Well it's new years time again, and it's also resolution time. Here are mine:
1. Finish at least a somewhat acceptable draft of my NaNoWriMo novel.
2. Plan ahead for the next NaNoWriMo and try to win it, and if not then at least get farther than I did on the last one.
3. Get more involved in Nerdfighteria, including Project for Awesome.
4. Do as much training as I can on my horses and be able to show them.
5. Maybe start vlogging?
So there they are, folks. What are yours? And happy new year!!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Looking For Alaska by John Green (Warning: Spoilers... well kinda)
I just finished reading Looking For Alaska (yes, a nerdfighter that hasn't read it yet, I'm awful.) But I finished it in three days.
I am thinking: John Green, you are a pervert.
I am thinking: John Green, you are the most genius man alive.
I am thinking: This novel brings a whole new meaning to famous last words.
Green's writing style (it feels so weird calling him Green but that's what you do in an official review,) is deep as well as witty, and I admire the way his writing reflects his personality at some points, yet can also take on a personality of its own.
Francois Rabelais' last words were, "I go to seek a great perhaps." Miles "Pudge" Halter, who has lived in Florida his whole life, decides to go in search of his Great Perhaps by attending Culver Creek, a boarding school in Alabama that his father had graduated from. During his junior year, Pudge, who is obsessed with famous people's last words, meet his first real friends and does lots of new things, like smoking, drinking, and of course, pranking. Among these friends is Alaska Young, a beautiful, smart, funny girl that is a lot of fun to be around but can be moody and mysterious. Pudge and his friends have many good times and Pudge thinks things can't get any better. All of a sudden, in the middle of the year, a shocking and painful event shakes the entire school. In the remainder of the year, Pudge learns that even after a person is gone, you can still learn and benefit a great deal from their life.
Another thing that I really like about this novel is actually Green's perception of sex. I know this has been discussed in other reviews and in a vlog by Green himself (link at the bottom,) but I'll pretty much sum it all up here. Yes, there is a sex scene in the book, and it is awkward, emotionally empty and rather un-erotic. The point of the scene, as Green states, is to show contrast between that scene and the scene after it, in which there is not a lot of physical closeness but there is a strong emotional bond. The point was to show that emotionally empty sex is pointless, what really matters is that you love somebody, whether you have sex with them or not. This is just one of the wise thoughts Greens shares with us in this novel.
I highly recommend this read, though I would advise reader discretion, for previously mentioned reasons. Looking For Alaska is a novel that stays with the reader for longer than the time it took to read it. Among all of the novels I've read, this one earns its place on my hallowed "favorites" shelf, which at this point only holds the Harry Potter series, the Twilight saga, and Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse. Now I'm off to find a recipe for a bufriedo (Culver Creek's famous deep-fried burrito) and see if I can find more information on last words.
John Green's vlog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHMPtYvZ8tM&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=747F0A378BC181C7
My research on famous last words:
George Harrison, dying from throat cancer, said to his wife and son, "Love one another." I think these are pretty awesome last words. He seemed not just to be saying them to his family, but to the world.
John Lennon's last words aren't as easy to track. He was shot four times outside his apartment in NYC. The deadly blow pierced his aorta, and he was announced dead on arrival at the hospital from blood loss. Once he was shot, he crawled up a few of the front steps of the building and said, "I'm shot." These are his last recorded words. Nobody's sure though. Some say he remained silent on the way to the hospital, but some say he was barely concious, basically asking what happened and where Yoko Ono, his wife, was. I honestly don't think this is a very cool ending, like some of the people Pudge quotes, but I researched it anyway.
Alex the African grey parrot was a very intellegent bird, that could count, sing, describe colors, tell what foods he wanted and even carry on conversation. He was a research bird at a university. His last words were to his handler, Dr. Irene Pepperburg, when she put him in his cage for the night. "You be good. See you tomorrow. I love you." He was found dead the next morning.
Humphrey Bogart's last words were simple: "I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis."
I am thinking: John Green, you are a pervert.
I am thinking: John Green, you are the most genius man alive.
I am thinking: This novel brings a whole new meaning to famous last words.
Green's writing style (it feels so weird calling him Green but that's what you do in an official review,) is deep as well as witty, and I admire the way his writing reflects his personality at some points, yet can also take on a personality of its own.
Francois Rabelais' last words were, "I go to seek a great perhaps." Miles "Pudge" Halter, who has lived in Florida his whole life, decides to go in search of his Great Perhaps by attending Culver Creek, a boarding school in Alabama that his father had graduated from. During his junior year, Pudge, who is obsessed with famous people's last words, meet his first real friends and does lots of new things, like smoking, drinking, and of course, pranking. Among these friends is Alaska Young, a beautiful, smart, funny girl that is a lot of fun to be around but can be moody and mysterious. Pudge and his friends have many good times and Pudge thinks things can't get any better. All of a sudden, in the middle of the year, a shocking and painful event shakes the entire school. In the remainder of the year, Pudge learns that even after a person is gone, you can still learn and benefit a great deal from their life.
Another thing that I really like about this novel is actually Green's perception of sex. I know this has been discussed in other reviews and in a vlog by Green himself (link at the bottom,) but I'll pretty much sum it all up here. Yes, there is a sex scene in the book, and it is awkward, emotionally empty and rather un-erotic. The point of the scene, as Green states, is to show contrast between that scene and the scene after it, in which there is not a lot of physical closeness but there is a strong emotional bond. The point was to show that emotionally empty sex is pointless, what really matters is that you love somebody, whether you have sex with them or not. This is just one of the wise thoughts Greens shares with us in this novel.
I highly recommend this read, though I would advise reader discretion, for previously mentioned reasons. Looking For Alaska is a novel that stays with the reader for longer than the time it took to read it. Among all of the novels I've read, this one earns its place on my hallowed "favorites" shelf, which at this point only holds the Harry Potter series, the Twilight saga, and Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse. Now I'm off to find a recipe for a bufriedo (Culver Creek's famous deep-fried burrito) and see if I can find more information on last words.
John Green's vlog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHMPtYvZ8tM&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=747F0A378BC181C7
My research on famous last words:
George Harrison, dying from throat cancer, said to his wife and son, "Love one another." I think these are pretty awesome last words. He seemed not just to be saying them to his family, but to the world.
John Lennon's last words aren't as easy to track. He was shot four times outside his apartment in NYC. The deadly blow pierced his aorta, and he was announced dead on arrival at the hospital from blood loss. Once he was shot, he crawled up a few of the front steps of the building and said, "I'm shot." These are his last recorded words. Nobody's sure though. Some say he remained silent on the way to the hospital, but some say he was barely concious, basically asking what happened and where Yoko Ono, his wife, was. I honestly don't think this is a very cool ending, like some of the people Pudge quotes, but I researched it anyway.
Alex the African grey parrot was a very intellegent bird, that could count, sing, describe colors, tell what foods he wanted and even carry on conversation. He was a research bird at a university. His last words were to his handler, Dr. Irene Pepperburg, when she put him in his cage for the night. "You be good. See you tomorrow. I love you." He was found dead the next morning.
Humphrey Bogart's last words were simple: "I should never have switched from Scotch to Martinis."
Sorry
Sorry I've been away for a while, Malibu's been hurt, I've been sick, and Christmas came. I'm back blogging again.
Friday, December 4, 2009
First Movie Review: Mannequin
Ok, I saw this movie on tv the other day. It is hilarious, romantic and has a good plotline. Ok, sure it was made in 1987. But if you know me at all, you know I love 80's movies. I have a new favorite. Jonathan, a young man in his eary twenties (with little luck keeping jobs) works at a mannequin factory. He's very proud of his first, but then gets fired. After a few more jobs, he gets hired at Prince and Co. which is a big department store dowtown. The store has been having problems getting business, but one night Johnathan sees his mannequin there. He marvels over her, and all of a sudden she comes to life. Emmy, the mannequin is an enchanted spirit that took on the form of a mannequin. Jonathan is the only person who can see her alive. Together, they build beautiful dispalys in the store window. Another store, Illustra, is ready to bring them down though. I won't spoil the ending. You can watch it on Youtube. All I can say is this movie is awesome!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
My Tips For Dieting Under Stress
This diet is designed to help you cope with the stress that builds up during the day.
Breakfast
1 Grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast, dry
3 oz. skin milk
Lunch
4 oz. lean broiled chicken breast
1 cup steamed spinach
1 cup herb tea
1 Oreo cookie
Afternoon Snack
Rest of Oreos in package
1 pint Rocky Road ice cream
1 jar hot fudge
Nuts, cherries, whipped cream
Dinner
2 loaves garlic bread with cheese
Large sausage, mushroom, and cheese pizza
3 Milky Way or Skinkers candy bars (or both!)
Late Evening Snack
Entire frozen cheesecake eaten directly from freezer
Rules For This Diet
If you eat something and nobody sees you eat it, it has no calories.
If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are cancelled out by the diet soda.
When you eat with someone else, calories don't count if you eat less than they do.
Food used for medical purposes NEVER count, such as hot chocolate, toast, or pie.
If you fatten up everyone else around you, you look thinner.
Movie-related foods do not have additional calories because they are part of the entire entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel, such as Milk Duds, buttered popcorn, Junior Mints, red hots, and Tootsie Rolls.
Cookies Pieces contain no calories. The process of breaking causes calorie leakage.
Things licked off of knives and spoons have no calories if you are in the process of preparing something. Exaples: Peanut butter on a knife making a sandwich, ice cream on a scoop making a sunday, icing on you finger making a cake.
Foods that have the same color have the same number of calories. Examples: Spinach and green Skittles, mushroom and white chocolate. Note: Chocolate is a universal color and can be substituted for any food color.
This diet is in no way designed to benefit your health.
Breakfast
1 Grapefruit
1 slice whole wheat toast, dry
3 oz. skin milk
Lunch
4 oz. lean broiled chicken breast
1 cup steamed spinach
1 cup herb tea
1 Oreo cookie
Afternoon Snack
Rest of Oreos in package
1 pint Rocky Road ice cream
1 jar hot fudge
Nuts, cherries, whipped cream
Dinner
2 loaves garlic bread with cheese
Large sausage, mushroom, and cheese pizza
3 Milky Way or Skinkers candy bars (or both!)
Late Evening Snack
Entire frozen cheesecake eaten directly from freezer
Rules For This Diet
If you eat something and nobody sees you eat it, it has no calories.
If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are cancelled out by the diet soda.
When you eat with someone else, calories don't count if you eat less than they do.
Food used for medical purposes NEVER count, such as hot chocolate, toast, or pie.
If you fatten up everyone else around you, you look thinner.
Movie-related foods do not have additional calories because they are part of the entire entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel, such as Milk Duds, buttered popcorn, Junior Mints, red hots, and Tootsie Rolls.
Cookies Pieces contain no calories. The process of breaking causes calorie leakage.
Things licked off of knives and spoons have no calories if you are in the process of preparing something. Exaples: Peanut butter on a knife making a sandwich, ice cream on a scoop making a sunday, icing on you finger making a cake.
Foods that have the same color have the same number of calories. Examples: Spinach and green Skittles, mushroom and white chocolate. Note: Chocolate is a universal color and can be substituted for any food color.
This diet is in no way designed to benefit your health.
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