As Seen on TV

Non-Fiction, short stories /

I requested As Seen on TV from the inter-library loan system when we were attempting to listen to Ann Patchett’s book, Truth & Beauty, about her friendship with Lucy Grealy.  TW was not impressed with Truth & Beauty or with Lucy Grealy but I was interested.  We never got past the first CD of Truth & Beauty but As Seen on TV was easy to read.

TW laughed her way through the first chapter or two and said Lucy Grealy should have been a blogger.  She’s write.  The first story was true blog, the others not so much.  Her political rants, thankfully not many, were a little boring and I found myself just wanting to get on with it.  The rest of the book, well worth reading.

I do find myself wondering if I really want to read her auto-biography or not.  It’s on the shelf right now, maybe I should just leave it unread and be happy with the short stories.  I’m afraid, after I read her biography, I won’t like Lucy nearly as much as I do right now.

As Seen on TV Read More »

Lesbian Images

2006, Books in Bed, Feminism, GLBT, Non-Fiction /

It’s important to remember that Lesbian Images was written 30 years ago. We’ve come a long way since then. Sometimes I think we’ve come too far, but that’s another blog entry entirely.

Jane Rule takes a look at lesbian characters in literature. From The Well of Loneliness to a Colette to Orlando with some discussion of books like The Price of Salt and Rubyfruit Jungle. She does a fairly good job of contrasting the characters with the authors who created them, as well. I think maybe I need to read The Well of Loneliness again, and more Colette.

I’d like to see a similar stufy of lesbian images done with literature from the 1970’s to today. Anyone want to take that on?

Lesbian Images Read More »

The Creation

2006, Books in Bed, Non-Fiction /

Wilson, a secular humanist, speaks to a Southern Baptist Pastor about the need to save “The Creation“. Creation meaning nature.

Very interesting but also just a wee bit depressing. Around here we joked a bit about the potential loss of fish by 2048 but that’s just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. Depressing. Particularly since Wilson suggests a one time payment of just 30 Billion could solve the majority of the world’s problems. 30 Billion isn’t a whole lot of money, compared to what the US is spending on the war in Iraq…

Depressing.

The Creation Read More »

I do more before 9am….

3 Comments / Day to Day /

than the damn Army does all day and I’m getting a little tired of it.


Oh sure, there are some good things to be said for getting up at 4:30am. By 9am the initial work stuff is finished. I’m neat and organized and ready for the first bombshell or the first “I need this” email to arrive. By Noon, I’ve done prepwork for the next day and blog posts have been written. By 2:30, I’m beginning to fade but still quietly sitting in on those phone calls and even more quietly patting myself on the back for getting everything done – and being ahead of the game. By 4:30, I’m done.

And that’s where the problem lies. I can’t BE done at 4:30. I do have a family and they generally frown upon a quick dinner and bed at 4:30. Now I’m trapped in this weird cycle of falling asleep very, very early and waking up very, very early. Even if I wanted to break the cycle, I can’t because the dogs and cats are quite happy with this new schedule, thank you very much – we want our food now, it is 4:45am after all!


OK back to work, darn it.

I do more before 9am…. Read More »

Save the Hunley!

Day to Day, Questions and Answers /

This post is really just for the Gainesville folks, the rest of you will be bored to tears.  Unless you want to save the Hunley.

Does anyone know who the dude is who drives the blue Jeep Cherokee?  He has a Save the Hunley bumper sticker and his plate says RX DOC 2.  I’m not trying to track him down for anything bad, I’m just wondering why he wants to save the Hunley. 

Not that everyone shouldn’t want to, they should.  It’s just very rare to find someone who is vocal about such a thing.  In fact, the only other person I’ve ever known who is vocal about saving the Hunley would be my father.  (Though in Charleston you do sometimes see those Save the Hunley bumper stickers on cars that do not belong to my father.)

I have fond feelings for the Hunley and I couldn’t get the dude’s attention at the stop light to thank him for his efforts.  So, if you know who he is.  Tell him I said thanks and so would my dad. 

Save the Hunley! Read More »

How Many Dead Dogs?

3 Comments / Holidays, Pets, Questions and Answers /

There is not a day that goes by without at least one person arriving at my blog through a search for dogs eating chocolate (though the actual search phrase varies, and is often interesting like the one who said “how long do I have to wait until my dog dies from eating chocolate”). Tonight, in the last 2 hours, I’ve had five people visit in search of the answer to the dogs death by chocolate question.


While I did have folks assure me that chocolate is toxic to dogs, I stand by my belief that it’s a myth. None of my dogs has ever died from chocolate and believe me, they’ve eaten a LOT of chocolate. I wouldn’t stick the cute little orange pumpkin full of candy on the floor in place of the dog food or anything like that but I’m not going to lose any sleep over Jake grabbing a snoutful before I can stop him.


Now if anyone stumbles on some study that shows how many dogs day in the aftermath of Halloween chocolate madness, then I’d consider changing my mind.

How Many Dead Dogs? Read More »

Daily Dose of Life – 101 Update

2 Comments / 101 Things /

Yea I know, I said I was ditching the daily dose BS but old habits are hard to break and I didn’t feel like going up there and backspacing.  I’m lazy that way.  Besides, this is a SERIES and breaking with tradition now seems wrong.  (Are you buying that?)

I managed to scratch off several items this month, a couple of which I was surprised about.

I had no idea it was so easy to read Non-fiction.  This is making me wonder if I’ve always read this much non-fic or if I’m suddenly reading more.  I knew I should have been book blogging all along.  Ah well, live and learn.

Family portrait done – now if I could get some photos hung. Ha. 

Michelle is motivated to keep her shop, purchases will do that to a girl it seems.  She sees the money accumulating, with very little work on her part, and that’s enough motivation for her.

Restaurants – check.  Should have made that number larger.  Or maybe this means we can go back to eating at Waffle House every week.  Heh.

There are some other items on the list that are CLOSE to being complete.  I’m looking forward to those. 

Only 696 days left.  A lifetime!

Daily Dose of Life – 101 Update Read More »