Booklist

Hometown Buffet

2008-09-14T20:39:00.001-07:00

Went to Hometown Buffet yesterday, for the first time ever. It's the first non-Asian buffet I've ever gone to (aside from college dorms). It was not bad (I was picturing a pretty bad experience). There was a line to get in (waited over 5 minutes) and when we got to the cashier, a wedding party arrived. Nothing wraps up a classy wedding like a reception at Hometown Buffet. (They, however, were above bothering to phone in a reservation ahead of time).

I ate the standard fare - fried chicken, mac n cheese, pizza, fried shrimp, french fries (yum!), fried fish... mostly just a little sample of everything. And pink lemonade - I always have to get pink lemonade when I eat out.

For dessert, cheesecake! It was a little melted, but still. Cheesecake is cheesecake.

And then the wedding party band broke out into some mariachi-like music. Yay. (Other customers kept looking towards the separate room where the wedding party were seated - why couldn't they shut the door so we didn't have to hear their music?)

Got some soft serve for the way out. Overall, a good experience. There was one lady who was complaining about no coffee, no cups, little food left and wanted a refund. Not sure how that turned out. Then another family (~8 people?) couldn't find a table, because some of the wedding party were sitting at the regular tables (they couldn't all fit in the separate room). They stood there for over 5 minutes (one of the daughters stated that they should get a refund and go elsewhere) before finally asking someone on staff to help locate a seat.

Privileged

2008-09-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

"With great power comes great responsibility"

Courtesy of Uncle Ben. That's Spiderman's Uncle Ben, not my Uncle Ben. Or Megan Smith's.

I love love love The CW's Privileged, which starts Joana Garcia as Megan. Disclaimer - I think she's a great quirky comedic actor (from Reba and Welcome to the Captain). Hmmm, maybe that's the only reason why I like the show. It's clearly not for heiress brat Sage Baker, but I guess she is the necessary villain.

The dialouge is quirky and funny. That scene with Megan, Sage and Sage's grandmother (Laurel) was great. It was the one serious scene in the episode (Laurel fired Megan because Sage complained about her; Megan took Sage to task and uttered that line from Spiderman - I haven't seen any Spiderman movies) and then on the way out, Megan added the "that was Spiderman's Uncle Ben, not my Uncle Ben". Which turned the scene to the funniest scene in the episode.

Not sure how much growth there is to the show, considering it's basically Sound of Music in a modern setting, but I'll watch it. Something a tad more wholesome than 90210, Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill.

Scary Movie

2005-10-31T13:15:00.000-08:00

Watched Scary Movie (the parody film) on tv Saturday. It was funny. One part I remember is where Cindy (the main girl) is talking on the phone to the killer in the Scream mask and then the call waiting beeps and she has to take the phone call. And when she finally gets back to the original call, she apologized for taking so long...

It was so silly that it was hilarious.

SYTYCD - Part Trois

2005-09-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

I think, anyway it goes, the dancers who will make it to the final will all be lyrical dancers. Here's the breakdown of the remaining 10:

Girls - all lyrical (or modern/jazz)
Guys - 2 lyrical, 2 hip-hop, 1 ballroom

So the odds aren't great if you're not a lyrical person.

If you're one of the classically trained dancers (ballet, modern, lyrical, jazz), I'm going to say that you would have a much, much easier time with the routines. The only style that may pose a problem is hip-hop (remember, Craig and Melody were criticized for not being grundgy enough) - but the chance of pulling "hip-hop" out of the hat is slim. And even if it's not "hip-hop" enough, the lyrical dancers can usually fudge their way through.

Even ballroom wouldn't be a huge jump - although dances like the Quickstep would require fancy footwork, the lyrical dancers don't have to be reminded about the "top line" (the way the upper body is held).

For the breakers, both ballroom and lyrical pose a major problem. They haven't been trained to maintain good posture during dancing nor have they been taught how to articulate their feet. And since the judges are all classically trained, they know to look for it. Both Allan and Ryan (I think) were criticized for it. To top it off, ballroom is subdivided into different dances - quickstep, tango, samba, etc - so the probability of choosing one of the ballroom dances is much greater than picking hip-hop or lyrical. Ask Jamile - four out of the five dances he did were ballroom.

Here's my analysis-

Artem vs Snow : both are ballroom dancers. The difference? Artem has nice, clean lines (a plus for lyrical) and performs (connecting with the audience and his partner) well. He's able to move from one style to another - maybe not perfectly, but certainly competently. On the other hand, Snow's only dance moves were those ballroom-style steps and some strange arm movements. She may have been the greatest performer (according to Nigel; I disagree), but she lacked technique big time. She didn't even have any tricks to showcase in her solos (neither did Artem, but his movement quality makes up for it). So I'm glad that she's gone.

Melissa vs Ashley vs Melody vs Kamilah vs Destini vs Nick vs Blake : they're all the same. Lyrical, lyrical and more lyrical (although some may be "jazz" or "modern" dancers). They have fairly good technique (guys better than the girls), good performance abilities, but not much else. Even though the judges claim they feel the connection between the couples when they're dancing, I don't. It's just been pirouette, leap, run to each other and pretend to emote, followed by more tricks.

Not to mention many of them have that cheesy talent show expression on their faces when they dance (must get rid of that stupid smile). It's horrendous. And they rely on their technical ability too much (how many times do we have to see Melody do a penchee, with her hip open at that?).

Jamile vs Ryan (vs Allan) : Sorry to say but these guys will be out of the competition. Their freestyle moves are crazy-good and they're great at their form of dancing but it's just too difficult for them to crossover into other styles.

So anyway, I really hope that Artem doesn't get kicked off any time soon. I'd wish that he wins but the chances of that are slim (very slim), especially since the judges love Blake and Nick. As for the girls, I can't say that I care. Sorry, but they're all too alike, which makes them boring.

Fasting Girls

2005-08-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

Fasting Girls: The History of Anorexia Nervosa, by Joan Jacobs Brumberg, is an interesting look into the history of anorexia (duh). From medieval times where pious young women would claim that they didn't need to eat to more contemporary times where advertising and tv influence women in society.

This book is a bit dry, takes a while to read, but if you're truly interested in stuff like this (as I am), I was willing to read the whole thing. Actually, I think I read the first version, published in 1994?. This book was an updated version, although there was only 1 chapter added on.

SYTYCD Part Deux

2005-08-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

I've been watching So you think you can dance? on FOX. Makes me want to start learning some new choreography. But not the stuff their learning - I'll stick to ballet, thank you very much. I don't think I would be too bad in the hip hop class, at least in picking up the combinations, but to make it look natural? Well, that's a whole different story. And the freestyling... uh, no. I'd just stand there and not know what to do.

As for the ballroom and latin dances, I wouldn't be too bad. I'm okay in partnering (helps that I'm on the short side, not super tall like that poor Ashley Purl). But I would probably have trouble letting the guy lead, especially if he didn't know what he was doing.

And that lyrical class... it's more modern than lyrical. The combinations would have been fine. All that emotional junk? Uh, that's not going to happen either. I'd be just like Kasper, standing there, wondering what everyone else was crying about. Geez, get a grip. And those people that started crying just because other people were? Lame.

Blake, IMHO, is a big wimp. He has a dog named Pancake. How girly is that? And he had to bring her along? If I were Allan, I'd send an anonymous note to the hotel or the producers or something. Well, it's not like the judges/producers won't find out (they apparently review the tapes). I so looking forward to Blake getting ripped for saying that the hip hop choreographer was just jealous. Blake needs a personality transplant. And it's funny - if he's this hot, wonderful dancer already (since he's already in Dance Spirit magazine, I think that was) - why is he on a reality show called So you think you can dance? As the blond hip hop choreographer said, yeah, they do think they can dance.

The two girls who faked injuries - completely stupid. What idiots. The two female choreographers - I don't like their attitudes. Maybe they think they're all that, in their respective genres, but they are so aggravating (esp. the ballroom lady). I don't have a problem with not allowing mohawks and funky hairstyles (or clothing) in a dance studio, but this is reality tv. No one cares.

And the salsa class - I think I know the petite lady who was dancing with the teacher. It sure did look like her.

So You Think You Can Dance?

2005-07-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

I watched So You Think You Can Dance? on FOX last night. It was okay - there were good dancers who got cut and bad dancers who didn't (just because they had personalities that Nigel, one of the producers, liked and as he said, "I'm casting for a show"). How come the producers were all Brits? And Carrie Ann Inaba - I was like, hmmm, that kind of looks like the lady from Dancing with the Stars (which, btw, John O'Hurley got ROBBED, there's no way Ms. Soap-lady-who-thinks-she's-all-that was a better dancer, but she works for ABC, and the judges want to keep their jobs, so why not?). But she (Carrie Ann) looks different - is she skinnier, fatter, hair down instead of pulled back? Couldn't figure it out.

Anyway, I thought the one black guy who did a lyrical/contemporary piece was very good. Excellent technique, nice extension and lines, and well-pointed feet. I didn't like the ribbon a la rhythmic gymnastics (Nigel had a field day with that one) but I didn't think it detracted from his dancing. Just an odd choice, especially since he was so technically sound to begin with. He got cut after the partnering section - I flipped over to Veronica Mars on UPN during that time so I don't know how he did but apparently not well enough for the producers. I have to disagree with what Nigel said - that he needed the male dancers to dance masculine. Uh, if you ask me, dancing (like most arts) is a bit girly. Just get over it. Who cares? One girl who danced to drums of some sort was dancing kind of masculine-ish. But that didn't exclude her from the competition. Shouldn't girls be dancing feminine? (I'm being facetious here).

I think the dancers who are primarily into commercial dance (i.e. hip-hop, breaking, maybe a little jazz) AND who have had some dance training have it easier to make it through the audition. Because they're used to the commercial styles that Carrie Ann puts into the routines. Whereas someone who was classically trained in ballet may have more difficulty with the commercial stuff and someone who has had no training would have difficulty with learning and replicating choreography.

And the attitude on some of those contestants. . . wow. They think they are so good and they're not. Like the guy who said he was an ocean lifeguard (as opposed to a pool 'guard, I guess) - he started doing these little kicks reminiscent of Elaine on Seinfeld. I think the producers themselves don't know what the show's about. Is it about dancing, and if yes, what kind? Not all forms of dancing are created equally. It's too much of a mixed bag, although I guarantee you will not see serious classical dancers (whether ballet or modern) auditioning. And for Sarah, who complained about the choreography and quit because she said that (because of the style of dance they were asked to learn) all that would be left are white Europeans. Uh, not true, did you see how many blacks and non-whites there were? Although they did cut that tall Asian boy. They didn't even bother to show him dancing for long. Guess they'll try to get diversity and everything but Asians don't count...

The Last Season

2005-04-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

The Last Season: A Team in Search of its Soul- Based on the journal he kept for personal purposes, Phil Jackson brings us into the foray of the drama of the most popular franchise in history, during a trying and troubling season that won't be easily forgotten.

I liked this book. There was criticism after the book was published that in-house problems should be kept, well, in-house. But there was nothing in this book that I didn't already know (except that Shaq has his injuries "taped up" by a different guy, because he feels Gary Vitti is too close to Kobe)- everything had already been discussed and dissected in the local newspapers and national television.

The book gave me a chance to relive the high- and low-lights of the improbable season. I give it an A.

-------------
And since the Lakers will be heading off to summer vacation early this year, I thought I'd write a little something myself about the last season:

For Laker fans everywhere, the 2003-2004 season brought a ray of hope. Following the devastating at-home loss in the previous playoffs and the shock of criminal charges being brought against one of their marquee players, the Lakers looked to regroup and recharge, scoring a coup in signing seasoned veterans Karl Malone and Gary Payton. With their strong one-two punch, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the team looked unbeatable.

The superstar team had its problems from the beginning. Personality conflicts between the top two players, O'Neal and Bryant, were still unresolved and seemed to worsen. Payton and Malone had difficulty learning the triangle offense that had brought the Lakers (and Jackson) so much success in the past. Vital role players Derek Fisher and Rick Fox were unable to perform to their past ability- Fish, a starter for the past two seasons, was now coming off the bench and struggled with consistency. Fox, who had surgery on his achilles tendon over the summer, was recuperating and even when he returned to the court, was unable to be as productive as he once was.

Injuries started to pile up as the team unraveled. Malone, rarely injured for the 18 years of his career prior to joining the Lakers, suffered a severe knee sprain which kept him out for much of the season. O'Neal was hampered with a nagging calf injury. Bryant sprained his shoulder, then cut his finger and then sprained his shoulder again. One by one, the players sat out for various ailments- each day was a different story.

Somehow, the Lakers, possibly being divinely knighted as being The Team to Beat, bulldozed their way through the obstacles and won the Pacific Division title. Here, at the playoffs, is where the Lakers truly shine. With only 0.4 seconds left in Game 5 versus the San Antonio Spurs, Fisher hit a jumper, securing the victory for the Lakers who then went on to win the Western Conference Finals. By all accounts, the Finals series (vs the Detroit Pistons) would be a cakewalk- the only question was how many games would it take the Lakers?

However, the championship, the season, this Lakers team, just was not meant to be. The Lakers faltered against the defensive-minded Pistons. They managed to win only 1 game (Game 2, at home) before losing the next three games and the title. The Lakers, who had overcome so much through the regular season, was no more. Jackson was let go, players were traded or released. The team that had so much promise was dismantled, piece by piece. Truly a sad moment for Laker fans.

Adventures of an Ice Princess

2005-04-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

Adventures of an Ice Princess is another chic-lit book where the heroine, down-and-out, ends up in a situation she never would have imagined. Clarissa loses her boyfriend (he dumps her for a "platonic" friend with great hair and matching shoes) and her job (she quits because she thinks the said boyfriend will propose) at precisely the same time her two best friends also end up jobless. The three decide to embark on an adventure to regain their confidence and sign up to go to Antarctica. Will the three self-professed "girlie girls" be able to make it in the cold harsh tundra? Or is the prospect of a 4 to 1 gender ration enough to keep them from bolting back to the States?

From a realistic standpoint, I would have to give the book an F. These girls have absolutely no experience in the wild- how could they have possibly passed the interview? Why would any group be willing to bring such novices with them? And they were naive about what the South Pole was going to be like. I wanted to shake some sense into them.

Nonetheless, I put aside my common sense and enjoyed reading this book, maybe because I haven't read any chick-lit lately (or much of anything, for that matter). Clarissa was just a bit whiny (as is always the case) but I was willing to overlook that, given the fresh new locale (who goes to Antarctica to find themselves?). I did like the ending, that it wasn't one big resolution with a big bow on top. Honestly, who can solve their life's problems by the end of 200+ page book?

BTW, I am surprised to find out that the author also wrote "What a Girl Wants". I absolutely hated that book and stopped reading after the first couple of chapters. This book was much better.

Rating- B+

So-called news

2005-02-23T14:47:00.000-08:00

I watch the Channel 4 (NBC) news each weekday morning to get the news headlines, weather and traffic reports. Today, though, I just had to change channels. I don't understand why Robert Kovacik had to spend 5 minutes interviewing a couple who lost their swimming pool and backyard to the mudslides.

Yes, their story is sad, but really- have you run out of news to report? Anyone could have answered the question "how do you feel?" How do you think they feel, they just lost a major portion of their house/home. You don't need Sherlock Holmes to help you out.

In any case, they choose to live there, they choose to purchase homes with spectacular views but with less than stable foundations. They make the choice. Deal with it.

Desperate Housewives- emphasis on Desperate

2005-02-14T13:55:00.000-08:00

Teri Hatcher's character, Susan, is starting to get on my nerves. In last night's episode, she calls Mike (he doesn't answer because a doctor is stitching up a gunshot wound- he's a bit tied up at the moment). Susan leaves a message, saying "I know you're home, the lights are one... you know what? I'm just going to drop by..." which forces Mike to pick up the phone and deter her from coming over. She is so clingy that it's annoying. Maybe that's supposed to be the neurosis of Susan, but it is just too much.

I really don't see why people (and critics) love Teri Hatcher and her character, Susan, so much. Susan needs to get a clue...

And for the show in general, it's getting boring. You know, I actually liked the fact that it wasn't on last week because then I didn't have to watch it.

Even James Spader can't save this one

2005-02-14T13:53:00.000-08:00

I'm just about done with Boston Legal. Is it a drama? a comedy? a dramedy? a comma? I don't think even the writers/producers themselves know. After watching three or four episodes of the show, I think it's time to move on.

Last night's episode reeked with liberal bias. Alan (James Spader) is in a bar with his girlfriend/colleague Tara (Rhona Mitra). Alan gets into a little tiff with a guy (aka Baldie) who is trying to pick up Tara. Baldie punches Alan. Alan then pays some guy $300 to beat up Baldie. The guy, egged on by his friends, gets into a brawl with Baldie. As Baldie's friends join in, Alan then pays a couple more guys $100 each to help out their friend.

The morning after, Alan gets arrested for conspiracy to commit assault. And as a closing statement, Alan talks about getting involved in a conflict by paying a warrior to do the fighting and not anticipating the outcome. And then having to send more and more "troops" to help the original warrior. Basically, he's criticizing (or the producers are) the Iraq war. Which, considering David E. Kelley is a liberal, is not surprising.

Tara, who is upset with Alan for causing the bar room brawl, tells him that he thinks and acts as if the world revolves around him. I suppose that's a reference to the self-centered, egotistical USA?

The storylines are just mediocre and the camera shots are horrendous. They favor some sort of technique where they zoom about 2/3s of the way in, pause, and then zoom in again quickly- giving the show a butchered, disorganized feel.

Say no to teeny-bopper dramas

2005-01-26T14:00:00.000-08:00

What is with these teeny-bopper shows showing teens drinking alcohol? Okay, I know there are plenty of underage drinkers everywhere, but I don't think it's a good idea to show them drinking on tv, even if it's just a tv show. I guess that's why I don't watch shows like The O.C. and One Tree Hill- the producers and writers can't decide whether they want the characters to be teens or adults.

Who writes these scripts? They're totally preposterous!

Thank goodness we have funny but smart shows like Arrested Development and reruns of Seinfeld to keep us sane. And cheers for reruns of Saved By The Bell-- brings back memories of a simpler time...

Boston Legal

2005-01-24T09:24:00.000-08:00

The problem with an ensemble cast is that, well, you have an ensemble. Regardless of how much more interesting James Spader and Rhona Mitra's characters (Alan and Tara, respectively) are, you have to give the others enough screen time for the show to remain an "ensemble" show. Which means we get to see less of the first two.

That's probably why I enjoy watching reruns of the last season of The Practice. I didn't watch the show when it was on- I don't think I could stand an hour of Dylan McDermott and his honchos, and the show was much more dramatic (think Law and Order). When Alan Shore joined the firm, though, the show became comic genius. The cases were still compelling, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't so grim and dreary. I love the interaction between Alan and Tara, and that they (mostly Alan, though) were basically the stars of the show. The remaining cast (Camryn Mannheim, et al) were reduced to supporting cast and I have absolutely no problem with that.

I don't know if I'll continue watching Boston Legal- maybe not, since it's on late on Sunday nights and I need my sleep. Besides, I don't think Miss Along came a spider and Mr. Keen Eddie are worth staying up late for. Sorry, Alan and Tara...

TWW-- 6.5-- The Hubbert Peak

2004-11-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

I watched The West Wing last night and here's my review- Boring! Last week's episode was funny. Not only was this week's not funny, it wasn't even interesting.

In case you missed it, here's a recap:

While test-driving an SUV (and talking to Donna on his cell), Josh crashes into a Toyota Prius (yeah, one of those hybrid cars). Couple that with the environmental bill that was passed up in the House, the Bartlet administration is not looking good on the environmental front. After Josh's incident appears on a blog called "District Scene", complete with a picture of the crash, CJ assigns Josh to learn about alternative fuels.

Kristin Chenowith's character (does she have a name?) tries to help Toby with his press briefings. She tells him to be smart and funny, the same way guys who don't have the looks get women. He thinks she's crazy, but with almost all of the press corps ditching the press room and camping out in CJ's office, he takes her advice.

Charlie, per his agreement with the President, hands out copies of his resume to Josh, Toby and CJ, telling them to ignore it because he does not want to leave the president, especially at a time like this. Did someone fail to mention to Mr. President that he will be out of office in less than a year and Charlie will no longer have a job anyway? But I digress... CJ offers Charlie a job working for her, as an assistant to the Chief of Staff or something, involving policy-making. She's not very clear about the whole situation, but at least he'll be close to the Oval Office.

Kate, the FBI/National Security somebody, offers Donna some support since she (Kate) has been through that, which I take to mean getting shot at. We've already had a discussion about post-traumatic stress disorder- remember Josh getting a bullet in his lung?

CJ, meanwhile, has nothing really to do except insist that she doesn't want to change the design of her office just yet, try to convince the President to play chess.

Will asks Josh to speak to Mikey somebody about Baker running. I'm assuming they're talking about Baker (presumably a Democrat) running for President, because someone says that if Baker doesn't run, the Veep will be virtually unopposed. And we can't have that, because he apparently is too stupid to know the difference (even by name) of Iran and Iraq. Sudan and Somalia. Josh ponders the horrors of a Republican administration and a Republican Congress. Wake up to the real world, Josh.

BTW, where's Carol? Isn't she the assistant to the Press Secretary? So why isn't she helping Toby?

Birnam Wood (The West Wing, 6.2)

2004-10-28T13:44:00.000-07:00

Dear President Bartlet-

Congratulations on finally solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If the world knew it would just take a handful (5?) of days of intense negotiations in a scenic, idyllic place like Camp David, I'm sure we would have done this earlier.

I didn't care for the way you brushed off your Chief of Staff, Leo McGarry. He's been your trusted advisor for x number of years and the two of you have been friends for some 40 years. Not only are you unwilling to take his sound advice, you turned him into an outcast because he was the only one of your staff who was willing to stand against you.

And really- committing 18,000 American troops in a peacekeeping mission in the West Bank? The US military are not humanitarian peacekeepers. Isn't that what the United Nations is for? Do you really think the American public would agree to this?

Sincerely,
CC, a lukewarm West Wing viewer since Season One

P.S. We really don't need to see you playing a game of hoops with your staff. You almost keeled over there, the way you were huffing and puffing.

The Matzo Ball Heiress

2004-09-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

The Matzo Ball Heiress is a great chick-lit book that is not only a good read, but also informative. Okay, so the protagonist does spend a considerable amount of time whining about how tough it is being from a rich, dysfunctional family but she is more educated and sympathetic than many chick-lit characters.

The author includes plenty of tidbits about Judaism which I found interesting and relevant to the story. I also liked the behind-the-scenes look into making documentaries and television shows. The ending, though, is a bit forced. Everything is all tidied up and decorated with a bow- too improbably for my taste. The last chapter seems like an afterthought and serves no purpose.

Recommended- 5 out of 5.

Beg's Guide to Eating Disorders Recovery

2004-09-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Beginner's Guide to Eating Disorders Recovery provides a good intro to eating disorders. However, it covers only anorexia and bulimia, without mentioning some of the other "habits" that eating disorder sufferers may employ (like ruminating and pica). The part of the book that focused on recovery was a bit too patronizing for my taste, though.

A Girl's Gotta Do...

2004-09-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

A Girl's Gotta Do What A Girl's Gotta Do is a self-help book written to help gals stay safe in this day and age (i.e. how to protect yourself from a stalker, lessen your chances of being burgularized and how to protect yourself from an attacker). Some of the reviews on amazon.com seemed to think all that was discussed was all old news, common knowledge, etc. Well, as Voltaire once said (and is quoted in the book)- "Common sense is not so common". Besides, it's a good compilation of stuff we all need to know and remember.

So yeah, check out this book. It's a good read and doesn't drag on.

Girl, Interrupted

2004-09-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Girl, Interrupted is an interesting real-life journey inside a mental institution, from the perspective of the then-18 year old Susanna, who was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

While reading this book, and being able to identify with some of the characterstics of the characters, I wonder if I could possibly suffer from some type of personality disorder. Or on the brink of it. How far apart is reality and this parallel universe?

I haven't watched the movie (and probably won't, since I like to come up with my own visual interpretations), but I would definintely recommend this book.

Girl Boy Etc.

2004-08-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Girl Boy Etc. is a series of short stories- about guys who have trouble w/ love and relationships. I read only about 1/3 of the book and I just couldn't take it anymore. What a bore. Don't bother. (Although the reviews at Amazon seem pretty good...)

Mom, Can I Move Back in With You?

2004-08-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

Mom, Can I Move Back in With You?: A Survival Guide for Parents of Twentysomethings is an interesting self-help book for parents of twentysomethings. I enjoyed reading it because it reassured me that I wasn't the only college grad who didn't know what he/she wanted to do for a career. And how college doesn't really prepare you for a job. Well, some majors anyway.

But some of the anecdotes, I couldn't really relate to. Like the ones where parents had to help pay off their child's debt or pay bills. Those parents should cut off the life line and make their kids support themselves. If you can't afford a $4 cup of coffee every day, then don't. Duh.

The Material Child

2004-08-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

The Material Child: Coming of Age in Japan and America is an interesting look into the differences and similarities between American and Japanese adolescents. And how their cultures differ and shape their thoughts and beliefs. It's a bit text-bookish, but overall, it's a good read.

I haven't been reading much lately- been staying up late to watch the Olympics and so when I get on the bus, all I do is nap =)

A Secret Word

2004-08-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

A Secret Word: A Novel was another book (like Matchstick Men) written in present tense. So instead of "she said", it was "she says". Well, at least it wasn't like that book I read that was written in 2nd person. That was bizarre.

Anyway, A Secret Word spans 15-some years, from 3 girls' point of view. I thought it was chick-lit, actually, but it wasn't- it was better. It's a book about many things but most of all, sadness. Fit nicely with all the stuff that's been happening in my life the past couple of days.

Recommended, although I give it only 4 out of 5 stars, because I couldn't really figure out what the book was about. You know how books have themes and you sit there in English class dissecting written works? Well, maybe this book doesn't have one... and maybe I should be okay with that.

Matchstick Men

2004-08-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

Matchstick Men was a great book, about a con artist. The ending is so surprising that I had to go back and skim some sections just to make sure I didn't miss something earlier, that there weren't clues or hints.

That's all I can really say about the book without giving away anything, so go read it. Recommended!! Although the people at Amazon don't seem to like it.

Unfortunately, I finished the book about 5 minutes before learning that my house was burgularized and that my laptop was stolen...

Weekend in Paris

2004-08-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

I was hoping Weekend in Paris: a Novel wouldn't be like some of the chick-lit books I've come across lately. The book was a little predictable and cliche-d.

Molly, the protagonist, was like so many other chick-lit heroines, unlucky in love and work. And like most of them, she has a witty personality which exudes when she's faced with disaster. [For once, I'd like to see a character who doesn't have these witty one-liners and you go girl! moments.] She decides to be spontaneous and visit Paris, which she was going to do on a business trip anyway. And she falls in love with the city. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm not European or something but I don't see what the fascination with the city or country is. It's just a place, okay?

Anyway, she falls madly in love with a French guy who is an artist. And drama ensues. And she finds a job at the end. That always happens, doesn't it?

So I give this book maybe 2 stars out of 5. If I hadn't been stuck with nothing to read on the bus, I would have given up on the book, even though I had already read about 3/5's of the book. Maybe chick-lit just isn't for me... or at least those written by Brits or transplanted Brits... The author also did a bit too much "telling" rather than "showing". There were scenes in which I couldn't tell if it was actually occuring at that time in the story or had happened in the past. Too much of a passive voice, I suppose.

Can You Keep a Secret; What a Girl Wants

2004-08-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Can You Keep a Secret is another chick-lit book by Sophie Kinsella, who wrote the Shopaholic books (I read one of those books and hated it. What kind of idiot is so addicted to shopping, even when they are swamped with tons of debt? And gets mad at the creditors for their lack of compassion?) I read only a few pages of this book before I realized why I didn't like reading books by Kinsella. The heroine in this book somehow has a corporate job even though she doesn't have the attention span or the intelligence necessary. Why does this seem to be a common theme with chick-lit books? Please, have some respect for us readers.

What a Girl Wants (chick-lit):- after reading the first 4(?) chapters, I just couldn't continue. A 20-something cubicle dweller, Hayley discovers her coworker in the next cubicle has just kicked the bucket and less than 30 minutes later is macking out with the police officer investigating the death. Yeah, real plausible. Even worse, Hayley is one of those chick-lit "heroines", whining about a lack of a boyfriend and problems with her job. And she wonders why her life is so "bad". Maybe because she's an idiot.

Razzle

2004-08-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Razzle is an intelligent novel with the intended audience of teens, but works well with readers of all ages. Moving to Cape Cod after his parents buy a lot of beachside cottages, 16-yr old Kenyon meets several interesting people, including Razzle the eccentric girl, Frank the plumber and Harley the pretty blond, and learns to look past labels and stereotypes.

This book was also age-appropriate (although there are some PG-13 moments). The author doesn't insult the readers by relying on cheap tricks and gimmicks. Recommended (5 out of 5).

What I Wish You Knew

2004-08-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

What I Wish You Knew: Letters from Our Daughters' Lives, and Expert Advice on Staying Connected is a book that combines letters from girls approx 10 to 14 with problems such as dealing with their changing bodies, making new friends, etc and offers advice to parents on how to deal with these issues.

The average age of these girls were a bit younger than those featured in the other books I've read (like the books with "Ophelia" in the title) but they highlight the fears that many of our young girls have to face these days. And offers some good advice that hopefully will help parents...

Surviving Ophelia

2004-08-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

Surviving Ophelia: Mothers Share Their Wisdom in Navigating the Tumultuous Teenage Years is another book filled with anecdotes from moms of adolescent girls. I enjoyed reading this book because the stories were touching and poignant. One thing I didn't like, however, was the apparent need of the author to summarize or state what the following story was about. I prefer to just read the stories rather than be told first.

Reading these types of books makes me a bit apprehensive about having children someday. Although I was (and still am) a bit rebellious and hard to deal with, I've never gotten into trouble, have never done drugs or drank alcohol, never gotten bad grades or anything else that seems to plague the teens in this book. But what if I were to have a daughter and she suffers from one or all of these problems? I don't think I'd be able to handle it...

Ophelia Speaks

2004-08-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ophelia Speaks: Adolescent Girls Write About Their Search for Self: I was a bit disappointed by this book, especially after reading Ophelia's Mother. Sara Shandler, the author, gives brief synopses of the various works (submitted by adolescent girls) in the beginning of each chapter. Did she not trust her audience to be able to read and figure out the "point" of the stories on their own?

As for the submitted works themselves, well, I guess I should cut the girls some slack, considering many were in their early teens. The stories just didn't entice me to continue reading. In fact, I skimmed most of the book, wondering when I'd get to the "good part".

Winter Season

2004-08-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

Winter Season- A Dancer's Journal is about Toni Bentley's (the author) season as a professional dancer with NYCB. Like with A Dance Against Time, I enjoyed this book because of the behind-the-scenes look into a professional ballet company.

However, I felt that some parts of the book were too abstract, like her 'fictional' story about Isabelle and her relationship with a guy, Duke. And some of the entries themselves were a bit abstract and unclear. I guess I expected more of a (auto-) biography but since this is only a snapsnot of a season at NYCB, there wasn't much background given about the author.

Recommended (3 out of 5 stars)- if you are a dancer, you will probably enjoy this book more than non-dancers.

Tangent- I recently saw a piece written by Bentley, written as a response to criticism of the thin ideal of ballet dancers:

Should music students be admitted to the Juilliard School who are tone deaf and to medical schools with C and D grade averages? Should short guys be hired by the NBA? Should round little girls be admitted to professional ballet schools, thereby being subjected to a competitive discipline for which they are at a disadvantage?

Simply put, if the arts or sports are to be subjected to affirmative action and lack of discrimination against the untalented and physically inappropriate, then they will cease to exist.[Link]

After reading this, I have to say that Bentley misses the point. No one is saying that untalented, unpromising fat kids should be accepted into professional ballet schools. She's right- the NBA wouldn't hire a short kid who didn't know the difference between a basketball and a football. But when someone comes along who is a good player, yet short in height, nothing prevents them from being signed. Look at Earl Boykins of the Nuggets. Or Spud Webb. Almost all teams have at least 1 or 2 "short" players (hovering around 6'1"), usually playing the point guard position.

Who determines what is "right" for arts or sports? Who decides? In auditions for prof. schools, sometimes the first cut is made at the beginning, before you've even had a chance to show your stuff. Based solely because of your "look". Bentley states that "round little girls" will face a "competitive discipline for which they are at a disadvantage"- but this disadvantage was created by the ballet world themselves! Not by some outside force.

Dance Against Time

2004-08-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

A Dance Against Time: The Brief, Brilliant Life of a Joffrey Dancer was a biography about Eddie Stierle, a dancer with Joffrey Ballet who died of AIDS at the age of 23. The author uses anecdotal information from his friends and family as well as some entries from his journal.

I enjoyed reading this book and seeing how Eddie persevered with his dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer, even though he didn't have the "right" body type. And getting an inside look at the workings of a pro ballet company. However, for some reason, the book dragged along towards the end.

Recommended.

All Girls; Girls will be Girls

2004-08-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

All Girls: Single-Sex Education and Why It Matters and Girls Will Be Girls : Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters-- I read the first couple of chapters in each book and gave up on continuing.

The first book, All Girls, was a study into two girls' school (interviews from 1998). One school was an elite private school (Marlborough School in L.A.) and the other was a public school in NYC. In the chapters I read, the book mostly talked about how the schools tried to engage their students into thinking and open discussion. And how the schools primary goal was to get these girls into good colleges where they could avoid becoming just another statistic. Because it focused solely on the girls' schools, with no boys' schools as comparison, I found the book uninteresting. I did not need to read about these little rich girls (at the Marlborough School) and their problems about not getting into one of the Ivy League schools. Yawn.

The second book, Girls will be Girls, is more of a practical guide in helping and raising a daughter, focusing on the problems facing adolescent girls. It was more of a how-to book, which did not pique my interest.

I recommend Schoolgirls over either of these books.

Schoolgirls [non-fiction]

2004-07-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self-Esteem, and the Confidence Gap is a look into the social problems facing young teens (eighth-graders). The author, Peggy Orenstein, spent a year at two middle schools in Northern California and talks extensively with the girls.

The interviews were done in 1992-1993 (book was published in '94), which just happened to be around the same time that I was in the 8th grade. Sometimes when I read books about adolescents and their problems, I tend to think that the problems discussed are only unique to the present, that back then in the early 90s, we didn't have to face similar junk. Reading this book, though, made a certain connection with me, since the girls interviewed and I were both in the 8th grade at the same time (except I was in Southern CA and they were up north).

It disturbed me to read about the classroom problems involving boys and girls- boys tend to control the flow of class, talking out of turn, demanding teachers' attention. Reminds me of my 9th gov't/econ class- there were 16 boys and only 8 girls. The boys would be the ones contributing in class, while us girls preferred to learn quietly. Mrs. B, the teacher, acknowledged that the class would be different if the # of girls to boys was evened out.

Something I read that I didn't know about at the time- around that time, there was a no-tolerance sexual harrasment law put into place for CA. The fact that us students weren't made aware of it (or maybe we were, I just don't remember), speaks volumes about the "boys will be boys" mentality. Although, as far as I know, our school didn't have a problem with this... especially since I was in a gifted program (our academic classes were separated from the other students).

Recommended.

Autobiography of Vivian

2004-07-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

The Autobiography of Vivian: A Novel is a chick-lit fictional autobiography about a small-town girl who moves to New York to find her career.

It was an okay book. Sure, Vivian has a life that a lot of us 20-somethings would dream of (getting a job working for VH1 even though she has absolutely no office experience? I'll take that!), but throughout the whole book, she basically whines and complains about her troubled relationships with men. She basically thinks she's God's gift to the world or something. She gets bored with her job after only working there for a year and can't understand why other staffers don't like her, all the while pushing to get promoted into a more important job. Hello?! Was she born yesterday?

About 2/3s through the book, I started skimming. I didn't care about her life or her problems. I just wanted it to be over.

I hear the two sequels are worse than this, though...

The Rice Room

2004-07-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Rice Room: Growing Up Chinese-American-From Number Two Son to Rock'N'Roll is another memoirs book by an Asian-American which illustrates the struggle of immigrant children and maintaining their identity between the two cultures.

I enjoyed reading this book because it gave a different perspective (since the author's a guy) and the author, being in journalism and media, is a very good writer. The book moves along quickly too. Recommended.

A Bridge Between Us

2004-07-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

A Bridge Between Us is a novel about 4 generations of Japanese/Japanese-American women. The book was written in 1st person, switching from person to person for each chapter. It was confusing to keep track of who was who and of the different stories. Luckily, the author included a "family tree" in the beginning of the book- otherwise I would still be confused.

As for the storyline, it was okay. It was not very believable, however, partly because the author skipped some key situations- for example, the novel starts out with Reiko as a young girl, awaiting her mother's return from Japan. The following chapters, Reiko is already a great-grandmother, a domineering and impossible woman. I can only assume she became jaded and bitter due to her unfulfilled wish of being reunited with her mother, but it is unclear. That would have been an interesting story to tell.

I would recommend Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club over this book by far. This novel is shorter but also lacks depth.

Cliques

2004-07-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

Cliques: 8 Steps to Help Your Child Survive the Social Jungle is a good book to read if you have children in middle school... or if you're like me and just like reading parenting adolescents books. I guess maybe I still identify with gawky tweeners and teens because I'm still sort of socially inept. But anyway, the book gives good strategies and provides examples.

The Dim Sum of All Things

2004-07-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

The Dim Sum of All Things was great! Maybe a little stereotypical in its portrayal of Asian-Americans, but it is all so true.

The book was a perfect combination of chick-lit and Asian-American awareness. The criticisms- how come books like this one and Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club always end up with a trip to China in which one "discovers" their roots? And when Chinese words and phrases were used, there were times when I couldn't tell what the word meant (and no translation was given)- some words were in Cantonese (which is what her grandmother spoke), some words looked Mandarin and some words were just misspelled or romanized incorrectly. That was confusing.

The elements that made this book work: Lindsey, the protagonist, and her little quirks, trying to catch a glimpse of her coworker that she's attracted to. The description of her Americanized parents and aunts. The commentary of the white guys attracted to Asian women. The term "Hoarders of all things Asian". The list is endless.

Falling Leaves

2004-07-20T19:08:00.000-07:00

Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter was an interesting read. It reminded me of Amy Tan's The Joyluck Club, except that the latter book was fictional and this book is non-fiction.

Reading about her stepmother and the family dynamics reminded me of Chinese soap operas, many in which you just want to throw something at the stepmother. I just don't understand how a parent (the father) can tolerate such emotional abuse towards his own children. I guess that he was too enamored by his new wife.

I read some of the customer reviews on Amazon and one person didn't see why the author cared about the inheritence (namely, she didn't get anything) when she and her husband are well off. In the Chinese culture, it's not so much about the monetary value of the inheritence, esp in Adeline Mah's (the author) case. She was upset because she was the one who always tried to seek approval from her parents, helped them financially, helped her sister financially... and she ended up with nothing. The oldest daughter (Adeline's sister) who had been cut off from the family even ended up with something. That's what upset Adeline so greatly.

The book starts off quite interestingly- it is 1988 and Adeline's father has just passed away. At the reading of the will, the stepmother instructs the grown children not to turn the page to the 1st page of the will because the father had not left anything to them. All assets were left to the stepmother so there was no need to read the will. And they all believed her (although grudgingly). Can you imagine?!

Dodson's Journey (Movie)

2004-07-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Dodson's Journey is about a father who takes his daughter on a fishing trip in hopes of finding himself.

I thought the acting was quite good, with JAG's David James Elliot playing the father. And the daughter Maggie, played by Alicia Morton, was very good. Her facial expressions were very good but subtle. And even though it was a drama (somewhat somber at times), there were funny scenes which made the movie an enjoyable experience.

One thing, though- Dodson (the father) was trying to explain what a metaphor was to Maggie. And the example he gave was: touching fish is like touching nature. This is not a metaphor, it's a simile (since it has "like" or "as"). A metaphor would have been "touching fish is touching nature". Maybe the actor just misspoke...

Dying to Dance

2004-07-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

I remember watching this movie when it first aired on NBC (in 2001, which we had taped). So yesterday, when I was bored out of my mind and the stuff on network tv was a bunch of junk, I decided to watch the movie again.

The plot is simple- a young dancer (Alyssa, age 18) joins a ballet company (Metropolitan) as an apprentice. She is told to lose at least 5 pounds, to improve her "body line". So she starts to diet and ends up in a hospital for anorexia.

Anyways, I thought the actor who played Alyssa was very convincing. She reminded me a little of Tara Lipinski, the figure skater. Her ballet wasn't especially good, but it was sufficient for a made-for-tv movie. One thing though- near the end of the movie, where Alyssa is hospitalized, her face is pale, as a result of the anorexia. Except that her skin and arms are still "normal"- colored, which (as Iruka puts it) made Alyssa look like she was a Kabuki dancer. At least they could have plied some makeup on her neck and arms to make it look real.

Another nitpick- I find it hard to believe that (in this day and age), a ballet company would be stupid enough to tell a dancer to lose weight in writing. Maybe they might tell them verbally, but in a written evaluation? And risk a lawsuit? Highly unlikely.

The artistic director of the company was a little over the top and demanding. I can understand if he was only that way towards the apprentices but he wouldn't act that way towards a principal dancer within the company. And the teacher(s) wouldn't call the dancers "children". "Girls and boys" yes, children, no.

And lastly, the fact that Alyssa wore her regular clothes while weighing herself. Seeing that she (as well as many women) want to lose weight, they usually take off every piece of clothing and jewelry to get the lowest weight possible. Who steps on a scale with a big ol' fleece jacket on?

Nonetheless, it's a good movie. And if you don't think things like this actually happen, well, it does... maybe not so blatanly, but I knew a dancer who was anorexic- she looked like a human lollipop because her head looked huge compared to her skinny body. And she only ate a cup of ice cream or two cookies for lunch and dinner...

Winning Every Day

2004-07-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

Winning Every Day: This book was written by Shannon Miller. It includes entries from her diary as well as motivational tips for life. It's target audience is a bit younger (say young adult) but it's still a good read.

Hunger Pains

2004-07-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hunger Pains- The Modern Woman's Tragic Quest for Thinness: I just read this book yesterday and I can't really remember much about it. Guess it's not all that memorable. This book talks about body image and eating disorders (as the title suggests). It's not a very long book, so if you need something to read, it's a good choice. Other than that, I don't have any comments about it.

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

2004-07-17T07:14:00.000-07:00

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus- ah, the relationship book that everyone should read. I read the paperback version... as if it's somewhat different from the hardback version? I don't know, I didn't read the latter version.

Anyway, if you are in a troubled relationship, or you want to avoid being in one, you should read this book. It delves into how women and men are different, just hard-wired that way. For example:

Men take things literally: She says "we never go out". He says "we just went out last weekend."

Women need to talk in order to figure things out for themselves. Their husbands think they are asking for advice: She says "they're giving me too much stuff to do at work". He says "you should quit".

Men need time alone to figure things out: She says "what's wrong?" He says "nothing" because it's nothing he can't solve (by himself) after some time alone. She thinks he's shutting her out.

Women try to "help" their husbands by giving advice (like what to wear, what to do, etc). Men believe "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" and if she wants to change something about him, he must be a failure.

Men react more positively to the word "would" rather than "could/can": "Would you take out the trash?" works better than "could you take out the trash?" and is much more efficient to indirect requests like "the trash can is full".

So anyways, pick up a book and start learning. One thing, though- it gets a bit repetitive and you may feel like skimming (I did). Then again, I'm not in a relationship...

Ophelia's Mom

2004-07-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

Ophelia's Mom: Women Speak Out About Loving and Letting Go of Their Adolescent Daughters, by Nina Shandler, is sort of a response to her daughter's book, Ophelia Speaks, which is sort of a response to Mary Pipher's book, Reviving Ophelia.

But anyway, it is interesting to read about the different experiences these moms of adolescent daughters went through. Fortunately, I was a perfect little girl ^_^ and my mom never had to deal with much teen angst.

Am I thin enough?

2004-07-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

Am I Thin Enough Yet?: The Cult of Thinness and the Commercialization of Identity- this is the 2nd time I've read this book (the first time was maybe last year). This is a good book about the strive for thinness that American women face. The author uses comparisons to religious cults to demonstrate the psychological draw towards being thin.

City Chic

2004-07-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

City Chic: An Urban Girl's Guide to Livin' Large on Less is a great little resource book for the young (20-30ish) crowd living on a tight budget. Or if you just don't want to spend a lot of money.

From tips on decorating your house (buying unfinished items that you just need to add a coat of paint to can save you 30%) to inexpensive but effective fashion (labels with "dry clean" are different than "dry clean only"- the former can be hand-washed w/ woolite), this book is chock-full of great ideas.

In case you were wondering, this is what you should have in your wardrobe:

Jeans: 2 to 4 pair
Slacks: 5 pair summer, 5 pair winter
Skirts: 5 in variety of lengths
Dresses: 4
Blouses: 6 to 10
Nice T-shirts: 10
Tank tops: 10
Long-sleeved shirts: 6 to 10
Sweaters: 10
Shoes: ?? (as many as you can afford)
[p 181, City Chic by Nina Willdorf]

A great find at the library by Iruka- thanks!

Making Weight

2004-07-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Making Weight: Men's conflicts with food, weight, shape & appearance is not an eating disorders book (i.e. detailing the different EDs), but more of a look into the weight and shape issues men are facing today. It's an interesting book and although the book's intended primary audience is men, it includes historical information that applies equally to women.

I enjoyed reading this book. Although I did find it interesting that the authors believe you don't necessarily have to eat breakfast (since your daily caloric intake will balance out- if you eat less in one meal, you'll compensate in the next). Which is true, since most health experts say you should eat breakfast to avoid pigging out at lunch, but I guess if you are just not a morning person and food doesn't agree with you in the morning, you'd rather not eat then.

Go Ask Alice

2004-07-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

I had heard about the book Go Ask Alice before as a must-read, but it's also on a list of frequently banned books so I didn't really know what to expect.

Well, first of all, I thought the protagonist's name was Alice and I didn't know that it was a real diary (published anonymously). And I didn't know that the book was published in 1971 (I thought it was more contemporary) until she (the protagonist) was talking about curling her hair using juice cans. [On an episode of American Dreams, set in the 60s, Meg once used juice cans to curl her hair].

The book was sad and frustrating. Everywhere she turned, there were drugs. Even when she tried to stop. And maybe it's because we live in a different decade, but I just can't imagine being pressured like that from peers. Well, that and the fact that I've never lived in a small community.

I was about to say that I was a little skeptical about the book- who knows if it's really a "true" diary? What better way to sell books than to hype it up? And by reading about the book on the web just now, I have found out that the book isn't actually the protagonist's diary, but by an adult author. I feel cheated. Not that fiction is bad or that "based on a true story" is bad... but the book IS marketed as a real diary. Or at least gives the impression that it is.

I don't know- if you haven't read the book and want to know what some of the chatter is about, check it out at your library (it's a fairly short book), but otherwise, take a pass. I've never wanted to try drugs or felt the pressure to do so. I credit the police department's DARE program and uh, something called a little common sense.

It seems so wrong that it is marketed as a "real diary"... and it appears that some people don't know that it isn't (just read some of the reader reviews online). What about truth in advertising? Read this critique about the book if nothing else.

Destination Unexpected

2004-07-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

Desitnation Unexpected: Short Stories- I picked up this book on a whim at the library. It's a collection of short stories written by different authors, all involving "journey" as a theme. I think the book is written for young adults (i.e. high schoolers).

Nonetheless, it's a really good book. I'm about 1/2 way done and the stories are well-written and interesting. Add.- well, there was one story that I didn't like ("Mosquito"), but that was more because of the storyline, not the writing.

Check it out if you get a chance...

Eating Disorders

2004-07-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

Eating Disorders: Everything you need to know by Jim Kirkpatrick and Paul Caldwell: I'm only on the 2nd (3rd, if you count the intro) chapter and it's about bulimia. If you don't know a lot about eating disorders, read this book with caution because some parts will gross you out.

One thing I wanted to point out- they listed the normal body temperature of an average person as being 98°F. While it's not incorrect, per se, it's not really correct either. Body temp is usually 98.6°F.

Add.- Well, I finished reading this book. Didn't read anything that I hadn't read elsewhere (except some of the grosser details about bulimics' purges). Gives an okay overview of eating disorders- kind of like a textbook.

The Music Man [Movie]

2004-07-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

I watched The Music Man on tv last Sunday (starring Matthew Broderick). I haven't seen any other version of this musical, so I didn't have anything to compare it to. And I'm not a big movie or musical fan. I think I've only seen two musicals (both on tv)- The Sound of Music (which was my favorite the 1st three times, but not the fourth) and My Fair Lady (which I thought was too long, but okay if shorter).

Anyway, I liked TMM. It was cute. I didn't start out watching it, I was channel-surfing and tuning into the Dateline NBC broadcast, but one of the dance numbers (near the beginning where the professor leads the kids in a big ol' dance) caught my eye. And I continued to flip back and forth between the two channels, and didn't miss much from TMM. I kind of liked that- being able to follow the plot without sitting perched at the edge of your seat, watching each line.

The songs were cute, namely Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little and Shipoopie. Actually, I don't remember how Shipoopie went, but I remember the word. And the Goodnight ladies part of Pick-a-Little stood out because my mom used to sing it. Even though she's never seen the musical and doesn't know what it's from. (That part is also the tune of a song that goes "I've got sixpence, jolly jolly sixpence, I've got sixpence to last me all my life").

I've seen some bad reviews of this movie, but I liked it. And I don't like a lot of things...

My Naked Truth

2004-07-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

My Naked Truth: Surviving Depression and Bulimia- so far, this is an okay book. The binge parts I can sort of relate to, except I never ate with that much urgency. Mine was more along the lines of constant snacking.

At first, I was a little confused as to why Ximena (the author) was speaking French, since she's from Chile. Then I found out that she worked in Switzerland, which is where the first part of the book takes place. I also didn't understand why she was so frustrated at being in the rehab center, since she was the one who begged to be put in.

It's a pretty good read, though (so far). She uses a combination of her diary entries as well as narratives...

Add.- Now that I'm done with the book, well, I would be hesitant to recommend it to someone else. The 2nd half of the book focused entirely on her relationship issues with a number of men in her life. Overall, I felt that the book focused much more on the causes of her eating disorder, rather than the ED itself. And it was long, too long in my opinion.

I also had difficulty following the time progression of the book. Did she meet Barry before John? Or Gary? It was too confusing.

Junk Science Judo

2004-07-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Since Junk Science Judo: Self-defense against health scares & scams was purchased by the library in 2002, I am only the 2nd person to check it out (the 1st person was in October 2002). I guess it just doesn't catch people's interest.

Anyway, it is an interesting book ~~so far~~, pointing out the health scares that have not been backed up by scientific evidence or cases where the "proof" has not withstood additional testing. Like cellphones causing cancer or antibacterial soap killing off all germs (including good ones) which would result in something like a stealth germ/bug which would be immune to everything.

I guess I was expecting more of an expose, i.e. unconvering health warnings that turned out to be untrue. Which this book does, sort of, but it is more clinical and it seems like just about everything we've heard of is faulty.

Playing House

2004-07-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

Playing House is a novel in the chick-lit genre. I think it's the first chick-lit book I've read that takes place in Canada... why is that? Or do they just not do chick-lit?

Frannie, a New York transplant, returns to her hometown for a visit in Canada after realizing she's pregnant. She doesn't even know how to spell the guy's last name! And when she tries to get back in the US, the border patrol won't let her, because her work visa has expired.

This book was okay, although sometimes I skimmed through the paragraphs. Too wordy, I guess. Some of the descriptions were a bit graphic for my taste (I really don't need/want to read about her visit to the doctor's office). But overall, it wasn't bad.

Insatiable

2004-07-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

Insatiable- The Compelling Story of Four Teens, Food and Its Power: it's a fictional novel about 4 teens with eating problems (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating).

It was pretty interesting, but if you're not used to reading about eating disorders, beware. Reading about the tactics used by the anorexics and the enormous amounts of food eaten by the bulimic and binger...

Anyway, it gives an insight into some of the struggles experienced by people (in this case teen girls) with eating disorders and you get to see how the family infrastructures can greatly affect them.

Poplorica

2004-07-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

Poplorica: A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions, and Lore that Shaped Modern America is a pretty good read thus far (beware- I may change my mind after I finish the book). So far, I've learned that evaporating liquids do, in fact, draw heat away from the surrounding air, thus making the temperature cooler. So that Seinfeld bit about the ice bucket making the hotel room too cold, although an exaggeration, was not untrue.

And that the graham cracker was invented by a Presbyterian priest (last name Graham) who preached the dangers of gluttony.

However, the chapters on tacky chic (some sort of painting/art?) and electric guitars put me to sleep. Or they would have, if I had read them rather than skipped past.

Update (7/2/04) Okay, I've finished the book. Skipped another chapter or two (one about golf, *yawn*) but overall, it was pretty interesting.

This is the 3rd book I've read in 2 days (1 on Thursday, 2 on Friday). Now I only have 1 more book to last me through the July 4th long weekend... eek!

Swerve

2004-07-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

Swerve: Reckless Observations of a Post-modern Girl by Aisha Tyler (yes, she was on Friends- though I'm not a fan of the show so I don't watch it) is a pretty good book, so far. I'm (maybe) on the 3rd chapter. Some of the reviews on Amazon.com weren't that great, but I like it. It reads easily, sort of like a blog but separated into categories rather than chronologically.

~~Will update this review when I'm done with the book.~~ Okay, now that I'm done with the book, I didn't really like it. Got too repetitive and I ended up skimming.

Seems to happen a lot- things that I like at first, I end up not liking. Things that I think would be bad end up being good. Ah, the paradox of life.

The Paradox of Choice

2004-07-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

The Paradox of Choice- Why More is Less was an okay book. Focused a lot on the psychological aspects of choice and decision-making, a little more that I was interested in.

However, there were some things that I totally agreed with, like how the influx of choices leaves us befuddled. Example- college majors- most incoming freshmen have no clue what they want to study. Or what they will need to study to succeed in XY field.

Or like how it's tough to buy, say, a digital camera because there are so many choices. Do you want this feature or that? Pay more or less? Cooler style or durability? And then you fear that when you do hunker down and buy one, something better will come along. (Okay, so I'm what the author calls a "maximizer", one who is in an endless pursuit of the perfect item).

They should just make it simpler...

Keeping the Faith [Movie]

2004-06-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

I watched a movie on tv last night (I rarely watch movies, so this is a big deal)- Keeping the Faith, with Ben Stiller, Edward Norton and Jenna Elfman. It's about a Jewish rabbi (Stiller) and a Catholic priest (Norton) who are the best of friends (having grown up together in New York). Enter a former classmate of theirs (Elfman), who falls for Stiller (and vice versa). But the priest is also struggling with his feelings for her.

My summary makes the movie sound more serious than it was (it's a comedy), but it was a pretty good movie. At least I didn't sit there at the end of it, wondering why I wasted my time (like I did with Four Weddings and a Funeral when it was on tv).

And I know, a movie is not a book (unless it was based on one, but I don't know if this was or not), but I didn't feel like putting it on one of my other blogs, so here it is.

Nancy : A Portrait of My Years with Nancy Reagan

2004-04-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

Nancy : A Portrait of My Years with Nancy Reagan by Michael Deaver really touched my heart. The Reagans to me are like the Kennedys to a lot of people. Great look into the relationship of the President and First Lady.

In the Presence of My Enemies

2004-04-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham and Dean Merrill is a book about Burnham's harrowing experience as a hostage of a Muslim extremist group in the Phillipines.

This book made me cry. And decide never to travel to a country with extremists...