tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57569239567715636992024-03-05T05:08:18.524-05:00Rowena's WordI write. I read. I edit. I love music. I live in New York. These are my thoughts on all of the above - and then some.rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-74175239022654139012011-07-19T13:59:00.002-04:002011-07-19T14:01:11.832-04:00A Dance With Dragons<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0vOZj6_STTSheOR-pbDDgnB2q7OgDasx8y7QjTYIDJmexjV6RYEo1x0LxIVXbyL1igEPJCjpsL6rsii4R7Rz_jDvUnjV4FqyT2G5ckK2gFnE6MLQnIFGqoExWrkLGT56aYLHF2-myz8/s1600/2782553-1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0vOZj6_STTSheOR-pbDDgnB2q7OgDasx8y7QjTYIDJmexjV6RYEo1x0LxIVXbyL1igEPJCjpsL6rsii4R7Rz_jDvUnjV4FqyT2G5ckK2gFnE6MLQnIFGqoExWrkLGT56aYLHF2-myz8/s320/2782553-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631125038617395170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span id="reviewTextContainer84627152"><span id="freeTextreview84627152" style="">We diehard SOIAF fans have waited five freaking years for this mofo. And yes it was totally worth it. Martin's greatest trait, in my opinion, is his ability to build atmosphere. One moment I'm in the searing desert realm of Meereen with its multi-hued pyramids, fighting pits and exotic foods. Then, just as suddenly, I'm transported to the Wall where the cold bites to the very bone and the dead rise through eternal snowdrifts.<br /><br />George, if you happen to be reading this - sure, I'm a little annoyed that it took you 5 years, but this is a truly magnificent book. But I'm not here to quibble about the plot (for once). I just wanted you to know that I've been reading your book to a very dear friend of mine who is very ill and is unable to read for himself. He is the one that introduced me to your marvelous series, and I know he's been waiting on tenterhooks for the 5th installment. Thanks for creating a world so utterly beautiful and foreign, and for allowing me to take my friend there, even if for a moment.</span></span>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-54933267978554253542011-05-10T09:57:00.002-04:002011-05-10T10:01:53.816-04:00Teaser Tuesdays*a new weekly spot borrowed from the ever-brilliant <a href="http://agirlwalksintoabookstore.blogspot.com/">A Girl Walks Into a Bookstore</a><br /><br />Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">--Grab your current read</p> <p class="MsoNormal">--Open to a random page</p> <p class="MsoNormal">--share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Be sure NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">--Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>“Cleopatra was in Tarsus only a few weeks but had no need to stay longer. Her effect on Antony was immediate and electrifying.”</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>--From </b><i><b>Cleopatra</b></i><b>, by Stacy Schiff<br /></b></p>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-87138389076737560002011-04-21T13:42:00.001-04:002011-04-21T13:42:35.083-04:00'Nuff said.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvtsUFFhJC7yfjnBG1UBBT7Fn9YD3ZM-hwal5_7ny0r026k7Xt27olfReDxWY7gCCvstubBZHpw-R9XP65MMfnyDBq7qmd4iWJbMK8uuPXeHGmVX6grKIIYqqYy2UE78n8R08HM3L57Q/s1600/tumblr_ljw21gCjtx1qzupj0o1_500.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 277px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkvtsUFFhJC7yfjnBG1UBBT7Fn9YD3ZM-hwal5_7ny0r026k7Xt27olfReDxWY7gCCvstubBZHpw-R9XP65MMfnyDBq7qmd4iWJbMK8uuPXeHGmVX6grKIIYqqYy2UE78n8R08HM3L57Q/s400/tumblr_ljw21gCjtx1qzupj0o1_500.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598093662436373090" border="0" /></a>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-74435971936550558312011-03-03T15:44:00.008-05:002011-03-03T15:47:13.942-05:00NYC pictorial pt. XVIII - pets edition pt. IV<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZN9xCGpgtxKl1PZ5AgzKAyV7cBTL86AgLOpPRDu0Vv5peHQoDJztVcIUsl4U6bWSVoKRnLhJj9INJI5P8t6nBKXRCki6Id8OD423g4Rv2svjKLIfKOAJuFdFSUUHSxzUoIuGqxZS9X6Y/s1600/102510xx.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZN9xCGpgtxKl1PZ5AgzKAyV7cBTL86AgLOpPRDu0Vv5peHQoDJztVcIUsl4U6bWSVoKRnLhJj9INJI5P8t6nBKXRCki6Id8OD423g4Rv2svjKLIfKOAJuFdFSUUHSxzUoIuGqxZS9X6Y/s320/102510xx.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579957956623407314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90p7Ewt9WK3Hl7xSn8yI-NQ28tc2Qkc0I-BVrru4EO6UWoF9WDp3d9d399WkX9JBjdC1pW0QVRJ0fj9oDTHNenWo-XEcIet5IgA9ep4BLJSfs54j9ND6IxyLaW4gshcO-uK380yYtlTk/s1600/2010_11_swans.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90p7Ewt9WK3Hl7xSn8yI-NQ28tc2Qkc0I-BVrru4EO6UWoF9WDp3d9d399WkX9JBjdC1pW0QVRJ0fj9oDTHNenWo-XEcIet5IgA9ep4BLJSfs54j9ND6IxyLaW4gshcO-uK380yYtlTk/s320/2010_11_swans.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579957869505942210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJphKSwdKY3HdWPk6qSP1ilqq-6EY18nPioAPXOGKqau3Fay8V2-DgxS8ZQYLMd42vQfipPHDN_sKJAM-8UEcAXvyT8oqN-EtH2p3FdHhPdptxqZzqAMnRCFnvgs1x3gYEw9iPsgcJ7Q8/s1600/2010_11_xx1118.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJphKSwdKY3HdWPk6qSP1ilqq-6EY18nPioAPXOGKqau3Fay8V2-DgxS8ZQYLMd42vQfipPHDN_sKJAM-8UEcAXvyT8oqN-EtH2p3FdHhPdptxqZzqAMnRCFnvgs1x3gYEw9iPsgcJ7Q8/s320/2010_11_xx1118.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579957818015007122" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDhz9AeiTYfrRhyphenhyphenbokqeBWqm-2oxxvWruzrqurgzoh1Z0tDhYH1AdFbJ2L4kJZkA5aSevWk00W6xrTeQ4qvIIAuXFzMOPP4RCrw9nsFsCNdoXuKrYCLatTwlLMfkDMZ-YM_luWIDpUys/s1600/2010_10_ea1110.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDhz9AeiTYfrRhyphenhyphenbokqeBWqm-2oxxvWruzrqurgzoh1Z0tDhYH1AdFbJ2L4kJZkA5aSevWk00W6xrTeQ4qvIIAuXFzMOPP4RCrw9nsFsCNdoXuKrYCLatTwlLMfkDMZ-YM_luWIDpUys/s320/2010_10_ea1110.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579957769257010658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSjcpc6Zuhxcs6LeyaRfU-btytlB6Y3oLO3vHoawn2OPHpzMwkrCnJxEPLImKjyEUyqZJTHsZSfq1ixsMgh48ySKLnanPgYwtW0WtJonSOn58xfcDfZe5siVN0IdWpzlclqLCo2mD0yw/s1600/2010_08_ea0818.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSjcpc6Zuhxcs6LeyaRfU-btytlB6Y3oLO3vHoawn2OPHpzMwkrCnJxEPLImKjyEUyqZJTHsZSfq1ixsMgh48ySKLnanPgYwtW0WtJonSOn58xfcDfZe5siVN0IdWpzlclqLCo2mD0yw/s320/2010_08_ea0818.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579957709508475666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfhvBg1U2dXr2bmhAkhdBCrE6l9aTfB48i5C2uAdwSyGHSqtcDoI19LEsvBstkMikVDvT4NEqbKC7VRO2vbDHsCIx7hfp6dPL1Y2Z0ISGpdxR0IB3A5o5q0Wqcm6XbCr4ZnpS3sPMReM/s1600/2010_07_xx0706.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfhvBg1U2dXr2bmhAkhdBCrE6l9aTfB48i5C2uAdwSyGHSqtcDoI19LEsvBstkMikVDvT4NEqbKC7VRO2vbDHsCIx7hfp6dPL1Y2Z0ISGpdxR0IB3A5o5q0Wqcm6XbCr4ZnpS3sPMReM/s320/2010_07_xx0706.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579957599669349154" border="0" /></a>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-73346329188496410482011-02-17T11:42:00.006-05:002011-02-17T12:13:04.809-05:00Contact High<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWuU-SZAZ55f_mjSpwRdR0bxMm5AElcIifCE5ld4_KiK8n43_4MXeRanhCmMmJA09gfLY3mQJFWS-5vZq4PFfMqmPi4M8VqnBz9yH8j2Nb6PjeoTozYVN5KYzJ-rix093CHBsmSzSrIg/s1600/Architecture-in-Helsinki56169.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWuU-SZAZ55f_mjSpwRdR0bxMm5AElcIifCE5ld4_KiK8n43_4MXeRanhCmMmJA09gfLY3mQJFWS-5vZq4PFfMqmPi4M8VqnBz9yH8j2Nb6PjeoTozYVN5KYzJ-rix093CHBsmSzSrIg/s320/Architecture-in-Helsinki56169.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574705605792468802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Australian electro artists sure know how to spice up my morning. I just listened to Architecture in Helsinki's new <a href="http://stereogum.com/642201/architecture-in-helsinki-contact-high/mp3s/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+stereogum%2FcBYa+%28stereogum%29">song</a> "Contact High" and I spent the entire three minutes, thirty-eight seconds slightly dizzy. It starts off with an '80s-ish guttery synth grunt, and I'm like okay yeah, sweet. Then this Chromeo-ish voice comes in and I'm like aw no. And then some weird rolling drums ease in and I'm like uhhh. And THEN, the chorus comes in, a peppy, sparkly dance-inducer. And then the Chromeo-ish nonsense comes back in. And then what sounds like 46 different synth loops blast me in the face. At this point, I'm so intrigued and so nauseous, I feel like I'm riding a violent rollercoaster soaring through rainbows.<br /><br />I felt this way when Cut Copy came out with Bright like Neon Love (sadly, Zonoscope is doing NOTHING for me, btw) and when Empire with the Sun came out with "Walking on a Dream." I spend alternating moments loving the bright sparkliness of these Ozzie synths, and then being thrown into a spiral of confusion when they abruptly change the pacing with dirtier, darker beats/sounds. When all is said and done, I really do like this "experimental" music. It's fun, it's dancey and it's weird. Contact high indeed...rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-88703429041050336082011-02-10T16:26:00.001-05:002011-02-10T16:29:16.896-05:00A lil' Thursday literary/musical morbidity<span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">me</span>: i'm about to start my first virginia woolf</span></span><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric</span>: haha lemme know how that goes</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">me</span>: ever read her?</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"></span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric</span>: nope!</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span>can't say i have</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span>which one are u going to start with</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">me</span>: her first novel actually</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span>someone left it at work</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span>"the voyage out"</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"></span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric</span>: what's that about?</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">me</span>: i find it interesting (and a little morbid) to read someone's work, knowing she offed herself not that long after</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric</span>: haha</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span>kinda like listening to nirvana?</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">me</span>: yeahhh!</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric</span>: or elliot smith?</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">me</span>: good comparison</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span>all those</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"></span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric</span>: or hendrix?</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span>haha</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"></span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric</span>: i'm sure there have been others</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span>but ya, can't think of any off the top of my head</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"></span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">me</span>: did hemingway off himself?</span></span></div><div><span style="display: block; float: left; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);">1</span><span style="display: block; padding-left: 6em;"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric</span>: if u call drinking urself to death offing yourself</span></span></div>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-14602072779524072492011-01-28T14:39:00.001-05:002011-01-28T14:40:38.460-05:00The Children's Book<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWtn6Itd3T_jHzBYsfXLJiB9WZdHaiVBEUJ9kgcYO-qo9FuIBoQ1mT8LpzPQwMjBmIHFMq-zvhmyXQK-vuXSV-WC6fy_ZzuY1A_Sb5GIEmREhK22tSe6uBSiIfv7Kkyrosew6yKvIqns/s1600/51utndurdIL.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWtn6Itd3T_jHzBYsfXLJiB9WZdHaiVBEUJ9kgcYO-qo9FuIBoQ1mT8LpzPQwMjBmIHFMq-zvhmyXQK-vuXSV-WC6fy_ZzuY1A_Sb5GIEmREhK22tSe6uBSiIfv7Kkyrosew6yKvIqns/s320/51utndurdIL.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567324011904952594" border="0" /></a><br /><div class="reviewText mediumText description"> I think, at its heart, this novel is about the perils of being a dreamer. For those of this nature, it is far too easy to get caught up in your own thoughts, and thus, to ignore the damage you are enacting. The Children's Book focuses on the lives of the Wellwood family and their friends. In the late 19th century, they are immersed in the height of England's Fabian socialist movement. They believe in a society of free love, and a clean, simple livelihood enforced by literature, art and nature. Their children are brought up thus and the effects of such a bringing up have fierce and startling echoes down the line.<br /><br />It is an eminently rich book, peopled with various fascinating characters, both dreamers and pragmatics alike. Shot through with poetic and literary references, a deep reverence for the pottery art of the time and a keen understanding of the various political/social elements of the period before WWI, it is a book worthy of the Man Booker nomination. AS Byatt has a supreme knack for combining such disparate elements, winding them neatly throughout a book, to create an effect that causes both rumination, fascination and an intense desire to understand the characters on a deeper level.<br /><br />I, myself, am a dreamer. While reading, I've realized that dreamers and zealots have much in common. Both believe fiercely in a world that has yet to exist, and may never exist. It's the pragmatists, in the end, who, even through disaster and strife, have the gumption to keep on. But do they miss out on what it is to hope and dream? What it is to feel so absolutely impassioned by an idea? </div> <span id="ratingResults92139904"> </span>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-5802673967502464792011-01-03T11:57:00.009-05:002011-01-03T12:00:59.518-05:00NYC pictorial pt. XVII<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFepHDwjhwlh4PUOauljQ9l5nmT1Rwz0JA3GPAt8BpINwEfYW5zwf41tC5643R0DH6lQA1qk0JBVNmB8YlphD9kZQ87ugC-nOL57vOK9X_4jSS-myXpP_C8GDpS5A89UHO4Jd2vg7c3AI/s1600/2009_12_snow1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFepHDwjhwlh4PUOauljQ9l5nmT1Rwz0JA3GPAt8BpINwEfYW5zwf41tC5643R0DH6lQA1qk0JBVNmB8YlphD9kZQ87ugC-nOL57vOK9X_4jSS-myXpP_C8GDpS5A89UHO4Jd2vg7c3AI/s320/2009_12_snow1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558005722009319506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjl4DyeopoZVrjw_vHqkDrK2j4LWLA9Z8c35JzJ1VZyIkFFsTVxkNnFv2qlGGBqlCia579LfzW0i6iqIFGly0LmrceaQHIDRESLGMZW-9vG_IpaqMV-ksDXKcApgr7vxqHvewE9jvAMzA/s1600/2010_05_xx0519.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjl4DyeopoZVrjw_vHqkDrK2j4LWLA9Z8c35JzJ1VZyIkFFsTVxkNnFv2qlGGBqlCia579LfzW0i6iqIFGly0LmrceaQHIDRESLGMZW-9vG_IpaqMV-ksDXKcApgr7vxqHvewE9jvAMzA/s320/2010_05_xx0519.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558005654907560946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DA2n6_frfFU7A-ZrfNbuUOwRgJJ9Qujj6rgjYgw_3FnwSVjjghHOLYGAnwEOySlRju5ibX0LalDDo7vvpaLbmYIKXqp9836q-KP3Di3R6KlbX1-XJOvyCXWCzEqF3quAJSeXDMyEyJU/s1600/xx012010.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DA2n6_frfFU7A-ZrfNbuUOwRgJJ9Qujj6rgjYgw_3FnwSVjjghHOLYGAnwEOySlRju5ibX0LalDDo7vvpaLbmYIKXqp9836q-KP3Di3R6KlbX1-XJOvyCXWCzEqF3quAJSeXDMyEyJU/s320/xx012010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558005558139045362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiXbn_CZgwL3ZWMdk3o0Uc_vm6eflRF5hPsbt-8WeK35q46yMq6mxjDMc40yAWU6q29O_Hmg0q3KvensmVhIVDiCbYqY3DjOVSGqhdEYjv1__HlTERaDaTaNy_7IWvZKGDOxbUVqX8Rs/s1600/pabo102710.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiXbn_CZgwL3ZWMdk3o0Uc_vm6eflRF5hPsbt-8WeK35q46yMq6mxjDMc40yAWU6q29O_Hmg0q3KvensmVhIVDiCbYqY3DjOVSGqhdEYjv1__HlTERaDaTaNy_7IWvZKGDOxbUVqX8Rs/s320/pabo102710.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558005428588740402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVK2gGVp7kmFBsHdY857cr5ihkLxbyXZQNJzFXTvSEODEuRnAu_xV7QDPuLXWvxBFhwHqo39aQdE9n3Hjrk_-jY47aATvwo9zPy0RgsqCPren-OAguzHiqulARrobEXaGXL3_GXPPwPw/s1600/bowbridge0210.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVK2gGVp7kmFBsHdY857cr5ihkLxbyXZQNJzFXTvSEODEuRnAu_xV7QDPuLXWvxBFhwHqo39aQdE9n3Hjrk_-jY47aATvwo9zPy0RgsqCPren-OAguzHiqulARrobEXaGXL3_GXPPwPw/s320/bowbridge0210.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558005322669301810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUKzowSVYvuPPWR6BL3HmITJ8gtKHtfDaIabW8yblRUysh-aWvXwelIiRRgVLrRym37SyAUbE15PupPAx6-o3oarwnM5AzkSB892DBAbL4SQr_XBa1RRLRZl5qTCm1MwANXE7BB2ug9c/s1600/121810xx.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUKzowSVYvuPPWR6BL3HmITJ8gtKHtfDaIabW8yblRUysh-aWvXwelIiRRgVLrRym37SyAUbE15PupPAx6-o3oarwnM5AzkSB892DBAbL4SQr_XBa1RRLRZl5qTCm1MwANXE7BB2ug9c/s320/121810xx.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558005258921951474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUpwO9dtE4ZBzWgUx20LR_SsFZyv6kfNi7AHJHSLHBCGWzxv8TiqXtSHn_WvbAY2YCkqhH0ZzvDBhRIpQ0a6ZzxNYa20DsW5by2mnP_JC8tMa7IboVhPM7x0_sZ0eE-uwLIAxC9oQSgg/s1600/2010_04_ea0430.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUpwO9dtE4ZBzWgUx20LR_SsFZyv6kfNi7AHJHSLHBCGWzxv8TiqXtSHn_WvbAY2YCkqhH0ZzvDBhRIpQ0a6ZzxNYa20DsW5by2mnP_JC8tMa7IboVhPM7x0_sZ0eE-uwLIAxC9oQSgg/s320/2010_04_ea0430.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558005142317238114" border="0" /></a>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-42910749959066518742010-11-11T15:15:00.003-05:002010-11-11T15:17:11.426-05:00Let the Great World Spin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFrvLT1xPmLi_BMjRTjbM1IV8AHaCwpOQ68_WoOflaHgxNj6EIDJcyWkZEeq0p-39NaNs7xC65yjl_4ECb40s4CnvuhI3_Ujyh-msnKAW4bxFwgXov_ydU3KMWUX70SWvY9yk6HKTnoM/s1600/6989438.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFrvLT1xPmLi_BMjRTjbM1IV8AHaCwpOQ68_WoOflaHgxNj6EIDJcyWkZEeq0p-39NaNs7xC65yjl_4ECb40s4CnvuhI3_Ujyh-msnKAW4bxFwgXov_ydU3KMWUX70SWvY9yk6HKTnoM/s400/6989438.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538388759365123410" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview74508249" style="" class="reviewText">Column McCann is master evoker of the human spirit. I don't really think he's a storyteller, he's more of an analyst of emotion, and boy, does he do it well. In 1974, Phillipe Petit constructs a high wire strung between the two towers of the World Trade Center, and in the early morning hours, he proceeds to walk, dance and even lie down upon it. When questioned why, he said "when I see oranges, I want to juggle them. When I see towers, I want to walk between them." This event becomes the core center of the novel, as different characters, seemingly unconnected, live out their lives while this extraordinary event occurs.<br /><br />As McCann points out: New York isn't a city that wallows in the past. We don't build many monuments or cherish history the way older European cities do. What we revel in are flash-in-the-pan theatricals. Wild and effusive displays that compel people to marvel and think, "only in New York." To me, this is the most apt description of New York City that I've ever come across. Each of the characters, in their varied struggles, are trying to make more sense of their existences, but really, it's simply a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, balancing on the ever-tricky high wire of life. </span></span>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-84311118724476651372010-11-10T12:07:00.002-05:002010-11-10T12:09:24.418-05:00Sprawl II<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rH_7_XRfTMs?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rH_7_XRfTMs?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">'Cause on the surface the city lights shine</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">They're calling at me, come and find your kind</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sometimes I wonder if the world's so small</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Can we ever get away from the sprawl</span>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-12752558328511834422010-09-24T09:39:00.009-04:002010-09-24T09:44:03.275-04:00NYC pictorial pt. XVI<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5h7d5ZJMSfL3NSd9NpC3WGTEpThs0xTNMphMKYOX_Bg5zos1-3ytlfZGwrMJ0WwnNpMOg9qd9h7kMzJtUX_6euvb9FZQA_lffv4mW3DW2k2qn6EoCSr4qqH_KL7JxYDRmz_S6ShhvnY4/s1600/extrabox_verra.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5h7d5ZJMSfL3NSd9NpC3WGTEpThs0xTNMphMKYOX_Bg5zos1-3ytlfZGwrMJ0WwnNpMOg9qd9h7kMzJtUX_6euvb9FZQA_lffv4mW3DW2k2qn6EoCSr4qqH_KL7JxYDRmz_S6ShhvnY4/s320/extrabox_verra.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520475384490490946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnpuiIyQOKWLx_WHrmMhjZGJU4a49pIif-nMYCS3FSIlWvg5x6-VeTzLiNkL08iJ4FM1jD8fRA3Xg7YfNm75hPxj7qzzSpyHK-Tl4pDkRyDEFNPfIkFzOPwEhslKucGCxcGno3khYUDc/s1600/021810shadows.jpg"><img style="display: block; 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margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibc_w0GSoQpZpPU5AKJK5PedQSjlC12nOqsS-aP2HdEdeF09OfaCyWPRvi0BYR0vwPart1Z6Pu1dxR-NfmGk97LRxfd85JLzAIf1z7LnUFECY1LHQdhVeLgq1ur7Qlucmo-AD4puxxWiM/s320/2009_12_xx1217a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520474779422090802" border="0" /></a><div class="cssButtonOuter"><div class="cssButtonMiddle"><div class="cssButtonInner"><a xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><br /></a></div></div></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvlJ8Pq8U6UbY4daArB2vCneIUeI_TEQGO2rMkjsqC_zZQhlo2n9cjFJGAdDhcF9vxF5kRSlLd9RTtWSZlbkbtZ7RDsj0Ss1yfaeppSzfrX3o1lqqs5PNTnf3nFv203qnj0bcgMGyFZo/s1600/2009_10_xx1009.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvlJ8Pq8U6UbY4daArB2vCneIUeI_TEQGO2rMkjsqC_zZQhlo2n9cjFJGAdDhcF9vxF5kRSlLd9RTtWSZlbkbtZ7RDsj0Ss1yfaeppSzfrX3o1lqqs5PNTnf3nFv203qnj0bcgMGyFZo/s320/2009_10_xx1009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520474686564857106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXK1__oMZsP2eM36sjevYeHO4qusYLbd3xlPsJ29OHdLtklda_4ZjmOp6yLioz0L513O6ksNVPmqC9SJIW7sWixSBfd2WVBVoGuf8JWrKHiREwDPa_SVyksY_EFQdrmkz7Ur_0eb10Rk/s1600/2009_10_1015eab.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXK1__oMZsP2eM36sjevYeHO4qusYLbd3xlPsJ29OHdLtklda_4ZjmOp6yLioz0L513O6ksNVPmqC9SJIW7sWixSBfd2WVBVoGuf8JWrKHiREwDPa_SVyksY_EFQdrmkz7Ur_0eb10Rk/s320/2009_10_1015eab.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520474599861648034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCpDvVGC6NXnBRwt2pZ1VYdVpEjxcsEe7cOghXXCWDnsVCiPL97-iZAyPIX5WRhZ-h-wV6fRbmTg26xzAxvppEPEPsCCJkm-FbQGw9OCC9ZHuu2r6zWC4aoYFFGwVNpBmiDMlED1kScI/s1600/2009_09_ea0926.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCpDvVGC6NXnBRwt2pZ1VYdVpEjxcsEe7cOghXXCWDnsVCiPL97-iZAyPIX5WRhZ-h-wV6fRbmTg26xzAxvppEPEPsCCJkm-FbQGw9OCC9ZHuu2r6zWC4aoYFFGwVNpBmiDMlED1kScI/s320/2009_09_ea0926.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520474468607055826" border="0" /></a>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-47380829263076899072010-07-29T11:51:00.001-04:002010-07-29T11:52:49.239-04:00Kafka on the Shore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOWtrrMTFGtKGmxrqTBISNhvQRFM5yRX8csx8HeZ9IaImchVlAzhhC-Z398pZC1aaAczEjDyjWaiKzblEBTV0NfjaFlu7B-u9oKUvTauOnA_5IyXydHp6wpOVALoE6IlEPqawpB3A8U0/s1600/4929-1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOWtrrMTFGtKGmxrqTBISNhvQRFM5yRX8csx8HeZ9IaImchVlAzhhC-Z398pZC1aaAczEjDyjWaiKzblEBTV0NfjaFlu7B-u9oKUvTauOnA_5IyXydHp6wpOVALoE6IlEPqawpB3A8U0/s320/4929-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499356700138797266" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="userReview"><span id="freeTextreview109307185" style="" class="reviewText">"Inside our head...there's a little room where we store these memories. A room like the stacks in this library. And to understand the workings of our own heart we have to keep on making reference cards. We have to dust things off every once in awhile, let in fresh air, change the water in the flower vases. In other words, you'll live forever in your own private library."<br /><br />This last little bit of this eminently wonderful novel really opened my mind. I've spent so many of these past few months yearning to seclude myself, in effect, to live in a private library, that it didn't occur to me that seclusion of that sort can be unhealthy. If we let our minds root, following the same paths day in an day out, dwelling on the past, letting ideas and emotions grow stale, then we of course can't expect our lives to course-correct. Fate exists, yes, but it's in all of us to wrest our futures into our own making.<br /><br />This is what this book taught me, and for that, I am deeply indebted.</span></span>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-52495088304044595822010-07-20T10:04:00.000-04:002010-07-20T10:04:38.289-04:00Kele - Everything You Wanted (RAC Remix)<a href="http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Kele/track/Everything_You_Wanted_RAC_Remix?sms_ss=blogger">Kele - Everything You Wanted (RAC Remix)</a>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-75017027780569039882010-07-15T10:02:00.001-04:002010-07-15T10:02:39.050-04:00I write like...<!-- Begin I Write Like Badge --><br /><div style="overflow:auto;border:2px solid #ddd;font:20px/1.2 Arial,sans-serif;width:380px;padding:5px; background:#F7F7F7; color:#555"><img src="http://s.iwl.me/w.png" style="float:right" width="120" /><div style="padding:20px; border-bottom:1px solid #eee; text-shadow:#fff 0 1px"> I write like<br /><a href="http://iwl.me/w/b3a26720" style="font-size:30px;color:#698B22;text-decoration:none">Stephen King</a></div><p style="font-size:11px; text-align:center; color:#888"><em>I Write Like</em> by Mémoires, <a href="http://www.codingrobots.com/memoires/" style="color:#888">Mac journal software</a>. <a href="http://iwl.me" style="color:#333; background:#FFFFE0"><b>Analyze your writing!</b></a></p></div><br /><!-- End I Write Like Badge -->rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-36096366291066180062010-07-01T14:14:00.002-04:002010-07-01T14:16:31.151-04:00A Fine Balance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjn0e6l-I1FarV0DxzrOC9vv_wxekNO9ML5JIgoxv8YjcoVp7rpLF0SzQYRvws-fjgAz9okeVQBGMZuF2eMnmTtBM0ilFx5uPPP6JCo57roH74iqZa0hmU4ynRXVVarXfi6MSy1TR24_8/s1600/774157.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjn0e6l-I1FarV0DxzrOC9vv_wxekNO9ML5JIgoxv8YjcoVp7rpLF0SzQYRvws-fjgAz9okeVQBGMZuF2eMnmTtBM0ilFx5uPPP6JCo57roH74iqZa0hmU4ynRXVVarXfi6MSy1TR24_8/s320/774157.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489003320869856034" border="0" /></a><br /><span><span id="reviewTextContainer108434416" style=""><span id="freeTextreview108434416" style="" class="reviewText">In short, this is a novel that will break your heart. Doesn't sound very appealing, right? But maybe it isn't meant to be. Often life can be seen as a series of twists and turns - events that were perhaps fated to be and others that drop on you like bolts of lightning.<br /><br />A Fine Balance tells the tale of four people from varying backgrounds. Maneck is a student from the beautiful mountain region of India; a middle-class boy with a good heart and thin skin. Dina Dalal is in her 40s, living alone in a home made absent by the death of her husband twenty years prior. She is stubbornly independent and down to earth. To save her eyesight from going completely, she hires two tailors who journey from their remote village to work for her. From a lowly caste, this remarkably stalwart uncle and nephew team struggle to leave behind their torturous past to ascend the difficult caste ladder and make a better life for themselves. The four eventually all come to live under Dina's roof, which in turn provides a safe haven from the horrors of India in the 1970's.<br /><br />The year that follows is one of my deep happiness, despite hard work, money troubles and encroaching governmental practices. Mistry teaches us that the joys of friendship, humor and patience can keep even the most vicious wolves at bay.<br /><br />But inevitably, the happiness ends. And horror and sorrow encroach. And my heart is quite literally broken thinking of their respective fates.<br /><br />Beautiful beautiful beautiful but heart-wrenching book.</span></span></span>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-83222143285117750742010-06-24T15:37:00.002-04:002010-06-24T15:40:37.909-04:00The Chap - We Work in Bars<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tSt630WOOWo&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tSt630WOOWo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />this song is strangely catchyrowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-42874481238237218922010-05-26T14:17:00.002-04:002010-05-26T14:29:38.209-04:00Lost - The End<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S48PqocDOwRyeqn4k8qeVAsZ7F2Ksc4mYABG5gxi3CAM2cwI4iogV5GG1mO3KouWE_Uon6QVVZeQ3EqEwcTCFmrjDtcMYgDFhcLrMwbEoK27Zsw0WivybnNGB5MQFcZCTxk3DGAqK2A/s1600/lost-cast-wallpapers_13004_1280x800.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S48PqocDOwRyeqn4k8qeVAsZ7F2Ksc4mYABG5gxi3CAM2cwI4iogV5GG1mO3KouWE_Uon6QVVZeQ3EqEwcTCFmrjDtcMYgDFhcLrMwbEoK27Zsw0WivybnNGB5MQFcZCTxk3DGAqK2A/s400/lost-cast-wallpapers_13004_1280x800.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475647428765150994" border="0" /></a><br />I don't usually post on anything here besides book reviews, music videos and photos, buuuut the conclusion of Lost deserves a special post. All season, I've been writing a series of emails analyzing/ruminating on each episode. Here is the final email:<br /><br />The end of an era, everyone. I am devastated that this brilliant show is over. Seriously, I feel like I just went through a wrenching breakup. I was exhausted while watching the finale -- one moment gasping, another laughing, but most of all sobbing like a baby (really not kidding. Just about every two seconds, my eyes welled up). I honestly believe that the writers did a truly wonderful job of tying together many of the loose ends. Yes, many questions will remain unanswered, but the truths that were important were the ones that were revealed to us.<br /><br />Here are a few of the best lines of the finale, many of which pointed to the final "twist" of the series, and many of which were simply great:<br /><br />"Nothing is irreversible" -- Kate to Jack. The same words Jack says to Locke before he fixes him.<br /><br />"I'll see you on the other side" Jack says to Locke before going into surgery<br /><br />"That's a hell of a long con, Doc" -- Sawyer says to Jack. In many ways, the entire alt timeline/sideways world is a bit of a long con, for us, the viewers :)<br /><br />"You can't let other people tell you who you are. You have to decide for yourself" -- Hurley to Sayid.<br /><br />"You disrespect his memory by wearing his face" -- Jack to Not Locke<br /><br />"I don't believe in a lot of things, but I do believe in duct tape" -- Miles<br /><br />"DON'T BOTHER ME!!" -- Lapidus to basically everyone<br /><br />"It worked" -- Juliet to Sawyer<br /><br />"Everything that's ever happened to you is real." -- Christian to Jack<br /><br /><b>Final thoughts: </b><br /><br />I don't believe many of the big questions need to be answered. (i.e., why can't women stay pregnant on the island, what was the point of the dharma initiative, why/how was Walt "special," why there were Egyptian symbols all over the island) This show doesn't need to answer everything. Many of these concepts can be attributed to the enigma that is the island. Sure, some people want a clear-cut answer, but I'm not one of them. The whole point is that this show was based purely on the show creators' mythology.<br /><br />It took me a moment to figure out Desmond's purpose on the island. Because of his ability to withstand intense amounts of electromagnetism, he was able to wade to the center of cave, and literally uncork the light, thus initiating the destruction of the island, and more importantly, making Not Locke human.<br /><br />Hurley is the final candidate! Really didn't see that one coming. And in a way, it makes perfect sense. Hurley, with his all-encompassing love, his good nature, his big heart. And Ben as his "number two." Brilliant. Ben is the steel, the brains, the loyalty.<br /><br />We are left to wonder at the future of those that were able to escape the island -- namely, Kate, Claire, Sawyer, Lapidus, Miles and Richard. And we are also left wondering how long Hurley remained the candidate, who was elected afterward and what Ben and Desmond did on the island for the rest of their lives. To be truthful, I like not knowing. Their futures are ones that we, the audience can imagine on our own.<br /><br />Many of the "flashes" they all experienced were really quite beautiful to watch. (Okay fine, some were over-the-top cheese). But, in a way, each "flash" was a tribute to the years we have spent with these characters, watching them grow with one another.<br /><br />I believe that Jack was the hardest to get to "flash" because of his nature. Simply put, the strength of his own convictions got in the way, just like on the island. He can be so pigheadedly stubborn, but once he is convinced of his path, he is able to let go with a perfectly clear conscience. I thought it was particularly poignant that the room where he reconnects with his father, Christian, contained all the religious <a href="http://getlostpodcast.iimmgg.com/image/ac54fdc055f8200ade6616ee80ecec91">symbols</a> of the world.<br /><br />Jack dying in the original spot that he woke up in was a stroke of genius. And Vincent!! Seeing that perpetually happy dog settle down next to Jack as he was dying just about broke my heart. I'm sure the dog gave Jack a measure of <a href="http://spoilertv.iimmgg.com/image/c37403b612a0a40cb2e4ff7388d0b43d">comfort</a>, as did the sight of the Ajira plane taking off.<br /> <br />The end of this show was a work of art. It was a truly beautiful concept -- the fact that these people, their love for one another, was so strong that they created a "world" where they could all be together; a kind of metaphysical stopgap between living and death. Yes, whatever happened happened and yes, they all died in the original timeline, whether it was on the island, or some time in the future off the island. Yet they came to this place in the end to find one another, to reconnect, to experience the sheer joy of What Could Have Been. Not everyone is there. Some are ready to move on, while others need to bide their time. In the end, they gave themselves the opportunity to just <u>be together</u>. Lost is truly an inimitable study of human nature, of the ties that bind us all.<br /><br />Lastly, a very large part of the reason why I loved this show so much was the escapism factor. To me, escapism is a way to imagine a world so foreign to us, that it requires a true leap of faith to believe in it. I <u>believed</u> in this show, in this world, in these characters. It took me to a place I couldn't ever have dreamed of myself. Thanks, guys, for letting me share my long-winded and often ridiculous thoughts on this show. It's been a great ride.rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-26562328482707530182010-04-26T12:14:00.009-04:002010-04-26T12:18:56.513-04:00NYC pictorial pt. XV - pets edition pt. III<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rCWxtEfplbJcgoznwxnmpNerTFPkKqrjpdZK0v39JBqlfURkmyDcn663jlDr9TgnnBwspZFBiUtTa1hehU0KyndQiL4cyDc7qDsoyMsLnz-QLJNy8VJi_8GshVkTXB16jPAc9iL0HnQ/s1600/kesnersterdog0703.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rCWxtEfplbJcgoznwxnmpNerTFPkKqrjpdZK0v39JBqlfURkmyDcn663jlDr9TgnnBwspZFBiUtTa1hehU0KyndQiL4cyDc7qDsoyMsLnz-QLJNy8VJi_8GshVkTXB16jPAc9iL0HnQ/s320/kesnersterdog0703.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464481127391734674" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT05jcOPEHhSbSlwmBBw3J9Do2XT048djjPBMl1CqdEmkU_vk3Rhyphenhyphen5KVb_70K5R2CteQJrWLFNO-nJP2o1rZX-Jb5x525lq6pAnGu_0Ec7lRinP4xZ6BAu5P12ARwvUttLUjU24AGow0/s1600/2010_04_bullmarket.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT05jcOPEHhSbSlwmBBw3J9Do2XT048djjPBMl1CqdEmkU_vk3Rhyphenhyphen5KVb_70K5R2CteQJrWLFNO-nJP2o1rZX-Jb5x525lq6pAnGu_0Ec7lRinP4xZ6BAu5P12ARwvUttLUjU24AGow0/s320/2010_04_bullmarket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464481069197842994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7B2c4B1JmWMqVgY5PbHQRgT-_70HxvCDa5SWt8eUIrW4TwZdH38B7jfeNDtYRFiSlBHWrsX8yRCPShOsL72XMbNl79hALb7cy6JcVwcyyj2BrDWZca-QyXI3aykGoKtgfu_Cp99oaME8/s1600/2009_10_ea1022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7B2c4B1JmWMqVgY5PbHQRgT-_70HxvCDa5SWt8eUIrW4TwZdH38B7jfeNDtYRFiSlBHWrsX8yRCPShOsL72XMbNl79hALb7cy6JcVwcyyj2BrDWZca-QyXI3aykGoKtgfu_Cp99oaME8/s320/2009_10_ea1022.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464480918365680722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpg-fyhkdXkxfjZ33-y0fIsLivpjbjwKYqabQXWgxkCW2mkPQ5cVfEj_vsWADgm7cFn7XMeggWnyzQ25u-lKNDxr3tWJdfd0FC28drxby3wVudaPTiRPOn6G4Il-RlaF_gxB0fGt4gj8E/s1600/2009_10_ea1005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpg-fyhkdXkxfjZ33-y0fIsLivpjbjwKYqabQXWgxkCW2mkPQ5cVfEj_vsWADgm7cFn7XMeggWnyzQ25u-lKNDxr3tWJdfd0FC28drxby3wVudaPTiRPOn6G4Il-RlaF_gxB0fGt4gj8E/s320/2009_10_ea1005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464480841511619010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRX2yScBWJzEt9a0qpngO1DmQEhqYecLaOL5L2HTz9-RNap4M5B4DSthVytCXhQQ_m0r2MMh-fCMKi7QUZlMGvD0JGd9sVPTJAkR68QvWPwhN_dsxuKyjcw15-wpDhH1I1AuyfiloAnjE/s1600/2009_09_ea0908.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRX2yScBWJzEt9a0qpngO1DmQEhqYecLaOL5L2HTz9-RNap4M5B4DSthVytCXhQQ_m0r2MMh-fCMKi7QUZlMGvD0JGd9sVPTJAkR68QvWPwhN_dsxuKyjcw15-wpDhH1I1AuyfiloAnjE/s320/2009_09_ea0908.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464480746952613218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrhGpeXjVr3Zk0W8Vz0Hk4DiVb3JiHlyJ1zNfEduinLlZ3Uk3NlVdU62MwQm7G-LqkSqGd_7Mi_rDjE-kJLQBQ12rzF1Qkw3nj8hl00cc16wA1z0VZXcVx26MIK4ULWwxnt-PXY9qxP4/s1600/2009_08_ea0816.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrhGpeXjVr3Zk0W8Vz0Hk4DiVb3JiHlyJ1zNfEduinLlZ3Uk3NlVdU62MwQm7G-LqkSqGd_7Mi_rDjE-kJLQBQ12rzF1Qkw3nj8hl00cc16wA1z0VZXcVx26MIK4ULWwxnt-PXY9qxP4/s320/2009_08_ea0816.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464480684378329954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguV6-RIdkJsIxW65PM4HMsM9bY2f641DAonY5iMmle5zSLu9hth6ktoJzbxpEjvNl3dwPHhOniQAfTn9oyjnQL59MjvHOLiUm7Razg0gRGo8a4iAUezXY8wuX9-AGFrKe5GnHpNfcb3YE/s1600/2009_06_ea0607.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguV6-RIdkJsIxW65PM4HMsM9bY2f641DAonY5iMmle5zSLu9hth6ktoJzbxpEjvNl3dwPHhOniQAfTn9oyjnQL59MjvHOLiUm7Razg0gRGo8a4iAUezXY8wuX9-AGFrKe5GnHpNfcb3YE/s320/2009_06_ea0607.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464480627719565106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TAbJesW049iqkLg1UD_jCqhsQW3b9d_uEKjPQfFgWBlmElZmsuBzwtTrZsAP2yXaYnrOp0-KYQr7z9gZIxaYmUBQhTD7PAOxSZMklswRPVJoVuTXONrVvgb6hqeqsBvfKrLxUHZh-VM/s1600/2009_07_ea0710.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TAbJesW049iqkLg1UD_jCqhsQW3b9d_uEKjPQfFgWBlmElZmsuBzwtTrZsAP2yXaYnrOp0-KYQr7z9gZIxaYmUBQhTD7PAOxSZMklswRPVJoVuTXONrVvgb6hqeqsBvfKrLxUHZh-VM/s320/2009_07_ea0710.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464480552844802146" border="0" /></a>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-62050012615428106312010-04-20T10:04:00.001-04:002010-04-20T10:05:54.449-04:00The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB7f8XxLO-OfzTTsrWLMs4VYa6YVp4hqOb0WIGk501VmNhPJz9DzkF1_US8ldV09MbO1m3e6vu-r95DNzOB5EWxs3bfgIhuWoVlRMm4nbS_5-sGNL2bz1b-f36lH1HjEkd940zPPNVrg/s1600/41qUaTufNXL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdB7f8XxLO-OfzTTsrWLMs4VYa6YVp4hqOb0WIGk501VmNhPJz9DzkF1_US8ldV09MbO1m3e6vu-r95DNzOB5EWxs3bfgIhuWoVlRMm4nbS_5-sGNL2bz1b-f36lH1HjEkd940zPPNVrg/s320/41qUaTufNXL.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462220562677880866" border="0" /></a><br /><span class=""><span id="reviewTextContainer26017361" style=""><span id="freeTextreview26017361" style="" class="reviewText">Oscar's family suffers from a serious case of fuku, a traditional Dominican term for bad luck. Like the shit-out-of, you're absolutely screwed, may as well write your will kind of bad luck. This extraordinary novel jumps from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey, gliding effortlessly across time, in a raw and honest portrayal of one family's fight against fate.<br /><br />To be honest, I wasn't sure what to make of this book after the first page. Then, the language sucked me in. Diaz has managed to write with literary prowess while instilling an earthy conversational appeal. His Lord of the Rings and Encyclopedia Brown references alone had me giddy with joy. His frequent use of Spanish, nerdology and modern-day lingo makes for a heady mix of wordskill that I couldn't get enough of.<br /><br />And what a story! I felt for poor, fat Oscar and his lovesick earnestness, sympathized with Lola's plight, marveled at Beli's extraordinary childhood. Diaz tied together the story's elements in a truly unique way, and ended the tale intelligently; that is, to say, realistically.</span></span></span>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-32046974312744766852010-03-19T14:47:00.001-04:002010-03-19T14:48:41.573-04:00I Know<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YiwZnhcA7hI&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YiwZnhcA7hI&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />the swirly summery strings in the intro match today's weather perfectlyrowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-67242674354340151872010-03-10T10:51:00.010-05:002010-03-10T10:55:44.432-05:00NYC pictorial pt. XIV<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjMAiah8hqy0_AyGIJ2OK0J_pDvdoYzdbEOtwbUlOgHkp5mmgkEEuyWnYVM-BCn3p5QSphgfraUIspooIqn-CdUUA9mD8SQhle8vTfwpTE0hcIOPOaqwkYlkVAPvvsYiH7LPPqk_qTNQ/s1600-h/2009_12_subway1217.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjMAiah8hqy0_AyGIJ2OK0J_pDvdoYzdbEOtwbUlOgHkp5mmgkEEuyWnYVM-BCn3p5QSphgfraUIspooIqn-CdUUA9mD8SQhle8vTfwpTE0hcIOPOaqwkYlkVAPvvsYiH7LPPqk_qTNQ/s320/2009_12_subway1217.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447034344193054962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaBKzy-1frIskYpFsCcr0WOtTw8oTUrfgDFoPp3o7goZfxN_T33MbBm6hRtgN9Qd67QJT0Ozc7yTrVD9guVch8kDCGaWfys_PJgopqdzqbGX1FE0zTho_mGEV2egUgHN6Qs94EUIpRQw/s1600-h/2009_12_xx1226.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcaBKzy-1frIskYpFsCcr0WOtTw8oTUrfgDFoPp3o7goZfxN_T33MbBm6hRtgN9Qd67QJT0Ozc7yTrVD9guVch8kDCGaWfys_PJgopqdzqbGX1FE0zTho_mGEV2egUgHN6Qs94EUIpRQw/s320/2009_12_xx1226.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447034162455674066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUC1ywxgZrtOoPknIrnM5G71yZo7TiEBLbR5_r11bkN8mSf2n7i4cVsLI48Nz9dm3DBm7EquYiZOuikBBKrIsWHlveMirt46lJm2SXiQ38N_63-MYpmaOPt8dq7J-rYLreCCL1N11Stc/s1600-h/2009_09_ea0920.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYUC1ywxgZrtOoPknIrnM5G71yZo7TiEBLbR5_r11bkN8mSf2n7i4cVsLI48Nz9dm3DBm7EquYiZOuikBBKrIsWHlveMirt46lJm2SXiQ38N_63-MYpmaOPt8dq7J-rYLreCCL1N11Stc/s320/2009_09_ea0920.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447034034313723858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfHZCZMT5CrEeppW8ON-dKrLsUk1-fSLmyPX4XResWKk_dphTWCsRj574dCx_D7iN1nFmw5GzHMmbo23pMVCTKXWK_jsB0aT67Y0Z5oDkKNGoefh_xj0giffmtXlRvRielaiDfcekNQw/s1600-h/2009_09_xx0903.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfHZCZMT5CrEeppW8ON-dKrLsUk1-fSLmyPX4XResWKk_dphTWCsRj574dCx_D7iN1nFmw5GzHMmbo23pMVCTKXWK_jsB0aT67Y0Z5oDkKNGoefh_xj0giffmtXlRvRielaiDfcekNQw/s320/2009_09_xx0903.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447033963047893186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwfnIuqh8QwLoJI5T3VBJNOEb2gbosUKsqjtqkOBGQEn24YBQsSu1vXXZk5K83dd5j3ActoDwS8iPspzSEJL-haZ5yrXngplCPHzyyz9JrYOaqO7Zvs2ks1M4icveua6JS_ovluWKA44/s1600-h/EAPIC0210.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwfnIuqh8QwLoJI5T3VBJNOEb2gbosUKsqjtqkOBGQEn24YBQsSu1vXXZk5K83dd5j3ActoDwS8iPspzSEJL-haZ5yrXngplCPHzyyz9JrYOaqO7Zvs2ks1M4icveua6JS_ovluWKA44/s320/EAPIC0210.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447033878289446690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQD9XlA6r4V0rqYI6MhcehsBVRHkLvbxEtBZukDGnleHWY7vb5BgNqs32c5h2ugo22YJn2SsIvYyQ21FARG6BdU1Kv7feNpqPNSwXK28GwjfFsV0lZxQlcO9tgznwju2rzOOBSXDqhfyE/s1600-h/2009_09_xx0915.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQD9XlA6r4V0rqYI6MhcehsBVRHkLvbxEtBZukDGnleHWY7vb5BgNqs32c5h2ugo22YJn2SsIvYyQ21FARG6BdU1Kv7feNpqPNSwXK28GwjfFsV0lZxQlcO9tgznwju2rzOOBSXDqhfyE/s320/2009_09_xx0915.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447033737159010866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxytCLS8UcBKAp6vkTqt4yXM2nrf8BtibdGuD_FTwtaBvfqJ_i4HeJi9FOwlteSd87GZ1A76v2_PR0tZYTbORQLtgvXjcwPOURlSYvgxP3V2sTzb-fTB0jnbplcsvcEl31Idt58ujb6UU/s1600-h/2009_09_ea0928.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxytCLS8UcBKAp6vkTqt4yXM2nrf8BtibdGuD_FTwtaBvfqJ_i4HeJi9FOwlteSd87GZ1A76v2_PR0tZYTbORQLtgvXjcwPOURlSYvgxP3V2sTzb-fTB0jnbplcsvcEl31Idt58ujb6UU/s320/2009_09_ea0928.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447033651332467138" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7y92GcQe2pJjE2EAa5jRIfpR3M3fBzEhKDdeiQA7mQ-Xa5N4NaOtPZfQwzuBSXRFW2lCZ38AWRLEj9tthnk_yYz5lxA6QkfSP8rheDrQ1ccYh5SqkkoIxo7TQL17jvYJqM7jDM3Mjqw/s1600-h/2009_08_storm13.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI7y92GcQe2pJjE2EAa5jRIfpR3M3fBzEhKDdeiQA7mQ-Xa5N4NaOtPZfQwzuBSXRFW2lCZ38AWRLEj9tthnk_yYz5lxA6QkfSP8rheDrQ1ccYh5SqkkoIxo7TQL17jvYJqM7jDM3Mjqw/s320/2009_08_storm13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447033592220215570" border="0" /></a>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-48572580951455760012010-03-08T14:11:00.002-05:002010-03-08T14:14:11.251-05:00A Widow for One Year<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhqbQSHptty9VYiy-PRp_a8adbQUdSyJUQ_VxoUbGTbOoBrt2PoZRFkxHQigc_JqAau2aZ3wbUM4cIPn2zz2xCTUzSxWFX95mdBgO6KEBYm02x8U0yrtYU6Ru3vTk9XDCdvnF6TuvDZk/s1600-h/1677046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhqbQSHptty9VYiy-PRp_a8adbQUdSyJUQ_VxoUbGTbOoBrt2PoZRFkxHQigc_JqAau2aZ3wbUM4cIPn2zz2xCTUzSxWFX95mdBgO6KEBYm02x8U0yrtYU6Ru3vTk9XDCdvnF6TuvDZk/s320/1677046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446343412394225730" border="0" /></a><br /><span class=""><span id="reviewTextContainer92105915" style=""><span id="freeTextreview92105915" style="" class="reviewText">A Widow for One year is divided into two sections. The first depicts a watershed summer in the year of 1958. Ted and Marion Cole are grieving over the horrific deaths of their two teenage sons, whose presence is saturated in the sad household in the form of dozens of photographs. Their daughter, little 4-year-old Ruth Cole grows up surrounded by these memories, ignored by her mother and only mildly cared for by her absent, extramarital affair-loving author of a father. Enter Eddie O'Hare, who Ted hires as a writer's assistant. In this one summer, in the idyllic Long Island summer setting, a somewhat astonishing connection is forged between these four characters.<br />The second section portrays Ruth at 36 years of age. She is a successful writer and is about to be reconnected to that landmark summer in a series of often inconceivable situations.<br /><br />I first read this book when I was about 19 or 20 years old. I enjoyed it then but categorized it with the other John Irvings I found to be "good, but not great." Boy, was I wrong. This is truly an extraordinary piece of written work. The detail in the storyline, the unerring connections that the fortunate reader can piece together, the heart, the soul, the symbolism, the humor, the tragedy. Just stunning. I think one of the most important messages this novel conveys is that what or who affects you as a child, can in turn affect the choices you make for yourself for the rest of your life. Sure, it may not be true of everyone, but I think it is so for most people. Irving expresses this in an exquisitely understated manner. And for that, I cherish him as one of my favorite writers of all time.</span></span></span>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-21202042152065112292010-02-09T17:04:00.001-05:002010-02-09T17:04:24.057-05:00Heartbeats<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VrjwqXwyzNU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VrjwqXwyzNU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-88501696683373939782010-02-01T09:47:00.003-05:002010-02-01T10:14:43.272-05:00Lost Fan QuestionnaireThanks to fellow blogger and avid Lost fan <a href="http://nikkistafford.blogspot.com/">Nik at Nite</a>, I have something to do while my nerves gradually fray waiting for the premiere. TOMORROW, 9PM WILL BE THE GREATEST MOMENT EVARRRR.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">1. What country are you from?</span><br />USA! USA!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2. Have you been watching right from the beginning or did you catch up quickly on DVD? If the latter, what season did you start watching it live?</span><br />I didn't watch from the beginning. I downloaded the first season from Kazaa (oh, those were the days) and proceeded to neither sleep, eat, nor shower for the following two weeks. I started watching the show live when the second season began.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3. What is it about Lost that drew you in in the first place?</span><br />That it DIDN'T answer any questions right away. That it assumed that the viewers had higher than average intelligence. That it was unlike any other show to air on TV.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">4. What do you think is the funniest moment on Lost?</span><br />When Hurley threw the burrito at Ben. I think I choked on my (Dharma) beer and it almost came out my nose.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">5. What was the saddest moment for you?</span><br />Hmm, tie between when Charlie died and when Sun thinks Jin died in the explosion.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">6. Who is your favourite character (if you have one) and why?</span><br />Sayid: because he is effortlessly polite, level-headed and intuitive. AND OH SO SEXY.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">7. What, if any, do you think has been the biggest misstep the writers have made on the show?</span><br />Adding "new" characters in later seasons who were presumably "always there," ie: Nikki, Paulo, Frogurt.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">8. What is your favourite storyline to follow?</span><br />I love it ALL - okay except maybe for the cheesier "love tangle" plotlines.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">9. What is your least favourite storyline?</span><br />See above<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">10. What other shows do you watch right now?</span><br />Fringe, CSI (only Las Vegas, the others are rubbish) Damages, Archer<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">11. What are your all-time favourite shows?</span><br />uh, Lost. The X-Files, Mad Men, South Park<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">12. What is the biggest question you want answered on Lost in season 6?</span><br />How did they come up with the exact numbers??<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">13. Do you have a theory on how Lost is going to end?</span><br />To be honest? No. I have a lot of theories about how the final season will begin, but I haven't a clue how the Lost team is going to wrap this all up.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">14. It’s been said the season will end on one single image. What do you think that image will be?</span><br />The island.<br /><br />1<span style="font-style: italic;">5. What’s your favourite thing about the Lost fan community?</span><br />How much we all love to theorize. I mean, a single show got millions of people across the world to actually USE their brains, instead of mindlessly sitting on their couches, gaping at the screen.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">16. What do you plan to do when it’s all over?</span><br />Cry for weeks. Mourn. Tattoo myself with the numbers.rowenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18317973704791580366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756923956771563699.post-44482002264280161512010-01-21T15:56:00.009-05:002010-01-21T16:02:49.492-05:00NYC pictorial pt. 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