#116 — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
Nice children’s book on the pyramids, mostly Egyptian ones.
Items Wendy consumed in…
October, 2006
← September
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November →
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Sunday 1
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Monday 2
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Eyewitness — 1 person
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Titanic — 2 people
Finished consuming…Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile — 1 person
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Tuesday 3
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Thursday 5
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Cry of the Benu Bird — 1 person
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Croco'nile — 1 person
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Lost Cities (Mysteries of the Past) — 1 person
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Unrated Widescreen Edition) — 1087 people
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Friday 6
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Deuce Bigalow — 1 person
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…No Plot? No Problem! — 18 people
Finished consuming…Raise the Titanic — 1 person
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Saturday 7
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Wednesday 11
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Thursday 12
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Friday 13
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Poseidon (Widescreen Edition) — 168 people
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Pig on the Titanic — 1 person
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Saturday 14
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Music of the Heart (Miramax Collector's Series) — 103 people
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Fondling Your Muse — 4 people
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Sunday 15
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Monday 16
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Tuesday 17
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Seeker of Knowledge — 1 person
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Titanic — 35 people
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Titanic's Final Moments — 1 person
Finished consuming…Ancient Egyptians — 1 person
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Thursday 19
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Friday 20
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Saturday 21
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…A Hard Day's Night — 1631 people
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Complete Idiot's Guide to TITANIC (The Complete Idiot's Guide) — 1 person
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Secrets of the Dead — 1 person
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Sunday 22
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Monday 23
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Tuesday 24
Worth consuming!Finished consuming…Mesopotamia — 1 person
Finished consuming…The Sumerians (The Cradle of Civilization) — 1 person
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Wednesday 25
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Thursday 26
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Saturday 28
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Monday 30
Entries about these items
#115 — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
I really enjoyed this book. The mystery was interesting, and I enjoyed learning a bit about Dante and his “Inferno” as the members of the Dante Club discussed the various cantos. Plus, I felt the author did a wonderful job of bringing the time period to life, as well as giving real voices to the historical characters. I particularly enjoyed Longfellow and Holmes. A very well-done and enjoyable book. 9/10
#114 — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
This was a fantastic book, and fit in perfectly with our current study of Mesopotamia. The information was interesting and beautifully presented both through illustrations and photographs of artifacts. There were all sorts of interesting little facts, in addition to the general information presented. The book also includes several website URLs where additional information can be found. There’s a timeline at the end, as well as a glossary of some of the more unusual words used in the text. It covered exactly what I was hoping it would cover, and my son really enjoyed it. When we were half-way through, I asked him if he wanted to take a break and finish reading it later, but he wanted to keep going! That’s always a good sign. 10/10
#113 — 2 years ago
I feel sort of bad giving this book a low rating, since there really wasn’t anything bad about it. It’s just that neither I, nor my son, enjoyed reading it. It was dry in the way it presented the information, and I was surprised at some of the things that weren’t included in the text. We ended up skipping parts of it, and barely got to the end. Definitely not an engaging book for someone my son’s age (8). Or someone my age, either, for that matter. 6/10
#112 - Boy of the Painted Cave — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
Enjoyed this book, which my son and I read together (I read it aloud). It’s a story about a young boy who wants more than anything to be a cave painter, but according to the traditions and taboos of his clan, someone of his “station of birth” could never do this highly-honoured activity. He decides to pursue his dream, if only in private, until he makes a couple of friends who will help him go farther than he ever thought was possible. I enjoyed the story and the setting – it’s kinda fun to read a book which features woolly mammoths. 8/10
North by Northwest — 2 years ago
Watched this a few nights ago, on recommendation from several people. I enjoyed this film – the premise was interesting (and rather terrifying, actually), and I did enjoy watching the story unfold. At times, though, I thought it moved a bit slow, and I didn’t really “get” the love story – not a lot of chemistry there, IMO. But, on the whole, it was a good film. I probably won’t watch it again, but I’m glad to have seen it.
#111 - Complete Idiot's Guide to TITANIC — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
On the whole, this was a very good book about the disaster. It was sort of the “sound bite” approach to the Titanic, covering a wide range of subjects, although none of them in great detail. (Not surprising, though, as this series is meant to be a more general introduction to the topic in question). There were several little tidbits I’d not read before, including a few that may come in handy in the writing of my NaNovel this year. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is just starting out learning about the Titanic, and even if you’ve done a lot of prior reading on the subject, you’ll probably learn at least a few new things. My only gripe is that in some cases, they presented a few of the more common myths as fact, or worded things in a more sensational way that didn’t necessarily convey the whole story of what happened. I can’t think of any examples right now, but since I didn’t come across anything I know to be blatantly untrue, it wasn’t too big of a deal for me. 8/10
#110 - Titanic Conspiracy: Cover-ups and Mysteries . . . — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
About a week ago, I stumbled on a book at Borders which put forth the theory that it wasn’t really the Titanic that sank that night back in April, 1912, but instead her sister ship, Olympic, as the result of a switcheroo done to perpetrate a massive insurance fraud. Well, I enjoy a good conspiracy theory, so I wanted to read the book. Wasn’t quite willing to fork out $20 for it, though, so back at home, I tried to find it in the library’s catalogue. Turns out that my local library system doesn’t have a copy, but they did have this book, by at least one of the same authors, so I decided to read it.
This was an interesting book, although the Titanic/Olympic theory seemed a bit weak. Well, weak on evidence, and I’m not sure it satisfies all the logistical questions that arise when contemplating the disaster. I will say it does a decent job of explaining most of the questions of (otherwise) inexplicable human behaviour. Unfortunately, though, this book gave an overview of the theory, but I think I’ll still need to read that original book to get all the details.
I did learn a lot of history, though, not only about Titanic,, but also about Olympic and the White Star Line in general. Since the book wasn’t solely about the Ti/Oly switch, there was a lot of other good stuff there, most notably a good bit of detail about both the American and British inquiries – lots of information I’d not read before. So, while the book was, IMO, weak on actually convincing me that any conspiracies were taking place (beforehand, anyway; it is pretty clear that there was a variety of different white-wash jobs that went on afterward, but that’s to be expected I think, as people try to cover their asses in a case like this, not what I’d call a real “conspiracy theory.” It was an interesting read, even if it wasn’t entirely what I was expecting.
The good news for my local library is that I’ve ordered a used copy of that original book from Amazon (I’m interested in ALL the details of that insurance fraud theory), and after I’ve finished it, I’ll probably donate it, so the library will, at last, have it’s own copy. 8/10
#109 - Seeker of Knowledge — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
This is a lovely book for children, about Jean-Francois Champollion, the man who is credited with deciphering the Rosetta Stone, and unlocking the secrets of heiroglyphic writing. It begins during Jean-Francois’ childhood, focusing on his life-long desire to learn all he could about ancient Egypt. I thought this was a nice way to present the information to children – along with the biographical material, there is an underlying message of “follow your dreams.” The illustrations are beautiful, too. A great book, which is very much in keeping with our current history study. 9/10
Titanic (1953) — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
I really enjoyed this film. Oh, it’s not perfect – some glaring (and not so glaring) historical innacuracies, and parts of the human drama are at least as sappy as Cameron’s, but by the end, I was pulled into the drama of the thing, and found myself really moved by what they did with some of the fictional characters. Plus, it’s always fun to see how a filmmaker will interpret certain events (and the Straus’ are, and will surely always be, pictured in EVERY dramatic presentation of this story). :D All things considered, I thought this was well done, although not nearly as good as “A Night to Remember” which came out only a few years later. 7/10
Titanic's Final Moments: Missing Pieces — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
This was an exciting video for me, since it had some recent news about Titanic exploration that I hadn’t come across before – that a 2005 team found two sections of her double-bottomed hull – OMG THAT IS SO COOL! It was a well done video in other respects, as well, offering the obligatory history of the ship, plus a lot of footage of the 2005 dives, which were sponsored at least in part by the History Channel. I really enjoyed watching this one. 9/10
Discover Your Child's Learning Style — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
This is a book which helps you identify the learning styles of your child in several different areas. There is an extensive survey to fill out, which I did for my son and myself, and the results were very interesting. I didn’t read the entire book, though – I think I’ll probably want to buy my own copy (this one had been checked out of the library), so that I can use it for reference, rather than just reading through one time and trying to remember all the great strategies for working with your child’s (and your own) strengths.
Not the PS2, though — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
First, I want to note that I did not watch the playstation version of this – it was a regular DVD I got from Netflix. For some reason, though, I can’t find this listed here or at Amazon, so I’m putting my review here instead.
I have mixed feelings about this film. On the one hand, it was very funny in places – my son was practically screaming with laughter again and again, and I laughed a lot, too. Trouble is, most of this humor came out of situations that were HIGHLY dangerous and inappropriate. These kids weren’t just pranksters – they were mean and did some things that were simply HEINOUS. Yeah, I can still find those things funny, but a part of me did cringe at letting my child watch this show. I can only hope that he’ll never decide to do some of these stuff these kids do. Causing deliberate physical harm to people, for example, or showing a hand-written “HELP US!” sign to a truck driver on the highway. Just so wrong! But, yeah, it’s a film and it’s fiction and we’re not supposed to take it literally. So, I’m calling this one worth watching, although it might not be appropriate for all viewers.
#108 - Fondling Your Muse — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
Not much here in the way of actual writing advice (unless you decide just to do the complete opposite of everything he suggests), but it’s a funny book – there were a few moments that made me laugh out loud! 7/10
#107 - Pig on the Titanic — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
I enjoyed this book, although it really is a bit too babyish for my 8-year-old. The illustrations are lovely, though, and it’s a sweet way to tell the story about a woman who survived the sinking of the “Titanic.” Before boarding a lifeboat, she returned to her cabin – nor for her jewelry, but for her music box pig, which she considered “lucky;” on board the lifeboat, she played music to amuse the children. (All things considered, I’d say it was a lucky little pig). 7/10
#106 - Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt — 2 years ago
A Magic Schoolbus book in a different format from the usual books. Instead of taking her class on an adventure, this book follows Ms. Frizzle’s summer vacation to Egypt. Of course, since it’s Ms. Frizzle, she doesn’t just go to Egypt – she uses her magic watch to go back in time to Ancient Egypt. My son enjoyed this book, but I didn’t find it very exciting, and I didn’t enjoy reading it aloud. There is a small bit of narrative on each page, but there was also a lot of balloon dialogue and other random text to read. Probably a better book for a child to read to him/herself. 6/10
Mothman Prophecies — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
Really interesting and creepy, and I’m rather intrigued to know how much of this was based on real events. In the end, I found myself with more questions than answers, but that’s kind of fun with a film like this. It means I get to decide for myself how I choose to interpret what happened. :D I did enjoy this film, and thanks to whomever recommended this to me (I don’t remember who it was, though, and can’t seem to find a link that will tell me).
#105 - No Plot? No Problem! — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
Since I’m gearing up for NaNoWriMo in less than a month, I thought this would be the perfect time to read this book . . . and I was right! It’s written by the founder of NaNo, and is specifically about writing a novel in one month, so there were lots of ideas for keeping yourself going under a deadline, and it’s just darned funny, too. I must admit that I cheated a bit – he recommends that you read it during the month that you’re writing (he gives tips for each week, based on the challenges that usually happen to people during those weeks). I decided just to storm all the way through now, though. I can always go back if I get stuck. I finished this book feeling more excited than ever about writing next month, which is bound to be a good thing. 8/10
#104 - Cry of the Benu Bird — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
An Egyptian creation story, with gorgeous illustrations. My son and I both enjoyed this book, although I prefer the writing in the “Eyptian Myths” book that we’re currently reading. This one, in spite of being fairly simple, was a bit difficult for me to follow. 7/10
#103 - Croco'nile — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
A cute book with pretty illustrations in which a brother and sister end up becoming artists for one of the pharoahs in ancient Egypt. Cute, but rather baby-ish for my 8-year-old. 8/10
#102 - Mysteries of the Past: Lost Cities — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
This is an interesting little book on archaeology, describing some very basic facts about a number of “lost” cities, such as Troy, Pompeii, and Machu Picchu. A nice introduction into the subject; my 8-year-old son enjoyed it a lot. 8/10
Titanic - The Complete Story — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
This is an EXCELLENT two-DVD set about the Titanic. There are three separate episodes. “Death of a Dream” is all about the ship, from her construction up until the actual disaster; “The Legend Lives On” talks about the immediate aftermath of the disaster as well as the discovery of the wreck in the 1980s; “Beyond Titanic” covers the cultural phenomenon – books, films and exhibits – spawned by the disaster. I found this to be an excellent series about the ship, very thorough, and containing a lot of film footage and photographs that I’d not seen before. I borrowed this copy from Netflix, but enjoyed it enough that I’m planning to buy a copy for our video library. 10/10
#101 - Prehistoric Life — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
This book gives a great overview of the evolution of life, beginning with single-celled organisms, all the way through modern humans. It covers each of the major stages of evolution in a two-page spread, with some general text, along with several photos of fossils or illustrations of specific organisms in that category. I found it a very good introduction into this subject, and the information was at an appropriate level for my (fairly knowledgeable) 8-year-old. I’d still consider it aimed at children, but the information is basic without being dumbed-down. An excellent book. 9/10
#100 - Titanic: A Survivor's Story — 2 years ago
WORTH CONSUMING!
This was a fascinating book, and I’m pleased to have it be my 100th of the year. It contains two survivor stories – Col. Archibald Gracie’s extensive one, and the much shorter, “Sinking of the S.S. Titanic” by Jack Thayer.
Colonel Gracie’s story takes up most of the book. Not only does he give a detailed account of his own experience (he went down with the ship, but made his way to the overturned collapsible lifeboat on which he and several others were able to stand throughout the night until rescued), but he also put together a thorough sampling of other testimony from both the British and American inquiries.
All together, I felt as though I got an intimate look at what happened that night, and also about the mindset of many passengers and crew, and the era in general. I think the most interesting part – aside from learning about the actual events – was seeing so plainly the biases and predjudices of some of the people who survived the disaster. A great deal was made about how many persons from each class (first, second and third) were saved (this seemed important to many people at the time, with the inference being that some people didn’t consider the lives of the third class passengers as “important” as those in the upper classes). It was also disturbing to note the way many people from foreign countries were viewed in a less-than-favourable light (even Americans seemed to be viewed as “foreigners” by some of the British passengers and crew). There was also a lot about the actions of Bruce Ismay that night, and whether or not he had a moral obligation to go down with the ship. There were tales of heroism, too, though, so I’d say the story was both disturbing and uplifting in about equal parts, and most definitely a glimpse of that era in history.
Another thing that I really enjoyed was seeing where filmmakers (both Cameron and Baker/Lord) got their inspiration. Gracie’s account contained quotes and stories from actual passengers, some of whom are portrayed in the films, and their testimony here (or what was described of the actions of people who did not survive) was obviously a huge source of material. What I found even more interesting, though, were the little details about anonymous people which I spotted as having been incorporated into the films in various ways. For example, there is a very brief mention of a “male passenger carrying a baby” on one of the last lifeboats to leave the ship; I’m guessing this line was the inspiration for Hockley’s actions in the Cameron film.
There were parts of Gracie’s account that were repetetive and a bit tedious (some of the “duplicate” lifeboat accounts), but it was worth it to wade through them for the wonderful bits of information contained there.
Thayer was only 17 at the time of the disaster, and he, too, went down with the ship and ended up on the same overtuned collapsible. His account is very brief – not many more than a dozen pages long – but it was no less powerful than Gracie’s in many ways. Thayer is particularly eloquent in expressing his feelings about what the disaster meant to society:
It seems to me the disaster about to occur was the event, which not only made the world rub its eyes and awake, but woke it with a start, keeping it moving at a rapid pace ever since, with less and less peace, satisfaction, and happiness.
Today, the individual has to be contented with rapidity of motion, nervous emotion, and economic insecurity. To my mind the world of today awoke April 15th, 1912.
A fascinating book. I’m looking forward to the other collection of survivor stories I’ve got waiting for me to read. 10/10
#99 - Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile — 2 years ago
A book about a crocodile and his “toothbrush” (a bird named Pete) who go on a school field trip and thwart a jewel thief. Cute-ish, but not all that exciting. Definitely too “young” for my son; maybe it would be better for very young children. 6/10
