Kindling

Dear No One in Particular,

I was not an early fan of the Amazon Kindle. Honestly, I was pretty darn anti-Kindle up until Christmas Day, when I was lucky enough to receive one from my long-suffering mother.
You see, I live in constant fear that I will be killed by my personal library. I have hundreds of books in dozens of places; I've moved a lot recently, so I not only have over-stuffed bookshelves at my parents' home, groaning and threatening to buckle under the weight, I have bookshelves at my apartment doing the same. Plus, I have boxes of books scattered throughout both locations, the majority of which I can not lift because books are freaking heavy.

Naturally, these books do not just accumulate on shelves. I am rarely without a personal reading book (as opposed to the ones I'm forced to read for school, which I carry around on the regular as well). Like I said, books are heavy, so my left shoulder is permanently higher than the right. No really. It is. Hairdressers and doctors comment on it all the time. I blame carrying around giant, overstuffed purses loaded with books.

So you can see why the Kindle was such a great gift choice for me: it can hold hundreds, thousands of books in a single device. No more bookshelves spewing trade paperbacks! No more hunchbacked daughter whining that her neck hurts!

But I was firmly against the Kindle and its e-book reader brethren.
Books are so much more than a simple vehicle for the written word, as any true bibliophile knows. I love books, I really do. The heft of a well-made hardback sagging in the palm of my hand; the flexibility of a trade paperback, the thin pages bouncing and flapping in the breeze; the smell of paper, glue and imagination -- these are what make a book so wonderful. I love the feel of a page slipping through my fingers as I turn ahead. The deep black ink's stark contrast to the crisp white page. The Kindle can't begin to hope to replicate small moments like these.
And I don't think it means to. In a world that has become increasingly dependent on electronics, the Kindle seeks to do what all extraneous gadgets do: simplify and accelerate.

I keep mentioning that I was not a fan of the Kindle and had no interest in purchasing one. My feet were firmly planted on the side of Team Book. Now ... ? Now, I'm a little bit in love with my Kindle. What changed? I held a Kindle in my hands, downloaded a couple of books, fidgeted with the features, and had my world rocked.

This is not to say that the Kindle is perfect. Far from it, really, and I don't think that it's newest incarnation, Kindle 2, is going to be the e-book reader to convert all of Team Book. But I can not deny its charms.

First of all, it's thin, thinner than most paperbacks, and it's really lightweight. This frees up a ton of space in my bag, which makes my doctors (and mother) rejoice. I'm one of those people who, if I'm nearing the end of a book, will carry an extra so I'm never without reading material. The Kindle simplifies my life by putting both books in a single device.
This is another huge selling point: the capacity, which is easily increased with a memory card. I could hold thousands of books in my little Kindle, something I would never be able to do with real books.

Another feature that's especially appealing for me is the annotations feature. I know some think it's absolutely blasphemous to write in books (my father is one), but I like putting little notes or highlights in the margins. It's something I started with school books and have transferred over to pleasure reading. The Kindle allows you to electronically highlight, bookmark, and annotate your reading; it stores the notes in a separate file, so they're easily accessible -- no flipping through pages in search of that one really awesome quote.
This, with the capacity, could change college textbooks forever. Seriously, publishers: Kindles for university students. It's the wave of the future.

Like I said, the Kindle isn't perfect. It's flaws are many. It can be downright irritating at times.
The button layout on the Kindle 1.0 is maddening. There are very few places one can hold the bare Kindle (sans some sort of hard cover) without pressing some button and thus directing you away from the current screen. 2/3 of the right side is comprised of the "next page" button, while the left side is split between the "next page" and "previous page" buttons. Ok, it's really nice to be able to move forward or back with either hand, but the immense buttons make it difficult to hold the Kindle.
This has been rectified with the Kindle 2.0, which has smaller buttons that are angled inward, supposedly making it harder to accidentally navigate away from the current screen (so says Amazon).

Oh, and before you ask: no, I'm not going to trade up. I have a Kindle and I'm kind of in love with it, remember? We're totally going steady -- why would I cheat on it? But more on that later.

Another feature that the new Kindle supposedly improved upon is the sharper display. This is one of my big beefs with the Kindle: pictures suck on its screen. Covers look really funky, all washed out and blurry; I wanted to read Carrie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking", but after skimming the sample and realising that the book was photo-heavy, and that the Kindle couldn't hack it, I ended up buying the real book. Seriously, the Kindle was like Tom Hanks's character in The Terminal, all awkward and pathetic.

And that right there folks, is the crux of my love affair with the Kindle: it can do some really snazzy things that I simply can't do with regular books (instantly look up words in a dictionary or Wikipedia, for example), but it pales in comparison with good old-fashioned books. I have to admit that being able to carry a 400+ page tome in a skinny handheld device is pretty nifty though, and I do read faster on a Kindle than a traditional book.
Yet the truth remains: I'm not going to stop buying real books, and I'm definitely not going to stop frequenting libraries, or as I call them "magical oases of love and awesome". Sure, e-books, on the whole, are cheaper than regular books (some are free! But then, some are just as pricey), but I can't hand my Kindle to someone and say "here, you HAVE to read this book!" There's no sharing with the Kindle.
They simply lack the tactile greatness of traditional books, and that is something they will never ever be able to replicate.

What I would like to see from future Kindles: back-lit screens, like a computer or cell phone. Those idiotic flashlight-lamp hybrids are ridiculous on books, they're equally (if not more so) as ridiculous for Kindles. I would also love to see a Kindle library. Sure, you can download samples (which are often useless, since publishing info and table of contents tend to take up the majority of a sample), but what I'm talking about is a buy-in service, kind of like a Netflix for e-books. For a set price per month, you can download as many books as you like. At the end of the month, you have the option of either paying for them, or just letting them be deleted from the Kindle memory, easy as pie.

And as for the uproar over the new and improved Kindle 2.0? As a Kindle 1.0 owner, I'm not bothered. Sure, I received mine a mere 2 months before the updated version came out, but I'm not about to write angry letters to Bezos demanding a discount on a Kindle 2 so I can trade in my Kindle 1.0. Technology moves forward, and in doing so, older products become obsolete. If Bezos does Kindle early-adopters a solid a la Apple and the iPhone, that'd be great! I'd love a credit to the Kindle Store as a thank you for drumming up the support necessary for the creation of Kindle 2.0*. If not, oh well. Anything else is just sour grapes.


So do I recommend the Kindle? Yes and no. The Kindle 1.0 has some real flaws and while the Kindle 2.0 seems to have improved on them, the fact remains that the Kindle is no replacement for traditional books. So long as you're cool with that, and you're looking to streamline your life, and you have the cash? Go for it. It's a nifty piece of technology with more pros than cons in my book.**

--amanda





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*Not that I'm actually in that camp, as this post obviously points out. But it is something that's been kicked around on Amazon forums, and I think it would be a great idea, and not just because I want a credit. Take care of your customers, people!
**Pun absolutely intended.

Beauty Misadventures

Dear No One in Particular,

Have you ever had one of those mornings when it's not so much that everything goes wrong, so much as it's the fact that the little things get screwy? Like a simple, everyday makeup routine results in panda eyes and Tammy Faye Bakker lashes? Yeah, I had one of those days yesterday.
I, like every other woman, am on the quest to find the Holy Grail of mascaras. I should admit here and now, I do not want natural-looking lashes. I want my lashes to be dramatically lush and long, like false lashes. My God-given eyelashes are actually really long and curly, but I don't think they're thick enough, and they're certainly not going to be mistaken for falsies any time soon.

Given my fondness for user-generated review sites, I frequent MakeupAlley.com for tips on buying my next tube. I had heard good things about my most recent purchase, Max Factor Volume Couture. It had a high rating, and after reading a couple of reviews, I figured it'd be worth a spin.

So. I put on some simple eye makeup and began to apply. First, the brush and handle are ridonkulously unwieldy. I've used Lash Blast without issue, but for some reason, I was not able to apply this mascara without getting black all over my eye. I looked like a five year old playing with Mommy's makeup. I'll forgive a lot for results, so I was willing to overlook the fact that it got more mascara on my eye than on my lashes if it gave me full lashes.
No forgiveness for Max, though. I must admit, I don't like rubber bristle brushes. I know they separate like nothing else, but this mascara gave me fat spider leg lashes. About 5 spider leg lashes per eye, to be exact, which I guess is better than the usual arachnoid, but worse for the human eye.

Normally, that would be the end of my beauty issues, but it didn't stop there. Apparently, like stank perfume and bad exes, bad mascara holds on long after you've washed your hands of it. I couldn't get this crud off. When mixed with some water, the spider legs decided to bond together, forming 2 huge spikes instead of 5 legs. Wonderous. On top of this, what mascara I was able to rub off had melted all around my eye and was spilling onto my cheeks. I looked like someone who just lost their shit and forgot they weren't wearing waterproof that day.

Frantic (because I was running late for school at this point), I spied a Prescriptives makeup remover sample hiding on my shelf, and smeared some it on my lashes. Holy hell, it felt like I just doused my eyes in battery acid. Whimpering like a beaten greyhound, I quickly washed off the carbolic acid that was burning holes in my face. Luckily, the makeup remover worked on the insidious mascara, and I was able to get most of the sludge off.
I realised a little too late that the bottle of calendula oil I have sitting on my vanity also works as a makeup remover. On the upside, I was able to use this to remove the traces of sad panda that the Prescriptives left behind.

Moral of the story: never test a new mascara while running late. Unless you like the Tammy Faye Panda look.

(Also, I am back on the hunt for the Holy Grail of mascaras. Should you chance on this site and have knowledge of one, please send word and let me know it exists.)

--amanda

By a Thread

Dear No One in Particular,

I love Yelp. Really, really love it. There are a lot of reasons why I am so enamored with this website that I want to marry it, like Pee Wee did with fruit salad. First, there is the totally selfish aspect, the fact that I can find and review various businesses in a given area. I am extremely opinionated, yet I always feel better trying out something new if other people have given it their seal of approval. But more on that later.

The other reason why I think Yelp is the greatest is the fact that its real people -- or at least it was for a little while -- giving real opinions. Websites like Yelp, Chowhound, that hotel reviewing one -- they define how our computer-loving generation communicates. Previously, if I wanted to know about, say, delish Ethiopian food, I would have to rely on word-of-mouth. But now -- but now! -- there is yelp, offering me myriad choices, all rated and reviewed by curious people like me.
This is not to say that word-of-mouth is obsolete. Of course it's not. But I feel as though I can broaden my horizons with websites like yelp; I can look up bizarre foods and check to make sure certain restaurants are worth my time. Sometimes, word of mouth -- for whatever reason -- fails. In which case, yelp is there to help. (Hee!)

Well. Yelp was my saviour this week, when I realised that my previously preferred hair removal method (wax) was no longer viable, yet my brows were unruly. I hate tweezing with the fire of a thousand suns -- appropriate, since that's what it feels like every time I accidentally yank at my skin instead of my hair. I had heard of threading before, and decided now was the perfect time to try it, especially since "brows are the new lips."

Yelp wisely guided me to the M & M thread salon, where I had an absolutely amazing experience. I believe that the girl who did my brows was new to the salon -- yet not new to threading, natch -- so it wasn't exactly a 10 minute session. It wasn't a huge ordeal, either; it lasted about 20 minutes, and while it was more work than I had originally imagined (threading is all about teamwork), I now have some great brows. The owner (I believe) was very concerned about my brows being cleans, which I appreciate. I've had one too many aestheticians send me packing with clumpy brows. While it was a bit painful, it was no where near the level of tweezing, and it was a mite less than waxing. It was also dirt cheap, which everyone can dig.

If you have a thread salon near you, go! It's a wonderful option for hair removal. Just be sure to yelp it first.

--amanda

Here I Am Lord.....

Dear No One in Particular,

If the slightly cryptic Tweets are any indication, I'm home! Back in the Bay, and so glad to be here. This being said, I'll probably have too much time on my hands, so that means more blog posts! I know you, my invisible audience, is all a-twitter with excitement, but really? I'm so ready to flex my creative writing muscles, and Lord knows I have far too much pent-up aggression. Also, I just finished another rather great book by Jen Lancaster, so you could say that I'm inspired. (For the record, her books aren't immediately heart-warming, particularly the first. You really need time to fall in love with her, since it takes quite a bit of effort to get past all the narcissistic posturing and conjure sympathy for her by the time she hits bottom. The second book really capitalises on the relationship you, the reader, has already established with her not as an author, but as a human being. Her writing, for the record? Hi-larious. I love the snarky footnotes, mostly because that's how my mind works: constantly jetting off on slightly related tangents.)

Ok, now that I've gotten my incredibly parenthetical book review out of the way, I need to change out of my pajammers and go to Target! I'm more excited about running errands than I should be, but hey. Spending 5 months approximately 3,000 miles away from Target tends to make one antsy.

--amanda

Delightfully refreshing!

Dear No One in Particular,

Ever since I found a review on Candy Blog, I've been obsessed with the new Indiana Jones Mint Crisp M&Ms. "Like a Girl Scout Thin Mint" -- who wouldn't love that?
I didn't think I'd be able to find a bag of them here in Hawaii, so I told my mother that all I wanted for my birthday was a bag of these limited edition candies.

Well, they proved to be quite elusive in Northern California as well, and I didn't hear about them for weeks after I first put the tap out to look for these. Finally, the Boy's Fabulous Cousin was able to find them at Target. Of course. The one megastore we don't have here. She promised to send us a couple of bags as well as whatever else struck her fancy in a belated-birthday care package. I heard from my mother a couple days after that, saying that she found them in Walgreens. Apparently, they hit shelves sometime late last week all over California.

I still hadn't seen them around here in Hawaii, so imagine my surprise when I found the medium bags in the good Safeway! Kind of on sale!* We picked up a couple bags and tore into them on the drive home.
And, hoo boy, are they tasty. I don't care much for the normal M&Ms (I can't remember the last time I ate one), but I loved the crispy version and maintain that they should bring them back for the American market. Anyway, the Mint Crisp M&Ms are pretty much like Candy Blog described: the chocolate isn't overly sweet, and coupled with the strength of the mint flavour and the lovely crunch of the M&M makes them delightfully refreshing. I think they're mintier than Thin Mints; they don't have the waxy sweetness of the cookie. The mint is nice and sharp, the chocolate adds a bit of sweet creaminess.

Really, really addictive stuff. If you can find some near you, pick up two bags. You won't regret it.

The Boy wants to freeze a bag** so I'll let you know how good it tastes cold and crispier.

Oh, also! Finals are done! I have one week off, and then I go back to school. No matter, I have a million chick-lit books to keep me company on the beach. I highly doubt I'll be thinking about school.


--amanda




*2 for $7. Not really the cheapest candies, but better than paying the full price.
**He freezes everything. EVERYthing. Like loaves of bread and ears of corn. I wish I was joking.

Feed me, Bubbe

Oh, and I forgot to mention:

The Boy's birthday is tomorrow, which makes the 24th an interesting day for the two of us. We decided to keep the birthday festivities going by heading to Bubbies aka THE Best Ice Cream Parlour Ever. It doesn't have the sophistication of, say, Fentons, but it far surpasses it in terms of flavour. I'm sure that many of my fellow Bay Areans* would be up in arms if they heard me say that there's a creamery better than the beloved Fentons, but Bubbies wins hands down. They serve mochi ice cream and orgasmic ice cream cakes which is what we usually get, but their fudge is AMAZING. Again, better than Fentons, in my opinion.

Anyway, to celebrate our birthdays we got the most novelty ice cream confection we could: the bathtub sundae. It's essentially a small sundae (1 generous scoop of ice cream, fudge, nuts/sprinkles, whipped cream, and a gummy bear in place of a gross plastic maraschino cherry) in a small ceramic bathtub. They also serve up a toilet version, which the Boy thinks is hilarious, but I find disturbing. I took a few pictures of the bathtub; they'll be up soon.

It was a nice way to round out my birthday and gear up for the Boy's. Plus, we now have a bathtub dish to commemorate our 22nd year.


--amanda


*how would one refer to people from the Bay Area? I'm genuinely curious.

Trio Esperança: Pop Geniuses

Dear No On in Particular,

I would like to introduce you to Trio Esperança: a group of 3 sisters from Brasil who made a name for themselves singing catchy pop tunes.



Apparently, they were quite good a capella singers, but I learned of them through the beauty of iTunes.

iTunes and/or Apple only have one of their albums, a dual-CD from the "Serie Bis" called Jovem Guarda. It's pretty damn amazing. I somehow stumbled across their cover of "My Boy Lollipop" ("Meu Bem Lollipop" in Portuguese), and fell totally in love. I have a ridiculous love of cheesy 60's pop -- the bouncier and more ludicrous, the better -- so Trio Esperança was right up my alley. I find that already farcical songs like The Seekers' "Georgy Girl" and Petula Clark's "Downtown" become insanely irresistible in Trio Esperança's hands: impossibly energetic beats, combined with their peppy soprano voices is pop music heaven.

I listened to samples of all the songs on "Jovem Guarda", and cherry picked my favourites, but if this CD becomes a staple in my "frequently played" list, then I might have to pick up the rest of the CDs.
I really, really wanted to upload the songs via Muxtape and post them here, but apparently iTunes songs aren't MP3s? Whatever, Muxtape and iTunes hate each other or something, so I can't show you, blogosphere, the beauty of Trio Esperança. It's something you're going to have to seek out on your own, and trust me.
You won't be disappointed.

--amanda

ETA: The Boy has just informed me that he HATES this type of music. First, I thought he was referring to the type of music that has singing in it, but no. To him, the trio's Betty Boop-esque voices are like nails on a chalkboard to his ears. I would be annoyed by this, but then again, this is the same Boy who didn't know about The Dark Side of Oz phenomenon . Pitiful.

Rrrrrroomba!

Dear No One in Particular,

The Boy and my birthdays are coming up, and the Boy's parents sent us our present early -- a Roomba! I can't tell you how long we've wanted one; we were just talking about how once we finally get some decent paying-jobs, we would blow some cash on a Roomba. We both stared at the box for a good minute before we said anything. When we did speak, it was high-pitched squeals and "Holy crap!" over and over again.

I'm hella excited about this ridiculous piece of technology. Most vacuum cleaners are too big and bulky for me to handle effectively, and I've been worried about the respiratory diseases the Boy will contract from having to hoover up the dried bird crap on our lanai, so the robot-vacuum is seriously a godsend. Really -- I'm ridiculously pumped about it.

Also: Real Simple magazine is pretty great. I read pretty voraciously, but there's something about magazines that thrills and annoys me. Magazines are like the sitcoms of the literary world: short, punchy, and flashy. They're easily consumed in an hour, and any substance can be filed away for future use. Of course, a lot of magazines can be total crap: really selling the reader short by cutting out substance and condescending to them.
"Real Simple", on the other hand, is substantial without being overly literary, beautifully photographed, and has lots of fun, helpful material. Plus, their stories are applicable to the everyperson's life -- a major beef I have with the Martha Stewart franchise is that no one with any sort of a life has the time, money, or energy for her projects.
If you get a chance, unspoken reader, pick up their special Travel issue -- it's amazing.

--amanda