Fenwick vs. Felicity
Students earn scholarships
Minster vs. Southeastern
Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..Home > Blogs > Book Nook > Archives > 2009 > September
September 2009
“Why Women Have Sex”
Just read an article by Tanya Gold in the Guardian about a new book. The title is “Why Women Have Sex”(Times Books).
Gold says that “It is by Cindy Meston, a clinical psychologist, and David Buss, an evolutionary psychologist. It is a very thick, bulging book. I’ve never really wondered Why Women Have Sex. But after years of not asking the question, the answer is splayed before me.
Meston and Buss have interviewed 1,006 women from all over the world about their sexual motivation, and in doing so they have identified 237 different reasons why women have sex. Not 235. Not 236. But 237. And what are they? From the reams of confessions, it emerges that women have sex for physical, emotional and material reasons; to boost their self-esteem, to keep their lovers, or because they are raped or coerced. Love? That’s just a song. We are among the bad apes now.”
237, eh?
To read the entire article click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment | Categories: secret passions
Sarah Palin knocks down Glenn Beck then Dan Brown…
Holy Halibut! I just checked the Amazon.com hourly sales chart again and the upcoming memoir by Sarah Palin, “Going Rogue” has just bumped Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol” out of the top spot.
Palin’s book only entered the chart 2 days ago. Earlier today it blew past Glenn Beck’s “Arguing With Idiots. Now it has swamped Dan Brown. Amazing.
The book doesn’t even have cover art yet. Wow! The Palin book is kicking some you know what….
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: in the Amazone
Sarah Palin bounces Glenn Beck…
Sarah Palin’s forthcoming memoir “Going Rogue: An American Life” is selling like Baked Alaska.
I just checked the hourly sales chart over at Amazon.com. Lo and behold, the Palin book is pre-selling like oil futures in the Arctic Refuge. Her book is so hot that it might be contributing to global warming. She just bounced Glenn Beck’s new book down a slot. Here are the top three books last hour on Amazon:
“The Lost Symbol” by Dan Brown
“Going Rogue: An American Life” by Sarah Palin
“Arguing with Idiots” by Glenn Beck
Palin bounced Beck - now the Beck book has an arrow pointing down. That means that Beck’s sales are declining at the moment and I would speculate that Sarah’s rising sales are partially the cause. Some book buyers might be choosing the Palin book over the Beck book right now.
Sarah’s sales might be cannibalizing Glenn’s. Don’t you just love the free market? Sarah might be bouncing little Trig on her knee right now while her gusher of sales is bouncing Beck down the charts. Drill, baby, drill….
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: in the Amazone
Discover your friend facts…
The social networking site Facebook has a certain viral quality that is difficult to ignore. Those morons who attracted the attention of the Secret Service recently for creating a poll on Facebook that asked people to vote on whether our President should suffer mortal injury are an extreme consequence of another Facebook social application running amuck. Some people are not living in the real world…
Here’s the latest one. You can Discover your Friend Facts. When you click on some clever widget it will calculate stats based on what your Facebook friends have supposedly said about their proclivities. Many of my friends would be less than willing to reveal this kind of personal information so the sample has to be a tad incomplete. Even so, here are the results from this survey of my Facebook friends:
Gender breakdown: 49% female / 51% male
Relationship status: 56% single / 44% taken
Political breakdown: 94% democrats / 6% republicans
Geographic distribution: 13 countries, 34 states
Most common zodiac sign: Virgo (49 friends)
Favorite music: Blues (13 friends)
Favorite TV show: Lost (16 friends)
Favorite movie: (12 friends)
Favorite book: (9 friends)
Favorite activity: Reading (25 friends)
That final statistic is the only one that really matters to me.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: scribbles and scraps
“Going Rogue” with Sarah Palin…
Wow! When publishers want a book to come out before the holidays they pull out all of the stops. Sarah Palin’s memoir will be out sooner than expected. According to the LA Times book blog, Paper Cuts:
“Announced just four months ago, Sarah Palin’s memoir, “Going Rogue: An American Life,” will be on shelves in time for Christmas. In fact, with a release date of Nov. 17, it’ll be in stores by Thanksgiving — that’s instead of the originally scheduled spring release date.”
To read more click HERE:
Do you plan to read it?
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: politicked
“When Jesus Lived in India…”
Now and then I’ll see a book that makes me stop and say What?~
I recently happened upon such a book. “When Jesus Lived in India - the Quest for the Aquarian Gospel: the Mystery of the Missing Years” (Watkins) by Alan Jacobs attempts to shed some light on the 18 year period in the life of Jesus (between ages 12 and 30) when there is a huge gap in the Biblical account. Where was Jesus during that period?
Was he in India? Tibet? Kashmir? What can we discover about those “missing years”?
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Those “nattering nabobs of negativism…”
William Safire died today. He was a writer - I remember him best for coining the phrase “nattering nabobs of negativism…” in reference to the media. Vice President Spiro Agnew famously employed that term in a speech. The so-called “liberal media elite” has been a whipping boy for generations of sharp tongued critics like Safire. He knew the media well. He was a part of it.
Safire never graduated from college. He was also proud of that fact. He was an unusual man. His politics were conservative. For many years he wrote for the New York Times. He was a word lover. Every Sunday I used to look forward to his column in the Times where he looked at our English language. He was a brilliant and difficult fellow. I’m reminded of the late William F. Buckley; another conservative - an intellectual - and a lover of language.
The New York Times reported that: “Mr. Safire called Hillary Clinton a “congenital liar” in print. Mrs. Clinton said she was offended only for her mother’s sake. But a White House aide said that Bill Clinton, “if he were not president, would have delivered a more forceful response on the bridge of Mr. Safire’s nose.”
Mr. Safire was delighted, especially with the proper use of the conditional.”
To read more on Safire click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: we remember
Glenn Beck argues with idiots…
I read the entire book, the graphs, the charts, the jokes. I even looked at the pictures…
Here’s my review…click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (25) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Stephen Colbert on “blackwashing”
Somebody just sent me a link to a video clip of the author and comedian Stephen Colbert’s Comedy Central program from yesterday. Check it out by clicking HERE:
Comedy bonus: Qaddafi on Facebook:
and one more: the nadir of western civilization this afternoon…:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: laughable
“Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio”
Every few weeks I make a point of checking to see what Amazon.com’s #1 customer reviewer Harriet Klausner is up to. Harriet recently broke the 20,000 review mark. She claims to have read and reviewed 20,035 books for Amazon through today. Believe it or not. I don’t. She may have written all those reviews but I find it impossible to comprehend that anybody could have read that many books over the time period that she has been posting her “reviews.”
And for someone who has “written” that many of them they are usually mediocre. Some are even atrocious. She reviews a lot of romance. She just reviewed one that she describes as “a wonderful warm historical Americana romance.” It does have a catchy title though:
“Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio”. Lisa Harris wrote it.
I like that. Apparently there is an entire series of these romances; Love Finds You in….(name the small town)…
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: in the Amazone
“Juliet, Naked”
The new book from Nick Hornby…
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Ken Burns on our National Parks…
Documentary film maker Ken Burns has applied his cinematic brush to some daunting canvases; Baseball, Jazz, War.
His latest project is a tribute to our National Parks. As you would expect, this series will be airing soon on PBS. There’s also a lovely companion volume to accompany this series, The National Parks - America’s Best Idea.
For more about the book click HERE:
To read an interview with Ken Burns click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: escapism
McKenzie Phillips slept with her own father? Yuck!
Just got back from lunch and saw the headlines: the actress McKenzie Phillips has confessed that she slept with her dad on the night before her wedding. Daddy was the former pop star John Phillips (The Mamas and the Papas). So much for my lunch….(cringe).
Phillips tells all in her new memoir, “High on Arrival”. Is that the kind of stuff that you want to read about?
For the story click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: clearing the cobwebs
Dinner with Sarah Palin…
Did you hear about the eBay auction for a dinner with Sarah Palin?
According to the Alaska Dispatch, “According to The Associated Press, Cathy Maples of Huntsville, Ala., won today’s Ebay auction with a $63,500 bid, earning the right to dine with Saran Palin, likely in Alaska.”
According to the article, Maples beat out Joe McGinniss in the auction. In a previous post they stated that:
“Winning the auction would be a boon to McGinniss, who says in his email, “I think such a dinner would be the perfect way to kick off the reporting for my new book: Sarah Palin’s Year of Living Dangerously. (To be published by Broadway/Random House in fall of 2011.)”
McGinniss is best known to Alaskans for having written Going to Extremes, a 1980 book chronicling the madness and fast-dealing that gripped the Last Frontier during the 1970s oil-pipeline boom, a fantastic tale full of crusty characters like Halibut Cove czar Clem Tillion, then-oil flack and journalist Tom Brennan, and former Anchorage Daily News editor and McClatchy Co. executive Howard Weaver, then a young, idealistic journalist who was going to change the world with his weekly rag, the Alaska Advocate.”
To read the entire post click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: what do you think?
The latest from Glenn Beck…
On the cover of Time Magazine. Interviewed on CBS News by Katie Couric. His latest book, “Arguing With Idiots” will be out on Tuesday.
I’ll have a review for you this Sunday…
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
That icky John Edwards….
With all the politicians embroiled in sex scandals these days it is hard to keep them all straight. One thing seems to link most of them though; jaw dropping stupidity.
Uh, I was on the Appalachian Trail. Uh, I didn’t know that microphone was live. Uh, when I sent those e-mails to teenaged Congressional pages I was feeling lonely. Uh, when the undercover cop signaled to me from under that bathroom stall I thought he just wanted to have coffee. Uh, when I met those hookers in various hotels I was only trying to find something that my wife could not provide…right!
Yesterday, I read an article about the former US Senator and Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards that had my jaw dropping all the way to the floor.
A former aide to Edwards had a change of Hart (get it? a reference to another sexually shamed Dem past prez hopeful, former Colorado Senator Gary Hart). This aide had agreed to pretend that he was the father of the child that actually might be the child of his former boss, John Edwards.
Now the former aide has been pitching a book deal to publishers and some of the more salacious allegations about Edwards are seeing the light of day. Here’s a really icky claim by Mr. Young, the former aide - it left me astonished:
“In the proposal, which The New York Times examined, Mr. Young says that he assisted the affair by setting up private meetings between Mr. Edwards and Ms. Hunter. He wrote that Mr. Edwards once calmed an anxious Ms. Hunter by promising her that after his wife died, he would marry her in a rooftop ceremony in New York with an appearance by the Dave Matthews Band.”
(Ms. Hunter is the mother of the child of questionable paternity). Doesn’t that make your skin crawl?
To read the article click HERE:
And while we are on the subject of family values, there’s a new book coming out about Fidel Castro. click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: The melting slushpile
Public radio’s biggest star…
“Pilgrims — a Wobegon Romance” by Garrison Keillor (Viking, 297 pages, $25.95)
Garrison Keillor dreamed up his public radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion,” 35 years ago. At the center of this enduring entertainment is the imaginary town of Lake Wobegon, Minn.
Such a busy fellow — he writes for radio and newspapers, and he has written a pile of books. The newest one is “Pilgrims — a Wobegon Romance.” This is Keillor’s first Lake Wobegon book set outside of Minnesota, and he has made himself into a character for this one. This imaginary Gary Keillor inhabits the pages along with his own fictional creations. He hosts a radio show. You know the one.
In “Pilgrims,” Gary Keillor pays a visit to his hometown, the fictional Lake Wobegon, to give a speech to the Thanatopsis Women’s Club. Via a series of ridiculous misunderstandings he gets stuck footing the bill for a dozen residents of the town to fly off to Rome, Italy, to honor a Lake Wobegonian, a WWII hero buried there. Gary Keillor tags along.
He describes things in his novels that he would never dare to mention on the radio. In “Pilgrims” some of his funniest bits are pure self-deprecation. If you are a fan of his radio show, you know that he loves any excuse to sing. His bio on the cover flap of “Pilgrims” extolls his singing ability. Have you ever heard him sing?
On the flight over “a woman recognized Mr. Keillor and chose that moment to tell him that she used to listen to his radio show. She emphasized the ‘used to’ as if it were some odd aberration like being addicted to butterscotch. ‘I have one word of advice for you,’ she said. ‘Don’t sing. Someone should have told you this years ago. You’re not a singer. Don’t sing.’ ”
Therein lies the charm of the book; as Gary Keillor lurks about the periphery of this tale, observing these Minnesotans getting their first taste of Italy, they are not remotely impressed by the big radio star. Keillor’s self-mocking humor is simply delightful throughout “Pilgrims.”
Here’s another example: “Four million people, tuning in to hear Mr. Keillor’s quiet monotone murmuring on about the weather and gardening and how he threw a tomato at his sister. Unbelievable. How empty people’s lives must be. But of course on any given day there are millions in nursing homes, unable to reach the OFF knob — millions more in correctional institutions where a cruel warden might force entire cell blocks to endure two hours of folksy chuckles.”
“She’d heard his radio show a few times, while running errands on Saturday, twisted the radio dial and there he was, murmuring away, telling stories about a gloomy small town she didn’t recognize at all, full of righteous yokels addicted to tuna hot dish. Oh well.”
“Pilgrims” showcases Keillor’s remarkable humor while incorporating elements of intrigue, angst and that requisite small-town conservatism. It becomes a morality fable with a couple of slick twists and some old-fashioned suspense. Keillor’s radio fans should love this one.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: laughable
“Kite Runner” author pays secret visit to Afghanistan…
Khaled Hosseini, the author of “The Kite Runner”, just made a top secret visit to his homeland. The author is so famous and his book was so controversial there that he had to travel incognito.
The Washington Post reported that:
“But precisely because of that high profile, Hosseini’s U.N. hosts and handlers felt he was so vulnerable to attack here that his visit had to be virtually incognito. Each of his stops was unannounced, and he was never introduced by name. All trips outside the capital were nixed, and the Afghan press was not notified of his visit. There were no literary gatherings, no receptions, no public events. It was not only the Taliban the U.N. feared, it was public opinion.”
To read the article click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: escapism
Ted Rall picks the cartoons of the week…
Ted Rall is an author, columnist, and political cartoonist. He’s also a former Daytonian. Rall graduated from high school in Kettering.
Rall is now selecting his favorite political cartoons each week for The Daily Beast. This week he picked some really good ones. A couple of them feature ACORN.
Check’em out by clicking HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: laughable
Eat your feelings…
People are way too serious, lately. Time to lighten it up…
I stumbled upon a hilarious new cookbook, “Eat Your Feelings - Recipes for Self-Loathing” by Heather Whaley (Hudson Street Press) features real recipes blended with neurotic humor.
Here are some examples:
Best Friend is a Total Bitch Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Staying Together for the Children Chicken Tetrazzini
You Saw a Group of Girls You Went to High School With and You Were Their Waitress Chipotle Beans and Rice
He Likes Your Roommate Key Lime Pie
Home Fries for the Uninsured
Slept with Your Professor and he Still Gave You a D Baked Brie
Every recipe is real. Each one comes with snide and clever patter detailing the particular disaster which inspired that food binge. Yum!
(Foodie bonus: click HERE:)
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: laughable
The new Oprah book…
This press release just came in:
” The Washington Post reports today that Uwem Akpan’s “Say You’re One of Them” is the next selection in Oprah’s Book Club. The title was unintentionally leaked Thursday from a book distribution company and is Winfrey’s first pick of short fiction. The Oprah Winfrey Show will not confirm the advance speculation until the official announcement on the show that airs today.”
This collection of short stories set in Africa is the author’s first book. He is a native of Nigeria. These stories are deeply painful tales about African children who are dealing with war and violence. Even so, they can be somewhat uplifting.
Akpan is a Jesuit priest. He graduated from the University of Michigan with an MFA in creative writing in 2006.
Currently at #619 on the Amazon sales chart. It should be top ten material within 24 hours…the magic of Oprah’s Book Club….
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
Twittering the classics…
I still don’t give a tweet about Twitter. But I do really care about literature. When I heard that they were Twittering the classics of literature and calling it Twitterature, I noticed.
OK, I’m amused.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Did George W. Bush re-invent the Republican Party?
The former George W. Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer’s book is creating some ripples.
According to an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal:
“A new book by Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer, “Speechless: Tales of a White House Survivor,” describes a conversation that Mr. Latimer had before the president addressed the annual CPAC conference, the largest gathering of conservative activists in the country. Mr. Bush objected to language in the draft of his remarks that attempted to identify the president with the conservative “movement.”
The piece clarifies what Mr. Bush meant:
“Mr. Bush, sensing his speechwriter was perplexed, finally filled in the blanks. “Look, I know this probably sounds arrogant to say,” Mr. Bush said, “but I redefined the Republican Party.”
To read the article click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: politicked
Yummy! Bacon Beer is here…
Will it be available soon? According to New York Magazine:
“Unfortunately, the answer is nyet. Brooklyn Brewery made 21 cases of Reinschweinsgebot for special events, which isn’t enough for even limited commercial distribution. And don’t expect it to go wide anytime soon. Oliver tells us that “the technique we used — which comes originally out of the perfume industry — involves transferring an aroma from a fat to a liquid without actually transferring the fat itself. Then to completely remove the fat and have none left in the liquid, it was very tricky.” However, he says he’s open to finding a way to simplify the process so that plebeians can one day enjoy bacon beer, too. Fingers crossed.”
Kind of expensive, too….
Read all about it by clicking HERE:
Would you try it?
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: secret passions
The Chinese love our chicken feet…
About 20 years ago I used to pop in for dim sum at a Chinese restaurant in Des Moines - mostly on Saturdays at around noon. I liked the dim sum.
They had a whole menu of these little plates of various appetizers. My first clue that this might be a good place to eat was the fact that most of the patrons were Chinese.
One part of the menu was not translated into English. My usual waiter, an older gent, probably one of the owners, had a rudimentary mastery of the English language. I would point at something and he would try to explain to me what that menu item would be. Often, he could not describe it.
One day I pointed out an item and when my waiter saw what it was he got nervous. He said, No, I would not like that. I would never want that. So, of course, I ordered it.
Lo and behold it was served to me; a plate of chicken feet. They had been marinated in some sort of delicious sauce. They were wonderful. I ordered them whenever I went back there, which amused the waiter to no end.
I hadn’t thought about chicken feet in years. Then today I read a fascinating article about chicken feet.
The other day the United States placed a 35% tariff on the flood of inexpensive Chinese made tires coming in to the country. Naturally, the Chinese are not amused. We buy a lot of their tires and this makes them less competitively priced.
The Chinese fired back. They buy a lot of American chicken products. They want to put tariffs on the chicken. That is where the chicken feet come in. Apparently millions of those chicken feet that American palates don’t appreciate are exported to China. The Chinese are crazy about our chicken feet. Ours are the best, wouldn’t you think?
That passion for chicken feet might throw a monkey wrench in Chinese plans to slap duties on USA chicken. Amazing!
I have been looking in all of my cookbooks and I cannot find a single recipe for chicken feet. Does anybody know how they are prepared?
To read the article click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: secret passions
Serena Williams never uses profanity…
Swear it on a stack of Bibles - on the Girl Scout handbook. On the….click HERE
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
Did George W. Bush mock Sarah Palin?
According to a new book by the former Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer, he did. In his book “Speech Less - Tales of a White House Survivor”, Latimer claims that W had this to say about Sarah Palin: “I’m trying to remember if I’ve met her before. What is she, the governor of Guam?”
And that’s not all. Bush uttered witticisms about politicians on both sides of the aisle. As if politicians are not usually generating sufficient amusement through their own merits (or lack thereof). Let’s see: sex scandals, tax evasion, blurting out insults, is that microphone turned on? The list appears to be endless…
To read more click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (34) | Post your comment | Categories: that's what they say
Glenn Beck versus Dan Brown…
Today is the day. The Lost Symbol, the much hyped and ballyhooed sequel to The Da Vinci Code is officially out. Dan Brown’s last book sold over 81 million copies. This one won’t. No way. Impossible. It should do well, though.
Some bookstores stayed open past midnight last night to be able to be the first ones to sell the book. I was waiting at the curb this morning. I expected an armored car to arrive with my copy of the book delivered by a phalanx of armed guards. I was hoping they would be Blackwater thugs - ( a guy can dream-ha!)….
The UPS truck pulled up at 9:01 this morning. (I have the best UPS driver on the planet).
There it was, my package from Brown’s publisher, Random House. That’s funny? It is too small? No way there is a book in there?!
I opened it. Yes, it was the new Dan Brown book (sort of). It was the new Dan Brown audiobook. Merde!~
Oh well, I’m half way through Arguing With Idiots - the latest book from Glenn Beck. I suppose I’ll finish it then listen to the Dan Brown….hopefully, the actual book will arrive today from FedEx….
To read an excerpt from the new Dan Brown click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Google flips out on newspapers…
Check this out:
Is this the future? “Google Fast Flip”?
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
Masonic secrets…
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the big day. The new Dan Brown book, “The Lost Symbol” will be published by Doubleday. His previous book, “The Da Vinci Code” has sold over 80 million copies so far.
They are keeping a tight lid on this one. The story is set in Washington, D.C. and Freemasonry provides crucial clues and components for Brown’s mystery.
I didn’t want to read a review of the book but when I saw one this morning I could not stop myself. Reviewer Janet Maslin liked it. SPOILER ALERT: don’t click on the link if you want to keep your mind immaculate and clueless about the story.
Otherwise click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
“People Who Died…”
The poet and author Jim Carroll died last Friday. He had a heart attack . Carroll was 60.
He is best known for his autobiographical “The Basketball Diaries”. Back in my record store days (circa 1980), he put out his first (and best) album, “Catholic Boy” - he wasn’t much of a singer - the tunes were mostly rockers with Carroll’s spoken words, songs like “People Who Died.
Carroll observed life from some fairly low vantage points. To read his obituary, click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: we remember
Susan Boyle covers the Rolling Stones…
(note-click on the audio link to hear her version of Wild Horses)
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
Crushed beneath his garbage…
“Homer and Langley” by E.L. Doctorow (Random House, 208 pages, $26).
Do you have a difficult time discarding things? Do you hold on to stuff that other people might simply toss? You could have pack rat syndrome. In rare cases, it is hazardous.
The Colyer brothers are legendary. In 1947, they were found dead in their New York City home. Homer, the blind brother, had starved to death. Brother Langley, the pack rat, had been crushed beneath an avalanche of old newspapers. They had collected more than 100 tons of junk.
A number of books have been written about the Colyer brothers. The most recent is “Homer and Langley” by E.L. Doctorow. He takes the bare bones of their story and fashions a novel. Doctorow’s fans probably expect that by now. In books like “Ragtime,” Doctorow has made an art of painting historical figures onto fictional canvases.
Told from the vantage point of Homer, the blind one, the basics of the actual truth form the skeleton of the story. They were born into an affluent family. They collect mountains of stuff. They become increasingly reclusive. They finally perish amidst clutter.
Doctorow takes numerous liberties to embellish his tale. There were alterations made: the brothers’ ages are reversed and Langley becomes the older one, a WWI veteran injured during a gas attack at the front. Homer goes blind more quickly. The brothers live decades longer in the novel.
These fictional devices yield opportunities to imagine various activities for our pair. They hold tea dances in their mansion, charging admission as Homer plays DJ, spinning 78’s on the Victrola. Langley brings home a car and reassembles it in the house. Homer observes everything through sightless eyes.
The brothers have infrequent love interests that never amount to much. They appear emotionally crippled.
They become increasingly isolated, more detached from reality. They could afford to pay their bills but Langley, who manages things for the household, refuses. Their electricity and water get shut off. The neighbors complain about this unsightly, decaying building where the Colyers live their hermit lives.
In an interview for The New York Times, Doctorow offered some thoughts on the Colyers’ motivations. He said “I almost think ‘hoarding’ isn’t a sufficient word to describe it once it reaches that level … it’s hard to explain. There’s something hopeful and optimistic about it — I think they are convinced they’ll find a use for these things in the future, and so they don’t want to throw anything away. They’re always looking ahead.”
Now isn’t it about time you threw away some of that stuff? Don’t put it off.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
“Remembering the Horror of a Bright Blue Morning…”
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: we remember
Garrison Keillor recovering from mild stroke…
The humorist, writer, and public radio star Garrison Keillor is recovering from a mild stroke. Keillor, 67, felt unwell on Monday. He drove himself to the hospital.
He hopes to be released on Friday. Keillor’s latest book, Pilgrims - a Wobegon Romance, will be published in late September.
For more on this story click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: scribbles and scraps
“Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys…”
A new book:
“Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys: Professionals Writing on Life, Love, Money, and Sex”
Vick Mickunas:
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: secret passions
Ohio State football fever…
OSU football fever is sweeping the land. A really superb football book which honors this great OSU/Michigan rivalry just come out in paperback.
War as They Knew It - Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and America in a Time of Unrest (Grand Central) by Michael Rosenberg is a wonderful document of some turbulent times in this football rivalry and in our nation’s history.
Definitely, worth a read…
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: escapism
Can Hispanics lead America back to prosperity?
Geraldo Rivera thinks so. He makes his case in his newest book, “The Great Progression - How Hispanics Will Lead America to a New Era of Prosperity” (Celebra).
The Hispanic population of the United States is surging. This will have a profound impact on many aspects of life in America. Geraldo Rivera thinks it will be a wonderful thing.
What do you think?
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: what do you think?
“Whack-a-Mole” with Glenn Beck
Most readers will be familiar with the arcade game Whack-a-Mole. No doubt, they still exist in some bowling alleys and kiddie pizza parlors.
The object of the game is simple. You score points by whacking plastic moles with a mallet when they randomly pop up from a dozen holes arrayed before the player.
My cats still enjoy our original version. There are a half dozen mole holes beneath the bird feeders. Our cats spend many happy hours swiping at those moles with their paws. Once in a blue moon, an unfortunate mole will be apprehended. These kitties love that.
Right wing talk show host Glenn Beck reminds me of Whack-a-Mole. Every time I turn around he pops up again. The man is ubiquitous. There he is, taunting President Obama. Here he is again, with his best-selling book, “Common Sense”. There he is again, losing sponsors on his program. Pop. Pop. Pop. There he is again.
Beck’s newest book, “Arguing With Idiots” will be out soon. I’m tempted to read it but the thought frightens me. What if I like it? What if I find myself agreeing with him?
I would much rather play Whack-a-Mole with Glenn Beck. Whack! him gently, clear to Muncie, Indiana. Whack! him harder, all the way to Peoria. A more forceful Whack! might get him all the way to Dubuque. And if I really let him have it maybe Glenn Beck will alight in Des Moines. I still have a lot of friends there. They will be happy to help him along his journey to points further west, Grand Island, Nebraska - Boulder - Prince George, Utah - Juarez - the middle of the Pacific Ocean. You get the idea. Am I doing it wrong? Was I supposed to be whacking Glenn back into the hole? Sorry….these arcade games, it is so easy to get carried away. Just ask Glenn.
I can see why my cats like the game so much..it can be deeply gratifying - like “Arguing with Idiots.”
(Note* Whack-a-Mole is probably a registered trademark. Do not attempt this at home. These were professional whackers on a closed course).
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (48) | Post your comment | Categories: clearing the cobwebs
“Screw the Truth”
More on Blago: click HERE
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: laughable
This is heart warming…
Are you fed up with all the squabbling over Obama’s speech? Over health care? Over what to have for dinner?
Feel better for a moment by clicking HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: escapism
He’s the “anti-Nixon”…
Disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s memoir, “The Governor,” comes out this week. He appeared on “The Early Show” on CBS today and had an amusing exchange with the host, Harry Smith:
“So,” Smith inquired, “you’re not corrupt, there is no corruption, there was never any corruption in your administration?”
“I have never done anything that would be a crime or even intended to be a crime,” Blagojevich said flatly. “When all of the taped conversations are heard, that will be proven to be true. I will be fully vindicated. The issue is, when will those taping be heard? I’ve advocated since January for those tapes to be heard. I was hijacked from office at an impeachment trial that didn’t allow me to move my innocence.
“I’m the anti-Nixon, asking that these tapes be heard. My accusers are the ones who went to court and are keeping those tapes from being heard by the public. Someone’s lying here, and it’s not me.”
Blagojevich’s trial is expected to start later this year.”
For more from CBS: click HERE
It brings back so many fond memories, like Tricky Dick’s claim that : “I am not a crook!”
They do have one thing in common; Blago and Dick Nixon share an astounding ability to be totally arrogant and clueless. That flushing noise off in the distance is the sound of Blago’s political career circling the drain. Flush!
(bonus link): 50 things that are being killed by the internet…
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: laughable
Amazon screws up again….
Amazon.com is the largest on-line bookseller. I think that Amazon is a great company. I follow them closely. When they screw up I notice.
Recently, Amazon had a bit of a public relations disaster relating to their proprietary electronic reading device, the Amazon Kindle. Amazon sells the device directly to consumers who can then purchase downloads of books and various periodicals. (But only, through Amazon.com).
The PR snafu was the result of a situation where Amazon had sold downloads of a couple of George Orwell books, Animal Farm, and 1984. When Amazon realized that they didn’t actually possess the legal copyrights for those books their reaction was quick and stealthy; they electronically deleted those titles from Kindles that had purchased downloads. The irony of Big Brother Amazon reaching out and erasing those books from Kindles was inescapable. Some Kindle users were irate.
Now Amazon has another Kindle PR disaster on their hands. Here it is:
When you buy a Kindle from Amazon.com it is yours, right? Apparently not. According to an article in the New York Times that might not be the case if your device is lost or stolen.
According to the article:
“Samuel Borgese, for instance, is still irate about the response from Amazon when he recently lost his Kindle. After leaving it on a plane, he canceled his account so that nobody could charge books to his credit card. Then he asked Amazon to put the serial number of his wayward device on a kind of do-not-register list that would render it inoperable — to “brick it” in tech speak.
Amazon’s policy is that it will help locate a missing Kindle only if the company is contacted by a police officer bearing a subpoena. Mr. Borgese, who lives in Manhattan, questions whether hunting down a $300 e-book reader would rank as a priority for the New York Police Department.
He began to see ulterior motives when he twice sent e-mail messages to Amazon seeking an address to send a police report and got no reply.
“I finally concluded,” Mr. Borgese said, “that Amazon knew the device was being used and preferred to sell content to anyone who possessed the device, rather than assist in returning it to its rightful owner.”
Drew Herdener, an Amazon spokesman, said only that the company acted in accordance with the law and cooperated with law enforcement officials. “Beyond that, we aren’t going to speculate on hypotheticals,” he wrote in an e-mail message.
The complaints have left Amazon with a new public relations dilemma. In July, when Amazon remotely deleted titles from Kindles, citing copyright reasons, it was accused of heavy-handedness. If the company were to shut down a Kindle that had been erroneously reported as stolen, it might be accused of playing cop, judge and jury. Then again, it is also possible that Amazon is simply avoiding the financial burden of adjudicating claims.”
Amazing, isn’t it? Amazon can remotely access your Kindle and delete whatever they please as far as I can tell, based on these events. They know when Kindles are activated to purchase downloads. They would be aware of who is buying downloads by the credit card number. If that download is being activated by a user who is not the original device purchaser they are not going to worry too much about that, now are they?
After all, the bottom line for Amazon.com it would seem is selling those profitable downloads - even if the purchaser might be using a “borrowed” device.
Get out the pies. Amazon has another big PR pie in their “face” again….
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: in the Amazone
“Drunk: the Definitive Drinker’s Dictionary”
The LA Times just published their list of hot books for the fall season. My buddy Paul Dickson’s book made the list.
To read the article click HERE:
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Barack Obama speaks to kids…
The other day I wrote a post that asked readers to comment on why so many kids seem to like President Barack Obama. I wrote the post right before this uproar about the President speaking to school children.
There were some thoughtful responses to my question:
“Children watch the way he interacts with his own children. He never forgets he is their father who happens to also be the President of the United States and that is why kids like him!” Beau White
“Most children have greater access to information and current events through advanced technology. Because of their curiosity, kids inquire about the President, who is the first man of color to hold this office. Our country is much more culturally and racially diverse. The President has young children, a cute dog named Bo and a warm personality. He smiles a lot. He rose from modest means to become the leader of our country. These are all reasons which I believe contribute to his popularity with kids.” prose
“I think kids like President Obama because he is seen as the symbol of this new dawning of enthusiasm in America. Many kids today are children of Gen X’ers who felt very oppressed by the last administration. Now they see their parents getting excited about their country and the feeling that individuals really can make a difference. There is a great sense of freedom now, such as the freedom to speak without fear of being labeled a terrorist for disagreeing with government policies. Many Americans were very involved in the 2008 election and there was a feeling of the whole country coming together, all races and economic classes, to reach a commmon goal. The fear and devisiveness that marked the past 8 years is gone. Now there is a feeling of hopefullness and tangible equality. Children are naturally more responsive to a postivie message, and I think this is why they like President Barack Obama so much.” Anne Moore
“Because he’s the best president in their lifetimes.” Jovenjeem
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: that's what they say
WPAFB vet pens a thriller…
When Jim Rath was assigned to work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, he didn’t know where life might lead. It was 1973. Rath was 20 years old. That year he bought a house on Powel Road in Huber Heights.
In an e-mail Rath described his duties: “I was a jet engine mechanic and a sergeant in the USAF … I worked in the SAC detachment on B-52’s and KC-135’s … at the northwest end of the base.”
He has accomplished much over the intervening years. Rath studied to become a commercial pilot. He got married, then divorced. He moved to Hawaii but was unable to get the airline job he desired. So he came back to Dayton and started a successful roofing company.
He re-married and lived for a number of years in Xenia. Twenty years ago he re-located to Hawaii where he has done many things; including roofing, running a motorcycle dealership, and running for elective office. Rath served a few terms in the legislature. Yet one dream remained unfulfilled.
Rath explains: “What I really wanted to do, that never revealed passion, was to write what I call ‘airport books,’ good, fun-to-read, highly entertaining stories. The kind of books I pick up for a flight.” Rath is living proof that if you pursue your dreams they just might come true. He recently published his novel, “American Anarchy.”
Do you remember the World Trade Organization conference that was held a number of years ago in Seattle? You might recall that those meetings were marred by violent protests. There were street battles between law enforcement officers and various groups of protesters. Some of those protesters described themselves as “anarchists.”
So who are these self-styled “anarchists?” Shadowy anarchist groups drive the action and buttress the plot in Rath’s thriller. “American Anarchy” is the story of a secret plot to take over America. Overnight, stickers appear all over the city of York, Pa. The stickers proclaim “ANARCHY.”
The next morning the city is under violent attack. Then the attackers vanish. Several days later a similar attack occurs in South Carolina. Five days later, the stickers appear in Fort Wayne, In., followed by another attack. America teeters on the brink of chaos.
The anarchists assassinated some firemen and police officers. Other police flee their posts. Fire departments are vacated. The Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon convince “The President” to declare martial law.
Rath spins out a wicked twist. Things are not what they seem. A few isolated individuals realize what is happening. Is it too late to save America? Rath’s tense tale will have you gritting your teeth.
And he recalled simpler times: “In this day and age it’s hard to believe that we kept four nuclear armed B-52’s parked in a ready-alert area, so close to Chambersburg Road that they could be hit with a bow and arrow.”
“American Anarchy” is available online at www.cornerstonepublishers.com.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: secret passions
How much would you be willing to pay?
For an electronic book? For a device to read electronic books? Read this article: click HERE.
Are e-books too expensive? What about e-book reading devices? The Amazon Kindle, the Sony Reader, etc?
What do you think? Do you even care?
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: what do you think?
Antioch College is born again…
They said that it couldn’t be done, that Antioch College is dead and that it could not be revived. I never believed it. Did you?
I know of at least three books that are currently being written about Antioch College. There are so many stories to tell.
Watch a video of the ceremony for a new Antioch College in Yellow Springs by clicking HERE:
(p.s. Look closely at the photo of Matthew Derr and Lee Morgan and you can spot me. I’m the guy in black standing in the back.)
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
“Naked Girls Reading”
OK, now I have seen it all. Well, not everything, but enough.
The next time you are in Chicago with some extra time on your hands check out “Naked Girls Reading”.
I’m serious. For the past five months this public event has been a showcase for literature and the naked women who are reading these books.
I’m not kidding! If you are over 18 and have an interest in this sort of thing please click HERE:
See?! Now I have seen it all. Well, almost.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
Can this book save the world?
The publishing industry is in a slump. Every major publisher is praying for the next big book, a blockbuster like THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown. It has sold over 80 million copies.
Brown’s long awaited and oft delayed sequel is coming out on September 15. His publisher, Random House is hoping and praying and sweating and worrying. Or so I would imagine, if publishing houses could perspire. Let’s just say that they must be very nervous and excited.
Over at Amazon.com, the world’s largest on-line bookseller, the hype is building. If you click on Amazon’s front page today there is an announcement about the book from Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos.
Here’s a quote from Bezos:
“This is one of the most anticipated publishing events of all time, and curiosity has been building. Even inside Random House, only a half dozen employees have been allowed to read THE LOST SYMBOL in its entirety. The book remains so deeply under wraps that we’ve agreed to keep our stockpile under 24 hour guard in its own chain-link enclosure, with two locks requiring two separate people for entry.”
Wow! A chain-link fence! Two locks! Now, that is high security! I hope that I get my copy on September 15……Honey, a Brinks truck just pulled up with armed guards…wait, it is only UPS. But he has one of those giant water pistols!
What do you think? Are you as excited about the book as some people are?
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
Why do kids like President Obama?
Have you noticed? President Obama is very popular with lots of kids. Why is that? Is it because he is young? Is it because he has young kids of his own? Is it because he’s married to a woman who also seems popular with lots of kids? What’s the deal here?
I’m curious to know what you think. Why do kids like Obama so much? Leave a comment here with your thoughts.
Oh, and I have a few copies of Time for Kids, the President Obama issue, a Day in the Life of America’s Leader. This special kid’s magazine from Time Magazine will be available on newsstands in October. Do you know a kid who likes President Obama?
I’ll select the most interesting answers (in my view) and I’ll mail out copies of this magazine to the respondents who come up with the best answers (in my opinion).
Why do kids like Obama?
p.s. I’ll contact the winners of the Obama magazines so if you are trying to win one make sure you use a genuine e-mail address with your comment.
p.p.s. If you are leaving a comment that is simply obnoxious or rude I’ll probably file it under “junk” where it rightfully belongs. This isn’t about censorship. Kids will be reading this post. OK? Do you understand the concept? Your comments must not be offensive to children (in my opinion).
(Hi kids!) Thank you.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (24) | Post your comment | Categories: what do you think?
Pop goes the weasel…
Wouldn’t it be nice if this weasel simply shut his mouth and went away? Not, apparently, in America. (His book will be out next week).
Here’s a report from the LA Times:
“Former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich blames overzealous prosecutors and political enemies for his downfall in a new book that offers glimpses of his rocky six-year tenure and his upcoming defense against federal corruption charges.
“The Governor” describes his arrest on charges that included trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama last year. In keeping with the governor’s long-held position that he’s been victimized by rivals and “unethical” prosecutors, Blagojevich writes that his guiding thought in selecting a new senator was, “How much do I love the people of Illinois?”
After his arrest in December, Blagojevich was impeached, convicted by the state Senate and ousted from office. His corruption trial is scheduled for next year.
In the book, published by Phoenix, Blagojevich blasts U.S. Atty. Patrick J. Fitzgerald, who told reporters that the governor had been arrested to stop a “crime spree.”
“Mr. Fitzgerald didn’t stop a crime spree,” Blagojevich writes. “He stopped me from doing a lot of good for a lot of people.”
Blagojevich calls his efforts to pick a U.S. senator “routine.”
“I never intended to sell the Senate seat,” he writes. “I was merely engaged in the ordinary and routine politicking that frequently accompanies a significant appointment by the governor.”
Prosecutors allege that Blagojevich was caught on FBI wiretaps discussing what he could get in exchange for the seat, such as a job or campaign contributions.
Blagojevich writes that he appointed Roland Burris in part because of Burris’ famously big ego. No one but Burris would accept the appointment and fight to be seated under the circumstances, Blagojevich says.
Burris’ office declined to comment.”
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: booms and busts
