Farmer Ted's thought process

Farmer Ted's godson's 3rd birthday is this weekend. However an actual celebration will be postponed until July, to which Farmer Ted had this comic response:

I hope you are not planning to delay Cosmo’s actual birthday because I happen to know that he is counting down the days until he is able to legally visit the Cactus (and Graineys at 1 AM, of course). Presently, we are at 6573. This would be very disappointing to him and would force him to go to the black market for Cactus-entrance credentials (Nevada or otherwise).

On the other hand, delaying a birthday would be pretty sweet to me. I propose that I will delay my next birthday until 2491, which, not coincidentally, is the same date the Buck Rogers emerged from some sort of stasis on the TV show named after him.

What is Reading, Fundamentally?

What is reading, anyway? Novels, comics, graphic novels, manga, e-books, audiobooks — which of these is reading these days? Are they all reading? Only some of them? What are your personal qualifications for something to be “reading” — why? If something isn’t reading, why not? Does it matter? Does it impact your desire to sample a source if you find out a premise you liked the sound of is in a format you don’t consider to be reading? Share your personal definition of reading, and how you came to have that stance.

(Two weeks late for Reading is Fundamental week, but, well…)

Today is my last day of school. So I find it funny that this is fundamentally an education question. As a teacher I think every time we read anything, (a cereal box, signs, or bumper stickers), it qualifies as reading. I'm always having the children in my life read out loud. Be it menus or recipes it helps their reading and vocabulary so much. Personally, I don't like children reading manga, at least at school, because I'd rather see them reading larger blocks of paragraphs. I suppose I should just be happy they are reading anything with all the video games out there.

I consider magazines, cook-books, and audiobooks reading. Overall I'm pretty lax when it comes to my own stance of reading.

The weekend ahead...

FF: 191

Appetizer

What is the nearest big city to your home?

I thought I lived in a big city. Salt Lake City?

Soup

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?

No comment. I'm not letting my mad skills leak out on this question.

Salad

Describe your hair (color, texture, length).

Golden. Long. In Japan it was an issue because people wanted to touch it. I've been approached about selling it. Heather, my hairdresser, thinks I have a secret to keeping it shiny. It needs a haircut.

Main Course

What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?

Clean record however I am not a legal driver at the moment...oh the rebel in me!

Dessert

When was the last time you had a really bad week?

Two weeks ago. I try not to think about bad weeks or days anymore. They are too draining.

Happy Anniversary

Dear Jamier (a.k.a. Beef Jerky Vegetarian),

It's been one hell of a year for us eh? After a year of not speaking to each other our immaturity at a funeral of all places forced us back together where we should have always been. Do you remember the wake? When I kept sliding the flowers between us so I wouldn't have to look at you? It was pretty funny now that I think about it. I don't think Mack was bringing me beers fast enough! Anyway we've had some good times. I thought we could re-live them for a moment. But first we need some music. (Press play now!)

• I can no longer watch a basketball game after you argued with the ref over LOGIC! You were trying to inject logic into the game! It was beautiful!
• Remember our George Michael Faith night?
• Our wise and gossipy discussions on crap. But you have to admit, it's usually good crap.
  
• Homeless man at our table discussing life and hitchhiking.
• That time we found you in the rose bushes after a needed cigarette run? Or was it beer?
• New Year's and Caddyshack (Bitch! You stole that game from us!)
• Our secret fear of our thighs...(who else could I admit that to?!)

And everything in between. Happy Anniversary sweetheart!

Blast from the Past #4

As promised, this is a letter from my brother during his incarceration. It's dated 5/15/03. I sent him a lot of mail so that he would have something to look forward to. Mostly they were silly cards. He was transferred frequently so I always heard about the new place. I suppose crowding in prisons will do this to some.



Dear folks,

How is it going for you folks? I am doing well. I no longer have a job, and am waiting to get into school. This place is different from any other institution. We don't have movement every hour like every other place. We have to share our gym and yard. So it makes it difficult to get into a routine. So I found myself playing a lot of cards and watching some pretty dumb TV shows. My cellie doesn't shower and he doesn't ever leave the room. He follows me like a lost puppy dog. It gets pretty bothersome. I have learned to have patience. Without those I would be in all sorts of trouble. I am on a softball team. The league starts in a couple of weeks. The living conditions are alot different from the movie. There are no open barred cells. Those are in the K units. Here we have a solid door with keys it seems pretty laid back. I have sent you some visiting forms you must fill them out and return them for an approval before you can visit. If you choose to visit be prepared to get searched. I don't have a big selection of classes to choose from so I take what I can get sorry I haven't wrote in awhile. I am just getting settled I miss you guys, and enjoy the cards.

Love you,

M

Books v. Movies

Books and films both tell stories, but what we want from a book can be different from what we want from a movie. Is this true for you? If so, what’s the difference between a book and a movie?


I have a really good example for this question. I have purposefully not watched the movie Atonement because I am waiting to read the book. (Attn: L and J--where's the book?!) I'm usually drawn into the characters more if I read a book. I tend to empathize more as well. It's been a goal of mine to try to read the book version before seeing the movie for at least the last year. So far I'm doing pretty well, that is unless I have no interest in the book and just want to relax via a movie. The Kite Runner is next on Netflix. Even though I somewhat enjoyed the book I think I won't enjoy the movie--just a feeling I have.

One of the movies where I think they got it right was the PBS version of Anne of Green Gables. I love it almost as much as I love the book. So I guess they can get them right sometimes.

On a side note, what I don't like is how Hollywood is now quick to make any good book or bestseller into a movie. If I see a bestseller these days I often ask myself whether I should read it now or put it off. If I put it off too long then there's a movie version. I suppose I'll just have to work harder at disciplining myself on reading the book first!