Sunday, September 30, 2007

Read!

It's Banned Books Week. Maybe you've seen information in your library? I hope so. In any case I want to ask all of you to pick up a book, or two, or five, on this list and read it, in order to show support for the First Amendment and right to privacy and to help "ban" intolerance and narrow-mindedness.

I have a huge list and so I'm only going to give some. The first 10 are the "Most Challenged Books of 2006."
1. "And Tango Makes Three" by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
2."Gossip Girls" Series by Cecily Von Ziegesar
3."Alice Series" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
4."The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things" by Carolyn Mackler
5. "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
6."Scary Stories" by Alvin Schwartz
7."Athletic Shorts" by Christ Crutcher
8."The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky
9."Beloved" by Toni Morrison
10."The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
These are the top ten challenged authors 1990-2004: Read one of their books if you don't want to read one of the above.
11. Alvin Schwartz
12. Judy Blume
13. Robert Cormier
14. J.K. Rowling
15. Michael Willhoite
16. Katherine Paterson
17. Stephen King
18. Maya Angelou
19. R.L. Stine
20. John Steinbeck

If you want more information go to Google and type in Banned Books or go to www.ala.org - That's the American Library Association's Home Page and they have tons of information and I think links.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Okay, well not dinner. But I am so excited because Barack Obama is going to be at the park across the street from Nick and I's apartment complex! How cool is that? Maybe I'll get to meet him! Get him to sign his book!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

It's Thursday!

So, it's Thursday. At 12 today I get to have an hour long body massage, courtesy of my bf Nick, and my birthday. Also, tonight....drum roll...Season Premiere's of both Grey's Anatomy!!!! and The Office!!! It is sad how excited I am, but I have been missing my tv shows. Gilmore Girls is gone, and while The Office can't replace it, I think Thursday nights are going to be like my Tuesdays, merely because of G.A. and The Office. So yay!

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Feedback please

So lately I've been weighing a lot of pros and cons. I THINK I have narrowed down two graduate schools as my top two picks and just want some feedback. They're pretty much equal, so now I have to just figure out which one I will choose if I get into both of them. And that's a big IF.
Now, the choices are:
1. University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana
2. University of Washington-Seattle
Would you like a pros/cons list or do you want to just go with your gut instinct? Let me know.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Tired

So my first week back from vacation. I already need another one. Anyone want to send me a thousand dollars to I can fly to the Bahamas or something? Anyway, Nick gave me my birthday present, and just so I can brag AND give an explanation as to why it has become important after I tell you what I did yesterday I will tell you what it was: An hour long massage, a manicure and pedicure, and a body steam treatment. Now, this week has been gearing up, getting busier and busier, and the pinnacle was yesterday.
1. Got up at 6:15. (Must say here that did not get to bed until about 1 because I babysat the night before and didn't get home until late. Then of course, had to shower and wind down). Got dressed and drank appx. 1/2 cup of coffee before rushing out door (not nearly enough, wish I had drank a whole pot.)
2. Arrived at G's house (Nanny-ing) at 7:25. A little early even. Helped her get kids going - luckily, they were already dressed so it was more, keeping kids occupied while she got dressed.
3. Buckled in LIla, Rosie, and Maggie. Drove Maggie 20 minutes to her school across town in Iowa City. Dropped her off. Headed back and drove all the way to North Liberty (20 minutes appx.) Unbuckled toddler and LIla and dropped her off at preschool spending 5 minutes trying to pry her off my leg.
4. Spent morning straightening house and playing with toddler. My most relaxed time of day.
5. Had lunch...then got small grocery list and prescription list. Went to pick up RX and groceries in Coralville. Drove to North Liberty. Picked up Lila. Drove from North Liberty to Iowa City. Dropped Lila off at Piano. Went to school and picked up Maggie. Drove back to piano lesson place. Picked up Lila, leaving Maggie for lesson. Drove back to school and picked up Liam. Drove back to piano lesson place. Dropped Liam off (very reluctant as he doesn't like piano that much). Picked up Maggie and managed to play with them on playground for half hour. Then played for fifteen minutes more with Liam so he'd get playground time in.
6. Drove all three back home. Left.
7. Got home, ate, didn't have any more coffee, stupid stupid! Drove to work at store. Spent two hours opening boxes of freight - supposedly only 50some, but felt like a billion. Also taking flat boxes to cardboard bin outside. ALL the boxes. Went home covered in cardboard pieces and barely able to feel hands. Took shower. Had two strong drinks and watched The Office. Am still tired just typing this down.
Sorry if this bored you, but I'm so proud of myself for doing all of this fairly well.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Another year.

Well, tomorrow I'm another year older. I don't feel much older than say, 23. But I am. Anyway. That's pretty much it. I could be all philosophical and try and remember all the things I've learned this past year and all, but really it can all be summed up with one statement: " Pay Attention!" And that's my own birthday message to me. I finished reading Forever, by Judy Blume because I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Teenagers having sex. That was it. Well, actually, I think that was only some of it. Safe sex, and love, and teenagers were the whole of it. Enough to piss off enough people who "know" how other people should live their lives.

Friday, September 07, 2007

666

I never thought I'd post two things, totally different on the same day...but this just cracked me up. I'm looking for work as a nanny to supplement what I make at the store and save up for several things. Anyway, one of the ads was for a child care provider at Grace Community Church. The rate of pay...... $6.66. Tell me that's not funny.

Victory - Except for Bush

September 7, 2007
Senate Votes to Repeal Global Gag Rule

In a 53-41 vote yesterday, the Senate passed an amendment to the $34 billion fiscal year 2008 foreign aid bill that would overturn the Global Gag Rule. Also called the Mexico City policy, the Global Gag Rule prohibits the US from funding overseas organizations that support abortion in any way -- including direct services, counseling, or lobbying activities -- even if the groups use their own monies for such activity. The amendment, introduced by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), would lift the policy, which was originally adopted by President Ronald Reagan, removed by President Bill Clinton, and reinstated by President George W. Bush on his first day in office.

The foreign aid bill itself passed 82-12. The House passed the foreign aid appropriations bill (HR 2764) in June with provisions exempting contraceptives from the global gag rule and repealing the abstinence-only funding restrictions for HIV prevention programs. According to Population Action International, this marks the first time since the Global Gag Rule has been in effect, from 1984-1993 and again since 2001, that both the House and the Senate have passed legislation to repeal or modify its restrictions.

The House and Senate versions of the bill will now move forward to a conference committee to be reconciled and sent to the White House. President Bush, however, has promised to veto any attempt to undermine the current policy, according to the Associated Press.

Media Resources: NARAL Pro-Choice America 9/6/06; Population Action International 9/6/07; Feminist Daily News Wire 6/22/07; Association Press 9/6/07