Wednesday evening the National Book Award winners were announced. As usual I did not read any of the winning books. I also had never heard of most of the books even nominated. Does that make me a bad reader? I used to think that when I was younger. I do try to read as many books as I can during the year. I admit that I probably start at least twice the number of books that I finish. That used to bother me too. But with age comes wisdom and there are really too many good books out there with more being published all the time. There is no reason to force yourself to finish a book that does not appeal to you. Not counting school assignments or book discussion group choices of course.
Awards are nice. It can be fun to look at Best of Lists too. That is one way to try to fill in gaps in your reading or expose yourself to some titles you may have missed. But how much value do they really have? Especially the National Book Award winners. People who read this kind of literature probably already have read these titles or at least have heard of them. Will people who read popular fiction care? Every year when the list comes out I do not see a rush of people coming into the library to request these books. I know I rarely will bother to even try to read any of them.
Reading is subjective. It appeals to each of us in a different way. We read what we enjoy. Which ultimately is how it should be. Congratulations to the award winners and all the nominees. But sorry, I think I will pass on trying any of them. And I am ok with that. I still have way too many books in my to read pile that I have been trying to start.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Mackenzie Phillips and who cares?
I did not watch Oprah's show with Mackenzie Phillips. I never watch Oprah. But I did read about some of what went on in the last show. Which made me think why? Not why would a father have sex with his daughter. Obviously that is wrong and very sick. Whether John Phillips did have sex with his daughter is not the point of this post though. The thing that immediately jumped out at me is why is she getting any airtime to make these claims? He is dead and cannot defend himself. She could not have come out with this when he was alive? She is 49 now and says that she was 19 when he first had sex with her. It has been 30 years. What is the point to come out with this now? It can only be money. Make a big accusation to sell your book. What else can it be? Let's be honest. How many people remember her, or even if they do, care at all about her life story? If you really want to make a statement do it when it can have some effect. Not eight years after he died.
I also have a problem with Oprah for giving her airtime. What proof other than her word did any of this happen? I did not see the show or read her book so maybe there were eyewitnesses. But I have not read of any. Which makes what Oprah did completely wrong to let Mackenzie just make accusations about a dead man. And again why should any of us care? One drug addicted person accusing another of incest. There are plenty of other things in this country to take up our time. Why can't we focus on current issues and not accusations of events that took place decades ago?
I also have a problem with Oprah for giving her airtime. What proof other than her word did any of this happen? I did not see the show or read her book so maybe there were eyewitnesses. But I have not read of any. Which makes what Oprah did completely wrong to let Mackenzie just make accusations about a dead man. And again why should any of us care? One drug addicted person accusing another of incest. There are plenty of other things in this country to take up our time. Why can't we focus on current issues and not accusations of events that took place decades ago?
Friday, September 18, 2009
So much for ladies only...
I found this story amusing. Not just that a guy won the tournament, but that the woman who came in second place is upset that he did not offer to split his winnings with her. As if she would have offered to split the winnings if she had won.
The real issue in all this is why have a ladies poker tournament in the first place? Poker is a game of skill. Gender has nothing to do with it and if you ever turn on any of the countless tv shows on you will see women having no problems competing against men. Unless one gender has a significant advantage there is no reason to separate out the sexes in a competition.
The real issue in all this is why have a ladies poker tournament in the first place? Poker is a game of skill. Gender has nothing to do with it and if you ever turn on any of the countless tv shows on you will see women having no problems competing against men. Unless one gender has a significant advantage there is no reason to separate out the sexes in a competition.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Lost Art of Cooking
Do people actually cook anymore? There is a great article by Michael Pollan in the current New York Times Magazine about this. It is kind of long, but well worth the time to read. A few points he writes about really stand out to me. Did you know the average American only spends 27 minutes a day on food preparation and another 4 minutes on clean up? And that is for the day. Not just for one meal. We have got so lazy that the definition of cooking has changed. Did you know that putting mayo on a slice of bread followed by cold cuts qualifies as cooking?
What we eat has declined as well. I was disheartened to read that currently the most popular meal in America at both lunch and dinner is a sandwich washed down by the number one drink a soda. And we wonder why our country suffers from an obesity problem? We have become programmed to believe that prepackaged and processed food is what we need. Just go down to your local grocery store and purchase these items and you will be able to make fantastic meals in 30 minutes or less! Our great-grandparents must be spinning in their graves.
I admit that I have fallen into the trap. It is easy to just put a bagel in the toaster for breakfast. Or to make a sandwich to take to work for lunch. Last night we ordered pizza for dinner. Life does get in the way at times. But that does not mean we can't make the effort to actually cook the majority of our meals. Cooking does not have to be a drag. It can be fun. Especially when you cook with your spouse/partner/family. I always feel satisfied whenever I cook a meal that involves a lot of preparation and time. There is a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that you cannot get from just opening a jar or can.
I think one of the biggest hurdles for people to cook most of their meals is time. Most of us live such a fast paced life that we never seem to have enough time to get everything we want done. That doesn't mean there isn't time to do things. You just have to make a little more effort to prioritize. And plan ahead! There is nothing wrong with preparing something ahead of time. We have to kick the habit of processed and packaged food. And it starts one step at a time.
What we eat has declined as well. I was disheartened to read that currently the most popular meal in America at both lunch and dinner is a sandwich washed down by the number one drink a soda. And we wonder why our country suffers from an obesity problem? We have become programmed to believe that prepackaged and processed food is what we need. Just go down to your local grocery store and purchase these items and you will be able to make fantastic meals in 30 minutes or less! Our great-grandparents must be spinning in their graves.
I admit that I have fallen into the trap. It is easy to just put a bagel in the toaster for breakfast. Or to make a sandwich to take to work for lunch. Last night we ordered pizza for dinner. Life does get in the way at times. But that does not mean we can't make the effort to actually cook the majority of our meals. Cooking does not have to be a drag. It can be fun. Especially when you cook with your spouse/partner/family. I always feel satisfied whenever I cook a meal that involves a lot of preparation and time. There is a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that you cannot get from just opening a jar or can.
I think one of the biggest hurdles for people to cook most of their meals is time. Most of us live such a fast paced life that we never seem to have enough time to get everything we want done. That doesn't mean there isn't time to do things. You just have to make a little more effort to prioritize. And plan ahead! There is nothing wrong with preparing something ahead of time. We have to kick the habit of processed and packaged food. And it starts one step at a time.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Twitter or not...
I added a twitter badge to my blog. Yes, I twitter. Is it the greatest things since sliced bread? Of course not. It is what it is and if that is how you use it than it can be fun/useful. I have got some good information and fun out of other people's tweets that I follow. And I admit that my lack of posting here on my blog is because of my use of twitter instead.
Most of the time I don't feel like I need to make a whole blog post for what is on my mind. I just want to pass on a thought or a link. In those cases twitter really is the ideal way to do it. You would be surprised how much info you can pass in 140 characters. But lately I have found that I do have more to say than what I can put in a tweet or two. And I do miss blogging. Not that very many people read what I post here. But that is ok. I don't blog for the masses. It is just my way of putting a thought out there and if people read it cool. And if they don't that is fine too. Life still goes on...
Most of the time I don't feel like I need to make a whole blog post for what is on my mind. I just want to pass on a thought or a link. In those cases twitter really is the ideal way to do it. You would be surprised how much info you can pass in 140 characters. But lately I have found that I do have more to say than what I can put in a tweet or two. And I do miss blogging. Not that very many people read what I post here. But that is ok. I don't blog for the masses. It is just my way of putting a thought out there and if people read it cool. And if they don't that is fine too. Life still goes on...
How Far Would You Go?
Last night I finished watching the 5 part Torchwood: Children of the Earth show. I have to say I really enjoyed it. At first I was disappointed when I heard that there was not going to be a full season and instead just a mini-series. I probably still would have preferred a longer run, but have no complaints on the quality of what they did produce. Especially the moral and ethical aspects of it.
How far would we go if we were put in that situation? Would we be willing to sacrifice 10% of the children of the world in order to save humanity? How about just one child if it was related to you? Chilling stuff to be sure. Must see tv if you have not seen it yet.
How far would we go if we were put in that situation? Would we be willing to sacrifice 10% of the children of the world in order to save humanity? How about just one child if it was related to you? Chilling stuff to be sure. Must see tv if you have not seen it yet.
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Thursday, July 16, 2009
How much is that beer?
The other day the wife and I were at Melt in Lakewood and sat at the bar for dinner. We noticed they had Duvel Green on tap and mentioned it to the bartender. I told him that the Bier Market had it for a short time, but ran out of it. He told me that they would probably have it for a long time since they are charging $7 a pint for it. He did not sell much and said that it was too expensive for their place. Which brings me to my thought--how much is too much for a beer?
Beer prices have been going up in our area both on tap and in bottles. Browsing the beverage store aisles I have put off trying some new beers because they are too expensive. I find it hard to justify spending more for one 12 oz bottle than it would cost me for a six-pack or two of a good local microbrew. I mean how good can the beer actually be?
Don't get me wrong. I am not averse to spending a premium price for a premium product. I am a single malt fan after all. I just don't see the point of paying extra for a product that is not that much better if at all than what I can get for significantly less. If I am paying more, such as with single malts, than I want to taste the difference. With some of the premium beers I have tried I have to admit I can't taste that much difference.
I will continue to sample as many different beers as I can in the future. I am a beer lover to say the least. I will have to say though that I will continue to be a bit selective in which ones I try. Charge what I think is too much and I will have to pass. What that actual price point is? I am still trying to figure that out.
Oh and in case you were wondering I did not buy the Duvel. I did not think the $7 price was out of line for a Belgian beer and I would have paid it but was not in the mood for a Belgian that day. Let's be honest--spending $12 for a good glass of wine or single malt is worth it so why would I balk at paying only $7 for a beer?
Beer prices have been going up in our area both on tap and in bottles. Browsing the beverage store aisles I have put off trying some new beers because they are too expensive. I find it hard to justify spending more for one 12 oz bottle than it would cost me for a six-pack or two of a good local microbrew. I mean how good can the beer actually be?
Don't get me wrong. I am not averse to spending a premium price for a premium product. I am a single malt fan after all. I just don't see the point of paying extra for a product that is not that much better if at all than what I can get for significantly less. If I am paying more, such as with single malts, than I want to taste the difference. With some of the premium beers I have tried I have to admit I can't taste that much difference.
I will continue to sample as many different beers as I can in the future. I am a beer lover to say the least. I will have to say though that I will continue to be a bit selective in which ones I try. Charge what I think is too much and I will have to pass. What that actual price point is? I am still trying to figure that out.
Oh and in case you were wondering I did not buy the Duvel. I did not think the $7 price was out of line for a Belgian beer and I would have paid it but was not in the mood for a Belgian that day. Let's be honest--spending $12 for a good glass of wine or single malt is worth it so why would I balk at paying only $7 for a beer?
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