Ask.....and Ye Shall Receive

even when you didn't know you were asking.....

About a month ago, I mentioned on Facebook about taking a long, satisfying nap - and feeling guilty. Several weeks later, I received this nice book in the mail from a high school classmate. We didn't know each other well in school, but we are getting slowly reacquainted through our FB blurbs, and I am happy for that. Sharon, I thank you for your gift, and I know I will enjoy it. I promise to "pay it forward" to the first person who shows interest in having it.*

This book contains all you ever wanted to know about naps; plus how to have serenity and quiet moments in your life and make the most of them. Here's a quote from the book:

"We are sleep cheats and are beginning to pay the price. Napping needs to be made a respectable part of the American day; the thinking that equates naps with indolence, old age, or preschoolers must be dismissed as passe and the guilt surrounding this act of self-preservation erased." I couldn't agree more!

Another quote: When I read this, it hammered home some thoughts I have been having lately, as regards personal possessions. I see it can refer to thought and action, as well.


"Beside the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials." -Lin Yutang (1895-1976)


* If you want this book, leave a message in the comments and send an email with your snail-mail address, and I will send it to the FIRST person who responds, as soon as I have finished it.

A Quote + a Book Recommendation

Only the madman is absolutely sure.

Robert Anton Wilson, novelist (1932-2007)

::-:::--:::-::

"The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff is one I don't want to put down. until I finish it. On the copyright page, the author says:

"This is a work of historical fiction. Apart from the well-known actual people and events, and locales that figure in the narrative, all names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to current events or locales, or living persons, is entirely coincidental."

I must say it is hard to remember that when you are reading it; several of the names are familiar and the events could have been real. It is very hard to know where fact ends and fiction takes over (if you are not previously acquainted with the history.)

Learning about other religions, their life-styles; especially those of the Amish and Mormon Church, has always fascinated me for some reason. The only fault I can find with this book is that it jumps from era to era and group to group in such a way that it is difficult to sort out any continuity in the parallel story lines. I would have appreciated a time line chart for each era.

Did Brigham Young have a wife (among his many) named Ann Eliza, who wrote a book denouncing plural marriage in 1875? I don't know. But the possibility surely makes for a fascinating story here. Author Ebershoff writes the story of Ann Eliza, her antecedents and descendants simultaneously with a modern story of a young man who was run out of his family's community (by the then current prophet) for what seems to me to be the very minor offense of holding hands with the daughter of one of his mother's sister-wives. (I hope I am remembering that correctly.) The fact that he is gay (an unforgivable offense for Mormons) seems to be at odds with the stated reason for getting rid of him, and his mother's subsequent arrest for the murder of his father is the bulk of that storyline.

I asked, and was told by a blog friend that the Mormon Church outlawed polygamy in 1890, and that current groups in the news, such as the one in Texas, have nothing to do with the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints, whom we commonly refer to as "Mormons". In this book, the current group of people who practice polygamy resides in Utah, and I am unclear if this is an actual group - or a completely fictional one. It occurs to me that the group could be real, but his depiction of it may not. Does that make sense? Helping to confuse me is the fact that I watch Big Love on HBO. Whether it is true or not, the show is well acted and I enjoy it.

______________

The paragraphs above were written last night, before I finished the book. Most of my questions were answered in the Author's Note and Acknowledgements. He states:

"This is a work of fiction. It is not meant to be read as a stand-in for a biography of Ann Eliza Young, Brigham Young, or any of the other historical figures who appear in it. Even so, it's human nature to wonder if a historical novel is inspired by real people and real events, and if so to what degree......"

"The mighty lens of history has enabled me to see Ann Eliza's life as she could not, and I have used this perspective to tell her story in a way that perhaps broadens it and connects it to our day. All of this is a long-winded answer to the original question, is The 19th Wife based on real people and real events? Yes. Have I invented much of it? Yes, for that is what novelists do."

So Ann Eliza did exist, and she did write a book (1875) about her experience with polygamy. She was not the actual 19th wife, although that was what she was called. Apparently, Brigham took many more wives and many of them were married in secret. When he "left the bed" of an older wife to marry a new wife, her number was re-used. There is so much of interest to learn in this book!

Founding Fath...er..um ...Farmers

We went to this newish restaurant on Saturday night, called The Founding Farmers. The menu is quite extensive and we had a hard time making decisions about what to select. The reverse of this menu showed their cocktail selections, but my favorite wasn't included. I ordered it anyway - a frozen margarita. The Asian wait person, who apparently didn't have a good working knowledge of English, looked askance at me, but agreed to find out if they could provide it. I figured if they had tequila, lime, ice and a blender, they could do a passable job of making a frozen margarita - but no - it was beyond their ken. So I had to make do with a margarita on the rocks. It was pretty good. My brother-in-law ordered an appletini and guess what? They couldn't make that either. It's odd as hell, isn't it?

So mr. kenju and his brother ended up with sarsaparilla, and I had a taste of that. It was pleasant, but not worth $3 per bottle, I'll wager.

The restaurant decor is nice, although sparse, and they have many of these shelf units with canned veggies as room-dividers. It definitely follows the garden theme.

Here is my (partially eaten, sorry) plate of shrimp, fries and coleslaw. What they bill as hush puppies are just dollops of bland cornbread which has more than a little sugar in it. Definitely not the southern version of real hush puppies, which are melt-in-your-mouth goodness, spicy and rich. The shrimp were excellent, however, and the slaw creamy. I forgot to photograph our appetizers: southern fried green tomatoes (fantastic) and bacon-wrapped dates with blue cheese, which were good, but not fabulous.

The others ordered skirt steak, meat loaf and pot roast, (we didn't share) and we eschewed dessert in favor of the eclairs we had bought at a local bakery that morning. Should you find yourself in DC, I can recommend this place, but reservations are necessary, and even lunchtime is extremely busy; I am told the line for lunch frequently runs out the door and around the corner. Since it was jammed the night we were there, I can also tell you that the acoustics are not great, but the meal will probably be worth the trip.

Oma!

I'm sorry about the rude gesture in the photo; I would never do that to our Oma! I awoke this weekend to find this scratched into the sand on the beach below our hotel room. We were ten floors up, so this had to have been a huge drawing. Seeing as how I already had this post ready to put on the blog, I just had to take the photo, even with that gesture. Someone sure was mad at his Oma, wasn't he?

Recently, I received a book from TravelinOma as a prize won in a contest. The title was:

"No One Cares What You Had for Lunch
100 Ideas for Your Blog"

It was good, quick reading, and had some interesting links and good advice for how to write interesting blog posts . I was sure I could use some help, so I was eager to learn all the juicy tidbits!

The chapters have interesting, provocative titles, such as:

Count your blessings
Spill everything
Hang your head
Exit the comfort zone

In the chapter titled "Be Yourself", she quotes a blogger named Brittney Gilbert (http://brittney.typepad.com) who wrote:

"When I cook eggs I can't just toss the shell without first crushing it in my palm. I like the prickly sensation of the broken, jagged shell in my skin."

My comment to Brittney would be something along the lines of: "That would be an experience I would only need to have once." The important part is that her lines would evoke a comment from almost everyone who stopped to read them. Therein lies one of the secrets of good blogging.

If you happen to run across this book, I recommend it for blog fodder that you may not have thought of yet. And to TravelinOma, I say - THANKS again!

Blogger is being a bear tonight. I wanted the photos marching down the left so I could put captions under them, but Noooooooooo can do!

From left to right and top to bottom, they are as follows:

The entrance to the cemetery
John Kennedy's grave plaque
Jackie Kennedy Onassis' plaque
Robert F. Kennedy's plaque
The Air Force Memorial (3 curved spires)
The USS Maine Memorial
The Maine Anchor
The Mast from the Maine
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
A view of Washington, DC from the hill where the Eternal Flame is.

As always, click to embiggen.

Odds and Ends ~ Trip Notes

While we were in Charleston, we ate at two of my favorite places, The Blossom Dairy and the Tidewater Grill. Blossom Deli, as it is now called, retains the art deco flavor it had when it opened in the 30's. I remember going there with my mother after shopping, although Scott's Drug Store (scroll down the page) was our favorite place to grab a sandwich and a soda, if we were not shopping in The Diamond when we got hungry.

Blossom Deli has some interesting offerings; my choice was scallops served over a bed of baby greens, with a raspberry vinaigrette (I think). The portions are large and everything was flavorful. I wouldn't run back there for dinner, though. The booths are small and while they may have felt substantial in the 30's and 40's, they now lack the original firmness. I sat there all evening, listing to one side, since it was nearly impossible to sit up straight. If we go back there, I'll try it for lunch and sit at a table.

Tidewater Grill is a far better story. I have eaten there probably twenty times over the last 12-15 years or so, and it has been consistently good, no matter what I order. This time I had catfish, a frequent meal for me. It was exquisite, and yes, I know that fried fish is not exactly healthy for me. Their rolls are an experience in themselves; always served hot and always tasty. One of my dinner companions told me that they are made from pizza dough. I could eat a barrel-full of them!

This time we didn't get to eat at my other favorite place in Charleston, the Bridge Road Bistro. I'm hoping to get there in August, when I go back for my 50th high school reunion.

>>>>>>>

I am also hoping to have time to go back to the Tri-State Casino. I never win much, if any, but Miss Kenju is another story - having won $1k last year and $600 this time (all for the use of a $10 bill!) I don't know what it is with that girl, but all she has to do is insert a bill into the one-armed bandit and out comes money!!! Wisely, she tucks it into her pockets and doesn't lose it all by continuing to play. Mr. kenju says she has an angel on her shoulder. I am inclined to agree.

Music

I have another story posted at Ronni's today. I hope you'll read, enjoy and comment!

Can-Can was a 1960 movie celebrating the music of Cole Porter. I had forgotten how many great songs were in this movie until I watched it Friday night. I am so glad that a lot of the good movies from the 40's, 50's and 60's are being brought out on DVD! The movie takes place in 1896 in Montmartre, in a cafe known for the can-can, a dance thought by many to be vile and unchaste, which had been banned from public viewing. The cafe proprietor is Shirley McLaine (Simone) and Frank Sinatra is her lawyer/suitor. Maurice Chevalier is a judge, as is Louis Jourdan. We are treated to all of them singing at some point. If you haven't heard Maurice Chevalier or Frank Sinatra singing C'est Magnifique, you should rent this DVD. Juliet Prowse appears as a cafe dancer, and at a fancy dress ball held in the cafe, she and Shirley perform a ballet of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, where Juliet is the serpent. It is a wonderfully choreographed dance!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

In the last 3-4 days, I have been listening to the Beatles Anthology. Soon after the set came out, I got it for Christmas. "The Long and Winding Road" is playing now, and Shake Rattle and Roll and Blue Suede Shoes just finished. It is funny to me that Blue Suede Shoes sounded more countrified when the Beatles sang it than when Elvis did. Many of the songs on this CD were recorded under casual circumstances; they might have been rehearsing or just playing around. The songs are punctuated by laughs, un-planned riffs and the voices of the four guys can be heard as well. You could almost imagine that you were there in the room with them.

I was 22 when I heard the Beatles for the first time. I was hooked from the first five minutes of "I Want to Hold Your Hand." Paul was my favorite and while I didn't scream like the teeny-boppers back then, I did fantasize about him. I quit that a long time ago, but I still love their music and for me it has only gotten better with time.

A Review, A Quote and A new Word

I cannot recommend this movie more highly - for anyone over 60 - for widows - and for women who love to look at delicious men! Starring Joan Plowright, one of Britain's most celebrated actresses and introducing Rupert Friend, whom I predict will be a famous leading man before long. Go here to read a synopsis . Here is a cast bio for Rupert:

London's newest young actor, Rupert Friend attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts, and has already made a name for himself in such films as "The Libertine" and "Pride and Prejudice."

In Mrs. Palfrey, Rupert has risen to the challenge of playing a lead role - and when your co-star is someone as seasoned as Joan Plowright, that's saying something.

The movie is a little slow in places, but the characters are endearing and lovely to look at (at least Rupert is!)

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Word of the Day: Abibliophobia (noun)Pronunciation:[ê-bi-bli-ê-'fo-bee-yê]

Definition: The morbid fear of running out of reading material.

Usage: It is quite interesting that this word has popped up on the Web, the greatest source of reading material the world has ever known. Irony will never cease.

*********

Nothing produces such odd results as trying to get even.

Franklin P. Jones

Have You Seen Monk?

I don't mean he's lost, of course; he's coming back on Friday the 13th of July, and you can read about it here:

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/

Mr. kenju kept telling me that I needed to watch Monk, since he swears that I have symptoms of OCD. I don't... I swear. I'm just a little bit obsessive; not compulsive at all.....LOL. So, I started renting the DVD's of past seasons. I wanted to watch them in order, but the first one was not in the store until recently. I have seen 12 episodes now (3 to a DVD) from the first season. Know what? I can't wait to see all the rest of them AND watch the new season. Monk (the character) slays me. Tony Shalhoub is a great actor, as are most of the others on the show. And he's funny. If you've never watched Monk, I recommend you do. Then maybe you'll get obsessed, like I am!

(I wrote this before I learned how to do links and I'm too lazy to change it...LOL)

We interrupt our beach travelogue to bring you a late-breaking movie review!

We watched "Man of the Year" with Robin Williams last night and it was better than either of us expected. Robin plays Tom Dobbs, a comedian who gets the idea to run for U.S. President from his fans. Laura Linney plays an employee of a software company that has been hired to provide voting machines for the election. Suffice it to say that there is a computer glitch which makes for interesting voting and results in country-wide mayhem. The script is shot through with many true statements about our current government and the practice of politics. This one is worth renting, even though my daughter said it was panned by critics.

EXCUSE ME FOR SHOUTING!

I don't want to hear about illegal aliens anymore!

I exchange emails nearly every day with a group of long-standing friends, most of whom were my high-school or college classmates. Some of them (most) are retired, and like a lot of retired people (men in particular), they are always looking for something to get riled up about. Why is that?

The latest harangues seem to feature illegal aliens in some way; how they are robbing the US of money, etc.

Whether I agree or disagree with their issues is not my point here. I say: Get a life, people. Worry about something else, or if you must concentrate all your efforts on people who come over the border, don't tell me about it! I am sick of reading the hate and bigotry and lack of compassion that is rampant in these emails. The people I get them from didn't write them - they just forward them to everyone they know, without checking to see if they are true or not.

The reason I am ranting about them here is that I can't tell these guys how I feel - because I don't want to hurt their feelings. Telling you about it makes me feel a little better. Hope you don't mind.

Do your friends send you things you'd rather not receive? How do you handle it? I just delete and say nothing - except here - of course.

***********

I saw the DVD "Because I Said So", with Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo, and Stephen Collins, as Diane's love interest. Mr. kenju said, "Not only is this a chick-flick, it is a chick-flick with a meddling mother!", as he exited the room to go upstairs to his TV.

He was right. It is that, and what's more - it was also easy to figure out the plot. Maybe it is because I am older now (and have seen a LOT of movies over the years) but nearly every movie I have seen lately has been predictable. I usually like Diane Keaton very much, and she was okay in the film, but I thought she carried the flustered, scattered, meddling and controlling mom too far, and it got to be cloying.

There was one person who made the film worthwhile for me - and that was Gabriel Macht, who plays Mandy's love interest. He is cute and his character is adorable. His smile is great. I am glad I saw the movie because it introduced me to him, but I'm glad I didn't pay to see it in a theater.

We interrupt all regularly scheduled posts to say:

WHAT THE %$#@*&%@# WAS THAT????

That was the worst ending hour of any TV show I have ever seen. Talk about leaving us hanging! It was more like "Life with Father" than it was the story of a mob leader. Are they leaving the way open for a sequel or a movie or what? I feel ripped off! How about you?

The Downside of Gel Fingernails

Thank Heaven mine don't look like these!! Please tell me how this woman takes a shower and actually washes anything? I'll bet she has to go to a hair salon for every shampoo, and how would she ever zip a zipper or button a button?

Mine are more like this photo, minus the diamonds, of course. I had them done about 3 weeks ago. My nails have never been strong, despite daily vitamins. Since my hands are in water frequently, my nails break easily. If I try to wear polish, my nails split horizontally. I have always wanted pretty nails and the only way I'll ever accomplish that is to have them applied at a salon. If I had known then what I know now, I might have been a little longer in making the decision to get them, because.....

Have you ever tried to type with long nails? I have previously told you about my bouts with adult-onset dyslexia, which causes words to be typed backwards or letters transposed. I spend all my time correcting typing errors and the dyslexic words anyway - and now I have added to the mix all the letters I type accidentally because my nails are so long. When I had them done, I told the woman not to make them much longer than the tips of my fingers, but they were a little longer than that and now that they have grown out for 3 weeks, they are too long for me to be able to type anything with no mistakes. It takes much longer to type a post now, so I might not be posting as often in the future.....LOL

You can read about different types of artificial nails here:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-artificial-fingernails.htm

Why it is Good to Be an Actress...

named Sarah Jessica Parker. You get to be married to a nice guy and have great kids and then you get to kiss Matthew McConnaughey, plus go sailing and play paint ball! I watched this DVD last night - alone - because mr. kenju "doesn't DO chick flicks"....LOL. Fine by me.....I get to control the remote AND eat all the popcorn.

This is an amusing romantic comedy, which also features Kathy Bates and Terry Bradshaw as Tripp's parents, who want him to move out of their home, at long last. I enjoyed it, so maybe you will too. It is PG-13, for the allusions to sex and one use of the F-word. Read about the movie here:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0427229/

More Green Scenes & Idol Thoughts

The promise of lilies...






The promise of gardenias...

>>>>>>>>>>>

Yesterday was the best weather I can remember in a long time: high about 82*, the lowest possible humidity, sun and a few puffy clouds. I played hooky from housework; I sat on my deck and read a book for two hours. Tell me why I shouldn't feel guilty? Today is supposed to be the same, but I have to go to work. I think I'll still carve out some time to read.

<<<<<<<<<<

Last night was the American Idol season finale - and darned if they don't know how to put on one heck of a good show!! Some of the high points: Gladys Knight singing with the girls of Idol, Tony Bennett, Bette Midler, Carrie Underwood, Ruben Studdard and Jordin Sparks singing a great duet, Melinda and the Winans, Taylor Hicks rocking the blues. I'm sure I've left someone out, but on the whole it was a really good production. There were two low points: Kelly Clarkson screaming every line of her song, and the band Green Day singing "a working class hero....is something to be-ah"......on and on and on....the same phrase repeated over and over....ad nauseum. Dear God, can't they write some better lyrics? Or even some other lyrics?

The best part for me was the Beatles' music medley from Sargent Pepper. I could listen to the Beatles 24/7 and never tire of it, I think. They all did well. I can't wait for next season!

Let's All Go to the Movies

Since our daughter signed us up for Blockbuster On-line, I have seen more movies in the last six weeks than the previous three years, I think. This sevice works very well for us; I list the ones I want, they are sent in serial fashion and then I have two ways to return them: I can mail them in their postage-paid envelopes, or I can return the DVD's to a Blockbuster store and then I get to pick out a free DVD! The problem is, while my favorite TV programs are still playing new shows and finales, the time available for viewing DVD's is short. Until summer break comes, the DVD's are stacked high and I get overwhelmed at the number and choices available to me!

I saw "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaz, Cate Winslett, Jack Black and Jude Law. I expected it to be a complete chick flick (and it is) but it had more merit than usual. One of the characters is played by Eli Wallach and he gives a charming and excellent portrayal of a man once revered in Hollywood, who is now aging and well past his prime (more so in his own mind). The relationship between him and the character played by Cate is very touching.

Mr. kenju started watching with me, but he retired to the bedroom TV when (in his opinion) the plot took a turn for the worse. I admit it is implausible, but not impossible, for a woman to have sex almost immediately with a man she has just met (and not for money). I begged him to remember it was just a movie, after all......LOL

Jack Black's character was one I could be sympathetic with, and I liked both him and his role more than I expected. Jude Law actually played an upstanding/moral person in this one......very different from the guy he was in the last movie I saw. I can't remember the name of it - but he was a total cad! (Life imitates art, here or maybe vice-versa).

<<<<<<<<<<

I also saw "The Hours", with Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore. I think I'd have been better prepared for this one had I read "Mrs. Dalloway" by Virginia Woolf before viewing the movie. The plot follows the three main characters, who each inhabit a different time period. One is the author of Mrs. Dalloway, one is a woman who is reading "Mrs. Dalloway" and one is........I forget. I should probably read that book and then watch the DVD again......LOL. The three characters pop-up in the movie one after the other, and so quickly that I hardly had time to process the information from one and think about how it fitted in with the others. Each of the actresses did an excellent job, as they always do, but the story line bounced around too much for me.

This afternoon, I am going to watch "Pan's Labyrinth", and I hope it is as good as some of the reviews I read online. I will be sure to let you know if it isn't!

Edit: Pan's Labyrinth was well worth the two hours. Aside from some violence (during which I always shut my eyes), it was an interesting story. It takes place in 1944 in Spain. I believe it would behoove me to have seen it in the theater, as I think a large screen would be preferable.

Let's All Go to the Movies....

Last week, I saw 3 movies: the ones shown here, plus Medea's Family Reunion, an older DVD that my boss has been recommending to me for a year. He said it was really funny; I found it less so. I learned later that what he saw was a regular movie, and what I happened to rent was a film of a stage play. The action all took place in one location. That limited it somewhat, I guess. I am sure that the movie would be better and more humorous.

The History Boys was adapted from a play which received a Tony award on Broadway. The movie features the original play's cast. I thought it was an excellent film; well-acted and thought-provoking. There is a heavy theme of homosexuality and much of the language pertaining to it was gratuitous and crass. I found it off-putting. In this play, teachers say four-letter words in class. Perhaps that happens nowadays (when I was in school, it would have been unthinkable). It takes place in England, and concerns a group of boys who are about to do their college interviews. Two teachers coach them, each one with a vastly different approach to the task. This one is well worth the time to view, if you can handle the language.

The Queen, starring Helen Mirren, is wonderful. She is wonderful. Everything she has ever been in is wonderful, and this is no exception. The movie begins as Diana has been injured in an accident; the one that ultimately kills her. It concerns the aftermath of Diana's death, the reaction to it by people the world over and the apparent non-reaction by the royal family. I don't know how much of this movie follows what really happened in real life (other than what we can glean from news reports of that time). It is a fascinating glimpse into royal life and "keeping a stiff upper lip". Perhaps some bloggers from the UK can shed some light on the truth (or not) of this movie. I was struck by the attitude of Prince Philip toward Diana, which was hostile, to say the least (at least it was in this film).

"Honeymoon in Purdah"

A book review:

Subtitle: An Iranian Journey
Author: Alison Wearing
Publisher: Picador
Date: 2000

I haven't finished this book yet, but I hope to tonight. The first time I picked it up, I read 50 pages without stopping. It is a fascinating look into daily life in Iran, and small character studies of the Iranian people, as seen through the eyes of a Canadian woman who travelled all over the country with a gay man, whom she passed off as her husband. A woman cannot travel there with a man who is not her husband, hence the deception.

She is telling why she made five trips to Yugoslavia, during the war......."I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed, that that was the end of the story. I went because I believed that there had to be more. And because I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons. Iran became our destination for the same reason."

This book is humorous, poignant, and informative; the humor comes mostly when she is reporting things said to her in butchered or partial English. Asked if she wants Pipi Zam Zam with her meal, she doesn't understand and,

....."asks him to repeat himself. He wets his mouth, closes his eyes and speaks again, this time more slowly.

"You. Want. Pipi. Zam. Zam?"

It is sheer curiosity that makes me say yes.

"In Canada, Coca-cola", Turtle Man explains as he fills my glass. "In Iran, Pipi Zam Zam."

I was constantly struck with the hospitality shown this couple by the common people they encountered in their travels. Nearly everyone they met wanted to feed and entertain them, or provide accomodations or transportation. They did have a few problems with some of zealots, but they were not threatening in nature, just inclined to delay their progress. Most everyone was surprised to hear that this couple had come to Iran for their honeymoon, but all wanted to show them the real Iran.

I have learned by reading this book, and I have been highly entertained while learning. What more can you ask of a book?

Here's Some News for the Newscasters

To ABC,CBS,NBC, FOX, CNN and any others who report the news:

CEASE AND DESIST! We are sick unto death of hearing about every gory detail of the killings in Blacksburg. We don't want to see the videos over and over. Please don't give a forum to the killer any more.

Please do us, the victims and their families the honor of allowing us to grieve at our own pace. Quit pounding us with every aspect of that guy's life and psychological quirks. There will be time for that later; preferably in print media. Children should not see it, if it can be helped.

Each of you wants to be the "first with the most" to report and your machinations resemble the shark's feeding frenzies. Every detail, no matter how minute is shown, talked about,examined, autopsied and left unburied.

I want you all to know that I quit watching any news after I had seen about 30 minutes of it. It sickens me......and you sicken me even more. You should ALL be ashamed of yourselves.

While I was in New York .....

at the end of March, Michael Althouse, at:

http://25yearplan.blogspot.com/2007/03/thinking-blogger-award.html

did me the honor of naming "Imagine What I'm Leaving Out" a blog that makes him think. Imagine how terrific I feel! I'm not certain I merit it, but there is a mutual-admiration-society between us. I had said the same thing about Mike's writing, even before these awards began.

Receiving this award charges me with a task. I have to choose five blogs that make me think; the hardest thing I've been asked to do recently, because it is so difficult to limit it to five. I am aware that some I have chosen have already been awarded by someone else. I do not expect them to choose five more blogs (unless they want to). Here is my list (in no particular order):

1. Joared, at Along the Way:

http://www.joared-along.blogspot.com/

2. Maya's Granny, at:

http://mayagranny.blogspot.com/

3. Carmi, at:

http://writteninc.blogspot.com/

4. Minerva, at:

http://womanlyparts.blogspot.com

5. Mamacita, at:

http://weeklyscheiss.blogspot.com/

6. Shephard, at:

http://www.shubertalleyshephard.blogspot.com

7. Carol, at:

http://thecerebraloutpost.blogspot.com/

I am supposed to write a paragraph about each of the blogs I chose, but I will do it differently. First, let me say that there are other blogs that make me think too, but I must limit my list! Had anyone other than Mike given this award to me, he would definitely be on my list.

All of these writers not only make me think, but generally they do it with intelligence, a grasp of grammar and spelling, obvious wit and humor (whether broad or sly) and the ability to phrase things in ways that I could never imagine. They have all demonstrated a compassionate spirit as well.

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The participation rules are simple:
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme

3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Addenda: I am twice honored; tonight Sonia at Leaves of Grass also nominated me for the same award. Go and visit Sonia here:

http://leavesgrass.blogspot.com/2007/04/nomination-for-thinking-bloggers-award.html

Thank again, Sonia and Mike. I am grateful.