tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-131025322024-03-07T22:18:57.718-08:00Books and Random ThoughtsDiscusses books on various topics, ranging from fiction book reviews to books related to whatever "random thoughts" I might choose to discuss.bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-73440935849216717732011-12-07T18:06:00.000-08:002011-12-07T18:31:52.348-08:00My Inbox is Trying to Kill Me: Email Lists Gone Horribly WrongI am unsubscribing from every possible email list. My inbox is currently a wasteland of promotional offers, political pleas/warnings/dire predictions of the future, and probably some chain emails.<br /><br />It seems harmless at the time; you sign a petition for some cause you believe in, but then in return you get approximately 7000 emails. <br /><br />At one point I had close to 30,000 unread emails, dating back to 2008. Yeah, I should have just deleted them, and I actually did delete some, but I guess maybe guilt (if the email was about an important cause)and/or some deluded plan to read the things later kept me from deleting a huge amount of them.<br /><br />Here is a partial list of unsubscribes--Democrats.com, Obama for America, Radio Shack, Tri-City Herald, Huffington Post, ACLU, webfetti, Friendly Planet Travel, Travel Ticker, Michael Moore, The Nation, Ticket Master, The Nation, Credo Action, meetup, Democrats.org, Live Nation, Democratic Senate Campaign Committee . . . and I am by no means done. <br /><br />Note that I haven't changed my political affiliation or how I feel about any of the causes or retail outlets or news organizations, for that matter. In many cases I am following the entity in question on Facebook and/or Twitter. I just don't want any more email! I have become like a cyber extreme hoarder and it must stop!bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-83703821414649253002010-07-05T14:55:00.000-07:002010-07-06T23:06:03.490-07:00Sitting on Cold Porcelain, by Rose A. Valenta (Book Review)Have you ever tried to do a good deed that just spiralled totally out of control? Do you have a minor obsession about which your kids harass you? Do Christmas carols drive you crazy? Have you ever tried to duplicate a pie or cake recipe and given up and gotten something from a bakery instead? Or even if none of the above applies, do you just want to read some funny stories? If so, then <em>Sitting on Cold Porcelain</em>, Rose Valenta's collection of humorous essays, is for you.<br /><br />Valenta takes on such diverse topics as politics, holiday craziness, current events, the possible truth behind Mona Lisa's enigmatic appearance, and the general nuttiness of daily life. Essay titles include "'Frosty the Inappropriate Snowman'" or Mushroom Syndrome?", "Thanksgiving Plans--Remember the Titanic!", "Mountain Gorillas Vie to Get Looted in Facebook Mafia Wars", and "Is There a Common Sense Particle?". Fun, quirky, and relatable, with an intelligent social commentary beneath the humor, these essays will keep you laughing and also make you think. So have some fun, feed your mind, and check out Rose Valenta's <em>Sitting on Cold Porcelain</em>. It's available in book or Kindle format.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1450044190&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003ICWJ1U&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-24257053074861620532009-03-23T21:49:00.000-07:002009-03-23T23:01:49.371-07:00Red River Flood News Brings Back Bad MemoriesI turned on CNN a couple of nights ago just in time to hear news of major flooding in the Upper Midwest. The Red River is carving out a path of destruction in Eastern North Dakota similar to--or worse than--that of 1997. I was going to grad school at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks at that time and thus had to evacuate. It sounds like Grand Forks is in decent shape this time even though the predicted flood crest is similar to that in 1997, due to several measures the city has taken such as building permanent dikes that can withstand such a crest. Other places in North Dakota, such as Fargo, Mott, and some other places, not so much.<br /><br />This flood is earlier than the one in 1997. As I told my mother, I thought April 19 was the day the dike broke then. <br /><br />I remembered the date exactly. Actually, the three worst days were over a three-day span, April 18-20, but April 19 is the day UND classes were canceled for the rest of the semester and the day I drove to Montana to stay with my family until it was safe to come back.<br /><br /><br />In 1997, I already knew I didn't much care for the weather in the Upper Midwest nor the conservatism of the area and planned to get out as soon as possible. This was before that winter's EIGHT blizzards. Before having to evacuate due to a 500-year-flood (has it been 500 years already, by the way?). Even before evacuating, we had to get used to life being constantly disrupted--not being able to do what you wanted because of a blizzard, power outages, school closures. It takes a lot to close UND. Like, serious wind speeds in a blizzard. Temperatures so cold your skin will freeze in seconds. A 500-year-flood. These types of things. I have a tendency to become seriously annoyed by weather inconveniences, rather than taking it with a hearty pioneer spirit or whatever. I am opposed to character building through weather. <br /><br />But anyway. The week leading up to the evacuation, I had been helping out with sandbagging when I could. Normally I worked at the psychology clinic on Thursday nights, but on April 17, 1997, the day clerk called to tell me that all the night clients had canceled, and if I wanted to help sandbag, one of the professors could use some help. So I went over there; half the psych department was already there. He was scared to death he'd lose his house, but he was one of the lucky ones--he just had water in his basement. <br /><br />On April 18, I helped sandbag during the day. Watching the news, I saw the newscasters fighting back tears as they showed footage of water up to the roofs of many houses. Just as the 10:00 news was ending I got a call from a payphone. I wondered who it could possibly be. It was two friends of mine. They'd been bussed over to East Grand Forks earlier to help sandbag but had missed the ride back. I supposed they called me because they knew I'd still be up. They asked if I could come and get them.<br /><br />"Can I even get over there?" I asked. It required crossing a bridge, and I thought they might all be flooded. I was surprised they were even over there. They thought I could and told me what bridge to take. So I set out to get them, figuring if I were stopped I'd just have to explain where they were so someone--even if it had to be the National Guard or someone--could get them somewhere safe.<br /><br />No one was in the streets at all, except for service trucks. I hadn't heard anything about it being illegal to be out in the streets though (I think a curfew was imposed later; also selling alcohol in Grand Forks was banned for awhile). But I was able to get over the bridge without incident. My friends were waiting by the payphone. Normally they would have been able to hang out in the nearby McDonald's or someplace while they were waiting, but now nothing was open. These same friends had been living in the first area to totally flood, so they had already been evacuated from their apartment and I dropped them off in their temporary accommodations. <br /><br />On Saturday, I turned on the news. It was a nice sunny day; I remember that. No cable. Just flood news. Classes at UND (two weeks of classes plus finals) were canceled. Students were to go home. I got a call from the same friends I'd driven home the night before and they asked if I wanted to go to Nebraska with them. One of them had family there. I thanked them for their generous offer, but I realized in that instant that, instead of staring blankly at the TV, I could just go home too. <br /><br />Once I'd made the decision, I couldn't wait to get out of there. I started throwing things in suitcases. The last thing I grabbed before leaving was a stuffed graduation bear I had gotten for my brother. I wasn't sure when I'd be back. <br /><br />I also wasn't sure how to get out of town. I made several false starts before finally figuring it out. Another slight problem was gas. Most of the service stations weren't open, but when I found one that was, it was out of unleaded gasoline. So I just had to hope I had enough to last me for awhile. Complicating things was the fact that you couldn't get down to Fargo in the usual way on the I-29 due to flooding, so I had to take what was essentially a parade route, with all the people leaving town, while I was worried about running out of gas. But, I was lucky and made it to a gas station. <br /><br />I was lucky in general. I lived in a university apartment that didn't flood. I had been worried about break-ins and looting, but that didn't happen. I had a place to go where I could wait things out and come back to a completely undamaged apartment. So when I think of the negative memories this brings up for me--fear, loss of security, having my life turned upside down--what must it be like for someone who lost everything? My thoughts and prayers are with all flood and other natural disaster victims, past and present.bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-11798943740426916822009-02-16T00:49:00.000-08:002009-02-16T01:44:27.313-08:00Fantasy FishingIn these tough economic times, it's good to know there are still places where easy money can be had. <span style="font-style:italic;">Time</span> magazine clued me in to just such a place in their February 16 edition, where I read an article about Fantasy Fishing. I had heard of fantasy football, baseball, etc., but I'd been completely in the dark about fantasy fishing. Apparently there are all these fishing tournaments, and all you have to do is go to fantasyfishing.com and register for free. They give you a team, and you pick the order in which you think they will finish. The better your picks do, the more points you get. The player with the most points at the end of the tournament wins $100,000. If you have the most points over all six tournaments, you win one million dollars. There are lots of other prizes too--cars, boats, gift cards. It's totally free to play, but you can pay $10 and get Player's Advantage, which provides information which helps you make your picks. Not that you need to be a skilled angler to play--as the <span style="font-style:italic;">Time</span> article noted, 50% of fantasy players don't fish (this would include me). Apparently the reason for all the incentives is to attract more people to the sport. <br /><br />You can also earn money as an affiliate--for everyone who clicks on one of my banners and then orders Player's Advantage, I get $2. You can also earn by referring people just by providing their email addresses, if you don't have a website (the people you refer do have to buy the Player's Advantage for you to earn anything). <br /><br />The first tournament started just a few days ago, and my team didn't do that well, looking at the unofficial results, but there's another tournament in a few weeks. It's definitely a low-risk (you're out $10 at most, if you buy the Player's Advantage), low-energy expenditure way to possibly win some cash or prizes. <br /><br /><a href='http://www.fantasyfishing.com?ref=536309&utm_source=user&utm_medium=static&utm_term=536309&utm_content=ff-300x250&utm_campaign=referral' target='blank'><img src='http://adm.fantasyfishing.com/images/ref_image/ff-300x250.jpg' border='0' alt='Play Fantasy Fishing for Millions' target='_blank'></a>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-67936638178442180812009-02-07T23:51:00.000-08:002009-02-08T01:44:26.495-08:00The Shack, by William Paul Young (Book Review)What an amazing book! I had resisted reading it initially, seeing that it was religious. I finally broke down and read it based on my mother's recommendation, actually. Neither of us is what anyone would consider religious, but I suppose we both have a spiritual side. <br /><br />The book is one man's view of God, though it is presented through a fictional story, and I have never read anything like it. <br /><br />The story is that of Mack, whose youngest child, Missy, is abducted on a family vacation. In a shack in the Oregon wilderness, there is evidence that she was brutally murdered. The four years that follow are time of great torment for Mack. He blames himself for what happened, and the killer was never found and brought to justice, nor was Missy's body found so they could give it a proper burial at least.<br /><br />Then one day he receives a note in his mailbox that is supposedly from God. He is highly suspicious. The note asks him to meet at the shack. What if it's a cruel joke? But even though he is suspicious, he goes to the shack, where he has an unbelievable religious experience.<br /><br />I don't want to give away too much of the plot, and it's hard to say more without doing that. I will say that I really liked Young's view of God. It's not like any other Christian writing I've seen. God appeared to Mack as a female for part of the time, because, as it was explained, God is a spirit and has no gender, but could take any form. Race lines were also crossed--the "father", son, and holy spirit all appeared as non-white individuals. God (whom Mac called "Papa" even when she appeared as a female) explained how relationships between men and women should be equal. Probably the best thing, though, was how absolutely nonjudgmental and loving Papa was. It's just a very comforting view of God, which is pretty much in exact opposition to a fire-and brimstone view. It's a book that people of all religions could get something out of, because it doesn't demand that you believe certain things. I didn't agree with all the beliefs in it, but that didn't matter.<br /><br />It made me think that instead of worrying about Judgment Day, which I think many of us do on some level even if we aren't religious, we should have a Non-Judgment Day on earth. Well, more than a day, but we could start with a day. Instead of judging each other, we would try to understand each other and work on improving our relationships. <br /><br />If everyone read this, I think at the very least we would be a more peaceful, accepting people. It's also a great book for people going through hard times or who have suffered a great loss. <br /><br />There's a possibility that this book will be made into a movie. At the end of the book, there was a note that said that this would be pursued after a sufficient number of these books were in circulation. I got my copy at Target, so I don't think that will be a problem. Anyway, for more information, or to order a copy, visit <a href="http://www.theshackbook.com">http://www.theshackbook.com</a>.bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-13321722056802202952009-01-23T23:09:00.000-08:002009-01-24T00:34:42.711-08:00Capitol Conspiracy, by William Bernhardt (Book Review)In some horrible alternate universe in which there is no President Obama (still love saying that), another Republican president is elected after Bush. No, not McCain, but someone rather like Bush. This president barely escapes an assassination attempt at an Oklahoma City Memorial. In response, President Blake wants to amend the constitution so that a three-person committee in the Department of Homeland Security can declare a state of emergency and suspend most of the Bill of Rights until they decide the emergency is over. Pretty scary. <br /><br />Recurring character Ben Kincaid is a freshman senator, a Democrat, and the president wants him to help get the support to make the amendment a reality. For those unfamiliar with Kincaid, he was a defense attorney before becoming a senator, but not a sleazy type. He was a true champion of the underdog, and he is hardly the type to support something like this amendment--usually. But he was at the memorial service when the president was nearly assassinated. Ben's best friend was injured in that same incident and now lies in a coma. The first lady was killed and so were several other people. Ben starts to believe the amendment might not be a bad idea. But is the threat really from a foreign source?<br /><br />This book is full of interesting subplots and twists and turns. It's not predictable. So if you're in the mood for more politics, check this out.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0345487575&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-65316521388474353242009-01-16T20:29:00.000-08:002009-01-16T21:23:49.273-08:00Carpool Diem, by Nancy Star (Book Review)This is a light, fun novel, as the name implies. It pokes fun at the disturbing social trend of certain types of upper-middle class parents who push their kids too hard over things that really don't matter all that much.<br /><br />Annie Fleming is the workaholic mother of a twelve-year-old daughter. Annie is under the mistaken impression that her life is totally under control under she finds herself suddenly without a job. Annie is the type of person who never settles for second best. She is not the type of person who, for example, will decide she wants a cat and pick up a cute one from the animal shelter. No. She is the type of person who would exhaustively research cats on the internet to ensure that she gets the best possible cat. And she is like that about everything. Annie might be in need of some medication.<br /><br />So you can imagine Annie's angst when her daughter, Charlotte, earns a spot on a second-rate soccer team. She vows that she will teach Charlotte the importance of not settling, and that Charlotte will make the elite team. <br /><br />It turns out that Charlotte has some talent, enough to get noticed by Winslow, the coach of the very best local team. Too bad Winslow is crazy. He schedules something every day--during the summer--for his team. If they aren't in a tournament, they are having practice twice a day or a scrimmage. He subjects them to training better reserved for Olympic athletes, and the only excuse for missing anything is death. He puts out newsletters for the team and parents that are quite hilarious, as is this glimpse into the world of "soccer parents" in general. <br /><br />It would be good if parents like these could read this and see themselves in it and maybe back off a little (and learn to laugh at themselves). I'm not sure, though, if such parents would allow themselves to do anything so frivolous as read a novel. I mean, encouragement is great, but when you're forcing your kid to practice soccer in a thunderstorm, it's time to reassess your priorities. <br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0446581828&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-37455166657103796332009-01-08T22:16:00.000-08:002009-01-08T22:55:46.180-08:0011 Days Until Inauguration DayI was in Barnes and Nobles this evening after work when I heard a couple of teenagers talking about Barack Obama novels. I happened to catch the eye of one of them and smiled. I didn't think anything about it until I left the store and went out into the mall a few minutes later and passed those same kids. One gave me the thumbs up and said, "Yes we can! Hope for America!" <br /><br />"That's right!" I said, smiling and returning the thumbs up. <br /><br />I love little moments like that. I was exhausted from a long day at work, but I kept smiling because I just felt like it. <br /><br />Only 11 more days to go!bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-19989360955926385592008-12-28T23:56:00.000-08:002008-12-31T00:24:22.314-08:00The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Movie Review)This isn't exactly a feel-good holiday movie. If you are in need of a post-holiday pick-me-up, you might want to avoid this one. <br /><br />However, if you want to see a quality movie with some depth, this is a good choice, though the overall message is a little unclear. It's based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but in reading some other reviews, it sounds as though the only thing the movie has in common with the story is a man who is born old and ages backwards. Having never read the story, I have to take their word for it. It's also been noted that the story was much more humorous than the movie. The movie had some humorous moments, but mostly it was a drama rather than a comedy. <br /><br />At the beginning of the movie, an old woman dying in her hospital bed has her daughter read aloud from a diary. The diary was written by Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt), and the story is told through flashbacks. It is the story of Benjamin's life, as well as the love story between Benjamin and Daisy (Cate Blanchett). <br /><br />Benjamin was born at the end of the first World War. His mother died in childbirth, and his father was horrified by Benajmin's appearance--he was the size of a baby, but looked like an old man. He took the baby away and left him on the doorstep of a retirement home. The retirement home was run by a woman named Queenie (Taraji P. Henson), who ended up raising him. <br /><br />Benjamin actually fit in quite well at the retirement home, not understanding that he was actually a child. He looked like another old man in a wheelchair, albeit a short one who was not in complete possession of his mental faculties. He eventually grew taller and didn't need to use the wheelchair anymore. He was still an old man, physically when he met Daisy, the love of his life, who was a child at the time. <br /><br />Of course, he and Daisy didn't get together for years, until the point when they sort of met in the middle in age. But of course, any romance with Benjamin was doomed in the long term, and that was the tragedy of his life in general. It would have to be very lonely to be moving in the opposite direction from everyone else.<br /><br />The movie is very interesting in that Benjamin had a fascinating life, and visually stunning with great special effects. But the overall themes--time is cruel, we all die in the end no matter how we get there--aren't exactly uplifting. Adding to the ominous tone is the fact that the old woman in the hospital (who turns out to be Daisy) and her daughter who is reading Benjamin's diary are in a hospital in New Orleans right before and then right as Hurricane Katrina is hitting. If there is some more uplifting message embedded in the storyline, I'm not getting it. I guess one could argue that despite a serious obstacle, Benjamin made the best of things and led the best life he could, but even considering this, I still don't consider the movie very uplifting.bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-64130772668619616592008-12-20T02:14:00.000-08:002008-12-24T23:27:43.092-08:00Time of My Life, by Allison Winn Scotch (Book Review)What an awesome book! I love stories that involve manipulating time or involve some sort of road-not-taken scenario. In this book, protagonist Jillian Westfield is living the perfect suburban housewife and mother of an adorable 18-month-old in 2007. She loves her daughter, but she's bored to tears by her life and her marriage has definitely lost its luster. <br /><br />Then one day she wakes up and it's seven years earlier. (Now, my first thought was, there's no way I could relive the Bush years, but since it was July 2000, I would have wanted alert the media that BUSH IS GOING TO STEAL FLORIDA! And beware of that stupid butterfly ballot!).<br /><br />But I digress. Other than a brief mention of the Bush-Gore race, there is almost no mention of politics. In 2000, Jill's life was at a crossroads. She was about ready to break up with her exciting but rather unambitious and noncommittal boyfriend, Jackson, and about ready to get together with the man she would eventually marry, Henry. She is now intent on trying to make things work with Jack, and not getting together with Henry. She now has the advantage of 20/20 hindsight; often things work out well because of this. For example, when her friend Meg has a miscarriage, Jill knows it is going to happen, and this time she thinks to call 911 in advance instead of going to Meg first and then calling 911. This is crucial since Meg lost so much blood the first time that she required a transfusion and sustained much more internal damage. Also, Jill is able to anticipate trouble spots in her relationship with Jack and deal with problems more effectively. <br /><br />Occasionally things don't work out quite as well, because each new action has unintended consequences. For example, her boss Josie's marriage appears to be going south, even though as far as Jill knows, Josie and her husband were perfectly happy in 2007. Jill is upset by the possibility that her interfering in the past, trying to change things, has caused problems for Josie. Also, even though Jill doesn't want to get together with her husband, she misses her daughter, who will never be if she stays with Jack.<br /><br />But things are going great with Jack, now that she knows he's the one she wants. Or are they?<br /><br />Is the problem that Jill chose the wrong person? Or is the problem that she has stifled too much of herself and failed to confront her own demons? <br /><br />This is a book that will resonate with anyone who has ever wished they could have gne back and made a different choice in life. How many of us have wished we could have made a relationship work (or left a bad one sooner), not dropped out of college, taken a risk instead of playing it safe, or done any number of things we felt would have made our lives better? It is a book that invites self-reflection. The book is also a real page turner. I was fascinated by the concept and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I look forward to reading more from this author. <br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0307408574&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=41&l=ur1&category=books&banner=0VRTHA8E5847SQVT7982&f=ifr" width="88" height="31" scrolling="no" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border:none;" frameborder="0"></iframe>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-702829065917258412008-12-03T18:45:00.000-08:002008-12-03T21:44:16.628-08:00Is Bush Going to Set the White House Drapes on Fire as He Leaves Too?I adore Rachel Maddow's show on MSNBC. I enjoy all segments of the show, but am going to speak to the "Lame Duck Watch" portion here for a moment. This is where Rachel highlights some (disastrous) new proposal or regulation that the Bush administration is trying to push through before he (finally) leaves office, probably all of which are in direct opposition to what Obama wants to do. Here are some highlights:<br /><br />* a new rule that would allow health care workers to refuse procedures due to moral objections, including, unsurprisingly, abortions, and possibly dispensing birth control. (Imagine not being able to get your birth control prescription filled because some jerk in the pharmacy had a problem with it). <br /><br />* Offering parts of the Utah wilderness for oil and gas drilling.<br /><br />* Negotiating a deal that would keep the troops in Iraq for three more years (if approved by the IRAQ parliament, NOT our Congress)<br /><br />* relaxing regulations covering endangered species and changing how pollution levels are measured <br /><br />* giving state and local agencies more spying power<br /><br />* many more nefarious things<br /><br />JANUARY 20 CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH.<br /><br />When his administration isn't working to bring down this country further in the time they have left, what exactly are W and company doing? Are they trying to address the economic crisis, maybe? Not so much, from the sound of it. Mostly, they are trying to recast Bush's image in a more positive light. <br /><br />They should probably wait a few years for that. Like maybe 50, or 100. <br /><br />I think the Obamas should do some kind of cleansing ritual when they move into the White House. The toxic energy W is leaving in his wake isn't healthy for anyone else to be around.bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-16770981564128366732008-12-01T21:05:00.000-08:002008-12-24T23:13:30.805-08:00Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State--Yay!I'm so excited that Hillary Clinton will be our next Secretary of State! I actually wanted Hillary to get the nomination for president, though I always liked Obama as well. Part of the reason I initially chose Hillary over Obama was that I simply didn't know as much about him (and, okay, I wanted a woman president, though breaking the color barrier is equally important). Now that I'm as familiar with him as any political junkie can be, I'm really happy about him being president (especially considering the alternative, but I would be excited anyway). Still, I really like Hillary, and it's awesome that she will have such a prominent role in Obama's administration. She'll do a great job, and the Clintons are well thought of overseas. <br /><br />Instead of counting the days until Christmas, I am counting the days until January 20.bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-52574201919200460362008-11-18T22:38:00.000-08:002008-12-24T23:29:51.341-08:00Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer (Book Review)I did it! Now that my election worries are over, I can concentrate and read novels again. I had initially hesitated in reading the <span style="font-style:italic;">Twilight</span> series because I'm not normally a fan of vampire novels. (I'm even less of a fan of vampire movies; <span style="font-style:italic;">Interview with a Vampire</span> nearly made me lose my dinner). I decided to try Meyer's series because I had heard so many good things about it, not the least of which was that Edward, vampire and love interest of Bella, the main (human) character, is a vegetarian. Strictly speaking, this isn't true, but he satisfies his thirst for blood by drinking animal blood rather than human blood. Even so, I have to try not to dwell on it too much or I feel queasy.<br /><br />Still, the book is really good, both as a suspense novel and a romance. Bella, 17, moves to Forks, Washington, to live with her dad after her mother remarries. She isn't at all crazy about moving to one of the rainiest places in the United States, especially since she's from Phoenix, but she forces herself to do so in the interest of her mother's happiness. Bella's moving in with her father leaves her mother free to travel with her new husband. <br /><br />On the first day in her new school in Forks, Bella meets Edward, whose good looks border on godlike.<br /><br />Too bad he seems to take an instant dislike to her. <br /><br />It isn't until later that she learns the truth about Edward. Edward is a vampire, and though he's as crazy about her as she is about him, he was trying to stay away from her because he was also having to fight the urge to suck her blood. Which I guess is as good a reason for his initial behavior as any. <br /><br />Bella handles the news of Edward's true nature surprisingly well. Despite Edward's warnings that he is still dangerous to be around despite his "vegetarianism" (in case he gets too tempted), she has no intention of staying away from Edward. He finds it difficult to keep his distance from her, too, and they begin a romance, albeit a cautious one. <br /><br />But hanging out with vampires is even more dangerous than either one of them realizes, and Belle soon finds herself in grave danger.<br /><br />The magnetism between the two main characters and the suspenseful plot makes this book a real page turner. It appeals to teens and adults alike. I read somewhere that Edward and his vampire family set an example of sorts in that they rise above their lot in life by only hunting animals. It's not an obvious point, but I do believe it's true. <br /><br />The movie is due to come out in only a couple of days! I look forward to seeing it; I only hope it's half as good as the book.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0316015849&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-40819598250220596402008-11-10T00:25:00.000-08:002008-12-24T23:15:43.712-08:00What Would Obama Do? Eight Years of Slacker HellI have developed a disturbing tendency in the last few weeks. Lately when I am confronted with a difficult situation, I find myself wondering how Obama would handle it. The answer is usually something like confronting a problem directly as opposed to studious avoidance, thinking something through before acting, or (gasp!) working harder. <br /><br />This new tendency unsettles me greatly as it is unprecedented. I sure as hell wasn't asking myself what Bush would do in a difficult (or any) situation, though I suppose that could be a good reverse guide. That is, if you aren't sure what to do about something, ask yourself what Bush would do, and then do just the opposite. Politicians in general haven't been people I considered worthy of emulation, even ones I liked, until now. <br /><br />Those of us who were deriving a certain portion of our self-esteem from feeling superior to the president are going to have to figure something else out.<br /><br />It's rather comforting to know that I am not the only one asking myself What Would Obama Do (WWOD). Julia Moulden at Huffington Post writes about how to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julia-moulden/unleash-your-inner-obama_b_142032.html">Unleash Your Inner Obama</a>. <br /><br />As for myself, I think that's wonderful, but am feeling somewhat less energetic after weeks of obsessively following the election, and like Lisa Earle McLeod over at Huffington Post, am feeling in the need of a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-earle-mcleod/election-detox-what-will_b_142407.html">detox</a>. <br />I can't imagine what it would take to actually run a campaign if I'm tired from just following it.<br /><br />Maybe I will head over to <a href="http://change.gov">change.gov</a>, President-Elect Barack Obama's new website, where they are inviting people to share their stories and ideas. I could suggest that the country institute afternoon siestas. Probably won't fly, but maybe worth a shot.<br /><br />On the other hand, thinking of the fact that in 71 days, Obama is going to be our president does give me a burst of energy. Woohoo!bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-59429180228238963972008-11-06T22:05:00.000-08:002008-12-24T23:17:14.926-08:00Post-Election ReflectionsLast night Jon Stewart was talking about how in New York City people had actually been looking him in the eye and smiling that day and how it was freaking him out. Since I don't live in the Seattle area (the part of Washington that makes it a blue state), the reaction to Obama's win here was more mixed. The people I surround myself with by choice were all happy, but a couple of the women at work were actually talking about how it should be a day of mourning. Their mood was so diametrically opposed to what I was feeling that it was quite jarring. <br /><br />Now, let's see. These women work in low-paying clerical jobs in a school. I could see plenty of things wrong with them supporting McCain, even though of course it was their choice to do so, demented or not. But they kept going on about it, and I couldn't really just walk away because I had to be doing something in the front office for the moment, and I finally just said, "We are all so much better off with Obama!" <br /><br />Quite possibly I was better off not saying anything. It's not like he needs the votes anymore. Maybe I should have just offered to help the one who wanted to move to Canada pack up her things. I don't think I convinced them, at least partly because I didn't get much chance before the phones started ringing and everyone got sidetracked. I'm always a little concerned about the status differential in situations like that. Not a power differential, as I am not in a position of authority over them, but a status differential. Not that they necessarily seemed to care about who it was who was disagreeing with them. <br /><br />But anyway. Obama will do such an awesome job that they will come around, and if they don't, it's not my problem. (Maybe it's Canada's?) Seriously, though, I think it's the kind of thing where people who aren't convinced need to see how things will be. If they are ever going to be convinced (which may or may not happen), seeing for themselves will work much better than anything anyone could say. <br /><br />This was just a small blight on an otherwise happy day though. I heard from a couple of people whose political opinions I'd not heard before, though maybe I could have guessed. A counselor told me how he'd helped put up signs in the community for Obama and Gregoire (another great win--this time our governor, who only beat Rossi by 129 votes four years ago, decisively beat Rossi and he's FINALLY accepted it and said he will not run again, for which around 53% of the state's population breathes a collective sigh of relief). We talked about the people dancing in Kenya and how awesome it all was. <br /><br />Also, when I went to my tutoring job (which I got in an effort to help me pay off massive debt from graduate school), the little girl's babysitter was gussied up in a DNC T-shirt from this year and an Obama pin. We talked for a little bit about how great it was that Obama won. <br /><br />It frustrates me that a lot of the divisions that are still out there seem to be based on low information or misinformation. But I think Obama will be a much more unifying president than McCain would have been (and certainly more so than Palin-God forbid--would have been). Some people are going to be upset now, and it might be awhile before they see how much better things can be. <br /><br />As for our standing in the world, it's great to be an American again. <br /><br />Does anyone besides me think that McCain's dissing of Letterman--even though he made up for it later--may have had something to do with Indiana's turning blue this year?<br /><br />For anyone who--like me--has trouble deciding what to do now that we can be done obsessing about the election, 23/6 has a great article <a href="http://www.236.com/news/2008/11/06/eight_ways_to_fill_the_empty_v_10104.php">here</a> on things you can do with your time now. I could always do the mountains of work that I have, but I'd REALLY rather not. <br /><br />Never has two and a half months seemed so far away. In the words of the great David Letterman, "Does anyone mind if [Obama] starts a little early?"<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0307455874&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-73387271398580451872008-11-04T22:46:00.000-08:002008-12-24T23:19:25.713-08:00President-Elect Barack ObamaWhat an awesome day! Living in Washington State, I knew that Obama had won a couple minutes after eight in the evening. Well, actually, I knew before that even, because after they called Ohio for Obama, there was really no way for McCain to win. I loved how the whole West Coast turned blue about two seconds after the polls had closed. I had not expected things to be so "easy", despite how good things were looking in the polls. I was expecting to be up late, more states being too close to call, legal challenges, fistfights at CNN--okay, maybe not that last one. I guess after the last two presidential elections it just didn't seem possible that this one could go so relatively smoothly, though that's not to say there weren't issues with voting problems and all that.<br /><br />John McCain made such a classy concession speech, though some members of the crowd weren't classy. Obama's speech was awesome and inspiring. I wish his grandmother could have lived to see him win. His campaign has been so amazing. Whenever I was worried about something (election tampering, people not understanding this or that, low-information voters defecting to the other side because of Palin, Bill Ayers, whatever), the campaign always had it covered. Of course the external event of the economy cratering helped the Democrats in general, but still, the campaign had an amazing ground game. If Obama's administration is as effective as his campaign, things will be really great. YES WE CAN!bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-76042614570838511442008-11-01T23:28:00.000-07:002008-12-24T23:26:46.298-08:00The Secret Life of Bees and Election 2008<span style="font-style:italic;">These days the election never leaves my thoughts. I never watch any TV other than CNN and MSNBC (Oh, and Saturday Night Live). I read political articles on my computer at my desk at lunchtime. I listen to NPR in the car. I am for the most part taking a a break from my voracious reading of novels as I can't concentrate on them. Work makes a valiant effort for my attention, and I don't understand why I should be forced to go to work as if it were an ordinary day when an epic battle between good and evil is being fought. </span><br /><br />Even when I do something relatively escapist, such as go to a movie, I view it through the lens of the 2008 election. Such was the case with <span style="font-style:italic;">The Secret Life of Bees</span>. <br /><br />Dakota Fanning plays Lily, who is 14 years old and growing up in South Carolina (<span style="font-style:italic;">red state</span>) in 1964. She lives with her father. Her mother was killed in an accident with a gun ten years earlier, when she was trying to leave Lily's abusive father. They started fighting, and her mother got out a gun, but then dropped it in the struggle with her husband. Four-year-old Lily tried to hand it to her and it went off. <br /><br />So Lily of course feels incredible guilt over this, even though it was an accident and she was only four. And of course now she's being raised by her abusive father, though really most of the raising was being done by their black housekeeper, Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson, whose recent family tragedy with her mother, brother, and nephew being killed was the little bit of news unrelated to the election that I actually took in). <br /><br />Anyway, the story really begins when Rosaleen and Lily go into town so that Rosalie can register to vote. Rosalie is accosted and beaten by three white men before she gets the chance. Then SHE is arrested for causing trouble, though she is also taken to the hospital to get treated for her injuries.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I haven't heard of anyone today getting beaten for trying to register to vote. However, I've certainly heard of HUGE problems with voter suppression--thousands of eligible voters potentially being dropped from the rolls in some states because of slight variations in the name or address, attempts to intimidate students by saying if they vote in their college towns their parents can't claim them as dependents on their income taxes (misinformation), to name just a couple of problems--how far have we come since 1964, people? It's pretty embarrassing that we hold ourselves up as an example of democracy when we can't even hold fair elections ourselves. And don't even get me started about the Diebold machines. Ask for a paper ballot if possible. </span><br /><br />The incident causes Lily and her father to get into a huge fight, and Lily runs away. She packs a bag and leaves a note for her father, then sneaks into the hospital where Roaleen is staying and basically helps her become a fugitive. <br /><br />They end up at the home of the Boatwright sisters in a nearby town. Queen Latifah is August, a successful beekeeper whose famous jars of honey have a black Madonna on the label. It was the label in a stash of her mother's things that had led Lily there. August lives in a beautiful (though violently pink) house with her two sisters, May (Sophie Okonedo), constantly sad and troubled since losing her twin sister years ago, and June (Alicia Keys, an earnest (though at times humorless) civil rights activist. <br /><br />Lily learns about harvesting the honey, while Rosaleen helps out in the house. Staying in the Boatwright house is a healing experience for both of them, and Lily learns some secrets of her mother's past. <br /><br />It's a heartwarming if at times a bit implausible tale. When I can read regular books again, I'll have to check out the novel by Sue Monk Kidd.<br /><br />Oh, and Rosaleen does end up getting registered to vote. She tells Lily she will be casting her vote for Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The Democrats ended up winning the White House by a landslide in 1964. Please, God, let the same thing happen in 2008. Let everyone who hasn't voted yet be just as excited and determined to do so as Rosaleen. </span><br /><br />Just think how excited Rosaleen would have been to vote for an African American candidate, especially as visionary a candidate as Obama.bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-24731198770565434152008-10-25T21:00:00.000-07:002008-10-25T23:35:04.088-07:00Thoughts on the Election1. Go Vote! If you haven't already voted and your state allows it, vote early. I mailed in my ballot casting my vote for <a href="http://www.barackobama.com">Obama</a> several days ago. I also voted to reelect <a href="http://www.chrisgregoire.com">Gregoire</a> as governor for Washington State, <a href="http://www.georgefearing.com">George Fearing</a> to replace Doc Hastings as my US Congressman, and <a href="http://www.carolmoser.com">Carol Moser</a> for Washington State 8th District Representative, Position 1. And a bunch of other stuff, most of it not that interesting. <br /><br />2. David Frum, a former Bush speechwriter, warns "This could look like an ideological as well as a party victory if we're not careful. It could be 1980 in reverse." (Source: <span style="font-style:italic;">The Sunday Telegraph</span>, 10-26-08)<br /><br />Woohoo! 1980 in reverse! I have been waiting for this since I was ten years old. Balance will be restored to the universe.<br /><br />3. Not that I am getting complacent. I will not relax until Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. If McCain somehow pulls off an upset, I will never relax again. If the latter were the case, my immediate plans would be to get a passport and pack for my move to Australia. Does anyone know how long cats have to be in quarantine if you are flying with them to Australia?<br /><br />4. Has any other relatively recent election been compared to so many other elections? The 2008 US Presidential Election has been compared to (in chronological order) 1932, 1964, 1976, 1980 (with the political parties reversed), 1992 (another great year, especially the three-way debates), and of course the inevitable comparisons to 2000 and 2004. I'm sure that other elections have prompted other comparisons, but probably not this many. <br /><br />5. What has been the most fun for me is watching all the prominent Republicans jump ship and come out in support of Obama and/or criticizing Palin. Here is a partial list--Colin Powell, Christopher Buckley, George Will, Scott McClellan, Ken Adelman, Matthew Dowd. David Brooks called Gov. Palin "a fatal cancer to the Republican Party." Like I said, fun, fun, fun. Unless you imagine McCain/Palin actually winning, McCain dying, and Palin taking over.<br /><br />6. We are not a center-right nation! Certain idiots in the MSM (that's mainstream media for the uninitiated) keep saying that, but it's not true, especially of younger voters. Some people may still shy away from the word "liberal", but if you question Americans on such issues on health care, education, what role the government should play in getting our economy back on track, and social issues such as abortion rights and banning gay marriage, center-left is probably closer to being accurate. If you still think this is a center-right nation, you're either too old or out of touch. Maybe both. Much like McCain. Not that he is in any way a centrist (right or left) anymore. McCain 2000 might have done much better in 2008.<br /><br />7. Go vote! Help make history.bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-83203737823653372842008-10-13T22:10:00.000-07:002008-12-24T23:35:13.571-08:00Voters' Rights--Link to my Associated Content PostBelow is a link to an article I wrote on Associated Content about a really important issue, especially in certain states. Make sure your right to vote is protected.<br /><br />Check out my recently published content on AC:<br /><br> <a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1108777/protect_your_right_to_vote.html">Protect Your Right to Vote</a>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-58278554263934819012008-09-19T23:43:00.000-07:002008-12-24T23:49:03.326-08:00Death Perception, by Victoria Laurie (Book Review)Abby Cooper, my favorite psychic and amateur sleuth, gives me something to look forward to every September, which is good, since it's usually not one of my favorite months. Summer ends, I'm back to work, and it's usually a really crazy month for me. But I digress.<br /><br />This latest installment in the Abby Cooper series takes place in Las Vegas. Abby and her boyfriend, FBI agent Dutch Rivers, travel to Las Vegas after he learns that his cousin, Chase, is missing. <br /><br />It turns out that there is quite a bit more to her boyfriend than Abby has realized. It turns out that Chase was hired as a bodyguard through the security firm that Dutch owns as a sideline to his work with the FBI. Abby knew about the security firm, but not that his cousin worked for it, or how lucrative it really was. Anyway, both Chase and the man he was hired to guard are missing. The evidence points to Chase being dead, but Abby's intuition insists otherwise. Oddly, though, Dutch is reluctant to involve the FBI. Dutch is also ill, and Abby continually dreams of his gravestone. Can she prevent something terrible from happening? And is her boyfriend really the good guy she's always thought him to be? <br /><br />Laurie's books tend to give me the heebie-jeebies, in a good way. They are unpredictable, and I don't know what it is exactly, but they just want me to make extra sure the door is locked at night. And it's not as though I scare easily; I read murder mysteries all the time. The character Abby is quite down-to-earth, though, unusual profession or not. Some of the situations in which she finds herself are quite hilarious, so you do get the comic relief before you get too freaked out. All in all, this series is pure fun. <br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0451224868&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-92166335227992328072008-09-07T00:59:00.000-07:002008-12-24T23:45:38.484-08:00Escape, by Carolyn Jessop (Book Review)<a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://booksandrandomthoughts.blogspot.com%26title%3DThe%2BArticle%2BTitle"> <img border=0 src="/images/120x20_su_blue.gif" alt=""> Stumble It!</a><br /><br />This is the second book I have read by a woman who has escaped from the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), a polygamist cult that was categorized as a hate group in 2005. Actually, I hope I will be able to read more stories from people who have managed to escape its grasp. It's a really scary group. This is a group that splintered from the Mormon church and is renounced by them. <br /><br />Carolyn Jessop was 35 years old when she managed to do what most women in her situation would find unthinkable. She rounded up her eight kids and with them escaped from the home where they lived with her husband, Merril Jessop, and his other wives and their kids. By the way, these were kids who didn't want to go. She then became the first woman ever to win full custody of her kids in a contested suit involving the FLDS. <br /><br />Most of Carolyn's 35 years in the FLDS cult were spent in Colorado City, AZ, a small town on the border of Colorado and Utah. She was born in 1968, into the sixth generation of a polygamist family. For the first few years of her life, her father had only one wife, her biological mother. Her mother suffered from depression and volatile mood swings and frequently beat her kids, but this is an accepted part of FLDS culture, as is wife-beating (I'm not going to call it spousal abuse here. It's wife beating). Her parents' marriage was not a strong one, with her father always criticizing her mother, especially when her mother actually, God forbid, wanted to have fun with the kids. <br /><br />Carolyn's grandmother, Jenny, provided a buffer for her against her mother's volatility, and she explained the importance of plural marriage in their culture. In the FLDS faith, a man must have multiple wives if he wants to do well in Heaven. I think most of us on the "outside" think of Heaven as more of an end goal in itself, but in the FLDS faith, a man who does well in Heaven can become a god himself and get his own planet. It kind of reminds me of Greek or Roman mythology, but only the afterlife part of it, not the oppressive restrictions on earth. They also believe that men in Heaven have spirit wives and father spirit children. Those born into the FLDS believe that they are God's elite, and that they are better than anyone else in the world because of it. Carolyn felt special to be among the chosen ones. <br /><br />Carolyn was more fortunate than many in her faith, especially those that were younger (as was Elissa Wall, whose memoir I reviewed in an earlier post). Carolyn graduated high school and actually got a college degree, which was almost unheard of. <br /><br />Unfortunately, her college degree came with a price. She had wanted to go to school to become a doctor, but the prophet at the time (this was before Rulon Jeffs took over) wouldn't let her do that. He would let her go to college to become a teacher, but only on one condition--that she marry Merril Jessop. <br /><br />Carolyn wasn't thrilled with the prospect. He was 50 years old while she was only 18. But she wanted to go to school, and she hadn't exactly been brought up to question the prophet or marry for love, so she became Merril's fourth wife. <br /><br />They remained married for 17 years. Home was far from domestic bliss. Carolyn got some respite from it at first since she got to go to school, but the wives were jealous of each other, and one wife in particular wanted to dominate all the other wives, and Merril let her get away with treating the rest of them horribly, as well as beating the children of the other wives. Carolyn had eight children in 15 years, which was actually on the low end. Most would have had more like 12 or 13 in that amount of time. Merril controlled the money she earned as a teacher, the way her children would be treated, and their sex life. On top of everything else, one of their children was severely disabled, and Merril believed that this was because God was punishing Carolyn for being disobedient. I think he even hoped that their son would die to further punish her. <br /><br />Life got stranger and stranger too as Rulon Jeffs and then his son Warren took over and made life more restrictive for everyone. They began to preach the apocalypse, and Carolyn feared that eventually there might be a mass suicide.<br /><br />The story of how Carolyn finally managed to break free from her husband and the cult and then win custody of her kids is an amazing story of courage and hope. Carolyn is an amazingly brave and strong woman. Her story is one that everyone should read. It's scary to think that such a group, with its horrific treatment of women and children, could operate right here in the United States and get away with it. Carolyn pointed out that all the cops in her community were FLDS members, so it wasn't as though there was any place for domestic violence victims to turn to for help. Also many of the women drove cars with expired license plates, and while they wouldn't be stopped in the community, they would be if they tried to leave it. <br /><br />I see the stories of those who have escaped the FLDS as serious cautionary tales. Religious freedom is one thing, but it's not okay if it involves mistreating others who don't have the freedom to walk away (I'm talking psychologically as well as in terms of the law). Even in the United States, we can't just take our rights for granted.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0767927567&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-27093214920392869552008-08-23T22:03:00.000-07:002008-08-24T01:03:04.579-07:00House Bunny (Movie Review)Once upon a time, Shelley Darlington (played by Anna Faris) was a lonely orphan. She grew up to be a great beauty and moved to the Playboy mansion at age 18. There she lived happily for nine years, considering the friends she made there to be her family. <br /><br />Then she's kicked out of the house the day after her 27th birthday for being "too old." She doesn't exactly have a great education or job skills, but she manages to land a job as a house mother to an unpopular sorority on a college campus. The sorority is about to lose their house unless they can get 30 new pledges. <br /><br />Here's where Shelley's area of expertise comes into play. She helps the girls--all socially awkward misfits--look sexy and learn to flirt. They start attracting the attention of guys and potential pledges. <br /><br />Shelley, meanwhile, falls for Oliver (Colin Hanks), a nursing home administrator and perhaps the only straight guy on earth who is immune to her more bunny-like charms. To his credit, he wants to be with someone he can actually have a conversation with, which leaves her at a loss. So now the girls help her improve her knowledge base, a rather formidable task. <br /><br />The basic premise of the movie is to be yourself, but it's not exactly a movie you go to for its redeeming social value. It's fun, though. Faris is wickedly funny as Shelley. Also great is Emma Stone as Natalie, the leader of the sorority girls.bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-52060114699021105912008-08-13T02:30:00.000-07:002008-12-24T23:50:20.377-08:00It Only Takes a Moment, by Mary Jane Clark (Book Review)Those of you who read Mary Jane Clark's novels may remember Eliza Blake. All of Clark's novels center around the staff of the fictional KEY news team, including Eliza. I have some trouble keeping all of the characters straight, since usually too much time passes before I read another book of hers, but generally it doesn't matter. The stories stand on their own and you don't really need to remember details of the previous books. <br /><br />Eliza is a single parent of a seven-year-old daughter, Janie. Her husband died some years before. She has a boyfriend, Mack, but he is overseas. She has just been re-assigned to do the morning show, which will enable her to spend the summer afternoons with her daughter. She is basically content with her life, but then one day the unthinkable happens. Janie is kidnapped, along with their housekeeper, Carmen Garcia. Terrified and guilt-ridden for allowing her daughter as much public exposure as she has, Eliza and her friends, not wanting to sit around and wait for the FBI and local authorities to find Janie, launch their own investigation. Eliza even gets some help from a psychic, though the authorities are rather disinclined to trust what the psychic says, and her intuitions do seem to be pretty vague. <br /><br />The story alternates between different points of view, including that of the kidnappers, and the reader learns that money isn't the motive for Janie's kidnapping, but what is it? Clark also does a wonderful job of making everyone look guilty, so even though you get an idea of what the kidnappers are thinking, you don't know who they are until the end, at which point there is a surprising twist. It's a great book for mystery lovers. <br /><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0061286095&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-2498682372070174542008-08-05T01:19:00.000-07:002008-08-05T01:23:42.954-07:00Book Review--A Wolf at the Table, Augustin BurroughsThe universe sure didn't do Augusten Burroughs any favors in assigning him parents. <span style="font-style:italic;">Running with Scissors</span> details his mother's mental illness and how she gave guardianship of him to her crazy psychiatrist when Augusten was 13. His life at the psychiatrist's house was truly chaotic and was actually painful to read, though very well done and very funny at times.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">A Wolf at the Table</span> is a prequel to <span style="font-style:italic;">Scissors</span>, in which the focus is Augusten's life with his parents before he and his mother left and he started living at the psychiatrist's house. This is a departure from his earlier books in that it is very serious. While Augusten's mother may have been mentally ill, his father seems to have been truly evil. I'm not sure if it was alcoholism that made his father that way, or maybe something in his genes or early life experiences. Probably some combination of all three. Augusten's father actually had a pretty good life until he was about eight or so. He was born to teenage parents, and to help them out, his paternal grandfather and three teen-aged aunts took him in and took very good care of him, which was great until the teen-aged parents, now in their 20s, reclaimed him. Then things weren't so great. His father, Augusten's grandfather, was a very angry man, though no one was sure what caused the anger. He also drank to excess. Augusten's grandmother, Carolyn, was terrified of her husband's anger and thus not much help in protecting her son. <br /><br />The cycle was repeated with Augusten's parents. Augusten and his mother would sometimes move out of the house because his mother believed they weren't safe there. While his mother had some serious problems of her own, she was right in believing that her husband was capable of violence. In reading this, I was only sorry that it took them as long as it did to make a clean break. With Augusten, there was a complete lack of an emotional connection, and it was heartbreaking to see the little boy rejected time and again by his father. <br /><br />This was a difficult book to read because it was so disturbing, but very readable and well done.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bookandrandth-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0312342020&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13102532.post-59557932923239871812008-08-03T12:36:00.000-07:002008-08-03T00:35:19.855-07:00Movie Review--Wall-EWhen I am visiting my family, which includes my 5-year-old niece and 8-year-old nephew, I sometimes see movies I wouldn't otherwise see. Wall-E was one I probably wouldn't have thought of seeing on my own, but the kids wanted to see it. When I heard it was about robots, I hoped it would be a short movie. <br /><br />However, I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, the main characters are robots, but the movie is clever and engaging, for adults as well as kids. <br /><br />We first meet Wall-E, a solar-powered robot, several hundred years into the future. He is back on planet Earth, apparently by himself, cleaning up garbage. Since he doesn't speak at first, the viewer learns what is going on indirectly. A stray newspaper indicates that the Earth is covered with garbage, and indeed Wall-E is surrounded by garbage to clean up. Skyscrapers around him are actually constructed out of garbage. He has a big storage area where he retires at night which has electricity and is festooned with Christmas tree lights. He watches old movies on TV, and at one point we see an old advertisement, from which we learn that all the people on earth went aboard a giant spaceship while the garbage was being cleaned up. <br /><br />Wall-E's world changes dramatically one day when a spaceship lands and dispatches another robot named Eve. Wall-E is instantly smitten and tries to impress her by showing her his few treasures. The tiny green plant he found one day and and transplanted into an old shoe gets the biggest reaction. Eve takes the plant and both of them end up aboard the spaceship Axiom, where they find many extremely overweight and lazy humans who are used to having everything done for them, waiting to one day be able to go home again. Wall-E and Eve get caught up in a plot regarding the fate of the plant and the people aboard the spaceship. <br /><br />The story is just so clever that it is difficult to do it justice in describing it. Much of the story of the robots is told through their actions rather than dialog. It's a science fiction story with a message, and one that is important for adults to see as well as children.bookloverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10443847259037607865noreply@blogger.com0