Two of my favorites

Grandpa and Bea. They're best buds.

New Books

Last Monday I walked into Barnes and Noble with $45 in gift cards and an endless array of possibilities. I was like a kid in a candy store. After some pondering I walked out with the following books:

Brothers Karamazov
-Fydor Dostoevsky
** This book is a beast and will have to be conquered when I have the time and mental energy. I know that it will be very rewarding though.

To the Light House
-Virginia Wolf
**Hmmm...I started this one and was a little bored. Disappointing, really.

Brideshead Revisited
-Evelyn Waugh
**Sumptuous and delicious. For those who plan on seeing the movie, I recommend reading the book or watching the BBC series first. The movie is very loosely based on the book but does visually re-create the sensuous feast evoked by reading Waugh's verses.

Some other books that I have had for a couple of months are:

Runaway
-Alice Munro

The Blind Assassin
-Margaret Atwood

I have read about half of the short stories in Runaway but want to save the rest for later since I like them so much. Her writing conjures up all those dark feelings about human nature you didn't know you had. I love her writer's "voice" and wish I could write short stories like hers. I have started The Blind Assassin but as I should really just settle on one book, I think I will stick to Brideshead for the moment. Sadly school starts in a week and no doubt my time will be filled with reading fascinating charts on research. Blah.

SAD BUT TRUE

Over the past eight years his addresses have come to demonstrate a rigor and discipline at expressing oneself in the English language unmatched by many. It is with this statement that I sadly look to January 20th when that corrupt terrorist will start leading our country and speaking to us in full sentences .

Since there are so many obvious and serious problems for which we can blame Bush--the economy, the war, the lack of funds for education--I choose to focus on the more amusing verbal deficiencies that have come to be known as "Bushisms."

From the BBC article here are some words of wisdom:

On education--
"Reading is the basics for all learning."
Reston, Virginia, 28 March, 2000

"As governor of Texas, I have set high standards for our public schools, and I have met those standards."
CNN, 30 August, 2000

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.''
Townsend, Tennessee, 21 February, 2001

On a more trashy note, I heard that Oprah is up to 200 pounds and wants to lose 35 pounds before the Inauguration. Good luck girl.

This is why YouTube is great

It's good to know that people spend hours writing code so that we can watch valuable videos such as this one.

On the other hand, I want to go to Japan just because their fascination with pop-culture is so serious, I think it'd be interesting to see. Also, they like to do cheesy choreographed dances to pop songs. Dance dance revolution. Britney is hot.

Slumdog Millionare

Who wants to go see this with me?

http://www.inquisitr.com/8105/slumdog-millionaire-trailer/

Penguins Marching Towards Extinction

Those cute little penguins that waddle around Boulders Beach in Cape Town and swim with natives and tourists alike, have been put on the endangered species list. According to the U.S fish and wildlife Service (FWS) the African penguin is the "worst-off" out of all the penguins on the list. Oil pollution and over fishing are major threats to the African penguins. To read about this and other penguins that have made it onto FWS's list, read this short article:

March of the penguins--Onto the endangered species list

Sadly, since the FWS is an American organization, putting the African Penguins on the list only prohibits exporting the animals from South Africa and does not provide them with any other protections. Hopefully, South African groups will catch on and pass rules limiting fishing and the passing of oil ships in the area. But as we know things in Africa take longer than they do in other places. I fear the these diminutive little creatures don't stand much of a chance against the destruction of man.

Monogamous for the mating season

Top 10 George W. Bush Moments

Hello Everyone! Daniel sent this to me on Friday. It's pretty hilarious.