Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Eight Facts MeMe

I’ve been tagged. Actually, I was tagged by three people for this meme last week but I've been busy with company this weekend so avoided it until now. I'm going to be different and place the rules at the bottom. I don't plan on tagging anyone with it as I suppose anyone I know has probably already been tagged.If you're reading this and you haven't been tagged... consider yourself tagged... with love.

Random Fact about Moi #1:
I hate liver.

Random Fact about Moi #2:
I use to want to be a drag racer like Shirley Muldowney.

Random Fact about Moi #3:
I have given two bloody noses.

Random Fact about Moi #4:
I never thought I would get married.

Random Fact about Moi #5:
I like green tea.

Random Fact about Moi #6:
My favourite fruit is fresh mangoes.

Random Fact about Moi #7:
I can't swim.

Random Fact about Moi #8:
I'm loyal to those who deserve it. You know who you are.

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The rules:
• Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
• People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
• At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
• Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Car Wash For Peace

I caught a few minutes of The View today and the adorable Jimmy Fallon. If you don't know Mr. Fallon he is a American comedian / impersonator from Saturday Night Live and Fever Pitch with Drew Barrymore.

Anyhoo, he was promoting a song he wrote and even sang it. It's called "Car Wash for Peace". I know cute name, isn't it? It's a cute song with a message, but with a fun side to it. It kind of has a John Lennon feel to it. It's available for download from iTunes. Yes, I downloaded it (listening to it right now). It's a short 2.14 minute catchy song. I'm sure I'll be singing it all day. Besides being cute, I like the fact that Mr. Fallon is donating his portion of the proceeds to a charity called Fisher House.

I have never heard of Fisher House but it's a charity that supports military families "to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time -- during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury". Imagine your love one a world away and not being able to be near them. Heartbreaking.

Here are the full lyrics:

Car Wash For Peace

I'm so sick of all the news on T.V.
All this fighting got me going crazy
And someone wrote on my car "Please clean me"
Now I know what I got to do.
Listen everybody I'm talking to you.

Let's have a car wash for peace.
There's trouble in the Middle East.
There will be no more wars,
Or dirty cars.
Car wash for peace.

Just remember -
We got to get together
In the parking lot across from Wall Mart Supercenter
Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, C'mon all you Hindu dudes!
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

Let's have a car wash for peace.
There's trouble in the Middle East.
Got to put down those guns,
Pick up a sponge.
Car wash for peace.

Let's have a car wash for peace.
There's trouble in the Middle East.
There will be no more wars,
Or dirty cars.
Car wash for peace.
There will be no more wars,
Or dirty cars.
Car wash for peace.

Now download the song so you can sing all day too!

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Topic Links

* Fisher House
* Purchase Car Wash for Peace from iTunes: Jimmy Fallon - Car Wash for Peace - Single - Car Wash for Peace

Monday, May 21, 2007

Eragon

I love dragons! I painted one on my wall when I was younger with craft paints (I also put an Harley Davidson eagle on the other wall). My mother took it pretty well and her boyfriends thought it was cool. I was very excited about this movie when I saw the previews for it but disappointed I didn't get to see it in the theatre. I watched it this weekend and wrote this review for Amazon but thought I might as well post it here too.

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Eragon

In the land of Alagaesia, a 17 year old farm boy named Eragon goes out early one morning to hunt. Out of no where appears a shiny blue stone the size of a large watermelon. He takes it home with him and at first tries to sell it to a local vendor. The vendor realizing immediately this is something King Galbatrorix (John Malkovich) will want to kill for will have nothing to do with it. Eragon takes it home and hides it in the barn.

What Eragon doesn't know is he has been chosen by an elfin princess who sent to stone magically to him to keep it away from the evil King. Shortly after hiding the stone, which is really one of the last dragon eggs to exist, it hatches before Eragon's eyes. What emerges is a beautiful blue dragon which quickly grows up to become a very large dragon. A dragon that read his thoughts and communicate telepathically with him. Her name is Saphira (Rachel Weisz). She tells Eragon she's waited 1000 years to be born to the right person. Her rider. Him.

Eragon learns from the local storyteller named Brom (Jeremy Irons) that the land used to be filled with dragons and their chosen riders. They were the peacekeepers. Even the King use to be a rider. Over time greed inhabited them and a civil war broke out killing what they believed to be all the dragons and most of their riders. Brom who was also a dragon rider carries much guilt about this battle. He takes it upon himself to mentor the boy who has also inherited the magic that comes to every rider.

Eragon starts off as an arrogant boy who acts prematurely. Brom tries to instill in him to be wiser with his actions because a rider will live if the dragon dies but if a rider dies so does his dragon. And the evil King knows this also which puts Eragon's life and that of his dragon at stake. At the moment his biggest hurdle is the malicious wizard, Durza (Robert Carlyle), sent by the King to kill Eragon, and finding the Varden Rebels who went into seclusion after the age of dragons.

I felt all the actors did an exceptional job. I even enjoyed Jeremy Irons who I've never been especially warm to. The dragon special effects are a highlight to be sure. Saphira is magnificent and blue! The movie is listed as containing violence and mature themes but I didn't find it nearly as violent as Narnia or Lord of the Rings (both of which I loved). In some instances the relationships did feel sped up causing a loss of connections but the real characters are the dragon and her rider. Eragon ends with one battle over only to lead the way for another. I sense a sequel. This movie is based on the book of the same name by Christopher Paolini and is part of a trilogy. I have not read the books but after seeing the movie and checking out the "spanning time" feature on the official website I'm putting them on my wish list. I was very excited about this movie and really enjoyed it.

Amazon: 4/5 Dragons Rule!

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Topic Links
* Eragon on Widescreen DVD
* Eragon, Inheritance, Book 1 by Christopher Paolini
* Eldest Inheritance, Book 2 by Christopher Paolini

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Bring Madeleine Home

My friend Keris alerted me of this beautiful missing child from the UK. There's a website whose sole purpose is sharing and collecting information about four year old Madelaine McCann.

Visit Bring Madeleine Home.

Monday, May 14, 2007

I Wanna Read... A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

I love The Hour, George has such interesting guests. I'm catching up on my video podcasts and came across Ishmael Beah, an articulate and humble young man who was a former child soldier in Sierra Leone's civil war. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier is his story. I really wanna read this book.

Ishmael's life started out like any other child until he was devastated by his family's massacre when he was twelve years old. I cannot even comprehend an event like this and the effects. He wandered to a military base for safety but ended up being enlisted as one of their soldiers. Suddenly a simple childhood was marred by people running around with guns killing people. As a child soldier, he did what he was told because anyone who didn't was killed. He was fed drugs and people were constantly killed in front of him to desensitize him. To make him an effective killing machine.

Ishmael was rescued by Unicef workers. He wrote A Long Way Gone as a means of countering the glorification of violence he witnessed since coming to North America. I checked this book out at Amazon and it has received over 160 five star reviews. I almost bought it tonight but I'm trying to be strong. I do have a trip I am trying to save for and I am still paying off the teeth... so I added it to my wish list.

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Topic Links
*
Unicef - the United Nations Children’s Fund
* A Long Way Gone from Amazon.com
* A Long Way Gone from Amazon.ca

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Tulip Love

No roses for me. Give me tulips please. I love tulips. Any colour but if they are blue I love them more. Unfortunately, I never seem to have much luck growing blue tulips. Yellow and red on the the other hand do fine. Here is a lovely picture just for you.

You can click on it for a larger image. I thought they looked so pretty I'd get Dog to pose in front of them. Unfortunately, this was the result. Honestly, I do take better pictures.

It would have been a fab shot. No idea what it's focused on, the fence in the back perhaps. Jeff was talking at me through the window so I'll blame it on him. Dog was so upset she went to the middle of the yard to sulk.

If you click on the image to enlarge you will see her handywork on our lovely birch tree this past winter. For some reason she grabbed on and tried to amputate it. We've bandaged it. There's no leaves on it but I remain hopeful it's repairing itself. I was brave and took down the ugly 5 foot orange fencing Jeff put around to protect it and replaced it with the one foot white wire fence. She hasn't bothered with it so far but these things happen when we least expect it. She's sneaky.

Monday, May 07, 2007

I Wanna Read... Knots

Nuruddin Farah, is a Somalian novelist (and most recently a peace negotiator) who writes about the degradation of the women of his country through fiction. He has nine novels published which have made him a critically acclaimed author but have also made him a target of abuse.

I recently watched an interview on The Hour with him and he is an extremely friendly and interesting man. His latest book is titled Knots and is set in Mogadiscio, Somalia. It is the story of a Somalian woman raised in Canada who returns to her homeland, which is overpowered by men, to claim her roots.

Nuruddin's novels are known for their strong feminine characters which is what attracts me to this novel. Novels that tell a story but also raise awareness always interest me. Nuruddin says good things and bad things are happening in Somalia and the only way to hear the good things is to avoid the journalistic view and communicate with the women. He has a strong viewpoint about the women of Somalia ("Without women Somalia would not continue to exist."), equal rights and peace.

Knots is high on my "I Wanna Read" list. If you've read it, let us know.

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Topic Links
* Watch Nuruddin Farah's interview at The Hour
* Purchase Knots from Amazon.com
* Purchase Knots from Amazon.ca

Friday, May 04, 2007

All Your Other Names

We did this meme on a fat girls list I'm on as a "Friday Fun" distraction. I thought the results were hilarious. Some may be some interesting character or pen names.

1. YOUR REAL NAME

Maureen

2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 3 letters of real name plus izzle.)

Mauizzle

3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (fave color and fave animal)

Blue Wolf

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (your middle name and street you live on)

Eva Meadow

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)

Wooma

6. YOUR SUPERHERO NAME: (your 2ND favorite color, and favorite drink).

Red Baileys

7. YOUR IRAQI NAME: (2ND letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, 1st letter of your middle name, 2ND letter of your moms maiden name, 3rd letter of your dads middle name, 1st letter of a siblings first name, and last letter of your moms middle name)

Aoecche

8. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (parents middle names)

Jane Jack

9. YOUR GOTH NAME: (black, and the name of one of your pets)

Black Shelby

Is it sad I thought this was fun?

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Tamar Yellin

The latest author Q & A has been posted to the Literary Fiction site at BellaOnline. Tamar Yellin is the British author who won the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature for her novel The Genizah at the House of Shepher in early April. It is the largest- ever Jewish literary prize ($100,000) . Read Author Q & A.

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Topic links
* Literary Fiction, BellaOnline
* Tamar Yellin's Official Website
*
The Genizah at the House of Shepher