniture but is still pretty good at catching mice? (that's a metaphor, JSYK) Personally, I just want to shoot them one line - "Can you please lend us this much money? Our credentials are attached. Many thank yous" - and be done with it (given, I left out the gratuitous butt-kissing these emails often include, which I'd be happy dispensing with altogether).

So, back to my writing assignment - I should just go back and rewrite it. I'm no where near being done, but what I have is crap. Make no mistake - the ideas are fine, it's the execution of the idea that sucks. At least I have until Friday to finish.

You Know What REALLY Ticks Me Off?

When you've got some psycho nut shooting people, six dead, 13 people on their way to the hospital (including a US Congresswoman) and not two hours later, the county sheriff is looking to blame someone other than the guy who pulled the trigger.

I expect this garbage from the goons in the media and some politicians, but not from a guy who was elected to uphold the laws that protect his constituents - and that includes those victimized in this senseless tragedy.  He ought to be working to bring the guilty individual to justice, not vainly speculating on what led to this event, especially when nobody - AND I MEAN NOBODY - has any of the facts.

One victim I see reported on a lot is the little girl, Christina Green.  Maybe it's her name (we like Christinas around here) or the fact that she's a very adorable little girl and her family talks about her being a go-getter and having a lot of goals for herself - but her death is the one that gets to me the most.  My heart goes out to her family and the families of the other victims.  She and the other victims did not deserve this and they sure as hell don't deserve to have their deaths be used as pawns in this stupid political game.  Get all the facts and convict the true guilty parties.  Let people grieve in peace.

I get upset and angry about a number of things, but violence never solves any problem and anyone that thinks that it will is crazy.  And while violence is probably the number one course of action that doesn't solve anything - blaming random people before you have all the facts comes in a close second.

Sheriff Dupnik owes Congresswoman Giffords' family, friends and staff - as well as the innocent victims and their families - an apology.  And he damn well better call a press conference to do it.

My New Pet Project

With a new year comes a new semester (more or less) and I've found something new to do that's going to take up the better part of my time and sanity (but it's all for a good cause).  The high school library has a shortage of shelving space.  I could invest in new shelves... but then I got looking at some of the books that are taking up all the space and the kids don't read them.  Actually, nobody reads them.  Ever.  Most people just request new titles and I buy them (hence, why I am looking for more shelf space).

In a somewhat unrelated twist, the librarian before me had begun weeding out old titles and taking them out of the system, but she didn't know what to do with all the old books.  She thought about a few things, including a book sale, but if people want to buy books, they can go get new ones from Barnes and Noble or Amazon.  So, we've got at least three huge boxes of old books in storage with no idea what to do with them (I say "at least three" - I think there are others stored elsewhere.  I haven't had time to go on an exhaustive search, but that's for tomorrow).

Here I come - bright-eyed and full of idealistic... ideas.  I haven't been able to implement very much (lack of money, lack of time, lack of people), but I did find an interesting place to take our old books.  One of my classmates in my graduate program has connections with the library at the state penitentiary and brought up Books Inside, a not-for-profit group that provides books to prison libraries.  Looking at their website, it looks like they don't really care what condition the books are in because the inmates can repair them and they're always looking for more books and things.

You can all see where this is going, can't you?

Pending district approval, all our old books are going to the prison.  On the surface, it seems like an odd place to take our stuff, but I have the feeling that most of these inmates are serious about paying their debt to society and they'll be better people when they get out.  Besides, they could probably do with some good books to pass the time while they're incarcerated (according to my classmate, the library is one of the most-used facilities in the prison).

Now - I have to finish the weeding process, de-catalog (is that even a word?) the old books, box them up and get them to the Books Inside people.  And I'll finally have room for the new stuff.  Everyone wins. :)

Happy Who Year!

Because this is too brilliant not to pass around:



Virtual New Year's cupcakes go to the first person who gets it.

(Swiped from here, who in turn swiped it from somewhere else - I told you it was too good not to share!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Here's wishing everyone a happy and glorious 2011!!

Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol SQUEE Post

Note: I posted this on my LiveJournal on Christmas Day right after I watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special.  Today, however, I realized that I didn't post it here, which is a travesty on my part (may I be forgiven).  So, a few days late, but never a dollar short (well, I try not to be) - here is the first of what I hope to become a tradition - and not just at Christmas.

**begin post**

My nerves are frazzled - and that all came before 7:00.  All day - ALL DAY - our electricity was blinking on and off.  Our phone and our internet were down at random times.  We had to open presents this morning in the dark (though the sun came up toward the end of the process) and breakfast was cold cereal.  The power eventually came back on - then it blinked off and on at random intervals during the day.

Happy Christmas...





Not that I'm complaining - but when you have the DVR set to record "Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol" on BBC America at 7:00 pm, you sort of want it to, you know, WORK!

Well, it did.  Mostly.  The power blinked off for about five minutes in the middle, but it came right back on (luckily, some of what I missed was commercials) and I was able to enjoy the happiness and glee that is experiencing an episode of "Doctor Who" (somewhat) simultaneously with the rest of the world.  Below the are some of my initial "OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!" responses.  None of these are very coherent - in fact, I'll be surprised if you see any semblance of proper English grammar (but there are spoilers - now, those you might actually figure out).

 **HELLO SWEETIE**YES, THERE ARE SPOILERS HERE**PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK**

Arthur Darvill's been upgraded to top billing in the opening credits - HECK YES!!!!

Fish flying through the clouds that like opera music - clouds that can only be controlled by the hands of a grumpy old miser - a crash-landing honeymoon flight - Welcome to Christmas, Steven Moffat!

(or should it be Welcome to Steven Moffat, Christmas!)

On a personal note for my viewing experience: the power blipped off right as the Doctor and the young Kazran were about to be eaten by a shark. Yeah - Santa Moff + Fritzing Power Grid = SPAZ!

The Doctor and Kazran visiting Abigail throughout the years - fez, scarf, bowties = aksghuiae aksdgh sakjdgh askjdgh asdsfdssdYES!!!!!!!!!!!

I was trying to catch something that might possibly hint at what the upcoming season would be about (example - "The Christmas Invasion" briefly introduced Torchwood, "The Runaway Bride" made mention of Mr. Saxon, I don't remember if "Voyage of the Damned" had anything to do with Series 4… though Grandpa Wilf was there - but if I remember correctly, Bernard Cribbins' inclusion in that season was a last-minute change due to unforeseen circumstances in casting) - but the only thing that I could peg as a useful hint to the new season was Rory taking a call from a certain "Marilyn."

Except… there was this line - "Things have to end, otherwise, how would things get started?" (something like that. I'm quoting from memory here). O_O O_O O_O O_O

(Have I mentioned I don't like it when DW makes mention of endings????) DX DX DX DX DX



Preview SQUEEage - "Stetsons are cool!" ^_^ Pirates!! (at least, I think they were pirates) - the Doctor taking over the Oval Office - tally marks on River AND Amy - Amy has to save the Doctor - and a lot of other stuff that I can't properly remember because there was so much and I'm going absolutely bonkers over it!!

(I just realized... I need some Matt Smith gifs... barring that - anything with Karen Gillan or Arthur Darvill or even Alex Kingston would work too...)

Now, I need to post this before something goes berserk again!

ETA: I finally got to rewatch this in it's entirety - meaning I caught the approx. 5 minutes I missed - and I must amend my earlier statement that the power blip didn't cause me to miss too much - I missed an entire plot point! The part I missed was the part where the Doctor "marries" Marilyn Monroe (or so we are led to believe) and Abigail and Kazran kiss and Kazran begins his descent into jaded-grumpy-"Life's-not-fair"-old-man.  Damn you, Mt. Wheeler Power!!! *shakes fist*

Post-Christmas Analysis

Happy Boxing Day everyone!  (hey, if my dad can call his sweatshirt a "jumper," then I can refer to Boxing Day).

It was an odd Christmas - but a good one.  The power was out yesterday morning, so we opened presents in the semi-darkness.  It came back on eventually, but it continued to blip on and off, much to our great annoyance.  Well, I guess since Mt. Wheeler Power are a bunch of jackwads during the rest of the year, it would follow that they would play the Grinch on Christmas too.

We got to talk to Mark, though it took twenty minutes and a trek in the snow to my cousins' to use the phone (Beehive Telephone Company got in the Grinch act as well this year).  Honestly, I can't wait until that kid is home.  Maybe it's just mission fatigue or the fact I haven't seen my brother in three-plus years.  It'll just be good to have our whole family together again.

Anyway - I did make a pretty good haul this year.  For Christmas, I got:

- A Felicity doll plus her Christmas outfit (I'm annoyed that the packaging called it her "Holiday" outfit.  Good grief - she celebrates Christmas in the book, you morons).

- The new Brad Paisley CD

- "Mockingjay" and "America by Heart"

- "Doctor Who" Seasons 3 and 4 on DVD (and "A Christmas Carol" aired on BBC America on Christmas Day - I count that as part of my gift haul, but it was a close call with the power blipping on and off).

- "The Nightmare Before Christmas" on DVD

- Some shirts from Old Navy and DownEast (plus a Colts shirt from Fanzz ^_^)

- Fuzzy socks

- Tall boots with flat heels (yay!!)

- Mark sent us all Argentina National Team soccer jerseys and authentic Gaucho slippers ($4 off the streets of Buenos Aires ^_^)

- An M&Ms dispenser made to look like a fortune teller - it has a little button you push and you get an answer to any question you ask.  Well, "yes or no" questions, anyway (think Magic 8 Ball)

- A quilter's kit complete with scissors, a rotary cutter and a new quilt pattern from Kathryn (it's pretty sweet)

- $50 Barnes and Noble gift card

- $40 from my grandparents

- Lotion and fancy hand sanitizer from Bath and Body Works

- Plus plenty of candy!

I love getting money for Christmas... but now I am somewhat presented with a dilemma.  See, I've been in the market for either a Kindle or a Nook.  I've been looking up reviews on both and trying to decide which one I want to get.  As far as I can tell, there's very little difference between the two other than a few small things that pretty much balance out the comparison.  The only thing I'd want it for would be to read books (I don't really need or want the audiobook capabilities).  I don't really need 3G service either, so I'd be looking at the Wi-Fi-only option.

I have downloaded some of the free Kindle books to my laptop, but the one book that I actually purchased never would download (I just found a free torrent for it and that worked, so I count that I paid for it).  If I got a Nook, I could use my gift card, plus the money from my grandparents and that would knock off about $90 from the final price.  But... I like the fact that Amazon keeps your books in your Kindle archive in case you lose them... but the Nook lets you back up your books on micro SD cards.  I'm a little wary of leaving things solely online because that means you're counting on the internet never, ever, ever crashing or going away.  And with the recent Delicious scare, I'd almost rather have a physical backup of my own (yes, I know that Yahoo didn't really shut down Delicious, but the chaos that ensued on the internet was deafening - so to speak).  But also, the Kindle can read PDFs and I use those a lot and it'd be cool to use that feature.

Anyway - those are my thoughts.  Does anyone out there have any insight into my conundrum?  Do you own either one of these eReaders?  What do you like or dislike about them?  Please chime in because I'd like some input from actual Nook and/or Kindle users before I make my final decision.

Tomorrow is Christmas - It's Practically Here

Our internet was out all day, which means I am woefully behind on all my internet stuff.  But, it's Christmas Eve and that meant that I actually got presents wrapped among other sundry things.

The cousins and I are caught up and ready for the Doctor Who Christmas Special tomorrow (squee!)  And there's presents and food and family and all that wonderful stuff that comes with the holidays, so this is pretty exciting!

There's not much else I want to say - except for you all to have a Merry Christmas!  And also - to post this video that I have already posted, but I want it up for today and tomorrow -

Best "Christmas Carol" EVER!!

I don't have a whole lot of time to post over Christmas, but I've located some fun Christmas videos, including some with songs from my favorite Christmas movie of all time - "A Muppet Christmas Carol"   And the music is great too) Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!



Dear World: Michael Caine as Scrooge = AWESOME! Thank you for your time.



And if I didn't include this song, it wouldn't be Christmas:



Oh, and this is one I made as my gift to the internet:

Sorta Dropped the Ball...

Just to "dress up" my blog for Christmas (and because I like putting off-topic videos on my posts), here are Matt, Karen and Arthur with a fun little Christmas performance just for you all ^_^




Ever since Thursday Night Football started, my pick schedule's been all messed up.  So, I'm just going to skip that game and make picks for the rest of the week (but some quick commentary - I thought that the Niners would at least make an effort against the Chargers.  Good grief...)

New Orleans @ Baltimore - Saints

Arizona @ Carolina - Arizona (not because I like them, but because anyone who picks Carolina to win anything this year is an idiot)

Cleveland @ Cincinnati - Cleveland

Washington @ Dallas - I really don't know about this... I mean, McNabb's not exactly the greatest thing since sliced bread, but Rex Grossman is... well, Rex Grossman.  Well... I guess I'll go with Washington anyway (stranger things have happened)

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis - Okay, I'm crossing my little fangirl fingers here... a win can only help Indy, so please, please, please, PLEASE football gods let the Colts win!

Buffalo @ Miami - Miami

Philadelphia @ NY Giants - Giants (please???)

Kansas City @ St. Louis - Kansas City

Detroit @ Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay

Houston @ Tennessee - murgh... oh fine - Houston

Atlanta @ Seattle - Atlanta

Denver @ Oakland - I want to say Oakland, but I think Denver is going to be all about paying back for that 59-14 loss back in October... but then I see that Oakland actually has a better record than Denver... but then I remember that it's not about records at all... but then I remember I have a nickel in my pocket and I can flip for my pick! *flips coin* Tails - Oakland

NY Jets @ Pittsburgh - If anything, this past year has proven that the Jets are the new Cincinnati Divalicious weirdo team and it's coming back to bite them in the butt *cackles evilly*  Pittsburgh

Green Bay @ New England - Dear heaven above - PACKERS!

Chicago @ Minnesota - Chicago

Now I Know We're Related

Anyone who knows my sister and I knows how vastly different we are.  I think it's a form of subconscious rebellion we've undertaken against our parents who insisted on dressing us alike when we were little.  There is a picture of us both in these frilly red dresses going to church (a sad, sad relic that serves to remind us of the fashion horrors committed in the '80s).  Even more distressing is the memory I have of at least three people coming up to us during church as asking us if we were twins (even though these people knew our family and knew full well that my sister and I are two years apart in age thankyouverymuch).

However, now that we are older, we have developed our own interests that rarely (if ever) cross paths.  Even with one interest we have in common - cheering for University of Utah football - we don't participate in together.  This past Thanksgiving, for example, I went in one room to watch the Utah-byu game.  My sister was sitting in the room as well and asked me (rather pointedly) where I was going to be watching the game.  I shrugged, sat down said "In here."  She promptly got up and walked in the other TV room, citing that she cannot watch football games with me - I make her too nervous.  After she and my other sister left, my dad (who had been witness to this entire exchange and knows perfectly well how we sisters are) started laughing.  All I can say is thank heaven for multiple DirecTV receivers in the house.

I'm not upset about this at all.  Far from it - I've actually gotten some pretty funny stories out of encounters with my sister.  Siblings have every right and reason to be their own individual people.  Why would you want to be attached at the hip with your brothers and sisters for the rest of your life?  But we are so different that I have had people express surprise when they find out that she is my sister. 

This brings me to my point in writing this.  In the course of announcing that she and my brother-in-law are expecting, my sister posted to her blog one of the funniest versions of someone announcing their pregnancy I've encountered online.  Her post also serves the dual purpose of confirming to me that my sister and I indeed share common DNA because I agree with her wholeheartedly.

Holy. Crap.

I really have nothing to say about this - I just think it's unreal and deserves to be shared far and wide.



It's like The Greater Cosmos(tm) saying: "Just when you thought the NFL season couldn't get any weirder - here's a stadium roof collapsing!  And make sure you catch it on camera!"

(Just for the record - it was nice and sunny out here in Utah.  I didn't even need my coat today.  Neener, neener).

The weirdest thing is last night I had a dream I was on the Titanic while it was sinking (it's a dream - just go with me, here) and it was making that same noise (I also remember floating underwater and thinking that James Cameron's CGI work was a bunch of crap.  Oh, how I love my subconscious).

The Strangest Post I've Ever Posted

I'm leading off with my football picks and then I'll go on with some other important stuff

Colts @ Titans - Listen up, Colts - I have picked you since the beginning of the season and here my loyalty is rewarded with a pitiful 6-6 record and we're playing for a freaking WILD CARD SPOT???  DOUBLE-YOU-TEE-EFF??? whyyyyyyyyyy?  ...sigh... I guess I shouldn't abandon my boys now - but I'm afraid that I'm just bad luck.  Oh, what the heck - Colts.

Browns @ Bills - Poody.  Just... poody.  Browns

Falcons @ Panthers - Are you kidding me?  This matchup isn't even fair - Falcons.

Packers @ Lions - Packers

Raiders @ Jaguars - Jaguars

Giants @ Vikings - Giants, Giants, GIANTS!!! (ftw)

Bengals @ Steelers - Steelers

Buccaneers @ Redskins - As much as I want the 'Skins to win... I think the Bucs are better (renaissance year in Washington notwithstanding).

Rams @ Saints - Saints

Seahawks @ 49ers - Neither are that good, but I like the Niners

Broncos @ Cardinals - What is this, making me pick between Bad or Worse? (and I'm not sure which is which).  Broncos

Patriots @ Bears - the Bears are good... but the Patriots are better (darn it).  Excuse me whilst I vomit - and select the Patriots (now watch, this'll be the the week they choke)

Dolphins @ Jets - Jets

Chiefs @ Chargers - KC

Eagles @ Dallas - Dallas is even further on my poop-list from last week's Colts-beating shenanigans and I choose the Eagles

Ravens @ Texans - Ravens

Tomorrow is our play and I'm really excited for it.  I'm nervous, to be sure, but I'm also excited.  The kids are ready to rock and roll and I'm ready for... something big to go down.  I've just had a lot of fun doing this.  I almost want to do another play in the spring (almost).

And - for something completely different - I've been reading the "Mark Reads" blog, where this guy named Mark reads books chapter-by-chapter and he reviews them.  Currently, he's reading "The Hunger Games," (which I loved and am on my second read-through) and he's read all of "Harry Potter" and "Twilight."  I'm reading through his thoughts on HP - I tried to read the "Twilight" ones, but there was too much WTF-ery for me to process (and some of his anti-LDS sentiments sent me seething.  It was better to avoid it altogether).  I do love reading his thoughts as he read HP because it reminded me of the absolute joy and giddiness that I experienced when I read all the HP books for the first time.  I am a big enough person I can set aside larger differences (religion, politics, etc.) for the pure love of fandom (what can I say - I hold out hope that there is somewhere in this world that people can get over these ticky-tack differences and find something - however small and/or seemingly insignificant - that they can agree on).

However, some comments in the blog (and some lines from Mark himself) brought up some questions of morality and sexuality (don't ask me how these things happen - the internet practically invented random tangents) and that got me pondering about my own thoughts on the topic.  Sort of an odd thing for me to be musing over (if you know me, you probably know that this is something I've never been comfortable with discussing - that's just how I roll), but I've run into some articles about how sexuality is viewed in society - whether it's from a religious or secular standpoint - and I've become fascinated by what others have said.  I'm not about to change my opinion on the subject (unless something earth-shattering happens, but how earth-shattering is another topic), but I do like learning about what other people think and why they think that.  It's something I'd like to expound upon for myself, but not in a way you might expect.  I've got to think it over, though, so give me a while.

(Wow - that was the weirdest post I've ever written - everything from football to sex... And... I'm going to leave it at that...)

NFL Picks - Lucky 13

And we welcome you to Week 13!  Roll on with the picks -

Houston @ Philly - I flipped a coin and it said Houston... but my first instinct was to go with the Eagles, and I typically like my first instinct, so that's what I'm going with.

Buffalo @ Minnesota - Minnesota

Cleveland @ Miami - Miami

Jacksonville @ Tennessee - If Tennessee wins, that helps the Colts.  But I don't think it'll happen (darn it).  Sigh... Jaguars (but come on Titans!)

New Orleans @ Cincinnati - New Orleans

Denver @ Kansas City - KC

Washington @ New York Giants - Giants

Chicago @ Detroit - Chicago

San Francisco @ Green Bay - Green Bay (it was so sad watching Monday Night Football last week and the commentators make all kinds of jokes at the NFC West's expense... wish they would pick it up...)

Oakland @ San Diego - My pick is San Diego, but due to the outcome of a certain game last week that I can think of, I will be cheering for Oakland (I really don't like the Chargers.  They aren't yet to the level I hate Dallas or New England, but they're making a case for it).

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay - Ooooh... this should be an unusually good one. The Falcons are hot, so I'm going with them.

Dallas @ Indianapolis - I have long since resigned myself to the fact that this is just not Indy's year.  However, that does not mean I'm going to abandon them now, and especially NOT against Dallas.  Colts by 7.

St. Louis @ Arizona - It will be a cold day in hell when I throw my chips in for a team that has max hall on it - even if he's just a backup (watch... he'll get traded to someone I like in the off-season - just watch).  St. Louis.

Carolina @ Seattle - Seattle

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore - Another one that promises to be a barn-burner.  But I like the Steelers, so I will go with them.

New York Jets @ New England - The lesser of two evils: Jets.

Current Standings - Last week's results garnered 12-4 (though, I happily relinquish any points because of a Rams win).  Record-to-Date: 78-41

Now, off to finish my final LI843 project.  I need to come up with something interesting and fun about fonts and typography in web design.  Seeing as I'm a bit of a newspaper/yearbook layout junkie, you'd think this would be right up my alley.  HA!  And again, I say - HA HA!  It's converting that information into a decent-ish website that's the problem.  Well... I guess I'd better get started...