This December we feature Barbara McMichael’s Happy Road Trip that took her on a journey through the heartland of America, where she discovered oversized animal sculptures and other fun roadside attractions. In Barbie Gives Good Head, it is inconceivable that Barbie was nominated for Time Magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year!! On a more somber note, keep in mind that the holidays are often more difficult for those who are mentally ill. Every December I post An Ode to Hayden Brumbeloe to remind us to take care of the mentally ill around us.
Roadside attractions and other curios by Barbara Lloyd McMichael
Barbara McMichael’s road trip through the heartland of America captured roadside markers and viewpoints that detailed local history, geology and other points of pride. Check out the life-size sculpture of the late Chris LeDoux astride a bucking bronco, Talula the Swan, and Norman Mackey, owner of Kaleva Country Flowers, who is very proud of his 25-pound rubber band ball.
Barbie Gives Good Head by Patricia Vaccarino
As a tween or teen, Barbie never resonated with me. When I was fourteen, I went to a friend’s house for a sleepover. She had a collection of Barbie dolls, complete with a fantastic wardrobe, a pink plastic car, and Ken. Too old to play with dolls and bored, we whiled away the night trying to make Ken and Barbie have sex, an impossible feat. Both dolls lacked genitalia.
No one should ignore this message!
Dr. Corning's latest work is Superorganism: Toward a New Social Contract for Our Endangered Species. As the evidence of our global survival crisis continues to mount – with mega droughts, catastrophic floods, rampant wildfires, melting glaciers, devastating hurricanes and more, the expression “too-little-too-late” comes to mind.
Chapter Five: Building a Superorganism
Dr. Peter Corning’s groundbreaking work Superorganism is a cautionary tale of the ancient human societies that have vanished – many of them as victims of ecological disasters. To purchase Superorganism in its entirety, go to the local bookstore nearest you or order online via Cambridge University Press or Amazon.
Sarah, You are Golden by Patricia Vaccarino
Noble and reverent are not buzz words du jour. These words have too much meaning to be used on social media and are best relegated to classic essays in literature. What I have to say today is a wake-up call and truly startling. I’m going to share what I learned from my daughter.
An Ode to Hayden Brumbeloe by Patricia Vaccarino
I have the last letter Hayden Brumbeloe wrote on a manual typewriter. I can tell that the ribbon was frayed and getting to the end of its life. Some of his words left faint traces like ghosts. The last letter he wrote shortly after he returned from Vietnam is achingly hard to read. He said, "Is not sadness and loneliness a natural feeling? When there is something or someone you need, should you speak out or remain silent? What should you do when you don't know what to say?" Hayden Brumbeloe did not know how to reach out. On August 22, 1968, he took his own life.
Book Review: Democracy Awakening
Heather Cox Richardson’s Democracy Awakening is a must-read that imparts the unvarnished truth of American history, leading to the current state of our democracy. There has always been a conservative faction in America who are deeply afraid of losing their position as top dog. They truly believe in their own superiority and lay claim to an inheritance that is rooted in authoritarianism. -Patricia Vaccarino
Barnes & Noble (Yonkers) There haven’t been many works of fiction written about Yonkers or that take place in Yonkers. All of my books about Yonkers, both fiction and nonfiction, are now on the shelves at Barnes & Noble in Yonkers. -Patricia Vaccarino