now i'm remembering God and readin too much it's so nice

this weekend...well, it was much like any other weekend in Alabama...i guess? I mean, it was hot?

i went home this weekend and while i should have been studying for the test that i have in four hours (who am i kidding, I should be studying now for the test i have in four hours)...i decided that i would do a little reading and movie watching

the books:

(a) the devil wears prada
(b) blue like jazz
(c) dispatches from th eedge: a memoir of war, disasters, and survival
(d) gods in alabama (i'm only on chapter 2 on this one)

the movies:

(a) the chronicles of narnia: the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe
(b) old school

starting with the movies: old school...i don't really care for it that much, it was just on, and i haven't seen it, thought i might better keep up with the culture and watch it....BUT, the chronicles of narnia was absolutely wonderful. i've read the book...i've read all the books (finally finished!)...i wanted to make sure that my images of the characters weren't clouded by hollywood...i think i made the correct decision. The film's got power, i think...

the books...i gave up seeing the magical mailbox movie this weekend by being at home...but i got some good reading done, so it's okay...but i will be conquering the magical mailbox movie soon...i'm sure

the devil wears prada is coming out in movie formation in a couple weeks...i want to see it, but i'm almost a big believer in reading the book first (that is, when i know it is a book)...and it was a fast read...it was good...and i'm sure there is a lesson in there somewhere, but i'm not sure where it is exactly. Perhaps it is that we all have to pay our dues (a million girls would want that job)...but in the end, we can't be letting go of all our happiness just for our careers...nonetheless, through all of that, the girl did learn about feeding the homeless and ordering starbucks...and i beieve in both of those things.

blue like jazz--well, it's pretty good. it has some good lessons in it as well...how much are we focused on ourselves how much of the time, and how is that hindering our relationships? but then again...going back to the devil wears prada...don't we have to look out for ourselves to some extent? we might be trying to save the world, one fashion magazine at a time, but in an effort to be doing doing doing for others (one other) we might be actually rendering ourselves less effective.

dispatches from the edge: a memoir of war, disasters, and survival...let's be honest...it's by anderson cooper, and why wouldn't you want to own a book with his face on the cover? well, i intend on giving the book away...not because i didn't enjoy it...but because someone else needs to enjoy it...this man: wow...there's some lessons in this book as well...this man has been around the world (and i i i i) covering disasters and war...he's seen a bunch...and has he become immune to emotion? i'm not sure...do you have to be to cover war? One of the most eye-catching sentences to me in this book comes from a chapter where cooper is talking about children and starvation...he is in a make-shift hospital describing how the doctors take care of some of these little lives. he says about the mothers: "they don't want your sympathy. they want you to do your job." what is our job, exactly? just a question...and how does that relate to blue like jazz and the devil wears prada.

finally, gods in alabama...i heard a dramatic interpretation of part of this book done by a girl on the forensics team...and it was great (one should also read the short story "a shell game with organs"...it's very good, i also heard it done at forensics tournament)...well, i bought the book...i read the first chapter, i'm sure there will be some lessons in that one as well...

i also continue to read mere christianity...it's very good thus far...very deep and i'm reading every page about four times...

and i suggest, if anyone wants a book to read, it's also deep, but makes some good rationale sense, if that's what you're looking for: the phenomenology of the social world