What was begun as an online journal of the books I read evolved...or maybe it devolved...to also feature behind the scenes goings-on at All About Romance from my perspective (mostly based on my personal feelings - okay, it's a personal pity party); topics I've gone over ad nauseum in commentary at AAR, including the nature of reviews and online behavior; and my non-cyber life (including family and items in pop culture that capture my interest, which is just about everything).

Please do not violate my trust. I restricted certain AAR-related and personal entries for a reason...to keep them as private as possible. Now that my blog is read-only, to access restricted entries you must already have a password; if you do, hold onto it so that you can continue to read restricted entries.

This blog is not part of All About Romance. I ask that you keep comments or questions regarding restricted blog content off of AAR.

Below you'll find the blogs I visit, broken out in my own odd little system of categories.

August 2007



Crusader Gold

Wednesday, 29 August 2007 11:36 A GMT-05
Crusader GoldDavid GibbinsGrade: CSensuality: N/AMy main thought upon finishing Crusader Gold was how much better it would have been had it been written by Bernard Cornwell. This clunky book is the second by Gibbins to "star" marine archaeologist Ja
Category: Reading

The Poodie

Monday, 27 August 2007 10:46 A GMT-05
So yesterday we watched CNN Headline News and a story about a designer who'd created a privacy-creating sleeping coat to be worn on the subway. We thought we could do better than that. My husband's idea? Take the typical down jacket, and where the z
Category: Personal/Political
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The Serpent Prince (again)

Thursday, 23 August 2007 12:37 P GMT-05
The Serpent PrinceElizabeth HoytGrade: A-Sensuality: Hot I blogged briefly about this book back in May, promising at that time to actually review it closer to release date. That date is just about upon us. When the book opens, Lucy Craddock-Hayes c
Category: Reading
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On the Lot

Tuesday, 21 August 2007 9:32 P GMT-05
My husband and I apparently are among the few who actually watch and enjoy Fox's On the Lot. The finale is tonight, and we're really hopeful the winner will be Adam Stein, whose Army Guy was a terrific and Fellini-esqe and just loads of fun. (There'
Category: Entertainment

A Favorite E-Letter

Tuesday, 21 August 2007 12:44 P GMT-05
Here's a sample of the fun, interesting, or downright odd stuff you'll find by subscribing to gettrio.com, which is put out by Bravo. They daily email is advertised as "A filter for all stuff pop culture, delivered daily", and after watching this, p
Category: Entertainment Internet
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Hey there, Delilah

Monday, 20 August 2007 1:36 P GMT-05
The last week and a half have been among the most difficult in my life. I've never lost a friend, and my sister-in-law was most assuredly a friend...a great one.
Category: Entertainment

In Memorium

Monday, 20 August 2007 1:32 P GMT-05
The last week and a half have been among the most difficult in my life. I've never lost a friend, and my sister-in-law was most assuredly a friend...a great one. My daughter, who came home a week ago Sunday for her first home visit, came home not to
Category: Personal/Political
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A Death in the Family

Friday, 10 August 2007 7:53 P GMT-05
After awakening from a "light coma" last evening, my sister-in-law enjoyed some Dibs, kibbitzed with her family, and enjoyed hearing her son read e-mails sent to her throughout the last couple of days. She died, peacefully, and in no pain for the fi
Category: Personal/Political
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To Everything There Is a Season

Thursday, 9 August 2007 6:16 P GMT-05
I've periodically updated my blog with information about one of my sisters-in-law, who was diagnosed with inoperable colon cancer last year. Earlier this summer, as she was about to start a trial, they told her that nothing more could be done for he
Category: Personal/Political

That Takes Brass Ones!

Thursday, 9 August 2007 1:36 P GMT-05
If conversations in your house are anything like those in ours, at least one of them in recent weeks has probably started something like this: "So, why do you think Gonzales still has a job?" I just read the following in Newsweek: The controversy ove
Category: Personal/Political

Not the Longest...Just Reads Like It

Monday, 6 August 2007 12:00 A GMT-05
Just yesterday I mentioned what a tremendous fan of Anthony Bourdain I am. This fangirl attitude grew out of admiration for his Food Network half hour show, A Cook's Tour, as well as Kitchen Confidential, a terrific non-fiction book he wrote about b
Category: Entertainment
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Who'd a Thunk It?

Sunday, 5 August 2007 3:37 P GMT-05
I'm very behind in my blog-reading, so yesterday I caught up on nearly an entire season of the Top Chef blogs (you can link to them via my "Blogs I Read" list along the left side of the page. I can honestly say, that after I finished laughing at his
Category: Entertainment
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Connoisseur

Saturday, 4 August 2007 10:43 A GMT-05
I've always considered myself something of a connoisseur when it came to water. That's not the same as snob, btw, because to me, Evian tastes "off", although it makes a fine facial mist. For a couple of years, McDonald's offered its own water brand,
Category: Personal/Political
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Here To Stay

Thursday, 2 August 2007 3:17 P GMT-05
Turns out that I missed not blogging, regardless of who - or who isn't - reading. Even though I woke up today feeling very nearly like myself, I'm still supposed to take it somewhat easy. I did about five hours of behind the scenes work for AAR toda
Category: Personal/Political
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Great Summer TV

Wednesday, 1 August 2007 12:00 A GMT-05
Not long ago a columnist in Entertainment Weekly wrote about missing the old days when summer TV was filled with re-runs of prime time shows, allowing viewers to "catch up". While he agreed that it's pretty easy to catch up at a fee (renting a seaso
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