Deeper Meanings of Dr. Seuss

As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I was reading a book on Dr. Seuss. As I read each children's story, I am enlightened by the deeper meanings behind each story. I am captivated that each story, of which I overlooked as a child, and now I revisit them and read them with a whole new frame of mind.

In this blog post, I want to expose deeper meanings, purposes, or themes that derive from various Dr. Seuss stories, some of which you might not be familiar with.

The Cat in the Hat (1957)



-Promoting children's imagination
-A revolt against authority
-Created as a Seuss alter-ego

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957)



-Consumerism (of Christmas)
-Materialism
-We don't focus on the holiday anymore! Appreciate!

Horton Hears a Who (1954)



"A person's a person no matter how small."

"I meant what I said and I said what I meant
an elephant's faithful one hundred percent."

-Trust yourself when others say otherwise

And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street (1937)



"Stop telling such outlandish tales,
stop turning minnows into whales."

-Don't tarnish or hinder the child's imagination. Imagination is a beautiful, wonderful thing.

Yertle the Turtle (1958)



"And today the great Yertle, that marvelous he,
Is the King of the Mud. That is all he can see.
And the turtles, of course... all the turtles are free
As turtles, and maybe, all creatures should be."

-The abuse of power
-Taking things that aren't rightfully yours (imperialism)
-Harsh and cruel treatment to other people
-Symbolism: Hitler/Moussolini
-Sympathy for the underdog
-Tyrants cause their own downfall
-Greed

The Sneetches (1961)



"That day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches
And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches.
That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars
And whether they had one, or not, upon thars."

-Against anti-semitism
-Tolerance
-Bigots
-Greed/money
-Superiority
-Civil Rights

The Lorax (1971)



-Negative impact we have on the enviornment
-Global warming
-The voice of the minority
-Anti-industry

Green Eggs and Ham (1960)



-Try new things
-Keep an open mind
-Persistance
-Stubbornness

Oh, The Places You'll Go! (1990)



"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go."

"I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you."

"I'm afraid that sometimes
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you."
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left."

-Life is full of hard decisions. Choices are not easy.
-Sadness, loneliness, despair, isolation, etc. are all a part of life, but we are strong and wise enough to get through it and enjoy the beauty of life.
-Choose your paths wisely.
-Explore the world! Explore your options!
-We all make mistakes. The trick is what we do with them, how we learn from them and grow from them.

The Perfect Thanksgiving Meal

My cousin brought something up at Thanksgiving last night, a thought that I had once had but never really surfaced it. He asked, "Don't you wish that the food served at Thanksgiving was better?"

I'm not trying to insult Moms around the country. The Thanksgiving dinners that I have tasted have been beyond delicious. But, don't you wish the food selection at Thanksgiving was better?

Given, the holiday exists with certain food because of the Pilgrims and the Indians. These items were the types of food that they collected and harvested for their big meal. And this holiday (and Christmas) allow for Americans to eat uncontrollably large amounts of food, and it is absolutely culturally acceptable.

So, if we are allowed to eat heaps of food, don't you wish we had a better selection of food?

Also given, some of the food is delicious at Thanksgiving. I'm not a real big turkey fan--I think another main entree would suffice better. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce--not bad side dishes. BUT, I think we could all concoct an amazing meal that we would LOVE to feast upon, not necessarily settle for like yams and instant stuffing.

My cousin offered that he would rather have an Italian Thanksgiving with pasta and manicotti, etc. If you could choose any meal for Thanksgiving, what would it be?

I understand that Thanksgiving would not be what it is today if it didn't have the certain foods we have in it. I am just trying to be imaginitive, and perhaps dabble into something that perhaps we have not explored before in our imaginations. I bet that many people do love Thanksgiving food, as do I, but I bet we could concoct better home-cooked meals that seem more appealing to us.

So, one of two questions:

What are your favorite foods on Thanksgiving?

What would your ideal Thanksgiving meal be, if you could change the traditional meal?

Giving Thanks

What are you thankful for?

On Thanksgiving, do you really stop to think about it, or are you more bombarded with family and food? The above question seems cliche, but it's the reason for a holiday, celebration and tradition.

Do you ever think about that phrase either, too? Giving thanks. Who are we giving thanks to? Others who we need to praise? Others who deserve a thank you? Perhaps should we use this day to thank all who have helped us within the previous year? Could you imagine if we really did that? I feel like we all, as a whole people, would be more appreciative, and the holiday would have much more meaning. Imagine if we really did give thanks.

Do you have any unique traditions?

Otherwise, what are you thankful for this year?

Retaining Memory

Do you feel like writing about something really makes you retain the information?

Like, when we read a book or see a movie. If you just watch it in isolation and not discuss or write about it, don't you find that you're more apt to lose that information? It's more likely and easier to fade out of memory.

I see this is almost a recorder for the texts I view, the new information I'm introduced to. I need a space to record what I learn--even when the topics are bizarre and don't seem like "learning material."

It also allows me to explore writing instead of always concentrating on writing to a certain fake audience--like for school. You have to focus on fulfilling so many requirements that it hinders creativity. At least in a space like this, I am free to explore writing where I will not be evaluated or heavily criticized (at least I do not hope so).

Additionally, it forces me to write. Otherwise I tend to push it out of the way and do "other" things instead. These things are really not all that important. They are more significant things in life than the menial tasks of my day.

Who knows where I come up with what I write.

Not me.

Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace

For Foo Fighters fans out there, this is no surprise. Recently, they came out with a new CD, Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace, which is pretty impressive. (That was quite an alliteration to start out with there, wasn't it? Yes, I am a dork.)

This could just be my opinion, or maybe it's shared by others, but does it sound like members of the Foot Fighters were listening to classic rock before they created this album? Much of it sounds like it was influenced by Led Zeppelin, with the perfect example of their hit single "The Pretender." The introduction seems strangely similar to "Stairway to Heaven," does it not? It starts with a slow tune that sounds VERY close to it. When I downloaded the single when it first came up, "Stairway to Heaven" also appeared under hits for "The Pretender." Hm. So maybe it's not just me.

Additionally, they perform a ballad on the album, which I think is awesome that good bands are currently doing this, but I think it also suggests that they were influenced or tributing classic rock bands. Have other recent bands created ballads? I think it seems a bit of a thing of the past, but I'm glad Foo Fighters have created their own with "The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners." It is beautiful and peaceful to listen to, definitely one of my favorite tracks.

The song "Erase/Replace" reminds me of "Speak to Me/Breathe" just with punctuation, but there are clear differences. "Erase/Replace" is repeated back-to-back in the chorus while "Speak to Me/Breathe" is two songs combined into one track.

With each new CD, artists seem to take their music to new and different places, but they still retain their musical energy, sound, and messages. They just expand and grow into changing, evolving musicians. Certain songs on this album remind me of different albums they've made in the past, like they could easily be incorporated into previous albums.

For example, "Stranger Things Have Happened" could easily incorporate itself onto In Your Honor, Disc Two. "Erase/Replace" and "Cheer Up Boys (Your Makeup is Running" are fast-paced, melodic songs that could easily follow "Monkey Wrench" on The Colour and the Shape. "The Pretender" has the catchy, radio-friendly sound that could work on One by One, as would "Come Alive," as it has that similar slow-build up to the end like "Come Back." Lastly, "Home" sounds like it could mesh on Skin and Bones with their live tracks, incorporating the piano. I'm very glad they're using the piano now. "Home" seems like it will be a new classic song for them to play slowly and drive a lot of love and attention from the audience. I think it will be up there with playing "Everlong," "Times Like These," "My Hero," etc.

Overall, excellent CD. I enjoyed it so much I let it stay playing over multiple times on my first hearing. Check it out.

Has anyone else listened to it? Positive/negative reactions?

Dr. Seuss

For a poetry unit I'm doing for class, I'm trying to introduce poetry that they are familiar with. My aim for the unit is to make them enjoy poetry and see that it is not all boring and terrible. So, in order to do so, I am introducing the unit with Dr. Seuss.

The library had this humongous book of collections of his children's book along with his illustrations and essays from devoted fans. I am getting a little into it though, continuously researching his life because I find it borderline fascinating.

So let me share with you.



Dr. Seuss, whose last name was actually not Seuss, nor was he a doctor, was born in 1904 and went through Prohibition during college. Can you imagine? He was an editor for a newspaper at his college, and when throwing a party when it was literally banned in the country, was caught. He was expelled from participating in extracurricular activities. In order to continue his passion to write and draw, he needed to use a pen name. He chose his mother's maiden name, Seuss, and used Dr. to sort of mock the fact that he dropped out of his doctorate program in literature to write and illustrate.

Theodor Geisel was his real name. During WWII, Seuss began to draw a series of political cartoons, perhaps a fact that not many are aware of. Here is one below which pictures Japanese Americans entering California. His cartoons varied from Prohibition, pro/cons of Roosevelt, the Soviet Union, Congress, Communists, Nazis, and WWII overall.





Here is a political cartoon or two depicting Hitler:





After WWII, Dr. Seuss began to write his famous children's books. Many of his popular books were created during the 1950s and 1960s. Before writing Green Eggs and Ham, supposedly, Dr. Seuss was challenged that he could not write a story in 50 words. Seuss won the bet by writing Green Eggs and Ham. Additionally, a publisher gave Dr. Seuss a list of 400 words he thought were important for children to know as they develop as readers. That list was cut down to 220, in which Seuss used all the words, compiling the famous children's book The Cat in the Hat.

Dr. Seuss spent much time concoting the ideas behind each book. Each book generated a larger message that he wanted to spread to others. He even identified with certain characters he created. He writes that he identified mostly with the Cat in the Hat, and through a political cartoon, he illustrates his identification with the Grinch. His inspiration for writing The Grinch came not only out of consumerism during Christmas, but his own agitation towards Christmas, almost being a slight Grinch himself. In the book, he draws a cartoon of himself looking in the mirror, and in return reflects the Grinch. Quite interesting.

Colleagues of Dr. Seuss wrote an introduction to the book. They commented that Dr. Seuss would spend hours, DAYS going over each stanza and phrase until the book used the perfect words just right. He wanted such an easy-flowing rhyme with an overarching message. Obviously, his work paid off, for he is one of the most recognized children's authors of all time.

Although, he never had any children of his own. When asked by a children trick-or-treating at his house why he never had any, he responded that he didn't think he would be a good father (Wikiepdia). Dr. Seuss eventually died in 1991 after suffering an illness.



Famous Dr. Seuss books:

Horton Hatches the Egg (1940)
The Cat in the Hat (1957)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957)
Yertle the Turtle (1958)
Green Eggs and Ham (1960)
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (1960)
Dr. Seuss's ABC (1960)
Fox in Sox (1965)
My Book about ME (1969)
Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? (1970)
There's a Wocket in My Pocket! (1974)
Oh, The Things You Can Think! (1975)
Oh, The Places You'll Go! (1990)



What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book? Why?

Do you think recent movie adaptations do the books justice?

Bee Movie

Was it just me, or did Bee Movie scare anyone else?

What I mean is, was anyone scared that Jerry Seinfeld created a lousy movie like other animations that would be a disappointment?

Initially, I was. However, after seeing the movie, Seinfeld has relieved me and entertained me through witty bee jokes and subtle commentaries on human life. Seinfeld, being one of the writers, incorporates his everyday, unique style of humor throughout the movie. I was afraid he just picked up this piece as some project to do, as other actors and comediens have done, but you can tell that this is a Seinfeld crafted piece.

Not only did certain points make me laugh very hard at various points, but the movie is very intelligent. Certain scenes, characters, and dialogues were exaggerations or commentaries on human life, even acting as metaphors for the rigorous, everyday lives and jobs of the "average" man, working the same job every day of his life, perhaps feeling just like a cog in the machine. The bees worklife, working each day the same for their entire life spans, is an intelligent comparison in this respect. The portrayal of lawyers, court rooms, work life, romance, etc. is witty through light comedy meant for children. This is another movie that has many layers; it can be enjoyed by both children and analyzed by adults.

In addition, cameo speakers really added flavor to the movie. And, for those who are fans of The Graduate, Seinfeld wrote a scene that parallels to a similar scene in that film where Dustin Hoffman's character floats in the swimming pool and is admonished by his parents to get a job. Very intelligent and excellent comparison.

Do not fear. Bee Movie is worth the watch. Seinfeld has used his humor for a different audience, showing his diverse talent to write and entertain. He has not dropped the ball, as I feared, he has proven to me how excellent he is as a comedian.

Has anyone else seen the movie? Any other reviews, comments, likes, dislikes?

Chris Cornell Concert

Last Saturday night, Chris Cornell played at Northern Lights, which I must say was a pretty decent concert. In my opinion, Northern Lights' stagecrew was a bit slow to change sets, making the waiting period between acts a bit agonizing and slow, but the wait was worth it. Cornell's voice and performance are well worth the wait.



The opening band, Earl Greyhound, is a must-check-out band. They sound like a modern day Led Zeppelin with a duet voice by the bassist, a female with the sound of soul. Very excellent combination. If you're really into Led Zepellin or that amazing female sound of someone like Joss Stone or Lauryn Hill, then Earl Greyhound is for you.



After that unexpected fantastic opener, Chris Cornell eventually came out, blasting his incredible voice. He announced he had not played in Albany in over 15 years, which is actually really cool for someone to have a career that they love to span that long.

Cornell played hits from all of his bands, even his solo albums.

From Temple of the Dog: "Hunger Strike"

From Soundgarden: "Outshined," "Rusty Cage"

From Audioslave: "Show Me How to Live," "Like a Stone," "Shadow of the Sun," "I Am the Highway," "Set it Off"

From solo albums: "Can't Change Me," "No Such Thing," "Billie Jean," "You Know My Name"

Etc.

At first, Cornell came out with a band who mimicked each of his pre-existing bands fairly well. It was just a bit strange to see these strangers covering such amazing bands like Soundgarden and Audioslave jamming alongside Cornell. Cornell put on an incredible show despite this awkwardness.

After ending on "Rusty Cage," the room was completely amped from the fast-paced, energetic song. The band members left the stage, leaving Cornell alone to sit on a stool and play acoustic tracks. This was an amazing way to change the tempo and end the show. His voice is immaculate and sounds superb with just an acoustic accompaniment.

I wish he had played other certain songs too instead of primarily focusing on his new CD, Carry On, which I don't think is incredibly amazing when compared to his earlier work. Some specific songs on it are alright, but they do not match up to earlier hits. I know he is touring to promote that CD, but I think he focused too heavily on it, almost playing every track off the album. I think he would have generated a better concert and evoked emotion out of his fanbase in the audience if he had just went with older songs, not even hits, just older songs that probably drew most of the audience there.

Overall, good show. My friend who joined me says he's starting to look old, but I think he still looks pretty fine. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night or $30 plus.

If you had went, what songs would you have wanted to hear?

McDonalds Facts

My recent book love is, who can be surprised, Fast Food Nation. Anyone who knows me is aware of my advocacy against the fast food industry. I have previously blogged on McDonalds and childrens' devotion to McDonald's products at such young ages.

Listen, I am not completely against fast food. I will eat some from time to time, not a lot, but rarely. I think that some of it can be therapeutic on rough days, and it's a guilty pleasure food to have sometimes as a treat. Not all food from fast food is terrible for you, but the vast majority of it really is. Food prepared that fast can't be too good.

I think I just have major issues with where we're going as a nation. We need instant gratification, and food is becoming too much. Obesity is steadily increasing, and our diets are becoming worse and worse. Something needs to change here...

Since I have such a strong opinion against the fast food industry, I decided to pick up a book that would shed light on the facts. I needed some evidence to back my arguments. Perhaps I am too harsh or severe, or perhaps new windows would be opened to my strictly focused opinion.

Fast Food Nation is blowing my mind with facts and statistics. I can't help but make noises to myself as I am reading it (I know, how much of a nerd am I?). This will be one of many blogs on the data I will find from this fascinating, eye-opening book.

Well, check out some of these facts. Tell me if you think they are absurd too, or if you think they're too inflated or off.

McDonalds' facts according to Fast Food Nation:

McDonalds...

-has 30,000 restaurants worldwide, with 2,000 opening per year.

-hires more than one million people per year, more than any other American industry.

-is the nation's largest purchaser of beef, potatoes, and pork products.

-is the largest owner of retail property in the world.

-spends more money on advertising than any other brand.

-operates more playgrounds than any other private entity in the country.

-is responsible for the nation's best-selling children's clothing line (McKids).

-started in southern California where the McDonalds brothers single-handedly created drive thru, paper-product fast food containers, and assembly-line construction of foods.

-has a Hamburger University in Illinois where its managers are trained.

-had their first mascot as Speedee the chef with a hamburger hat, but later switched it after a popular TV clown received much popularity from children.

-hosted one of the most successful promotions in the history of American advertising with Teenie Beanie Babies in Happy Meals, grossing over 10 million Happy Meals sold per week.

A couple more staggering facts to leave you with:

2/3 of the nation's fast-food workers are under 20 years old.

In a survey given to American schoolchildren where they were to identify characters, Ronald McDonald was recognized by 96% of children. The only higher character was Santa Claus.

Comments?????

Daria Quotations

After yesterday's post, I felt compelled to share Daria quotations I found on the internet. For your viewing pleasure...

"Don't worry. I don't have low self-esteem.... I have low esteem for everyone else." -Daria

"I like having low self esteem. It makes me special." -Jane

"Careful with that hair scrunchie." -Daria

"Even though I'm more popular, we do have some things in common." -Brittney
"Breathing?" -Daria

"Can you teach me how to twirl my hair and stare vacantly?" -Daria

"But, Quinn, your father and I want you to follow in our footsteps." -Mrs. Morgendorffer
"We have to walk!?" -Quinn



"Look at the jello! It's jiggling!" -Brittney
"Afraid of the competition?" -Daria

"I don't like it when I say people should die and then they do. I don't want that kind of responsibility. At least not until I've got a job in middle management." -Jane

"I don't like kids. I didn't even like kids when I was a kid." -Daria

"Well you know, condition people to expect nothing and the least little something gets them all excited. Ask, Pavalov." -Jane
"The custodian?" -Quinn

"Their sunny 60s optimism tends to cancel out my bitter 90s cynicism." -Daria

"Thank God for standardized tests. Otherwise you'd never know who your real friends are." -Daria



"I came to the realization that, given a choice between sharing shelter with my fellow students or risking death by blindly marching into a blizzard, it's blizzard 'ho for me." -Daria

"Where were you girls been all our lives?" -Boys
"Waiting for you. We were born in this room. We grew up in this room. And we're going to die in this room, alone." -Daria

"Does anyone notice anything special about me?" -Quinn
"Yes. From just the right angle, I really can see through your head." -Daria

"So, as part of the school district's first annual Awareness of Others Week, I'm asking each Lawndale High student to sign up for an extracurricular activity to make the world a better place." -Ms. Li
"Let's start by rounding up all the psychotic school administrators and putting an end to their suffering." -Jane

"God, Daria. Even your imaginary friends are embarrassing." -Quinn

"I don't like to smile unless I have a reason." -Daria
"Daria, people judge you by your expression." -Helen
"Yes, and I believe there is something intrinsically wrong with that system. I have dedicated myself to change it." -Daria

Favorite? Add one?

Daria

If you were a teenager in the 1990s, you knew Daria. You understood characters in Daria. You could hum the theme song to Daria. You could even act out the introduction to Daria.

And then, they took Daria off the air.

Don't ask me how my strange mind landed on the topic of Daria (perhaps some are not too upset because Daria had a cult-like following and fan-base), but I wish we had a cartoon satire that was comical, intellectual, and represented the teenage generation as well as this television show did.

The theme song randomly popped in my head, and when I put Daria in my away message, I was bombarded by a massive response. Thus, the blog post.

What do you remember about Daria? What did you like about it?



I will unload my thoughts and recent learnings on the program.

First, Daria was a spin-off of Beavis and Butthead. Daria was a minor character that had potential for her own show. Daria's cynicism and representation of a typical 90s teenager proved well at MTV who gave the green light to the pilot. I wish Jeannine Garofolo really did play the voice of Daria herself.

Daria was almost called The Esteemers. Good choice not to choose that.

Daria aired from 1997-2002, where Nogin picked up it and aired it for a while. Unfortunately, it only now airs in foreign countries like the UK, although I'm sure someone could purchase a bootleg copy of Daria's various seasons. Check out Daria's website if you are interested in recapping the memories of Lawndale High.



I will then make a list of reasons why I love Daria and why they should either put re-runs back on the air, or launch new episodes that focus on 1990s teenagers. The 2000s generation wouldn't really cut it:

1. Daria had the coolest single outfit, especially because none of it matched.

2. Trent was such a cool guy. Who wouldn't want to hang out with him?

3. Who else wouldn't want a best friend named Jane Lane who was incredibly amazing at artwork?

4. Daria lived in a bedroom with padded walls. Enough said.

5. The Morgendorffers portrayed suburban families to a T. Clueless. Hilarious.

6. Brittany and Kevin could not have satirized popular teenagers any better than they did, acting as head cheerleader and football captain.

7. Daria would always launch into these sophisticated rants that always confused the listener, but they were so true about life and our culture! Such wisdom...

8. They always made fun of popular music at the time, i.e. Will Smith's "Getting Jiggy with It."

9. Cartoon cameos never hurt anyone, especially if the writers were making fun of them as a pop icon. Otherwise, it was cool to see stars like Dave Grohl get incorporated into cartoon television.

10. The titles, that were puns, were always so witty and clever.

11. The end slideshow of characters dressed in obscene costumes always added an extra laugh at the end of the show.

12. Daria's favorite show, Sick Sad World, always depicted our culture in its true, natural, twisted state. How much more true is this now with reality TV?

13. They portrayed wacky teachers in an eerily accurate light, like Dr. Demartino with the bulging out eyes. Ah!

14. Quinn and Daria couldn't be farther from one another. Isn't that true with a lot of siblings? Quinn was so embarassed of Daria too, who always pushed her farther in order to embarass her more. Amazing sister.

15. We all loved that high school band that we thought would make it big but never would. Daria had Mystik Spiral. Trent, of course, made the band irresistible.

16. The love triangle between Tom, Daria, and Jane was so realistic, even though it was painful to watch, it portrayed teenage reality all too well.

17. We all had a gross nerd in high school like Upchuck. Unforunately, geeks like Upchuck are going to be richer than us someday. Sad but true, or sick sad world?

18. The Fashion Club, Quinn's popular clique of four, really showed how important cliques and popularity are to teenagers. In reality, they're not really all that smart, are they? At least it made us on the outside feel justified.

19. Didn't someone always have a crush on the older sibling? Daria was definitely victim to this misfortune with Trent...

20. Jamie, Joey, and Jeffy, Quinn's following boys, really showed how far boys will go for a girl's attention, yet the writers cleverly crafted their names to symbollically represent how similar they all really are with their near-identical names.

Did I miss any good ones? Care to add any?

Please respond to Daria. She has been neglected far too long from being cancelled. Something needs to be done to bring her back.

Beg to Differ

We all hear redundant phrases that have been cliche, but what about this one:

I beg to differ.

Isn't that such a strong thing to say. You beg to differ. Beg?

No, don't be modest. You are incorrect, and I will beg in order to persuade you otherwise. I know phrases don't always literally mean what they say, but I was just thinking about this phrase today, and I never stopped to think about its literal translation.

On a second glance, is it weird, or do even the smallest things get my mind to reflect on trivial and silly matters?

Farewell to Fall

I love fall when it's in its height, but watching the leaves slowly fall off the branches and the branches become bare and naked is a bit sad as well. The days slowly grow colder, inching closer and closer to winter, as frost collects on my windshield in the mornings. I didn't even pack my winter outdoor-ware. Fall, my favorite, is hard to watch slip away with each increasing day that leaves fall in more abundant amounts off of the branches.

In tribute, here is a collection of artwork I have stored on my computer that could be considered my farewell to fall.

My background

I'm Not Myself These Days

This phrase may not mean much anymore, but I couldn't put down this book: I'm Not Myself These Days.

A memoir by Josh Kilmer-Purcell, also a best-seller in 2006, this memoir tells the story of a drag queen living in New York City with his male escort boyfriend. How interesting and bizarre. It might sound a bit strange, but the absurdity really caught my attention.

I love to read about bizarre tales that are so far from my own, especially if they are true stories. I also enjoy reading about lives in New York City, because it's such a crazy lifestyle that I envy but honestly do not see myself pursuing. I am not cut out for that life, even though I love to peer inside its lens.

If anyone has read it, throw some comments here. I'd love any feedback.

If you are an Anthony Burgess fan, I would definitely put this memoir on the top of my list.

Across the Universe

Okay, so do you want to see an increible, deep, breath-taking, allegorical film?

Across the Universe is it.

This film is a musical triubute to The Beatles, using Beatles songs as a story-line to represent the 1960s through characters with Beatles songs' names: Jude, Sadie, Lucy, Prudence, etc.

If you are fascinated with the 1960s, The Beatles, or thought-provoking films, this is a MUST see.

I don't want to give too much away, but I think pictures from the film sells it itself, so I will paste some here. Honestly, there is still some I need to figure out seeing it a second time around. I loved the creativity and artistic talent of the filmmaker. I love the sounds of the singers and the adaptations of The Beatles's songs. I wish I had this much talent to compose something so deep and meaningful. I want to own this movie, and I never really enjoy owning movies.

The film is so fantastic with 1960s representations, some that could even be used in the classroom. For example, portraying the Vietnam War and the draft--brilliant. Detroit race riots, racism, hippies, sex, drugs, music and musicians. And don't forget random appearances by Bono and Salma Hayek.

Check out these incredible pictures too. Please see the film, and if you do, throw me a comment here.

Bob Dylan in a Commercial?

Bob Dylan is in an Escalade commercial? Really?

Watch it.

What do you think? This isn't sell-out status, is it?

Fast-Paced World

Okay, yes, our world is becoming faster, which is a good thing, but how far can we go here?

Tools like the internet that make things more accessible and faster are good, yes; they are not hurting anything to most extents. However, some things really, I think, have gone too far.

This blog was inspired by a Go-Tarts, Pop Tars On-the-Go bars, wrapper that I saw on the lawn this morning as I walked into school. Were Pop Tars not fast enough to consume before? Aren't they easy enough to snack on by themselves? Why did we need to make consumption faster?



In the same respect, what about Gogurt (yogurt on the go)? Gogurt: Portable yogurt. What are we doing so quickly that we can't just sit down for even ten minutes to consume our food? Are we really running so quickly from point A to B that we can't eat a quick meal? Perhaps it's a convenience thing, but I think it's just becoming too extreme.



As if fast food wasn't bad enough. Drive-thrus and easily snackable fast food packages. I won't even go there.

Can anyone think of any more examples of on-the-go snacks/foods?

What do you think of these foods becoming easily accessible/consumable? Am I the only one who thinks this is utterly outrageous?