Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Truest statement of the week

DeSantis’ change in tone is another political calculation, just like attacking “wokeness” in Florida. If he has any hope of gaining ground against Trump, he needs to abandon some of his extreme stances. But it’s not that easy for the rest of us. He may want to “move on” from the Disney attacks, but we have to live with the damage he’s done to the state.

A note to our readers

Hey --

Monday night.


Let's thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:


The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen, Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.



And what did we come up with?

 

 

It was pointed out by reader Darcy that Ava and C.I. aren't reviewing scripted programming while the writers and actors are on strike.  They say that they didn't realize they'd been doing that.  At first, they note, they were just having to cover political campaigns.  And then, about four or five weeks into the strike, they decided they'd find other things to cover media wise while the strike was ongoing. 

 

Peace.

 

-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iraq bears the brunt of climate change | The West Asia Post

 

TV: The Awkward Americans call it 'journalism'

 Last week, the media confused us with their 'coverage' of an interview Ron DeSanits gave to CNBC.  And then, they 'reported' again an it made a little more sense.


3 JESS

 

Let's start with the last attempt at 'reporting.' Bess Levin (VANITY FAIR) regurgitated:

 

If recent polls -- or commentary from his allies -- are anything to go by, Ron DeSantis does not have a shot in hell at winning the GOP nomination for president, despite effectively being declared the future of the party approximately nine months ago. That turn of events can probably be chalked up to a combination of (1) the chokehold Donald Trump maintains on millions of Republican voters, even the ones who believe the ex-president is a criminal, (2) the Florida governor’s hateful policies back home, which he refuses to stop talking about, and (3) DeSantis's overwhelming awkwardness.

How awkward are we talking? So awkward that The Washington Post wrote an entire article about people who, while being fully transparent about how much they think DeSantis sucks, say they see a lot of themselves in the governor -- because they too find it near impossible to interact with other humans. That article is titled "Awkward Americans see themselves in Ron DeSantis," and if you're wondering, Wait, could this somehow be a good thing for the Florida governor's candidacy? -- the answer is very much no.


And that it explained it.  


"Awkward Americans see themselves in Ron DeSanits"?  That's what was going on -- the press was seeing itself in Ronald and this identification was preventing them from doing their damn jobs.


The short little creep gave an interview to CNBC that CNBC chopped up and wrongly portrayed in their own coverage and all the crap-ass media in the country played along with.

 

Why did CNBC do such an intentionally lousy job?  Maybe the reason could be found in text media where they do actual disclosures -- like this one to a CNBC article: "NBCUNIVERSAL IS THE PARENT COMPANY OF UNIVERSAL STUDIOS AND CNBC."  That's right, they aren't a neutral party, they are a party that sucks up to DeSantis and that, very much, benefits from strife between DISNEY (which owns the big Florida tourist attraction) as they struggle along hoping that, say, "Visit the home of PYSCHO!" will someday have the same cachet of the tea cup "It's A Small World After All Ride" that DISNEY has. Our own disclosure?  We know and like Bob Iger. 


Stocky, middle-aged Brian Sullivan showed up billed as "CNBC SR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT."  SR CORRESPONDENT?  He came off like Rona Barrett fawning over Lucille Ball in that sad 1985 ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT interview. That's not fair -- to Rona, that's not fair.  He wishes he could fit into Rona's pantyhose.


Let's start by referencing because Brian Sullivan provided none.

 

DISNEY and DeSantis are engaged in lawsuits and counter-lawsuits.  (Ronald tried to pretend it has nothing to do with him, it's just the state of Florida.  It is Ronald's policies and he is the governor of Florida.)  Back in April, Anna Wilder (POLITICO) explained:


The yearlong battle between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney will be fought in federal court.

The California-based entertainment giant filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday alleging that DeSantis and his hand-picked board retaliated against the company and violated Disney’s First Amendment rights, among other claims. Disney filed the lawsuit just minutes after a board appointed by the GOP governor voted to invalidate agreements giving Disney authority over its Florida-based theme parks.

[. . .]

The lawsuit repeatedly claims that DeSantis targeted Disney and is punishing the company for speaking out against the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. 


Ronald DeSantis has repeatedly insisted that this is not the case, it was just about fairness (equal playing field for all businesses in Florida).  


That's the lens you look through.  Who is telling the truth?  If this wasn't retaliation towards DISNEY then there is no lawsuit.


Now let's go to the interview.


RONALD DESANTIS:  At the end of the day,  this is just about an issue about the kids.  You know, we're going to stand up for our kids. You know I think they made a big mistake by getting involved in this.  But as a parent of a 6, 5 and a 3-year-old, I understand -- and parents understand -- kids should be able to go to school, watch  cartoons, just be kids without having an agenda shoved down their throat.  When you start telling a first grader that they can switch their gender and all of that --


BRIAN SULLIVAN:  When did DISNEY have to do with it?

 

This is followed by cross talk until Sullivan comes back with, "At this point, I'm having a hard time remembering what the original beef was?"


RONALD DESANTIS: So we-we had a bill that basically said in elementary school, we're not going to have any of the sexual curriculum, we're going to focus on math reading, all  that.  Basically doing school the way it had been done all of American history until like, what, two weeks ago? So they came in, opposed the bill, tried to tank it, which is their right to do, that's fine.  I signed the bill and then they put out a statement saying that they were going to devote their-their company's resources to seeing The Parents' Rights repealed or seeing it overturned in court.  And it's like, okay, first of all I don't think that's consistent with their fiduciary duty to have taken that position.  They did.  But then we're in a position where it's  okay they have been given this special arrangement by Florida many decades ago, so that's like subsidies -- they're being subsidized.  So then they're going to turn those subsidies against our state policies.


What does the above, DeSantis' own words, say?  The words say DISNEY's correct.  This was retaliation for the company being opposed to Don't Say Gay (Parents' Rights, insists liar Ronald).  That is what he is saying is his 'Valley Girlish' answer.  


That was the news value.  If anyone in the media had paid one damn bit of attention, that was the news value.


Now before we go further we have to cover something else. It's about the words above. 


Gay is not sexualization.  You can argue against sex education -- which is education on how humans have sex -- but gay is not sex education.  People are gay.  They've been gay for longer than "two weeks."  And having a gay character in a DISNEY film is not sexualization.  Nor was it sexualization to have straight couples in DISNEY films since the start of DISNEY films.


Are we too damn stupid to grasp that?


This is not about protect the kids from sexualization.  That's the garbage crackpot whores like Naomi Wolf serve up.  


They want, as these haters infamously made clear earlier this year, to "eradicate" those they don't like.  They were just talking about transgender with that public announcement.  But now, in Florida, they've made it clear that it goes far beyond LGBTQ+ people and they now wish to "eradicate" all Democrats.


This isn't about education and it's not about sex.


They're not concerned that second graders are going to learn about blow jobs.

They are concerned -- flat out afraid -- that children might realize there's a whole world out there and it includes all kinds of people.  


It's outrageous that straight people have let them get this far with it.  (That includes us.  We didn't start noticing what was going on until this extreme right-wing playbook was utilized at the end of September to try to destroy the film BROS.)  

 

No one's saying Jane, a straight teacher in Florida, can't have a photo on her desk of her male husband.  But if Terry, a gay teacher in Florida, has a photo on his desk of his male husband, suddenly, this is teaching sex to children.


That's not sex.


Now we get it, Ronald is a lazy lay -- he's got that Small Dick Energy.  And he's confused and unclear on what sex is.  


But those of who are adults know damn well that a photo of your significant other on a desk in your classroom is in no way a lesson in how people copulate. 


Let's get back to the interview.  In the Thursday "Iraq snapshot," one of us noted:



On to Ronald DeSantis who can't stop lying because, really, what else does he have?  The campaign's in free fall.  Sarah Fortensky (THE HILL) reports on an interview TIME did with Ronald and she emphasizes Ronald's reaction to being asked what he would do if one of his children was gay or transgender -- he doesn't respond really but I guess even he knew it would turn off voters if he said, "Stone them to death."  






But the thing I'm having big trouble with is his lying.  He insists, regarding surgery for transgender youth, "As a parent right now, I can't take my six-year-old daughter and get her a tattoo, even if I want to do that." 
 
[. . .]

Ronald is the governor of Florida.  He is an attorney.

Why the hell is he lying about Florida law?

And why do people let him get away with lying?

You don't even have to read the full text of Florida statute 381.00787, just the first clause: "(1) A person may not tattoo the body of a minor child younger than 16 years unless the tattooing is performed for medical or dental purposes by a person licensed to practice medicine or dentistry under chapter 458, chapter 459, or chapter 466."



So, yes, a medical professional can tattoo a child under 16 in Florida if it's medically necessary.  


 
He lied.  And no one called him out on that.  No one apparently thought to look to see if the governor of Florida was accurate about the state's laws.  
 
It's sloppy.  Some would say "sloppy journalism"; however, we think calling that journalism is giving it far too much credit and far too much weight.
 

Mike called out the media on this in "ALTERNET flaunts the stupidity" while Marcia called out idiots in "Muddled idiot Krysten Sinema" -- Senator Krysten Sinema and Senator Tommy Tuberville.  Krysten kept calling him "Coach."  See, "Coach" is what little Tommy wants to be called.  He's a US Senator.  Senator is his title.  But this man, who doesn't believe in respecting the pro-nouns others want used for themselves, think we should ignore his actual title and instead call him "coach." 


We're all for calling people what they want to be called.  That was one of the main points we were making last year in "Those fake ass 'religious' litigants (Ava and C.I.):"



Again, we're confused.  Crackpots tend to confuse us.

Vivian Geraghty is stating that she can't use pronouns (that she doesn't agree with) or names (that she doesn't agree with) due to her religion?

What's her next excuse?  The dog ate her homework?

We ask because of Matthew 22: 15 - 22.

For those unfamiliar, it's a book, chapter and verse in THE BIBLE.

We'll assume Viv Geraghty is among those unfamiliar with it.

It's where Jesus talks about "render unto Caesar."

Remember that, Viv?

Seems to us this is a render unto Caeser moment if this is any kind of 'religious' moment at all.

The government is telling her to use pronouns the students prefer, she's being told to call them by their preferred names.  And Viv's pissing her panties and screaming like a mad woman.  Where, in the Bible, is she finding her religious belief?


More to the point, where is her common sense?  

If DANCING WITH THE STARS' Mark Ballas were in her class, what would Viv call him?  

Would she call him "Mark"?  Or would she insist upon calling him "Mark Jr."?  Because he is Mark Jr.  He doesn't go by it, but that is his name.  If Will Smith were in Viv's class, what would she call Will? His name isn't Will.  It's Willard Carroll Smith Jr.  Would she insist upon calling him "Willard"?  "Willard Jr."?  If Robert Redford were in Viv's class, what would she call him?  "Robert Jr."?  Or "Charles"?  Charles is his first name (full name Charles Robert Redford, Jr.).  And if Beau Biden had been in her class, would she have refused to call him Beau?  Joseph Robinette Biden III was Beau's legal name.

 

Our point here is that children are called preferred names every day in every US school and it's nothing new.

Has Viv stuck to their legal first names with her students?  If not, why is this suddenly a problem?

It's a problem, let's be honest, because Viv hates a certain group of people and wants to be a test case for the law.  Oh, Viv, you're so embarrassing.  We picture your God of choice, up in heaven, clucking his head and determining that this sort of behavior is exactly the reason he will banish you to hell.  You're trying to justify hate in His name but His son Jesus was very clear that you should ''Render unto Caeser the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."


We bring it up because Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, isn't content with ruining businesses in Florida, he's not content with ruining school and universities, he's not content with enforcing racist teaching (the enslaved, he insists, benefited from slavery because it was like a really intensive trade school), he's not content with destroying the employment future of Florida's children as he bans classes on gender studies, on real history of what African-Americans have experienced in the US, on the real makeup of the US population (which does include -- and always has -- LGBTQ+ people) . . .  On and on it goes.  And even the drag it's put on his once promising campaign hasn't stopped him.

 

Last week, Virginia Chamlee (PEOPLE MAGAZINE) reported:


Florida students will now be required to get their parents' consent before using a nickname in schools, a move that critics say targets the LGBTQ+ community and could extend well beyond.

In an email sent Tuesday morning, parents and guardians of Seminole County students were advised that school districts in the state are now "required to develop a form to obtain parental consent to use any deviation or nickname from the child's legal name in school."

"If you would like for your child to be able to use a name aside from their legal given name on any of our campuses, we will ask for you to complete the consent form titled 'Parental Authorization for Deviation from Student's Legal Name Form.'"


Where's Ronald parental permission form?  MORNING EDITION (NPR) reported on this two weeks ago:


DANIELLE PRIEUR: Judi Hayes has two kids in Orange County and calls the process frustrating. She says the school system has much bigger issues to solve, including a bus driver shortage.

JUDI HAYES: We're just wasting the school's resources. You know, we're wasting their time or wasting their energy with nonsense like, you know, having kids sign off on nickname forms.

PRIEUR: These nickname forms, as she calls them, came with this guidance from the Florida Department of Education. If Robert wants to be called Bobby, he needs a form. And if Robert, who's transitioning, wants to be called Roberta, she also needs a form. For Jen Cousins, who has four kids in Orange County schools, it's just another attack on LGBTQ kids. One of her children is nonbinary, and she worries about name shaming.

JEN COUSINS: Does it just take one bad person in a school to say, hey, I heard them using their nickname today or, you know, go report somebody? Nobody knows.


A bus driver shortage?  It's these very real issues that are being ignored so that Ronald can 'eradicate' those he doesn't like.  It's a shame so much of the media refuses to cover that story.  But, then again, they're just "Awkward Americans" who identify with the socially inept Ronald.




 

Books (Ann, Mike, Ava and C.I.)

1summerread

 

As we did in 2021, we're attempting to again increase book coverage in the community. After a review posts, we try to do a discussion with the reviewer.  This go round, we're talking to Mike about his "Andrea Warner's BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE: THE AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY" and Ann about her "Split Image: The Life of Anthony Perkins." You both did biographies.  Ann, let's start with you.  Anthony Perkins was an actor famous for PSYCHO and MAHOGANY among others.  You liked the book.

 

Ann: I did.  Charles Winecoff is the author and if I come across a book by him again, I will definitely be picking it up.  The book came out in 1996.  I think it would be better if it were written today.  For example, Mildred Newman could get the scorn she truly deserves.  She's one of those quacks who 'cured' gays.  And some bisexuals like Paul Newman.  We're not playing here, are we?


No, we aren't pathetic liar Ethan Hawke trying to pretend, all this time later, that Paul Newman was straight.  We noted he was actually bisexual when he was still alive.


Ann: I just think she did real damage.  Joel Schumacher, the director, was one of the few who refused to go along with her 'cure.'  Good for him.  She didn't 'cure' Tony, she destroyed him.  She told him who he was was wrong.  She sent him off into a sham marriage -- and I don't need to hear how long they were together.  Here's reality, Tony found out he had AIDS from the press.  A blood test was done that he didn't know about and then the results were sold to the press.  


Meaning?


Ann: He did of AIDS.  Mildred's 'cure' didn't take.  He got AIDS from sex.  And the sham marriage was a fake.  He had AIDS.  He died of AIDS.  If he and the woman he married truly were having sex, chances are she would have caught AIDS too.  It's a shame because he could have and should have had a happy life.  He was propositioning men throughout the marriage, as the book notes.  He wanted children and he had two sons.  Then, apparently, he and his wife stopped having sex. Which is why his wife never caught AIDS.  If Mildred hadn't done the number on him that she did, he could have walked away from the marriage.  He could have had some happiness.


Mike, your book was about singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie.  Did she have happiness?


Mike: It's hard to know what she had in the bad book I read.  It's appalling.  It's so badly written.  And reads like it's intended audience is a group of third graders. Buffy's had an interesting life but skip the book and go read WIKIPEDIA, you'll learn much more about her and learn it more quickly.  I can't think of a book I've hated more.


And you're a fan of Buffy's music.


Mike: I am.  I was so excited when I saw this book on AMAZON.  I purchased it and thought it was going to really be something.  It's not anything.  The only time the author seems awake is when briefly detailing abuse in the third marriage.  It's as though that's what the author needs in order to feel vested in the material.


July was the half-way point for the year.  You've both reviewed books previously this year -- Ann, you noted, for example, that this was your third book for the year -- and how do you think that's going?


Ann: I've enjoyed it.  I've enjoyed reading everyone's reviews.  I did think I had done more than three.  I felt like I was doing too many and keeping others from doing a review.  If I'd know it was only three, I would have done several this summer.  By the way, it's Rebecca and Marcia this week as they do their summer read, right?


That's what it's supposed to be, yes.  Mike?

 

 

Mike: I like that we've got a variety of books this year.  I've enjoyed reading and reviewing the two science books, for example.  I wish I was interested in fiction but I'm really not, sorry.  I would absolutely be on board with us continuing this in 2024 -- where every week we try to have a book review at one of the community sites.  I do think it serves a purpose and I get a lot of e-mails about people say they enjoy the reviews as well.


Okay, thank you both.


 

 

-------------------

Previous book discussions this year.

"Books (Stan, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Mike, Ava and C.I.),"  "Books (Ann, Elaine, Kat, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Isaiah, Stan, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Trina, Kat, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Marcia, Ann and C.I.)," "Books (Ruth, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Isaiah, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Mike, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Kat, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Marcia, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Trina, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Rebecca, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Isaiah, Kat, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Stan, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Kat, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Marcia, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Ann, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Trina, Ava and C.I.)," "Books (Marcia, Ava and C.I.)" and "Books (Ava and C.I.)."

 

From The TESR Test Kitchen

1stove

 

 

We survived 2014's SUMMER OF THE TWINKIES.  But we're not sure we can survive the latest Twinkie stunt.

 

twinkee

 

They're called HOSTESS FUDGE COVERED TWINKIES and they are awful.

 

Awful. 

 

You know those cheap, tiny chocolate doughnuts you find in vending machines?

 

That's what they remind us of.

 

The whole point of enjoying a Twinkie is the spongy outer layer.  But when you cover it with a fudge coating, it's not spongy.  It's hard and not very tasty.

2023 Passings

These are the deaths community members found worthy of noting this year.

 

Lisa Presley -- Elaine noted her passing.


Christine McVie -- Kat covered her passing.

 

Adam Rich -- Marcia noted his passing.

 

Jeff Beck -- Kat noted his passing.

 

Lance Kerwin -- Rebecca noted his passing.


Barrett Strong -- Ruth noted his passing.

 

Lisa Loring -- Rebecca noted her passing.

 

Burt Bacharach -- Rebecca noted his passing.

 

Raquel Welch -- Elaine noted her passing.

 

Stella Stevens  -- Rebecca noted her passing.

 

Richard Belzer -- Ruth noted his passing.  

 

Kevin Alexander Gray -- C.I. notes his passing.

 

Pat Schroeder -- Kat noted her passing.

 

Lance Reddick -- Mike notes his passing.  

 

Darcelle XV -- Elaine notes his passing.

 

"Mark Russell" -- Ruth notes his passing 

 

"Elizabeth Hubbard" -- Trina notes her passing.

 

"Mary Quant and more Peabody nominations" -- Elaine notes a passing.

 

"Harry Belafonte" -- Kat notes a passing.


"
Gordon Lightfoot" -- Kat notes a passing.

 

"jacklyn zeman, rose schlossberg, john travolta and..." -- Rebecca notes the passing of Jacklyn Zeman.


 

"Iraq snapshot," "Tina Turner (1939 to 2023)," "The groundbreaker Tina Turner," "Tina Turner," "Lauren Boebert gets burned by AOC," "MAX and NETFLIX, Eva Longoria," "Tina Turner, Eric Swalwell, John Roberts," "They've ruined their reputation," "Hate merchant Tulsi Gabbard," "tina turner passed but the hideous gop lingers," "Tina " and "The wrong people are dying" -- The community notes the passing of Tina Turner.

 

 "Gay actor George Maharis has died" -- Stan notes the passing. 


"10 great songs that Cynthia Weil co-wrote" and "Cynthia Weil" -- Marcia and Kat note Cynthia Weil's passing.


"Hate merchant Pat Robertson has passed away" -- Kat notes the end of Pat Robertson.


"Glenda Jackson" -- Ruth notes the actress's passing.

 

 

"Iraq snapshot" -- C.I. notes the passing of Daniel Ellsberg.

 

"Andrea Evans" -- Kat notes the passing of a soap opera icon. 

 

"Tony Bennett" -- Kat notes the passing of a great singer.

 

"Paul Reubens," "Pee-Wee's Big Holiday" and "One more time on Pee-Wee Herman" -- Betty and Marcia note the passing of Paul Reubens.


"Robbie Robertson" -- Kat covers the passing.

 

 

 

 

 

Books

1summerread

 

"Mafia Wives (Susan Williams' WHITE MALICE)" -- C.I. reviews this book.

 

 "The Sewing Circle" -- Marcia reads Axel Madsen's THE SEWING CIRCLE.

 

 "Ellen Sander's The Lifestyle That Classic Rock Unleashed" -- Trina reviews this book.


"Phyllis Diller 1917 – 2012: News, Quotes, Interview" -- Ann reviews this book.


"Call Her Heroic (Ava and C.I.)" -- Ava and C.I. review this book.


"Boze Hadleigh's Hollywood Gays" -- Marcia reviews this book.

 

"Robert Sellers wrote a book of garbage" -- Kat reviews HOLLYWOOD HELLRAISERS.   

 

 

"SCREAM VI and THE BOYS" -- Stan reviews Ron and Clint Howard's THE BOYS.

 

 

"the world according to joan" -- Rebecca reviews this book.

 

 "Elton John and Whitney Houston" -- Kat reviews Elton John's autobiography and a biography on Whitney Houston.


"DON RICKLES: THE MERCHANT OF VENOM" -- Isaiah reviews this book.

 

"Crispy Calamari in the Kitchen" -- Trina reviews  AIR FRYER COOKBOOK FOR BEGINNERS: EFFORTLESSLY GRILL, ROAST AND BAKE HOMEMADE MEALS: YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS WITH QUICK, TASTY & HEALTHY RECIPES.

 

 "Vincent Price and Universal" -- Marcia reviews John L. Flynn's 75 YEARS OF UNIVERSAL MONSTERS and Vincent Price's I LIKE WHAT I KNOW: A VISUAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

 

"3 books to skip" -- Kat reviews  Bertill Nordahl's CAT SEVENS, CARLY SIMON AND LEONARD COHEN AND ALL THE OTHERS, David Redford's NEIL& JONI: 2 LIVES, 21 ALBUMS and Ellen Sanders' ROCK AND ROLL WOMENHOOD: CASS ELLIOT, GRACE SLICK, LINDA RONSTADT, FANNY AND MORE.

 

"THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY" -- Mike reviews Elizabeth Kolbert's THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY.


"Paul Kupperberg's DIRECT CONVERSTIONS: TALKS WITH FELLOW DC COMICS BRONZE AGE CREATORS" -- Isaiah reviews this book.

 

"JOAN BAEZ: THE LAST LEAF" -- Ruth reviews  this book by Elizabeth Thomas.

 

 "A JOYOUS TRANSFORMATION: THE UNEXPURZGATED DIARY OF ANAIS NIN, 1966 -1977" -- Ruth reviews a book by Anais Nin.

 

"An aging queen writes a bitter book about The Way We Were" -- Marcia reviews a bad book about THE WAY WE WERE.

 

 

"Travis Stewart's bad book supposedly on Stevie Nicks" -- Kat reviews a bad book supposedly about Stevie Nicks.

 

"Austin Breakfast Tacos: The Story of the Most Important Taco of the Day"-- Trina strongly recommends this cookbook.


"GET LOST" -- Isaiah looks at this comic magazine


"Lucille Ball and HERE'S LUCY" -- Stan reads up on the second half of Lucille Ball's life.


"Melody Thomas Scott's Always Young and Restless: M..." -- Ann reviews this autobiography.


"ROCK AND ROLL NIGHTMARES" -- Elaine reviews this book about crime in the music world. 


"ALL THE LEAVES ARE BROWN" -- Kat reviews this book about the Mamas & the Papas.


"SAPIENS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF HUMANKIND" -- Mike reviews a science book.



"Stephen Rebello's DOLLS! DOLLS! DOLLS: DEEP INSIDE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, THE MOST BELOVED BAD BOOK AND MOVIE OF ALL TIME" -- Stan reviews a book about the making of VALLEY OF THE DOLLS.


 "Elizabeth Taylor -- two books" -- Ruth covers Katy Holborn's ELIZABETH TAYLOR: AN ELIZABETH TAYLOR BIOGRAPHY and Gian-Luca di Rocco's WOMEN IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT: CHARTING SOCIETAL PROGRESS THROUGH THE FILMS OF ELIZABETH TAYLOR AND JANE FONDA 1944-1981.

 

"Split Image: The Life of Anthony Perkins" -- Ann reviews a biography about Anthony Perkins.

 

 "Andrea Warner's BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE: THE AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY" -- Mike wonders why he bothered to read this book?



 

Tweet of the week

 

 

 

 

 

This edition's playlist

 

1) Chase Rice's I HATE COWBOYS & ALL DOGS GO TO HELL.

 

2)  Diana Ross' THANK YOU

 


3) Robbie Williams' XXV.

 

4) Rickie Lee Jones' PIECES OF TREASURE.


5) Sam Smith's GLORIA.

 

6)Yusuf/Cat Stevens' KING OF A LAND.

 

7) Joni Mitchell's LIVE AT NEWPORT.

 

8) Carly Simon's LIVE AT GRAND CENTRAL.

 

9) Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo's BLACKBIRD: LENNON - MCCARTNEY ICONS.

 

10)  Janet Jackson's UNBREAKABLE.

 

 

 

Highlights

a park painting 11
 

This piece is written by Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix, Kat of Kat's Korner, Betty of Thomas Friedman is a Great Man, Mike of Mikey Likes It!, Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz, Ruth of Ruth's Report, Marcia of SICKOFITRADLZ, Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends, Ann of Ann's Mega Dub, Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts and Wally of The Daily Jot. Unless otherwise noted, we picked all highlights.

 

"Remembering the attack on the UN in Baghdad 20 yea..." -- most requested highlight by readers of this site.

 

"Kat's Korner: Joni (live) at Newport" -- Kat's latest album review.

"Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Raging Trump"" -- Isaiah's latest comic.


"Iraq snapshot," "Iraq snapshot," "Iraq snapshot," "Iraq snapshot," "Iraq snapshot," "NBA no-star Enes Kanter," "ALTERNET flaunts the stupidity," "BURN IT DOWN WITH KIM BROWN, THE HUMANIST REPORT, Doo-Doo Ron Ron DeSantis," "Doo-Doo Ron Ron circles the toilet," "Kim Brown's BURN IT DOWN and Doo-Doo DeSantis' faltering campaign," "Boo MTG, Yea Carly Simon!,"  "MTG wants to do some thinking (I believe that would require a brain)," "What are 'Things You Can't Learn In Florida'?," "Take a hike, Junior, take a hike," "Queerty, get your pathetic act together and stop h...," "Twitter's in trouble and Matt Taibbi's mooning ove...," "Popov is a killer and his family needs to stop lying," "Shame on Jamie Frevele and other rip off artists," "Skittles," "Muddled idiot Krysten Sinema," "Tim Tebow comes out . . .," "My rant about the boys of THE VANGUARD," "Why does Tommy Tuberville hate the US military," "Dianne Feinstein doesn't have to go into a home but she needs to go home," "Dylan Mulvaney is right," "THE REMIX MORNING SHOW and DEMOCRACY NOW! cover Crooked Clarence," "I have to put everything on pause due to Hillary," "Crooked Clarence needs to be removed from the bench," "Matthew Perry joins the cast of Shonda Rhimes' SCANDAL: DONALD TRUMP EDITION," "Are you watching Shonda Rhimes' SCANDAL: DONALD TRUMP EDITION?," "Casting Shonda Rhimes' SCANDAL: DONALD TRUMP EDITION," "They're making Shonda Rhimes' new show without Shonda!," "Appalling if true," "Hate merchant Naomi Wolf got served," "karen hunter on trump's indictment (meanwhile michael flynn disgraces himself),"  "john mulaney's career needs more than p.r. spin," "we won this battle before and will win it again," "He married a woman, he swears he did" and "THIS JUST IN! CASEY'S ALMOST READY FOR REAL TV!" -- news coverage in the community.

 

"kd lang's Hymns of the 49th Parallel,"  "Tori Amos," "Record collecting," "Morgan Wallen, Madonna, The Hives, Maria McKee, Robbie Robertson, Post Malone," and  "Diana Ross, Stevie Nicks, Clive Davis, Whitney Houston, Fleetwood Mac, Brian Wilson" -- music coverage in the community.

 

"The 10 Greatest Comic Book Covers of All Time" -- Isaiah talks comics and MAD.


"Andrea Warner's BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE: THE AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY" -- Mike reviews a book.

 

"'the takeover'," "Another Harrison Ford film struggles to turn a profit," "BLUE BEETLE really is the death of movies," "Sandra Bullock," "Bradley Cooper's nose," "SCREEN RANT continues to traffic in sexism," "Weekend box office," "minx season 2 episode 3," "Let's all take a moment to celebrate and love Lily Tomlin" and "john mulaney's career needs more than p.r. spin" -- TV and movie coverage in the community.



 "Blackened Shrimp Bowls in the Kitchen," "Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo Recipe" and "Easy Shrimp Tacos in the Kitchen" -- Trina serves up three shrimp recipes.

 

 

 

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