Books are Burning

Yes. But so is grammar. 

I'm a physical book guy. I tried e-reading like for three books and I just wasn't having it. The feel, the smell of a book. The turning of the page, the ability to see how far I have read or how much I have left to go is a big thing for me. 

And yes books ARE power.  

Except the ones written by Rush Limbaugh and his ilk. Then they're just doorstops. 

Yet this tote just annoyed me. I get what it is trying to say, but is it saying it correctly?  Je don't think so. 

I am thinking if we break down the phrase, or what I believe what should be the correct phrase, it sounds better. It sounds correct. 

Of course, I am open to discussion on this. I'm sure there is a different view point involving some weird(er) grammar rules of which I am unaware. It's not like we haven't made the English language complicated enough. 

But here is my take: 

• Meaning: Books, as a collection or concept, provide knowledge, influence, and empowerment. 

• Grammar: Plural subject ("Books") + plural verb ("are") + singular abstract noun ("power"). 

• Example: "Books are power" is a common phrase used by literacy advocates.

So you could go with "A Book is Power" and that would be grammatically accurate. "Books" is plural and should be treated as such when it gets to the verb. "Is" is a singular verb, no? 

Listen, I'm happy anyone reads. And however they do it. We're already losing the Oxford comma, and now this sloppiness? 

Can't we just have nice things and not sound like Jethro Bodine? 

Song by: XTC

the Hours

Success !   Should it be called that. 

I finished Mrs. Dalloway. 

It was my third attempt, the first two not getting too far into the book, due to Virginia Woolf's writing style. 

My thought was: it's less than 200 pages. I should be able to do this. And I did. 

A little background: I knew of the book. I knew of Woolf, but nothing of hers had ever hit my radar. But in 2002-2003 we saw the Hours. I was so taken with that movie that I knew I eventually wanted to read Dalloway. It just took me a while to get the book - and years to finally tackle it. 

The Hours - while not even remotely a strict adaptation - is probably the closest anyone will get to transforming the book into any other medium. Michael Cunningham was successful in his book and whomever wrote screenplay. 

I will say after (or if) you get used to Woolf's very stream of consciousness the book is more tolerable, but that takes a while. Certainly more than just a few pages. If ADHD were a thing back then, Woolf seemed to have it how she jumps here and there with stories within the story. There are zero clean transitions, which made things - at least for me - challenging. 

While not a long book, had Woolf not used paragraphs to describe something she does usually in one sentence and then just keeps expounding. 

I know Raybeard loves this book, but curious what others think as well. 

Now I want to see the Hours again. 

Song by: Philip Glass

It Hurts Me

It was bound to happen. 710 now has what I had three days ago. 

We spent two days in a car, three days in a hotel together and the rest of the time eating and drinking - save that 26.2 miles we were separated. 

How could I not have passed it on to him? 

Granted, when we came home I did sleep in the guest room for two nights not just to minimize his exposure, but to not keep him up since I knew I wouldn't be sleeping. 

But.......he has it. 

I'll give it this, it is moving somewhat fast. My clogged head isn't nearly as bad as we are now down into the chest. 

Now that hurts.  

I'm at the coughing phase, especially when supine. And even the anticipation of me coughing has me cringing in pre-pain, should that make any sense. The energy to suppress the cough isn't much better and probably takes more energy. 

So we are both at home trying not to bring down the western hemisphere with our plague. Or plaque. 

I cannot imagine handing out candy tonight. Not that I have purchased any. I suppose I can Instacart it and leave a bowl outside the door. It's gonna be pouring anyway, so I'm not sure how much traffic we'd get. 

In this down time, I've gotten through some books and as I told Dr. Spo, I'm making my third (and final) attempt at Mrs Dalloway. 

Honest to g-d, if Woolf wanted to kill herself, she should have read some of her own work. 

Song by: Elvis Presley

Venus

So, I'm reading this book, the Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (so far so good), when there is a one line reference to a story I read as a pre-teen.

All Summer in a Day (I had to Gooooooogle the title, as I did not remember it) was a short story written by Ray Bradbury (something else I didn't know until I Goooooogled it). 

This is the second time this story has come up for me in the last 15-20 years. Last time was like in 2007 and a co-worker was trying to remember if it was something they had actually really read or something they imagined.

I was the only person there who confirmed it to be true, but man it took me back immediately, as did the this literary reference.

Neither took me back in a good way. 

Honestly, I think I repressed the whole experience of the story as what came flooding back in both instances were possibly my first story experience of bullying. It was such an act of cruelty and I remember it shaking me to the core at the time - and these two times decades later. 

I never reread the story, but perhaps I should. Perhaps it is not as cruel as I remember, but I think that not the case. 

As many schools are claiming (but not acting on) zero-tolerance bullying, I wonder if this is part of their curriculum. I don't recall there being a teacher-led discussion on this story after the fact, but I think there are huge life lessons to be had. 

While the one character is locked in a closet, the experience is fluid with any other personal "oddity". I'm sure I equated it with being queer - though not quite sure what it all meant at the time - but others could use looks, personality, intellect etc, as their catalyst for being picked on. 

The Wao reference was just so out of nowhere it jarred me. It was days ago I stumbled across it and I'm still thinking about it all. 

Did anyone else read / remember All Summer in a Day?  If so, thoughts on it or if I'm overthinking (again)?

Song by: Bananarama

House of Leaves

Each time we are in DC, we try to do different things than we have in the past. This proves difficult, as we've been coming to the city for three decades.

Oddly, any of the Smithsonian museums are out for me now. This administration is actively taking down displays that tell our history, but they want to whitewash it. I cannot abide by this. 

While we did one or two new things, we did one thing we always do - stop at Kramer Bookstore.

I have an active liberry card, but I am a sap when it comes to buying books. And I'm back to reading, after taking a break for a few months. I had a list. 

Have a list. I just made a slight dent in it. 

While we were looking around, an attractive young woman came right up to us and goes, "what's your favourite book?"

BOING. 

Talk about being put on the spot. 

She followed up with she's looking for something new and good to read. She then asked "what's your favourite genre". 

I don't like the game "what's your favourite.....".   Movies, music and books are hard to nail down that way. Movies might be best drama, comedy, suspense, etc. But just one?  Nahhhhh. Ditto with music and books. 

But we stood for about 10 minutes exchanging recommendations. She really gave me nothing of note, but she was intrigued by one of my selections House of Leaves.  She seemed like she'd enjoy a very very non-traditional fiction selection, so she went off to find it. 

We both checked out at the same time, but I didn't see what she actually purchased. It was too small to be my suggestion. She seemed happy I didn't buy any non-fiction. All fiction this go-round. 

I crack open one of these tomorrow. 

Song: Poe

a fun note: Poe's brother, Mark Danielewsk wrote the book House of Leaves. She the song. Both were released around the same time back in 2000. 

Mississippi

I almost did a I'm not posting today post. I just didn't think I had it in me - as it is very close to my bedtime. 

But what the hey. Hay? 

I started out the first part of the year strong on reading. A book a week for the first three months and then it kind of squealed to a halt for a while. Maybe I burned out. Or my mental health just had me lose focus. Both things can be true. 

Like movies, I don't really read book reviews until after I finish the tome. And like movies, that is for good reason. I like to make up my own mind. 

So I started the year with Huckleberry Finn. 

As I mentioned it to others, it is a book you read because you have to. I don't think that many would willingly select it. My opinion: it's not a great book. The story is ok. The writing is fair (sorry Twain). The dialect, while I get it, is difficult at best. ....and that doesn't even touch on THE word - which is used like 14,501 times. 

I read it because I didn't have to in high school, but I wanted to read the 2024 pseudo companion piece James, which is supposed to be the similar story told by Jim, the slave. I thought that could be extremely interesting. 

To do that though, I had to slog through Finn. 

BTW, this is not a book review of James, and technically not Finn either. 

I made the grave grave grave mistake of going to amazon and reading the reviews of Finn after completing it and James. 

Ohhhhhhhh Boy. 

I could flood this blog with some questionable reviews - at best.  But I do think I found the "best" one. 

Yes, the Arthur should have known better. 

THIS folks. This one review is what this country is dealing with in overall education, tolerance, bigotry and racism. I'm sure I'm leaving out some others too. 

Wisely, years ago, amazon took out comments on reviews. Of course, I so wanted to post something, but it wasn't enough for me to actually post a review of Finn. 

So, thanks C. klauber for showing us the real 'murica. 

Song by: Paula Cole

Books

With lack of running.....and generally needing to stay put, I have gone back to reading. And I've been reading a lot and really really enjoying it. I think for a while it seemed like a chore, but I am thinking I just didn't choose wisely. 

Meredity and Dr. Spo have both told me not to waste time on books one does not like. In theory, I get that. In reality, I'm in at that point of figuring that out and end up finishing a book that is subpar. It's kind of like running to me: I'm all in, or all out. It is not a great place to be. 

For a long time I left the world of fiction for non. It seemed safer to me. And done correctly, just as interesting, if not more so. In the last few years, I've been back to fiction almost exclusively - and in one unfortunate instance of someone trying to make a sci-fi / trans story work. It did not. 

I will give this one to Ditto and Spo - I could not finish that one, though I haven't shelved the book, thinking, "oh, I can probably finish it". 

I probably cannot. I probably will not. 

Currently, my reading list has been cultivated from things my core group has read or is reading. Again, not exclusively. 

That all said, I'm looking to build a reading list. I have a few already on my list - one book I've had and attempted 3-4 times: Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway. It's challenging, at best. 

I don't think I want to try to tackle Infinite Jest. I'm good with 600-700 page books, but 1,100 pages might be a non-starter for me. A guy in my running group read it............for the second time. 

Here is where you come in.  Refer a book my way:  title and author. Fiction or Non.  I'm not horribly big on sci-fi, but if you can make a reference for one, I can try it.  It can be a new book you've just read or your favourite book. 

Yeah, there's a chance I've read it, but hey, you never know. Leave a thought / book title in the comments and I can build my reading list. 

At this point, I've been reading a book per week and I've got about six weeks left of sitting around. But even after I get back on my feet - literally and figuratively - I'd like to keep up my reading. My liberry card is current and ready to be used. 

Dazzle me. This could be infectious. Other blog readers will see your referrals and possibly pick up a book or three. 

Song by: Paul Weller

Bones

I finished another book yesterday. That's three books over the last month. Only one of note. I kind of dinged one of them for you in my last 12 of 12. 

This last book, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, had potential. It has strong elements. It was a Nobel prize winner for fiction. It is from a Polish author, and it's translated, so maybe (?) something got lost in translation?  The title is taken from a piece from William Blake. 

Clearly, I don't know what Nobel level writing is supposed to be, but I expected more. Chunks about astrology, at some point I started skimming those when they kept going, as they never actually tied back into anything. Sorry - spoiler alert..........kind of. 

Still, closer to the end, apropos of nothing, one paragraph make me prick up. 

I felt seen. 

A friend, knowing I (used to) read the obituaries daily, asked me to keep an eye out for a certain someone who passed the other day. I had to break it to her that it had been months since I've clicked on a link for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

I have no idea who has died or not. I cannot roll my eyes at the advice Carolyn Hax (though she's pretty on the mark) or Dear Abby (she is not) doles out. But my decades long habit of reading each obit is gone. Unless 710 tells me something about local news or local / state politics, I have almost zero idea what is going on. 

Granted, deep down I know this is not the way to live. But not so deep down, I know that at least for now this is how I have to be to cope. I was going to say I literally wring my hands in my anxiety, but as I was about to draft that very line, I found myself actually wringing my hands. I'm anxious about possibly being anxious. That's not a great sign.

That said, I'll take partial headlines that show up any other place on Al Gore's Intertubes™, so I'm not exactly blissfully unaware. I'd like to think I've avoided higher anxiety. Who actually knows, but I feel like it has been for the better.

Song by: Radiohead

Queer

As a young gay, of a certain era, I loathed the word 'queer'. 

It had such negative connotations. Even if not used to describing gay men. 

I suppose it was better than 'pansy' or 'faggot', but not by a lot. I know to my adjacent (read: older) cohort, they, at some point, embraced the word 'queer'. They kind of weaponized it. 

While I still don't use the word a lot, I've weaved it into my vocabulary and have now and again used it to self-identify. 

Our bestest independent bookstore (though 710 will claim, except for Barnes & Noble, aren't they all independent anymore?) I got a message about a soon-to-form queer focused book club. 

As one of my 2023 goals is to read more, I thought, "eh why not?".  I'm a "community member". I think .

Oddly, the Queer club is Bi...........monthly. I think I can swing that. Reading a book in two months and going to chat about it. And it's on Thursdays, so it won't interfere with my Tuesday running group. 

2023 was not a goal year to make friends. And I'm not saying it will happen, but between group reading and running, who knows?  

I'm curious how many will take part. Maybe they don't know the store has a cat roaming around. That's reason enough for me to attend. 

Song by; Garbage

Dallas

I've been writing this blog a long time - and have mentioned this before, but I get no one is retaining things from 6,300 or so posts. 

When I was in 6th grade, I read the entire Warren Commission. For whatever reason, I was semi-obsessed with the Kennedy assassination. It was the first book I read on it, but hardly the last, as I'd end up going through dozens. 

Fast forward a few dozen years, and I'm having breakfast tea with my friend Jeanne. We were just chatting and I heard these two old(er) men next to us talking about the Kennedy assassination. I only eavesdropped a little. 

I told Jeanne, and mentioned my reading of the Warren report. It was the only book I wanted when I cleaned out my parent's house, and it wasn't there. I'm assuming it got pitched years ago in some purge my mother went through. 

As it turns out, Jeanne knew the guys next to us (through her mother) - both in their 90s. One guy was making a movie (I know it didn't sound right to me either) about the assassination.  The other was a former judge who - wait for it - served on the Warren Commission!!! 

I said, 'no offense, but I'd rather be sitting at their table!'.  It wasn't quite untrue. 

Fast forward another two weeks, and Jeanne had me stop by to give me something - two 1st editions of the Warren Commission. She hoped one would be the same as what my parents had. They weren't. 

Now, I haven't looked it up, but there are two different publishers, so I'm not 100% sure that both (or either?) are actually 1st editions. Still, it was a great gesture. 

Even better, Jeanne, via her mom, said the judge would love to have coffee some time and talk. With me, that is. 

I have to believe this would be better than meeting Coldplay backstage. But I'm guessing so would having pink eye. 

....and now I have two copies of the Warren Commission on my bookshelves. 

Song by: Johnny Winter

the Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys

I knew way back when that we had eaten at Comet Ping Pong in Washington DC. 

What I seemed to have repressed was the fact that we helped fund Hillary's Sex Trafficking Ring™.

For those who might not be "in the know", Comet's is the place where Qanon and well....the GOP, which is pretty much the same thing, said that Hillary Clinton was running her child sex trafficking ring out of their basement

.....but you could get calzone too, if lil' Tyler wasn't enough to fill your palate. 

I am not sure if they actually have calzone.......and I think it was determined there was no basement, just like at the Alamo. 

I know you're thinking two things: 1. $378 for pizza.   And 2. those motherfuckers are cheap as hell and left no tip. 

First off, it turns out we paid for 14 people! (man, I've been writing this blog wayyyyy too long.)   And we bought four MORE copies of Becky's novel.  It was a pricy trip (well, if I remember, I was in DC for work, so they paid for the flight).

I have to assume someone else agreed to pick up the tip, as we really aren't that cheap. 

I suppose it's possible that HRC sent over some young uns over to our hotel afterwards, but I suspect I'd remember that. 

She had gotten further if she had sent over dessert.   ....or the kid's dad. 

Song by: Traffic

King of Wishful Thinking

So, I read my first Steven King novel. 

It's true. I've seen adaptations of his work and I'll just say, I wasn't a fan. 

Sure, I know movie folk take liberties with the written word, but even with that, it wasn't enough to convince me to tackle a 400-600 page book.   

....not that size matters. 

But Morty (again with Morty!) steered me to King's new release, Billy Summers, as it wasn't a scary story. So, what the hey.........I got the book. 

So, I really have no other King novels in which to compare his style. He's detailed - almost to a fault. And then he's not. Kind of. 

Like so many novels lately, the first two-thirds are great and well thought out, yet the last third (or less) seems to be jam-packed just to get everything in / done and wrapped up. It's annoying.........to me. I'm also not a fan of the book-within-a-book concept, but it kind of works here. 

I think (?) it's hard to ignore over the last 5-6 years, but King is not a fan of BLOTUS. With what little I use my twitter account - and don't follow King - you can't help but see some of his spewings on BLOTUS.  So I laugh at the amazon reviews where people are aghast (!!!) at King disparaging the (now former) president. 

Honestly, it is 5-6 small references throughout 500+ pages. None of them villainous as they could or should have been. Though I don't doubt the appearances of a less than semi Jeffrey Epstein and Rupert Murdoch like characters got hackles raised too. 

Actually, that is where the book kind of falls apart too. For me.  It's part of the shoe-horned last third scenario. There is also an illogical surprise semi-ending, which doesn't really fit either. In theory it could have........but again, I'm guessing a publisher's deadline thwarted that. 

For the first King outing, I'd give it a B-.  Had it stayed on the first 2/3 trajectory, I'd have moved that up a few letter grades. 

Song by: Go West

If You Could Read My Mind

This might sound weird, but I miss reading. 

I mentioned in my 12 of 12 of getting a new book.  It has been forever and a day since I bought a new book.......let alone read one. 

Somewhere in my past, I loved to read and would devour books, but then.....you know, life happened.  I work a lot - and I mean a lot! - and then I come home, walk the dog, make dinner, have an hour after that before I start to get ready for bed. 

......oh and I'm still hopelessly addicted to the NYT Spelling Bee, so I don't really do much of anything in my free time if I haven't made 'genius'. 

So my book reading had dropped to almost nil. It got to the point where I didn't even miss it, because I pretty much forgot about it.  No offense to blogs, but reading them isn't the same, and to be honest, I'm not even keeping up on most of those. 

Yet, during one of our Sunday friend calls, Morty brought up a book. He talked it up - like Terri Gross does on Fresh Air. He made it sound so good, the other four of us on the call ordered it that very day. All 592 pages of it. 

Normally, restarting a past time should not begin with almost 600 pages, but here we were. We all agreed to not talk about it until everyone had read it.  Morty, of course, was already finished before he even mentioned the book, so the rest of us were just going to play catch-up. 

The day I got the book, I sat down for 90 minutes and read as many pages. It. Was. Great. 

I mean, the book is good - even better than good - but the process the familiarity was just welcoming and felt comforting. And I started to remember why I kind of gave up reading:  I loved to read in bed. But I'm an old fart now, more often than not a book would end up on the floor or next to me, because I fell asleep. 

So, I redirected my pattern and it all worked out. 

As luck would have it, 710 had to go out of town for a day - part of one rainy Saturday - and I planted my hairy ass on the sofa and read another 400 pages and the last 100 the following morning. 

The book - the Heart's Invisible Fury Invisible Furies - was a good read for sure, but not overly taxing. It certainly kept interest, made me laugh more than one time, and pretty much tear up one other. 

Since we promised no spoilers, there are no details here. 

But now, I want to go back to reading which means blog-reading suffers even more and the tv might stay off, which should be just fine. 

......and yes, I read physical books. I like the feel of them. And if it's a big enough book, it probably hursts as much as an iPad when you doze off and it falls on your face........and I don't have to make sure it's charged. 

Song by: Gordon Lightfoot

By the Book

I wouldn't say I got nothin', but I debated whether I should call this my Site of the Month post, but I'm thinking not. 

It is a link to Frank Bruni's opinion piece on Alt-Right Whore Spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham. 

Grisham, is on her book publicity jaunt about her time with BLOTUS.  Not unlike me, Bruni doesn't bother using his name either. Nor will he even utter the title of Grisham's book.  ......though, she might be the offspring of Kevin Grisham and his best selling novel, the Rural Juror. 

Hell, I like the title of his opinion piece:  Sorry, Stephanie Grisham, You Are Not Redeemed. 

Normally, I don't read opinion articles.....or letters to the editor. I used to - until I realized I hate most other people's opinions. 

Bruni is right about this book and the ones to come. The half-hearted, faux apology tour.  Little tidbits of the last administration, the dysfunction, but not enough to really piss anyone off - as they might be running again in 18 months and well............a bitch has got to eat, so she gonna need a job. 

She is a hypocritical as those she writes about, and while I'd say she probably doesn't think so, I'm guessing she knows so. Yet, there are book sales to be had and what I'm guessing an impending visit to the View, so if you have to half-throw some folks under the bus, so be it. 

Still Bruni isn't wrong. But Grisham is. 

Song by: Michael Penn

Corduroy

We have a number of parks where we walk during the week - after work and avec Shep. Most involve lakes. Most are a mile or two around, so we get in our steps. 

But as Cookie can attest, Shaker Hts, is a special place. The Baroness in the Sound of Music is from there, as was Paul Newman and Molly Shannon from SNL fame.  Well, Molly as on SNL.  Not so much Paul. 

Oh, and my parents. 

But it's a semi-liberal community that used to the landing place for Jews all over NE Ohio. It's a little less so now, as sprawl has taken them to - ugh - the suburbs. 

Still, now it's got a great socio-economic mix and some great public works stuff - including said parks of which I mention. 

I pass Horseshoe Lake now and then on my way to my second office and have seen signs out around one side of the lake. As we hadn't walked there for a bit,  I didn't know what they were. As it turns out - it's a story. 

Someone took a children's book, Corduroy, and pasted the cover (above) and the pages (below) on signs and placed them next to the walkway.  And we made the walk yesterday. 

One page per sign - and each one placed 30 ft or so apart.

.....and yes, we read the book as we walked. 

I hope it was the elements and not some dick humans who destroyed two pages of the book. I have no idea what we missed about a stuffed bear in search of a button for his overalls - and a home. 

Luckily, they weren't the last two pages, so we back-storied what might have happened.  (I'm guessing it involved a sleepy time car ride.)

But special thanks to the Girl Scouts, the city and their library for making this happen. 

It's so simple, yet it made me so happy. 

Song by: Pearl Jam

Show Yourself

Why the actual fuck would one purposefully sit down with Bob Woodward? 

It's like Mike Wallace knocking on your door and letting him come over the threshold. 

But it comes down to one word: Ego. 

BLOTUS clearly thought he could control the narrative.  Clearly he could not. Honestly though, what good can come of it. And Woodward already trashed him once. Who thought this a good idea - let alone with a tape recorder. 

Truth be told, I haven't read much of this because....well...BLOTUS. In theory it's like xmas came early. 

I condone nothing here - nothing - but I almost get the February discussion about how bad Covid really would be and his claim of not telling that to the American people so not to incite panic.  Hey! I said "almost".  But it is one thing to withhold information, and one to blatantly lie about it....x 10,308. 

Yes, I get it's a thin line, but he steamrolled right over both of those. 

I do like the one of calling "his" generals "pussies".  A draft-dodger. One with a secret plan to eliminate ISIS in 30 days {which I am still waiting on}, due to the fact that he knows more than the generals. 

But Woodward's problem with Rage, his new books, where he has all these things BLOTUS has said on tape (!!), is the same problem he had with Fear, his last book on the same subject:  great bullet points, nothing happened because of it. 

I 'fear' (get it?  get it??) the same thing with this. 

Of course BLOTUS voters will think that the generals are pussies. They already think Mattis.  They already think it of Kelly. They seem to forget that BLOTUS picked the latter. They forget he selected the finest and fired them - and it all of those guys who were morons. 

There might be 0.005% of voters who might listen to the tapes and think, "nahhh, I'm not gonna vote for him". The rest?  They'll be unswayed.

It's a very sad, and very harsh reality. 

Song by: Tim Finn

Warning

Oh, how I am awaiting for this book to be published.

For context - for those of you who might not keep up with the news, or for historians who read this millennia from now - a book is to be released by someone who is currently in, or possibly no longer in, the current administration.

The same author - gender unknown - wrote an op ed for the New York Times a year ago, which said they were part of the resistance within the White House.

At that time, everyone was "ohhhh, who could it be?".  Jared? No, not the 6" Subway guy. Kushner wishes he had 6" or any kid interested in him.  Pence?  No - he only writes about bunnies who don't have to bake wedding cakes for guinea pigs.....or something like that.

I'm not 100% sure Ivanka can read, let alone write, so I don't think it's her.

I mean how much would it suck if any of those three became some hero by spilling these beans?

The author did not take a 7-digit advance and is allegedly donating most of the profits of sales to charity, so they're not in it for the $$$$. 

Unfortunately, for the author, they might get beaten to the punch in regards to bringing down BLOTUS, now with the top US diplomat to Ukraine tying this quid pro quo thing directly to BLOTUS and Guilani.

I am all in for folks truly chipping away at this presidency.  And if things at 1600 start to break apart like ice in the Arctic, so be it.

I'm totally ordering a copy of this book.



Song by: Green Day

Faces

I'm still trying to avoid politics.  Mueller be damned.  Since he won't come right out and say it - and I mean RIGHT OUT - then pffffft.  I don't care.  While you and I thought he was clear, you have to go to the 4th grade reading level (well he does) to convey to BLOTUS supporters the man is not free and / or clear.

Anyhoo.........

I got to text my friend, Jon (from 'not Jon's boss' fame) this yesterday:

Debbie Harry's memoir is coming out in October.....of this year.

Way back in 1985 when I met Jon, we bonded over our love of Blondie. No one in my high school would ever admit to liking the band, nor do I think they did anyways for reals. I was a lonely boy listening to new wave in a school who loved Zeppelin, Van Halen and the likes.

I actually listened to Blondie for like eight years before I found someone who loved them as much as I. Or who even liked them.

To this day, we both still get their new releases, even though we probably should stop. They are spotty at best since No Exit.

Still, I've read some of these memoirs and some can also be spotty at best. I've heard so many tales of Debbie & Co, I'm not sure how much new will be in here or not. I'm still looking forward to the release date.

So I'll chant the mantra I did about Shakepears Sister's new song "please don't suck, please don't suck, please don't suck....".



Song by: Blondie

Fear

O. M. F. G.

The last few days of book blurbs have given me a metaphorical hard-on.

While I'd like 100% of Bob Woodward's book, Fear, to be true (or what said blurbs have been), I'd actually be ok with only 30% being accurate.  Even if less than 1/3 is true, what a fucking shit storm.   ......and I love it.

We might not have to worry about impeachment with BLOTUS. You just gotta figure he's about to have a fucking coronary.

I love that the Minister of Propaganda Press Secretary immediately dismisses the book as "pure fiction fueled by interviews with disgruntled former employees".

Really?  The conversation between Gary Cohen and John Kelly was just those two. Are we calling Cohen a 'disgruntled former employee'? He was a douche, for sure, but I don't think so. Of course, maybe the story didn't come from anyone former.

I mean, you did read the anonymous op-ed piece in the NYT, right?  The call is coming from inside the house.

Could the inside senior staff person be WH counsel McGahan who just gave his resignation, but not yet gone?  Kelly himself (though allegedly he's wanted to quit, but clearly too wussy to do so)?  It can't be Melania......she cannot write this well.  Jared and Ivanka?  No.  They have their pardons in the bag. Jeff Sessions could be pissed enough at the thrashings he's been taking.

Back to Woodward's book though. My g-d.......I love one of his staffers said BLOTUS had the understanding of a 5th or 6th grader.  They wish!

The names his staff use for him are the same ones we use!  "Fucking Moron", might be over-used, but it is just so on the mark.

And BLOTUS complaining about Woodward. Classic. Let's say that Bob didn't tell BLOAT he was actually writing a book. Why. The. Fuck. Would. You. Talk. To. Bob. Woodward?   He's the Ronan Farrow of the Baby Boomers. No good can come of either one showing up on your door.

I almost feel the need to purchase Fear.

I'm thinking of waiting for the audiobook version, as read by Sarah Fuckabee Sanders.




Song by: Sarah McLachlan

the Bunny

Little Bunny Foo Foo.

Somewhere in the Naval Observatory, Mike Pence is pounding his fist on the dinner table going, "dang nabbit!"

I'm sure it was those words, because good Christians (yes, I know it's an oxymoron) don't swear.

Yes, John Oliver has upstaged the VP, his daughter's and wife and their book about their pet rabbit. Because, what would rankle Mikey more than mocking his book with similar, but queer rabbit.

Maybe it's could have been a girl gay bunny who gets an abortion who then later sues a religious  baker.  That would have given the man a stroke.

Somehow Oliver got his book out on the exact same release date as Pence. Brilliant.

This should add to Pence's palpitations:

Oliver's book is #1.   Pence? #4.

Oliver's book has a 5 star rating.  Pence? 4.5

Oliver's book has 3,759 reviews (as of last night).  Pence? 83.


And Oliver has an Audio Book - voiced by Jim Parsons and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.  Pence doesn't even have one.  I guess Jesus was too busy to record it. Prior commitments and all.

What I love more about this is 710.  He comes home from work yesterday and says, "I ordered John Oliver's book".  He can read at higher than a 1st grade level, but he wanted to jab it a little to Pence in anyway he could. I guess our Planned Parenthood donations weren't enough.

I'm down with it. Anything to mock that P.O.S. is fine with me.



Song by: Mitchell Froom