tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49537626505257917762024-03-05T20:15:17.669-08:00Every Road is an OptionEveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-79181367889312394822013-05-24T08:00:00.000-07:002013-05-24T08:00:04.175-07:00We've moved!<div style="text-align: center;">
Hello every one!</div>
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<b>We've moved!</b></div>
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And by "we" I mean all my blogs into one at this new web address: </div>
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http://everyroadisanoption.wordpress.com/</div>
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See you there! </div>
EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-59463484742556936782013-04-21T09:29:00.000-07:002013-04-21T09:29:38.388-07:00I Don't Run“I don’t run.”<br />
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If you know me, that’s all you’ve heard for years despite my natural prowess when it comes to sports. And I don’t, or at least I didn’t until now. Today, I took my first run.
This may not be a big deal for most people, but it’s a huge step for me. Being big busted I always made the joke that I didn’t run because I might take an eye out (if you don’t get it, watch some Dead or Alive Beach Volleyball). In reality, I’ve always been embarrassed by doing anything extremely physical with other people around since if it wasn’t a sport (specifically curling, tennis, or softball) I felt uncoordinated. I suppose this could be blamed on how often people picked on me when it came to physical activities, but in the end, despite how others have treated me or how it came about it, it’s my lacking confidence and severe shyness that have always limited me.<br />
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So, I’ve tried over the last few years to get comfortable with myself mentally, emotionally, and physically. Most people have seen my confidence in my myself and my actions grow dramatically. Most have seen my general happiness grow as well. I’ve set yearly mottos, the first one being, “The Year of Facing Fears” and the current being, “The Year of No Excuses”, and I’ve constantly been pushing forward in hopes to become the person I’ve always wanted to be. My biggest outward changes have been lately. I’m learning to speak my mind, enjoy the company of others more, and to ignore my vanity of how I look to others.<br />
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I like to think that this big change has come about partly due to the fact that I’ve been focusing on my health lately. Cutting down on caffeine and junk food, watching my portions, and even taking online courses (such as Sleeping Hacking) to figure out what I can change to be healthier has really changed my outlook on my body and myself. Physically I’ve not only felt purer, but my energy level has grown incredibly. Even just the little adjustment of working on my posture has helped my self image grow.<br />
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Admittedly, I didn’t think I’d take the running step yet, but I did. And I pushed forward by the sheer inspiration of the runners from Monday April 15th. I want to be able to say I have the endurance to keep moving forward despite adversity, especially in the pursuit to help others, like many of the Marathon runners did Monday when they continued running so that they could donate blood at the nearest hospital. They didn’t cower in a corner despite what fear they probably felt, instead they saw what they needed to do and did it.<br />
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I want that endurance. I need that endurance. I deserve that endurance and I will earn that endurance.
If we learn nothing else, if we find no other silver-lining to the horrors of the past week, this should be this:
Endure. EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-13144699806269365012013-03-12T13:21:00.001-07:002013-03-12T13:22:13.169-07:00So... It's March, right?Here it is! March already and all of my blogging for February is... Almost non-existent. Admittedly, it's been a busy month or so, but that shouldn't be an excuse. It is, after all, the Year of No Excuses and it seems like I'm full of them lately.<br />
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The deal is that I'm working on seeing if another server is better for this blog and the <a href="http://tentativecooker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tentative Cooker</a> blog. I am taking this seriously, but I think that Blogspot is a bit too low traffic in blogging circles and meant for more personal blogs. It's great and user friendly, but no traffic. That's my only issue and since I want to make ERIAO a more active group of bloggers, artists, and any one else who wants their work out their, having a blog that can't thrive isn't helpful. Beyond that, I do want to turn this into a multi-function website as well. Essentially, I've been researching for something more permanent and long term (aren't we all?).<br />
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On top of that I've been looking into legitimatizing my crafting/art business which means so much more ground work. I'm tired of just one show a year and no <a href="http://www.etsy.com/" target="_blank">Etsy</a> page. I'm also tired of just knitting and not using any of my other talents. Plus, I've been getting money together which means I've been selling things I don't need on <a href="http://www.ebay.com/" target="_blank">Ebay</a> and looking for jobs. Lastly, I've been helping Johnny get stuff together for Akron while his family has been going topsy-turvy with his brother and brother's fiancee moving. So, it's been busy and I haven't mentioned half of what's going on.<br />
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I do start my seasonal work next week, so it'll be even busier. However, I'll be catching as much as I can. We'll see you soon! And check the<a href="http://www.facebook.com/EveryRoadisanOption" target="_blank"> Facebook page</a> for photo updates and wallpapers! EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-37741327365324948142013-02-03T21:05:00.003-08:002013-02-04T06:26:59.822-08:00"Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" (Movie Review)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTQyNzYxMTk4NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDY1MTM4Mg@@._V1._SX95_SY140_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTQyNzYxMTk4NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMDY1MTM4Mg@@._V1._SX95_SY140_.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from IMDb.com</td></tr>
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Despite this being “Children’s Films” month, I think that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790627/fullcredits" target="_blank">Brief Interviews with Hideous Men </a>deserves it’s own shout out. The film it’s self is adapted from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Foster_Wallace#Career" target="_blank">David Foster Wallace’s</a> book with the same name and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1024677/" target="_blank">John Krasinski</a>, best known from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386676/" target="_blank">The Office</a>, not only directs and acts in this film, but adapted <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Foster_Wallace#Career" target="_blank">Wallace’s</a> works. That alone should be a lure into this film: a serious indie film adapted, directed, and acted in by the guy who’s put multiple office items in jello. <br />
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Besides that, we have an all star cast. You’ll recognize every one from something be it from a comedy to a crime drama to a sketch show. Some actors are going out of their bubble, like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005221/" target="_blank">Christopher Meloni </a>from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203259/" target="_blank">Law and Order: SVU</a>, and others, like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004715/" target="_blank">Will Arnett</a>, are with in their normal smooth talking roles. At the very least, it’s a blast watching and waiting for the next actor we know to come on the screen. <br />
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The film style it’s self can be a bit confusing especially near the end. It starts skipping about in places, sometimes having multiple story lines and conversations going on at once, over playing the scene that does not match, but my suggestion is to just sit back and enjoy the eventually rather dizzying ride. This is not what I expected from the <a href="http://www.netflix.com/" target="_blank">Netflix</a> summary. In retrospect, what it should describe the movie as is “a film adaptation of several short stories revolving around how men see and relate to woman.” Admittedly, it’s more boring than the original description, but at least it’s accurate. <br />
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If you watch this movie do yourself a few favors: <br />
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- Don’t look for a Plot<br />
- Go with the Flow<br />
- And maybe drink a glass of wine. <br />
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I’ll admit, I liked this film. Despite the lack of plot, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790627/fullcredits" target="_blank">Brief Interviews with Hideous Men</a> flows well and becomes overly engrossing. I'm hoping to order <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Foster_Wallace#Career" target="_blank">Wallace’s</a> book soon, since my encounters with him have never disappointed me before. Once I have, I’ll happily share my review of that and how these two compare. <br />
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And you’ll read it… And happily so, daggnabbit. <br />
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Movie Available on: Netflix and Amazon Instant View. EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-84567497938507118192013-02-02T18:14:00.000-08:002013-02-02T18:14:07.774-08:00February Updates!February is now upon us and that means we’ve got a new set of blogs to look forward too! The Movie Reviews this month will focus on Children’s movies and TV shows, because for some reason I find myself enthralled with a few right now. I’ll also be doing more of the dating series: Chivalry isn’t Dead, It’s Just Grown Up as well as a couple of book and story reviews.<br />
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On <a href="http://thetentativecooker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tentative Cooker</a> there will be a couple of recipes and at least one food review. As well as one or two blogs just generally about kitchen utilities and must haves. It’s about time right? <a href="http://thetentativecooker.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">TC</a> has been on much too long of a hiatus!<br />
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See you again soon! EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-67358867888000850892013-01-14T08:58:00.000-08:002013-01-14T09:00:59.367-08:00Chivalry Isn’t Dead, It’s Just Grown Up: Segment OneLast week on FML, this was posted: <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkiwAvAtSZCen1eoGQSkUpUIa6LYf0qR3gw4HvStflCGMsVSolHyy7ZiRl-pa8Gw9R2yACqH-1Kc2j0EXTOb9xKeUtpsAj9qsO6_snj7nNqLgtPpBCowNmE0Xa20NBIyBxfp7Hf2zrsg/s1600/ChivalryFML.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkiwAvAtSZCen1eoGQSkUpUIa6LYf0qR3gw4HvStflCGMsVSolHyy7ZiRl-pa8Gw9R2yACqH-1Kc2j0EXTOb9xKeUtpsAj9qsO6_snj7nNqLgtPpBCowNmE0Xa20NBIyBxfp7Hf2zrsg/s640/ChivalryFML.tiff" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screen Cap From FML.com</td></tr>
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Through out the comments rages a debate on whether or not Chivalry is dead via the format of whether guys should pay for dates or not. Let’s face it, we see this argument going on every where from feminists to just friend. Every one has an opinion on it. So it’s time to pick this a part rationally. <br />
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First off, she was being naive not bringing any money with her to begin with. This any one can agree with, because let’s face it, anything can happen when going out and one must be prepared. This is her own fault. Strike One. <br />
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Secondly, it’s just impolite to not even offer to pay for tickets or snacks. Has her mother taught her nothing? Even if she thinks that males should pay (which brings up the question of who pays for lesbians dates. I have theories, but none of them are politer [i.e. PC]), this could be her test run date. If the guy pays, he’s a winner. If he doesn’t, he’s a sinner. We all have our criteria and if this is yours, then be prepared to make him/her pay or to not have another date. <br />
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Thirdly, here is a list of reasons the guy shouldn’t have to pay for everything on a first date:<br />
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1) It’s a first date, you guys don’t know how this will go. If only one person pays for the first date, it turns it into an investment. If it’s an investment, the guy might expect something in return in the end or at least a second date. So if you’re not willing to give a return on an investment, then don’t expect the guy to pay on the first date. <br />
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2) Not to essentially repeat myself, but the first date equals an unsure outcome. If the date is bad and only the guy paid, isn’t that cheating him a little? Maybe it’s a relief to you, but to him instead of being out 10-20 dollars, he’s out 20-40. More if the date isn’t a cheap one. Maybe you don’t mind a free meal, but then again, if you’re in it for the free meal, you’re probably not the right person for him. Think of it as hanging out with your friends, you wouldn’t expect them to pay for you, because that would be unfair. The guy doesn’t owe you just because you said “yes” to him. Remember that. <br />
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3) To show you’re a decent person. Who doesn’t respond well to being treated every once in a while? And didn’t your mama teach you it’s just polite to at least offer? <br />
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Let’s face it, there’s nothing wrong with however you want to pay for the first date: guy pay, whoever asked pays, or going dutch, but there’s some common sense that has to be put into play here. Just remember: Bring money, be polite and offer to pay (for at least yourself), be thankful either way, and have fun. This isn’t about who owes who, it’s about getting to know each other. EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-86879438028533156342013-01-13T17:45:00.000-08:002013-01-13T17:45:02.986-08:00Jesus Henry Christ (Another Movie Review)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The other night in my lack of sleep, I watched <a href="http://www.jhcthemovie.com/" target="_blank">Jesus Henry Christ</a>. This movie kept in tone with my other January movies: an indie comedy that looked much different from what it was. This colourful DVD cover doesn’t really tell us about the darkness of this comedy, but does tell us how 70’s it is.<br /><br /><br />Admittedly, I had been hesitant to watch it, if only because it looks like it’s trying too hard to be Indie and at times, it really does, at least in the beginning. About half way through we pass up all the “Look at me, look at me! I’m Indie! I swear!” moments (you know, that overly surreal effect that’s hard to pull off just right) and get to back to the real storyline, which while is an unusual story, it’s also a probable story. The probability in this story is what makes it so enchanting. The ending is rather un-extraordinary which just adds to the charm: this two children who are so, let’s be nice and say, unique, are left with an “ordinary” ending. </div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1393742/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo from IMBD</span></a><br /><br />This movie about modern families and what craziness they put each other through is a fun watch. Be ready to suspend your belief at moments and just go along for the dizziness that might ensue. <a href="http://www.jhcthemovie.com/" target="_blank">Jesus Henry Christ</a> is probably not the best for those who are not fond of occasional harsh language or talk of test tube babies, but really, those are downplayed so much that I still recommend this trip. </div>
EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-53663242750099476112013-01-08T20:18:00.000-08:002013-01-08T20:20:29.164-08:00"Toast" (Indie Comedy Day: Final Review)Our last movie of the night departs from the American Indie scene and moves into the British Indie scene with the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1658851/">Toast</a>. With a delightful cast and a moving memoir to base the script off of, it’s hard to go wrong with this piece. Unless, of course, you hate food… and despise a lot of crying.<br />
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Unlike the previous films today (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.jeffwholivesathome.com/">Jeff, Who Lives at Home </a>and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.imdb.com/title/tt1537392/">Armless</a>), this one is based off of <a href="http://www.nigelslater.com/">Nigel Slater</a>’s autobiography. For any one who wonders who that is (as I did), you can see his <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.nigelslater.com/">webpage</a> which tells about career as a chef, food writer, and television cooking show host. However, you don’t need to know any of this (or care even), to watch this film. It only has a short blurb at the end about his adult life and really focuses on his childhood and his inspiration to become a chef.<br />
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Don't worry, it's more than just watching this foodie come into his own: you also get to see him dealing with social protocol, sexual situations, and challenging family situations. Besides that there is also the fact that this is 1960s Britain and the nuances of the world are much different from the current times. Despite being in what seems a racially small world (which is how it undoubtly felt for him at the time), one can see a wide range of complex situations arise in a tiny bubble which helps contain the story line, but also makes it more moving since we can all understand that life is nothing if not one issue on top of another.<br />
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I wish I could say more, but really I don’t want to spoil this piece for you. It’s all about the subtle way the ingredients work together to make a whole, just like any good recipe. You’ll want to give <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1658851/">Toast</a> a try, but like any Indie movie, with the laughter will come the tears, so bring a box of tissues for company. And maybe something to nosh on, since every other shot seems to have some thing delicious looking enough to make your tummy rumble.<br />
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Thanks for joining me today on movie day! If people like this enjoy, I might do it again. Heck, I'll do it again just because it helped get a lot of knitting done and good writing practice. We'll do this again soon!EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-22336641036083145492013-01-08T15:40:00.001-08:002013-01-08T15:40:35.604-08:00"Armless" (Indie Comedy Day: Review Two)Next on my playlist during this miserable Indie Comedy Day (because what else are you going to do with a migraine and construction right outside besides watch people more miserable than you get a weird/happy ending? ) was <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1537392/">Armless</a>. It’s pretty easy to guess what the movie is about based of the title: having no arms, but pretty quickly we find out that it’s not that no one in the movie has arms. Rather it’s that the main character, John Willard, wants to cut his arms off and have “nubbins.”<br />
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Now reading reviews on <a href="http://www.netlfix.com">Netflix</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com">IMBD</a> are pretty, well, harsh. Comments about the bad directions, the no flow script, and just the horrible writing is most of what you’ll find there. Here, however, I’m asking you take a step back and think about life: life is awkwardly situated with boring characters and crazy characters that all tend to be self-centered and distant, especially when harboring a secret or when scared. This movie gives you the real life of it. The mom who’s too open and constantly lying, the wife who’s so wrapped up in her own anxieties she has trouble just being there for her husband, the husband who just wants to suffer because he believes that with all his good life must come something bad as well, and the doctor who’s spent so much time on appearances and money that he just wants to be something he’s not: exciting. So when I see people saying that this movie is bad, I wonder if they expected something more mainstream like <a href="http://http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0805564/">Lars and The Real Girl</a> which seems to be written for a more general audience. You know, the people who want a feel good comedy. Armless is not a feel good comedy.<br />
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In fact, it’s barely a comedy. People even complain in the reviews when it starts to show comedy, saying messes with the tone of the movie or something like that, but <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1537392/">Armless</a> is seemingly more about showing the reality. In reality the jokes we make are not necessarily appropriately timed and this movie reflects that. Which is one of the reasons I give it props: we’ve all had doctors try to joke to connect with us and we’ve all just stared at them blankly as if to say, “You’re a doctor. Not Bozo the Clown, get on with it already” or family member/friend tell us inappropriate things about their sex life thinking that it would be helpful when really it just makes us cringe and shudder every time we see that waffle maker (Don’t ask, don’t tell: really it should be every one’s motto about sex). The fact is the reason it’s funny is because we understand the uncomfortableness of the situations.<br />
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So, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1537392/">Armless</a> may not be every one’s cup of tea. Most of us don’t like watching painfully awkward moments that close to real life, but I enjoyed the depth of the characters and the real feeling of the disconnect between the main character and those he loves. Besides, who can’t relate to A) feeling like something horrible is going to happen to balance out a wonderful life and just wanting it to happen now instead of later, B) that we aren’t normal and should have a way to show it, and C) that we need some type of painful weight lifted off of us. I can’t say you’ll like this movie, but sometimes it’s not about liking a movie. It’s about connecting with another part of ourselves. EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-4648028261804553832013-01-08T12:14:00.000-08:002013-01-08T15:33:43.672-08:00"Jeff, Who Lives at Home" (Indie Comedy Day: Review One)Today as my head throbbed with a migraine and Detroit decided for the first time in years to do construction on my street, I decided to put on a movie that I’ve been dying to watch. However,<a href="http://www.jeffwholivesathome.com/" target="_blank"> Jeff, Who Lives at Home</a> is not the comedy one might think it would be from the DVD cover and the two lead actors: Jason Segel and Ed Helms.<br />
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With this film about two very different brothers, I was originally expecting a more comedic guilty pleasure movie much like <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0838283/" target="_blank">Step Brothers</a>. Much to my delight, it is not a comedic guilty pleasure, but rather a heartwarming comedy that really is barely a comedy at all. Think <a href="http://www.foxsearchlight.com/gardenstate/" target="_blank">Garden State</a> minus the heavy romance part: these two movies are considered comedies, but they both give us the warm fuzzies and this odd hope that even if we are lost and alone wandering about life zombie-like looking for meaning, that we still have some type of purpose. By the end of this film, every one has found their moment, their zen, even if we as the audience realize that it may not last them. What starts out with a simple trip to the hardware store for wood glues, turns into 83 minutes of following the signs so that Jeff, Pat, and their mother, Sharon, can all be in the right place at the right time. <br />
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Personally: I think this is the right time for you to watch this movie. If you need that extra “oomph” in your day or just that reminder that sometimes life can be a be weird or that despite how crazy things may (or may not be) we each have a purpose if we just follow the signs. Very rarely do we come across a film that has a little meaning for every one who might stumble across it. <br />
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I highly recommend <a href="http://www.jeffwholivesathome.com/" target="_blank"> Jeff, Who Lives at Home</a> to any one who believes in fate, destiny, and being in the right place at the right time as well as any one who feels lost and wasted, needs a good cry, and who wants a reminder that they have a purpose. Basically, I think you all should watch it... With a box of tissues handy and some one you love close by to hug when it's done.EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-19903048930745688612013-01-03T20:09:00.003-08:002013-01-03T20:09:31.573-08:00The Year of No Excuses<a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/wkh/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Every year I declare a year for myself… Usually quietly just in case I can’t own up to it at the end of the year, but since the last few years have gone exceedingly well, I guess it’s time to man up and step up to the plate. Okay, so last year I didn’t have a goal and I didn’t really have any last year either.<br />
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Now the year before that (Or maybe it was the year before that?) I had the <b>Year of Facing my Fears</b>. It was amazing. I pushed myself and did more than I ever could imagine. I learned so much that year: what it takes to do things, how much could be considered fearful, how I’ve been much better for it, and that I really can do whatever I put my mind on. And no, I’m not telling you what happened that year. It was was also the <b>Year of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell</b>. <br />
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This year is a little different since I recruited John to join in on this round of making life better. Together we’re facing <b>The Year of No Excuses</b>. That’s right, we’re going to do what need to be done despite anything that might get in the way. That means “play time” is no excuse, “no room” is no excuse, “family” is no excuse, etc. What we want to accomplish will come first, our responsibilities will come first. <br />
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Below I'm posting a poem that will be one of my main inspirations this year. I'll also post other bits of our inspiration that we come across throughout our <b>Year of No Excuses</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzP872Xs-dz6ebCFcXb8hMZG4EFAFOCGtvKUzK114TbJzRu0i-nu1psEpgd54dQsriokF3pBcVvhJaACocefp_ZfVeLTPQgC-jT8wmay-WNEjc-iFAYxwRVaHwcYrI-FccehayYdoAXs/s1600/CBpoem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzP872Xs-dz6ebCFcXb8hMZG4EFAFOCGtvKUzK114TbJzRu0i-nu1psEpgd54dQsriokF3pBcVvhJaACocefp_ZfVeLTPQgC-jT8wmay-WNEjc-iFAYxwRVaHwcYrI-FccehayYdoAXs/s320/CBpoem.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(This picture of the poem is from a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/">Flickr</a> poster called "<a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/wkh/">W.K.</a>")</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">You can also see it in this wonderful comic format which I'm hoping to get a print of from <a href="http://zenpencils.com/">Zen Pencils</a>: </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://zenpencils.com/comic/97-charles-bukowski-air-and-light-and-time-and-space/#comment-19756">air and light and time and space Written by Charles Bukowski, Illustrated by Gavin Aung Than</a></span><br />
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On that note, children, I need to get back to work making my dreams come true!<br />
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We'll see each other again soon during this <b>Year of No Excuses!</b><br />
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EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-16899772466848186202012-12-09T23:01:00.000-08:002012-12-09T23:01:15.793-08:00Final Senior Seminar Blog and Reading is Teenage Gateway Drug to Knowledge (Week 14)First off, this is my last blog for my Senior Seminar course on Children's Lit. I'd like to say this isn't my last literature blog post, but this series of posts has been helpful in pushing me to pursue more literary blog series in the future. I've got a list of topics and written pieces I'd like to torture you with... Er, I mean discuss with you. While I'll be sad to see this class come to an end, I'm also excited for inspiration it's given me to keep moving forward on writing up my literary journeys. <br />
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Secondly, this week's reading (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_Thief">The Book Thief by Mark Zusak</a>), may in fact be a dangerous item for teens. It's engaging, bringing it's works to life by using eye catching bold words and singling them out by centering them as well or using symbols to mark them out. It may actually be enough to should teenagers that reading is "cool" and "hip". And what might this reading lead to? Wanting to learn more. In this case specifically, this historical fiction would be most likely make them want to learn more about WWII and the events surrounding it and would be excellent paired with a history class (as well as with some extra literature of the non-fictional variety of course.).<br />
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Besides historical knowledge as well, this piece brings worth many philosophical points as well. The narrator being Death itself and being a rather sympathetic, caring character brings up a quite a few interesting questions. Is our cultural image of death realistic? Is it fear based? Should we fear death like we do and is it really a good or bad entity? Looking past that one character, we see plenty points of moral philosophy as well. Liesel steals a book from a book burning. Is she really stealing? Or since it is being burned, does that action negate the stealing? <br />
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This book brings about not only the want of historical knowledge, but also philosophical knowledge. Imagine the horrible things that can come from that. Why in the world would we want independent thinking, intelligent young adults? It's not like that type of thing has ever been useful in life before.<br />
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<u>Interesting Links</u><br />
<a href="http://www.shmoop.com/book-thief/">A Teaching Guide to The Boof Thief</a><br />
<a href="http://philosophyforteens.pbworks.com/w/page/16439860/Philosophy%20for%20Teens%20Front%20Page">Philosophy for Teens (A High school class website exploring philosophy)</a><br />
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(If I can find more interesting links, I'll add them. However, there are not many sites based off of teen philosophy that aren't pushing book sales.) EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-60526814986247242262012-12-02T21:30:00.000-08:002012-12-02T21:30:19.091-08:00The Leap (Week 13)This week's reading, M.T. Anderson's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_%28Anderson_novel%29">The Feed</a>, is quite a leap forward from our other readings and thankfully so. We generally find ourselves seeing children's literature as only fairy tales, picture books, and sweet, simple novels. <i>The Feed</i>, which is more of a young adult sci fi book, breaks the traditional image.<br />
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Obviously, we wouldn't read it to our five year old, but young adult fiction needs to have it's place in literature as well. Possibly the best part of this book is the fact that it forces teenagers to look into difficult and even very plausible questions that we face in society every day. There is the constant bombardment of advertising, even though it is not as extreme as the world in the book, we all face it every day. Teenagers need to learn early on how to fight the conformity that advertising tries to force on us and this book helps push that lesson. Teenagers are facing questions of their lifestyle choices and the culture around them.<br />
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And is that not what literature should be doing? While yes, we all enjoy our guilty pleasure readings that are just for fun and aren't cause for much thought. It's good to know that not all young adult books are fluff. It's important to start learning to question early on, especially during an impressionable time such as one's teenage years. EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-53828128124900297302012-11-30T23:00:00.002-08:002012-12-03T17:26:44.239-08:00Kind People are my Kinda People <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.notsalmon.com"></a><br />
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Interacting will people on a daily basis makes it easy for some to just assume that the people are in general just selfish and rude. At times, they really are, but the fact of the matter is, is that their attitudes should not matter. If you find some one who's in a horrible mood, you should not let it become your horrible mood. Instead step back, smile and do what you can to make their day better. </div>
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Working in customer service has really tested me on that. There have been times were I have been yelled at for events beyond my control, almost run over, threatened, and even spit at. Yet, if you ask the people I work with, 89% of the time, I can bounce back from that moment and still smile at the person with in seconds. There are just a few things that any one needs to remember to help be kind to others, despite whatever their attitude to you is: </div>
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<b>Remember you don't know them. </b>That's right, you don't know them. You don't what their day has been like or what they are dealing with in their life. You don't know if a family member has passed or if the kids have been screaming all day or any type of high stress. This means you can't judge the attitude you get from them. They maybe wrong to give you that attitude, but that doesn't mean they aren't going through a hard time and it doesn't mean that they don't need some kindness. Assume that they just need a smile and a few kind words. Then give them those nice moments and hope that it makes their day better.We</div>
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<b>Treat them how you want to be treated. </b>It's over said, but under done. While no one can guarantee that you'll be treated the same way back, there's also no guarantee that you'll be treated kindly either way. However, how can you ever expect any one to treat you well if you don't treat them well as well? Sometimes all it takes is a compliment or even a simple conversation. You'll never know how much one kind word can change some one's mood until you do it. </div>
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<b>Smiles are contiguous.</b> So, maybe you can't reach every one you meet, but smiles are like the germs in a sneeze. You sneeze and no matter how well you try to cover to up, germs go flying everywhere. Which means every one around you can be affected by your good actions. If you treat some one well, especially when they need it, others notice and they tend to spread it around. For example, one day, I bought a homeless person a meal on campus and the workers at the restaurant ended up comping the whole bill just because they noticed my nice action and returned. Maybe you won't see the people affected like I did, but that doesn't mean that other people aren't taking your actions to heart and passing forward the good deeds.<br />
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In the end, you just need to remember that every one is human. There will be bad moods and stressful situations. No one is always going to be perfect, but every one will always need a kind word and a smile. And you can be the one to provide that.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><i>Karen
Salmansohn is on a mission to stop the trend of bullying and make
kindness trendy. You can find out more about her mission on Karen’s
Happy Kid’s page on her site <a href="http://www.notsalmon.com/" target="_blank">www.notsalmon.com</a>. Plus, you can join Karen’s Kindness mission
by becoming a Kindness Rockstar Ambassador – just click here <a href="http://bit.ly/RSEwjZ" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/RSEwjZ</a> </i></span></div>
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EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-83895664834972541292012-11-29T17:33:00.001-08:002012-11-29T17:37:46.102-08:00Pfft, Who Cares About the Numbers (Or Why the NaNoWriMo Numbers Don't Always Matter)With one day left in <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a>, I’ll admit that I made it barely over 15k words this year (well below my normal). Yes, it sucks and I could throw you all the excuses and let you juggle them. Between school responsibilities, craft shows, and family matters not one of you would blame me. That does not matter. I can even say that finishing doesn’t always matter. Though some women may beg to differ. <br />
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Here are five reasons why: <br />
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<b>Habit Forming.</b><br />
If you learn nothing from <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a>, but one thing, this is the one thing you should learn: Writing must become habitual to become not only better, but hopefully even professional. The 50k in a month sets one goal for the month and then daily goals of approximately 1667 words per day. This is the perfect tool to make writing habitual<a href="http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2010/11/build-a-good-habit-in-30-days/"> since studies show that it takes 30 days to create a habit.</a> If you’re serious about writing, obviously you need to write every day to help improve it and NaNoWriMo helps you form that habit.<br />
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<b>Creating Contacts.</b><br />
As writers, we may not be alone, but we definitely feel it some days. During November we get the chance to join weekly writing groups (which sometimes expand to year round), make friends over the message board, and find people we trust to either write with or proof read our work. Sometimes these friends even end up with jobs or their own contacts that could further our writing goals. These contacts could not only help end our writing solitude, but help expand our professional ties as well. <br />
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<b>The Deals. </b><br />
Sure, some deals are only for the 50k winners, but some deals are for every one. You can discounts on software, self publishing, and even some chances for professional publishing that only participants can get. <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/en/offers">Admittedly, 25-50% self publishing and software is really worth the work of NaNoWriMo. </a><br />
<b><br />The Challenge.</b><br />
Sometimes we just need a challenge, but creating our own challenges are not always easy. Especially if we are alone in this challenge. With the <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> challenge, we work with thousands of others which gives us more drive to meet the challenge. We know that other people are suffering and working and pushing forward like we are. This camaraderie is hard to find and once a year (or twice if you do <a href="http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/">Script Frenzy</a>), we get to have it and rejoice in it. <br />
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<b>The Resources.</b><br />
The whole month of <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a>, we find writing prompts, <a href="https://twitter.com/NaNoWordSprints">a twitter feed full of writing sprints and mini-challenges</a>, and famous authors giving us pep talks. These don’t go away suddenly after November ends. They don’t just delete the twitter account or remove all bits of pep talks. No, instead the twitter remains available to go on and re-use the mini-challenges that we missed during the month (since the twitter runs 24/7). <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/en/pep">And best of all, the pep talks get put into an archive that we have access to all year round.</a><br />
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Let’s face it, there’s plenty of different reasons that <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/">NaNoWriMo</a> is good for us writers. You own reason might be something silly or even something much more serious, but in the long run, any reason is a good one to help better yourself and your writing. EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-82124192670579913452012-11-25T20:35:00.002-08:002012-11-25T20:35:14.179-08:00Formatting, Formatting, Formatting (Or the Curious Case of "The Golden Compass" Style) [Week 12]This week, we got to read another interesting book: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Lights_%28novel%29">Philip Pullman's </a><i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Lights_%28novel%29">The Golden Compass</a> </i>(Also known as <i>Northern Lights</i>)<i>. </i>I suppose most people would look at the story being told and argue about the religious implications, but personally, it might be better to look at the format. After a quick excerpt from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost">John Milton's Paradise Lost</a> (an adult poem, but we'll get to that in a moment), Pullman writes: <br />
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"<cite><i>The Golden Compass</i> forms the first part of a story in three volumes. The first volume is set in a universe like ours, but different in many ways. The second volume is set in the universe we know. The third volume will move between universes.</cite>"<br />
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This admittedly makes me wonder if this is a children's novel. I suppose higher age children (middle schoolers) would be able to follow this format after being warned of it ahead of time, but would they really gather the nuances? I know adults who have issues following this type of format. While I admit that I don't have any trouble, especially with this easy read, I am trained to read. Literally. It's what I've been learning the past few years and I always step back after reading something and go, "Could I read this without my years of schooling?" (Though occasionally it's, "Why can't I read this after all my years of schooling?!"). This is a critical question to ask ourselves, especially those who want to teach eventually.<br />
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Do we really think middle schoolers will understand this book? It even starts with an very adult people by Milton. Granted it is only a short excerpt, but those who have read <i>Paradise Lost</i> know that this poem can be challenging language wise as well as in nuance and themes. This excerpt could be a foreshadowing of the difficult read ahead (as well as for the book's actually contextual importance, of course). Can we really expect younger adults to get the experience of a book with complex formats? Or appreciate them?<br />
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I really want to say "yes", since I know I used to be able too. However, I always wonder if that is par for the course. Especially after interacting with some of the younger generations lately. It seems almost half and half. EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-53652859844126026912012-11-20T14:22:00.000-08:002012-11-20T14:22:51.446-08:00Ridiculousness of Black Friday (Commentary on the Stupidity of American Consumerism))Black Friday is a waste of time and generally, a wast of money too. <br /><br />Do any of us really need to wait in line for several hours to save $100 or even just $50 dollars off a TV or a game system? If we find ourselves that desperate for discounts, then maybe we should not be buying such extravagant, luxury items. Almost every one I know claims to not have money to pay the bills, so why are they getting so excited for a deal that doesn’t even save them that much? Besides, we can find those deals year round IF, and this is a big IF, we look for them. Most retail employees will even tell you that the deals that they have on Black Friday, generally are the deals they have the whole month and even on and off throughout the next year. <br /><br />More importantly, do any of us need to risk our lives for the sake of luxury? The string of shootings, tramplings, and serious injuries that we see every year should be a warning to us that we don’t need to do ridiculous spree sales. Yet every year we line up like sheep to get some not so good deals. “Sheep” is not the proper word, though, to describe the mentality of the people at Black Friday sales. People form a mob mentality and rush the doors and fight for deals with no regard for any one, including children and the elderly. The links below detail specific incidents which include, but are not limited to deaths and miscarriages. <br /><br />This all says a lot about the American mentality: We would rather potentially risk our lives for deals that are widely publicized instead of taking the to time to look for them the rest of the year. It’s idiotic consumerism at it’s finest. <br />
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Links:<br />
<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/13-most-brutal-black-friday-injuries-and-deaths/john-barryman">13 Most Brutal Black Friday Injuries/Deaths</a><br /><a href="http://2minutefinance.com/2011/11/28/black-friday-violence-why-the-national-retail-federation-is-to-blame/">Black Friday Violence: Why the National Retail Federation is to Blame</a><br /><a href="http://2minutefinance.com/2011/11/28/black-friday-violence-why-the-national-retail-federation-is-to-blame/">Crazy Black Friday Stats, Stories, and Videos</a> <br /><a href="http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/7-most-insane-black-friday-moments-224500957.html">7 Most Insane Black Friday Moments</a><br /><a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20111125/FEATURES13/111125011/Black-Friday-turns-violent-9-U-S-Walmart-stores-least-24-people-injured">Black Friday turns violent at 9 U.S. Walmart stores; at least 24 people injured</a> <br /><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-57342402/lies-damned-lies-and-black-friday-sales-statistics">Lies, damned lies and Black Friday sales statistics</a> <br />
<br />EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-59017683381007801632012-11-18T19:50:00.001-08:002012-11-18T19:50:20.773-08:00So You're Mad About Christianity... (Week 11?)<div style="text-align: justify;">
In my youth, my parents read us the full <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia">Narnia</a> series, and being the smart children we are, we liked them. Growing older I became more and more aware of the Christian symbolism through out (especially in <i>The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe</i>), but I became even more aware of the anger at the symbolism that people seemed to have developed over time. </div>
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The general source of this anger seems to be the fact that the Christian symbolism is so blatant. I actually know people who refuse to read the series, because of the symbolism. Imagine choosing not to read something because of the Christian symbolism. Sure, the character Aslan screams "I'm an image relating to Jesus Christ", but it does not stop the story from being interesting. Nor does it stop Lewis from using pagan symbols as well, as an online article from <a href="http://www.marxmail.org%20/">www.marxmail.org </a>that <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> seemed to find interesting enough to re-post: </div>
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"If it is meant as Christian propaganda, one has to wonder if
it is subverting its own goals through the inclusion of witches, fauns,
centaurs and other creatures drawn from the ranks of mythology. Furthermore,
the return of Christmas in this tale seems closer to the pagan roots of this
holiday than to celebrating Jesus' birth. After all, putting up a pine tree as
a symbol of the oncoming spring would owe more to Nordic ritual than the sort
of austere Anglican theology favored by Lewis."</div>
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The author, who I had issues locating the name of, has a valid point: Lewis does use pagan imagery along side of Christian imagery. This mimics most of the religious growth we see. Christianity and Paganism basically have grown up together, essentially teaching other and each taking bits and pieces of the other. Does knowing this help calm the outrage of the over board Christian themes? </div>
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Besides that, if we stop reading pieces just because of blatant Christian themes, think of how many authors that cuts from our reading pool: Tolkien, Chesterton, Koontz... Heck, even <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1572107/jk-rowling-talks-about-christian-imagery.jhtml">Rowling admits to Christian</a> themes in the <i>Harry Potter</i> series<i>.</i> The fact of the matter is that Christianity is a large part of our culture and had been for quite some time. Even those who are not Christian know the themes and references, making them universal. While it seems like the references are slowing down in our culture, it still makes sense to use them and to try and avoid them? Well, that's just impossible. </div>
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Links on the Symbolism</div>
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<a href="http://www.jonathanselby.com/Narnia.html">The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe SYMBOLISM and MEANINGS (A Christian Website, biased view)</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/lion/themes.html">Sparknotes Summary of Themes (Educational Tool, Unbiased)</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.columbia.edu/%7Elnp3/mydocs/culture/Narnia.htm">The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Online Article on the Effect of the Movie, Hard to tell if un/baised))</a></div>
EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-36310179753525728392012-11-11T15:07:00.003-08:002012-11-11T15:07:57.836-08:00Damn that Cat and his Stupid Hat (Week 10)If there's ever an article on English literature that I would suggest to any audience, it's <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/bios/louis_menand/search?contributorName=louis%20menand">Louis Menand's</a> <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2002/12/23/021223crat_atlarge?currentPage=1">Cat People</a> and really, even if you just read the first three paragraphs and the very last, you've caught at least part of why I absolutely love this article.<br />
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We ask ourselves a few questions about <a href="http://www.seussville.com/">Dr. Seuss's</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cat_in_the_Hat">Cat in the Hat </a> and Menand asks these questions as well: Where is the Mother? Why should we care about this cat? Who is this cat causing chaos and being a menace (not unlike Denis)? Admittedly, we ask ourselves these questions as adults about a variety of children's books and we do not necessarily get that answer. It makes me wonder, do the children reading this book ask themselves these questions?<br />
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This brings another line of questioning to mind: Is a child's curiosity innate or learned? Do the questions that they ask come from the adults around them or from themselves? I suppose this could be a question of nature versus nurture. Most people can agree that we are born curious: we try to touch and eat everything (our natural oral fixation stage), when we learn to crawl we want to get into every nook and cranny we can find, etc. It can be assumed that after that we learn whether it is okay to be curious and whether we should continue to be it.<br />
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We've seen in other pieces how curiosity can be treated. In <a href="http://www.littlehousebooks.com/">Little House</a>, Laura is just brushed off when she shows curiosity while in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll_of_Thunder,_Hear_My_Cry">Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry</a>, Cassie's questions are answered in usually vivid detail. Renea Arnold and Nell Colburn quote <a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/index.htm">Bruce Perry</a> (a neuroscientist) in their article on Children Curiosity (posted below):<br />
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<span>" 'If children are restricted too much or told not to ask so many
questions, their curiosity will diminish," notes developmental
neuroscientist <a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/" target="_blank">Bruce Perry</a> in <em>Early Childhood Today</em>. 'The less-curious child is harder to teach because he is harder to
inspire, enthuse, and motivate. A less-curious child will make fewer
friends, join fewer social groups, and read fewer books.' "</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>If this is the only moment in their article we pay attention too, that is enough. We know Laura will eventually because less curious and Cassie will become more curious. So when we read books like <i>Cat in the Hat </i>to our children and they don't ask the same questions we do, maybe we should not only be encouraging their questions, but teaching them about the questions we have as well. </span><br />
<br />
<span>And when one isn't equipped to be curious or doesn't have enough information, well the internet has the answer for that. The <a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Main_Page">Teaching Children Philosophy</a> website is just one of the great websites where parents can learn what to ask their children about books. This may seem just about teaching philosophy, but the questions that are given, can help a child learn to ask these questions themselves. Even if they aren't asking the philosophical questions on their own, maybe they'll at least be asking the one question that's on my mind at least:</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span>Who's more annoy that Damn Cat in his Stupid Hat </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span>or </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span>that Nosey Fish who's confined to his Dish?</span></div>
<br />
More Links On Dr. Seuss:<br />
<a href="http://pbskids.org/catinthehat/">The Cat in The Hat know A Lot</a><br />
<a href="http://www.catinthehat.org/history.htm">Dr. Seuss National Memorial</a><br />
<a href="http://www.drseussart.com/">The Art of Dr. Seuss </a><br />
<a href="http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/The_Cat_in_the_Hat">Teaching Children Philosophy- Cat in the Hat</a><br />
<br />
More on Children's Curiosity:<br />
<a href="http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/printissuecurrentissue/884770-427/natural-born_scientists_childrenaposs_curiosity_about.html.csp">Natural-Born Scientists: Children's curiosity about the world begins at birth </a><br />
<a href="http://www.hepg.org/her/abstract/842">Children's Need to Know</a><br />
<a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/349885?uid=3739728&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101362434151">Children's Curiosity and Parental Attitudes (JSTOR)</a><br />
<a href="http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how-to-encourage-childrens-creativity">How can we encourage creativity in today's children? </a><br />
<br />
P.S. There are obviously a multitude of articles on how to teach or encourage curiosity to a child, I did not really post any, but if you're in need of some, just use <a href="http://www.google.com/">Google</a> and you'll find plenty to your liking. EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-21365098672080582592012-11-04T14:20:00.001-08:002012-11-04T14:20:48.434-08:00Spy vs. Spy (Week 9)This week we find ourselves reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harriet-Spy-Louise-Fitzhugh/dp/0440416795">Harriet the Spy</a>, which is quite the change from our historical readings. It, of course, tells a some sort of real life knowledge about keeping a filter on our inner selves, but I'm more interested on the take of her being a spy.<br />
<br />
Harriet while becoming a spy is really learning something our lives now prize: being aware of everything. If she was an adult, would she have been reprimanded for her spying? In the corporate world people are constantly spying on one another like Harriet does and using people's weaknesses against them. They are rewarded and given raises and promotions. Harriet does not use any information on people (until later on for revenge purposes) and instead just keeps them as a private set of thoughts. When her private thoughts are found and read, she essentially gets in trouble. So what does this mean in a society like ours?<br />
<br />
Harriet is just being honest and does not want to be the cutthroat like those in the business world would be. We as a society value honestly, or at least say we do, but ask that we also keep it to ourselves if others may not like it. This book seems to being a harsh lesson in that regard. First off, we find out the world is not understanding of our true nature (in this case Harriet's blatant honesty in her notebook). Second, we find out that the world is prone to revenge (the students form a club to act against Harriet and Harriet acts against them, as well). Thirdly, we find out that if we do something not necessarily deemed socially acceptable, but apologize publicly, we can be rewarded (Harriet becomes editor of the school newspaper), which seems an unrealistic ending. <br />
<br />
As much as I like this book, I'm not sure if it really is saying anything of value for a youth or even if I'm finding the right meanings behind the actions of the book. We're not only teaching Harriet to keep her honesty to herself, but teaching her how the world reacts badly to honestly. Would we prefer an overly honest world or a sugar coated world? EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-3731909916503819612012-10-29T19:01:00.001-07:002012-10-29T19:01:56.464-07:00End of October UpdatesWell, it’s almost the end of October, and to be honest, I’m grateful. I’m about to have a lot more time to devote to not only the blogs (Which means I could finally respond to your comments! So sorry it’s taking so long), but the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/EveryRoadisanOption">Facebook page</a>, Etsy, booking shows, writing, submitting works, etc. <br />
<br />
Here’s what’s currently going on:<br />
<br />
- Continuance of the Senior Seminar posts with the addition of plotting my final paper<br />
- Figuring out my school plan (so close to done!)<br />
- Show prep for the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/247671058689486/">4th Annual Romeo’s Lion’s Club Craft and Vendor show</a> (Please feel free to come!)<br />
- Been doing NaNoWriMo prep! Come back November 1st when I discuss my prep work and keep an eye out for updates in throughout the month. <br />
- Feel free to add me as a <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/everyroadisanoption">Writing Buddy</a> on the site so we can compare, contrast, and commiserate . <br />
- I’ll soon be posting more actual fiction pieces from poetry to short plays to stories, all of which may be read via Youtube if you’re unlucky enough. <br />
- The Facebook page will be more friendly for commission options (showing more item options and customization options) as well as just showing more projects and images of finished products. <br />
- <a href="http://thetentativecooker.blogspot.com/">Tentative Cooker</a> will be getting more updates, despite the current neglect. Apple Chili any one? <br />
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<br />
I’m sure there’s more, there always is, but these are the definite things to look forward to as we go into November. October was a long month with very little updates to here or the Facebook page. That just happens sometimes when life competes for attention. See you more soon!EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-15553227175947701322012-10-28T17:50:00.001-07:002012-10-28T19:08:35.309-07:00Adult Writers: Teaching our Youth (Week 8)First off, let me apologize for my rambling, maybe a bit off-kilter blog last week. After two 10-11 hour works days in a row and balancing the rest of the week, occasionally add up to really late night and spaced out blogging. Tonight might not be too much better: I've been fighting a migraine since last night and can't seem to shake this throbbing in my head. However, at least it won't be 3 AM, and baby, I'm not lonely.<br />
<br />
Alright, enough with the 90s song references.<br />
<br />
Like most of the literature we've read so far in my Senior Seminar course,<i> Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry</i> by Mildred Taylor is not the stereotypical children's book. When we think children's literature, we think Dr. Seuss and <i>See Spot Run</i> and <i>The Bernstein Bears </i>collections, but in reality, those aren't <br />
really what children read and if we think about it, we know that. We all read books like <i>Little House on the Prairie </i>and The American Girl book Collections<i>. </i>So why do these come to mind and not books like <i>Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry </i>which is focused on the racism in a small town?<br />
<br />
Maybe it's because we see childhood as a world of innocence that we would rather not tarnish. All we want to see is Spot chasing after his ball, but children are looking for more in their literature. People writing for children understand this. Kelly McDowell states early on in her article ("<i>Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry</i>: A Culturally Specific, Subversive Concept of Child Agency"), that an "adult writer" instructs "the child how the adult world desires her to be" (Pg. 214) through their works. We discussed the same thing when it came to faery tales and it still rings true in modern works. We've seen it in <i>Little House</i> when Laura questions the world and is considered the bad one and Mary, who is subservient and quiet, is considered the good one.<br />
<br />
I could point out in everything we've read that could children learn (including disembowelment and thievery), but in <i>Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry </i>I think children learn a much harsher lesson than in the other books. They learn the terror of racism in a descriptive and powerful manner. Men get burned to death and lynchings are barely avoided let alone the fact that children on the end of ugly teasing (harassment?) dig a ditch to trap a bus full of children in it. Through out this book violence and vulgarity seem to breed the same. The characters on either side of the race argument are tearing at one another in any way the kind in a small town civil war of sorts. These are hard things for children to handle and a part of me wonders what they take out of this book. Is it violence as an answer? Or do they see the destruction in the hate and seek out ways to handle society in a productive manner? I like to think the author is pointing out how the world shouldn't be, but will children take it that way? <br />
<br />EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-9197026153958018722012-10-21T22:23:00.000-07:002012-10-21T22:24:11.467-07:00Rewriting Our Past [Or maybe just a rabbling notion about historical children's literature] (Week 7)As much as I've enjoyed our last two weeks of class reading, which included Laura Ingalls's <i>Little House on the Prairie </i>and Louise Erdrich's<i> The Birchbark House</i>, I can't help, but wonder about how rewriting history (in this case, their families' past in a fictional format) does to our understanding of the events. Do they actually help children learn about the times and question them? Or rather, do they mask the issues children need to learn? More importantly: Are they really a child's story? Or just grown-ups playing make believe?<br />
<br />
Roni Natov seems to cover this as she can in her article <i>Child Power in Louise Erdrich's Fiction for Children.</i> She very fittingly points out that children can understand more than we give them credit for, saying, "Children are aware of much that goes on outside their ability to articulate and evaluate complex problems". Natov also points out that in <i>Little House, </i>Laura does ask the hard questions about the territory they live in (if it's Native American land, if the government will make the Native Americans move, etc). However, Ingalls was an infant at the time this actually happen, meaning when she "rewrote" her past, she added these adult questions. Erdrich's situation in writing isn't much different, but she makes a much different decision in how she portrays a childhood knowledge of the world, the "child's power" as Roni points it out to be. <br />
<br />
Erdrich shows how children do comprehend: not through the same words adults would, but by instinct and feeling. Omakayas, our main character, doesn't necessarily know what adults are talking about or what really is happening, but she does know when it's important or not. Once she notes it's importance, she holds onto it and finds herself referring back to it. While both are children's actions, this one seems much more childlike than Ingalls's version of herself in her series of books. <br />
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It is difficult, understandably so, to write from a child's perspective. It seems especially hard to do so while telling a historical tale that gives all the information of the time. It's much easier when one is writing from a child's perspective for adults, like <a href="http://www.johnconnollybooks.com/">John Connelly</a> seems to do on a regular basis, or when one writes purely for children, like most children's books. <br />
<br />
<br />
For those interested in writing from a child's perspective, here are a few links to help: <br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://jacquesstrauss.com/writing-from-the-perspective-of-a-child/">Writing from a Child's Perspective</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Best Line: </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
"Furthermore even if the writer does a very, very fine job of imitating a
child, there will almost inevitably come a point where something rings
false; a word or a phrase or a thought will be wrong or very difficult
to attribute to a child. "</div>
<br />
<a href="http://litrefsarticles.blogspot.com/2011/01/child-narrators-in-adult-fiction.html">Child Narrator's in Adult Fiction</a><br />
Take note of the suggestions of where to pull the ideas and look at the long list of recommended reading (which even includes the child narrator's age). The format is a bit messy, but worth the long read.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2276417_view-world-from-childs-perspective.html">How to View the World from your Child's Perspective</a><br />
Not necessarily a traditional writing tips article, but think about it: if you can learn how to see through a child's eye than that's about as helpful as any writing tip when it comes to writing from a child's perspective. EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-4469262462962373162012-10-08T16:03:00.000-07:002012-10-08T16:03:37.685-07:00Romeo and Juliet: Glorifying Suicide?<div class="discussion" data-category-id="">
<div class="description">
<div class="xg_user_generated">
Recently in my Advanced Shakespeare class, we briefly mentioned <em>Romeo and Juliet</em> while in the process of our current project (Editing and modernizing <em>The Merry Wives of Windsor</em>). It was said that <em>Romeo and Juliet</em>
"glorified" suicide and that since it was because of/for love, suicide is okay. I
personally think that if we have to put a message on the suicides, that
it is downplaying suicides. Romeo kills himself thinking that Juliet
killed herself, which shows that Romeo was acting impulsively and
rashly. That says that suicide should not be done without thought or by
instinct. Then Juliet kills herself when she finds out Romeo has killed
himself (because he thought Juliet killed herself when she didn't), this
ultimately brings the families together. While the suicides do have a
meaning in the long run, the only reason they do have a meaning is because it
is so shocking and heartbreaking to the families. Which I don't
necessarily think is "glorifying" suicide or making it a romantic notion. A shocking
act leads to a large revelation normally and these suicides give Shakespeare the shocking act he was looking for. Much like getting a well deserved (and needed) slap to the
face or kick in the rear.<br />
<br />
<br />
Plus, would Shakespeare have been able to bring the families together
other wise? If the two ran away together, each family would blame the
other family's child for kidnapping, witchery, etc. It wouldn't be a
tragedy if the two had a big marriage to bring the family together. With
that ending, it would be done better as a comedy, but as currently written, it obviously does
not fall into that Shakespearean category which means there must be death in the end.<br />
<br />
Thoughts? Glorifying, not glorifying, doesn't matter? Could this end
differently and still plausibly bring the families together?<br />
<br />
</div>
</div>
</div>
EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4953762650525791776.post-66566709215296537282012-10-07T20:51:00.002-07:002012-10-07T20:53:17.171-07:00Similarities in 20th Century Literature (Week 4)Admittedly, <i>Kim</i> by Rudyard Kipling was much different from our earlier readings (fairy tales, script-like pieces, etc.), but not very surprising in general for the time period. This was the time of <i>Peter Pan, Wizard of Oz and Anne of Green Gables</i>. In fact, I spent the whole time reading it comparing it to other pieces of the time. <br />
<br />
<i>A Little Princess</i> by Frances Hodgson Burnett was one of the books. While this book was written a few years after <i>Kim</i>, they still have a quite a few similarities/parallels. While <i>Kim</i> is about an orphaned boy who is forced into a world of English lifestyle that he does not want (he would rather stay with the Tibetan Lama), <i>A Little Princess </i>is about a little English girl who goes to a bordering school while her father is a soldier, but when he dies the little girl is forced into being a house servant. Both are brought back to their original worlds by the end of the books, each having learned something different. The format is very much the similar. I’m sure I would find more similarities if I read them side by side. <br />
<br />
There’s another similarity between books of the time that I pointed out at a very young age after my mother had read me a series of books (<i>A Little Princess, Anne of Green Gables,</i> and <i>A Secret Garden</i>): <br />
<br />
“Does every book have mommies dying?”<br />
<br />
And really they do: <i>Kim, A Little Princess, Anne of Green Gables, A Secret Garden, Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan</i>, etc. In each of these books, one or both parents have died leaving the children to deal with the deaths and the circumstances that follow in different fashions. It is an interesting notion that might a variety of reasons behind them. It gives the main characters something that needs to be worked through emotionally, it gives reason to a change in circumstances, etc. <br />
<br />
Has any one else noticed this with reading from that era?<br />
<br />
(While normally I add links, this time I was running a little short on time and did not. I'll place a book list later this week for those interested in these pieces. )EveryRoadisanOptionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10370120241864834315noreply@blogger.com4