The Flatland Oracles

Digest for July 8

ALLIGATORS! Yes, I know about the attacks, but I love them anyway. Some gator-related discussion, a link to an excellent Florida website, and a couple of photographs. Floridiana Gloridana here and here.
SECOND-HAND BOOKSTORE GOLD! (OR FREE ONLINE!): THE SHORT STORIES OF H. H. MUNRO (SAKI). Excerpts, recommendations, and well-known quotes. In Just Eat the Damn Peach.

Digest for July 7

[FICTIONAL BLOGGING] JAY DREAMINGBELIEVER: "I know it sounds crazy...but ever since that concert, my whole LIFE is falling into place!" Better living through the cult of personality in The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl.
THE "PRINCESS BRIDE" FALLACY AND AN EMINENTLY PRACTICAL APPROACH TO WEDDING ETIQUETTE. The obligations of being princess for a day and a book that will teach you what you need to know about the consequences of behaving badly. In Love in the Time of the Internets.

Digest for July 6

THE DEATH OF KEN LAY: LET THE UNSEEMLY GLOATING AND PIOUS MORALIZING BEGIN! OR, WHEN GOOD DEMOCRATS BEHAVE LIKE BAD REPUBLICANS. See above. Guys, the poor guy can't be more down than dead. Stop kicking him. In Versus.
FORT ISLAND GULF BEACH. Fond reminiscences of one of my beloved state's lesser-known beauties. A charming little beach in Citrus County plus some truly gorgeous wetlands (though also a nuclear power plant); a little Florida boy wearing primary colors and carrying water in a green bucket. In Floridiana Gloriana, where else?
[FICTION-BLOGGING] JAY DREAMING BELIEVER: "I felt today that the spirit of Jay was giving me the encouragement I needed to take a stand." She's drawing a line in the sand at work; if his photo goes, so does she. Plus some much-needed bonding with her daughter over the cuteness of her life-sized stand-alone Jay poster. In The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl.

Digest for July 5

July 5. ESTUARY ENGLISHMAN. Mr. Rumcove's estuary accent: Can he cope with the pressure? In The Rumcove Papers AND Anglo-Saxon Attitudes.
July 5. [FICTION-BLOGGING] JAY DREAMING BELIEVER: NO SYMPATHY FOR THE FANGIRL. "You would think she'd be GLAD I'm not interested in that sort of thing instead of carping about the one thing that gives me pleasure." Even her mother doesn't understand it. In the Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl. Later, she writes a cogent letter to her law firm in support of her right to keep a certain photo on her desk. She also wins a cool prize at a 4th of July fan club party! In The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl.
July 4-5. WAY DOWN, ETC.--- THE SUWANNEE [SWANNEE] RIVER. Florida for Floridians! (Though other tourists are welcome to look too, it won't help you find a hotel, "attraction," or theme park). Beautiful photographs my father-in-law John took last December when we were visiting the famous Suwannee River in Fanning Springs Florida. Also: a great state park. In Floridiana Gloriana here and here.
July 4. OLD FLORIDA. Florida for Floridans---US 19: the stretch that takes you back. About Suwannee (the Dixie County town, not the River), a terrific restaurant, and winter color in Florida (a photo with a Japanese sensibility of a lovely nature coast canal). In Floridiana Gloriana.

Digest for July 4-5

July 5. [FICTION-BLOGGING] JAY DREAMING BELIEVER: NO SYMPATHY FOR THE FANGIRL. "You would think she'd be GLAD I'm not interested in that sort of thing instead of carping about the one thing that gives me pleasure." Even her mother doesn't understand it. In the Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl. Later, she writes a cogent letter to her law firm in support of her right to keep a certain photo on her desk. She also wins a cool prize at a 4th of July fan club party! In The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl.
July 4-5. WAY DOWN, ETC.--- THE SUWANNEE [SWANNEE] RIVER. Florida for Floridians! (Though other tourists are welcome to look too, it won't help you find a hotel, "attraction," or theme park). Beautiful photographs my father-in-law John took last December when we were visiting the famous Suwannee River in Fanning Springs Florida. Also: a great state park. In Floridiana Gloriana here and here.
July 4. OLD FLORIDA. Florida for Floridans---US 19: the stretch that takes you back. About Suwannee (the Dixie County town, not the River), a terrific restaurant, and winter color in Florida (a photo of a beautiful canal with a Japanese feel). In Floridiana Gloriana.

Digest for July 4

FLY IT AND FORGET IT? DON'T PUT OUT MORE FLAGS (reprise)! Before you conclude that this article means I am anti-flag---as one person did last year---take a look at what it actually says. In Versus.
XXX (OF A SORT) FROM THE MOTHER COUNTRY. A very cruel poll. And on our birthday too! Also: Mr. Rumcove's take. In BOTH Anglo-Saxon Attitudes AND The Rumcove Papers.
MORE SELF-HELP FOR SINGLES: WHY YOU'RE STILL SINGLE + SOME PRELIMINARY-TO-READING-IT REFLECTIONS. A plug for a book I haven't read (yet). I don't know the writer, but I like her work and I am curious about her take. Regardless, I have my own opinions, some of which are presented here. "To find, to fail, and to seek again"---that was ever my motto. In Love in the Time of the Internets. Plus: BONUS SONNET, just to prove that the Bard really does know best.

Digest for July 3, 2006

July 3. [FICTION BLOGGING] SHE'S GOT IT EVEN MORE IN PERSPECTIVE! Saturday's concert made it possible for her to put things into their proper perspective (like her job). Yes, all her troubles have melted away like magic under the radiant influence of singer Jay Bracken! The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl.
July 3. FLORIDA FOR FLORIDIANS: DRIVING IN OLD FLORIDA. I discovered Suwannee by accident, but it is a photographer's paradise. Driving along that stretch of US 19 makes me feel as if I am back 30 years in time. It's beautiful, not populous, and an endless spectacle for someone interested in that sort of natural beauty. The side trip to Suwannee (at the mouth of the river) is well worth the trip. Floridiana Gloriana.
June 30. FLORIDIANA GLORIANA. FOR THOSE OF US WHO LIVE HERE IT'S EASILY POSSIBLE TO FORGET WHAT LIES BEYOND THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. Florida for the Floridians! There are some beautiful places to go right there in the Orlando area, for those of us who have already seen the theme parks! In Floridiana Gloriana.
June 30. COMPARE AND CONTRAST: REMARKS ON HAMDAN. An interesting set of quotations culled from the publications in the recent aftermath. In Versus. In addition: COULTER OUT-COULTERED or THANK GOD I'M A DEMOCRAT, SOME MORE. A fellow Dem's take on the well-thought-out remarks of one Melanie Morgan, hitherto a stranger to me. I'm sorry; I know it's disturbing to hear someone say that she would like to see someone die in the gas chamber for treason because of a questionable exercise of first amendment rights. To me, this whole business of identifying conduct you personally dislike as 'treason'----thanks, Ann!---is way MORE disturbing; the other, I can't take seriously considering the source. Maybe I need to rethink that; I'm asking myself whether that's the case. In Versus.
June 30. [FICTION BLOGGING] JAY DREAMING BELIEVER: A PERSPECTIVE. In a time of world crisis, she is fretting over whether her favorite singer will 'notice or acknowledge' her from the stage this time. The fact that she is on the verge of losing her job is probably a welcome distraction. In The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl. Fortunately, she has her fanboard to help her "keep things in perspective."

Digest for June 29, 2006

[FICTION BLOGGING] JAYDREAMING BELIEVER: "Every time something wonderful happens to me, something awful happens to balance it off." She got to dance with Jay, but when she got home she couldn't talk to anyone about it; and then her office manager made her take her photograph of Jay off her desk. Why can't a woman of 43 pick her own priorities? In The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl.

Digest for June 23, 2006

[FICTION BLOGGING] JAYDREAMING BELIEVER: Eeeeeeeee! Eeeeeeeee! EEEEEEEEEE! In the Church of the Overly Invested Fangirl.

Digest for June 22, 2006

[FICTION BLOGGING] JAYDREAMING BELIEVER, overly invested 43 year old fangirl, is on her way to a Jay Bracken concert. How excited is she? So excited her palms her sweating! She can't think straight! She is afraid that THIS TIME...HE'LL LOOK RIGHT THROUGH ME. Visit the Church!
AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH BILL MAHER; REPUBLICAN 'HUMOR' AT THE EXPENSE OF A VETERAN REPORTER in Versus. ALSO: For other secret left-wing Coulter-philes, COULTER 'PRAISES' POOR SENATOR LIEBERMAN, though to be fair to him, the praise---from her standpoint---is about as faint as it could possibly be. Even so, it's a bit unfair; he's someone I really respect and I'm sure it would be dreadful to be marked as "the Democrat Ann Coulter thinks would be kind of an okay Republican, maybe."

Digest for June 21, 2006

RECOMMENDED FOR THE JADED: OHMIGOD, IT'S SO CUUUUUUUUTE! The addictive bliss of the photo-blog "Cute Overload (TM)" which instantly converted me from a sneering cute-hating cynic to an addict with a daily cuteness jones that only further extreme cuteness will ever satisfy. Warning: Excessive cuteness of site may cause your head to explode and has been shown by studies to be psychologically addictive. My husband requires a three-minute warning for earplug-installation before I open the page. On the other hand, it is a surefire cure for depression, anomie, and the tired feeling that the world holds nothing more for you to love. In Just Eat the Damn Peach.
TOXIC LOVE 101---THE PERILS OF PRESENT-GIVING. It's a hot-button issue for some people. Why this is true and some of the things you could do (if you wanted to) to make present-related occasions less fraught. In Love in the Time of the Internets.

Digest for June 20, 2005

JAY DREAMING BELIEVER: The joys of being a Jay fan are like manna from heaven---a few delicious crumbs are all she needs. "It's nothing to do with thinking I "have a shot one way or another." The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl.

Digest for June 18, 2006

ANOMIE-BLOCKERS ON THE NET: GO FUG YOURSELF.. Partake of some tasty schadenfreude at this bloggy-award winning site dedicated to mocking the fashion nonsense of the fashion-forward. In Just Eat the Damn Peach.
SECRET LEFT-WING COULTERPHILES: DON'T YOU FRET NO MORE, STEVE YOUNG. Ann Coulter is the Dems' new secret weapon. In Versus.
FORGET THE "WEDDING PLANNER"---DAMOZEL'S INFALLIBLE HINTS FOR A UNIQUE AND TRULY MEMORABLE WEDDING. Here's the first lesson: if it's really "the happiest day of your life," then God help you both. In Love in the Time of the Internets.

Digest for June 16, 2006

JAY DREAMING BELIEVER: "I am always surprised at how polarizing Jay is." Reflections of an obsessed fan in The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl (a cautionary tale). At last---she's got her priorities sorted out. "I just very politely told my daughter that I had made other plans and that I have a life of my own." Mother/daughter issues!
SUSAN ESTRICH ON ANN COULTER--SYMPATHY FOR THE MEAN GIRL. The lengths a girl has to go to in order to get a little attention (from conservatives)! Amusing (though not on purpose)-- In Versus.

Digest for June 14, 2006

DIVERSE DELIGHTS: BLOGS AND WEBSITES FOR GROWN-UPS---MANOLO THE SHOEBLOGGER. Magically delicious! In Just Eat the Damn Peach.
JAY DREAMING BELIEVER: "He's nice, but his niceness is deliciously snide and unlike ordinary bland niceness." An international idol's rich and chewy niceness, in The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl. "My Jaydoration has brought me to a really good place in my life." She would totally have divorced her husband anyway.

Digest for June 13, 2006

ENGLISH PLACE NAMES: THE CIRENCESTER PROBLEM. The nagging problem of English place names, specifically the Cirencester problem. In Anglo Saxon Attitudes.

WE'RE STILL HERE. After the "storm" & a view of a Florida white Christmas in June. Floridiana Gloriana.

UPDIKE FOR THE 21st CENTURY. Let us praise him with faint damns. In Just Eat the Damn Peach.
JAY DREAMING BELIEVER: "It's not necessarily my imagination, thanks." He really was looking straight at her. In The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl. JAY DREAMING BELIEVER: "There can only be one first Jay concert for any of us...." Once you've had it, you can never have it again. In The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl.

Digest for June 12, 2006

JAYDREAMING BELIEVER'S FIRST POST EVA! She loves pure & chaste from afar.... In The Church of the Over-Invested Fangirl.
HOW TO TALK ABOUT ANN COULTER (IF WE REALLY MUST). In Versus.
HERE COMES THE STORM. Is Paradise worth the price? Yes, it's worth the price. In Floridiana Gloriana.

Digest for June 11, 2006

SEARCHING FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE TOO MUCH INFORMATION AGE. Why employers may be more interested in your MYSpace face than your resume. In The Disquieting Damozel.
THE DIALING DREAM. My invisible friend isn't on call anymore. In The Rumcove Papers.

Digest for June 10, 2006

A NORTH FLORIDIAN LOOKS AT THE CONCH REPUBLIC. In Floridiana Gloriana.

Digest for June 9, 2006

A KEY WEST WEDDING CELEBRATION. I usually advise my young friends to put the money they'd have spent on their weddings toward a down payment on a house, but this one was worth every penny. Discussed in Love in the Time of the Internets.
IT'S BEEN MONTHS SINCE I FELT LIKE WRITING. Antic Panic discussed in The Disquieting Damozel.

In the interval, everything has changed. For one thing, everything I was worrying about then about turned out to be true. Hurricanes! Global warming! Katrina and its aftermath! Government surveillance and domestic wiretapping! Corruption in high places! Rumsfeld! Anne Coulter on the 9-11 widows! The threat of serious personal illness!

But I'm feeling much better now, regardless! Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, the world seems again to be an improvable place and I am happy once more that I live in "interesting times."

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2:40:00 PM

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