I am sure you are aware of the damage the so-called ‘Patriot’ Act has done to our rights. Pat Holt sent an email broadcast today about Section 215, which “allows FBI agents to search records in bookstores and libraries of anyone they believe may have information relevant to their investigations, including people who are not suspected of committing a crime”. The request for obtaining one of these search warrants is held in secret. Ashcroft assures us that they have not used it, but as Holt points out, then why does it exist. And how are we supposed to know if the whole thing is kept quiet. So I went and signed a petition against this bad bad policy. Really, one of the things we should be fighting for today is to rid our country of this Patriot Act. No good can come of it. I have put the button below so others can go sign it.
Monthly Archives: April 2004
This book better win some prizes
I finished Cloud Atlas last night and it was wonderful. I need time to think about it, so I will try to post some thoughts on it tonight. If this book isn’t nominated for something, than there is definitely something wrong with the literary community. I am gathering links about this book too. Here is what I have found so far:
A Guardian review
A Guardian interview with David Mitchell
A review from the New Zealand Herald
Bookmunch review
A review from the Independent
A review in the LNR book diary
There is much more I think. I remember reading somewhere that one reviewer said he would not write about the book as he found it incomprehensible. That I do not get at all. The guy must have been really dumb. Anyway, more from me on this later.
Women. Sheesh.
Ed has an interesting post about the lack of coverage of the March for Women’s Lives that took place last Sunday in Washington. My friend Vicki went and has posted several things on her experience there. The news coverage was pretty lame. The NYT had a few small articles, but I did not notice much more. That is pretty sad considering at least 800,000 marched, though they report a million people as well. But I think its also indicative of the current administration. They just don’t care (I am not saying anything new here). Bush said when all the war protests were going on that they would in no way make him rethink his decision.
This whole topic has brought up two issues for me. The first is Bush’s obvious lack of respect for the country that he won’t even listen to anyone else. Yes, he has his advisors, but his vision is so singleminded. What kind of person does not reflect on their decisions and listen to other’s output? When I go say, buy a new car, I talk to people, usually my dad who has more knowlede than I do about this stuff. And maybe other people I know who have bought cars so I can learn from their experience and make my experience the best. Well, not Bush.
My second thought is about feminism in the 90s and 00s (what the hell do we call this decade?). I am just wondering who our role models are now. Who are the big feminist leaders? Hillary Clinton could be one I suppose. She is a strong independent woman and in a position of power. Condoleeze Rice? Uhm….thanks, but no thanks. She is powerful and works hard, but c’mon. She’s Bush’s second wife for christsakes. What about people my age (that’s late 20s for those who don’t know) or younger? The Olson twins? They make a buttload of money. I can think of lots of movie stars. But none of them are exactly leaders for women everywhere. I did not hear of any “stars” attending, so maybe that is why no one reported on the march? But I would be skeptical of any star that promotes a cause anyway. Its really only a few stars whose motives I trust. I trust that Martin Sheen really does want to get rid of nuclear reactors and is not out to further his career by getting arrested a bunch. But back to the topic at hand.
Which brings me to another thought: what’s the deal with women’s rights anyways? Is it just me or are we losing ground these days? And I am not even referring strictly to our reproductive rights. We know those are being chipped away. They are not making it a secret. I am talking about all the progress that we seemed to be making decade ago. Women getting corporate jobs that were not just being secretaries. Women getting equal pay. Women no longer being relegated to giving birth and baking. Yes, women are still out there working and struggling, but I do not see many women in Congress as I do not see many women CEOs or other “high” positions. I am not sure what I am really saying here. It just seems to me that our progress has sort of halted and I do not know why.
As for the March on Sunday, I am so happy it took place and amazed that so many people showed up. Its nice to know that so many people agree that a woman’s body is her own. They may not support abortion, but they support a woman’s choice. That’s what I care about. I deserve the choice. No, not deserve, it is my right.
Okay, this is me stepping off my soapbox to go eat cake for Meg’s birthday.
This is just cool
Report in the Globe today that some archaeologists have found more than 50 mummies buried in deep shafts in Cairo today. The date from the first millennium BCE apparently. The place is just full of mummies it sounds like. I cannot wait to here more. Yes, I am a dork. Remember, I did study Classics for many years….
Oooh…
I may have failed to mention this before, but the man who is true to his name, Michael Kindness, our Random House rep, delivered to a lucky few of us some manuscripts of Haruki Murakami’s latest book Kafka on the Shore, due out next April (cannot find any links to it yet–too soon, I guess). Jess has already read it and shares her thoughts, having devoured it in one weekend. I have not gotten around to reading it, but its next on my list. I am about to finish Cloud Atlas, which is completely amazing. Anyway, TEV pointed out this article from the Japan Times, which says that the German translation of Kafka on the Shore became the No. 1 bestseller in Austria.
Great Story
I have been a fan of Steven Milhauser’s since I went to Skidmore College, where he is a professor of English. I used to go hear him read his short stories in the auditorium. I was very excited when I heard that he had won the Pulitzer in 1997. I read his last novel The King in the Tree when it came out last year. The current issue of the New Yorker has a story of his and here it is available online. Its called Cat ‘N’ Mouse and I am curious what others think about it. Oh, and here is a link to an interview of Millhauser by Jim Shepard, whose latest novel Project X I really liked.
So we go from winter straight into summer?
Those of you not in the Northeast may not realize that we have suffered up here weatherwise for the past months. Being in New England sucked. Big time. Cold and more cold and more rain and some sleet, etc. Finally had a nice weekend though, with temps in the 60s. And today’s high is 80-something. Don’t believe me? Check here. And to top off this beautiful day, the Red Sox came back after a loss to the Yankees yesterday, to win today’s final game. I watched three of the four games, and they were pretty exciting. Especially since A-Rod barely did anything. Heh. Anyway, that’s it for now. Got to get back to work.
I want comments people
So in the spirit of the Friday Five, whose questions I answer occasionally, I have a question to ask of my own. I have no idea if anyone really even reads this blog, but if you do, feel free to comment (Briana—I am talking to you). I want to know what movie or book most influnenced you as a teenager. For me, and I am embarassed to admit this, it was probably reading the Fountainhead when I was fourteen. I read a great deal as a kid, lots of the classics—-Dickens, Steinbeck, Austen, etc. But I had never really tackled much in the way of a philosophical novel. I realize I am leaving myself open here to attacks and ridicule. I know Ayn Rand is a complete freak show, but I still like her fiction. The Fountainhead was one of the first books to make me think about the struggle of being an individual and human corruption. Heavy stuff when you are thirteen. I am sure there are plenty of other books that influenced me, but this is a book that I actually remember reading for the first time.
Tooting my own horn
Not in a dirty way, mind you. I have decided that I should mention some of the book-related events that happen here, because some of them are pretty cool. So if you are in the Cambridge, MA are today, come to the Harvard Book Store and hear Lynne Truss discuss Eat, Shoots & Leaves today at 6pm. There is a bit more info on the event here. I know the book made a big splash around the holidays in the UK. Here is a review from the Guardian. Sounds like fun, but the Red Sox/Yankees first game is tonight, so it’s a tough call.
Quiet here
I have been quiet since Tuesday. Mainly because not much has been going on here. Trying to make it through the crappy-ass New England weather until Spring decides to rear its head. I am slogging my way through the two books in the left column. Q is too heavy to carry around, so I have to read it at home and the Wallace, well, you know. In good news, I have been informed that a new book by Haruki Murakami will be coming next April and the rep has kindly sent me a manuscript. I do not even know the title yet, but I will keep you informed. Murakami rules! So that’s it for now. I am going out for sushi with the rest of Team Discovery Channel tonight and am looking forward to a good meal.
Bookdwarf 