The Political Zoo

Last night I woke up around 1 am and couldn't get back to sleep. The bedroom was comfortable (God bless the man who created air conditioning), so I lay in bed and prayed for awhile, but I still couldn't drift off. I got up and checked on the kids who were both sleeping soundly. Molly's staying at her dad's for the next two days. I went back to the bedroom and started to read, but I couldnt' shake the restlessness I was feeling. So I did something I haven't done in a year: I wrote a chapter! I wrote a chapter out in longhand, which I haven't actually done in close to five years! It felt wonderful to get the words down on paper, and the Lord is good, because my hand didn't shake and the writing is actually legible. I don't know if this counts as a breakthrough, but it sure felt good. Doogie read the chapter, and he said it was good. So the smile on my face may take some work to remove today.

The Political Zoo by Michael Savage is another conservative screed in a market that quickly becoming glutted with them. Don't get me wrong: I like Michael Savage, and I've read all of his other books. He's a very intelligent man, and I share some of his beliefs about abortion and euthenasia and big government. Savage can be funny, but this book just seemed mean-spirited. It doesn't appear that he likes anybody and he takes potshots at everything from personal appearance to spouse to their family tree. The only person who gets an almost free ride is Condoleeza Rice (who deserves it); he treats her with respect. Sometimes Savage uses his own jargon or inside jokes in the chapters, and if the reader isn't in on the joke, it's not funny. Let me say this again: I like Michael Savage. He's incredibly intelligent and he's got a good sense of humor. But when conservative books like this come out, it gives the left more reasons to attack the right and it shuts down communication between the two. And if there's anything we need less in this country right now, it's divisiveness.

I'm reading The Janissary Tree. It took about 40 pages to suck me in, but now I can't wait to get back to it. I need to stop reserving books for awhile though. The table by the bed is groaning with the weight of the books, and I'm up to three seperate stacks. I saw one of our librarians wearing a T-shirt the other day that said, "So many books, so little time." That's my motto!