Team Rodent

Team Rodent, in short:

Team Rodent is a non-fiction book written by Carl Hiaasen about the Walt Disney Company and its stance towards the outside world. The book's primary focus is on non-film related Disney enterprises such as Disney World and their effects on the environment and local culture. (Taken from Wikipedia's article on the book.)

My friend, Matt, a Floridian, loaned me this interesting book about the famous mouse. It was a straight-forward way of looking at the dreamy corporation where no wrong can occur. Turns out wrong does occur for Disney, and Hiaasen points out various examples. If Disney does wrong, someone complains or files against Disney and pushes hard enough, Disney will usually write a check and be done with it. I don't recall Disney ever really having admitted fault by Hiaasen's accounts.

It makes for something interesting to think about, how Disney affects everyone. You don't have to go to the park and pose with Pluto to interact with Disney; all you have to do is watch Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Lost or Dancing with the Stars. Disney owns ABC. Unless you're a non-TV watcher like me, I bet I just touched on everyone who reads my blog.

It's pretty absurd the lengths that Disney goes through, legally and politically, to keep it's happy, perfect, Mickey Mouse with a spotless reputation.

Personally, I'm kind of torn. I grew up watching Disney movies - The Classics, at that, and those were some darned good cartoon full-length movies for children. That being said, I feel like I'm being duped if I'm a fan of Disney. Disney is pretty sneaky. Now I'm in on a lot of dirty details about Disney that the vast majority of the public isn't even slightly aware of because of how swiftly Disney cleans up afterwards.

Disney is a hungry beast. I think any Orlando resident - probably any Florida resident - can tell you that Disney affects the world in big ways.

Anyway, interesting read for sure, especially if you live in Orlando.

Wikipedia Article

Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs

This was the March book club book, suggested by the other Amanda:

This book is a collection of 18 essays where each pop culture topic was hit on during the sleepy, unwinding moments before Chuck fell asleep. Interesting premise, I'd say. I hadn't read a collection of essays before, at least not willingly, so that caught my attention. I liked being able to jump around or skip an essay if it didn't really appeal.

Here is the full list of essays (from Wikipedia) (the ones in bold are my favorites):

• 1. This Is Emo: Klosterman recounts "fake love" we are conditioned to pursue, and the false, unbalanced nature of When Harry Met Sally.
• 2. Billy Sim: Klosterman describes his experience with the reality-mimicking videogame The Simsand how The Sims illustrates that "even eternally free people are enslaved by the process of living."
• 3. What Happens When People Stop Being Polite: The impacts of MTV's The Real World and how it led to the development of one-dimensional personalities.
• 4. Every Dog Must Have His Every Day, Every Drunk Must Have His Drink: An ode to Billy Joel, particularly the universality of his album Glass Houses.
• 5. Appetite for Replication: Klosterman interviews and spends a few days with the members of aGuns N' Roses tribute band, "Paradise City," and outlines the significance of tribute bands.
• 6. Ten Seconds to Love: An analysis of how American culture is upset with the unrealistic images of success it has created, as stemming from a discussion of the Pamela-Tommy sex tape.
• 7. George Will vs. Nick Hornby: A rant against soccer (particularly among youth), claiming it supports outcast culture.
• 8. 33: Klosterman explains how the 1980's rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics symbolizes all rivalries in life, including politics, religion, and race.
• 9. Porn: An explanation of how the Internet has proliferated the porn industry, as per the need of the presence of the amateur and celebrity in our lives.
• 10. The Lady or the Tiger: A brief history of the cereal industry, and how Kelloggs was begun as a religious company, but now is a microcosm for coolness. The "cocoa puffs" in the title comes from this essay.
• 11. Being Zack Morris: An analysis of Saved by the Bell and how "important things are inevitably cliché."
• 12. Sulking with Lisa Loeb on the Ice Planet Hoth: Why Star Wars is so overrated, and how it has come to represent basic morality.
• 13. The Awe-Inspiring Beauty of Tom Cruise's Shattered, Troll-like Face: A discussion of the question "What is reality?" as answered by movies such as Vanilla Sky, The Matrix, Memento, andWaking Life.
• 14. Toby over Moby: How the Dixie Chicks are the new Van Halen, as they are one of the only pop bands with musical quality, and how Van Halen's teenage boys have been replaced by the Dixie Chicks' teenage girls. Also how music taste is used to gauge coolness, and those who ignorantly say they like all kinds "except country" only say so to appear cool.
• 15. This is Zodiac Speaking: A description of three people Klosterman has interviewed who have known or met serial killers, and an exploration of "What does it mean to know a serial killer?"
• 16. All I Know Is What I Read in the Papers: Most of the media's bias is accidental, and stories are mainly developed by circumstance and by the interviewee who calls the journalist back first. Also how sports reporters hate sports, and how newspapers are designed for those who cannot read.
• 17. I, Rock Chump: Klosterman narrates his visit to the 2002 Pop Music Studies Conference by the Experience Music Project, and how it was largely an experience without rock and roll.
• 18. How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found: A commentary on the Left Behind Series and the lifestyle of Evangelical Christians. The chapter title refers to the book How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found by Doug Richmond.

I'm not going to discuss each of my favorite essays, but I will say this: if you like reading Bill Bryson, I recommend this book. Chuck has that same conversational tone and approach in his writing. On the flip side, if you liked this book, I recommend reading Bill Bryson (conversational tone stories about his travels; I read the book he wrote about his time in Australia).

My all time favorite part of the book was the interlude with the 23 questions he asks people in order to determine if he can really love them. How interesting a method to determine if you can love someone! Here is a sample question:

Question 18: You have won a prize. The prize has two options, and you can choose either (but not both). The first option is a year in Europe with a monthly stipend of $2K. The second option is ten minutes on the moon. Which option do you select?

That gives you an idea of the sort of questions Chuck asks. Some of them I had quick answers to; others I had to think about; still others I'm undecided about. For Question 18, however, I'd take the first option to see Europe! Visiting the moon would be out of this world (ha, get it?), but for ten minutes? Nah, I'd rather 524,160 minutes in Europe with a total of $24K to spend while there. I've always wanted to go to Europe. I've never had that same desire to visit the moon. I enjoy gazing at the moon in the night sky. I'd enjoy gazing at the moon in the night sky from Europe, too.

Wikipedia Article
Official Publisher Page

-Amanda

Tribulation Force, Left Behind: Book II

Tribulation Force was fast-paced. I think I read the book within a single week, back in December or so, and it's a 452-page book. Unlike the first book in the series, this one is quick from the get-go; the first page-turner I'd read since My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult last August.



The story picks up right where its predecessor left off, grabbing your arm and taking you with it through the challenges the characters face: pressing on without loved ones, desperately seeking answers to the questions of how and why so many people suddenly, literally vanished, and sticking together with others who want to fight against the Anti-Christ, a rising, dashing, charming political figure who is loved by everyone who doesn't know the truth. It's gripping. I'm excited to read the third book.

Wikipedia Article

-Amanda

Left Behind: Book I

I read this book at the end of 2009, almost exactly a year after I made the decision to live for God. From everyone I knew who had read the book it was recommended that I read it. My Dad listened to the entire series on audio (he drives a lot for his job), and he, too, recommended I read the book. I trust my dad, and I am totally interested to read or listen to anything he recommends.



So I read it, but somewhat hesitantly at first. I didn't want to read a hokey, zealous, "be saved or be damned," preachy book, let alone the series. Turns out, the story doesn't read that way at all. The plot is quite engaging, really, and, for me and my beliefs, totally realistic. It's horrific, actually. It took me the first half of the book to get fully captivated. By the end of the book I was looking forward to seeing what happened next in the second book.

I need to read the Book of Revelation. The Left Behind series is based on the Book of Revelation.

I enjoy how all the main characters' lives become intertwined with one another as the story develops. They have depth and emotion. The book really drew me in as I read. It's one of those books where you feel you really know the characters. That's something that makes it a good book, if you ask me.

Wikipedia Article

Amanda

Tuesdays with Morrie

Finished the book in three days; very quick read. Mitch Albom has a great narrative skill, and I fell in love with the characters (real people) and the story. Mitch entwines honest, shamelessness and even humor into this loving tale.

Reminding me of Randy Pausch's story, this story is about how Morrie learns how to live his last days through learning how to deal with his looming death. Morrie has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease where you gradually lose control of your body. One with ALS dies when the disease reaches their lungs; they become unable to breathe. Morrie has an unbelievable perspective and attitude towards his condition, but that does nothing to stop him from living out loud and to the fullest. If anything, his condition was his most beneficial blessing. If anything, this disease gave him renewed life.

I chalk this book up on my List of Books Everyone Should Read. It's truly wonderful. It is amazing how life is so much simpler, so much slower, so much more satisfying if we learn from the lessons Morrie shares with Mitch.

My first reflection was how 180 this book was from my last one, American Psycho, haha. A fresh breath of air, for sure! Tuesdays with Morrie helped me with the death of something from my recent past. I think this book can help us all learn about death because, while it sounds utterly morbid, death is always around us in some way or another. Graduating college, moving to a new town, stuff like that. Something in our life has to end and die - this is required for something new to be born into our lives. The Lion King had it right... everything is part of the Circle of Life.

I've not seen the movie yet, but might someday. The movie has Jack Lemon in it to play Morrie. There's a link for the trailer below.

If you've read the book, please feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment!

Links:
Book's Website
Movie Trailer
IMDB

Love or perish,

Amanda

Obama Wins

I am proud of my blue vote. I am proud of my country for (what counts in my opinion as) recognizing the change we need to make. I believe Obama and Biden will lead this nation in the necessary direction. Congratulations, Obama and Biden, to you and your Electoral College win of 349 votes (against McCain and Palin's 147 votes). Below is a map of the voting breakdown.


Here is to making a difference and being a part of it!