Geek in Heels - Page 68

Oct 28, 2011 • In Books, Personal, Scary

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark [Book Nostalgia]

With Halloween just around the corner, I recently developed a hankering for a scary book to re-read.

(Notice I said “re-read” — this is because my pregnant brain can’t handle anything new at the moment…doh!)

Sure, I could go for a classic like The Shining, or even my tried-and-true favorite horror novel, The Season of Passage. But I suddenly found myself waxing nostalgic for shorter, simpler tales from my childhood…

Enter The Scary Stories Trio.

If you grew up in the U.S. during the 80s and 90s as I have, there is a very good chance that these covers will bring back some memories.

There is also a very good chance that you were forbidden to read these books, as they were the most frequently challenged book for library banning from 1990-1999. (This fact comes as news to me. Did you know?)

The Scary Stories Trio consists of three books: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark; More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark; and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones. They are a collection of spooky folk tales and urband legends that author Alvin Schwartz has compiled for the younger crowd.

But perhaps the most memorable part of the Scary Stories Trio is not the stories themselves, but the fantastically grotesque and creepy illustrations that went along with them. Illustrator Stephen Gammell did one heckuva job carefully constructing each drawing to be completely horrifying and thoroughly memorable. For example, I have never been able to look at small hairless dogs the same way again after reading, and having the following image, burned into my mind:

And how about this lovely gem? I remember completely losing my sh*t the first time I turned the page to find this ghoul staring back at me:

Unfortunately, the heartless bastards over at HarperCollins have decided to re-print the Scary Stories Trio with the works of a new illustrator, Brett Helquist. I am sure that Mr. Helquist is a great illustrator, but do these covers even compare to the originals?

I have read that one of the reasons there was such a push to ban the original books was due to the terrifying drawings…so perhaps HarperCollins was trying to appeal to today’s bubble-wrap generation by re-printing the books with less frightening pictures?

I’m sorry, but that is a big fat epic FAIL in my opinion. Children are so much more resilient than we give them credit for. Sure, I may have been frightened by the original Scary Tales Trio, but that’s what made them so fun and memorable! And I would certainly not be opposed to my kids reading the same exact books in late elementary school, which is the age when I first became introduced to these books.

The good news is that there remain retailers who are still selling the original print of the Scary Tales Trio. Such as this seller who has available the boxed set, in new condition, for just $25. I have actually just bought the trilogy myself, because I don’t know what happened to my old, dog-eared copies of the books.

Do you remember the Scary Stories Trio from your childhood? Which were your favorite stories and illustrations?

Was the Scary Stories Trio banned from your school or library?

“My Wife’s Purse” [Or, The Black Hole That Is My Purse]

I know for a fact that this is exactly how J feels about my purse.

Via Fashionably Geek.

“The Hunger Games” Character Posters

I can’t, I can’t, I CAN’T WAIT for The Hunger Games to be released in theaters next March! I have read that Gary Ross, the director of the first film of the trilogy, is a big fan of the books and that he truly wants the movie to be just as good as the book, to have the viewers of the movie feel the same way they felt while watching the books. (Hopefully that means that there will be no big changes.)

I also believe the casting to be superb — I can really picture Jennifer Lawrence kicking butt as Katniss, and think that Elizabeth Banks playing the role of Effie and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch were excellent choices.

Today, 8 new character posters for the movie were released, making this fan even more excited for the movie and tempting me to read the books again.

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss:

Elizabeth Banks as Effie:

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta:

Amandla Stenberg as Rue:

Liam Hemsworth as Gale:

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch:

Alexander Ludwig as Cato:

Lenny Kravitz as Cinna:

Anybody else as excited for The Hunger Games movie as I am? Are you Team Peeta or Team Gale? 😛

Via Geek Tyrant.

Safe Deposit Boxes: The New Savings Method?

A few weeks ago I looked into procuring a larger safe deposit box to store our valuables and important documents, and I had a heckuva time finding one!

All the bank branches within a 15-mile radius had waiting lists at least a year long. And the CitiBank in Chinatown where we had been guaranteed a free safe deposit box when we first opened our account just prior to getting married? The waiting list was a staggering 3 YEARS. 😯

I could only think of two possible reasons for the sudden decrease in safe deposit availabilities:

People are starting to become smarter about their valuables; or
With the unstable economy, people are less inclined to invest their money in intangibles such as stocks and more in material assets such as gold.

It came to me as no surprise then, to read that some banks are now starting to charge for deposits.

(image source)

Additionally, word around the Asian community is that many are renting safe deposit boxes to store cold, hard cash! While many banks have policies against storing cash in safe deposit boxes — not to mention the lack of any savings rate accural — keeping your Benjamins in safe deposit boxes ensures that your money stays under the radar of Uncle Sam’s watchful eyes.

Now, the 3-year-long waiting list for a safe deposit box in Chinatown is starting to make sense!

Has anyone else noticed the lack of available safe deposits as of late? Would you ever keep cash in a safe deposit box?

How Agencies Really Work [Infographic]

I’m loving this hilarious infographic which details the anatomy of an agency.

Via Brand Infection.

In West Philadelphia Born and Raised… [Photoshopped Picture of the Day]

I have read some truly heartbreaking messages from the 99 percent. And while I realize that the Occupy Wall Street movement is no joke, that doesn’t mean that we can’t garner some laughs from it…right? 😉

Via Best Week Ever.

P.S. — Posting will be light and fluffy today because I’m suffering from another pregnancy-induced migraine. 🙁

Vampire Identification Chart

A clever and season-appropriate poster by Ben Douglass (available for purchase via society6). Is it just me, or does “The Half-Breed Assassin” look like he wants to butcher “The Sparkly One”? 😛

My own question above reminded me of this classic Photoshop job:

Via Laughing Squid.

39 Weeks, And Claire’s Third Word

This morning I went in for what may be my last regular OB visit before BebeDeux arrives. Once again the exam went perfectly fine and the doctor tells me that there is no need for any worries.

I declined an internal exam because heck, I was only 1cm dilated 12 hours before I went into full-on labor with Claire, and while the doctor offered to strip my membranes if I were wildly uncomfortable, I refused because when I had my membranes stripped with Claire I went into labor within 48 hours…and I still want BebeDeux to stay in there for another week! (Exactly one more week would give us the 11/1/11 birthday I’ve been hoping for!)

Now that I am in the home stretch, my weight gain seems to have leveled off, and I have even lost a couple of pounds between last week and today (which is perfectly normal). Comparing my belly pictures from 36 weeks and today, there doesn’t seem to be too much of a difference:

I still remain VERY uncomfortable. As you can tell from the picture, BebeDeux has certainly “dropped” and has her head firmly planted right above my nether regions. This, unfortunately, adds another two symptoms to my already-mile-long “ohmigawd this pregnancy is going to KILL me” list:

Severe tailbone pain (because she is pressed RIGHT UP against my tailbone). Now, even sitting is uncomfortable. I want to lie in bed all day.
BebeDeux’s hiccups now hurt like heck. And she gets them at least thrice a day.

I can wait it out one more week. I will wait it out at least another week.

The good news is that I have finally made the preparations for BebeDeux’s arrival. I got all of Claire’s old clothes out of storage, washed them, and organized them in drawers. (I can’t believe how SMALL she used to be — she was too small even for premie-sized clothes, and they look like they can only fit dolls!) We purchased items such as newborn-sized diapers and nursing pads. We’ve packed a hospital bag, and I’ve even started sleeping with puppy training pads under me just in case my water breaks in the middle of the night.

I still can’t believe there’s a full-sized baby inside of me right now! (image source)

As was the case with Claire, I am not too worried about labor & delivery. I do not have a birth plan, and I trust the doctors and nurses to do what is the best for me and the baby. I was not too scared about pain the first time around, and this time I am even more relaxed — after all, I’ve been through it before, and even the doctors tell me that the pain I experienced from my appendicitis was worse than labor pain.

And if I end up having to get a c-section? No big deal. I’ll get through it.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers in this final phase of the pregnancy!

In Claire news…

She said her third word! Her first was “umma” (the Korean word for mommy), her second was “baba” (the Chinese word for daddy), and her third was…

Can you guess?

“NO!”

As in, shaking her head while proclaiming her refusal “No!”

We’re in for one heck of a ride.

She just said her fourth word hours after I published this post! Her fourth word was “Bye,” which she said while waving to her dad as he left to walk Comang. 😀

Working With Dogs

Don’t you know it’s a “doggy dog” world? (Ten points for the first person who knows what television show I’m referencing!)

Via final ellipsis.

The Death of Yue Yue: Another Perspective

Last week, audiences all around the world were shocked by the viral video footage of a 2-year-old girl, Yue Yue, who was run over twice near a hardware market in Foshan, China, only to be ignored by as many as 18 passerbys before receiving help.

(image source)

Yue Yue remained in critical condition for the next few days, but eventually succumbed to her injuries and died on the 20th.

I could not bring myself to watch the video because I knew that I would get overly upset and shed bucketfuls of tears. (Ever since becoming a mother myself, cruel and heart-wrenching stories of babies and children have always had this effect…and I’m sure that I am not alone.)

Today, I read that the two drivers responsible for the hit-and-run have been arrested. And while I am grateful that justice is being served, and still remain angry at those who chose to ignore the injured child, I could not help but think back to the conversation I had with my in-laws regarding this tragic event…

Upon first hearing of the 18 people who walked past Yue Yue without helping, I experienced a mixture of fury and sadness at the human condition. I was reminded of Kitty Genovese and wondered how the bystander effect could apply to even a 2-year-old child.

But when discussing the story over dinner last week, my in-laws told me a couple of things that set things in perspective:

Due to the underdeveloped legal infrastructure in China, there have been many cases in the past where a good samaritan would step in to a stranger’s aid, only to be blamed and charged with the crime they had never committed.
Additionally, local laws dictate that if a person is found guilty of devastatingly injuring another person(s), they are responsible for all of the medical bills and expenses for the rest of the victim’s life. This, coupled with the fact that the majority of the Chinese population — especially in poorer regions like Foshan where Yue Yue lived — would not be able to afford to financially provide medical care, leads people to leave victims for dead rather than help. That is, they would rather go to jail for manslaughter than be in debt (and become a burden and embarrassment to their families) for the rest of their lives.

This isn’t to say that I — or even my in-laws — believe what the 18 passerbys did was right. Neither am I justifying their actions (or lack thereof, in this case).

But now that I have been informed these cultural factors, I can better understand what had happened.

One sad result of Yue Yue’s case has been the finger-pointing and blame that has been running amok in the various websites and news outlets that have run the story. “This is why I hate Chinese people,” is a common one. But I hope that at least one person who has felt the need to blame an entire city, state, or race for the tragic event will read this post, and realize that things are not always so black-and-white.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark [Book Nostalgia]

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“My Wife’s Purse” [Or, The Black Hole That Is My Purse]

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“The Hunger Games” Character Posters

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Safe Deposit Boxes: The New Savings Method?

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How Agencies Really Work [Infographic]

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In West Philadelphia Born and Raised… [Photoshopped Picture of the Day]

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Vampire Identification Chart

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39 Weeks, And Claire’s Third Word

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Working With Dogs

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The Death of Yue Yue: Another Perspective

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