Friday, May 28, 2010

"and smiles are the foundation of beauty."

I went to a used bookstore last week with Karina May. Definitely one of my new favorite activities. Anyways, I found this copy of Tarzan and bought it to see if Disney got it right. It's different than the movie. But good. I can see how this story is definitely an adventure story enjoyable for any young child, minus some hunting scenes. I included some quotes to show you how perfect Tarzan is. He has everything. He was raised in the jungle, so he can fight anything with teeth. He teaches himself how to read and write in English, but he can't speak it. He is the son of an English lord and lady, so that of course, has a major impact on his upbringing among the apes. ;) Later on in the story, he saves a French soldier from cannibalistic savages and he teaches him how to speak french. Tarzan has beautiful hair! Mah, this was a fun read. Especially considering when Burroughs wrote it at the beginning of the 20th century. (1912 ish) So women are women: gentle, fainting types who need to be protected. Men are either bad such as illiterate sailors or cannibalistic savages or good: i.e. Tarzan other white, aristocratic, educated men. Very cut and dried and fast to read.

Quotes!

"Though but ten years old he was fully as strong as the average man of thirty, and far more agile than the most practiced athlete ever becomes. And day by day his strength was increasing." pg 35

"At eighteen he read fluently and understood nearly all he read in the many and varied volumes on the shelves. Also could he write, with printed letters, rapidly and plainly." pg 63

"The young Lord Greystoke was indeed a strange and warlike figure, his mass of black hair falling to his shoulders behind and cut with his hunting knife to a rude bang upon his forehead, that it might not fall before his eyes. His straight and perfect figure, muscled as the best of the ancient Roman gladiators must have been muscled, and yet with the soft and sinuous curves of a Greek god, told at a glance the wondrous combination of enormous strength with suppleness and speed." pg 97

"But the girl, ah--that was a different matter. He did not reason here. He knew that she was created to be protected and that he was created to protect her." pg 134

"It seemed to him that no pleasure on earth could compare with laboring for the welfare and protection of the beautiful white girl." pg 147

"(after Tarzan saves Jane from another ape) it was a primeval woman who sprang froward with outstretched arms toward the primeval man who had fought for her and won her." pg 156

"It was the hall-mark of his aristocratic birth, the natural outcropping of many generations of fine breeding, an hereditary instinct of graciousness which a lifetime of uncouth and savage training and environment could not eradicate." pg 168.

Other things:
At one point or another in the book, everyone but Tarzan faints. Even other men. Granted, said men were under great deals of pain and stress, but still. Come on, be a man.
Tarzan gets shot, IN THE HEAD, and still lives. He is attacked by no less than 3 apes/gorillas and lives to tell the tale. And kills a lot of lions and such along the way. Basically he is invincible.
*Even though he does survive impracticable odds, he does suffer from wounds and stuff. At least, that makes him a little more like us mere mortals.
I appreciate that Edgar Rice Burroughs makes an effort to emphasize that it is man's intellect and reason and education that sets him apart from other animals.
Apparently, one only need centuries of pure-blooded aristocratic lineage to survive growing up in the jungle because OF COURSE your heritage has a definite impact on your personality and intelligence. Nature vs. Nurture, don't cha know.
In other words (despite a few obvious flaws in mannerism) Tarzan is perfect.
Basically, JANE IS A FREAKING IDIOT.
The end.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

LOTR

I have started something very big. For some inexplicable reason, (probably my pride...i have a hard time getting into something that everyone else seems to love.) I have made it twenty something odd years without reading OR watching The Lord of the Rings series. Apparently, the lack of this has caused some of my friends to question the validity of our friendship. (Karina) We decided to change this by watching all of the extended versions of the movies. We were going to do a marathon...but time and schedules make that hard to accomplish. BUT! We watched the first movie last night. The Fellowship of the Ring. I...I...I'm hooked. I was sucked in and emotionally drained by the end of the movie. Emotionally drained, I tell you. AND THIS IS JUST THE FIRST ONE! There are two more 3 hr long movies to go through. It is a very good thing that we didn't do the marathon. I don't think I could have handled that. Emotionally or mentally. I need time to process these things. And I have officially decided that once the movies are over I am going to have to read the series. My summer book list just got a lot longer....
:)
p.s. I am going to have a hard time wearing any sort of ring again. For a long time. And I have a lot of rings.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance."

Delightful day it was today.
The weather was beautiful!
And it was PAYDAY!
I paid rent, got the oil changed. (They left me flowers on my dashboard! I am DEFINITELY going back.)
Tithing.
Car wash!! (so clean and sparkly!)
various banking duties, i am best buds with my credit union now. Going to get a credit card. (GaSp!)
dinner and movie with the sister. so fun. :)
next up: grocery shopping and then WEEKEND.
can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.
oh! explanation for the title.
I have been reading! (ya, i know, big shocker huh?) I relish it. I just finished a book. Scaramouche by Raphael Sabatini. DUMB BOOK! Ok, i really enjoy the author's occasionally delightful turn of phrase but the book wrapped up wayyy too nicely. The protagonist's arch-enemy, the person he vowed to destroy turns out to be his father? What the heck?! Is this some sort of French-Revolutionary-Star-Wars-epic? Apparently so. A little less hero worship and a bit more character development, please. Still, the quotes I get from Sabatini are gold. And it was a fast, fun read. I am pondering starting Moby Dick. It is one of my friend's favoritest books and a classic so I thought that I'd give it a try. Also in the queue is Les Miserables? Maybe, we'll see.
Any lovely book recommendations out there? I have the time, unlike the rest of the year. Let me know!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Recent Things

First off:
I have watched A LOT of "Say Yes To The Dress" and "Jane and the Dragon". I know that these don't seem like they mix well together, but surprisingly, they do. Well, at least to me. I am an odd mix after-all.
Lest you begin to think that watching random episodes is all I do with my time, I'd like to point out a couple other things that I have been up to.
Geography Quizzes. Namely, identifying all 195 countries (spelling them CoRRecTly BTW) and doing it all under 15 min. Woot! I am proud to say I have done it and with 4:42 to spare. I recently bested my original time of 3:52 minutes to spare. Surprisingly, this game is addicting. I couldn't quit until I had won. So I won. Other quizzes I have beaten include naming all 44 presidents in 10 mins (piece of cake...huh, after a couple of times, uh...) and all 50 states in 10 mins, I think. The states one was easy, for reals, because it was a bigger map and hello-ooo! states should be the easiest thing to identify. Should be...not that they are. For some people, I guess...
Anyways: I get to volunteer at the MTC again! There are four new elders and boy, have I missed volunteering. True story. And there is a new guy that I volunteer with, named Mike. Wayy nice kid. RM like the rest of them. Blonde. He is so funny, yesterday he got all excited and asked me if I knew what next Monday is. I wasn't sure so I asked him to enlighten me. It's sutten av mai! The norwegian independence day the 17th of may. He is going to have a party and invited me. I was flattered and so excited.
Plans for the summer include: Moab with the fam in June. (hopefully we will get a good start on the summer tan...) Toquerville and Grand Canyon (maybe?!) in July... and Washington D.C. in August! Woot, woot! Along with the many adventures we are sure to have in the Provo-Orem area this year. Me and Shannon (my roommate) made an Adventure Time list. Things to do if we are bored and have a couple of hours. These activities range from eating establishments to hikes to interesting and unique stores and boutiques. I am excited. If I can remember, I'd like to be able to photograph these experiences and scrapbook 'em later. Hopefully! Anyways that is what is new and happen'en.
What is new with you lovelies?