Remembering HarryBoy

I’ve never understood people who don’t like having animals in their lives, dogs especially. How can you not like something that gives you unconditional love all the time? No matter how much the world pisses on you, your dog will always greet you at the door with a wagging tale. My sister had such a dog. Harry Boy passed away today, which also happens to be my husband's birthday. He was almost 12 years old which is very old for a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I remember when she got Harry Boy, it was two months before my wedding. He was a typical male Ridgeback—shy, gangly and absolutely dominated by the two female Ridgebacks she already owned. Sushi used to act like he smelled! She would actually turn up her nose when he was around. And I know she was wondering when he would be returned back to wherever he came from. Simba took to mothering him because he was so little and pathetic. He grew into a beautiful dog with a perfect ridge on his back (he even won a ribbon when he was a puppy for his ridge). He was so easy-going that my sister used to take him into the office and to houses she was showing when she was a realtor. Of all the dogs she had, Harry Boy was the only one that attached solely to her; the other two were too independent. When she was getting a divorce and moving to another home, she took Harry Boy there and sat down with him in the empty house and said, “Harry Boy, do you think we can be happy here?” They were. Harry Boy and the rest of her dogs really helped her through a really tough time. They made her little house a home and she didn’t feel so lonely because every time she walked into the house, Harry Boy and the others were waiting at the door for her. Actually they nearly bowled her over. Now I’m so glad that she has a new husband that will help her mourn Harry Boy. She also has Kaede and Freddy to help her too. I wonder if Sushi will still turn her nose up at him in doggy heaven.

Pride & Prejudice

I've always been a big fan of Jane Austen, I’ve seen all the movies and miniseries created from her books but I've never actually read any of her work. I know, scandalous!

By far, hands down, my favourite is Pride and Prejudice. The 1995 BBC production with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy is the best production ever— Colin Firth is Mr. Darcy. So, I just finished the book and it was as fantastic as I expected it to be. I did find the 18th century writing a little hard to read at first but then I got used to it after a chapter or two. It helped that I had watched the BBC miniseries often enough that I have it practically memorized and I could picture the scenes and conversations as I read the book. I found the book to be very humorous as well. Miss Austen was very good at tweaking upper society. Her depiction of Lady Catherine de Bourgh was spot on; the lady was a bully and snob but once Elizabeth stood up to her she withered away. Mr. Collins’ comments and letters were hilarious. He’s such a sanctimonious prig.

There were some comments from other writers in the back that were quite interesting. They weren’t all in praise of Miss Austen’s writing skills. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in his journal in 1861: I am at a loss to understand why people hold Miss Austen’s novels at so high a rate, which seem to me vulgar in tone, sterile in artistic invention, imprisoned in their wretched conventions of English society, without genius, wit or knowledge of the world. Never was life so pinched and narrow…Suicide is more respectable.” Two words Mr. Emerson…chick book…you wouldn’t get it. Charlotte Bronte didn’t like her books either, but that’s okay I found Wuthering Heights to be dismal and dreary. How could anyone compare Heathcliff to Mr. Darcy? It’s a cat’s name for God’s sake! And Jane Eyre—she was a wallflower who couldn’t hold a candle to Elizabeth. ‘Nuff said.

So now it’s on to Mansfield Park, but first I think I’ll read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies—now that sounds like a good book.

Miss Universe

I'm not a big fan of beauty pagents but I do like to check out the national costumes on the Miss Universe Pagent . Last year Miss Canada dressed as a Maple Leaf hockey player & I rather liked it (being a diehard Leaf's fan). But this year my only comment was WTF??? I have no idea what it supposed to represent. Of course, Miss USA's Nascar outfit wasn't any better. There were some other ones pretty hysterical: Miss Netherlands was a windmill and Miss Great Britian looked like a punked out Queen. I kind of liked that one. I'm still not sure what Miss Japan was thinking. Her kimono's hem line had to be lowered after people at home said she looked like a hooker—and the pink garters were okay? To view all the costums go here http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/38365995.html

Latest book I'm reading

So I decided that since I'm such a terrible blogger (two blogs a year) that I would augment my blogs with reports on the books that I'm reading. I just finished the first of a three part series and I'm not sure if I'll read the next. It was Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb. I have a love/hate relationship with Robin Hobb. I like her books but I have a few issues. First, they're too darn long, she could cut out a quarter of the story and still have a good read. And I don't know why, but usually her series are three books long and I always struggle through the second book. It was that way with the Farseer & Tawny Man Trilogies (which technically could be considered a six book series) and the Liveship series and now I'm not sure about the Soldier Son trilogy. The book got off to a slow start and then I was hooked at the end. But I'm not sure if I'm hooked enough to go to the next book. On the other hand, I hate hanging out there with an unfinished story. So it's a dilemma isn't it. Here's something I didn't know about her, she also writes under Megan Lindholm.

I'm also reading a bio of Catherine the Great and I'm slowly working my way through all of the Jane Austen books. I started with Pride and Prejudice. Will write more on that when I'm finished. But I can say that I'm loving it.

Talk about bad journalism

I was checking out the news this morning online and came across this article on CNN http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/08/23/israel.sweden.organ.harvesting/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn Apparently, a Swedish "journalist" wrote an article suggested the Israeli army kidnapped and killed young Palestinians to harvest their organs. The journalist said that the article was just his opinion. Since when is opinion considered a news story? He said that he had no proof that Israeli soldiers were stealing organs, and that the purpose of his piece was to call for an investigation. Now I'm all for freedom of the press and good—and I stress good—investigative news. But, if it were true he just shot himself in the foot buy writing a piece that sounded like it should have been in the National Enquirer. Good Lord, be a good journalist and don't acuse until you have proof. Walter Cronkite & Peter Jenning must be rolling over in their graves!