usa trending 2011: November 2009

Jumat, 27 November 2009

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

Inspired by my friend Dan's latest blog, and also, my ethnic lit class; I decided to do a book review on a great book that I just recently read (in one sitting) for class. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

First of all I would like to mention that Sherman Alexie is an amazing author. He has won many awards for his work, and also an independent film "Smoke Signals", 1998, was made (screenplay written by Alexie) based of his book "The Lone Ranger and Tonto fist-fight in Heaven" (which I also highly recommend seeing). He is also a well-acclaimed comedian. I have watched a few of his interviews, including one with Steven Colbert, and I am looking forward to reading more of his work. "The Absolutely True Diary" is based off of Sherman Alexie's own childhood, and it is written for young adults. Although I think anyone who has read this can agree that adults will appreciate this novel.

So onto "The Absolutely True Diary", It is a first-person narrative channeling Junior, a Spokane Indian, in his first year of high school on his reservation in Wellpoint WA. Junior is a very smart 14 yr old who is actually excited about school, however, after discovering his mothers name in his text-book; he realizes that he wants to get a better education than the one available to him on the rez. He decides to transfer to a school outside of the reservation, Reardon, where he is the only Indian in the school other than the mascot. Junior is also an aspiring artist, and his diary is filled with cartoons and drawings for when he cannot find words to describe how he is feeling.

Over the course of the school year, the reader follows Juniors adventures with his family and friends on the reservations reactions to him transferring to a "white" school 22 miles away, his first intimate contact with white people, his emotional and physical reactions to what is happening on the reservation, his home, and what he learns about people as he grows.

While reading this book, I was at a constant loss of whether to laugh, or cry or both. I read it in one afternoon, it is an easy-read, but one that makes the reader sit back with a big sigh after. I know that this book will definitely be one that I will not sell back to the school at the end of the semester. So to anyone who takes me up on my recommendation, enjoy!

Selasa, 24 November 2009

Peachy kean, jelly bean.

I guess it's safe to say that I am considered an adult at this point in my life. I am 24 and all, most people would consider that an "adult" age. It's amazing how many things we discover about ourselves everyday as we get older. I have noticed that I have been at a constant standstill. I feel like I am waiting for something all the time. Or maybe I am waiting on me to DO something all the time. I found a good way to deal with this, is to obviously look for something to do and do it. Makes sense right? Well I am at the point now where I am swimming in "it". "It" being my life. I work full-time, I am taking twelve credits this semester at Oakland, I have a dog to take care of, an apartment that, try as I may, does not clean itself. Or restock itself with food by any means. There is also Kyle, who gets neglected, and if we did not live together, I would fail to acknowledge his existence.

I am basically very busy. I however have learned that, even though I sometimes want to pull my hair out by it's roots, that I thrive on being busy. I like the feeling that I have a lot going on at all times, that I am personally in control if whether I succeed or not. I like having little, and big goals. I like staying in on Friday nights and working on a project for school. Because, then Saturday seems more special, and that even if it;s just renting a movie with Kyle, it's always really fun.

There are some drawbacks though, obviously. I do not see my friends as much, and there are little things that I love to do like seeing local bands, and reading books that I am seriously lacking. Not to mention exercise. Luckily having Louie forces me to walk him twice a day, if not more because he is a big dog and needs it, but I kissed pilaties goodbye as soon as September hit. But I keep thinking that it's worth more in the end. I think that I am slowly becoming more aware that I am growing up. It's scary, I know. I just hope that I don't lose the Sara-child completely. I find that it would be hard to do that, really, but realizing that I care so much about all this makes me feel a wee-bit wiser. And that makes me happy.

Jumat, 20 November 2009

Megan Fox’s NYT outtakes courtesy

I’d really like to hope that this is not really the way Angelina feels about Megan. What I want to believe is that either Angelina is like “Megan who now?” or that Angelina’s like “I’ll shank that sk-nky little poseur if she comes near me.” As much as the media seems to want to make the Angelina-Megan thing a competition, or that Megan is “replacing” the 34-year-old Jolie, I don’t really think that’s their dynamic. I think Megan stalks (”the comparison is the bane of my existence” she says), and Angelina is aware, but doesn’t really love or hate Megan. Certainly, Angelina wouldn’t care enough to give advice to Megan. Just my take.

Transformers starlet Megan Fox, 23, has unabashedly talked up her lesbian trysts, wild temper and self-cutting. But Angelina Jolie has some advice for her young doppelganger: Shut your mouth.

According to a Jolie source, “Angie has been saying, ‘That woman acts like a fool. She needs to mind her Ps and Qs. She’s saying shocking things for attention, but those things will follow her around and be reprinted forever.’”

Jolie, of course, speaks from experience, the pal adds: “Angie said, ‘I wish someone had pulled me aside when I was young and told me that. Now I’ll forever be known as a lesbian or a self-cutter, instead of what I worked so hard to become. You have to put a muzzle on it!’”

Selasa, 17 November 2009

Rihanna out in London

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Rihanna out in London

Minggu, 15 November 2009

Nicole Kidman acts odd

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The Huffington Post has a poll up about Nicole’s lips, and they have a series of close-ups of Kidman’s lips throughout the years to compare and contrast. Once you look at them, it does become obvious just how “plumped” she’s getting those puppies.

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Us Weekly piled on too, pulling Nicole’s old quotes about how she’s all-natural: “I am completely natural. I have nothing in my face or anything.” Us Weekly then quotes Dr. Martin Braun, a Canadian Botox doctor, who claims that Nicole is so “over-Botoxed…frozen and strange” that she looks like a bat. Seriously.

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Just when everybody gets on the bandwagon about how rough Nicole’s Botox-injections-surgery stuff looks, that’s just when I start feeling badly for her. I used to think she was totally crazy to mess with her beautiful face, and I hated her a little for how waxy and unmoving her face had become. Now that everyone’s picked up on it, I think people should give her a break. She fears the reaper, y’all. And having that frozen face is punishment enough.

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Everyone was talking about Nicole Kidman at the Country Music Awards in Nashville. “She looked freakish,” said one witness. “She just had her lips done, and now she looks like Meg Ryan.” The Aussie actress didn’t want to be interrogated on the red carpet and fled, leaving behind her perplexed husband, Keith Urban. “She just flipped out and took off running,” said our source. “Keith kept saying, ‘Where is she? Where is she?’ ” Kidman’s reps had no comment.