Where's Waldo Banned?

I know I'm a little late on this, but Banned Books Week is from September 25th to October 2nd. A friend of mine sent me a link to a website listing some of the more commonly banned books of the past 15 years. I was surprised to find some of my childhood favorites (as well as some books that were required reading from school) made the top 100 list:

• A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
• Blubber by Judy Blume
• How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford

Poor Waldo...what did he ever do to deserve this?

Ahhh...

For those of you who know me...work has been pretty stressful lately, and probably will be until the end of the year. (And for those of you who don't know me...how did you find this blog?) I think the powers that be realized the stress we were all in...and decided to bring in a couple of massage therapists to appease myself and my weary co-workers.

I've never had a professional massage before, and have been wanting one for quite some time. It's was only 20 minutes...but it worked wonders. Unfortunately, it was in the middle of the day...so I had to go back to my desk and work afterwards. Ah well...at least I was more relaxed in my chair.

The funny thing was...she spent quite a lot of time on my right arm. I think she was trying to relieve the tension I have from using my mouse...too bad I'm left-handed. ;)

The Engrish Language

There's a lot to be said for translators. Without them, communication between cultures would be stifled.

Then again...attempts to translate things may prove quite entertaining. My friend reminded me of Engrish.com this past evening. Talk about English gone bad...

This website has pictures from around the globe of real buildings, signs, documents...you name it. The picture to above held the prestigious honor of "Engrish of the day". Take a gander at the website and see what gems you may uncover. And remember...if you must fall into a river...do it very carefully...

Swing Vote --- Bad

Here's a Survivor tip for you...it's never good to be the swing vote. AND...when you are the swing vote - never ever publicize it. People who are confident in the fact that they're not getting eliminated because they have "voting power" more likely than not, end up on the chopping block themselves.

Poor Dolly...I guess she should just stick to Sheep Farming. But, at least she's saved the grief of all the fighting that's bound to happen in the next episode. This season of Survivor has it's share of characters, and so far it hasn't been dull!

Little Shop...Little Shop of Horrors...

I finally had a chance to see this musical on stage last Tuesday night, and let me tell ya...it's just a touch darker than the movie. I guess the magic of tinseltown strikes again!

Aside from the themes of abuse, as well as murder for personal gain...the show was pretty cute. Yes folks...this is a comedy. For those of you who aren't familiar with Little Shop of Horrors, it was written by the same creative team behind Disney's Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. Like those Disney favorites, Little Shop's tunes are quite catchy...with moving melodies.

I was surprised that the cast was so small. Aside from the principles (Seymour, Audrey, Mr. Mushnik, Orin, and a doo-wop trio...and Audrey II, if you count the plant), there were only about 5 other cast members. The actor playing Orin was pulling overtime or something...having to perform 3 additional characters parts in one scene. The small casting works for this show...it's just not something I'm used to when I see a National Tour.

Congratulations Chip & Kim!!!

Prior to this season of the Amazing Race, my favorite teams were 0 for 3 in winning top honors. (To those die-hard fans...sorry...I didn't start watching until season 2) However, this time around, Chip & Kim came through and won the one million dollar prize!

This show's film editing always messes with my mind, so I didn't get my hopes up until they actually stepped on the mat. Even then, it wasn't until the host announced that they were the "official winners" that I physically got up and started jumping up and down, cheering in front of the television. I know...I'm addicted to the show.

I was sorry that the "Bowling Moms" team didn't make it to the final leg though. I wasn't too fond of them in the beginning of the season, but they accomplished so darn much that I really wanted them to be successful. But at least they got to see the Philippine islands on their whirlwind "vacation".

Thank you to the eleven teams that competed this season...you really made it a fun show to watch. Special kudos to Chip & Kim...you proved you were up to the challenge and never gave up hope. Again...congratulations!

What IS This?

What is this blog all about, you may ask? Well...this is my first one, so I suppose we'll discover the answer to that together. My co-worker told me that I could rant and rave about NCAA Football...FIGHT ON TROJANS! So you may see a little of that. I love musicals and see more shows than my pocketbook would wish...so there may be some reviews here as well.

I guess it will be filled with whatever I feel like writing when I remember that I have a blog. Since this is my first entry, I suppose there won't be much for you to read...so take a look at the sidebar and spend some time listening to my radio station on LAUNCH in order to occupy your time. It's a mix of Show Tunes, Christian Music...and an occassional 80's Pop Tune for nostalgia's sake...so have at it, and let me know what you think!