I realize I live in the great echo chamber. Most people I know live in the United States. Therefore, the political talk I hear is of the US. Because of friends in England, I hear some of the politics there. Other countries election issues come from news sources like the BBC or NPR. The ever…
Legislative gridlock creates problems because events that logically should be avoided hit the precipice before a deal is worked out to prevent a catastrophe. The media portrays the cause of this state of affairs as due to partisanship or incompetence, which while either may be true, what makes me more nervous are politicians claiming a mandate. Winning an election…
Born with Teeth: A Memoir by Kate Mulgrew My rating: 4 of 5 stars OK. I am a total Star Trek nerd. Next Generation definitely is my favorite, but I really enjoyed her as Captain Janeway on ST: Voyager. So I was intrigued to read about Kate’s life off screen. My usual problem causing me…
Someone made a ping on my Unfriendly Connect For Feedly blog post. So, here is an update. I did use Feedly for another year. I do not recall there being a single thing that drove me away, but for months I was pretty frustrated and unhappy using it. To me, Feedly being THE last RSS…
Here is where I am about halfway through the year. Read 52 books. A half of 52 is 26. I am a few books ahead at 34. My Goodreads user challenge. Read at least 50% by female authors. Of the 34 books read so far, 28 are by female authors, so I am on well above with 82%. Weightlifting: Bench 185 pounds (1RM…
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself by Harriet Jacobs My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book accounts for Harriet Jacobs’ life as a slave, hiding for several years in the South, escaping to the North, and finally obtaining her freedom. She presents some letters documenting the tale. Given the…
Gods and Fighting Men The story of the Tuatha de Danaan and of the Fianna of Ireland, arranged and put into English by Lady Gregory by Lady Gregory My rating: 3 of 5 stars This set of Irish tales reminded me of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Barely organized; mostly miscellaneous. Several seemed to cover the same…
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton My rating: 3 of 5 stars A story detailing upper class “society” New York of the 1870s as the backdrop. Wharton details parties and mores. As the story goes along it feels more and more critical of them. A couple oddities: 1) Newland Archer, the protagonist, visiting the…
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot My rating: 4 of 5 stars Part biography of Henrietta Lacks and her family. Part explanation of the contribution the cells taken from her have had on medicine. Part memoir of Rebecca on the challenges brought in even getting to write this story. It jumps around…