Review: Hip Mama Survival Guide — Ariel Gore
Posted on | December 16, 2009 | No Comments
I picked up Hip Mama Survival Guide thinking it would be a fun read to break up the monotony of pregnancy books I was reading. It met my expectations there, but fell short in some other areas. The book was published in 1998 and from all the pop-culture references in it, you can tell. There were bands mentioned that I listened to in high school, which made me chuckle. Some of the political comments were pretty funny, too. I did get a bit sick of Gore’s comments about conservatives. Not that I didn’t agree with most of what she wrote, but it got old in a parenting book.
Hip Mama Survival Guide discusses pregnancy, labor, nursing, toddlers, gender roles, creating a “village,” being a single mom, divorce and child custody, and living poor, among other things. The book is so short that Gore doesn’t go on at length about any one topic, but she gets to the nitty gritty right from the start. I don’t think you miss out on anything because of the length.
What I liked:
It’s really funny
Pop-culture references from the 90s
Completely honest, without being brutal or cold
Genuinely informative
What I didn’t like:
Book skips from labor to toddler fits, so there isn’t anything about babies
Gore is very opinionated about circumcision and goes on about that at length, but doesn’t have a son
Gore doesn’t mind shoving her opinions down your throat, but bashes anyone who may do so that doesn’t agree with her (doctors, law makers, nurses, advice-givers, etc.)
Pg. 152 “If Yo Momma Were President”
Basically, if you’re a feminist and liberal, you will enjoy this book. If you don’t despise everyone who disagrees with you, this book will annoy you at times. If you’re conservative, strongly religious, or at all right wing — skip this book completely. While I feel strongly about my own opinions (child-related or not), I also don’t feel the need to bash everyone who has their own, different, opinions. That kind of thinking seems to only breed more intolerance and that’s something we can all do without. Hip Mama Survival Guide reads like advice from a big sister; honest, to-the-point, and at times a bit too judgmental. I would recommend it, but maybe with a disclaimer.
About Time
Posted on | December 15, 2009 | 2 Comments
Since it has been about 3 weeks without any kind of decent posting around here, I thought I would review Hip Mama Survival Guide. The review will be up tomorrow. In the meantime, I’m going to bore you with a picture of my gorgeous baby. I can’t keep my eyes off him.
Connal 2 weeks
Merry Christmas!
The Best Laid Plans…
Posted on | November 29, 2009 | 2 Comments
I had planned to pre-write about 20 posts this week to fill in the time after my baby arrived. He was due Dec 20th. However, he decided not to wait around and I went into labor Tuesday the 24th. Connal and I are doing well and are at home now, but I never did manage to get those posts written in advance.
SO, posting will likely be pretty scarce around here for a while. But I can’t think of a better reason not to sit at the computer for hours than this:
Connal
Speed Reading
Posted on | November 25, 2009 | 1 Comment
courtesy of Image*After
Part of me thinks that any speed reading method, especially the commercial ones, is bogus. Another part of me has always been intrigued by the idea of speed reading. The more you read, the better you get at it. You will read a bit faster and generally maintain or improve your comprehension. What about these crazy methods that claim you can triple your reading speed or read thousands of words per minute with normal accuracy?
The book lover in me thinks: the more I can read, the faster I can read it, the better. I would love to read a few novels each week in a minimal amount of time. I was excited when I came across Scott H Young’s post about reading on Think Simple Now, 7 keys to Reading Faster. It’s an informative post with some useful, if not new, tips to improve your reading speed and keep accuracy. It’s worth checking out.
The speed reading wiki surprised me. It’s an in-depth look at different methodologies (commercial and non-commerical). The wiki also goes into the history of speed reading and it’s validity. I’ve never tried any type of system to improve my reading speed or accuracy, except trying to just make myself read more quickly, which always lowers my comprehension. I think I’m at a point that I’d actually try some type of training to see if it works, just not sure which one, and I know I’m not going to pay gobs of money for it.
Now I have to ask: Have any of you tried any Speed Reading methods or programs? Did it work? Did it cost you? What is your take overall on speed reading?
Glyde Daily Deals!
Posted on | November 23, 2009 | No Comments
Glyde Screenshot
Glyde continues to grow and change. Their latest addition to the site is Daily Deals. I have been buying and selling with Glyde since April. I thought it was a promising site then and I still think it’s going to be huge. What I still love the most about Glyde is its simplicity. The site is so clean and well-organized. Even as they add new features, they keep it easy to navigate.
I admit, I shop at Amazon frequently, but seriously have you seen and uglier website? Ever? Hamster dance, maybe, if you remember that. If Amazon’s search was less effective than it is, I’d probably never use the site at all. Glyde is the antithesis of Amazon when it comes to design and organization. It’s so refreshing.
The prices are refreshing, too. When buying used, you don’t have to pour through various sellers and their ratings and prices. You buy used through the site just as though you were purchasing something new. A mailer is sent to the seller, who puts your item in it and pops it in the mail. You get your book, video game, or DVD in the mail in a couple of days.
I won’t go on and on, except to say that if you haven’t tried Glyde, you should. The Daily Deals section is definitely worth keeping an eye on. You can sort the items by CD, DVD, games, or books and then by genres/consoles. Some of the new video games available in that section are even cheaper than you can find on Amazon or from game stores right now. Some of books are selling for as little as $0.25.
Other Posts about Glyde:
Fender Bender
Posted on | November 19, 2009 | No Comments
Today I got to send this (and other similar pictures) to our insurance company:
Bumper Scuff
After leaving my obstetrician’s Tuesday, I had a fun little collision with a rude, little man in the parking lot. So I have spent 90% of my time since then playing phone tag with insurance company people and trying not to have a pregnant lady mental breakdown (fail). I managed to suck it up and call to give my company a statement today, then send the photos. Next up, his company wants me to call them and give a statement. I’m waiting to hear back from my company about whether that’s normal or if they’re trying to screw me. The guy already lied to my insurance company, so I’m just hoping they see through him and this is over quickly.
In other news, we were going to trade in that car this weekend to buy a small SUV that will fit the whole expanding family and make our move to GA much easier (two grown ups, newborn, big dog, and kitty crate). However, we have to wait on this fender bender stuff to do it, so the potential car buying weekend may be blown for now.
I’m just about finished reading The Hip Mama Survival Guide and I have quite a bit to say about such a short book. Some of my annoyance with it comes from it being not-so-timely. It was published in the 90s and much of Ariel Gores jokes and pop-culture references are tied tightly to the 90s, more specifically to the grunge scene and 90s feminist topics (like Clinton and Welfare). So, it’ll be an interesting review.
I am also going to review the two other pregnancy books I read. I know. I keep promising that. The truth is, while I know that the reviews come in handy for women looking to find good preggo books (hell, I read loads of reviews), it’s still a little bit like reviewing a textbook. They’re really not terribly interesting to read. For people who aren’t pregnant or don’t expect to be relatively soon, the whole topic of pregnancy books is likely foreign and even slightly annoying. I’d like to balance the reviews out with some other interesting stuff.
At midnight Nov 10, 2009 I went with my husband to the Fort Irwin GameStop. We stood in line for half an hour to pick up our pre-ordered copy of Call of Duty: Modern Wafare 2.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
And, because my husband is spoiled, we also bought a PS3 Slim (already had an Xbox 360, folks). I am not what other gamers would consider a gamer, but I love my fair share of Wii games, puzzle games, and old computer games. I had Doom on my old Motorola V557 and beat it three times. Just saying.
However, COD has never been a fun game to me. I didn’t realize that was because I played with a bunch of Army Infantry guys online (hubs and his friends) and are, ya know, trained to do this stuff in Real Life. Day two with the game in my house, I had to make my own profile on the PS3 and scope things out. Then I decided, what the hell. I’ll start my own, not-0nline game and set it to easy. I freaking love it. Yes, I said it. I love Call of Duty.
I admit, there have been a couple hours here and there in the past week when I could have been reading, but was actually playing COD.
Tags: call of duty > car accident > gaming > modern warfare > playstation > pregnancy > ps3 > reading > xbox
Dr. Seuss Book Sales
Posted on | November 16, 2009 | 3 Comments
Dr.Suess
Border’s is running a sale on Dr. Seuss books now through 12/28. They are all Buy 2, Get 3rd free. Also, if you’re a Border’s Rewards member, the prices are knocked down a bit from the list price. I’m not sure if Borders does this every year, but I recall seeing this deal in a Border’s in Washington a couple years ago. I’m not usually big on sales where you have to buy multiple things to get a deal, but this one is definitely worth while.
Barnes&Noble is also running the exact same deal and so is Amazon.
No one can have too many Dr. Seuss books in their home. (I think that’s been scientifically proven…)
I’m all for supporting Indy Bookstores, but I always watch the sales at Borders, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Sometimes they’re too good to pass up. Because this is a popular sale at this time of year, you might want to check IndieBound to find some local stores who might be doing it. Your corner bookstore may very well be running the same deal (or a sweeter one), so give them a call.
Tags: amazon > Barnes&Noble > Borders > Dr. Suess > holidays > indiebound > sale
Evening Post
Posted on | November 2, 2009 | 4 Comments
I was considering taking this week off from blogging, but didn’t consider it soon enough to prepare posts for the week. Instead of disappearing, I decided to start brainstorming for as many future posts as possible. Since the holidays are coming up and my due date is Dec 20th, I’m going to be ridiculously busy for November, December, and January.
My husband re-enlisted last month and got orders to go to Ft Benning, GA in March. So, right after baby (Connal) and I make our six week check ups, we have to start packing and clearing. We’re having our stuff moved, but me, hubs, Connal, the pets and some of our stuff will be driving to GA over the course of a week. Hopefully, we’ll have a place to rent set up before arrival and hopefully we’ll be able to trade in this for one of these before then.
Really, the next six months are going to be chaos. In order to not disappear completely, basically, I need to get my shit together. In my brainstorming for posts phase, I’d love to hear what you’d like to see more of on RIS. Should I post more book reviews? Want to hear more about my life? More books news? Should I ramble less?
Well, that’s where things are with my life and the blog lately. Since RIS is my labor of love, I won’t be vanishing any time soon. Also, I will be reviewing the rest of my pregnancy books soon, so I apologize to those of you who couldn’t care less. We’ll get through this together. I promise.
Halloween Eve Links
Posted on | October 30, 2009 | No Comments
Halloween links:
Poem: Tam O’Shanter
Poem: The Raven
How to Make Literature Part of Your Halloween Celebration
Halloween Literature Quiz at BookArmy
A fantastic Halloween Booklist
I hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween weekend!
5 Favorite Horror Novels
Posted on | October 29, 2009 | No Comments
Halloween always gets me thinking about my favorite horror/suspense novels. I don’t read them much anymore, but my pre-teen years were full of books like The Ripper and pre-Goosebumps RL Stine books (the Goosebumps books were so not scary!). Here are five of my favorites (The Thief of Always is young adult and I read it in 7th grade, but I have to include it because it is so damn good).
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Tags: Anne Rice > clive barker > halloween > horror > john saul > rl stine > stephen king
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