Sunday Bulletin - scraps and links 5-25-08

Announcements:

Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 28 - the second 24-Hour Read-a-Thon begins at 9 AM PDT (or your equivalent local time). You can participate as a Reader or a Cheerleader, and help raise funds for Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), an organization that provides children with books. Visit Dewey for more information!

**************************

NaComLeavMo: More Conversation Than You Can Shake a Stick at

Did you sign up for NaComLeavMo? The official participant list closed yesterday, but the big event starts today, and you can still join in even if it's "off the record." Just leave 5 comments a day and return one comment a day between May 25 and June 25; click the NaComLeavMo link above for all the details.

*******************************

I've mentioned the E-Mail Book Club at DearReader.com before, but if you haven't checked it out yet, here's an incentive: Suzanne is holding her annual "Write a 'Dear Reader' Column" contest. There are all sorts of great prizes, plus the opportunity to share your writing with over 300,000 daily subscribers. Find out more at Suzanne's blog, and see the contest guidelines here.

********************************

The Park Bench's "Nerd (Iron) Man of the Month" for May is Robert Downey, Jr. (Yeah, I voted for him; have you seen the movie?)

New in Google Reader this week:

Manager Mom, via Good Mom/Bad Mom "BS (Blog Share) Sunday" (hey, I like their title better than mine!)

Odd Time Signatures, via Twitter, and featuring a post on the value of Twitter

What Was I THINKING? via Mid-Century Modern Moms

Tapdancing on the Edge of Reason

Savvy Working Gal, another member of the Blogging Accountants' Club

Random reading:

This isn't usually what I mean by "random reading," but thanks to Somer at SomeReads (and her husband) for the TBR Randomizer. Can't decide what to read next? Type in some titles, and let the Randomizer choose for you!

I didn't participate in last week's Weekly Geeks challenge - books about social issues - but it inspired this post about education reform.

If your blog ever reflects anything about your life, at some point you have to consider the privacy question - and more.

One comment in this post (a 24-year-old interviewing her 17-year-old brother about the Democratic candidates) stood out for me: "We learn in (high school) history about the 1950s 'cult of domesticity' and it seems like nothing has changed (emphasis added)." OK, does anyone else see something wrong there?

The history of a sports fan (most of which I personally witnessed); and although I'm not sure how many people who read here are big on baseball and (especially) college football, if you are, please check out Chris and James at Left Field Bluffs. (Yes, I'm pimping my son's blog in hopes that it will encourage these guys to post more often!)

If you're still decompressing from the end of American Idol Season 7, relive the glory of the season finale (well, it was glorious for us David Cook fans, anyway - not all of whom are cougars, by the way) - or just imagine it, that's even better (thanks to SoCal Mom for that last link).

Hope you're enjoying your weekend, especially if it includes tomorrow!

More cheap analysis - the Blogthings doctor is in

Dr. Freud says* I'm a stable, well-adjusted adult. What does he know?

You Are in the Genital Stage of Development

According to Dr. Freud, you've reached the genital stage of development. Whatever issues you may have had in your childhood have been resolved. You don't have any hang ups, and you are able to function as a stable adult. You are the model of being well-adjusted, and you are able to balance your life beautifully.

What Freudian Stage Are You In?

*The genital stage is the last, highest of the five Freudian stages of psychosexual development.

And I'm sweet, too!

You Are a Sweet Person

When it comes to snacks, you're more likely to grab some candy than heat up a pizza. There's a good chance you're female (women prefer sweet snacks)... Or at least, you prefer to be in the company of women. Your tastes are simple and predictable. You are young at heart. You tend to crave food you can just grab and eat.

Are You Sweet or Salty?

Friday Follies: fill in 123 books

Books vs Movies

Suggested by: Superfastreader

Books and films both tell stories, but what we want from a book can be different from what we want from a movie. Is this true for you? If so, what’s the difference between a book and a movie?

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

For a minute, I thought this week's BTT topic was a rerun, but I was just a bit confused (it was 5:30 in the morning) - I was thinking of "books into movies," which isn't quite the same thing.

I touched on this idea a little in my post about my book club's trip to the movies to see Atonement: "I think there was a good transition to cinematic vocabulary. The movie uses visual imagery well, and there's aren't a lot of long speeches. While the internal lives of characters never really translate well to film, it works here, and the storytelling is more spare and straightforward..."

One reason I love books is that they let me get inside a character's thoughts and motivations in a way that's just not possible in a movie. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but sometimes you really need the words. A book also allows me to create my own mental visual imagery; once I've seen a filmed adaptation, its images will nearly always overlay my own (Harry Potter looks just like Daniel Radcliffe). Also, sometimes things that ring true on the page don't work onscreen, and it's got nothing to do with the story; bad acting and/or direction can be a distraction for me.

On the other hand, if I want just a couple of hours of fast-moving diversion, I'd rather have it in movie form; I think some types of stories, particularly if they're heavy on plot, action, and/or atmosphere, are just told better that way. A movie is usually a more visceral experience for me, and asks less of my mentally; for the most part, it's the opposite with books - and of course, there are exceptions on both counts.

I appreciate the fact that this question didn't ask us to state a books vs. movies preference, because I would have to opt out of answering it. I think it depends on what I want at a particular time.

How would you answer the question? If you already did, please leave a link to your BTT post in the comments!

---

Friday Fill-Ins #73

Questions courtesy of Michelle this week

1. On my laziest day I like to take an afternoon nap!
2. That last finishing action - stapling the printouts together, crossing something off the to-do list, turning the final page, putting away the cleaning supplies - makes me feel like I'm being productive.
3. I love little fruits and vegetables and big dogs.
4. This summer I want to get to the beach at least once.
5. Reading books, and wanting to keep track of and remember them, made me start my blog.
6. Red rocks, and orange is the color of a big T (Go Vols!).
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to starting a three-day weekend, tomorrow my plans include seeing Indiana Jones at the ArcLight, and Sunday, I want to see what the day brings! (I hope that both Sunday and Monday include some of the three R's: reading, 'riting, and relaxing!)

---

1. Pick up the nearest book, and open it to page 123.

2. Find the fifth sentence, and post the next three sentences.

I just started A Family Daughter, by Maile Meloy, a couple of days ago. I read Meloy's first novel, Liars and Saints, during my vacation last year, and I really liked it - so much that I wanted to savor it for awhile, and wait to read the sequel. I don't think one has to have read the previous book to pick up on what's going on in this one, but I'm right back in the lives of the Santerre family. Skipping ahead to page 123, we find this conversation in progress:

"I know she's unfaithful and I don't want to get involved again, but I can't stop thinking about it."
"That seems like a good reason to get out."
"But I can't," he said.

TV's Top 50 - are they yours, too?

I know Thursdays are usually reserved for book-related posts; I do have a review today, but I'm not doing Weekly Geeks this week, so we're going to talk TV instead. My blog, my rules!

And on a TV-related side note: I had an e-mail from a friend last night saying she was tempted to check online after the East Coast broadcast ended, because if David Cook didn't win American Idol, she wasn't sure she wanted to watch the finale. I hope she enjoyed the show - I know we did! My husband was quick to remind me that he had picked David C. from the beginning.
=========================================

Via The DEBlog, it's the TV's Top 50 Meme.

British media site Empire Magazine has revealed its list of the “50 Greatest TV Shows” ever. Below is the list and here are the rules.

1. Bold the shows of which you’ve watched every episode
2. Italicize the shows of which you’ve seen at least one episode
2a. Star * the shows you consider “the best”
3. Post your answers

I find the tricky thing about this is that there are quite a few shows on this list of which I've seen many, though not every, episode, but have missed a few here and there; I can't honestly bold those titles, but I've watched far more than "at least one episode." I have marked those shows with a #.

50.Quantum Leap
49. Prison Break
48. Veronica Mars
47. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #
46. Sex & the City #
45. Farscape
44. Cracker
43. Star Trek #
42. Only Fools and Horses
41. Band of Brothers
40. Life on Mars
39. Monty Python's Flying Circus
38. Curb Your Enthusiasm
37. Star Trek: The Next Generation* #
36. Father Ted # (This should be a "seen every episode," but it's not yet. We have all of these on DVD, or did; we loaned them to my mother-in-law before we'd watched them all, and she can't find them now)
35. Alias* # (saw every episode of the first 2-1/2 seasons)
34. Frasier*
33. CSI: Las Vegas
32. Babylon 5
31. Deadwood
30. Dexter
29. ER
28. Fawlty Towers
27. Six Feet Under
26. Red Dwarf
25. Futurama
24. Twin Peaks (it was only two seasons, so there aren't that many!)
23. The Office UK (No. But once I get through the Season 1 and 2 DVDs, I'll be able to say I've seen every episode of the US version.)
22. The Shield
21. Angel
20. Blackadder
19. Scrubs* (Ah, the glory of TV on DVD!)
18. Arrested Development (We have Season 1 on DVD, but haven't gotten to it yet)
17. South Park
16. Doctor Who (I saw a few episodes of the Tom Baker version back in the early '80's)
15. Heroes
14. Firefly
13. Battlestar Galactica (I assume this is the new one. I actually did watch the original back in 1978 or whenever it was)
12. Family Guy (much to my regret...)
11. Seinfeld*
10. Spaced
09. The X-Files
08. The Wire
07. Friends #
06. 24
05. Lost* (but it doesn't help - I'm STILL confused!)
04. The West Wing* # (except for the last 1-1/2 seasons)
03. The Sopranos*
02. Buffy the Vampire Slayer*
01. The Simpsons* # (I have seen a LOT of episodes over 18 seasons, especially since I have about half of them on DVD, but I've probably missed a few somewhere)

As I often do when it comes to pop-culture-related memes, I invited Tall Paul to play along with this one, and our lists don't totally match up. Here's his:

50.Quantum Leap
49. Prison Break
48. Veronica Mars
47. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
46. Sex & the City
45. Farscape
44. Cracker
43. Star Trek*
42. Only Fools and Horses
41. Band of Brothers
40. Life on Mars
39. Monty Python's Flying Circus*
38. Curb Your Enthusiasm
37. Star Trek: The Next Generation*
36. Father Ted
35. Alias
34. Frasier
33. CSI: Las Vegas
32. Babylon 5
31. Deadwood
30. Dexter
29. ER
28. Fawlty Towers*
27. Six Feet Under
26. Red Dwarf
25. Futurama
24. Twin Peaks
23. The Office UK
22. The Shield
21. Angel
20. Blackadder
19. Scrubs
18. Arrested Development
17. South Park
16. Doctor Who
15. Heroes
14. Firefly
13. Battlestar Galactica
12. Family Guy
11. Seinfeld*
10. Spaced
09. The X-Files
08. The Wire
07. Friends
06. 24
05. Lost
04. The West Wing
03. The Sopranos
02. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
01. The Simpsons*

As noted, this list originates in the UK, so some of the shows included may not be familiar - and quite a few all-American classics, particularly comedies, are left out. After you've marked the list, add your own "5 Greatest TV Shows That Were Left Out of the 50 Greatest TV Shows." Here are mine:

I Love Lucy
The Dick Van Dyke Show
M*A*S*H
The Cosby Show
Once and Again

Tall Paul's additions to the list (numbered, but in no particular order):

1. Mystery Science Theater 3000
2. WKRP in Cincinnati
3. Mr. Bean
4. Get Smart
5. The Bob Newhart Show

Where do your all-time favorite shows rank on the list? Which ones are missing? Do you agree or disagree with the selections? Comment here, and if you post this yourself, come on back to let me know so I can check it out!

Book Club book talk: "The Alchemist"

The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
HarperCollins, 2006, paperback (ISBN 0061122416 / 9780061122415)
Fiction, 208 pages

If you have reviewed this book, please leave the link in a comment or e-mail it to me at 3.rsblog AT gmail DOT com, and I'll edit this review to include it!

First Sentence: The boy's name was Santiago.

Book Description: The Alchemist has already established itself as a modern classic, universally admired. Paulo Coelho's charming fable, now available in English for the first time, will enchant and inspire an even wider audience of readers for generations to come.

The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist.

The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, above all, following our dreams.

Comments: It really doesn't matter what the boy's name was, since it's rarely mentioned after the first sentence; he's referred to as "the boy" for most of this fable about holding on to your dream - or, as it's called here, your Personal Legend. If you know your Personal Legend and don't let yourself be swayed from the path to achieve it, everything you need will come to you - it's kind of like "The Secret." (I guess it is, anyway, never having read The Secret.)

On its back cover, the book is described as one of those that "changes readers' lives forever." I'm afraid I didn't think it was that profound, but I did enjoy it. The story of the boy's odyssey from Spain, across the Sahara to Egypt, and back again is a beautifully told tale. I read it in translation, of course, but I liked the use of language here - there was a lovely lyrical flow. It's a fairly quick read, but engrossing; I wouldn't describe it as inspirational, but it is inspiring.

Unfortunately, it's also a difficult book to review because of its simplicity, if that makes any sense. I'm not sure I would have read The Alchemist if it hadn't been chosen for my book club this month, but I'm glad to have had the opportunity.

Rating: 3.75/5

Other bloggers' reviews:

Caribousmom
In Spring it is the Dawn
Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Breaking stride: breaking up, and breaking through distance

If you've been reading here for awhile, you already know that I have entered my part-time parenting years. My own child, Chris, is grown, a year out of university, and living on his own on the opposite coast, and my stepchildren, Tall Girl (13) and The Boy (8), are with their dad and me twice a week and every other weekend.

You might think this makes the job easier. What it does make easier is making time for yourself and your relationship, since it's kind of built in to the schedule. On the other hand, it has challenges that full-time parents might not think about.

In the case of the Eldest (formerly the Only, at least for me), I have an actual adult on my hands, and that makes things different too. It would make it different even if we lived near each other, but 3000 miles and three time zones compounds it. I think one thing doesn't change, though, no matter how old or far away your kids are; when they are hurting, you hurt for them. And if you feel at a loss about how to help them deal with the hurting, you hurt for yourself too. I do, anyway.

Chris graduated from university a year ago, moved to another city, and found a great job within about a month - he started it on his 23rd birthday. He learned this past week that he's getting a new position with a pretty significant raise. He should be feeling very good about his life right now.

He moved to Washington, DC after graduation largely because the girl he'd been having a long-distance relationship with for several months lived there. They ended up living and working in the same neighborhoods, so they were able to see much more of each other. They seemed to be making the transition from long-distance to local fairly well, but now I have to wonder whether they had trouble finding the balance between maintaining individuality and bonding as a couple, because they are officially not a couple anymore. A few weeks ago, they had a conversation that took him by surprise, but led him to expect that the end might be near; as of this past weekend, it has arrived, and he's really not feeling that great about his life right now after all.

Both his stepfather and I have been involved in breakups that felt sudden, and eventually came to understand that they really weren't - there are usually indicators, and Chris will probably see this too after awhile. He's a couple of years younger than his now-former girlfriend, and although in many ways he's far more mature than many guys his age, in your mid-twenties that's still a significant difference, especially since she's older. We met her over the holidays, and I liked her; I am very sorry that this happened, but on the other hand I didn't expect him to be ready to settle in for the long haul yet, so I can't say I never thought it might happen.

But even knowing all that, I worry about him. I know he has to - and am confident he will - find his own way to deal with and come back from this, but being his mom, I wish he didn't have to. I wish I could make it better. Then again, if I could, and did, fix it for him, he wouldn't grow from the experience, and in the big picture that's what matters. At the same time, breakups suck, and who really wants that experience? I wish there were things I could do for him. I wish I were there with him, or he was here with us. I wish he were little again, and his hurts were easier to fix. I wish I weren't feeling so hurting and helpless about it myself. I am not big on either giving unasked-for advice or spouting platitudes, and unfortunately those are the two things that most readily come to mind in dealing with this.

Chris has always had a tendency toward moodiness and wallowing, and he's really on his own right now, which is a big reason I'm so worried. I'm worried because I've been there. But I have to remind myself at times like these that, as close as our relationship is, he's not me. He's not necessarily going to go through the same process that I did, and I need to be careful about my own tendency to project. He's more social and outgoing than I am, and that will help him a lot in the coming days and weeks. He's fortunate to be living in a city with a big population of young professionals like himself, so I hope that when he starts to get out and about, he'll be able to make connections fairly easily. And yet, once he does, I worry that he'll jump into another relationship just to avoid being "single." On the other hand, I worry that he'll choose not to be social - that he'll hole up in his apartment and be a hermit except for when he's at work; evidently, most of my worries are at the extremes.

I come from a half-Italian, food=comforting=love background, which usually gives me at least one good coping mechanism to fall back on - cooking. (It also offers a related, not-so-good strategy - eating - but when I'm extremely stressed I can't eat, so ideally it evens out.) I spent Saturday afternoon baking a batch of chocolate-chip cookies - the ones with the secret ingredient - in order to send some off to DC at the beginning of the week. I know they won't solve anything in the big picture, but they'll make us both feel a little better.

Even having been a parent for nearly 24 years, there are still "firsts" that come up - they're bigger and sometimes unexpected, though, and can throw you off your stride. They can certainly throw your kids off their stride. But if we've done a decent job overall, they'll find their footing again, hopefully sooner rather than later, and with or without our help. I know that when I feel that Chris is in his stride again, I'll find it just a little easier to stay in my own.

One sign of movement toward his getting on his feet, or at least keeping busy: he and James are blogging again, with new posts about baseball and way, way pre-season college football.

(This is my rather unexpected response to this week's "Hump Day Hmm" from Julie Pippert, "Walking Out of Stride.")

Ten on Tuesday: Movies My Husband Can't Wait to See

This week's Ten on Tuesday prompt, "10 Movies You're Excited About Seeing," was just made for my husband. Tall Paul is always downloading movie trailers and checking out the latest information on IMDb, so I'm turning the blog over to him for this post. Here are 10 movies that Tall Paul is excited about seeing, either this summer or whenever they make it into theaters. (For the record, I'm with him on #1, #4, and #7, strangely ambivalent about #5 even though I love Pixar, and absolutely do not get the title of #6. I will probably see every one of these movies unless they truly suck, just because I really enjoy going to the movies with my husband.)

1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22, 2008) I was worried that it would be a mistake to make a fourth movie. I just hope that the movie can live up to the previews (which look awesome!).

2. Hancock (July 2, 2008) Will Smith as a super-powered alcoholic? I'm there!

3. The Dark Knight (July 18, 2008) I want a Batmobile so bad! I loved Batman Begins (Batman finally done right!), and The Dark Knight looks great!

4. Get Smart (June 20, 2008) I am a life-long fan of the TV show. I have the whole series on DVD. I really want to like the movie...

5. Wall•e (June 27, 2008) The previews look (only) good, but it is Pixar, and they haven't let me down yet.

6. Quantum of Solace (November 2008?) http://www.007.com/ Casino Royale was the best Bond. The producers finally brought us a Bond that was first and foremost a spy, dedicated to country and queen (and M). I was really glad to see the "girlie" opening credits were sent back to 1970 where they belonged.

7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (November 2008) This is a must-see. Loved the books. So far the movies have been great.

8. Star Trek (May 2009) I have been, and always will be, a fan.

9. Thor (2009) Thor was God of Thunder wielded Mjolnir (a hammer only he could lift) was sent to earth (sans memory of being a god) to learn to live a a mortal. After a decade, living as a doctor, he finds Mjolnir and, once again, becomes Thor. Having lived among humans, Thor is torn between life on Earth and Asgard (home of the gods).

10. The First Avenger: Captain America (2010) Have you guessed yet that I am a comic book fanboy? Captain America was one of my favorite comic book Heroes when I was growing up. Skinny 4F Steve Rogers becomes buff super hero with an indestructible shield and kicks Nazi ass - what's not to like?. I really hope that the movie is true to Caps' origin and features him battlin' Nazis and the Red Skull. Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., was once Sgt. Fury and he and Captain America occasionally fought side-by-side.

So, are there any movies due out this summer, or in the pipeline, that you are eagerly anticipating? Please share them in the comments, and if you played Ten on Tuesday this week, include a link to your post!

Book recommendations: I'm asking, not giving!

My son has asked me for some book recommendations, and I thought I'd ask some of you avid-reader types who come around here for some input, so I can give him a really good list.

He's suddenly found himself with more free time, having just broken up with his girlfriend, and is looking for distractions.

What might you suggest for this (almost) 24-year-old college graduate - electrical engineer by day, sports junkie by night, lindy-hopper on some weekends? His reading interests include:

• Sports, particularly baseball
• Fantasy/science fiction
• Humor/satire
• Current events

If you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments. I'll reserve the right not to pass along any suggestions that I'm not sure will appeal to him, but my plan is to compile the recommendations into an e-mail to him in the next couple of days.

Thanks for your help, y'all!