I needed a new iPod. I have an older iPod from 2 and a half years ago. The pixels are starting to go out in the screen so I have to turn the brightness down as far as it will go to preserve the pixels that haven't gone black yet. So I was in the market for a new Apple product (now that I'm addicted to Apple, thanks to my Macbook).
I wanted a Nano for a while. They're small, light-weight, adorable, colorful, etc. But $200. It wouldn't be a problem with my paychecks and the fact I hardly buy anything, but I'd also need an armband for running and those seem to be pretty difficult to find. And they only came in 4GB and 8GB and I want a device I could put all my music on and a Classic has 80-160GB and is $50 more.
And then I went to this page: Shuffle. I immediately began thinking of the pros and cons of getting only a 2GB music player. It came with a clip so I could clip it to myself while I run - completely hands free. I could put on only songs I like so I wouldn't have to worry about picking playlists or skipping songs while I run or study. Plus, it was less than half the price of a Nano. So I went to Best Buy and bought a silver one.
All the colors available are pretty and vibrant. And they get lighter and darker depending on the lighting and the angle. They are small and once clipped on, you can hardly tell it's there. I went outside with my Shuffle clipped onto my shorts and sat there for two hours doing homework and didn't skip a single song because I had hand selected each song I put on.
I would recommend a Shuffle to anyone. They aren't a lot of money and they're incredibly convenient and handy. I love mine already and I've only had it for two days. Plus, they're aesthetically pleasing and cute, as far as technology goes. I'd like to get another one in another color and put another playlist on it: a 1GB Shuffle for only one kind of music (*ahem* Disney soundtracks... *ahem*).
Monday, September 1, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
( )
So I'm not going to pretend like I know anything major about politics. Especially not when everyone else is way more informed than me with a huge election coming up this year.
But Michelle Obama's speech earlier this week was amazing.
If I could, I would totally vote for him.
And that's all.
But Michelle Obama's speech earlier this week was amazing.
If I could, I would totally vote for him.
And that's all.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
What happened to kid TV?
Today, my brother made a joke about the name Doug today. He's seven and was like, "Haha, Doug? Like, I dug a hole??" And then he laughed for about five minutes.
I, however, was still in bed, half asleep. So when he mentioned Doug, I immediately thought of the old cartoon I used to watch daily as a child. And then I thought of the many other shows I remember from my childhood:
Doug
Hey, Arnold!
AAAHH!! Real Monsters!
Little Bear
Rupert
Allegra's Window
Blue's Clues
Lamb Chop
Barney
Ren and Stimpy
The Angry Beavers
Rugrats
Sometimes, I see Blue's Clues or Little Bear or even Hey, Arnold! on TV. I never actually look for Barney, but I'm sure it is on still. But where did all those other shows go? Rupert always had the coolest adventures. He flew and swam and met all kinds of cool creatures. Doug was such a cute show, too. And AAAHH!! REAL MONSTERS was not scary but really funny and cute. I basically grew up on Allegra's Window and Lamb Chop was my favorite show as a toddler. And The Angry Beavers and Ren and Stimpy had funny looking characters but I laughed my head off at those shows. And Rugrats always had a story or a moral and it was my favorite show ever.
But now these shows are replaced with Hannah Montana, Barnyard and other shows that are less amazing than the ones I grew up on. They're more annoying, in my opinion, and aren't supporting things my shows did. Unless you're watching Jimmy Neutron which makes science look like magic, other shows like Spongebob have lessons once in a while but is mostly full of gags to make the kids laugh.
Most of the cartoons my brothers watch are full of mindless plots, over-dramatic (and most often stupid) characters and no real lessons to speak of. Just like toys now give kids no imagination, so does our TV.
I remember Little Bear so well because it was always so imaginative. He went on adventures, played with all his friends and it was a magical show for me as a young child. But there aren't any shows like that anymore that I can think of. It's a shame that we've given up quality shows for shows featuring lisps, bad grammar, disrespect and force-fed mindlessness.
I, however, was still in bed, half asleep. So when he mentioned Doug, I immediately thought of the old cartoon I used to watch daily as a child. And then I thought of the many other shows I remember from my childhood:
Doug
Hey, Arnold!
AAAHH!! Real Monsters!
Little Bear
Rupert
Allegra's Window
Blue's Clues
Lamb Chop
Barney
Ren and Stimpy
The Angry Beavers
Rugrats
Sometimes, I see Blue's Clues or Little Bear or even Hey, Arnold! on TV. I never actually look for Barney, but I'm sure it is on still. But where did all those other shows go? Rupert always had the coolest adventures. He flew and swam and met all kinds of cool creatures. Doug was such a cute show, too. And AAAHH!! REAL MONSTERS was not scary but really funny and cute. I basically grew up on Allegra's Window and Lamb Chop was my favorite show as a toddler. And The Angry Beavers and Ren and Stimpy had funny looking characters but I laughed my head off at those shows. And Rugrats always had a story or a moral and it was my favorite show ever.
But now these shows are replaced with Hannah Montana, Barnyard and other shows that are less amazing than the ones I grew up on. They're more annoying, in my opinion, and aren't supporting things my shows did. Unless you're watching Jimmy Neutron which makes science look like magic, other shows like Spongebob have lessons once in a while but is mostly full of gags to make the kids laugh.
Most of the cartoons my brothers watch are full of mindless plots, over-dramatic (and most often stupid) characters and no real lessons to speak of. Just like toys now give kids no imagination, so does our TV.
I remember Little Bear so well because it was always so imaginative. He went on adventures, played with all his friends and it was a magical show for me as a young child. But there aren't any shows like that anymore that I can think of. It's a shame that we've given up quality shows for shows featuring lisps, bad grammar, disrespect and force-fed mindlessness.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Breaking Dawn (Stephanie Meyer)
So I read Breaking Dawn and got done with it yesterday. Yeah, yeah, it took a while since I got it at 12:10 AM on August 2. But still!
Basically, it was good. It was a little long, a little slow and a little unexpected. I could not, in a million years, have predicted what happened at the end of the book. I was floored by the first 150 to 200 pages.
As far as final books of a saga go, it was pretty good. It wrapped up basically every loose end I could think of and I was pretty happy. I'm looking forward to Meyer's next book, which will be the first book of the series, Twilight, in Edward's point of view.
If anyone else read the book, tell me what you think. I can't say too much yet, since people haven't finished it yet and I don't want to let out any spoilers. :D
Basically, it was good. It was a little long, a little slow and a little unexpected. I could not, in a million years, have predicted what happened at the end of the book. I was floored by the first 150 to 200 pages.
As far as final books of a saga go, it was pretty good. It wrapped up basically every loose end I could think of and I was pretty happy. I'm looking forward to Meyer's next book, which will be the first book of the series, Twilight, in Edward's point of view.
If anyone else read the book, tell me what you think. I can't say too much yet, since people haven't finished it yet and I don't want to let out any spoilers. :D
Friday, July 18, 2008
A Good and Happy Child (Justin Evans)
On the way back home from Utah, I read another book. This one was called A Good and Happy Child, written by Justin Evans.
The book is told in "notebooks" by a thirty-something named George. He has just begun seeing a therapist because his wife is frustrated with the fact that George will not touch or take care of their newborn son. Through these notebooks, he remembers things about his childhood he'd nearly forgotten, including what was thought to be a case of demonic possession.
The book keeps you turning the pages, wanting to find out about George's "Friend" and his father's untimely death and all the other elements that Evans spins around you in the novel. It's immensely gripping and I had to make myself put it down to go to bed during vacation and put the bookmark in it to leave the van at rest stops. The character development was great. The modern-day George is bitter and unhappy and the child George is confused, curious and enthralled with the mysteries he is finding all around him.
I would give this book 8 out of 10 stars. There were parts toward the end where the narrative had me confused. But mostly, the story was thick and enthralling. I'd reread it again just to pick up on extra details I missed the first time around.
The book is told in "notebooks" by a thirty-something named George. He has just begun seeing a therapist because his wife is frustrated with the fact that George will not touch or take care of their newborn son. Through these notebooks, he remembers things about his childhood he'd nearly forgotten, including what was thought to be a case of demonic possession.
The book keeps you turning the pages, wanting to find out about George's "Friend" and his father's untimely death and all the other elements that Evans spins around you in the novel. It's immensely gripping and I had to make myself put it down to go to bed during vacation and put the bookmark in it to leave the van at rest stops. The character development was great. The modern-day George is bitter and unhappy and the child George is confused, curious and enthralled with the mysteries he is finding all around him.
I would give this book 8 out of 10 stars. There were parts toward the end where the narrative had me confused. But mostly, the story was thick and enthralling. I'd reread it again just to pick up on extra details I missed the first time around.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Life's Small Lessons...
We are in Utah and down the street from where we are staying, there is a simply-Mac store. I have been bugging my parents about getting a Macbook for several months and they've finally caved.
But not in a way that I expected.
We went and bought my Macbook yesterday after a very long discussion about finances for it. They are not paying for it.
I used their American Express card to purchase the computer. When we get back to Iowa, we are taking out a $2000 loan, with me as a cosigner. I will be paying monthly payments of about $200 to pay back the bank and get a credit score. Because my parents have such good credit, we are getting the loan for only 5 or 6%.
This will seriously come in handy when I have a computer during college and am not paying nearly as much interest as I could be on my student loans because I will already have a credit score and, with any luck, it will be a good one, since I've promised to pay on time and get it paid off early so my parents' score doesn't go down (it's nearly perfect, which is astounding).
And if anyone cares: Macbooks are amazing. Within an hour, I was already customizing, installing and thoroughly enjoying myself. I am super happy.
But not in a way that I expected.
We went and bought my Macbook yesterday after a very long discussion about finances for it. They are not paying for it.
I used their American Express card to purchase the computer. When we get back to Iowa, we are taking out a $2000 loan, with me as a cosigner. I will be paying monthly payments of about $200 to pay back the bank and get a credit score. Because my parents have such good credit, we are getting the loan for only 5 or 6%.
This will seriously come in handy when I have a computer during college and am not paying nearly as much interest as I could be on my student loans because I will already have a credit score and, with any luck, it will be a good one, since I've promised to pay on time and get it paid off early so my parents' score doesn't go down (it's nearly perfect, which is astounding).
And if anyone cares: Macbooks are amazing. Within an hour, I was already customizing, installing and thoroughly enjoying myself. I am super happy.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
In the Woods (Tana French)
While driving for 2 days from Iowa to Utah, I sat in the backseat and digested the best-selling book In the Woods by Tana French.
It started off with a bang. There was immediate mystery. It is a book that is basically an emotional, detailed police investigation, on the scene and behind the scenes. I'd never read a book like tihs before and I was instantly intruiged when I first saw it on the shelf at Barnes and Noble. The plot was full of twists and turns and dead ends.
The plot is that in 1984 (backstory) three children went to play in the woods in Knocknaree and only one of them came out, unable to remember what had happened to his friends but being altogether terrified. In present day, a young girl, Katy Devlin, is found in the same woods at an archeological dig, murdered. The young boy, now grown up and using a different name, is put on the case with his partner, Cassie Maddox.
What I loved about the book is that there is so much background and depth to everything. There is poltiical backstory, emotional backstory and every kind of backstory you could want. And you can't guess whodunit. It's a complete surprise by the end. You'll feel completely betrayed by the text and the characters and the author. But it is a satisfying frustration with the ending. I would read this book again, with pleasure, to catch all the hints I am sure Tana French threw in along the way.
Overall, I'd give this book 8 stars out of 10. It was written with impeccable detail and had an intricate storyline. It is definitely on my own list of my 25 favorite books.
It started off with a bang. There was immediate mystery. It is a book that is basically an emotional, detailed police investigation, on the scene and behind the scenes. I'd never read a book like tihs before and I was instantly intruiged when I first saw it on the shelf at Barnes and Noble. The plot was full of twists and turns and dead ends.
The plot is that in 1984 (backstory) three children went to play in the woods in Knocknaree and only one of them came out, unable to remember what had happened to his friends but being altogether terrified. In present day, a young girl, Katy Devlin, is found in the same woods at an archeological dig, murdered. The young boy, now grown up and using a different name, is put on the case with his partner, Cassie Maddox.
What I loved about the book is that there is so much background and depth to everything. There is poltiical backstory, emotional backstory and every kind of backstory you could want. And you can't guess whodunit. It's a complete surprise by the end. You'll feel completely betrayed by the text and the characters and the author. But it is a satisfying frustration with the ending. I would read this book again, with pleasure, to catch all the hints I am sure Tana French threw in along the way.
Overall, I'd give this book 8 stars out of 10. It was written with impeccable detail and had an intricate storyline. It is definitely on my own list of my 25 favorite books.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Snuff (Chuck Palahniuk)
Last week, I began and finished the book Snuff, by one of my favorite authors Chuck Palahniuk. I haven't read anything by Mr. P for quite a while, waiting for Rant to come out in paperback. But my friend bought his newest book in hardcover and she read it in just a few days and she surprise-loaned it to me.
It took me a few days to actually get around to reading more than 20 pages at once. I'd been trying to read outside because it's summer but there are tons of gnats in my yard. So it was just disgusting. But once I sat down on my couch and dedicated myself to the book, I read over half of it at one time.
Granted, the book has a few flaws. Firstly, there is a lot of (semi- and totally graphic) talk about sex and sexual things. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is not... open-minded, to say the least. Secondly, there are 4 narrators. I had a hard time telling the 3 males apart because Chuck P didn't really distinguish the narratives a lot. They all stayed in his usual style.
The book is basically about porn. And a woman, Cassie Wright, accomplished porn star, wanting to break the record of number of men to have sex with in one... porn shoot? IDK. They go in to the room in groups of 3 and there are 600 of them. But there are all sorts of twists and turns and surprises that make it hard to put down, even though you are constantly checking to make sure no one is reading the dirty words in the book over your shoulder.
Overall, I'd give the book 3.5 stars out of 5. If anyone but Chuck Palahniuk had tried to write this book, it'd be a train wreck. But with the Chuck P name on it, it's a train wreck in the best of ways.
It took me a few days to actually get around to reading more than 20 pages at once. I'd been trying to read outside because it's summer but there are tons of gnats in my yard. So it was just disgusting. But once I sat down on my couch and dedicated myself to the book, I read over half of it at one time.
Granted, the book has a few flaws. Firstly, there is a lot of (semi- and totally graphic) talk about sex and sexual things. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is not... open-minded, to say the least. Secondly, there are 4 narrators. I had a hard time telling the 3 males apart because Chuck P didn't really distinguish the narratives a lot. They all stayed in his usual style.
The book is basically about porn. And a woman, Cassie Wright, accomplished porn star, wanting to break the record of number of men to have sex with in one... porn shoot? IDK. They go in to the room in groups of 3 and there are 600 of them. But there are all sorts of twists and turns and surprises that make it hard to put down, even though you are constantly checking to make sure no one is reading the dirty words in the book over your shoulder.
Overall, I'd give the book 3.5 stars out of 5. If anyone but Chuck Palahniuk had tried to write this book, it'd be a train wreck. But with the Chuck P name on it, it's a train wreck in the best of ways.
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