tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64818945268650835422024-03-14T02:50:04.793-07:00Raymondo's Reading RoomDive in!nwccraymondohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09825452970116001595noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481894526865083542.post-86350024988262074982008-05-13T08:20:00.001-07:002008-05-13T08:20:39.342-07:00A MUST SEE AD!!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px; "><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v063um-00cI"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v063um-00cI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></span>nwccraymondohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09825452970116001595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481894526865083542.post-76805805878600741772008-05-12T12:24:00.000-07:002008-05-12T13:51:42.103-07:00As I Lay Dying<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_gp92kzf5yJI/SCierHJCYxI/AAAAAAAAABc/K1y_6mYoFhU/s1600-h/As+I+Lay+Dying.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_gp92kzf5yJI/SCierHJCYxI/AAAAAAAAABc/K1y_6mYoFhU/s200/As+I+Lay+Dying.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199580233287754514" /></a><br />This is the first book I will read during the Southern Reading Challenge this Summer. First published in 1930, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">As I Lay Dying</span> by <a href="http://www.olemiss.edu/mwp/dir/faulkner_william/">William Faulkner</a>, chronicles the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bundren</span> family as they anticipate the death of a family member, Addie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bundren</span>, and the subsequent emotions, events, and aftermath of her demise.<div><br /></div><div>As a native Mississippian, I have, for quite some time, known that William Faulkner was a rich Southern writer, but to date have only read a couple of his works: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.ariyam.com/docs/lit/wf_rose.html">A Rose for Emily</a></span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Three-Famous-Short-Novels-Spotted/dp/0394701496/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210621369&sr=1-6">The Bear</a></span>. Faulkner's prose is quite unique and can be unwieldy initially, but once one adjusts his genius comes roaring through in page after page. After I complete my reading of this novel, I will post a detailed synopsis and review. So far, I am enjoying it <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tremendously</span>.</div>nwccraymondohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09825452970116001595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481894526865083542.post-47745144302330412242008-05-11T15:54:00.000-07:002008-05-12T08:09:56.503-07:00Movie Meme<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_gp92kzf5yJI/SCd6RXJCYuI/AAAAAAAAABE/2idPEnnrwy4/s1600-h/themovies.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_gp92kzf5yJI/SCd6RXJCYuI/AAAAAAAAABE/2idPEnnrwy4/s200/themovies.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199258733510812386" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Following</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><a href="http://rangerreaders.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Maggie's</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Lead!</span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Here are the rules:</span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br />1. Pick 10 of your favorite movies.<br />2. Go to IMDb (Internet Movie Database) and find a quote from each movie.<br />3. Post them here for everyone to guess (if you know them all, please don't guess every one).<br />4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.<br />5. No Googling or IMDb-ing. That's cheating, and that's no fun!</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px;font-family:'Trebuchet MS';font-size:48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: normal; font-size:13px;"><ol start="1" type="1" style="margin-top: 0in; "><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">What is that now? Twelve hands in a row? Holliday, nobody's that lucky. Why Ike, whatever do you mean? Maybe poker's just not your game Ike. I know! Let's have a spelling contest!</span></span></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><ol start="2" type="1" style="margin-top: 0in; "><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the alter of freedom." -Abraham Lincoln.</span></span></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><ol start="3" type="1" style="margin-top: 0in; "><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Hey Ray, wouldn't it be funny if I went to Harvard, you went to Jail and we both ended up surrounded by crooks. <- Maggie got this one</span></span></span></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><ol start="4" type="1" style="margin-top: 0in; "><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">In the courts of Mississippi, they have been reminded, that they cannot, by force, turn our communities into replicas of their communities... communities in which negroes run riot, unrestrained and unpunished, as they do this summer in the streets of Harlem, or they do in the streets of Oakland, or they do in the STREETS OF CHICAGO!</span></span></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><ol start="5" type="1" style="margin-top: 0in; "><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The white men who wore this came around the time of my grandfather's grandfather. Eventually we drove them out. Then the Mexicans came. But they do not come here any more.</span></span></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><ol start="6" type="1" style="margin-top: 0in; "><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Hold on one second, let me just take in this moment. This is cool. Is this how you feel all the time? Well, except now.</span></span></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><ol start="7" type="1" style="margin-top: 0in; "><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Well, we're in the desert, looking for the source of a river pollutant, using as our map a cave drawing of a Civil War gunship, which is also in the desert. So I was just wondering when we're gonna have to sit down and re-evaluate our decision-making paradigm?</span></span></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><ol start="8" type="1" style="margin-top: 0in; "><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I mean it, honey, the world is being Fed-exed to hell in a handcart. I really believe anyone thinking even thinking of bringing a child into the world is coldly considering an act of cruelty.</span></span></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><ol start="9" type="1" style="margin-top: 0in; "><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I blew up the building. Why? Because you made a phone call.</span></span></span></li></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><ol start="10" type="1" style="margin-top: 0in; "><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17pt; "><span style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Gotta love crab. In the nick of time too. I couldn't take much more of those coconuts. Coconut milk is a natural laxative. That's something Gilligan never told us.</span></span></span></li></ol></span></span></div></div>nwccraymondohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09825452970116001595noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481894526865083542.post-76038151419267111792008-05-09T13:35:00.000-07:002008-05-12T13:50:58.387-07:00Dixie Rising<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_gp92kzf5yJI/SCTpQ77ymVI/AAAAAAAAAAU/nr4Pf8Yvywk/s1600-h/Dixie+Rising.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_gp92kzf5yJI/SCTpQ77ymVI/AAAAAAAAAAU/nr4Pf8Yvywk/s320/Dixie+Rising.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198536347068045650" /></a><br />Although this volume probably does not qualify for the Reading Challenge, one of my favorite books with a decidedly Southern setting is titled <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Dixie Rising: How the South is Shaping American Values, Politics and Culture</span> by <a href="http://www.peterapplebome.com/Welcome%20to%20Peter%20Applebome's%20Official%20Web%20Site.htm">Peter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Applebome</span></a>. A transplanted, self-proclaimed Yankee now living in Atlanta, GA., <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Applebome</span> has written about the South for more than 20 years. In a moment of candid clarity he writes, "Out of habit or ancestral loyalties, I still vote Democratic and root for the Celtics and the San Francisco/New York Giants of the world of my father and grandfather. I hate football. I find stock-car racing unfathomable. I don't have a bass boat, a pickup, a gun or a taste for bourbon. I've never read Gone With The Wind and fell asleep the only time I went to the movie. I don't even root for the Atlanta Braves. But, like countless people before me, I know I've been seduced. The weather is warmer, the people nicer, the traffic milder, the prices lower, the pace of life saner, the greenery lusher, the history richer. Even the race relations are better." <div><br /></div><div>In <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Dixie Rising</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Applebome</span> delves into the history and contemporary <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">sociopolitical</span> climate of places such as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Newtland</span> (Cobb County, GA), Selma & Montgomery, AL, Charleston & Charlotte, NC, the Delta of Mississippi and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Moreland</span>, GA the home of a museum dedicated to Louis <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Grizzard</span>. Through this literary journey, the reader is afforded a front-row seat to witness the cultural, social and political changes that have taken place since the end of the 19th Century, and, consequently, the indelible mark the American South has wielded upon the nation as a whole. As one reviewer of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Dixie Rising</span> writes, "Southern values have become American values. Southern politicians lead both political parties, and the South has powered the rightward shift in American politics over the course of the past three decades. The South is far and away the leading area of population and economic growth in America. People in Michigan are listening to Country Music and parishioners in California are worshipping at Southern Baptist churches. New Yorkers are lining up to hear Newt Gingrich speak and militia members in Idaho look at Southern neo-Confederates as allies and inspirations."</div><div><br /></div><div>For anyone interested in learning more about the way the culture of our heritage has become a national force, I highly recommend this monograph. I suspect most readers will come away from this work not only having thoroughly enjoyed Applebome's bouncy prose, but also enlightened by his investigation of the maturation of Dixie.</div><div><br /></div><div>Raymondo</div>nwccraymondohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09825452970116001595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6481894526865083542.post-52642240272775225182008-05-09T08:38:00.000-07:002008-05-09T08:54:05.183-07:00Welcome!Hi and welcome to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Raymondo's</span> Reading Room. I am an avid reader and have never thought about utilizing a blog to post my comments/reviews of the books I read....but looks like a good idea. I think I will begin by perusing the list at the <a href="http://www.ageefilms.org/southern_books.html">Southern Books</a> link I filched from <a href="http://maggiereads.blogspot.com/">Maggie</a>. :)<div><br /></div><div>Cheers!</div><div>Raymondo</div>nwccraymondohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09825452970116001595noreply@blogger.com2