Oh dear, I don’t know what’s more sad—that somebody took the time to write out a paraphrased Simpson’s episode and send it to “Dear Abby,” or that “Dear Abby” is so out-of-it with regard to pop culture that she didn’t notice.
Iraqi Governing Council Passes Interim Constitution
The U.S.-backed Iraqi Governing Council today approved an interim constitution that is intended to set a foundation for a permanent constitution and democratic self-rule.
King, Stephen—The Stand (Complete & Uncut Edition)
When I made it known that I was interested in reading one of Stephen King’s fiction books (after reading his nonfiction On Writing), The Stand was the one that almost everybody recommended. It is generally regarded as King’s best work. So I picked up the “Complete & Uncut Edition” of The Stand at my local bookstore, and I loved it—all 1,141 pages of it.
Fleming, Ian—Dr. No
While Ian Fleming’s Dr. No was the first to be made into a film, it was actually the sixth novel featuring the suave James Bond 007. While I haven’t yet read any of the intervening novels between Bond’s Casino Royale debut and this 1958 book, I can say that Dr. No was a much tighter, professionally written story than Casino.
Shatner, William—Man O’ War
I didn’t pick up William Shatner’s 1996 novel, Man O’ War, expecting much. Shatner, who played Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek and has been the star of several Priceline.com commercials, is not known for being a writer.
What surprised me was that the book wasn’t half bad.
Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.