Can't believe it's the holiday season already!
It's been an eventful couple weeks. We have new computers at work, along with new software. We were badly in need of new equipment but there's a bit of a learning curve, as well as the typical bugs, that go with any new change.
Everyone is still reeling from the tragedy at the elementary school in Connecticut. Twenty young children dead, as well as six adults. Very tragic, especially this time of year. I can't imagine being a parent or relative of one of the dead, and how hard the holidays are going to be for them. Gifts left unwrapped, smiles never seen, only memories of better times. May God be with them during this dark time.
On a more personal note, I decorated yesterday; didn't do too much, just set up a small tree, placed a few decorations here and there and decorated the bannister. I'm hoping New Years will be warm; I aim to go through the attic and purge out what I don't want. A few weeks ago during my vacation I made two trips to Goodwill; I anticipate more trips in the future. I'm trying to clean and declutter.
Lost one of my mice today, so I'm down to three :( I can't complain though. I've had them for more than a year now, and mice have such short lifespans. Still, rest in peace, little Tiffany.
Of course, I have some books to add to my log. This will bring my total to 78 books; hope to get two more read to bring it to an even 80, but I won't mourn if that doesn't happen. Oh, almost forgot- I was participating in Nanowrimo. I did... OK. I think my final total was 31,800 words, something like that. The bulk (about 30,000 words) of that was done during my weeklong vacation around Thanksgiving time. Really, really wish Nano was not during a holiday month. January or February would be perfect.
OK, on to the books:
71. The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells. I really enjoyed this classic. I was expecting it to be more of a horror story- and it was towards the end. But I was surprised at how darkly funny it was at the beginning. The story centers on Griffin, a young scientist who plays with the theories of optics and manages to find a way to make himself invisible. Thrilled at first, he discovers quickly the many drawbacks to his state and is horrified when he finds he can't reverse the procedure. His coming to Iping, a small provincial town, at the beginning to do his work in peace is the source of much of the comedy, as the villagers try to figure out who their mysterious and abrasive guest is. But when he runs into a former college associate, Griffin shows a darker, murderous side and the town finds itself pitted against a clever man bent on a reign of terror who cannot be seen. It made me think; it's curious how it seems that most scientists - Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Frankenstein, Griffin and others - are portrayed as men bordering on the edge of sanity, and individuals bent on pushing the envelope too far. One can see this as a lesson, or as a reflection of a society afraid of change. You can argue either way.
72. Losing My Cool, by Thomas Chatterton Williams. This was an interesting autobiography, one that offers insights on the pervasive influence of the hip-hop culture. Williams even subscribed to many of the negative ideals taught by the culture, but credits his father's early influence and insistence that Williams study hard (even in the summer he assigned his two sons homework and reading material) and go to college in making him an eventual success. Williams described his college years as an awakening for him, as he discovered new and better ways of thinking. Williams also goes into the segregation and treatment his father had to face under Jim Crow, and how he worked to give his sons chances he never had.
73. It Came From Ohio, by James Renner. I would have never pictured Ohio as a hot spot for paranormal activity (the Mansfield Reformatory notwithstanding), but this book is filled with short stories strange goings on in the Buckeye state. The stories range from well-documented to the campfire story told to scare new campers, and all are pretty entertaining. Each short story also has asides, set off in a gray box, related in some way to the main story. Most people are familiar with the Mothman legends, courtesy of the movie "The Mothman Prophecies." Lesser known stories include the Loveland frogs, the Mellon heads, werewolf sightings, Bigfoot sightings and even a couple well-documented UFO sightings (one of which inspired the UFO chase scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A quick and entertaining read for those interested in the more unusual aspects of Ohio's history.
74. Charlie's Gingerbread House, by Melissa Staehli and Amy Rottinger. This is a very cute, whimsical picturebook aimed at preschool and early gradeschool. The large, vibrant pictures and simple text follows the adventures of a mouse, Charlie, who stumbles across a gingerbread house. He munches his way through the sweets until the house is no more. This will appeal to childrens' imaginations. Who among us haven't dreamed of finding a lifesize Gingerbread house, a la Hansel and Gretel, and dining on the sugary goodness (without the Wicked Witch, of course!)
75. Faith and You, vol. 2, by Terry Pluto. Terry Pluto is a local sports columnist who also writes a regular column on faith and religion. This is an interesting read for people of all faiths - whether they be athiest or agnostic, Muslim, Jewish or Christian. Pluto never comes across as preachy and he tells from the beginning that his columns are not meant to convert people, but rather to make them think. He covers a lot of family aspects - marriage, relationships with parents, frienships, as well as issues of jealousy, handling a crisis such as the school shootings or a diagnosis of illness. His writing style flows well and is easy to read, very conversational. He shares many anecdotes from his life - his relationship with his parents (especially his father), and his wife, and is not ashamed to confess his personal shortcomings. A side note, he is a very popular author. When I was done reading this book for an article, two coworkers asked to borrow my review copy.
76. Damn Right I'm From Cleveland, by Mike Polk. This is a very tongue in cheek "travelers guide" for Cleveland, really meant for the residents already here and familiar with this city's quirks and foibles. The author, a comedian who is known for his Hastily Made Tourism Video and Factory of Sadness video on YouTube, this time decides to write a book, complete with a lot of pictures and graphics, detailing Cleveland lowlights. He includes information on low moments in Cleveland sports (the funniest segment; he has his friends recreate the scenes), cheap dating tips, local bars and more. It's a quick read and pretty funny, and most Northeast Ohioans will nod and chuckle at the satire. Fair warning - keep this out of the hands of the kiddies. The humor is very adult (and at times a bit sophomoric).
77. Young and Courageous, by Marilyn Seguin. Grade schoolers looking for an idea for history figure to profile - or anyone interested in history - will enjoy this collection of short stories that briefly relate young women who, in their own way, make their mark on history. The stories are fictionalized and documented, and the author includes a brief afterwards on each person and their life following the events that made their mark. Most people will know the story of Sacagawea, who helped Lewis and Clark navigate the new American territories. Lesser known stories include the tale of sisters Abbie and Rebecca Bates, who managed to fool an entire British army, during the Revolutionary war. Or the story of Belle Boyd, a Confederate spy who risked jail and even getting shot. Or Minnie Freeman, a young schoolteacher who risked her life to save her students when a freak snowstorm struck the area.
78. Heroes of the Negro Leagues, by Mark Chiarello and Jack Morelli. In the 1990s, watercolor artist Mark Chiarelli made a series of baseball cards dedicated to the players who played in the Negro Leagues. The images of these cards have been compiled into a book, along with brief profiles of the players who played the sport during a time when the Major Leagues did not accept black players (indeed, one of the profiles includes Frank Grant, who was was named the Best Player in Buffalo History for his Major League playing - before being shown the door). There are 60 profiles in all, ranging from well-known greats such as Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays and Satchel Paige to those who might not be as well known. This is a good book for reluctant readers; the bios are short, barely a page, and the watercolor renderings of the players are gorgeous. This book also includes a DVD, Only The Ball Was White, which I plan to check out in the future.
Everyone is still reeling from the tragedy at the elementary school in Connecticut. Twenty young children dead, as well as six adults. Very tragic, especially this time of year. I can't imagine being a parent or relative of one of the dead, and how hard the holidays are going to be for them. Gifts left unwrapped, smiles never seen, only memories of better times. May God be with them during this dark time.
On a more personal note, I decorated yesterday; didn't do too much, just set up a small tree, placed a few decorations here and there and decorated the bannister. I'm hoping New Years will be warm; I aim to go through the attic and purge out what I don't want. A few weeks ago during my vacation I made two trips to Goodwill; I anticipate more trips in the future. I'm trying to clean and declutter.
Lost one of my mice today, so I'm down to three :( I can't complain though. I've had them for more than a year now, and mice have such short lifespans. Still, rest in peace, little Tiffany.
Of course, I have some books to add to my log. This will bring my total to 78 books; hope to get two more read to bring it to an even 80, but I won't mourn if that doesn't happen. Oh, almost forgot- I was participating in Nanowrimo. I did... OK. I think my final total was 31,800 words, something like that. The bulk (about 30,000 words) of that was done during my weeklong vacation around Thanksgiving time. Really, really wish Nano was not during a holiday month. January or February would be perfect.
OK, on to the books:
71. The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells. I really enjoyed this classic. I was expecting it to be more of a horror story- and it was towards the end. But I was surprised at how darkly funny it was at the beginning. The story centers on Griffin, a young scientist who plays with the theories of optics and manages to find a way to make himself invisible. Thrilled at first, he discovers quickly the many drawbacks to his state and is horrified when he finds he can't reverse the procedure. His coming to Iping, a small provincial town, at the beginning to do his work in peace is the source of much of the comedy, as the villagers try to figure out who their mysterious and abrasive guest is. But when he runs into a former college associate, Griffin shows a darker, murderous side and the town finds itself pitted against a clever man bent on a reign of terror who cannot be seen. It made me think; it's curious how it seems that most scientists - Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Frankenstein, Griffin and others - are portrayed as men bordering on the edge of sanity, and individuals bent on pushing the envelope too far. One can see this as a lesson, or as a reflection of a society afraid of change. You can argue either way.
72. Losing My Cool, by Thomas Chatterton Williams. This was an interesting autobiography, one that offers insights on the pervasive influence of the hip-hop culture. Williams even subscribed to many of the negative ideals taught by the culture, but credits his father's early influence and insistence that Williams study hard (even in the summer he assigned his two sons homework and reading material) and go to college in making him an eventual success. Williams described his college years as an awakening for him, as he discovered new and better ways of thinking. Williams also goes into the segregation and treatment his father had to face under Jim Crow, and how he worked to give his sons chances he never had.
73. It Came From Ohio, by James Renner. I would have never pictured Ohio as a hot spot for paranormal activity (the Mansfield Reformatory notwithstanding), but this book is filled with short stories strange goings on in the Buckeye state. The stories range from well-documented to the campfire story told to scare new campers, and all are pretty entertaining. Each short story also has asides, set off in a gray box, related in some way to the main story. Most people are familiar with the Mothman legends, courtesy of the movie "The Mothman Prophecies." Lesser known stories include the Loveland frogs, the Mellon heads, werewolf sightings, Bigfoot sightings and even a couple well-documented UFO sightings (one of which inspired the UFO chase scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A quick and entertaining read for those interested in the more unusual aspects of Ohio's history.
74. Charlie's Gingerbread House, by Melissa Staehli and Amy Rottinger. This is a very cute, whimsical picturebook aimed at preschool and early gradeschool. The large, vibrant pictures and simple text follows the adventures of a mouse, Charlie, who stumbles across a gingerbread house. He munches his way through the sweets until the house is no more. This will appeal to childrens' imaginations. Who among us haven't dreamed of finding a lifesize Gingerbread house, a la Hansel and Gretel, and dining on the sugary goodness (without the Wicked Witch, of course!)
75. Faith and You, vol. 2, by Terry Pluto. Terry Pluto is a local sports columnist who also writes a regular column on faith and religion. This is an interesting read for people of all faiths - whether they be athiest or agnostic, Muslim, Jewish or Christian. Pluto never comes across as preachy and he tells from the beginning that his columns are not meant to convert people, but rather to make them think. He covers a lot of family aspects - marriage, relationships with parents, frienships, as well as issues of jealousy, handling a crisis such as the school shootings or a diagnosis of illness. His writing style flows well and is easy to read, very conversational. He shares many anecdotes from his life - his relationship with his parents (especially his father), and his wife, and is not ashamed to confess his personal shortcomings. A side note, he is a very popular author. When I was done reading this book for an article, two coworkers asked to borrow my review copy.
76. Damn Right I'm From Cleveland, by Mike Polk. This is a very tongue in cheek "travelers guide" for Cleveland, really meant for the residents already here and familiar with this city's quirks and foibles. The author, a comedian who is known for his Hastily Made Tourism Video and Factory of Sadness video on YouTube, this time decides to write a book, complete with a lot of pictures and graphics, detailing Cleveland lowlights. He includes information on low moments in Cleveland sports (the funniest segment; he has his friends recreate the scenes), cheap dating tips, local bars and more. It's a quick read and pretty funny, and most Northeast Ohioans will nod and chuckle at the satire. Fair warning - keep this out of the hands of the kiddies. The humor is very adult (and at times a bit sophomoric).
77. Young and Courageous, by Marilyn Seguin. Grade schoolers looking for an idea for history figure to profile - or anyone interested in history - will enjoy this collection of short stories that briefly relate young women who, in their own way, make their mark on history. The stories are fictionalized and documented, and the author includes a brief afterwards on each person and their life following the events that made their mark. Most people will know the story of Sacagawea, who helped Lewis and Clark navigate the new American territories. Lesser known stories include the tale of sisters Abbie and Rebecca Bates, who managed to fool an entire British army, during the Revolutionary war. Or the story of Belle Boyd, a Confederate spy who risked jail and even getting shot. Or Minnie Freeman, a young schoolteacher who risked her life to save her students when a freak snowstorm struck the area.
78. Heroes of the Negro Leagues, by Mark Chiarello and Jack Morelli. In the 1990s, watercolor artist Mark Chiarelli made a series of baseball cards dedicated to the players who played in the Negro Leagues. The images of these cards have been compiled into a book, along with brief profiles of the players who played the sport during a time when the Major Leagues did not accept black players (indeed, one of the profiles includes Frank Grant, who was was named the Best Player in Buffalo History for his Major League playing - before being shown the door). There are 60 profiles in all, ranging from well-known greats such as Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays and Satchel Paige to those who might not be as well known. This is a good book for reluctant readers; the bios are short, barely a page, and the watercolor renderings of the players are gorgeous. This book also includes a DVD, Only The Ball Was White, which I plan to check out in the future.