Hot Cocoa and "The Polar Express"

I love a good cup of hot cocoa. I really, really do.

Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside (hmm, just realized that 'fuzzy' is an odd term for an internal feeling, but we'll let it slide since it's an accepted phrase).

The cup also reminds me of Christmas-time back in elementary school, because we'd visit the school library and watch a slideshow with an audio-cassette that read The Polar Express book to the class.

Does that sound familiar to anyone? It was the version where the audio-cassette would make a beep sound when you needed to change to the next slide. And let me tell you, it was a big honor to get to be the kid in charge of clicking to the next slide. I can't recall if I ever had that opportunity, but if I did, I assure you I was on cloud nine the rest of the week.

Maybe that version is out of print now, because I couldn't find a digital copy online. There were a couple mixed-media items on eBay, but I'm hesitant to buy it without knowing it's the right set. 

Anyway, my favorite part of the audio-cassette was the page about how the kids on the train were given hot cocoa. After that page's text was read, but before the beep, a server on the train sang "Hot cocoa cocoa cocoa! Hot cocoa cocoa cocoa!" Not sure why, but I absolutely loved that part.

So each time I make hot cocoa, whether at work or home or camping or wherever, that little tune pops in my head. Would you like a cup? I'll even sing the song to you when I deliver your warm beverage.

Say It Ain't So! [MCA, Maurice Sendak, Utah Jazz]

It's been a rough couple days.

We lost two legends, one each from the music and literature fields.
In addition, my NBA team got swept out of the playoffs. Boo.

MCA (aka Adam Yauch)

As one of the three Beastie Boys, MCA made a huge impact on the world of hip-hop music. I still remember listening to their albums with my older brother when I was a kid, and how cool I felt rocking out to them while driving my first car. He'd been battling cancer for three years, though, which I can only imagine would have been very difficult for both him and his family and friends.

Maurice Sendak

He was the acclaimed and sometimes controversial author of many children's books, and was most-known for Where the Wild Things Are. I didn't know much about him as a person until recently, when Stephen Colbert interviewed him. Such a funny, self-deprecating, and crotchety old man.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Pt. 1
www.colbertnation.com

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Grim Colberty Tales with Maurice Sendak Pt. 2
www.colbertnation.com

Utah Jazz
This is just a quick one. Last night the San Antonio Spurs completed their 4-game sweep of the Jazz in the first round of the NBA playoffs. I didn't expect much from the Jazz against the Spurs, but I'd hoped they'd at least win a game or two. Oh well, there's always next year, right?

The first two are definitely sadder than the last, and/but hopefully the next couple days are bummer-free.

Fan-Made Hunger Games Back-Story Videos

The Hunger Games movie came out just over a month ago and, not surprisingly, made a ton of money.

I know fans of the books had some gripes (as did I), but we won't get into that here.
Generally it was well received and got people even more excited about the remaining books.

As expected, fans are making YouTube videos from and about Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

Some of these fan-made videos are pretty good... and some are abysmal.

Here are some depicting back-stories related in the 2nd and 3rd Hunger Games books.

Warning! Spoilers in these videos! I recommend you read the books first, then watch.

The Second Quarter Quell (Haymitch's year in the arena)

Finnick and Annie (mostly fiction, but I think it does a great job explaining some things)

What did you think of them? Pretty cool stuff, eh?

Both of these were made by MainstayPro, which has lots of great videos. Check them out [here].

Makes me excited for the official movies to come out!

The Shel Silverstein 80's Kids Probably Didn't Know

Without checking Wikipedia or Googling him, I want you to say what you know about Shel Silverstein.

He simultaneously looks friendly and scary, right?

If you're around my age, you probably knew he wrote such childrens' books as "Light in the Attic" and "The Giving Tree". These are classics and I will read them to my kiddos whenever I have some.

He penned such great poems as "The Quick-Digesting Gink" and "Hug O' War".

But until recently I didn't know how much more there was to Shel Silverstein and his varied life.

Did you know Shel was friends with Johnny Cash? And that he wrote songs, including the hit "A Boy Named Sue"? Here's a clip if you don't believe me.

And did you know Shel also drew cartoons and wrote illustrated travel essays for Playboy (I guess they really DO have articles!)? Note: I won't include any here, as this is a family-friendly blog and I don't know what would come up if I searched for example materials. Not worth the risk.

For my theater-loving friends, were you aware that Shel wrote over 100 one-act plays?
I may have to look into them and see if any are short enough and also age-appropriate for my family's holiday/special occasion talent shows...

Isn't it amazing to learn that people actually have so much more to their lives than you thought?*

If you want more info on Shel, now you can go check out [his Wikipedia page].

Do you ever have this happen to you? Who was the celebrity/individual you learned more about?

*This also applies to school teachers and principals. It turned my world upside down to see one of my elementary school's 4th-grade teachers on a date with the principal at a University of Utah football game.

Flashback Friday: Early Childhood Bedtime Books

My siblings and I loved having our mom (and sometimes dad) read to us at bedtime.

Here are a few that still stand out in my mind as the very best reads from my youth.

Shel Silverstein
He wrote some fantastic poems for his A Light in the Attic book, including the 'Quick-Digesting Gink' which I recited for several poem-sharing assignments. The Giving Tree is also one of his most famous works, and its film is embedded herein.

Dr Seuss
There are so many great Dr Seuss books, but I believe the Smyth favorite was The Sneetches and Other Stories, which included 'Too Many Daves', 'What Was I Scared Of?' (a.k.a. the pale-green pants story), and, of course, 'The Sneetches'.

Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola
I know I mentioned this one in my birthday post to my mom last year, but it deserves repeating, because it's a family favorite.

Calvin and Hobbes
Yes, this came a little later on, but few comic strips or books of comic strips can rival the genius and hilarity of Calvin and Hobbes. I've included a couple, but you can see plenty more [here].

Taught me to 'fake it til I make it'.

Taught me proper TV-watching form.

Those were simpler nights and I miss that simplicity.

What books/series did your mom or dad read to you as a child?

The Hunger Games: May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor

The much-anticipated movie for The Hunger Games opens nationwide in the USA today.

Many of my friends and family have read the book and are eager to see this film (some of you even went last night at midnight, you go-getters!).

I sure am excited, and I'll be watching in IMAX-gigantic size tomorrow night at 10:25 pm.

After searching for a few days early in the week, I found a copy of the book to borrow and then read the whole thing between Wed & Thurs nights, so I'm ready and pumped to see the screen version.

From the previews, it looks excellent.

Let me know what you thought!

Flashback Friday: Hatchet and Island of the Blue Dolphins

My mom always read to us before bedtime, so I have fond memories of the books from my childhood.
Furthermore, she and my dad encouraged us to read on our own as well.

My school teachers and Pizza Hut* also gave us incentives to read Newbery Medal-winning books, which were/are vastly more intellectually-stimulating than the Twilight and Harry Potter books of today.

Here are a couple of my favorite books from elementary school.

Hatchet
As a Boy Scout, I loved reading about a boy being stranded in the wilderness and having to survive on his own. I could just imagine myself in his shoes, and the excitement and fear of such a situation.

For a little reminder, here is the first 15 minutes of the audiobook:

Island of the Blue Dolphins
This book captivated me, and I'm pretty sure I used it for book reports in grades 4-6 (recycling is good, right?). Another tale of survival, this one includes facing the elements and nature, as well as invading foreign forces. Learning about and relating to a culture very different from my own also intrigued me.

Again, in case you've forgotten the writing style, here's the first 15 minutes of the audiobook:

Now that I've gotten a taste, I think I might have to re-read these again soon.

What were your favorite books from elementary school?

*Remember the program where as you read books you could earn a personal pan pizza? I loved that!

The Page 45 Sex Life Prediction

Usually I disapprove of forwards, but this one from Facebook a bit ago was just too funny not to share.

I'm currently reading "The Fault in Our Stars", so that was the closest book to me.

Here's what the first sentence on its page 45 foretold:

"I should head home actually," I said. "I'm kinda tired."

Marvelous. Spot on. Funny because it's true (at least for my current state).

A few of my friends also tried it out, and here are some of their results:

• Jen -  A book about a political prisoner during Stalin's purges of 1937... "Whenever it suits you best. Now, if you like, or if it's more convenient, after lunch." ..."How long is it likely to take?"..."Oh, say forty minutes, perhaps an hour." ha ha ha. - This is just too appropriate. Great find!
• Lisa -  Closest book is my Bridgeman's Anatomy for Artists..."In the twistings and bendings of the body there is a harmony of movement, a subtle continuity of form, every changing and elusive, that is the very essence of motion." For real. It's about time. ;)
• Dustin -  "You have to let them go their own way eventually, I reminded myself. You have to let them have their own life..."
• Megan -  The closest book to me is a juggling manual. I looked up the line... but I'm too embarrassed to post it, so I shan't. Prospects look good, though! - Makes me really wonder what my sister found...
• Rachael -  ‎"It seemed like she never even had time to think" (the exiled queen) sounds about right. too funny
• Danielle -  "Gladly, sir, but that guitar must belong to a master. It's too good to practice on." *snort*
• David -  A book of neurological disorder case studies: "'It's an 'as if',' I answered: 'as if the parietal lobes were not getting their usual sensory information.'" Prospects look grim... - Sorry, brother :(
• Whitney -  The closest book to me is the bible. HA! and funny enough the 45th page/first full sentence is Genesis 29:33 "And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said..." - Conceived again, eh? Get a move on it, girl!
• Stephanie -  ‎"'What do you mean?' snapped the bald man, clearly irritated by my intrusion."
• Micha -  ‎"Beside a marshy lake in an obscure sector of the Dakotas, a campfire was smiling its head off." I hope that's true!!! - Another excellent reason to love the great outdoors.
• Lindsey -  ‎"Some diversity in hardware may be necessary to support legacy or mission-critical functions" BWAHAHAHA oh my gosh....tears are streaming down my face! - Too good. I couldn't help but laugh at this, too!

Thanks for sharing, everyone! Plenty of variety in literature and predictions, and definitely good fodder for humor and a laugh for my readers and me.

If you want to try it, please put your results in the comments, as I'd love to get a chuckle from yours, too!

"The Fault in Our Stars" has Arrived!

My pre-ordered copy of John Green's new book arrived yesterday. Oh happy day!

 As promised, and as documented in countless Vlogbrothers videos, the author signed it.

Turns out I wasn't lucky enough to receive one of Hank Green's Hanklerfish drawings, but that's okay. It was only a 5% chance. So there are 18 more people in my situation for every one person that got one.

Which means... we are the 95%. [Get it?!? It's kinda like those silly Occupy people!]

Anyway, I'm already into the book and it's really good so far. Yay for reading actual, physical books!

On that note, here's an awesome video with books:

And another video that has some books in it, but mainly I just think it's super cool:

Ok, back to "The Fault in Our Stars". Later!

Comparison Graphics [Harry Potter vs LOTR, Women colors vs Men colors]

I'm working from home today and loving it. Not battling Thanksgiving traffic makes me so happy (at least until tonight), and not traveling got me started working earlier. With being so productive, I had time to find these two gems to share with you all. What do you think of them?

1) Comparison of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings (written 1995-2007 and 1937-1949, respectively).

You've been busted, JK Rowling!

 2) Women colors vs Men colors. Yes, this is a broad stereotype. And yes, I mostly agree with this one.

Should I paint my room Teal or Sky? Definitely need girl help on that choice.

Thought provoking graphics, eh? Okay, maybe just more humorous than anything else.

Off to Philly tonight for Pie Night and to see my bro and sis-in-law. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Nerdfighters and Readit1st

Have you heard of Nerdfighters?

Ever been told to DFTBA* as parting advice?

Want to learn lots of random info through entertaining YouTube videos?

Then have I got the solution for you!

It's time you started following the Vlogbrothers, John and Hank Green.
But I must warn you.
If you're kinda sorta a little/lot bit nerdy (like I clearly am), you'll get hooked.

John and Hank alternate posting videos, discussing what's going on in their lives, in society,in history, and/or whatever else happens to grab their fancy at the time. Some days they'll share an original song about protons and neutrons or expound on memes and famous books and their deeper meanings.

Other days the Vlogbrothers might answer fan questions or talk about their travel observations or list the top ten largest explosions. Pretty much, it's a surprise grab-bag as to that day's topic(s).

One of their recent crusades is an effort to encourage reading. Specifically, they want to encourage people to read the books that existed prior and on which upcoming movies are based. The project is called Readit1st. To spread the word about movies coming out that are based on books, the Nerdfighters will periodically send out a newsletter. If you want those, check the website or sign up to receive emails.

The whole thing is a pretty great idea, right? I am fully on-board and whole-heartedly endorse ReadIt1st.
I'm going to start by reading the book "Moneyball" before I see the just-released Brad Pitt flick.

$100 says the book is better than the movie

Even if you don't want to read books before seeing movies, I think you'll enjoy watching the Vlogbrothers. Lots of entertainment value, and each video is kept short and sweet. Which means you'll still have plenty of time to check out other crazy videos on YouTube, like Ray William Johnson's stuff.

Welcome to the Nerdfighters, and DFTBA*.

*Don't Forget To Be Awesome - a common Nerdfighters phrase.

Accomplished Friends

"The happiest moments my heart knows are those in which it is pouring forth its affections to a few esteemed characters." - Thomas Jefferson

TJ had it right. It's always good to applaud your friends for their achievements. So that's what I want to do. While I have many, many accomplished friends working as doctors, lawyers, engineers, Hill staffers, teachers, and military, plus friends who are amazing parents to their kids (arguably the most important work), this post will focus on a few of my more-visibly-accomplished friends.

YouTube Personality

Deena Marie Manzanares - With humor, versatility and original characters, she's proven herself on YouTube and the stage. Also, Deena is an accomplished model and TV-commercial actress.

Reality TV
Michelle Money - Love her or hate her, she made a name for herself as "the manipulative seductress from Brad's season" [source]. Though I don't watch every week, I'm happy to hear she's doing well on Bachelor Pad and in her relationship with Graham Bunn. Also, she is championing fundraising for colon cancer research through the sale of For Six t-shirts.

Published Authors

Adrian Dayton - Wrote the book "Social Media for Lawyers" in the Fall 2009, is a regular columnist to the National Law Journal and BigLaw Newsletter, and has another book scheduled to be published soon.

Quin Woodward Pu - Has made a name for herself as a prominent fashion and political DC blogger [LittleBlackBlog], recently had her memoir "Type A+" published.

Dancer

Carly Berrett - Brings pieces to life through her graceful and powerful dancing, and has also taught on various levels. I've been lucky to see a couple performances live. If you get the chance, don't miss it.

Political Researcher

Emily McClintock Ekins - As a UCLA grad student, she surveyed a Tea Party rally for sign messages and was her work was cited by various publications. In addition, multiple political TV programs interviewed her, including Stossel, Freedom Watch, the O'Reilly Factor, and Reason. You can check out her research [here].

MMA Fighter

Josh Burkman - Even in high school, he played football like an MMA fighter. So it isn't so surprising that he found his calling in the octagon. He won his UFC's Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale match in 21 seconds and has compiled a 21-9-0 record.

Entrepreneurs
Damian Dayton - If you want a creative video, look no further than his Kineto Pictures studio. Check out their portfolio and prepare to be impressed. If I needed a commercial, you can bet Damian and Kineto would get my business.

David Marble & Seth Wheeler - These guys know how to start projects and make them successful. David contributed to TheMormonBachelorette.com and has been instrumental at ConSource.org. Together, David and Seth are developing a social-networking tool currently in beta format (so I won't share the name yet).

Thanks for being such amazing individuals, friends! Keep up the good work!
Note: Some may view this post as boasting/bragging/name-dropping. That's their cynical prerogative. I prefer to look at it as rejoicing in the efforts and successes of my friends.

Sara Bringin' NYC Style to DC

Note: I'm finishing this post in Jan 2012, so I'll keep it brief and use lots of pictures. Better late than never, right?

My friend Sara came down from NYC for her first DC visit, and Becca and I made the most of it by showing her a few of our favorite spots.

Saturday brunch at Eastern Market. Gotta get some bluebuck pancakes. Ya just gotta.

Oh, and remember to take cash, because they don't accept cards or checks.

Best way to do it?
Everyone get something different, then share

This reminded me of something clever my mom might do

Cool name for a cool-looking vegetable

With our bellies full, we walked across the street to my favorite bookstore, Capitol Hill Books.
Confession: I've never bought a book there, but it's amazing for pictures, as you'll see.

How appropriate

And of course we had to take Sara down to the National Mall so she could see the monuments.

As friend historian, I'm very proud of this jumping pic

Sara and Becca are so talented at cartwheels and handstands

Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

Thanks for coming, Sara, and we sure hope you'll be back soon.

Or maybe we'll come to NYC and you can show us around your 'hood, eh?