Jeneric Jeneralities ~ by JenIG

 

James officially knows how to snap.  He has been practicing and practicing and practicing for weeks.  And now, throughout the day, he’ll saunter up, get my attention, and triumphantly *snap*.  He is very proud of his big boy self.  And he keeps telling me, “See? I’m a human”.  Apparently, he feels the need to reassure me (or perhaps himself) that he’s more than a just a common orangutan.  Now if I could only get him to wear something other than that ridiculous Spiderman suit perhaps it would lend a little more credibility to his claims.

 

So has anybody ever, truly, in all honesty, actually read anything by Charles Dickens?  I tried twice.  And I have honorable intentions of taking another whack at A Tale of Two Cities.  But anyways, me and Coie and Ryann are presently sitting thru nine hours of the 2005 BBC version of Dicken’s Bleak House.  Tomorrow we’re going to wrap up hours seven, eight and nine.  It’s marvelous.  I really really really really like it so far.  Poor Esther.  Dumb old Richard.  And blast that nasty old Tulkinghorn. 

 

At any rate, and still along the lines of Bleak House, I’m now seriously wondering about the legitimacy (or any historical evidence) of Spontaneous Combustion. I’m going to look into that. I also want to start studying the Great Depression.   Not that it’s related to Dickens, or suddenly bursting into flames or anything.  I just all of a sudden have an overwhelming curiosity.  I don’t want to participate in either.  But it should make for some mighty interesting page turnin’.

 

In other news, and this is rather alarming, I read a news report (I think it was from, uh, Fox) about an upcoming terrorist drill being planned for IL in mid February.  Apparently, from the story, some government operatives will be testing live toxins, and uh, other stuff, along with non-live toxins including Agent Orange and uh, Agent Mango.  The weird thing is – and this really is weird – the tests being conducted just-so-happen to be taking place on the very same street that Laurie Bluedorn lives on. It’s a weird coincidence. But it is true.  I’d link to the report, but, uh, I can’t access the internet what-so-ever, or something.  The good news is that the government DOES have an evacuation plan.  This very dangerous drill should not be taken lightly and instructions state that anybody living on this street should head down to the Spartanburg / Greenville area in order to keep safe on that Valentines Day weekend.  Somebody ought to let Laurie know. 

 

Coincidentally, that’s around the same time that Julie Austin is planning the next English Country Dance aka Barn Dance.  It’s open to all humans (which means James may get to come along, too). 

Details are being updated HERE.  If any of you are in the area make plans to attend!  Laurie… don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes.

 

Lastly, I’m reading Middlemarch by Eliot right now.  So far so good.  And I found a new 1800s author called Margaret Oliphant.  Despite her unfortunate name, she’s a delightful storyteller.  I recently finished Miss Marjoribanks. Very fun.  My second grade teacher was named Mrs. Oliphant.  Wouldn’t you seriously think about changing your last name if you got stuck with something like that?

December 12th, 2008 - Posted in Uncategorized | | 20 Comments

20 Responses to ' This Boring Post is Mostly About Antiquated Authors. And Spontaneous Combustion. And Impending Danger for Laurie Bluedorn. '

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  1. on December 12th, 2008 at 5:11 am

    I read a book called Little Heathens on the plane home the other day. AWESOME story from the Depression Era. If you like I’ll send it to you after Husband and Mother read it. I didn’t expect to make it thru so quickly, so hopefully they will too. Some of it will have you grabbing a clean Depends before you make a puddle. I’m sure the Japanese flight attendants wondered why I was laughing so hard I almost snorted soda out my nose (trying to laugh silently as I was surrounded by snoozing people).

    OH and it’s not related to the Depression, Agent Citruses, or lighting on fire – but West with the Night by Beryl Markham is a must read. Really good book. You’ll want to move to Africa. Well, I did the first time I heard it, but then, that was in TAG class in 7th grade. Hmmmm.

  2. Jul said,

    on December 12th, 2008 at 8:27 am

    Wow, I’m really concerned for Laurie’s
    well being. I hope she heeds the reports
    and attends the barn dance… it sounds like it
    could save her life! I’ve heard that Agent Mango
    is terrible stuff! Wasn’t that used in Vietnam?

  3. Jul said,

    on December 12th, 2008 at 8:36 am

    Woe, I just got some other startling news.
    My husband said that the Agent Mango
    has been known to cause people
    to dangle their participles and
    modifiers… Harvey better leave town too!
    He could start talking and writing like
    the rest of us if he stays there, eh?

    http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/2006/11/25/scripts/english.shtml

    (Caution, the link refers to the subject of dating) : )

  4. Denise Opper said,

    on December 12th, 2008 at 8:59 am

    Interesting, your newfound interest in the Great Depression. Perhaps it’s a warning to help prepare you and your family (only half-kidding). Just my own psycho-feelings rearing their ugly heads again. Pay no attention.

    One of my high school chums was named “Joel Oliphant.” Cool guy…unfortunate name, you’re right. :o)

  5. Trixi said,

    on December 12th, 2008 at 9:14 am

    I will have to see if Netflix has this Bleak House. No, I have not ever finished a Charles Dickens book but I have seen A Christmas Carol.LOL What kind of homeschool mom am I? Mercy.

    Oh, I want to come and see a barn dance. You would think being from the South I would have already been to one of these but no.

    Have a great weekend.

  6. jenig said,

    on December 12th, 2008 at 9:36 am

    Trixi… you HAVE to try and make it. You’re close enough to drive! It will be the most fun your family has ever had.

  7. Amanda said,

    on December 12th, 2008 at 10:12 am

    Little Heathens was an excellent book.

    I have read Dickens–I remember liking the story, but thinking, DEAR LORD is this man wordy! LOL

    Sorry to hear about the impending doom in IL. It doesn’t have any connection with the governor, does it? :o)

  8. Ryann said,

    on December 12th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

    Coie’s got Esthers luck, you know.

    If I’ve passed the “officially human test”, James can too, since I was more monkey then him. Someday he’ll wish he was a man, but he’ll still be monkey, so he’ll go by “The Mankey”. I’m gonna start a movie.

    We should make sure James stays clear evolution scientists because we don’t want them having any evidence to back up their theory.

    Ah, crackers. I’m signed in as you. Now I gotta sign out, sign in, and abednago.

  9. jess said,

    on December 12th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

    I totally believed your terrorist story at first.. wasn’t sure what the heck you were talking about, but you had me going. I guess I’m still somewhat gullible. Dang it!

    Poor James always gets picked on. I sure miss that monkey.

  10. Kim Wolf said,

    on December 12th, 2008 at 2:42 pm

    CONGRATS TO JAMES!!! What a big kid!

    Yes…I have read some of Dickens’ works. As a matter of fact, the Jr/Sr high book club I do is called “The Great Expectations Classic Book Club”. I thought it was a dandy of a name. 🙂 One of the things we do is that once we’ve finished a book, if there’s a video/DVD of it we have a little end-of-book-party to top it off; everyone brings in some sort of goodies to munch, we watch the movie, compare/contrast w/the book and, in some cases, make complete fun of it! (If you ever read “Last of the Mohican’s” be sure to see if your local library has the 1939 version – I think it has Randolph Scott in it – it is a LAUGH RIOT! Such fakey acting! lol) We really have a good time. We did it for 3 years while Jasper (the voracious reader) was still homeschooling, took a 2 year break and have started it back us again – by popular demand. lol

    Fledder from Ohio…

  11. Emily said,

    on December 12th, 2008 at 2:49 pm

    If snapping makes us human, I’m glad…I can snap too James!


  12. on December 12th, 2008 at 4:16 pm

    Uh, I just got back on the internet — our server is having a breakdown (not nervous, but equipment) — and I’ve never heard anything about this test in February. Besides, by the time February comes around we’ll have a new senator. Our governor, who BTW is on his way to jail, is about to put Jimmy Stewart in place of Obama.


  13. on December 12th, 2008 at 7:22 pm

    Ok so I totally guessed where you got the spontaneous combustion stuff from. I think I should win a prize or something. We own the Bleak House dvds and you are making me want to watch it all again but we still have 1 disc and 1 episode left of John Adams to muddle thru. Not that it’s awful…

    I like Dickens a lot. But I have to be in a certain mood. Barnaby Rudge is one of my faves.

  14. Deedeeuk said,

    on December 12th, 2008 at 7:42 pm

    Hiya! I’m so sorry to have to write this, but it looks like our road trip down to see you guys has been cancelled! :o( *sniff*sniff* With Dh’s paycut and the exchange rate being dreadful, and the added expenses of moving home (into our absolutely fabulous dream home, I might add!) there isn’t enough green stuff left in the bank for the road trip we had hoped to make. So I won’t get to meet you (again!) and I don’t get to try out the zip line either! Bummer! I’ll be in touch more when we get a decent internet connection sorted out! Bye.

  15. Megan said,

    on December 13th, 2008 at 3:08 am

    A message to Coie (cause I know if I try to reach her through her blog or facebook, she probably won’t get the message 🙂 ). Anywho…I commend you for quilting. I have almost completed my first (extremely simple) and probably the last quilt I will ever do!!! Ugh! What a pain. I like the idea of handmade quilts, especially when I am buying them rather than making them. Keep up the exhausting work. 🙂

    Megan Reed

  16. Latte said,

    on December 13th, 2008 at 11:16 am

    A human, man that is cute! My son (3) always goes around saying “I’m cool ain’t I” and I thought that was amazing…or if I say “your cool” he shoots back with “I know”

    Nope have not read his stuff…just don’t know if I will…

    I can’t wait until you guys have these dances near where I live…ahem it’s somewhere near where the first Bass Pro was built…that is all legally I am allowed to divulge or something.

    I went to amazon to see what books you be talkin about and I realize…maybe you were born in the wrong era? They do sound like interesting reads!

    Faith

  17. Veronica said,

    on December 13th, 2008 at 4:35 pm

    Ooo, I’m reading Pickwick Papers right now! I rearely do this, but if you are interested in reading it, I sugest watching the BBC movie of it first, then reading it – it’s hi-Larious! I read Bleak House, but didn’t enjoy it (maybe I should watch the movie?) But I LOVE Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield – I would start with that one if I were you. Let’s see, oh I’ve read Great Expectations too, but not since high school. WAIT – that wasn’t bleak house I read, it was Hard Times. Maybe I ought to be quiet now….


  18. on December 14th, 2008 at 4:20 am

    This will probably not surprise you, but I have read Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, and David Copperfield by Dickens, as well as A Christmas Carol, and I loved them all. He is a wordy fellow, and Bleak House was the hardest to read of all I listed, but I love love loved A Tale of Two Cities. Bleak House (the movie) is brilliant. There is no two ways about it. If you ever try to read the book, the movie will have been a good thing to see first. It took me reading about 1/3 of the book before I figured out what was going on. LOL

    Dickens as a person – in real life – was not such a great character. I have found that over and over with some of my most beloved 19th century authors. I wonder why that is. They wrote such lovely books with such depth, but their personal lives were total wrecks.

    I am in the midst of A Woman in White and it has me riveted! It was slow at first, but it has picked up considerably!

    And now, all I have to say to you is, “Shake me up, Judy!!” :+)
    Kate

  19. jenig said,

    on December 14th, 2008 at 5:19 pm

    Um, I can’t snap. I can’t even whistle anymore. But I can eat. I suppose I’m only half human.

    -Coie


  20. on December 16th, 2008 at 10:09 am

    “Oliver Twist” is a great place to start — more easily readable than some of his stuff. My favourite Dickens is “Hard Times,” but possibly I have odd tastes. I loved it, though–one of the few books in the last five years that I’ve stayed up until 2:00 in the morning to finish. I’ve also read “A Christmas Carol” (fantastic), “Nicholas Nickleby” (long, but a great story), and “A Tale of Two Cities.”

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