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).

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

Oh No! Say it Ain't So, Joe(l)

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posted Tuesday, 22 July 2003
I mentioned in an earlier blogging that I adore the snarky musings of Joel Stein. Late last year he began to write a back-page column for Entertainment Weekly. It was such fun nine times out of ten that one Sunday night as I was reading it and LOL, my husband turned to me in exasperation and asked, "Is Tony Soprano cutting off Ralphie's head that funny?"

Joel Stein's column is the first page I look at after EW comes in the mail. Two or three weeks ago his column disappeared. I wondered whether he was on vacation. Then I read a piece he did in Time about his experience as a guest-programmer for the cable network Trio and figured he was on hiatus doing that piece - which I thought was hilarious. And then, when his column wasn't there again in the brand new EW, I wondered what was going on. A throw-away line in the TV section of the magazine indicated that Joel Stein was a "former-columnist." Did he quit? Was he canned? Was his snarkiness really gone from the back page of EW?

I emailed him today and it's true - he's been let go by EW. Whether he's still writing for Time or where else he may go is something he hasn't answered yet, but I've asked if he'd let me interview him. I'll check back with his answer.

In the meantime, here are links to his EW columns; the one about Martha is a recent favorite. Because I have no life at the moment (daughter at camp - husband at work) and, as my sister-in-law likes to say, "You've still got that child-like quality!", I'm not only re-reading them, I'm rating them on the "snark meter". A rating of five snarks is "grab the Depends." Four snarks equates to "Multiple (L)O(L)'s." Three snarks is one or two LOL's. Two snarks is fun but not in an out loud kind of way, and one snark, well, if he wrote any one-snarkers, I wouldn't be writing about him.

And if you aren't totally bored by my constant "Wal-Mart's power will come back and bite us all in the ass" arguing, don't miss this Joel Stein article for Time.

TTFN, Laurie Likes Books

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comments (3)


1. a reader left...
Monday, 21 July 2003 7:04 pm

Laurie,
You should check out Joel doing his thing on Trio this week. He's hysterical. And he had them program Battle of the Network Stars all week. Some of my greatest memories from childhood. *sigh*
I've been missing his column in EW as well.
Shayera

Shayera [stangri@socal.rr.com]


2. Laurie Gold left...
Monday, 21 July 2003 7:10 pm

Shayera -

I'll be sure to check that out tonight. Are you sure we're not separated at birth? We seem to like lots of the same things.

Oh my God! I just saw Kristy McNichol on Battle of the Network Stars. That alone (I loved FAMILY) was worth the price of admission. And I too loved Battle of the Network Stars, although Pink Lady and Jeff I could easily have lived without! Wish I hadn't missed his porno show yesterday but it looks like I'll be able to watch that tomorrow. ;)

TTFN, LLB


3. a reader left...
Monday, 21 July 2003 9:56 pm

I've thought the same thing on separated at birth a couple times in all the years I've checking out Laurie Likes Books. Even back when you were with the Romance Reader. *g*
The Good Clean Porn is hysterical!
Have you caught "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"? You'll love it. It's as fun for me as watching "What Not To Wear" on BBCAmerica, not the American version.
cheers,
Shayera

Shayera [stangri@socal.rr.com]