Book Review

The Mirage is exquisitely written and a brilliant concept, as most of Ruff's works, I simply found it too hard to get through the massive amount of information between dialogues. The prospect of switching perpetrators in the 'war on terrorism' is a testimony to the inherent dangers of any zealotry and the inanity of what actually ensued from 9/11. That being said, it is more likely my own bias as a Peacenik that made this work difficult to finish. Quite frankly, I have an impossible time finding ANY 'good guys'.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

What if there were never any snakes in Ireland and that crafty chap just took credit for it? Good one, Pat. Enjoy the green rivers of Chicago and all the green beer. I'm going to celebrate never again having my Mom force feed me corned beef and cabbage. Bleck! Dad's deep fried snake, on the other hand, wasn't that bad.

(Any questions why I am the way I am? Didn't think so.)

WA Senators Rock!

I've been a proud and vocal supporter of these women since their beginnings, and they just keep proving themselves worthy. A group of female Senate Democrats led by Cantwell and fellow WA Sen. Patty Murray marched Thursday to the Capitol to protest what they say is just the latest in an all out assault on women's rights. The latest stand concerns continuation of the Violence Against Women Act. Conservatives (meaning women hating GOP) oppose parts, including expansion of protection for same-sex couples and allowing temporary visas for battered illegal immigrants.

So if yer agin' the bill, does that mean yer FOR beating women, gays, and the undocumented? Abuse is abuse and shouldn't contain categories of victims. Shame on all of you Puritan idiots and bless the formidable Sen. Cantwell for telling the NYT, "I am furious. We're mad, and we're tired of it."

Ides of March

It's one of those days, although I rarely indulge in superstition. Discovered a new leak that has to be fixed. The pond in the side yard is finally filling up, due to Monsoon Season. No, there's not supposed to be one there. And I left the good flashlight on all night, after changing cords on back of computer, depleting those 4 whopping batteries. Fortunately, we now have 10 minutes of sunshine and I'm smart enough not to operate any dangerous machinery - until tomorrow.

Good luck out there. If your beer is green before Sat., don't drink it.

Past is Present

One of the bugaboos King's book describes is the difficulty of singles buying condoms in 60s, and how the mere suspicion of an illicit affair could damage a woman's life beyond redemption. Not so for the good ol' boys - cause they're just bein' boys, doncha know! Limbaugh's comments display how much that has NOT changed.

When are you gonna get mad enough to say screw you, ladies? Oh wait, then you'd have to decide betweeen whether you were a slut or a prostitute. I'm past being either now, but was both in so many ways. No apologies. Je ne regrette rien! 'Cept that no changing thing.

11/22/63

If I could say nothing else about King's latest, I would have to praise his ability to inform those who came after what that incident did to us. Much like Capote's In Cold Blood, it destroyed our illusion of safety - but this time on a global scale. What the Cuban Missile Crisis started, the assassination finished. But it turns out to be far more than that, a form of string theory. And what King does to his beloved Maine in a future scenario is hilarious, and quite possibly his wish for the present, given our current state. The other truth would be for those of us who feared he might have 'lost it' after that awful accident - he didn't.

Likable, flawed characters, in both protagonist and antagonist categories, which is a seminal feat in fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed the altered history lessons and the plot. More importantly, he finally answered that question. Would you if you could? For me anyway. Kudos on a new twist for an old subject, Mr. King.

Bad Signs

I had noticed that the White Elephant type stores were begging for volunteers on their signs. It didn't surprise me that they weren't getting any. Most of the locals I know can't afford gas to go to a real job interview, if they could find one of those. And gas prices have finally topped 4 bucks here, in one, big 20 cent leap. I try not to go to town more than twice a month because I have little expendable cash, as well. But my jaw actually dropped as I passed our County version of Goodwill on Saturday. The big space they'd opened as an annex, less than a year ago, was empty and they'd receded to their former, smaller store.

We are isolated here, so it did not surprise me when our Main St. lacked only the tumbleweeds to begin resembling Boot Hill. But when a thrift store can't make it, you know the economy is in the dumpster. Are you listening DC? Of course not; they have no worries and don't want to change anything. Aside from profiting butt-loads on their portfolios, they don't have to worry. We subsidize their privileged lifestyles. Something has to happen, and maybe it will if we vote them all out. Doubt it, but what other course do we have left?