Apparently the BBC thinks most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here.
Instructions:
Look at the list and put an 'x' next those you have read.
x 1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
x 2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
x 3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
x 4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
x 6 The Bible
x 7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
x 8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
x 10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
x 11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
x 16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
x 18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
x 22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
x 28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
x 29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
x 31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
x 33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
x 34 Emma - Jane Austen
x 35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
x 36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
x 39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
x 40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
x 41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
x 42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
x 43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
x 46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
x 49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
x 50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
x 54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
x 57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
x 58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
x 61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Naboko
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold X
x 65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
x 66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
x 70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
x 71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
x 72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
x 73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
x 81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
x 83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
x 87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
x 94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
x 97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
x 98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
x 99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
x 100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Seems that I have a few more to read but at least I passed the BBC's expectations. :)
**Thanks Jill.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Claim Check #459: Baby
Last night I acted as House Manager for a symphony show and was presented with a truly unique situation. A baby was checked at the hatcheck. Yup, a baby. The parents checked the stroller and much to the surprise of the hatcheck assistant they left their baby in it. The hatcheck assistant didn't notice the small baby all bundled in white until the stroller started to cry. The two individuals working in that area couldn't remember what the parents looked like so they couldn't go get them... so what did they do? They babysat the kid. She cried... they strolled her around. Since when do we provide a babysitting service?!
Intermission came, the family grabbed the stroller, fed the baby, rolled it around. As intermission ended they started to roll the stroller over to the hatcheck and before we could comment to them "Sorry you can't leave your child here"... in very broken English they bolted away from the stroller yelling "Thank you.... one song more..." We went inside to find the parents that were lost in the crowd, gave up... continued caring for the baby. Once the piece was over, they came out, grabbed the stroller and left. As if it was the most natural thing to check your child.
So bizarre...
Probably should have called DPS.
*Sigh*
Intermission came, the family grabbed the stroller, fed the baby, rolled it around. As intermission ended they started to roll the stroller over to the hatcheck and before we could comment to them "Sorry you can't leave your child here"... in very broken English they bolted away from the stroller yelling "Thank you.... one song more..." We went inside to find the parents that were lost in the crowd, gave up... continued caring for the baby. Once the piece was over, they came out, grabbed the stroller and left. As if it was the most natural thing to check your child.
So bizarre...
Probably should have called DPS.
*Sigh*
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Always Celebrate Your Friend's Birthdays
Happy AZ Statehood Day, everyone!!!
The good ol' state is 97 years old and still alive and kicking!
The good ol' state is 97 years old and still alive and kicking!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
More Silver Lining.
I'll admit it - I have an addiction to Vanity Fair magazine. The mix of politics, culture and fashion is precisely my cup of tea. If I had to pick a favorite article or segment in the magazine, without a millisecond of hesitation, I'd pick the Editor's Letter. I received my February 2009 issue, opened it straight to the Editor's Letter and in the end I was so pleased with the month's article that I felt the need to post it. The entire piece is pretty long-winded (read the whole letter here) so I've copy and pasted from VanityFair.com the section that I particularly liked. Please take a moment to enjoy.
"If this is the Second Great Depression, or the Great Retrenchment, or the Great Reckoning, or whatever it’s going to be called, there has to be a silver lining somewhere. Perhaps all those expensive educations and burning talents that wound up on Wall Street moving money around will be redirected to fields of endeavor with some tangible output. In the years between 1929 and 1939, creative talent in the U.S. flowered as in no other period of the last century. The 30s, a decade of devastating hardship for so many, was also the golden age of art, photography, theater, and film. In New York City alone the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and Rockefeller Center were built during the 10 years beginning in 1929. The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney, the Frick, and the Guggenheim all opened their doors during this period. And many of our great magazines, including Fortune, Life, Newsweek, and Esquire, were started during the decade. After the collapse of Wall Street in the 1920s, the culture stopped being all about money, and the country survived and ultimately flourished. Amid the wreckage we’ve created, America will most certainly rise again, and it might even be a better place to live and dream." - Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair, February 2009.
"If this is the Second Great Depression, or the Great Retrenchment, or the Great Reckoning, or whatever it’s going to be called, there has to be a silver lining somewhere. Perhaps all those expensive educations and burning talents that wound up on Wall Street moving money around will be redirected to fields of endeavor with some tangible output. In the years between 1929 and 1939, creative talent in the U.S. flowered as in no other period of the last century. The 30s, a decade of devastating hardship for so many, was also the golden age of art, photography, theater, and film. In New York City alone the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and Rockefeller Center were built during the 10 years beginning in 1929. The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney, the Frick, and the Guggenheim all opened their doors during this period. And many of our great magazines, including Fortune, Life, Newsweek, and Esquire, were started during the decade. After the collapse of Wall Street in the 1920s, the culture stopped being all about money, and the country survived and ultimately flourished. Amid the wreckage we’ve created, America will most certainly rise again, and it might even be a better place to live and dream." - Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair, February 2009.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
"I've Been Bamboozled!"/The Silver Lining
Well, well, well... a return to the Banana on such a dramatic day...
If you so wish to continue on this post, make sure you're firmly strapped in with all limbs inside the vehicle... it's going to be a rollercoaster of a ride.
This morning I arose not so keen on my plans for the day. I had been set up with an interview at a company, my second of the week, and to be honest... I wasn't as thrilled for this one as the one I had attended yesterday. Oh man, that was only yesterday. Regardless, I put on my second-best "I'm completely employable" outfit and headed into Phoenix. When I got there I was directed to a small office off to the side of building. The nice lady greeted me at the door, shook my hand, and handed me three pieces of paper. The top two were the formal application - "Fill these out and let me know when you're done". The last one was the formal job description they had "forgotten" to send to me. My first impression was "Wow... this is an intense job description for a desk job..."
And then I see it...
Glaring in my face...
"Must know or be willing to learn how to operate a forklift."
A FORKLIFT?! What the hell kind of desk job requires you to use a forklift?! A mental image quickly pops in my head... me... on a large yellow forklift... twirling around in circles... weeeeeeeeeeeee.... then smashing into a large pile of what appears to be important boxes. No - no way could I be employed at a place that required me - scratch that- allowed me to operate a forklift. Do they know what kind of liability they would be taking on?! I can't snowboard without spraining my entire body or carry chairs without almost breaking my foot... let alone operate a forklift without causing a building to collapse.
I read through the rest of the description... purchase orders... inventory... currier services. This was no desk job... it's a warehouse job. So I stood up, very politely told the lady that I was under the wrong impression about the job, thanked her for her time and consideration but... I just didn't think this job was for me.
I had been so bamboozled!
I headed home... laughed my ass off... changed back into pajamas... hung out for a little while. Then it came... the dreaded email...
I had interviewed for a job yesterday morning that I really wanted - REALLY wanted. Unfortunately, there were a number of "very qualified candidates"... blah blah blah. I didn't get the job. I pouted. Yes, even cried a little. Responded with a very polite and professional email. And burrowed.
Yes, I burrowed in my bed. Like a toddler, I grabbed my stuffed monkey, pulled the covers over my head and cried. Yeah... it's as pathetic as you are imagining it in your head right now. After about 20 minutes... I started getting angry.
No, no. Not angry with the school - they just did what they felt was best fit for them. And no, not angry because I had somehow "blown the interview". Angry with me because... what the hell am I doing? Why am I applying for and stressing over full time jobs when I really want to go to Graduate School? IDIOT!
So... I unburrowed myself. Pulled out the very buried Grad School preparation file and went to work. How did I get so far from what I wanted to do? I'll tell you what it was... Student Loan Debt. F That. I'm going back to school.
Now I'm at work. Yes, still one of TWO. At least I have an income, right? I have a roof over my head, food on my plate and a kitty that loves me unconditionally. Eventually things will straighten out for me... but for now I need to stay on a straight path.
If you so wish to continue on this post, make sure you're firmly strapped in with all limbs inside the vehicle... it's going to be a rollercoaster of a ride.
This morning I arose not so keen on my plans for the day. I had been set up with an interview at a company, my second of the week, and to be honest... I wasn't as thrilled for this one as the one I had attended yesterday. Oh man, that was only yesterday. Regardless, I put on my second-best "I'm completely employable" outfit and headed into Phoenix. When I got there I was directed to a small office off to the side of building. The nice lady greeted me at the door, shook my hand, and handed me three pieces of paper. The top two were the formal application - "Fill these out and let me know when you're done". The last one was the formal job description they had "forgotten" to send to me. My first impression was "Wow... this is an intense job description for a desk job..."
And then I see it...
Glaring in my face...
"Must know or be willing to learn how to operate a forklift."
A FORKLIFT?! What the hell kind of desk job requires you to use a forklift?! A mental image quickly pops in my head... me... on a large yellow forklift... twirling around in circles... weeeeeeeeeeeee.... then smashing into a large pile of what appears to be important boxes. No - no way could I be employed at a place that required me - scratch that- allowed me to operate a forklift. Do they know what kind of liability they would be taking on?! I can't snowboard without spraining my entire body or carry chairs without almost breaking my foot... let alone operate a forklift without causing a building to collapse.
I read through the rest of the description... purchase orders... inventory... currier services. This was no desk job... it's a warehouse job. So I stood up, very politely told the lady that I was under the wrong impression about the job, thanked her for her time and consideration but... I just didn't think this job was for me.
I had been so bamboozled!
I headed home... laughed my ass off... changed back into pajamas... hung out for a little while. Then it came... the dreaded email...
I had interviewed for a job yesterday morning that I really wanted - REALLY wanted. Unfortunately, there were a number of "very qualified candidates"... blah blah blah. I didn't get the job. I pouted. Yes, even cried a little. Responded with a very polite and professional email. And burrowed.
Yes, I burrowed in my bed. Like a toddler, I grabbed my stuffed monkey, pulled the covers over my head and cried. Yeah... it's as pathetic as you are imagining it in your head right now. After about 20 minutes... I started getting angry.
No, no. Not angry with the school - they just did what they felt was best fit for them. And no, not angry because I had somehow "blown the interview". Angry with me because... what the hell am I doing? Why am I applying for and stressing over full time jobs when I really want to go to Graduate School? IDIOT!
So... I unburrowed myself. Pulled out the very buried Grad School preparation file and went to work. How did I get so far from what I wanted to do? I'll tell you what it was... Student Loan Debt. F That. I'm going back to school.
Now I'm at work. Yes, still one of TWO. At least I have an income, right? I have a roof over my head, food on my plate and a kitty that loves me unconditionally. Eventually things will straighten out for me... but for now I need to stay on a straight path.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Absentee
Have you been checking the Banana? Have you been greatly disappointed by the lack of posts?
My apologies. In fact, too much has been going on to write about but most of it with too little entertainment value.
Lion King is in town and feel as if it has consumed my life. My dreams rock out to "Hakuna Matata" (with some surprising subconscious effects) and I very frequently run out of black and white clothing. Regardless, I still love my job, the people I work with and the fact that it's definitely contributing to my Europa fund.
Other than that, I would love to report more but so much is in the air. So this will have to do for now. Hopefully I'll have exciting news before the week is out.
Until then....
Hakuna Matata
My apologies. In fact, too much has been going on to write about but most of it with too little entertainment value.
Lion King is in town and feel as if it has consumed my life. My dreams rock out to "Hakuna Matata" (with some surprising subconscious effects) and I very frequently run out of black and white clothing. Regardless, I still love my job, the people I work with and the fact that it's definitely contributing to my Europa fund.
Other than that, I would love to report more but so much is in the air. So this will have to do for now. Hopefully I'll have exciting news before the week is out.
Until then....
Hakuna Matata
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Gay Marriage Can Save the Economy!
I'm sure many of you have seen this video but I love it so I'm posting it. Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Marbles
There's something to be said about independence. I'm not talking about the incomparable feeling of being at liberty to do what ever it is that tickles your fancy. I'm referring to the lack of dependence - on other people. More specifically, emotional independence.
There's something to be said about someone who has spent much of their adult life learning not to depend on other people. I'm not talking about the inability to trust others. I'm referring to the lack of relying on someone else for stability and sanity.
There's something to be said about having it together. I'm not talking about having life planned out. I'm referring to the ability to have nothing all put together and still be sane.
I have spent much of the past couples years conditioning myself to deal with life's hail storms solo. I've made a really strong attempt at keeping my head together and dealing with problems with grace. At times, it worked out in my favor - when it was all over with, I thought to myself, "Well done, Jen." However, it seems lately, more often than not, I think, "You're better than that." Having built an emotional cocoon inside of myself, I have spent the past few years striving to prove that I can, as I truly believe, handle it all myself.
This is not to imply that I don't talk to anyone about things that emotionally affect me. In fact, if you're reading this, you know for certain that I do. Nor is this to imply that it is a chore for me to share things that affect me or don't appreciate the time spent listening to me. I certainly appreciate it. A moment always comes to mind when I think of sharing a story with someone. That moment was when a friend told me, "You depend on me too much. You need me too much." That statement, which probably seemed so small to him at that time, has instilled in me a deliberate intention not to tell someone too much. That comment alone has scarred me. What this friend didn't understand was that I didn't need him at all. I share because I want to - not because I need to. I let people into my world because it's something I want to share with them - specifically. Some people are told stories and others are completely left out. But never is my intention to spread the burden. Everyone has heard me say, "I'm not looking for advice - I just needed to rant".
There's something to be said about independence - but lately, everything that could be said is not even remotely positive. There is a breaking point with people and I'm about two bad situations away from cracking. The events of the past week and half have sunk me into the most pathetic depressive state that even the most emo kids would be jealous of my dark mood. The incident at work (G) still has me rattled to the core. The memories won't leave my head and I'm still waking in the night from little terrors. Even more so, I'm filling the role of HM tonight... you can imagine the nervousness. My other place of employment has me so unhappy that I rarely feel fulfilled or even positive about myself while there or after I've left. I frequently think to myself, "What the hell am I doing here?" Then I'm forced to remember that rent must be paid and all those jobs I've applied to haven't even called me back for an interview. A week from Friday I graduate... well, kind of. I haven't completed my foreign language yet, so the relief that is commonly associated with graduation is completely lost. "The Girl with a Plan"... has no plan. A fact I was fine with until I realized that after New Year's I would have to return to a job situation that makes me miserable. Speaking of New Year's, I have the opportunity to take an amazing trip with my amazing boyfriend... issue: no amazing money to pay for it. In addition, I've had crippling knee problems over the past month that are getting exponentially worse - perfect conditions for snowboarding. On the topic of snowboarding, trip to see Warren Miller with best friend (maybe still?) turned out to be a complete disaster. This coming after getting in a fight with both my best friend for the first time ever (for an eight year friendship, that's pretty amazing) and undecided-situation best friend within 12 hours of each other. In addition to all of this, I attended my final fraternity meeting as a student brother - something I didn't think I would be too broken up about but I feel like I just had an appendage severed from my body. I've spent the last four and half years with my fraternal obligations involuntarily at the forefront of my mind - now it's entirely up to me to keep it there.
There really is something to be said about independence. All of this I keep on my shoulders. I don't seek to spread the burden because only I can do anything to make my life any easier. Please note that this doesn't even begin to touch on the outside influences of my life that I must also deal with. Even as I typed that I thought that this isn't to imply that my life is absolutely terrible either. I have my blessings. The point of all of this really is ask people to please consider before they ridicule, question, argue, blame or criticize to consider the situations of someone other than themselves. I am only one person and there is only so much I can do...there is only so much I can handle. Afterall, I've been conditioned to be emotionally independent.
Am I finally looking for advice? No. I just needed to rant.
There's something to be said about someone who has spent much of their adult life learning not to depend on other people. I'm not talking about the inability to trust others. I'm referring to the lack of relying on someone else for stability and sanity.
There's something to be said about having it together. I'm not talking about having life planned out. I'm referring to the ability to have nothing all put together and still be sane.
I have spent much of the past couples years conditioning myself to deal with life's hail storms solo. I've made a really strong attempt at keeping my head together and dealing with problems with grace. At times, it worked out in my favor - when it was all over with, I thought to myself, "Well done, Jen." However, it seems lately, more often than not, I think, "You're better than that." Having built an emotional cocoon inside of myself, I have spent the past few years striving to prove that I can, as I truly believe, handle it all myself.
This is not to imply that I don't talk to anyone about things that emotionally affect me. In fact, if you're reading this, you know for certain that I do. Nor is this to imply that it is a chore for me to share things that affect me or don't appreciate the time spent listening to me. I certainly appreciate it. A moment always comes to mind when I think of sharing a story with someone. That moment was when a friend told me, "You depend on me too much. You need me too much." That statement, which probably seemed so small to him at that time, has instilled in me a deliberate intention not to tell someone too much. That comment alone has scarred me. What this friend didn't understand was that I didn't need him at all. I share because I want to - not because I need to. I let people into my world because it's something I want to share with them - specifically. Some people are told stories and others are completely left out. But never is my intention to spread the burden. Everyone has heard me say, "I'm not looking for advice - I just needed to rant".
There's something to be said about independence - but lately, everything that could be said is not even remotely positive. There is a breaking point with people and I'm about two bad situations away from cracking. The events of the past week and half have sunk me into the most pathetic depressive state that even the most emo kids would be jealous of my dark mood. The incident at work (G) still has me rattled to the core. The memories won't leave my head and I'm still waking in the night from little terrors. Even more so, I'm filling the role of HM tonight... you can imagine the nervousness. My other place of employment has me so unhappy that I rarely feel fulfilled or even positive about myself while there or after I've left. I frequently think to myself, "What the hell am I doing here?" Then I'm forced to remember that rent must be paid and all those jobs I've applied to haven't even called me back for an interview. A week from Friday I graduate... well, kind of. I haven't completed my foreign language yet, so the relief that is commonly associated with graduation is completely lost. "The Girl with a Plan"... has no plan. A fact I was fine with until I realized that after New Year's I would have to return to a job situation that makes me miserable. Speaking of New Year's, I have the opportunity to take an amazing trip with my amazing boyfriend... issue: no amazing money to pay for it. In addition, I've had crippling knee problems over the past month that are getting exponentially worse - perfect conditions for snowboarding. On the topic of snowboarding, trip to see Warren Miller with best friend (maybe still?) turned out to be a complete disaster. This coming after getting in a fight with both my best friend for the first time ever (for an eight year friendship, that's pretty amazing) and undecided-situation best friend within 12 hours of each other. In addition to all of this, I attended my final fraternity meeting as a student brother - something I didn't think I would be too broken up about but I feel like I just had an appendage severed from my body. I've spent the last four and half years with my fraternal obligations involuntarily at the forefront of my mind - now it's entirely up to me to keep it there.
There really is something to be said about independence. All of this I keep on my shoulders. I don't seek to spread the burden because only I can do anything to make my life any easier. Please note that this doesn't even begin to touch on the outside influences of my life that I must also deal with. Even as I typed that I thought that this isn't to imply that my life is absolutely terrible either. I have my blessings. The point of all of this really is ask people to please consider before they ridicule, question, argue, blame or criticize to consider the situations of someone other than themselves. I am only one person and there is only so much I can do...there is only so much I can handle. Afterall, I've been conditioned to be emotionally independent.
Am I finally looking for advice? No. I just needed to rant.
Grab The Closest Book
My China Friend posted this on Facebook as a status game, but I think it's fun... so I'm putting it on my blog.
* Grab the book closest to you. Now.
* Go to page 56.
* Find the 5th sentence.
* Write that sentence in a comment.
* Don't go looking for your favorite book, or the coolest one you have - just grab the closest one.
Mine:
"And yet," said Smee, "I have often heard you say that hook was worth a score of hands, for combing the hair and other homely uses."
* Grab the book closest to you. Now.
* Go to page 56.
* Find the 5th sentence.
* Write that sentence in a comment.
* Don't go looking for your favorite book, or the coolest one you have - just grab the closest one.
Mine:
"And yet," said Smee, "I have often heard you say that hook was worth a score of hands, for combing the hair and other homely uses."
Monday, December 8, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
There is a god...
I don't know how many of you out there are as creeped out by Bratz dolls as I am... but I found reassurance that maybe... just maybe... these creepy-ass things will go away.
Don't mess with Barbie
Let's get something straight — Barbie may look like a bombshell, but she's no pushover. Mattel, the makers of the iconic doll, recently won a prolonged legal battle with MGA, the manufacturers of Bratz. The outcome of the legal battle puts into question the future of the creepy-looking Bratz figures. A federal court ruled that MGA was to be banned from making and selling "the saucy Barbie alternative." Why? Apparently, the court found that the creator of Bratz came up with the idea while working for Mattel. Hence, the idea belongs to the house that Barbie built.
http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92080
Don't mess with Barbie
Let's get something straight — Barbie may look like a bombshell, but she's no pushover. Mattel, the makers of the iconic doll, recently won a prolonged legal battle with MGA, the manufacturers of Bratz. The outcome of the legal battle puts into question the future of the creepy-looking Bratz figures. A federal court ruled that MGA was to be banned from making and selling "the saucy Barbie alternative." Why? Apparently, the court found that the creator of Bratz came up with the idea while working for Mattel. Hence, the idea belongs to the house that Barbie built.
http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92080
Friday, December 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Happy Days: The Musical
Roomie and I went to see "Happy Days: The Musical" tonight at Gammage. Being the bums that we are, we went using my Dollar Ticket perk (2 seats = $2). We arrived to find we were seated in Row 11, seats 34 & 36 (very good seats). Feeling pretty good about our location, we settled into our chairs and waited for the show to begin. The show was running a bit late... nothing new for an opening night though. Out of nowhere, Colleen (head of ASU Public Events) strolls on to stage with a microphone to announce that tonight's performance was to be a very important one. Not only was this performance the Opening Night for the national tour of "Happy Days" (pretty huge deal)... the writer of the tv series, Garry Marshall, was in the audience as well as two of its original actors. She pointed to the crowd to indicate the location of Anson Williams ("Potsie") and Don Most ("Ralph Malph"), which appeared to be behind roomie and me... directly behind us - literally. The infamous "Potsie" and "Ralph Malph" were... RIGHT THERE. Haha. Now I'm not a star struck person, but I grew up lying on my parents' bed watching "Happy Days" on Nick at Nite... and I looooved Potsie. So it was definitely a cool experience to listen to "Potsie" and "Ralph Malph" laugh throughout the performance and talk to us during intermission... all for $2.
And yes, we got autographs. :)

And yes, we got autographs. :)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
This Day in History: Closing of Ellis Island
Every morning in my email box, I receive my personalize "This Day in History" from History.com - much to your surprise, I'm sure. I found today's headlining article particularly interesting and wanted to share.
****
November 12: General Interest
1954 : Ellis Island closes
On this day in 1954, Ellis Island, the gateway to America, shuts it doors after processing more than 12 million immigrants since opening in 1892. Today, an estimated 40 percent of all Americans can trace their roots through Ellis Island, located in New York Harbor off the New Jersey coast and named for merchant Samuel Ellis, who owned the land in the 1770s.
On January 2, 1892, 15-year-old Annie Moore, from Ireland, became the first person to pass through the newly opened Ellis Island, which President Benjamin Harrison designated as America's first federal immigration center in 1890. Before that time, the processing of immigrants had been handled by individual states.
Not all immigrants who sailed into New York had to go through Ellis Island. First- and second-class passengers submitted to a brief shipboard inspection and then disembarked at the piers in New York or New Jersey, where they passed through customs. People in third class, though, were transported to Ellis Island, where they underwent medical and legal inspections to ensure they didn't have a contagious disease or some condition that would make them a burden to the government. Only two percent of all immigrants were denied entrance into the U.S.
Immigration to Ellis Island peaked between 1892 and 1924, during which time the 3.3-acre island was enlarged with landfill (by the 1930s it reached its current 27.5-acre size) and additional buildings were constructed to handle the massive influx of immigrants. During the busiest year of operation, 1907, over 1 million people were processed at Ellis Island.
With America's entrance into World War I, immigration declined and Ellis Island was used as a detention center for suspected enemies. Following the war, Congress passed quota laws and the Immigration Act of 1924, which sharply reduced the number of newcomers allowed into the country and also enabled immigrants to be processed at U.S. consulates abroad. After 1924, Ellis Island switched from a processing center to serving other purposes, such as a detention and deportation center for illegal immigrants, a hospital for wounded soldiers during World War II and a Coast Guard training center. In November 1954, the last detainee, a Norwegian merchant seaman, was released and Ellis Island officially closed.
Beginning in 1984, Ellis Island underwent a $160 million renovation, the largest historic restoration project in U.S. history. In September 1990, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum opened to the public and today is visited by almost 2 million people each year.
***
You can receive your own "This Day in History" by following this link.
****
November 12: General Interest
1954 : Ellis Island closes
On this day in 1954, Ellis Island, the gateway to America, shuts it doors after processing more than 12 million immigrants since opening in 1892. Today, an estimated 40 percent of all Americans can trace their roots through Ellis Island, located in New York Harbor off the New Jersey coast and named for merchant Samuel Ellis, who owned the land in the 1770s.
On January 2, 1892, 15-year-old Annie Moore, from Ireland, became the first person to pass through the newly opened Ellis Island, which President Benjamin Harrison designated as America's first federal immigration center in 1890. Before that time, the processing of immigrants had been handled by individual states.
Not all immigrants who sailed into New York had to go through Ellis Island. First- and second-class passengers submitted to a brief shipboard inspection and then disembarked at the piers in New York or New Jersey, where they passed through customs. People in third class, though, were transported to Ellis Island, where they underwent medical and legal inspections to ensure they didn't have a contagious disease or some condition that would make them a burden to the government. Only two percent of all immigrants were denied entrance into the U.S.
Immigration to Ellis Island peaked between 1892 and 1924, during which time the 3.3-acre island was enlarged with landfill (by the 1930s it reached its current 27.5-acre size) and additional buildings were constructed to handle the massive influx of immigrants. During the busiest year of operation, 1907, over 1 million people were processed at Ellis Island.
With America's entrance into World War I, immigration declined and Ellis Island was used as a detention center for suspected enemies. Following the war, Congress passed quota laws and the Immigration Act of 1924, which sharply reduced the number of newcomers allowed into the country and also enabled immigrants to be processed at U.S. consulates abroad. After 1924, Ellis Island switched from a processing center to serving other purposes, such as a detention and deportation center for illegal immigrants, a hospital for wounded soldiers during World War II and a Coast Guard training center. In November 1954, the last detainee, a Norwegian merchant seaman, was released and Ellis Island officially closed.
Beginning in 1984, Ellis Island underwent a $160 million renovation, the largest historic restoration project in U.S. history. In September 1990, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum opened to the public and today is visited by almost 2 million people each year.
***
You can receive your own "This Day in History" by following this link.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Because I'm Bored...
Respond with your own answers if you're so inclined.
1)Three names you go by?
Jen
JBalls
Jenni (Don't even...reserved for family)
2) three things you are wearing right now?
Blue Jeans
My new Victoria Secret Boucle Sweater
Red Penguin Socks
3) Are you currently happy?
Ridiculously. Like... I wish everyone could feel the way I do.
4) Have you ever been given a rose
A couple of times... romantically and with some Brotherly love
5) Have you ever licked your foot?
Um... perhaps.
6) Have you ever been in love?
Certainly.
7) Do you believe that everyone has a soul-mate?
Yes. Simply, yes.
8) What's your current problem?
Trying to find a sweet full-time job.
9) Have you ever had your heart broken?
Yes...
10) Your thoughts of long distance relationships?
It's entirely doable.
11) Are you a loser?
I'm a winner at all things. Haha.
12) How many kids do you want to have?
To be determined.
13) What is/are your favorite colors?
Blue and green
14) Are you afraid to fall in love?
Absolutely not. Life's too short.
15) Have you ever found it hard to tell anyone you like them?
Who hasn't???
16) Imagine you're 40 & your spouse just died, would you get re-married?
Yes. I would still have over half my life to live... far too long to spend alone.
17)What age did you start noticing the opposite sex?
Probably about the 8th grade... I was far too nerdy and into school before that.
18) What song do you want played at your wedding?
Oh goodness... no idea. I mean, other than the "Cha-Cha Slide" :)
19) Do you love anyone?
Plenty of people... family and friends.
20) Do you think someone likes you?
Well I sure hope he still likes me... :P
21) If someone liked you, do you want them to tell you?
Only if it's my boyfriend.... or Ryan Lynch (kidding)
1)Three names you go by?
Jen
JBalls
Jenni (Don't even...reserved for family)
2) three things you are wearing right now?
Blue Jeans
My new Victoria Secret Boucle Sweater
Red Penguin Socks
3) Are you currently happy?
Ridiculously. Like... I wish everyone could feel the way I do.
4) Have you ever been given a rose
A couple of times... romantically and with some Brotherly love
5) Have you ever licked your foot?
Um... perhaps.
6) Have you ever been in love?
Certainly.
7) Do you believe that everyone has a soul-mate?
Yes. Simply, yes.
8) What's your current problem?
Trying to find a sweet full-time job.
9) Have you ever had your heart broken?
Yes...
10) Your thoughts of long distance relationships?
It's entirely doable.
11) Are you a loser?
I'm a winner at all things. Haha.
12) How many kids do you want to have?
To be determined.
13) What is/are your favorite colors?
Blue and green
14) Are you afraid to fall in love?
Absolutely not. Life's too short.
15) Have you ever found it hard to tell anyone you like them?
Who hasn't???
16) Imagine you're 40 & your spouse just died, would you get re-married?
Yes. I would still have over half my life to live... far too long to spend alone.
17)What age did you start noticing the opposite sex?
Probably about the 8th grade... I was far too nerdy and into school before that.
18) What song do you want played at your wedding?
Oh goodness... no idea. I mean, other than the "Cha-Cha Slide" :)
19) Do you love anyone?
Plenty of people... family and friends.
20) Do you think someone likes you?
Well I sure hope he still likes me... :P
21) If someone liked you, do you want them to tell you?
Only if it's my boyfriend.... or Ryan Lynch (kidding)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
What Do You Make?
More often than not when people ask me what my major is, they hear the word "History", cringe (perhaps due to horrible high school history class experiences) and say, "What are you going to do with that? Teach?" I'm never quite certain if that question is meant to sound as offensive as the tone usually lends to, however, I can see their point. Who wants to stand at the front of the room and instruct little s%#& for brains all day for minimal pay? Oh wait... I can't see their point - I do. I'm not sure why teaching has gotten such a bad rep. Most people tell me that it's how much teachers make. The average teacher in Arizona earns $38,000 a year (http://www.teachingtips.com/average-teacher-salaries/arizona/)but that is certainly not what teachers make. Below is a piece that was sent to me by a friend when I decided teaching is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Perhaps it can enlighten a few. Enjoy! :)
***
What Teachers Make, or
Objection Overruled, or
If things don't work out, you can always go to law school
By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com
He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.
I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.
Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.
"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"
And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.
I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.
I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).
Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?
***
What Teachers Make, or
Objection Overruled, or
If things don't work out, you can always go to law school
By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com
He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.
I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.
Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.
"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"
And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.
I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.
I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).
Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Pumpkin Carving!
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