Wednesday, February 24, 2010

A Book in Review: A Broom of One's Own

A Broom of One's Own: Words on Writing, Housecleaning & Life By: Nancy Peacock
Non-fiction: Memoir, writing 187 pages
Book Count: 13

This is a book about the life of an author that also cleans houses to pay the bills. It was a good combination of writing information, humor, and interesting stories. It would be a good book to get anyone that is struggling as a writer. Even people with published books have to work at writing and often at something else as well. At the end there is an interview with the writer as well as her advice for other writers.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

A Book in Review: Extreme Brewing

Extreme Brewing: An Enthusiast's Guide to Brewing Craft Beer at Home By: Sam Calagione
Non-Fiction: cooking, hobbies 173 pages
Book Count: 12

This book is written by an owner of Dogfish Head Brewery. As such it has a lot of information about their beers. It even includes recipes for at home versions of a number of their brews. It includes basics for the first time home brewer as well as a lot of things for experiences brewers. It also has a lot of resources in the back as well as info on cooking with beer or tasting parties.

Monday, February 22, 2010

A Book in Review: Jaclyn the Ripper

Jaclyn the Ripper By: Karl Alexander
Fiction: historical, 334 pages
Book Count: 11

First, this book is not based on the theory that Jack the Ripper may have been a woman. It is the sequel to another book called "Time After Time" (which was made into a movie) about H.G. Wells having an actual time machine and Jack the Ripper (who was really Leslie John Stephenson in this storyline)stealing it. In this book Jack comes back from the end of time where he was imprisoned and due to problems with time travel ends up as a woman. Wells' wife has traveled to 2010 to warn her parents about a possible earthquake which is where Jack ends up as well. H.G.Wells goes to 2010 to find his wife and spends the novel finding her and trying to stop Jack, who he doesn't know is now a female.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

A Book in Review: Carpe Demon

Carpe Demon : Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom By: Julie Kenner
Fiction paranormal, mystery 307 pages
Book Count: 10

I really liked this book. It had a interesting world in it and the book explained the ways of the world in a way that gave you all the info you needed, but didn't mess with the story line. This story is about Kate Connor a former demon hunter who had retired over a decade ago and currently spends her time as a stay at home mom to a 14 and 2 year old. She lives in a city known to be demon free and her husband and kids don't even know what she used to do. Then she runs into an old man that she thinks could be a demon in her local Wal-Mart. From then on she is sucked back into her former life in order to protect her family. Not only is she out of practice, but her closest friend in the Forza (the organization of demon hunters) is in Italy, and her husband is running for county attorney.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Quotes from Frederick Douglass:

- At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed.
- A little learning, indeed, may be a dangerous thing, but the want of learning is a calamity to any people.
- I didn't know I was a slave until I found out I couldn't do the things I wanted.
- People might not get all they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all they get.
- The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous.
- The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion.
- To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.
- Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.

Of Course:

So, as you may have noticed at the start of the month I said that I would try and post everyday this month. This of course caused massive computer issues. This is why I haven't posted for like a week +. Anyway, I am finaly back online, untill the company arives in a few minutes.

Friday, February 12, 2010

A Book in Review: Ancient Enemy

Ancient Enemy A Howard Moon Deer Mystery By: Robert Westbrook
Fiction: mystery 308 pages
Book Count: 9

This book has a lot of interesting twists and turns in it. It is both the story of a modern murder as was as an ancient mystery of the Anasazi peoples. It starts out with Howie on the stake out at a Chinese restaurant where his car is hit in a hit and run and he finds a severed head in the dumpster. From there it gets exciting. Although this is part of a series it can be completely read as a stand alone book.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

A Book in Review: Family Feast for $75 a Week

Family Feast for $75 a Week By Mary Ostyn
Non-fiction: home economics, cooking 296 pages
Book Count: 8

Even though $75 is more then I usualy spent on food in a week, I thought that it would have some tips that would be helpful to me. And it did, just not as many as I thought it would. The first 77 pages were all on ways to save on your food bills. The rest of the book is recipes along with differnt little tips for how to save money. Although, most of the tips are good, she repeatily talks about how American eat more meat then you need and that cutting down on meat will save you money, but most of the recipes have about 1/2 lb of meat per person even in things like soups and caseroles that are easy to cut down on meat. It also has a lot of recipes that are from around the world, expecialy Ethiopian and Korean as she has adopted children from both countries. So, in short, it is a good book if you are starting on budgeting food as well as if you are looking for some low cost meals to make.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

A Moment in African American History

The NAACP was founded on February 12th 1909. It was founded by a racially diverse mix of people including the son of a slaveholder. In its early years its leadership had a large amount of Jewish Americans who saw parallels between their slaver in Egypt to that in America. It's mission is "To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination."

Monday, February 08, 2010

A Moment in African American History

George Washington Carver invented 300 uses for peanuts. Peanut butter was not one of them. He also found uses for sweet potatoes, pecans and soy beans. But, he only applied for 3 patents as he wanted his discoveries to be free to use for others.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

A Moment in African American History

Jack Johnson was the 1st African American Heavyweight champion. Along with his boxing carrer he is best known for patenting a wrench and flaunting social conventions of his time. Both of his wives were white and he enjoyed showing off the money he made as a boxer.

Saturday, February 06, 2010

W. E. B.Du Bois Quotes:

* Herein lies the tragedy of the age: not that men are poor, — all men know something of poverty; not that men are wicked — who is good? not that men are ignorant, — what is Truth? Nay, but that men know so little of men.

* The worker must work for the glory of his handiwork, not simply for pay; the thinker must think for truth, not for fame

* Believe in life! Always human beings will progress to greater, broader, and fuller life.

* I insist that the object of all true education is not to make men carpenters, it is to make carpenters men.

* There is always a certain glamour about the idea of a nation rising up to crush an evil simply because it is wrong. Unfortunately, this can seldom be realized in real life; for the very existence of the evil usually argues a moral weakness in the very place where extraordinary moral strength is called for.

* The theory of democratic government is not that the will of the people is always right, but rather that normal human beings of average intelligence will, if given a chance, learn the right and best course by bitter experience.

Friday, February 05, 2010

A Moment in African American History

Madam C.J. Walker was the first female self-made millionaire. She was born in 1867. In 1906 she started her hair care products and cosmetics company. 11 years later she owned the largest American business owned by an African American. She used her business to help other women have well paying jobs and used much of her money to support charities.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

A Moment in African American History

The theme for this year's Black History Month is: "The History of Black Economic Empowerment."

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

* Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase.

* I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

* Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.

* Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.

* The church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.

* The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers.

* Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

* All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem.

* We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

* It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.

* In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

A Moment in African American History

Currently about 13.5% of the American population consider themselves African American.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day!

Monday, February 01, 2010

A Moment in African American History

Staring in 1863 the island of Roanoke in North Carolina was a freeman's colony for the families of black union soldiers as well as other freed slaves. Along with the union army providing safety to its residence, northern missionaries taught them to read.

Happy Black History Month!

or African American History Month, which ever it is now. As I have been only writing about books for the last month I thought I would join NaBloPoMo for this month so I would make myself write more and as it's the month that it is, I plan on writing about inportant moments/poeple/etc in the history of African Americans. (Look mom, I'm useing all of my American History classes for something!)