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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17721747089209404602016-08-27T09:52:45.258-06:00STL MomBlogging about Books (and, Occasionally, Other Stuff)STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-72164665047682527842010-04-29T16:29:00.003-06:002010-04-29T18:14:47.226-06:00The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksWhen "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" was released, the author Rebecca Skloot was interviewed on every NPR program except Car Talk. The book sounded fairly interesting, and I put it on my mental list of books to look for at the library. The next week, I noticed that the book was on the bestseller list. This surprised me, because I didn't think even NPR had that many listeners interested in cell biology. THEN I saw the book at Costco, nestled in between the Jodi Picault weepers and the cookbooks. If a book about cell biology was a best seller AND was sold at the store where I buy 36 rolls of toilet paper, it had to be a heck of a book.

It is a heck of a book. It's a book about Henrietta Lacks, a young black woman who died of cervical cancer in 1951. It's about her cells, which have been grown in laboratories all over the world and used in scientific research for decades. It's about the ethics and legality of using human cells, sometimes obtained without knowledge or consent. It's about the contrast between poor, uneducated patients and the doctors and scientists who work with them. It's about Henrietta's children, and how their mother's early death affected them, and how they have dealt with her cellular immortality. And it's about how Ms. Skloot became fascinated with this subject and spent years getting to know the Lacks family so she could write the full story.

I really enjoyed this book. Despite the serious subject matter, it was an entertaining book to read by the pool in Florida. Part of the book profits will go to a scholarship fund for the Lacks family, so I'm even glad that I tossed a copy in my Costco cart instead of getting it from the library. A year or two from now, when I've finally used the last of those 36 rolls of TP, I'll still remember this book.STL Momhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-11855744922630595202009-07-01T17:34:00.002-06:002009-07-01T18:55:25.008-06:00Another Great Stunt Memoir -- And One I ForgotI read "The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University" by Kevin Roose in one day. I opened my Amazon box in the afternoon, read it while cooking dinner (sorry if it tasted weird, kids), read it while eating dinner (I'll hear about your day some other day, kids), and finished it up while brushing my teeth. I did take a break to put the kids to bed, or they would also have been up until 10:30 and that would not be good. Honestly, that's a little late for me now that I'm almost middle-aged. But it was worth it.
Kevin Roose was a student at Brown University when he decided to take a semester off and study a different culture. Instead of heading for Europe and studying abroad, he found a place much more foreign -- Liberty University, the conservative Baptist college founded by Reverend Jerry Falwell. After learning a few worship songs and watching Veggietales videos, and slapping a Jesus fish on the back of his car, Roose goes undercover as a transfer student at Liberty.
Roose finds his experience confusing and fascinating. The rules are strict, the tests are difficult, and some of the classes (like the one about Creation science) are just weird. The students are both very different from his classmates at Brown (lots of praying together) and very similar (lots of talking about girls).
If you are not an Evangelical Christian, this book give you a very interesting peek at that world. If you are an Evangelical Christian, I think you might still like this book. As a liberal Quaker, Roose is horrified by the casual homosexual slurs and the biblical literalism, but he also recognizes many positive aspects of the Liberty experience, and appreciates the friendships he develops there. There is a lot of humor in the book (for instance, his mission trip to Daytona Beach during spring break) but also a lot of respect. Roose successfully walks the fine line of finding the ridiculous aspects of his experience without mocking it. I liked this book a lot.

I was recently reminded of another fun stunt memoir that I forgot to blog about -- "Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as a Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany" by Bill Buford. Buford is an editor at the New Yorker who gets so into an article he is writing about Mario Batali that he quits his writing job and starts working in Mario's restaurant kitchen. This then leads him to other food-related adventures, and many funny, crazy learning experiences/nightmares. The book is full of crazy characters and it will either make you want to quit your job and be a chef or thank the lord that you are not sweating your life away in a restaurant kitchen. It's a very funny, interesting book.STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-1681899254452421592009-06-13T14:17:00.003-06:002009-06-13T15:08:26.852-06:00When Skateboards Will Be FreeI used to think my parents were weird and embarrassing, but they've got nothing on Said Sayrafiezadeh's parents.
In "When Skateboards Will Be Free", Said describes growing up as the child of ardent members of the Socialist Workers Party. What happens to a boy who spends his childhood sitting under tables stacked with "The Militant" while his mother tries to tell passers-by about the coming worker's revolution? Whose father moves back to Iran to run for president as the socialist candidate? Of course, Said grows up to work for Martha Stewart.
In between one extreme environment and the other is a very enjoyable, well-written story.STL Momhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-66318232476430869492009-06-01T08:39:00.002-06:002009-06-01T09:29:59.124-06:00The Know-It-AllI love "stunt" memoirs, books about a person trying something weird or crazy and then writing a book about how it went. Many readers love biographies which describe in detail the fascinating lives of great leaders or famous personalities. Unfortunately I usually give up at about page 150, before the person even starts doing great and worthy things. No matter how well written the biography, I just can't seem to stick with it.
However, if someone decides to go a year without shopping (Not Buying It, by Judith Levine) or cooks her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a tiny New York apartment kitchen (Julie and Julia, by Julie Powell) and then writes about it, I'm happy to read it. I don't know what I find so fascinating about these books, but I love them.
A.J. Jacobs has been kind enough to write two of these books for my reading pleasure. His first is the one that I read most recently, "The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World", about Mr. Jacob's experiences reading the entire Encyclopædia Britannica. The book is written as a series of alphabetical entries in which he shares the weird and wonderful things he is learning, but also describes his family, his marriage, and his mostly unsuccessful attempts to impress his brilliant brother-in-law with his new-found knowledge. The book is very funny, very interesting, and a great read.
Mr. Jacobs went on to write another great stunt memoir, "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible". This book is even funnier, as might be expected. But while he plays the weirdness of many things in the bible for laughs, he is respectful towards the many religious people he meets during his quest. He also openly acknowledges how annnoying all of this is to his wife. I can only hope that he's made enough money off this book to make it up to her.
If I had to rank some of the stunt memoirs I have enjoyed, it would probably go like this:
1. The Year of Living Biblically
2. The Know-It-All
3. Not Buying It
4. Eat, Pray Love
5. Julie and JuliaSTL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-13063369675856296502009-02-18T14:46:00.004-06:002009-04-17T10:39:44.055-06:00The No. 1 Ladies' Detective AgencyI've been slowly reading the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" books by Alexander McCall Smith. I'm reading them slowly because I like them, and I find that if I read a series too quickly, I tend not to enjoy the later books as much. I think I've read five books in the series over the last couple of years, and there are a few more to go.

Usually the more I love a book, the more I hate the movie. However, HBO has made a TV series based on these books, and it's wonderful. I knew Jill Scott was a great singer, but I hadn't realized that she could also act. She seems perfectly cast as the lead character, Precious Ramotswe. When I first saw Anika Noni Rose onscreen, the actress who plays the detective agency's secretary, I thought it was terrible casting. The character, Grace Makutsi, is plain and awkward, while the actress is beautiful. I've always hated the idea that if a beautiful woman wears glasses, she looks plain. But Ms. Rose is so funny and plays her part so well, that within a few minutes I couldn't imagine her as anyone but Grace Makutsi. My mom compared her to Lucille Ball, and it's not a bad comparison.

The TV series is filmed on location in Botswana, and the setting adds a lot to the stories. You can see for yourself the beauty that Precious Ramotswe is always describing in the books. The series also does a good job with the tone of the stories, which varies from comical to serious to eerily supernatural. Precious Ramotswe's cases deal with everything from cheating husbands to insurance fraud to witch doctors, and she approaches them all with determination, compassion, and a thirst for justice.

I highly recommend both the books and the series. If you don't get HBO, I'm sure it will be released on DVD in a few months.STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-53075661999244554982009-02-08T08:40:00.006-06:002009-02-08T14:35:43.799-06:00Should I Feel Old?Having children makes you feel old. My children insist on calling my childhood years "the old days" even though I am quite sure that the old days were when MY parents were growing up. Which is weird, because I remember my parents saying the same thing about their parents.

However, lately I have been feeling very young, because people keep sending me emails that ask me if I am old. Since these emails refer to things like party lines, milk delivery, and green stamps, I must not be old. The strange thing is that these emails come from friends who are just a few years older than me, but the quizzes sound like they are intended for people who grew up in the 1940's and 1950's. My friends must be almost as confused as my children, who think that the natural follow-up to finding out that there were no cell phones when I was a child is the question, "Did you have electricity?" That's right kids, we didn't have cell phones because we couldn't charge them.

Here's some memories of my old-fashioned childhood in the 1970's:

The first car I remember is not a Studebaker, but our Ford Pinto. My brother used to scare me by telling me it would blow up if anybody hit us from behind. At the time, I thought he was making this up to tease me.

My kids would probably be confused by the cranks on the inside of the car doors. We turned these cranks to open and close the car windows. You had to walk right up to your car and put the key in the keyhole, then pull a handle, to open the doors. The only thing that beeped was the horn.

We had only one phone in our house, but not on a party line. And my dad put a long, curly cord on it so you could walk about 4 feet away from the wall while you were talking. That's what we considered a portable phone.

My mom didn't use an RC Cola bottle with holes in the lid to sprinkle water on her ironing. My mom didn't iron at all if she could help it. She bought my dad permanent press shirts that went in the dryer. All the rest of the laundry was hung on the clothes line to dry. This wasn't because we were "green", it was because with no air conditioning, our dryer would heat up half the house if you turned it on in the summer.

Birthday parties were pretty simple when I was a kid. You played "Red Light, Green Light" or "Red Rover" and you stood on a stepstool and tried to drop clothespins into a jar. Once, a new family moved to town, and the birthday girl's mom gave us goodie bags. I was confused, because I wasn't sure why I was getting a gift on someone else's birthday.

My kids are living in a world that is pretty different than the one I grew up in. On the other hand, some things haven't changed so much. My kids love to go to the movies, read stories, ride their bikes, and play on a playground. The best part of a birthday party is still the cake. My kids get bored on an airplane, but think sledding is thrilling.

It's fun to think about how my kids will describe their childhood to the next generation. "You won't believe this, but we couldn't upload information into our cyberbrains. We had to turn on the computer and actually read the screen to learn things! It took minutes!"STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-88463074812154310122008-12-25T07:24:00.002-06:002008-12-25T07:30:23.123-06:00Wake Up, Sleepyheads!Why am I sitting alone by the Christmas tree?
I've moved the kids' bedtimes back since school break began, and let the kids sleep a little later each day. I didn't want the kids to wake up too early on Christmas morning and have half the gifts unwrapped by the time I came downstairs. I gave them a little lecture last night, "If you wake up before Mom and Dad, you can open your stocking gifts and nothing else!"
But it's 7:30 a.m. and the kids are still fast asleep, and I'm getting tired of waiting for them. Santa left you some stuff, guys, come and get it! Or maybe I'll just eat the chocolates and play with the little RC cars - not that I would know what's in their stockings....STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-52113131911296743872008-12-02T10:12:00.002-06:002008-12-02T10:23:52.687-06:00We Are the Grizwolds - Our Own National Lampoon Thanksgiving VacationI almost cancelled our Thanksgiving vacation, because we were all sick. But I thought, "What if we wake up tomorrow and feel better, and we've disappointed my family for no good reason?"
Now I'm thinking I should have listened to my first instincts. The kids got over their colds, but both suffered from upset stomachs over the weekend, and our daughter threw up. Our dog peed and pooped in my mom's house several times (in one of the few carpeted rooms, of course) and my husband and I were sniffling, sneezing, sucking on cough drops, and trying not to touch anyone. Even though he was already sick, my husband's allergies were made worse by my parents' cats. Every night was a Nyquil night, and it was still hard to sleep.
And then, on our way home, I drove our van into a ditch, rolled it, and totalled it. Our big holiday purchase ended up being a new car, and I'm sure only a small part of that will be covered by insurance.
On the positive side, no one was hurt in the car crash. And because I crashed only 30 miles from my parents' house, they got to pick us up and spend an extra day with their grandchildren while we bought the car.
Which is good, because we may never visit them again. Ever. We have bad holiday karma, so for now on I'm staying home!STL Momhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-91637902926411662082008-09-04T05:02:00.003-06:002008-09-04T05:33:58.889-06:00Adventures in IstanbulI'm sure we've all wondered what life was like for a eunuch in 19th century Istanbul. Well, to be honest I hadn't really considered it until I read "The Janissary Tree" by Jason Goodwin last year. It's a mystery novel whose detective is a eunuch named Yashim, who works for the sultan. It was a great read, and I just finished its sequel, "The Snake Stone".
I won't bother describing the plot because that's not the appeal of this book, or of The Janissary Tree either. I generally read mysteries very quickly, but I find that I have to read these books slowly because otherwise I would miss all the atmosphere. I knew almost nothing about Istanbul before reading the first book, but the descriptions of the city are amazing. I've paused while reading to look online for photos of the Aga Sofia, or to look up a point of Polish history after Yashim's friend, the Polish ambassador, mentions something that I'm not clear on. And the descriptions of Yashim's cooking are so detailed that not only can you practically smell it while you read, I think you could almost cook from this book.
If you are looking for a mystery with a quick pace and a clear plot, these are not the books for you. The Snake Stone, in particular, sometimes read more like a description for a movie version of itself than a novel. However, if you like historical fiction and would like to learn more about the people, places, and politics of Istanbul, then I would recommend these booksSTL Momhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-46977454622463471382008-08-22T18:55:00.005-06:002008-09-04T04:59:20.683-06:00The Adventures of TintinMy kids are on a Tintin kick these days. They discovered them in the comic book section of our library over the summer. I'm not one of those parents who worries about their kids reading comic books. First of all, I read comics when I was a kid, and I moved on to reading lots of big books with no pictures at all. Also, I still read comic books, so I'm having fun reading the Tintin books to my kids.
The Tintin books, by Herge (real name Georges Remi) were mostly written in the 1930's, 40's and 50's. Herge was Belgian, but the books take place everywhere from England to Tibet to the moon. Tintin is a young reporter who travels the world (and beyond) to investigate smugglers and spies and dangerous criminals. He spends a lot of time being shot at, hit on the head, held prisoner, threatened with death, and escaping from police officers after he's been set up by the bad guys. Perhaps because there is a lot of humor in the books, my kids never seem to be too worried about his fate. And they shouldn't be - Tintin always gets away, and he always gets his story.
Snowy is Tintin's adorable little white dog and trusty sidekick. Sometimes the bad guys try to shoot Snowy, but he always gets away, and usually shows up just in time to chew the ropes used to tie Tintin's hands together in captivity. Professor Calculus is a brilliant inventor who is very hard of hearing, so he often misunderstands what everyone is saying. Captain Haddock is a sailor with a strong temper and an even stronger taste for whiskey.
Apparently the Tintin books have been criticized for negative portrayals of some ethnic groups, but the books we've read so far have not been egregious - in fact Tintin makes fun of Europeans who stereotype the Chinese in The Blue Lotus. So if you don't mind exposing your children to violence, criminality, and jokes about alcohol dependency, your family might enjoy the Tintin books too.STL Momhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-78573885473277057202008-08-22T18:15:00.003-06:002008-08-22T18:55:27.397-06:00I'm back! And I've been reading!Where have I been, you ask? During my year-long blog hiatus, I have bought a house, sold a house, moved to another state, and I think I have just finished filling out the last of about 200 pages of forms for the kids' new school.
Now, however, I will have loads of time to write my blog. When the wee ones return to school, I will have hours and hours of nothing to do. Well, nothing but unpacking and putting away the 50 boxes of junk that fill two rooms of our new house. And buying or sewing window treatments for 22 windows. And reading!
There has, of course, been some reading over the last year. The book that has really stuck in my mind is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It's a book about a German girl growing up during World War II. Her parents are taken away because they are Communists, and she is taken in by a foster family. The husband is kind and patient; the wife is a foul-mouthed shrew who takes a long time to show the better sides of her personality.
I liked the book in part because it shows a less commonly portrayed view of the war and the Holocaust - ordinary German kids who have nothing against the jews, but who hate the Hitler Youth mostly because the teenage leaders are such jerks. The book also has an unusual style, including occasional illustrations. The narrator of the story is Death. He's pretty weary from all the extra work Hitler is creating for him, so he seems pleased to be distracted by this young girl and her story. At first I didn't like the style of the writing, but I kept reading and was pulled into the story. Somehow the narration by Death ended up working for me.
After I finished the book, I discovered that it was marketed as a young adult book. Although the main character grows from child to teenager during the story, I didn't think of it as a juvenile book when I was reading it. Any adult who likes a good story with interesting characters and relationships might enjoy this book. And although many sad things happen in the book, I didn't feel depressed when I finished it. That Death guy tells a good story.STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-88575176092277302132007-07-31T21:18:00.000-06:002007-07-31T21:40:46.208-06:00Roundup of Picture BooksWe've read a few fun picture books in the last week or so:

The Girl and the Elephant, by Nicole de Cock, begins, "This is the girl. She often goes to the zoo. She goes to see the animals, wishing there were no bars between them." The plain words and simple but beautiful illustrations tell the tale of a girl who becomes friends with an elephant at the zoo, and then follows the elephant back to Africa. It is a lovely book with a fantastical story. My seven-year-old daughter was charmed.

Clarabella's Teeth, by An Vrombaut, is the tale of a crocodile who has so many teeth that it takes her all day to brush them. By the time Clarabella is done brushing, her friends are done playing and going to bed. Don't worry, there is a solution. My four-year-old son found the bright colored pictures and humorous tale very entertaining.

Chato's Kitchen, by Gary Soto and illustrated by Susan Guevara, is the story of a cat who invites his new neighbors, a family of mice, over "for dinner." Unfortunately for the cat, he ends up eating a vegetarian meal. Fortunately, he has made a wonderful feast of salsa, fajitas, enchiladas, and other items that taste just fine without mouse meat. It's a cute story with a Latino theme, and it includes a glossary of the Spanish words used if you are not familiar with them. My kids enjoyed the story, but didn't ask to hear it again.

Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest by Judith Viorst is a story told by a girl convinced that she has the messiest little sister in the world. Many examples are given, complete with detailed illustrations of the chaos that young Sophie leaves wherever she goes. Luckily Sophie's family seems to appreciate that she is a good kid who just happens to leave a trail behind her wherever she goes. Both my kids liked this book, but it seemed to particularly appeal to my daughter, whose room tends to look like a post-Katrina photo of New Orleans.

All these books were plucked, seemingly at random, off the library shelves in about two minutes. I'm often surprised at how many good books my children find this way. None of these books are ones that I would run out and buy, but they certainly were worth reading and borrowing for a few weeks. Our weekly trip to the library has been a great part of this summer.STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-80965316259849947352007-07-26T19:42:00.000-06:002007-07-26T20:40:07.666-06:00The End of Harry PotterAh, the last book. I'm sad that it is over. However, I read the book so quickly, in order to find out what happened, that I am already prepared to read it again. Next time I read, I will savor all the little details.

I'm curious about J.K. Rowling's next creation. I hope she will write again, even if it is a completely different world and characters. Of course it is unlikely that anything else will satisfy the Harry Potter fans, but that shouldn't stop her from trying.

For those who loved Harry Potter, I have the following recommendations:

The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis (my favorites are "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and "The Silver Chair," although "The Magician's Nephew" is pretty great too.)

The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper (loved these as a kid, except for the very end of the very last book)

His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman (loved the first two books as an adult, the last not so much. The first book, "The Golden Compass," is being made into a movie.)

"The Princess and the Goblin" by George McDonald (a childhood favorite - I should pick up a copy and read it to my daughter.)

"The Wolves of Willoughby Chase" (and the rest of the Wolves Chronicles) by Joan Aiken - not so much magic, but lots of Gothic drama and adventure. For older children or adults, "Midnight is a Place" is an amazing book.

"Half Magic" by Edgar Eager. My then six-year-old daughter loved this one.

"The Enchanted Castle" by E. Nesbit. I loved this author when I was a kid, and read loads of her books. However, my daughter found this book too slow when I tried to read it to her (at age six), and we quit after 30 or so pages. It is probably better for an older child or a faster reader.

And don't forget all the Oz books by L. Frank Baum or the Fairy books ("The Red Fairy Book," "The Blue Fairy Book" etc.) by Andrew Lang, or the Doctor Doolittle books by Hugh Lofting.

Since some of these are OLD books, I will try reading some to my very modern children and let you know how it goes. Personally, I always loved reading books written a hundred years before I was born, but then again I was an odd little child. Thankfully Harry Potter has made it fashionable for adults to read books written for children, so I can re-live my childhood without dragging my poor kids into it.STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-25901031739842890412007-07-26T19:19:00.000-06:002007-07-26T19:34:41.200-06:00Usborne Farmyard TalesMy son is a train fanatic, and he will read almost anything about trains. However, as the parent who has to read stories over and over and over again, I am a bit more discriminating.
One series of books that I can happily read to the children is the Usborne Farmyard Tales train books. They are by Heather Amery, with adorable pictures by Stephen Cartwright. The books we own are "The Old Steam Train," "Rusty's Train Ride," and "Dolly and the Train." There is another called "Woolly Stops the Train" which I don't believe we have (but there are so many books in this house, who really knows?)
There is not a lot of plot in these 16-page picture books. For example: kids go on a field trip; the steam engine stops working; Dolly the horse pulls the carriage back to the station. However, the illustrations are not only cute, but there is a little yellow duck on each page for young readers to discover. A map of the countryside is on the endpapers so you can locate the events of each story, and there is a duck on the map too.
These are sweet, simple books for young children. I would recommend them for ages 2-6. There are other stories that don't involve trains, but we have not read any of them. They are probably equally cute and entertaining for children.STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-65729390761253871972007-07-17T21:30:00.000-06:002007-07-17T21:54:09.593-06:00Little House in the Big WoodsWhile I grew up reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, they are not books that I kept and re-read over and over. So I was surprised by the number of whippings referred to in "Little House in the Big Woods". I suspect my memory of the books has been overlaid by vague memories of Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon in the "prairies" of Southern California on the TV show. Surely Michael Landon didn't whip little girls, even if they slapped their sisters! Or maybe I've just forgotten that too..

Despite the whippings (which seem quite exotic to a child raised on "time outs" and the occasional empty threat of all her toys being taken away) my daughter loved this book. She was fascinated by the details of this family's way of life. The book describes everything from how the family stored food for the winter to what games the children played and how the wheat was harvested. We were both impressed by how hard people had to work in those days. We were astonished by the idea of children who are five or six years old who go to store for the first time in their entire lives. And, of course, I couldn't resist pointing out how grateful the children were when they received new red mittens and one piece of peppermint candy each for Christmas. Well, Laura also got a rag doll - but she was in rapture about receiving one homemade toy. I will leave you to imagine how impressed my modern child was about this little lecture on gratitude.

Personally, I'm feeling a great deal of gratitude that I'm not Laura's mom, working hard from sunrise to sunset and then mending socks by firelight after the sun goes down. Not to mention sleeping on a bed stuffed with straw in the same room as my children. However did Baby Carrie get conceived? Anyway, this book is great for anyone who wants to appreciate the joys of modern life, or wants to get a little nostalgic for the good old days when the women were strong, the men played a mean fiddle, and the children grew up to be world-famous authors.STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-62608877129017482442007-07-17T21:16:00.000-06:002007-07-17T22:15:58.326-06:00SeabiscuitWho was the biggest newsmaker in the U.S. in 1938? Roosevelt? Hitler? No, it was a racehorse named Seabiscuit. Laura Hillenbrand wrote "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" to show modern readers why Seabiscuit captured the imagination of Americans during the Great Depression.
Yeah, I know, everybody else read this years ago, or at least saw the movie. For some reason I never read it back when it was being hyped.

I was never a horse-crazy girl and have never been to a horse race in my life. I've never even watched the Kentucky Derby on TV, or drank a mint julep. All I know about horse racing comes from reading Dick Francis mysteries, and those are mostly about English hurdling races, which seems to be a rather different sport.

Despite my previous lack of knowledge, I found "Seabiscuit" fascinating. The book gives you a lot of background about horse racing in the 1930's, Seabiscuit, his owner, his trainer, and his jockeys. However, all the information is presented in a way that reads more like a novel than nonfiction, and from me that is a compliment. Sometimes (okay, often) I get bogged down in nonfiction and never even finish the book. But I stayed up late reading Seabiscuit, just to find out what would happen to everyone. This was a great read.

(By the way, I counted my Dick Francis books last week and discovered I had 27 books. Twenty-seven! Surely I had all of them -- but no, according to http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/, Mr. Francis has written 41 best-selling novels. So I guess I can learn more about horse racing while I wait for Ms. Hillenbrand to write another book.)STL Momhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-68676034405816265202007-06-18T20:57:00.000-06:002007-06-18T21:40:28.111-06:00DahliaDo you ever read a book that seems to be written just for your child? I don't mean a personalized book with your kid's name and birthday in it. I mean a storybook with a character just like your child, who reacts exactly the way your child would. And if the book is also illustrated in a style that your child loves, it seems like it is meant for your child.

I feel this way about "Dahlia", by Barbara McClintock. I blogged a few days ago about "Adele & Simon" a wonderful book by this author. On the back cover it mentioned that her previous book, Dahlia, had won several awards, so we checked it out of the library.

Dahlia appears to take place in the late 19th century. The illustrations reminded me of the pictures from my old Louisa May Alcott favorites. Charlotte is found at the beginning of the book with dirt all over her pinafore, making mud pies with her teddy bear, Bruno. She is less than thrilled to be called indoors to receive a package from her aunt. Inside is a doll, a prim-faced, frilly-dressed doll. Charlotte does not want a doll, and tells the doll that there will be no staying indoors and having tea parties. This doll, soon dubbed Dahlia, will have to learn to dig in the dirt and climb trees. But what will happen when Charlotte's aunt sees the doll after her outdoor adventures?

My daughter is not a tomboy. Her favorite colors are pink and purple, and she went through a loooong princess phase. However, she is the kind of girl who would wear a pink floral twirly dress to climb trees and dig for worms. She has some dolls, but is fairly uninterested in changing their outfits. Instead, they tend to spend a lot of time tied to jump ropes and being lowered over the banisters. Her dolls go on adventures with her, just as Dahlia goes with Charlotte. But she feels affection for them. When her doll, Sally, broke one of her china legs, I ended up sculpting a new one out of clay so Sally could be "healed". I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but let's just say that Dahlia also needs some TLC at one point in the story, and Charlotte is ready to provide it.

Even if your daughter (or son) isn't like Charlotte, I think they will enjoy this story about a child full of curiosity, compassion, and spunk. Be warned, however, that any child looking at Charlotte's bedroom full of bird's nests, shells, mushrooms, insects, plants and snakes may soon be begging to make their own room look the same. We were already well on our way, but we still need to add some bird's nests.STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-75177926247653257982007-06-18T20:43:00.000-06:002007-06-18T20:55:06.090-06:00Chaos on my library book shelfI have a shelf in my kitchen where I store my library books. I noticed that I have a rather odd collection this week:

Stalin: A Biography

Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt

You Are Your Choices: 50 Ways to Live the Good Life

Life on Planet Rock: From Guns N' Roses to Nirvana, A Backstage Journey Through Rock's Most Debauched Decade

Now guess which book I've already read? Yup, Generation T. If you can count looking at pictures and muttering, "maybe if I was 25 years old and lived in Williamsburg Brooklyn and wanted a shirt to wear clubbing..." as reading. My favorite part? Directions on making your own wedding dress out of seven large t-shirts.

I've read a few pages each of Planet Rock and You Are Your Choices, but so far they aren't doing much for me. I just picked up Stalin, so I haven't had a chance to dive into that 700+ page tome yet. I may need to sit on a beach with a mojito to get in the mood for that one.STL Momhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-17778547958612049292007-06-14T20:26:00.001-06:002007-06-14T20:42:46.973-06:00The Thirteenth TaleI loved "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield, which I read for my book group. I probably shouldn't be surprised that I liked it, because I am the person who suggested it to the group. It is a Gothic tale about a strange, mysterious family. It involves a manor house, twins, faithful servants, abandoned children, old book dealers, fires, and other wonderful, spooky things.
Personally, all you have to do is set a story in a dark, mysterious house on a moor and I'm there. "The Moonstone", "The Woman in White", "Jane Eyre", anything by Daphne du Maurier ("Rebecca") or Phyllis A. Whitney - it's all good. But everyone else in the book club who read it loved it too, so I can safely recommend it to almost everyone. It is a well-written story that pulls you in.
It starts with a young woman who has written some rather obscure literary biographies. She receives a letter from a old woman who is one of the world's most popular authors. The author says that she has been lying about her past for years in interviews, but she is ready to tell the truth at last. She is willing to have only one person write her authorized biography.
Off goes the young woman to the mysterious manor house in the middle of the moor. There is a cryptic servant, protective of her mistress. There is the author herself, elderly and ill, but seemingly ready to tell her true life story. But is it really the truth? How does she convince the young woman to stay and hear her story?
I refuse to give any more of the plot away. Read the book yourself! I must admit the final ending was a tiny bit disappointing, but I think this is mostly because the journey was so enjoyable that it would be hard to end it in a way that would truly be satisfying and make the reader happy to come to the end.
We discussed this book in book club, and then we talked about a lot of other things. I can't tell you about that, because what happens in book club, stays in book club. If I told you, I'd have to kill you, etc. etc. Let's just say it was a lively discussion!STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-65405796918857642312007-06-14T20:06:00.000-06:002007-06-14T20:25:19.848-06:00The Tail of Emily WindsnapMy daughter's 7th birthday party had a mermaid theme, so not surprisingly she received several books about mermaids, fairies, and unicorns. "The Tail of Emily Windsnap" by Liz Kessler was one of the books that we enjoyed reading. I have to confess that after strictly telling my daughter, "Only one chapter per night!" I would sneak a peek at the first page or two of the next chapter when she wasn't looking. Hey, if she wants to cheat too, she's just going to have to learn to read!
Emily Windsnap is a 7th grader with a secret. When she is immersed in water, her legs turn into a tail and she turns into a mermaid. She just discovered this, because her mother has a phobia about water and just gave in to years of requests for swimming lessons. And yet, despite her mother's water phobia, they live on a boat. In a marina. Obviously, there is more going on than Emily can understand, at least at the beginning of the book.
Despite my daughter's love of mermaids, I worried for a few chapters that this book was too mature for her. What does a first grader know about the social cliques of 7th graders? How can she understand the angst of a child who has never met her father? But she liked the book and never seemed bored by the parts that I thought might go over her head. It amazes me sometimes, the gap between the level of books she can read, and the level of books she can understand. No wonder she hates trying to read. If her choice is spending 20 minutes stumbling through "Hop on Pop" or 20 minutes listening to her mom reading "Emily Windsnap", should I be surprised that she would rather just listen?
Anyway, Emily eventually discovers all kinds of interesting things about herself and her parents. She makes a friend and has several opportunities to be brave, creative and persistent. Despite seeming aimed at slightly older readers, there was nothing in this book that I found inappropriate for a 7-year-old. Emily sneaks out at night and tries to write a fake note to her school, but the story has enough fantasy that I doubt my daughter will be emulating Emily anytime soon. All in all, a fun read for all 16 nights. Recommended for all lovers of mermaids.STL Momhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-28165064718083334312007-06-14T19:46:00.000-06:002007-06-14T20:01:49.813-06:00Adele & SimonI bought "Adele & Simon" by Barbara McClintock for my daughter as a Christmas present, after seeing a good review in the New York Times. Sometimes I do well with gift books, other times I fail miserably. This book was a big hit.
Adele & Simon is a charming picture book about a brother and sister in Paris. Adele picks up her little brother at school, and he has his hat, gloves, scarf, sweater, coat, knapsack, books, crayons, and a drawing of a cat. In each two-page spread that follows, Simon loses one of his belongings. Don't worry, there is a happy ending when everything shows up again.
The pictures are what really make this book wonderful, and worth reading over and over. You have to search each detailed page to find the missing item, and there are lots of other things to find. For example, when Simon loses his books in the park, there is a line of little schoolgirls with hats who look suspiciously like Madeline and her fellow students (and why not, they live in Paris too!). The illustrations have the old-fashioned look of Kate Greenaway, who I loved as a child.
After the story, McClintock gives a description of the Paris location of each illustration, complete with historical information. We haven't read that part yet -- maybe when my daughter is a bit older she'll be interested. What she does love is the book's endpapers, which are a map of Paris with each scene from the book marked so you can follow Adele and Simon's journey.
At our house, stories about older sisters and little brothers are generally a hit (hello, Max and Ruby!) but I think many children ages 4-9 would love this book as much as we do.STL Momhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-33688343064627890792007-06-04T20:54:00.000-06:002007-06-04T21:20:04.227-06:00The Strife is O'er, The Battle is Won......but instead of singing "Hallelujah" I'm thinking, "Eh, is that it?"
Previously I blogged about Sara Douglass's fantasy series, The Wayfarer Redemption. At that point I was reading the first trilogy, about an epic battle between good and evil, shaped by prophecy, and acted out by larger-than-life characters. It was a bit predictable, but still an interesting read.
I might not have picked up more books by this author, but since Paul had already bought them, I kept reading. The second trilogy begins in a quite promising way. Forty years after the epic battles of the first trilogy, the land is now ruled by the children of the characters in the first series. Instead of prophecy, the issues are about sibling rivalry, taxes, and competition for power. The archetypal heroes of the first trilogy turned out to be pretty mediocre parents after the battles were over, leaving their children ill-equipped to deal with the continual stresses of governance.
I was pleased by the direction the new series was taking. I had high hopes for it being a very different kind of story than the last series. But, guess what? All that prophecy in the first series was really just intended to set things up for the next series. Before long, demons are scourging the earth and everyone has forgotten about tax policy. The details have changed, but really this series didn't seem much different than the last.
And the ending? Well, apparently Sara Douglass is also a fan of the Narnia books, since her ending seems cribbed from The Last Battle (by C.S. Lewis). Except, I never really liked the ending of that book either. So I was also disappointed by the ending of this series. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but when it was over I just wondered why I had spent so many hours with it. Not bad books, but certainly something I would never re-read. I'd give them a B-.STL Momhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-43368717914023743952007-05-27T15:03:00.000-06:002007-05-27T17:28:48.562-06:00I'm Either in my Midlife Crisis or Just CrankyI recently read "Midlife Crisis at 30: How the Stakes Have Changed for a New Generation -- and What to Do About It" by Lia Macko and Kerry Rubin. My friends reading this post might wonder if I'm trying to fool someone into thinking I am still 30 myself. Now, when I got the call from my high school classmate to invite me to our 20th reunion this summer, I wondered how she ever made it through math (because that CAN'T be 20 years ago -- can it?) but I have to admit that I am well past 30 myself.

So what made me read this book? Because I am at a place in my life where I sometimes question the choices I have made and wonder where I am going from here. Because I have another year until my youngest child starts kindergarten, and I sometimes feel like that is a deadline for me to get back to work and do "grown-up" things with my life. Because I wonder why I spent so much money and effort on graduate school, then only used that degree for three years. Because sometimes I feel like I'm not very good at my current job (housewife & stay-at-home mom) and wonder if I should quit, or at least cut back on my hours. This is my "mid-life crisis".

Sure, these are the complaints of an over privileged person. Lots of people would love to be in my shoes, having so many choices. But this book points out that having seemingly unlimited choices is one of the reasons that many well-educated and successful women are anxious, questioning, and even unhappy. As thirty-ish women grew up, we were the first generation to be told, as a group, that we could do anything and everything. We could bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and seduce our man (hopefully not while holding that pan of sizzling lard). And when we can't meet our high expectations, we blame ourselves.

The authors want to help women realize that their problems and situations are not individual, but actually common to their generation. The first part of this book features vignettes of women in their late twenties and early thirties. Some women wonder why they are thirty and still don't have a job with a high enough salary to pay off their student loans. Others have a great career, but worry that it will be destroyed if they take time to have children. Others identify so much with their jobs that they have no social life outside of work, and wonder if they will ever get married. Thirty is a difficult age for many women.

So what's the solution? The second part of the book consists of interviews with women well over 30, mostly baby boomers, talking about the difficulties they faced and how they addressed them. They are meant to be mentors for the younger generation. These women talk about the risks they took, the mistakes they made, and how they dealt with sexism, work/family balance, parenting, not being a parent, being fired, and changing careers. All these mentors have had successes, and provide reassuring stories about how they weathered the storms.

One flaw of the book is that these "mentors" are all conventionally successful: high-level executives, published authors, even a three-star general. There are very few examples of women who left the workforce completely, as I have done for the last four years. And yet I found it reassuring to read so many stories of women who faced many difficulties in their thirties, but can now look back years later and be proud of what they have made of their lives. There's hope still that someday I too will figure out who I want to be when I grow up.

And we can all start working on getting other women in this world into the envious position of wondering how they can do it all, rather than knowing they have no choices at all. But that is another book.

Thanks to Jennifer for lending me her book!STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-20660964382394117342007-05-23T10:22:00.000-06:002007-05-23T10:59:40.012-06:00Clean Sweep Your Own HomeI love the TV show Clean Sweep. First of all, the homes on this show are REALLY messy. They make my house seem neat and tidy in comparison. I may have piles of stuff on my desk, but at least I don't sleep on my sofa because my bed is covered with laundry. At least I don't have dozens of boxes of my children's outgrown clothes. At least my bedroom closet isn't full of boxes of stuff that I rushed through the house picking up before company came over. No, wait a minute, I actually do have those boxes. But not nearly as many as the people on the show have in their closets!

But I don't just watch the show to see how much worse other people have it. I also like the way they address the mess and the clutter. Instead of focusing on throwing things out, they take all of the homeowners' belongings out of two rooms of their home, and put them on the lawn. There the homeowners can focus on what they want to keep, not on what they need to sell or throw out. When the homeowners wail and gnash their teeth, claiming they absolutely need all of these belongings, Peter Walsh steps in.

Peter Walsh is Clean Sweep's Organizer. He is the person who convinces the homeowner that his Beanie Baby collection is not going to put his kids through college, and needs to go. He gives a woman who has been separated for eight years permission to throw out her ex-husband's jackets. When someone says they can't get rid of an item because it was a gift, he calls the person who gave it to them and asks if it is okay for the item to be sold. He is gentle when people get emotional, but very firm, and the homeowners generally feel great in the end about getting rid of two-thirds of their belongings. So of course I watch and think, "I need Peter to come to my house!"

Well, I was hoping that Peter Walsh's book, "It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff" would take his place. There is a lot of good stuff in this book. It explains why clutter is bad, some reasons why we hang on to things that we shouldn't, and then gives tips on how to clear the stuff out. The book is clearly written and has some funny anecdotes. For someone who needs this information, it could be a very helpful book.

Unfortunately, as a regular viewer of the show, I'd already heard most of the information found in this book. Other tips sounded much like things I'd heard from Flylady and other organizational and decluttering gurus. And this just reminded me that I spend more time reading about decluttering than actually doing it.

I don't need any more information. I know HOW to clean up my house - I just need to DO it on a regular basis. Or else I need to convince the entire Clean Sweep crew to come out to my house. If a team of people pull all my belongings out into the yard, I guess I would have to start sorting and tossing. And who knows what interesting things I might find in those boxes in the closet!STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1772174708920940460.post-23542664740871479472007-05-05T13:54:00.000-06:002007-05-12T20:27:12.577-06:00Bad Dog Max!Max is a very, very bad dog. She eats socks, steals food off the table, and digs up the neighbors' yard. Her family even has to move the mailbox because the mail carrier won't come in the yard anymore.
Luckily Max's vet is a fan of the Dog Whisperer. She explains that Max doesn't mean to be bad -- she just needs lots of exercise and play time. At the end of the book, Max is still getting in trouble sometimes, but the family loves her anyway, and thinks she is a Good Dog.
My kids and I love Max, even at the beginning of the book when she is being so naughty, because she is pictured as such an adorable bundle of energy. The kids like using the pictures to figure out what the text leaves out. For example, the story says the cat, Monroe, thinks Max is a bad dog. Looking at the picture of Max ignoring her own bowl and eating out of the one labeled "Monroe", you understand why.
This is a fun book to read aloud, especially for dog lovers. I'd say it is best for ages 3-8. "Bad Dog Max" is by Marina Windsor, with pictures by Steve Haskamp.STL Momhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com


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Nestled in the heart of Gili Trawangan, Luce d'Alma Resort & Spa is an ideal spot from which to discover Lombok. From here, guests can enjoy easy access to all that the lively city has to offer. This modern hotel is in the vicinity of popular city attractions such as Gili Divers Diving Center, DSM Dive Gili Diving Center, Shark Point Dive Location.
Luce d'Alma Resort & Spa also offers many facilities to enrich your stay in Lombok. Free Wi-Fi in all rooms, 24-hour security, daily housekeeping, luggage storage, Wi-Fi in public areas are just a few of the facilities that set Luce d'Alma Resort & Spa apart from other hotels in the city.
In addition, all guestrooms feature a variety of comforts. Many rooms even provide closet, towels, separate living room, television LCD/plasma screen, sofa to please the most discerning guest. Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or are just looking for a way to unwind after a hard day, you will be entertained by top-class recreational facilities such as mini golf course, snorkeling, fitness center, outdoor pool, diving. When you are looking for comfortable and convenient accommodations in Lombok, make Luce d'Alma Resort & Spa your home away from home.

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Anyway, my three-year-old is growing up in a reasonably multicultural country and has travelled a bit to other countries too, and has long understood that people can speak different languages because he lives in a bilingual household. He knows a few Spanish and Japanese words thanks to some books we have around the house (and regular visits to the local Japanese restaurant). One of his favourite words to use is sakasama (upside-down in Japanese). And of course he's reasonably bilingual in German and English (though he nearly always speaks English), but he likes to translate as well and has some great ideas about which words come from which language. For example, he loves all kinds of transport and likes to spot convertible cars. Now, convertible is a pretty tricky word so I guess he assumed it was German, since German words are often longer and trickier. We saw one as we drove along one day and he said "That's a convertible. In English, we say 'no roof'." (I laughed quietly in the driver's seat.)
|What people look like, when you're 3
Culture and different habits in different countries don't seem to bother this three-year-old either. All he wants to know about is the refuse disposal systems. He found a picture of New York in a brochure and I told him Mama and Papa had been there before he was born and that it's a fabulous city. The picture showed New York by night so he wanted to know that when we went there next (would it be by car or plane, he asked), could he stay up at night there. And then the only other question he asked, as I told him about our experiences there: what colour are the garbage bins? What a terrible mother I am that I was unable to give him a thorough answer!
|Rubbish bins or garbage cans - the only cultural difference that really matters
It makes me sad to think that sometime in the future he's going to learn that people are discriminated against because of their race or culture or customs, and worried to think that he could fall into the same trap despite our best efforts. But for now, he knows people speak all kinds of language, they have skin varying somewhere between beige and brown, and all he really wants to know is where they put their garbage. A very acceptable state of affairs, I think.
Help me out: I'd love any tips on helping raise a really culturally-aware kid, so pass on any more suggestions you've got: books, TV/movies, general ideas, anything. Let me know in the comments.


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Karen is available world wide to work with children and adults, implementing and teaching arts integration techniques across the curriculum.
Work with children is generally as school artist in residence, collaborating closely with faculty to develop curriculum based plans incorporating visual art, puppetry, and creative writing for engaged, standards-based, assessable learning, including 12st Century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication.
Adult workshops are generally presented for teachers to allow experience in and development of arts integrated options across the curriculum.
"I am (B. A.) one of the Omani teachers who attended one of the greatest workshops of yours. It was so beneficial you can't imagine. I taught my students everything I learned." …from workshop participant in Sultanate of Oman Teacher Training Center tour, 2016
I also offer adult workshops, often for librarians, in puppet performance, including script writing, puppet building, and performance skills.


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ASUS is the kind of brand that needs no introduction. For years, it has aimed to put a great emphasis on PC gaming. These processes lead to the creation of gaming-centric Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand. Similarly, an ASUS ROG laptop is made to deliver the most innovative and hardcore gaming laptop for dedicated gamers.
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Wi-Fi: 802.11ac 2×2, Bluetooth: 4.0, Ethernet: Gigabit, Optical Drive: None, USB Ports: 1 x 3.1 (Type-C) with Thunderbolt, 1 x 3.1 (Type-C), 3 x 3.0, Keyboard: Backlit Anti-Ghosting Keyboard with 30-Key Rollover, Full QWERTY w/ NumPad, Sound: ASUS SonicStudio, with ESS SABRE DAC Amplifier and 4 speakers.
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Performance Verdict
Processing and Graphics
The ASUS ROG G701VI-XB72K is the best ROG laptop that ASUS has to offer. Granted there are better setups with dual graphics cards, they are nearly not as valuable as this beast. This ASUS ROG laptop is powered by a 6th generation Intel Core i7-6820HK quad-core processor, with speeds reaching 3.6 GHz per core. The HK moniker refers to the processor's extreme overclocking capabilities, that can take it up to 4.5GHz per core!
Supporting the extreme processor is an extreme amount of RAM. This ASUS i7 laptop comes packed with a whopping 64GB of RAM, overclocked to operate at 2400MHz. The combination of a powerful processor and ram ensures the BEST performance.
Powering the graphics on this rig is the all might NVIDIA GTX 1080 graphics card. With 8GB of dedicated RAM, this ASUS gamer laptop is a fully-featured desktop-class graphics card, able to handle the latest and heaviest of games.
Screen and Sound
The G701VI-XB72K ASUS ROG laptop has a display that provides vivid and accurate colors for gaming, creative work, and entertainment. This Asus gaming laptop comes with a large, full HD, 17.3-inch IPS display with a matte finish. The ROG pumps out rich, crystal-clear high-fidelity audio through the exclusive SonicStudio, accompanied by ROG AudioWizard. You also get an ESS Sabre DAC amplifier that provides crystal clear audio output.
Storage and Keyboard
As you would expect from a laptop at this budget, the storage on the G701VI-XB72K ASUS gamer laptop is also top notch. You get a unique 1TB SSD solution, with extra space for a 2.5" drive. This means you get a large, fastest possible storage with the ability to expand. The accompanied keyboard is also noteworthy. It's an anti-ghosting keyboard with 30-Key Rollover, backlight, and full QWERTY with NumPad.
Asus laptop gaming takes things further through its value added software. Apart for all the basic internals, this ASUS gamer laptop comes with NVIDIA GSYNC, VR Ready, ROG GameFirst IV, ASUS SonicStudio. The GSYNC ensures smoother and lag-free frame rates while the VR capability allows for virtual-reality gaming. The ROG GameFirst IV is a control center that lets to control each and every aspect of you ROG laptop. All in all, this is the best among most of the ASUS gaming laptops.
This ASUS Gaming Laptop deal also comes with 9 promotions, absolutely free! These are:
1 – Microsoft Forza Horizon 3 ($60 value)
2 – Gears of War 4 ($60 value)
3 – Watch Dogs 2 ($60 Value)
4 – ASUS ROG Ranger Backpack ($189 value)
5 – ASUS Wireless Gaming Controller ($40 value)
6 – ASUS ROG Cap ($30 value)
7 – ASUS ROG BlizzCon Mouse Pad ($10 value)
8 – ASUS ROG Pint Glass ($10 value)
9 – ASUS ROG Cinch Bag ($10 value)
If you are looking for the exact same laptop but with a slightly lower price, you can look at the 32GB RAM version of the ASUS ROG G701VI-XB72K. Don't worry, you still get the promotional items too!
You can also get the same laptop with 64GB of RAM but only a 512GB SSD, along with all the promotions. Look at ASUS ROG Laptop G701VI-XB72K for details. It's a lot cheaper too!
The cheapest among the G700 line of ASUS ROG Laptops is the one that comes with 32GB RAM and 512GB SSD. You can find it at ASUS ROG G701VI-XB72K. Naturally, it also includes free promotional material worth $469.


text: I've got a wierd problem from a brand new 6HP Briggs & Stratton quantum engine. It runs fine for five minutes, but then sputters and dies, and can't be restarted for about half an hour. I replaced the spark plug when it first happened, and that solved it for a couple hours of use. Then it did it again, I replaced the spark plug, and it did not fix the problem. What is happening? It is a brand new engine with less than 15 hours of use.


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While you may not enjoy driving your beater to work or to the beach, it may not be feasible to buy a new car either. … Read More ›
Very few people want to visit the DMV regardless of the state you live in. Unless you know someone who can give you special treatment, … Read More ›
When you're thinking about a car that can go on the road and give you not only a great deal of driving fun but also … Read More ›
First things first: it's understandable to be a bit nervous before your first driving lesson. It can be a little daunting knowing that you are … Read More ›
When you spend a lot of time out on the roads, you want safety to be at the top of your priority list. That said … Read More ›
Drivers here in North Carolina have the joy and privilege of driving in the state's mountains, and it's a wonderful experience, to say the least. … Read More ›
Of all the bills humans have to pay, the ones related to insurance can seem the most frustrating especially when you're not using that insurance. … Read More ›
If you are willing to do a little work yourself, then you can save a ton of money on car maintenance by doing things yourself. … Read More ›
Driving is one of the riskiest things we do in our daily lives. Crashes, mechanical problems, and even road rage can all make driving a … Read More ›
Detailing a car may seem easy at first glance, but keeping performance alloys clean can be difficult. A shiny set of alloy wheels can really … Read More ›


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The Element Technica Universal Shoulder Pad and Rod-Based Shoulder Mount Kit includes a Universal Shoulder Pad V2 and a Micron Shoulder Pad Mount for the LW15 Micron Standard.
The Universal Shoulder Pad V2 from Element Technica attaches to the Micron Shoulder Pad Mount (sold separately) to stabilize your camera.
The Micron Shoulder Pad Mount from Element Technica is a rod-based shoulder pad mount for the Universal Shoulder Pad V2 (sold separately). It is compatible with the LW15 Micron Standard and allows adjustment of the position of the shoulder pad by sliding it along the rods.
|3.2 oz (90.7 g)
Universal Shoulder Pad V2
LW15 Micron Standard
|1 lb (0.5 kg)


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Kushley 32oz "Empty" Trigger Spray Bottle
This "Empty" Kushley Labeled Bottle is available for purchase, only $2.50 to use with our Gallon Refill.
We are so careful about what we put in our bodies, we should also be as careful about what put on our bodies and in our environment.
Kushley Mist Spray Bottle "Empty"
Shipping to anywhere in the continental USA and International shipping also.
.25 lbs
Kushley Pocket Mister. New Low Price! Unique and compact. Your perfect travel companion! Easily fits into your pocket or handbag. Over 200 uses. TSA approved at less than 3oz ...
$16.95 USD Liquid error: comparison of String with 20340 failed
Uses Weight Kushley Mist 32oz Odor Eliminator Kushley is specifically created to make your personal environment odor free. Stop masking odors with our 32oz, Mist Spray, only $16.95. ...
$6.95 USD Liquid error: comparison of String with 8340 failed
Uses Weight Kushley is specifically created to make your personal environment odor free. Your handy four-ounce portable fine mist bottle fits easily in your pocketbook, backpack or other small...


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Hilary Duff has decided to gave a brand new hairstyle as she close a nice bob.
The actress shared a couple of photos on her Instagram page of the new locks and we have to say it looks very nice.
In one of the photos it shows her hairstylist Marcus Francis doing the deed and chopping away with his scissors.
Along with the photo Hilary said:
Check out the first selfie she took with the new hair below


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Thursday Aug 17. No Suelta Class!!!
Promote the love for Latin and Cuban music through its dance.
Created in 1999 by Julian Mejia, SALSAtlanta has been promoting Cuban music and dances and teaching Rueda de Casino and Casino dance, also known as "Cuban Salsa" or "Salsa Casino" in Atlanta and Athens GA.


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Posted December 04, 2010 by Christina
I will be happy with the Candles and the Chocolates .. in case anyone is interested :) Santa ?
Fri Oct 17 14:17:59 2014Renee Finberg
i would love any of those.
the scarf is to die for though.
Fri Oct 17 14:17:59 2014FROM THE RIGHT BANK
Thanks for having me, Christina!
Fri Oct 17 14:17:58 2014Charlotta Ward
Nodding in agreement to all of this!
Lovely Ally!!
xx C
Fri Oct 17 14:17:58 2014100 Applegate
Love the new look!! Fab as usual!!! Best, CC
Fri Oct 17 14:17:58 2014jlonit
The new masthead is beautiful.
Fri Oct 17 14:17:58 2014Teresa at Splendid Sass
The notebook and traveler would be my favorite choices, but all of these gifts are perfect for someone on my list.
Fri Oct 17 14:17:58 2014
greige: (gra, grège, gray)
adj: not bleached or dyed;
unfinished; raw


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Reference Number. 66747
Add Listing : Edit Listing
Add Listing : Edit Listing
Maranzano Protective ServicesA one stop security solution provided by a Close Protection Operative with ex police background and over ten years hands on experience in the security sector.
Services include:
Consultancy Work, Supply and Management of Door Supervisors, Security Staff, Close Protection Officers etc, Investigations and Surveillance Services, SIA Training Services, Event Staff, Personal Protection, Armed Reponse Protection (Non UK Clients)
For a free consulation please call one of our discreet and friendly staff on 0844 80 40 280
Princess House, Princess Way
Tel: Click Here for Phone Number
Security Services Swansea, Security Services SwanseaTo add your free business listings see our Free Advertising page.
Maranzano Protective Services are listed in; Security Services Directory : Security Services in Swansea : Security Services in Swansea : Swansea Business Directory : Swansea Business Directory : Security Services Listings : Maranzano Protective Services
Search for Security Services by Town - search for Security Services by County
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We have commissioned Darren Sibley's joinery for over 10 years. Whether it has been to make a simple kitchen shelf or 22ft front doors the results are always fabulous. His undoubted talent, attention to detail, and experience all combine to produce a craftsman in the truest sense of the word. He is always a huge pleasure to work with and we will, god willing, go on asking him to construct beautiful pieces for many years to come.
When I am working on a project where the finished joinery & carpentry has to be RIGHT, I know I can call on you & the work will be done diligently, carefully & with flair. Artisan projects are one of the few joiners I know who can be trusted to be given an idea & an intention, & then left to develop this & add your skill, so that the end result will be excellent .You & your chaps work with speed, efficiency & integrity…. I can & do recommend you to my clients with confidence that they too will be more than satisfied with your work.
Artisan Projects Ltd are approved manufacturers of Accoya products
Artisan are able to produce modern high performance windows and doorsets all with CE markings and 'U' value certification. We are backed by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Code of Conduct and if we install our products you have the peace of mind that we are 'FENSA' registered.
Whether your projects demand treated softwood or FSC Certified hard woods, Artisan will work closely with your Architect or Contracts Manager to produce quality joinery for all applications both commercial and domestic.
Our modern workshop, located at Bovey Tracey, is fully equipped to ensure that our in-house team can craft each item to your exact requirements - be it for supply only or supply and fit.
Artisan Projects can offer a one stop solution to the main contractor or architect. Our ability to produce high performance joinery incorporating 'secure by design' ironmongery in quantity
Services Include
• Manufacture of all purpose made joinery – windows, doors etc.
• Purpose built conservatories
• Private commissions
• Kitchens
• Purpose built staircases
• Free-standing and fitted furniture
Having joinery supplied & fitted takes the stress out of dealing with numerous sub contractors. With just one person to speak to it gives you more time to concentrate on the job in hand.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Whether hardwood or softwood, every item our joinery team create is hand crafted, and all our timber is from environmentally friendly FSC-certified renewable sources. Whether you are looking for replacement windows, doors, staircases, kitchens or conservatories we can provide a comprehensive quote or estimate to meet your needs. Please contact us for a friendly discussion.


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GM Repair Problems? Ask GM Repair Expert Now.
I am sorry your having this problem
so basically the drivers door is electrically dead so to say ?
do you have a multi meter on hand ?
these are most common for the drivers switch assembly's going bad which replacing the switch and having the new one programmed as it is a module that needs programming installed into it for it to work should correct this problem
all that needs to be done is be sure the switch does have its 12 volts and a good ground before the switch is replaced to be sure it is the switch assembly is bad
usually if missing the 12 volts or a ground is usually a bad wire in the door jam area
if you have any questions please ask


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Dog Walkers in Tarkeo Corner, IN
Book a dog walker to give your dog a 30-minute walk around your neighborhood.
5 acres of grass and unlimited love
columbus, IN, 47401
Dog Boarding, House Sitting, Drop-In Visits, Doggy Day Care, Dog Walking
About: I have a Siberian Husky and a chocolate lab of my own and we all like to stay active! I like to provide dogs with a very balanced lifestyle, with p... (more)
Experience exceptional service and a personalized match
From start to finish, we'll handle all the details for you.Learn About Premier
Rover also offers dog walking in:
|Craig, IN
|Ewington, IN
|Gaynorsville, IN
|Greensburg, IN
|Harris City, IN
|Letts, IN
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No more begging your friends to take your dog for a walk when you can't make it home in time. With Rover, you can find a loving Tarkeo Corner dog walker who'd love to take your dog for a 30-minute stroll or jog around the neighborhood. Book a dog walker for one day or all week, just tomorrow, or every Tuesday. We're proud to bring you dog walkers who've built dog walking businesses right here on Rover. No matter how much exercise your dog needs, we can help you find the perfect dog walker in Tarkeo Corner, IN. And just like overnight services booked on Rover, dog walking booked on Rover includes premium insurance, photo updates, and 24/7 support. Someone nearby can't wait to walk your dog, and it's easier than ever to find them.
Wondering what you should be paying for a walk? Check out our standard dog walking rates for a comparison.


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'There is no other day. All days are present now. This moment contains all moments.' - C.S. Lewis
Recently I've been contemplating the existence of time. You see, time is an invention similar to that of the calendar. Logically it makes a lot of sense. But in reality, I would argue that time is subjective. Certain periods of our lives feel longer or shorter than other periods. Some days it feels like only yesterday I was in high school. Perhaps a better way to measure it is by how much conscious living happens in between moments. When I think about time in the future I often slip into thinking about it much more logically; with just days, months and years. But more recently I have begun to think about the future in a similar time subjective way to how I think about the past. I day dream frequently and think about the infinite amount of things that could possibly happen in the foreseeable future. Some things in the future are probably going to come up rather quickly where others might pop up fast. The beauty of it all is that at any given time you can stop thinking about the past and the future and just focus on the present moment. Maybe all that matters is exactly what you perceive of the world in each moment.
'you may be deceived if you trust too much but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough' – Frank Crane
My perspective is ever changing. Over the last 6 weeks i have really felt at times as though I have gotten to know some people really well. However, I need to remind myself that it takes a long time to get to know anyone – regardless of how 'open' or 'closed' they initially seem. I currently believe that everyone is putting on a front of some sort. No one wants show their true feelings and reactions to the things that are really personal to people they don't trust.
Why can't people just be real? It seems so rare… Like everyone has stories – ask about the stories they hesitate to tell


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Latest update March 7th, 2017 3:03 PM
Dec 18, 2014 Parvesh Bravo Health 0
It takes a lot of discipline and restriction in order to do weight loss. As many of us know, the path to losing weight is much more than just exercising at the gym 5 hours a day. Diet plays a large part too and many people forget about this key idea. Another problem with weight loss is that when people do not see the results that they expect, they become less motivated to continue working out. This slows their progress and they stop exercising eventually. People who have had a lot of success with weight loss knows that patience is key. Weight loss is much difficult than you think.
The path to weight loss does not have to be difficult. In fact, with enough planning and discipline, it can be easily accomplished. In today's world, there are a lot of aids that can assist you with your physical goals. A strong example of a supplement that is designed to help you with weight loss is Garcinia Cambogia HCA. What this beautiful supplement does is that it helps restrict your body's ability to make fat and reduces the number of times you have cravings throughout the day. You gain the benefits of 2 elements by reducing the amount of fat you produce and suppressing the number of cravings you have. Therefore, you eat less and you lose more fat.
If you do not have success with the Garcinia Cambogia HCA, then there is a similar popular weight loss supplement. For those of us that are familiar, it is the Forskolin supplement. What this supplement does is that it is mainly designed to help with skin issues. However, scientists have found out that the Forskolin supplement have been widely used to a large success rate for weight loss. Besides helping people with their skin problems, Forskolin also helps widen the walls of blood vessels. What this does is that it helps your body lower its blood pressure. This wonderful supplement has been used for centuries and have been recently found to have outstanding results for weight loss. For those of us that suffer from chest pain and asthma, Forskolin also helps relieve that as well.
Before you head out and dump all your money on these wonderful supplements, you will have to conduct a little research. Go out on the internet and research the best product for Garcinia Cambogia HCA and Forskolin supplements. The worst thing you want to do is to consume an unknown drug that could have dire consequences on your body. What you need to do is good research to ensure your safety before consuming such products. On top of taking these supplements, it is imperative that you also maintain a good diet and proper exercising. Combining the proper exercise, a great diet, discipline, patience, and the supplements, you are already on a fast track towards achieving the healthy and slim body you have always wanted. Of all the things that was just listed, patience is the most important.
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Bluegrass Classics Chartered Tour
Friday, March 31, 12:00pm - 4:30pm
Departs from and returns to Keeneland Main Grandstand!
Kentucky has so much rich history to share with our visitors, but few places contain more of it than the two you'll visit on this tour! First, you'll travel to our state capitol of Frankfort where, you'll tour Buffalo Trace Distillery, one of the longest continually-operating distilleries in the country! You'll enjoy lunch in the visitor center, learn the craft of making bourbon, enjoy some samples, and shop in the gift shop before heading over to one of Kentucky's most historic Thoroughbred farms.
Airdrie Stud, formerly Woodburn Stud, is the place to which Lexington the Horse retired to stand stud after his illustrious racing career. On these grounds, the foundation for Thoroughbred Racing and breeding, as we know it, was formed. You'll tour their stallion operation before returning to Keeneland.
You'll be hosted and entertained by your own personal hospitality team on a luxury coach bus, complete with bourbon balls and beverages for the ride!
Tour departs from and returns to the South Gate Entrance of the Main Grandstand, where you're luxury coach bus will pick you up and drop you off. There is plenty of parking, right there!


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Hobby Cards Europe
quarta-feira, 28 de junho de 2017
50 Cities of the World #24 Christiania
So, after noticing in my cards list that I don't know the difference between numbers 24 and 27 I'm here now to give all the credit to the real #24 card in this set.
I don't have a clue where this is.
But after turning the card I find out it's in Norway. Even more the 'modern capital' of Norway.
And if you are wondering (I know you are! So don't make that face), yep...this is the previous name for Oslo.
Now we are talking!
Funny to see that one (or the) highlights in the back is the University, the free University, with, look at this!, 50 professors and over 1'000 students! I bet that for the time it was massive!
I'd love to visit Nordic Countries but it's so cold up there! Brrrrrrr just imagining that in mid Summer they have an average of 23ºC (around 73.4F says google) it gives me the chills...
But it is a beautiful place, by the photos I've seen.
So if you want to know more about Christiania, nowadays, Oslo, visit its wiki page here and then go there and visit the city in person.
Just be careful of the icebergs...oh wait!
50 Cities of the World #27 Calcutta
For this one I had to search Google for sure. I don't know that much about India.
That's why I didn't know that Calcutta (which is the name we still use here too) has changed to Kolkata.
It used to be, like others, part of the English Empire. But like stated here in the card back, it was and still is a commercial centre.
It is located on the east bank of the Hooghly river. And we all know how a river is a great mean-to-an-end when we're talking about commerce.
When I picture Calcutta I picture roads where you can't put an other car. But looking at the card it seems so peaceful, with the river and the little boats.
For more info, here the wiki page.
ETA: I must have been sleepwalking when I did this post because this card is #27 and not #24 lol So I'm moving this post to it's place and will be posting the one and true #24 card!
sexta-feira, 28 de abril de 2017
Star Wars - keeping warm for December
Now that Rogue One is on Blue Ray and DVD for everyone to enjoy and we already have the first Eps8 trailer let see the last cards I got for Rogue One.
I got short by around 10 cards for completing the collection...ohhhhh well
Cannot wait, not only to see the new film but also to know what Topps will do about the cards. Hope they follow the great looking style they developed for Rogue One. Really liked the style and look of the cards.
Topps 2016 - cards I like because yes - part III
Nope. Haven't forgotten the blog nor you my friends. But having a house to take care is a pain!
And leaves me with no many to order cards...big pain!
But lets put a smile on our faces and see pretty cards. Even if I think you already seen all of these before and even own them lol
Jay and Blanco because...I don't know. Jay seems like he totally missed the ball - "ohhhhhhh shoot! I'm here swinging and the ball is already gone..." - and Blanco is showing the tip of the bat. I'm that weird.
Here a great fly for the ball for Reddick. So beautiful...
When I saw this card I remembered I've seen Reddick getting a similar card from a previous year...and I've found it!
See!? Back in 2013 Topps also gave a great Reddick card. Do you know more of Reddick cards that are like these two!?
Now onto some Pitchers cards to make one of those jokes about freshman year vs senior year.
Because...poor Scott...what a face to have on their rookie card...
Norris au contraire is looking quite nice. (like the beard...ehehehe)
An now because I also collect D'backs cards, a RC of Peter O'Brien. What to highlight!? The dimple!
I love Catchers cards where they have the mask on and right into action.
And I end with Gonzalez going into sliding. There is no dust or dirt in the air but I can imagine.
Publicada por Ana Lu à(s) 15:55 4 comentários:
quarta-feira, 22 de fevereiro de 2017
Topps 2016 - cards I like because yes - part II
When Topps can pack an action play into a portrait card. We usually get plays like this in horizontal cards, which I prefer, but I can see it working this way, in this specific case.
I happen to enjoy too having cameos cards like this one. If you are a OCD kinda collector, and you collect and organize your collection by player how do you sort this card?
Tough one...
Will you get two of this to keep one for Norris and other for Reed?
Not talking about the thing that both Padres and Brewers colour uniforms are quite the same here.
Fielder is one of those players that fills the card. Almost no space left for the smoking white corners.
A RC where you cannot see the players face. Nice touch Topps...Is not that I don't like because I do really like catchers cards with them wearing the mask. But poor Severino here...I cannot recognize him if I get other card of him.
Ahhhhhhh those fantastic catches over the outfield fence!
And I end with one of my favourite Pitchers. I never cared that much about Giants but then I started realizing how many of them players I like and it was like an epiphany...Still don't care about them as a team but I like their roster ehehehe
Even more Bumgarner because he does that bunny-teeth-pitches.
Publicada por Ana Lu à(s) 18:06 4 comentários:
domingo, 19 de fevereiro de 2017
Topps 2016 - cards I like because yes - part I
I started using glasses around my twenties and since then I started paying attention to people using them. Because it is still a thing that is viewed (nice pun!) as not making a person pretty. Using glasses is quite normal and almost everyone do need them but if you go take a photo you usually take them off.
In sports it's even less common to see a player using glasses. In football the most famous was Dutch Edgar Davids. He had to ask FIFA to be able to use them during the matches. That's a bit sad, to have to ask the organisation that controls the sports if you can use something so vital for you.
Well...in baseball it is more common than in football but it's always a rare pull when you get a card with a player wearing glasses.
That's why I liked this Marksberry RC so much. And why I might have written my longest paragraphs in a post LOL
You know how much I love dust in the air. Sadly it's more dirt in the air nowadays. The good old dust cloud is something from the past. But ohhhh well...this will do.
Ortiz is one of those few players, that even playing for rival teams you respect them a lot.
Ichiro here is a plus, because he actually played for my team.
Both Ortiz and Ichiro got pretty good cards this past year.
Pitchers thanking the baseball gods are always something cool. I can only picture the little baseball devils trying to interfere with ball when it's on its way to make it a ball instead of a strike.
The Devil's Whisper.
I admire a lot all the Catchers. They have to be in that awful painful position for so long, and then have to kick off it and run like Chirinos is doing here in the card, to get the ball or help the field players get the out. They sure are complete players.
Publicada por Ana Lu à(s) 17:58 9 comentários:
segunda-feira, 23 de janeiro de 2017
Star Wars - are you even ready for more Rogue One?
You know...Real life sometimes is a total b*tch so I couldn't post sooner.
I know I was showing my Topps cards but meanwhile got more Star Wars cards and I'm almost completing the collection! I'm what...10 short of getting them all, I think.
The Girl Power in the original series and then in the prequel was there, by Leia and Padmé, but now in the sequel and spin-offs it is even more visible that Disney is betting high on it.
All for it!
One of my favourite is the transparent Krennic. Thsi guy gives me the chills...
Lots, and LOTS of K-2SO!
He's quite photogenic...
I can sooooooooo picture a new comic series about Director Krennic...
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