Son of a Witch (A Third Time)

My push to read the Wicked Years books before "Out of Oz" is released tomorrow continues with my third reading of "Son of a Witch" (329 pages) by Gregory Maguire. My first and second impressions of the novel can be found here and here. As with my third reading of "Wicked" I thought I would just relate some quotes I jotted down as I read through the novel:

"The Witch had locked him in the kitchen with Nanny and that jittery Lion. Showing surprising resourcefulness for one so dotty, Nanny had driven the handle of a one-egg iron skillet into the rotten wood of the doorjamb. Getting the idea, Liir and the Lion gouged at the hinges until the door fell heavily inward." In fact this is not how events went down in "Wicked." It was Nanny who had lock Liir and the Lion in the kitchen as the Witch dealt with Dorothy. A false recollection by Liir or a mistake by the author?

"His voice sounded soothing, even hypnotic, but the prisoner crouching against a back wall scooched her bare feet underneath her skirts. Shell's boots drew near until he was standing flush against her. She moaned or whimpered, and her feet curled the farther under her skirts. Mercy was hard to accept, Lirr guessed. Shell's feet rocked from toe to heel, with a comforting rhythm, and his heels began to lift from the floor." Shell, the future Emporor Apostle, bounder of opiates and rape.

"A capacity for interiority in the growing adult is threatened by the temptation to squander that capacity ruthlessly, to revel in hollowness. The syndrome especially plagues anyone who lives behind a mask."

"In Quadling thinking, one plus one doesn't equal a single unit of two. One plus one equals both."

"His other talent, though, was a distillation of memory into something rich and urgent. He guessed, in the hours or years remaining to him, he would remember the effect of Trism clearly, without corruption, as a secret pulse held in a pocket somewhere behind the heart."

"Still smeared with her birth blood, and the watery beginning of her little feces. He took her to the doorway and held her up in the warm rain. She cleaned up green."

Up next, "A Lion Among Men."

There's No Place Like It...

Chicago Signs

Resistance is futile!

What happened to the first sixteen?

We call them speed bumps here in Mayberry. A new meaning for a quicky?

Sign over one of the bathrooms at Roscoe's. I couldn't decide if this was my entrance...

Hang With Me

I haven't posted in a while as I was away on another trip to Chicago. I arrived back in Oklahoma City on Monday apparently bringing back with me the the plague. I've been in bed or on the sofa since. Bummer.

Song of the trip:



Picture of the trip:


I'll post some more once I'm feeling better...

National Coming Out Day

I'm out! As if there was any confusion to those who read this blog. I hope that anyone struggling to be open about their orientation has the courage to come out to their friends and/or family today; however, if it isn't something they can do right now, I'm down with that too. The only person one has to be true to is himself.

I've lived openly for so long I don't actually remember when it was I came out. I told my parents I was gay and they said "okay" and that was pretty much it. I've never had issues with any of my close friends or family in regards to my orientation. If anyone has had a problem with it they've kept it to themselves which is a wise decision on their part...

Happy Coming Out Day!

Wicked (A Third Time)

I've set out for the third year in a row to read the Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire, starting of course with "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" (406 pages). I guess I'm ramping up for the fourth and final installment, "Out of Oz," due to hit stores November 1st. My first and second impressions of the novel can be found here and here. Rather than going over ground already covered in previous posts, I thought it would be fun just to list some quotes from the book that came to my attention.

Melena on Frex: "For a man who condemned worldly pleasures he ate with elegance. She loved to watch the arabesque of fingers and two forks. She suspected that beneath his righteous asceticism he possessed a hidden longing for the easy life."

"Perhaps, thought Nanny, little green Elphaba chose her own sex, and her own color, and to hell with her parents."

"'Perhaps our time here is limited,' said Frex, sighing with contentment and clasping his arms behind his head - the typical male response to happiness, thought Melena: to predict its demise."

"Galinda didn't see the verdant world through the glass of the carriage; she saw her own reflection instead. She had the nearsightedness of youth. She reasoned that because she was beautiful she was significant, though what she signified, and to whom, was not clear to her yet."

"Galinda always felt as if she couldn't see the whole picture. It was disconcerting, and to her credit at least Galinda felt inside herself the ripping apart of some valuable fabric - was it integrity? - when she sat in Madame Morrible's parlor and drank the perfect tea."

"I've told you before, I don't comprehend religion, although conviction is a concept I'm beginning to get. In any case, someone with a real religious conviction is, I propose, a religious convict, and deserves locking up."

Elphaba: "'I should say you'll look back on this summer and cringe. She may be lovely, Boq - no, she is lovely, I agree - but you're worth a dozen of her.' At his shocked expression she threw up her hands. 'Not to me! I don't mean me! Please, that stricken look! Spare me!'"

Elphaba: "I love you so much, Fiyero, you just don't understand: Being born with a talent or an inclination for goodness is the aberration."

Fiyero: "He did not approve of anarchy (well, he knew he was in lazy doubt about everything; doubt was much more energy efficient than conviction)."

"'What's your beef?' said the Cow, in a dark humor."

Nessie to Elphaba: "Well, you can have the shoes, my dear - over my dead body."

"The alien girl - she called herself Dorothy - was by virtue of survival elevated to living sainthood. The dog was merely annoying."

"And of the Witch? In the life of a Witch, there is no after, in the ever after of a Witch, there is no happily; in the story of a Witch, there is no afterword. Of that part that is beyond the life story, beyond the story of the life, there is - alas, or perhaps thank mercy - no telling. She was dead, dead and gone, and all that was left of her was the carapace of her reputation for malice."

"And there the wicked old Witch stayed for a good long time."
"And did she ever come out?"
"Not yet."

Again, one of my favorite reads, at least in the past three years. I enjoy it more and take more from the story with each reading.

Red River Shootout

Fall is in the air and that means it time for the annual Red River Shootout between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas! Being an Oklahoma State fan I really don't have a dog in this hunt but I do get so amused by the trash talking going on all week, especially on Facespace, between Sooner and Longhorn fans. I usually root for the Sooners since Texas is a vile, evil place and the home of George W. Bush. Here is an example of some of the things I've seen on Facespace this week, having predominately Oklahoma and Texas friends:




And my favorite courtesy of my friend Jason:

‎"And I shall de-horn the wicked." Psalm 75:10. BOOMER! SOONER!

Of course we all know who the best is...


Go Pokes!!

Football rivalries, one of the many small things that make life worth living!

Bible Thumping!

"Chickasha, Okla. -- Chickasha police arrest Justin Farley, who is accused of beating up his wife for not buying a Bible.

According to a police report, Farley punched his wife three times in the head and then choked her for not buying a Bible at a local Walmart store.

Police said Farley's wife claimed her husband likes to buy Bibles and then tear them apart.

Farley faces a domestic abuse charge, police said." (You think?)

Link.

I have no words... Only in Oklahoma!

A Storm of Swords

I've continued reading George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, just finishing the third installment, "A Storm of Swords" (1177 pages). From the back cover:

"Here is the third volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction.

A Storm of Swords

Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King’s Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world....

But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords...."

So far "A Storm of Swords" is the best in the series as well as the lengthiest. Martin has created a universe that I literally can't put down with so many twists and turns that it's very hard to predict which direction the story or individual characters will take. This is a good thing. Very well written and deeply engrossing. Highly recommended. I can't wait to read "A Feast for Crows!"

Spelling?

Who says you can't find anything worthwhile on Facespace?

One For the Money Trailer

I have to admit, it looks pretty good. Hopefully it will be as funny as the first couple of Stephanie Plum books. Thoughts?

Are the Planets Aligning?

What I've learned lately...

Republicans (as least those who want to be President) believe in three things:

1) If you don't have health insurance, for whatever reason, you should just die instead of being a burden on the tax payer. Or you could do what Ron Paul laughingly suggested, ask for help from your neighbors or the churches!

2) State sponsored executions in this country are an applause line.

3) Being a homosexual member of the armed services is worthy of being booed. I understand that most of the people on stage at the GOP debate probably don't believe this but then again not one of them had the balls to stand up to the terrible behavior displayed by the conservative crowd.

4) Oklahomans were buying this shit at the Fair:


Patti Stanger needs to know when to shut her mouth.

“'The Millionaire Matchmaker'” told a gay male caller he could maintain an open relationship because 'there is no curbing gay men,' she said."

To be honest, in my opinion, I don't think her remarks were too far off the mark but it's probably not something you would want to say on a television show promoting your own show. Again, in my experiences, I haven't known many gay men who have been able to carry on a long term relationship without some form of cheating entering into the equation, my own personal experiences included. Having said that, the influences of gay social life in Oklahoma City probably contribute more heavily to this phenomenon than gay men being unable to commit. I mean probably the biggest form of social interaction for gay men here is in a dank gay bar replete with alcoholics and drug users. Not a good place to hang out with the hubby.

I still, and will always, hate the Washington Redskins. They can't even beat a banged up Cowboys team that has an offensive line with an average age of 12 along with third sting wide outs! I love how Tony Romo went from the goat to the hero in a matter of a couple of weeks. Yes, it's cool to be a Romosexual again. How 'bout them Cowboys?!

Finally I learned that I just can't ride scary carnival rides anymore. I left my sphincter on the ride pictured below:

Darth Vader

Saw this at Reddit and the geek in me just couldn't help but pay it forward...

That Meme That's Going Around...

I like these kinds of memes. From Sunday Stealing.

Cheers to all of us thieves!

A. Age: 38.

B. Bed size: Queen.

C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning the bathroom.

D. Dogs: Not anymore. I do like Beagles and Basset hounds.

E. Essential start to your day: Nothing, if we're talking about legal drugs like caffeine.

F. Favorite color: Blue.

G. Gold or Silver: Platinum!

H. Height: 175.26 cm.

I. Instruments you play: Played French Horn and trumpet but it was many, many years ago.

J. Job title: Intake supervisor at the County Morgue.

K. Kids: No thank you.

L. Live: Shiny Toy Guns?

M. Mother's name: Mildred.

N. Nicknames: Dave, Pooh, Pooh Bear, or the Debil.

O. Overnight hospital stays: None.

P. Pet peeve: Religious zealots and social conservatives.

Q. Quote from a movie: "You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it."

R. Right or left handed: Right handed.

S. Siblings: Two, a brother and a sister.

T. Time you wake up: Anywhere between 5AM and 3PM.

U. Underwear: Boxer briefs.

V. Vegetable you hate: Not a fan of tomatoes.

W. What makes you run late: My alarm not going off.

X. X-Rays you've had: Chest and foot.

Y. Yummy food that you make: Just made some stew, viva la fall.

Z. Zoo animal Lions, tigers, and bears.

Dear Diary, I Named an Elephant Today...

From W.T.F Weekly Meme.



1) Next week is my 30th birthday, but I'm boycotting it because I am not ready to leave my 20's behind. What has been the toughest birthday for you so far?
My toughest birthday was 31. The realization had finally sunk in that I was in my 30's! 40 is just around the corner. Yay!

2) In general, what is your favorite ride at an amusement park?
I really don't like amusement park rides. I have visions of flying off the rails on a roller coaster ala Final Destination 3. I'm going to ride some today at the Fair since my niece left me a bunch of tickets she had left over from her trip there.

3) Recently the Oklahoma City Zoo held a contest to name its newest elephant baby. With today (Sept. 22) being Elephant Appreciation Day, what would you name an elephant if you could name one?
Stampy! From a great Simpsons episode when they had a pet elephant. Can anyone even remember when that show was good?

4) On Sept. 22, 1920, the Band-Aid was invented. What is something you wish you could cover up with a Band-Aid?
Sally Kern's mouth?

5) Other than gasoline, what do you frequently purchase at a gas station?
Smokes, Dr. Pepper, and of course Giant Chewy Sweet Tarts.

6) If you had to eat only three different foods for the rest of your life, what would they be?
This is a tough one! Cereal, soup, and some kind of fish course.

7) Today (Sept. 22) is Dear Diary Day. Finish this sentence: "Dear Diary, I wish I knew ..."
I wish I knew back then what I know now...

8) Would you rather have children and make a decent salary or have no kids and make a great salary?
Not a fan of children so I'd have to go with a great salary. Besides can you even afford to raise kids on a "decent salary?"

Troy Davis

I'm sure everyone has already seen the drama that unfolded last night as Troy Davis' last appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied and he was finally put to death by the state of Georgia.

"Davis was convicted in 1991 of killing MacPhail, who was working as a security guard at the time. MacPhail rushed to the aid of a homeless man who prosecutors said Davis was bashing with a handgun after asking him for a beer. Prosecutors said Davis had a smirk on his face as he shot the officer to death in a Burger King parking lot in Savannah."

Link.

This is third time Davis' execution had been halted since 2007. Apparently the game clock finally ran out on him in spite of seven witnesses from the original trial changing or recanting all or part of their testimony. That's what's so crazy about this whole story. I'm really surprised that the Supreme Court didn't at least grant a new trial. Having said that, I really don't know the complete facts of the crime and trial other than what I've read and seen on television. Maybe the correct man was punished. What if the correct man wasn't?

There's something very wrong, in my opinion, with a country that allows the state to execute people. Talk about the ultimate government intrusion, to take away all that someone is and will ever be. Putting aside that the death penalty has never been a deterrent to crime, I believe that the possibility of killing one innocent man is justification enough to trash the whole system. Alas, America demands an "eye for an eye."

That's my opinion, what's yours?

Devon Tower Tops Out

I read in The Oklahoman (aka the Daily Disappointment aka the Fishwrap) the other day that the Devon Tower downtown had reached it's maximum height and the company was going to celebrate with something or other at the sight today. To honor the occasion and the changing Oklahoma City skyline I went down to Bricktown this afternoon to get a picture of the building.



Since it towers over all other buildings in the area, it kind of reminds me of this:

Monday Mayhem

I keep meaning to participate in this meme and I always seem to forget. Not today! Click on the picture below to check out the site.



What's the best way to get rich?
Hard work and dedication! Oh screw that, playing the lottery.

Have you ever eaten anything that you once saw alive?
The only thing that comes to mind would be lobster and oysters.

What creeps you out the most about clowns?
The fact that someone would choose being a clown as a profession.

Tell us your best or favorite garage sale or flea market find.
Nothing. I don't go to garage sales or flea markets. Strike that, I used to go to a flea market here in Oklahoma City when I was 19 that had a bar in the back. I just went to drink because they didn't try to ID me.

Who should get slapped on the wrist today?
I'm not sure about a slap but I sure would like to punch Sally Kern in the face.

What do you need to accomplish this week?
I need to get my dining room prepped so I can paint the walls and woodwork.

What's your best tip for online shopping?
If you can't get free shipping forget about it.

This was pretty random. Can you tell us something really random to end this week's meme with?
My boy Mario is always watching out for me when I'm at my desk.

Sunday Funday Monday VIII

This picture is from a couple of weeks ago with my friend Cole on the best day of the week, Sunday Funday. I promise my hair usually doesn't look like I'm wearing a toupee!

Self-Made Man

Another book I found at the bookstore of mom is "Self-Made Man: One Woman's Year Disguised as a Man" (287 pages) by Norah Vincent. Where does she get all these books? From Goodreads:

"Following in the tradition of John Howard Griffin (Black Like Me) and Barbara Ehrenreich (Nickel and Dimed), Norah Vincent absorbed a cultural experience and reported back on what she observed incognito. For more than a year and a half she ventured into the world as Ned, with an ever-present five o'clock shadow, a crew cut, wire-rim glasses, and her own size 111/2 shoes-a perfect disguise that enabled her to observe the world of men as an insider. The result is a sympathetic, shrewd, and thrilling tour de force of immersion journalism that's destined to challenge preconceptions and attract enormous attention.

With her buddies on the bowling league she enjoyed the rough and rewarding embrace of male camaraderie undetectable to an outsider. A stint in a high-octane sales job taught her the gut- wrenching pressures endured by men who would do anything to succeed. She frequented sex clubs, dated women hungry for love but bitter about men, and infiltrated all- male communities as hermetically sealed as a men's therapy group, and even a monastery. Narrated in her utterly captivating prose style and with exquisite insight, humor, empathy, nuance, and at great personal cost, Norah uses her intimate firsthand experience to explore the many remarkable mysteries of gender identity as well as who men are apart from and in relation to women. Far from becoming bitter or outraged, Vincent ended her journey astounded-and exhausted-by the rigid codes and rituals of masculinity. Having gone where no woman (who wasn't an aspiring or actual transsexual) has gone for any significant length of time, let alone eighteen months, Norah Vincent's surprising account is an enthralling reading experience and a revelatory piece of anecdotally based gender analysis that is sure to spark fierce and fascinating conversation."

A very interesting read from an author I knew nothing about just a few days ago. While I find some of Vincent's generalizations about men to be off target at times, she more than makes up with it with a very adept writing style laced with humor, humiliation, and tons of wit. Then again what do I know? Obviously the gay male is a whole other animal from the predominately blue collar dudes she was infiltrating. Recommended.