Wednesday, February 22, 2006
autobiography of santa clause, ..., santa who?
Going through Christmas book batches.
Having seen "Polar Express" on a plane back from New Zealand, "Autobiography of Santa Clause" seem somewhat appealing.
I think I'm shipping it off to someone else, or to local library for donation.
I'm not sure how this made to bestseller list.
I'd believe it if the book was renamed to "Autobiography of Donald Trump".
The beginning was somewhat appealing, how the writer/editor is visited by one of the santa's helping elves and all. Once St.Nicholas begins his narration, however, it sounds like self-selling brag.
Maybe historical background is the most appealing aspect of the book, but that, too, I may not absorb all that much. Good or bad, a book must be read in order to deliver messages and information. I stopped reading it half-way, and am not sure if I'll ever pick it up again.
Maybe it's just matter of taste. Afterall, it did make to bestseller list, as Amazon advertised. Anyone want a donation of a bestseller book?
Having seen "Polar Express" on a plane back from New Zealand, "Autobiography of Santa Clause" seem somewhat appealing.
I think I'm shipping it off to someone else, or to local library for donation.
I'm not sure how this made to bestseller list.
I'd believe it if the book was renamed to "Autobiography of Donald Trump".
The beginning was somewhat appealing, how the writer/editor is visited by one of the santa's helping elves and all. Once St.Nicholas begins his narration, however, it sounds like self-selling brag.
Maybe historical background is the most appealing aspect of the book, but that, too, I may not absorb all that much. Good or bad, a book must be read in order to deliver messages and information. I stopped reading it half-way, and am not sure if I'll ever pick it up again.
Maybe it's just matter of taste. Afterall, it did make to bestseller list, as Amazon advertised. Anyone want a donation of a bestseller book?
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Ya-Ya in bloom -- a good read for Spring
With so many new movies pouring out everyday, movie buffs may vaguely remember "Divine Secret of Ya-ya sisterhood", but then again may not. Well, hopefully at least female book groups, sipping coffee at local cafe or sipping wine at some quiet wine bar, may still remember the book they loved so much it became national best seller, which in turn became a well loved movie.
It's one of few movie I was able to convince both my mother and sister to go see with me, so it's something dear to me. Story of a mother-and-daughter fallout and bonding, seen by a mother and two grown daughter, it couldn't have been a better selection. We also selected an old styled graceful theatre with classical interior, and as we saw it well a month after the movie was released it was nice, quiet and comfortable.
My sister liked the movie enough to get the book, which in turn I read it as well.
I tend to read books laying around in the house that seem somewhat interesting.
The book was quiet insightful in human nature, interaction between friends, mother-and-daughter, and insightful of emotional difficulty a young woman faces growing up as a southern belle, becoming a mother in 60s, and embracing her old self.
The book was quiet fixed on this heroine called Vivian Walker, better known as Vivi.
I think the characters were pretty well picked, as the book was well translated into movie, and neither would interfere commanding audience(viewership or readership) of the other, yet it was intriguing enough to leave the audience with questions and be mesmerized with each individuals in the movie.
Well, when I was told that the author wrote a several books with same characters, to dwell different stages of life, with perspective of different characters, it was interesting. I'd let my sister buy another book, and read? Well, it didn't happen before she moved, and I happen to get amazon.com giftcard; while surfing amazon.com site, I saw this 'Ya-Ya in bloom' on bargain.
I was hoping it was about Vivi's early childhood, as I was wondering how difficult it was for Vivi that made her this somewhat insane primadonna, living with self-righteous father with belt to discipline children and devoted catholic mother who's viewed as unhappy and jealous of her own daughter.
Is it possible parents are more poisonous to children than actual toxics at times? Or was it just genuine mismatch of personalities that if two grown adults were stuck with they would easily seek a divorce and moved on?
Anyways, it turned out 'Ya-Ya in bloom' is that and it isn't. It's focus is to visit chapters of their lives, as recollection of Vivi after her reconsilation with Sida, her eldest daughter.
It briefly covers how Vivi and her three friends met, and also briefly covers how each of her kids lives were and her own in happy times of their young childhood. And, the book finishes with more recent incidents with focus on Vivi's grandchildren and an incident where one of her grandchild is kidnapped, and how the whole clan reacted and coped with.
It seems Vivi's husband Jim Walker still remains in the dark. Why would she marry him, why would he marry her? Why would they stay married throughout her crazy times, throughout his absentness as a father that would drive her even more crazy?
His involvement in the plot remains quiet a mystery to me. Hopefully there'll be yet another book with more emphasis on Buggy, Vivi's mother, and Jim?
The book is cute in writing styles and character the author choose to depict for each chapter.
It's a good commute read for me, and I might look up that other book with Ya-ya saga, and may lookup the DVD that should lie around somewhere once again.
A nice heart-warming read...
It's one of few movie I was able to convince both my mother and sister to go see with me, so it's something dear to me. Story of a mother-and-daughter fallout and bonding, seen by a mother and two grown daughter, it couldn't have been a better selection. We also selected an old styled graceful theatre with classical interior, and as we saw it well a month after the movie was released it was nice, quiet and comfortable.
My sister liked the movie enough to get the book, which in turn I read it as well.
I tend to read books laying around in the house that seem somewhat interesting.
The book was quiet insightful in human nature, interaction between friends, mother-and-daughter, and insightful of emotional difficulty a young woman faces growing up as a southern belle, becoming a mother in 60s, and embracing her old self.
The book was quiet fixed on this heroine called Vivian Walker, better known as Vivi.
I think the characters were pretty well picked, as the book was well translated into movie, and neither would interfere commanding audience(viewership or readership) of the other, yet it was intriguing enough to leave the audience with questions and be mesmerized with each individuals in the movie.
Well, when I was told that the author wrote a several books with same characters, to dwell different stages of life, with perspective of different characters, it was interesting. I'd let my sister buy another book, and read? Well, it didn't happen before she moved, and I happen to get amazon.com giftcard; while surfing amazon.com site, I saw this 'Ya-Ya in bloom' on bargain.
I was hoping it was about Vivi's early childhood, as I was wondering how difficult it was for Vivi that made her this somewhat insane primadonna, living with self-righteous father with belt to discipline children and devoted catholic mother who's viewed as unhappy and jealous of her own daughter.
Is it possible parents are more poisonous to children than actual toxics at times? Or was it just genuine mismatch of personalities that if two grown adults were stuck with they would easily seek a divorce and moved on?
Anyways, it turned out 'Ya-Ya in bloom' is that and it isn't. It's focus is to visit chapters of their lives, as recollection of Vivi after her reconsilation with Sida, her eldest daughter.
It briefly covers how Vivi and her three friends met, and also briefly covers how each of her kids lives were and her own in happy times of their young childhood. And, the book finishes with more recent incidents with focus on Vivi's grandchildren and an incident where one of her grandchild is kidnapped, and how the whole clan reacted and coped with.
It seems Vivi's husband Jim Walker still remains in the dark. Why would she marry him, why would he marry her? Why would they stay married throughout her crazy times, throughout his absentness as a father that would drive her even more crazy?
His involvement in the plot remains quiet a mystery to me. Hopefully there'll be yet another book with more emphasis on Buggy, Vivi's mother, and Jim?
The book is cute in writing styles and character the author choose to depict for each chapter.
It's a good commute read for me, and I might look up that other book with Ya-ya saga, and may lookup the DVD that should lie around somewhere once again.
A nice heart-warming read...
Living History -- autobiography of Hillary Clinton
bruce's giftcard at amazon is the reason i got to know this book.
done about 1/2 way so far, and it's a bit interesting.
that how i do judge a book by cover, i mean figuratively.
still not the biggest fan yet, but ...
tho personal touch nor sense of reality seem lacking, Hillary's book does narate some of things completely unavailable to me prior to the book, her childhood stories and what'd be so called her perspective in things.
a few things hard to accept at face value are:
that she was persued so by Bill Clinton the way she claims so
and that it was Bill Clinton's idea that she persues universal health plan and not her own.
it's a long, detailed book with many names mentioned, many events narrated, and she does try to offer her own insights, if indded hers and not a write-aide's.
her description of white house life, especially in comparison to George Bush the seniors', is rather interesting.
When both Bill & Hillary are alive, and her serving the state of NY, and that there are constant rumor of her returning to white house this time as president, it indeed is living history; a thought still rather foreign to me.
Anyways, though acquisitioned rather per chance than by intent, I would recommand any one living in the states in 21st century to peep at this; not so much to boost Hillary's campaign fund, feel free to buy 2nd hand or utilize local library, heehee ^^
done about 1/2 way so far, and it's a bit interesting.
that how i do judge a book by cover, i mean figuratively.
still not the biggest fan yet, but ...
tho personal touch nor sense of reality seem lacking, Hillary's book does narate some of things completely unavailable to me prior to the book, her childhood stories and what'd be so called her perspective in things.
a few things hard to accept at face value are:
that she was persued so by Bill Clinton the way she claims so
and that it was Bill Clinton's idea that she persues universal health plan and not her own.
it's a long, detailed book with many names mentioned, many events narrated, and she does try to offer her own insights, if indded hers and not a write-aide's.
her description of white house life, especially in comparison to George Bush the seniors', is rather interesting.
When both Bill & Hillary are alive, and her serving the state of NY, and that there are constant rumor of her returning to white house this time as president, it indeed is living history; a thought still rather foreign to me.
Anyways, though acquisitioned rather per chance than by intent, I would recommand any one living in the states in 21st century to peep at this; not so much to boost Hillary's campaign fund, feel free to buy 2nd hand or utilize local library, heehee ^^
Monday, November 28, 2005
Spam Kings -- By Brian McWilliams
Read Spam Kings from "Safari Tech Books Online" today.
Unlike what I expected the book wasn't about how the spamming is analyzed in technical sense, but it's more of a history book on big spammers.
List of a few spammers, where they rooted from, and how they got caught, and what some victims have expeirenced, and so forth.
It was quiet a novelty reading, but not so nice a reading for online fine-print reading materials. Straining my eyes. Also for short-chapter book, it was a bit confusing who's spammer and who's anti-spammer, and who's hacker catching spammers, and so forth.
But it was an interesting reading enough. I didn't know Hawke began as Nazi-worshiper before he turned into a spammer, and also I didn't know much of other personal stories of other spammers & their reaction upon being hacked.
I also didn't know of a lady who got over 10,000 spam mail in her inbox in 2 days. I thought my inbox was flooded w/ mails both ham & spam. I don't even have a thousand per day, and many of them are from mailinglist not spam.
Yike~~~
Now, I gotta search a bit more technical aspect of spam/anti-spam reading materials.
Unlike what I expected the book wasn't about how the spamming is analyzed in technical sense, but it's more of a history book on big spammers.
List of a few spammers, where they rooted from, and how they got caught, and what some victims have expeirenced, and so forth.
It was quiet a novelty reading, but not so nice a reading for online fine-print reading materials. Straining my eyes. Also for short-chapter book, it was a bit confusing who's spammer and who's anti-spammer, and who's hacker catching spammers, and so forth.
But it was an interesting reading enough. I didn't know Hawke began as Nazi-worshiper before he turned into a spammer, and also I didn't know much of other personal stories of other spammers & their reaction upon being hacked.
I also didn't know of a lady who got over 10,000 spam mail in her inbox in 2 days. I thought my inbox was flooded w/ mails both ham & spam. I don't even have a thousand per day, and many of them are from mailinglist not spam.
Yike~~~
Now, I gotta search a bit more technical aspect of spam/anti-spam reading materials.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Sudoku mania
Since the trip to UK, I've been addicted to Sudoku.
Sudoku Easy to Hard Presented by Will Shortz, Volume 2 was first victim to my mania, and sadly I only am done 2/3 of way. I've scratched about 1/8 of the rest, and some of hard sudoku still make me scratch my head w/ no single field filled in 30minutes. Just frustrated. Since then I got two more new sudoku books.
My recent trip to bookstores make me realize that sudoku's catching up in US, too, as more and more sudoku books fill the shelf. At this rate I wouldn't be able to catch up w/ new sudoku books. heh.
The book of Sudoku, a small pocketbook version, is the one I got as a prep to my Korean vacation two weeks ago. I'm done w/ gentle ones and am on moderate ones. Funny thing is that gentle ones were pretty tough ones, some taking a few hours, for me. More difficult than beginning of moderate ones.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other sudoku books I'm familiar w/ include Sudoku
by Tammy Seto, with cool coverpage containing japanese characters for 'sudoku'.
Sudoku Easy to Hard Presented by Will Shortz, Volume 2 was first victim to my mania, and sadly I only am done 2/3 of way. I've scratched about 1/8 of the rest, and some of hard sudoku still make me scratch my head w/ no single field filled in 30minutes. Just frustrated. Since then I got two more new sudoku books.
My recent trip to bookstores make me realize that sudoku's catching up in US, too, as more and more sudoku books fill the shelf. At this rate I wouldn't be able to catch up w/ new sudoku books. heh.
The book of Sudoku, a small pocketbook version, is the one I got as a prep to my Korean vacation two weeks ago. I'm done w/ gentle ones and am on moderate ones. Funny thing is that gentle ones were pretty tough ones, some taking a few hours, for me. More difficult than beginning of moderate ones.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other sudoku books I'm familiar w/ include Sudoku
by Tammy Seto, with cool coverpage containing japanese characters for 'sudoku'.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Lonely Plannet Korea
Lonely Planet Korea (Lonely Planet Korea) (Paperback) can't cover everything for everybody, but it's a good intro to someone visiting Korea. It covers the whole country pretty well and covers much of practical tips. A few interesting vocabulary lessons are also quiet useful, such as 'Ajime' for the fishmarket ladies in Busan, a regional dilect of standard-korean 'Ajumoni'.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Master Sijo Poems from Korea -- Classical and Modern --
This is available at UC Berkeley's East Asian Library, with number
PL 975 .6 M3 1982 EAST
published by 'Sisa' and translated by Jaihun Joyce Kim.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
some of translated poems I collected include works of U T'ak, Yi Pangwon, ..., etc.
=============================================================================
U T'ak (1262-1342)
was one of the first Koryo scholars to be concerned with neo-Confucianism. When most of the sijo written by scholars are lacking in humor, U's work contains humor and ironical laugh.
Holding thorns in one hand
and a stick in the other,
I tried to block with thorns the road to age
and strike the white hair with my stick.
But the grey hair knew better than I
and outwitted me by a short-cut.
=============================================================================
Yi Pangwon (1367)
later became King T'aejong as the fifth son of King T'aejo, founder of the Yi dynasty. An eminent general, he was largely responsible for his father's successful achievements. A legend says that Yi Pangwon tried to win the support of the influential figures of the old regime of the Koryo dynasty. He toasted to Chong Mongju, the loyal subject of Koryo, with a taunting song at a party, in an effort to persuade him to join the new regime.
What does it matter
if you do this or that?
Who cares if the arrow-roots
go entangled on Mansu Hill?
We could be like those vines,
enjoying ourselves for a hundred years.
PL 975 .6 M3 1982 EAST
published by 'Sisa' and translated by Jaihun Joyce Kim.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
some of translated poems I collected include works of U T'ak, Yi Pangwon, ..., etc.
=============================================================================
U T'ak (1262-1342)
was one of the first Koryo scholars to be concerned with neo-Confucianism. When most of the sijo written by scholars are lacking in humor, U's work contains humor and ironical laugh.
Holding thorns in one hand
and a stick in the other,
I tried to block with thorns the road to age
and strike the white hair with my stick.
But the grey hair knew better than I
and outwitted me by a short-cut.
=============================================================================
Yi Pangwon (1367)
later became King T'aejong as the fifth son of King T'aejo, founder of the Yi dynasty. An eminent general, he was largely responsible for his father's successful achievements. A legend says that Yi Pangwon tried to win the support of the influential figures of the old regime of the Koryo dynasty. He toasted to Chong Mongju, the loyal subject of Koryo, with a taunting song at a party, in an effort to persuade him to join the new regime.
What does it matter
if you do this or that?
Who cares if the arrow-roots
go entangled on Mansu Hill?
We could be like those vines,
enjoying ourselves for a hundred years.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Understanding closed ones, family members, especially parents and children seem rather tricky thing.
Even famous people seem to have some parents-children issues unresolved that are publicly known, including Sigmund Freud, Jean Paul Sartre to name few.
A few years back this movie was rather popular chic-flick movie, and had many promotional interviews on TV as well. I went to see it with my mother and sister in Oakland's Piedmond theatre. I went to see movies there and was impressed with some movies having organ playing at an opening night and took my sister, and she was impressed with its old sytle design. So when we tried to setup some hangout time the movie came up and my sister was eager to take my mom there as well. The movie was already been showing for a few weeks and thus we got a smaller theatre with few people.
The movie was fairly impressive for fun hangout but I quickly dismissed it as a typical chic-flick drama, and forgot all about it. My sister, on the other hand, took it seriously and got herself a paperback. I've later heard from some friends that the book is a second of a sequel and that it was well known book that many women have read.
Just a random search got my sister's book landed in my hand, and as I was reading it I found out that there were much more to the story than 2 hour movie could tell. I think I ended up watching the movie after finishing the book and now the movie's plot and sequence mean more to me and I seem to remember the scenens better.
Anyways, it was pretty complicated story.
A successful playright is facing a review that makes her mother upset and upcoming marriage when she's not sure of herself. And, thus the adventure of her relationship with her monther in present, past as well as her mother's past are reviewed.
And, the moral of the story is that all parents do try their best, and life tends to be a little difficult. Also, it seems most kids do blame themselves for their parents' unhappiness.
Subconsciously I've been thinking of this concept, yet it was buried under other thoughts and other ideas. I was watching a Korean TV drama, while online, and saw this movie director scolding a budding actress to ponder the heroine's past as well as present when she didn't seem to digest the character's theme, that a girl fell in love with the lead actor because she was lonely and scared growing up without parents.
I'm not a best daughter to my mother. And, I think my mother and my sister also aren't perfect. We do try, and sometimes it seem we try too hard. And, also explain less of how and why things do happen in certain ways. Like Vivian in the book, my mother tends to talk more of her glorious days then her pain, I know.
I think the book certain does make one think. The movie also seem pretty well made, although it could easily have been dismissed the way I originally did.
How do we survive our own selves? How do we survive our loved ones?
It is certainly a question on many people's mind, and also rather a private ones for each of us to just blot out a simple solution. It takes heart, open mindedness, and patience. Aboveall, it takes knowledge which we all seem to be quiet shy to share. Why I've acted certain way toward certain individual, what am I trying to get at, ...
Also, motherhood seem a lot more difficult, in emotional sense, that one would normally think. Perhaps we should all condemn Tom Cruise for critisizing hastily about Brook Shields' post-pregnancy depression.
Why did Vivian's mother so cold to her only daughter?
How did Vivian and Walter have so many kids yet lived lives apart without helping each other at raising children?
How was it to have a distant father and drunk/abusive mother?
There are much questions.
Perhaps reading other books by Rebeca Wells will give insight to all these questions, or perhaps will provide more questions.
I'll have to try Rebeca Wells' other books, and will also try reviews and other clipings I can find.
Even famous people seem to have some parents-children issues unresolved that are publicly known, including Sigmund Freud, Jean Paul Sartre to name few.
A few years back this movie was rather popular chic-flick movie, and had many promotional interviews on TV as well. I went to see it with my mother and sister in Oakland's Piedmond theatre. I went to see movies there and was impressed with some movies having organ playing at an opening night and took my sister, and she was impressed with its old sytle design. So when we tried to setup some hangout time the movie came up and my sister was eager to take my mom there as well. The movie was already been showing for a few weeks and thus we got a smaller theatre with few people.
The movie was fairly impressive for fun hangout but I quickly dismissed it as a typical chic-flick drama, and forgot all about it. My sister, on the other hand, took it seriously and got herself a paperback. I've later heard from some friends that the book is a second of a sequel and that it was well known book that many women have read.
Just a random search got my sister's book landed in my hand, and as I was reading it I found out that there were much more to the story than 2 hour movie could tell. I think I ended up watching the movie after finishing the book and now the movie's plot and sequence mean more to me and I seem to remember the scenens better.
Anyways, it was pretty complicated story.
A successful playright is facing a review that makes her mother upset and upcoming marriage when she's not sure of herself. And, thus the adventure of her relationship with her monther in present, past as well as her mother's past are reviewed.
And, the moral of the story is that all parents do try their best, and life tends to be a little difficult. Also, it seems most kids do blame themselves for their parents' unhappiness.
Subconsciously I've been thinking of this concept, yet it was buried under other thoughts and other ideas. I was watching a Korean TV drama, while online, and saw this movie director scolding a budding actress to ponder the heroine's past as well as present when she didn't seem to digest the character's theme, that a girl fell in love with the lead actor because she was lonely and scared growing up without parents.
I'm not a best daughter to my mother. And, I think my mother and my sister also aren't perfect. We do try, and sometimes it seem we try too hard. And, also explain less of how and why things do happen in certain ways. Like Vivian in the book, my mother tends to talk more of her glorious days then her pain, I know.
I think the book certain does make one think. The movie also seem pretty well made, although it could easily have been dismissed the way I originally did.
How do we survive our own selves? How do we survive our loved ones?
It is certainly a question on many people's mind, and also rather a private ones for each of us to just blot out a simple solution. It takes heart, open mindedness, and patience. Aboveall, it takes knowledge which we all seem to be quiet shy to share. Why I've acted certain way toward certain individual, what am I trying to get at, ...
Also, motherhood seem a lot more difficult, in emotional sense, that one would normally think. Perhaps we should all condemn Tom Cruise for critisizing hastily about Brook Shields' post-pregnancy depression.
Why did Vivian's mother so cold to her only daughter?
How did Vivian and Walter have so many kids yet lived lives apart without helping each other at raising children?
How was it to have a distant father and drunk/abusive mother?
There are much questions.
Perhaps reading other books by Rebeca Wells will give insight to all these questions, or perhaps will provide more questions.
I'll have to try Rebeca Wells' other books, and will also try reviews and other clipings I can find.
