U.S. Casualties reported 9/28/05

The following U.S. casualties were reported in D.O.D. releases dated 9/28/05:

Seaman Apprentice Robert D. Macrum, 22, of Sugarland, Texas, was lost at sea. He was last seen the evening of Sept. 12 while the ship was underway. Macrum was assigned to the USS Princeton, currently deployed to the Arabian Gulf conducting maritime security operations as part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group.

Staff Sgt. Robert F. White, 34, of Cross Lanes, W. Va, died west of Kandahar, Afghanistan on Sept. 26 when his mounted patrol was engaged by enemy forces using small arms fire. White was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N. C.

Master Sgt. Tulsa T. Tuliau, 33, of Watertown, N. Y. and Sgt. 1st Class Casey E. Howe, 32, of Philadelphia, N. Y.died in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained near Ar Rustimayah, Iraq, on Sept. 26 when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during combat operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 314th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 78th Division, Fort Drum, N. Y.

photo of the day for 9/28/05

Giant Squid photographed for the first time in its natural habitat off Japan.

[photo: AP]

U.S. Casualties in Iraq 9/27/05

U.S. Casualties in Iraq announced in D.O.D. releases dated 9/27/05

Pvt. Elijah M. Ortega, 19, of Oxnard, Calif. , died Sept. 26 as result of a non-hostile gunshot wound at Camp Baharia, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N. C. The incident is currently under investigation.

Lance Cpl. Steven A. Valdez, 20, of McRea, Ark. , died Sept. 26 from enemy mortar fire at Camp Blessing, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

Sgt. Andrew P. Wallace, 25, of Oshkosh, Wis. and Spc. Michael J. Wendling, 20, of Mayville, Wis. died in Shaibah, Iraq, on Sept. 26, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during convoy operations. They were also attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire. Both soldiers were assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, 32nd Infantry Brigade, Fond du Lac, Wis.

Sgt. Andrew J. Derrick, 25, of Columbia, S. C. , died on Sept. 23 near Baghdad, Iraq when his dismounted team came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire. Derrick was assigned to the 411th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

Spc. Mike T. Sonoda, Jr. , 34, of Fallbrook, Calif. , died in Baghdad, Iraq on Sept. 22 of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M113 Armored Personnel Carrier on Sept. 21. Sonoda was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, Fullerton, Calif.

Sgt. Howard P. Allen, 31, of Mesa, Ariz. , died in Baghdad, Iraq on Sept. 26 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV. Allen was assigned to the Army National Guard's 860th Military Police Company, Phoenix, Ariz.

Sgt. Shawn A. Graham, 34, of Red Oak, Texas, died on Sept. 25 in Balad, Iraq, of injuries sustained earlier that day in Baghdad, Iraq. The vehicle in which he was riding accidentally rolled over. Graham was assigned to the Army National Guard's 124th Cavalry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division, Fort Worth, Texas.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq reported 9/26/05

U.S. Casualties in Iraq reported in D.O.D. releases dated 9/26/05

Sgt. Brian E. Dunlap, 34, of Vista, Calif. , died Sept. 24 from an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Taqaddum, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve's 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Los Alamitos, Calif. As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

Spc. Kevin M. Jones, 21, of Washington, N. C. , died near Al Taqaddum, Iraq, on Sept. 22, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Jones was assigned to the 181st Transportation Battalion, 7th Corps Support Group, 3rd Corps Support Command, Mannheim, Germany.

Staff Sgt. Daniel R. Scheile, 37, of Antioch, Calif. , died on Sept. 24. and Sgt. Paul C. Neubauer, 40, of Oceanside, Calif. , died on Sept. 23 of injuries sustained in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 23, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their M113 armored personnel carrier. They also were attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire. Both soldiers were assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Oakdale, Calif.

The following died southwest of Deh Chopan, Afghanistan, on Sept. 25, when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed.
Chief Warrant Officer John M. Flynn, 36, of Sparks, Nev. Flynn was assigned to the Army National Guard's 113th Aviation Regiment, Stead, Nev.
Warrant Officer Adrian B. Stump, 22, of Pendleton, Ore. Stump was assigned to the Army National Guard's 113th Aviation Regiment, Pendleton, Ore.
Sgt. Tane T. Baum, 30, of Pendleton, Ore. Baum was assigned to the Army National Guard's 113th Aviation Regiment, Pendleton, Ore.
Sgt. Kenneth G. Ross, 24, of Peoria, Ariz. Ross was assigned to the Army's 7th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, Giebelstadt, Germany.
Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart, 35, of Fernley, Nev. Stewart was assigned to the Army National Guard's 113th Aviation Regiment, Stead, Nev.

word for 9/27/05 "homologate"

homologate \hoh-MAH-luh-gayt\ verb: sanction, allow; especially : to approve or confirm officially

Example sentence: "On September 24, 1991, a judgment confirming and homologating the sale was issued...." (_C & G Constr., Inc. v. Valteau_, Court of Appeal of La., 4th circuit)

"Homologate," which has been around more than 400 years, has mostly been kept for special occasions; Scottish Law, for example, held that "a marriage contract, though defective in the legal solemnities, is held... to be homologated by the subsequent marriage of the parties." The beauty of "homologate" is that, etymologically speaking, it's an easy word, consisting as it does of the familiar Greek roots "homos," meaning "alike" or "same," and "logos," meaning "word" or "speech" -- in other words, "saying the same thing," thus, "agreeing." So we need not agree with the Scottish bishop who in 1715 called it a "hard word." [from dictionary.com]

U.S. Casualties in Iraq reported 9/23/05

U.S. Casualties in Iraq reported in D.O.D. releases dated 9/23/05:

Sgt. Pierre A. Raymond, 28, of Lawrence, Mass. , died at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, on Sept. 20, of injuries sustained in Ramadi, Iraq, on Sept. 15, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using indirect fire. Raymond was assigned to the Army Reserve's 228th Forward Support Battalion, 28th Infantry Division, Harrisburg, Pa.

Sgt. Travis M. Arndt, 23, of Bozeman, Mont. , died in Kirkuk, Iraq, on Sept. 21 as a result of a vehicle accident during convoy operations. Arndt was assigned to the Army National Guard's 163rd Cavalry Troop, 116th Brigade Combat Team, 42nd Infantry Division, Missoula, Mont.

Spc. Scott P. McLaughlin, 29, of Hardwick, Vt. , died in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on Sept. 22 as a result of enemy small arms fire. McLaughlin was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 172nd Armor Regiment, 42nd Armor Division, St. Albans, Vt.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq 9/22/05

U.S. Casualties in Iraq announced in D.O.D. releases dated 9/22/05

Sgt. 1st Class Lawrence E. Morrison, 45, of Yakima, Wash. , died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 19, of injuries sustained earlier that day in Taji, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Morrison was a reservist assigned to the U. S. Army Civil and Psychological Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N. C.

Staff Sgt. William A. Allers III, 28, of Leitchfield, Ky. , died in the vicinity of Khalis, north of Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 20 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy vehicle. Allers was assigned to the Army National Guard's 198th Military Police Battalion, 75th Troop Command, Louisville, Ky.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq 9/21/05

U.S. Casualties in Iraq mentioned in D.O.D. releases dated 9/21/05

The following died in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on Sept. 19, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during patrol operations.
1st Lt. Mark H. Dooley, 27, of Wallkill, N. Y. Dooley was assigned to the Army National Guard's 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), 42nd Infantry Division, Jericho, Vt.
Sgt. Michael Egan, 36, of Philadelphia, Pa. Egan was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, Philadelphia, Pa.
Spc. William V. Fernandez, 37, of Reading, Pa. Fernandez was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, Philadelphia, Pa.

Spc. William L. Evans, 22, of Hallstead, Pa. , died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 19 of injuries sustained earlier that day in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M2A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle during combat operations. Evans was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division, Williamsport, Pa.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq 9/16-9/20/05

Total official U.S. Casualties in Iraq have now "topped 1900".

The following U.S. Casualties were announced in D.O.D. releases dated 9/20/05:

1st Sgt. Alan N. Gifford, 39, of Tallahassee, Fla. Spc. David H. Ford IV, 20, of Ironton, Ohio were killed in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 16, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their M1A1 Abrams tank during patrol operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Staff Sgt. Regilio E. Nelom, 45, of Queens, N. Y. , died near Al Asad, Iraq, on Sept. 17, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during an escort mission. Nelom was assigned to the 249th Quartermaster Company, 1st Corps Support Command, Fort Bragg, N. C.

Sgt. Matthew L. Deckard, 29, of Elizabethtown, Ky. , died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 16, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his M1A1 Abrams tank during patrol operations. Deckard was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

From D.O.D. release dated 9/16/05
Sgt. Alfredo B. Silva, 35, of Calexico, Calif. , died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 15, 2005, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations. Silva was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, 40th Infantry Division, Modesto, Calif.

richard moody reading nyc 9.14.05

swamped at the day job so it's taken time to write this one up. Opted out of the Salman Rushdie reading in favor of Rick Moody @ 6th Ave & 22nd Street. Moody's new one, "The Diviners", is, in his words, "a big wooly comic novel about an indie film production company trying to sell out in November 2000". The time period covered in the novel is from Election Day through the date when the Presidential Election was certified by the court (remember that? the day we finally moved away completely from democracy and became a full-fledged Republic...gak)...Moody says he attempted to make the novel "episodic" in a nod to television. Similar to TV series, there are several minor characters that appear only briefly. A quick aside, don't know if it's the store or Moody vs. Bender's audience but the people at this reading were...much less amenable physically & in presentation than those at the Aimee Bender reading. That is to say, the place was full of overdressed, whispering amongst themselves yuppies with a few obvious lit. students scattered throughout. One of the 3 "older" women who crowded in front of me at the last minute turned around, stared at the audience and said, "mostly teachers...teachers here," then stared at me - apparently, I should have caught on and morphed into a teacher (?). Her friend was incredibly annoying - either over-medicated or just plain hot for Moody - laughing repeatedly and extendedly at everything he said...sort of made it hard to follow the reading. That & the wonderful people who asked me to move right before the reading started but wouldn't let me swap & sit on the aisle thereby leaving me squashed directly in the beam of one of the outdoor spotlights...ouch. Blinded by lit?...Back to Moody - the piece he read from the novel he prefaced & told us as he did that this was his first time "doing the intro" so he hoped it worked. It did, sort of...though he meandered somewhat. BTW, he's surprisingly small. Not sure why surprisingly but...anyway, the scene he read focused on a "Botox party" hosted by one of his characters, Melanie Forvath (?) a successful writer of those sort of books I'm sure my parents & my creditors wish I would write. She's so successful in fact that she has ghostwriters from Smith (?!) and Swellsley...I mean...Wellsley writing her books for her. The reading went over well, though it felt long(ish)? That could just have been a function of the aforementioned cranky-making elements I was suffering under. Or that I was expecting to be as riveted as I was as the Bender reading. Moody then opened up the floor to questions, giving us a quick entertaining intro - apparently while he was waiting in the "green room", the rep from Barnes & Noble mentioned that the Q&A was important as that's when the audience gets their "value". Actually, I usually hate the Q&A portion of a reading since nearly everyone asks highly fanboy/fangirl questions or just plain stupid things...Some of the questions were good this time - I found it interesting to hear that Moody doesn't have cable (just a monitor & DVDs) and yet he was writing about TV (?!)...how people survive w/out cable I don't know. Other things we learned: it took him "two years and 3 months" to write the book. The piece he read from wasn't the final draft. When asked if he considered the book "comedy or tragedy", he said he wanted to write "a happy book" but...he "enjoys the hybridization of the two"...next there was a long discussion of the TV research he did, he mentioned renting "mini-series" and that "ROOTS hasn't aged that well neither has the Thornbirds..." and he's "developed a massive addiction to Buffy...". When asked re: "structrual guides" in writing the novel, his "big one" was "the absurdly ambitious idea of writing something like Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann...now there's a book with not even one joke...". Conversation then moved to the cover image. He explained (for those that didn't know) that the initial image of Atilla the Hun's brother, Zoltan that appears on the advance reading copies was altered to one deemed more acceptable. Moody then held up each book and had us vote & then vote by gender. Apparently, women prefer the "new" cover with the smaller image of Zoltan. I, of course, voted for the closeup of Zoltan - mainly because I think the new cover (black with bad shot of audience peering at screen with image of Zoltan) doesn't work...the initial cover is bright yellow with the Hun in bright red & it's very sexy. Oh well. Onward...when asked if he had any advice for young writers (WHY?! do people ask questions like this?!) he quoted Wm. Burroughs and then came up with "work hard, don't give up & write a thousand words a day"...As to why he set the novel in 2000, he stated, "2000 constituted a cultural interregnum between the 'Go-Go' Clinton years and the sinister present...'. Another genius asked what "order he wrote the book in"...to which he responded from "beginning to end", he mentioned that there are "20 main characters" and that he really wanted to include a series he made up called, "The Werewolves of Fairfield County". Heh. The first chapter is "sunrise around the globe" & this is where my notes sort of fade away into intelligible doodling...including, "Binge Writer" which I assume refers to Moody's comments that he writes 8 hours a day every day for a while, then will take a "break"...he also answered the query as to whether or not the book was influenced at all by Pynchon's "V." Moody stated that V. is the Pynchon book he's read the least, having read "Gravity's Rainbow" and "The Crying of Lot 49" many times, he doesn't see V. as an influence on "The Diviners" beyond the "lack of resolution" at the end. Final question was another one of "those" questions. "Which current writers are you reading?" Lydia Davis, Amy Hempel, D. Wallace, Don Delillo, Lilly Tuck's "News from Paraguay" and "Philip Roth's last book". Moody then asked the woman who'd asked that particular question what she was reading, apparently everything from non-fiction to Ursula K. LeGuin. Hmmm. At that point, Moody judged that we'd "had our value" and the Barnes & Noble rep started the line for the signing. Unlike the Astor Place B&N, there were no books up front to purchase - instead, we had to go buy the book and THEN get in the line...shitty system but oh well. Got my book signed, signed the book Moody asked everyone to sign & then limped back out into the wet, hot NYC night. urg. how I loathe the humidity...

U.S. Casualties in Iraq announced 9/16/05

U.S. Casualties announced in D.O.D. releases dated 9/16/05:

Lance Cpl. Shane C. Swanberg, 24, of Kirkland, Wash. , died Sept. 15 from an explosion resulting from indirect fire at Forward Operating Base, Camp Ramadi, Iraq. Swanberg was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Twentynine Palms, Calif. As part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit was attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

little red riding hood

since I, for one, am in need of some levity today...
this one's courtesy of F.Lopez {thanks!}

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD was walking through the woods when suddenly the Big Bad Wolf jumped out from behind a tree and, holding a sword to her throat, said, "Red, I'm going to screw your brains out!"To that, Little Red Riding Hood calmly reached into her picnic basket and pulled out a .44 magnum pointed it at him and said, "No, you're not. You're going to eat me, just like it says in the book."

U.S. Casualties in Iraq announced 09/13 & 9/14

From D.O.D. release dated 9/14/05
Sgt. Kurtis D. K. Arcala, 22, of Palmer, Alaska, died on Sept. 11, 2005, in Tikrit, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near his position during convoy escort operations. Arcala was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

From D.O.D. releases dated 9/13/05

Spc. Jeremy M. Campbell, 21, of Middlebury, Pa. , died on Sept. 11, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during patrol operations. Campbell was assigned to the 108th Military Police Company, 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne), 16th Military Police Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N. C.

Staff Sgt. Christopher L. Everett, 23, of Huntsville, Texas, died on Sept. 7, 2005, in Al Taqqadum, Iraq, where an accident occurred in the motor pool. Everett was assigned to the Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 112th Armor Regiment, 56th Brigade Combat Team, Arlington, Texas.

photo for 09.13.05

Man Booker Prize short list (in case you care)

somehow...just seems so irrelevant right now but here you go...apparently, if you want to make the short list, change your last name to something beginning with "B" or just plain old "Smith"...unless of course, you happen to be Kazuo Ishiguro...

Banville, John The Sea Picador
Barnes, Julian Arthur & George Jonathan Cape
Barry, Sebastian A Long Long Way Faber & Faber
Ishiguro, Kazuo Never Let Me Go Faber & Faber
Smith, Ali The Accidental Hamish Hamilton
Smith, Zadie On Beauty Hamish Hamilton

go here for more info...

a couple of New Orleans blogs worth reading

Poppy Z. Brite's blog - very personal but worth reading. I can't imagine having to leave my home & my kitty...
http://www.livejournal.com/users/docbrite/

U.S. Casualties in Iraq 9.08.05

U.S. Casualties in Iraq announced in D.O.D. Releases dated 09/08/05

Spc. Jeffrey A. Williams, 20, of Warrenville, Ill. died on Sept. 5, 2005, in Tal Afar, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near his combat patrol. Williams was assigned to the Support Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

Staff Sgt. Jude R. Jonaus, 27, of Miami, Fla. and Sgt. Franklin R. Vilorio, 26, of Miami, Fla. died on Sept. 6, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV causing it to rollover. Both soldiers were assigned to the Brigade Troops Battalion, Division Support Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

upcoming readings in NYC

these are all in Manhattan at Barnes & Noble stores. I'll post other readings if/when I get the time:

Union Square (East 17th Street)
9/15 Salman Rushdie
9/20 Neil Gaiman 6pm - just so those of us who have day jobs can't go. thanks guys.
9/30 EL Doctorow
10/5 Harvey Pekar (!!)

675 6th Ave @ 22nd Street
9/12 George Saunders [click here for a great i/view with him which includes this re: his new one, "I’m not really sure what to call it. It started out as a kids’ book, but then suddenly became about genocide." from maudenewton's blog of course]
9/14 Rick Moody
9/28 Gregory Maguire

Lincoln Center
9/15 Terry Pratchett
9/21 TC Boyle
9/26 Nuala O'Faolain

82nd & B'way
9/14 Jane Smiley on "13 Ways of Looking at the Novel"
9/19 Walter Mosley

some thoughts on fairy tales

with an upcoming new one from Neil Gaiman (reading at B&N E. 17th St. 9/20 6pm) and a new one out now from Aimee Bender, there's been a lot of talk (again) about the art of the fantastic, the fairy tale, "magical realism" etc. That said, here's something from Jeanette Winterson's site. You really should read the whole piece but I know how busy you all are...

"what I want to know is why does Prince Charming need a mobile phone, and why is the Red Riding Hood wolf watching TV? All the fairy tale Lego has been modernised with gadgets. Result? Disaster. What was timeless has been manhandled into time. What was about the imagination has become a product placement exercise...
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in the changing word. I love cover versions of fairy stories. I write them myself. Angela Carter, Italo Calvino, Isabelle Allende, are just three genius writers who have re-worked folk, fable, and fairytale heritage to create new and delightful combinations. The huge popularity of story-telling evenings and festivals depends on new cuts of the old cloth.

Relief, unease. Familiarity, strangeness. Art trades in these paradoxes. The art of the fairy tale does the same, and it does it best in its own language. The carpet flies, the solid hillside reveals a door, statues speak and puddings multiply. Who needs tonight’s TV and a mobile phone? "

quotes for 09.09.05

From Zadie Smith:

"Writing a novel is quite stupid work...Novelists aren’t intellectuals; they’re just intuitive, if they’re lucky."

"In America only a few weirdos read. I mean, it seems like a lot of weirdos, but that’s because you’re a very big country."

52 Books in 52 Weeks updated 09.08.05

yeah...I know...I'm slacking. Here's the update...

52 books in 52 weeks...[re-reads marked with * and ** if I've re-read more than once] ...is there some kind of prize??1. denis johnson: jesus son*
2. stars at noon
3. resuscitation of a hanged man
4. name of the world**
5. jeanette winterson: passion
6. lighthouse keeping
7. sexing the cherry
7.written on the body*
8. chris offutt: out of the woods**
9. no heroes*
10. kentucky straight**
11. the good brother*
12. nick flynn:another bullshit night in suck city
13. ian rankin: resurrection men 14. knots & crosses 15.let it bleed 16. black & blue
17. haruki murakami: the wind-up bird chronicle
18. eugenides: middlesex (or as much of it as I'm going to read...)
19. the DaVinca Code: dan brown (as a part of my promise to myself not to condemn what I have not yet read...it takes about 2 hours to read & yes, it's as bad as you might think)
20. gould's book of fish
21. john koopman: McCoy's Marines: darkside to baghdad
22. evan wright: generation kill*
23. secret society of demolition writers
24. elizabeth gilbert: the last american man
25. phillipa gregory: the queen's fool (okay...read it for work)
26. gregory maquire: mirror, mirror
27. emile zola: nana
28. bastard on the couch (daniel jones, ed.)
29. men seeking women (mainly for the chris offutt piece
30. JA Jance: name withheld
31. tony hillerman:sacred clowns 32. tony hillerman: sinister pig33. tony hillerman: hunting badger
34. james lee burke: cimarron rose
35. james lee burke: bitterroot*
36. bill bryson: a walk in the woods
37. aimee bender: the girl in the flammable skirt
38. Best American Non-Required Reading 2003
39. Best American Non-Required Reading 2004
40. Larry Brown: rabbit factory
41. aimee bender: willful creatures
42. denis johnson: already dead*
43. james salter: sport & a pastime
I know there are more but they'll just have to wait till the next update.

aimee bender "willful creatures" reading

first a quick response to the emails I got asking why I haven't been posting as much - hey it's called a day job - some of us have them...that & just simple fact that watching my favorite city on the planet going through hell has left me less than motivated to do anything that's not directly related to relief efforts or in the realm of "must do this or will not get paid"...That said, I did make it to Aimee Bender's reading last night at Barnes & Noble Astor Place. And before you say it, yes, I do support Barnes & Noble. I also support small bookstores & the guys who sell books on the street & just about anyone else who wants to sell me books...however, since my local bookstores consist of that used bookstore I'm not telling anyone about, St. Mark's Books whose buyer seems to want to stock every hip & trendy book on why america sucks on every level and yet has never even heard of Chris Offutt & only has one copy of "Jesus Son" in stock ("He has other books?" Hey - even the guy at Barnes & Noble-Astor Place stocked "Angels" when I asked for it)...I will continue to go to Barnes & Noble. Sorry. Besides, they have the best readings. Case in point...I begged out of work "early" and got there in plenty of time (I thought) to spend some time hiding all the crappy Right Wing Republican "non-fiction" titles by putting much better books on top of them (yes, I know...but sometimes I just can't help myself) and of course, letting myself spend time in the Sci-Fi/Graphic Novel section BUT...there were already people sitting down waiting for Aimee Bender to show. So...I sat myself down and took out some proofreading work and before not too much time had passed, the seats around me were completely full. This was at say, 6:20 for a 7pm reading. A nice lady on crutches (?!) came up and announced that the reading would start soon and could we all turn off our pagers & cell phones & of course...someone's cell went off right then. Ah, I love this town. Eventually, Aimee Bender was introduced, she came out looking fabulous in a little red dress & cool shiny red shoes (I'm even more shoe-obsessed now that I can't wear heels...at all...). If you haven't seen her read, she's got a great reading voice & unlike most great writers, doesn't seem the least bit nervous. She gave a nice little intro talk & mentioned that she'd be reading a piece from "Willful Creatures" entitled "OFF" which she said is "sort of a sequel" to a story from "The Girl in the Flamable Skirt"...which BTW, is being produced as an off-off-Broadway play - "Girl", not just the story. The reading took about 25 minutes & she got laughs in all the right places - just as she did the other times I've seen her read (both at Tin House this past July). Though I have to say I liked the reading she did of "Motherfucker" better than "Off" (maybe it was my mood, maybe the story itself?) She took a few questions - all more intelligent than anything I could think of & then began her LONG process of signing everyone's books. The place was jammed all the way back into the cafe & I'm sure she was there for a good long time. Thankfully, since I'm a geek, I was in the 2nd row. I was happy to see that she remembered me (yes, I know...I just said...I'm a geek) and that she had such a great turnout. I'd tell you more but I've had too much caffeine & you should really just go buy the book & read it. It was interesting to me that the audience was overwhelming made up of women - I would've thought she'd have a lot of dorky guy fans too since she is cute & smart & writes about sex in some of her stories (something I hear those dorky guys like - not just women). After 2 full readings of "Willful Creatures", I'd have to say my favorite stories are "Fruit & Words" and "Dearth" though if you hold me to that, I'll probably change my mind.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq 09/07/05

The following U.S. Casualties in Iraq were announced in D.O.D. releases dates 09/06 and 09/07/05

Hospitalman Robert N. Martens, 20, of Queen Creek, Ariz. , died Sept. 6, from injuries sustained as a passenger when his HMMWV rolled over in Al Qaim, Iraq. Martens was assigned to II Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, N. C.

Sgt. Matthew C. Bohling, 22, of Eagle River, Alaska, died on Sept. 5, 2005, in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Bohling was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

Spc. Luke C. Williams, 35, of Knoxville, Tenn. , died on Sept. 5, 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq, when the HMMWV he was riding in accidentally rolled over into a ditch. Williams was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

Marine Casualty announced 09.06

Announced in DOD release dated 09.06.05

Lance Cpl. Ryan J. Nass, 21, of Franklin, Wis. , died Sept. 3 from a non-hostile gunshot wound at Camp Blessing, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The incident is under investigation.

U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan 8/31-9/5/05

Excuse the delay in posting these. No disrespect intended.

From D.O.D. releases dated 9/5/05:
Sgt. George R. Draughn Jr. , 29, of Decatur, Ga. & Staff Sgt. Robert L. Hollar Jr. , 35, of Griffin, Ga. were killed Sept. 1, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during patrol operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the Army National Guard's 108th Cavalry Regiment, 48th Infantry Brigade, Griffin, Ga.

Sgt. 1st Class Lonnie J. Parson, 39, of Norcross, Ga. , died on Sept. 2, 2005, in Baghdad, Iraq, when his M3A2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle was struck by an enemy explosive device. Parson was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.

From D.O.D. releases dated 9/2 and 9/3/05:

1st Lt. Derek S. Hines, 25, of Newburyport, Mass. , died on Sept. 1, 2005, in Baylough, Afghanistan, when his unit was conducting security operations and came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire. Hines was assigned to the 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, Vicenza, Italy.

Capt. Lowell T. Miller, II, 35, of Flint, Mich. , died on Aug. 31, 2005, in Iskandariyah, Iraq, when his military training team was conducting operations with the Iraqi Army and they came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire. Miller was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 155th Infantry Regiment, McComb, Miss.

Spc. Jason E. Ames, 21, of Cerulean, Ky. , died on Aug. 31, 2005, in Mosul, Iraq, from non-combat related injuries. Ames was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), Fort Lewis, Wash.

Sgt. Monta S. Ruth, 26, of Winston-Salem, N. C. , died on Aug. 31, 2005, in Samarra, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near his military vehicle during security patrol operations. Ruth was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Ga.

From D.O.D. release dated 8/31-9/1/05:
Maj. Gregory J. Fester, 41, of Grand Rapids, Mich. , died on Aug. 30, 2005, in Iskandariyah, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol. Fester was a reservist assigned to the U. S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N. C.

Chief Warrant Officer Dennis P. Hay, 32, of Valdosta, Ga. , died on Aug. 29, 2005, in Tal Afar, Iraq, where his OH-58D Kiowa helicopter came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire. Hay was assigned to the 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

2nd Lt. Charles R. Rubado, 23, of Clearwater, Fla. , died on Aug. 29, 2005, in Tal Afar, Iraq, when his M1A2 Abrams tank came under attack by enemy forces using small arms fire. Rubado was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colo.

Mayor of New Orleans blasts Federal Response

This is definitely worth a listen.

http://www.atypical.net/mm/nagin.mp3

[thanks to Karyn C. for sending]

new orleans on fire 09.02.05

protest lack of Federal response to Katrina

from Mary Titus: http://nyc.indymedia.org/es/2005/09/56396.html

what: Protest the Federal non-response to save lives in the Katrina aftermath. The lack of Federal help is killing survivors.
when: noon til late afternoon or dusk Friday Sept.2 and Sat. Sept.3
where: 26 Federal Plaza lower Manhattan
directions: Broadway between Duane and Worth Streets.

Subway N/R to City Hall and walk a few blocks north on Broadway.
[26 Federal Plaza/Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, Broadway between Duane and Worth Streets.
From R/W City Hall Subway stop walk north on Broadway 3 blocks, or #1, 2, 3, A, C, E, J, M, Z to Chambers & walk 4-5 blocks; 4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall & walk 4-5 blocks; lowermanhattanmap.com (w/trains)

"I don't treat my dog like that"

"I don't treat my dog like that," 47-year-old Daniel Edwards said as he pointed at the woman in the wheelchair. "I buried my dog." He added: "You can do everything for other countries but you can't do nothing for your own people. You can go overseas with the military but you can't get them down here."
The street outside the center, above the floodwaters, smelled of urine and feces, and was choked with dirty diapers, old bottles and garbage.
"They've been teasing us with buses for four days," Edwards said.
"This is a national emergency. This is a national disgrace," he said. "FEMA has been here three days, yet there is no command and control. We can send massive amounts of aid to tsunami victims, but we can't bail out the city of New Orleans."
(c) AP

Officials "commandeer" buses tourists paid for

from WWLTV.com 12:38 P.M. - (AP): Two French Quarter hotels says federal officials have foiled their plans to hire buses to ferry guests to higher ground.
The general manager of the Astor Hotel at Astor Crowne Plaza says the hotels teamed to hire ten buses to carry some 500 guests. But Peter Ambros says federal officials commandeered the buses, and told the guests to join thousands of other evacuees at the New Orleans convention center.
One man says he and others had paid $45 a seat for the buses, and that they were "totally stunned" when the buses never arrived. Another woman said the crowd had waited 14 hours for the buses. She says the idea of walking to the convention center scared her because of reports of looting. The woman says it appears Louisiana officials have forgotten about tourists, and are just intent on getting their own residents out.

Fats Domino Missing

1:09 P.M. - (AP): The singer known for "Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That A Shame" has been missing since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. His agent says Fats Domino planned to ride out the storm at his house in a low-lying area of the city with his wife and daughter. Al Embry says he spoke with Domino Sunday night by phone, but hasn't been able to contact him since. Embry says he would think Domino is safe because "somebody said he was on top of the balcony." Domino is 77 and has rarely appeared in public in recent years.

quote of the day for 09.01.05

from WWLTV.com 1:32 P.M. - New Orleans Homeland Security Chief Terry Ebbert calls FEMA's response to Hurricane Katrina an embarrassment.

photos for 09.01.05

St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans

all photos: AP Photo, taken in New Orleans 08.31.05

links for 09.01.05

some links for today:

Hurricane Katrina -

for accurate, up-to-date info on the situation in New Orleans (as opposed to what you're getting on CNN),
WWL-TV is doing an excellent job. http://www.wwltv.com/

for those of you, like me, who think FEMA is doing its usual half-assed job, please give to these great relief organizations instead.

America's Second Harvest:
http://www.secondharvest.org/default2.asp
AmeriCares:
http://www.americares.org/
or go here and pick one of the many good charities listed:
http://www.networkforgood.org
for the thousands of animals that have been affected, here are some people who need your donations:

THE ASPCA:
http://www.aspca.org
NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE:
www.nsal.org
Noah's Wish are in the Gulf states evacuating animals. They need donations of goods. Click here for more info: http://www.noahswish.org/Donations.htm
PETSMART: www.petsmartcharities.org