50 Book Challenge (#5)

I'm half way there! :)

Read/Listened to:

Born Red by Gao Yuan (*****)

Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (audio book) (****)

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (****)

Rosaura a las diez by Marco Denevi (in my Spanish Lit class - very good book) (****)

Paper Towns by John Green (actually went out and bought it after I read it) (**** 1/2)

The Gospel According to Peanuts by Robert L. Short (***1/2)

The Art of War by Sun Tzu (ebook) (***)

Looking For Alaska by John Green (****)

The Associate by John Grisham (***)

Talk Thai: The Adventures of Buddhist Boy by Ira Sukrungruang (***)

Freakin' Fabulous: How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally be better than everyone else by Clinton Kelly (I felt terribly unfabulous after reading this) (***)

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton (*** 1/2)

Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes (*** 1/2) (I saw the Disney movie about a week ago so I already knew what was going to happen)

Airframe by Michael Crichton (****)

Next by Michael Crichton (****)

The Girl Who Played Go by Shan Sa (*****) 
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne (*****)
Elixir by Hilary Duff (***)
Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (****)
The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames and Dean Haspiel  (graphic novel) (***)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (****)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (****)
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley (****)
The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs (***1/2)
Nobody Move by Denis Johnson (**)

Reading:

Dreams from My Father - A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
Canada's Prime Ministers - Macdonald to Trudeau under the direction of Ramsay Cook and Réal Bélanger

To Read (in no particular order):

The Great Gatsby  by Francis Scott Fitzgerald (ebook)

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
The Confession by John Grisham 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

25/50

As of August 31st 2011

ratings out of 5 stars (*****)

New Doctor Who and Torchwood: Miracle Day

I was completely unaware that series 6.5 of Doctor Who was starting today until I saw an ad this morning on YouTube and THANK GOD I DID!!!!! I don't know why they stopped showing it earlier in the year but I'm glad it was only a few months and not a year or something. This new one is a very good episode and next weeks looks completely scary - like I'm going to have to watch it in the daylight. :O

Anyways, my goodness am I confused. I don't really want to spoil it for any one who hasn't seen it yet but I do have some questions, so nevertheless, here is the spoiler alert.

!!!!!!SPOILER (-ish) ALERT!!!!!!!

Can someone please explain the whole River Song is Amy's daughter grew up with her and was named after herself? I mean I think I get it but some other point of views would be nice. And I am curious about River and the Doctor's crossing path. Is the eye patch lady with the Silence because she isn't nearly as frightening as the alien creature who erases your memory? And was Hitler even relevant to the story because last time I checked he was still in the closet...

Torchwood Time!

I love me some Captain Jack

I don't like Rex. I don't know if anyone has been watching the new season but Rex is a jerk, in the most toned down terms. I haven't really cared much for this season because I find it too American and not British/Welsh enough for me. The concept of nobody dying and Captain Jack becoming mortal is a fantastic storyline, but the plot and script aren't really the best. There was so much potential but just never got there. 

Some of my biggest quams with this current series are:

• the blatant use of the Torchwood name: last time I checked, this was supposed to be a "secret" organization. But no, not this time. And it's really quite frustrating.
• Rex: his character is an asshole, if you pardon my language, but the previously used term of jerk wasn't quite strong enough. There is no need for him to be so mean because he is on the good side, if you will, and is "member" of Torchwood. Torchwood aren't assholes - or at least they have some heartfelt back story and a sense of sympathy.
• the other girl whose name escapes me at the moment. Oh I remember - Esther! Yeah, she's lame. And can't keep her freaking mouth shut!!!! Sorry. I just get very wound up about shows. Unwilling emotional investment and such.
• CIA involvement: AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! AMERICANS!!!!! NO MORE AMERICANS!!!!!!
• Not enough aliens: I know, I know - doesn't really fit into the concept but I could do with bizarre faces and creepy supernatural-like stuff

I hope that if they do continue the series, they hitchhike it back to Cardiff and bring me some accents.

P.S. I just did number 7 on my eyes again from my realizations list. It hurts :`(

Fave Posts: Crafting Brilliance

Over the years I have perused many crafting sites looking for tutorials and inspirations for my fleeting brushes with the artistic world. And after some searching and wandering around the web, soaking in people's creativity, I've come up with some of my favourite posts on crafting blogs and sites in recent years. These have either served as inspiration for some fanciful idea or provided the template for some random thing I have or want to create. Enjoy :)

Source

1) Twister Rain Coat - Craftster.org: When I saw this post on the site , I was amazed. I never would have thought to create a coat using a Twister Mat. I really want to try this now. P.S. Craftster.org is perhaps one of my favourite crafting sites. It is well organized, has a large database and you can find almost anything there, if you know how to look.

Source

2) Fish to Sushi Plushie - Cut Out and Keep: I saw this, tried it, and it came out awesome!!! You can see my version here. This site is good to post and find all sorts of tutorials as well as your own versions of things you have tried.

Source

3) Melted Crayon Art - found on Craftgawker.org: I only found this piece of art today on the blog Unsimple Living through the fantastically awesome site, Craftgawker. The site is constantly updated with the most popular or most recent crafts and tutorials from all around the web compiled into easy browse through and beautifully designed website. I have a strong desire to do this crayon project as well.

Source

4) Teesha Moore Fabric Journals - YouTube: This isn't a blog/forum post so much as a video I saw on YouTube. I was led there by a forgotten post but I was glad I did. These fantastic journals, created by crafter Teesha Moore are very easy to do and can be made with a wide range of materials. I've seen people turn them into bags and pillows and various other creative creations. I made a journal for my friend based on this video (pictures here).

Source

5) Party Animal Necklace - Flamingo Toes: Aren't these awesome!! They are so cool and unique. One thing I love about Flamingo Toes are all the Anthropology jewelry knock off tutorials as well the Crush of the Week posts - a list complied of crafting inspirations and how-tos from various places.

Source

6) DIY Wrap Bracelet - Honestly WTF: This not only inspired me, but countless other crafters on the web. I keep seeing these bracelets as well as variations everywhere. I've tried it myself and they have come out pretty well. The site is not crafting so much as fashion ideas and lemmings.

Source

7) DIY Links - Chic Steals: I couldn't decided on one I really liked specifically so I decided to pick my favourite overall thing. Every so often, Carly, who started and runs the site, posts some links to new inspirations, DIYs and ideas. I really like the site because of the variety of topics (relating to fashion and DIY) and hearing stories about Carly's travels to Japan.

Hope y'all get creative! :)

Note: I claim no rights to the photos. They are taken from the sites where I found them. The sources are linked in the photo's caption.

The Loss of a Great Leader: Jack Layton ♥

At 4:45 am on Monday August 22nd, 2011, New Democrat Party Leader and amazing politician Jack Layton, passed away from his battle with cancer. He was 61 years old.

Mr. Layton was a well-respected man who was admired by many for his dedication to his party, his ideals and the improvement of Canadian society. Always seen with a smile on his face and a positive spirit, he was a leader for many and an example to all. His easy going, energetic nature was well known as was his commitment to making Canada the very best it could be.

Before he was a member of federal politics, he was a city councilor in Toronto where he became well known for his social advocacy and forward thinking ideas. He tackled topics like homelessness, food banks, smoking, cycling, and AIDS in a time when many subjects were still taboo. Alongside his wife, NDP member Olivia Chow, he worked hard to make sure community and social justice issues were always addressed. He carried this same passion with him as he rose in politics to become the leader of the official opposition party, the highest the NDP has ever been.

Weeks ago it was announced that Mr. Layton's cancer had returned, afters years of being cancer free. An interim leader for the party was announced and a statement was released saying Layton would not be returning when caucus resumed in the fall. But to be honest, I thought he would beat the cancer. The idea that he would not make it through never crossed my mind once so his death came as quite a shock.

I've been watching the news and the public response is very touching. Many reporters have met him over the years and a similar theme has come across as they tell their stories: his honesty and friendliness. People have been gathering at Parliament Hill placing flowers and notes of gratitude and sadness on the centennial flame. People all over the country, no matter their political background, are in mourning for the loss of a great man.

Before he passed, he wrote a letter to the public. It can be found here. This is an exert of the last few paragraphs:

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,

Jack Layton

My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, children, family and friends and may Jack Layton rest in peace. ♥

A Music Video with a Trailer?

It's one thing to promote an upcoming video. It's another to create a whole trailer about it. Even with a collaboration as epic as the Muppets and OK-GO, it's not really necessary. Now it just raised my expectations to a whole new level.

OK-GO has a really high standard for videos and they have created some of the most memorable videos out there (the theadmill dancing or weird multi-coloured stop motion park thing just to jog your memory). And the Muppets are, well, the Muppets. For ever engrained in pop culture for the last, what, 40 years or so? I'm very curious about the music as well, because I can only sing about 1 and a half OK-GO songs and the Muppets are exactly the most talented musicians out there, as cute as they are.

But this trailer has me expecting the most epic thing thing possible. Like going to space! - Oh wait, the Muppets did that already. There was a whole movie... Well they will just have to try super duper extra hard to impress me now.

Here's the trailer, in case you're curious:

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Other Awesome Children's Books

The other day I was at a family friend's house, eating breakfast when I saw Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days sitting on the table. I had never read any of the series but I've heard a lot about it as well as the movies because I watch waaaayyyyy too much Family Channel (Canada's Disney Channel with some good ol' canuck content mixed in there for good measure). I picked up the book as I was munching on some chicken and spent the next hour/hour and a half reading this hilariously funny and entertaining piece of literature. Many parts had me laughing out loud, to which my brother commented that I was enjoying the book more than I should be.

Reading that book got me thinking about what books I used to like when I was younger and in elementary school. So in my usual tradition, I thought I'd compile a list (surprise!).

Series/Groups

Junie B. Jones: This was one of my favourite novel series when I was in kindergarten - grade 2. Even now, the misspelling and strange situations that Ms. Junie B. Jones gets herself into amuse me. Despite all her quirks, I always liked her originality, bizarre way of doing things and awful spelling.

The Magic Tree House: Both me and my brother were avid readers of these novels, following each magical adventure and the main characters Jack and Annie. I always thought that Annie was kind of stupid because she never listened to logical, older, and a bit uptight Jack, but she had a big heart. And the spinoff novels and books? Read those too. I loved the series so much that in the 3rd grade, I stole one of the books from the library! Yeah. I was that cool :P

You Are Special & If Only I Had A Nose: These illustrated children's books, written by Max Lucado, are great. In my six grade class, we read both of them and had discussions about looks, acceptance, all that good stuff. Lucado is a christian writer and his other illustrated books are just as awesome, but in grade six, we had no clue about the religious background and I never figured it out for years. I own about six of his books and I  highly recommend them. They are beautifully illustrated and written.

Arthur/Franklin Books: I read most of the picture books and the Arthur novels. It was a great combination: the books stimulated my reading, while at the same time, I was a fan of the shows, developing my love for television at an early age. :)

Robert Munch + Dr. Seuss = ♥: How can I pick just one of any of these great author's books? They are always entertaining and visually engaging. Some of my favourite Munch books are, Love You Forever, Ribbon Rescue, Purple, Green and Yellow, and Pigs and Promise is a Promise. The website just made me want to head out to my library and borrow the whole kids section. My favourite Dr. Seuss books were Fox in Sox, Green Eggs and Ham, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in the Hat. 


Individual Books

 Perhaps the most sarcastic and odd children's fairy tale books out there. But perhaps the most fantastic.

By the same people as The Stinky Cheese Man and just as funny. The best version of the story I have yet to hear. 

One of my first grade loves. I mean who doesn't love sharks that want to eat their teachers?

Lovely. Just lovely.

Saddest book ever. Stuffed animals hold a very dear place in my heart.

I'm not sure what to say about this book, except I really liked it as a kid and never read any of the other Piggle-Wiggle books.

My black history lesson - great book.

What were some of your favourite children's books/series?

Nostalgia

Nostalgia

In my room
there lies a nostalgic wall.
Memories upon memories
side by side - - 
postcards. Generic postcards.
Yet within each piece of dead tree and ink
there is a story
of a journey,
of a destination,
and of a voyage home.
Each rectangle and square
depicts a monument or event
tells an alternate tale
of adventure and discovery.
Everyday
the past is relived
and feelings unearthed
by this nostalgic wall - - 
forever remembering,
so that I do not forget.

The Yard (TV)

There is this HBO Canada show that I heard about around a month ago called The Yard. 

From the website: The six-part half-hour miniseries starring kids but aimed at adults takes a new approach to the mafia mentality by bringing the mean streets to the schoolyard with the kids running the show. Mourners of the late, great Sopranos will meet a new kind of mob as two rival schoolyard gangs struggle for supremacy. Their world is also being captured by an unseen Documentarian, voiced by Paul Gross (one of the miniseries’ executive producers), providing both “behind-the-scenes” footage and interviews with the kids intercut with the main drama. 

So far, I've watched the first five episodes and I must say, this is an awesome show!! It is funny, insightful and reminds me a lot of my days in elementary school. The cleverness of the writing and plot is great, as is the filming. I sat and watched the first five episodes in one day and need to watch the last one now. Sadly, if got taken off YouTube (for copyright reasons, naturally) so I'll have to watch it on TV before I lose my HBO Canada. If your sensitive to children swearing then it's not for you/go back to school and listen to how children speak. But besides that, I highly recommend it!

The trailer:

The Yard - Smuggling:

On another note, sorry about no posts for a while. I had a bit of a blogger's block and I was busy and without my laptop for the last few days. Hope your summer is going well :)