the book shelf: Beautiful Disaster, Jamie McGuire

*mild spoilers

ick!!

Firstly, I was really bugged by the numerous spelling blunders and the constant capitalization of the word “baby” in the book. Isn’t it a term of endearment, like “sweetie” or “honey”, rather than a proper noun like John or Africa that deserves to be capitalized like a naming thing?

Secondly…

I tend to read a lot of young adult books, and knowing how much time and creativity it takes to write something, I fight myself from saying negative things.

Sometimes, I just give in rather than write something like “it sucked”.

Dysfunctional relationship? Check.

Unbalanced, deranged, lunatic boy and girl? Check.

I read rave reviews about this book when I was bitching about J.L. Paul’s All The Wrong Reasons, and I thought I would get to read something absofrigginglutely amazing.

Yet here I am, still scanning my brain looking for something that would justify all the greatness in the book.

All I can come up with is that it ain’t in this one, because what I got was a crazy storyline and a lot of mental imbalance on the characters’ personas.

The main male protagonist, Travis, is an underground fighter who is apparently so fine and hot (and a hobag) that anyone on and off-campus with a hooha and boobs wants a piece of. Gag.

Abby, also called Pigeon “Pidge” for reasons I still don’t understand, is the female protagonist, a senseless, reasonless and mindless girl who is just swept away by this wave of “first love”.

America and Shepley, the loyal best friends to the deranged couple, also a couple themselves, find it adorable and meant-to-be that someone (Travis) would trash an apartment and smash his phone into little pieces when his girlfriend (Abby) leaves him.

Things happen so overwhelmingly fast between Travis and Abby that it just makes you skeptical: strangers, best friends, best friends who share a house and a bed, all the touchy-feely nature of their relationship so soon in the book that made my skin crawl.

In a flash, he’s fighting people and marking “his territory” on Abby.

I could have swooned and my heart could have bled at the way this…this brute was behaving but I just found it bizarre and crazy.

Clearly, this guy is a whole lot of insecure, jealous and angry. No one in the book says, “Travis, you need some fucking help” or, “Travis, get your shit together and take anger management classes”.

No one ever thinks that one day, this guy might just fly off the handle and probably kill Abby, or someone else, because all they do is approve, applaud and make excuses for his behaviour.

Travis acts like a god, a jealous, insecure, aggressive and obsessed god who treats Abby like something he owns if anyone as much as gives her a smile.

And good ol’ Abby, she condones it, even giving him the green light to beat up a schoolmate who says something that neither her or Travis like:

“Absolutely. Teach that asshole some manners.”

There wasn’t one time in the book that I liked her, no matter how “innocent” she appeared.

To make matters worse, none of these chaps who are beaten up IN FRONT OF WITNESSES bother to report these incident to the Admin, because what, Travis will kill them in their sleep? They let him strut around school, loose cannon that he is.

Everybody’s just a moron, which obviously feeds into this egomaniac’s pompous jerkiness.

How appropriate it was for Beautiful Disaster to be classified as a “young adult” is beyond me with all its inappropriate content: a lot of violence, sex, gambling and drinking to the verge of passing out.

It irks me to no end when authors are completely irresponsible in their writing, especially to young adults. In other words, the idea of a good time is sex and drinking, and if you don’t do any of that, you deserve to be called weird.

In Abby’s case, if you can make a bet to do 19 shots of alcohol in one night and actually succeed, you’re super cool. The author’s redemption to this blunder is to make a mention of a “don’t drink and drive” somewhere else in the book. Fail.

Halfway through the book, it’s inevitable to wonder whether this is what love is supposed to be: two people just so effed up, one behaving like a stalker, almost suicidal and maniacally furious a lot of the time, while the other is some sort of damsel in distress, his lifeline, basking in his obsession.

It CAN BE endearing when there’s genuine love and co-dependance but in Beautiful Disaster, it was crazy, psychotic and worrisome, with no logic going around whatsoever.

Is this another shade of what “true love” is meant to be?

If so, fuck true love.

It may be fiction, but the bottom-line is, books impact people. Are young adults supposed to go around thinking that if a guy doesn’t get violent out of jealousy, he doesn’t love you? Is love supposed to be so potent and destructive?

The base concept in Beautiful Disaster is just about a batty kind of love that would lead one party to slitting their own wrists or killing the other in a mad rage.

I’ll take the schmaltzy, non-violent romance novels any day, thanks very much.

I was hoping that somewhere between all those pages and pages of fighting, insults and screaming matches, those damn scales would fall off Abby’s eyes and she’d be enlightened as to Travis’ true nature.

She simply gives in to the lust, going as far as becoming “Mrs. Maddox”.

If you’re looking for the true definition of “toxic relationship”, “dysfunctional relationship” and “unhealthy relationship” when Kelly Clarkson didn’t cover it well enough, if you’re looking for tips on how to snag that attainable, hot-tempered guy in campus, give Beautiful Disaster a chance to describe everything to you in vivid detail.

movie review: Flypaper (2011)

fly·pa·per noun “paper coated with a sticky often poisonous substance for killing flies.”

from the writers of The Hangover

Set in a bank, Flypaper takes a different approach in bank-robberies-gone wrong such that two different gangs end up robbing a bank at the same time.

This laugh-out-loud funny film stars Patrick Dempsey as Tripp Kennedy, a bank customer in need of change before restocking his meds, and Ashley Judd as Kaitlin, a bank teller who becomes Tripp’s object of affection.

The two gangs are, a sane-enough trio with high-tech tools and gadgets (Mekhi Pfifer, John Ventimiglia and Matt Ryan), and the nutty and buffoonish duo of “Peanut Butter and Jelly” (Tim Blake Nelson and Pruitt Taylor Vince).

I don’t watch Grey’s Anatomy, mostly because I can’t stomach the annoying drama of Meredith, McDreamy et al., but I actually like the ‘movie version’ of Patrick Dempsey.

Perhaps because he has room to play something other than Morose Meredith’s squeeze, or perhaps because with the support of the skills of Flypaper‘s ensemble cast, Dempsey did a hilarious job that made him quite appealing to me. Either way, I liked him.

In Flypaper, he suffers from an undiagnosed mental condition that resembles a combination of OCD, neurosis and psychosis, really pulling off The Crazy Guy Who Needs His Meds role.

Combining drama, comedy, mystery and thriller, the action in Flypaper kicks off early, things getting messy, chaotic and dramatic as the bank robbers and hostages all bring out their little quirks. This movie is one of those whose trailers actually live up to the hype and giggles it promised, not something as disappointing as When In Rome was.

It’s intriguing to watch Tripp interact with everyone as he tries to figure out what is going on, and all those loops and clues were interesting enough to keep me watching as I tried to figure it out with him.

Supporting cast members include faces you’ll recognize, the likes of Jeffrey Tambor, Octavia Spencer, Curtis Armstrong and Rob Huebel.

Flypaper does have its flaws but it’s packed with a whole lot of goofy, with all the actors doing a bang up job to make the whole thing entertaining and pleasant.

If you’re expecting a “serious” bank heist movie like The Italian Job, you won’t find it with Flypaper. The movie is written by the same fellas who wrote The Hangover, so it’s light and fun, and as much as people get killed, shots are fired and bombs go off, the plots and twists make you forget about the grim and violence.

My best advice is not to take the movie so seriously, that is, trying to get to the nitty-gritty of WHY. Enjoy the silliness and the drama, and let it just play out like an episode of your favourite comedy, and who knows, you may be surprised, too.

how to recover files on a memory card that have changed to “shortcut virus”

When you have GBs worth of information stored on your microSD memory card, a flash drive or any other external drive, and then it all gets corrupted, it can drive you mad enough to strangle someone.

I used my memory card on my sister’s infected computer yesterday. I didn’t know that the antivirus on her laptop was useless, and when I moved the memory card to my laptop, everything had changed to “Shortcuts” virus. All my folders had turned into Shortcut folders:

As much as I scanned the microSD card over and over again with my antivirus, hoping that it would restore my documents, there’s only so much AVG could do.

I was tears away from formatting my memory card before I thought I’d give Google a go. I found my solution on TechJunoon, and after following the steps, I had one of those tech moments that make me vow “never again!”

So what to do when the files on your memory card or flash drive have been converted into Shortcuts by malware or a virus?

Please note, however, that this solution only works on Windows-powered computers:-

1. First of all, do NOT format your memory card/flash drive. Formatting will erase everything and it cannot be undone. This recovery procedure is practically futile on an already-formatted drive.

2. Click on “Start” to find the Command prompt.

· For computers on Windows XP and lower, click on “Run”, type “cmd” and click on OK

· For computers on Windows Vista and higher, click “All Programs”, find “Accessories”, and under it, click on “Command Prompt”

3. Ensure that you check in “My Computer” what letter represents your memory card/flash drive.

4. Assuming your memory card/flash drive is represented by G:, enter this command: attrib –h –r –s /s /d g:*.*

The above command that you will be keying in is spaced in between the letters/words. That is, attrib SPACE –h SPACE –r SPACE /s SPACE /d SPACE g:*.*

If your external drive is represented by a letter other than G, replace the G in the command with that letter.

5. Check your memory card/flash drive to confirm whether your files have been restored.

6. Delete those unnecessary Shortcut folders

That’s it!

I hope that this solution will work for you, too, like it did for me.

But just in case, I am definitely backing up my files on MediaFire!

casting crowns’ “just another birthday”

Before you read this post, I need you to do something for me. I need you to watch this video, if you haven’t already:

*video credits to original uploader

Formed in 1999, Casting Crowns is a contemporary Christian group that has won multiple Grammy^® and Dove^® Awards.

In October last year, they popped out their fifth studio album, “Come to the Well”. One amazing song in the album is Just Another Birthday, and when I heard it online a few months ago, it touched me because of its really powerful and heartbreaking message.

The video was then released early this year.

As some of the group members are youth pastors in their church, they interact and counsel a lot of teenagers. It was during a session between lead vocalist and songwriter Mark Hall and a young girl that her relationship with her dad came up.

Although front-man Mark doesn’t feature in it, he co-wrote the song, a song about the effects fathers leave behind, fathers who have “checked out” from raising their daughters, which can lead to a whole host of other problems.

“More times than I can count, I have watched these girls grow up and look elsewhere, trying to find the love that’s missing at home. It’s a sad journey that often scars them.”

Other than a theme of pro-life, Just Another Birthday is for millions of people around the world who have missed out on that important relationship with their Dad.

Anyone who has had experience with an absentee father can relate to saying “I’ll be fine”.

Anyone whose father has detached themselves emotionally from them, deliberately or unknowingly, can relate to this beautifully written song.

It’s deeply moving, well-sang and arranged, capturing the fragile nature of father-daughter and father-children relationships.

“Hopefully, it’ll shake up some fathers and remind them of their true priorities. But it’s also meant but to encourage kids out there who don’t have an involved dad here on Earth. I wanted to remind them that God is the Father to the fatherless.”

Here’s hoping that some fathers are shaken up.

welcome to East Africa: meet the leso

Tourists are often jetting into African nations for the “safari” experience.

In it’s proper form, safari simply means journey, but somewhere between colonization and now, it’s come to mean an expedition out in ‘the jungle’.

During this “safari”, tourists pack up trinkets and treasures to take back home to family and friends, proof that they were really in Africa – jewellery, artefacts and clothes.

When it comes to East Africa, one of these treasures that truly binds our culture has to be the leso. At least, for East African women.

Commonly known as “leso” in Kenya (derived from the Portuguese word lenço for a scarf worn on the head or neck) and “kanga/khanga” in Tanzania (after the guinea fowl with its eye-catching appearance), this piece has for many years served function and style to our women.

Made from cotton and dyed in rich and vivid colours, the leso is a must-have item in any woman’s closet.

This rectangular cloth that is often worn around the waist – but not exclusively to just the waist or to women – dates back to the 19^th Century during the East African slave trade.

It begun as a way for female slaves’ to make themselves modest and over time, it has become a source of fashion and a very practical piece for women in East Africa.

The leso has evolved in its design, from its plain kerchief origins to its colourful and vibrant designs.

Lesos also grew to include Swahili sayings and proverbs that range from blessings to prayers to the lovey-dovey, and they are printed at the centre of the bottom of the leso:

“Mama nibariki Mungu anizidishie” Bless me mother that God adds more unto me

“Penzi la Mama hutoka kwa Mungu” A mother’s love comes from God

“Subira huvuta heri” Patience pays

“Penzi letu lidumu” May our love last

“Nichumu” Wish me (good) luck

“Matatizo nimeyazoea” I’m used to problems

These sayings, particularly when a leso is bestowed as a gift, should have the right context.

When you’re looking to buy a leso, make sure that you read the message, just in case it gives the wrong impression or addresses something that shouldn’t be addressed.

A saying can be taken out of context, for example, if given to an in-law that you’re trying to charm or someone that you’re not completely friendly with.

Some women can be cunning, using lesos in a feud: imagine your neighbour in a leso that more or less says what she thinks of you or what you should do, like some form of silent confrontation or warfare.

“Usichokoze nyuki” Don’t provoke [the] bees

“Pilipili usiyoila yakuwashiani?” Why is the chili/pepper that you’re not eating too hot for you? (in other words, mind your own business)

Cattiness aside, lesos are also used as dowry gifts between the bride and the groom’s families. More so, a spread of lesos can be used by a bride as her red carpet from her home to the bridal car. She’s that precious.

Lesos can be bought either in singles or pairs. Single lesos are cut from a matched pair of a lengthy leso.

Women in Mombasa often wear lesos in matching pairs; one piece will go around the torso and over the head, and the other will be wrapped around the waist to reach the ankles.

Women use lesos in various ways, such as:
· a cover-up or wrap around the waist, to act as an “apron” when doing chores, or over a swimsuit at the pool
· a baby sling across the back or front
· a luggage carrier
· a towel
· a headscarf

Karibu Afrika Mashariki and don’t forget your leso!

did you feel it: earthquake in Nairobi?

enkare nairobi

I don’t know about where you are in Kenya but a little after 5am this morning, there was a tremor in Nairobi.

I thought I was crazy when it woke me up, going as far as thinking that there was some evil juju sweeping over my room, making things on my dresser rattle and shaking my bed…..but it turns out, I’m still sane.

Whether this has something to do with the tsunami alert we received last week, particularly for the Coastal towns, but where we were, we felt the quake.

Kenya hasn’t experienced major earthquakes in years, with one of the highest earthquakes measuring 5.2 back in 2007.

Those tremors were as a result of the eruption of the Ol Doinyo Lengai, an active volcanic mountain in the north of Tanzania, and lying on a geological fault line, Kenya received the aftershocks.

the book shelf: Hallowed (Unearthly #2), Cynthia Hand

*mild spoilers

Hallowed is the second installment of the Unearthly trilogy by Cynthia Hand.

It starts off on angel-blood Clara Gardner’s second year in Wyoming. With the beginning of the new school year, she has friends and BFFs, a boyfriend, and she’s a much stronger angel than she was when she first had visions of her “purpose” in Unearthly.

There’s still a lot of secrecy, though, particularly on her mother’s part. This seems be fairly dramatic and unnecessary simply because “it’s not yet time”, and an impatient soul would shove the book someplace where the sun don’t shine.

Um…this book is unlike Unearthly. Where Unearthly was captivating and exciting, Hallowed is rather disappointing.

I did enjoy the style of writing – light and easy and pleasant – but I didn’t appreciate some things that took place.

What I liked about it:
I liked Clara in the first few pages, especially her humour. At 3AM, she had me laughing in the dark at “she looks at me as if I just told her I’d been thinking of dabbling in heroin”.

Eventually, my like for Clara dissolved because she began to appear smug, disloyal and weak, so different from the girl I had applauded in the first book.

What I didn’t like about it:
Angela: A poor job is done to enhance Angela’s story beyond Miss Know-It-All.

Throughout the first book, it was implied – or at least, I felt – that Angela was hiding something; she wasn’t all she really said she was.

I was hoping that in Hallowed that we’d be told SOMETHING that points to the mystery and secrets, like why she always tensed up about Italy and a supposed hot Italian boyfriend but all we got was the heavy pang of envy she felt after meeting Clara’s Dad.

Angela’s character simply revolves around her half angel-blood status, her intense researching skills and…being half an angel-blood.

Jeffrey: Jeffrey’s angry a whole lot in the book, anger that is simmering and waiting to explode. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d gone off and killed someone, or slugged them.

He’s like an insignificant character in a whole chunk of the story, and I don’t blame him for flying off the handle and making a run for it. Everyone seems to focus on Clara, and Jeffrey is…forgotten. I wish his Dad, and Mum, had taken the time to really talk to him before he disappeared without a trace.

However, Jeffrey is not completely blameless. Instead of just coming out and saying WHY he’s so angry, he just keeps it to himself and gets pissed at everyone and everything, and only when things are effed up does he finally say it.

Christian and Clara: Those who like Christian will dig Hallowed but Tucker’s fans will hate it.

It sucked that all of a sudden, Christian is everywhere. He’s outside Clara’s window, her thoughts, like a not-completely-human flea.

I absolutely detested that weird connection and attraction they have with Clara that was almost-dead in book 1, that eerie and unexplainable we-must-be-together-or-we’ll-die-if-we-don’t creepy, lusty attraction.

More so, Christian’s stalkerish tendencies, and Clara’s confusion, disloyalty and utter selfishness were terribly infuriating. There was just too much of Christian in the pages. Was the author just creating drama? Something to carry over to the next book, perhaps? Where we’ll fall madly in love with Clara once again after she makes up her mind between the two fellas?

And what exactly is this “purpose” that links Christian and Clara? Get hitched and make full-blooded angel-blood babies? Because for sure, nothing is clear so far, except that they’re drawn to each other, which is exasperating.

Tucker and Clara: Poor, poor Tucker. I adore Tucker, his open-mindedness in accepting what Clara is, no matter how insane it is, sticking around when other humans probably wouldn’t, and his devotion to Clara…

Such a great, genuine “stellar” guy that was being hypothetically cockblocked by some stalker angel-blood who couldn’t keep his bloody paws off his girl.

That heavy focus in the book of the (overdone) damn love triangle was frustrating, and Tucker’s absence was obvious. He popped up now and then and it was just uncool. It’s like Cynthia Hand forgot about that relationship between Tucker and Clara that many of us were sucked into in Unearthly, instead creating confusion that was aggravating. The built-up in the Tucker-Clara romance in the first book…died suddenly in the second.

The author tried to make Clara appear innocent but she fell short: Clara came off as stupid, selfish and self-centred, a girl who at any moment would have cheated on her boyfriend if the tether of his existence wasn’t choking her. Heaven’s sake, she was thinking about Christian when making out with Tucker!

I thought Cynthia would give Clara serious balls and make her not give a shit about Christian’s obsession but no, she had to be all cliché and mess up the book like that.

If people didn’t like Clara before, they hated her for how she was treating Tucker. If people liked Clara before, they disliked her after the book for that.

Wendy: Why did the best friend have to be missing so much?!

Hallowed was quite disappointing and at some point I wanted to give up and just skip to the last page to see what the cliffhanger would be. I hang on, hoping our heroine would redeem herself in my eyes.

Sadly, no.