Afterwards

Afterwards




Rosamund Lupton



If you are not a fan of “Ghost” or books with a supernatural bent, stop here.


“Afterwards” is a story about love, loss and finding the truth.

Grace Covey is a stay-at-home mom, busy with her teenage daughter, Jenny, who is trying to get into university in the UK, and a younger son. Jenny is working at the school she attended and her brother is currently attending. It’s sports day, and almost everyone is outside.

Then the school catches fire. Grace knows her son is safe, but goes into the building to find Jenny. What happens after that is a combination police procedural and love story, with two of the characters disembodied spirits.

Not everyone’s cup of tea.

But. The author could have let the story become overwrought, but (mostly) does not. Her restraint is admirable. Finding the arsonist, who for some reason wants to make sure Jenny dies, is a process of layering back levels in the family and the school. Is it the oh-too-handsome teacher with a fondness for teen girls? A member of the school’s board who is in financial trouble?

The plots drives on. Three of five stars.

They Eat Puppies, Don’t They?

Written by Christopher Buckley

A Review

Humor is a dangerous thing.  Done wrong, if one ingredient is mis-measured, the whole thing falls.

Satire raises the stakes. Political satire is even riskier. Political satire in an election year is an out-of-control neutron bomb in a major city; it will go off if you so much as look at the device.

Oh well. At least the buildings will be standing.

“They Eat Puppies, Don’t They” is a satire that I suspect my great-grandchildren will be reading about in college, with footnotes and learned volumes  giving them the background on the simmering conflict between the United States of America and the People's Republic of China.

At least I hope to have great-grandchildren. Who read some version of English. Or whose Chinese masters have discovered the value of American humor.

Poor things. They are going to miss all the fun.  For them, reading the book (or whatever they will use for books then) will be like reading “Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships” by Jonathan Swift.  In other words, a chore. You will need learned tomes to understand WHY people in 2012 thought it was funny.

For us, this book will not be a chore. Buckley deftly whips us along with “Bird” McIntyre, a mostly-nice lobbyist. The weapons system McIntyre’s company is touting for a client is killed in committee.  

But have no fear: the arms company has another strategy. Foment American mistrust of the People’s Republic. This will allow the company to get another super-duper EVEN MORE SECRET (translated: even New York Times reporters know about it) weapons system through committee.

To do that, Bird is paired up with a fire-breathing neo-conservative bombshell, Angel Templeton. Their mission: to whip up American feeling against China. To do that, the pair spread misinformation that the People’s Republic is trying to kill the Dali Lama.

In China, President Fa Mengyao, is trying to keep a lid on hard-liners in his own government. They think war is a lovely thing. If America wants war, why not oblige? That’s hard when it turns out the Dali Lama is dying.

Chaos ensues. Belly laughs and guffaws will come from behind books, Nooks, Kindles and whatever.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

Ok, going on a limb here, but I for one, am looking forward to election season being over. It's the commercials. The ones that demonize one candidate or another.

Folks, as far as I can see, neither candidate is perfect. Maybe a Yak Herder I follow who practices medicine, but he's not running.

I have not observed, and I think the press would have reported if either (any!) candidate was seen walking on water. I know that bloggers on both sides would be quick to announce such a thing.

Look, the best you can do is make sure you are registered to vote, and then try hard to get copies of the parties' platforms and candidates position papers. Unedited copies of speeches would be nice, too. Being a voter takes work.

Do your best.

Ok, I am going to break a little cover. Ms. Donna lives on the Gulf coast of Alabama. That is more than you need to know, but it does explain why I have been getting a few calls from worried relatives and friends.


You see, there is a storm out there named Isaac. Forecasters say it will be a hurricane soon, and it looks as of this writing to be headed for the Alabama Gulf coast. So people who know us are freaking.


First, this is not the first hurricane Ms. Donna’s family has experienced. This explains why Ms. Donna’s mother (who Ms. Donna lives with) is nervous. Mom lost a lot when Ivan came through, and that is understandable. Right now, this is not Ivan.


This means that we do know (unlike the idiots who party on the beach) how to prepare, and when to flee.


So family, be assured. We are not stupid.


On the other hand, I do have a little spleen for the media people who are blowing this up into Armageddon. Folks, it is not. Sensible preparation is the order of the day. Not hype.


And I have a lot of spleen and anger at the idiots who ARE going to party like it’s 2099 on the beach or in the storm’s path. You will be putting first responders in jeopardy. If someone says evacuate, leave. Stay sober. A hurricane looks exciting on film, with you safe in your seat, but it is awful to feel walls “breathe” in the wind.

Olympics

Now that the Olympics are almost over … Let me congratulate ALL the athletes. NPR said that most of them won’t get a minute of airtime, but they DID work hard to become their country’s representative. I’ve only been a “primetime” viewer, so all I’ve seen is NBC’s stitched-together programs. That means I’ve missed events that don’t have an American contender. Or don’t have enough “glamour.” Or don’t have a story arc that some 20-something assistant producer can’t stitch together. Or attractive people in teeny-tiny and tight singlets, leotards or swimsuits. *sigh* Anyway, congrats to the London organizers and to the people of London. It has been quite an event and thank you for hosting it.

Gun control. Right now, members of the NRA are worried that the recent shooting in Aurora, Colo. means that howl will be on for laws restricting gun ownership. They are afraid that such laws will restrict their Second Amendment rights. Presidential candidates are afraid of the NRA’s political clout, so the two leading candidates are not going to address the issue, according to news reports. Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney, I am looking at you. I wish one of you would get a spine. I agree that the Founding Fathers placed the Second Amendment high up in the Bill of Rights because they had first-hand experience with government taking away weapons from those they considered “dangerous.” (Read enemies of the state.) OK, I understand that. I don’t own firearms, but enjoy going to the range on occasion. But it seems to me that the purchase of two handguns and two rifles (one an automatic) in a few weeks should have raised a flag. Certainly wholesale purchases of ammunition should have been cause for concern. My suggestion: Allow the purchase of weapons, but set it up so that the law enforcement entities that issue permits get a red flag if someone in their jurisdiction purchases and registers more than X number of firearms in Y time period. I leave the X and Y up to legislatures as I don’t know what is reasonable. Maybe someone is a new hunter and purchased weapons for herself and her daughter. This is something a quick query to the weapon purchaser can clear up. I hate to put people in law enforcement in danger, but I think they would rather make an in-person visit to the multiple gun purchasers than clean up a tragedy. Ditto for ammunition. And yes, if you purchase more than X number of rounds in Y time period, the local police should be informed. Certainly someone who is doing a lot of shooting to prepare for an event can explain themselves. (BTW, Kudo to the USA Olympic Shooting Team http://www.usashooting.org/about/olympic-games/olympicteam)

Hi all, Sorry I haven’t been on in a while. Got a job, got laid off (THANK YOU BP) got another job and got laid off. Such is the economy. The last job was in Mississippi, and thereby hangs this next post. Or rant. You decide. I was pleased to get Mississippi Blue Cross/Blue Shield as one of the benefits of working my last job. When I was laid off, I decided to COBRA the benefits so I would have medical coverage while looking for work. It’s expensive, but worth it should I get seriously sick. I moved back to my mother’s home in Alabama to save what little $ I have. My mother is a great person, and she’s putting up with me and the two cats. I needed to see my doctor, first to get back in touch, get some forms filled out and get an Rx refilled. I was overjoyed when her receptionist said I could have an appointment the next day. Got to the office and handed over the Mississippi BC/BS card. Saw the receptionist look over a couple of pages on her desk and scurry to the back. This was not good. I was asked to see my MD’s husband, who handles the business end of the practice. He explained that while the practice was a “National” BC/BS provider, Mississippi insisted on their own set of forms to be filled out to have claims covered. He showed me the inches-thick package of paperwork. No, I would not want to slog through them either. But … So, despite HAVING insurance, I can’t use it. At least not with the doctor I had been seeing for the past five years. At least not unless I pony up the cost of a visit, which I did. Next is a trip to the local hospital to see if they accept Mississippi BC/BS coverage. To say the least, the exchequer is empty. What part of “national” does Mississippi not understand? I know they left the Union in the Civil War, but I thought that had been dealt with. I thought they had figured out that they were part of the United States, and that they should go along with national programs. Mississippians are touchy about being seen as ignorant yahoos on the national stage. With good reason. If a California comedian wants to portray a hick, they paste on a Southern accent and say they are from the Magnolia State. That is insulting. BUT, Mississippi, you are a bunch of ignorant such-and-sos if you don’t recognize an MD in Alabama is a national BC/BS provider. And that sometimes people have to leave the state. Fix this and maybe, just maybe, you can do something about the way you are seen across the country.