Puddle Jumping in DC

15 Books That WIll Always Stick with Me

Reading with Dad aka passing on
the obsession.
Originally uploaded by Studiojmm.

Subjecting the blogosphere to another Facebook meme: Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

1. The Cheneysville Incident by David Bradley. No relation to our recent VP.
2. The Stranger by Albert Camus. Definitely read for college not pleasure but made quite the impression.
3. O' Pioneers by Willa Cather.
4. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow.
5. Birthing from Within by Pam England and Rob Horowitz. If you read one birth preparation book . . .
6. Marathon by Jeff Galloway. Not a particularly literary reference but that wasn't the criteria.
7. House Like a Lotus by Madeline L'Engle. This one was kind of earth shaking at thirteen with some pretty adult themes.  (Hate the cover image, btw. Artist obviously hadn't read book.) 
8. Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen. Which I read backstage during rehearsals of an Amherst community theater production of The Sound of Music (I wasn't in it).
9. The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell.
10. The Yoga Sutras by Patanjali
11. Jacob I Have Loved by Katherine Paterson.  Apparently, I was so struck by this one that I gave it to a young friend for her birthday two years running (oops). 
12. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig.
13. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. Unfortunately.
14. Eco-heros by Aubrey Wallace.  Given to me by my campus organizer after my sophomore year in college.
15. Native Son by Richard Wright. Read at 15 and haven't had the courage to pick up another Wright book since . . . powerful. 

Still in love with this kid.

There's nothing like toddler joy., originally uploaded by Studiojmm.

Hope your Memorial Day weekend was at least this fun.

News Round-up for 2009-05-19 aka Things Keeping Me Too Busy to Blog

• House Committee Begins Debate on Historic Energy Bill
  “Now is the time for bold and meaningful action on clean energy and global warming. We look forward to working with Congress to strengthen and pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act," says Federal Global Warming Program Director Emily Figdor.
  (tags: green news energy globalwarming pollution congress environment)
  
• GOP looks to expand renewables mix, stress economy during climate bill fight
  In case you are wondering, "expand renewables mix" means coal and nuclear. "'Bring a sleeping bag,' [Representative] Barton [R-TX] said yesterday after a relatively brief, three-hour session for opening statements."
  (tags: green politics globalwarming congress environment pollution)
• Cleaner Cars to Hit the Fast Lane, Obama and States Lead
  "President Obama is proving himself behind the wheel in the race to a clean energy economy. This historic action will reduce our nation’s dependence on oil, save consumers money at the pump, and cut global warming pollution. This is what leadership looks like,” said Environment America Federal Global Warming Program Director Emily Figdor.
  (tags: environment green cars global warming)
• Obama regulates tailpipe greenhouse gas | MNN - Mother Nature Network
  The Obama Administration announced May 19 tough new standards for carmakers to meet by 2016: 30 mpg for trucks and 39 mpg for cars. Why go after fuel economy when the target is climate emissions? There is virtually no other way to reduce tailpipe greenhouse gas.
  (tags: environment cars globalwarming)