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Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Good day!

Okay, it has been a while (I believe "quite a while" is the technically correct term) since I posted anything. Today I came here for the first time in ages to moderate a comment and realized that I last posted just days before the 35W bridge collapsed here in the Twin Cities. In light of that realization, I thought I would post the following: I am not dead. I'm just resting.


I will be back someday, I promise. And I'll be talking about books again. And other stuff.




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Saturday, July 28, 2007

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today would have been my father's birthday.

I'm a bit strange with dates. They hold great significance for me. I forget what I did from breakfast to bedtime most days, but dates stay with me.

And this would have been a big one too: he'd have been eighty today.

I'm not going to go on and on about it here. But I'd recommend this post to honor his memory.




Matière du jour:
Induction
(Category: Philosophy)


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Friday, July 27, 2007

Comment Friday: 14/∞

It is Comment Friday here at Love All Books and at BAYB (where I grabbed the idea from initially).

The idea is to read the following post, then leave a comment while you're here.

The advantages are

  • you will get a link back to your blog from the comment you leave,
  • your blog will get some extra exposure from my loyal readers (<lol>both of them</lol>),
  • and I'll visit your blog (I'll even Stumble it if it's any good at all! One caveat on that last though: it might not be today, or even tomorrow, but eventually I will make it to every site that leaves comments here . . .)

So, on that note, as long as you're here . . .

I've stopped re-reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling now that I have—and now that I'm reading—book seven, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I discovered that Wikipedia had decent recaps of the books, so I'm depending on that to refresh my memory. (Did I ever mention that Riley is a huge HP fan? Plays all the computer games, some of them better than I, and has me reading Book 5 to him? Well now I have!)

I am officially finished struggling in my XML Programming class at Saint Paul College. (Saint Paul College is—as I've mentioned before—where I am working toward a Web Developer Certificate.)

Riley has been in an all-day camp this week, and I just turned in my last assignment. Stick a fork in me—I am done!

Please post a comment while you're visiting and tell me what you're up to. Tell me what you are reading and what you think about it!

I'd still really like to know which blogs you are reading frequently, and what new tools and technologies you're excited about (raving about even) these days!

And have a great Friday.

Oh, and head over to BAYB and leave a comment there!





Matière du jour:
Hector Berlioz
(Category: Music)


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Thursday, July 26, 2007

T13 (11/∞): 200 BlogExplosion Credits


Thirteen Items Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to my 11th T13 (that's Thursday Thirteen)!

Please use my "Mr. Linky" to leave a link back to your site (more traffic!)

This week I'm asking you to join in for a scavenger hunt!

I am giving gave away 200 BlogExplosion credits to the first person who submits a comment that provides the answers to all of the thirteen questions below. [And congrats to our winner: ers35 from Visual Guides] All the answers are based on the state of the blog at the time of this posting, and these answers can be found anywhere on this blog, which includes everything about me that hosted on Blogger.

Regarding the comments:

  • Posts with PARTIAL answers will NOT be published until someone wins the credits!
  • You do not have to answer the questions to leave a comment; comments with no answers will be published as soon as I can approve them!

  1. Countries: What country did I live in before Germany?
  2. Son: What is my son's name?
  3. China: If I had to dig a hole to China, where would I start?
  4. Favorite Short Story: What is the name one of the two short stories that just might be my favorite?
  5. Favorite Book: What is my #1 favorite book of all time?
  6. Books Rated 10: Name all the books I've rated 10.
  7. Last Book Reviewed: For which book have I last posted a review?
  8. "My Other Web Site": What is the name of "my other web site"?
  9. Thursday Thirteen: On what date did I publish my first Thursday Thirteen post?
  10. Post Formatting: What is the last item in each of my posts (even after the labels)?
  11. My Handle: Under which alias did I begin my blogging?
  12. School: Where am I currently enrolled?
  13. Blogging History: What is the date of my very first post?



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!





Matière du jour:
Blood
(Category: Science)


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Wednesday, July 25, 2007

It Hadda Happen Sooner Or Later

I got tagged a while back while reading someone else's blog.

It’s been said that allegedly if you’ve seen over 85 movies you have no life.

Mark the ones you’ve seen. There are 239 films on this list.

Copy this list, go to your own blog, paste it in and put X’s by the ones that you have seen. Add them up........if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged!

Here's my list. (Only 70 checked—I guess I do have a life; now THAT surprises me—must be something wrong with the list!!!) Oh, and regarding remakes: if a movie is a remake, and I have checked it, I am almost certainly talking about the original . . . .

(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
( ) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story
(X) Blazing Saddles
(X) Airplane
(X) The Princess Bride
( ) AnchorMan
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
(X) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
( ) Anger Management
(X) 50 First Dates
( ) The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
( ) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
( ) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
(X) Harry Potter 1
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
(X) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
( ) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
( ) Lilo and Stitch
(X) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
( ) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30
( ) I, Robot
( ) Robots
( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
( ) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
(X) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
(X) King Kong
( ) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
( ) Dumb and Dumber
( ) Dumber and Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
(X) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving Christmas
(X) Flubber
( ) Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
( ) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child’s Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
( ) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
(X) Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
( ) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Seven
(X) Ocean’s Eleven
(X) Ocean’s Twelve
(X) Bourne Identity
(X) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
(X) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(X) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
(X) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(X) E.T.
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(X) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
( ) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
( ) Best Bet
(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She’s All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
( ) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
(X) Big Trouble in Little China
(X) The Terminator
(X) The Terminator 2
(X) The Terminator 3
(X) X-Men
( ) X-2
( ) X3
(X) Spider-Man
( ) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can
(X) The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2
( ) Swimfan
(X) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf’s Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
(X) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
(X) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(X) Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
( ) Base-ketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
( ) Elf
(X) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
(X) Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc
(X) Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
(X) Willard
( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
( ) Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
(X) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
( ) Kill Bill Vol. 1
( ) Kill Bill Vol. 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) The Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
(X) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(X) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(X) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks: Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks: The Battle For Endor
(X) The Matrix
( ) The Matrix: Reloaded
( ) The Matrix: Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
(X) Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal





Matière du jour:
Paul Cézanne
(Category: Visual Arts)


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Friday, July 20, 2007

Comment Friday: 13/∞

It is Comment Friday here at Love All Books and at BAYB (where I grabbed the idea from initially).

The idea is to read the following post, then leave a comment while you're here.

The advantages are

  • you will get a link back to your blog from the comment you leave,
  • your blog will get some extra exposure from my loyal readers (<lol>both of them</lol>),
  • and I'll visit your blog (I'll even Stumble it if it's any good at all! One caveat on that last though: it might not be today, or even tomorrow, but eventually I will make it to every site that leaves comments here . . .)

So, on that note, as long as you're here . . .

I'm still re-reading (to refresh my memory) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling (book seven, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out at midnight TONIGHT so, yes, I'll be re-reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince also.

I think I'm finished struggling in my XML Programming class at Saint Paul College. (Saint Paul College is—as I've mentioned before—where I am working toward a Web Developer Certificate.)

All next week—the final week of my class!—Riley will be in an all-day camp, so that will help immensely.

I've gotten to the point that I can get my projects working most of the way, and what I cannot get to work the other students cannot get to work either, so I just turn in what I've got and hope the instructor can figure out where we all went wrong.

It's amazing to me how something that seems so easy could be so temperamental and difficult at times.

Please post a comment while you're visiting and tell me what you're up to. Tell me what you are reading and what you think about it!

Tell me what blogs you're reading frequently, and what new tools and technologies you're excited about (raving about even) these days!

And have a great Friday.

Oh, and head over to BAYB and leave a comment there!





Matière du jour:
Felix Mendelssohn
(Category: Music)


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Thursday, July 19, 2007

T13 (10/∞): Some Of My Favorite Short Stories

Thirteen Of My Favorite Short Stories

Welcome to my 10th T13 (that's Thursday Thirteen)!

Please use my "Mr. Linky" to leave a link back to your site (more traffic!)

This week I'm listing thirteen of my favorite short stories:

  1. Happy Ending by Henry Kuttner
    This is a neat little science fiction story that I've loved forever!
  2. Fat Farm by Orson Scott Card
    This is one of Uncle Orson's science fiction/horror stories that I found very enjoyable.
  3. All You Zombies— by Robert A. Heinlein
    This one is possibly my all time favorite science fiction short story!
  4. Light of Other Days by Bob Shaw
    But then again, perhaps this story is my favorite science fiction short story; it's one of these two, for sure!
  5. Nightfall by Isaac Asimov
    The Grand Master of the science fiction short story has to be on the list—and he is (twice!)
  6. The Raft by Stephen King
    This horror story is, without a doubt, the one that freaked me out the most by any author—it just figures that that author is King!
  7. Star, Bright by Mark Clifton
    Every parent wants a gifted child, right? Right? Hrmm. This is a great story, not quite science fiction, not quite fantasy per se, but definitely a story that has stayed with me forever, too!
  8. Sandkings by George R. R. Martin
    It's been forever since I read this science fiction story, but I clearly remember how wowed I was by it.
  9. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber
    This story needs no introduction I believe, and if you need do need the introduction than you need it in the first person! Get ahold of this story immediately and read it!
  10. It's Such a Beautiful Day by Isaac Asimov
    The Grand Master of science fiction strikes again in another memorable story.
  11. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
    Another story that needs no introduction, you either already know it or you need read it!
  12. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
    I tend, as I suspect most American men who turned 18 just after the Viet Nam war ended, to find anything about that war far from enjoyable, and tend to hide from it when I'm confronted with it. This story, right from the war itself from a man who lived it, is an amazing feat of storytelling that anyone who considers themself a reader (or wannabe writer) must read!
  13. Plains of Abraham by Russell Banks
    This is one of those stories that I read, somewhat enjoyed, and then checked the book back into the library. Months later, still frequently thinking about that story I read a while back, oh, what was it called I had to begin an intensive search for the book I'd seen it in—and without recollection of the story's title, author's name, or what book I'd seen it in! And I succeeded anyway. Don't make the mistake I made. Remember the story's title and the author's name! This is a story that will keep coming back to you!


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!




Matière du jour:
Sleep
(Category: Science)


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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

I Belong In . . .

Every now and again I get sucked into doing one of these meme-y (if there is such a word—which I doubt) quizzes.

Today's is "What European City Do You Belong In?".

You Belong in Amsterdam

A little old fashioned, a little modern - you're the best of both worlds. And so is Amsterdam.
Whether you want to be a squatter graffiti artist or a great novelist, Amsterdam has all that you want in Europe (in one small city).



Matière du jour:
Edgar Degas
(Category: Visual Arts)



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