I hope you're doing what I'm doing: enjoying time with your family and a great big ol' turkey.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting, detailed book about how one family decided to sell their multimillion dollar home to buy one half its size, then give the price difference away.
Inspired by their daughter's desire to make a difference in the world, and more or less in spite of their son's initial indifference, the Salwens decided to sell their big Victorian home in a wealthy Atlanta neighborhood. In exchange, they'd buy a smaller house nearby, and give the money they saved to charity.
What follows is a sometimes overly detailed story of their research into the best way to make a difference, deciding where to help, who to help and how. Kevin Salwen tells his family's story, with Hannah chiming in at the end of each chapter with suggestions about how to include the kids.
The story could have been very self-congratulatory, although it seldom was. The process got a little tedious at times, but more often I found myself inspired by their desire to put their money where their mouths are, and actually do something rather than waiting for someone else. It did make me thing - often - of what I have in abundance that I could share half of. And I think that was their point.
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aka: flash-mobbing the Hallelujah Chorus
by the Knight Arts Group and Opera Company of Philadelphia, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Please do something like this in Providence!
You Are Cinderella |
 You believe it's important to do the right thing, even if you aren't rewarded for it. Not everyone treats you with respect, but good people see your goodness. You've had a lot of bad luck, but these days it feels like you luck is about to change. Even though times are tough, hang in there. You'll eventually get the life you justly deserve. |
White Heat
Jimmy Cagney was already a well-known actor and had starred in many gangster films, but White Heat
The movie is classic noir, with rapid-fire tough-guy dialogue. It's also interesting to see the explanation and use of the cutting-edge tracking technology of the time, which both looks like B-movie sci fi and is so obviously the precursor of GPS tech.
I watched the movie because I like the classics, but mostly to fulfill watching the Top 100 Quotes movie list from my 2nd 101 Things in 1001 Days. I've fallen way behind and ought to catch up.
You Are Nutmeg |
 You are a harmonious and peaceful person. You are surprisingly adaptable and flexible. You are a typical girl or guy next door, but you also have a undying thirst for the exotic. You dream of tropical places, and you have a true appreciation for far away flavors. You are easygoing enough to enjoy a full day on the beach. "Island time" sounds like the perfect time for you. |
You Are an Entertainment Magazine |
 You love movies, music, and television. You are the creative type, and you appreciate entertainment done right. You also think that celebrities are pretty interesting. At the very least, it's an escape to read about their lives. You don't take celebrity magazines too seriously... in fact, you probably make fun of them from time to time. The fact that they're so outrageous is definitely part of their appeal! |
You Are an Octopus |
 You are productive, efficient, and a natural multitasker. You know how to get things done! You have amazing focus and you're very strong willed. You are good at zeroing in on what's important. You are very intelligent and sharp. Complex things seem simple to you. You have a good memory and are very creative. You can come up with unique solutions to problems. |
You Are Solid and Honest |
 Your sense of humor is goofy and silly. You try to never hurt people with your jokes. You are the type of person who is more life smart than book smart. You are creative and intuitive. You have fun when you're doing your favorite things. You know what you like. You are the type of person who completes projects easily. You like to do one thing at a time. |
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| Anakin Padawan by Patricia Watwood, via Wired. Part of a series of Star Wars-based portraiture |
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| via Buzzfeed |
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| Gonk!! |
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| Darth Vader takes some "me-time" |
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| Solidifying the connection between Disney and Star Wars: Darth Belle, one of three Disney Darths by Joseph B222 via Superheroeen |
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| Newsflashback! Prowse spoils biggest movie twist/reveal in history! via io9 |
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| Star Wars pop culture/history at Podpocalypse |
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| click to embiggenate, insanely detailed Millennium Falcon schematic via The Daily What. |
Time-lapse film by Neil Bromhall of a dandelion going from bloom to seed. Pretty cool.
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| image: The Daily What |
Saw this on The Daily What, and everyone's impressed with the dog who snagged a salmon. Personally, I'm more impressed with the fish in the first 10 seconds of the clip. It makes me want to make motorcycle noises.
You Are Dorothy |
 You are a little lost right now, but you are slowly finding your way home. You are a kind and loyal person. You are the truest friend anyone could ever have. You have an active imagination, and you are intrigued by far away places. You make friends easily. But at the end of the day, there is no place like home. You value your family and roots. |
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| Boba's Invoice by Brock Davis via The Daily What |
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| Where do I buy one of these? No, seriously. Where. Do. I. Buy. One. of. These?? |
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| Vintage Star Wars travel posters by Steve Thomas |
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| Would you trust this guy to make you a sandwich? |
Not what you expected based on the title, is it?
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| by Steve Nyberg via The Daily What |
Challenge Requirements:
1- Challenge will start Monday, November 15 and will end Friday, December 31.
2- You can read anywhere from 1 to 5 books for the challenge and, of course, if you're like me, you are more than welcome to surpass that number.
3- And now, here's the clincher... they must be holiday related books. That's right, the holiday doesn't really matter, but it would be more "jolly" if your choices were Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.
4- The size of the book does not matter, nor does the genre. It is also okay for the book to overlap with other challenges. The only thing I ask is that they are not children's books. YA is okay. And so are re-reads. I for one tend to read the same books every Christmas - they are tradition.
5- To sign up - leave a link back to your challenge post. There will also be a post for review links as well as one for challenge wrap-ups.
6- And.... there will be goodies. That's right, we'll call them presents. At the end of every week that the challenge is running I will choose one winner from the review links. Meaning the more books you read, review and link up, the more chances you have at winning a "present".Here is my list of books (subject to change):
