I love to travel. However, due to money and time issues (as both are spent on school currently) I have been stuck close to home. So I'm traveling in blogland instead. Today I found something called the Magic Carpet Ride. This is an event hosted by Lisa at a whimsical bohemian. Bloggers sign up to give something away, and link to her site as part of the giveaway. I went to Ireland today and read comments by people in Australia as part of my magical carpet ride (just follow the blog links), to name a couple of places. If you want to find some great arty blogs from all over the world, this is the place to go.
awhimsicalbohemian.typepad.com
A few years ago I traveled to England, to the spots where Ms. Austen lived or wrote about in her books. My favorite was the small coastal town of Lyme, where I made sure to climb down the exact steps on the pier that the characters climb down in Persuasion and that Louisa Musgrove decides to jump down and consequently hits her head. It was a cold, windy day and the steps were narrow and wet. I definitely could see why Henrietta Musgrove was scared climbing down those stairs.
Though she never left Southwest England, and traveling was limited by money and how far horses could take a carriage, her characters did visit places such as Lyme (Persuasion) and Brighton (Lydia in Pride and Prejudice) and Bath (Cathy in Northanger Abbey and Anne in Persuasion).
For those of us who like to travel alone- admit it, you don't have to compromise in what you're going to see- here are some websites to visit.
gutsywomentravel.com
adventurewomen.com
allsinglestravel.com
journeywoman.com
Bon voyage!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
What I'd rather be doing
I'm getting ready to listen to one of the most boring professors I've had so far. I hope he never reads this! It's so bad I would almost rather listen to a speech by George W. Bush.
Well, maybe not.
But there are things I would rather be doing:
1. Taking a nap.
2. Cleaning my house (really)
3. Going to Paris. France, not Georgia. Though that would be better too.
4. Reading Pride and Prejudice again.
5. Taking Lars to the dog park.
6. Taking Lars to the dog park while reading Pride and Prejudice again.
Well, maybe not.
But there are things I would rather be doing:
1. Taking a nap.
2. Cleaning my house (really)
3. Going to Paris. France, not Georgia. Though that would be better too.
4. Reading Pride and Prejudice again.
5. Taking Lars to the dog park.
6. Taking Lars to the dog park while reading Pride and Prejudice again.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A political predator
Utah Wants in on Wolf Killing
His bloodlust piqued by the slaughter of hundreds of wolves in Idaho and Montana, Senator Allen Christensen is seeking to pass a law requiring the killing of all wolves that migrate into Utah. Backed by a posse of hunters and cattlemen, Christensen thinks wolves are out of control in Utah (that would be all two that have entered the state since 1975).
The confused Christensen says his bill is "good for wildlife" but under questioning admitted that "wolves are wildlife, too" (very good, Senator!). Apparently referring to Utah, Christensen declared: "We would like them not to immigrate into here."
Senator Christensen, please check your grammar, logic, and basic legal knowledge. While gray wolves in Idaho, Montana, and the northeast corner of Utah were prematurely removed from the endangered species list last year, they're federally protected in most of Utah -- and the Center for Biological Diversity is now in court to earn back federal protections for all northern Rockies gray wolves, including those in Utah, as we've already done for Great Lakes gray wolves. With the wolves federally protected, any state bill to exterminate them would crash into the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution.
UPDATE: This week, Utah's top wildlife official, Jim Karpowitz, came out against the bill, saying it would force him to go to federal prison for killing wolves or to state prison for not killing wolves.
From the Center for Biological Diversity
His bloodlust piqued by the slaughter of hundreds of wolves in Idaho and Montana, Senator Allen Christensen is seeking to pass a law requiring the killing of all wolves that migrate into Utah. Backed by a posse of hunters and cattlemen, Christensen thinks wolves are out of control in Utah (that would be all two that have entered the state since 1975).
The confused Christensen says his bill is "good for wildlife" but under questioning admitted that "wolves are wildlife, too" (very good, Senator!). Apparently referring to Utah, Christensen declared: "We would like them not to immigrate into here."
Senator Christensen, please check your grammar, logic, and basic legal knowledge. While gray wolves in Idaho, Montana, and the northeast corner of Utah were prematurely removed from the endangered species list last year, they're federally protected in most of Utah -- and the Center for Biological Diversity is now in court to earn back federal protections for all northern Rockies gray wolves, including those in Utah, as we've already done for Great Lakes gray wolves. With the wolves federally protected, any state bill to exterminate them would crash into the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution.
UPDATE: This week, Utah's top wildlife official, Jim Karpowitz, came out against the bill, saying it would force him to go to federal prison for killing wolves or to state prison for not killing wolves.
From the Center for Biological Diversity
Sunday, January 17, 2010
College Football Season
3 reasons I'm glad college football season is over:
1. The guys at work have to find something else to say. Which basically means they're quiet.
2. The local radio talk show station stops broadcasting the games and goes back to the normal weekend programming consisting of music not normally heard on more commercial stations. For instance, the Clash, REM, b-52s, old Green Day songs, Weezer, 10,000 Maniacs, w/ some Ramones and Pixies thrown in.
3. When I'm surfing channels on the telly, as I flip through the obscure local sports channels I see snippets of woman's basketball instead of football. At least we know where we rank in programming.
and no, Jane Austen never had to put up with football.
1. The guys at work have to find something else to say. Which basically means they're quiet.
2. The local radio talk show station stops broadcasting the games and goes back to the normal weekend programming consisting of music not normally heard on more commercial stations. For instance, the Clash, REM, b-52s, old Green Day songs, Weezer, 10,000 Maniacs, w/ some Ramones and Pixies thrown in.
3. When I'm surfing channels on the telly, as I flip through the obscure local sports channels I see snippets of woman's basketball instead of football. At least we know where we rank in programming.
and no, Jane Austen never had to put up with football.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
10 favorite woman writers
I'm supposed to writing a discussion post for my Women's Studies class. I'm procrastinating here instead. At least I'm writing about women.
10 women writers that I like:
1. Jane Austen.
Who else wrote only six complete novels two hundred years ago that people still read today (some of us over and over again) and that still are the basis of movies? She was writing when it was not the approved thing to do for women, and at first the novels were not even published with her full name. (like George Eliot, who was really Mary Ann Evans). Now, of course, her cottage is a museum.
2. The triple threat: The Bronte sisters.
That would be Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. Highly original, not in sync with their time, and very talented but still grew up in the shadow of their brother. Famous books include Jane Eyre (Charlotte), Wuthering Heights (Emily), and Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne). Anne also wrote Agnes Grey, but I haven't read that one yet.
3. Alice Walker.
Brilliant. Coined the term "womanist" to describe a black feminist in her book "In Our Mother's Garden". She also wrote the Color Purple and many others (check out the post archives for one on the play).
4. Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley.
Middle name for the this mother and daughter: controversy. In 1792, Ms. Wollstonecraft wrote "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" in which she endeared herself forever to every feminist. She also made headlines (or would have if TV news existed then), for having relationships with men without being married to them. She did marry philosopher William Godwin, with whom she had Mary Shelley. Ms. Shelley wrote Frankenstein, which was published at the young age of 21. She also had an affair with a married man. Not that their relationships are the most important thing. Men aren't judged by their relationships, are they? Actually, Tiger Woods is now that I think about it.
5. Amy Tan.
Writer of the Joy Luck Club, the Kitchen God's Wife and others. Her writing usually involves multiple generations of Chinese women here and in China and the clash between modern and traditional culture. Very good.
6. Anchee Min.
Author of the Red Azalea and others. This is one of my favorite books ever. It is her memoir of growing up during the first stages of Chairman Mao's "reign". Her other books focus on fictionalized accounts of real Chinese women such as Madame Mao.
7. Linda Woolverton.
Author of the animation screenplay for Beauty and the Beast. Amazingly, after all those years of animated Disney movies, she is the first woman to write one of the screenplays. She modeled Gaston on her ex boyfriends.
Putting aside Disney's propensity to warp classic fairy tales to their own ends:
-the Little Mermaid, in the fairy tale, endures a lot of pain from her new legs and doesn't end up with the prince anyway. The moral in the fairy tale: changing for a man is not worth it, the moral in the movie: changing your appearance drastically and giving up your whole life will catch you a prince
- in the Beauty and the Beast, when a girl wants adventure she means she wants to find a man and fall in love, and by the power of her love she can change a man no better how much of a monster he is
-and the pandering to the thin, big eyed culturally acceptable idea of beauty (which came first, the Disney heroine or this idea of beauty?) -
after all that, the Beauty and the Beast is still my favorite Disney movie. My favorite part:
Beast: I want to give her something.
Cogsworth: Well, there's the usual. Flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep...
8. Sandra Cisneros.
Mexican-American author of the House on Mango Street. While I was moving I found three copies. Nuff said.
9. Clarice Lispector.
A Brazilian Jew whose parents escaped from Russia when she was a toddler. I discovered her in a Latin American lit class with a short story about a cockroach in an apartment. It's way better than it sounds. If I had continued with a literature degree, she would have been the topic of my thesis.
10. me.
This blog counts. And I like me.
10 women writers that I like:
1. Jane Austen.
Who else wrote only six complete novels two hundred years ago that people still read today (some of us over and over again) and that still are the basis of movies? She was writing when it was not the approved thing to do for women, and at first the novels were not even published with her full name. (like George Eliot, who was really Mary Ann Evans). Now, of course, her cottage is a museum.
2. The triple threat: The Bronte sisters.
That would be Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. Highly original, not in sync with their time, and very talented but still grew up in the shadow of their brother. Famous books include Jane Eyre (Charlotte), Wuthering Heights (Emily), and Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne). Anne also wrote Agnes Grey, but I haven't read that one yet.
3. Alice Walker.
Brilliant. Coined the term "womanist" to describe a black feminist in her book "In Our Mother's Garden". She also wrote the Color Purple and many others (check out the post archives for one on the play).
4. Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley.
Middle name for the this mother and daughter: controversy. In 1792, Ms. Wollstonecraft wrote "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" in which she endeared herself forever to every feminist. She also made headlines (or would have if TV news existed then), for having relationships with men without being married to them. She did marry philosopher William Godwin, with whom she had Mary Shelley. Ms. Shelley wrote Frankenstein, which was published at the young age of 21. She also had an affair with a married man. Not that their relationships are the most important thing. Men aren't judged by their relationships, are they? Actually, Tiger Woods is now that I think about it.
5. Amy Tan.
Writer of the Joy Luck Club, the Kitchen God's Wife and others. Her writing usually involves multiple generations of Chinese women here and in China and the clash between modern and traditional culture. Very good.
6. Anchee Min.
Author of the Red Azalea and others. This is one of my favorite books ever. It is her memoir of growing up during the first stages of Chairman Mao's "reign". Her other books focus on fictionalized accounts of real Chinese women such as Madame Mao.
7. Linda Woolverton.
Author of the animation screenplay for Beauty and the Beast. Amazingly, after all those years of animated Disney movies, she is the first woman to write one of the screenplays. She modeled Gaston on her ex boyfriends.
Putting aside Disney's propensity to warp classic fairy tales to their own ends:
-the Little Mermaid, in the fairy tale, endures a lot of pain from her new legs and doesn't end up with the prince anyway. The moral in the fairy tale: changing for a man is not worth it, the moral in the movie: changing your appearance drastically and giving up your whole life will catch you a prince
- in the Beauty and the Beast, when a girl wants adventure she means she wants to find a man and fall in love, and by the power of her love she can change a man no better how much of a monster he is
-and the pandering to the thin, big eyed culturally acceptable idea of beauty (which came first, the Disney heroine or this idea of beauty?) -
after all that, the Beauty and the Beast is still my favorite Disney movie. My favorite part:
Beast: I want to give her something.
Cogsworth: Well, there's the usual. Flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep...
8. Sandra Cisneros.
Mexican-American author of the House on Mango Street. While I was moving I found three copies. Nuff said.
9. Clarice Lispector.
A Brazilian Jew whose parents escaped from Russia when she was a toddler. I discovered her in a Latin American lit class with a short story about a cockroach in an apartment. It's way better than it sounds. If I had continued with a literature degree, she would have been the topic of my thesis.
10. me.
This blog counts. And I like me.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
the Jane Austen Maids Foundation strikes again
Well, the move has been over for a New York minute (can someone please define this term for me w/ actual numerical values?). I know I needed to do it: the new place is much cheaper and closer to work and school, not to mention getting away from the pesky neighbors.
But there's no memories of Jakob in the new place. It's almost as if I've lost him all over again. It's been pretty tough, actually. You may think it's sad that my longest relationship has been with a sixteen pound standard dachshund. I'm not apologizing. He loved to travel, was adventurous (except for thunderstorms) and was funny and smart. Not to mention really cute. A human male should be so lucky.
So when I went looking for my first charity for the month (I donated to joinmyvillage.com last month) I found the perfect place to donate. Harbor House is an organization that provides shelter and other help to women and children attempting to escape from abusive situations. According to the Harbor House website, "48% of domestic violence survivors delay leaving an abusive relationship because they do not have a safe place for their pets... Research shows that individuals who abuse animals rarely stop there. Human victims-adults and children alike - often feel they have no choice but to remain in violent households in order to protect their pets."
So Harbor House, in conjunction with Orange County Animal Services, is building the only PAWS (Pet And Women's Shelter) certified kennel in Central Florida for Domestic Violence Survivors, so that women can bring their pets with them. This is brilliant. Not only will this kennel help save the lives of abused women, but it is also helping to remove the animal from an abusive situation.
For a $100 donation I could create a plaque honoring Jake to put on the wall of the kennel, for $300 I can name an individual cat kennel, or for $500 I can name an individual dog kennel. Obviously I can't do any of these things. But I donated my biweekly $10, and at least I know it was in honor of Jake.
But there's no memories of Jakob in the new place. It's almost as if I've lost him all over again. It's been pretty tough, actually. You may think it's sad that my longest relationship has been with a sixteen pound standard dachshund. I'm not apologizing. He loved to travel, was adventurous (except for thunderstorms) and was funny and smart. Not to mention really cute. A human male should be so lucky.
So when I went looking for my first charity for the month (I donated to joinmyvillage.com last month) I found the perfect place to donate. Harbor House is an organization that provides shelter and other help to women and children attempting to escape from abusive situations. According to the Harbor House website, "48% of domestic violence survivors delay leaving an abusive relationship because they do not have a safe place for their pets... Research shows that individuals who abuse animals rarely stop there. Human victims-adults and children alike - often feel they have no choice but to remain in violent households in order to protect their pets."
So Harbor House, in conjunction with Orange County Animal Services, is building the only PAWS (Pet And Women's Shelter) certified kennel in Central Florida for Domestic Violence Survivors, so that women can bring their pets with them. This is brilliant. Not only will this kennel help save the lives of abused women, but it is also helping to remove the animal from an abusive situation.
For a $100 donation I could create a plaque honoring Jake to put on the wall of the kennel, for $300 I can name an individual cat kennel, or for $500 I can name an individual dog kennel. Obviously I can't do any of these things. But I donated my biweekly $10, and at least I know it was in honor of Jake.
Jakob Dylan
02/09/1992-01/21/2009
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