April Fool

I am not a prankster at all.  Not because I'm a killjoy.  I always enjoy a good prank when I am not the prankster or the prankee.  I rather just sit in the side lines.  Also, I am a really bad liar.  And I can't stand the guilt that comes with pranking.  Because evitably afterwards, I'll feel incredible guilt.  Even though I know it's harmless.  I can't help thinking that we are making a fool out of someone.

My friend from work. Not so much.  She claims she's the best liar.  Apparently she had to lie to her parents a lot growing up.  Haha.  So of course today being April Fool's Day, not two minutes after walking through the door, I get an email from her contemplating pranks on several possible victims.  As you can surmise, we didn't get much work done this morning.

I came up with a brillant plan to mess with a fellow associate.  We would tell him that the secretary overheard certain partners talking about transfering someone from our department to another department within the firm.  That the other department was getting really busy and needed more help.  And it was probably going to be one of us.  This change, if it were real, would have been a big deal.  We would tell him that we think it would be announced at the end of the day.  Then at 5pm, we would reveal the big joke.  She and I planned to go to his office together and tell him what we supposedly heard.

But my co-worker jumped the gun.  She called him about another matter and then at the end of that conversation said she had something really important to tell him.  He ended up going to her office, and she went ahead with the prank without me.  The really strange part was that, after he heard the news, he became all shady.  He said he had something to tell her after the partners made the announcement. 

What could it be??  What was going on??

She pressed him to tell her if he knew something.  But he said he'd tell her later.

Is he reverse pranking us??

But we decided to keep up with the joke.  She told me that it was my turn to go talk to him.  But I didn't want to!!  I didn't think I could pull it off.  Just blatantly lie like that.  I don't have a poker face.  It was just too much pressure.  But I sucked it up and went to his office...except he wasn't there.

A minute later, my co-worker called frantic, "He just went to the partner's office and asked him if he had a minute to talk.  And then he shut the door.  I am going to get in trouble for this."

What could he be talking to the partner about??  Oh, sh*t!

This is why I don't do this sort of thing!  But I figured he couldn't be that stupid to talk to a partner about this "rumor."  Right?  Finally he emerged from the partner's office and told us he wanted to talk. 

Then he told us the craziest news.  He quit.

OMG, is he reverse pranking us??  Did he quit because he didn't want to be transferred?  Holy sh*t.  What have we done?

So he was leaving the firm. Our prankee effing quit!  And he definitely wasn't joking.  So we confessed immediately to the April Fool's joke.  He was surprised and actually took it well.  Because it turns out he had planned to quit today anyway. Today of all days!  April Fool's Day. He almost gave us a heart attack.

Our prank totally backfired.  We didn't keep the joke going for very long.  At the time, it wasn't funny at all.  It gave us a lot of anxiety.  But in hindsight, it actually was pretty f**king funny.  So I'd say it was a good April Fool's.

You make anyone a fool today?  Or did you turn into the fool?

P.S. Huz's co-worker moved their manager's desk to the bathroom, and it was complete with internet and a working phone.  He was pissed.  He even looked at surveillance tapes just to find the culprit.  Haha.  Now they knew who did it.  And the manager's going to take that guy's favorite keyboard and put it in jello.  Awesome!

P.P.S. Google claimed that it changed their name to Topeka today.  What a bunch of jokers?  I wonder how many people fell for it.  Did you?

P.P.P.S.  A couple totally parked in our firm parking lot today for some daytime nookie!!  This man and woman drove in two separate cars and then got into her backseat.  Ewwww.  On a dare, someone from my office actually went out there to break it up.  Haha.  What is wrong with people??

Freakishly Strong

I wasn't made a tiny fragile girlie girl. Even at a young age, my father didn't handle me with care but rather expected me to handle my own. Being the oldest of my family, I was naturally the one my parents turned to help them carry groceries in the house or move large plants inside, then outside, then inside, then outside (you get the idea). So I guess my muscles started developing from all that heavy lifting cuz I gotz me some guns.

I was freakishly strong even back then. I'll always remember this one incident when I was about 8 or 9. At summer camp, we were outside playing, and I guess a few of us girls didn't hear the teachers calling us inside. When we got to the doors, we saw that a few mischievous boys had them barricaded from the inside. The girls were trying to push them open, but they wouldn't budge. I told the girls to back up, and tiny little me pushed the doors with all my might. The doors swung open, and the boys stepped back in surprise and even awe. I swear to God that this is a true story. At least how I remember it. Tehe.

Even Huz is amazed at times. Once in a while, he would randomly comment, "You're strong." It makes me laugh every time. He also asks me to open jars for him all the time. I suspect, just for kicks. I'm his official jar opener!

Along with my strength, I am a brute and am clumsy as hell. Not a great combination. I break things. I'm a disaster area. Imagine the Hulk in a tiny house. Or Hagrid using China at every meal. That's me!

I don't do delicate. I don't handle anything with care.

I even broke a dish today. Huz didn't even react. It's like a part of our daily lives! Haha. He saw what I did. Then he calmly asked me "Why'd you do that?" I responded, "Oh, ya know. I like to break things once in a while. Keeps things interesting." What did he think I was going to say? He likes to ask rhetorical questions just for fun. =p

Our dish set is now incomplete because of me. =( Whoops.

But Huz can't blame me. It's just the way I am. He knows that. So really, it's all his fault that dish is broken. He shouldn't let me near things that can break. Duh.

I Love Zombies!

Hi, my name is Tina and I love Zombie movies! I tell people that and they just nod their head in mock appreciation. It's my guilty pleasure! You have to appreciate the zombies' relentlessness and stoic behavior as they bite a person's face off. The scariest thing about them is their combination of instincts and nonchalance. All they want to do is eat you and they don't care if you're shooting their limbs off one by one. Make one mistake and a zombie will be on top of you. It's scary just thinking about it.

When I watch a zombie movie, what I'm interested in is how one becomes a zombie. For instance in 28 Days Later, if a zombie gets its fluids in an orifice like your eye or a wound, you're a goner. In Dawn of the Dead, after you are bitten by a zombie, you will become one, but only after you die. I believe for Resident Evil you'll become a zombie immediately after being bitten.

As for the most recent zombie movie, Zombieland, it brings up the debate of slow verses fast-moving zombies. I have to admit that a zombie chasing after you is awfully freaky. But I myself think zombies should stay slow because it's just plain creepy and shouldn't they be brain dead? It just makes sense. A good zombie movie is like a good vampire movie, it has rules that everybody has to live or die by.

Lady Gaga's Monster Ball

I saw Lady Gaga in concert, and it was...interesting. Actually that's an understatement. She is a pretty peculiar woman. Her style is famously unique. As are her music, videos, and performances...and what I learned that night, her fans.

I went with my co-worker and asked her what I should wear to the concert. She wasn't planning on wearing anything special. Because we were going straight from work, she said she was going to wear whatever she wore to work that day. So I did the same.

Boy, did I ever feel out of place! We realized our mistake once we got to the venue. We saw young girls all hooched out. They were wearing super short skirts with 5-inch heels. We saw lots of sequence, skin tight dresses, and teeny tiny shorts all night. Never mind that it was the middle of winter.

Then picture me. In my long sleeve blue cardigan, scarf, black tights and uggs. Add that to the fact that we were more mature when most of the audience. Okay, older! You happy? People probably thought I took a wrong turn on my way to a teacher's conference. (No offense, Tina.)

The concert started at 7:30p, but Lady Gaga didn't come out until 9:45p. So I did a lot of people watching. Our seats were right by the entrance and the walkway where we could see everyone coming and going. I have to say, that was the best part. We also saw girls dressed like Lady Gaga. The whole nine. Someone actually wore the red lace dress that Lady Gaga wore to the VMAs. That was impressive. There were also platinum blond wigs, sunglasses, body suits...and tiny hats! I secretly wished I had one. Why didn't I think of that!?

The show finally started, and there was a whole lot of screaming going on. I almost went deaf. The show was definitely entertaining. She didn't lip sync, which is commendable since the days of Britney Spears and Ashley Simpson. And she even danced the entire time. Her transitions between songs and outfit changes were again interesting. At one time, a video of her was projected on the stage. In the video, she was posing in a beautiful gown. Next to her was a girl vomiting all over her. They kept replaying it, and it made me want to vomit. Ack.

Besides the gag reflex, I was dancing and having a good time. Then I noticed a guy dancing right next to me. He was a tall black guy in heels, a body suit, tiny shorts, and fish net stockings. He didn't hold anything back! He was dancing to the left and then to the right. He went down and then up. He did kicks and almost friggin' kicked me in the face. His high-heel boot was literally a couple inches from my face. He was an amazing dancer though. I had to force myself to look away and actually watch the show.

I forgot to bring my camera. I only had my blackberry. This is the best picture I could get. =p

Paranormal Explained

Because today is Halloween, I felt it was only fitting that my topic be Halloween related.

Huz told me of a phenomenon where a person who is sleeping awakes to find themselves paralyzed. Huz says that he's experienced it before. Chinese people believe that, when that occurs, you have been possessed by a ghost or a ghost is sitting on your chest. Freaky, right? I had never experienced that before until a couple years ago. I was in bed alone, and Huz had already left for work. Then I saw a figure enter the room. I thought it was Huz and wanted to call his name, but I couldn't. The figure just stood there. I tried really hard to move but couldn't either. While this was happening, I realized that the figure couldn't have been Huz because he had already left for work. Later I woke up and was kinda freaked out. I totally forgot about it until I read this article.

The article provides medical explanations about certain purported paranormal experiences. What I experienced is called sleep paralysis, which occurs when there’s a disconnect between mind and body while people are going in or coming out of REM sleep. You can't move because you're really asleep. That doesn't seem very scary at all.

The article also explained this other weird thing that happened to Huz. We stayed at a cabin in the middle of nowhere one time. Don't ask me why. It was a terrible idea. Anyway, Huz wakes up in the middle of the night and really has to pee. The only bathroom is downstairs. He walks down and passes the living room. There he sees a little girl reading a book. (Mysterious little girls are always creepy!) He looks again, and the girl disappears. He of course thinks it must have been his imagination, so he continues to the bathroom. On his way back up the stairs, he hears voices. At this point, he bolts up the stairs and back to our room.

Huz actually kept that story quiet the entire trip. He knew I would probably want to leave immediately if he told me. Smart man. He told my friend and me the story right when we got into the car to go back home. However, my friend had a perfectly good explanation for the voices. She said that two other people on vacation with us had stayed up all night talking. Oooohhh! Haha!

But what about that little girl in the living room. According to the article, people who are tired are more susceptible to these visions. It’s a trick of the eye that may trigger a momentary welling up of a mental image. Makes sense, I suppose.

So really...there's nothing scary here. You're welcome.

That's It! I'm Making Huz Carry Tic Tacs in His Pocket!

I don't know what it is, but I am a very jumpy person. I jump and scream at the slightest provocation. Okay, fine. I'm a wuss. A big big wuss. You happy now? I don't watch scary movies or TV shows about the paranormal. I don't even watch true mystery shows at night by myself because I think the voice over is scary. Am I right?!? I can't be the only one. I don't read scary books either. If I see a large bug even one that is like five feet away from me, I'll still scream. I know that there is no way it will hurt me or crawl on me or anything, but it freaks me out.

Anyway, this is kinda stupid, but Huz scares me all the time. He doesn't hide behind doors or sneak up on me and yell "Boo!" or anything like that. (Well, maybe sometimes.) Instead, he silently walks into the room, and, when I turn to find him suddenly next to me, I scream my head off. He always has this stupid smirk on his face like he has done nothing wrong and thinks I am mental. Okay, fine, I am. But he is so damn quiet! Before I know it, he materializes right next to me. He knows how jumpy I get!

So he did this to me AGAIN! I came home and noticed that he was in the basement. I go into the kitchen to put my groceries down and turn to put something away. And there he is, turning the corner into the kitchen. Of course, I scream. And he has this innocent look on his face and says "What?" I yell at him for scaring me half to death, and he responds that he was just coming upstairs to say hello. I tell him that he is just too damn quiet when he enters a room. He asks me how else is he supposed to do it. Then I show him. I stomp loudly in place and say aloud "I am coming into the room now." I think that makes perfect sense, right? Everyone should do that.

I've said this many times, but I am for real this time. I am going to make him carry Tic Tacs in his pocket. That way, I can hear him coming. It's like that Seinfeld episode about that stealthy guy at Elaine's office. Furthermore, I have this sneaking suspicion that Huz is doing it on purpose. I just know it!

Eek Bugs!

Since moving farther out into the suburbs, we have encountered bugs we have never seen before. I don't know where the hell they come from. I hate bugs. They freak me out. I do this weird double scream when I see a particularly nasty one. (Huz calls it my machine gun scream. Tehe.) I can't help it. It's involuntary.

This past week was like the Plagues of Egypt at my house. Last weekend, we had a run in with a giant spider and two huge black crickets while hanging out in the basement. Huz got rid of them for me. He's my hero. Then last night I had the most disturbing bug encounter. We recently found out that we have an ant problem. I left a pizza box sitting on the floor for a couple weeks for recycling. That's how it started. It is not that bad. We don't have tons of ants crawling around, usually just one or two in my kitchen. For days, I would scour the floor looking for them. Recently, I didn't see any more. I thought they were gone. So I stopped checking for them. Boy, was I very very wrong.

I popped popcorn last night and sat to watch TV. After getting seconds, I was done eating and went to put the bowl in the sink. That was when I saw a lone ant in my bowl. Eek!! WTF! After I killed it, I turned my dining room light on and was checking the floor for any wandering ants. At this point, I was pretty grossed out and a little on edge. My turtle whose tank is in the dining room was swimming frantically when he saw me--a sign he was hungry. I tried to get my mind off the ant-in-my-food thing, so I decided to feed him. I have these tiny dried shrimps that I give him. I opened the lid, and there on the inside lid was a swarm of tiny crawling mites. OMG! My life flashed before my eyes. Then I screamed bloody murder and threw the whole container on the floor. If you thought I was freaked out earlier... I was a wreck now. I couldn't calm down for a while. I never turn the light on when I feed my turtle. So how long were those bugs there? I have been feeding my turtle the dried shrimp for months. Ack! I don't even want to think about it.

Huz looked at the container after I dropped it and only saw a few mites. Not like how I had described it. When I think back on it, I still imagine something out of a horror movie where a thousand bugs was on that turtle food lid. Even blogging about it is making my skin crawl. I am officially traumatized.

Blindness

I saw Blindness this past weekend and didn't know what to think of it. I wasn't sure if I liked it or hated it. So I wasn't going to blog about it at first, but I'll tell you why I am in a little bit. Blindness is about a mysterious and sudden epidemic where those infected experience white blindness. The first victim explained it as swimming in milk. The condition was infectious and spread through contact. The world went into a panic and quickly quarantined anyone who was affected. The first few who were quarantined included an ophthalmologist and his wife (played by Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore); however, the doctor's wife was not infected but chose to stay with her husband. They along with several other blind people were put in a building, separated by wards, without any help and left to their own devices. Within a few days, living conditions and hygiene degrade dramatically and horrifically, and they quickly lose their civility without their sight. Conditions worsen due to the lack of food, care and organization. The doctor's wife try her best to help but reaches a breaking point.

[Spoiler Alert!] Soon, someone from Ward 3 crowns himself King. (This is where it reminds me of Lord of the Flies) He somehow obtains a gun and wields it to get his way. He and his crew hoard all the food supply for Ward 3 and demand compensation for food. After money and valuables run out, he demands women as compensation. Faced with starvation, they don't have a choice but to succumb to the lunatic's whims. This is where I started to get angry as the TV and then at Moore's character for doing nothing. The women were helpless against these monsters, and it sickened me. The particular scene was brutal, graphic and violent. This is probably where it lost a lot of people, including me.

Then I learned more about the movie and the book upon which it is based, and I think I get it--that's why I am blogging about it. Blindness is based on a book of the same name written by José Saramago. The theme of his book is spiritual blindness. Blindness serves as a metaphor for human nature's dark side like prejudice, selfishness, violence and willful indifference. It can also be considered an allegory about the fragility of civilization, which is closer to my initial interpretation. Furthermore, the character of the doctor's wife is important because she is the only one who can see. However, she is still blind in her own way--refusing to act until she is forced to. The screenwriter said that he asked the author about the wife's failure to act and got the response: "She became aware of the responsibility that comes with seeing gradually, first to herself, then to her husband, then to her small 'family,' then her ward, and finally to the world where she has to create a new civilization." That makes sense because it could not have been easy living in those conditions and also being the only one who could see.

After getting over that, I started to appreciate the uniqueness of the story, the way the movie captured the characters and this idea of spiritual blindness, and the artistic interpretation of the book. It also forced me to take a hard look at society and the goodness (and badness) of people. So I guess I hate it a little less. Perhaps I changed Tina and Laura's minds about it because they really disliked it. You just have to see past the not so pleasant parts.

Glow-in-the-Dark Puppy!?

I found this crazy article in Aim Dashboard, a website that pops up when I log into Aim.

A team of South Korean scientists has created the world’s first fluorescent puppy, according to New Scientist magazine.

By normal light, Ruppy looks like any other beagle puppy. In ultraviolet light, she glows red. She's the first transgenic puppy, meaning she was created with some genetic material from another creature -- in this case, cloned cells that include a red fluorescent gene sea anemones produce. Researchers from the Seoul National University in South Korea released the photos this week.Ruppy is transgenic, meaning she has genes from another animal. Scientists said they hope this will pave the way to model human diseases in dogs, whose relatively long life-span could make them better study subjects than other animals.

While scientists have created other animals that glow, Ruppy is a first for canines. The magazine said scientists also created four other beagles that share her same red trait.

Byeong-Chun Lee of Seoul National University in South Korea lead the team that created the dogs. Stem cell researcher Woo Suk Hwang was also part of that team. Hwang has come under fire for fraudulent work with human cells, but he also helped create the first cloned dog, Snuppy, and an investigation later validated the dog experiment.

One scientist called the glowing puppy an "important accomplishment." But another dog geneticist doubted the experiment's value, calling the developmental process "laborious, expensive and slow."

This is horrible and unnatural! Death and disease are a normal process of life, and messing with that can cause overpopulation and health problems. Diseased animals and humans that were supposed to die, will live and breed, which makes our future look unhealthy and mutated.

Craiglist Is Evil

Craigslist has spawned a murderer. Have you been following the bizarre story of the Craigslist murders? For some reason, I found it really disturbing (and not just for obvious reasons). This guy was going around answering craiglist ads by women for erotic massages (and we all know what I means). When he meets them, he would tie them up and rob them. One woman tried to fight back and ended up dead. The most creepy part about this is the suspect, Philip Markoff. He is a normal looking guy. He is 22 and a second year med student at Boston University. He is engaged to be married in August. His fiance was defending him to the press, calling him a "beautiful person" and saying he would never hurt a fly. Then more details were uncovered. The police traced emails back to him and found duct tape, restraints and a semi-automatic in this house. They also disclosed that a possible motive is a gambling problem. The police and district attorney are calling him a predator and describing his crimes as brutal, savage and vicious.

You really shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Cliche, I know, but still relevant and true. For a picture of the guy and the latest news, click here. I rather not put a picture of him on this blog because it's creepy.

Oh, and Craigslist should really monitor their ads better. I've read plenty of news stories of people using Craigslist for crimes. So beware of Craigslist! It's evil!

1000 Ways to Die on Spike

Recently I've found myself watching this show on Spike called 1000 Ways to Die. If there is nothing else on, I would watch it. Or if there is something else equally meaningless on (like Ace of Cakes or some reality show), I would switch between the two. I never liked these kinds of shows because I can't stand watching the gory and gruesome scenes. They make me cringe. However, sometimes I would watch Real TV and the World's Most Dangerous Car Chases (and the like) with my husband. I know people's pain and death shouldn't be entertainment. I mean, I hate watching the local news because it is usually filled with sad stories of deaths and murders. But with this show, 1000 Ways to Die, I can't look away. And I really can't blame my husband for this one because I mostly watch it by myself. I can't help it. Damn my curiosity.

The name of the show basically describes its premise. 1000 Ways to Die depicts unusual real-life deaths that are usually really disturbing. It is kinda like urban legends. I was actually watching this at Tina's house last night (after the kids were already asleep, all right). Tina was so cute and said that one of the deaths was going to give her nightmares. It's true. I don't know why I watch it. I am a big ol' scaredy cat. I should probably stop watching before I start getting nightmares.

Here are some terrible ways to die:
- This guy wanted to impress his date, so he thought he'd make something unique for dinner. So he makes her a special salad with live snails crawling in it. She thinks that he must know what he is doing, so they both enjoy the snail salad together. Days later they end up in the hospital with parasites in their brain. Needless to say, they died.
- Another guy can swallow a billiard ball into his throat and then push it back up. He is at a pool hall showing off his ability with an eight ball. He tries again with the cue ball. However, for some reason, he can't get it back up and dies. What he doesn't realize is that the cue ball is made a little bit bigger.
- Two guys are out of weed, so they go into the desert on a mission to get high off of anything they could find. They smoke various plants and flowers and end up smoking a deadly poisonous plant.

Jesus Camp

Jesus Camp is a 2006 documentary that follows a Evangelical children's summer camp called "Kids On Fire School of Ministry." It's located just outside Devils Lake, North Dakota and run by Becky Fischer and her ministry, Kids in Ministry International. It mostly follows 3 children and their experiences at this camp.

Truthfully, this movie is just plain scary. I mean I have no problem with Christianity or any other type of religion in fact. But I do have a problem with religions that don't return the favor. They scoff at the theory of evolution and shake their heads at other beliefs that are different than their own. The only road to "salvation" is through Evangelism.

One of the children, named Levi, is home schooled, as are many of the campers. He learns physical science from a book that reconciles young earth creationism with "scientific" principles. He is also taught that global warming is a hoax and that the Earth's temperature has a history of natural fluctuation not caused by humankind.

Becky Fischer, the camp owner, preaches to the children an hour everyday. She uses props, toys and dolls to appeal to the children. Every child claims to see visions and hear the voice of God on a daily basis. During the preaching, it can get very intense. Children are crying, shaking, raising their hands in the air, speak Hebrew, and screaming. There was one child who looked like he was having a seizure on the ground. Here are some pictures:Evangelists believe that to attain salvation they must be "born-again" by accepting Jesus as their savior. 43% of Evangelical kids become "born-again" before the age of 13.

Evangelists preach a message urging children to join the fight to end abortion in America. He prays for George W. Bush to have the strength to appoint "righteous judges" who will overturn Roe v. Wade. By the end of the sermon, the children are chanting, "Righteous judges! Righteous judges!" In another, a woman brings a life-sized cutout of Bush to the front of the church, and has the children stretch their hands toward him in prayer. Becky Fischer believes Bush is the best president ever!

During the film, we see Mike Papatoni, a Christian man with his own radio talk show, discussing how he is very against the way Evangelism targets children and government. He discussed how 25% of the American population describe themselves as being Evangelist. Evangelists believe they have to save the world by taking it over and building a government they are comfortable with. They elbow their way into positions of power and sooner or later, there will be no separation between church and state. Mike Papatoni actually gets Becky Fischer on the air for a debate! Toward the end, he basically tells her that God holds his children dear to his heart and that she will go to hell for messing with them. He calls what she's doing brainwashing and says that the Evangelist church is creating child soldiers for the Republicans. He believes in seperation between church and state and tells her that, at this rate, Christianity is going to take over democracy. She in turn says that democracy was designed to kill itself, because the world won't be perfect until Jesus is truly Lord.

In November 2006, Fischer announced that she would be shutting down the camp indefinitely due to negative reaction towards her in the film. According to Fischer's website, the owners of the property used for the camp shown in the film were concerned about vandalism to the premises following the film's release and thus will not allow it to be used for any future camps. Fischer has said that the camp will be indefinitely postponed until other suitable premises can be found, but it will be back.

The Little Match Girl: Not Suitable for Little Children

I read The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen to my niece not too long ago, and it is the saddest Christmas story ever. It is about a little girl who is sent out into the cold by her abusive father to sell matches. He beats her if she doesn't sell enough, so she is too afraid to go home one night having made no sales. She is left out in the freezing cold with just her matches. She lights them to warm up. Each time she lights a match, a vision appears like a Christmas tree or a Christmas feast--wonderful things that are out of her grasp. Each vision dies with the match. Then finally she lights her last match, and her dead grandmother appears before her to take her away. In the morning, she is found frozen to death in an alley. What the heck kind of children's story is that?

When I was reading this book to my niece, I tried to cover up the abusive father part. But she still questioned me about it--why can't she go home? Then when I got to the part where her dead grandmother comes to take her away, I had to make up an entirely different ending. My niece is very particular and would force you to finish books whether you want to or not. So in order to not traumatize her, I ad-libbed my own ending. Basically, it goes like this: Her grandmother finds her and takes her home out of the cold. And she lives happily ever after, warm in her house. The End. The stupid book forced me to lie to my niece!

Who in their right mind would read this to their child? Can't a person live blissfully unaware of the cruelty of the world for just a little while?