Following is the text of President Barack Obama's inaugural address on Tuesday, as delivered.

OBAMA: My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

In addition to incidents of damage, the residents of the areas with archaeological sites are regularly digging up the pharaohs’ graves, stealing and smuggling their belongings. This has become more common since the January 25 Revolution, when the security situation in the country deteriorated.

The latest incident, the damage of Tutankhamun’s mask, took place in August 2014 and is still causing controversy, since Tutankhamun was one of the most famous pharaohs. He became king around 1334 B.C. when he was 9 years old. His tomb, which was discovered in 1922, is of great importance to Egyptology, since the treasures inside the tomb were intact and the famous golden mask accompanied Tutankhamun's mummified remains. The discovery of his tomb contributed significantly in finding out how a royal tomb was prepared for a king’s afterlife.

Monica Hanna, an Egyptian archaeologist, told Al-Monitor that this was not the first time the officials responsible for ancient monuments acted with negligence. In 2006, the southern facade of the Saqqara pyramid was damaged and in 2007, damage was done to the city of Rosetta, which is also considered an important archaeological landmark, as well as to Al-Jayyousi Mosque.

Hanna considers these failures in properly dealing with the Egyptian artifacts and monuments during their restoration the result of 30 years of corruption.

“A crisis unit for monuments and artifacts must be formed. It should be supported by the army and police to confront secret prospecting at monuments as well as terrorist acts. This is resulting in the loss of incomparable treasures, similar to what happened in the Museum of Malawi, Museum of Islamic Arts and El-Arish [National Museum],” she said.

These museums witnessed acts of vandalism and looting. The Museum of Malawi was vandalized and 1,040 artifacts were stolen in August 2013. This happened at the same time as the violence that engulfed Egypt after supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi were dispersed at the Rabia al-Adawiya sit-in. On Jan. 24, 2014, the Museum of Islamic Arts, which was founded in 1903 and included Islamic art in its different stages throughout history, was destroyed in a terrorist explosion in front of the Cairo Security Directorate.

El-Arish National Museum also suffered damage following terrorist operations targeting the Egyptian army and police forces in North Sinai on Jan. 29.

What is both surprising and ironic is that there are 14,000 security guards to protect the Egyptian artifacts, but they are not actually trained to preserve the monuments that are being stolen on a daily basis, according to Hanna. The discussion of the damage to Tutankhamun’s mask did not end, despite the decision by the minister of antiquities to investigate the concerned officials. The situation escalated and resulted in public outrage expressed after experts at the Ministry of Antiquities announced they doubted the mask was the original piece, claiming it was a fake. Subsequently, the Egyptian government consulted German conservation expert Christiaan Eijkman to examine the mask and confirm it was the original piece.

Although the Federation of Egyptian Archaeologists described the damage to the mask as severe, the head of the federation, Abdul Halim Noureddine, told Al-Monitor that the mask — which is still on display in the Egyptian Museum — was not a fake but it was not handled in a way befitting its value. “Epoxy, the material that was used to fix the mask’s chin, is not recommended for restoration,” he said.

Noureddine attributed the repeated mistakes in restoring pharaonic monuments to two main factors. “Sometimes they are the result of the incompetency of the person involved in the restoration and sometimes they are the result of the ongoing conflicts within the monuments commission,” he said.

To hear the position of officials at the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities regarding the repeated mistakes during the restoration of valuable Egyptian monuments, Al-Monitor spoke to the chairman of the central administration for maintenance and restoration, Gharib Sunbul. He said that indeed an error occurred during the restoration of Tutankhamun’s mask.

He said that the restoration expert who used epoxy had succeeded in restoring 90% of the piece, while the remaining 10% showed serious flaws due to the excessive use of this material on the mask, which is made of pure gold. For the mask to be put on display again quickly, the restoration had been done in haste, which resulted in the complete distortion of the archaeological piece.

The government official denied accusations regarding the restoration work of the Saqqara pyramid, “The only mistake there was that the person involved in the restoration did not preserve the randomness in which the ancient Egyptians placed the rocks, and we are working on fixing this,” he said.

Sunbul admitted that a significant issue occurred during the restoration of the city of Rosetta, but that was when the Egyptian monuments commission was affiliated with Minister of Culture Farouk Hosny, before the January 25 Revolution.

Perhaps the fact that an Egyptian government official admits the negligence in previous restoration work of Egyptian archaeological sites is proof that there is a real crisis in preserving the pharaonic heritage. However, at the same time it could be a promising start to handle such crises and find suitable solutions.

Author: Walaa Hussein | Source: Al-Monitor [February 05, 2015]

Every city throughout the United States has been impacted by the recent economic recession. The combined forces of the credit crisis and the foreclosure crisis led to plummeting home prices in every region of the country. The ripples were felt from San Francisco condos to homes for sale. However, some metropolitan areas were able to avoid the worst of the turmoil and are now emerging from the mess faster than the rest of the country.

The recovery is swiftest in those areas that didn’t have as much of a housing price run up to begin with, either because the economy in those areas has stayed healthy or the economy has been limited for decades and residents have adapted or left. The top recovering areas also had lower rates of sub-prime and negative amortization loans financed in the years leading up to and during the crash.

In December of 2009, Forbes Magazine released a list of the number of loans that were foreclosed upon in the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Forbes then calculated the percentage of loans that were descending into further delinquency versus those that were improving.

For example, the number of foreclosed homes in Austin was examined to see which loans continued towards the path of complete default versus those which inched their way back towards normalcy. The lower the rate of deterioration was for a given area, the higher their corresponding ranking with regard to recovery.

1. Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pa.
2. Austin-Round Rock, Texas
3. Ogden-Clearfield, Utah
4. Buffalo, NY
5. Knoxville, Tennessee

Source: Forbes, Francesca Levy (12/09/2009)

The Pennsylvania region of Harrisburg, and the Austin area of Texas were rated the best, followed by Ogden, Utah and Buffalo, NY. The homes seem to be recovering quite well as that region came in fifth in the study.

VIA «Top 5 Recovering Real Estate Markets in the U.S.»

Adel Shirshab, the country's tourism and antiquities minister, told The Associated Press there are concerns the militants will remove artifacts and damage the site, located 15 kilometers (9 miles) northeast of Mosul. Saeed Mamuzini, a Kurdish official from Mosul, told the AP that the militants had already begun demolishing the Khorsabad site on Sunday, citing multiple witnesses.

On Friday, the group razed 3,000-year old Nimrud and on Saturday, they bulldozed 2,000-year old Hatra — both UNESCO world heritage sites. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has called the destruction a "war crime," and a statement by his spokesman on Sunday night said Ban was "outraged by the continuing destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq" by theIslamic State group.

Khorsabad was constructed as a new capital of Assyria by King Sargon II shortly after he came to power in 721 B.C. and abandoned after his death in 705 B.C. It features a 24-meter thick wall with a stone foundation and seven gates.

Since it was a single-era capital, few objects linked to Sargon II himself were found. However, the site is renowned for shedding light on Assyrian art and architecture.

The sculptured stone slabs that once lined the palace walls are now displayed in museums in Baghdad, Paris, London and Chicago.

The Islamic State group currently controls about a third of Iraq and Syria. The Sunni extremist group has been campaigning to purge ancient relics they say promote idolatry that violates their fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law. A video released last week shows them smashing artifacts in the Mosul museum and in January, the group burned hundreds of books from the Mosul library and Mosul University, including many rare manuscripts.

At a press conference earlier Sunday, Shirshab said they have called for an extraordinary session of the U.N. Security Council to address the crisis in Iraq.

"The world should bear the responsibility and put an end to the atrocities of the militants, otherwise I think the terrorist groups will continue with their violent acts," he said.

Author: Sameer N. Yacoub | Source: Associated Press [March 09, 2015]

“A sort of ‘blue helmets of culture’ are needed, as there are blue helmets that intervene to protect in situations of war,” said Dario Franceschini told the Guardian, referring to the signature uniforms of UN peacekeeping troops.

“There should be an international rapid response force to defend monuments and archaeological sites in conflict zones,” he said.

Franceschini was speaking following the partial destruction of Iraq’s Hatra, an ancient fortress city that the Roman empire repeatedly failed to conquer. Local residents on 7 March reported hearing a large explosion, as Isis militants went on a destructive rampage through the city.

Such attacks were described by Unesco as “a turning point in the appalling strategy of cultural cleansing underway in Iraq,” coming just two days after the Islamist groups bulldozed their way through the 13th-century BC city of Nimrud.

Isis militants have also decimated collections at Mosul museum, which housed artefacts dating back 3,000 years, and set about razing the ancient city walls of nearby Dur-Sharrukin.

As the extremists continue their wanton destruction of Iraq’s prized heritage, Italy’s culture minister urged the international community to wake up to a new form of warfare.

“At one time great monuments were hit accidentally in wars, during bombing. Now they’re hit precisely because they are symbols of culture, symbols of a religion,” he said. Building a force specifically to protect heritage in crisis situations could not be left to an individual state, Franceschini said, and must be initiated by the international community.

The UN security council agreed measures last month to combat the trafficking of antiquities plundered from Iraq and Syria, but safeguarding culture has yet to be written into the mandate of peacekeeping operations.

As historians mourn the loss of Iraq’s cultural heritage, fears have been raised that the same destruction could be wrought on Libya. Amid growing instability, Isis has been gaining ground in Libya, where five sites have been awarded Unesco world heritage status.

Author: Rosie Scammell | Source: The Guardian [March 20, 2015]

There were always a lot of books at my house growing up and the books ranged from the youngest picture books to heavy adult books. My parents have a really pretty collection of leather bound books that I used to sit and just stare at.

There were a lot of picture books around my house and I used to simply love going through them and reading them. A lot I 'read' for the first time when I was far to you to recognize even basic words, but I loved them just the same. And when I learned to read for real and was able to figure out for myself where the stories went? Love.

One of the picture book 'series' that was frequently at my house, both because we owned a bunch and because we'd get them from the library were the Berenstain Bears books written by Stan and Jan Berenstain. I loved the stories of Brother and Sister.

It wasn't until I was much older that I started realizing the books were actually quite useful as teaching tools. Don't ask me how I missed it before, but with names like The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room, or The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies and The Berenstain Bears and Too Much TV the messages seem to me now to be kind of hard to miss. (And I will say that my parent's reaction to the 'gimmies' at the grocery store was much better. In the book, Mama & Papa end up buying a treat every time they go to the store, but only one. At my house, if you threw a giant fit in the grocery store, Mom would leave her full cart of groceries in the middle of the aisle, leave the store and you just knew you were SO busted. And I tell you what — it only ever had to happen once)

But I digress.

I remember reading The Berenstain Bears and the Sitter and thinking it was so ominous. This big mean lady come to watch the children. And I remember finishing the book and still finding the cover and the idea to be unpleasant, even though she really ends up being a nice woman. (As a related [ish] side note, I was really hard on babysitters...)

There are so many stories to read and so many adventures to have with these two cubs. There are stories for every occasion, every holiday and every... parenting crisis a person can think of and it just makes me happy to think of these books again. They remind me of being young, of sitting around and seeing books left lying on the floor (along with Mercer Meyer's Little Critter Books, but more on those later) and I have all kinds of fun memories of growing up tied to these books.

Anyone else remember reading these? And did you know you were being 'taught' when you were younger, or does that come as a surprise to you to?

Bridget Jones's Diary

is one of the few instances where I've seen the movie before I read the book, and I've seen the movie what seems like one hundred times. I really didn't even have any desire to read the book until I saw that Nick Hornby had called Helen Fielding hilarious. I got the book from Bookmooch and it had me laughing out loud the whole time I was reading it. Bridget Jones is 30, slightly chubby, a bit of an alcoholic, and totally obsessed with her boss who is not interested in her (or at least she thinks it's that way). Her mother is constantly trying to set her up with suitable men even though her mother isn't happy in her own marriage and has gone running around with some new man, leaving Bridget's dad alone and quite sad. On top of everything else, she's just got bad luck it seems. Always saying the wrong thing, doing the wrong thing, burning this, ruining that, and tripping over herself. In short, Bridget Jones is every woman everywhere, or at least she was me. I felt, and that's what made me keep reading.

This is set up in a series of diary entries and I think Fielding did a good job of making the entries fairly believable but still moving the story along. There are times when Bridget goes several days without writing and then days where she writes ten pages. Any time I've kept a diary this has generally been my pattern too, so I found that easy to believe. The only thing that is hard to believe is how funny Bridget is in her diary, but I'll forgive that since it's what made the book so charming. At the beginning of each entry Bridget lists her weight and pounds lost, her number cigarettes so she can measure trying to quit, and the number of calories she's had. There are other things she lists throughout the book, such as alcohol units and number of times looked at her boss, Daniel Cleaver, but these depend on what existential crisis she is dealing with at the time. I could relate to her weight gain and loss since I have spent my whole life basically trying to lose weight, although I did think that her weight was a little low to be obsessing over. Of course, I'm six feet tall so I think anything under 150 pounds is pretty low weight.

I enjoyed how the whole book wasn't entirely focused on men even though that was a huge part of it. One of the things I found really interesting was how Bridget's middle-aged mother was trying to live a new life since she thought no one really needed her anymore and she had spent her whole life taking care of her family. I've experienced this with my own mother and also saw it in Tales of a Female Nomad, which I recently finished. It seems like it's common for middle-aged women to search for something new in their lives, almost as if they've been disappointed with what they've ended up with. It's rather sinister, but it made me wonder if Bridget would be happy with her decisions in the long run or not. At the same time, Bridget isn't all that happy with her decisions in the present of the book, she changes a lot of of things but one thing that always stays the same is her friends. It was nice to see a woman who relied on her friends more than anything else instead of just a boyfriend or crush.

I give Bridget Jones's Diary an A.

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The Economic Moon

Financial crisis — not a hindrance for scale building of the landscape park Zabil. «The new Moon» becomes the central construction of the project. The construction in the form of a half moon — a symbol of force and energy of the countries of the East — will tell about today's prosperity of the United Arab Emirates.

The New Moon in Dubai

Monument interiors contain 5 floors. Everyone symbolizes one of five postulates of Islam: belief, a pray, mercy, mutual aid and pilgrimage. The design contains in itself a conference hall, cafe, children library and an information desk.

The New Moon Monument

The external part of a building decorated by the Arabian inscriptions represents a steel skeleton with emptiness. Such decision will give the chance to supervise illumination and air temperature on all platforms of the New Moon, will protect an interior from a direct sunlight and will provide free circulation of air streams. Inside there will be a special microclimate which will unload the central systems of safety. The project completely corresponds to ecological building standards. Solar batteries will be built in a building covering, and it considerably will lower energy consumption.

VIA «Rising of the New Moon»

The guest reviewer for this post is none other than my husband, John. John is a huge fan of politics, so when I heard about the blog tour for American Lion

I knew he'd be interested! So everyone, please welcome John to Jenn's Bookshelf!

Hello to all the dedicated and casual readers of Jenn’s Bookshelf. I was somewhat perplexed and surprised that Jenn asked me to write this guest review. Unlike my wife, I read not for entertainment, but for information. However, I found Jon Meacham’s American Lion

reached both objectives and should be an interesting read to virtually anyone who chooses to open the cover.

Andrew Jackson is, arguably, one of the most controversial presidents ever to occupy the residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Some have described Jackson as one of the best executives of an early United States to lead the country; second only to George Washington. Others have portrayed him as a bully on the cusp of tyranny, capable of viewing the world only from the lens of his own narrow convictions. While many of his contemporaries considered our seventh President to be a simple man with a less than honorable background, Mr. Meacham illustrates a complex man, full of contradictions that continue to fuel the controversial perception of President Jackson even today.

Meacham continually portrays Jackson as a man, who orphaned as a young boy was determined to make his way in life of his own accord. Yet, Jackson places the highest regard on the institution of family, both his own personal, as well as the national “family” he sought to represent and defend. Additionally, Meacham describes a singularly devoted husband, who defends the honor of his wife against political adversaries; even though Jackson engaged in courting her and potentially married her while, she was married to another man. Jackson also earns a reputation as a determined General, brutally leading battles against Indians on the frontier to protect the interests of American citizens. Nevertheless, he shows compassion by taking as his own adopted son, the orphan of a fallen adversary, only to later lead the charge as President of removing all Indians, east of the Mississippi river, from their ancestral lands and transplanting them in the west for the economic benefit of the American people.

Mr. Meacham offers a very personal view, given through the observations and writings from family, adversaries and compatriots, of the transition of a nation from infancy to adolescence. The multiple accounts from the various players of the time provide an intimate perspective of Jackson. They describe the man that they know personally, not just the President of the United States. The book demonstrates his generosity and stubbornness, along with nobility and character flaws. We remember most presidents for a single dominant trait that defines them and/or their administration. Washington was gallant; Lincoln was melancholy; Teddy Roosevelt was relentless; FDR was a manager of crisis; Kennedy was regal; Reagan was a great communicator and Clinton was a persuasive pragmatist. Jackson demonstrates each of these traits, for better or worse throughout the course of his life. Meacham captures the full measure of the man, letting these traits shine through in a balanced manner rather than a vehicle of praise or condemnation.

I highly recommend this book. It will capture the interest of the most ardent historian to the individual looking for a good tale for an escape. The book will touch you on many emotional levels, causing you to laugh all the way to cringing in embarrassment. Most of all you will learn much more than the standard information passed to us as history in our youth. Do read and enjoy.

Thank you, John, for the review! Also, thank you to Pump Up Your Book Promotions for allowing me to join the blog tour, and the publisher for providing John a review copy of the book!

British campaigners likened the UK’s stance to “clinging on to stolen booty for dear life” and contrasted it with the “generous act” of returning the sculptures to help a friendly country on the brink of economic collapse. Youth unemployment has hit 50 per cent and suicide rates have soared amid a crisis so severe the Financial Times has warned Greece could turn into a “quasi slave economy”.

In 2013, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) invited the UK to take part in mediation about the marbles, created 2,500 years ago to decorate the Parthenon temple in Athens. Then last year it asked for a response by 31 March.

However a Government source said the UK “won’t be able to make any significant announcement this side of the [May] election”.

A motion calling for the UK to reply to Unesco and move to return the marbles is to be filed in the House of Commons on Monday.

The failure to respond in time could prompt Greece to abandon decades of diplomacy and take legal action, possibly in the European Court of Human Rights. A team of lawyers in London, including leading QC Geoffrey Robertson and Amal Clooney, wife of actor George, is preparing a “book-length” document setting out the options.

A source who has advised successive Greek governments said the main problem was finding a court to take jurisdiction in the case, but once that hurdle was overcome “then the lawyers are saying there is about a 75 to 80 per cent chance of success”.

The marbles are regarded as some of the finest works of art in history and a symbol of the birth of Western civilisation. Some sculptures were taken to Britain by Lord Elgin in controversial circumstances just over 200 years ago when Greece was ruled by the Ottoman Empire.

Dr Elena Korka, director of antiquities at the Greek Culture Ministry, said the central issue was “reunifying these exceptional, outstanding and most important sculptures, which belong as an integral part of a unique symbolic monument for the whole world”.

“This is the essence of it, making something which exists today as whole as it can be… this is what the public wants, every poll shows it. It’s such an important issue. Even if Greece didn’t ask for it, the whole world would,” she said.

She said if the British authorities relented it would be “a day of true joy, not only for the monument itself but I think for the value of the gesture for the sake of co-operation”. “It would definitely help the [public] morale. It would be a huge boost,” she said.

Asked about the prospect of legal action, Dr Korka said Greece was “still so much into the process of mediation that we’re not thinking of the next step”. “We haven’t exhausted the possibilities so let’s not go so fast,” she said.

She added that the UK’s silence since 2013 was “not so polite really”.

David Hill, chairman of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures in Australia, said there was a “growing appreciation even among people who are timid about the prospect of litigation that we have reached the point of last resort if this UNESCO gambit fails. The diplomatic and political strategies of the last 30 years have not produced any progress at all.”

Polls have consistently showed strong support in Britain for returning the marbles. In November, a survey for The Times found there was a two-to-one majority in favour.

Andrew George, chairman of Marbles Reunited and Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives, said: “One of our friends is down on their uppers and we can offer something to them that might make their lives easier and give them a lift, which can only be good for their economy.

“It would be a generous act which would improve Britain’s standing in the world. At the moment we look rather grubby… like we are clinging on to stolen booty for dear life.”

He said he planned to lodge an early day motion in the Commons tomorrow calling for  the Government to “demonstrate that Britain is prepared to... reunite these British-held Parthenon sculptures with those now displayed in the purpose-built Acropolis Museum in the shadow of the monument to which they belong, the Parthenon in Athens”.

The British Museum, which denies Elgin stole the marbles, argues that it “tells the story of cultural achievement throughout the world” and the Parthenon sculptures are “a significant part of that story”. It regards itself as “a unique resource for the world” with visitors able to “re-examine cultural identities and explore the complex network of interconnected human cultures” within its walls.

“The Parthenon Sculptures are a vital element in this interconnected world collection. They are a part of the world’s shared heritage and transcend political boundaries,” it says.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it would “respond in due course” to UNESCO.

Author: Ian Johnston | Source: Indpendent [March 07, 2015]

Jane Hoffman and Gwen Baker have been friends for decades. Jane was there for Gwen when her husband, Theodore, left her to raise two young children alone. They’re raised their children together and through the years their friendship has endured as well. Now, they are in their 40s and are facing larger, more painful crisis. Jane comes home early to find her husband, Arnold, in bed with another woman. Their marriage has never been a strong one. Arnold’s always been an empty shell of a man, more concerned about his needs than hers. And when Arnold attempts to walk right back into her life, rather than conceding to him like she’s done for their entire marriage, Jane begins to think first about what she wants. And when their daughter, Caroline, comes to her with news that will change their lives, Jane must be there to support her in a way her own mother was never able to do.

Gwen has been in a relationship with Daniel, a married man, for several years. When he tells her that he’s going to leave his wife, she begins to wonder if this is what she really wants. She’d become used to having her own space, but now Daniel wants to move in with her. She can’t help but flash back to her marriage to Theodore and all she was forced to give up for that relationship. Is she ready to give up her independence again?

Schieber tells an endearing tale about the friendship of two women. Despite the many challenges they each suffered in life, they never take for granted their friendship. Through the years as their friendship grows, they both discover a bit about themselves as well. Shieber’s lesson is an important one: value the needs of others but never forget the value of one’s self.

About the author:

The first great irony of my life was that I was born in a Catholic hospital. My parents, survivors of the Holocaust, had settled in the South Bronx among other new immigrants. .In the mid-fifties, my family moved to Washington Heights. The area offered scenic views of the Hudson River and the Palisades, as well as access to Fort Tryon Park and the mysteries of the Cloisters. I graduated from George Washington High School. I graduated from high school at sixteen, went on to Bronx Community College, transferred to and graduated from Herbert H. Lehman College with a B.A. in English and a New York State license to teach English. I earned my M.A. in Literature from New York University and later my M.S. as a developmental specialist from Yeshiva University. I have worked as a high school English teacher and as a learning disabilties specialist . My first novel, Strictly Personal, for young adults, was published by Fawcett-Juniper. Willing Spirits was published by William Morrow. My most recent novel, The Sinner's Guide to Confession, was released by Berkley Putnam.

Contest:

Thanks to the author, I have an extra copy of Willing Spirits to give away!

To be entered once, comment about this posting.

To be entered twice, blog about it. Be sure to include a link to your posting in your comment.

To be entered three times, become a follower of this blog.

US and Canadian residents only, please.

Winner will be announced Saturday, March 28.

Since it seems like everyone I know is having an emotional crisis right now I thought I would try and cheer you up. I know how hard it is to be an English major and feel directionless, I am a directionless English major myself. Here are a list of probably similarly directionless people that are now famous, even though they were English majors.

1. Joan Cusack
2. Chevy Chase
3. Kathryn Fuller (World Wildlife Fund CEO)
4. Conan O'Brien
5. Joe Paterno (Football Coach, Penn State)
6. Sally Ride (astronaut)
7. Diane Sawyer
8. Steven Spielberg
9. Renee Zellweger
10. Pete Wilson (former governor of California)

I tried to include a good mix of people to encourage you to think outside the box about you want to do with your life. Supposedly sophomore year is the worst year so for those of you stuck there with me, we can pull through!

In a letter dated March 26, 2015, the museum’s trustees claimed they are retaining the friezes — sliced off the Parthenon by the notorious Lord Elgin — for British people … for the benefit of the world’s public, present and future.

The letter also cited trustees’ “honest respect for the organization” but also “the already good relationships with colleagues and institutions of Greece”,

Here’s the British Museum’s very “long-winded” response, signed by the chairman of the British Museum board of trustees, Sir Richard Lambert:

“I write on behalf of the Trustees of the British Museum, who at their meeting of 19th March 2015 considered the request put forward by the Greek Government that they should enter into a process of mediation, facilitated by UNESCO, on the subject of the Parthenon Sculptures in the British Museum. After full and careful consideration, we have decided respectfully to decline this request. We believe that the more constructive way forward, on which we have already embarked, is to collaborate directly with other museums and cultural institutions, not just in Greece but across the world.

The British Museum admires and supports the work of UNESCO, fully acknowledging the importance of its unique ability, as an intergovernmental agency, to address the serious issue of the threats to, and the destruction of, cultural heritage around the world. The Museum has a long history of collaboration with UNESCO, notably in Iraq in 2003-5, and is currently engaged with UNESCO in formulating responses to the crisis in Syria, including the illicit trafficking of antiquities. The Museum would wish always to align itself with UNESCO’s purposes in the preservation and safeguarding of the world’s endangered cultural heritage. However, the surviving Parthenon Sculptures, carefully preserved in a number of European museums, clearly do not fall into this category.

The British Museum, as you know, is not a government body, and the collections do not belong to the British Government. The Trustees of the British Museum hold them not only for the British people, but for the benefit of the world public, present and future. The Trustees have a legal and moral responsibility to preserve and maintain all the collections in their care, to treat them as inalienable and to make them accessible to world audiences.

In pursuit of this aim, the Trustees would want to develop existing good relations with colleagues and institutions in Greece, and to explore collaborative ventures, not on a government-to-government basis but directly between institutions. This is why we believe that UNESCO involvement is not the best way forward. Museums holding Greek works, whether in Greece, the UK or elsewhere in the world, are naturally united in a shared endeavour to show the importance of the legacy of ancient Greece. The British Museum is committed to playing its full part in sharing the value of that legacy for all humanity.

The potential of this approach can be seen in the British Museum’s current special exhibition Defining Beauty, the Body in Ancient Greek Art, which opened to the public today. Here some of the Parthenon Sculptures are displayed with other works that similarly show the intense humanism of ancient Greek civilisation, including masterpieces generously lent by museums around the world. Nowhere else in the world is it now, or has it ever been, possible to see these objects together. The aesthetic impact is considerable, and the intellectual content compelling. This seems to us to point the way forward, as an example of the great public benefit that arises from museums internationally using and sharing their collections in this way."

Meanwhile, the British government also addressed a letter to Alfredo Pérez de Armiñán noting their respect for UNESCO’s work in preserving cultural heritage and “providing a forum for the resolution of international disputes.”

“The issue of the Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum has been the subject of much discussion over the years both within the Committee and elsewhere, and while the UK is not formally a member of the Committee, officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the British Museum have regularly attended and sought to assist the Committee in its work,” the letter stated.

However, while the British government wishes to cooperate with UNESCO, they clearly state that they cannot agree to the Greek government’s request for the return of the Parthenon Marbles since they “were legally acquired by Lord Elgin under the laws pertaining at the time and the Trustees of the British Museum have had clear legal title to the sculptures since 1816.”

“We have seen nothing to suggest that Greece’s purpose in seeking mediation on this issue is anything other than to achieve the permanent transfer of the Parthenon sculptures now in the British Museum to Greece and on terms that would deny the British Museum’s right of ownership, either in law or as a practical reality. Given our equally clear position, this leads us to conclude that mediation would not carry this debate substantially forward,” the British government added

The letters sparked a reaction from the Greek government. In a statement, Culture Minister Nikos Xydakis criticized the British officials’ “unwillingness to cooperate.”

“We are surprised at the ongoing effort to downgrade an interstate issue to an issue between museums,” he said, adding that the Greek government would continue its bid to repatriate the sculptures.

Greece has unsuccessfully campaigned for the return of the ancient sculptures that were removed from the citadel by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s. 

Source: Protothema [March 27, 2015]

Today's Fairy Tale Fortnight interview totally makes my day. Because it is with the author of my number one most anticipated release of 2012 and will be followed by a review of the book! I cannot even begin to describe how happy I am that Alethea, author of the soon to be released Enchanted agreed to be part of Fairy Tale Fortnight! So check out her awesome interview and then enter the giveaway of WIN that she is donating!

What do you make of the resurgence in popularity for fairy tales? (Once Upon a Time, Grimm, Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsmen, all within a very short time)? Do you see it as a trend that will sort of peter out, or is it just getting started?

J. R. R. Tolkien once said (and fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes agrees) that fairy tales were 100% guaranteed moneymakers. In these times of extreme economic crisis, doesn't it make sense to bet on a Sure Thing? Even Mama wouldn't disagree with that.

I believe this is a trend that started once upon a time in sixteenth-century Italy. We're definitely on the crest of a fairy tale tidal wave right now. I hope that wave continues for a very, very long time... or until we all live happily ever after. Whichever comes first.

What impact do you think fairy tales have on society (especially with the same tales popping up in various forms in every society)?

Over the years, fairy tales as a whole have been both teaching tools and "urban" legends at the same time. They are typically pro-cleverness, anti-laziness, and sometimes even end more realistically than happily. I think the more unadulterated fairy tales that children are read as part of their growing-up process, the more traditional values they will have, and the better off our society would be.

But we live in a world now where children are protected from such terribly, bloody things. Fairy tales are neutered and spoon-fed by Disney, and our children are reading Facebook news links before bedtime. Because THAT seems like the best way to mold our future society. *rolls eyes*

Book in a Tweet: Your fairy tale in 140 characters or less?

Every beloved fairy tale originated with the Woodcutter family. Enchanted is Sunday Woodcutter's story.

Favorite fairy tales: "The Goose Girl" and "Snow White & Rose Red."

Most underrated fairy tale? Every one that hasn't been made into a Disney film: "The Foundling," "Master Maid," "The Seven Swans," "The Little Match Girl," "Tom Thumb"...

Most overrated fairy tale? "Snow White." Every retelling of this tale concentrates so much on the evilness of the queen and not really Snow White herself. (The jury's still out on OUaT, but it's decidedly Regina-centric.) At the end of the Grimm tale, Snow White invites the queen to her wedding and makes her dance in red-hot iron shoes. Doesn't exactly fit the Lily White Mary Sue Princess she's always portrayed as, does it?

Last year we asked everyone’s fairy tale hero/heroine name; this year, we want to know your fairy tale villain name:

According to the online Fairy Tale Name Generator, I am EVIL STEPMOTHER. Ha! Is that even possible?

Using that name, give us a line from your villainous fairy tale:

"Once Upon a Time, a fairy godmother married a widowed prince with two lovely daughters. While the sun shone she was loving and kind, but when the sun set, she locked herself in the tower room and became THE EVIL STEPMOTHER."

If a genie granted you 3 wishes, what would they be?
1. That the Enchanted series continue on long enough for me to tell the stories of all seven Woodcutter sisters
2. That we all be doomed to a happy life
3. The genie's freedom (I am no fairy tale dummy!)

Best way to read fairy tales?

In bed, to a child. Fairy tales are all the more magical when told.

If one of your books was being turned into a movie and you could cast 1 character, which character would you cast and who would play them?

It's funny you should ask! I am a huge movie buff and a fan of many actors, not the least of which is Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. I was writing the last half of Enchanted right about the same time they killed the character of Mr. Eko on the TV show Lost. I was furious! So furious, in fact, that I immediately resurrected him in my book... and thus, Jolicoeur was born. I would be tickled pink if someday a production company 1.) turned Enchanted into a film and 2.) cast Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Jolicoeur.
P.S.- — I kind of come off like I hate Disney in this, but I really don't. Well, okay..I sort of don't.
PPS — I didn't really get to mention THE WONDERLAND ALPHABET — it would be cool if perhaps you could find a way to sneak it in somehow. Stories like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan are very much fairy tales to today's generation, I think.
What a fabulous interview! Seriously! LOVE! And would that I were a genie that I could grant your first wish! I would love to read more of the Woodcutter sister's stories! I absolutely loved the allusions to the various fairy tales! ____________________________________________

Alright! GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Because Alethea is MADE OF WIN she has donated an awesome gift basket full of Enchanted goodness and Fairy Tale win.

She has donated a finished, signed copy of Enchanted to one lucky winner along with other fun swag and surprise gifts.

TO ENTER: Use the Rafflecopter form below. There are extra entries available for commenting on Enchanted related posts on Ashley's blog — Basically Amazing Books, Misty's blog — The Book Rat and Bonnie's blog — A Backward's Story. The Rafflecopter widget is the same on all three blogs. You can enter through any of our blogs, but you must visit and comment on each individual post for the extra entries.

Giveaway is US only. Ends May 7th.

Visit:
Ashley's Blog Misty's Blog Bonnie's Blog

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But the 2,500-year-old treasures from present-day Iraq have become part of a thorny archaeological debate over how to handle historically significant relics thought to have been dug up in the fog of war by Mideast antiquities robbers.

Experts in cuneiform writing, one of the world's earliest scripts, say the collection of 110 cracker-sized clay tablets provides the earliest written evidence of the Biblical exile of the Judeans in what is now southern Iraq, offering new insight into a formative period of early Judaism.

The tablets, though, also tell a murkier story, from the present era, according to scholars familiar with the antiquities trade - a story of the chaos in Iraq and Syria that has led to rampant pilfering of rich archaeological heritage and a rush of cuneiform tablets on the international antiquities' market.

The collector who owns the tablets on display this month at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem, insists they were purchased legally, decades before that looting began. However, an ancient history scholar familiar with the artifacts disputes that.

Leading U.S. museums have pledged not to exhibit unprovenanced artifacts that have surfaced in recent decades, as part of an effort over the last decade to discourage illicit antiquities trafficking. But cuneiform inscriptions have emerged as a notable exception, with some arguing these relics would be lost to history if they did not make it into scholarly hands.

"We are not interested in anything that is illegally acquired or sneaked out," said Amanda Weiss, director of the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem.

"But it is the role of a museum to protect these pieces," she added. "It's what we are here for."

The plundering of antiquities in the war-torn Middle East has become a primary concern for the archaeological community, and some archaeologists even compare satellite images of sites in Iraq and Syria to moonscapes, after antiquities robbers went through them.

Archaeologists claim the Islamic State extremists and militants from other groups are funding their activities in part through illegal trafficking of antiquities, and authorities worldwide have been taking action to try to stem the flow.

What first sparked awareness of the issue, archaeologists say, was a deluge of cuneiform artifacts on the Western antiquities markets after the first Gulf War in 1991.

In the years that followed, archaeologists estimate that hundreds of thousands of small clay tablets with cuneiform inscriptions made their way into the hands of dealers. Many contained incrustations, indicating they were "fresh out of the earth," said Robert Englund of the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative.

An American scholar of ancient Jewish history familiar with the tablets on display in Jerusalem said they were purchased on the London antiquities market at the time when cuneiform artifacts were flooding the market, a strong indication that the items were looted. He spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a potentially illegal activity.

London-based Israeli collector David Sofer, who loaned the cuneiform collection to the Bible Lands Museum, denied any foul play. He said he purchased the tablets in the United States in the 1990s from a person who obtained them in public auctions in the 1970s.

Sofer said a few tablets from the collection were displayed in a New York museum and a Los Angeles museum in 2013, and their import and export in the U.S. was properly reported to U.S. authorities. He would not name the two museums, or the person who sold them to him.

"These things would be lost, and wouldn't be recognized for what they are" if he hadn't bought them, Sofer said.

As common as cuneiform tablets are, few have been as celebrated as those on display in Jerusalem.

The tablets fill in a 130-year gap in the history of the Judeans exiled to Babylon after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in the 6th century B.C., said Laurie Pearce, a cuneiform expert from the University of California, Berkeley.

The earliest of the tablets, which have dates inscribed on them, is from just 15 years after the destruction of the First Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, and the inscription suggests the displaced Judeans were more quickly absorbed into the Babylonian society than previously thought, said Pearce, who studied the collection.

The tablets include administrative documents such as land agreements, showing the Judeans were "integrated almost immediately," she added.

The Jerusalem museum says the tablets likely originate in today's southern Iraq, and reference common Judean names, including Netanyahu, the last name of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The topic of cuneiform artifacts still roils the archaeological community.

The American Schools of Oriental Research, an academic research association, bans scholars from publishing articles on artifacts illegally excavated or exported from their country of origin after 1970, when the U.N. adopted its policy against antiquities trafficking.

But in 2004, the association made an exception, allowing publications about cuneiform artifacts that have no record of how they were unearthed - under the condition that Iraqi antiquities authorities give their consent and that the artifacts are eventually returned to Iraq.

The exception was made because the esoteric wedge script writings are so valuable to historical study, said Eric Meyers of the association.

The policy is now again a point of contention in the field. Over the past year, scholars at the association have debated changing the policy again, with most experts leaning against publishing articles on cuneiform artifacts as these objects continue to hit the markets, Meyers said.

"It is a crisis in the region," he said.

Author: Daniel Estrin | Source: The Associated Press [February 12, 2015]

This upcoming week is going to be pretty crazy for me. As I mentioned yesterday I have Midterms all week and I actually have tests this time around. I'm not so used to having a lot of tests, but I don't think it's going to be as bad as I originally planned. When Thursday comes I will finally be free! And then I get to go to New York!

I read a post at Books and Movies about Bedtime Reading Rituals. What I love about her schedule is that she incorporates so many different genres, genres that I haven't been paying enough attention to. This post got me thinking about my own bedtime reading, which is pretty much nonexistent. I usually just read what ever book I'm reading at the time and that is it. I wish that I could get some sort of reading regimen going on before bed but I just don't know if I have time for it. I love essays though, and I haven't read nearly enough this year. Over Spring Break I think I might try to get into a bedtime reading schedule and we'll see if I can keep it up through the rest of the semester.

This week I participated in the Thaw Blogsplash and posted a review of Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don't Float: Classic Lit Signs on to Facebook. I sent you all to check out the article about in The Daily Iowan, University of Iowa's newspaper. This article actually got my parents looking at my blog (hi mom and dad!). Finally, I posted a video about my name crisis experience and the Kevin Henkes' book Chrysanthemum.

And now I have to talk about something amazing. I know my blog is about reading, but one of my other passions is music. Since I've come to college I haven't been as interested in new music as I was when I was in high school. I don't know what it is, but I just don't see the point of buying new music when all I ever want to listen to is listen to Belle and Sebastian. Amazingly enough I made a mixed CD on Friday night! Making mixes was my absolute favorite thing to do in high school and I was so happy to be in the mood for it again. I'll admit, the songs I picked were songs I always listen to. So here is the last song from my mix- enjoy!

Happy reading (and listening/viewing)!