DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

This is the author’s second collection of autobiographical essays, and it contains some gems. The title piece, about Sedaris’ experience at a nudist camp, is hilarious and absurd, and alone worth the price of the book.

If you enjoy P.J. O’Rourke, Dave Barry, Jon Carroll, Cecil Adams (The Straight Dope), or Carl Hiaasen, you’re likely to find something you enjoy in naked.

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• Amazon (Paperback)
• Amazon (Hardback)
• Amazon (Audio Cassette)

This is a most unusual book.

For one thing, it’s not fiction, although the subject matter (remote viewing — sending one’s consciousness, or at least one’s perception, across space and time to witness an event, past or future) and plot (cloak-and-dagger CIA spying and assassination attempts) sound more like fiction than not.

The author, David Morehouse, tells his own story of becoming receptive to odd visions after a head injury. He is recruited to join Stargate, a top-secret psychic espionage organization run by the government, and ultimately has a falling out with the group that threatens his health, his career, his life.

Whether you believe it or not, it’s a fascinating story. And if you do believe remote viewing is possible, then this story becomes somewhat shocking.

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• Amazon (paperback)
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My kit has a fixed hi-hat and a cowbell just above the floor tom on the right side, and it always feels good to ride on either of the metal instruments in a quarter-note groove, playing the offbeats on the floor tom with the same hand. That’s the way to learn this groove: start with the ride hand, then add the kick, then the snare accents, and finally the ghost notes on the snare. Then, if you’re feeling underutilized, play the hi-hat with your foot on the offbeats, or better, splash it open on the downbeat, and close it on the offbeat.

This transcription doesn’t show the ghost notes, but they’re played on most of the e’s and a’s — whatever feels good.

      1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a
CB    o   o   o   o   o   o   o   o   
FT      o   o   o   o   o   o   o   o 
SD            O               O  O
KD    o  o oo       o o  o oo      oo
HH      o   o   o   o   o   o   o   o

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• Virtual Drummer loop
• MIDI
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I am driving on the highway. It’s 9:03 in the morning. The microphone is on low sensitivity. The fan is one notch above “low”. I’m doing 60 miles an hour with the windows closed and I’m curious how you feel about talking into a microphone. And the reason I ask this question, ask, the reason I ask this question, is because, I’d like to know about quality bootwear. And you are the man when it comes to quality bootwear. Ahh, you are the man in town to talk to, and as we’re switching the microphone over to high sensitivity I’d like to ask you what your feelings are, again, about insulated hunting socks. Because, the little batteries, those little batteries cause me such pain, ahh, as they don’t fit between my toes. Normal conversational tone. What happens if I open a window a little bit, got a little window action happening, is this still a normal conversational tone, or am I shouting above the wind? Ahh, these are questions that remain to be answered, umm, in the van, in the truck, high sensitivity, switching with the open window back to low <click> sensitivity, low sensitivity, talking, jabbering, jabbering, jabbering, merrily away, and have a good day!

The first half of this novel is fascinating and very difficult to put down. Grisham weaves two disparate stories into one. The reader can assume that the two plotlines will meet, but still, when they do, the result is shocking.

I found the ending to be somewhat unbelievable, given what we’re told about certain of the characters, but all in all this was an enjoyable thriller… with some thoroughly likeable characters, generally believable situations, and as usual, many chapters that end in such a way that beginning the next chapter immediately is unavoidable.

Any Grisham fan will like this book, I predict, as will anyone who likes legal or political thrillers.

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• Amazon (Paperback)
• Amazon (Hardback)