Written expression

I wish writing could extinguish my rage as well as of express it.

Book Recommendations

If none of your friends can recommend you books, then you can look to the internet.  The following websites can point you to books you might enjoy, based on what you already read.  Or maybe you should just find new friends.

• Are you asking yourself, “What should I read next?“  Then this link is your prescription.  Type a favorite book in the box and a list of book recommendations will appear.  It’s pretty straightforward.
• Flashlight Worthy is a database with (currently) hundreds of book lists.  Each list is geared to a particular topic.  Whether it’s a book to melt your brain or a book for the everyday psychotic, there’s a list on this website for every reader.
• The Book Explorer is another decent website for finding new books based on what you already read and liked.
• Goodreads is the Facebook of the bibliophile world.

A problem with democracy…

Democracy is a popularity contest.

“Costco too good to be true”

My letter to the editor is published in the current issue (Friday, October 1, 2010, p7) of the Shoreline Times.  Here it is:

To the Editor:

Is Costco really “good” for Guilford?  Not so much.
Say “goodbye” to Guilford’s local businesses.  If local businesses are not offering enough jobs now, rest assured that those currently employed will be at risk of losing their jobs.  Costco sells baby supplies, books, baked goods, deli foods, produce, beauty supplies, hardware supplies, dietary supplements, jewelry, sporting goods… Imagine the businesses in Guilford that sell these products with “closed” and “for sale” signs in front of them.  Is this a price worth paying?
If Costco is built, it will allow the door to open for more megastores in Guilford.  Preserve local businesses.  Preserve Guilford.

A description of Me?

I was discussing today with an individual in my life about how I perceive the world.  He said that it seems to him that I may hold a “pseudo-blithe skepticism” outlook on life.  The coined term does not exactly pigeonhole the point, but it conveys the main idea.

Haunted Connecticut? Yes.

Here are a few links (in no particular order) related to paranormal activity in the Nutmeg State:

• Here is a list of haunted places in Connecticut compiled by The Shadowlands.
• The Cosmic Society is a paranormal investigation group based in Connecticut, founded by Donna Kent.  Kent wrote two books on the subject: Ghost Stories and Legends of Southwestern Connecticut and Ghost Stories and Legends of Eastern Connecticut: Love, Mysteries, and Secrets Revealed.
• The Northwest Connecticut Paranormal Society posted several of their investigations here.
• These are the Connecticut Paranormal Research Team’s case files.
• The CT Paranormal Investigators have a handful of detailed case files, several involving demons.
• Scary New England has a few Connecticut haunting stories here.  Check out Scary New England’s paranormal photographs.
• Creepy Connecticut has a few oddities on their website, including “spooky names.”  The investigative reports are worth reading.
• A list of haunted Connecticut wouldn’t be complete without some mention of the infamous Dudleytown.  As obnoxious as automatic website music is, this website is worth visiting because it is home of the book The Legend of Dudleytown by Gary P. Dudley.
• The Nutmeg State Paranormal Society’s (very) small list of investigations are interesting to read, as well.

Please inform me if any of these links expire.  Suspended links suck.

The Egg by: Andy Weir

A friend directed me to a short story called “The Egg” by Andy Weir.  It is a beautiful story that is worth our time.  Read it from Weir’s creative writing page here.

Armageddon, but louder

Every night that the dryer in my basement runs, I think the apocalypse has officially arrived.

A Relieving Thought

You cannot have a monopoly on objectivity.

Keep Costco Out of Guilford

Let’s keep Costco off the Rockpile in Guilford, Connecticut!

If we allow Costco to change our regulations, we will allow the door to open for more big-box retail stores in Guilford. We need to preserve our local businesses and Guilford, as a historic town.

A Costco warehouse on the Rockpile would put six to seven thousand more cars on our roads on weekdays. Double that and you get the number of cars that will be on our roads on weekends.

If you are against allowing Costco to be built on the Guilford Rockpile, then please e-mail PZC Chairman Ray Bower at planning.zoning@ci.guilford.ct.us. Every e-mail sent to Bower will become part of the public record and will be counted.

Also, please carbon copy your e-mail to First Selectman Joe Mazza at mazzaj@ci.guilford.ct.us. Mazza said on September 7 that he is hearing from Guilford residents IN FAVOR of Costco, “at least 2 to 1.”

Other ways to help:

• Write letters to local newspaper editors. Sue Braden of the Shoreline Times at shorelinetimes@ctcentral.com, Brian Boyd of the Guilford Courier news@shorepublishing.com, and the New Haven Register letters@nhregister.com.
• Make an appearance at the Public Hearings!

For more information, visit http://guilfordcrd.org/

Where Cobwebs Reign

Out of fear, there are some secrets that one does not even want to write in a private journal.  These secrets are locked away in the dusty corners of the mind, where cobwebs reign.

But, the secret is an itch and the pen is about to snitch.

Our Deepest Secrets

Our deepest secrets, what we tell no one, but ourselves — Do we write them?  Or, do we let our secrets fade with our memory?

Coffee

The best coffee I have ever tasted is from Burundi.  The product is from OCIBU.  Pilote de la saveur et du bon gout.  Je ne sais pas où je peux le trouver aux Etats-Unis.

Also, I discovered that coffee brewed with a French press is far superior than drip-brewed.

I <3 Huckabees

“How am I not myself?”

I happen to be a nudist.

Who are you when no one is looking?