The 2007 Non-traditional Christmas Letter

Due to popular request, I post it here:

"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them."
-- Ray Bradbury

In the blur that was the summer, a report from the Associated Press caught my attention. One in 4 Americans did not read a single book in the last year! Even if you don’t work in publishing, it should be a startling and terrifying statistic. It says a lot & nothing good. It’s been a rough year as I’m sure most everyone is aware so I offer you the alternative Christmas letter this year. I give you one of my favorite books for each month & why I recommend it to you. Whether you are one of the 25% or the 75%, I hope you’ll find at least one new prospect here. If reading has never been your thing or if you think that life is just too busy to crack a book then I hope you’ll find just 5 minutes a day to try one of these. Or select something to all read together as FAMILY Time! Enjoy! In no particular order:
1. Because laughter is the best medicine, Dr. Dogbody’s Leg by James C. Hall. You’ll have to borrow this from the library or buy from a used bookstore, but don’t let the cover scare you off. A dusty old naval classic this may be, but it’s hilarous! 18th century retired naval surgeon Dr. Dogbody, he with the wooden limb, spends a lot of time at the local pub. Visitors can’t help but wonder how he lost his leg and Dr. Dogbody is happy to relate the tale, or rather the different & more preposterous tale each time! The language is spectacular (& I don’t mean of the 4-letter variety.)
2. I mostly read mysteries, and this one is a gem! An Instance of the Fingerpost by Ian Pears is the “heir-apparent” to The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, both considered masterpieces. It’s got a significant spine-width and it’s full of English history; Protestantism vs. Catholicism, heresy and witch-hunts, etc. But, don’t let that stop you because none of that will slow you down! Here is the same story told by four narrators, each a “player” in the events and only when all four have given you their version will the truths be sorted from the lies, the motivations and the deep, dark, secrets be revealed.
3. Living in Iowa, it seems only right to recommend The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. Whether you are familiar or not with Iowa, you’ll be nodding your head and trying not to wet your pants in some parts of this. Is it his best work yet? Probably not. It’s hard to beat A Walk in the Woods about his trip on the Appalachian Trail. But, this is the new one and like I said, about Iowa.
4. It’s easy to forget the breadth & variety of offerings on this large planet & also to miss the huge role we humans have played in shaping it. The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan is about human desires and the influence we’ve had on 4 plants you probably think you know quite a bit about: Apples, Tulips, Marijuana, & Potatoes. (Alright, 3 you’ll admit to knowing about. The 4th you’ve only heard of.) They aren’t the plants they used to be, in part because of us and what we’ve wanted from them! If you like this, try Tulipomania by Mike Dash. Read more about the 17th century tulip in Holland, when obsession overcame reason, and men paid more than the price of a home or a ship in some instances for a single bulb, that had yet to bloom! It really makes you stop and think about what you could “lose your head” over. Ebay anyone?
5. My 2nd mystery recommendation comes from probably my very favorite contemporary mystery author, Elizabeth George. Her Inspector Lynley series began with A Great Deliverance. This is not CSI material, with DNA analysis & fingerprints defining “who-done-it” and gory crime scene details. This is all about motivation. Personalities. It’s only by getting to know the suspects that the answer can be learned. And the investigators also have their own motivations & prejudices which may help them or hurt them. These are impeccably constructed mysteries. No formulas here.
6. This takes place in one of my favorite east coast haunts, Portland, Maine. Another offering from someone who uses language in a rich & layered way, without being complicated or high-brow. The characters are a real treat in this first of seven tales to feature the “club” founded in this book, The Moosepath League. I dare you not to laugh! Try Cordelia Underwood by Van Reed.
7. Even in & especially in the face of crisis, our friends and our relationships are really all we have. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner is a beautiful story of two couples, and a friendship that endures despite many heartaches. He also wrote the masterful novel, Angle of Repose. I always think of it as the “if only…” novel. Acceptance, forgiveness and love- the giving or withholding will make all the difference in the outcome but one can never turn the clock backwards.
8. They say imitation is the ultimate flattery but spin-off’s are rarely as good as the original. Sherlock Holmes is one of those characters that some people just can’t get enough of but few writers can get right. In Laurie King’s The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, the 1st of this excellent series, Holmes plays second chair to a young female protégé. If Irene Adler was the first woman to demonstrate her equality to Holmes in A Scandal in Bohemia, then Mary Russell is the second to do so. In Goodnight, Mr. Holmes by Carole Nelson Douglas the same Irene Adler tells her side of the story that made her famous as the only woman Holmes really respected, and perhaps, loved? This series is also wonderful!
9. For most people, Hugh Laurie of House, MD fame, was a relative newcomer when that show debuted in the US. But, as those fond of Masterpiece Theatre and Brit-coms like Blackadder will tell you, Hugh’s been a World class actor for decades. And his creative talent runs over into other mediums. The Gunseller by Hugh Laurie is now back in print. This is part spy novel, part farce. Frankly, sarcasm is under-rated. People who still think it’s a lower form of humor just haven’t mastered it!
10. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that it took the A&E 6 hour mini-series of Pride and Prejudice for me to finally GET Jane Austen. The words were just flat, the story just another dry, lifeless piece of old literature to be ticked off in some class. After the movie, I reread it and it was like I’d never seen it before. So, I encourage you to give something Classic a try again by watching the movie version and seeing if there isn’t something there for you and then go back to the book. The book is ALWAYS better (well, The English Patient proved that wrong) so it USUALLY is. These days if it’s on any top 100 must-be-read list, they’ve made the movie. Moby Dick? War of the Worlds? Dickens? Cather? Try one!
11. If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, Russia, or the former USSR, is undergoing tremendous change, again. Very few Americans really know that much about it or it’s past. Edward Rutherfurd’s Russka details that varied and complicated past by explaining it through the lives of fictional families through centuries & how they rode the waves of historical change. Like a visitor in a time-machine, he propels you via short stops into the life events of these varied peoples as well as the real political leaders through time, both Great & Terrible, that created or destroyed what was & is, Russia. Like him? Try London next or Sarum, which includes a possible version on how and why Stonehenge was built.
12. Lastly, give The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman a try. YES, that Golden Compass! The one much slandered by a bunch of idiots who probably never read it. It’s a wonderful STORY, & while completely lacking in any religion, is no call to atheism! We don’t seem to have any problem with the fairies in Cinderella or the other Disney classics for having no religious context & being fantasy-based. The world is full of problems and ugliness. Why add to that by denying kids another enjoyable make-believe world to visit? Support literacy, not banning books!

The score--- Me vs. Bike

5:00 pm--Trying to talk myself back onto the stationary bike this evening. The argument has been heated and included a lot of name calling. We'll see what happens. It is no longer surrounded by a 5 foot high wall of stuff, but the dust will take hours to shovel off. That may buy me an extra day reprieve.

6:05 pm- Score: Me-1, Bike- 0. My brain was against the bike. Then my "seat" piped up with a reminder of how uncomfortable it is to ride. Then the waistline spoke up and said that another winter like last without riding and a new wardrobe would be needed. Then the brain said that all funds for a new wardrobe have been budgeted for next year's trip to Europe. After much yelling and profanity, it was Bike -1, Me-0. But ha, ha! The tires are flat so no riding until I get a pump!! Take that Bike!!

6:50 pm- The bike is downstairs sniffling. I heard it whimper things about "not being appreciated" & "neglect". Upstairs the two "10 minute workout" videos are whispering hopefully, but they are in for a let down as well. They were all smiley and preening when they arrived a week ago. I had given the one a Netflicks trial and had committed myself to 5 nights a week. It worked as long as I knew I was using a "rental" slot to keep it. As soon as my personal copies showed, then "what's the rush?" The dance moves one is probably going to take slow-motion and several tries to even figure out the steps. That was an easy excuse to can it for awhile. I love it when they come with a built in reason why you can't readily use them! Tomorrow I have dinner plans after work and Friday, I'm going to my cousin's to help with the trick or treaters. I might be able to commit to getting the bike pump this weekend but that's all I can promise right now.

8:00--The Sirens that live in the pantry have begun their melodious song as they often do. They know that by mid-evening I'm weak and easily lured by tantalizing promises. They usually take the form of Tostitos, singing of their tasty, salty charms and how "healthy" & delectable they are with salsa: the savory sweetness of the tomatoes, the zesty bite of the peppers, the miraculous blending of their other-worldy deliciousness. If only I could put wax in my ears like Odysseus' men or be tied to my chair like Odysseus himself. But alas, as I sit there, usually watching tv, my ears unplugged and unguarded against their music, I suddenly realize I've made my way to them and have salsa in one hand and a bag of chips in the other. That's when the bike snickers from downstairs. It probably bribes them to sing. The more I fall victim to them, the sooner the bike knows I'll be back!

What constitutes a negative ad & how do we prevent them?

The last debate brought up the issue of the negative ads. I won't pretend here that I haven't chosen sides already. But that said, for me things REALLY get negative when the character attacks start. True, it would be great if a candidate only talked about their own campaign, their own plans and never once mentioned the opponent. I suppose that would constitute only "positive" ads. The downside to that of course is if the positive ads are only full of lies, then how does the truth get out there? And thus it starts. What I really wish was that each candidate could only comment on their own plans and themselves. If the other campaign (Candidate B) thought that there was misleading or erroneous info in that "positive ad" by Candidate A, they could pay a non-partisan, fact-checking group (FCG )to advertise the "inconsistencies". The FCG's could be agreed to in advance. The ad by the FCG would only address the incorrect or misleading info in Candiate A's ad. No comments about Candidate B or their plan. No comparing the two plans. No attacking Candiate A. Just, "This ad by Candidate A said this, but facts say that the following comment is incorrect, over-stated, misleading, whatever. That's it. Just like the news media has been doing after the debates. So-and-so said this number but it's that number.

Everyone from the Sunday Parade Magazine to Newsweek to the Wall Street Journal has been crunching the numbers and reviewing the claims. Why can't this be the way the ads are handled. Not candidate A & B attacking each other and repudiating each other's claims. I have hardly seen any ads from McCain that are really just about McCain. Even if I wanted to vote for McCain I've barely heard anything from his campaign that I would describe as "positive" ads. If Obama correcting the lies being told about him are negative ads, then perhaps Obama has spent a lot of money on negative ads. But a candidate having to restate his position and refute lies being told doesn't really count as a negative ad as far as I'm concerned. The Swiftboat ads were negative ads. Ads that attempt to link Obama to William Ayres and Acorn are negative ads. But I think this all is just the unfortunate way politics is handled. Next time around, I hope a candiate can ONLY talk about themselves. Can only talk about their programs and policies. Can NOT mention or even alude to their opposition. And the ads repudiating has to come from an FCG. If no one wants to spend their money on "correction" ads, they don't have to. But they can't do it themselves. Just a thought.

Who'd have thought...& Susan B. Anthony is rolling in her grave!

If you had told me a year ago that I'd have not one but two blogs, I'd have thought you were crazy. But I saw an article a few weeks ago, in Newsweek I think about how blogging could be therapeutic, and I thought, "maybe it's time to start releasing some of this pent-up commentary that is keeping me awake!" This topic of blogging therapy is not new but I finally decided to take it to heart & see if it might prove to give me a means of venting and getting stuff off my chest. There's a lot going on in the world, and in my own world that get's me going, and I'll probably have much to vent about later on a variety of topics. But right now, what has me really steaming is "Lipstick."

So...Susan B. Anthony's unpeaceful rest.

Women have labored for centuries to be respected and acknowledged for having the capacity for analytical thought and the ability to learn and understand complicated concepts and topics. Bottom-line, we're not idiots. We are and can be every bit as discerning or intelligent as men. We don't only think with our emotions. We don't cower when faced with real world issues, or mathematical equations. One hundred years ago, Susan B. Anthony was in the midst of the Suffragette battle to get women acknowledged as having the same rights as men, and finally in 1920 women in the US were given that right by way of the 19th Amendment. It didn't mean that women were immediately respected and treated as though they were equal. In many ways that battle continues today. And lately, I've been listening to women talk, especially about "Lipstick", and I cringe! How will we ever be TRUELY respected, when women talk openly, in public, and sometimes ON CAMERA, and say such STUPID, SHALLOW, BRAINLESS things!?!

What I'm hearing is talk about Sarah Palin, obviously, the queen of pitbulls and cosmetics, and personal vendettas. What I'm hearing a lot of women saying is, "She's so cute! She's so young! I love her glasses!!" They giggle and talk about how they like her for these reasons! They love the "lipstick" comments and they even have buttons about it. They don't have a single word to say about economic issues, medicare solutions, or how she's going to make out in a face-to-face with Putin. They are demonstrating EXACTLY the characteristics that had men treating them condescendingly, and as if they had only a child's level of capacity to think and analyze serious real-world issues for centuries. I find myself thinking, "these women should NOT have the right to vote! They are treating this election like some survey in a fashion magazine deciding whether Britney Spears or Jada Pinkett-Smith wore that green dress from Robert Cavalli to the best effect!!"

I'm ashamed! I'm embarrassed! I'm disgusted! I'm appalled! I bite my lips as they launch this dialogue and try not to puke! These comments suggest they are shallow pin-heads who can only focus on the shiny, flashy bits but have no capacity to look at anything deep, substantive or important! And then there is motherhood and the subject of "being a woman." I'm eager for a woman to someday be the president or the vice-president, but not just ANY woman! Having a womb, used or otherwise, and what she is wearing are NOT the basis by which we should be judging a candidate and her appropriateness of being in that position! And this applies to the Hillary supporters who have decided they need to vote for McPalin because their first choice didn't win. How could they have understood anything Hillary thought or believed in and her position on important issues, and agreed with her, and then moved to McPalin because she didn't win the nomination?! What did they understand and agree with? Her lipstick color?

The much maligned Britney Spears is a woman and a mother! Is she just as viable of an option for vice-president?! If she get's cool glasses (& dresses a wee bit more conservatively) will she be equally qualified? Is this who you want in the number two position? McCain's camp seemed to think otherwise when they attempted to compare Obama to her and Paris Hilton. But, boy don't they love it and ride the skirt-tails of the "celebrity" they have brought on-board themselves? HOW ironic! How sickening that women on both sides have abdicated their ability to think beyond the "lipstick" and the X chromosomes!

I heard this situation described as a really bad Disney movie, and isn't it just?! You have some small town "soccer mom" who turns a friendly local mayorial contest into a highly polarized, backstabbing, vengeful campaign and wins. I'm picturing Terri Garr or Shelley Long. She does the same thing to become a Governor of a state that has the population of Memphis, TN, only more remote, and spread out into tiny municipalities, many of which aren't even connected to each other with a highway. Clearly the cost of keeping up the roads can't be that high! When her old co-candidate, the president, passes away, she finds herself living in the White House, with her finger on the button, and the movie now suddenly takes on a very un-Disney tone, and you've got this soccer mom, facing dilemmas more reminescent of "Syriana" and "United Flight 93" and "September 11th". OH! I don't think I want to watch that movie devolve into "Independence Day" and "The Day After!" No happy endings for this Disney movie.

Poor Susan B. Anthony! I'm guessing she never wore lipstick. I'm guessing she must be rolling in her grave about now. And if lipstick wins out this November, we'll probably all be in there with her.