a package . . .

. . . in the mail from my mother! Very exciting to get unexpected stuff. In this case, organic food. The birds are big fans of the gingersnap cookies. So yea for motherly love!

The heat is getting to me. I haven't been outside in two days, and each morning I read the UV index and then I wonder about America's love of creating codes of alarm. Soon, you will ask someone how they are, and instead of the stock answer "Fine," you will get "Oh, I'm a code orange today, and you?" "Code yellow." "Excellent."

So anyway, I am heading out in a bit. Surely a movie is in order. We'll see. It beats listening to C-SPAN and the congress debating the Iraq War Troop Withdrawal Bill. Although I do like listening to government in progress. I am always amazed at how passionate some of them are when they get up to speak, and by the orderliness of Robert's Rules or whatever protocol they use. It is also distressing to know that the vast majority never read the bills they vote on, surely not thoroughly. I still remember watching the debates when they impeached Clinton, and Robert Wexler, a Democrat (Florida I think), get up and rail on the floor - he was so preacheresque. And young. He definitely made an impression. I forget whether he was for or against impeachment, but he was spirited either way. I miss the Clinton days. It will take a full eight years of another presidency to fix what this current idiot has wrought. I personally think that we should exile him, but who the heck would take him?

I finished reading The Buffalo Soldiers last night, and it was very good. One of those 'sad' and 'depressing' but ultimately 'uplifting' books I was railing about the other day. But in a good way. It was a page turner towards the end especially, and I love how Bohjalian was able to make you root for all the characters, and then make you almost hate one particular character, and then root for him in the end despite his flaws. I want to read his other novel, Trans-Sister Radio. As a writer he reminds me of Nicholas Evans. Both in tone, subject matter, and plot development.

And by the way, one of the things I read on some lit blog when I got back from Europe that irritated me, was about how there are no real blogs that do book reviews or in depth analysis. This isn't exactly true to begin with, and secondly, why should bloggers spend all their time writing reviews of books? I can't speak for others, but for myself, I don't write essays. I am not a strong reviewer. I either like something or don't, for a variety of reasons, and I see no point in trying to articulate my own ideas in a way that will make it a high brow review for a personal blog. No one cares. You like the book or you don't, and you move on. If I don't like something, I will say it. But to bash lit blogs or po blogs for not being what they aren't seems ridiculous.

Now I am ranting. It's over. Swear. Off to the day.