Sugar: The Bitter Truth

I know it's long, but everyone should watch this. I want to want to eat less sugar (Ha - that was for you Niki!), but it's so hard. But this explains so much about why I can't turn off the need to eat all the time. But I want to not eat so much, and that's the first step, right?

Comfort Books

So in the spirit of banned book week, here's another post inspired by author Neil Gaiman. I guess Neil isn't feeling so well this week, and today he Tweeted about 'comfort books', those books you turn to again and again to make you feel better. There are several for me that seem to do the trick.

I have read 'The Gospel According to Biff' by Christopher Moore at least 10 times, and it cracks me up every time I read it. It's the story of Christ told by the lost apostle, Biff, who was Jesus' life long friend. Very irreverent and very much fun. I have given this book out as a gift several times. All of Moore's books are clever and funny, but I think this is my favorite - though if it's around the holidays, 'The Stupedist Angel' does the trick just fine too.

Another favorite is 'The Eyre Affair' by Jasper Fforde. Set in England in 1985, this delightful fantasy series about a criminal mastermind who is altering great literary texts by kidnapping and even killing off characters and the literary detective charged with stopping him is very clever. Very inventive and hilarious.

In a more serious vein, I have always loved 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker. Alice Walker is an amazing writer, and the book is much better than the movie, though I love Whoopi Goldberg anyway.

When I was a kid, I used to love 'Watership Down' by Richard Adams. The not so cute and furry bunny story was very complex, with freedom, choice, and survival positioned front and center.

And I not ashamed to say that the Harry Potter series is another favorite when I'm not feeling well, and even when I'm feeling good. As I've said before, as usual, the books are much better than the movies. And out of respect for the man who inspired this post, 'The Graveyard Book' has been one of my favorite books of the last year. This story of Nobody Owens being taken in and raised by a group of graveyard ghosts is very entertaining. There's a reason it has won the Newbury Medal.

What are your favorite comfort books?

The Cost of not being able to Marry

This NY Times article was very enlightening. It projects the extra costs gay couples have to pay because the federal government doesn't recognize gay marriage. It's really a great itemized account of the very real costs we have to pay that married couples don't have to worry about. I'd gladly pay that 'marriage penalty' to avoid all of the precautions that Tom and I have had to put in place to take care of each other.

I like bacon, but.....

Ok, this Bacon Kama Sutra is amusing. Who knew that a BLT was actually a threesome?

Banned Books Week

From their website:

"Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than a thousand books have been challenged since 1982. The challenges have occurred in every state and in hundreds of communities. Click here to see a map of book bans and challenges in the US from 2007 to 2009. People challenge books that they say are too sexual or too violent. They object to profanity and slang, and protest against offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups--or positive portrayals of homosexuals. Their targets range from books that explore the latest problems to classic and beloved works of American literature."

Gayest Cartoon Characters? Where's Velma?

Wow, has it been almost 3 weeks since I last posted? So sorry.

Out Magazine has published a list of the gayest cartoon characters, and I'm sad to say I have no idea who some of those toons are. Klaus Vorstein? But seriously, where's Velma from Scooby Doo? Jinkies, she is such a lesbian. Who else is missing?

This is just so wrong

But soooooooo funny!!!!!!!!!!



Americans Observing 9/11 By Trying Not To Masturbate

Care Bare WoW

Remember: While he might be a lvl. 60 alchemist, he's also a lvl. 15 bear.

I found this fun blog where big kid ideas are added to children's coloring book pages to create something a little twisted and outside the lines. Hopefully you other Warcraft addicts will find this as amusing as I do! And if you're not into Warcraft, it's still funny! Hee!

Twipcomics

“Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you’ll be there all afternoon. Just give him the fish and be done with it.”

Read Ryan’s Twitter feed at @ryanbauer

I thoroughly enjoyed this site, where cartoonist Greg Williams draws cartoons from tweets from regular and famous people.

Manga

I saw this link on Bookslut and had to copy it:

Manga! Not Just for the Japanese and Sexually Depraved Anymore!

Sorry for not posting lately. I just haven't had much to say or much that's amused me lately. That, and I turned 39, and while I'm not worried about getting older (I think I'm getting better looking and I'm happy with my body in general), I have been reflecting on how I got this far in life and still don't really have my mission in place or feel like I know what I stand for in this world. That, and the U.S. Open has started, so it's either existential angst or watching a fuzzy yellow ball go back and forth. There really isn't much time for much else.