Top 10 Cookie Ingredients

10. caramel
9. macadamia nuts
8. butterscotch chips
7. coconut
6. chocolate chips
5. oatmeal
4. raw sugar
3. marshmallows
2. raspberry jam
1. toffee pieces

Top 10 Books I Loved as a Kid

10. The 13 Clocks by James Thurber
I loved the surrealism of this book.
9. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
This was the coolest book in elementary school.
8. Half Magic (series) by Edward Eager
Great stories, but I remember loving the illustrations and trying to copy them as well.
7. There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar
This book made me cry and almost made me consider becoming a teacher.
6. The Farthest-Away Mountain by Lynne Reid Banks
For some reason, my friends and I were obsessed with this book and read it to pieces.
5. A Wrinkle in Time (series) by Madeleine L'Engle
I'm sure I didn't understand half of what was going on, but couldn't put it down nonetheless.
4. Anne of Green Gables (series) by L. M. Montgomery
I could read these over and over again for the rest of my life.
3. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
We got to make our own word-market booths and sell words, it was so fun.
2. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
We would be sucked in by this book every reading time and beg our teacher to read one more chapter.
1. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
This was one of those books that confirmed my desire to become a writer.

This list is incredibly nostalgic. Don't you wish you could go back to your childhood and have all the time in the world to read again? I used to curl up somewhere in my room and read a half dozen books at once. Now it takes me 2 weeks to finally finish one novel.

These are the first 10 books that came to mind on this topic. If I'd actually gone online and searched through thousands of titles, I'm sure I would have never gotten it narrowed down to ten. I would pick any of these books back up in a second. Any favorites that you can remember?

Top 10 Cities That Make Good Girls' Names

10. Paris
9. Detroit
8. Valencia
7. Charlotte
6. Sienna
5. Geneva
4. Athens (Athena)
3. Florence
2. Sydney
1. Brooklyn

This one's been on my mind for a while and I finally gathered ten good ones (again, with input from Brett and Yukiko.) Let me know about any others that you think are legit. I'm also working on girls' names that are desserts (Charlotte gets to count for double. Is she a flower too? That would be crazy.) I would really appreciate some input.

Top 10 Words that Describe Wine

10. sweet
9. light
8. spicy
7. bitter
6. fragrant
5. rustic
4. fruity
3. woodsy
2. full
1. dry

It has always fascinated me how a beverage can be described as "dry."

Top 10 First Lines

10. Call me Ishmael. (Moby Dick, Herman Melville)
9. It was love at first sight. (Catch-22, Joseph Heller)
8. You are about to begin reading Italo Calvino's new novel, If on a Winter's Night a Traveler. (If on a Winter's Night a Traveler, Italo Calvino)
7. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen)
6. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. (Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, J.K. Rowling)
5. There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C.S. Lewis)
4. Two households, both alike in dignity,/ In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,/ .../ Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage;/ The which, if you with patient ears attend,/ What here shall miss our toil shall strive to men. (Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare)
3. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. (A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens)
2. Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. (Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy)
1. This is the saddest story I have ever heard. (The Good Soldier, Ford Madox Ford)

I seriously considered "It was a dark and stormy night" from Bulwer-Lytton's Paul Clifford, as it is probably the most imitated line in history. But then I realized that, aside from being super famous, it's not that interesting. Melville's line from Moby Dick actually beat him out because I see added humor in it from reading Lemony Snicket's book 13. Sad, but true. As far as number 6 goes, don't be hatin'. You have to admit it's a good first line for the madness that follows.

Top 10 Holy Interjections

As this is a family friendly site, I have disqualified all phrases that are vulgar or blasphemous in nature. Except for Holy Mackerel, man, those mackerels just need to stop spreading their vulgarity everywhere.

10. Holy Toledo! (Yay Ohio! Hey man, I don't want to hear about Spain.)
9. Holy Hera! (Does this count as blasphemous?)
8. Holy Moly! (Did you know that moly is a real word? It's a type of plant, or herb, or something. Just FYI.)
7. Holy Schnikes! (So is schnikes. Um, just kidding.)
6. Holy Hannah! (What did Hannah ever do to be so exalted?)
5. Holy Cow! (Going to McDonalds is an unpardonable sin.)
4. Holy Cannoli! (Just pick any Italian food... ravioli, macaroni, it all works.)
3. Holy Mackerel! ( Why does food always make it to the top of my list?)
2. Holy Smoke! (Definitely still food related. Think Salmon, or Gouda.)
1. Holy Guacamole! (Delicious and it rhymes. A true winner.)

This is the kind of nonsense I think of when I'm lying in bed at night trying to sleep. I also found "Holy Shiitake" while I was browsing the web, which I thought was a cute euphemism for, uhh, sheep. Although I'm really only interested in legit ones that are widely used. I know I missed some good ones so if you can think of any please let me know.

Top 10 SYTYCD Routines from Season 3

This post is in celebration of the next season of So You Think You Can Dance starting tomorrow!

10. Neil and Lacey - Contemporary
song: Time by Billy Porter
9. Pasha and Sabra - Quick Step
song: Mr. Pinstripe Suit by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
8. Neil and Lauren - Jazz
song: Night of the Dancing Flame by Roisin Murphy
7. Kameron and Lacey - Contemporary
song: Dancing by Elisa
6. Neil and Sabra - Jazz
song: Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics
5. Jesus and Sara - Krump
song: It's OK (One Blood) by The Game
4. Dominic and Sabra - Hip Hop
song: Make It Work by Ne-Yo
3. Jesus and Sara - Jazz
song: Cabaret Hoover from The Triplets of Belleville soundtrack
2. Pasha and Lacey - Hop Hop
song: In the Morning by Junior Boys
1. Hok and Jaimie - Jazz
song: The Chairman's Waltz from Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack

Yes, I know I'm always bashing on TV and I still don't like it, but I have to admit, I love this show. I've always wished I could dance, and c'mon, these guys are really good. Plus I love the choreographers. Happy viewing!

Top 10 Favorite Office Supplies

10. Highlighter
9. Mini stapler
8. Pen/pencil gel grips
7. Soft white eraser
6. 6-hole puncher
5. Small post-it notes
4. Multi-colored adhesive flags
3. Fine white-out tape pen
2. Mechanical pencil (.3mm)
1. Fine black pen (Uni-ball Signo .28mm ... unfortunately, not available in the states yet.)

I admit it -- I spend inordinate amounts of time in the office supply section at the store.
Have any of you ever tried spelling "highlighter"? It's a killer.

Top 10 Favorite Beatles Songs

10. Hey Jude
9. Michelle
8. With a Little Help from My Friends
7. Yesterday
6. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
5. Blackbird
4. The Long and Winding Road
3. If I Fell
2. Let It Be
1. Here, There, and Everywhere

I just think these songs are gorgeous. Except for number eight, that's just cute.

Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Bret and Jemaine

Bret:
5. His "you're crazy" look.
4. His binary solo.
3. His weediness.
2. His red keytar.
1. He's hot -- like a curry.

Jemaine:
5. His deep set features.
4. His "awkward silence" look.
3. His mumbling.
2. His super low voice.
1. His lips.

As these two are the only things on my mind right now, it is useless for me to try and make a list of anything else tonight.

Top 10 Ways to Say "I Love You"

10. Volim te; Ljubim te (Serbo-Croatian)
9. Ani ohev otach (Hebrew)
8. Ngiya kuthanda (Zulu)
7. Aloha au la o'e (Hawaiian)
6. Eu te amo (Portugese)
5. Seni seviyorum (Turkish)
4. I love you (English)
3. As tave myliu (Lithuanian)
2. Noi makokonda (Chewa)
1. Je t'aime (French)


These were ordered hastily depending on how softly and passionately I could imagine them being said (granted, I am only guessing on the pronunciations for most of these.) Some of you may be disappointed that I didn't include Japanese here... I think it was at a disadvantage in that I actually understand it. "Aishite imasu" just does not sound like it's from the heart for me. It is so indirect, with no clear subject or object, as if they are afraid of admitting to having such a wonderful emotion as love. That's why I love English: it is absolutely clear who is speaking, whom it's being spoken to, and what is being conveyed. Also near the bottom of my list is German ("Ich liebe dich," ugh.) If you want to try and prove to me that it can be uttered amorously, be my guest.

Top 10 Types of Green

10. sea green
9. emerald green
8. pea green
7. puke green
6. jungle green
5. lime green
4. forest green
3. olive green
2. apple green
1. bottle green

Special thanks to Yukiko and Brett today for their input.

Top 10 Shirts Purchased Today

I had to steal some of Yukiko's because I didn't have enough to make 10. They are all between $3 and $7 by the way.

Top 10 Websites I Frequent

10. Amazon
9. Pandora
8. eBay
7. YouTube
6. Dictionary
5. Craig's List
4. Ding
3. Allrecipes
2. Facebook
1. Google

Top 10 Favorite Cuisines

10. Brazilian
9. Chinese
8. Italian
7. Mediterranean
6. Korean
5. French
4. Indian
3. Japanese
2. Greek
1. Thai

I'm talking about the real stuff here, folks -- none of that Americanized stuff. For the most part, fresh+unprocessed=tasty. Although I do admit to enjoying the occasional frozen dollar burrito.

Top 10 Words that Describe Cheese

10. mild
9. crumbly
8. creamy
7. grassy
6. nutty
5. velvety
4. stinky
3. sharp
2. pillowy
1. smoky

Top 10 Lesser-Known Forms of Government

10. doulocracy: government by slaves.
9. chiliarchy: government by 1,000 people.
8. aristarchy: government by the best.
7. kakistocracy: government by the worst.
6. pornocracy: government by harlots.
5. physiocracy: government according to natural laws or principles.
4. beerocracy: government by brewers or brewing interests.
3. iatrarchy: government by physicians.
2. paedarchy: government by children.
1. anemocracy: government by wind or whim.

Top 10 Favorite Lemony Snicket Quotes (Books 4-6)

10. They found it difficult to believe that things would get better [...] when they lived in such gloomy and poorly lit surroundings.
9. If you are a baby, your family will see you in your underwear many times, and there's no use being embarrassed about it.
8. The word "dreadful," even when used three times in a row, did not seem like a dreadful enough word to describe everything that had happened.
7. To hear the phrase "our only hope" always makes one anxious, because it means that if the only hope doesn't work, there is nothing left, and that is never pleasant to think about.
6. The children knew they would not sleep like logs, unless there were certain logs that tossed and turned all night wondering things.
5. Everybody will die, but very few people want to be reminded of that fact.
4. "In certain cases, enthusiasm can make up for lack of brainpower."
3. Both children felt the dread that comes when you begin a very boring and difficult book.
2. It looked exhausting and pointless, two things that should be avoided at all costs.
1. It is terribly rude to tell people that their troubles are boring.

Top 10 Cool Collateral Adjectives

10. struthious: of or relating to ostriches.
9. coriaceous: of or relating to leather.
8. diluvial: of or relating to floods.
7. brumal: of or relating to winter.
6. lacrimal: of or relating to tears.
5. risible: of or relating to laughter.
4. aeolian: of or relating to wind.
3. scombroid: of or relating to mackerels.
2. avuncular: of or relating to uncles.
1. crepuscular: of or relating to twilight.