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The Creative Nerd
Barbie's Pool Party
I've always had fun playing with my niece Sabrina. She is four, will be five shortly after the first of the year. I like toys, I do. Getting down on the floor with a little kid to participate in his or her play is fascinating. In a way watching play cannot, you can see so much of what is going on in her mind. Trust me, it can be scary.
Now that Sabrina is into Barbie, I couldn't be happier. Barbie was the toy of my childhood. Having a legitimate reason to cruse the Barbie aisle is priceless.
I spent an afternoon with Sabrina and Barbie playing with her new pool. Everyone was there: Barbie, Ken, Skipper, Staci and Kelly. We set up in the kitchen. It took some doing to convince Sabrina it was better to play on the linoleum then be very, very careful on the hardwood in her bedroom. It was as if Barbie and family were on vacation at one of New Orleans la hotels with all the amenities.
I thought it would be fun to play with taking some photos of the toys from a perspective where they seem life sized. I'd some amazing shots online which I couldn't find again. Then I saw Twolia experimenting with
Did I forget to mention Barbie is a nudist? We don't currently have any swim suits for anyone but Ken. Sabrina could care less.
Lifeguard Ken should be paying more attention.
Barbie dips her feet.
Skipper takes a turn as lifeguard. Note, Sabrina is holding Kelly under the water so she can be saved from drowning. We did this, oh, two dozen times.
I'll certainly be experimenting with more toy photos. I can't wait until Christmas.
Posterity
Do you think any current author is of the same caliber as Dickens, Austen, Bronte, or any of the classic authors? If so, who, and why do you think so? If not, why not? What books from this era might be read 100 years from now?
Everyone has heard how Shakespeare was considered lowbrow entertainment for the unwashed masses. In the end, the totality of his work had, arguably, the largest impact on literature and the English language of any single person.
I always think of the Bard when considering the potential impact of the passage of time. Be it books, music, movies, or art, what a society elevates today is not a fair indication of the long term value of the work. One of my personal pet peeves is people who seem to live entirely in current popular culture.
Of course, it wouldn't be any fun to answer this question by saying, it is impossible to know which books will be read 100 years from now.
First, I will say, of course there are writers as good as any classics living and working today. If anything, widespread literacy in the western world has made the last fifty years of books better than ever. More people with more varied stories have had the opportunity to write. A percentage of today's amazing writer wouldn't have even learned to write their names two hundred years ago. A working class kid like Stephen King would have likely not have gotten the education that has allowed him to become one of the greatest living storytellers. He would have woven his yarns for the boys at the pub or his children, but writing them down would have been beyond him. What a tragedy.
One quality I see as essential for a book to stand the test of time is relatable characters. Technology and tastes change. People do not. Moving from caves into manufactured homes has not changed the human condition as much as we like to think.
I present as evidence the Bible and classic mythology. Both are widely read today (total understatement). The Bible is, of course, read for religious reasons, but the same argument cannot be made for myth. No one worships Zeus, yet the pantheon of gods make for compelling reading. We can see ourselves in the stories. Classical themes are classic because contain the emotions of everyday life.
Now, that is a very general answer. I've decided to review my reading list for 2009 and 2008 to pick a handful I would guess to be in print in one hundred years. I have limited myself by defining "this era" to my lifetime, so only books published after 1980.
Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
With such a group of well written and varied books, I'd like to think I'm right on at least one. I can't wait to see what great books the other Booking Through Thursday participants endorse for future classic status.
Over the Top
Sunday Stealing: The Over the Top Meme
Part One - Describe:
Your hair? Short. Straight. Dark Blonde.
Your mother? Me, twenty-six years older and two inches shorter.
Your father? Not talkative, but I know he cares.
Your favorite food? Chocolate.
Your dream last night? Don't remember any.
Your favorite drink? Diet Coke.
Your dream/goal? To make a living at something I am passionate about where I don't have to explain concepts like unlocked phone vs locked phones to people who's technique expertize is more on the level of rotary.
The room are you in? Living room.
Your hobby? Blogging. I'd say reading, but it is more of a lifestyle than a hobby.
Your fear? Lack of financial security.
Your TV? Old, small and secondhand.
Your Pets? Feline and demanding.
Friends? Few and forever.
Your life? Isn't want I expected.
Your mood? Good.
If you're missing someone? When your loved ones span the country from sea to shinning sea, missing someone is a given.
Your best friend? Is waiting for me to call.
Part Two - The Where's?
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Geographically? I have no idea. But I'd like to been in a "real" career and a house.
Where were you last night? Sofa.
Where did you grow up? On Navy bases and the surrounding communities.
One place that I go to over and over? Kate's house.
Your favorite place to eat out? Wendy's
Wish list items? Books and shoes.
Last time you laughed? Not sure.
Last time you cried? It's been a few weeks.
Part Three - The What's?
Something that you aren't? Conventional or tall.
Last thing you did? Checked Facebook.
What are you wearing? T-shirt.
Something you're not wearing? Pants.
Your favorite store? Target.
Wil Wheaton Shares Memories of The Future
I owe Wil Wheaton big time. The debt goes back over twenty years. He has no idea, of course, but I've never forgotten what he did for me.
The year was 1987. Anyone who doesn't know what Wil as doing in that fateful year couldn't possibly understand the story I am about to tell.
My family was heavily into Star Trek. We watched reruns of The Original Series every weeknight after dinner. I loved the show. It must have been on at five o'clock. It was still light out. I had plenty of time to fashion a tricorder and communicator from paper plates after the show. The technology was very impressive when you just got a VCR, much more than now when a Corporate usb drive can hold nearly as much information as the Enterprise computer only without the sexy voice.
I was seven. I had no idea how uncool my interest was, but I wouldn't have cared. I'm still oblivious to cool.
The least cool part of all this dorky behavior was my strong desire to marry Spock when I grew up. With total abandon, I crushed on the pointy-eared science officer. Not Leonard Nimoy, but his half Vulcan, uber-logical character. I don't remember how it started or the why in my first grade girl brain. I didn't think I could actually marry Spock, mind you, but the idea featured in my daydreams for a good many years. Pretty much, I wanted to be the girl in the episode All Our Yesterdays only with a different ending. More akin to Sleeping Beauty in space.
Thanks to Wil Wheaton, all my little girlfriends at school were watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. They thought Wesley Crusher was totally dreamy. Star Trek was instantly cool, or at least normal. I was a little off beat, but not a total weirdo and outcast. In my childhood, on into my teens, those moments were few and far between. I don't take them for granted.
When Wil asked listeners to his podcast to help spread the word about his new book Memories of the Future, how could I not?
I snagged his snazzy artwork from the official podcast website. If you are thinking squid, look again. Then picture them on a larger scale with one in space and one trapped beneath the surface of a planet. Need a hint?
Your hint happens to be from Wil writing about the first season of The Next Generation on AOL's TV Squad back in 2007. His writing there lead directly to Memories of the Future, a Mystery-Science-Theater-3000-esque look at those early ST:TNG episodes. It is the sort of poking fun which can only be accomplished when you have a deep and abiding love for the target.
Seldom would I recommend a book before I have read it. Memories of the Futurecast has taken the guesswork out of book buying. Each week for the last ten weeks, Wil has read an excerpt from the book for the podcast. Hilarious. His off-the-cuff comments are priceless. I'm not afraid to admit I've laugh-snorted a couple times while listening.
The funny is great. But the best part is the inside view of the crew and making of a television show which is more than just television to the fans. For my generation especially, Wil is a link to why we love science fiction and all things geek.
You can download a copy for a mere $10 or $19.87 (get it?) in paperback. The least we can do to make up for Wil spending his youth in the sweaters Wesley Crusher loved to wear is to buy Memories of the Future.
Tea Cabinet
Moved from old blog. Original published June 22, 2007 - Below is my first successful decoupage project. I love it. It houses my tea and spices with personality. I don't care what my tv stands look like, but by golly, my cinnamon needs a fashionable home. For more information on the fun of decoupage check out Mod Podge Rocks.
Chris picked out this cabinet during our yard sale outing last week. It's nice solid wood, but I don't do "country" at all.
A paint job and some decoupage, and now I have something going.
Front view
Left view
right side
Top; my personal favorite.
Inside, I love red
I used acrylic paint, magazine images and my new favorite product Mod-Podge. I love it now.
Mod-Podge is a combo glue, varnish, sealer, overall crafty, sticky goo. It worked wonders. No matter how thick I'd slathered the stuff on, it dries clear pretty quickly. It comes in a couple different formulas, including one with sparkles. I'm on the lookout now for a project that demands glitter.
You Say "Manipulation" Like It's A Bad Thing (Or Persuasion For Pay)
My work is not a common topic for my blog. The reasons for this fall in to two areas. I work in a call center run by a third party vendor taking calls for a phone company. Neither company allows me to talk about them or the customers in any kind of detail. Vague stories don't make compelling blog posts.
More important, my job is not very interesting. Working in the public is both an adventure and mind-numbingly repetitive. I have always worked with the public. And I enjoy it. The worst thing you could do to me is stick me in an office by myself and expect me to sit quietly working all day.
Yet, I still have days when I wonder why enjoy it. Any management and training I have ever had on customer service has focused on the simply human pleasure of service. It feels good to help another person. Oh, sure. Will that idea keep you going day after day, year after year when dealing with the more thankless aspects of customer service. Six months, max, then the voices start to blur. It becomes hard to think of sixty interactions a day as real people.
Let me clue you in on a little secret: Using the power of words to make the customer think and do what I want them to think and do is one of the best things about my job.
I assume the utter thrill I get from having a customer's undivided attention and agreement to my assessment of their problem is rooted deep in my lack of social status in school. It doesn't take Freud to figure out why I take pride in my skill at selling ice to penguins or an electronic cigarette to nonsmokers. I'm darn good at what I do now. I was great in my seven years of selling shoes. I choose my words with skill based on cues from the customer I could not begin to explain, except that it is the right thing to say.
I only manipulate for the good of a person's phone bill. Using math, language, and personality as I do when talking customers out of outdated plans they are in love with is a balancing act. Too much confidence seems condescending. Too quick an answer is doubted.
Judging a caller's temperament, educational level and socioeconomic factors within the first few minutes of the interaction plays a large part in what they call in the business soft skills. That clearly means something you can't teach, but is vial to success.
I lead unwilling, yelling, abusive callers down the road to where they say thank you at the end of the call. It is stressful, but when it works, it is a power trip.
Hot damn! They bought it! Hook, line, sinker!
If that makes me a bad person, guilty as charged. If it helps me get through the day and keeps the customer happy, no harm is done.
Rest assured, my intentions are honorable. I won't persuade you wrong, but I will lead you where I think you ought to go.
Shoes I Am
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A girl has got to have some pretty shoes to feel special, don't you think?
A third pair was purchased, but not pictured. In fact, were the mission for the trip. My new sneakers aren't exciting or shinny, but I needed them.
I also got my hair cut. Usually, I would have posted pictures of a fresh haircut, but I've been sick.
Chris was so happy to take me shoe shopping earlier in the week. He has been working hard at a new freelance writing job over the last month. Over the last few years both of us have brought in a modest sum with our blogs. It has helped our one income budget stay comfortable, but hasn't been enough to give us a real second income feel. With what he is doing now should be as good as a part time job only in less time. I'm not saying we're in the market for a house with an Amish fireplace, but it is a step in the right direction.
I'm so proud of him turning his passion for sports into a profitable venture. The money is nice. The shoes are great. What is even better is my dear husband feeling good about bring home the bacon. No matter how much we objectively believe it is fine for me to be the breadwinner in the relationship, it is good for his ego to be able to take his wife out to dinner.
And I'll never say no to a new pair of shoes.
Strange Questions
Sunday Stealing: The Strange Question Meme, Part 1
1. What is the color of your toothbrush? White with red.
2. Name one person who made you smile today. My niece, Sabrina.
3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Sleeping.
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Same thing I'm doing now - trying to blog and catch up on blog reading. Nothing like opposing goals on a Sunday afternoon.
5. What is your favorite candy bar? It's like trying to pick my favorite puppy - can't be done. Twix despite my usual dislike of caramel. KitKat always hits the spot. Hershey with Almond.
6. Have you ever been to a strip club? Not interested.
7. What is the last thing you said aloud? "I don't know if they are planning on it at all"
8. What is your favorite ice cream? How to choose? If I had to pick World Class Chocolate from Baskin-Robbins. It has a mousse-like texture and rich taste. Of course, when I get to go to Baskin-Robbins, I spend as much time picking a flavor as I would reviewing term life insurance quotes to reach the obvious conclusion.
9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Currently working on a Powerade from McDonald's fountain.
10. Do you like your wallet? I haven't decided. I've changed to a smaller wallet from the checkbook size. I like that it's smaller but it is a hassle for bigger items. Not sure if I'm going to stay with the little one or go back to a big one.
11. What was the last thing you ate? Rather unsatisfying McDonald's cheeseburger and too-salty fries.
12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? Shoes. Three pairs. Don't think I broke the bank. It was Payless and I had a 20% off coupon. Two pair of clearance flats - one pink, one silver - and a much needed pair of sneakers.
13. The last sporting event you watched? It's Sunday during the football season. There is a game on at my house, but we could debate the term "watch", couldn't we?
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Butter. Is this a question for some people?
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? I've never sent a text message as I am one of the last people on earth without a cell phone. The one exception is in my job where the billing system allows me to text information or confirmations to customer cell phones as an automated message. I'm assuming that doesn't count.
16. Ever go camping? Once. I tagged along with my friend Kate's Girl Scout troop. Her mom had already bought the supplies for eight or so girl. When only three could go, I was invited. As fate would have it, my next camping trip will be in a couple years when Kate's daughter starts Girl Scouts. God help me.
17. Do you take vitamins daily? Daily? Does that mean intend to take everyday, but take from time to time? Hey, it's still better than never taking vitamins.
18. Do you go to church every Sunday? It's been years since I went to church and much longer since I went every Sunday.
19. Do you have a tan? Did you know it was fashionable to be pale until Coco Chanel popularized the tan in the 1920s? I forgive her, but choose to go old school and be pale as nature intended for me.
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? It depends. I prefer great pizza over mediocre Chinese food and great Chinese food over mediocre pizza. Both are tough to find in the rural Midwest.
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? Only fountain soda. Otherwise, I drink out of bottles or cans with no straw.
22. What did your last text message say? As I've explained, I don't have a cell phone. Despite making my living helping people with every perceived cell phone crisis, I do not believe them to be a requirement of basic survival. But I don't judge, because my home internet connection is very, very important.
23. What are you doing tomorrow? For sure? Calling my mom. Otherwise, it's my day off so we'll see.
24. Favorite color? Growing up I never had a true favorite color. Some people are so passionate about their favorite color. My mother loves green. My brother loves purple. My love of color is tied to my Crayloa Crayons. Each lovely and useful. None is more important than the next, because coloring the sky orange or the grass blue isn't an option. These days, I claim red as my favorite color. It is, in fact, my favorite color to wear.
25. Look to your left; what do you see? Chris on the other end of the sofa watching a football game on our sad, small television.
Save Time and Money with an Online Degree
People always say each year passes more quickly as you age. Not only is that true, but each day is compressed so there is no extra time. Remember those days right before school started in the fall? You didn't want to go back to school, yet the lazy days start to stretch into too much time filled with nothing. What I wouldn't give to live one of those days right about now.
The main reason working adults choose to pursue an online degree rather than attend a brick and mortar university is time. When you add in commute time saved with the flexibility of fitting study time around life rather than arranging life around school, the benefits are clear.
Unfortunately, the trade off is usually paying substantially more for an education then those with more time to burn. I don't know anyone with time or money to spare, so reading about
Another unique feature of Western Governor is a Competency-based model that allows knowledge and mastery to guide each student's progress. For students, that means less time spent based on what you already know or learn quickly. Terms are structured around a six month time frame for a flat fee no matter how many credits are earned. The faster a student completes assessments, the less expense the overall degree.
Western Governor University is an exciting option for an adult student with full plate of work and life looking for bachelor's or masters degree online with the flexibility to accelerate learning based on individual mastery.
Hobbes: High flying dare-devil cat
Moved from old blog. Originally published April 4, 2007 - A long weekend and change in work schedule has given me a serious case of blogger block. I need a colon cleanse only for my brain, you know. Since no blog is complete without cat pictures, I'm publishing a few gems of my little Hobbes.
I'm always telling people - family, friends, co-worker - wither they are interested or not, that our kitten is wild. I have yet to capture him on film trying to fly, or at least glide; flying squirrel style.
Here we caught him walking the edge of the door frame:
Weeding the Library
For once, I'm Booking Through Thursday on Thursday:
When’s the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularlykeep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom intosomething out of control the minute you turn your back, like a gardenafter a Spring rain?
Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.)
And–when you DO weed out books from your collection (assuming thatyou do) …what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate themto a charity or used bookstore? SELL them to a used bookstore? Tradethem on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program?
Get rid of books? I don't understand.
I am a pro at acquiring books. Letting go is not my forte. I am far more likely to own multiple copies then to get rid of a book. My habit of buying The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galexy books when I come upon them is getting silly. But. I. Can't. Stop. For ten cents or a quarter, I love to have a spare to lend.
A good book stays in almost all cases. Two questions: would I read it again? Or would I pass it to someone to read?
If in doubt, I keep. For example, I doubt I'll ever read The Va Vinci Code or Angels and Demons again. I enjoyed the ride, but have no desire for a return trip. Still, I keep them. They had such an impact on popular culture, I feel they are important.
I think I do this because my mother has books from the seventies and eighties that were smash bestsellers in their day, but virtually unheard of by the time I was in high school. I wouldn't have discovered them if they weren't in the house.
When a book does not qualify for the collection, it is hard to find an acceptable way to get rid of a book bad enough to give up.
It goes without saying, throwing a book in the trash is not acceptable. I have had a Goodwill bag. I have given okay but not awesome books to friends and coworkers. I looked into BookCrossing where you "tag and release" books. I just couldn't do it. Even though you can report to the site when you are setting a book down in a public place so those signed up for alerts can try to find it, I am not comfortable with leaving a book where it will likely be tossed in the trash. As exciting as it would be to have someone report a book found, I'm too attached to books to risk the waste. I know they are just objects, but I cannot bare to treat a book like used water filters to be disposed of with no further thought.
My new favorite way to get rid of my unloved books is PaperBackSwap. I have mailed nine and ordered eleven. When you sign up and your first ten books, they issue two points. Points sell for $3.75 each or free with each book you mail. All I have invested is postage.
It is the perfect solution. I get to send books I don't care about to people who will care about them, then order books I want. All for the price of postage. What could be better?
Magical Mystery Tour Meme
Sunday Stealing: The Magical Mystery Tour Meme
1. Is there anybody you just wish would fall off the planet? With or without a spacesuit? Maybe better not to admit to these things.
2. How do you flush the toilet in public? Must be a question for the germ phobic folks. I press the button with my hand just like I would at home. Since I walk out of the stall and wash my hands, I'm not too worried about any grossness.
3. Do you wear your seat beat in the car? Every trip, every time. I don't take foolish chances with my life if I can help it.
4. Do you have a crush on someone? I crush pretty easily. As a happily married woman, I limit my crushes to famous guys or fictional men. I've loved Spock since I was seven. It was the 80s, by the way. Weird enough, Andy Levy from Fox News late night comedy/commentary show. An adorable smart libertarian and super funny.
5. Name one thing you worry about running out of. Money. Oops, too late.
6. What famous person do you (or other people) think you resemble? I'm short and big breasted like Dolly Parton, but other than that, I don't think I look like any famous person.
7. What is your favourite pizza topping? Veggies. I like a white pizza with spinach and onions, and a little rocatta cheese. I've never had one I like better than mine.
8. Do you crack your knuckles? Yes. Since I was a kid.
9. What song do you hate the most? Ice, Ice Baby. You rip off Queen and claim you didn't, I will hate you forever. Proof? Under Pressure and that hit by a crappy white rapper.
10. Did just mentioning that song make it get stuck in your head? Nope. Listening to Under Pressure. I love you forever, Freddie.
11. What are your super powers? The power of communication. Be it written or oral, I have a knack for making myself understood. Comes in handy at work.
12. Peppermint or spearmint? Spearmint.
13. Where are your car keys? On the DVR box. It's right by the apartment door.
14. Last song you listened to? Listening to Bad Day by Barenaked Ladies right now on Slacker.
15. What's your most annoying habit? I'm a world class procrastinator. Not only annoying to others, it frustrates the heck out of me.
16. Where did you last go on vacation? Vacation? What is that?
17. What is your best physical feature? Smile.
18. What CD is closest to you right now? Either Queen's Greatest Hits or Barenaked Ladies' Stunt.
19. What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator? Heinz Ketchup, 2% milk, Kraft Singles.
20. What superstition do you believe/practice? Not seriously. The closest I can think of would be that I always, always tell my husband I love him when I leave the house, he drops me off at work, or when I call from work to have him pick me up. We live a mile from my job, so when he picks me up, it's five minutes from the phone call to when I climb into the truck. It almost seems silly, but I would feel weird not saying it.
21. What colour are your bed sheets? The nice set is hunter green.
22. Would you rather be a fish or a bird? Bird, unless I can be a marine mammal.
23. Last thing you broke? Dropped a mug in the kitchen a few months ago.
24. What are you having to eat tonight? Pulled pork is in the slow cooker and homemade rolls just came out of the oven. You can see why I tell my husband I love him *grin*
25. What colour shirt are you wearing? Grey t-shirt.
26. If you could be doing anything else today, what would you rather be doing? Hanging out with family that lives too far away for visits.
27. Do security cameras make you nervous? Nope. I'm not doing anything wrong. Or, for that matter, interesting.
28. If you wrote a book about your life, what would the title be? Forget Roots, I'm a Potted Plant.
29. Last time you went to a cemetery? When we lived in New York, I'd walk through the cemetery down the street. The old section from shortly after the civil war, not the modern part. Graves of anyone alive in my lifetime are a bit creepy for a causal visit.
30. Last concert you went to? Never been to a concert.
31. Favourite musician(s)/bands you've seen in concert? Most of my favorite musicians are dead or not touring.
32. Next concert you're planning to attend? No plans.
33. Do you talk to yourself? Not as much as you might think. I do, however, talk to inanimate objects all the time.
34. Have you ever adopted or purchased a pet? I've adopted strays.
35. Have you ever been present when an animal is being born? No. Can't say I'm all that interested in experiencing the miracle of birth from that angle.
Let's Talk About Books!
I know, I'm Booking Through Friday again, but I couldn't pass up this one. The idea is to find like minded readers to discuss books, genres or authors. It is an exciting idea for me since I don't get to talk to readers in my daily routine. Makes me want to work in a bookstore like I want to at fourteen.
So, here is the prompt for this week:
I was wanting to try a certain author and wished I knew someone who had read her works so I could get a recommendation when it occurred to me that having a “YOU ask the question” Booking Through Thursday might be fun. Each participant could ask a question they’ve wanted to discuss with other readers. Perhaps, like me, you’d like a recommendation of a certain author’s best work, or perhaps you LOVE a certain genre or series but no one else you know does and you’d just like to discuss it with someone. Or perhaps you want to try a new genre and would like recommendations from seasoned readers.
It would help if everyone put some idea of the question or topic in their response comment here rather than just saying, “My post is up” so that those who can’t get around to everyone can see what the topics are and get to those which most interest them.
My reading interests are as wide open as the Montana sky. I can't think of a genre I wouldn't read. Still, some authors and genres invoke more than average passion.
What I would love to have happen is to find some blogs to read with similar interests. Even better, new bookish people to follow on Twitter.
Just a brief list of things I'd love to discuss with some online friends:
Science fiction: I've loved Asimov, Silverberg and Bradbury since my early teens. I've been reading Star Trek novels. Of late, I've become obsessed with John Scalzi. I would love to be introduced to more modern writers.
Margaret Atwood: The Handmaid's Tale is a longtime favorite. I love the variety of books she writes. I'm eager to read The Year of the Flood
.It is not a sequel Oryx and Crake
, but in the same world at the same time, but different people and events. Young Adult Fiction: I enjoy a good novel written for teens.
Sherman Alexie: We read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
in high school for a multicultural lit class I loved his poems. They made a wonderful little independent film. I recently read his The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
, a young adult novel which won the National Book Award. I can't think of anything else right now, but I can't wait to see what everyone else says.
If you want to talk about any types of books, authors or whatever, leave a comment. If you leave a blog and a Twitter handle, I'll happily follow.
Comment and Privacy Policy
Hello friends, bloggers, and readers.
Comments are one of the two biggest ways bloggers measure success. We love
A comment means not only are people finding my site and reading it, a miracle in itself in the vastness of the internet, but connected enough to what I wrote to respond. Wow!
So, with a heavy heart, I have decided it is time to formalize policies regarding comments and privacy. comments. To me, comments are much more valuable then a bump in traffic.
Comment Policy:
TinaKubala.com, home of The Creative Nerd blog, accepts comments from readers. Any comment relevant to post topic and meeting bounds of basic decency will be published. Abusable or vulgar comments will be deleted at the discretion of the blog owner.
All comments are moderated. The reason is twofold: Weeding out spam and inappropriate links and allow response to comments in a timely manor.
Links in comments must be for blogs or other personal websites. Any commercial links will be removed from legitimate comments before publication. Comments of "nice blog" or other such nonresponse comment with commercial links will be marked as spam and deleted.
Spam will not be tolerated. Keywords in the name field, commercial links in the URL or comment section, and gibberish comments are all spam. Relevant comments with spam links will be published with links removed.
At owners discretion, an email may be sent requesting a non-commercial link for publication.
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Policy valid from October 6, 2009
On Goal Setting - A Poem
The poem itself was moved from my old blog. Originally published November 4, 2006.
A couple weeks ago, I mentioned on my blog how I like to write poetry. I've dabbled since before I really understood poems. It wasn't until ninth grade English when I wrote anything worthwhile.
Oddly, I'm shy about sharing my more creating writing. Being a blogger, it seems silly to have concerns about sharing what I write, I know. It seems poems are more personal and more formal than other kinds of writing. It is as if I need to put a tuxedo shirt on the piece in order to present it to the world. I decided to start with something I've already published. Not as scary for me.
Anyway, before I chicken out, I wrote this a couple years ago. It's pessimistic, but I like it:
On Goal Setting
Time is quicksand
where will
you be in
One year?
Five? Ten?
Conservative,
Grandiose,
struggle as you might,
Time will pull
you in, hold
you down, keep
you down, until
Time is gone,
you'll be left standing
In the same muck.
By Tina Kubala
November 4, 2006
The Starrlight Meme
Sunday Stealing: The Starrlight Meme1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth? Orbit gum.
2. Where was your profile picture taken? The picture on my blog was taken in Virgina. I was standing in Lake Monticello at my husband's aunt's house.
3. Can you play Guitar Hero? Never tried. If my usual experience with video games holds, I would play badly.
4. Name someone who made you laugh today. What was it about? My niece Sabrina. More than once. She is four, will be five in January. She is an endless source of amusement. For one thing she was wearing a shirt, panties and a pair of her mom's knee high nylons when they picked me up this morning for our day of adventure.
5. How late did you stay up last night and why? When? Last night I was reading myself to sleep around 3 am. That's what happens when I chug a Diet Coke at 11 pm.
6. If you could move somewhere else where would you and why? Is that not a perfect question for me? In a perfect world, Kate would move to Western Washington so I wouldn't have to choose between living near only some of my closest loved ones. Maybe one of us will win a fortune and we can all live in South Beach Miami hotels at least in the winter.
7. Ever been kissed under fireworks? No, actually.
8. Which of your friends lives closest to you? Kate. I moved to Missouri for her. Okay, not true. I moved to Missouri for her daughter Sabrina (see question 4).
9. Do you believe ex's can be friends? With benefits? I don't see any benefit to being friends with an ex. The only reason I can see for maintaining contact is if there are children involved. Continuing to have sex with an ex is a huge mistake. Who needs the drama?
10. Do you like Dr. Pepper? And Diet Dr. Pepper.
11. When was the last time you cried really hard? Really hard as opposed to just sniveling? Don't think I've really every sniveled. I had a bit of a melt down a couple months ago before I went back on the antidepressants.
12. Who took your profile picture? I believe it was my husband's cousin Bryce, but it could have been his Aunt Diana or my mother-in-law Denise.
13. Who was the last person you took a picture of? Sabrina, of course. She was dying to carve pumpkins, so we did three today. That means Kate, Sabrina and I each had a pumpkin. Kate and I did one each, and took turns working under Sabrina's direction on "her" pumpkin.
14. Was yesterday better than today? Why? No. Today was better than yesterday. Only because I woke up with a headache yesterday.
15. Can you live a day without TV? I can. I don't. Watching TV is fun and relaxing. My DVR makes it easy to watch only stuff I really enjoy.
16. Are you upset about anything now? I'm sure I could find something to be upset about, but overall things are going smoothly.
17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? Only relationships with a relatively even balance of give and take. I also believe in focusing on the most important relationships rather than having a bunch of casual friends.
18. Are you a bad influence? Only on weight loss plans. I believe celebratory food has no calories among other feel good policies.
19. Night out or night in? Night in. Most of my favorite outings are daytime outings.
20. What items could you not go without during the day? A good book. A blanket.
21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? Sabrina. She was hospitalized for dehydration a couple months ago during some sort of flu type thing.
22. What does the last text message in your inbox say? I don't own a cell phone.
23. How do you feel about your life right now? My only real issue is my lack of college education leading to a dead end job leading to less money then would make me content. Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with my family and reading and blogging and generally happy to be me.
24. Do you hate anyone? Not actively, you know what I mean. Hate takes more effort than I chose to put into people I could bring myself to hate.
25. If we were to look in your Facebook inbox, what would we find? A handful of messages of interest only to me and the other party. I'm dull and undramatic in my interactions.
26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass? Yes. All my drugs are perscriptions written in my name for legitimate reasons. None are such that would sell on the street.
27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before? My mom thinks I'm perfect. My husband thinks I'm at least mostly perfect.
28. What song is stuck in your head? I've had Don't Stop Believing stuck in my head since watching this last week's Glee.
29. Someone knocks on your window at 2 a.m., whom do you want it to be? At the ripe old age of twenty-nine and a married woman, I would say no one should ever have the need to knock on my window.
30. Do you (or did you) want to have grandkids before you’re 50? I'm twenty-nine and have no children so far, so I would venture to say I would prefer not to have grandkids before I am fifty.
31. Tell us your Saturday night. Went to Walmart with Kate and Sabrina. Then hung out playing Play Doh and watching Horton Hears a Who. If you think it doesn't sound great, check out this Play Doh playset before passing judgment. Did you have a valid reason to make Lightsaber noises on your Saturday night?
32. Do you think too much or too little? Far too much. As a rule, people with depression are thinkers. Not to say all my thinking is depressive in nature. I think about life, the universe and everything with varying degrees of insight.
33. Do you smile a lot? Almost all the time. Out of genuine happiness or to make it easier to get along. Smiling makes people comfortable. Plus, the act of smiling actually tricks the brain into releasing a chemical cocktail of happy chemicals. I read about a study years ago and I can say it really does work.
Yes, Management is a Skill
Maybe it is ten years of reading Dilbert, but I have a slightly cynical viewpoint of management. I was a retail assistant manager, myself, for years, but the position doesn't really mean anything. It requires no real leadership skills, nor does it provide any real power.
I cannot imagine myself being a real manager. The idea of trying to motivate workers who are not self starters. I'm a self starter. I work as hard and well as I can because I have a work ethic based in necessity. I need my hourly wage. I don't want to get fired. I want to earn as many raises and bonuses as possible. Plus, if all I'm doing with my life right now is selling shoes (for seven years) or taking calls about cell phones in a call center (three years and counting), I'm going to at least excel at what I do. I know, it is partly my trademark snobbery.
Since managers clearly have skills and knowledge I don't, getting to that place takes some training. On the job training is the first step for most people.
What if you want to take your skills to the next level?
Since most managers are salaried workers, they are always pressed for time between work, family life, and little things like eating and sleeping. This is exactly why an Online masters programs is the perfect solution for the working professional.
Making the choice to go back to school online involves two important decisions. Most importantly, where to attend. I know, on the couch in your pajamas is where the classes will take place but the school you pick is of the utmost importance. I would recommend a brick and mortar school with an online offering. Gonzaga University Online is a great choice. They are a top tier university, so you can't go wrong.
One great degree offering for aspiring managers is the masters in
Lying About Reading?
Two-thirds of Brits have lied about reading books they haven’t. Have you? Why? What book?
**Edit: I found a link to the article that prompted the question from Monnibo the blogger who submitted it to Booking Through Thursday.
My first impulse was to say I've never lied about having read a book I hadn't read. The typical reasons I could think of to lie aren't something I would worry about.
The most common reading lie is telling your teacher you read a book when you skimmed and wrote an essay.
By my senior year of high school, I had double English credits then I needed to graduate. The whole year, I read the books and participated in class discussions, but didn't turn in any assignments. I didn't care about grades, but we read some great books.
How could I not read The Catcher in the Rye
and Kafka's The Metamorphosis? Oh, I adored Grendel
, a retelling of Beowulf from the monster's point of view. I'll never forget my English teacher Mr Brush saying, "You'd like Grendel. He's a cool guy. You'd want to go have a beer with him."The second reason I can see for saying you read a book when you didn't is what we can call the "intellectual" reason. If the whole book club or everyone at the cocktail party has read a book, statistically some of them are liars. Just saying. I don't join book clubs or go to cocktail parties. I also read enough books that make me sounds smart that I don't need to compensate. Nor do I mind disagreeing with the literati about the quality of books they dub important.
As I thought more about my reading habits, I realized there is one type of lie I have, on occasion, told. I've borrowed books from friends, family members, coworkers, anyone who will let me. It has happened where someone puts a book in my hand with such enthusiasm I cannot say no thank you. It is less hurtful to simply take the book home for a week or two before returning unread.
No harm has come by the tiny lie of kindness. The lender feels good about themselves for sharing a book they enjoy, validated in a fellow reader's assessment of their taste.
The same lie hold when I didn't like the book. I can be brutal in my assessment of a bad book. I relish rehashing the horror with Mom or my friend Kate. But the awkward feeling when you insult a book or movie in front of a fan is a mistake best avoided. Doing it on purpose is unthinkable. Some people could, I'm sure, but I'm too polite. I would hardly have the heart to tell a friend how stinky his Davidoff cigars are, rather just making an excuse to leave the room.
Especially in the case of a person who seldom reads, but loved this one book, I feel it is more important to encourage reading then to scrutinize causal friend's choice of reading material. As I read the last sentence again, I see how snobby it sounds. I'm not trying to deny I'm a snob, so it stays.
Now, two situations break this polite habit.
If I'm close enough to the person, namely Chris, Kate or Mom, I have no issue with being critical of books they like more then I do. Off the top off my head, I can name Patrica Cornwell. Chris likes her books. I don't.
While I'm glad I read the Twilight books, Kate enjoyed them far more than I did. She's not a crazed Twilight fan obsessed with all things vampire, or anything. I simply had more fun picking on the flaws and enjoying the stories despite some serious problems. Oh and my absolute loathing of eighty percent of Bella's behavior and attitude. I'm off subject and asking for trouble with the Twimoms, but I've got to say my piece.
The other books I don't mind slamming in front of fans are classics. Classics have this quality of distance making them fair game. I have no problem complaining about the hours I lost reading Wuthering Heights
or the wretched crap William Faulkner inflicted on me with As I Lay Dying
. FYI: I hate Faulkner much, much more. Both books have plenty of folks who adore them, along with the detractors. History has already vindicated then as classics. They don't need my good opinion. Of course, I could never say whichbooks and authors I've lied about on a public blog. It would be a worsefaux pas to reveal the truth online then to tell it in the first place.I can say more often than not I am interested in and delighted by booksrecommended and loaned to me. Some of my favorite authors have comeinto my life. Keep them coming, please.
Banned Books From My Beloved Book List
Banned Books Week is held annually the last week in September. Yes, people still try to ban books in America in 2009. Craziness.
I've already written my yearly rant against censorship. I thought a Thursday Thirteen highlighting frequently banned and challenged book personally important for me.
Reading these books was like walking a mile in someone's Naot shoes allowing me to experience more then one lifetime worth of living. The more different then me, the more exciting the learning.
Each of these books holds a special place for me. I remember reading them for the first time. With the exception of the two I've only read this year, I've read them more than once.
No one should miss out on the power of these works, or any other, just because some people fear the ideas they contain.
1. The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger 2. To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee3. Brave New World
by Aldous Huxley4. Catch-22
by Joseph Heller5. The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini6. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain 7. Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury8. Go Ask Alice
by Anonymous9. Summer of My German Soldier
by Bette Greene 10. The Giver
by Lois Lowry 11. A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L’Engle 12. The Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood 13. The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton Happy Reading!
Zero Tolerance For Banned Books
No idea is as dangerous as limiting access to any idea. Yes, even for the children.
The very fact that Banned Book Week must be observed in America goes against the most important principle of our nation's freedom. If we cannot produce and consume ideas freely, we cannot be a free people.
Thankfully, the American Library Association speaks out against banning and request to ban books. Annually, Banned Book Week is celebrated the last week in September. Their Office for Intellectual Freedom tracks books banned and challenged, meaning someone requested the book be removed, in America. Reading these lists is heartbreaking for a book lover like myself.
Take a look at the top ten books challenged in 2008. It includes reasons. I say, no matter how valid the objection on a personal level, banning a whole community from any book is wrong.
Call it what it is: censorship
My mom never worried about what I read. And I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I crossed the barrier from the youth section to adult around twelve, and have read books on both sides of the line to this day. She knew I was informed of her values enough to judge what I found in books for myself.
Encountering ideas I disagreed with or that made me uncomfortable didn't hurt me. It made me strong in my values. I developed my critical thinking skills as I spent countless hours in my teens journaling my thoughts on the books I read.
Of course, those who would ban books do not limit keeping the children away from material intended for grown ups.
I was saddened to see one of the best books I have read all year on the most challenged list. I wrote about The Kite Runner. The reasons cited are offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group. I do not know what age group is referred to here. I would not submit the book for an elementary or middle school library.
The offensive language is a result of the topic. War and oppressive regimes don't make for fluffy feel good language. The sexually explicit content is along the same lines. We are not talking cheap titillation. Welcome to reality, people. The writing is beautiful and honest. It will break your heart. Letting a high school student experience a book this good is never wrong.
How about celebrating freedom to read by picking a frequently banned classic to read? Tell me what banned book you love so I can add it to my to be read list. It wouldn't hurt to blog about it, or so the seo expert services recommend to spread awareness for freedom and access to books.