Friday Faves: Midnight Oil Edition

It’s Friday, which can only mean one thing, time for Friday Faves!  Can you just feel the excitement building?  I can’t because it’s past midnight and Cassie the Peekapoo is snoring on the floor next to me.  However, I will burn the midnight oil so you can have your Friday Faves bright and early this week.  And then I’ll sleep til noon.  Sounds like a plan.

Yesterday, BFF Sarah and I ventured down to the Macungie Farmer’s Market for the first time.  Imagine our surprise when Memorial Park was filled with…trucks of all sorts (particularly Macks, which were originally manufactured in the area.)  Apparently, there’s a truck show in town this weekend and one truck-lovin’ out-of-towner assured me that many more trucks were a’comin’.  I just wanted to know where to find the farmer’s market–something that seemed downright loony to this man, who lived and breathed the open road in his semi.  I guess when you’re living a trucker’s dream, fresh fruits and vegetables do seem a tad ordinary.  However, after walking around only to meet more truck lovers (and a dog named “Jack”), we did finally happen upon the farmer’s market.  It consisted of about 12 vendors with overpriced items.  We returned home empty-handed and felt disappointed that our hickish town didn’t have a better showing at the weekly market.  Maybe next time.

This week, my gal pal Crystal Rowe over at Soul Munchies introduced me to Spent Challenge, a “game” put together by Urban Ministries of Durham in Durham, NC.  The object of the game is to get a minimum wage job, rent an apartment, buy food, and hope you have enough money to make it to the end of the month.  The first time I played, I only lasted seven days, but the second time I won the game.  Here’s what I said on Crystal’s blog post: “The second time I made it through the month with $294 to spare (rent is due the next day), but to do so I pocketed my kid’s $10, didn’t return the $10 I saw fall out of someone’s pocket, lied about breaking the dishes at work, didn’t pay a couple of bills (got my cell phone disconnected).  I didn’t worry too much about the electricity because I decided it was during winter when electric companies cannot legally turn off the electricity (don’t know what I’ll do when summer comes).  I did let my kid go out for the sports team since he apparently stinks at math.  His only chance at a future is in athletics. Wow, I’m off to an awesome start.”  Check out Spent, learn about poverty and homelessness, and find out what you can do to help.

But that’s not the only thing I found intriguing this week…

*NoiseTrade, a site in which you exchange information (or moolah) to download music, sucks time out of my day far too often.  I go to the site to check out one artist and end up learning about 10.  This week, I discovered a talented chap by the name of Graham Colton, who released an album earlier this year called Pacific Coast Eyes (Take 5 with Graham coming in the near future).   After perusing Graham’s website, I couldn’t help but share the above music video for the album’s title track.  Cute, isn’t it?  And that’s how I spent the rest of my afternoon–watch Graham Colton music videos on YouTube.  Readers, I’m in love…with Graham Colton, but only a superficial, you’re a rock star and I’ll never meet you kind of love, so we’re good.  AND…I even learned AFTER putting in an interview request that Graham (yes, we’re on a first name basis…I’ve decided) was even on “Ellen.” (Video evidence.) You know how I love Ellen!  You can download Graham’s Twenty Something EP on NoiseTrade and then head over to his website for more Graham Colton goodness!

*My friend, Shannon of Books Devoured, did a celebrity death match between Kindle and Nook Color to see which eReader would reign supreme.  Or maybe she made a video comparing the two devices.  See for yourself and join the debate: “Kindle VS Nook Color? My View.” By the way, Shannon used to be in the military, so offer her a salute and a word of thanks for her service to the U.S.A. (if you’re a fellow American.  If you’re an international reader, you can just say, “Hey.”)

*The above video, “Lioness Tries to Eat Baby at Zoo,” has a misleading title.  Or these people think the lioness is related to Aslan from the Narnia books, who is “not safe, but good.” Whatever the case, the sensationalist title got me to watch this video, which makes me kind of a sicko, doesn’t it?  Why would I want to watch a lioness try to eat a baby?  I have no idea, but I was on a YouTube kick this week because I watched more videos of lions “attacking” kids, like the one below.  My opinion is this–if I was a lion or a lioness and a bunch of screaming kids were banging their dirty fists on my glass enclosure…yeah, you get the picture. It makes me question the wisdom of keeping lions in this sort of set-up–one that seems to aggravate the animals.

*Speaking of kiddos, Kara shares an adorable story about how her six year-old daughter “ran away” from home in her (in)courage post, “The Prodigal Daughter.”  I remember “running away” as a kid. I packed essentials like frozen orange juice (I don’t know why), crackers, and books. It started to rain, so I hid under the sliding board of my backyard play set for shelter. I came back half an hour later and no one even knew I ran away. Sigh.  While this story is oh-so-cute, I also like the simple lesson it offers to Christians.

*And, finally, Andye, Amy, and the rest of the gang at Reading Teen are FREAKING OUT over the announcement that J.K. Rowling is going to make an announcement.  Apparently, J.K. bought the domain “Pottermore.com” and something BIG  is coming.  Personally, I think J.K. is going to inform readers that she mistakenly killed off all the good characters in Deathly Hallows (including Fred Weasley, who isn’t dead) and wants to rewrite the ending, and the epilogue because that was pretty lame as well.  Good for you, J.K., writing and righting literary wrongs!  Parents, youth leaders, random cool people, Reading Teen is an excellent resource on YA reads (translation: “young adult literature”.)  This is one site you want to keep handy in your bookmarks, or better yet subscribe via email or RSS Feed.

I’ll see you back here on Monday morning with not one, but two riveting book reviews on the SAME day!  I know; it’s utter madness!  That’s what I get for accidentally signing up for two tours at once.  Have a good weekend, kids!

Alright, I need to know…have you ever been attacked for a lion…for real?  Did you live to tell about it?  What do you think of Graham Colton?  Do you think that’s his real name or his stage name?  Are you going to download his EP from NoiseTrade?  Have you ever run away?  If so, how far did you get?  What does the “J.K.” in “J.K. Rowling” stand for?  What do you think the Pottermore announcement is all about?  Did you play Spent?  How long did you survive?  And, finally, Kindle or Nook or Nook Color or other–what’s your eReader of choice? Comment for a chance to win cool points, which are redeemable for, uh, coolness.