Life in the fast lane--where's the on ramp?

By Pat_B - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Journal

Monday, May 24, 2010

Sometimes a glance is all it takes

It's one of the oldest cliches in the book -- that unguarded glance across a crowded room, his eyes meet hers, violins sweeten up in the background, the two hearts beat faster, it's love, it's fate, it's... Hollywood. Or there's that look on Scarlett O'Hara's face the morning after. We didn't need... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:14 AM | add or view comments (7) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Sunday, May 23, 2010

The armpit of the court system

Not so long ago they called Madison County the armpit of the court system because juries here awarded huge damages to defendants. Lotsa lawyers here; the place is lousy with 'em. Juries seem to be ultra-sympathetic to plaintiffs, especially in the case of a big bad corporation they see as taking... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:14 AM | add or view comments (7) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Saturday, May 22, 2010

"Joy and Sorrow are brothers.

When one sits at your table, the other is sleeping in your bed." Kalil Gibran, The Prophet. I've had that slim volume on my bookshelf for a "million" years, and I hope I haven't misquoted, but that phrase is something I tell myself from time to time. I love stand-up comedy, probably because the best... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:07 AM | add or view comments (6) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Friday, May 21, 2010

Change is coming.

It seems to me there's been a not-so-subtle shift in the universe this week. First, and least importantly, I fell asleep during Days of Our Lives. Someone was lying, as usual. Someone else was threatening to expose someone else. There was a devious plot -- yawn -- snore. The second thing is this... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 12:49 PM | add or view comments (7) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Thursday, May 20, 2010

It's raining. Again, or yet -- however you want to put it.

The sun came out for a bit three days ago... or was it four? I was fascinated by all the blazing shades of green, the emerald grass, deep blue green of a flowering tree across the alley, and nearby a strange round tree with leaves so dense the inner circle was deep forest green and the fringes were... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 8:31 AM | add or view comments (2) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Sex, Drugs, and Irony

I once typeset research papers for a guy who remarked out of the blue that the be-all and end-all was cosmic sex. He said all human endeavor was designed to procure it. I was surprised by the comment, smack dab in the middle of a Q&A on his scribbled notes. My knee-jerk mental response was that’s... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 7:07 AM | add or view comments (5) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The '60s, courtesy of writer Joan Didion...

I found "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" -- a collection of her essays -- on my bookshelf as I was finding the niche for Louise Erdrich's "Shadow Tag." "Slouching" was first published as a collection in 1968, reprinted at least 11 times. The title is a fragment from a poem by W.B. Yeats, and I should... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:41 AM | add or view comments (3) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Monday, May 17, 2010

Moment of Hope -- idea for a story

Introduction There’s that interlude of hope that comes just after you’ve done something totally unlike yourself. In that moment you think maybe, just maybe, you’ve gotten away with it. Maybe the fates weren’t watching, maybe Karma was busy elsewhere. There was no witness who knows anyone you know.... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 10:19 AM | add or view comments (3) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Book Review: "Shadow Tag" by Louise Erdrich

A woman begins keeping a separate diary after she realizes her husband is reading the one in her desk. She lies in the one he reads, explains the truth in her private journal. I could see this story unfold in my mind's eye, like they'd already made the movie -- the settings, the characters. And it... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 6:55 AM | add or view comments (1) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Rush to Judgment

I'm a fan of Court TV. They broadcast live trials, real opening and closing statements by prosecutors and defense attorneys, real questioning of real witnesses. There's a lot of "expert" opinion back at the studio by a panel of on-camera talent (lawyers, former prosecuters, etc.) and field reporters... Sign in to see full entry.

posted by Pat_B at 5:44 AM | add or view comments (4) | leave calling card | link to this | view only this entry

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Sometimes you have to write it down in order to learn what you really think about life, what it means, how to do what's best. Sometimes you need feedback from someone else to put things in perspective.

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