Omigod--you still here!
And I hazn't been blogging.
Sorry. :(
Friday, March 30, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Movie Review: THE HUNGER GAMES
Yes, I am totally, absolutely-beyond-belief looking forward to see this movie!
Here is an EARLY REVIEW from IGN MOVIES, which includes the following:
"As others have pointed out, when comparing Hunger Games to that other book-turned-film series that teen girls have been obsessed with in recent years, Katniss is pretty much the anti-Bella Swan, an independent and fierce young woman who is not defined by (or obsessed with) the men in her life."
And THIS is exactly why I'm so in love with the book. Books, I should say, since I flew through the first two and started MOCKINGJAY today.
Katniss: A role mode if there ever was one, and a truly compelling, sympathetic character.
Psyched!!!
Here is an EARLY REVIEW from IGN MOVIES, which includes the following:
"As others have pointed out, when comparing Hunger Games to that other book-turned-film series that teen girls have been obsessed with in recent years, Katniss is pretty much the anti-Bella Swan, an independent and fierce young woman who is not defined by (or obsessed with) the men in her life."
And THIS is exactly why I'm so in love with the book. Books, I should say, since I flew through the first two and started MOCKINGJAY today.
Katniss: A role mode if there ever was one, and a truly compelling, sympathetic character.
Psyched!!!
I'M SO EXCITED!!!!
Good day,
I am Mr. Tim J W Tookey, the Group Finance Director of Lloyds Banking GroupI personally discovered a dormant account with a total sum of $85,000,000.00 [EIGHTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS] during our Bank's Annual Year Account
Auditing. Since the death of the deceased, nobody has operated in this account till date. Moreover, this account has NO BENEFICIARY attached to it. Definitely, this fund will be confiscated by our BANKING CODE OF ETHICS--
HAHAHAHA! I imagine using the word ethics in this e-mail.
--if it remains dormant for a period of [10] years without any claims. In this regard, I earnestly need your full cooperation in transferring this money out of our bank to avoid our bank confiscating this fund.
HOW THE TRANSACTION CAN BE HANDLED: As the group finance director of our bank, all our client account details and file are in my possession and that makes it easy for me to include your name as the beneficiary of the fund in
all necessary documents involving the money we wish to transfer out from our bank. Most importantly, you will be required to:
(1). Act as the original beneficiary of the funds.
(2). Receive the funds into a business/private bank account.
(3). At the completion of this transaction, the sharing rates shall be 50%
for me while 50% for you.
Note: I will split the transfer into two 2 stages for easy and smooth transfer. Firstly, the sum of $80,000,000.00 will transfer to any valid foreign account you will nominate, then upon a successful transfer without any disappointment from our side; I will then fly to meet you in your home destination for sharing, thereafter we will jointly transfer the remaining
balance of $5,000,000.00. I will also like us to invest some part of the money in your country.
If you accept to work with me, you will be given 50% of the total money as your share and 50 %. So the main question is, will you partner me in this transaction. If you are willing to cooperate in this project, Kindly view my identification link below and also contact me through my private email:(redacted, though I'm not sure why I bothered)
http://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/about_us/directors/executive_directors.asp#timtookey
I AWAIT YOUR URGENT REPLY.
Don't drink anything, dude. You've got a long, loooong wait ahead of you.
I am Mr. Tim J W Tookey, the Group Finance Director of Lloyds Banking GroupI personally discovered a dormant account with a total sum of $85,000,000.00 [EIGHTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS] during our Bank's Annual Year Account
Auditing. Since the death of the deceased, nobody has operated in this account till date. Moreover, this account has NO BENEFICIARY attached to it. Definitely, this fund will be confiscated by our BANKING CODE OF ETHICS--
HAHAHAHA! I imagine using the word ethics in this e-mail.
--if it remains dormant for a period of [10] years without any claims. In this regard, I earnestly need your full cooperation in transferring this money out of our bank to avoid our bank confiscating this fund.
HOW THE TRANSACTION CAN BE HANDLED: As the group finance director of our bank, all our client account details and file are in my possession and that makes it easy for me to include your name as the beneficiary of the fund in
all necessary documents involving the money we wish to transfer out from our bank. Most importantly, you will be required to:
(1). Act as the original beneficiary of the funds.
(2). Receive the funds into a business/private bank account.
(3). At the completion of this transaction, the sharing rates shall be 50%
for me while 50% for you.
Note: I will split the transfer into two 2 stages for easy and smooth transfer. Firstly, the sum of $80,000,000.00 will transfer to any valid foreign account you will nominate, then upon a successful transfer without any disappointment from our side; I will then fly to meet you in your home destination for sharing, thereafter we will jointly transfer the remaining
balance of $5,000,000.00. I will also like us to invest some part of the money in your country.
If you accept to work with me, you will be given 50% of the total money as your share and 50 %. So the main question is, will you partner me in this transaction. If you are willing to cooperate in this project, Kindly view my identification link below and also contact me through my private email:(redacted, though I'm not sure why I bothered)
http://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/about_us/directors/executive_directors.asp#timtookey
I AWAIT YOUR URGENT REPLY.
Don't drink anything, dude. You've got a long, loooong wait ahead of you.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED: April Henry
A huge congrats to APRIL HENRY whose 12th novel THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED is being released today!
From Amazon: Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.
I love April, love her books, and I'm so looking forward to this one!
Read April's BLOG POST for additional news!
From Amazon: Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.
I love April, love her books, and I'm so looking forward to this one!
Read April's BLOG POST for additional news!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Monday Memory: LIZA MINNELLI
When I graduated from high school, my gift from my dad (who'd recently separated from my mom) was this: tickets to see “Liza With a Z” at Playhouse Square.
I’ve been a fan of LM since I first saw her in CABARET. My dad and stepmother-to-be let me bring along Linda, a good friend at the time. I WAS SO EXCITED! It was the first live show I’d ever seen. The first celebrity--aside from old Arthur Godfrey and the famous Lipizzaner horses-- with whom I’d ever shared the same oxygen.
It was magical!! The strength of her amazing presence was equaled only by the sheer power of her voice. The audience ADORED her. More importantly, no one could miss the fact that Liza loved us back. I've seen a lot of live shows in the many years since, and no one can connect to an audience like Liza Minnelli.
Two of my favorite parts of the show were “Bye Bye Blackbird”--
--and “Ring Them Bells”:
Our seats, however, were so far up in the balcony that Liza was nothing but a whirling blur on the stage. So Linda and I hopped up, ran down to the orchestra level, and fought our way through the crowd (we weren't the only ones with this idea) for a place next to the stage itself. We were close enough to be sweated on by her. Close enough to touch her when she reached down to shake hands.
To this day, it’s one of the best, most memorable times of my life. Though not "musical theater" in the esoteric sense, the show definitely enhanced my enduring love for the stage.
Thanks, Dad and Mary.
Happy birthday, Liza!
I’ve been a fan of LM since I first saw her in CABARET. My dad and stepmother-to-be let me bring along Linda, a good friend at the time. I WAS SO EXCITED! It was the first live show I’d ever seen. The first celebrity--aside from old Arthur Godfrey and the famous Lipizzaner horses-- with whom I’d ever shared the same oxygen.
It was magical!! The strength of her amazing presence was equaled only by the sheer power of her voice. The audience ADORED her. More importantly, no one could miss the fact that Liza loved us back. I've seen a lot of live shows in the many years since, and no one can connect to an audience like Liza Minnelli.
Two of my favorite parts of the show were “Bye Bye Blackbird”--
--and “Ring Them Bells”:
Our seats, however, were so far up in the balcony that Liza was nothing but a whirling blur on the stage. So Linda and I hopped up, ran down to the orchestra level, and fought our way through the crowd (we weren't the only ones with this idea) for a place next to the stage itself. We were close enough to be sweated on by her. Close enough to touch her when she reached down to shake hands.
To this day, it’s one of the best, most memorable times of my life. Though not "musical theater" in the esoteric sense, the show definitely enhanced my enduring love for the stage.
Thanks, Dad and Mary.
Happy birthday, Liza!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
My Read of the Week: SUGAR AND ICE
SUGAR AND ICE, a beautiful MG book by Kate Messner.
From Amazon: For Claire Boucher, life is all about skating on the frozen cow pond and working at her family's maple farm. But when a professional skating coach offers Claire a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train with the elite skaters in Lake Placid, she's tossed into a competitive world of mean girls on ice. Can Claire find the strength to stand up to those who want her to fail?
Thoroughly enjoyable, and an Amazon Best Book of the Month for December 2010!
From Amazon: For Claire Boucher, life is all about skating on the frozen cow pond and working at her family's maple farm. But when a professional skating coach offers Claire a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to train with the elite skaters in Lake Placid, she's tossed into a competitive world of mean girls on ice. Can Claire find the strength to stand up to those who want her to fail?
Thoroughly enjoyable, and an Amazon Best Book of the Month for December 2010!
Monday, March 5, 2012
WISHES AND MEMORIES
Some of us have memories of our childhoods that we’d rather not remember.
I have lots of them. Though I know these events helped shape the person I’ve become, and though I’m pretty much of the philosophy that people NEED TO GET OVER IT, there are times when I dwell on some not-so-nice stuff.
We’re all saddled with baggage. We all deal with it in our own ways. Or we don’t deal with it, and then it screws us up for life.
Instead of focusing on what happened in the past, I recently made a point instead to focus on me and the kind of child I was.
The child who collected stuffed animals and statues of horses and gave each one its own name and personality.
The child who carried on conversations with imaginary people while she walked alone back and forth from school.
The child who cuddled with her younger brother while their parents argued downstairs, distracting him with stories she made up on the spur of the moment.
The child who staked claim to an ancient, twenty-pound manual Royal typewriter and typed out lengthy novelizations of her favorite movies and TV shows.
The child who walked to the library once a week, in all kinds of weather, stayed for hours, and was never afraid to walk back home in the dark with a dozen or more books.
The child who turned in elaborate book reports on non-existent novels--and then rejoiced when her teachers never checked out the titles or suspected the “books” were only products of that child’s imagination.
The child whose single wish before she blew candles on every birthday cake, or cracked a wishbone every Thanksgiving day, was always the same: Please let me be a writer, please let me be a writer.
The child who believed the lyrics to a song were written specifically for her: “Climb every mountain till you find your dream.”
The child who never believed her dream was impossible no matter how many adults tried to tell her differently.
I never hoped for fame. I never wished to be filthy rich. Sure, that'd be nice. But it's not what I had in mind when I blew out those candles or yanked on those wishbones.
I am a writer.
That's what matters to me now.
I have lots of them. Though I know these events helped shape the person I’ve become, and though I’m pretty much of the philosophy that people NEED TO GET OVER IT, there are times when I dwell on some not-so-nice stuff.
We’re all saddled with baggage. We all deal with it in our own ways. Or we don’t deal with it, and then it screws us up for life.
Instead of focusing on what happened in the past, I recently made a point instead to focus on me and the kind of child I was.
The child who collected stuffed animals and statues of horses and gave each one its own name and personality.
The child who carried on conversations with imaginary people while she walked alone back and forth from school.
The child who cuddled with her younger brother while their parents argued downstairs, distracting him with stories she made up on the spur of the moment.
The child who staked claim to an ancient, twenty-pound manual Royal typewriter and typed out lengthy novelizations of her favorite movies and TV shows.
The child who walked to the library once a week, in all kinds of weather, stayed for hours, and was never afraid to walk back home in the dark with a dozen or more books.
The child who turned in elaborate book reports on non-existent novels--and then rejoiced when her teachers never checked out the titles or suspected the “books” were only products of that child’s imagination.
The child whose single wish before she blew candles on every birthday cake, or cracked a wishbone every Thanksgiving day, was always the same: Please let me be a writer, please let me be a writer.
The child who believed the lyrics to a song were written specifically for her: “Climb every mountain till you find your dream.”
The child who never believed her dream was impossible no matter how many adults tried to tell her differently.
I never hoped for fame. I never wished to be filthy rich. Sure, that'd be nice. But it's not what I had in mind when I blew out those candles or yanked on those wishbones.
I am a writer.
That's what matters to me now.
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