tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30454492129668640122024-02-22T06:42:07.523-08:00SARcasmTHIS BLOG HAS NOW MOVED TO <a href="http://shortysarcasm.wordpress.com">HTTP://SHORTYSARCASM.WORDPRESS.COM</a> - Please join us there for some fresh, funky new fun. XOSARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.comBlogger631125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-26467555652206931232012-10-15T19:53:00.001-07:002012-10-15T19:53:13.897-07:00This Blog Has MOVED - Exciting Announcement!Due to extreme busy-ness, and frustration with lack of followers here, I have decided to start fresh over at Wordpress, with its strong connected community, and better interactivity with Facebook, Twitter etc. It should be new, fresh, and more what this place was all about when I started blogging.<br />
<br />
Please follow me to my new blogging home at <a href="http://shortysarcasm.wordpress.com/">HTTP://SHORTYSARCASM.WORDPRESS.COM</a> ... it's still under construction but already I feel much more vibrant and inspired with this new beginning. I hope to see you there, along with some new faces. XOXOSARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-34368513447258037432012-10-15T12:04:00.001-07:002012-10-15T12:04:27.071-07:00The Posthumous Slut-Shaming of Amanda ToddOne of the most horrific aspects of Canadian teenager Amanda Todd's suicide last week, was the fact that those who had tormented her in life followed her after her death ... and seemed to have brought along several friends. To summarize the story, Todd was in an unfortunate (and by unfortunate, I mean 'criminal') situation three years back where she was pressured by a grown man online to flash her webcam for him. For what turned out to be the rest of her life, this man, in response to future rebuffed come-ons, followed her movements from school to school, being sure new friends, teachers, etc. received the image of the topless tween. Given the fact that when young girls are victimized in such a way, of course it must be there fault, the inevitable blaming of the victim ensued, and Todd ended her life last Wednesday after three years of what I can only imagine was a living hell.<br />
<br />
Now I was bullied as a kid too - and yes, come gr. 6/7/8, some of that bullying took on a decidedly ... well ... lewd nature at times (in terms of comments; at no point was the bullying I experienced physical, either in terms of violent and/or sexual behaviour). And I was as squeaky-clean as they came (full disclosure: I didn't know what the word 'virgin' meant until I was 11 years old). So I can only imagine how that kind of bullying, coupled with the feeling of actually 'having something on this kid', must have played out ... and really, I have no majorly new insights to offer on this topic that haven't already been well-covered in <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/elizabeth-plank/in-defense-of-amanda-todd_b_1966479.html?utm_hp_ref=canada&ir=Canada">THIS BLOG</a> at the Huffington Post, which was actually my inspiration to write this in the first place. Really, she puts it so much better than I can and you can consider this whole entry one big 'DITTO' on that blog. However, I wanted to add one further observation:<br />
<br />
I am probably, to a fault, not one to scream feminism (some would say I do, and I DO stand up for my feminist beliefs in either truly egregious or public scenarios, but in day-to-day reality the truth is I've been accused far too much of being humourless, and have just become too tired, non-drama-seeking and (un?)wise to pick 'Big Issue' fights over stray comments in a casual conversation), but honestly ... 'well this wouldn't have happened if she weren't a slut,' as one (many) commented on a memorial site? Really?<br />
<br />
Imagine for a minute if this had been a male who was victimized. In fact, we have a very apt comparison in incredibly recent times, with Jerry Sandusky's sexual assaults on at least ten boys, and his attempts thereafter to discredit them as untrustworthy, troubled boys turning on the one person who loved and supported them. I am going to suggest some of those relationships were, in appearance, 'consensual' (I don't believe sexual relationships between a grown adult and children can actually BE consensual, so I will trust my readers know what I mean here), involved kids covering up their adult 'friend's' secrets, etc. etc. etc. - in other words, things that could be seen, by victim blamers, as 'bad judgement'. Yet, those victims, and rightfully so, continue to have public support and be seen as courageous for coming forward.<br />
<br />
So what is so different about Amanda Todd? She was roughly in the same age range as Sandusky's victims, and had just as much agency (or lack thereof), in these kinds of dealings. And while they are held up as courageous and heroic young men for shining light on the sick culture of Jerry Sandusky and his defenders, this young woman is blamed for her own torture and demise.<br />
<br />
There are so many 'issues' at play in this story ... teen suicide and depression ... bullying ... technology in bullying ... the role of adults in protecting children from these situations ... but I want to add another: feminism. And having been a victim of bullying that in many ways came almost directly from my gender (my weight, how I dressed, lewd comments that would never have been directed at boys), and having seen through this and so many other issues (abortion and contraception issues, rape denial, etc.) over the last few years that while we women have come so far in the past years and decades, the fight is far from over and the peace far from secure ... I will no longer be shamed or cowed away from the fact that I am a feminist. I am not angry and raging, I am not anti-man, I enjoy girly things and can laugh even at inappropriate humour from time to time ... but I will no longer contribute by my silence to a culture that treats young women who were literally tormented to death - and beyond - like this.SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-17022849584236207412012-10-09T07:22:00.001-07:002012-10-09T07:22:26.511-07:00For my American Friends ...Please note that the REAL Mitt Romney did not defeat Barack Obama at last week's debate. He simply presented a kinder, gentler, but complete disingenuous face to the American people. This is what Obama needed to highlight and point out throughout last week's debate. Hopefully he won't be caught out napping again this week.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cPgfzknYd20" width="560"></iframe><br />SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-75112087535083964962012-10-08T20:56:00.002-07:002012-10-08T20:56:38.144-07:00ThanksIt's Thanksgiving Weekend here in Canada and while my three space-sharers, aka my family, have spent a certain amount of the time ill, we have still managed to find the opportunity to enjoy each other and think of the things we're grateful for. It's late and I am insanely near to a Turkey Coma lol, so this might not be complete or eloquent, but I wanted to take the time to throw out a few things I'm thankful for.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>First of all, God, without whom any of the rest wouldn't be possible.</li>
<li>My family; Ari and my boys who are the light of my life, my parents (all four of them) and in-laws who provide more support than anyone could ever imagine, my brother who is one of my favourite people on the planet and who makes me laugh like no one else, my grandmother who is one of the strongest people I know ... and a myriad of extended family, aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws who I am so blessed to know and love, even if it isn't always as often or for as much time as we'd all like.</li>
<li>My friends; those who are blessings, those who have been lessons, those who have been blessings, those who are no longer around, those who are around, and those who are to come. I have admired and learned so much from everyone who has touched my life, and especially in the last year or so I want to say I have seen some very dear friends learn, grow and find strength they didn't even know they have - I can only hope as I look around right now frustrated in some ways professionally, missing my family and friends who are so far flung, that I can find some of that strength for myself. I have been surrounded by amazing people who I love dearly. Thank you for that.</li>
<li>I am thankful for the professional fulfillment I HAVE found, which can often be easy to overlook in the face of frustrations of trying to become a teacher in Ontario in 2012. I am the children's minister in an amazing Christian community, working with a tremendous team of coworkers, volunteers, families and children that I can't imagine leaving at this time; I have had the opportunity to teach such an interesting assortment of students in online high school courses, and I have had the chance to supply teach in a variety of schools for a variety of teachers. It is a rich experience which is never monotonous or boring, and that's pretty special.</li>
<li>I am thankful for the things we so often take for granted - living in Canada, in democratic conditions, under my own roof, with food on my table and a car in my driveway. We worry about money like anyone these days ... but really, in this regard, we are so lucky, and it is truly all relative.</li>
<li>Awesome babysitters ... good books ... fall leaves ... entertaining TV and movies ... family vacations ... nice wine ... fun conversation ... CBC Radio ... gossip magazines ... more serious magazines ... blogs that I sometimes frustrate myself trying to keep up with, but would never stop writing ... for all of these things, I am truly thankful.</li>
</ul>
Blessings on all of you this Holiday Weekend, and for taking the time to read - THANKS!(giving). SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-58218421965731065022012-10-01T17:37:00.002-07:002012-10-01T17:37:25.972-07:00<i>I finished ROAD TO PERDITION, by Max Allan Collins, this week. I thought I had added it to my reading list this new time around, but apparently not. So I replaced "The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth" by Alison Weir with it - because chiefly there is no such book! lol ... There are a couple of books by that title, neither by Alison Weir; I might find which one I was thinking of and re-add it later, but for now, this was an easy approach.</i><br />
<br />
1. Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris<span class="bigger"> </span><br />
<span class="bigger">2. The Last Week - Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>3. Speaking Christian - Why Christian Words Have Lost their Meaning - Marcus J. Borg</s></span><br />
<span class="bigger">4. The Spiral Staircase - Karen Armstrong<br />5. A History of God - Karen Armstrong</span><br />
<span class="bigger">6. jPod - Douglas Coupland<br />7. Beloved - Toni Morrison<br />8. 'Tis - Frank McCourt</span><br />
<span class="bigger">9. We Need to Talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver </span><span class="bigger"><br />10. The Constant Princess - Phillipa Gregory<br /><s>11. Wicked - Gregory Maguire</s></span><br />
12. Road to Perdition - Max Allan Collins<s><br />13. Eleanor of Aquitaine - Alison Weir</s><span class="bigger"><s>14. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling</s><br />15. The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />16. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />17. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien<br /><s>18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><s>19. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><s>20. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><s>21. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling</s></span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>22. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling</s><br />23. Dracula - Bram Stoker</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>24. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling</s><br />25. The Inferno - Dante<br />26. Towelhead - Alicia Erian</span><br />
<span class="bigger">27. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline<br />28. The Way the Crow Flies - Ann-Marie MacDonald<br />29. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood</span><br />
<span class="bigger">30. 1066 and All That; A Memorable History of England - W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">31. Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom<br />32. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman<br />33. American Gods - Neil Gaiman<br />34. Stardust - Neil Gaiman<br />35. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy</span><br />
<span class="bigger">36. The Holy Bible<nobr></nobr> - Various<br />37. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens<br />38. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott<br />39. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte<br />40. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath<br />41. Deception Point - Dan Brown<br />42. Digital Fortress - Dan Brown</span><br />
<span class="bigger">43. The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman<br />44. Lolita - Vladimir Nobokov<br />45. Atonement - Ian McEwan<br />46. All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren</span><br />
<span class="bigger">47. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">48. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins<br />49. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger<br />50. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe<br />51. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess<br />52. Scarlett - Alexandra Ripley<br />53. White Noise - Don De Litto<br />54. Their Eyes were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston</span><br />
<span class="bigger">55. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">56. The Help - Kathryn Stockett<br />57. Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow</span><br />
<span class="bigger">58. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller</span><br />
<span class="bigger">59. The Trial - Franz Kafka<br />60. Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlasser</span><br />
<span class="bigger">61. The Man Who Made Us - Richard Gwyn<br />62. Memoirs - Pierre Trudeau<br />63. Shake Hands with the Devil - Romeo d'Allaire<br />64. Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin</span><br />
<span class="bigger">65. Nation Maker - Richard Gwyn</span><br />
<span class="bigger">66. The United Church of Canada: A History - Don Schweitzer (ed.)</span><br />
<span class="bigger">67. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert<br />68. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams<br />69. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams<br />70. Life, the Universe and Everything - Douglas Adams<br />71. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - Douglas Adams<br />72. Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams</span><br />
<span class="bigger">73. Committed - Elizabeth Gilbert </span><span class="bigger"><br />74. The Manticore - Robertson Davies<br />75. World of Wonders - Robertson Davies<br />76. The Donnellys - James Reaney<br />77. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley<br />78. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand<br />79. Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury<br />80. Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findlay<br />81. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens<br />82. Coraline - Neil Gaiman<br />83. The Crucible - Arthur Miller<br />84. Mirror Mirror - Gregory Maguire</span><br />
<span class="bigger">85. Eats, Shoots & Leaves - Lynne Truss<br />86. Sorbonne Confidential - Laurel Zuckerman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">87. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson<br />88. The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick<br />89. Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland</span><br />
<span class="bigger">90. The Girl who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson<br />91. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden<br />92. The 5 People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom<br />93. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver<br />94. Interview with the Vampire - Ann Rice<br />95. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank<br />96. The Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe<br />97. Guys and Dolls - Damon Runyon</span><br />
<span class="bigger">98. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson<br />99. He's Just Not that Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo, Lauren Monchik</span><br />
<span class="bigger">100. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer<br />101. Jesus for the Non-Religious - John Shelby Spong</span><br />
<br />
<i>Not a hard read by any stretch as this is a graphic novel, but a good one semi-based on what Collins refers to as 'true enough' events. Good illustrations and a compelling story of this loving dad who is adored in return by his son, yet has a truly heinous career. I enjoyed the read although I will admit it's not my typical fair, and as such would encourage people to take a chance on it as it's not just your one-note gangland fair. That said, I also see, though I enjoyed it, how it might not be to others' tastes. "For those who like this sort of thing, it's just the sort of thing they'd like." But if you like buddy movies, mob stories, father-son stories, revenge tales, on-the-road travails ... you'll find something to enjoy here.</i>SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-13405573655766195062012-10-01T17:29:00.001-07:002012-10-01T17:29:11.035-07:00What an amazing weekend!So it's been far longer than I intended since I posted - however last week was a busy one getting ready for an even bigger whirlwind of a weekend. On Friday, I surprised my brother by heading overnight to Toronto with my parents to celebrate his 25th birthday (as well as his having signed up with World Pipe & Drum Champions Field Marshall Montgomery - a TRES big deal in the p&d world he inhabits). A great time was had by all on my side of the family ...<br />
<br />
Before rushing back to Ottawa to celebrate my mother in law's 60th with the other side of the fam. Also a really fun time at the Metcalfe Fall Fair, and out to dinner at Flying Piggy's afterward. Followed quickly by church the next day and needless to say it has been a very, very breathless week making sure all of the above came off without a hitch. But it did, it was a fabulous time, and now I'm back to the land of the living - both teaching and studying in online courses, getting ready for Thanksgiving weekend at church (and with my folks) next week, and hey - day to day life with two wee ones (one of whom is now not-so-happily nursing his two year molars, the other of whom seems to be fighting off a cold he won't acknowledge having).<br />
<br />
But would I trade a minute? Naaaah! :) Welcome to my life.<br />
<br />
And once more - thanks to everyone who makes that life special, many of whom I got to spend this weekend with, and particularly a happy, happy birthday to the best brother, and the best MIL, a girl could ever ask for. May the year(s!) ahead be nothing but rosy. XOXOSARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-58703631325268470912012-09-22T20:12:00.001-07:002012-09-22T20:12:28.994-07:00If Homer Simpson Voted in November ...<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZaAAncj4JqI" width="560"></iframe><br />SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-88306199594991494762012-09-17T16:40:00.002-07:002012-09-17T16:40:27.493-07:00Spirit MattersCheck out this video introducing my Christian home, Trinity United Church. It's every bit as amazing a community as this video implies. If you are in the Ottawa area, I invite you to join us Sunday mornings at 10am. There is something for everyone, and all are welcome.<br />
<br />
"Come in, come in and sit down, for you are a part of the family!"<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/49356860" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/49356860">Spirit Matters - Trinity United Church</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user13474442">Trinity United Church</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-9684638758046543232012-09-14T09:22:00.001-07:002012-10-01T17:29:41.206-07:00More Reading List Progress<i>I just finished Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" today, about 6 weeks after having seen the musical. FULL DISCLOSURE: I began this one several months ago, put it down for awhile and came back to finish it while away on vacation/the week or two I've been back. My review is at the bottom.</i><br />
<br />
1. Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris<span class="bigger"> </span><br />
<span class="bigger">2. The Last Week - Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>3. Speaking Christian - Why Christian Words Have Lost their Meaning - Marcus J. Borg</s></span><br />
<span class="bigger">4. The Spiral Staircase - Karen Armstrong<br />5. A History of God - Karen Armstrong</span><br />
<span class="bigger">6. jPod - Douglas Coupland<br />7. Beloved - Toni Morrison<br />8. 'Tis - Frank McCourt</span><br />
<span class="bigger">9. We Need to Talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver </span><span class="bigger"><br />10. The Constant Princess - Phillipa Gregory<br /><s>11. Wicked - Gregory Maguire</s><br />12. The Six <nobr><a class="FAtxtL" href="http://shortysar.blogspot.ca/2012/08/the-order-off-phoenix-cross-it-off-list.html#" id="FALINK_1_0_0">Wives</a></nobr> of Henry the 8th - Alison Weir<br />13. Eleanor of Aquitaine - Alison Weir</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>14. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling</s><br />15. The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />16. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />17. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien<br /><s>18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><s>19. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><s>20. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><s>21. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling</s></span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>22. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling</s><br />23. Dracula - Bram Stoker</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>24. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling</s><br />25. The Inferno - Dante<br />26. Towelhead - Alicia Erian</span><br />
<span class="bigger">27. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline<br />28. The Way the Crow Flies - Ann-Marie MacDonald<br />29. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood</span><br />
<span class="bigger">30. 1066 and All That; A Memorable History of England - W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">31. Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom<br />32. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman<br />33. American Gods - Neil Gaiman<br />34. Stardust - Neil Gaiman<br />35. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy</span><br />
<span class="bigger">36. The Holy Bible<nobr></nobr> - Various<br />37. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens<br />38. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott<br />39. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte<br />40. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath<br />41. Deception Point - Dan Brown<br />42. Digital Fortress - Dan Brown</span><br />
<span class="bigger">43. The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman<br />44. Lolita - Vladimir Nobokov<br />45. Atonement - Ian McEwan<br />46. All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren</span><br />
<span class="bigger">47. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">48. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins<br />49. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger<br />50. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe<br />51. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess<br />52. Scarlett - Alexandra Ripley<br />53. White Noise - Don De Litto<br />54. Their Eyes were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston</span><br />
<span class="bigger">55. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">56. The Help - Kathryn Stockett<br />57. Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow</span><br />
<span class="bigger">58. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller</span><br />
<span class="bigger">59. The Trial - Franz Kafka<br />60. Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlasser</span><br />
<span class="bigger">61. The Man Who Made Us - Richard Gwyn<br />62. Memoirs - Pierre Trudeau<br />63. Shake Hands with the Devil - Romeo d'Allaire<br />64. Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin</span><br />
<span class="bigger">65. Nation Maker - Richard Gwyn</span><br />
<span class="bigger">66. The United Church of Canada: A History - Don Schweitzer (ed.)</span><br />
<span class="bigger">67. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert<br />68. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams<br />69. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams<br />70. Life, the Universe and Everything - Douglas Adams<br />71. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - Douglas Adams<br />72. Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams</span><br />
<span class="bigger">73. Committed - Elizabeth Gilbert </span><span class="bigger"><br />74. The Manticore - Robertson Davies<br />75. World of Wonders - Robertson Davies<br />76. The Donnellys - James Reaney<br />77. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley<br />78. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand<br />79. Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury<br />80. Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findlay<br />81. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens<br />82. Coraline - Neil Gaiman<br />83. The Crucible - Arthur Miller<br />84. Mirror Mirror - Gregory Maguire</span><br />
<span class="bigger">85. Eats, Shoots & Leaves - Lynne Truss<br />86. Sorbonne Confidential - Laurel Zuckerman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">87. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson<br />88. The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick<br />89. Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland</span><br />
<span class="bigger">90. The Girl who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson<br />91. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden<br />92. The 5 People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom<br />93. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver<br />94. Interview with the Vampire - Ann Rice<br />95. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank<br />96. The Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe<br />97. Guys and Dolls - Damon Runyon</span><br />
<span class="bigger">98. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson<br />99. He's Just Not that Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo, Lauren Monchik</span><br />
<span class="bigger">100. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer<br />101. Jesus for the Non-Religious - John Shelby Spong</span><br />
<br />
<i>Definitely a different take on The Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, the daughter of an overzealous preacher and his flighty wife, who ends up going away to school where she is responsible for the care of her disabled sister Nessarose, and begins a strange friendship with the beautiful and popular Glinda. Perhaps not so wicked, Elphaba's main crime here seems to be advocating for the rights of Animals (note the capitalization - picture thinking, talking, intelligent beings like the Cowardly Lion), whose rights are being restricted by the despotic Wizard of Oz, killed accidentally by an innocent girl from Kansas who happened to get caught in the crossfire between Elphaba and the Wizard's grudge.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Much darker than the musical version, with (spoiler alert) a less-neatly-wrapped-up ending, it's nonetheless an interesting take that leaves everyone just that touch less innocent, that smidge less sympathetic. This is, largely, about decent people trying to survive in an oppressive system, and the choices they make. From that perspective - and keeping in mind the tale we're all familiar with - it's a very creative and thought-provoking exercise that I enjoyed reading very much despite having gotten sidetracked.</i>SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-30622207295213590662012-09-11T18:01:00.001-07:002012-09-11T18:01:46.944-07:00Remembering another sunny September 11 ...<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uSTW0yAQOTI" width="420"></iframe><br />SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-12112051933008354052012-09-07T10:19:00.000-07:002012-09-07T10:19:00.799-07:00The Man Who Walked Between the TowersWe picked this book up when we visited the World Trade Centre memorial last week, and it is Little Tyke's new favourite. You should check this out if you have a few minutes, it's lovely, a happy memory, and a way of introducing the WTC to youngsters in a happy and gentle manner.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_nGWM9rrl20" width="560"></iframe><br />SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-87751289740912323772012-09-04T20:40:00.001-07:002012-09-04T20:40:17.929-07:00Wildwood DaysSo we're back from our wonderful trip to Wildwood New Jersey and life slows down for no one. From our drive down to Philadelphia and getting to spend a morning exploring that city, to enjoying the Jersey Shore for 5 days and all that entailed - the beach, the rides (new rides for both boys as they grew this year - Little Tyke went on his first roller coaster even!), the hotel pool, the deliciously crappy food (ask LT what kind of pizza we ate - Mack's!). A visit to New York - both relatives on the upper west side and the sights of south side, as we explored the 9/11 memorial, Staten Island Ferry and Battery Park - was fabulous, and even though it resulted in a long through-the-night drive home, none of us would trade anything.<br />
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And now we're back and life slows for no (wo)man, as Little J gradutes to a toddler bed ...<br />
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Amd Little Tyke begins Junior Kindergarten!<br />
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Today we went to meet his teacher for a half hour one on one interview; on Friday, he has a 'gradual entry day' where he attends school with half of his class. Tuesday will be his first 'full' day of school with all classmates etc. He is so excited and ready to go - he loves Mrs. R., his new teacher, and I think we're looking ahead to a great year.<br />
<br />
Now, to get me back into routine ... with supply teaching, my children's ministry, and just generally life as a mom, wife, grownup ... I think I'm having more 'back to reality' pains than the kiddos!SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-26094441631373978242012-08-23T15:03:00.001-07:002012-08-23T15:03:19.023-07:00Two more days!So after our vacation last year was so rudely interrupted by a <s>hussy</s> hurricane named Irene, we're heading back down to the Jersey Shore to have a ball once more and enjoy those wild, wild Wildwood days. As of Saturday we're on our way. I will still blog from down there maybe share a pic or two ... but after a really busy August (couldn't you tell?) and of course we then had to get hopelessly ill this past week, I can honestly pat ourselves on the back and say this vacation is well deserved.<br />
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All systems go ...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AdWrow4xedo" width="420"></iframe><br />SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-53472396834103091452012-08-19T09:34:00.002-07:002012-09-14T09:15:41.960-07:00Two more ... Harry Potter Series done!<i>Over my last 10-day absence I also managed to finish the last two Harry Potter books - "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".</i><br />
<br />
1. Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris<span class="bigger"> </span><br />
<span class="bigger">2. The Last Week - Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>3. Speaking Christian - Why Christian Words Have Lost their Meaning - Marcus J. Borg</s></span><br />
<span class="bigger">4. The Spiral Staircase - Karen Armstrong<br />5. A History of God - Karen Armstrong</span><br />
<span class="bigger">6. jPod - Douglas Coupland<br />7. Beloved - Toni Morrison<br />8. 'Tis - Frank McCourt</span><br />
<span class="bigger">9. We Need to Talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver </span><span class="bigger"><br />10. The Constant Princess - Phillipa Gregory<br />11. Wicked - Gregory Maguire<br />12. The Six <nobr><a class="FAtxtL" href="http://shortysar.blogspot.ca/2012/08/the-order-off-phoenix-cross-it-off-list.html#" id="FALINK_1_0_0">Wives</a></nobr> of Henry the 8th - Alison Weir<br />13. Eleanor of Aquitaine - Alison Weir</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>14. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling</s><br />15. The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />16. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />17. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien<br /><s>18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><s>19. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><s>20. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><s>21. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling</s></span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>22. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling</s><br />23. Dracula - Bram Stoker</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>24. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling</s><br />25. The Inferno - Dante<br />26. Towelhead - Alicia Erian</span><br />
<span class="bigger">27. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline<br />28. The Way the Crow Flies - Ann-Marie MacDonald<br />29. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood</span><br />
<span class="bigger">30. 1066 and All That; A Memorable History of England - W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">31. Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom<br />32. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman<br />33. American Gods - Neil Gaiman<br />34. Stardust - Neil Gaiman<br />35. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy</span><br />
<span class="bigger">36. The Holy Bible<nobr></nobr> - Various<br />37. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens<br />38. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott<br />39. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte<br />40. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath<br />41. Deception Point - Dan Brown<br />42. Digital Fortress - Dan Brown</span><br />
<span class="bigger">43. The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman<br />44. Lolita - Vladimir Nobokov<br />45. Atonement - Ian McEwan<br />46. All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren</span><br />
<span class="bigger">47. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">48. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins<br />49. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger<br />50. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe<br />51. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess<br />52. Scarlett - Alexandra Ripley<br />53. White Noise - Don De Litto<br />54. Their Eyes were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston</span><br />
<span class="bigger">55. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">56. The Help - Kathryn Stockett<br />57. Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow</span><br />
<span class="bigger">58. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller</span><br />
<span class="bigger">59. The Trial - Franz Kafka<br />60. Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlasser</span><br />
<span class="bigger">61. The Man Who Made Us - Richard Gwyn<br />62. Memoirs - Pierre Trudeau<br />63. Shake Hands with the Devil - Romeo d'Allaire<br />64. Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin</span><br />
<span class="bigger">65. Nation Maker - Richard Gwyn</span><br />
<span class="bigger">66. The United Church of Canada: A History - Don Schweitzer (ed.)</span><br />
<span class="bigger">67. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert<br />68. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams<br />69. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams<br />70. Life, the Universe and Everything - Douglas Adams<br />71. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - Douglas Adams<br />72. Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams</span><br />
<span class="bigger">73. Committed - Elizabeth Gilbert </span><span class="bigger"><br />74. The Manticore - Robertson Davies<br />75. World of Wonders - Robertson Davies<br />76. The Donnellys - James Reaney<br />77. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley<br />78. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand<br />79. Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury<br />80. Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findlay<br />81. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens<br />82. Coraline - Neil Gaiman<br />83. The Crucible - Arthur Miller<br />84. Mirror Mirror - Gregory Maguire</span><br />
<span class="bigger">85. Eats, Shoots & Leaves - Lynne Truss<br />86. Sorbonne Confidential - Laurel Zuckerman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">87. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson<br />88. The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick<br />89. Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland</span><br />
<span class="bigger">90. The Girl who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson<br />91. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden<br />92. The 5 People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom<br />93. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver<br />94. Interview with the Vampire - Ann Rice<br />95. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank<br />96. The Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe<br />97. Guys and Dolls - Damon Runyon</span><br />
<span class="bigger">98. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson<br />99. He's Just Not that Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo, Lauren Monchik</span><br />
<span class="bigger">100. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer<br />101. Jesus for the Non-Religious - John Shelby Spong</span><br />
<br />
<i>The ending of this series is quite bittersweet as it was really appropriate and satisfying, but man do I want more! :) By now, the Harry Potter books are decidedly young adult/adult fare as opposed to out-and-out children's fare - indeed, these last two books could frighten and disturb your seven- and eight-year-old crowd as much as entertain them, and the characters even indulge in a bit of ... ahem ... cursing (linguistically, not magically) as they get older (which is only realistic). But that's the beauty of this series ... to the extent a book about a wizarding school can be called 'realistic', at its core this is a coming of age story about a young boy (man) and his friends, love interests, etc. </i><br />
<br />
<i>The ultimate climax of this series is of course the inevitable war between evil Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and the resistance, including Hogwarts teachers and students, the Order of the Phoenix, and of course, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger themselves. These books will not leave a dry eye as beloved and long-standing characters meet their end, friendships are tested, and yes - spoiler alert - good ultimately triumphs (albeit not without pain). This series has been a fun read, difficult to put down, even for a 30-year-old woman (not exactly its target audience), and I would highly recommend it to the few of us living under rocks who have yet to read it. :) Enjoy!</i>SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-52746282802301866612012-08-19T09:25:00.000-07:002012-08-19T09:25:08.951-07:00Happy Birthday Little JSo only a month or two after promising to blog more regularly, sure enough I go ten days without doing so ... my apologies. It has been a busy couple of weeks as we went back to our hometown, then a weekend away thanks to my mom watching the boys, and then this past weekend ... well ...<br />
<br />
Yes. You see the title. Our youngest baby turned 2 yesterday. It was a great celebration with my parents (all four of them), my in-laws, and my grandmother, lots of fun gifts, food, drink, gifts ... and lots of fun. :) I wish my not-so-little boy a great year ahead, and can't wait to see the growing and adventures he finds himself getting into.<br />
<br />
Mommy loves you, Little J, very, very much.SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-55144736231923700032012-08-09T11:21:00.002-07:002012-08-09T11:21:39.894-07:00Amazing video of her Majesty the Queen ...This year marks Elizabeth II's 60th year on the British (and Canadian) throne. This video beautifully captures her growing up from the cute-as-a-button daughter of a Duke and Duchess who were never meant to become monarchs, to the present day as she celebrates her own Diamond Jubilee. Amazing - with thanks to my stepmother Monique for sharing.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E8nJhG1xE5o" width="560"></iframe><br />SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-18958582073014789472012-08-06T19:36:00.003-07:002012-08-06T19:36:44.005-07:00The Order off the Phoenix - Cross it off the list.<i>Another week, another Harry Potter book off my list - this time #5, the Order of the Phoenix.</i><br />
<br />
1. Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris<span class="bigger">2. The Last Week - Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>3. Speaking Christian - Why Christian Words Have Lost their Meaning - Marcus J. Borg</s></span><br />
<span class="bigger">4. The Spiral Staircase - Karen Armstrong<br />5. A History of God - Karen Armstrong</span><br />
<span class="bigger">6. jPod - Douglas Coupland<br />7. Beloved - Toni Morrison<br />8. 'Tis - Frank McCourt</span><br />
<span class="bigger">9. We Need to Talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver </span><span class="bigger"><br />10. The Constant Princess - Phillipa Gregory<br />11. Wicked - Gregory Maguire<br />12. The Six Wives of Henry the 8th - Alison Weir<br />13. Eleanor of Aquitaine - Alison Weir</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>14. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling</s><br />15. The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />16. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />17. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien<br /><s>18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><s>19. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><s>20. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling</s><br />21. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling<br />22. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling<br />23. Dracula - Bram Stoker</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>24. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling</s><br />25. The Inferno - Dante<br />26. Towelhead - Alicia Erian</span><br />
<span class="bigger">27. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline<br />28. The Way the Crow Flies - Ann-Marie MacDonald<br />29. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood</span><br />
<span class="bigger">30. 1066 and All That; A Memorable History of England - W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">31. Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom<br />32. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman<br />33. American Gods - Neil Gaiman<br />34. Stardust - Neil Gaiman<br />35. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy</span><br />
<span class="bigger">36. The Holy Bible - Various<br />37. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens<br />38. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott<br />39. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte<br />40. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath<br />41. Deception Point - Dan Brown<br />42. Digital Fortress - Dan Brown</span><br />
<span class="bigger">43. The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman<br />44. Lolita - Vladimir Nobokov<br />45. Atonement - Ian McEwan<br />46. All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren</span><br />
<span class="bigger">47. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">48. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins<br />49. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger<br />50. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe<br />51. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess<br />52. Scarlett - Alexandra Ripley<br />53. White Noise - Don De Litto<br />54. Their Eyes were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston</span><br />
<span class="bigger">55. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">56. The Help - Kathryn Stockett<br />57. Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow</span><br />
<span class="bigger">58. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller</span><br />
<span class="bigger">59. The Trial - Franz Kafka<br />60. Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlasser</span><br />
<span class="bigger">61. The Man Who Made Us - Richard Gwyn<br />62. Memoirs - Pierre Trudeau<br />63. Shake Hands with the Devil - Romeo d'Allaire<br />64. Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin</span><br />
<span class="bigger">65. Nation Maker - Richard Gwyn</span><br />
<span class="bigger">66. The United Church of Canada: A History - Don Schweitzer (ed.)</span><br />
<span class="bigger">67. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert<br />68. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams<br />69. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams<br />70. Life, the Universe and Everything - Douglas Adams<br />71. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - Douglas Adams<br />72. Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams</span><br />
<span class="bigger">73. Committed - Elizabeth Gilbert </span><span class="bigger"><br />74. The Manticore - Robertson Davies<br />75. World of Wonders - Robertson Davies<br />76. The Donnellys - James Reaney<br />77. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley<br />78. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand<br />79. Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury<br />80. Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findlay<br />81. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens<br />82. Coraline - Neil Gaiman<br />83. The Crucible - Arthur Miller<br />84. Mirror Mirror - Gregory Maguire</span><br />
<span class="bigger">85. Eats, Shoots & Leaves - Lynne Truss<br />86. Sorbonne Confidential - Laurel Zuckerman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">87. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson<br />88. The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick<br />89. Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland</span><br />
<span class="bigger">90. The Girl who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson<br />91. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden<br />92. The 5 People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom<br />93. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver<br />94. Interview with the Vampire - Ann Rice<br />95. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank<br />96. The Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe<br />97. Guys and Dolls - Damon Runyon</span><br />
<span class="bigger">98. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson<br />99. He's Just Not that Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo, Lauren Monchik</span><br />
<span class="bigger">100. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer<br />101. Jesus for the Non-Religious - John Shelby Spong</span><br />
<br /><i>This book continues the more grown-up, serious tone set up by "Goblet of Fire". The longest of the Potter series, this book sees the death of Harry's Godfather Sirius Black, introduces the amazingly love-to-hate-her character of Dolores Umbridge (Undersecretary for the Minister of Magic and eventually High Inquisitor for Hogwarts). It introduces us to the Ministry of Magic building and allows for some major character development, particularly for Harry himself, and Severus Snape - or at least more insight into Snape's character! A strong read that continue's the series' march from children's literature to solidly young adult fare.</i><br />
<i></i>SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-7876991138120937472012-08-06T19:32:00.000-07:002012-08-06T19:32:01.514-07:00Who Says You Can't Go Home?Quoting Jon Bon Jovi ...<br />
<br />
<br />I was pretty ill this past week, only getting healthy in time to head back to Kitchener Waterloo (where Ari and I grew up) for the long weekend here in Ontario. It was lovely spending Saturday with Ari's parents, and seeing a couple of really good friends (hi Liz and Shari!) Saturday night ... it was tremendous seeing so many good friends and their growing children and families (ranging from 8 years old on down to 6 weeks old and even, 'a few days away from being born' on Sunday afternoon at Chuck E. Cheese in nearby Cambridge. We had originally been planning to meet said friends out at a splash pad, but weather made this not so possible.<br />
<br />
Last night was awesome as my dad and step-mom babysat the boys and gave us a night out ... a FULL night out as they provided money for dinner, and a hotel room, etc. - the whole nine. It was a phenomenal experience to visit with them before and after that evening, and to have a date night (we've been spoiled in that regard of late though, off to see Wicked last weekend, despite being ill, and my mom will be watching the boys overnight NEXT weekend - getting our energy back for the Jersey Shore in 3 weeks lol).<br />
<br />
Definitely nice being 'home' ... we miss everyone back there and were so glad to have an extended weekend to make up for a really lousy trip (in terms of being able to see everyone and give them our full time and attention) this past Christmas. Hope to do it again soon, all, and thanks everyone for making it an amazing time.<br />
<br />
It's all right, it's all right ...SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-45751817477739919452012-07-25T20:00:00.001-07:002012-07-25T20:00:07.870-07:00Laugh of the DayMy brother and his pipe band friends ... so cute. For those who don't know Kyle, he's the dude who videobombs his buddy at about 1 minute 30 seconds into the video, and then lipsyncs in the beer tent around 2 minutes 40 or so in. :)<br />
<br />
Enjoy. XO<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ayj0sZk64F0" width="560"></iframe>SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-9319208339888828142012-07-19T17:57:00.000-07:002012-08-06T19:32:48.867-07:00And #5<i>I am like, chain-reading these things. :) J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter #4, THE GOBLET OF FIRE, is now off my reading list.</i><br />
<br />
1. Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris<span class="bigger">2. The Last Week - Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>3. Speaking Christian - Why Christian Words Have Lost their Meaning - Marcus J. Borg</s></span><br />
<span class="bigger">4. The Spiral Staircase - Karen Armstrong<br />5. A History of God - Karen Armstrong</span><br />
<span class="bigger">6. jPod - Douglas Coupland<br />7. Beloved - Toni Morrison<br />8. 'Tis - Frank McCourt</span><br />
<span class="bigger">9. We Need to Talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver </span><span class="bigger"><br />10. The Constant Princess - Phillipa Gregory<br />11. Wicked - Gregory Maguire<br />12. The Six Wives of Henry the 8th - Alison Weir<br />13. Eleanor of Aquitaine - Alison Weir</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>14. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling</s><br />15. The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />16. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />17. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien<br /><s>18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling</s><br /><i><s></s></i><s>19. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling</s><br />20. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling<br />21. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling<br />22. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling<br />23. Dracula - Bram Stoker</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>24. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling</s><br />25. The Inferno - Dante<br />26. Towelhead - Alicia Erian</span><br />
<span class="bigger">27. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline<br />28. The Way the Crow Flies - Ann-Marie MacDonald<br />29. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood</span><br />
<span class="bigger">30. 1066 and All That; A Memorable History of England - W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">31. Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom<br />32. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman<br />33. American Gods - Neil Gaiman<br />34. Stardust - Neil Gaiman<br />35. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy</span><br />
<span class="bigger">36. The Holy Bible - Various<br />37. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens<br />38. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott<br />39. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte<br />40. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath<br />41. Deception Point - Dan Brown<br />42. Digital Fortress - Dan Brown</span><br />
<span class="bigger">43. The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman<br />44. Lolita - Vladimir Nobokov<br />45. Atonement - Ian McEwan<br />46. All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren</span><br />
<span class="bigger">47. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">48. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins<br />49. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger<br />50. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe<br />51. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess<br />52. Scarlett - Alexandra Ripley<br />53. White Noise - Don De Litto<br />54. Their Eyes were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston</span><br />
<span class="bigger">55. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">56. The Help - Kathryn Stockett<br />57. Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow</span><br />
<span class="bigger">58. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller</span><br />
<span class="bigger">59. The Trial - Franz Kafka<br />60. Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlasser</span><br />
<span class="bigger">61. The Man Who Made Us - Richard Gwyn<br />62. Memoirs - Pierre Trudeau<br />63. Shake Hands with the Devil - Romeo d'Allaire<br />64. Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin</span><br />
<span class="bigger">65. Nation Maker - Richard Gwyn</span><br />
<span class="bigger">66. The United Church of Canada: A History - Don Schweitzer (ed.)</span><br />
<span class="bigger">67. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert<br />68. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams<br />69. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams<br />70. Life, the Universe and Everything - Douglas Adams<br />71. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - Douglas Adams<br />72. Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams</span><br />
<span class="bigger">73. Committed - Elizabeth Gilbert </span><span class="bigger"><br />74. The Manticore - Robertson Davies<br />75. World of Wonders - Robertson Davies<br />76. The Donnellys - James Reaney<br />77. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley<br />78. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand<br />79. Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury<br />80. Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findlay<br />81. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens<br />82. Coraline - Neil Gaiman<br />83. The Crucible - Arthur Miller<br />84. Mirror Mirror - Gregory Maguire</span><br />
<span class="bigger">85. Eats, Shoots & Leaves - Lynne Truss<br />86. Sorbonne Confidential - Laurel Zuckerman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">87. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson<br />88. The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick<br />89. Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland</span><br />
<span class="bigger">90. The Girl who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson<br />91. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden<br />92. The 5 People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom<br />93. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver<br />94. Interview with the Vampire - Ann Rice<br />95. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank<br />96. The Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe<br />97. Guys and Dolls - Damon Runyon</span><br />
<span class="bigger">98. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson<br />99. He's Just Not that Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo, Lauren Monchik</span><br />
<span class="bigger">100. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer<br />101. Jesus for the Non-Religious - John Shelby Spong</span><br />
<br />
<i>If you read Wikipedia, every Harry Potter book's entry from this one on claims the status of 'this is where Harry Potter takes a darker, more grownup turn'. Which tells me, really it's this one. The signs are all there - Harry turns 14, high school age instead of elementary school. The book is at least twice as long as its predecessors, and it really brings a lot of the previous books' floating pieces together, as Lord Voldemort ultimately resumes his physical being, as we see the first signs of ... shall we say ... attraction, between Harry's best friends Ron and Hermione (albeit well-hidden amidst a great deal of sniping) ... honestly, the first sense of any romance at all as Harry too has a crush on Cho, a girl from Ravenclaw house who happens to be dating Cedric Diggory, Harry's opponent for the trophy in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. We learn about Voldemort's followers, Deatheaters, and amidst his friendly competition and cooperation with Harry, ultimately the aforementioned Diggory dies, the first victim we actually see of the AVADA KEDAVRA curse at Voldemort's hand - heck, in that sense, this is the book where we learn of Avada Kedavra, the killing curse, as well as the other two Forbidden Curses, the Cruciatus curse (torture), and the Imperio curse (mind control).</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>All of the Harry Potter books are good, but this is the real deliniation, in my opinion, from children's lit to young adult lit ... which works, as Potter readers grow up right alongside their favourite child wizard. Over a thousand pages later and nowhere near bored ... this must be a good sign! More than halfway through (in terms of number of books, perhaps not of pages read lol, as I'm about to undertake the longest one of the series, the Order of the Phoenix), and I still highly recommend this series for readers old, young, and young at heart.</i>SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-59962159080843592912012-07-11T17:41:00.000-07:002012-07-19T17:49:05.702-07:00Book #4<i>Another one off the list as I completed JK Rowling's 3rd Harry Potter book, the Prisoner of Azkaban.</i><br />
<br />
1. Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris<br />
<span class="bigger">2. The Last Week - Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>3. Speaking Christian - Why Christian Words Have Lost their Meaning - Marcus J. Borg</s></span><br />
<span class="bigger">4. The Spiral Staircase - Karen Armstrong<br />5. A History of God - Karen Armstrong</span><br />
<span class="bigger">6. jPod - Douglas Coupland<br />7. Beloved - Toni Morrison<br />8. 'Tis - Frank McCourt</span><br />
<span class="bigger">9. We Need to Talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver </span><span class="bigger"><br />10. The Constant Princess - Phillipa Gregory<br />11. Wicked - Gregory Maguire<br />12. The Six Wives of Henry the 8th - Alison Weir<br />13. Eleanor of Aquitaine - Alison Weir</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>14. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling</s><br />15. The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />16. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />17. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien<br /><s>18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling</s><br />19. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling<br />20. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling<br />21. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling<br />22. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling<br />23. Dracula - Bram Stoker</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>24. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling</s><br />25. The Inferno - Dante<br />26. Towelhead - Alicia Erian</span><br />
<span class="bigger">27. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline<br />28. The Way the Crow Flies - Ann-Marie MacDonald<br />29. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood</span><br />
<span class="bigger">30. 1066 and All That; A Memorable History of England - W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">31. Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom<br />32. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman<br />33. American Gods - Neil Gaiman<br />34. Stardust - Neil Gaiman<br />35. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy</span><br />
<span class="bigger">36. The Holy Bible - Various<br />37. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens<br />38. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott<br />39. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte<br />40. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath<br />41. Deception Point - Dan Brown<br />42. Digital Fortress - Dan Brown</span><br />
<span class="bigger">43. The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman<br />44. Lolita - Vladimir Nobokov<br />45. Atonement - Ian McEwan<br />46. All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren</span><br />
<span class="bigger">47. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">48. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins<br />49. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger<br />50. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe<br />51. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess<br />52. Scarlett - Alexandra Ripley<br />53. White Noise - Don De Litto<br />54. Their Eyes were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston</span><br />
<span class="bigger">55. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">56. The Help - Kathryn Stockett<br />57. Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow</span><br />
<span class="bigger">58. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller</span><br />
<span class="bigger">59. The Trial - Franz Kafka<br />60. Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlasser</span><br />
<span class="bigger">61. The Man Who Made Us - Richard Gwyn<br />62. Memoirs - Pierre Trudeau<br />63. Shake Hands with the Devil - Romeo d'Allaire<br />64. Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin</span><br />
<span class="bigger">65. Nation Maker - Richard Gwyn</span><br />
<span class="bigger">66. The United Church of Canada: A History - Don Schweitzer (ed.)</span><br />
<span class="bigger">67. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert<br />68. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams<br />69. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams<br />70. Life, the Universe and Everything - Douglas Adams<br />71. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - Douglas Adams<br />72. Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams</span><br />
<span class="bigger">73. Committed - Elizabeth Gilbert </span><span class="bigger"><br />74. The Manticore - Robertson Davies<br />75. World of Wonders - Robertson Davies<br />76. The Donnellys - James Reaney<br />77. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley<br />78. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand<br />79. Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury<br />80. Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findlay<br />81. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens<br />82. Coraline - Neil Gaiman<br />83. The Crucible - Arthur Miller<br />84. Mirror Mirror - Gregory Maguire</span><br />
<span class="bigger">85. Eats, Shoots & Leaves - Lynne Truss<br />86. Sorbonne Confidential - Laurel Zuckerman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">87. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson<br />88. The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick<br />89. Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland</span><br />
<span class="bigger">90. The Girl who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson<br />91. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden<br />92. The 5 People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom<br />93. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver<br />94. Interview with the Vampire - Ann Rice<br />95. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank<br />96. The Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe<br />97. Guys and Dolls - Damon Runyon</span><br />
<span class="bigger">98. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson<br />99. He's Just Not that Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo, Lauren Monchik</span><br />
<span class="bigger">100. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer<br />101. Jesus for the Non-Religious - John Shelby Spong</span><br />
<br />
<i>This is the book in the series where we meet Harry's Godfather Sirius Black, learn about the Expecto Patronum spell, and meet the Dementors, guards of Azkaban. A very important book in the series indeed - although, indeed they all are, and none stand alone. All are intrinsic to the overall legend woven in this seven-part saga. As such, it's rough to say one good is better or more important than the next, as they all work together. I will say as I've started now on 'The Goblet of Fire', that Azkaban is the last of the really identifiably 'children's' books in the series; with a doubling in length for 'Goblet', and a noticeably more grownup tone, the rest of the series falls more solidly into 'young adult' literature, and where you start to realize that this series' original target audience truly does 'grow up' alongside Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione. Three books down and still solidly enjoying the series. :) Excellent stuff.</i>SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-78270545964790268172012-07-04T19:00:00.003-07:002012-07-11T17:34:30.912-07:00Books 2 & 3<i>Two more down! Just today, I completed both "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by JK Rowling and "Speaking Christian" by Marcus Borg. DISCLOSURE: as per the first Harry Potter book, I had read most of "Chamber" already; all but the last chapter. Going forward in the Potter series, all books will be new to me (albeit I have seen all the films but the two Deathly Hallows movies). A list to remind you of the books I've selected to read and to show my progress, as well as my reviews, follow.</i><br />
<br />
1. Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris<br />
<span class="bigger">2. The Last Week - Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>3. Speaking Christian - Why Christian Words Have Lost their Meaning - Marcus J. Borg</s></span><br />
<span class="bigger">4. The Spiral Staircase - Karen Armstrong<br />5. A History of God - Karen Armstrong</span><br />
<span class="bigger">6. jPod - Douglas Coupland<br />7. Beloved - Toni Morrison<br />8. 'Tis - Frank McCourt</span><br />
<span class="bigger">9. We Need to Talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver </span><span class="bigger"><br />10. The Constant Princess - Phillipa Gregory<br />11. Wicked - Gregory Maguire<br />12. The Six Wives of Henry the 8th - Alison Weir<br />13. Eleanor of Aquitaine - Alison Weir</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>14. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling</s><br />15. The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />16. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />17. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling<br />19. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling<br />20. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling<br />21. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling<br />22. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling<br />23. Dracula - Bram Stoker</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>24. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling</s><br />25. The Inferno - Dante<br />26. Towelhead - Alicia Erian</span><br />
<span class="bigger">27. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline<br />28. The Way the Crow Flies - Ann-Marie MacDonald<br />29. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood</span><br />
<span class="bigger">30. 1066 and All That; A Memorable History of England - W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">31. Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom<br />32. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman<br />33. American Gods - Neil Gaiman<br />34. Stardust - Neil Gaiman<br />35. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy</span><br />
<span class="bigger">36. The Holy Bible - Various<br />37. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens<br />38. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott<br />39. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte<br />40. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath<br />41. Deception Point - Dan Brown<br />42. Digital Fortress - Dan Brown</span><br />
<span class="bigger">43. The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman<br />44. Lolita - Vladimir Nobokov<br />45. Atonement - Ian McEwan<br />46. All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren</span><br />
<span class="bigger">47. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">48. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins<br />49. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger<br />50. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe<br />51. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess<br />52. Scarlett - Alexandra Ripley<br />53. White Noise - Don De Litto<br />54. Their Eyes were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston</span><br />
<span class="bigger">55. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">56. The Help - Kathryn Stockett<br />57. Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow</span><br />
<span class="bigger">58. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller</span><br />
<span class="bigger">59. The Trial - Franz Kafka<br />60. Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlasser</span><br />
<span class="bigger">61. The Man Who Made Us - Richard Gwyn<br />62. Memoirs - Pierre Trudeau<br />63. Shake Hands with the Devil - Romeo d'Allaire<br />64. Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin</span><br />
<span class="bigger">65. Nation Maker - Richard Gwyn</span><br />
<span class="bigger">66. The United Church of Canada: A History - Don Schweitzer (ed.)</span><br />
<span class="bigger">67. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert<br />68. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams<br />69. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams<br />70. Life, the Universe and Everything - Douglas Adams<br />71. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - Douglas Adams<br />72. Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams</span><br />
<span class="bigger">73. Committed - Elizabeth Gilbert </span><span class="bigger"><br />74. The Manticore - Robertson Davies<br />75. World of Wonders - Robertson Davies<br />76. The Donnellys - James Reaney<br />77. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley<br />78. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand<br />79. Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury<br />80. Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findlay<br />81. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens<br />82. Coraline - Neil Gaiman<br />83. The Crucible - Arthur Miller<br />84. Mirror Mirror - Gregory Maguire</span><br />
<span class="bigger">85. Eats, Shoots & Leaves - Lynne Truss<br />86. Sorbonne Confidential - Laurel Zuckerman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">87. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson<br />88. The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick<br />89. Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland</span><br />
<span class="bigger">90. The Girl who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson<br />91. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden<br />92. The 5 People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom<br />93. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver<br />94. Interview with the Vampire - Ann Rice<br />95. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank<br />96. The Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe<br />97. Guys and Dolls - Damon Runyon</span><br />
<span class="bigger">98. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson<br />99. He's Just Not that Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo, Lauren Monchik</span><br />
<span class="bigger">100. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer<br />101. Jesus for the Non-Religious - John Shelby Spong</span><br />
<br />
<span class="bigger"><i>My review of the first Harry Potter book goes for the second - a little bit older, wiser and braver, the Hogwarts gang is back for another year of adventures and magic. A great series that JK Rowling obviously takes the time to tie together beautifully. Book 2 is an extension of Book 1, and the fact that I put one down to immediately pick up the next tells you how seamless it is.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span class="bigger"><i>Meanwhile, "Speaking Christian" is one of the most important books I have read in a long time and I think it is important for all Christians, and any non-Christian who thinks we're just a bunch of loons who are waiting for an executed political prisoner to come back and take us back to his cloud castle while damning all non-believers, read this book. Borg's ultimate point is that both progressive and more 'fundamentalist' Christians use the same book, language, cast of characters, and concept to express two radically different ideas - so different as to almost be different religious. Those alarm-bell words ... "salvation", "redeemer", "sin", and difficult concepts like "Trinity" and "Easter" and "rapture" ... are explained in such a way that even non-believers can ... maybe not agree with, but at least understand in a more positive, 'yes, and ...' kind of light. Borg can be a bit academic at times - he is a professor of religious studies after all - but he works hard, and in the main succeeds, at making big concept progressive Christian theology accessible to all (OK ... most). I very much enjoy his work, and this book in particular, as a progressive Christian.</i> </span>SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-76569753977957247122012-07-03T08:50:00.002-07:002012-07-03T08:50:10.782-07:00Happy Canada Day/Independence Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTnRQpFki_K4fN8IMJFhhZ5vlkFxFM-cs8lptj94xtuTRJBRoC1uw" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTnRQpFki_K4fN8IMJFhhZ5vlkFxFM-cs8lptj94xtuTRJBRoC1uw" /></a></div>
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Sunday was Canada Day here in the True North Strong and Free - the birthday of our country's confederation. Tomorrow is Independence Day in the US to the south. Given our Canadian family, and my husband's dual citizenship - and by extension, our American relatives - we want to wish both Canada, and our neighbours to the south, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :) And God bless us all.SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-69542170344780500362012-06-27T10:56:00.003-07:002012-06-27T10:56:54.084-07:00Happy Summer Vacation!So ... it's been a few days since I've checked in ... I've actually ended up subbing the last week or so of school for the most part! Tomorrow, I believe, is the last day of school in Ontario. And on that score, I want to take this time to wish my student and teacher friends a very, very happy Summer break. I hope it's as relaxing or exciting, chill or adventuresome, as you could hope for. Lots coming down the pike for the fall and I can't wait to get back into the game ... but I'm also looking forward o the fun and joy the summer brings. Hope it is blessed and blessing for everyone.SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045449212966864012.post-24522336140989954952012-06-17T12:52:00.001-07:002012-06-17T12:52:20.697-07:00BOOK ONE DOWN<i>I've knocked my first book off this list, yay! :) It was HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE, by J.K. Rowling. FULL DISCLOSURE: I have already read this book, but re-read it as it has been a long while, and the rest of the series was on my list. This is also true of the next book in the series, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, but I will remind once I add that to my list of completed books. Please see below for a review.</i><br />
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1. Deadlocked - Charlaine Harris<br />
<span class="bigger">2. The Last Week - Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan</span><br />
<span class="bigger">3. Speaking Christian - Why Christian Words Have Lost their Meaning - Marcus J. Borg</span><br />
<span class="bigger">4. The Spiral Staircase - Karen Armstrong<br />5. A History of God - Karen Armstrong</span><br />
<span class="bigger">6. jPod - Douglas Coupland<br />7. Beloved - Toni Morrison<br />8. 'Tis - Frank McCourt</span><br />
<span class="bigger">9. We Need to Talk about Kevin - Lionel Shriver </span><span class="bigger"><br />10. The Constant Princess - Phillipa Gregory<br />11. Wicked - Gregory Maguire<br />12. The Six Wives of Henry the 8th - Alison Weir<br />13. Eleanor of Aquitaine - Alison Weir</span><br />
<span class="bigger"><s>14. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling</s><br />15. The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />16. The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />17. The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien<br />18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling<br />19. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling<br />20. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling<br />21. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling<br />22. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling<br />23. Dracula - Bram Stoker</span><br />
<span class="bigger">24. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling<br />25. The Inferno - Dante<br />26. Towelhead - Alicia Erian</span><br />
<span class="bigger">27. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline<br />28. The Way the Crow Flies - Ann-Marie MacDonald<br />29. The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood</span><br />
<span class="bigger">30. 1066 and All That; A Memorable History of England - W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">31. Have a Little Faith - Mitch Albom<br />32. Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman<br />33. American Gods - Neil Gaiman<br />34. Stardust - Neil Gaiman<br />35. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy</span><br />
<span class="bigger">36. The Holy Bible - Various<br />37. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens<br />38. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott<br />39. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte<br />40. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath<br />41. Deception Point - Dan Brown<br />42. Digital Fortress - Dan Brown</span><br />
<span class="bigger">43. The Five Love Languages - Gary Chapman<br />44. Lolita - Vladimir Nobokov<br />45. Atonement - Ian McEwan<br />46. All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren</span><br />
<span class="bigger">47. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">48. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins<br />49. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger<br />50. Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe<br />51. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess<br />52. Scarlett - Alexandra Ripley<br />53. White Noise - Don De Litto<br />54. Their Eyes were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston</span><br />
<span class="bigger">55. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins</span><br />
<span class="bigger">56. The Help - Kathryn Stockett<br />57. Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow</span><br />
<span class="bigger">58. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller</span><br />
<span class="bigger">59. The Trial - Franz Kafka<br />60. Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlasser</span><br />
<span class="bigger">61. The Man Who Made Us - Richard Gwyn<br />62. Memoirs - Pierre Trudeau<br />63. Shake Hands with the Devil - Romeo d'Allaire<br />64. Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin</span><br />
<span class="bigger">65. Nation Maker - Richard Gwyn</span><br />
<span class="bigger">66. The United Church of Canada: A History - Don Schweitzer (ed.)</span><br />
<span class="bigger">67. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert<br />68. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams<br />69. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe - Douglas Adams<br />70. Life, the Universe and Everything - Douglas Adams<br />71. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish - Douglas Adams<br />72. Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams</span><br />
<span class="bigger">73. Committed - Elizabeth Gilbert </span><span class="bigger"><br />74. The Manticore - Robertson Davies<br />75. World of Wonders - Robertson Davies<br />76. The Donnellys - James Reaney<br />77. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley<br />78. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand<br />79. Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury<br />80. Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findlay<br />81. A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens<br />82. Coraline - Neil Gaiman<br />83. The Crucible - Arthur Miller<br />84. Mirror Mirror - Gregory Maguire</span><br />
<span class="bigger">85. Eats, Shoots & Leaves - Lynne Truss<br />86. Sorbonne Confidential - Laurel Zuckerman</span><br />
<span class="bigger">87. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson<br />88. The Silver Linings Playbook - Matthew Quick<br />89. Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland</span><br />
<span class="bigger">90. The Girl who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson<br />91. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden<br />92. The 5 People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom<br />93. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver<br />94. Interview with the Vampire - Ann Rice<br />95. The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank<br />96. The Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe<br />97. Guys and Dolls - Damon Runyon</span><br />
<span class="bigger">98. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson<br />99. He's Just Not that Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo, Lauren Monchik</span><br />
<span class="bigger">100. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer<br />101. Jesus for the Non-Religious - John Shelby Spong</span><br />
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<span class="bigger"><i>What can I say - the Potter series is a classic and I've enjoyed the first installment featuring the gang of Hogwarts. This is the series that made reading cool again, and with the wave since then of tween and teen fantasy series' - Twilight, the Hunger Games, etc. - it obviously has made its mark on the Young Adult genre. You have to read it to believe it, a description or words won't do it justice.</i> </span>SARcasmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11723045017868292793noreply@blogger.com0