Fifty Shades of Grey

Recently I came upon a copy of EL James, "Fifty Shades of Grey". The hot book of the decade so far, called by critics "Mommy porn" and "bondage and discipline for corporate types". So far, I've read the first two hundred pages. Not bad, it reads well. The writing style reminds me a bit of English chic lit writer Marian Keyes. Somehow the fact that the author is British seems to have influenced my reading of the book. The author sounds British to me, rather than like a writer from the West Coast. 

It is a fun book, at least so far. I like the contract. The billionaire good looking guy into domination wants the poor virginal protagonist to sign a legal contract before he begins his kinky doodlings in the "red room of pain". Writing a contract seems like a wonderful idea for people entering into a relationship. I wonder if our parents had contracts like that when we were growing up. "If it becomes too painful say yellow" for example. 

Poor Anastasia seems to alternate between loving her times with Christian (was he a Christian?) and hating herself for the whole idea. Christian is the over priviledged billionaire of the book. The thing he has that I admire most is his loyal servant Taylor. I wish I had a Taylor. Someone to bring my clothes to the cleaners. Someone to do my shopping. Someone to stay home waiting for the air conditioning repairman. Ah Taylor, so crisp and helpful.  

The book has brought a mini boom to the construction industry as men build "red rooms of pain" extensions to their garages. I can see a reality show here. The real submissives of Seattle.   

Editor's note:  A nice podcast on the book is available here. 

Eliminate August

David Plotz of the Slate Political Gabfest wrote this about the month of August. Enjoy.

Olympics Opening Ceremonies

Everybody seems to have an opinion about the opening ceremonies. I liked them, more or less. I liked the first part where we got to see the bucolic England. The next bit I liked to with the smokestacks and the whole stadium filling up with smoke. I actually thought the queen had parachuted into the stadium until I was told otherwise. Liked the Mr. Bean bit. Liked the English literature bit. Like JK Rowling. Liked the salute to National Health Service as did Mitt Romney I'm sure. The other things Britain are known for are the great rock bands of the sixties and the sitcoms. Liked that part too. I knew Queen would be featured. Once, when visiting England I was informed that Queen was HUGE in England.

The story of the guy and girl I thought was a little weak. I know the rap singer was obligatory to make the thing multicultural. Like many baby boomers, I see hip hop the way our parents viewed rock and roll. A curiosity for thirty seconds then annoying. "Turn that &*^%#* music down!"  is my normal reaction. I've become my old man.

Ending was nice.  Overall a good show, and compares well to the China thing of a few years ago. Now on to a pleasant week of women's beach volleyball. Heard this time they are going to be dressed in bloomers.

Ban on women driving

Saudi Arabia has a ban on women driving, a ban many newly activist Saudi Arabians are fighting. I was reading about this controversy when my mind began to wander... My how wonderful it would be if women weren't allowed to drive in America ...

To drive to work with only half the traffic. Young children would have to walk to school like we did, with their mothers unable to drive them. That would help the obesity problem in children. Oh the buses would be so crowded with women as men would smile as they pass them all in their empty cars.

Like all good things that come to an end, it appears inevitable that Saudi Arabia will allow women to drive. Within a few years I suspect.

Editor's update: October 25, 2013 was a the day of a country-wide action where women drove as a protest. In 2018 women will be allowed to drive. Oh well.

3 dimensional printing

One of the big stories circulating today is that 3 dimensional printing could be the way manufacturing can return to the United States in a big way. In the future, the theory goes, this technology will allow the manufacture of virtually anything without a mould. Bobble heads could be made here instead of China, for instance.

The "if you get hit by a bus" argument

One argument you'll hear in favor of Obamacare is that, today, if you don't have insurance and you are hit by a bus and taken to a hospital, they have to treat you anyway and the taxpayers pay, according to the law. Hence Obamacare only  makes people pay for a service they are already getting. The other side will be against it because they believe in freedom and didn't spend three years in Korea so that the government could tell them they have to have health insurance.

We can expect to hear this argument in bars, barber shops, family get-togethers, neighborhood barbecues and other places.  Right now the "hit by a bus" people are ahead but that could change with the presidential election.

Editor's note: Here is the Supreme Court decision.

Tibby is dead

Like most men, when the games on tv are over, we enjoy knocking down a few cans of beer while enjoying the Traveling Pants series. I myself have enjoyed an evening with the guys discussing the significant moments in these magical trousers.  However for those of us who have made Lena, Bridgett, Carmen and Tibby a part of our lives it is quite difficult to accept the fact that dear Tibby is now dead. So many of us have fond memories of the year she worked in a store and met Brian and helped make his movie while hanging out with Baley. A part of our lives is now tragically gone.

Today, thanks to these books,  I now am an expert on the transformation from girlhood to adulthood.  Sadly, the latest installment has us all grieving and lamenting the passing of dearest Tibby.