Sunday, June 28, 2009

Lisa See's New Book, Shanghai Girls:A Novel

I just finished Lisa See's new book, Shanghai Girls. I really enjoyed the book. It is a departure from Peony in Love and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan in that it takes place in the 20th century and 75% of the novel takes place in Los Angeles. It is a story of two sisters who, like most sisters, have a loving but at times, tumultuous relationship. The older sister is Pearl. She is well educated but feels unloved while, she believes, her parents dote on her younger sister, May, who is playful and beautiful. They are the elite of Shanghai in the late 1930's. They are "the beautiful girls". They pose for an artist that paints them to sell their pictures on calendars and advertisements. But their father is a heavy gambler and loses all. He then sells his girls to Golden Mountain men (Chinese men who have immigrated to the US, made money, and now want to marry Chinese women). Then the Japanese invade and the rape of China takes place. Through horrid conditions and true terror, the sisters make their way to LA to begin their arranged marriages. Read more...Shanghai Girls (2009)

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

What Is It About Men, Power and Their D*cks?? And, I Don't Mean Ducks.

I had originally written this story about Gov. Mark Sanford of SC who supposedly went on a hiking trip but was actually in Argentina with his mistress.  His wife divorced him and now I hear he's marrying the "other woman".  Now I'm going to rewrite this because of the ever salacious news about Gen. David Petraeus.Paula Broadwell  I certainly can understand an older man being attracted to a younger woman who, apparently, could keep up with his stamina...Ok. Who came on to whom hasn't been stated.  She was ready, as she entitled his book, to go "All In".  After listening to some of the news, there seems to be military "groupies". Never would have thunk it. The crux of the biscuit, though, is that he didn't HAVE to have the affair, but yet he did.  It was his choice.  Petraeus  had everything to lose with this affair, status, power, family and loss of integrity.  Oh but he's just another guy who had an affair. No biggy.   Is it really that important?  When you're head of the CIA, you really don't need to think with your d*ck.  As one commentator said," Since when do generals take orders from their privates?"  Now there are conspiracy theories running rampant about all kinds of stuff. You've got the President defending this person and that person, all kinds of  misinformation regarding Benghazi, are you tainted enough so that your congressional testimony can't be believed, and/or were you set up to take a fall... Petraeus, remember when someone bought a full page ad in the NYT and called you "Be-traeus"?  Well, I'm just going to call you a 4*-d*ckhead.  I appreciate everything you've done for your country, but really, under military law, you could have been court marshaled.   Ever hear of Mata Hari, who spied for the Germans during WWI? She was Dutch, slept with British officers and sold their info to the Germans. Hey, it COULD be possible. Read more...