But here is a fun goal. I found this amazing website I wish I knew about during Peace Corps. Goodreads. It would of been nice to have more then a google doc half way through my 100?200? books I read during my 27 months! 

So 2013 I plan to read 60 books. So far I’m at 6 a little behind thanks to my wonderful action project. They can be fun, business, leadership, girly, travel, anything! After two years of reading “have to” books, I can’t wait to get back to the fun ones! And now I have a place to track them all…which I think I almost love even more!

Here is getting back into the reading in 2013! 

Its the first time a major “actor” is someone that looks like me. First off not only is her hair curly but its also red. It might not seem like a big deal for for all curly hair girls out there, there has never been a hero or princess that was “us”. Its sad how long it took but I’m glad there is now “someone” girls can watch and try to be.

Not only was it the hair but her attitude was a nice change. She did “boy” “not princess” activities like archery and riding horse. She went hiking and was very adventurous. Last one was like none girly actor was  Pocahontas in Disney movies with this theme. But the biggest was that she was to pick a prince but then she didn’t. Even for a 26 year  old, it made me feel better.

Oh and its in “Scotland” which just made me want to visit even more. As a mutt I have a little bit of Scot in me, so it was fun to see the older time period and what my grand grand x10 father and mother would of been living in.  I also loved the whole Viking  people/ themes as I love that time period and studying most places they were.

Ask any girl who’s been raised on princess films, and she’ll tell you that Merida is different, and very unlike her Disney Princess peers. As far as the narrative goes, what does Merida have in common with Disney Princesses, exactly? The fact that she’s a princess who has utterly fantastic hair. That’s about it.

–Rebecca Hains,’Brave’ princess breaks Disney stereotypes. Or does she?

So no matter what people say Yes it good and different, or No its the same thing just a bit of a twist, its different. 1- red hair. 2- curly hair. 3- no prince. So yes its different and kids should really see this movie. Its a great film no matter what people say. Its a 10 out of 10. Even if it was just a red hair I would be happy.  Curly hair a huge extra wonderful change (yes people do have curly hair) . Add in the change of personal theme and the independent girl was a great things to see.

Another point as Americans we forgot is how much our movies impact the girls around the world.  It might sometime to get to the “villages” of the world, but it does.  All my kids knew of the movies we watched just later. So we might say that anything we like but its being watched around the world. So for the girls around the world we need more then one type of hero to look up to and this is a good start.  We need to remember this when we make movies, TV shows, other American things beacuse it will be seen as “America” all around the world and really does effect the people watching it.

BRAVE! BRAVE! BRAVE! BRAVE!

By: Kathryn Bolkovac

If you have even be even remotely interested in Human Trafficking or working for the UN this is a must read. After watching the movie, well that was calm, compared to the real life book.

Its been amazing how much the government spends on contract work, since we (America) don’t have a national police force we are in turn spends billions on people super under qualified.

It was also sad to see people blame everything on war but it was 4 years after the real war. Which is a huge problem with ethics that its not in war but post war- different.

For me this was interesting since it was in the Balkans which I spent 2 years living in.  When we went there were still holes in the wars of buildings and then some of them were filled in with red, they are called “rose” to remember.

I also feel a since of pride since Kathryn was a Nebraska police officer before, so my Nebraska pride was super high while reading this.

Read, read, read! It will make you think about what is happening around the world right now, with “America” time, money, and people.

There is creative reading as well as creative writing. Ralph Waldo Emerson

So a plead write, write, write!! I know you can and don’t you have to with that whole professor and its a requirement of the  field thing…

At this rate my paper could be published beacuse there is nothing out there…which A) Don’t have a graduate degree and B) I don’t practice anthropology in the business world (yet- I hope)

WOW was it a good movie. It was really powerful. It made me sad, angry, and depressed with the system.  For me it was interesting to see the places I have been on TV and think back to our trip and all the bullet holes still there.

Pick up a beer or two for this one, and watch it. Everyone should its a really good one, that classes should use!

When the last tree has been cut down, the last river has been polluted

and the last fish has been caught- only then

do you realize that

money can’t buy everything.

-Native American Proverb

But these two do.. LOVE and a bunch of laughter