Black tail deer fawn by fuzuoko on Flickr Sleepy Hollow, Northern California. “What a perfect place for a writer to live,” I thought, when I moved here almost five years ago. And I did get a lot of writing done, when I wasn’t in my garden, that is. Our house is surrounded by woods and high hills, with a seasonal creek dancing along the right edge of our property, lined by a sentinel of three giant rocks. “We’re butt up against nature here,” is what my husband likes to say. When I saw it, apart from thinking about the quaint name of the area and of its street names, like “Van Winkle Drive,” and “Ichabod Lane,” I also imagined that I could, at long last, have a garden. Having lived … [Read more...]
I am Ann Coulter
Today would have been the day I posted the last in my series on men, titled, “In Danger From The Outside World.” But, I’ve had to postpone because several events have occurred in the last two weeks that have prompted me to make this announcement: I am Ann Coulter. That’s right. She and I are the same person. Look - this chart (Chart I) will prove it: Patricia V. Davis Ann Coulter age 51 47 height 5 ft. 3 inches 6 ft. weight 124 unknown Hair colour dark brown blonde Eye colour black blue Education Teaching Degree Law Degree Residence California New York Self-defence Can leg press 270 pounds Owns guns, has body guards Though this chart does not show much … [Read more...]
In Danger From the Outside World* Part II
In Memory of Gregory Randall Davis May 9, 1983 - January 29, 2002 Greg What does it mean to go from being boy to man? As a former high school teacher and a mother of five sons and stepsons combined, I’ve witnessed many boys struggle with that question. Some figure it out, others never do and remain in a limbo - an ‘adult boy,’ stuck in a time warp of adolescence, where ethically, spiritually and intellectually, the centre of his universe will remain forever anthropocentric; where he will never figure out how to look beyond himself, what his role in society is and how he can make the world a better place just by his existence in it. In The United States of America, where I … [Read more...]
In Danger From the Outside World*
Part I of Three Parts on Boys and Men Our sons. When they’re born, we hold them in our arms, stroke them, soothe them and take them to our breasts. It’s the only time in their entire lives that they are permitted to be openly content in their helplessness, universally approved of in their total reliance on another human being and a female, at that. By the time they’re two, they’ve heard it at least once, even if it’s not their parents who say it: “Boys don’t cry.” GI Joe 1964 Little soldier by thats_verynice on Flickr Little soldiers If they haven’t absorbed that message by the time they’re seven, even the most nurturing, liberated parent … [Read more...]
A Walk Through My Neighbourhood
Winter Wonderland by shatterabstracts,com.ru This is what was great about POSTING and READING on Vox. (Sigh...) I. The Politically Wise “I wear (Captain Walter R. Schmidt Jr.’s) MIA bracelet all day, everyday. He was a Marine pilot who went down 09Jun68 in South Vietnam. I wear this bracelet until the day he or his remains come home. Happy Veteran's Day Capt. Schmidt.” http://jennifer0214.vox.com “…the U.S. - politicians and people - would do well to remember Jefferson's "wall of separation…” - http://paikea066.vox.com “…If you legislate morality, moral choices lose their value…” http://shushnow.vox.com II. The Politically Witty “Reality TV Idea Number … [Read more...]
Look Harder
First day of school foversouls on flickr[1] “Look harder.” Gee…did I just hear you say that again? You’re an English teacher. Surely you must know that one can’t look “harder” at written words on a page. One can look “longer,” delve more deeply into the meaning of those words, if one can read them, that is, but one can’t look “harder.” Yet, at least once a week, with distaste and fury layered through your voice, you say it to one of your first-year (seventh grade) pupils. A girl today, I see. A twelve-year old girl, whose life is already a misery. On the edge of puberty, her breasts feel sore all the time and, much to her constant mortification, one is growing faster than … [Read more...]
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes I'm a first-generation Italian-American. That slash says it all. It means that though I was born in the United States, walk American and, for the most part, talk American, my blood corpuscles are suffused with foreign tendencies for which science has yet to find an antidote. One of these predilections is this: if I invite guests to my home and discover that I didn’t make sufficient quantities of every food to feed them all, I’ll drop down dead of mortification, right then. I mean that. Since I don’t want to die yet, I’m always on my guard against this happening, wanting to make very sure I have “enough.” The problem is my view and my husband’s view of “enough” are … [Read more...]
Some of the Little Things
Thalia-Muse of Comedy Even I can’t think about George Bush’s plan to take over the world all the time. Every once in a while, “Aiz got-sta have a leee-tle fun.” And for those of us stateside (United States-states that is,) ‘Turkey Day’ is coming up. Now, ordinarily I don’t like even Turkey Day. In fact, I could scare up a whole other political blog on the propaganda surrounding Turkey Day. Not to mention the excess calories. But not this year. ‘Cause this year, three out of our four surviving sons are coming to our place for Turkey Day and that in itself is enough to be thankful for. So, to hell with diets and politics both. For anyone who’s interested, here are some of the … [Read more...]
Senators, Thank You for Your Support
Our Civil Liberties Beng Waterboarded Michael Bernard Mukasey is an impressive man. His alma mater is Columbia University and Yale Law School. In 1987, Mukasey was nominated as a federal district judge for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan by President Ronald Reagan. He served in this position for 18 years, including tenure as Chief Judge from March 2000 through July 2006. Mr. Mukasey is also is a teacher. He began teaching at Columbia Law School in the Spring of 1993 and has taught there every Spring semester since. In addition, he is well-connected politically. Mukasey and his son are justice advisers to … [Read more...]
Uh, oh. It’s That Time of Year Coming ‘Round Again
Jack and Dale Davis Christmas 2002 Ahhh, the holidays, when anyone with any neurosis, addiction or quirk at all, has the excuse to really go hog wild with it. Let’s see…what have we got? 1) The Control Freaks What they say: “I want my relatives to come to my house for this holiday but, I’m going to do things my way and let’s just hope everyone enjoys it.” What it means: “Through familial obligation and their spirit of generosity, I’ve managed to trap my family into spending the holiday with me at my house. Now I’m in charge and I’ll finally be able to teach them the difference between the right way(mine) and the wrong … [Read more...]
Menopause and Melanin
Menopause and Melanin A Scientific Exposition/Rebuttal by Dr. James Dewey Watson, Nobel Prize Winner 1962, Physiology or Medicine Ladies and Gentlemen, Esteemed Colleagues, Students of Genetics and Medicine: As many of you already know, I received the Nobel Prize for my co-discovery of the structure of DNA. I’ve been the chancellor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the United States, where I created a research environment unparalleled in the world of science. There, we prided ourselves for our non-profit research dedicated to exploring biology and genetics, advancing our ability to diagnose and treat cancers, neurological diseases and other causes of human suffering. But … [Read more...]
Maria Shriver’s California Women’s Conference
I have been away from the computer, volunteering at an extraordinarly empowering and non-partisan women's conference, called the California Women's Conference. Despite it's title, women and men, leaders and activists from all over the world, participated. I loved it, found it to be simply 'life-affirming.' There's nothing we can't do if we really want to do it! You can read all about it, if you're interested, on the link. Read and post comments | Send to a friend … [Read more...]
On Organised Religion (to SNOWY)
I’ve been having some very interesting philosophical, social and religious discussions with some of my new “netpals” from Australia. Their perspectives got me thinking about something I wrote in my memoir, Harlot’s Sauce, which has just been completed and which is being shopped around to publishers as we speak. So for this week’s blog I’m taking an excerpt on religion from that memoir and dedicated it to my new Aussie friends, most especially to one very deep thinker, Snowy. I expect an extra drink from that still of yours for this one, Snowy. ; ) On Organised Religion I was raised Catholic, as were many people I knew growing up. But, I had a few friends who … [Read more...]