NP: Three Days Grace -- I Hate Everything About You
When a relationship ends, to continue the battlefield metaphor from below, there are awkward moments that take place between the opposing armies. These may be brief phone calls, they may be extended visits necessitated by work, school, or another activity. For some people, no matter how clean the break was, they are very difficult to deal with.
I am one of those people.
Those moments of co-existence can run the gamut of emotions. From hate to love, from scorn to longing. There is never a set pattern for these things. Just like two enemy armies, though, there are rules of engagement that I try to follow in these.
1) Do not be negative. I'm generally a very negative person. Although I have changed that in the last year or more, I still have tendencies to see the bad. For me, it is of the utmost importance that I maintain a positive face and not flinch.
2) Be agreeable. The relationship is over. If it is going to restart, it will restart on its own. There is no need to make it clear that the relationship is over. Two rational, sane adults should know it is over. If the person is crazy, chances are you wouldn't be meeting with them in the situation.
3) Do not be spiteful. Yes, the previous period has been painful, even if the pain lasted for about an hour (as in this case), but there is no need to take it out on the other person. Just go in, do what you have to do, and don't dredge up the past.
4) Maintain clear boundaries. This reason is why I will never date anyone I work with or am in the same program with ever again. I made the mistake once and I will never break it again. For the healing process, you need a period of isolation. As the battlefield post says, you will be constantly reminded of the relationship when it ends...so you need a safe place to stay until things calm down.
Well, as you can probably guess, I had my first interaction with C just a bit ago. It was the "prisoner of war" exchange. It was in the parking lot at church. She had wanted us to go together, I agreed and then chnged my mind. I went to early service, she went to late, and we met in the middle to exchange items.
In the course of a five minute exchange, she violated every one of my four rules of engagement. She reiterated that she holds me in a low opinion, she informed me that she "made the right decision," she also informed me that she had been hanging out with people in my program and they, to a man, had told her that they couldn't believe that she would ever date me.
You see, I ticked her off when I refused to go to church with her. She wanted to set the limits and define the relationship. I refused to let her. I needed my isolated time. To her, the fact that I was "rejecting" her threw her peace out of balance. She, I guess, had hoped that I would be over here all miserable and, when she found out that I was ok (because I followed the rules of engagement), she couldn't take it. So out she lashed.
I've been lashing out about her too. I've lashed out here (albeit in very general terms), and I've discussed the situation with about 5-7 of my closest friends. None of them know her. For her to try to "take the fight to me" and start dealing with my friends shows how shallow she is. Of course, I did not tell her a word that my friends said about her. I left in peace....she went into church in an indeterminate state.
This is once in my life that I can stand up in front of God, the World, and the Internet and say that I did the right thing. That I was the better person. Moral of the story: Always follow the rules of engagement.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Rules of Engagement
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Ring Of Honor: Reborn Stage Two DVD Haiku Review
I lucked into a $10 sale on the Ring of Honor website last month, picking up two DVDs from the 2004 season of ROH - "At Our Best" and "Reborn Stage Two" - for $20 + S&H. I had seen some ROH stuff, but not a lot; basically, I had two shows on DVD, and while I was impressed with those shows, I didn't see anything in the production of said DVDs to inspire more purchases. But, at $10 a disc, you can't really go too wrong. The "Reborn" show was pretty strong, so I'm going with it. Next stop: "The Midnight Express Reunion."
Ace Steel vs. BJ Whitmer
I don't think that I've
Seen a show that started with
Run-ins. Groundbreaking!
Justin Credible/ Masada vs. Shawn Daivari/ Delirious
Credible drinks from
His bottle of water, to
Choke back days gone by.
Chad Collyer vs. John Walters
Despite what you think,
Walters is NOT the guy who
Directed "Hairspray."
Four Corner Survival Match: Nigel McGuinness vs. Jimmy Rave vs. Rocky Romero vs. Austin Aries
Aries may be great,
But at that height, he can't ride
The roller coaster.
Homicide vs. Bryan Danielson
'Cide tames the Dragon.
The war between the two made
Me a fan of both.
Ricky Reyes vs. Danny Daniels
I must confess: I did
Not make it through this match, nope.
Lost my match with sleep.
Tag Team Scramble: Jack Evans/ Matt Sydal vs. Jimmy Jacobs/ Alex Shelley vs. Loc/ Devito vs. Dunn/ Marcos
Loc and his man-friend
Devito won this -- shit as
An angle fills seats?
ROH World Title: Samoa Joe vs. Matt Stryker
"Joe's gonna kill you!"
Smart fans come up with the best
Chants in the whole world!!
ROH Tag Team Titles: Jay & Mark Briscoe vs. CM Punk/ Colt Cabana
Sons of Gerald drop
Gold to hometown boys from the
Second City, bitch.
Pat Benatar was right
NP: Fuel -- Metallica
When a relationship ends, the two participants look back over their past and pick up the pieces like two unsuccessful generals taking casulality reports after a obscenely brutal battle. Things that were once used as gifts of love have an uncanny ability of turning into weapons or not-so-gentle reminders of what you once had, and once hoped, you had. Things become symbols of what was lost that will likely never again be found. The wallpaper on your desktop. The "I love you" note scribbled on a post-it note and passed across the table at Coffee Culture. The baseball you caught at Braves batting practice during your first game to Turner Field. Like soldiers leaving combat, they are sorted and re-allocated....given a new position in your new existence. Positive things you keep. Others, like prisoners of war, you return. Still more you bury as casulaties. Unlike soldiers, you try to forget them as fast as possible. Songs, movies, shows, places, and books that were once enjoyable or just normal take on a new dimension that is not easily shed.
In our 24-hour news cycle/500 channel culture, thousands of people have earned their paychecks by analyzing the actions of others. Whether it is an election, a football game, or a celebrity relationship, someone is going to be on television or the internet in less than 2 minutes talking about it. When a reltionship ends, similar reflection occurs but with major differences. There is no instant-replay machine for a relationship. Things that were easily overlooked now loom large as hurtful artifacts of the past. Comments that made the skin bristle but were ignored suddenly gain an ominous meaning. "Why didn't I see that before?" "Why didn't I get in the car and drive home when she said such and such?" "What was she thinking?" These are just some of the refrains that echo across the battle-scarred terrain when a relationship ends.
In short, we re-invent the relationship we just left. When it was good it was good, there is no doubt, but was it really that good? Surely it was, or you wouldn't have stayed! Or would you? Suddenly the things that were not so bad at the time become tanks rolling across your memory destroying everything in their path. Thus is life as a human. An imperfect machine that can not record things for 10 angles or consult the talking points on command. We remember what has hurt us, what has injured our vulnerable souls and ultimately what has taken a person who was once special away from us and straight to the dustbin of ex-girlfriends. A collection that grows like a cancer in your mind and in your memory.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
In love on Sunday, single on Tuesday
NP: Alice In Chains -- Unplugged
It's amazing what people think about when they go through times of stress. When my Grandmother was dying two years ago, I was studying for round one of my qualifying exams. I remember sitting in the cafeteria of Indian Path Hospital reading a book and focusing so intently that Robin D.G. Kelley's argument in Hammer and Hoe was all that I could think about. I just completely blocked out everything until I was capable of coping with what was going on.
Today, at the loss of my latest relationship, I have two very strangly random thoughts: 1. Do out-of-party national chairmen really set policy for their party, and 2. If God had a china shop, what would be in it?
I can't really explain number 2. Number 1 is what I am currently studying as I start writing chapter 1 of the dissertation, so that is understandable.
It is a point worth pondering though. What would God sell in His china shop?
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Read this book
McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury Of Thrilling Tales - edited by Michael Chabon
The second story in this anthology is "The Tears of Squonk, and What Happened Thereafter," written by Glen David Gold. It's an interesting tale, but most importantly to fans of East Tennessee lore, it has the following notation on the last page:
"Note: This story could only have been written with the aid of The Day They Hung The Elephant by Charles Edwin Price."
It's a pretty good collection of stories, unique in some of the authors represented - Michael Crichton, Stephen King, Elmore Leonard, Nick Hornby, Michael Moorcock, Neil Gaiman, and Harlan Ellison, among many others. Definitely worth a read.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Random Thoughts
NP: Pet Shop Boys -- Opportunity (Club Mix)
Ah yes. Air conditioning. The greatest invention of the 20th (or 19th?) Century.
Back in the 423 for a few more days before heading back to intense dissertation writing. My advisor took a job overseas beginning Fall 2006, so I have until May 2006 to get the project finished. I'm shooting for 10 chapters (Intro, 8 of body, Conclusion), and so far I have the intro ready to turn in and selected passages of some body chapters written. I'm shooting for 30-35 pages per chapter, so it should come out to over 300 pages when it is all said and done. I'm also going for a chapter a month (since I have most of the more difficult research completed) and I think this is doable. Look for progress updates in this space coming soon.
Tonight is the MLB Home Run Derby. In preparation for the 2006 World Cup of Baseball that will be held next Spring, the contestants are all representing their native countries. While this will be very cool, the timing sucks because the Olympics just dropped baseball. What does the IOC think? That people around the world care about the Olympics? Taking America's game out of the Olympics is a travesty.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Monday, July 04, 2005
Happy 4th of July!!!
Soundtrack for the holiday:
EPMD - "So What'cha Sayin'"
Funkadelic - "(Not Just) Knee Deep"
Man Or Astro-Man? - "Invasion Of The Dragonmen"
Hans J. Salter - "The Creature From the Black Lagoon: Main Title"
The Cramps - "Primitive"
Son Seals - "I Believe To My Soul"
John Cena - "Right Now"
Royal Crown Revue - "Zip Gun Bop"
Gift Of Gab - "Flashback"
Ennio Morricone - "Sixty Seconds To What?"
Tito & Tarantula - "Sweet Cycle Of Life"
Beck - "Ramshackle"
Fun Lovin' Criminals - "Loco"
Ghostface Killa - "Save Me Dear"
Eddie "The Chief" Clearwater w. Los Straitjackets - "Before This Song Is Over"
Galactic - "Never Called You Crazy"
Count Basie - "From Russia With Love"
David Lee Roth - "It's Showtime!"
Anthrax - "Inside Out"
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - "Killer Wolf"
TNA wrestling free on your computer
You can watch TNA wrestling Impact shows on their website for free. I assume it is better if you have high speed internet, but if you don't check it out anyway to see. The picture is not great, but hey--for free the entire show--it is pretty cool. I know you can wach it on TV, but hey now you can watch it whenever.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Film Review: War of the Worlds
NP: Stone Roses -- Track 05
Went to see War of the Worlds at the insanely nice Regal 18 Henrietta here in the Empire State. The theater is probably the nicest one I have been in in a long time. Remember how cool it was when Brisol's Tinseltown opened for the first time and we were shocked and awed that a theater could be larger than the Martin Twin? I got the same feeling today. It was almost as nice as the Regal Cinemas on Hendersonville, Rd. in Asheville which, of course, I haven't been to since 2000.
I bore witness to War of the Worlds. I am trying to save all spoilers for the end of the review so, if you haven't watched it yet, please read until then. Don't want anyone bitching about giving away the suprise ending that has been in print for over 100 years.
Spielberg does a great job of making the characters in the movie seem small. Here is mankind confronted with ostensibly unstoppable enemies as told through the eyes of Ray Ferrier, a crane operator who unloads freighters in New York harbor. We see from the beginning that Ferrier is trapped in a world he does not enjoy. His ex-wife is married to a much better man and his two kids think he is essentially a piece of crap.
This is not the typical role for Cruise who, as we all know, likes to be the guy who no one gives a chance at the beginning and then, by the end of the picture, he has won our hearts and defeated the enemy. Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Minority Report (well...sorta), Cruise generally plays the same character. This time he is part of a much smaller humanity. There are no larger than life Rowdy Burnses or Soviet fighter pilots. It is mankind versus the aliens. Cruise suprisingly does real well as an average joe and his transformation to what he becomes (no spoilers right here! No siree!) is subtle. HIs character is very well done.
On the other hand, I am sick and tired of seeing Dakota Fanning play everygirl in everymovie. Are there no other child actors available? Seriously. She was the prisoner of the blocks in Man on Fire, Robert De NIro's crazy daughter in that movie where Elizabeth Shue dies. Is she the only female under 10 with a SAG card? She doesn't do that bad, but during one tense scene in "the basement," I wanted to yell out "YOU ARE A PRISONER OF THE BLOCKS." Of course, moviegoers in Rochester may not have liked that. There was a big fat woman in the theater...she may have sat on me.
The movie is good and downright scary until about halfway through when Tim Robbins shows up. Tim Robbins should be put out to pasture after he played Bill Gates in that Antitrust movie and a terrorist in Arlington Road. After those....no more Tim Robbins please. He was ok in that movie where Sean Penn shoots him, but I'm really sick and tired of seeing him on the screen. He plays what has to be the fruitiest, most useless character since Alicia Silverstone joined the Batman franchise. He has absolutely no place in the movie and almost destroys the plotline and the good spirits of the audience who are so far entertained. Of course, he gets the obligatory anti-Iraq, anti-Bush line in when he yells out "Occupations never work!" Please Hollywood, no more. We know you do not like the war, but you do not have to shove it down me throat everytime I pay my hard-earned six bucks to go be entertained and escape reality for 2 hours. If I wanted to hear anti-war messages constantly I'd save my six bucks and watch CNN all day.
Once Tim Robbins leaves (again, not saying how here...he may just randomly decide to make a break for Hollywood...or he could get speared by a big martian tentacle...who knows), the movie becomes enjoyable again. They get very creative with how the aliens are finally conquered (even though, again, that has been in print for over 100 years) and made the end somewhat unpredictable.
All in all, I was more pleased with this movie than I thought I would be. Cruise plays a good character, Dakota Fanning is ok but needs to go, Tim Robbins is downright horrible. The story is well-paced and they really capture a sense of helplessness and despair in the early frames. Since Tom Cruise has basically lost his mind, I would say go see this if you want to support him and his cult of alien-worshipping crazy people who go on the Oprah Winfrey show and jump on the furniture.
Thank you Wal Mart
I am sure you have heard that Winn Dixie's are becoming obsolete. Well, a lot of them anyway. All in SC which is where I live. I read an article and basically they just could not stand the competition and specifically mentioned Wal Mart. So, now there will be thousands and thousands of people out of work. So if you need groceries--go to Winn-Dixie and tell Wal Mart to f**k off.
Jaywalking in Upper East Tennessee
NP: William Shatner -- Common People
Even though I am sweating in a miserably hot apartment in upstate New York, I've been trying to keep up with events back in the 423. I still peruse the Kingsport Times-News, the paper of record for Upper East Tennessee, on a daily basis. Today's KET had a story remarkable for its stupidity and its pointlessness.
The story can be found at http://www.timesnews.net/article.dna?_StoryID=3520019 and is headlined "Survey shows citizens know little about government, history."
All ready we are in trouble. We can see from the headline that someone has sent around a flyer in the mail and, based on the responses, the people were unable to answer them correctly. Because this article is so infuriatingly bad, I'm going to go back to the old school technique of posting the piece a paragraph at a time and then Deconstructing it for you. The article is italicized, my comments are in normal type.
If a random survey of 20 people in Kingsport is any indication, most anyone you stop can name an "American Idol" judge.
The wheels fall off right here from the get go. 20 people??? This reporter, Rain Smith (no, seriously...that's his name), is basing his article on surveys of 20 people? I'm fairly certain that 20 people out of about 40,000 is really not going to be a good indicator of the intelligence of the Model City.
However, most of those surveyed who live in the city couldn't name Kingsport's newly elected mayor.
Yep. It's that kind of story. People would rather be entertained (if you can call American Idol "entertainment") than read the newspaper. I'm not really sure why this is a newsworthy topic. I would imagine that if you asked 20 people on the street that couldn't name who Rain Smith is either.
Those surveyed were up to date on other pop culture happenings as well. Eleven knew actor Tom Cruise has a new fiancee.
So....55% knew, 45% didn't, and this is some kind of telling statistic? If it was 20 - 0 this might be an important statistic. I would imagine that more people watch Oprah than read the Times-News or watch the WJHL news....so this isn't really suprising. What has Kingsport's new mayor done to make news since he isn't even in office yet? Did he go jump on a chair at City Hall? Is his face plastered on the news as much as Cruise's is? Smith's argument is beginning to make no sense.
But when it came to American history, five people –– ages 21 to 79 –– were unable to name who America defeated in the Revolutionary War.
One time teaching a class at ETSU, I had a girl tell me that the South won World War I. She worked at Hooters. I did not put it in the newspaper. I bet if you would have asked these people who won the Civil War they would have known! Rain Smith must not be from this area.
Kingsport residents aren't alone in being more familiar with pop culture than government or history.
Thank goodness for small miracles.
"It's been like that for a long time. You'd have the same answers anywhere else in the country," said Joe Corso, East Tennessee State University assistant professor of political science. "When it comes down to it, more people know about the lives of celebrities than can tell you the name of the president."
Here again, this proves that the story is not newsworthy. I don't know if the Times-News is still running story quotas for their reporters each week, but taking a page out of Jay Leno's book to do your job smacks of gimmick infringement. He owes Jay Leno a dollar.
Jeanette Blazier, Kingsport's outgoing mayor, wishes that weren't the case.
Good for her. I didn't know that the mayor of Kingsport, Tennessee was in charge of the general knowledge and public culture of those in her city. I thought she was in charge of pouring money into failed economic developments near Meadowview to debase the city's tax structure and make all of the industy go to Bristol and the service and retail stores to Johnson City. Be Loyal, Buy Local.
"It is very important for the citizens of any community to understand first the form of government they have and to understand how it operates on their behalf," she said.
I would like to ask Mrs. Blazier to chair the new Science Gone Mad Committee on Irony. Everytime the City of Kingsport has an election for something that Kingsport Tomorrow or some other civic group wants, such as a tax increase to fund Meadowview, it fails. At that point, the city leaders hold another election and pours more money into it. Eventually they either win or the Board of Mayor and Alderman just implements it themselves. Apparently Mrs. Blazier needs to know how elections work. She doesn't have room to say a word.
Last week the Times-News visited a Kingsport post office, the Fort Henry Mall, and three city parks. We asked 20 people - selected at random - to answer a survey to gauge how much they know about civics and history versus pop culture.
Beautiful. Simply beautiful. Why didn't they visit the Kingsport Public Library? Why didn't they visit ETSU? Maybe they were looking for people to answer a certain way? Could that be it? Chances are, depending on what city park they went to, they could have found an undercover cop who might have known the questions.
The results were used to compile this story. Nine men and 11 women agreed to take the survey. Their ages ranged from 18 to 79.
At least he didn't just go for young people.
The following are the questions and their responses.
Can you name a judge from the reality TV show "American Idol"?
This first question garnered the second most correct answers. Thirteen people could name a judge, and six could name all three - Paula, Simon and Randy. The seven people who could not answer the question were between the ages of 50 and 79. Two of them said they don't watch much television.
What the Hell is this? Why is this in our newspaper? Honestly, it is bad enough that they have a picture of some random person on the front page everyday with the words "Good Morning from: Joe Blow" or whoever, but this takes the cake. This may be the worst article in the history of Kingsport journalism. Since Ron Bliss had a 20+ year career at the Times-News, that is saying a lot.
Who is actor Tom Cruise currently engaged to marry?
Nine people knew Cruise's new flame by name –– Katie Holmes.
Three others knew Cruise had a new love but couldn't recall her name. Two answered "that new chick" and "the young black-headed girl."
I love those last two. "That New Chick." That's great. Here again, why is this an important question to ask?
Who is Tennessee's 1st District congressman?
Of the 20 people surveyed, 19 live within the 1st District. Only eight of those correctly answered Bill Jenkins.
Former, longtime Congressman Jimmy Quillen was mentioned by two people who did not know their current congressman.
"I don't know these things," a 73-year-old woman said. "I don't want to know. I did my house in the 1940s style, and that's where I'm going to stay."
When one woman learned her congressman was Jenkins, she replied, "Oh yeah, I voted for him."
Ok. I think this question is a bit more valid. I really like the 73-year old woman. She is staying in the 1940s. What out for those Communist bastards ma'am.
I would also like to argue (and I am somewhat of an authority on this), Congressmen from the First District have not done anything important since the Reece Commission in 1954. Jimmy Quillen, I think, authored one bill his whole 36 or so years in Congress. Bill Jenkins voted to impeach Clinton but I haven't seen his name attached to any groundbreaking legislation. The 8 people who knew probably had to call Jenkins' office when their Social Security checks were late and would not have known who he was otherwise.
Who is the nation's current Secretary of Defense?
Donald Rumsfeld may be responsible for directing the Defense Department's war effort, but that's not enough to earn him the notoriety of "American Idol's" Paula, Simon or Randy.
Only half of the 20 people surveyed properly named Rumsfeld, compared with 13 who can name a judge from "American Idol." Four people said Colin Powell, and two people said Condoleezza Rice.
"It's not Cheney, is it?" asked a 64-year-old man.
An important point: more people knew who Rumsfeld was than knew who Jenkins was. That proves my point above. The editorializing comment in the second paragraph comparing Rusmeld to the American Idol judges helps give this article a slant that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. More on that below.
Who did America defeat to gain Independence in the Revolutionary War?
If, as the saying goes, you have to know where we've been to know where we're going, a quarter of our population may be lost.
Five of the 20 people surveyed did not know American colonists defeated Britain to win our nation's independence. A 50-year-old man answered France. Three women - 32, 71 and 79 - had no answer.
A 21-year-old laughed when she couldn't answer the question, defending herself by saying, "history was not my subject."
Here we go. Now we finally get to the point of the article. Look at that second paragraph...that nonsense about being lost. This guy is just out to make Kingsport people look like dumb hillbillies. 15 people knew that. Granted, I wish it had been 20 people, but I would think that 15 out of 20 is pretty good. He squashes that by throwing in that lost comment there and then tries to again say that the survey is representative of the general population. It isn't.
In reference to city government, what is the BMA?
Fourteen of the 20 people surveyed were Kingsport residents, qualifying them to answer the question. Six correctly answered the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. But the majority of Kingsport residents surveyed, eight, did not know. One woman, 71, said it was "the board of something." Two women said "the business something," while a 50-year-old man living in Kingsport said, "they don't concern me."
Only until they want to raise your taxes to build a new golf course that you can't afford to play on, sir.
Who is Kingsport's new mayor-elect?
Of the 14 Kingsport residents surveyed, only two properly identified Dennis Phillips as the city's new mayor. A 71-year-old woman knew it was, "Dennis something," and an 18-year-old male mouthed the "Ph" sound three times before giving up on the rest.
A 31-year-old woman living in Kingsport who didn't know said, "We watch ‘Fox News.' We really don't keep up with local news."
A 64-year-old man said, "I read all about it in the paper, but now I'm having a senior moment (and can't remember)."
One man surveyed is a Blountville resident. He was unable to name Richard Venable as Sullivan County's mayor.
Oh law. Look at that third one. She only watches Fox News. Nothing like trying to say that conservatives are dumb. This article is more biased than anything Nellie McNeil has ever written.
How many years are city alderman terms?
Three of the 14 Kingsport residents correctly answered four years. Others guessed two-, five- and six-year terms, with three saying they didn't know.
The man living in Blountville correctly answered his county commissioners' terms last four years.
The sad thing about this whole piece is that Rain Smith got paid for this. This article did not inform me about anything, other than Rain Smith obviously doesn't like this area. Had he mentioned something about Kingsport's Adult Education program or suggested ways for people to keep up with current events outside of Hollywood, it might have been constructive. As it is, this does nothing but run down the residents of Kingsport. Liberal elitist.
Digging in the [online] bargain book bin
Ya'll ought to know by now, I love some cheap shit. Excuse me, let me rephrase that: inexpensive shit. I love a deal; video games on sale, CD's on sale their first day of release, Deep Discount DVD ... the list goes on.
Bargain books are great, and bargain book websites are even better. The double edged sword of digging in the bargain book bins of bookstores is, for the most part, they're disorganized to such a degree that you really have to put in some serious time digging through the crap to really get something good. Fortunately, the websites are easy to search through, offering you convenience at the click of an icon. But, during your search for that Elmore Leonard hardback book that just went paperback, or that David Lee Roth autobio, you can really come across some shit that makes you want to scratch your head and wonder how the hell some of that shit got printed. And further more, you wonder why you have the urge to flip through titles such as this.
Here's a sample of some stuff I found while digging around in the Hamilton Books website:
Man, Beast And Zombie: What Science Can and Cannot Tell Us About Human Nature. By Kenan Malik.
"Offers an extraordinarily wide-ranging discussion of the state of the current understanding of the human condition, weaving together history, philosophy and science to present a provocative challenge both to the science of human nature and to the culture that has given rise to it. 470 pages." ($7.95)
Nate sez: Yep, there's a lot that zombies can tell us about human nature. Like why I hunger to feast on the flesh of the living.
White Guys: Studies in Postmodern Domination and Difference. By Fred Pfeil.
"Explores such pop culture icons as Bruce Springsteen and the late Kurt Cobain to probe the complexities of white heterosexual masculinity in current American culture. Photos. 269 pages." ($3.95)
Nate sez: Because when I think "complexities of white heterosexual masculinity," I think Kurt Cobain.
Houdini, Tarzan, And The Perfect Man: The White Male Body and the Challenge of Modernity in America. By John F. Kasson.
"Analyzes the themes linking Prussian-born bodybuilder Eugen Sandow, Harry Houdini, and Tarzan, and places them in their rich historical and cultural context. Suggests that concern with the white male body suffused American culture in the years before WWI, and continues with us today. Illustrated. 256 pages." ($4.95)
Nate sez: The fact that anyone can find anything linking these three, much less expound on that for 256 pages, makes me sleepier than I was when I started this entry.
Bare: The Naked Truth About Stripping. By Elisabeth Eaves.
"Follows the author and her fellow dancers through Seattle strip clubs and bachelor parties, exploring in riveting detail Eaves' own motivations and behavior, as well as her coworkers. 327 pages." ($10.95)
Nate sez: You know, I'm almost tempted to drop about $11 to find out exactly how many different ways a person can write, "And that was the time I took off my clothes for money."
Sex In The South: Unbuckling the Bible Belt. By Suzi Parker.
"Take a private journey to an eccentric side of sin where Southerners secretly (and not so secretly) defy sexual convention. In a region where towns often have more churches than liquor stores, you'll encounter a host of unforgettable characters." ($9.95)
Nate sez: Please mention Newport, TN ... please mention Newport, TN ... please mention Newport, TN ... wait a tick ... please don't mention me ... please don't mention me ...
MTV's Singled Out Guide To Dating. By L. Harris & J.D. Heiman.
"For guys and girls, an irreverent look at the rules for playing the dating game. Illustrated in color." ($1.95)
Nate sez: Hm, oddly enough, something makes me think that the price wasn't reduced. Anyone here remember "Singled Out?" Oh sure ... that show that introduced the world to Jenny "I'm the cancer on the ass of entertainment" McCarthy.
Professional Wrestling Collectibles. By K. Pope & R. Whebbe, Jr.
"Features hundreds of wrestling-related memorabilia, including figures, autographs, posters, programs, magazines, videos, and more. Well illustrated, most in color. 160 pages" ($5.95)
Nate sez: You know, no book on this subject is complete without mentioning the original Crusher's headlock training equipment, which was a mannequin with a tension coil in the middle, for the Crusher to strengthen his maneuver.
Men In Love: Male Homosexualities from Ganymede to Batman. By Vittorio Lingiardi.
"Posits that the psychological type of 'the homosexual' doesn't exist, going beyond the old polarities of biology or psychoanalysis. Pursues centuries of myths, poems, and symbols. 238 pages. " ($11.95)
Nate sez: What, no "Ambiguously Gay Duo??!"
The Encyclopedia Of Unusual Sex Practices. By Brenda Love.
"A collection of essays and historical surveys on subjects ranging from adultery and birth control to sexual harassment and transvestitism, plus descriptions of computer sex, erotic balls, love potions, and hundreds of other topics. Illustrated. 336 pages." ($7.95)
Nate sez: Where exactly is the line between "adultery" and "erotic balls?"
The Art Of Shaving. By M. Zaoui & E. Malka.
"Shows you the correct techniques for a closer and more comfortable shave. Photos. 112 pages." ($5.95)
Nate sez: If you need a book, 112 pages in length, telling you how to shave, you need to be sterilized, because breeding is neither in your or my best interests. I mean, what's this book about? "Chapter 4: The Downward Motion?" "Chapter 6: Toilet Paper - A Friend Indeed?" "Chapter 9: What To Do If You've Shaved Side-to-Side?"
Pornstar. By Ian Gittler.
"This book is a violent, funny, tragic, and uncompromising look at the "underground" world of pornography. Examines the men and women who populate the terrain of America's porn industry. Well illustrated. 176 pages." ($7.95)
Nate sez: I like the use of the modifier, "well," here. "WELL illustrated;" just so you know, if you look hard enough, you can see her kidneys. That's Hamilton Books, folks ... reading for the sexually repressed.
Honestly, not to shill their site or anything, but it's a pretty cool company. Most of the books I've gotten from them have been really good ... "High Score: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games;" "Wild Minds: What Animals Really Think;" "The Samurai Sourcebook;" and, "Clive Barker's A-Z Of Horror," among a few others. Again, finding the best stuff just takes a little digging.
