"The melodramatic doings in Watch and Ward probably caused James some embarrassment in later years, and it's easy to see why he disowned the book and spoke of Roderick Hudson as his first novel. Still, many critics have pointed out that melodrama always held a certain fascination for James. Watch and Ward is only a particularly gauche example."--from Wikipedia


There's a certain amount of creepiness and immaturity in Henry James' first novel or maybe it's just because I have a certain amount of impatience with characters (male or female) who set out to groom young wards into potential future lovers.

While most certainly not his best work, Watch and Ward still shows that even at his worst James had this amazing insight into emotional complexities and matters of the heart.

This sentence reminds me of how determined the human heart can be to not get attached:

He used to lie awake at night, trying hard to fix in his mind the happy medium between coldness and weak fondness.


In an early part of the story the main character, Roger, refuses to recognize at first that the young woman he is persuing (who is much closer to his own age than the ward he is soon to take on) has no romantic interest in him whatsoever. His letters to her are so insistent and lacking in awareness that she writes back: "Do leave me alone!"

Poor Roger! The reader's pity for him battles with an understanding that what so often motivates the heart for more is the very undoing of it...

At times I do I think Mr. James was probably a lot less stuffy than he came across as...

I love how Amazon's MP3 store offers free songs on a daily basis. The problem is that when you end up really liking the song (like the one above!!) you want to buy the whole damn album (in this case, a mere $5.99, worth every penny!!)

Bobby Long has a voice that reminds me of whisky and warm comforters, with some Cat Stevens thrown in. I can't stop listening to his album! "Who Have You Been Loving?" (again, free!) is a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n roll, a whole lot good!!!

To paraphrase an octogenarian friend of mine (talking about Robert Redford) he can put his boots under my stereo any old day! (My friend said 'bed'.)

Ignorant or Innocent?

I just bought Glee's version of "Afternoon Delight" off of iTunes and am struck so much by how sweet and wonderful it sounds, definitely my favorite cover so far from this eccentric and lovable show.

 I remember hearing the original (by Starland Vocal Band) on the radio when I was a little girl and having no clue what the song was about...much like fully adult Emma didn't on Glee's "sex episode" a few weeks back.

I love how, after she and her husband (played by John Stamos) finished performing the song with some of the members from the Celibacy Club, she said she thought a "nooner" was when she went out during the middle of the day to grab some dessert...most likely, cherry pie!: )

During that particular episode of "Glee" Will Schuester was alarmed to discover how little his students really knew about sex. That kind of concern is certainly understandable and realistic.

Not knowing much about sex can be dangerous, of course, but not knowing everything about it can also be sort of sweet, which may be one reason Emma (often played with wide-eyed innocence by Jayma Mays) is so endearing. I have always found those not jaded by life to be very appealing.

It is, however, very disconcerting when Emma's husband reveals in their therapy session that they have been married four months and she's still a virgin. Underneath all the humor surrounding her character lurks a rather scary attitude about love and sex...which can be summed up best in her use of the words "hose monster" to refer to a certain part of male anatomy.

Poor Emma!! But to be fair to her....Afternoon Delight" (no matter which version) has always had a certain innocence to it that belies its sexy side!:)

"And Then I Dreamt of Yes"...really dreamy song that calmed me down last night when I was restless. The video for it is something else...very, very odd and haunting:


watch here

..at last!...


Below is a link I looked for for so long and couldn't find I thought I had remembered it wrong...I like this little article because while it still insists homosexuality is wrong (or rather, "acting" on it is) the writer at least acknowledges one very, very important thing:

you can't make yourself heterosexual!!

One line i just love: "Singleness isn't a sin, immorality is."

"Ex Gay Therapy" so often stresses conversion that it expects near-impossible results. Surely, if groups behind such therapy are truly sincere, they would be just as happy with those who remain celibate and single!

I still don't believe being gay is wrong, but I also believe the other side is entitled to their opinion, especially if they are civil about it and don't support hate!

just my two cents...


http://www.christiananswers.net/q-cross/cross-gaychange.html