The Dumbest Generation?

A continuation of my stream of thought on literacy and definitions of literacy.
http://www.latimes.com/features/books/la-et-book5-2008jul05,0,3980465.story

A discussion of the book:
The Dumbest Generation
How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future, or Don't Trust Anyone Under 30
Mark Bauerlein
Tarcher/Penguin: 272 pp., $24.95

Has the growth of social networking substantially changed the nature of adolescence or is it just another expression of teens need for interaction. How is this use of the Internet affecting the intelligence and the learning of today's youth? I must read this book for myself.

Gaming in the Library

The American Library Association is beginning a study to find out the impact of gaming on literacy. Interesting when you start thinking about the definition of literacy and how it has changed over the last 20 years. How do you define literacy? What do graduates need to be able to do to be successful in the world of Web 2.0?

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6575782.html

What Came Before He Shot Her by Elizabeth George

I have always enjoyed the mysteries of Elizabeth George. She writes the types of stories that are more about the characters than the mysteries. She invites you into the lives of the detectives, the victims and even the perpetrators. In this novel, she leaves the mystery genre to explore the life of the 12-year old boy responsible for the murder of one of her primary characters. She takes you deep into the live of North Kensington, a poor, working-class neighborhood in London and shows the struggle for survival that is the daily life of millions of children in urban settings all over the world. It is a gut-wrenching reminder of the impossible choices that face so many people as they seek to negotiate the complex social layers of life in the city. She brings the characters of Joel Campbell and his family to life and makes their struggle real and immediate. You will not forget them or their stories.

Good Eats on the Weekend

A new car calls for a road trip (even a 2 hour road trip). So we headed north into the mountains to visit Prescott, Arizona. We took the long way around through the old west of Arizona and arrived in time for lunch!

We had an amazing meal at The Palace, where Steve brought us a delicious, crispy deep fried Catfish Sandwich with Louisiana Hot Sauce, Ranch Fries and Chipoltle Mayo (South Beach be damned) and one of the best burgers we have had in a very long time. You could taste the freshness. Add some avocado and some green chilies and a couple of cold beers and you have the finest restaurant meal we've had in some time!

Weeks go by...

There have been many transportation issues this month. I have crashed my car and need to get a new one, I have had a flat tire on my bicycle, and it has been hot! hot! hot! I have been able to return to my bike riding habits, though. I have also learned to use my new cell phone as an MP3 player so I have been transferring all my music to my phone. I am almost done and I can start buying new music.

Today's favorites were:

• Lady Marmalade by LaBelle
• No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley
• Bad for Me by Danielle Peck
• Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood

Today was also bagel day! This is the day I reward myself for getting up early all week. I stop at the bagel cafe for a bagel with smoked salmon schmear, a coffee and large OJ. It's the little things that often get me out of bed -- breakfast, lunch dinner and what am I going to read today.

This Morning's Bike Ride

It was an odd, bluesey morning topped off by Gwen Stefani! How interesting. It is also getting slightly warmer ever day -- the temp creeps closer and closer to blood temp -- that means getting up at 5 AM.

The word for the day, well - there are three. I found them while I was cleaning my little office, so that must mean something: Laughter, Communication and Simplicity!

I give up on the number of the day.

• Sweet Escape Gwen Stefani
• High Water Evcerywhere Charlie Patton
• Feeling Way Too Damn Good Nickelback
• Far Behind Candlebox
• Susie Q CCR
• Stay
• Smells Like Teen Spirit Nirvana

A Great White Wine!

My Dad and I drove to the Verde Valley to visit our favorite local vineyard (yes, there is good wine in Arizona!) and we spend some time with the Whites. This one was so fragrant, perfume of fruit and flowers, the wine was lively and so full of flavor! I had some last night with shrimp, tomatoes and feta cheese, and tonight with a lemony pasta dish with mushrooms and thyme and is was so complementary to both dishes that it jumped right into my glass and right back out again!

Page Spring Cellars
2007 Vino de la Familia Blanca

Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley

This is my first finished book of the summer. My goal was 40 books - that's 5 books a week and I am way behind. I think cleaning my house and playing with my new notebook are making serious inroads into my reading time. Luckily, I have 4 days of fishing (reading) coming up for vacation.

This book is so much more than I expected. There have been so many fairy tale stories lately, I wasn't prepared for the depth of this story. It is about Bella, a noble knight's daughter who is left with a peasant family for fostering after the death of her mother. The story deals with some of the very difficult issues of medieval life - childbirth, death, disease and the challenge of behaving with strength and character despite the perfiidity of others.

The story is told in multiple voices and reveals many of the classic Cinderella elements, stepmother and stepsisters, handsome prince, a disguise, glass slippers; but what a change in how the elements fit together.

You are going to have to pick this book up to read the rest!

Today's ...

Today was quite warm -- noticeable difference from the past week. Spring is over. Saw some wildlife on my bicycle ride through the desert -- roadrunner, a couple of bunnies, a ground squirrel and of course, quail! I love riding through the desert washes.



Music today had some of my all time favorite bicycle riding songs:

• Free Bird Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Like a Prayer Madonna
• In My Place Coldplay
• Gimme Some Lovin' Spencer Davis Group
• Danger Eric Clapton and J. J. Cale
• Clocks Coldplay
• Break My Stride Wilder Matthew
• The Hardest Part Coldplay
• These Dreams Jim Croce
• Somebody Told Me The Killers
• Roxanne Police
• Not Ready to Make Nice Dixie Chicks
• Jungle Strut James Taylor Quartet
• In the End Linkin Park

Wow! What a lot of Coldplay today! Today's number is 128.5 and the word of the day is: Strength (again!) I wonder why -- because I have it or need it? and is it physical, mental, emotional, spiritual or all of the above?

Today's etc.

Today's word for thought is goals. I know what that means. It means I need to turn in all my application materials for my MLS program. No more procrastinating. It will be done by Monday morning! Number of the day is 128.

A great list of songs for a morining bike ride. It was also bagel day! Somehow, knowing there is a bagel on Friday gets me out of bed in the morning.

• Numb Linkin Park
• I Saw a Man and He Danced With His Wife Cher
• Exodus Bob Marley
• Spirits In the Material World Police
• Cheeseburger in Paradise Jimmy Buffett
• Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In Fifth Dimension
• Fame Irene Cara
• Wide Open Spaces Dixie Chicks
• With or Without You U2
• White Wing Dove Stevie Nicks
• Blinded by the Light Mannfred Mann
  
  
  An exceptional dinner last night. We had Morrocan spiced pork chops with salad (lemony dressing) and grilled green beans with lemon aoli. Perfect blend of flavors.

Today's bike ride

Another beautiful June morning. It was actually cool and a little windy. Today's inspiring musical selections:

• Wrapped Around Your Finger Police
• Enter Sandman Metallica
• I'm on Fire Bruce Springsteen
• Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves Cher http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOSZwEwl_1Q
• Blaze of Glory Bon Jovi
• Janie's Got a Gun Aerosmith
• Jingo Santana
• It's Not Over Daughtry

The number for the day is 127.5

Word for thought: Strength -

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ernest Hemingway had a genius for bringing his reader into his stories and into the minds of his characters. And yet, his use of language was so understated and so deceptively simple that it becomes impossible for me to analyze the way he can do this. I find myself submerged in the experience and unable to separate individual words and thoughts. I read one of his books every 5 years or so because I want his body of work to fill my lifetime. I read more slowly than is my habit and I think and I savor and I weep with the beauty and poignancy of his stories.

As I read about the guerrilla fighters of the Spanish Civil War, I am there with them and feeling the moment in the mountains surrounding Madrid. I have also been reading other works about Civil War, US Civil War, English/British Civil War, Iraqi Civil War. As I read, fiction and non-fiction, I have many thoughts and observations -- but this is for a later post.

Robert Jordan is the kind of character that brings us into his moral dilemma -- how will he reconcile his participation in the killing of the war with the need to support the Republic. He shows both strength and sensitivity and a tremendous depth of character. Pilar also shows a similar depth, but I am amazed at the one-dimensional Maria, the love interest of the story. She is there to make him question the beauty of life as it can interfere with the performance of duty.

Right now, I write because I must set aside the book -- I want to savor it, make it last, keep it in my thoughts for a long, long time.

Today's bike ride -

Still beautiful -- in the 70's in the morning:

• Landslide Dixie Chicks
• Love and Peace U2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEQSVihLdPo
• Let's Dance David Bowie
• Me and Bobby McGee Janice Joplin
• No Woman No Cry Bob Marley
• Smooth Santana
• Drops of Jupiter Train
• Volcano Jimmy Buffett http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxuaUaS4rU0
• When I'm Gone 3 Doors Down

Number of the day 128.5

Word of the day: Grief - part of letting things/people/dreams go.

First thoughts

There is much to write about today! I saw my Saturn towed off into the distance -- saying good bye is never easy. It all started with my determination to go the the LA Book Expo right after school was out -- My car was a victim of my incredible naïveté that I could navigate the many miles of L.A. freeway without incident! I realized that most of my other trips to LA involved parking my car at one location and visiting nearby locations. I did, by the way, get to spend a couple of hours at BEA, but missed most of the authors I had so wanted to meet! I did get to see Leonard Nimoy and Alec Baldwin, however. My prize, though was a signed copy of the galley of Chris Raschka's new book for the kids at my school.

Despite the denting (mild term) of my front end, I was determined to drive the car home -- it took almost 12 hours and I had to take the fiberglass up with duct tape! Now begins the work of finding a new car.