Books: Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Recently, we picked up an amazing quick-read by the teeny-bopper writer Meg Cabot. Princess Diaries, was about a young gangly girl growing up in New York who finds out that she's a princess. Basically, the dream of every eleven-year-old girl is this book. That and finding a lost twin somewhere (hopefully in Britain).

This book took very little time to read, which is perfect for us sometimes. You will love it! Well, maybe not, but we did anyways.


Quick vote: This was a silly, fast read, perfect for a lazy afternoon. And it was cute, so we liked it.

Video Games: Brain Age 2

This is Maggie speaking. Last week, I was referred to as the 'slower' dog in the family, which I very much resent. That is why I have begun training my brain using Brain Age 2 for the Nintendo DS.

The game goes through a series of exercises to strengthen your mind. There's a change-making game, a piano-playing game, a paper-rock-scissors game, and much much more.

Now I'm going to be smarter then Sammi and we'll see who's the smartest dog!!!


Quick vote: If it could work for me, it could work for anyone else!!!

Blogs: Woot

This post is quite similar to last weeks blog-not-a-blog Steep and Cheap. Basically, woot.com is the electronics version of said website. Our favorite is when they do their bag of crap where you get a few random things. Sometimes you'll get an old mouse or some chords, and sometimes you'll get an iPod or a remote controlled helicopter.

Check it out here!


Quick vote: Great electronics for cheap?! Count us in.

Movies: I Am Legend

I know what you're thinking, "how did two dogs see a movie that is still only in theaters?" The answer is, that our parents sneaked us into the theater. We spent a lot of time licking stuck candy and soda off the floor.

But when we were watching the movie, we loved it! First, there is a cool science-y plot that we loved. Second, there was an incredible dog. And third, the movie was filled with an incredibly tense action scenes. Also, we usually loathe Will Smith and his acting style, but that didn't happen this time.


Quick vote: We loved it! You should sneak into a theater near you to watch it yourself.

TV: Law & Order

An oldie, but a goodie as they say. We have always had a great affection in our hearts for the detective/lawyer combination of Law and Order.

If you happen to never have watched TNT or TBS and have never seen Law and Order; it basically follows a crime (usually a murder) from the act to the search for the suspect and through the criminal trial.


Quick vote: Turn on TBS or TNT right now. Do it. Watch Law and Order, I'm sure it's on right now. You won't regret it.

Music: Say I Am You by The Weepies

This album is one of our new favorites. Though usually we prefer upbeat music to dance to while our parents are gone during the day, every now and then we like a more subtle form of music to nap to in the sun.

"Woke up, and wished that I was dead
With an aching in my head.
I lay motionless in bed.
I thought of you and where you'd gone,
And let the world spin madly on."
---World Spins Madly On


Quick vote: This music is soft and lovely. We very much enjoy the lyrics and the feeling of the music.

Books: Miracle in the Andes

We dogs just finished a short book about following the tragic story also told in the book Alive. The book chronicles a Uruguayan rugby team in the seventies that crash in the Andes, and end up stranded for seventy-two days in the middle of nowhere.

The men have to band together and take advantage of meager resources to survive. Eventually, they are even forced to succumb to cannibalism of their plane-mates that failed to survive the crash from complete lack of food.

Though the last fifty pages or so were full of insipid rantings about the aftermath of the crash; the rest was fascinating and eye opening.


Quick vote: Read this book. Skip the end.

Video Games: Cooking Mama 2 -- Dinner with Friends

For Christmas this year, our mother received a Nintendo DS system, and one of the games she also got was Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends. Though we lack the opposable thumbs to grip the stylus, we utilize our claws instead and are cooking with the best of them!

The idea of the game is cooking. You chop ingredients, stir the pot, roll out the dough, etc... Though some mega-users find the game too unchallenging, we think it's the perfect game to play while watching a movie or chilling with friends over th holiday season.

Also, the sound bytes of an Asian Mama are incredible.

Quick vote: We love it! Get cooking!

Blogs: Steep and Cheap

Though this is debatable as an actual blog, we love our fancy outdoor gear, and had to include it. Basically, steep and cheap offers one item a day at a ridiculously affordable price, and first come first serve, because they usually don't have a huge inventory.

Amazing deals on your outdoor equipment can be found here!


Quick vote: Cheap outdoor equipment?! We love it! (I wonder if they have doggie snowshoes.....)

Movies: The Prestige

Though this movie came out about a year ago, we just recently got around to watching it, which is incredible. The Prestige is one of the best movies we've seen in a long time, due to the phenomenal plot. The film follows two competing magicians through their careers in a non-chronological fashion.

At the start of the film, we were confused with the plot skipping around and had a hard time following. (Though Maggie had a more difficult time keeping up, being the slower of us doggies.) Then at once, dramatic things begin happening, and everytime we thought we had things figured out, something happened to completely throw us off. Also, David Bowie makes a cameo as the physicist Nikola Tesla.


Quick vote: If you're looking for a great show that will capture your attention and keep you guessing, this is the film for you!

TV: Planet Earth

When we recently purchased our Playstation 3, we began watching the Planet Earth television series on Blu-Ray, and we have loved it. Not only is it fascinating and informative about one of our favorite topics, nature; but it looks incredible in high-definition and on a nice television screen.

Basically the producers of the show take one ecological niche (e.g. mountains, caves, fresh-water) and devote an hour to exploring the geology, ecology, plant and animal life to be found in those niches. It's a pretty incredible show.


Quick vote: Informative and classy, this show is best viewed in high-def.

Music: The Rascals Have Returned

Trevor Hall's album The Rascals Have Returned is one of our all-star favorites. About a year ago, we went to a concert in park city where he opened for the John Popper Project (a project of the Blues Traveler artist). We fell in love with his lyrical honesty and simply beautiful musical talents.

Since then, he has released a single for the new Shrek movie and seems to be working on a new album.

"See the day God let men shake hands
And allowed women to give birth;
Is the day the devil stuck his flag in the ground,
And declared it his turf.
And at night he goes to sleep,
But without closing his eyelids;
Like a junkie found dead
Under the docks of Coney Island.
And he promises to speak the truth,
And then he lies again....

Aw, it's venemous, yes; venemous, yes.
No but we're talking about the devil,
What have you come to expect."
-Venemous (Not on this album, but one of our fav's.)

"Violence is bringing us down,
It's bringing us six feet under ground.
When we think we're alive and breathing,
When we're talking we're actually screaming.
Whenever we make a change, things need to be rearranged.
I don't want to live the rest of my life hiding in shame.
And can't you see the child's eyes, are you really that blind?

You're leaving nothing for the youth,
Just the proof of destruction."
- Proof of Destruction


Quick vote: His lyrics are incredible and his musical is beautiful. This man in so talented, and we think that y'all should listen to him!

Books: Moral Minds by Marc Hauser

We recently finished the book Moral Minds: The Nature of Right and Wrong by Marc D. Hauser. He explores the roles of psychology, ethics, and evolutionary biology in developing the moral code that humans hold today.

The anecdotal evidence in the book is quite fascinating and illustrate how certain portions of our moral sense are hard coded into our DNA and he speculates on where, when, and how these arose from history. However, he fails to deliver on some of his key tenets approached in the beginning of the book.


Quick vote: All bark, and no bite. We enjoyed it, but it left us disappointed.

Video Games: Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Recently, our family acquired a Playstation 3. And nearly as recently, we have been sucked into the Ratchet and Clank game for said platform. Reviews claim that playing R&C is like being a part of a Pixar video game, and we tend to agree. Though we lack opposable thumbs, we have been playing this game non-stop and feel certain we will beat it soon!

Ratchet and Clank starts out easily and then escalates as you and your trusty robot evade the evil Emperor Tachyon; searching for weapons, restarting factories, helping friends, and all sorts of other things along the way. The world of the Lombax is fun and fascinating, and pretty easy to pick up on a Saturday afternoon.


Quick vote: Hey, if we can play it, you definitely can! Though those looking for a more difficult challenge may want to search elsewhere...

Blogs: Found

Perhaps you have heard of 'found items,' if not, it's not difficult to imagine what they might entail. What Found magazine does, is post one item each day that was found somewhere (on the street, taped to a car, etc..) and include an explanation of where each item was found.

What ensues is a very interesting collection of artifacts from lists, to personal notes, to bizarre pictures. We love watching the items roll in as well as the descriptions posted by the detectives that originally spotted them.


Found can be found (pun intended): HERE!!!


Quick vote: This blog is interesting and fun. We recommend it!

Movies: Ferngully: The Last Rainforest

As a joke gift, our family recently ended up with a copy of Ferngully, which some of our older readers may recall from their childhoods. The film chronicles a group of fairies living in a rainforest who become endangered because of Evil Loggers that come to steal away their habitat.

We were amazed at this film. In a time where Global Warming is a catchphrase, and living in a city where you're in the minority if you don't drive a hybrid car (87% of which are Prii [plural of Prius]); shows like this (e.g. Hoot) are the norm. Ferngully, written years ago, belongs to this era. The indoctrination of children into a fear of not recycling and into donating to SUWA and the Sierra Club begun many many years ago.

We wonder if Al Gore watched this film as a child....


Quick vote: A fascinating trip down memory lane. If you watched this show as a child, we recommend you get a hold of a new copy and re-watch, at least for reminiscence's sake.

TV: America's Next Top Model

While we have never seen an episode of this season (or cycle, rather) of ANTM, we cannot help but put aside our lives when a marathon of yesteryear is on. Though Tyra Banks is both egocentric and ridiculous, we find ourselves sucked into the faux-drama she represents. Basically, becoming a model is the most difficult thing you could ever do, just ask Tyra.

The models are asked to do all sorts of crazy photo shoots (pose as if they are murdered, act like men, etc..) and then are judged on their picture-taking skills. In the meantime, there are all sorts of feuds between the girls (facilitated by Tyra's commentary) that make this show a back-stabbing romp everyone can enjoy!!!


Quick vote: This show is ridiculous and we love it for that very quality. (We much prefer it in marathon format though.)

Music: Happenstance by Rachael Yamagata

This cd was lent to us a few weeks ago by a friend, and we haven't been able to stop listening to it since. Oddly reminiscent of Fiona Apple, Rachael Yamagata's voice is simultaneously bold and ethereal. Her songs are well written, and catchy; sounding fresh and Gothic at the same time.

"And they'll dress you up for the flight
Like Ophelia, you wave goodnight
With the earth and sky you cheer and sigh
Writhe as your days go by
And laugh as you die."
-- Paper Doll

"Time passes by while I wait for your call
Time passes by; I hear nothing at all.

And I'm afraid and I can't breathe
And I'm in love with you,
But you are not with me
And I have put so much into a life
I made too much about you now to lie."
--Letter Read

Quick vote: We really like Rachael Yamagata, and we recommend this album.

Books: Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas

We just finished reading a newer Chuck Klosterman Book, IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas. We read Drug, Sex, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto and loved it, which inspired us to pick up IV. Basically, the book is a collection of essays, some written from his interviews with people, others based solely on his theories and such.

Chuck is hilarious. He writes like stand-up comedian with an unbelievable knowledge of all things cultural (rock music, sports, movies, reality tv, rock music, etc...).


Quick vote: This book was hilarious, thought-provoking, and an enjoyable read on a long plane ride. We highly recommend it!

Blogs: Postsecret

We were introduced to the Postsecret blog several years ago, and we go through periods of activity and inactivity regarding it. The idea is that people all over the world can mail in their secrets to a PO box, and some of them make it onto the blog. Some of the secrets are funny, some are disgusting, most are depressing, and a lot of them seem fabricated.


To find the blog: postsecret.blogspot.com


Quick vote: An interesting way to pass twenty minutes at work? Yes. A wholesome blog? No. A recommended read? Not really.

Movies: A Christmas Story

For the sake of holiday spirit, we've decided to review a lovely holiday film today. Unlike films such as, The Santa Clause III, and Fred Claus, yesteryear (which we were unfortunately not live for, being 2.5, and 1.4 years of age) had quality Christmas cinematography. Films such as It's a Wonderful Life, those clay-mation Frosty/Rudolf films, and A Christmas Story are iconic and memorable.

A Christmas Story chronicles a young boy growing up in suburbia surrounded by his immature brother, his perfectionist mother, and his DIY father; and his desire for the best Christmas gift ever -- a BB gun. The film follows many classic male childhood events (e.g. caught swearing, sticking tongues to lamp posts in the winter, and fighting the neighborhood bully). It is hilarious, adorable, and heart-warming; a Christmas classic!


Quick vote: "Deck da haws wiff boughs of haw-wee, fa wa wa wa wa, wa wa, wa WA!!!!" See this film.

TV: Samatha Who

Samantha Who? (now airing on Monday nights on ABC) is a ridiculous television show. The characters are poorly developed and the entire plot-line (Samantha is a witchy, career-driven woman who gets into a car accident, losing her memory. She is then forced to re-experience all of life, finding out what ice cream she likes [mint chocolate chip], her allergies [oregano], and her fears [elevators].) rings of a soap opera, and the jokes are ridiculous one-liners that have been spoiled by trailers ten times over before the show airs.

But what can we say, we're dogs! We don't have the best of judgments... Christina Applegate is adorable, and we find ourselves chuckling at her naivitee. We look forward to watching the show on www.abc.com on Tuesday mornings.


Quick vote: A cute show. Not great, but fit to watch while waiting for your owners to come home. (And while chewing on the tv remote...)

Music: The Reminder by Feist

We have been listening to Feist for a while, and we love her! Her delicate voice sounds both haunting and sickly sweet.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10. Money can't buy you back the love that you had then."

"Sea Lion Woman, dressed in red;
Smile at the man when you wake up in his bed.

Sea Lion Woman, dressed in black;
Wink at the man, then stab him in his back."

Quick vote: We love this album! Feist has a unique sound and unique songs. We really enjoy this album.

Books: Life of Pi

We have been very in between books lately, picking up and reading the first few chapters of three or four books at once, so today we'll draw upon one of our old classic favorites, Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

We love this story for the way that it looks at the world. The perspective of the main character is to accept the world for its whimsicality and potential to improve the world.


Quick vote: One of our very favorite novels. We love Yann Martel.

Blogs: Cassandra's Caprice

Today, we will review a blog that we read regularly; our mother's blog. She writes about her life and her observations. We love it!!!

Found at: cassandraane.blogspot.com


Quick vote: Read it! We love it!!!

TV: Arrested Development

Today, we have to review one of our all time favorite TV shows, Arrested Development. The story line is, a family full of trust-funders falls into hard times when their father gets thrown into jail for shady business dealings and has to learn to deal with life on their own.

This is one of the most humorous tv shows that we have ever had the pleasure of watching. One thing has to be said about the show, however. Though this is one of the funniest shows we've ever viewed, we have a hard time contemplating how the show would ever work on the air. The show is riddled with serial inside jokes, hilarious when watching the DVD, but confusing and bizarre when viewed week by week, or even missing a week. So, huzzah for DVD's, or we would never know the wonders of the tremendous comedy styling of this cast.


Quick vote: A must watch! Literally, if you don't watch it, we will come and eat your furniture.

Movies: The Royal Tenenbaums

This movie is one of all time favorite movies. Wes Anderson is a tremendous director, and this movie includes several big playing actors such as: Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Gweneth Paltrow, Gene Hackman, Bill Murray, and Anjelica Houston.

The Royal Tenenbaums is the funky, indie sort of movie that we traditionally love, and we highly recommend it to you! It documents the bizarre and tremendously gifted family, the Tenenbaums and their search to come to grips with their problems.


Quick vote: One of our all time favorite movies! Check this one out...

Music: Songs for Christmas

We have been making a concerted effort as of late to "get into the holiday spirit." In the light of this development, we're placing our new favorite Christmas album, in the hopes that our glee and cheer will become infectious.

Sufjan Stevens, one of our favorite alternative artists has put out an iconic Christmas album. His soft, dreamy, and yearning voice lends itself perfectly to the traditional yuletide hymns. We especially love Come Thou Font of Every Blessing and We Saw Three Ships.


Quick vote: If you're looking for a wonderful way to ring in this Christmas season, Sufjan Stevens' Songs for Christmas, is the greatest new(er) way to do so! We wuv it!

Books: Love in the Time of Cholera

This week, we've read Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marque. This novel was a beautiful exploration into the tragic end that is unrequited love. We also enjoyed A Hundred Years of Solitude by the same author, but this novel resonated in a more specific way in our lives.

Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza have a brief stint during childhood in which they write love letters. Fermina moves on, marrying a prestigious doctor, Juvenal Urbino, and falling madly in love. Fermina and Juvenal have the kind of marriage that is adored by all those around them. They remain completely in love until old age eats at their brains and bodies. Juvenal dies in Fermina's arms with the words, "God only knows how much I loved you." And yet, Florentino Ariza never moves on from Fermina, following her throughout his life, and being tagged as a homosexual from his reluctance to wed. The book was beautiful.

(BTW, some may recall this as the book from the movie Serendipity in which she writes her name and phone number.)


Quick vote: This book was incredible. Recommended for all those interested in a romantic read with excellent writing.

Blogs: Boing Boing

Boing Boing: A directory of wonderful things. A zine turned into a newsmagazine, and now turned into a blog is a wonderful thing. And that's really all there is to say.

Previous titles of blog posts:
- Anatomical Heart of Candy Hearts
- Disneyland Sign Generator
- ASCII Art's Grandfather: Paul Smith
- I Am the very Model of a Psychopharmacologist
- Robot Controlled by Moth Brain

Found at: www.boingboing.net


Quick vote: This blog truly is a "Directory of Wonderful Things," we urge YOU to check it out!!!

Movies: Live Free or Die Hard

Bam! Don't worry about it, Bruce Willis is back for another episode of the Die Hard saga, Live Free or Die Hard!!! This action packed thriller felt to us like one large, unrealistic action scene. McClain hits helicopters with cars and shoots a bad guy through his own body (realistic because he had already been shot there.... right.

We loved the action, and the plot was decent as well. Exactly the kind of movie we expected based on the title and the previous Die Hard films.


Quick vote: Surprisingly clean and un-surprisingly thrilling!!!

TV: The Weeds

A suburban widow seeks solace in marijuana, and eventually deals and then grows the pot herself. City Council elections, dating a DEA agent, and the coming of age of her children all whirl around in Nancy's life, leaving her deeper into trouble than ever.

Dark, dark comedy, and a Showtime maturity level (Beware the language and sex-scenes!) make this an interesting watch, but not for younger audiences...


Quick vote: This dark comedy about suburbia is brave and unique. We recommend it.

Music: We are the Pipettes

When we first heard of the Pipettes, they immediately piqued our interest, a pipette being a scientific tool, which our mother is constantly talking about.

The bubble-gum sweet voices of these girls harmonize like a 1950's pop tune and the rock band in the background keys them up to a Spektor-esque genre. We love it!


Quick vote: These sassy "scientists" rock our house! If you like rock, harmony, and sweet singers, check these ladies out!

Books: I Am America (And So Can You!)

We dogs just completed Stephen Colbert's new book, I am America (And So Can You!), and we have yet to stop laughing.

Stephen Colbert addresses America as if we were all guests on his tv show. He "tells it as it is" and leaves no prisoners. Unlike many of the Daily Show personnel, he doesn't take himself too seriously, and he's not afraid to mock himself.


Quick vote: This book is irreverent and hilarious. We would recommend it to all with a sense of humor.

Blog: Engadget

This Friday, we dogs would like to share our greatest new blog interest, Engadget. Our father is one of those gadget-minded men and we finally feel like we can have a discussion with him and understand where he's coming from.

This blog reviews and leaks rumors about the newest technological breakthroughs. Every day brings several exciting posts you can impress your doggy friends with.

This fun can be found at: www.engadget.com



Quick vote: You like the latest and greatest in technology? So do we. Check out this blog!

Movies: Meet the Robinsons

Having recently convinced our parents to purchase a Playstation 3, we also convinced them to purchase their first cartoon on Blu-Ray disc, Meet the Robinsons. This is the first computer-animated Disney film done without the accompaniment of Pixar, known for Toy Story, Monster Inc, etc...

This movie was the classic cutesy Disney movie with an orphan who has to look inside of himself to find the family he's always dreamed of. Oh, and he's an inventor.


Quick vote: This movie was cute, and not too memorable. Good for a Sunday afternoon watch with your nephew. (We don't have any nephews, we're just saying...)

TV: Ugly Betty

We dogs sit at home during the long days and appreciate the tv shows that ABC puts online for our enjoyment. Lately, we've become very attached to the show Ugly Betty, a remnant of The Devil Wears Prada were a young "ugly" girl from Queens becomes an assistant to a Vogue-like publication.

The plots are simplistic and predictable, and the characters are caricatures of actual people. But despite these gaping flaws, we find ourselves again and again turning on to see the dazzling metallic smile of America Ferrara.


Quick vote: Though written like the worst of the Disney cartoons, this show will warm your heart and leave you giggling to yourself over the high morals of Betty juxtaposed with the shallowness of the world of fashion at Mode magazine.

Music: Into the Wild Soundtrack

Eddie Vedder (from the band, Pearl Jam) plays the soundtrack to Krakauer's book gone movie, Into the Wild. He played nearly every instrument on the soundtrack and composed the majority of the songs.

The songs in this album are eerie and incredibly memorable. They inspire one to adventure into the wild as Chris McCandless himself did so many years ago.


Quick vote: An incredible book and a fantastic movie demand a mind-blowing soundtrack. Eddie Vedder fulfills this requirement and goes above and beyond.

Books: Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is the true story of Greg Mortenson. Greg, a mountain climber, gets lost on the K2 descent and ends up in the isolated village of Korphe in the mountains of Pakistan. He got to know the families there and realized the devastating poverty they lived in. He decided to build a school for these children, doing his best to help.

This book chronicles Greg's philanthropist missions to Pakistan and Afghanistan and the measures he takes to build schools for children (mostly girls) in the midst of the War on Terror in a time when most organizations have fled out of fear.


Quick Vote: This nonfiction work will make you feel as if you are incredibly selfish. But it's touching nonetheless...

Friday: Human Biology Blog

How often have we, as dogs, heard a random "scientific fact" on the news or from an acquaintance and wondered its validity? This blog takes recent scientific articles (published in reputable journals and the like) and discusses in layman's terms, the results thereof.

Excerpt from a post about breast-sagging and its relationship to breast-feeding:

"The results showed no difference in the degree of breast ptosis (sagging) between the women who had breastfed and those who had not. However, factors that DID correlate with breast sagging included the woman’s age, how many pregnancies she had had, and whether she had smoked."

Human Biology Blog: http://humanbiologyblog.blogspot.com/

Quick vote: This cool blog will allow you to impress your friends with your smarts as well as learning some valuable truly scientific information.

Movie: Running with Scissors

Thursdays are movie review days...

Having previously read the book of the same title by Augusten Burroughs, we dogs were excited to see this memoir hit the 'silver screen.' See, being bitches, we don't have much to keep up busy during the days but reading, watching tv and movies, and up-keeping our judgmental blog. Running with Scissors was a fascinating book into the lives of characters with mental illness (always a favorite with the Fawsons), and the people that try and help them. The film had a stunning cast list and was played in previews as a bizarre, hilarious film, reminiscent of The Royal Tannenbaums and the like. The film, though thought-provoking, was hardly hilarious. It was depressing, filled with schizophrenics and suicide attempts. It was devastating to watch the main character see everyone he cared for become ruined by mental disease.


Quick vote: This film IS NOT A COMEDY. But it was an interesting watch nonetheless.

TV: It's Always Sunny in Philidelphia

Wednesdays are TV Show review days...

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is one of our new favorite TV shows, and a great recommendation to more mature audiences. The show has an amazing capacity to approach a touchy subject (molestation, underage drinking, crack, etc..) and push the limit leaving you simultaneously laughing very hard and cringing.

The show is about a set of twins in their early-thirties/late-twenties, their father, and two of their friends who all own a bar together in Phili. They are vain, egocentric, selfish people who will go to any end to get ahead, and yet always end up where they started from, leaving the watcher with a general feeling of karma in the world. You'll love to hate these characters.


Quick vote: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is crass, sacrilegious, and breaks all the rules. If you can stomach these flaws, you'll have a hilarious time watching it.

Music: Raising Sand

Robert Plant, who our father and others like him will recall from Led Zeppelin; and Alison Krauss, who our mother and others like her will recall from the soundtrack,O' Brother Where Art Thou?, join together to create a masterpiece of an album; Raising Sand.

Several of the songs on the album have the ethereal, fantastic aura of the Azure Ray genre, (e.g. Trampled Rose) and others feel almost Beetle-esque (e.g. Gone, gone, gone). Their duets (e.g. Killing the Blues) see their voices blending like Johnny and June Carter Cash and in a similar genre.


Quick vote: A bizarre combination of artists come together to create Raising Sand, and the result is incredibly memorable and an album for any occasion. We loved it!!!

Books: Twilight Series

We have recently read the Twilight series (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse) and have fallen under the spell of the author Stephenie Meyer. Though it always causes us a twinge of chagrin to love a book prominently displayed in Walmart, we cannot help it this time.

Though Ms Meyer writes with a lack of sophistry that some may find astounding, she has a way of describing emotion that can lead the reader to realistic tears. Our hearts ache when Bella, the main character, is ripped from her beloved mother to live in Forks, quite a juxtaposition from sunny Phoenix. We feel the hunger that Edward the vampire feels when confronted with his perfect match, the woman immune to his mind-reading powers. Anguish, lust, thirst, horror... the most extreme of emotions are contained within the ~1500 pages of these books.


Quick vote: If you're looking for a lusty, quick-read about vampires, werewolves, and love; Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series will keep you up at night, yearning for more.