Its a day away from Halloween and unfortunately my pumpkin carving contest only got one response, but thats okay!!! THANKS JON FOR PARTICIPATING i <3 YOU LONG TIME!!
So heres Jons awesome pumpkins!!!
WHOO HOO!! Thanks Jon!!!! Your pumpkins look awesome and Im just assuming nobody else is turning in their pumpkin carvings so I will declare you winner of my contest!
:)
SO I know Ive been missing for a couple weeks....Sorrry. I have a lot going on right now. With the beginning of the holidays at work (and crazy drama which I cant speak of yet because Im paranoid) but drama at work and lots of school work. Ive read 3 books in one week, yupp.
Anyhow, Im very excited for halloween. My costume is a little lame because I didnt want to spend 50 bucks on a costume and now Im thinking I just should have, since the stuff I bought probably collectively cost just as much. But I am going to be an Avatar :) Yupp. Pretty awesome. Although, I will be working all night so no trick or treating for me (although I really have never gone "officially" before anyways). Well Ill post a halloween post, but for now that is all!!!
Happy Halloween Folks.
Sara Gruen is the author of Water for Elephants (which is sitting patiently on my shelf to be read). This book (Water for Elephants) is being made into a movie starring Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon. This new book Ape House has become my next targeted book for reading. As you all know I am currently in an Anthropology course and this book is exactly what I need right now. I don't know all the details of Ape House, but to put lightly..there's lots of ape and human interaction. Has anyone ever seen videos of Koko?? I recently watched a whole documentary about Koko and since then have wished that I, myself could find an ape to communicate with. They fascinate me. Heres a good video of Koko talking with Penny, her trainer.
Currently Reading:
Melal
I'm not very far into this book. It was assigned by my English teacher who also happens to be the author of this book. -.- You can imagine what classes are like. Barclay's writing style is a bit too descriptive for my taste, it makes the book a bit boring. He also switches characters every other chapter, which I would discourage (unless you have 2 solid characters, not 5!) Right now the chapters switch between..oh...I think four or five different characters and stories. Its a little overkill and I find it funny actually, since on my short story I was told (by him) my own switch of POV was distracting. -.- Anyhowwww....the book is set in the Marshallese Islands. The Marshallese Islands have actually been a victim of the U.S. We have done countless atomic bombing tests in the ocean RIGHT next to those islands and even on some of them. This has introduced heavy radiation to these people and the worst part of it, is that this was intentionally done. We intentionally gave people radiation poisoning, just so we could study the effects. The have taken away a good amount of their islands and stuck 15,000 Marshallese people on one island that is only a mile wide and about two rock throws long. So in the historical sense, this book sounds like it might be interesting (and I hope to god that this book picks up!) but as of right now its slow moving....
Book Recommendations:
Angelica
This is actually a book series. There are I believe 5 in all? Believe me these books are worth your time! These books have a lot of culture in them. You have four different races and culture of people living in one world. In this world the Angel race is seen as the peacekeepers. They are called upon if help is needed etc. They also keep the world in tact. Every year there is a mandatory singing festival held at the center of the world. Every race is required to be present and at this festival the Angels offer up their beautiful singing voices to the gods.
This book series is so unique. I read these books back to back and I have to say by the end of it I just wanted to live in this world. In fact, I still want to live in this world. So if you get a second, check out these books!!!!!
WARNING: IF YOU WANT TO READ THIS SERIES, DONT FOLLOW THE ACTUAL ORDER.
I read the series as following and I would suggest you do the same. The first book they tell you to read should really be the last (because personally the last book shattered my world) I read as following: Angelica Archangel Angel Seeker Jovahs Angel Alleluia Files
Its totally up to you of course. :) Happy Reading.
SO I DID IT!!! I CARVED MY FIRST PUMPKIN, ALLLLL BY MYSELF!!!
I was at the store just picking up some necessities: cheese sticks, diet pepsi, cake and chips. :) when BAM huge pumpkins on the floor in front of me. I almost literally jumped up and down when I saw them just hanging out under the fridges in Safeway. I was so excited, because I had just been thinking to myself a few minutes ago (as I was fondling the miniature pumpkins) where I was going to buy my big pumpkin for my pumpkin carving. I was thinking that I am such a bad procrastinator that if I have to go very far to get a big one, I may not actually do it :( BUT NEVER FEAR, I BOUGHT MY PUMPKIN AND CARVED IT TOO!
So enjoy, I didn't take any pictures of myself with it yet, because I looked pretty gnarly tonight.
Just finishing cleaning out the insides!
Done cleaning, time to start drawing my design!!
Cant see it super well, but there is an outline of dots on there.
Hoooooraay!!!!
Today is Time Travel day, but before I continue with my content I cant help but express my emotions for this video above. Today the Chile miner are being rescued!! I dont know why it is so emotional for me, but I really cried watching this video. The psychological distress of being stuck underground for so long terrifies me and I didn't even have to live through it. So watch it or don't, just know that 31 more miners are on their way out of a living hell, so rejoice for them!!!
The History:
ZOMBIES!!
Did you know Zombies are real?
Well you better believe it, because they are!
(If you want to read the full article go ahead and check it out here, otherwise Ill do a quick summary for you. )
It all started in Haiti. (In the 1980s) People would die and get buried by there loved ones. But in Haiti the dead weren't staying underground. Sightings of the families loved ones reappearing to them years later started to trickle around towns and villages. These people who had "risen from the dead" were called Zombies.
This of course is impossible. The real explanation behind these Haitian zombies is pretty fascinating.
These people who were supposedly dead had actually been poisoned by workers of the government. The people poisoned all had one thing in common, they were criminals. The poison used is actually called tetrodotoxtin which comes from fugu (puffer fish). Some of you might be familiar with fugu which is a delicacy in Japan. This tetrodotoxin was used in a special paste that was spread over the victims skin. The poison then induced its victim into a paralyzed state where they were conscious, but appeared to be dead. Family members (not knowing that they had been poisoned) declared their loved ones dead and buried them, just like the government wanted. The people were then dug back up during the night time (by the government) and taken to Zombie camps where they made the criminals become slaves of the government. Zombies escaped the sites now and then, revisiting their family and telling them about what happened. Soon word spread through the Haitians of what happened to those that stole, killed and rebelled. And guess what, Haiti's crime rates were extremely low and their country was cohesive and wealthy.
My Thoughts: As of right now...I have some extremely deep thoughts about this subject matter. I had it all typed out and ready to post when my boyfriend yelled at me to not post it...because he actually thinks I'm on to something and posting it would mean losing all my rights to this hypothesis. This is all so cryptic I am so sorry, but right now my mind is reeling with thoughts! I think I just stumbled on something that could be crazy if this hypothesis is plausible. ......I know, you dont understand anything I just said. So lets end this right now so I can go research my hypothesis and return to you with more complete thoughts!!
Okay...so Im sorry for not posting for the past weekish.
This Tuesday I had to put down one of my rats, Gypsy. I was really close to Gypsy and her sickness came on really suddenly. She got a brain tumor and I had to put her down. :( I am quite sad, I have to admit. I only have one rat now (I use to have 3) so its harder now, we really have to watch this last rat and keep her company all day. I feel so bad for her.
Ugh gawd. Looking at her picture makes me so sad. :(
I had dreams about her the other night, that she was in the cage with Pixel still.. okay anyhow. So in honor of Gypsy my blog lives on and I continue to use her name as my own, because I love my little runt.
My thoughts: Amazing movie, truly. If you haven't gone to see this movie you need to! Definitely, the top movie of the year right now and I'm not the only one with that opinion. Even for folks who don't even go on face book, this movie delivers. (Just ask my boyfriend who is 100% anti-facebook)
Interesting Facts about The Social Network:
The Social Network was made without aquiring rights from Mark Zuckerberg or Facebook! Instead this movie is an interpretation based off of the book The Accidental Billionaires, by Ben Mezrich, which was very biased in its recounting of the story.
In a recent onstage interview, he (Mark Zuckerberg) said, “Honestly, I wish that when people try to do journalism or write stuff about Facebook that they at least try to get it right.” He later added, “The movie is fiction.”
In conclusion...while watching this movie please remember that a lot of this is fiction and the way they portray all these characters may not be entirely true. But if you want to learn the real side of things google, google...and then google some more. (Thats what I did immediately after the movie)However! Even though facebook is really upset by the making of this movie, It is still an amazing movie! And honestly, I don't think it was as bad as they make it out to be. I don't want to spoil the movie, so I'm trying to be candid, I hope this all makes sense.
Released Tomorrow - October 8th!!:
Nowhere Boy
Synopsis: Imagine... John Lennon's childhood. Liverpool 1955: a smart and troubled fifteen year-old is hungry for experience. In a family full of secrets, two incredible women clash over John: Mimi, the buttoned-up Aunt who raised him, and Julia, the prodigal mother. Yearning for a normal family, John escapes into the new and exciting world of rock n' roll where his fledgling genius finds a kindred spirit in the teenage Paul McCartney. Just as John begins his new life, tragedy strikes. But a resilient young man finds his voice - and an icon explodes into the world. ( Synopsis Quoted From) Set in Liverpool in 1955, "Nowhere Boy" follows a 15-year-old John Lennon as he goes through the life experiences that will give birth to "Nowhere... I am a huge Beatles fan!!! I cant wait for this movie, I just hope it does well, it hasn't been very well publicized and that does worry me.
So pass the word along! I have no idea how many people will ACTUALLY carve pumpkins, but I'm really hoping for a couple.
I decided today that I want to make this years holiday season very festive for myself. I was originally going to just jump right into Christmas (yes, I admit I might have played a couple Christmas songs today) but Jons blog totally inspired me to start with the first and most festive of the holidays, Halloween.
My first Halloween goal is to carve a pumpkin!
Believe it or not I have never actually taken part in this festivity before. :( Sad, I know.
So follow along on my holiday journey this year! Ill be posting of a to-do list ,in my side bar ,to take part in for each holiday. (And dont worry Ill post pictures of my journey as well! )
Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth and World Without End are modern classics. Follett returns with Fall of Giants, the first in a new trilogy that will follow five families through the major events of the twentieth century. Fall of Giants takes place around World War I, but also touches on the Russian Revolution, coal mining and women's suffrage.
My Take:
This book is definitely going on my book list! I loved Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, so if you haven't read those yet you must go read them right now! I will do a highlight on those books soon, I'm sure.
(warning: This book only got 2 stars on Amazon so far... yikes!)
Book of the Week:
The Hunger GamesOkay, so not exactly ONE book of the week, but since the series is complete Im going to go ahead and hit all three at once.
Lets start by saying this series was riveting! These books are page turners and I was finished with each in a day, which is the downside (the size of these books is on the smaller side). Nevertheless, the storyline is solid. This series is about a girl who is placed in a futuristic setting where the government controls everything (there is a lot more to it than that, go read the book!) and one of the events they do in the new world is send a bunch of teenage kids into an arena to kill each other. I'm not going to say anything more then that, you have to go read these books ASAP, if you haven't already.
Im almost done with Unwind, it’s an easy read, definitely. The storyline is interesting, but Its definitely doesn’t make it on my favorite book list. This story, like Hunger Games, is also set in the future (I believe this is even a series) and in this future, abortion has been made illegal. However, instead of abortion you can *unwind* your children at the ages of 13-18. Unwinding means basically kill your children. The parents, unhappy with their child for some reason can choose to sign their child over between these ages and have them unwound. That’s the set up of the story, quite interesting. I’m not sure if it’s the writing style or just the way Shusterman words things, I’m just not as excited about this story as I was with The Hunger Games.
Okay well that’s what I think! Now let me know what you think.
Two Questions of the Day:
*Have you read any of these books mentioned and what do you think about them*
*Do you think you'll end up reading any of these books(if you haven’t already) *
