Photo by Matt Law

Thanks for all the nice comments about the photos I've been posting. One of my inspirations and sources of advice is ol' pal Matt Law. I love his photos. Below are links to some of my favorites.

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Thanks, Matt. (And get an RSS feed for that photoblog already.)

"A famous linguist once said that out of all the combinations of words in the English language, of everything ever spoken throughout history Cellar Door was the most beautiful."

FYI: I have had this post marked “unread” in Bloglines ever since you posted it. I hadn’t read a whole book in a while and was waiting until I actually read something to the end. And now I have.

You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?
My first instinct was to say Go Dog Go: it’s short (I’d rather spend my time listening to other people’s stories than spending tons of time reciting my own), and teaches messages that young and old alike can benefit from. And I can’t think of anything better, so I’ll just go with that.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Yes, but not one from a book

The last book you bought is:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (one of the many books that I have recently read half of)

The last book you read:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (This was at the top of my Amazon recommendations list for a year or so. Finally read it. Liked it.)

What are you currently reading?
*The Bad Ass Girl's Guide to Poker by Toby Leah Bochan (My first friend to have a book published! Buy it!)
*Don't Sweat the Small Stuff--and it's all small stuff by Richard Carlson
*Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Jane Gilman (I wanted to read this because the author’s introduction reads:

I’ve also written it because so many of the stories that women are currently telling are all about getting a man. Or about getting over a man. Or about getting laid. Or about not getting laid. Or about not getting laid and not getting a man, but deciding we’re okay with it. … [U]ltimately, there’s so much more to women’s lives that’s worthy of attention and ridicule. … It’s my hope that these “coming of age” stories will make readers laugh, and prove once and for all that a girl doesn’t need a guy in her life in order to act like a complete idiot. Certainly I, at least, never have.

Amen.)

Five Four books you would take to a deserted island.
*US Army Survival Manual (Someone once asked me, if my home was on fire and I could only save three things, what would they be? Everyone else was answering favorite teddy bears and photo albums, and my answer--my wallet, my mobile phone and my car keys--was disappointing.)
*The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Unabridged)
*Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (I don't know what it is, but I can read this book over and over and not get bored)
*The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (I’ve been meaning to read it again anyway)


And I’m throwing in a few recommendations, just because.

*Why Christianity Must Change or Die by Bishop John Shelby Spong

*Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich

*The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene

*Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc

*A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

*Life of Pi by Yann Martel

*Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs (Soon to be a feature film)



FYI: I am an idiot about music. I listen to it, but I don’t know anything about it. Thanks Petitedov AND Steve. Ugh. ;)

Total size of music files on my computer:
2.68 GB

The last CD I bought was:
I really have no idea. I download music one song at a time, and the last bunch of CDs I’ve gotten were gifts from friends who realize I can use some help. (They sent me six Beatles albums, the Postal Service, Keane and a few others.)

Song playing right now in iTunes on my computer:
Session by the Offspring. I don’t even know where that came from.

Five songs I listen to a lot:
(All of these are loaded onto my iPod every time I switch it up. I actually don’t know a thing about any of these artists, if you care to enlighten me!)
*Filthy/Gorgeous by Scissor Sisters
*Around the World by Daft Punk
*Electric Ladyland by Fantastic Plastic Machine
*You Showed Me by Lightning Seeds
*Float On by Modest Mouse

What books and music do you recommend?

photo by sassy

*Peanut Butter Jelly Time!
(Let me ride that donkey, donkey ...) [Ken]

*More Hunter
*More Sassy & Hunter

If you have text messaging on your mobile phone, you should sign up. It's free.

And pass on this info to others.

The day didn't start off very well.

Leaning against a green chalkboard and fingering a set of keys that hung around her neck, Goober—Ms. G today—said firmly, “You can ask C a question if you raise your hand and ask politely.”

She called on a boy in the front row named Franklin.

“Are you the one who hates Harry Potter?”

Ohhhhhh no.

“Umm …”
“Ms. G said that she has a friend who hates Harry Potter. Is that you?”
“Uhhh, yes.”

The sixth graders glared at me.

Another boy asked, “Do you really hate Harry Potter?”

Jeez. This isn’t what I signed up for when I agreed to help Goober, a middle school history teacher, chaperone her students on a field trip to the museum.

Goober called on another boy.
“Why do you hate Harry Potter?”
“We already covered that,” Ms. G said.

“I don’t like Harry Potter either,” said a quiet and pretty girl.

Phew. I’m not alone.

I won two tix to see Neil Diamond!



I recently left a comment here about how singing "Sweet Caroline" at Jake's drives me bananas. Hopefully I'll feel differently about singing it at MSG. :D

Word.

I know I've told you this three times already, but you should read Joe.My.God if you aren't already. I can't get enough.

The latest is another fab cliffhanger.

Chances
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

*Subscribe to Joe.My.God RSS

Inspired by Sassy, I'd like to thank these teachers for helping to make me the woman I am today.

*Mrs. Molinaro (first grade)
*Mrs. Sirota (fourth grade)
*Mrs. Tinucci (seventh grade)
*Mr. Bekemeyer (history)
*Mrs. Barth (journalism)

And I'd also like to thank Mr. Elwood, Mr. Poliak and Coach Olivo because you were nice to have crushes on.

And Mom and Dad, too, of course, but they get their own days soon enough. Sundays, at that, not some crummy middle-of-the-week holiday.

And a big "Happy Teacher's Day" or whatever to Goober and Amy, the two schoolteachers in my life today. I wish I could spend a day in your classes. (Goober would probably curse at me for chewing gum, and Amy would sneak me the best blanket for nap time.)

What teachers inspired you?