Marilyn

"I’ve been asked, ‘Do you mind living in a man’s world?’ I always answer, ’ Not as long as I can be a woman in it.”

-- Marilyn Monroe

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This Summer

Monk sees that he could have let the cats out last night. It looks lie all we are going to get is that three-minute drizzle. Monk was just sort of hoping that a storm might materialize yet, a hope based more on need than anything else. And there is no more rain in the forecast, again, as we also get to extend our long string of hundred-degree days. This summer may have began moderately, but it has become the real thing.

The Journal

I have already grown cool on the dialogues with Pi and Daimon. How can I put interesting things to say in their mouths when I can hardly do that for myself?

Even the Two Journal has lain dormant for a good two, three weeks, the drafted up account of current home life. I have come close to just dropping it outright. What is there to relate these days? The only thing going on is Pop's love life, and I cannot say it thrills me to write about that. I am not dropping it, but I am content to go much slower on it. During these late years of my life, maybe the occasional grace note is enough.

I am tempted to focus almost exclusively on the Three Journal, shaping up a decent draft of the overall journal. There is enough material and work to be done that that could take all the time I have in the rest of my life. The funny thing is, it is not like there is a lot of life in all of that journal to bother with. It is only that one chapter with Sugar and Gabe and those days that redeems the project. If it were not for them, I could have been moved to drop the whole damn thing. Then, I would only have the news items and the book-blogging to play with, which does not really give one a compelling reason to get out of bed in the morning.

What a life! Like a prisoner just passing the time, a prisoner doing a life sentence, just whittling and taking in a little reading, waiting to die.

Pop

Lorie called at around noon. Apparently a big appliance broke down on her, maybe a stove or refrigerator, and I hear Pop proudly giving her assurances that he will help her buy a new one.

Then Jack calls. He apparently needs help, and is even desperate for some cokes, as Pop opens up a case and takes some cans with him when he goes. One can see that Pop is not as happy about helping Jack. He can feel his poverty now.

Mary Karr

We have an interview with Mary Karr, the author of "The Liars' Club and one-time love interest of David Foster Wallace. In this excerpt, she speaks of her belief in prayer and her disbelief in religious dogma. She was asked when did she begin praying.

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When I got sober, in 1989—twenty years ago now. Only with prayer could I stop drinking for more than a day or two. Once I made three months clean, but it was a white-knuckled horror show. Call it self-hypnosis, prayer, whatever. To skeptics I say, Just try it. Pray every day for thirty days. See if your life gets better. If it doesn’t, tell me I’m an asshole. People tend to judge a faith’s value based on its dogma, which ignores religion in practice. It’s like believing if you watch enough porn or read enough gynecology books, you’ll know about pussy. For me, being a Catholic is a set of activities.

-- Mary Karr at The Paris Revue

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This Evening

All three cats were itching to go back out this evening. Coco was actually wailing. I stepped outside one more time to get another look, even though I had just been outside to take out the trash, and I have to admit that it is looking pretty clear. That grass is a bit dewy; we did get a sprinkle of drizzle earlier this evening. But it seems that that is all we are going to get in the way of rain, and we simply missed out chance this go around. I come back inside, "Outside? Outside? Do you want to go outside?" as though they were dogs, perhaps Bo and Princess and it's the 1990s. But the cats act as though they understand me now. They race to the kitchen sliding-door, and I let them go. I prefer to keep them whenever it is a close call, or kind of close, but at least I get a better chance to enjoy a good night's sleep tonight, and maybe I will take my walk tomorrow.

Daily Fun

Cvetelina Todorova

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