Isabel Roman's Blog, page 50
May 5, 2011
100 Books Every High School Student Should Read
I feel the need to hang my head in shame however a good many of these books look beyond boring. Of the Top 100 I've read...6. Maybe 7...and then not until #18, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque . I've seen more movies but I doubt that counts. I did use #6, The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in a book I'm shopping around. Does that count for at least knowing the title?
May 4, 2011
Wednesday Revews
I'm watching both the
Borgias
(Showtime) and
Game of Thrones
(HBO) and am enjoying both thoroughly! I know much of the Borgia history but it's nice to see it so very well acted out. The cast is great and really brings the history to life. If you get the chance, check it out.
Game of Thrones is a monumental series by George R. R. Martin. Monumental! I haven't read them and probably won't only because it's like Lord of the Rings; I can't keep the names straight! To this day I know Orlando Bloom, John Rys Davies, Viggo Mortensen...can't tell you who they play.
Game of Thrones is the same: Sean Bean (yum) Squicky Queen, Ronin from Stargate Atlantis, The Bastard (as in Sean Bean's illegitment son who wveryone calls The Bastard). But that doesn't detract from the story and I love every second of it.
Game of Thrones is a monumental series by George R. R. Martin. Monumental! I haven't read them and probably won't only because it's like Lord of the Rings; I can't keep the names straight! To this day I know Orlando Bloom, John Rys Davies, Viggo Mortensen...can't tell you who they play. Game of Thrones is the same: Sean Bean (yum) Squicky Queen, Ronin from Stargate Atlantis, The Bastard (as in Sean Bean's illegitment son who wveryone calls The Bastard). But that doesn't detract from the story and I love every second of it.
May 3, 2011
Teacher and author
In support of Judy Buranich/Judy Mays. Read the original article and be angered...then watch the YouTube a former student of hers made
an outstanding video in support of her
. Watch it, it's well worth it.
Do I want a English teacher who knows what she's doing? Sounds better than some of those I had in high school and college. No wonder people joke about English majors, a couple of my teachers were prime examples of what not to do.
But that's not why parents are harassing this woman. Not because she doesn't teach what she's supposed to or that her kids are failing class, or even that they're so far below average levels that they'll never pass a standardized test with 3/4 of the answers supplied to them.
No, people are harassing her because she also write erotic novels. Now there's a reason to get up in arms. It's OK if my kid fails, but not if his teacher writes romance? Ooh, and sexy romance. Even more shocking! It's not like she's using her own stories as material in class.
This is a quote and I have to wonder what difference does it make? You can only have one profession? You can never ever do anything esle but teach? Please. Give me a break.
Great message to send.
Do I want a English teacher who knows what she's doing? Sounds better than some of those I had in high school and college. No wonder people joke about English majors, a couple of my teachers were prime examples of what not to do.
But that's not why parents are harassing this woman. Not because she doesn't teach what she's supposed to or that her kids are failing class, or even that they're so far below average levels that they'll never pass a standardized test with 3/4 of the answers supplied to them.
No, people are harassing her because she also write erotic novels. Now there's a reason to get up in arms. It's OK if my kid fails, but not if his teacher writes romance? Ooh, and sexy romance. Even more shocking! It's not like she's using her own stories as material in class.
This is a quote and I have to wonder what difference does it make? You can only have one profession? You can never ever do anything esle but teach? Please. Give me a break.
Parent Deanna Stepp said the evidence is clear. "She is teaching children that are under the age of 18 and definitely the books that she is writing are adult books. I think she needs to make a decision as to what she wants to do. Either be a school teacher or author," Stepp said.
Great message to send.
May 2, 2011
I did and you did, too
Admit it! Last Friday you watched the royal wedding. I know you did because even if you had no interested in it at all and would rather have had our thumbs pressed, you couldn't not watch it. Coverage was everywhere!
But I clicked on BBC America and watched a good portion of it as I got ready that morning, and was eve a little late to work. I blame the puppy for that, however...she really wanted to see the kiss.
What makes us what it? Is it because it's so celebrated? Because it's literarly the romanitc fairytale? Royalty marries commoner in romantic tale? Probably, yes. Here's wishing the couple happiness and luck. They're going to need it.
But I clicked on BBC America and watched a good portion of it as I got ready that morning, and was eve a little late to work. I blame the puppy for that, however...she really wanted to see the kiss.
What makes us what it? Is it because it's so celebrated? Because it's literarly the romanitc fairytale? Royalty marries commoner in romantic tale? Probably, yes. Here's wishing the couple happiness and luck. They're going to need it.
April 29, 2011
Time
I was going to post a brief bit on time, how there's never enough and how it seems to fly entirely too quickly for my liking. Or my sleep habits for that matter! But when I looked on Today in History, I saw that today in 2004 the National World War 2 Memorial opened.
Got me thinking about time and the passage of in a whole new way. How it'll be 70 years this December since the bombing of Pearl Harbor (72 this September since the official start of the war). How it took 59 years before there was even a monument devoted to those who served in that war. (I'm obviously not counting the years it took to build the beautiful monument.)
And how of the 16,112,566 individuals were members of the United States armed forces during the war, as of September 2010 approximately 1,981,000. [wiki article]
If you have the opportunity to visit, take the time to do so.
On April 29, 2004, the National World War II Memorial opens in Washington, D.C., to thousands of visitors, providing overdue recognition for the 16 million U.S. men and women who served in the war. The memorial is located on 7.4 acres on the former site of the Rainbow Pool at the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The Capitol dome is seen to the east, and Arlington Cemetery is just across the Potomac River to the west.
The granite and bronze monument features fountains between arches symbolizing hostilities in Europe and the Far East. The arches are flanked by semicircles of pillars, one each for the states, territories and the District of Columbia. Beyond the pool is a curved wall of 4,000 gold stars, one for every 100 Americans killed in the war. An Announcement Stone proclaims that the memorial honors those "Americans who took up the struggle during the Second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us: A nation conceived in liberty and justice."
Though the federal government donated $16 million to the memorial fund, it took more than $164 million in private donations to get it built. Former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, who was severely wounded in the war, and actor Tom Hanks were among its most vocal supporters. Only a fraction of the 16 million Americans who served in the war would ever see it. Four million World War II veterans were living at the time, with more than 1,100 dying every day, according to government records.
The memorial was inspired by Roger Durbin of Berkey, Ohio, who served under Gen. George S. Patton. At a fish fry near Toledo in February 1987, he asked U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur why there was no memorial on the Mall to honor World War II veterans. Kaptur, a Democrat from Ohio, soon introduced legislation to build one, starting a process that would stumble along through 17 years of legislative, legal and artistic entanglements. Durbin died of pancreatic cancer in 2000.
The monument was formally dedicated May 29, 2004, by U.S. President George W. Bush. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it received some 4.4 million visitors in 2005.
Got me thinking about time and the passage of in a whole new way. How it'll be 70 years this December since the bombing of Pearl Harbor (72 this September since the official start of the war). How it took 59 years before there was even a monument devoted to those who served in that war. (I'm obviously not counting the years it took to build the beautiful monument.)
And how of the 16,112,566 individuals were members of the United States armed forces during the war, as of September 2010 approximately 1,981,000. [wiki article]
If you have the opportunity to visit, take the time to do so.
On April 29, 2004, the National World War II Memorial opens in Washington, D.C., to thousands of visitors, providing overdue recognition for the 16 million U.S. men and women who served in the war. The memorial is located on 7.4 acres on the former site of the Rainbow Pool at the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The Capitol dome is seen to the east, and Arlington Cemetery is just across the Potomac River to the west.
The granite and bronze monument features fountains between arches symbolizing hostilities in Europe and the Far East. The arches are flanked by semicircles of pillars, one each for the states, territories and the District of Columbia. Beyond the pool is a curved wall of 4,000 gold stars, one for every 100 Americans killed in the war. An Announcement Stone proclaims that the memorial honors those "Americans who took up the struggle during the Second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us: A nation conceived in liberty and justice."
Though the federal government donated $16 million to the memorial fund, it took more than $164 million in private donations to get it built. Former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, who was severely wounded in the war, and actor Tom Hanks were among its most vocal supporters. Only a fraction of the 16 million Americans who served in the war would ever see it. Four million World War II veterans were living at the time, with more than 1,100 dying every day, according to government records.
The memorial was inspired by Roger Durbin of Berkey, Ohio, who served under Gen. George S. Patton. At a fish fry near Toledo in February 1987, he asked U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur why there was no memorial on the Mall to honor World War II veterans. Kaptur, a Democrat from Ohio, soon introduced legislation to build one, starting a process that would stumble along through 17 years of legislative, legal and artistic entanglements. Durbin died of pancreatic cancer in 2000.
The monument was formally dedicated May 29, 2004, by U.S. President George W. Bush. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it received some 4.4 million visitors in 2005.
April 28, 2011
Thursday Progress
Thursday Progress...I made it through another week! Isn't that enough for you?!
Found the picture online...it was the best one of the list!
Found the picture online...it was the best one of the list!
April 27, 2011
Wednesday Review: Night of the Living Trekkies
Night of the Living Trekkies
, where Star Trek and zombies collide--I kid you not!
Confession: I've actually been to a Trek Con. Did not dress up but stood in line for autographs and bought stuff...and more stuff. I even own a bat'leth...somewhere. I've watched Galaxy Quest and enjoyed it immensely.
Yes, I am one of those.
When I heard about this book, I had to get it. It's much different than a lot of zombie books out there--more zombies than Pride & Prejudice and Zombies, which I thought had too few zombies and needed to plug up some zombie-sized plot holes.
Here you have the addition of Star Trek and a man just back from several Afghanistan tours who isn't settling back into everyday life. Unlike a couple other zombie books I've read (see above mentioned Pride & Prejudice and Zombies) there's a plot without major holes and a satisfying ending
If you like Trek, or even have a passing interest in it, read this book. I may be slightly biased cause of my Trek love, but I think it can be read by Trek fans and zombie fans alike without to much confusion. It's a quick easy read--it'll never win any literature prizes but then the best books rarely do.
Confession: I've actually been to a Trek Con. Did not dress up but stood in line for autographs and bought stuff...and more stuff. I even own a bat'leth...somewhere. I've watched Galaxy Quest and enjoyed it immensely.Yes, I am one of those.
When I heard about this book, I had to get it. It's much different than a lot of zombie books out there--more zombies than Pride & Prejudice and Zombies, which I thought had too few zombies and needed to plug up some zombie-sized plot holes.
Here you have the addition of Star Trek and a man just back from several Afghanistan tours who isn't settling back into everyday life. Unlike a couple other zombie books I've read (see above mentioned Pride & Prejudice and Zombies) there's a plot without major holes and a satisfying ending
If you like Trek, or even have a passing interest in it, read this book. I may be slightly biased cause of my Trek love, but I think it can be read by Trek fans and zombie fans alike without to much confusion. It's a quick easy read--it'll never win any literature prizes but then the best books rarely do.
April 26, 2011
Tuesday Comings and Goings
Today I'm over at Slip into Something Victorian chatting about my recent trip to Washington DC and the National Portrait Gallery. It was an unexpected side trip and a lot of fun!
April 25, 2011
April 23, 2011
Saturday Excerpt
This week's excerpt over at Slip Into Something Victorian Caroline Clemmons will have an excerpt. What is it? I don't know, I've been in NYC for part of the week and checked my email on my phone. Great for deleting and keeping up but bad for remembering anything...But hey, NYC was a great time.
