sleepless nights

Monday evening I was extremely excited to bring home my latest addition to our small family. I have wanted a dog for as long as I can remember because I was raised with dogs. However, due to the lack of a proper yard and European social "laws" of keeping a dog indoors I was forced to choose a different companion.

The husband and I decided to adopt a cat; we have had one before that was not bad and actually quite easy to get along with. Randy is a completely different story. I'm not sure if it's because he is male and Zoe was female?! I could see that being a reason. Or it could be because Zoe was thought to be a much older cat and Randy is only 11 months old. Or it could be because he is the spawn of Satan... who knows!


All we do know is from the hours of 6 AM to 1AM he is a normal cat. He lounges around, wants to play, lies on your lap, etc. When the clock strikes 1, he changes to demon cat. The first night he broke two of my favorite vases (I know I should have moved them because they were on a wobbly table so that was my fault). The second night I chose to get up with him when he started his howling and head butting so that the husband could get some much needed sleep before his PT test. The third night he did a little better but I was still forced to get up with him because he wouldn't leave the husband alone and I was starting to get the feeling he was about to get more than pillows thrown at him.

Last night I decided to try the ignore his howling, head butting, biting, etc thinking this would show him who's boss. All started well; the clock struck 1 he started his crazies, husband and I tactfully ignore him. It took about an hour for the silly thing to somehow trap himself behind the husbands dresser thus making a disgruntled husband get up and move the dresser. The rest of the night was all about the same stuff. He eventually fell asleep a couple of times with us. We woke this morning and he had somehow pulled out a drawer and climbed in behind it to sleep his precious hour before we have to wake up.

As soon as day breaks he's the sweetest cat ever. He's a lot of fun and we really enjoy him. We just really need to adjust his sleep schedule if he plans on taking up residence. Needless to say this further proves the husbands and my theory that we have no business having children!!

Perspectives

I began reading graphic novels last Spring when I took a class at SJSU that dealt with graphic novels. I must admit I was skeptical at first; I had the perception that graphic novels were just fancied up comic books and I had no desire to read about super heroes. I was soon proven very wrong.

The first graphic novel I read was Pride of Baghdad. The GN describes how a zoo in Badhdad was bombed during the beginning of the war. It is told through the eyes of a lion pride. The GN is based on a true story. The story is extremely emotional and detailed. The page layout and colors used add to the overall mood of the plot. This GN changed how I felt about GN's instantly!

I have read several sense then (Maus, Maus II, Shooting Wars, etc.) all of which are very good. Particularly Maus and Maus II! Those are must reads. They are a personal description of the Holocaust. As one can only guess they are both very emotional.

Recently I have read Persepolis. Marjane Satrapi tells her story of growing up in Iran during constant war and tyrants. This GN gives a completely new perspective of Iran people. I understand that this is one persons opinions but I could not agree with her more. The idea that a woman's hair could stimulate men is preposterous! Her school teachers were absurd. With every new change of power the school system would also change to accommodate. This meant that one year she was taught something then the next year she was taught to hate it. The GN ends with Satrapi moving to Vienna and leaving her family behind.

I really enjoyed this GN. I have found that I prefer to read non-fiction in the form of Graphic Novels. The imagery adds so much to the words and really creates a page turner. I would recommend Persepolis to anyone and really encourage people to give GN's a chance. Not all are about superheros!

Destiny, Fate, & Death

I finished Skylight Confessions about a week ago and am still debating on how I felt about the book. This novel, by Alice Hoffman, was indeed a page turner and at times a tear jerker. The story is extremely emotional which is odd because the majority of the characters have/show no emotions. The lack of emotions of the characters seems to draw the reader in, enabling you to react to situations in your own way.

Death seemed to appear through out the entire novel. Once finished I was certain that I didn't enjoy the book because all but two characters died. However, now that I think back I am beginning to see the book in a different light. Fate is fate. You can create your own destiny and this destiny relies on the choices you make.

This post is pretty general because I am still debating on how I really feel about this book. Perhaps a re-read will adhere to a better analysis.

Relentlessly Captivated

After re-reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series again, and again, I decided it was time to move on from Jamie and Claire for the time being... that is until she comes out with the graphic novel and next book. Recently my sister mailed me Dean Koontz's Relentless so I decided to pick that one up this week. I actually have several of Koontz books but have yet to read them. I must admit, this was a great addition to my small but growing library.

Yet again crime, mystery, and a little bit of love remains to be my favorite combination! I was engrossed from the very beginning. It is always interesting to switch from reading a female perspective to a males. I particularly enjoyed Milo, the small genius child character in the book. His personality is so unique and I can't help thinking, if I ever do choose to have children I really hope they're just like Milo!

The fact that this novel is one that "could" happen in our day and time is somewhat scary. I'm always curious about underground organizations and I feel it is always healthy to question our government. But alas, it is still just fiction.

Back to Blogging

I originally created this blog as part of a summer course at SJSU a couple of years ago. Recently I have decided I should start this up again as a creative outlet. If I have any readers I hope I do not bore you to death and you find some interest in what I post. I would like to add that all of the previous posts were done because they were assignments for the class I was in; they do not interest me in particular. I have not quite decided exactly what I'll rant about ... most likely books, music, products, architecture and design. Those are my interests and hobbies. Oh and I must add travel since I've been doing a lot more of that lately. If I have any readers.. stay tuned! There will be more to come! :)

Wal-Mart vs Sheryl Crow

I have known for a long time that Wal-Mart did not carry certain CD’s that they felt were inappropriate or held the title, “Parental Advisory.” Wal-Mart’s credo is “saving people money so they can live better.” Wal-Mart values itself on being family oriented and providing values for all your home needs. Wal-Mart is the second largest distributer of music in the United States. When a power such as this does not sell CD’s because of their lyrics, it becomes a controversial topic.

Sheryl Crow released an album in 1996 that Wal-Mart refused to sell because of the following lyrics:
“Watch out sister
Watch out brother
Watch our children as they kill each other
With a gun they bought at the Wal-Mart discount stores.”

This particular incident I do not agree with Wal-Mart. The CD is not bad and the message of the song is not what it appears at first. However, I do agree that they should have a choice with what they sell. If I owned a major company, I would carefully choose my products so that my values were not compromised. Also, the majority of the CD’s that have the Parental Advisory label already have released edited versions for the radio stations. They are the same copies that Wal-Mart receives.

Everyone has a choice as to what they want to listen to or what they want to sell. I support Wal-Marts right to choose what kind of music they sell just as I exercise my right to not buy music there.

Guess Who's Coming Dinner

Racism is an issue that America has faced for decades and Kramer’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” really shows how silly the whole issue of skin color is. This film is a classic film that depicts how life in the 1960’s really was.

It is interesting to note that at the time of the film interracial marriage was still illegal in seventeen states in the USA. The film starts out by introducing the new couple Joey Drayton (Katherine Houghton) and Dr. John Wade Prentice (Sidney Poitier). Of course, Dr. Prentice is black, very well educated, and virtually a perfect except for his skin color. Kramer leaves no reason to dislike Dr. Prentice for the very purpose of pointing out racism. The turmoil begins when the couple meets Miss Drayton’s parents. Both are shocked but react slightly different.

It is also intriguing that the black maid hired by the Drayton’s is also hostile toward Dr. Prentice. African Americans at the time had discrimination problems among themselves also. His parents, who flew in to have dinner with the Drayton’s were not so content with the idea of an interracial marriage either. It was very uncommon in that time.

Once all the families have met they must decide whether they agree to the marriage of the couple or not. If they agree, they will be married but if not then Dr. Prentice will leave. This decision is the climax of the movie and definitely puts the audience on the edge of their seats.

The over all quality of the film is typical of its time. The acting is ho-hum and the comedy is a little corny. However, the over all message of the film still carries through and is the reason the film is a classic. The message will always be relevant until the country finally wakes up and realizes that racism is stupid. This film was one of the greats of its time and no doubt worth watching today.