Dear Jenny (AKA The Bloggess),

You already know part of my story. After coming into a surprise bonus from my job, I decided to spend that money on purchasing toys for the Toys for Tots drop box at my job. I matched the bonus with money from my own pocket and inspiring my store manager to donate some toys as well.

Well after reading your post about your trip to the store for Toys for Tots, I have a challenge to issue to your followers. I know a lot of them already donated to many of the charities you promoted including donating Angry Bees to farmers and Project Night Night. But I want to see if they could spare just a bit more.

I challenge your followers on twitter and your blog, myself included, to find a local charity and make a donation in the last few days before Christmas. Just that simple. And if they can take a photo of the item(s) they are donating or the receipt of their purchase or just create a post on twitter about the charity they are donating to and tag the charity (if they have an account) and use the hashtag #charitychallenge2013.

What do you say? Will you take the challenge?

New York’s 9/11 Museum

I just read an article about the new museum dedicated to the events of 9/11, which leaves me a little upset.

 

It is not a secret that there should be a memorial to this event, but what they are classifying as a museum just…isn’t. A museum is a location that presents exhibitions on subjects or events, but it after a time there is a new exhibition that comes in to replace the old one.

 

This ‘museum’ is just a memorial behind glass. At best it can be gallery that brings in artist representations of the event every few months.

What makes me upset is that museums are not memorials. Museums inspire creative and critical thinking about events a visitor might not have a intimate knowledge of. Unless the museum brings in a non-bias view of the events on 9/11 I can only see this museum appealing to the radical Americans who want to place the blame on peoples from a culture instead of the few people responsible for the attack.

What a day

This past Tuesday I had a very important interview with a very predominate Museum here in the UK that would have changed my life (that’s not a embellished statement, it really would have changed my life. it could have given me the opportunity to stay in the UK for 18 months.)

I heard back unofficially today from one of the interviewers that I even though I made the cut from 130 applicants to 8, and that I thoroughly impressed the interviewers with my knowledge about aspects of the position and some of the artefacts that was presented at the interview, I did not impress them enough to be chosen.

The position has gone to another and they accepted.

Now I knew deep down that the chances for me to get this position were slim and that it should have just been an honour to interview with this museum, but I am hurt. And I have cried, and probably will cry some more.

I think the most upsetting thing about this is knowing that I made a significant impression with most of my interview, but fail to get them on my side.

It would have almost been better knowing I had bombed it totally because then I could change everything I did and be better, But now I stuck here, knowing I was good, but somewhere I could have been better.

 

 

Why I am glad to be in the U.K.

I am not happy with Americans right now, I’m not happy that Zimmerman gets to walk away from his crime without rightful punishment, I’m not happy that some Americans are claiming America isn’t racist, and i am definitely not happy with the fact the people who also believe Zimmerman should have been convicted are now posting his Address on Twitter and claiming its okay to go after him.

Yes he is a horrible man, but what right do you have to state he is fair game. We have a Justice system for a reason, even if that justice system fails. If we didn’t have the justice system our country – which claims to be the most powerful country in the world- would be no better that the Soviet Union, or Nazi Germany, or Rwanda etc.

emotion today = disgusted

My night with Neil Gaiman – short and sweet

So I had the privilege to attend Neil Gaiman’s first official date of his book tour and can I just say he is amazing and if I could group up to be anyone, it would be him.

That’s right Neil Gaiman is my spirit animal. Deal with it.

I also got a signed copy of the new book (which he read from and just those two excerpts alone tell me this book will be amazing.)

This isn’t a review ( come on, I like to read but I can’t read it that fast) and there won’t be a review from me at any point in the future as of right now.

This is just a little post to say thank you Neil, workers for Toppings book store, and workers at the forum theatre for deciding to set up this opportunity for fans of many of Neil’s works to come together and just bask in the presence of an amazing man.

As a side note- I seemed to have attached all the Americans to my section of the theatre.

My unusual relationship with Neil Gaiman

*Spoiler Alert*- the next sentence will make you cringe and dismiss me.

I have never read a published Book/Comic by Neil Gaiman, and yet I am a devoted fan of his.

I was first introduced to Neil (not literally) back in 2010. At the time I was following a cake decorator on Twitter (@OverlordMarie). She made a cake for Wil Wheaton  when the wOOtstock tour stopped in Minnesota.

Heres a link to Marie’s Blog about the event -> wOOtstock Blog by Marie

Neil Gaiman via Celebration Generation Facebook page (Foreshadowing his run with Doctor Who perhaps?…)

After that Neil popped up in my Twitter feed at least once a week from lots of the geeks I was following retweeting him. I figured why not and clicked follow myself.

Thats how I got to know Neil, through twitter, his blog, and anything else he posted.

Of course his work is no longer a mystery to me, I love Doctor Who and truthfully Neil’s two episodes he has created for the show rank in my top 5 favorite episodes.

But now he has a new book being released -> The Ocean at the End of the Lane

And I am lucky enough to go to a talk and book signing this Friday 14th June. But the book is the bonus for this event to me (actually the book is going to be a gift to my Brother for his birthday, i wont even read the book).
I am excited to meet Neil and just listen to his life story, everything else will be icing on my already delicious cake.

 

T.V. Show Time Team blows my mind

Being a historian, I am attracted to history shows. So it is no wonder that I have become obsessed with the show called Time Team.

However this show never fails to leave me speechless with its view on archaeology. This is a typical conversation I have with the show.

Them: well, you can see here what is the start to a wall.

Me: wait, how can you tell that’s a wall? It’s just dirt with stones scattered around.

Them: (15 minutes later) this wall was constructed in prehistoric times.

Me: how the hell….

Employment in the U.K.

My main goal when I decided not only to continue my education to get my Masters (amazing I know) but to do it in the U.K.

Ever since I studied abroad in 2009-2010 I fell in love with Europe. And to undertake a major degree I needed to go to school in an English speaking country.

Now I’m into the final stretch of my degree, having finished my 6 week placement at the Roman Baths in Bath, I now have to think about jobs.

In a perfect world I would have been offered a job from my placement. But the world isn’t perfect. I loved my placement and I am very lucky to be asked to continue on as a volunteer. But it’s so hard for a US resident to get a job in the UK without help. So this is where I am, heading towards the finish line of a degree that could let me do something I really love but more than likely having to move to a place that I don’t love.

What’s a girl to do? Anyone want to get hitched?

What would you do

What would you do to stay in a location that you love? Would you break the law and not worry about proper visa paperwork? Would you take a job that paid under the table? Would you bend the law to fit into what you need?

Does anyone have a british male friend/relative that would like to get hitched so I can stay in England?

-jenn