"When I do not want to say things in real life I often say them here." — Mimi Smartypants
Unsolicited opinions on books, movies, TV shows, consumer products
I watched NBC’s Commander in Chief Forum last night. It was even worse than I expected: Matt Lauer treated Clinton like a hostile witness, Trump like a celebrity. I guess that’s what they mean when they say the media grades Trump on the curve: celebrities aren’t expected to know much, and it’s somehow unfair to call them out the same […]
“Rivers perhaps are the only physical features of the world that are at their best from the air. Mountain ranges, no longer seen in profile, dwarf to anthills; seas lose their horizons; lakes have no longer depth but look like bright pennies on the earth’s surface; forests become a thin impermanent film, a moss on […]
This election. Someone observed it’s like unexpected guests drop by after work and you’re discussing dinner options. Some want to call for pizza, some want to kill and eat the others. Even if pizza wins, there’s a problem.
Donna asked today how The Book’s coming along. She prods me every couple of weeks, usually when I’m in the middle of a blog post. She thinks blogging is at worst a waste of time, at best a way to put off serious writing. I admit that when I started blogging I hoped my talent would […]
You Can’t Read That! is a periodic post featuring banned book reviews and news roundups. YCRT! News Roundup This is an interesting exchange: Elementary school librarian to author: It’s not that I don’t think heroin addiction is extremely important. Our community has faced its share of heartbreaking stories in regards to drug abuse but fourth […]
I’m watching the Democratic National Convention. Last week I watched the Republican National Convention. I don’t want to give the impression I’m obsessive about politics, but the coming election’s an important one and I want to know what forces are in play. Last week I watched prime time coverage of the RNC in Cleveland on network TV and […]
Up early this morning. Took a shower, toweled off, put on clean dry clothes, went outside to clean up dog poop and replenish bird feeders. Note to birds: no disrespect intended. Note to self: next time, shower after outside chores are done. You guessed it: a muggy morning in Tucson. You all know the delightful feeling of breaking […]
“People tend to think of military science as strategy and weapons—fighting, bombing, advancing. All that I leave to the memoir writers and historians. I’m interested in the parts no one makes movies about—not the killing but the keeping alive.” — Mary Roach, Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at […]