Since band camp has started I've now been able to see a good deal of my friends. This means I have new opportunities to foist books off in their directions. All in the hopes of them reading, enjoying, and being enlightened by them. Mostly to just share the complete awe inspiring thing that is literature.
Now I have a problem. You see...I get emotionally attached to my books. I lend books to friends who I trust, but no others. Still, there's no way I'd let someone walk off with Beauty or Lady Knight. (Yeah, my stronger attachments are to fantasy books. Surprise!)
I REALLY want one of my friends to read As Simple As Snow, but am unwilling to part with it. Ridiculous? Yes. Known cure? No. Still, give me a week or two and I'll bite the bullet and just let him borrow it. I mean, what price is too great to share such things? *coughs* My books. *coughs*
Sorry. Cold. *Shifty look*
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Randy Pausch, 47
Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture, died Friday. This makes me sad. I really hoped that he would get through it, especially after reading his book. It's worth the read. Amazingly uplifting to be written about dieing.
I Ramble, Therefore I Am
Okay, the school year is here. My senior year of high school . Screaming seems to be the call of the day, but I shall refrain. You see, I've managed to screw many things up in the past four years and now I need to fix them before the end of this year.
1. My Gpa is CRAP. Thank you procrastinating jerk! Yeah, I mean me.
Why this is going to be bothersome? Well, I have to start applying for college and now I'm worried. But then...I was already set on a local community college before I even thought of getting accepted. It will only cost $2,000 dollars a semester. Hence the already decided. Though I might throw an application towards my local university just to see if I COULD get in if it turns out that the community is awful. Which I doubt. My madre went there.
2. The four dozen friends I've fought with and no longer talk to.
And many other things besides that I won't go into.
On the bright side, Fall is almost here! I love fall. Halloween. Marching Band. Leaf Piles. It's all good.
So, I apologize to myself for screwing some things up. I also applaud myself because I know that somehow I'll find the ability to drag myself out of it. xD
1. My Gpa is CRAP. Thank you procrastinating jerk! Yeah, I mean me.
Why this is going to be bothersome? Well, I have to start applying for college and now I'm worried. But then...I was already set on a local community college before I even thought of getting accepted. It will only cost $2,000 dollars a semester. Hence the already decided. Though I might throw an application towards my local university just to see if I COULD get in if it turns out that the community is awful. Which I doubt. My madre went there.
2. The four dozen friends I've fought with and no longer talk to.
And many other things besides that I won't go into.
On the bright side, Fall is almost here! I love fall. Halloween. Marching Band. Leaf Piles. It's all good.
So, I apologize to myself for screwing some things up. I also applaud myself because I know that somehow I'll find the ability to drag myself out of it. xD
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Tamora Pierce
I've vaguely mentioned one Tamora Pierce on here a few times, but really have not given her the due she deserves. So here goes:
"TAMORA PIERCE IS MY HERO!"
Seriously, she writes amazing books. I've only read her series set in Tortall, but she has many other books.
She is so amazing that she is tied with Robin McKinley for my favorite author. That's right book snobs! My two favorite authors are the authors of high flying awesome fantasy books with butt kicking heroines of light! Bah, I say to those who frown upon a good fantasy book. Bah, I say to those who label with teen fiction and labels! A fantasy can be just as life changing as a dystopian or 'self help' book.
Now, I point you to both their livejournals/blogs that are on my page. -->
"TAMORA PIERCE IS MY HERO!"
Seriously, she writes amazing books. I've only read her series set in Tortall, but she has many other books.
She is so amazing that she is tied with Robin McKinley for my favorite author. That's right book snobs! My two favorite authors are the authors of high flying awesome fantasy books with butt kicking heroines of light! Bah, I say to those who frown upon a good fantasy book. Bah, I say to those who label with teen fiction and labels! A fantasy can be just as life changing as a dystopian or 'self help' book.
Now, I point you to both their livejournals/blogs that are on my page. -->
Trials And Tribulations
Hour and a half drive to Chattanooga to look at the car lots today. This time with my 20-year-old scraggly bearded all knowing brother.
The drive up there alone was a terrifying ordeal. He doesn't know how to use his blinkers. Or his breaks. Did I say an hour and a half? Take into account Driving of Terror! then it makes it about 45 minutes. Finally, we arrive at the car lot. Seedy looking place with even seedier looking salesmen. Eating crack donuts. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. Anyhow, seedy looking place that has the car of my dreams. Ford Fusion, charcoal colored with black leather interior and tricked out with awesome-ness.
Me: "That's the car I want!"
Brother: "Shhh! Pretend like you hate it. We want it cheap."
Salesmen: "Hey Pretty Lady, don't mind as I flash me teeth at you and oggle your brother. RAWR!"
Me: ........
The conversation continued on for this strain for awhile. With the salesmen and my brother trying to out-impress each other with made up information about non-existent cars. As this was going on a giant storm brewed above us. Crashing lightening. High Winds. Pelting Rain. The whole nine-yardage. So we decide to call it quites for the day and head onwards. ( Going back tomorrow to drool over unattainable dream car.)
Amidst this Storm we have to stop and get gas because we've put it off and are now running purely on fumes. Brother waits until he finds gas station that looks decently trashy and pulls over. By this time the wind is blowing the rain all up under the awning and I'm getting drenched, but in I quest for the restroom! (Traveling with boys means that you get to pee a lot less than you want to.) While in there I get stared at by creepy old gas station men. Vaguely regret wearing low cut top, but not to much. Would have stared regardless because they're not looking for a date but recruiting for their cult. But it sounds better if I pretend like I'm being checked-out. *nods*
After being needlessly molested by old-creepy-gas-station eyes I run out to the car avoiding the lightening falling about me and trying to see through the torrents of rain. I rip open the car door....right into my face. I've got a great shiner.
The drive up there alone was a terrifying ordeal. He doesn't know how to use his blinkers. Or his breaks. Did I say an hour and a half? Take into account Driving of Terror! then it makes it about 45 minutes. Finally, we arrive at the car lot. Seedy looking place with even seedier looking salesmen. Eating crack donuts. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. Anyhow, seedy looking place that has the car of my dreams. Ford Fusion, charcoal colored with black leather interior and tricked out with awesome-ness.
Me: "That's the car I want!"
Brother: "Shhh! Pretend like you hate it. We want it cheap."
Salesmen: "Hey Pretty Lady, don't mind as I flash me teeth at you and oggle your brother. RAWR!"
Me: ........
The conversation continued on for this strain for awhile. With the salesmen and my brother trying to out-impress each other with made up information about non-existent cars. As this was going on a giant storm brewed above us. Crashing lightening. High Winds. Pelting Rain. The whole nine-yardage. So we decide to call it quites for the day and head onwards. ( Going back tomorrow to drool over unattainable dream car.)
Amidst this Storm we have to stop and get gas because we've put it off and are now running purely on fumes. Brother waits until he finds gas station that looks decently trashy and pulls over. By this time the wind is blowing the rain all up under the awning and I'm getting drenched, but in I quest for the restroom! (Traveling with boys means that you get to pee a lot less than you want to.) While in there I get stared at by creepy old gas station men. Vaguely regret wearing low cut top, but not to much. Would have stared regardless because they're not looking for a date but recruiting for their cult. But it sounds better if I pretend like I'm being checked-out. *nods*
After being needlessly molested by old-creepy-gas-station eyes I run out to the car avoiding the lightening falling about me and trying to see through the torrents of rain. I rip open the car door....right into my face. I've got a great shiner.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
How It Rolls
Holy Snap! is car shopping boring. I've spent several days car shopping now and it's, to be plain, a turd. You heard me. I mean, you have all these middle-aged-bright-toothed men baring there teeth and shaking your hand. The instinct to mace them is almost overwhelming. If I saw someone with hair that bad and teeth that glaring anywhere else, then I'd run-run-away. (What's with all the hyphens?) But seeing as it's at a car dealership. It's all good.
I was looking at the Kia Optima today and listening to the salesmen's spiel ( In this case skinny little boy with spiky hair. Reminded of a Jack Russel for some reason.)
His home run line? "Your insurance is to going to be because there are so few thefts of Kias,"
My mother's low toned mumble? "Cause they're freakin' ugly!"
She got a pretty big kick out of that. Nobody's going to want to steal your car. Buy it Starr! *coughs* Ugly *coughs*
Also up for the car running is the Hyndai Elantra and the Toyota Scion. Though I might balk at the ridiculous price of economical cars and buy something more decently priced. Ridiculous.
I was looking at the Kia Optima today and listening to the salesmen's spiel ( In this case skinny little boy with spiky hair. Reminded of a Jack Russel for some reason.)
His home run line? "Your insurance is to going to be because there are so few thefts of Kias,"
My mother's low toned mumble? "Cause they're freakin' ugly!"
She got a pretty big kick out of that. Nobody's going to want to steal your car. Buy it Starr! *coughs* Ugly *coughs*
Also up for the car running is the Hyndai Elantra and the Toyota Scion. Though I might balk at the ridiculous price of economical cars and buy something more decently priced. Ridiculous.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Cory Doctorow
Www.Craphound.com is Cory Doctorow's Page that has news etc. about his books.
You can also go there to freely download his books instead of buying them. I know! Awesome-ness, indeed.
What I know of Cory Doctorow is pretty awesome. He's a big supporter of the Creative commons License. Which, from what I've been able to gather, is that intellectual property should have no cost. For similiar infomoratin I point you to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. (Which, from what I've been able to gather, is a bunch of paranoid people fighting for the rights of everyone. Seriously, they're pretty cool. Extreme sometimes? Maybe. Right most of the time? Probably.)
Cory is also an administrator (contributor?) at www.boingoing.org . It's just plain random most of the time, but you find out some pretty awesome stuff.
The Man or the Government?
It seems that I only get on the nets in the wee hours of the morning. I apologize for any incoherence because of this. All else fails wait until the wee hours of the morning to READ it. Then you'll be able to read it due to 'Wee-Morn-Hour-Filter'.
I continue. Okay, I skived off on really saying anything about Fahrenheit 451 yesterday...or whenever that was, but I knew I'd come back and say something about it eventually. I liked it too much not too. xD
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Guy Montag spends his life in happy oblivion. There's no reason not too thanks to the American way of living. Reality TV, fast cars, propaganda, sleeping pills/drugs. Everything to keep you oblivious right at your fingertips.
But then Guy meets Clarisse. A seventeen-year-old girl who turns his life upside down by looking at the stars and telling him that once there was a time when people just sat. Sometimes people would sit and talk or not talk and that was that. Other times those people would sit and think. Thinking.
Written more than fifty years ago this book is set in a disturbingly familiar setting. You guessed it. Bradbury manages to hit what society was coming to right on the head. In the future no one reads anymore. Because people don't read the government decides to take one step further and burn objectionable books. The Bible, Thoreau, Poe, Hamlet...all burned by the fireman. No outcry is made because only a few are left that love books.
So what's scarier? The government taking over or the people not caring?
->This really emphasizes the importance of philosphy and literature in life and what could happen if we cast it all aside. There isn't a way you can read it without thinking deep. Bradbury is just awesome like that.
I continue. Okay, I skived off on really saying anything about Fahrenheit 451 yesterday...or whenever that was, but I knew I'd come back and say something about it eventually. I liked it too much not too. xD
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Guy Montag spends his life in happy oblivion. There's no reason not too thanks to the American way of living. Reality TV, fast cars, propaganda, sleeping pills/drugs. Everything to keep you oblivious right at your fingertips.
But then Guy meets Clarisse. A seventeen-year-old girl who turns his life upside down by looking at the stars and telling him that once there was a time when people just sat. Sometimes people would sit and talk or not talk and that was that. Other times those people would sit and think. Thinking.
Written more than fifty years ago this book is set in a disturbingly familiar setting. You guessed it. Bradbury manages to hit what society was coming to right on the head. In the future no one reads anymore. Because people don't read the government decides to take one step further and burn objectionable books. The Bible, Thoreau, Poe, Hamlet...all burned by the fireman. No outcry is made because only a few are left that love books.
So what's scarier? The government taking over or the people not caring?
->This really emphasizes the importance of philosphy and literature in life and what could happen if we cast it all aside. There isn't a way you can read it without thinking deep. Bradbury is just awesome like that.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Oh, Dystopians
And just like that a bunch of times passes. Helped by my outrageous sleeping habits.
Just finished Farenheit 451 and it is awesome. One of the best dystopians I've ever read, but then that's not saying too much. I've not read terribly many. Off the top of my head:
1.1984 by George Orwell
From the man who brought you Animal Farm. This is a great book that everyone needs to read. You hear it alluded to a lot in media etc. It's a bitch to read though. Some parts are just boring. BUT I did like it by the time I got to the end. I'm just not going to reread it anytime soon.
2.Brave New World by A. Huxley
Bumbumbum!! The future as it would be genetically altered. With cloning technology and whatnot on the rise it's another one that everyone should read. Plus, it's a better and smoother read than Orwell's ^. What's more important? Happiness or humanity?
3.Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
So worth it. Excellent read.
4.The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Anotherone by Atwood that is also worth it. What would happen if we were to return to our 'foundation' beliefs? Tis about what would happen in a world that returns to it's Christian roots only way too literally. Remember: Some of the Bible needs to be interpretated metaphorically.
5.Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Posted a review on it a while back. It's good. Go read the review. ( If you like the sci-fi scene then you should go check out his book Overclocked.
6.World War Z by Max Brooks
Think Zombies. It's about what would happen if zombie-ism was wide spread all over the world. It does really well with making it a political problem. The way he lays it out is surprisingly realistic for a zombie book. Comes in the form of short stories about the same happening. Recommended.
7.The House of the Scorpion by Farmer
An introductory to dystopian thinking for children. I read this when I was about 12 and I got it easily. So if your honing the paranoia and critical thinking of someone younger....
8.Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
I'm sure you've all heard of this one. Ender, our protagonist, is taken as a boy to a 'space camp' that's really in space. It's where they train kids for a military that fights aliens etc. Great for you space-y peeps.
9.Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Just finished this one about three hours ago. Out of these nine it's a favorite.
From the back cover: "Guy Montag was a fireman whose job it was to start fires. And he enjoyed his job. He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs or hte joy of watching pages consumed by flames, never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past when people were not afriad. Then guy met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think. And Guy montag suddenly realized what he had to do...."
So, go forth and dystopia-ize.
Just finished Farenheit 451 and it is awesome. One of the best dystopians I've ever read, but then that's not saying too much. I've not read terribly many. Off the top of my head:
1.1984 by George Orwell
From the man who brought you Animal Farm. This is a great book that everyone needs to read. You hear it alluded to a lot in media etc. It's a bitch to read though. Some parts are just boring. BUT I did like it by the time I got to the end. I'm just not going to reread it anytime soon.
2.Brave New World by A. Huxley
Bumbumbum!! The future as it would be genetically altered. With cloning technology and whatnot on the rise it's another one that everyone should read. Plus, it's a better and smoother read than Orwell's ^. What's more important? Happiness or humanity?
3.Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
So worth it. Excellent read.
4.The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Anotherone by Atwood that is also worth it. What would happen if we were to return to our 'foundation' beliefs? Tis about what would happen in a world that returns to it's Christian roots only way too literally. Remember: Some of the Bible needs to be interpretated metaphorically.
5.Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Posted a review on it a while back. It's good. Go read the review. ( If you like the sci-fi scene then you should go check out his book Overclocked.
6.World War Z by Max Brooks
Think Zombies. It's about what would happen if zombie-ism was wide spread all over the world. It does really well with making it a political problem. The way he lays it out is surprisingly realistic for a zombie book. Comes in the form of short stories about the same happening. Recommended.
7.The House of the Scorpion by Farmer
An introductory to dystopian thinking for children. I read this when I was about 12 and I got it easily. So if your honing the paranoia and critical thinking of someone younger....
8.Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
I'm sure you've all heard of this one. Ender, our protagonist, is taken as a boy to a 'space camp' that's really in space. It's where they train kids for a military that fights aliens etc. Great for you space-y peeps.
9.Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Just finished this one about three hours ago. Out of these nine it's a favorite.
From the back cover: "Guy Montag was a fireman whose job it was to start fires. And he enjoyed his job. He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs or hte joy of watching pages consumed by flames, never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past when people were not afriad. Then guy met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think. And Guy montag suddenly realized what he had to do...."
So, go forth and dystopia-ize.
