golden compass is an intriguing adventure story with a spunky young girl protagonist and a talking bear sidekick. subtle knife is a less-than-intriguing story with a sniveling girl protagonist and angsty male teen sidekick plus a bit of blood. amber spyglass is a horrendous dull flat slogging plotless non-adventure starring a weak paper-doll of a girl with a background of ghosts, exaggerated authority figures, and an alternate universe populated by wheel-riding cows. golden compass draws you in. subtle knife barely advances the story but what do you expect from the second of three books. amber spylass introduces random characters solely designed to prop up a plot which is solely designed to painfully, repeatedly, and with unmitigated inelegance hammer home the atheist agenda of the author.
i don't have a problem with atheism. really. whatever you want to believe or not believe, it's fine with me. really. what puzzles me is how anyone would want to cling to -- much less evangelize -- a belief which conjures such a bleak, flat, tedious picture of the world. a world without energy, without joy, with the only goal to obliterate the authority. i mean, you don't have to believe in a creator to delight in the creation. flowers are beautiful, no matter where they come from.
i'm not done with the story yet. maybe the end will redeem it all, but damn, it'd have to be quite an ending to redeem all these hours of tediously getting hammered in the brain.
31 August 2015
26 August 2015
books 2015
print
miss peregrine's home for peculiar children [ransom riggs]
bones of the lost [kathy reichs]
digital disruption [james mcquivey]
fyre [angie sage]
darke [angie sage]
bones are forever [kathy reichs]
bones never lie [kathy reichs]
learning to see: value stream mapping workbook
swamp bones [kathy reichs]
bones in her pocket [kathy reichs]
the name of the wind [patrick rothfuss]
the wise man's fear [patrick rothfuss]
the slow regard of silent things [patrick rothfuss]
the iron daughter [julie kagawa]
unenchanted [chanda hahn]
one for the money [janet evanovich]
bones on ice [kathy reichs]
charlie & whiskey [annabel smith]
invasion of the tearling [erika johansen]
audio
hunger games [suzanne collins]
golden compass [philip pullman]
subtle knife [philip pullman]
amber spyglass [philip pullman]
miss peregrine's home for peculiar children [ransom riggs]
bones of the lost [kathy reichs]
digital disruption [james mcquivey]
fyre [angie sage]
darke [angie sage]
bones are forever [kathy reichs]
bones never lie [kathy reichs]
learning to see: value stream mapping workbook
swamp bones [kathy reichs]
bones in her pocket [kathy reichs]
the name of the wind [patrick rothfuss]
the wise man's fear [patrick rothfuss]
the slow regard of silent things [patrick rothfuss]
the iron daughter [julie kagawa]
unenchanted [chanda hahn]
one for the money [janet evanovich]
bones on ice [kathy reichs]
charlie & whiskey [annabel smith]
invasion of the tearling [erika johansen]
audio
hunger games [suzanne collins]
golden compass [philip pullman]
subtle knife [philip pullman]
amber spyglass [philip pullman]
25 August 2015
it's a calpak day.
i drive to tj maxx with one purpose: find a suitable carry-on. suitable in this case being 20", hard-sided, roller. i march on in and right on over to the luggage department, in which i peruse many lovely bags. jessica simpson, nicole miller, samsonite, they're all there. i move some around, pick some up, shift something on an upper shelf nearly causing a suitcase to fall on my head.
then, i see it. on the bottom shelf, lying on its side, is a small, black case. hmm. this is promising. not yet quite the believer, i pick it up and find it to be lightweight with a nice shape and well-working rollers. boom. done.
well, almost. i have seen its ilk before, but have not wanted to fork over the dough. bags like this can run in the $80 range. or higher. but, that's why i am at tj maxx, right? things at tj maxx are less expensive. that's the whole point of maxx -- maxx has the minn prices.
no tags on the outside. hmm. i open the case and find no tags inside. odd, but okay fine, i will find another like this one. long story short, there is not another like this one. okay fine. i am sure they can find a price -- i'll just take it to the checkout. the checkout... between which and me there are like a gajillion people.
#sigh
turns out the line is moving along pretty well. when i reach the counter, i explain what's up and the cashier lady is all like, no problem. she calls over some guy and asks him to get a price and he goes to the luggage area which we can see from where we are so we sort of watch him rummaging in the baggage while making small talk.
i am being real patient because i smell a deal coming on. cashier lady mentions that she can check other stores, see if they have one, and i am all no-o-o-o, i need this bag today. chat, chat, chat. i peruse the snacks beside the register, the snacks across the aisle, select some dried salted caramel apple bits. she takes them, scans them, hands them back -- "so you can start on those, hon."
he's finally back with a comparable bag. same make, but larger. it's priced at like $80, so he's thinking this bag i want is like $49. ugh. i definitely don't want to pay $49. by this time, i am thinking $29. i say it - $29? the guy just looks at me, sort of smiles. cashier lady points out the scratches she & i have previously identified. still, he won't budge.
cashier lady is with me, really, and says she should have just keyed the price. i patiently agree - yeah, i am not paying $49... she says hang on, walks away, comes back with the mocked up price tag that guy (is he the manager?) has made so there's something to scan. she scans it and overrides the price, to $29.
i pay and whatnot, thanks and have a nice day, walk out with my new bag.
that, my friends, is how it's done.
then, i see it. on the bottom shelf, lying on its side, is a small, black case. hmm. this is promising. not yet quite the believer, i pick it up and find it to be lightweight with a nice shape and well-working rollers. boom. done.
well, almost. i have seen its ilk before, but have not wanted to fork over the dough. bags like this can run in the $80 range. or higher. but, that's why i am at tj maxx, right? things at tj maxx are less expensive. that's the whole point of maxx -- maxx has the minn prices.
no tags on the outside. hmm. i open the case and find no tags inside. odd, but okay fine, i will find another like this one. long story short, there is not another like this one. okay fine. i am sure they can find a price -- i'll just take it to the checkout. the checkout... between which and me there are like a gajillion people.
#sigh
turns out the line is moving along pretty well. when i reach the counter, i explain what's up and the cashier lady is all like, no problem. she calls over some guy and asks him to get a price and he goes to the luggage area which we can see from where we are so we sort of watch him rummaging in the baggage while making small talk.
i am being real patient because i smell a deal coming on. cashier lady mentions that she can check other stores, see if they have one, and i am all no-o-o-o, i need this bag today. chat, chat, chat. i peruse the snacks beside the register, the snacks across the aisle, select some dried salted caramel apple bits. she takes them, scans them, hands them back -- "so you can start on those, hon."
he's finally back with a comparable bag. same make, but larger. it's priced at like $80, so he's thinking this bag i want is like $49. ugh. i definitely don't want to pay $49. by this time, i am thinking $29. i say it - $29? the guy just looks at me, sort of smiles. cashier lady points out the scratches she & i have previously identified. still, he won't budge.
cashier lady is with me, really, and says she should have just keyed the price. i patiently agree - yeah, i am not paying $49... she says hang on, walks away, comes back with the mocked up price tag that guy (is he the manager?) has made so there's something to scan. she scans it and overrides the price, to $29.
i pay and whatnot, thanks and have a nice day, walk out with my new bag.
that, my friends, is how it's done.
 |
| this is not precisely what i purchased, but is an adequate representation from the calpak (brand of my purchase) website. |
24 August 2015
this one time at traffic school...
first, i can't decide what to wear. you only get one chance to make a first impression and in this case, the first impression is about it, since i don't plan on seeing these people ever again. i feel like i need to choose my outfit carefully, because this is urban traffic school. i'm not really "urban" and i don't want to look like a complete dork.
i give serious consideration to the bling pants but really, those pants aren't made for sitting, and that's just what i'll do for the next 6 to 8 hours. i finally go with khaki shorts and a grey tee. yes, my originality stuns even me. the shirt is from the new balance store, but it's emblazoned with "empower" in a weird script that's more harley than runner, so i'm thinking that'll help me fit in.
i put on a old pair of trainers but they look dowdy in that way that only running shoes can do. i tried keds but they're worse, so i settle on the chucks, which are about my coolest shoes if you don't count my cowboy boots which in this context you cannot. my chucks are demolished in a way that says i wear chucks, not because they are cool, but because i am.
the class is filled with stereotypes. stupid clownish man. sleepy snoring man. angry black chick. white college kids in logo gear literally using "whatnot" in their actual speech patterns. this one asian dude in plaid button-down and khakis, who can explain deceleration and feet per second. young black men wearing enormous "shorts" and sagging pants, who turn out to be excellent at reading stuff aloud. this lanky white guy in golf shirt and jeans who reeks of suburbia and wants to be everyone's friend. the guys gravitate towards each other as do the girls, except this one girl who sits right in with the guys and raucously mocks one who admits he can't change his own brake pads.
to my left is a middle-aged black woman who received her citation for driving down the right-turn only lane and before the turn, attempting to force-merge back into the main traffic. although it's annoying as hell when people do that, i did not realise that it is a ticketable offense. to my right is a redneck white chick, maybe 30 or so, who was cited for driving on a revoked license because she had to get to work but she'd lost her license for DUI... her third DUI. one of the videos we watch has this really hokey music and she goes, "sounds like a cheap porno! haha!" and i am like, oh girl you are not helping yourself, but i keep that thought in my head, because, you know.
at lunch break, i end up at sonic for tater tots and cherry limeade. back in class, my redneck pal has a bit of glitter on her eyebrow and the glitter matches the glitter on her shirt and i am thinking damn, she took that shirt off for lunch and all i had was tater tots.
the instructor tries to make the class easy but she only succeeds as far as to make it stultifyingly boring. it would be better if she would read the damn book, but she's done it too many times, i guess. she takes frequent long breaks, which satisfies the smokers and i'm okay with it as well because the building is a cell phone free zone so i have to go outside to play words with friends or check twitter. of course, i stand over by the corner of the building acting like i am texting my dealer or something because this is really not a words with friends kind of crowd, and i don't want to get knifed.in the building, NO CELL PHONES. as the retired deputy who has the tiny little kingdom of the traffic school lobby to rule informs me, there are eleven signs to this effect in the lobby. ELEVEN SIGNS. he has this spiel where he tells you the consequence of using your cell phone in the building is that he can cancel your class and make you pay again, and the reason is that during the week, the building is used as a treatment facility for DUIs and sex offenders, which means there are hippa regulations. we hear this speech multiple times, and i never learn what my saturday cell-phoning has to do with the hippa of a sex offender who comes to treatment on a weekday, but i let that slide. the retired deputy has one straight eye and one sideways eye so it's never quite clear which of us is receiving the speech, but i am certain i don't want to give the king of the traffic school lobby an excuse to exert any authority over me, so i go outside with my games.
the instructor manages to make the 30 minutes of material last 6 hours, which i have to grudgingly respect and admit is a hellish way to make a living. she dismisses us. i thank her for her efforts, and reach the parking lot in time to see my classmates (literally) speeding off in all directions. we didn't even exchange email addresses.
did i learn anything? not about driving safety. i mean, i drive unsafely more out of stupidity than ignorance. about my classmates, urban living, tolerance? hell, the mate who put the most demands on my tolerance was Suburban Golf Shirt Guy. i think he was just really nervous to be around all these different kinds of people, but the irony is that the more different kinds of people there are, the more we all just seem alike. we were certainly united by our boredom and our flagrant disregard for traffic laws.
18 August 2015
i would if i could but i can't so i won't.
pretty sure i made that saying up, contrary to the million other people on the internet who believe they did. as if.
here's something that's weird: hearing an advertisement for the season finale of a show you never heard of. so, like, enough people were watching that show to keep it going for a season, maybe two?, and here they are wrapping up all those loose ends into one neat cliff-hanger of a season finale. all those people, all that time, actors, plots, makeup, lights, camera, action - all of it merrily going on over THERE while you're busy being oblivious over HERE until you notice the season finale ad, and there it is, over before you even knew it existed.
you can't experience it from the beginning because that time has passed. i mean, unless you can reverse time. which you most likely can not. however, you can watch all the episodes and simulate the experience of watching it from the beginning. basically, you can catch up on the plot and whatnot, but you can't have the same literal experience as watching it for real, from the beginning.
what's the difference? well, since you can't do both, you will never know. you can't both experience the show and not experience the show. you can compare yourself, not having experienced the show, to others who have experienced it, but unless you think you are 100% purely exactly like some other person... it's not a true comparison.
would watching the show in real time have changed your life in some way? would you have noticed some cultural reference, made some connection to the wider world or your fellow man? could you have joined in some office convo that without the show you would not have understood and maybe not even have heard or noticed?
you can deny it if you want, but watching television shows changes you. you learn something or you are entertained or you do nothing more than lose some brain cells, but the simple act of spending time watching a show changes you. i mean, you could spend time reading a book or throwing a football, and that would change you as well, in different ways. you could spend time sleeping or spend time staring at the wall or spend time writing in a blog. all of it changes you.
the mere passage of time changes you, no doubt, but plusly-wise, how you choose to spend that time changes you. so - watching the television show during the natural course of its life will change you in some way, and watching the television show after the fact will change you in some other way, and not watching it at all will change you in some OTHER way, and having it on the background while you are sitting there doing something else will change you in yet ANOTHER way, and... well... you get the idea.
thoughts?
here's something that's weird: hearing an advertisement for the season finale of a show you never heard of. so, like, enough people were watching that show to keep it going for a season, maybe two?, and here they are wrapping up all those loose ends into one neat cliff-hanger of a season finale. all those people, all that time, actors, plots, makeup, lights, camera, action - all of it merrily going on over THERE while you're busy being oblivious over HERE until you notice the season finale ad, and there it is, over before you even knew it existed.
you can't experience it from the beginning because that time has passed. i mean, unless you can reverse time. which you most likely can not. however, you can watch all the episodes and simulate the experience of watching it from the beginning. basically, you can catch up on the plot and whatnot, but you can't have the same literal experience as watching it for real, from the beginning.
what's the difference? well, since you can't do both, you will never know. you can't both experience the show and not experience the show. you can compare yourself, not having experienced the show, to others who have experienced it, but unless you think you are 100% purely exactly like some other person... it's not a true comparison.
would watching the show in real time have changed your life in some way? would you have noticed some cultural reference, made some connection to the wider world or your fellow man? could you have joined in some office convo that without the show you would not have understood and maybe not even have heard or noticed?
you can deny it if you want, but watching television shows changes you. you learn something or you are entertained or you do nothing more than lose some brain cells, but the simple act of spending time watching a show changes you. i mean, you could spend time reading a book or throwing a football, and that would change you as well, in different ways. you could spend time sleeping or spend time staring at the wall or spend time writing in a blog. all of it changes you.
the mere passage of time changes you, no doubt, but plusly-wise, how you choose to spend that time changes you. so - watching the television show during the natural course of its life will change you in some way, and watching the television show after the fact will change you in some other way, and not watching it at all will change you in some OTHER way, and having it on the background while you are sitting there doing something else will change you in yet ANOTHER way, and... well... you get the idea.
thoughts?
17 August 2015
quick childish
the 2016 ryder cup is slated to be played at hazeltine, which sounds more like a type of macaroon or a general foods international coffee flavour than a golf course. hazeltine is in minnesota, and the ryder cup is played in september, which i guess will be okay weather in minnesota.
the ryder cup is a competition between a usa golf team and a european golf team. the majority of each team is chosen according to standing in the overall points in the professional ranking with a few captain's picks on each side.
the competition is called the ryder cup because mr samuel ryder donated the trophy in 1927, and if you asked me, donating a trophy is a pretty low bar to have this nearly hundred-year old tournament still being called after you. i gleaned this fact from wikipedia, which also tells us that the ryder cup is a biennial men's golf competition which is played every two years. go wikipedia.
did you know that the name wikipedia comes from wiki plus pedia? wiki is a hawaiian word meaning quick and pedia is latin for childish, as in pedia-sure hydration product for children. so, wikipedia is most accurately called "quick childish".
another hawaiian word with which you may be familiar is hula. when i was a child, i took dance lessons, including ballet, tap, jazz, and hula. my favourite part of ballet was the tutu, favourite part of tap was the shoes, favourite part of hula was how the hand motions are a kind of sign language and the different hand and hip motions combine to tell a story. i don't recall enjoying jazz dance.
the ryder cup is a competition between a usa golf team and a european golf team. the majority of each team is chosen according to standing in the overall points in the professional ranking with a few captain's picks on each side.
the competition is called the ryder cup because mr samuel ryder donated the trophy in 1927, and if you asked me, donating a trophy is a pretty low bar to have this nearly hundred-year old tournament still being called after you. i gleaned this fact from wikipedia, which also tells us that the ryder cup is a biennial men's golf competition which is played every two years. go wikipedia.
did you know that the name wikipedia comes from wiki plus pedia? wiki is a hawaiian word meaning quick and pedia is latin for childish, as in pedia-sure hydration product for children. so, wikipedia is most accurately called "quick childish".
another hawaiian word with which you may be familiar is hula. when i was a child, i took dance lessons, including ballet, tap, jazz, and hula. my favourite part of ballet was the tutu, favourite part of tap was the shoes, favourite part of hula was how the hand motions are a kind of sign language and the different hand and hip motions combine to tell a story. i don't recall enjoying jazz dance.
books 2015
print
miss peregrine's home for peculiar children [ransom riggs]
bones of the lost [kathy reichs]
digital disruption [james mcquivey]
fyre [angie sage]
darke [angie sage]
bones are forever [kathy reichs]
bones never lie [kathy reichs]
learning to see: value stream mapping workbook
swamp bones [kathy reichs]
bones in her pocket [kathy reichs]
the name of the wind [patrick rothfuss]
the wise man's fear [patrick rothfuss]
the slow regard of silent things [patrick rothfuss]
the iron daughter [julie kagawa]
unenchanted [chanda hahn]
one for the money [janet evanovich]
bones on ice [kathy reichs]
charlie & whiskey [annabel smith]
audio
hunger games [suzanne collins]
golden compass [philip pullman]
subtle knife [philip pullman]
miss peregrine's home for peculiar children [ransom riggs]
bones of the lost [kathy reichs]
digital disruption [james mcquivey]
fyre [angie sage]
darke [angie sage]
bones are forever [kathy reichs]
bones never lie [kathy reichs]
learning to see: value stream mapping workbook
swamp bones [kathy reichs]
bones in her pocket [kathy reichs]
the name of the wind [patrick rothfuss]
the wise man's fear [patrick rothfuss]
the slow regard of silent things [patrick rothfuss]
the iron daughter [julie kagawa]
unenchanted [chanda hahn]
one for the money [janet evanovich]
bones on ice [kathy reichs]
charlie & whiskey [annabel smith]
audio
hunger games [suzanne collins]
golden compass [philip pullman]
subtle knife [philip pullman]
12 August 2015
i've been shot!
so, it was like this. i was on my way to work, same as always, cleared the construction zone and accelerated back to pace. funny thing, though - i had not completely cleared the construction zone. i had cleared all but this last little bit, and happened to be in that last little bit was a man with a gun. just standing there by the side of the road, with a gun, and he shot me. yeah, he got me. then he straddled his harley, put on his siren, and tailed me until i pulled over.
duhn. duhn. duhn.
yeah, i got a speeding ticket. damnit. first reaction, tears. i cry when i am frustrated or angry, so there you go. frustrated and angry. to his credit, the cop didn't flinch. he was polite and respectful and determined to follow through. asked for my license and proof of insurance. i found them both but thought the insurance card was expired and tearfully apologized but he kindly pointed out that no, it wasn't expired, it was all good. and so on and whatnot and in the end, i thanked him for the ticket. yes, thanked him. what the hell? i don't know.
i managed to get to work and carry on with my life and whatnot.
i have recently taken up NOT speeding through the construction zone which you know what that means - i get completely hassled by my fellow commuters. run up on. buzzed by. honked at. where's the man with the gun now?? anyhoo, being the strong, independent character that i am, i have faced this situation squarely by taking an alternate route.
today, i registered for traffic school. eight fucking hours. wait. no fucking, but you know. eight damn hours. apparently, i was lucky to only come away with the speeding ticket and not get cited for another infraction. no online option for me. in ten days, i will drive 30 minutes to sit for eight hours.
hmm.
thing is, i am oddly enthusiastic about this. going to an unfamiliar place to do an unfamiliar thing. okay, not that unfamiliar. but still, it's been a while since i've had to go to the eight hour class. you never know what is going to happen, what kind of characters you're going to meet, what might be available for lunch. not that i want to pay $120 to have an adventure every week, but you know, once in a while.
duhn. duhn. duhn.
yeah, i got a speeding ticket. damnit. first reaction, tears. i cry when i am frustrated or angry, so there you go. frustrated and angry. to his credit, the cop didn't flinch. he was polite and respectful and determined to follow through. asked for my license and proof of insurance. i found them both but thought the insurance card was expired and tearfully apologized but he kindly pointed out that no, it wasn't expired, it was all good. and so on and whatnot and in the end, i thanked him for the ticket. yes, thanked him. what the hell? i don't know.
i managed to get to work and carry on with my life and whatnot.
i have recently taken up NOT speeding through the construction zone which you know what that means - i get completely hassled by my fellow commuters. run up on. buzzed by. honked at. where's the man with the gun now?? anyhoo, being the strong, independent character that i am, i have faced this situation squarely by taking an alternate route.
today, i registered for traffic school. eight fucking hours. wait. no fucking, but you know. eight damn hours. apparently, i was lucky to only come away with the speeding ticket and not get cited for another infraction. no online option for me. in ten days, i will drive 30 minutes to sit for eight hours.
hmm.
thing is, i am oddly enthusiastic about this. going to an unfamiliar place to do an unfamiliar thing. okay, not that unfamiliar. but still, it's been a while since i've had to go to the eight hour class. you never know what is going to happen, what kind of characters you're going to meet, what might be available for lunch. not that i want to pay $120 to have an adventure every week, but you know, once in a while.
11 August 2015
scotch the cookies!
in the section of this blog available only to me as admin, there's a section called "overview". i don't think i have ever clicked on "overview" but tonight there was a little megaphone icon beside the "overview" link in the list, so i clicked it, and there was a really scary announcement about european cookies.
OMG - what?? i have no idea if this notice is working. how can this be my responsibility?? i don't see it on my blog when i view my blog! i am in a panic - and this is serious! i could end up in a dark, dank portuguese jail serving life without parole for unconsented cookies!
i wish i hadn't clicked on that damn megaphone-adorned link and destroyed my plausible deniability. oh, the humanity! i've seen, and now i cannot unsee! i just want to lay down some barely sensible blather, not get caught up in an international incident.
but on the other hand, what the hell, europeans! who doesn't want a cookie? i, myself, am personally partial to oatmeal scotchies. who can resist a warm scotchie? certainly not a liverpudlian, and they're european. c'mon.
in conclusion, here's how you can make some delicious oatmeal scotchies. send them to me and i will certainly accept them. unless you are prone to poisoning people, in which case i will be forced to turn them away. it's only good sense.
OATMEAL SCOTCHIES (kilt sold separately)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) butterscotch chips
preheat oven to 375° F.
combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. gradually beat in flour mixture. stir in oats and morsels.
drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
bake for about 8 minutes
take them out, remove from pan, wait a couple mins cause they are really hot you idiot, and take a big ol' bite. mmmmmm.....
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OMG - what?? i have no idea if this notice is working. how can this be my responsibility?? i don't see it on my blog when i view my blog! i am in a panic - and this is serious! i could end up in a dark, dank portuguese jail serving life without parole for unconsented cookies!
i wish i hadn't clicked on that damn megaphone-adorned link and destroyed my plausible deniability. oh, the humanity! i've seen, and now i cannot unsee! i just want to lay down some barely sensible blather, not get caught up in an international incident.
but on the other hand, what the hell, europeans! who doesn't want a cookie? i, myself, am personally partial to oatmeal scotchies. who can resist a warm scotchie? certainly not a liverpudlian, and they're european. c'mon.
in conclusion, here's how you can make some delicious oatmeal scotchies. send them to me and i will certainly accept them. unless you are prone to poisoning people, in which case i will be forced to turn them away. it's only good sense.
OATMEAL SCOTCHIES (kilt sold separately)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) butterscotch chips
preheat oven to 375° F.
combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. gradually beat in flour mixture. stir in oats and morsels.
drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
bake for about 8 minutes
take them out, remove from pan, wait a couple mins cause they are really hot you idiot, and take a big ol' bite. mmmmmm.....
books 2015
print
miss peregrine's home for peculiar children [ransom riggs]
bones of the lost [kathy reichs]
digital disruption [james mcquivey]
fyre [angie sage]
darke [angie sage]
bones are forever [kathy reichs]
bones never lie [kathy reichs]
learning to see: value stream mapping workbook
swamp bones [kathy reichs]
bones in her pocket [kathy reichs]
the name of the wind [patrick rothfuss]
the wise man's fear [patrick rothfuss]
the slow regard of silent things [patrick rothfuss]
the iron daughter [julie kagawa]
unenchanted [chanda hahn]
one for the money [janet evanovich]
bones on ice [kathy reichs]
charlie & whiskey [annabel smith]
audio
hunger games [suzanne collins]
golden compass [philip pullman]
miss peregrine's home for peculiar children [ransom riggs]
bones of the lost [kathy reichs]
digital disruption [james mcquivey]
fyre [angie sage]
darke [angie sage]
bones are forever [kathy reichs]
bones never lie [kathy reichs]
learning to see: value stream mapping workbook
swamp bones [kathy reichs]
bones in her pocket [kathy reichs]
the name of the wind [patrick rothfuss]
the wise man's fear [patrick rothfuss]
the slow regard of silent things [patrick rothfuss]
the iron daughter [julie kagawa]
unenchanted [chanda hahn]
one for the money [janet evanovich]
bones on ice [kathy reichs]
charlie & whiskey [annabel smith]
audio
hunger games [suzanne collins]
golden compass [philip pullman]
06 August 2015
do you hear what i hear?
trying to pass the time on my newly-enlongated commute, i've taken up listening to audio books. the first one i tried was hunger games and i really enjoyed it. i looked forward to the long commute because it meant i could hear more about katniss and what she was getting up to. that went well, so i tried another - golden compass. it's not going quite as well, but i am still hopeful.
with hunger games, i'd read it before and seen the movie, so i didn't need to actually pay close attention at all times to keep up with the story. with golden compass, i am completely unfamiliar with the story, so i am constantly battling with splitting my attention correctly between the road and the story.
the sound from my phone isn't very loud. with hunger games, again, hearing every word wasn't essential. with golden compass, if i am going to keep up with the story, i do actually need to hear most every word. with hunger games, i was already thinking i would like to have a wireless bluetooth speaker. with golden compass, it's clear that if i am going to use audio for books i am unfamiliar with, a wireless bluetooth speaker is essential.
hunger games was a simple read-through. this narrator was just reading the book, giving a little bit of characteristic sound to each voice when there was dialog. golden compass uses a different actor for each character, and that adds to the listening challenge.
it's interesting to see how attention is used... it's easier to listen to someone give a plain-old read. it's more complicated to listen to different voices. i'm not sure exactly why, but when the voice changes, it's jars my attention. i have to refocus, and then the voice changes again. bump-bump-bump i go over attention rumble strips.
hunger games narrator had an american accent. golden compass actors are brits, and the accents add to the attention problem. that is, i have to pay lots of it, in a way that makes me not sure this particular book is going to work out.
with hunger games, i completely knew what was going on. with golden compass, i can't really figure it out. i could have missed some key point... just simply didn't hear it, perhaps, or wasn't paying attention just at that moment.
obvs, my having read hunger games contributed mightily to my knowing what was going on, but in addition, golden compass seems more complex. i am still early in the book, but that's my impression. there are more unfamiliar terms, unfamiliar places. seems that the dystopia in golden compass bears less resemblance to normal life than does the one in hunger games.
i am not giving up on golden compass because i am assured that it is not truly boring, but i am not certain i need to be listening to it in the car. i'll probably give it tomorrow, and reevaluate over the weekend.
with hunger games, i'd read it before and seen the movie, so i didn't need to actually pay close attention at all times to keep up with the story. with golden compass, i am completely unfamiliar with the story, so i am constantly battling with splitting my attention correctly between the road and the story.
the sound from my phone isn't very loud. with hunger games, again, hearing every word wasn't essential. with golden compass, if i am going to keep up with the story, i do actually need to hear most every word. with hunger games, i was already thinking i would like to have a wireless bluetooth speaker. with golden compass, it's clear that if i am going to use audio for books i am unfamiliar with, a wireless bluetooth speaker is essential.
hunger games was a simple read-through. this narrator was just reading the book, giving a little bit of characteristic sound to each voice when there was dialog. golden compass uses a different actor for each character, and that adds to the listening challenge.
it's interesting to see how attention is used... it's easier to listen to someone give a plain-old read. it's more complicated to listen to different voices. i'm not sure exactly why, but when the voice changes, it's jars my attention. i have to refocus, and then the voice changes again. bump-bump-bump i go over attention rumble strips.
hunger games narrator had an american accent. golden compass actors are brits, and the accents add to the attention problem. that is, i have to pay lots of it, in a way that makes me not sure this particular book is going to work out.
with hunger games, i completely knew what was going on. with golden compass, i can't really figure it out. i could have missed some key point... just simply didn't hear it, perhaps, or wasn't paying attention just at that moment.
obvs, my having read hunger games contributed mightily to my knowing what was going on, but in addition, golden compass seems more complex. i am still early in the book, but that's my impression. there are more unfamiliar terms, unfamiliar places. seems that the dystopia in golden compass bears less resemblance to normal life than does the one in hunger games.
i am not giving up on golden compass because i am assured that it is not truly boring, but i am not certain i need to be listening to it in the car. i'll probably give it tomorrow, and reevaluate over the weekend.
books 2015
print
miss peregrine's home for peculiar children [ransom riggs]
bones of the lost [kathy reichs]
digital disruption [james mcquivey]
fyre [angie sage]
darke [angie sage]
bones are forever [kathy reichs]
bones never lie [kathy reichs]
learning to see: value stream mapping workbook
swamp bones [kathy reichs]
bones in her pocket [kathy reichs]
the name of the wind [patrick rothfuss]
the wise man's fear [patrick rothfuss]
the slow regard of silent things [patrick rothfuss]
the iron daughter [julie kagawa]
unenchanted [chanda hahn]
one for the money [janet evanovich]
audio
hunger games [suzanne collins]
golden compass [philip pullman]
miss peregrine's home for peculiar children [ransom riggs]
bones of the lost [kathy reichs]
digital disruption [james mcquivey]
fyre [angie sage]
darke [angie sage]
bones are forever [kathy reichs]
bones never lie [kathy reichs]
learning to see: value stream mapping workbook
swamp bones [kathy reichs]
bones in her pocket [kathy reichs]
the name of the wind [patrick rothfuss]
the wise man's fear [patrick rothfuss]
the slow regard of silent things [patrick rothfuss]
the iron daughter [julie kagawa]
unenchanted [chanda hahn]
one for the money [janet evanovich]
audio
hunger games [suzanne collins]
golden compass [philip pullman]
04 August 2015
my favourite crayon is periwinkle.
the other day i was reading about the increase in popularity of colouring books for adults and the article mentioned there are also smartphone apps for colouring. huh, i thought. i like colouring. so i found and downloaded an app and coloured me up a couple of pictures. it was okay, but not any great shakes, and certainly not what i would call actual colouring. it was more like tapping the screen. if i am going to dance on the edge of carpal tunnel for the sake of tapping the smartphone screen, i am going to be doing something useful -- like crushing candy.
colouring with an app gives you precision control. all the colour goes inside the line, automatically. there's no challenge and you can pay very little attention to finish the picture. real colouring (with crayons, the only REAL colouring) requires attention.
you'd think it would be stressful or tiring to pay attention but it's ironically relaxing precisely because you are paying attention. see, when you get your mind occupied on this relatively menial task, it can't wander off into dark ugly places or dredge up that work project or whatnot. that's why people are attracted to colouring.
in the app, colour is applied completely evenly. there's no allowance for pressing the crayon harder or softer. or for anomolies like, when you get that odd hard dry spot in the crayon and it suddenly goes scritch-scritch and puts a darker line on the page.
back in the day, i had this friend who would press a dark outline of each space's designated colour, inside the printed outline. this heavy colour line added a sort of dimension to the picture. not like realism because for godsakes we were in the 3rd grade pressing coloured wax onto groundwood pages, but a dimension. it was cool and enviable and not something you can do with an app.
with the app, you can try different colours, combine them, erase them and try again. there's no incentive to plan up-front. you can just dash in all willy-nilly and start smacking down colours, and if you don't like how it looks, just try something else. again, there's no challenge in this. with real colouring, you have to be careful and think about your colour choices. once you've put colour on the paper, there is no going back.
in conclusion, real colouring is better.
colouring with an app gives you precision control. all the colour goes inside the line, automatically. there's no challenge and you can pay very little attention to finish the picture. real colouring (with crayons, the only REAL colouring) requires attention.
you'd think it would be stressful or tiring to pay attention but it's ironically relaxing precisely because you are paying attention. see, when you get your mind occupied on this relatively menial task, it can't wander off into dark ugly places or dredge up that work project or whatnot. that's why people are attracted to colouring.
in the app, colour is applied completely evenly. there's no allowance for pressing the crayon harder or softer. or for anomolies like, when you get that odd hard dry spot in the crayon and it suddenly goes scritch-scritch and puts a darker line on the page.
back in the day, i had this friend who would press a dark outline of each space's designated colour, inside the printed outline. this heavy colour line added a sort of dimension to the picture. not like realism because for godsakes we were in the 3rd grade pressing coloured wax onto groundwood pages, but a dimension. it was cool and enviable and not something you can do with an app.
with the app, you can try different colours, combine them, erase them and try again. there's no incentive to plan up-front. you can just dash in all willy-nilly and start smacking down colours, and if you don't like how it looks, just try something else. again, there's no challenge in this. with real colouring, you have to be careful and think about your colour choices. once you've put colour on the paper, there is no going back.
in conclusion, real colouring is better.
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