Joe's 2020 Book Cafe 3

Art by Yaoyao Ma Van As

Welcome back to the cafe!

Books Read in 2020

January

1. Equinoxes by Cyril Pedrosa*
2. American Spy by Lauren Wilkerson
3. Indecency by Justin Phillip Reed
4. A Handmaid's Tale Graphic by Renee Nault and Margaret Atwood*
5. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
6. Dream Within a Dream by Patricia MacLachlan
7. Deep Creek by Pam Houston
8. Due Diligence by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
9. Wandering Star by Teri S. Wood*
10. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
11. The Black God's Drums by p. Dejeli Clark

February

12. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
13. The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McGinty
14. For Kicks by Dick Francis
15. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
16. Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz
17. Golden in Death by J.D. Robb

Illustrated Books

1. Birdsong by Julie Flett
2. Paper Girls Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughn
3. I Love This Part by Tillie Walden
4. Door by JiHyeon Lee
5. Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson
6. The Iridescence of Birds by Patricia MacLachlan
7. The Master and Margarita Graphic Novel by Andzej Klimowski
8. Monstress Vol. 4 by Marie Liu
9. Ms. Marvel Vol. 10 by G. Willow Wilson
10. Swimming in Darkness by Lucas Harari
11. Dr. Who: The Betrothal of Sontar by Gareth Roberts
12. Constantine Hellblazer by Jaime Delano

*Illustrated

Top, Madame MBH with Fina, middle, Rafa meeting Fina in the hospital, bottom, Rafa laying out some of his toys that were cleaned by Bubbe

Favorites From 2019

Top 5



The Long Take by Robin Robertson
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit

Favorite Graphic Works



Good Talk by Mira Jacob
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
Frida Kahlo: An Illustrated Life by Maria Hesse
The Initiates by Étienne Davodeau
Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung

Favorite Poetry Collections



Lord of the Butterflies by Andrea Gibson
Drive Here and Devastate Me by Megan Falley
Monument: Poems by Natasha Trethewey
Tap Out by Edgar Kunz
Magical Negro by Morgan Parker

Also by Yaoyao Ma Van As

Hmm. There's an owl in there somewhere.

OK, the cafe is open!

Happy new thread Joe, the thread toppers and the photos are really great my friend. Hope you and Debbi are both well after your trip and send love and hugs to both of you from both of us dear friends.

Happy new one, Joe! Your thread toppers are by one of Abby's favorite artists.

Happy new thread, Joe! Delightful toppers and wonderful photos of the grandchildren!

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Joe!

Ooohhh, Yaoyao's art is gorgeous! Sunshine, books, a dog...what could possibly be better?

>6 jnwelch: Wow

I love those toppers!! Wow, something about the light (and of course, the books). Photos are beautiful, too!

Happy new thread.

Thanks for brewing a fresh pot, Joe. Nice to have you back.

Happy new thread, Joe. I love the new artwork, it's so bright and airy and, of course, there are books!

Happy New Thread, Joe! Sweet Thursday. Glad to see you back home, recovering and posting again. I love the Debbi & Fina photo! Of course, I also love the elusive Great Grey Owl image.

Are you a Louise Erdrich fan? Regardless, I am loving LaRose. I am also having a good time with Maggy Garrisson, which I should be close to wrapping up soon.

Love all the art up top, Joe, as well as the family photos! Thanks for sharing those.

Happy new one!

Loving all the pictures.

>6 jnwelch: Had to look twice on that one :)

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Joe!

>1 jnwelch: The toppers are fabulous. I love the colors and the art style. Very inviting and easy on the eyes.

>3 jnwelch: Wonderful pics of Fina, Rafa, and the fam.

I should finish Killers of the Flower Moon, on audio, tomorrow. What a book! Tragic and shocking by turns. I can see how there is a movie in the works.

Happy new thread, Joe! As always, I love your choice of toppers.

Welcome back, Joe. Hope all is now well with Rafa and his Bubbe, and everyone else too!

Lovely illustrations and photos of the family Joe.

Happy new thread, Joe. I love the art, so strong and colourful. The family photos are beautiful.
Enjoy a wonderful weekend. Here it looks more like spring than winter and our skiing holiday are still ahead.

>7 johnsimpson: Hiya, John. Thanks, buddy. I'm glad you like the toppers. Debbi and I are both doing well, after some illness for Debbi. Love and hugs to you and Karen, my friend.

>8 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie. When you said Yaoyao Ma Van As was one of Abby's favorite illustrators, I thought, of course! She's got so many beautiful ones; I'll probably post some more as we go along. My favorite is that rainy day one in >5 jnwelch:.

>9 quondame: Thanks, Susan! Aren't those grandkiddies cute?

>10 foggidawn: Thanks, foggie!

>11 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>12 richardderus: Isn't Yaoyao's art gorgeous, RD? I love what she does with that sunshine, and light in general.

>13 SandDune: Ha! Right, Rhian? Evolution came up with a wowser.

>14 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley! She's got a way with light, doesn't she. Really cool.

>15 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. Good to be back, buddy.

>16 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Aren't those bright and airy? I picked ones with books, but she has so many lovely ones. I'll post some more as we go along.

>17 msf59: Thanks, buddy. Sweet Thursday and Happy Friday! Isn't that a sweet one with Debbi and Fina? And yes, the Great Elusive Owl - you can see the evolutionary benefit in that one!

Yes, I'm a Louise Erdrich fan, although I'm woefully under-read with her. Good to hear you're liking LaRose. Yay for Maggy Garrisson! I believe it was Charlotte who was hoping we'll get more of her story from Trondheim. Me, too.

>18 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! It's fun to share those here; I appreciate the appreciation!

>19 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! I had to look twice at >6 jnwelch:, too. I saw the eyes as something unusual, and that got me to the rest. What camouflage!

>20 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>21 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie! I'm glad you like the fab toppers. Aren't the colors and style cool? I love what she does with light.

Thanks re the family pics. I've seen a lot of positive reactions to Killers of the Flower Moon; I'm glad it's going so well for you.

>22 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen! I'm glad you're liking the toppers.

>23 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda! Rafa and his Bubbe and everyone are doing fine, I'm glad to say. Madame MBH returns to the gym today, so you can tell she's feeling much better.

>24 NarratorLady: Thanks, Anne. Back home, new cafe, Debbi healthy - all is well.

>25 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Aren't those illustrations lovely? And thanks re the family photos.

We envy you having it look more like spring than winter where you are. It looks plenty like winter here, and we wouldn't mind a change. :-)

Morning, Joe! Abby's topper also features art by that artist. And I forgot to mention yesterday how lovely the family photos are - thanks so much for sharing.

>30 jnwelch: Oh I love these! (The ones at the top, too.)

>31 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Cool re Abby's topper. I have to get over there - I'm way behind on LT! Thanks re the family photos - it's fun to share here, as the reception is always so positive.

>32 foggidawn: Right, foggi? You'll be seeing more of hers here; she's got so many good ones. I wish they'd publish a collection of her work. I imagine some day that'll happen.

Lovely toppers, Joe! She managed to even make a train (or metro?) look cosy. And loved the family pictures, and the owl as well. The last one reminded me of the ents, Tolkien.

Have a good new café!

I love the Yaoyao paintings up top, but they certainly can't compete with the family photos.

I'm glad your trip was wonderful.

Hey, I saw on Amber's thread you liked The Black God's Drums. His other novella, The Haunting of Tram Car 015 is also really good. Completely different feel and setting, but well plotted and unique partnered with his excellent way with words.

Happy new thread, Joe! I am loving all the pictures here!

>36 drneutron:
I liked both of the novella's but I thought that Haunting of Tram Car 015 was more polished and therefore read better. However, I thought that both of them were very original. It will be fun to see how Clark develops as a writer.

Happy Family and Art - what a great combination -
now, just add a very light mystery dedicated to The Windy City,
featuring those intrepid detectives, Biden and Obama,
with a little Rahm thrown in.

HOPE RIDES AGAIN!

>34 EllaTim: Ents! I hadn't thought of that, Ella. I can see why you thought of them in >6 jnwelch:, with the owl eyes seemingly in the tree bark.

Thanks re the toppers; I automatically thought the top one was in some sort of commuter train, where she was used to reading. I'm glad you like the family photos and the new cafe.

>35 streamsong: Ha! Those family photos must be good, Janet, if you like them better than the Yaoyao art.

That was a wonderful trip. Those grandkids are so cute! That Rafa is a hoot.

>36 drneutron: Ah, good tip on The Haunting of Tram Car 015, Jim, thanks. I'll track it down.

>37 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! There will be more pics to come here, I'm sure.

>38 benitastrnad: That's good to hear re The Haunting of Tram Car 015, Benita. He's a very interesting new writer, isn't he.

>39 m.belljackson: Hiya, Marianne. I got a kick out of the first Obama/Biden mystery, Hope Never Dies. Are you reading Hope Rides Again? What do you think of it?

Happy new thread Joe!

>40 jnwelch:

3/4 into HOPE RIDES AGAIN and it's a lot more fun than the first one with all the Chicago lore.

I wonder if the detectives have enjoyed it as much as many readers...

>40 jnwelch:
TOR and TOR Teen have been putting out some interesting stuff and very much trying to diversify their stable of authors. I hope that they can continue to do so.

There is another title in the Haunting of Tram Car 015 series that is now available - but only in audiobook. A Dead Djinn in Cairo So far it is only one short story, but sometime in the future there may be another novella.

Happy Friday, Joe. Finally getting around to a some thread visits. I am taking tomorrow off, to attend a retirement seminar, in the morning. It is hosted, by a financial strategy group, but I hope we can glean some important info from it.

I finished Maggy Garrisson. You called it- It was a perfect fit for me. I really enjoyed it.

>1 jnwelch: That artist clearly is a kindred spirit who values books as they should be, Joe.

Happy Saturday, Joe, and much good restreading.

Happy new one, buddy.

>6 jnwelch: That is a truly stunning photo.

Have a great weekend.

>41 humouress: Thanks, Nina!

>42 m.belljackson: Oh, good to hear, Marianne. I'm sure I'll be snacking on Hope Rides Again at some point. Yes, I wonder whether either of the detectives has read one of them. Obama's a big time reader, so he may have.

>43 benitastrnad: Thanks, Benita. I'm not much of an audio reader, but I'll keep an eye out for A Dead Djinn in Cairo coming out in print. I'm glad to hear that Tor is dedicated to diversifying; that will benefit all of us.

>44 msf59: Happy Friday/Saturday, Mark. I'm glad you have today off. You're smart to financially educate yourself on retirement. I hope you find the seminar helpful.

Hooray for Maggy Garrisson! Great to hear that you enjoyed it so much. I'm hoping we get more tales of Maggy down the road.

>45 ronincats: Right, Roni? You can tell Yaoyao loves books and reading.

>46 richardderus: Happy Saturday, Richard, and much good restreading backatcha. Among others, I'm enjoying a mystery set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, called Cold Cold Ground.

>47 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Isn't >6 jnwelch: a stunner? I hope you have a great weekend, too.

>50 jnwelch: Lovely images!

(from HOPE RIDES AGAIN)

President Obama's favorite Chicago diner, Valois, was also mine in pre-vegetarian college days:
a meal there would fill you for the day!

Nice tie-in = visiting with his father, young John Quincy Adams thought the Hotel de Valois in Paris was "magnificent."
(Bet the menu was also superb.)

Hi Joe, happy "newish" thread. Love the art and the pictures of the family are wonderful. Rafa looks so thoughtful setting out his toys.

I "found" a comic/GN shop yesterday I'd not come across before. It was all very tempting, I shall have to go back. I wondered if you'd come across Almost American Girl - it's not published in the UK yet. I read a great review so I am hoping to track down a copy when it comes out.

Loving the art Joe. No doubt you are both missing and recovering from your grandpa duties.

>51 quondame:. Aren’t they, Susan? I’m glad you had the same reaction I did.

>52 m.belljackson:. I don’t know Valois, Marianne, and it sounds like I should. Our favorite was the Busy Bee in Wicker Park on Damen, under the El tracks. It’s gone now, unfortunately.

That’s a high-level Parisian tie-in!

>53 charl08:. Hi, Charlotte. Rafa is very serious and determined when it comes to his projects. He has a vision, and usually is not happy if someone disrupts it. Very cute!

I’ve not heard of Almost American Girl; I’ll try to find it here. (Hmm. On second thought, seeing the author, I think I just read something positive about it). I just started an unusual one called Swimming in Darkness, featuring an architecture student in Switzerland.

>54 Caroline_McElwee:. Thanks, Caroline. Yaoyao is prolific, so I’ll likely post some more.

Yes, you’ve got it - missing the Pittsburgh gang, and recovering from the visit. We head back in about 10 days. We’re hoping to FaceTime with them around Super Bowl time, as we’ll have some people here who watched Papa Jesse grow up.

Bargain: We Have Always Lived in the Castle is available on e-readers today for $1.99. Another great creepy tale from Shirley Jackson.

>55 jnwelch:

Chicago's Valois Restaurant has a website > skip The Carnivore Heaven Specials!!! > Breakfast Menu is safer.

Desserts look inviting, but not sure how homemade they are.

>55 jnwelch:

Chicago's Valois Restaurant has a website > skip The Carnivore Heaven Specials!!! > Breakfast Menu is safer.

Desserts look inviting, but not sure how homemade they are.

>57 m.belljackson:, >58 m.belljackson: Thanks, Marianne. Breakfast at Valois sounds good.

>60 jnwelch: Like!

Morning, Joe. Happy Monday. You know I am off today, if I say that. I am birding with a friend this A.M. and hope to get plenty of reading in this afternoon. Read nothing yesterday.

Nice chatting with you too. Have a good day, bud. Go Chiefs! Great finale! Great game!

>60 jnwelch: It sure as hell isn't.

Happy Monday! How are y'all recovering from Pgh?

>61 msf59: Right, Mark? Morning. I'm glad you're off today, and I saw you are tomorrow, too, right? Nice day to do some birding. I finished The Testaments, and I've been enjoying the unusual one The Dreamers, in which a sleeping/dreaming sickness is spreading.

Great Super Bowl! Go Chiefs! I think they'll have to be the favorites going into next year, too. A 24 year old league MVP and Super Bowl MVP (Mahomes) - wow.

>62 richardderus: Ha! Existence is hilarious, man. You just have to have an Andy Borowitz or Onion POV. :-)

Happy Whatever the Heck Day It is! We're pretty much recovered from Pittsburgh, thanks. We should be back in fighting trim by the time we go back in about 10 days.

I think I mentioned that our DIL Adriana Ramirez was working on an article for ESPN while dealing with the newborn Fina. The article is about the Super Bowl halftime show featuring J-Lo and Shakira, and I think it turned out really well. Here it is:



https://theundefeated.com/contributors/adriana-e-ramirez/

>64 jnwelch: After all, it’s Lopez and Shakira, in Miami, bringing us that flavor. How can we lose?

Helluva sting in that tail. Brava!

I obvs ain't gonna watch the closed-head-injury sport's nadir of relevance, but her précis of why the racist, misogynist, scum-of-the-earth NFL would do this is spot on.

I didn't watch the halftime show. I have better things to do with my time than watch sexed up half naked women titillating an audience. I don't care what their ethnic background is. I also wouldn't have time to watch sexed up half naked men titillating an audience either.

>64 jnwelch: - What am I doing wrong? I clicked the link and I can see the picture and the title and the mini bio of Adriana, but after that, nothing else is on the screen. Weird. Usually, a link either lets you in or not. But not only halfway...

>67 jessibud2: - Shelley, try clicking the article title, if you can. That's what I had to do.

Hello Joe! Happy Monday!

Hail to the Chiefs! The was a bit of snoozer for me until the 4th quarter when the Chiefs came alive and the 49ers made some big mistakes. I did not really have a dog in the fight so speak, but I'm happy for the Chiefs!

>66 benitastrnad: Agreed. I was watching with my kids, 10 and 11, and should have turned it off sooner than I did.

I started Stephen King's The Institute on audio and it has a good start.

I had thought of reading a few short books to start the year, but Unbroken is calling my name. It's not short, but I have heard nothing but good things about it. I'm going to give it a go.

>68 katiekrug: - Bingo! Thanks, Katie! It worked.

>66 benitastrnad: I am not sure I have ever watched a single halftime show, Benita. I am with you about not wanting to watch sexed up half naked women or men. Besides, most of the time, the music is not my cuppa anyway.

Hey, Joe!

I enjoyed the half-time show! It was high energy with great dancing, and made some subtle and not-so-subtle political points. I also appreciated Shakira's inclusion of nods to her Lebanese heritage.

Rather than viewing them as "sexed up half naked women," I viewed them as 43- and 50-year old women celebrating their bodies, their heritage, and their success. Good for them.

>72 katiekrug: the kids in cages! I thought it was an incredible show. And to think J Lo is 50;and Shakira is 43. Amazing!

>73 brenzi: - Yes! And the clip of "Born in the USA" with the Puerto Rican flag - those were my two favorite parts.

>64 jnwelch: Excellent article Joe. Spot on really.

>74 katiekrug: Yes I loved that too!

>65 richardderus: Thanks, RD. She sure can write, can't she. I was there when she finished it off, and how she managed that under the Fina-stances is beyond me.

>66 benitastrnad: Oh my, Benita. Well, I can tell you what I saw at the SB halftime: two powerful women making good music, having a great time, and enabling us to have a great time with them. They're both in impressive physical shape after having kids, and yes, both are sexy. It was a celebration of joy at a time when we sure could use it.

I have to admit I don't get why people frown on sexy, joyous performances. I sure wouldn't think daughters were getting a bad role model with these confident, powerful women. As to showing skin - for me, it's a so what? This was the best halftime performance since Prince's, and he was known for performing in his underwear. We have bodies and we like sex, and in my book it's okay to celebrate that.

>67 jessibud2:, >68 katiekrug: I hope Katie's tip on the article link worked for you, Shelley. Thanks, Katie!

>69 brodiew2: Hello Brodie! We all loved this Super Bowl at Casa Welch. Most entertaining one in some time. Most of us were rooting for the Chiefs - for me, I wanted to see their coach Andy Reid get his first one, and that team has been so entertaining all year. But it looked like an SF win until that final, exciting quarter.

I just don't agree on the halftime show, as you can see in my >76 jnwelch: response, although if it is contrary to how you're raising your kids, I respect that. Ours would've been watching it at that age. Strong successful women putting on one heck of a performance.

I'm not a Stephen King reader, although he's fine by me. Unbroken is terrific; that seems very much a Brodie book.

>70 jessibud2: Yes!

>71 alcottacre: Hey, Stasia!

I've got a different take on the halftime show - see >76 jnwelch:. Half naked and sexy isn't unusual, and I'm in favor of joy. But if the music isn't your cuppa, that's different. You're not going to get the joy if you don't like their music.

>72 katiekrug: Totally agree, Katie. I loved the halftime show, too. I missed Shakira's nods to her Lebanese heritage - what did she do?

>73 brenzi: Yes, we were just talking about the kids in cages, Bonnie. Wow - while J-Lo was singing with her daughter.

>74 katiekrug: Ha! Are you telling me that Puerto Rico is part of the USA, Katie? Who knew? Well, just about everybody except our resident idiots.

>75 brenzi: Thanks, Bonnie. Isn't that article excellent? She's so intelligent.

>76 jnwelch:
Celebration or Exploitation? That is the question.

Your comments did make me laugh. I wouldn't have liked Prince preforming in his underwear, and I didn't watch that halftime show either. Call me a prude. Go ahead! I am.

Sex is one thing, dancing to titillate and provoke is another.

I don't think that we need to dress like puritans and have sex with our clothes on, but pelvic thrust after pelvic thrust is not dancing. Making sure that your crotch is exposed on every still photograph shown after the fact isn't sexy either.

I do have to be amazed at their physical lung capacity. Being tied into a corset that tightly that your breasts perch precariously just on the top side of decency takes a great deal of indifference to physical pain, and a great deal of stamina. I wonder how much blood doping they had to do pre-performance in order to counteract the lack of oxygen they had to endure while tied into those ridiculous costumes? And why is butt crack on them considered sexy and everybody else spends a great deal of time getting their pants out of their cracks?

And lastly, Bruce Springsteen doesn't preform in his underwear. Unless a white t-shirt is considered underwear?

How's that for a rant on what I think about the ridiculous so-called Super Bowl half time shows. Hasn't been a good one of those since the last high school marching band marched off the field in 1970. Or thereabouts.

>66 benitastrnad:, >76 jnwelch:, >79 benitastrnad: 2019 halftime show:

...and the outrage expressed by women: 0

Hypocritical.

>79 benitastrnad: I wonder how much blood doping they had to do pre-performance in order to counteract the lack of oxygen they had to endure while tied into those ridiculous costumes? LOL! Thanks, Benita. Well said. In my world, girls and boys just wanna have fun, but I appreciate the glimpse into yours, and your good humor about it.

>80 richardderus: Ha! Yes, that's exactly what Debbi thought of, Richard, when I mentioned this discussion. Adam Levine - she wasn't complaining. :-)

>78 jnwelch: - This points out some of the Lebanese-influences: https://www.vulture.com/2020/02/shakira-super-bowl-half-time-show-explainer.html.

I hadn't realized what I always called ululation is also known as zaghrouta and is not solely Arabic. So thank you, Shakira, for teaching me something new!

I'm tired of women judging women for their choices. We are often our own worst enemies.

>79 benitastrnad: As for the corsets, she was wearing support, much as ballet dancers do, but was not corseted. I make corsets, and they aren't what she was wearing, despite the look. I love >76 jnwelch: attitude and wish I didn't have to work to get there.

>80 richardderus:
Who is this? Nobody I know. I don't think he was leading any marching band I saw. But then he is probably the reason why I quit watching half-time shows.

Which brings me to the ridiculous customs that female gymnasts are required to wear. How come male gymnasts are covered from head to toe or are wearing shots while female gymnasts wear costumes that barely cover their tops and the bottoms are butt floss?

I'm just gonna leave this here....

>>64 jnwelch:

I never make it through a half time show. This time, I happened to be around when it came on. It held my attention for sure. It was 100% fantastic. I loved it.

oh and good article by your DIL :) And agree with your assessment of the show...

>85 laytonwoman3rd: *chortle*

The whole problem is inappropriate sexualization of pop culture, and that's deleterious to the entire culture.

>82 katiekrug: Thanks for the link to the article explaining the Lebanese allusions, Katie - perfect! Madame MBH and I were wondering what the ululation was all about! How interesting that it's part of both her heritages. I'm going to send her the link.

>83 quondame: There is so much I don't know about corsets that I don't know where to begin, Susan. :-) I'm glad you like the >76 jnwelch: attitude. It crossed my mind that one of the beauties of being an oldster is that we've seen and done so much.

>84 benitastrnad: Huh. I'll let Richard respond to that part, Benita. Adam Levine has been People's Sexiest Man Alive, so that gives you some idea. He also seems like a really nice guy.

Seems to me that the male gymnast costumes aren't exactly unrevealing, for what that's worth.

>85 laytonwoman3rd: Good one, Linda. :-)

>86 mckait: Oh, good, Kath. Ha! I'm glad you got a chance to see the halftime show and enjoyed it so much. Me, too.

>87 mckait: Thanks re our darling DIL's article, and thanks re my assessment of the show . . .

>88 richardderus: Ha! >85 laytonwoman3rd: seems pinup-worthy, doesn't it, RD. "Inappropriate" is always a problem, isn't it. For me, sexualization alone isn't a problem unless it becomes too common - and then the problem is it gets boring and obvious. We certainly have some of that. One of the interesting things about multi-Grammy-winning Billie Eilish is that she avoids all of that. She covers up, and is clever, quirky and charming, and it really works.

Great discussion on the half-time Super Bowl show and, though we don't always agree on everything, I think Katie was spot on. Shakira and JLo are not going to be exploited let's face it and they were both magnificent - much better than the sport itself IMO.

Women have choices these days and thank God for that. I agree that they should not attract criticism from their own gender for exercising those choices.

On ululation, it is actually part of everyday speech in some african languages. I had a friend who was ambassador for Namibia in Kuala Lumpur and it was quite an experience listening to her and her daughter discoursing in their vernacular.

Kudos to your DIL, Joe, she is very talented and admirable considering she has been, erm, a tad distracted lately.

I for one was a bit disappointed that the 49ers blew it. I hope that they are not picking up the bad habits of my team Leeds United who are famous "bottlers". The 49ers bought 10% of Leeds United last summer.

>89 jnwelch: I wonder if the antique adage "sex sells" isn't, at this saturated point, just a self-fulfilling prophecy. Not everything needs to be wham-crash-biff-socko exciting! Soap? Blah ads extolling the efficacy in stain and odor removal should still be the norm, not sexy armpits being lovingly lathered by some hand model whose digits are focus-group-approved to be luxuriously gloriously appealing and suggest only the opposite gender from the armpit being lathered lest the religious nuts honk their blaring horns and the greenatics complain that the steam normalizes our profligate use of energy to unnecessarily heat bathing water (THEY take cold showers, you should too) and the art department must spend 48hrs airbrushing out the excess hairs, airbrushing in the proper number of bubbles which misrepresent the actual sudsing power of the soap but artfully suggest breasts in their shading thus reinforcing the sex appeal of the armpit-owner who uses this soap and....

Tiresome, tiring, and I'm tired of the world it's given us.

>50 jnwelch: The girl and dog in the bottom pic look a lot happier than the people around here in the rain. It was snowing today and we still had our umbrellas out (one degree warmer and it would have been rain.)

I just read The Cold Cold Ground too, Joe. It was a good one and a very interesting setting. Hope you are enjoying it.

>64 jnwelch: Excellent article by Adri! A smooth, articulate writer. Thanks for sharing.

Morning, Joe. Happy Wednesday. Back to the grind for me today, after a sweet little stint off. I am sure hoping this new round of snow, stays mainly south. Fingers crossed. I am starting a fresh book today, called Cruddy. We will see...

I hope your week is going well.

Morning, Joe!

I have to admit I don't get why people frown on sexy, joyous performances. I sure wouldn't think daughters were getting a bad role model with these confident, powerful women. As to showing skin - for me, it's a so what? This was the best halftime performance since Prince's, and he was known for performing in his underwear. We have bodies and we like sex, and in my book it's okay to celebrate that.

Sing it!! We're trying to raise a kid here at Scaife Manor who will have an open, honest, healthy, and respectful attitude toward sex and his partners, and I think a huge part of that is being open and honest right now with him about these things, and *this* is the attitude we're taking with him. So far so good - he's asking all kinds of good questions and we've had some great discussions already. We don't watch The Sports, but if we did, we'd have no problem with Charlie watching those strong, confident women showing off their talents.

>94 scaifea: I have never been intimidated by a strong confident and sexually aware woman probably because I am fairly confident myself with members of the opposite sex, won't ever mistakenly try to dominate them and know the value in making my partner laugh.

Charlie has good parents. Always a great starting point in treating those we esteem with respect.

>95 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. A guy who is attracted to a women *because* she is strong and confident is, in turn, a very attractive quality, or at least it always has been for me. And of course respect in all forms is absolutely sexy.

>90 PaulCranswick: Good points all, Paul. I'm glad you're enjoying the Super Bowl halftime discussion. As you can tell, I agree with you and Katie on the magnificence of Shakira and JLo. I think that, unfortunately, anyone who does anything in the spotlight is going to get criticism, regardless of gender, but I understand the frustration with women criticizing women.

Thanks re our distracted but determined DIL. When she came into our son's life, we thought "Yes!" Before that he'd been with women who were mismatches. A big moment for me was when she casually mentioned that she beat him in Scrabble. I couldn't believe it. No one can beat that boy in Scrabble - but she did. They share a love of board games and every kind of game, among other things.

>91 richardderus: Ha! Lovely imaging of buxom soap bubbles and manicured armpits, Richard. I think we're oversaturated with advertising, period, right? It's gotten so bad that people are willing to pay a premium to have no commercials. For me, the ones that work best are the ones with humor and the unexpected. Debbi and I get a kick out of the Liberty Mutual one where the hunky actor keeps confidently blowing his lines ("Libbity-bibbity") until he has someone else in a voiceover saying the lines at the end. They're trying to "cut through the clutter" and actually have people pay attention; for me that's the best way to do it. On the last thread, someone posted a link of Richard Sharpe (Sean Bean) swinging a sword and rousing his troops (salespeople) to go out there and . . . sell tea. Yes!

>63 jnwelch: - Excellent article and yes, she certainly is a talented writer. It's quite a feat in itself to think, let alone write, immediately after childbirth, I would imagine!

And ha! I love what you said here in >97 jnwelch:, about her beating Jesse in Scrabble! I am a Scrabble fiend, myself (though not always the best player; I tend to enjoy the play and the strategy more than keeping score). I play online daily with 5 different friends who all live far away and it's a great way not only to stay in touch but to keep in practice when very few of my local friends like to play.

There is a terrific radio program on the CBC that I love, all about advertising. A topic that never particularly appealed to me, until I started listening. Its called Under the Influence, hosted by Terry O'Reilly (https://www.cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence). It's brilliant and sometimes, hilariously funny.

>95 PaulCranswick: Ditto for me, Paul. I try to respect everybody, with no prejudgment or presumptions, as how they're acting has a lot of history behind it that I don't know. But if they prove themselves to be an a**hole, that's a different story. Like our current Prez.

>96 scaifea: Great to hear, Amber. That's the way it should be, in my book.

>98 jessibud2: Isn't that remarkable how Adriana managed to write such a good article, Shelley? She loves sports, so she's been trying to get ESPN to turn her loose for a while. I hope there are more with them.

Right? Jesse and his mom both love Scrabble, and he doesn't have time these days, but she plays - I think it's called Words with Friends? Online Scrabble.

Hmm. You make that radio program sound appealing, but I'm not sure I can tune into a show that's all about advertising. There was a time when I was involved in a lot of disputes about what is fair influence and what is deceptive and unlawful advertising. A lot of advertisers think that if they briefly run a small disclaimer at the bottom of the TV ad (e.g. "This is untrue for 90% of the U.S. population") they're okay. Not so.

>99 jnwelch: Yes, well Joe, he is the exception to most rules.

More by Yaoyao

>100 PaulCranswick: LOL! Yup.

Visiting your thread is always so uplifting. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful graphics. How do you get your pics to stay though? Mine keep disappearing after 24 hours this year. It's so odd.

>99 jnwelch: - Joe, O'Reilly is a terrific journalist as well as an award winning advertising man. Just try one episode. I wish I could find, in the archives, the one he did about baseball. It was priceless. I am going to search and will link back if I find it but do follow my link and try just one episode. I generally have zero interest in ads and am probably an advertiser's worst nightmare because when I do like a clever or creative commercial, I usually never remember the product being advertised, just the creativity! :-) Still, I stumbled on O'Reilly's program once when I was driving in the car several years ago and it was on and have been hooked ever since. And I own a book he wrote! :-)

The online Scrabble game I play is based in England and is called The Pixie Pit and it's wonderful (http://www.thepixiepit.co.uk/scrabble/2playerrooms.html)

^I think you may have missed me up there. No, worries you are still my pal. Grins...

>89 jnwelch:
I don't know who Adam Levine is. Is he famous? Is he a member of a marching band?

Sexualization of women is always a problem. Because most often it is women who get sexualized. Just because you can do sequential multiple pelvic thrusts to the rhythm of a drum, doesn't mean that you have confidence. How sad that a strong confident woman has to express herself with multiple pelvic thrusts and butt floss costumes with push-up bras. Adam Levine aside, how many men do you see doing that same thing and are called strong and confident? (He may wear butt floss costumes in public and do multiple pelvic thrusts in sequence for all I know, so he may be an exception.)

For me the problem with the women who are putting on big arena music shows is the complete sexulization of them. Unless they can get up there and do multiple pelvic thrusts at the age of 70 they aren't "putting on a good show." It is clear that it ain't about the music. It is about the looks and that means that women are being judged solely on their bodies. Strong and confident has nothing to do with it. Sex does. Sex sells. Women have to conform to a certain body type or they don't make money. And everybody knows that unless they have that body type they aren't strong and confident.

I think that Hilary Clinton and Angela Merkle are strong and confident and they don't do multiple pelvic thrusts set to music. They aren't twerking in public in front of millions. They can't be strong and confident - they wear pants suits!

I think it is time that we stopped thinking of acts of sexual titillation as being strong and confident and think of it as what it is - sex used to sell. I think that pant suits should be the symbol of strong and confident.

>106 benitastrnad: Dear Lord, Benita; the very idea of Frau Merkel doing "multiple pelvic thrusts" is deeply disturbed but then again she did completely screw Greece over its debt crisis.

I don't think JLo and Shakira and Ariana Grande or whoever else is up to us to legislate to - I think they should be able to make their own choices. The only question is where public decency or indecency became an issue and that is a fine line. I don't find simulated sex acts in dancing particularly sexy - more sad and off-putting really - but Shakira and Jennifer Lopez can REALLY dance.

>107 PaulCranswick:
Screwing Greece? I don't think the French or the Germans see it that way.

I am not trying to say what other people should think of as dancing. What I am trying to say is that sexual titillation is not synomomus with strong and confident. I think we are confusing the idea of a strong confident woman in daily life with sexual images. I don't think that works. Sex is sex and not the workaday world. Sex doesn't translate well in the workaday world. Or does it?

Can a woman be strong and confident without having the Hollywood body type? Or doing that outthrust pelvic walk that models and movie stars do?

>108 benitastrnad: - Your view of it as sexual titillation may not be shared by everyone. I don't see it that way. Who cares how women express their confidence and strength? Let's just celebrate women who are strong and confident, whoever they are and however they express it.

>108 benitastrnad: I have read Varoufakis' account of the crisis and he certainly felt that the Germans (not so much the French) screwed them royally. At the end of the Second World War the world and in particular the USA forgive German debt - it didn't forgive British debt so the UK who fought alone to keep the world free took advantage of its special relationship with America by being disadvantaged by them in comparison with Japan and Germany as the USA wanted to ensure it won the peace as well as the war. Varoufakis' government asked Germany for the same consideration and were told "nein" in no uncertain terms.

sexual titillation is not synomomus with strong and confident.

I think all of us can agree with that statement, Benita. x

>109 katiekrug: And I am sure everyone should be able to agree with those wise words too.

My daughter and I watched The Super Bowl Show on YouTube
(having no desire to watch men bashing each other's brains out) -

loved the dancing, but could have done without the suggestive pole
and wished for MANY more Male Dancers,
plus at least ONE Male Singer/Dancer the equal of The Women.

> 107 Dancing, singing and entertaining is how these two women make a living. Their choice. It's interesting what people looking at the same thing see differently. To me, the message was so loud and clear and the dancing was sort of the background. I am not a "fan" of either of the woman, but boy, they sure got that show right for me. And the fact that the little girls ( and cages) were involved capped it with 5 stars. The music was fantastic as was the dancing, but for me it was the message that was outstanding. But, like books.. entertainment is viewed differently by all who see it.

okay. I'm done... moving on

How wonderful when your child finds someone who loves them, and even better when you like that person too! lol. You seem to have a really great family. And back to Pgh soon? I'm hoping for more pictures of those beautiful little ones.

>106 benitastrnad: I'm with Katie in >109 katiekrug: on this one, Benita: Who cares how women express their confidence and strength? Let's just celebrate women who are strong and confident, whoever they are and however they express it. This isn't the only way for women to be strong and confident; the ways are endless. These two (Shakira and JLo)
actually head up financial empires, with all sorts of licensed products. Other thoughts: I don't think of James Brown and his music the same way I do Johann Sebastian Bach and his music, but in my mind they're both geniuses. As Paul said about these two women, JB could really dance!

>107 PaulCranswick: Ha! Personally, Paul, I love the idea of Angela Merkel doing multiple pelvic thrusts - maybe while making fun of Trump? What a news item that would make!

I agree with all you say, including that Shakira and JLo can REALLY dance. JLo was a dancer before she was a successful singer, and thanks to Katie, I now know that Shakera's belly dancing has Lebanese origins.

>108 benitastrnad: Can a woman be strong and confident without having the Hollywood body type? Or doing that outthrust pelvic walk that models and movie stars do? No doubt about it! We see it all over the place, and the more we see it, the better. We've got a House of Representatives that's now filled with strong, confident women, and we're better off for it. I just don't see sexiness in either gender (any gender? any gender or identity choice? this gets tough!) as the problem you do. It's a natural part of life, and one that can bring a lot of joy when handled like these two women did.

>109 katiekrug: Yes: this. Thanks, Katie.

>110 PaulCranswick: You're more steeped in that history than I am, Paul, but I've certainly seen a lot of discussion of how that economic advantage led to Germany and Japan having two of the more successful world economies.

>111 PaulCranswick: Right. I hope so, Paul.

>112 m.belljackson: Hi, Marianne. Yes, Madame MBH shares your lack of enthusiasm for the game itself, and watches for the commercials (pretty good this year and much better than last year's, in our opinion) and the halftime show (which she loved).

It was a big deal to have two women headliners for the first time, and two LatinX ones for that matter, so it made me smile to see you would've liked many more male dancers and a male singer tp perform with the two of them. I do think they both put on one heck of a show - and it's been a long time since the halftime show was that good.

P.S. The stripper pole was a reference to JLo's latest movie (can't remember the name) in which she trained for and played an exotic dancer. But that doesn't really take away from your point. It wouldn't have been missed if they left it out.

>113 mckait: Yes, I agree, Kath. It's a fine way to make a living, it's their choice, and they're really good at it, bringing light and joy to the rest of us. And you're right, the message was great - the kids in cages while JLo's daughter sang, the Puerto Rican flag while Shakira sang Born in the USA, the many cross-cultural references - it was well and bravely thought out.

How wonderful when your child finds someone who loves them, and even better when you like that person too! lol. Well said! So true! And we like our DIL's parents a lot, too, which we hadn't counted on - originally we just hoped we all could be civil with each other, but it turns out we're all very simpatico.

More photos of those beautiful little ones? I've got one of Fina, anyway, that I'll post next.

Fina has already developed and changed so much in a short amount of time . . .

Waiting for the picture of Fina. . .

ETA: We were posting at the same time, lol. Look at that head of hair!

>115 jnwelch: *baaawww* punkin pweshus!!

What a little sweetie! And yes. They do change and grow so fast. smh
Hang on to every minute :)

>116 alcottacre: Ha! We're hoping she holds onto that head of hair, Stasia. We'll see. Her bro sure wasn't like that.

.117 Hee-hee! You always surprise me a bit, RD, when your curmudgeonliness doesn't carry over to the wee ones. :-)

>118 mckait: Isn't Fina a little sweetie, Kath? Debbi and I just shake our heads over how fast they both change. We're trying to see them at least once a month these days. Yeah, we used to say we wished we could bottle every minute with our kids and be able to revisit them. So much cuteness and wonderfulness . . .

Hello Joe! I hope all is well.

I was not expecting the halftime show to have this much life. For me, it is not so provactive that I would need to turn it off, but I just didn't find it all that interesting. The problem is the what the NFL is selling to an audience of all ages. I understand popular culture is overly sexualized, which is part of the problem. The NFL should consider (at least) an act that can be tailor made for any audience. They have after all hit us with a wonderful add featuring a kid of 11-13 running through the different cities meeting NFL great before magically running onto the field. There are those families who feel that their kids should not be exposed to such sexualized material. I mean, that rapper guy was grinding on JoLo. It just seemed inappropriate for the an all ages audience. Yes, I could have turned it off and did halfway through, but should I have to? Just my two cents. My comments have nothing to do with the artists, their nationality, or their chosen profession. I just think the NFL could have done something different.

>115 jnwelch: Fina looks cute as can be!

>119 jnwelch: Babies prevent grumpiness in non-parents.

>120 brodiew2: Now for the sexualization conversation we need to have: The manlust that is watching men maim and hurt themselves for your viewing pleasure. Far more inappropriate than some semi-dressed women singing and shakin' they booties.

Touche', Richard! I guess your question goes to the heart of sports in general, of the male or female variety. The Contest. The Battle. Are sports inappropriate or are you speaking of football specifically? Personally, I like to see a good game. And, yes, I can get vocal and caught up in the excitement. But I would not call it manlust. I'm not looking for brutality or bloodshed. I guess it's all about perspective.

Granted there is no women's football league, but there are plenty of other sports where women place themselves in similar peril. Granted, I don't watch many of them, but oh well.

Oops! I missed the show. I watched the Super Bowl but didn't pay attention to the ads or the chattering that backgrounds the television event. I'm the fussbudget that mutes the stuff that isn't the game and often the chatter that describes the game as it is played. So I missed many of the ads and the entire halftime extravaganza. I don't feel I missed anything.

Weird, isn't it?

* signed *

Dullard Bill

Hi Joe, mate, I thought it was about time I started visiting my friends. Hope you, Debbi and the family are all well and that 2020 has been good to you all so far. We are both fine and have had a good start to the year apart from minor illness blips and now we have a new member of the family in Felix, our rescue cat.

Felix has settled in well with us and has worked out our roles, Karen feeds him and I am good to relax on. Tomorrow he goes to the Vets to be neutered and micro-chipped and he has his final injections in another couple of weeks and then he can finally go out into the garden.

My reading has got off to a slow steady start and I am only halfway through my third book so far but it is starting to pick up. I have managed to get a few freebie fountain pens and one should be with me tomorrow and I have bought a cheap vintage one last Saturday and a cheap new one came today and that will enable me to start transferring my book data into the old ledger I obtained for just this job.

Hope you have a good rest of the week mate and send love and hugs to you, Debbi and the family from both of us dear friend.

>122 brodiew2: But I would not call it manlust.

Really. How utterly shocking.

But that doesn't change its being manlust: I like to see a good game. And, yes, I can get vocal and caught up in the excitement.
Explain how this is different from the drive many experience to wage war, commit violent crimes, form into mobs. They come from the same kill/conquer/subjugate impulses. Tribalism becomes team fandom...The Others are to be crushed, destroyed, defeated. The language says it all, but there's a boatload of sociology done on the topic you can research.

I'm not looking for brutality or bloodshed.
And yet these things happen in each and every game. Do you somehow not notice them? Have you ever interacted with the various teams' DLs?

>125 richardderus: I'm not sure I understand the intent of your manlust comment. What do you mean? I don't want to assume and make an ass of myself. Bromance is cool. films and books that speak to the brotherhood of war.

Richard, I'm not challenging much of what you said. Tribalism comment is spot on. I will not apologize for team fandom. However, as in life there are degree of fandom; casual through fanatic. I fall somewhere in the middle. Do I own a t-shirt or sweatshirt of my favorite team? Sure. Do I paint my face or dress wildly to gain notice? No. Do I yell negative comments at the other team? No. other than to wish for a fumble or interception. Do I encourage my team or pray their success? Sure. But, that it just ME. There are other types of fans.

Of course I am aware of injuries and research related to NFL health concerns. Don't forget that these players are professionals (paid a handsome sum to risk injury). Whether you agree with the nature of sport is your decision as it is for all of us.

My comment in >120 brodiew2: was simply to say it would have been nice to have a more broadly acceptable show. But, I get that it has to be flashy and captivating and riveting to a certain extent. Today's popular music is rife with sex. So that's what we got.

>106 benitastrnad: What entertainers get up to is at one extreme which really doesn't do more than, well, entertain me. When I saw my new 50+ (now-ex)sister-in-law back in the early 90's wear a dull Channel suit with a skirt 3" above her knees, I though it was indecent that post-menopausal women in the top income brackets felt it necessary to conform to the social-xray value system to feel vindicated by the display of skinny shanks. That woman was a true beauty, physically at least, and would have looked better in almost anything other than the straight confines of a Channel suit, but well, status and fashion.

>115 jnwelch: What a charmer!

>121 richardderus: Well, yes, men bashing other men, great, sexual stimulation bad. I am always more angry in books about high body counts than bunk warming scenes. Remembering my childhood in censored times it amazes me that parents who don't positively lock their children up think they can 'shield' their offspring from sexual messages. At most you can create an attitude that sexuality is somehow wrong to experience, but you can't stop the information inflow resulting from inevitable curiosity and current cultural norms.

>110 PaulCranswick:
Considering that the UK was the ONLY country to pay off its WWII debt to the U. S. - and wrote the last check in 2007 - it is an accomplishment with far reaching consequences for the UK. However, it is the EU that is forcing Greece, Spain, and Italy to pay off their recent EU debt. It not a German thing. And I would argue that with any author. It seems to me to be a more Northern Europe vs. Southern Europe kind of thing than it is a Germans against the Greeks. The Germans did say No, but they did so with the agreement of the EU including France, the Netherlands, the UK, and Denmark.

Of course, the Italians could be blamed for both the problem and the solution. If you dig down far enough to most every problem in Europe you find the Romans at the bottom.

>123 weird_O: You are not the only one who uses the Mute button wantonly, Bill. We never listen to commercials at our house, Super Bowl or otherwise. I am surprised the Mute button on our remote has not broken.

>120 brodiew2: Hello Brodie. All is well here. Thanks re Fina!

Yeah, unfortunately I think your solution is the ol' "change the channel." It sounds like you don't know/remember how these halftime shows started, but the Super Bowl used to have tamer halftime shows which probably fit the bill you prefer. It's been decades now, but what happened is a rival station offered more scintillating entertainment and promoted it to Super Bowl watchers. The SB broadcaster's halftime ratings went down, and the rival station's went up. What does the broadcaster want? To attract as many viewers as possible and make as much money as possible. So, easy choice - make halftime more scintillating.

SB halftime shows have been like this for so long - you should expect instances that don't fit you and your family every year. I did and would approach it quite differently than you (your kids are going to be exposed to a lot more than the SB halftime show, I expect), but that's up to you.

>121 richardderus:, >122 brodiew2:, >124 johnsimpson:, >125 richardderus: I'll let you two duke it out over manlust and violence in football, but it did make me think of how USA-ians have always been more prudish about sex and more favorable toward depictions of violence than many other parts of the world. "Bloody" would sure never be a swear word here like it is in the UK, right?

I enjoyed playing football (in pads through junior high, and flag football after that - I much preferred playing without the awkward, restrictive pads), and I've enjoyed watching it since I was a kid. I grew up in a college football town, Ann Arbor, where the U of Michigan is, and I was amazed that every home game Saturday that stadium would fill up with more than 100,000 people, even though the town itself didn't have many more people than that. People walking to the stadium, people selling parking on their lawns, it was all very exciting, with a festival atmosphere. And the excitement of being in the stadium with that many fans! Wow.

Anyway, for me it's an exciting sport that's a mix of strategy and physical contests all over the field. Now here's the hypocritical part of me: in my mind, you have to have a certain build to be able to play it. Our son wanted to play high school football, and I thought, he's a spindly smallish guy. He's going to get injured, maybe badly. So I joined my wife in successfully asking him not to play. He was angry, but I think he knew we were right. (He went on to play basketball and wrestle, and loved both). Some irony - his godfather is and was built like a brick wall, and successfully played football without significant injury.

I don't think any fan, well, none that I know of, likes the damage and injuries that can result. You want the best players out there competing, and injuries can be really frustrating as well as invoking sympathy for someone trying to make a living doing what they love. I figure in college and the pros it's their choice to do it, and those without that build aren't going to make the team anyway. When you make a successful play as a player, it's satisfying and sometimes thrilling, and it's similar for a fan. Watching Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes perform his magic out there was just a joy, as it was for me watching Michael Jordan play back in the day, and any number of other sports figures throughout my life.

Anyway, that's my two cents, or maybe more than two?

Happy Wednesday, Joe. I did stop by a couple of times, but it looks like I am getting lost in the shuffle. Love the Fina photo. A real sweetheart. Snowing lightly now. Hoping for light accumulations and that it stays mostly far south.

>123 weird_O: Sportscasters can be really annoying, Bill. I sometimes mute the tv or turn the volume way down, too. We have a small group over to watch the Super Bowl every year, and bantering about the commercials and the halftime show is part of the fun.

>124 johnsimpson: Hey, mate. Nice of you to stop by, John.

We miss you and your part of the world. I'm glad to hear the year has started well for you and the family; rescue cat Felix sounds like a great addition to the house. Karen feeds him and I am good to relax on. Ha! That tends to be my role with pets - and kids. Fina found me very restful when we were in Pittsburgh.

Didn't you just read Chesapeake? That was my favorite Michener book of the ones I read. Good to hear your pen collection continues to grow. Love and hugs to you and Karen, my friend.

>127 quondame: Indecency, like beauty, can be in the eye of the beholder, can't it, Susan. I remember my mother used to want to be fashionable, and wore dresses that were too tight for her somewhat stocky build. I was really happy when she had a sea change, instead wearing funky pantsuits with a jacket, that looked comfortable, interesting, and suited (oops, unintended pun) to her. I never found out what happened - a friend? Her deciding on her own? Anyway, it was a very good thing.

Thanks re our charmer Fina!

Remembering my childhood in censored times it amazes me that parents who don't positively lock their children up think they can 'shield' their offspring from sexual messages. At most you can create an attitude that sexuality is somehow wrong to experience, but you can't stop the information inflow resulting from inevitable curiosity and current cultural norms. Well said. As Amber and I were discussing, to me, the goal as a parent is to teach them to view sex in a healthy, open way, with an awareness of consequences. As we know, sex is a very cool thing when done right, and when you're old enough to handle the accompanying emotions - and protect against unwanted physical consequences (disease or unintended pregnancy). As I mentioned, our motto as parents was "keep them talking"; Debbi convinced me to have "the talk" with our son twice, at two different ages. Poor guy.

>128 benitastrnad: Hi, Benita. You and Paul are much more knowledgeable about this topic than I am.

>129 alcottacre: Ha! As I mentioned to Bill, I'll mute or lower the volume on annoying broadcasters, Stasia, but I haven't selectively muted ads. My solution is either to read during them (it bugs my wife that I can do that) or have an alternative channel (the "Last" button on our remote) lined up for viewing while the ads are on. I often use our music video channel as the alternative.

>131 msf59: Happy Wednesday, Mark. Did I miss you up there? Sorry! It's still a bit tough to keep up with this thread, and still try to get around to others, isn't it.

Thanks re Fina. I'm dumfoodled by how fast she's changing. It's only been a couple of weeks since she first showed up!

Debbi said we might get 4-6 inches of snow, but so far it's looking a lot lighter. Fingers crossed!

>115 jnwelch: - So sweet! She looks very alert. How is Rafa handling the new attention-getter?

>127 quondame:
Just to be clear - healthy attitudes towards sex is a different topic than exploiting sex, sexual stimulation, or sexual titillation to sell products. Or believing that women express their strength and confidence using those methods.

>130 jnwelch:
I want the boring marching bands back - minus the half naked dancing girls. You are correct about what happened to the Super Bowl Halftime show. The first ones were the standard marching band accompanied by the Killgore College Rangeretts, or their equivalent. That proved to just be not enough excitement for the at home audiences. Hence the big blockbuster stadium show with some kind of big name entertainer. Those have proved to be totally boring to me. (As boring as the Super Bowl advertisements proved to be this year. Nothing there caught my eye in that department either. I managed to knit right through them and never looked up. I am not even sure if there were advertisements. Were there any memorable ones?) That is the reason why I spent this Super Bowl Halftime in the kitchen with my Cusinart food processor and my KitchenAid mixer. The first minutes of the so called super show were enough for me. Like Weird-O - I walked.

>135 benitastrnad: Why not? 1) Exploiting Sex 2) Sexual Stimulation 3) Sexual Titillation are labels to throw at things that make one individual uncomfortable and give another enjoyment. I prefer all three to watching guys grunt on a gridiron or any superhero battle that tears up a cityscape. Modern "music video" dance choreography is partly about shocking grandma, (though how us grandma aged crones who grew up in the 60s can be shocked is beyond me) and there was some of that in the SB routines, but the women weren't compelled to dance that way for someone else's benefit, but for their own and to express their message, so good for them.

>115 jnwelch: What a cuties and, I have to say, a very impressive head of hair already!

>128 benitastrnad: EU/Germany, Benita, whatever. If anybody really thinks it is not Germany that is wielding power in the EU then they really should think again. Varoufakis was very clear on the point that it was Germany and Merkel that specifically turned down the Greek request for debt forgiveness.

You are of course correct about war debt. The UK should have been more selfish in both wars and it could have meant that we weren't lumbered with that Ginger Whinger (mis)leading the free world. Oh wait it could have been Grandson of Adolf or maybe they're the same thing.

>115 jnwelch: Ohhhh look at that sweetie pie. And yes, they change almost daily Joe. It's quite amazing.

What a great picture of Fina! Congratulations.

Out for a day and mega splat in here Joe.

>115 jnwelch: yes, she has changed. A cutie of course.

Late to the party, but happy new thread, Joe!

Yaoyao Ma Van As! Love her artwork, thanks for introducing me to her.

I always watch Super Bowl halftime. The ladies put on a great show. The one thing that bothers me is the spreading of legs poses. To me, that's not so cool, but if it's their choice, more power to them. I get freaked out even mentioning it. Obviously, J Lo is very confident to even do it.
My favorite show of all time, Prince, hands down, no question. He did his entire performance in the rain!
Bruno Mars my second favorite. For 15 minutes he got me off the couch and away from the appetizers and had me dancing along.

>115 jnwelch: What a fantastic pic of Fina! Look at that face! Those eyes! That hair! Precious!

>141 Carmenere:
I don't watch the half-time shows at the Super Bowl - there are no marching bands, but if I would have it would be one with the Boss. But doing one of those shows wouldn't be fair to him. Who wants to hear the Boss for only fifteen minutes - or less, by the time Pepsi gets done with its advertising?

>134 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley. That's a good way of putting it. She does look very alert, and that's probably the biggest change. She's getting used to being out of that delightful warm swimming pool where everything she needed was right there for her, and now she's curious.

Rafa is being a sweetheart, giving Fina kisses and talking to her. At the same time, he's very needy. He needed me to have him in my arms a lot when I was there ("Up", "Up") and now his Dad's getting it all the time. His abuela says it's because he sees Fina being carried around, and she's probably right.

>135 benitastrnad: There were some good SB commercials, Benita; they put so much time and money into them because of the platform. A Bill Murray Ground Hog day one comes to mind (he's great in anything, IMO), and there was a, believe it or not, touching one from Google in which a man is storing memories of his late wife.

>136 quondame: That's an enjoyable post to read, Susan, thanks. Nicely said. Although superhero movies are all right by me, and I like to watch guys, well, not grunt, but try to beat each other on the gridiron, otherwise I'm on board.

>137 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Fina surprised everyone with all that hair.

You and Benita are educating me.

>138 brenzi: Thanks, Bonnie. I think Shelley put her finger on it. It's Fina's new alertness that really gets me. So cool!

>139 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda. We're a bit partial to that Fina, if you couldn't tell. :-)

>140 Caroline_McElwee: Ha! I know how that is, Caroline. I'm glad you're enjoying our changing cutie.

>141 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. Oh, you and I are simpatico - yes, Bruno Mars! We were just talking about him as the other great Super Bowl halftime show in recent times, along with Prince and this one. High energy, and so entertaining. Was the rain purple for Prince's performance, or am I just liking to remember it that way. :-)

Yeah, I probably could've done without the stripper pole and some of the more audacious dance moves, but I'm oldish; my younger self no doubt would've thought it all fantastic. And JLo looks way better at 50 than I did.

Isn't Yaoyao Ma Van As's artwork lovely? I'm impressed by how consistently high quality her work is.

Ha! Thank you re our precious little Fina! We see her again in a week.

>142 benitastrnad: I'm with you on the Boss, Benita. I've been to a bunch of his shows. That time limit may well be why he's never done it.

Hi Joe!

Beautiful photo of Fina since I last visited, and lots of interesting discussion of the SB halftime show, commercials, manlust, etc.

I've come to like and appreciate gridiron football since I married Bill in 1991. I hate to see injuries and am amazed at the athleticism, speed, and grace of the players. I didn't get to see the halftime show because I was at book club, but might have watched. Bill boycotts the halftime show. He almost always mutes commercials, but not during the SB. I came home and watched the last 7:54 of the game and was glad KC won. I'm sure I saw other adds but can't remember a single one except for the Bill Murray/Groundhog Day commercial and absolutely loved it, but couldn't tell you what the ad was for to save my life.

You're getting snow, we're getting rain, with major nastiness coming this afternoon.

>145 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen.

Madame MBH loves basketball now, but it's a no-go on football. I'm glad you've grown to appreciate it - yes, the athleticism, speed and grace of the players is amazing. Being at a book club is the best possible excuse for missing the halftime show. Wasn't the end of the game thrilling? I'm glad KC won, too. I can't remember what the heck the Bill Murray ad was advertising either, just that it was very funny. Him telling the groundhog not to take personally his playing Whack-A-Mole - ha!

Yeah, the weather is laying into us, too. We've got a couple of inches of snow, and it's still snowing. I go to work today - maybe I should've planned this better. :-)

> 145 ha! I think it was for Jeep.

>148 Carmenere: Yes! Thanks, Lynda. I should've remembered, as that was woven into the theme - he looked forward to every repeating day because he could have adventures in the Jeep.

>147 jnwelch: I love that bottom image!

Morning, Joe! Snowy Thursday! It looks like the snow is stopping here. Looks like we may have got 3-plus inches. How about you guys?

Good morning, Joe!

>101 jnwelch: >147 jnwelch: Yaoyao's artwork is such beautiful blessing each time I come into the Cafe. You are right about her use of light in setting many different moods in her paintings.

All caught up again, Joe. I love your featured artist and the inclusion of books, dogs, and cats in much of her work. I am a new fan! Fina is a beautiful baby. I’m so glad you and Debbi are going back for more baby snuggles soon. That picture of Debbi holding Fina is priceless.

As for the Super Bowl and halftime show, I was fans of both. I especially loved the outcome of the game. Go Chiefs! Great discussion here of pros and cons about the halftime entertainment. I am glad that LTers can freely express their opinions without rancor. Thumbs up to you for making the cafe a safe place for us to gather.

>147 jnwelch: Lovely, but no books! Dog is good. Dog+book, better.

>150 msf59: Isn't that bottom image great, Mark? Sweet Thursday, buddy.

I'm downtown now, but I bet we ended up with 3+ inches, too. We had around 2 inches when I left this morning, and it was still snowing. They're getting a lot of rain in Pittsburgh, which makes sense, as their temp usually is a bit warmer than ours.

>151 brodiew2: Hiya, Brodie! Isn't Yaoyao's work uplifting? How she gives us all those lighting effects with paint is magical.

>152 Donna828: Hiya, Donna. I'm glad you're now a Yaoyao fan. She's known for painting the beauties of the single life, but she has some girlfriend/boyfriend ones, too. Like you, I love her inclusion of books, dogs, and cats.

Thank you re the beautiful Fina. Her mom got her some "turbans", and the new look is priceless. I'll try to post a photo tomorrow.

I'm glad to hear your reaction to the Super Bowl and the halftime show. I thought both were the best we've had in quite a while. Go Chiefs! Our neighborhood KC fan says she's going to watch her recording of the game over and over. :-)

Yeah, how many places can we gather online without rancor and vitriol breaking out? I love LT and I'm happy that the cafe is a safe place for us all to meet up.

>153 quondame: Ha! Your remarks are quite concise, Susan. I think I may have posted all her dog+book illustrations that I have, but I'll doublecheck tomorrow.

Hi Joe!

This was perhaps the only half-time show I have enjoyed. It was honest, energetic, affirming, and fun. In terms of the game, I also agree that it was a good one. I was rooting for the 49ers but only mildly so. I was happy to have it be interesting.

Joe, the photos of the family are wonderful. Fina is a cutie and it's great to see Rafa continuing to grow up! I know you feel like you could eat them up with a spoon (as my favorite aunt would say). >115 jnwelch: Wow!

I also love the artwork. Yaoyao Ma Van is new to me. You find the best artwork with which to decorate the cafe!

Okay, time to read and then go to bed.

I can't figure out how to paste it here but I found one work by Yaoyao Ma Van that I particularly like. It's called Late Spring Afternoon and is an image of a young woman taking a break from her book to pet an orange cat. Of course I would like that one.

>156 EBT1002: It's very pretty and very purple!

I'm also loving the artwork here - I think my favourite one I've seen is the one in the greenhouse / conservatory. Sorely tempted! https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/yaoyaomva/happy-place/

>155 EBT1002: Hi Ellen!

Good to see you, my friend. Wasn't that an enjoyable SB halftime show? It was honest, energetic, affirming, and fun. Agreed! We didn't have anyone strongly rooting for either team, so we were all hoping for an interesting game, too. We only had one young guy mildly pulling for SF, so he got ribbed afterwards for being certain they were going to win. The rest of us were on the side of KC and the magical Patrick Mahomes.

Thanks re the family photos. Somewhere we've got ones of Rafa geocaching with his Papa that I liked a lot. I'll try to find them. Look for another Fina one today. We could eat both of them up with a spoon! We'll have to meet your favorite aunt and exclaim together.

Isn't Yaoyao Ma Van As uplifting? I hope you slept well. I think you'll like the next post.

>156 EBT1002: Here you go, Ellen:

>157 quondame: It is, Susan, isn't it.

>158 charl08: Hi, Charlotte. I'm glad you're loving the Yaoyao art. It is tempting, isn't it. Thanks for the link. I love that one in the greenhouse/conservatory, too.

Looking for Ellen's, I found a couple of more fun ones:





Mamie's daughter Abby has more yaoyao art as toppers, including Ellen's favorite, here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/315401

Yawning Fina in her new turban

I've never seen a baby in a turban before. Fina wears it well. She's absolutely adorable, but of course you already knew that. *smile*

>115 jnwelch: >162 jnwelch: She is so stinkin' cute! Isn't it amazing how much infants change each day!

>162 jnwelch: Oh. My Word. I LOVE Fina in the turban!!! Too cute.

>162 jnwelch: I love it. What a darling!

Morning, Joe. Happy Friday. Not bad out here, despite the chill. All the sunshine feels invigorating.

Look forward to seeing you Sunday.

>162 jnwelch: What a darling.

>162 jnwelch: so adorable!

Truly adorable, classy, even! But, if I had hair like hers, I wouldn't be covering up, I'd be showing it off! ;-)

>162 jnwelch: I think my phone just overloaded on the cuteness. Gorgeous!

Morning, Joe. You weren't kidding about the yaoyao ma van as artwork here - I'm glad so many people are appreciating her works. An artist getting the recognition they deserve always warms my heart (especially when they are a personal favorite). The photos of Fina are precious! Her new turban is crazy cute.

>161 jnwelch: I like the image of the reading girl with the little dog very much, Joe.

>162 jnwelch: So sweet!

>162 jnwelch: A style icon in her infancy...she's doomed to set trends forever. "Fina the Be-turbanned" she shall be.

>163 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. I'd never seen a baby in a turban before either. She rocks it, doesn't she. I feel like >162 jnwelch: is more evidence that she's destined to be an opera singer.

>164 ChelleBearss: Ha! Isn't she so stinkin' cute, Chelle? You're right, it's amazing how fast babies change. I'm loving that she's more and more engaged with the world.

>165 Crazymamie: Ha! Isn't Fina a smash in that turban, Mamie? Who knew baby turbans even existed.

>166 msf59: Thanks, buddy. Happy Friday/Saturday. Yes, yesterday wasn't bad, especially after the early morning chill wore off. We're going to get out soon today. Debbi says there's supposed to be more snow tomorrow.

I'm likewise looking forward to our catching up tomorrow, pal.

>167 quondame: Thanks, Susan. She is, that wee one.

>168 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura!

>169 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley. I know, the thought crossed my mind that the turban is covering so much of her beautiful hair. I think she either wants to be a fashion forward baby, or she thinks it may help her elude the paparazzi.

>170 charl08: Ha! I'm pretty sure that's a "cuteness overload alert" I heard on my phone, too, Charlotte. :-)

>171 Coffee.Cat: Morning, Abby. Right? We're on the same wavelength re yaoyao ma van as's art. I loved the art of hers you have on your thread. As I mentioned, it was no surprise when your mom said you're a fan. Your work that I've seen reminds me of some of hers. Yeah, I'm like you; I love seeing people appreciating the work of an artist they weren't familiar with. Thanks re Fina and her crazy cute turban!

>172 FAMeulstee: Oh good, Anita. Someone here (Susan?) had asked for more of her art that features books + dogs. I like that one, too. It may be hard to see at this size in the other, but in it her cats have spotted that she's fallen asleep with a plate of food drooping in her hand, and they're quite intrigued by the edible possibilities.

Isn't that a sweet photo of Fina in >162 jnwelch:?

>173 richardderus: I know, Richard. Fina seems so precocious when it comes to fashion sense. She must get that from her mother. (ha! Right? Like, from her mother's trip to the store? Oh, never mind . . .) "Fina the Be-Turbanned" - I see her riding a horse and starring in a Tamora Pierce book. It's good to have a Plan B if she doesn't want to be an opera singer.

It's so difficult to do . . .

>176 jnwelch: That is not the Zen of cats. Cats have their very own zen, which admits that the dot must be chased.

>162 jnwelch: OK, my heart cannot take the cuteness!!

>160 jnwelch: Yay! Thank you! I just love that image.

>161 jnwelch: Ooh, I saw that upper one and liked it too. I hadn't noticed the other but, you know, it has cats. :-)

>162 jnwelch: Best art work of all!! Like Karen and like you, I had not seen a baby in a turban before. Pretty freakin' cute.

>176 jnwelch: Hilarious but I agree with Susan >177 quondame:.

Hi Joe!

>176 jnwelch: Bill bought a red-dot laser for the new kitties to play with, but they’re mostly having nothing to do with it.

Mark says you’re under the weather today and can’t meet up in town – I hope it’s a very minor under-the-weather event.

Even the cutest of babies look cuter yet in headbands and turbans for some reason..
you are one lucky grandpa with 2 beautiful grands to love

Fina is such a beauty. Lucky granddad!
I love the paintings you're posting. They are so colourful.
Happy Sunday, Joe.

I'll circle back later today to respond, but I thought you might enjoy this poem from Sharon Owens. The lack of pockets in much of women's clothing baffles me. My sister sews pockets into a lot of what she wears.



P.S. I belatedly realized I first saw this on LT. Charlotte's thread? Anyway, thank you, whomever had it. I hope you don't mind that I shared it here.

>184 jnwelch: *snerk* Yep...convince 'em to wear tight skirts, they're hobbled for good. Kilts are practical.

>176 jnwelch: Like. I have managed 12 minute morning meditations most f the year so far Joe, small start, but a start.

>184 jnwelch: I read this somewhere over the weekend, and liked it. I suspect the lack of pockets is so as not to clutter up the female line, as we all know, women are objects before anything else (tongue VERY firmly in cheek).

>177 quondame: Ha! Well said, Susan. That explains a lot. The red dot must be chased. And of course cats would have their own Zen. :-)

>178 alcottacre: LOL! Right, Stasia?

>179 EBT1002: Oh, you're welcome Ellen. Abby loves that image, too: https://www.librarything.com/topic/315401#

>180 EBT1002: I'm glad you like that cute baby in the turban. Yeah, I tend to agree with you and Susan about the Cat Zen.

>181 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. You know, I've never seen a cat ignore a red-dot laser. Yours must have strong mental willpower.

Yeah, a crappy cold grabbed me and doesn't want to let go. Bummer. I miss my old pal Mark.

>182 mckait: Thanks, Kath. I do feel like a lucky grandpa.

Our daughter (unlike Fina!) didn't have much hair when she was born, and we used to have her wear a bandanna like a head band. Very cute, it was.

>183 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. We're going to see the beautiful Fina again in just a couple of days. Yay!

I'm glad you're enjoying the colourful paintings. Happy Sunday and Mmmphmumbleday!

>185 richardderus: I've seen many a guy in a kilt on our side of the pond (including a good Scottish friend who's relocated, Richard, and they're cool, but I just can't imagine wearing one. Them breezes, don't you know.

>186 Caroline_McElwee: Good for you, Caroline. From a small start, mighty oak trees grow. If you can get yourself to meditate every day, life changes - in a good way.

Yeah, I had the same suspicion - that pockets are thought to clutter up the female line. Pshaw, I say, pshaw. At the least, save that line of thought for fancy evening wear. Even then, I don't buy it.

A tip of the hat to Queen

The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty is, I believe, the first in a series featuring detective Sean Duffy. I think Mamie, a wonderful woman who is such a good book recommender, tipped me off to it. It is a good, solid mystery, with plenty of banter and wisecracks. But what set it apart for me is it's set in Belfast and surrounding towns during the Troubles in the early 1980s. There are hunger strikers being lionized, and parts of town you don't want to enter. Two murders seem connected and possibly the work of a homophobic serial killer, and there's the death of a hunger striker's wife that seems unrelated but might not be. Sean is a rare Catholic "peeler" (cop) who Protestants would love to kill, and he checks under his car for a bomb every morning before he sets out. He has to navigate the Troubles while trying to solve the murders - and learns that that there are those who don't want them solved. Definitely worth a mystery-lover's time.

>189 jnwelch: HA!! That is a riot.

>190 jnwelch: What I love about that book is that it's a success story. He was unpublished and despairing, then *wham* found his publisher and his niche at the same time!

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker is an unusual novel. It's a slow-burner about the effects of a sleeping sickness in a small college town, where one by one people fall asleep wherever they are and don't wake up for days, weeks ... forever? It starts in the local college's dorm in Southern California, where one of the main characters, Mei, a shy Asian freshman, is unaffected but watches the sickness begin to spread, and ends up pitching in to help. The author adeptly has the reader experience it all through a large cast of characters, some portrayed better than others. Mei captures our heart, as do two little girls whose survivalist father has prepared them better than anyone. Biology professor Nathaniel is desperate over the state of his husband, who was suffering from dementia when it all started.

Her writing is quite good, e.g. “This is how the sickness travels best: through the same channels as do fondness and friendship and love.” Hypnotic might be the best descriptor. Her style is journalistic, but it immerses and carries the reader along. The book is also thoughtful in engaging with the various personal predicaments posed - is Matthew right that ethically we should save first the most people possible, and the youngest ones who have the most time left to live, rather than favoring those we love?

I'm glad I read this one. It wasn't what I expected, but sometimes that's a good thing.

>191 richardderus: Ha! Right, Richard? I wish I'd thought to say what's in >189 jnwelch: at a job interview!

I didn't know that about The Cold, Cold Ground. That makes me like it even more!

>190 jnwelch: - Sounds good and it's only $0.99 on Kindle!

>192 jnwelch: - I read Walker's earlier novel, The Age of Miracles, and thought it was okay. This one sounds good, so I'll look for it at the library.

Hope you start feeling better tout de suite, Joe!

>193 jnwelch: Oh, that's even better, Katie. The Cold Cold Ground for $0.99 - I hope folks snap it up.

>193 jnwelch: I wondered about reading The Age of Miracles after finishing this. Would you recommend it?

Thanks re my health. Madame MBH has put together an herbal potion that seems to be helping, It's just a bad cold, but it doesn't seem to want to get itself gone.

Ahem. The actual tip off

Morning, Joe! Oh, how quickly we forget. *sob*

>195 jnwelch: - Turns out I gave The Age of Miracles 4 stars, so I liked it more than I thought! My brief comments at the time:

"An ordinary coming of age story set in extraordinary circumstances, this debut novel is beautifully written and true to the perspective of it's 11-year old narrator, Julia. All of the uncertainty, resentment and angst of adolescence are captured while the details of a worldwide catastrophe throw the banality of everyday life into stark relief."

I think since you are not averse to YA, it would probably work for you pretty well.

A five star thriller? The writing and inventiveness isn't on the level of Girl, Woman, Other or Friday Black, so I can't see giving Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz five stars, but it hits on all cylinders and is awfully good for a thriller. This is the latest in his series that starts with Orphan X, and it's a corker. Orphan X, aka The Nowhere Man, is a former highly trained assassin and problem-solver who is trying now to balance the scales by helping those in desperate need who have no one else. In this one, apparent loser Max Merriweather is left by his forensic accountant cousin Grant something to give to a local reporter in the event of Grant's murder. Max agrees after Grant shames him for never taking on responsibility for anything. But Max quickly finds himself in over his head, with a target on his own back. Luckily, the Nowhere Man's last client sees Max's distress and gives Max a phone number to call. Evan Smoak imagines this as his last Nowhere Man caper, and it looks at first to be an easy one to wrap up. But it turns out there are more and more layers to it, which require Smoak, among other things, to take on an unreachable and heavily guarded gangleader, and eventually to break into a police station.

If you've read any of these, you'll love this one, including developments in his relationship with Mia. If you haven't, give the first one, Orphan X, a try. My wife was intrigued enough by my description to give the series a go.

>196 Crazymamie: Ha! Mamie! Thank you clearing up where I first took the BB for Cold Cold Ground! I'll fix the credit up in the review. As you can tell, I just couldn't remember. Apologies! I should do what others do and note the BB origination on my WL before I read the book.

Here, please take my hankie for the sobbing, and this gratis chocolate chip pumpkin muffin!



P.S. You may want to read the revised Cold Cold Ground review up there. :-)

>197 katiekrug: Oh good, thanks, Katie. I was impressed with her command of the page and the story in The Dreamers. I agree, it sounds like The Age of Miracles would work for me.

No need to fix the credit, Joe - I was just giving you a hard time. But I will take the muffins, thank you, kindly. Memory is funny thing, isn't it? I can remember things from my childhood like it happened yesterday. And then a moment later, I can walk into a room and stand there thinking, I know I came in here for something but what was it?

>200 jnwelch: Ain't that the truth! Madame MBH and I have learned to cut each other some slack as those memory blanks crop up. She's always amazed by my ability to remember what tv shows and movies an actor has been in, but meanwhile, I'm still not sure where we keep the butter.

In case you never revisit the review in >190 jnwelch:, it now says that I heard about the book from Mamie, a wonderful woman who is such a good book recommender. How's that?

You made me laugh out loud, Joe! Too funny!!

>202 jnwelch: :-)

>190 jnwelch: I just finished The Cold Cold Ground, Joe and remember reading on the cover somewhere that it is part of a trilogy.

I hope that you are feeling better.

>189 jnwelch: haha ... is this for real life, is this just fantasy, caught in a landslide....

>205 Familyhistorian: Meg, there are six books in the series so far, with a seventh due - I have read and loved the first five. Hoping to get to the sixth one soon.

I'm very late to the discussion of the half time show.

When I watched it live, I noticed that quite a few of the camera angles were from slightly below the elevated stage - which distinctly added to my discomfort during certain dance moves.

After reading the discussion, I watched the YouTube official video and noticed that most of the camera angles are from stage level or above which gave an entirely different performance.

>205 Familyhistorian: I'm not sure about a trilogy, Meg, but I know there are more Sean Duffy mysteries.

I am feeling better, thanks. This cold seems to be in line with what others have described - stubbornly reluctant to leave. I'm reading the latest Eve Dallas mystery, and that's helping.

>206 Caroline_McElwee: Right, Caroline? You're ready for your next interview!

>207 Crazymamie: Oh good, Mamie, thanks. So I have some to look forward to.

>208 streamsong: Thanks, Janet. Hmm. Sounds like they changed it for the official Youtube video to get rid of some of the low level discomfiting camera shots? Intriguing.

The latest of little Fina

>210 jnwelch: Perfection! So cute.

>210 jnwelch: whispers *baaawww*

>210 jnwelch: Absolutely precious.

>192 jnwelch:

I have added The Dreamers to my library wishlist. It sounds good, but right now, I'm hooked on The Atlantis Trilogy by A. G. Riddle

And Oh my... what an adorable wee baby girl ~

Morning, Joe!

I'm sorry you're struggling with a cold - after Charlie was sick for a few days, oh, what, three weeks ago now?, Tomm and I have been trading cold-like symptoms back and forth. It's nuts how this thing just won't leave.

>210 jnwelch: Ooof. That's a lot of cuteness packed into such a small package. Please give her a snuggle for me when next you see her.

>211 quondame: Thanks, Susan! She's quite the squishable little munchkin, isn't she.

>212 richardderus: Ha! Thanks for not waking her up, RD.

>213 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. She's a precious one, isn't she.

>214 mckait: Oh good, Kath. Now I have to look up The Atlantis Trilogy!

Hee-hee. That's our adorable wee baby Fina. She's doing really well, that one.

>215 scaifea: Morning Amber!

Thanks re the cold - what a pest! I'd been hearing about ones like yours and Tomm's that just won't leave, and here it is. I'm hoping to get it under control by Thursday when we travel to Pittsburgh.

I'll see the cuteness that is Fina that day, and I'll gladly give her a snuggle for you.

Starting the day

>210 jnwelch: What an angel!

Morning, Joe. Glad to hear you are feeling better and just in time for your trip to PA. I bet you both can't wait to see those precious, little ones.

>217 jnwelch: Beautiful. That lady has the touch...her lighting and composition work beautifully together to evoke specific moods and memories in homebody bookish sorts.

Tuesday ho!

>217 jnwelch: Matching raincoats! If my Lottie were a raincoat-wearing type, I would want to do that.

>217 jnwelch: Dogs do make days better, or more interesting, or more trouble, but more, always more.

>218 msf59: Thanks, Mark. She's a little angel, that one.

Yes, I'm feeling much improved as we gear up for the trip to PA. Yes, we're sure looking forward to seeing the two little beasties. Man, if we could bottle and sell that Rafa's energy, we'd be rich.

>219 richardderus: Agreed, Richard. She's known for showing the happiness of the single life (homebody bookish sorts), and she sure does that. She has a great grasp of lighting and composition, as you say. The faces seem almost animation-style to me, which fits her moment-in-life approach.

Tuesday ho!

>220 foggidawn: Hi, foggi. Our daughter's dog Indy would wear the coat - she wears dresses and all sorts of costumes - but nothing on the paws, thank you very much. I'm always surprised when I see a dog willing to wear boots, as that seems to be a no-go for so many.

>221 quondame: You're right about that, Susan. We love visiting with Indy, our daughter's dog, and Bolita and Maleta when we visit our son. We feel we run around too much to have one ourselves. We had cats way back when, but found out that my wife and daughter are allergic. The only hypoallergenic cat we know of is the hairless kind, and they just don't appeal to us.

>222 jnwelch: - Once, we tried to put rain boots on our dog. He was fine with sweaters, but he very nimbly lifted one paw at a time out of the boots, and moved on, leaving 4 little boots exactly where he had stood in them (for a couple of nano seconds). It was quite funny.

>223 jessibud2: My last dog rolled around on the floor, kicking her feet, until the boots came flying off.

>222 jnwelch: I have single friends who think we're crazy to have dogs which prevent us from doing all the fun trips and activities they do, and we are a bit - the last two of our dogs have never been in a kennel, and the oldest one is diabetic and does cramp our schedule. Still, since I am not rabid to travel I find having at least my little dachshund much better than not.

>223 jessibud2: Hi, Shelley. Ha! Yeah, I can see it. Very politely saying, no thank you.

>224 foggidawn: That sounds more like Becca's Sherlock and then Indy, foggi. Desperate to get those boots off any which way.

>225 quondame: It would make a difference for us if we didn't travel so much, Susan. We had to say to ourselves, no more than one trip a month, and try to spend a month or more at home. Of course, grandkids are an exception, if need be. I can understand enjoying having your little dachsund with you when you don't travel much.

Morning, Joe. Happy Wednesday. I have the day off. I am going to the southside, to pay my union hall a visit, for some retirement info. There has been some snowy owl sightings down there on the lakefront, so I will most likely drop by over there too. Enjoy your day.

‘Morning, Joe!

>189 jnwelch: Yay Queen!

>190 jnwelch: Book bullet, at the library, and just requested. I have started using the library more. This allows me to save $$ now and splurge more at the twice-a-year FoL book sales. *smile*

>192 jnwelch: Also a book bullet, at the library and just requested. I’ll be able to pick them both up the next time I go into town.

>198 jnwelch: This is getting ridiculous. Not this one (yet), but I just put a delayed request on Orphan X at the library. Picking up two hold books is ridiculous, given that I’ve also got 5 books either going or on tap, but three would make me twitchy. You’re a danger, man!

>210 jnwelch: ‘Dorable. You nailed it with She's quite the squishable little munchkin, isn't she.

I’m glad to know that you’re feeling better in the lead up to the Rafa/Fina-fix trip.

>228 msf59: Oh good, Mark. Enjoy the day off, buddy.

>229 karenmarie: I'm glad you're going to give Cold Cold Ground a try, Karen. The context of The Troubles made me think of Milkman - how to negotiate daily life in that situation.

Looking forward to your reaction to the unusual Dreamers. I'm still thinking about it days later.

Ha! Orphan X! I feel like I won the Trifecta today, my friend. That's great. Good use of the library, too. It took me a while to figure out my rhythm with the library once I retired. I settled on mainly checking out graphic novels and new arrivals, because arrival times on others are too unpredictable for me. GNs I can read any time, and the right new arrival can jump to the head of the queue.

Thanks re the photo. We see her and her bro in two days. I'm definitely feeling better; I'm going to try working out today. Fingers crossed.

>210 jnwelch: Professional sleeper, right there. I'll bet you can smooch her little cheeks and she won't even wake up.

>198 jnwelch: JOE! You beat me to the punch with Evan Smoak this year! I am thrilled to hear that it is a corker. I am still waiting for the audio book I was number 4 out of 3 copies in our library system. Not long now. Scott Brick's narration of this series is top notch.

>229 karenmarie: Karen, you are in for a treat!

>227 jnwelch: I wonder when Yaoyao will animate a feature film. I'd go to a theatre to see that. Imagine her animating The Invisible Library!!! *swoon*

>190 jnwelch: I love the Sean Duffy series. I hope you'll go on with it.

>231 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda. She's already proven to have pro level sleeping skills, you're right. She might stir with a smooch, but the odds are with you that she'd keep sleeping. :-)

>232 brodiew2: BRODIE! Ha! I thought of you when I started reading the new Orphan X, Into the Fire. I knew you wouldn't be far behind in reading it. What a fun series! You're going to love this new one. I can't wait until we can talk about some of what he (Smoak, but also Hurwitz, I guess) pulls off in this one. Glad to hear that the audio narration is topnotch. Man, that's got to be one audio that'll make the commute or other trip fly by.

>233 richardderus: Yaoyao seems like such a natural for an animated film, doesn't she. I love the idea of her animating the Invisible Library series!

>234 Ameise1: That's good to hear, Barbara, thanks. I was planning to continue it, but it helps to hear that you love the series.

Since we're traveling again tomorrow and I'll be away for a while, I thought I'd better start the new cafe earlier than usual. It's open - see you there!