219 women and children removed from the Fundamentalist LDS compound in Texas:

Texas officials removed more people on Sunday from a ranch belonging to a breakaway Mormon sect linked to jailed polygamist leader Warren Jeffs but have yet to find a young woman whose complaints sparked the raids.

“We have now removed 219 people,” said Patrick Crimmins, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. He said that the breakdown was 159 boys and girls and 60 adults. via

Since I’ve been going to the gym in the middle of the day, I catch some interesting tv I wouldn’t otherwise have time to watch.  I watch a lot of reality tv/ makeover shows which is appropriate given that its the gym.  I do realize a lot of these shows are materialistic and shallow.  However, one show, 10 Years Younger, in particular really bothered me.  I do enjoy style makeover shows like What Not to Wear but enjoy how they subtly make fun of people but ultimately work on making people think more positively about themselves.

On the episode of 10 Years Younger, there was a 26 year old mother of two.  She wore slightly baggy jeans and a white t shirt with no makeup.  It was explained that she had gained forty pounds since having her children.  The host of the show kept pressing her by asking if she was afraid that her husband would leave her for gaining weight. She finally said yes she did have that fear–that it was her greatest fear.

My gut reaction to this was WHAT!  Thats her greatest fear!  Not something bad happening to her children or herself but that her husband would leave her because of weight gain after she had their children!?! OK I realize it is a “reality” tv show and there is master editing and manipulation of dialogue occurring.  Why would she be with someone who didn’t appreciate her mothering their children but is instead focusing on her looks. Of course, once again this is how the show portrayed this woman’s life.

This got me thinking if an alien who knew nothing about Planet Earth or the human race watched this show how would he or she or they think of the way we value motherhood, one’s intelligence, sense of humor, self-worth, spirit, generosity among other non image based characteristics.  It would come across as though we did not value a human unless he or she always looked “put together” and “hott and sexy.” Thankfully, people like me can process their own opinions about such a show and recognize the triviality behind it.  Maybe I should make a show about how to get people to read the newspaper more or write in a journal every day. But oh I don’t have a production crew or a major network backing me.  Oh well…!

So don’t worry the woman got her fabulous makeover, didn’t exactly looked ten years younger but more together, and her husband looked happily surprised. Wonderful. THE END!

Was browsing some blogs when I came across the Religion in American History blog and this hilarious list You might by a graduate student if…

Some of my favorites:

…you’ve ever traveled across two state lines specifically to go to a library.
…5:00 p.m. Friday means you are now scheduled to work for the next 48 hours.
…you find the bibliographies of books more interesting than the actual text.
…some of those continuing education classes sound interesting.

And to think I thought I *really* understood this when I was finishing my M.A. Yeah right! I’m in for a real treat!

According to the NYTimes, female tweens like to have their hair highlighted:

“Lexi works hard, gets good grades,” her mother said. “I feel like she deserves a treat.”…

Hair treatments like shiny glosses or full-color dye plus highlights, once reserved for women with salaries and mortgages, have increasingly become the norm for pre-pubescent girls as more busy parents with discretionary income are willing to pay salon prices for what used to be done at home. via

Wow, stop the presses!  Young women like to have their done.  Must have been a slow Thursday for the styles section.

Clearly I am not the only one to think Rachel Donadio’s essay It’s Not You, It’s your Books rang true.  For most of the weekend and earlier this week, it stood number one on the NYTimes most emailed list.

For me and the facebook, goodreads and social networking site generation, listing books read, to be read, and owned is a sign of education, interest, political inclination, intelligence, and taste among other qualifiers.  I LOVE to list books I read, mostly because it reminds me of graduate school when I had to not only write about books I was assigned to read but I had to write about them intelligently and thoroughly, identifying common themes and interrogating an author’s intentions.  When grad school ended I went through a pretty hard time where I stopped reading altogether. I don’t know what the exact link is there but when I started to feel better I kept lists of  all the books I read.  I set up a goal to read 100 books in 2007. I didn’t reach this goal but came a lot closer than the earlier year.

Reading is who I am.  I love books, libraries, organizing my books, and so on.  That’s why its so funny that I never really considered what affect it would have on my romantic life.  All of my life my friends have been avid readers. My mother has always been an avid reader–probably got it from her. However,  my husband is NOT a book reader, he reads the newspaper everyday.  This has never caused any problems except when I want to read and he wants to play xbox (love ya hon!) He honors and celebrates my booklove by buying my books off my amazon wishlist for my birthday, Christmas, and other celebrations.  He supports my library habit and encourages my visits to used bookstores.  I immensely appreciate his interest in my interest though I must admit I’d try to steer him away from The Secret if he was so inclined.

I also had the pleasure of listening to Donadio on Talk of the Nation on Monday. It was hilarious to listen to people call in and share their different stories. Several people discussed how it was silly to judge a person on their reading choices, claiming people should be happy their loved ones are reading at all.  Ultimately, I appreciate all sorts of literature and genres.  And agree that just as long as people and their significant others are happy they should be able to read and enjoy whatever they want!

Now if you asked my husband, he would probably say that musical preferences was my personal deal breaker.  But I am trying to be better about it!