I licked Chuck Norris in line at the bank because I think I need some serious help.
I know, you're thinking "well, this proves it...softdrink really is crazy."
But go check out Florinda's post to join the craziness and understand why I'm closer to Chuck Norris than I ever wanted to be. It's too funny!
“Is it real?” a scabby boy blurted out, unable to contain himself any longer.
The wing of the story-teller unfolded and gave a single beat before furling itself again inside the cloak.
From Company of Liars, by Karen Maitland
Melissa tagged me for the Six Things meme. Thanks Melissa! You must have known that I'm feeling less than inspired by the book reviews that need to be written. :-)
The rules: Link to the person who tagged you. Post six things that make you happy along with these rules. Then tag six others (letting them know, of course). Let the person who tagged you know when your entry is complete.
Six things that make for a happy Softdrink:
1. A good book.
2. A day off with no chores, no places to be, and #1.
3. Homemade (by my mom) chocolate chip cookies.
4. Having a fun vacation planned.
5. Going out to lunch on Friday with Rochelle and Jannine (and anyone else). This is pretty much the highlight of the work week.
6. Going out to dinner with Hamburger. Even if it is just Lolo's.
I'm pretty sure most of you have done this. Maybe not the SlowTrav group, though...so if you're a Slow Traveler and you're reading this...tag!
I just finished Reading in the Dark. No the power isn't out. That's the book...Reading in the Dark. And I don't know what to say about it. Other than Fool, which I totally blasted this week, I've been pretty ambivalent about writing reviews lately. Maybe it's because most of the books I've been reading have just been mediocre? Which is a bummer, because I'm definitely not inspired to gush about them. Or tear them apart. Books that fall into this category of mediocrity include Mrs. Dalloway (and I don't care who the author is, you can't make me like her), Giovanni's Room (actually, I liked this one, but I still don't know what to say) and a boy of good breeding (although I do have thoughts about what would have made this one more interesting...hmmm, maybe I should write that review after all).
Back to Giovanni's Room, a book by James Baldwin. This is a book I had never heard of until I stumbled across it on a Black History table at B&N earlier this month. Did you know February is Black History Month? Of course, you could argue that Black History is a huge portion of American History, and that if American History was actually taught in a more comprehensive, less "America is just peachy" style, we wouldn't need a Black History Month. Or a Women's History Month.
So. Giovanni's Room. It has a white protagonist. In fact, all of the characters are white. Seems an odd choice, then, for a table meant to celebrate black history. Maybe they were too afraid to make a table for GLBTQI (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex) history? Because Giovanni's Room focuses on the narrator's struggles with sexuality and alienation.
As usual, I'm rambling. Maybe I should just go and attempt to finish some of these write-ups? It's either that, or stare at the bookshelves hoping that the next book that I pick up will knock my socks off.
This is a fun meme that's going around. Since I've been neglectful about the Friday book closet thing, I'm going to challenge you to answer a few of the questions. First person to get an answer (to any of the questions...you don't have to guess them all...this way we can potentially have multiple winners) gets to choose a book from the closet. There are five questions scattered throughout the meme...I'll give away a book for each correct answer. Good luck!
What are your middle names?
Mine is Lora. Hamburger is named after a famous (but not necessarily one you'll immediately think of) painter, although it's spelled differently.
How long have you been together?
Take a guess.
How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We were friends for a few months, then HB graduated from college and moved away for about 4 months. When he came back to the Central Coast we started dating.
Who asked whom out?
I have no clue.
How old are each of you?
39 and 42. I will always be younger, and I'm petty enough to remind him of that.
Whose siblings do you see the most?
Neither really. We see my bro and his sis whenever we get together with our mom's for dinner or lunch or whatever.
Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
I can't think of one.
Did you go to the same school?
We went to the same college (and even had the same major), but we didn't meet until a few months before he graduated.
Are you from the same home town?
No, but for most of our childhoods we lived about 30 miles from each other. His high school regularly kicked my high school's ass in football.
Who is smarter?
HB will say I am, but we're smart in different ways. He's definitely got more practical skills. I'm the nerd.
Who is the most sensitive?
Neither really, although I cry over books and movies.
Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Lolo's, the local Mexican restaurant.
Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
I don't know, you tell me. We've been there four times.
Who has the craziest exes?
Hamburger.
Who has the worst temper?
We are both pretty mellow, although the neighbor's barking dogs will make HB go ballistic much faster than me.
Who does the cooking?
Mostly me, but if I buy the right ingredients he'll cook a meal or two. And he's perfectly happy making himself a sandwich for dinner.
Who is the neat-freak?
Me, no doubt about it.
Who is more stubborn?
About what? I'm more patient, so I'll stick with something longer...that's sort of like being stubborn.
Who hogs the bed?
Neither. We both stick to our own sides. We even have separate covers, because we don't share well.
Who wakes up earlier?
Hamburger, and you should be able to tell me why. Actually, there are two possible answers here.
Where was your first date?
If I can't remember who asked who out, do you really think I'll remember this? As friends, we went for a bike ride. As a date, it might have been dinner at This Ol' House, a local restaurant that is no more.
Who is more jealous?
Not an issue.
How long did it take to get serious?
After the friend period, not long at all.
Who eats more?
Depends on the time of day. Me in the morning and for lunch, HB at the end of the day, especially when it comes time for his post-dinner snack.
Who does the laundry?
We each do our own, because our laundry doesn't hang out together. As both a construction worker and a guy who likes to work on motorcycles, HB can get beyond grungy.
Who’s better with the computer?
Me.
Who drives when you are together?
Usually me, because we're in my car. HB has a work truck and a surf van, neither which are good around town or as long distance vehicles. Final question, what is the name of the surf van?
I saw this article (and I use the term article loosely here) on MSN today, and while I know we've all had the Kindle discussion, there are other things about the article that annoy me. Namely, the author.
What the hell kind of question is "why do you hate books?" And is it really necessary to continuously refer to those of us who don't care to read books on a Kindle (or even a computer) as Luddites (which she failed to capitalize, as one of the commenters pointed out)? And I don't care if the author was trying to be tongue-in-cheek, or clever, or whatever...it didn't work.
In other news, if you're following the Tour of California, today they were in my neck of the woods. Actually, a bit north, so I didn't see any cyclists, but my county is on tv.
Stiff
Mary Roach
2003
292 pages
Okay, this book is not for everyone. If you have a weak stomach, consider bodies sacred things, or even don't want to laugh about either death or what our bodies do after death, than this book is not for you. This review is also not for you, because it's going to be darn hard to review this book without being both as gross and as snarky as the book.
First, a few side notes. I have a pretty realistic view of death. And a lack of any beliefs about what happens after death. And I come from a family with both a sarcastic sense of humor and a tradition of cremation. All this to say that this book didn't offend me in the least. In fact, I'm guessing Mary Roach would fit right into our family.
Also, for all the snarkiness, this really is a fascinating book. I can't picture a better approach for a book that takes on a topic that can potentially be touchy. Despite the sarcasm, the author does have respect for the dead, and that also comes through in the writing.
So what does a book about dead bodies talk about? Well, here you go...a very brief synopsis of what is discussed:
Chapter One: A Head Is A Terrible Thing to Waste
In which the author observes a group of plastic surgeons taking a refresher class in face lifts. Their test subjects? Heads. Dead heads. With no bodies attached.
Chapter Two: Crimes of Anatomy
The disgusting, gruesome, crime-ridden history of the study of anatomy. Did I mention disgusting? Note to future readers of this book: don't read this book during your lunch break. Also, interesting fact: during the 1700's it was possible to pay your tuition with dead bodies.
Chapter Three: Life After Death
How bodies decay. Also not a pleasant lunchtime reading experience. Because somewhere there is a field strewn with decomposing bodies being studied by scientists. Also, embalming is discussed. Interesting fact: the father of embalming (Thomas Holmes) went insane. He also requested he not be embalmed after his death.
Chapter Four: Dead Man Driving
Just what it sounds like - (dead) human crash test dummies. If it makes you feel any better, there are also people who have volunteered to be (live) human crash test dummies.
Chapter Five: Beyond the Black Box
Plane crashes and what dead bodies can tell us about the crashes. La la la la la la...not reading this chapter. I like to travel too much, and I prefer to not think about plane crashes. This is also why I never made it past the first episode of Lost.
Chapter Six: The Cadaver Who Joined the Army
The study of how bullets and bombs...ummm, do what bullets and bombs do to human flesh. Interesting fact: there is such a thing as ballistic gelatin, which is made from the same gross stuff as regular gelatin. As a footnote (yes, there are lots of footnotes) says "other products made with cow-bone-and-pigskin-based gelatin include marshmallows, nougat-type candy bar fillings, liquorice, Gummi Bears, caramels, sports drinks, butter, ice cream, vitamin gel caps, suppositories, and that distasteful whitish peel on the outside of salamis. What I'm getting at here is that if you're going to worry about mad cow disease, you probably have more to worry about than you thought. And that if there's any danger, which I like to think there isn't, we're all doomed, so relax and have another Snickers."
Chapter Seven: Holy Cadaver
The various attempts that have been made to reenact the crucifixion of Jesus.
Chapter Eight: How to Know If You're Dead
The history of defining death, and the search for the soul.
Chapter Nine: Just A Head
Head transplants. Seriously. Although not human heads...more like monkey and dog heads. There's a lot of ewww in this chapter, too. And the next one.
Chapter Ten: Eat Me
It's too close to dinner time to go into detail. In short, all the different parts of the body that have been prescribed to cure what ails you. The author brings up an excellent point that the thought of ingesting many of these things would make a person sick, which probably helped to cure a few of the ailments.
Chapter Eleven: Out of the Fire, Into the Compost Bin
Alternatives to cremation and burial. In particular, the idea of freeze drying a body, shattering it into small bits, and then composting the remains. This is a very serious proposal, by a Swedish biologist/environmentalist. Although I'm guessing it's got a ways to go before Americans embrace the idea.
Chapter Twelve: Remains of the Author
In which Mary Roach divulges what will be done with her body after she dies. It might surprise you.
The name Jill has a very long history dating so far back that researchers are unable to pinpoint it's exact emersion into the world. It is believed to have started however as a form of currency. Back in the B.C. days a form of currency in circulation was called a 'gil.' It was kinda like our small change is today. Larger currency was known as a 'jack.' The story goes that the popular children's nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill, originated when a king and his economy were doing very well, the values of the jacks and gils were rising (Jack and Jill went up the hill). Unfortunately the people were struck by a plague that left everyone short of drinkable water (to fetch a pail of water) with the death of thousands the economy suffered (Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.)
I have a reason for blathering on about my own name, when we're supposed to be focusing on characters. Since no favorite characters immediately popped into my mind, I decided to use a couple of the characters from my current favorite author, Charles de Lint. Last week I read Dreams Underfoot, and this week I bought Tapping the Dream Tree. Two of the recurring characters in de Lint's stories are Jilly and Geordie. So see, I wasn't being all self-absorbed. I was really talking about a character. (Okay, so I was talking about myself, too.)
From Publishers WeeklyThis was a nice, enjoyable bit of magical realism. Hoffman is a great entertainer, and if you don’t take it seriously, this is a fun read.
Her 11th novel is Hoffman's best since Illumination Night. Again a scrim of magic lies gently over her fictional world, in which lilacs bloom riotously in July, a lovesick boy's elbows sizzle on a diner countertop and a toad expectorates a silver ring. The real and the magical worlds are almost seamlessly mixed here, the humor is sharper than in previous books, the characters' eccentricities grow credibly out of their past experiences and the poignant lessons they learn reverberate against the reader's heartstrings, stroked by Hoffman's lyrical prose. The Owens women have been witches for several generations. Orphaned Sally and Gillian Owens, raised by their spinster aunts in a spooky old house, grow up observing desperate women buying love potions in the kitchen and vow never to commit their hearts to passion. Fate, of course, intervenes. Steady, conscientious Sally marries, has two daughters and is widowed early. Impulsive, seductive Gillian goes through three divorces before she arrives at Sally's house with a dead body in her car. Meanwhile, Sally's daughters, replicas of their mother and their aunt, experience their own sexual awakenings. The inevitability of love and the torment and bliss of men and women gripped by desire is Hoffman's theme here, and she plays those variations with a new emphasis on sex scenes-there's plenty of steamy detail and a pervasive use of the f-word. The dialogue is always on target, particularly the squabbling between siblings, and, as usual, weather plays a portentous role.
Hamburger is a General Contractor, which means he works with some colorful characters. Today, one of the tile guys showed up at the job site all excited because he had just figured out something that had evidently been bugging him for 20 years:
How many joints are smoked in Bob Marley's song "Smoke Two Joints?"
I'm serious here. He figured it out to be 18 joints. (Two in the am, two in the afternoon, two in the pm, plus the two he smokes both before and after he smokes two.)
After I finished laughing hysterically at Hamburger's story, I just had to do a little Google research to see if his math skills were at all hindered by his obvious extracurricular activities. I found this post (at a surfing website, of course), which also factors in the two in time of peace and war, plus the two before and after, for a grand total of 24. He also has an excellent point about infinite progression, but I'm not going there.
However, there's also a line about smoking in the car, and when playing a video game, so my final answer is 36.
And this just goes to show, math can be relevant to your daily life.
Thank You, Jeeves
P.G. Wodehouse
first published 1934
audio book - 6 hours, 8 minutes
How Right You Are, Jeeves
P.G. Wodehouse
1960
208 pages
I listened to Thank You, Jeeves and I read How Right You Are, Jeeves. And I must say, I’m quite proud of myself for introducing myself to Wodehouse in this way. Because I don’t think I would have fully appreciated the book if I didn’t have all those English voices in my head (oh, that sounds bad). I think to fully appreciate Jeeves and Wooster you need to be able to either hear or imagine the English accents.
Thank You, Jeeves and Right You Are, Jeeves are remarkably similar tales. Bertram Wooster, a well-off English gentleman, gets into a scrape and is simultaneously aided and abetted by his valet (the t is pronounced, by the way) Jeeves. Appearing in the stories are various friends, relatives and acquaintances with various ridiculous names.
While the stories are entertaining and the language is a hoot (I can get away with saying that when talking about Wodehouse), I’m not sure I could subsist on a steady diet of Wooster and Jeeves. The tales seem a bit formulaic. And besides, I’d probably start to talk like Wooster, which is to say I’d use even more clichés than I already do.
Warning: grossness ahead!
Richardson came across a reference to anatomists cooking down human bones and fat into “into a substance like Spermaceti,” which they used to make candles and soap. Whether these were used in the anatomists’ homes or were given away as gifts were not noted, but between these and the gastric-juice-etched nameplates, it’s safe to say you really didn’t want your name on an anatomist’s Christmas gift list.
From Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach, p. 48.
Your Travel Profile: |
 You Are Very Well Traveled in Western Europe (64%) You Are Well Traveled in Southern Europe (53%) You Are Well Traveled in the United Kingdom (50%) You Are Well Traveled in the Western United States (47%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in Eastern Europe (40%) You Are Somewhat Well Traveled in the Northeastern United States (29%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in Latin America (20%) You Are Mostly Untraveled in the Southern United States (8%) You Are Untraveled in Africa (0%) You Are Untraveled in Asia (0%) You Are Untraveled in Australia (0%) You Are Untraveled in Canada (0%) You Are Untraveled in New Zealand (0%) You Are Untraveled in Scandinavia (0%) You Are Untraveled in the Middle East (0%) You Are Untraveled in the Midwestern United States (0%) |
This week it's all about judging books by their covers! Pick a book--any book, really--and search out multiple book cover images for that book. They could span a decade or two (or more)...Or they could span several countries. Which cover is your favorite? Which one is your least favorite? Which one best 'captures' what the book is about?
Because I am (slowly) reading Anna Karenina, and also because I hate the cover of the edition I'm reading, I decided to see what all is out there.
This is my copy:
I actually had to show it to my friend Rochelle, because I couldn't figure out what it was! Once I had the thought of what it looked like (but also what I knew it couldn't be) in my head, I couldn't see anything else. Luckily, Rochelle recognized the knees in the picture. However, now I know why the book came with this obnoxious Oprah sash strategically placed:
This next cover isn't much better. Yes, yes Anna...we get it. You have cleavage. Now please put that shawl around you. Isn't it supposed to be cold in Russia?
I actually like this one, although it's clearly a modern picture. The dress is way too short for Anna's time. And she looks like she's in prison. But I like it.
Here's another non-English cover. It's different.
Here's Anna looking like an invalid:
And an audio book image. Couldn't they find a train that was a little more evocative of the age?
Whoa...what do we have here? Dig those sideburns.
Hmmm, not bad...
In England, it's not about the cleavage, evidently it's all about the back. Ooooooh, and note the scary train.
Anna, Anna, Anna...this is not a good look for you. I think you need a new shade of lipstick.
Here we have the gothic look:
Hey, flowers again. And more cleavage.
Anna in a reflective moment. Whatcha thinkin' about, Anna?
And this one has a bit of a Russian look...maybe it's the hat?
And finally, the understated version, in which we get to use our imagination.
After looking at all those scary renderings of Anna, I think I like this last one the most. And its boring! My own copy remains my least favorite, simply because the knees do not look like knees. Although the profile shot with the lips is quite scary, too. Someone needs to design a cover that does Anna justice!
(Apologies if the spacing is off in this post...too many pictures and Blogger wigs out. And for once, I'm not going to fight it.)
Read more...
Have you ever been put off an author’s books after reading a biography of them? Or the reverse - a biography has made you love an author more?
Well, I’ve certainly been put off of an author’s books after having read one of their books, but I usually don’t pay much attention to their biography. I will confess to boycotting Tom Cruise’s movies because I think he’s a total ass as a person, but as far as authors go, I can’t think of anyone.
James Frey certainly got a lot of flak after his true biography came out, but I wouldn’t let that stop me from reading his books. I just haven’t read any more of his books because they don’t interest me.
I love Christopher Moore because he’s funny (I can’t wait to read Fool), and I like him even more because he used to be a local and one of his books uses this area as a setting. But he could have never lived here and I still would like him.
Ann Coulter might qualify, but again, I just avoid her books because I have no interest in reading that crap. If she wrote amazing fiction, I might forgive her for her militant conservatism. Maybe. Since she’s not writing anything I’m interested in, I don’t really have to worry about it.
So….I guess my answer is no. And please don’t disillusion me and tell me that all my favorite authors are closet Nazis.
Trish, over at Hey Lady!, posted about all the O's she loves. Okay, ten of them. You see, there seems to be a letter meme running amok. All you have to do is ask for your letter, and voila...instant post topic. Trish assigned me the letter T. So here are ten T things that I love...
1. Travel – It just so happens that I posted about my love of travel the other day. With the exception of reading, it’s my favoritist thing. (Hamburger isn't a thing, he's a person, that would be why he's not in that list.)
2. Text – as in words on a page. You didn’t think I wouldn’t manage to somehow work reading or books into this list, did you?
3. Three-day weekends – I almost hate to say this, but I almost always have three-day weekends. That’s because I flex and work 4 ten hour days. I have Mondays off, and I love it!
4. Tarmac – When you’re leaving on a trip, the airport runway can be a beautiful thing.
5. Tea – green tea lattes, Irish breakfast tea, Tazo Calm tea, tea with scones and clotted cream… 
6. Thames – the river that runs through London. I’m cheating a bit, because I love London and this is as close as I could come. Wait, I could have said the Tower of London. Also a wonderful place…if you ever have the chance to watch the Ceremony of the Keys at night, it’s an awesomely spooky thing to witness.
7. Thirties – of which I will only belong to for 76 more days. I’m really going to miss them.
8. TGIF – Actually, I never say TGIF, but again, I’m cheating a bit to get to the word Friday.
9. Thermostat – I lurve the thermostat in my house. And the one in my car. And the knob that is a cousin to the thermostat that turns on the little heater under my desk. Because I love to be warm.
10. Trousers – Isn’t that a cool word? I love pants much more than I will ever love skirts or dresses.
Would you like to join in the fun? Leave me a comment requesting a letter, and I’ll get back to you with your homework assignment. All you have to do is talk about ten things that you love that start with that letter. Then, when people comment on your post, you assign them a letter, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah.
This week's Weekly Geek is from Chris:
#1. What are you passionate about besides reading and blogging? For example, are you crafty (knitting, woodworking, scrapbooking, model building)? Do you cook? Into gaming (computer or board)? Sports (player or spectator)? Photography? Maybe you like geocaching, rock climbing? Or love attending events like renaissance fairs, concerts? Music? Dancing? You get the idea.
Tell us why you're passionate about it. Post photos of what you've made or of yourself doing whatever it is you love doing.
#2. Get us involved. Link to tutorials, recipes, Youtube videos, websites, fan sites, etc, anything that will help us learn more about your interest or how to do your hobby. Maybe you'd like to link to another hobbyist whose work you admire or tell us about a book or magazine related to your interest.
#3. Visit other Weekly Geeks. Link in your post to other Geeks who've peaked your interest in their passion. Or maybe you might find a fellow aficionado among us, link to them.
Let's talk about travel.
I love to go places, preferably places I've never been. Unfortunately, I like to go places far away, and I love to go for long periods of time. Since this can get expensive, and I have to work to finance these trips (not to mention books), the travel doesn't happen as much as I would like. But I have been able to take some marvelous trips in the past 5 years.
In 2005 I spent 3 weeks in London. This was my first overseas trip since I spent 3 months in London as a college student, followed by the summer backpacking across Europe with a Eurail pass.
In 2006 I went to Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia. I even wrote about my trip, in the form of a trip report for Slow Travel. This was my first solo trip, and I have to say, travelling alone is a blast.
In 2007 it was Italy for 4 weeks. I wrote a trip report for this one, too, so you can read all about my adventures here.
There was also a quick and cold trip to Green Bay, Wisconsin. I do believe I have a Green Bay tag, so you can click on it to read why Hamburger and I decided to risk frostbite for a trip to the frozen tundra.
There were also some Hawaii trips and reunions at Sunriver, Oregon mixed in there, as well.
Currently, I have no trips planned, which is a bit unusual. I might go to Croatia, but that wouldn't be until next year. And the economy needs to perk up a bit, otherwise my overseas travel buddies (my mom and the pseudo-in-laws (aka Hamburger's mom and her husband)) won't be able to go. My feet are getting a little itchy...today I went to the bookstore and stared at the books in the travel section.
My favorite travel site/resource is Slow Travel, a fantastic community of travellers who also like to meet up in person for great parties. In fact, I spent most of this past weekend with some of the group, at the third annual Slow Bowl, a weekend filled with great food, wine tasting and fun people. Slow Travel is all about slowing down...spending time in a vacation rental and soaking in the local culture, as opposed to the rushing around to see as much as you can during a short trip.
I also love buying guidebooks prior to a trip. My favorites are the Eyewitness Guides, because they have gorgeous color photographs of the places and sites. However, they weigh a frickin' ton, so I never take them with me on a trip. I do like to take the Access guides with me, though. I like how they focus on the individual neighborhoods of cities.
As for other Geeks, Nymeth talked about how difficult it is to juggle hobbies. I agree. Something always seems to suffer. Tasses is a scrapbooker, and one of the pages she features in her post just happens to have a pile of Eyewitness Guides. As far as travelling goes, I think I found a kindred spirit in Lou.
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