Talk, Talk by T. C. Boyle is the tale of one such victim who only discovers she has been compromised when, after being stopped for a traffic violation, she is arrested.  To complicate things, she is deaf.  It is difficult for the police to explain the charges against her, and she spends the weekend in jail not even knowing why.  She finds out that there are warrants out for her in two states.  She also discovers that someone has stolen her identity and is masquerading as her.  At least that person has been paying the bills, til now.  Imagine her shock when she finds out that this individual is a MAN!

The discovery of who this person really is, and pretending to be, leads to a pursuit across the country.  The bad guy takes his new family and runs, all while impersonating yet another person.  It is most satisfying when this guy is finally found out by his new girlfriend and the police.

The frustration of the main character is palpable.  Her sense of impotence and aggravation practically jumped off the page and slapped me in the face.  Her  boyfriend is a rock, and he becomes quite involved in the pursuit and capture of this thief.  It ends rather well, as far as capture goes, but I did want a “happily ever after” type of ending over all.  (Oops, hope that didn’t blow it for you)

Talk, Talk was entertaining and somewhat enlightening.  We should all check our credit more often.  Or at least hope the thief pays the bills and improves the credit score.  However, identity theft should not be tolerated or condoned.  It should also be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.  I am sure that no one disagrees with that.

This story is, unfortunately, probably all too common.  I did enjoy this one, though.  I think you might, too.

From Friday to Wednesday, I only nibbled on food.  I did not eat anything resembling a meal.  No junk food.  Only a few drinks.

I suppose this part was the easy part??  The only real change I could notice was crankiness.  I admit it.  I did fly off the handle and over-react on Wednesday.  Check this out.  I came home from the store in the afternoon.  Apparently my man had gotten hungry and cooked some potatoes and eggs.  That was OK.  What was NOT OK was the fact that almost every plate, pot, pan, lid, piece of silverware and counter top were involved in the making of that breakfast!!!  How is that even possible???  I was a little miffed.  Had to stomp around, wave my arms, make a fuss – then bring in the groceries, clean the counters and wash the dishes.

I guess I was in some type of eating withdrawal.  I admit I might not have been at my most pleasant.

I’m over it now.  All extraneous man-making-meals privileges have been revoked.

Well, Thursday rolled around.  Thanksgiving.  I still was not hungry.  However, this was the day to eat, even overeat.  My mother lives out of state, so that duty was not existent (yeah!).  My mother-in-law was somewhere else, avoidance number two.  A holiday with a minimum number of people!  Bliss!

Nevada is the land of the Extreme Buffet.  My man and I opted for eating at one of the local casino buffets.  Let it be said – whenever you go to a buffet, bring your appetite.  That way you get your money’s worth.

I have not had any “real” meals or large amounts of food for five days or so.  I should have been fainting or something – at least feeling a little hungry.  Not so.  We got to the casino, and I had every intention of behaving myself and eating lite.  I did have a small appetite – not REAL hunger – not yet.

There is something about choice that I like.  It is my way to work a buffet by trying a little of everything.  I like to start with dessert.  After all, life is short and chocolate is cheep.  Then soup and salad.  Then entrees, then coffee and dessert.

Actually, I did try a little bit of just about everything – except shellfish, which does not agree with me.  It was more satisfying to try some of everything than to gorge on one or two or three things.  There was french toast, omelets, sausage, a bunch of different salads, three kinds of soup, turkey and works, roast beef, ham, lamb chops, pork roast, Mexican food, Korean BBQ, on and on.  Oh, and twenty types of cheesecake, ten kinds of pie, cookies, ice cream.  Wow!!! I am stuffed just writing it!

Today is Saturday.  I am back to being conscious of how I am feeling when I wonder into the kitchen, then open the refrigerator door looking for food.  I vow to try to maintain control – at least most of the time.

From this experiment I believe I have learned something.  I think we have all been trained to eat at certain times of the day, whether we feel hungry or not.  I know that some people have body chemistry’s and health issues that require sustenance more often.  But must a feeding schedule equal poor food choice?  Do we even need feeding schedules?  Shouldn’t we eat (good food) only when we are hungry?  I suppose that is the theory.

I like junk.  I like food.  I love cookies.  I am as normal as anyone else.  Whatever that means.

I still want to find out if I remember what hungry feels like.  This is part two.  I will keep trying.  I think I may be closer.  We shall see.

• Grab the nearest book
• Turn to page 56
• Go to fifth sentence
• Post, with title and author, and these instructions.

“Joy rose up in him like a champagne reflux.”

Villa Incognito by Tom Robbins

That was fun.  Thanks, My Crazy Life.

On Friday, November 21, Number6 was being a jerk and told me I was fat.  I am not really fat, only ten or so pounds overweight.  Kinda like most of the people in America.  Considering I am in my mid-40′s and have had two children, my clothes still fit.  He was a jerk!

I got to thinking anyway.  Perhaps a small diet was in order.  After all, this is the season to overeat.  I don’t keep a scale in my house.  I judge my weight by how my clothes fit because they are all the same size.

I resolved that I would not eat a meal until I felt hungry.  I am not a psycho or an anorexic or bulimic.  I have had plenty of water, a few beers and a nibble here and there.  I have not sat down and eaten a meal though.

Today is Tuesday, November 25, 2008.  This is the fourth day of this experiment.  I have not felt hungry yet.

This is bizarre.  I would have thought I would feel hungry by now!!!

Early data from this experiment tends to show some things about the way that the average American eats.

• American people, men, women and children, have been conditioned to having three meals a day.  This has nothing to do with hunger.  It is a habit.  It is a habit that has been ingrained since early childhood.
• American people have also been conditioned to snack throughout the day.  Most of us have heard the adage that six small meals is better than three large ones.  This leads to the conclusion that in addition to three meals, Americans also have three snacks.
• The quality of the three main meals has now become “fast.”  This means “fast food.”  This means eat on the go.  This means eat quickly because we have too much to do.  Jam that food down your throat as quickly as possible.  Drive through and take-out express.
• The quality of snacks is pretty poor.  How often do you observe someone snacking on an apple?  If a person is snacking on raw veggies, are they dipping into ranch dressing?  Ever check the label on that dressing?  Most snacks are on the line of muffins, cookies, candy, chips, etc.  Three times a day.  Do the label math.  I bet some people take in more calories on snack than on real food.

This leads to an early conclusion regarding hunger.  Have we been so conditioned to eating on a schedule that we no longer recognize hunger?  Would this mean that we are addicted to the action of eating?  Could this be a reason, in all honesty now, why we eat so much, so often?  Could the instant gratification of putting food, any kind of food, into our mouths be a key reason behind our consumption of food?  Could this addiction to chewing and swallowing be the reason America overeats?

There have been dozens of real-type scientific studies on why American children and adults are “fat.”  Some even claim that people are addicted to sugar, carbohydrates, fats, meats, whatever.  This may be true.  I have a hard time putting down the chocolate box once I start.

I checked out Google.  I saw a bunch of sites claiming to help with “food addiction.”  What if food is not the problem?  What if it was all about having something in our mouths?  Smoking is out, so we can’t put a cigarette in our mouths.  Some babies have pacifiers until they are five!  (gross and disgusting)  No thumb sucking allowed!  Food, of course, is still acceptable.

With all that edible stuff entering our mouths on a regular basis, on schedule even, is it any wonder at all that we do not know what hunger feels like?  I know what compulsion feels like.  Miss a feeding and it feels like something is missing.

You know what I mean.

I am curious though.  How long will it take before I feel something like hunger?  I don’t mean third-world, starving-child syndrome.  I am by no means fainting or weak.  I am sure I have enough fat on my butt to sustain me for at least a couple more days.

What does hunger feel like?  I will let you know.

The book, however, didn’t really work for me.  Am I missing something?  Did I give up too soon?  Should I try again?

Normally I have no problem with vampires or love stories.  For some reason I just could not get into this book.  OK, maybe it starts out slow.  By the second chapter, I could tell it wasn’t going to work.

So.  Help me out.  What am I missing?  Should I give it another try?

After World War II, all those returning soldiers had to have jobs.  Some of those working women wanted and/or needed to continue working.  Factories not only wanted to continue manufacturing, they wanted to increase their bottom lines.  Radio was everywhere.  Television was on the horizon and closing fast.

What to do, what to do.

OK.  We know.  Advertise,  of course.  Time goes on and Madison Avenue expanded, no, boomed.  More businesses equals more stuff.  More people working equals more paychecks.  Keeping people working through expansion of business equals consumer credit to buy stuff.  More credit equals more debt because we buy stuff.  More debt equals more people having to work to buy stuff.  Long story short – The business of advertising is about money for stuff.  Your money, their stuff.

I can buy stuff all year round.  What is the huge push to buy, buy, buy?  It starts around October and lasts until the second week in January.  This is known as the fourth quarter.  It’s all about business.  It’s all about them.  It used to be about taxes, inventory and property taxes.  Tax assessments are made at the end of the fourth quarter.  Who wants to write a big check??? (raise your hands)

The push to buy was directed by Madison Avenue advertising companies for companies in the business of selling you something.  All those companies had to take inventory on February 1 of every year.  Whatever number they got after counting everything on the shelves, in storage and ready for sale was the basis for the yearly inventory (property) tax.  The emptier the shelves in January, the smaller the tax.

Wow, what holiday falls right before January?  Christmas!  Get your credit cards out!  In fact, advertising got inside the consumer’s head.  The objective was to make you feel bad, left out, inferior, etc if you did not spend, spend, spend.  Even Jesus got gifts in the manger.  Did he now?  Hard to say.

Oh, by the way…Jesus?  Religion?  Chanukah?  Kwanzaa?  Yule?  I don’t know about you, but I am able to feel The Spirit without wrapping paper.  I cook every day of the year.  I hang seasonal decorations and flowers all year.  However, I refuse to put up so much stuff that it takes more than one hour to take it down.  I give gifts throughout the year, without expectation or obligation and because I like to.  Don’t get me wrong – gifts and trees are great.  I like presents.  I like trees.  I just feel that it has all gotten out of hand.

Tax structures have changed dramatically over the years and many states no longer have inventory taxes.  Some states have dramatically changed property tax assessment statutes.  That big push-push to buy, buy, buy is more habit than necessity.  It’s OK when we have money.

The state of the national economy is sad.  The stock market has not seen this much upheaval in 50 years or longer.  Businesses are failing everyday.  Unemployment figures are high, way high.  Homelessness is on the rise.  Even billions of dollars in bailout is barely keeping some heads above water – and the tide is coming in.  Many are saying that this crisis is relative to the Great Depression of the 1930′s.  Yes?  No?  Maybe So?  Who knows?  I guess we all find out when the movie comes out.

I feel bad, but it is the nature of business, sometimes.  Some businesses must die so that others can be born.  Economists call it “correction of the market.”  Correction is just what this country needs.

Now is the time to truly take stock.  Of ourselves, our families, our values.  It is time to consider just what, exactly, is really important.  Personal question, I know.  But let’s face it.  Let’s get it out in the open and on the table.  Values, not stuff.  Family, not things.  People, not credit cards.  Spirit of the Season, not gross commercialization.  (sorry, couldn’t resist)

I wish I saw more advertisement for hope, for happiness, for family, for values.  I wish I saw more advertisement that extolled the positive aspects rather than making sport of the negative.  I wish I saw more advertising encouraging people, not making people feel inferior if they don’t buy a whatis 3000.

I smell a revolution.  From three wishes?  From three wishes.

I just watched CBS Evening News and was fascinated by their story Lawmakers Blast Shifts in Bailout Plan.  Senators Issa, Kucinich and Cummings were questioning Neel Kashkari, Interim Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability in the United States Department of the Treasury.  He also heads the Office of Financial Stability.

What a title.  Does this guy get paid by the letter?

It seems that constituents and Congressmen are not exactly happy with the reports and actual performance of the Bailout Program.  The Department is being accused of the diversion of funds designated for the purchase of assets (mortgages) to providing banks with capital in order to shore up credit card, auto loans and other non-bank business.  This bait and switch tactic is breaking with congressional intent.  The people are highly dissatisfied and are accusing the Department of not caring about the people.  Kashkari also defended enormous corporate bonuses (while some companies may be seeking bankruptcy protection in the future or bailout funds) as being part of a previously guaranteed agreement from a separate fund.

Go figure.  At least the price of gas has come down.  But my utility bills went up.  And the price of food.  There are more people living (with stuff under bushes) full-time in the park.  Eight people went through my garbage can this morning looking for aluminum cans to recycle.  One thousand people lost their jobs today.  Hundreds defaulted on mortgages.

This got me thinking about the Federal Reserve.  Must be all the money that is counted with billions and trillions.  Lots of zeros.

Every once in a while a new argument comes out concerning the legality of the Federal Reserve.  The Federal Reserve has the power to determine legal tender, regulate banks and protect the credit rights of consumers, maintain the stability of the financial system and to provide financial services (lend money) to the US government.  The term “Federal Reserve” is used in a general way.  It is actually the Federal Reserve Board (14-year terms) supervising twelve Federal Reserve Banks.  It gets worse.  These banks are private corporations performing a part-time governmental service.  As private corporations, they can be sued, but as part-time government, they don’t have to pay taxes.

It has been stated that the Federal Reserve is an evil institution intent upon the rape and pillage of the American middle class, that it exists merely to profit at the expense of the people.  These banks hold most of the paper attached to credit debt of all types.  Credit is highly encouraged in this country, to the extent that many people are hopelessly in debt and in default.  The Federal Reserve has been accused of using that debt to control the economy and the American people.  The Federal Reserve lends money to the government, who never pays it back, but keeps accruing interest.  The United States Government owes money to practically everyone on the planet.

When this great money making machine was started in 1913 the national debt was just over one million dollars.  Today that debt is over TEN TRILLION DOLLARS!!!  Think of the interest on that.  My calculator won’t go that high.

However, at that rate, no wonder the Reserve wants to keep the money machine going.  Why should they care about the average guy?  They already have all of your cash, and they feel entitled to all the cash that you will have because they are nice enough to lend money to you.  They lend you money so you can buy stuff sold by corporations that are owned by the banks.  The Private Banks.  The Federal Reserve.

Think it is all getting out of control?  What else has been concealed from the general public?  What if it was all on purpose?  What if they meant to do that? The people of the WORLD are at their mercy now.  We were before, but now it is forever.  Oh, and who, exactly, owns the Private Banks controlled by the Federal Reserve?

OK, so, if the Federal Reserve regulates banks and credit, aren’t they in charge of lending practices in general?  It seems the buck stops there.  Was the Reserve Board negligent in not enforcing standards in mortgage lending that allowed so many more-than-risky loans?  Why is their financial irresponsibility being rewarded?  Bad debts are written off on corporate taxes as a loss, including money that was supposed to be made but wasn’t.  Since the banks are private corporations and able to be sued, will all those people get together in a class act law suit?  Is anyone going to prison?  As tax-payer funds are used to buy stocks in publicly held corporations, will each American tax payer receive dividends?  Can I keep my shares until the market recovers?  By the way, when will I see my copy of the papers?

This whole situation is such a disaster.  If I had a ka-jillion dollars, I could buy the United States.  If there was anything left to buy.

I couldn’t do any worse.

There are so many things to love about this country. There is an amazing diversity across the land, everything from flat land to tall mountains, oceans, lakes, rivers.  The people that make up the population come from everywhere.  I don’t think that there is a corner of the earth that is not represented.

The one thing I love most about the United States is our freedom to choose.  We have the freedom to choose what religion we practice, where we live, how we travel, what we work at, what we read, what we write, who we vote for, etc.  Our freedom to think independently and make our own decisions should be cherished.

There are also consequences associated with all that choice.  So many people exercising individuality without conflict is practically impossible.  Laws are established to maintain order.  Justice is in the eye of the beholder.  Politicians…blah, blah, blah.

Let’s get back to the people.  People are what is important – much more than things.  Most of us know that, at least deep down in the pit of our souls.  The choices that we make will have an impact.

What is the point here?

The point is – let’s make responsible choices from now until the end of 2008.  That is not such a long time – only six weeks or so.  I understand that it is the consumers job to support the economy, but this year do not go into debt.  Put the plastic away for emergencies – times are tough.  We are not obligated to making our economic hole deeper in order to support companies that only want to sell you something.  Just how much junk do we need when we are looking hunger and homelessness in the face???  Walmart has been pushing Christmas crap since the beginning of October.  By the time Thanksgiving rolls around I am sick of the whole thing.  I am not alone.

As the holiday season approaches I choose to spend my valuable time with people – my family, my friends and someone in need.  Thanksgiving is about taking the time to be with our people and to take one minute to be thankful.  Christmas is about celebrating the birth of one of the most giving and selfless people ever born.  Neither of these holidays is about giving stuff to people who already have stuff.

Instead of gifts this year, I am going to give my time.  It is not just because money is scarcer this year, although that is one reason.  I have had time, during this period of unemployment, to really observe the outside world – the place I live.

It hurts that the greatest country on the planet, America, can feel such pain.  That in the face of that pain, we are inundated with demands to buy, buy, buy.  I am going to give.  I love America.  And I want to help get her back on her feet.

Too many people are without this year because of the fall of big business, because of bad decisions with dire consequences.  Hopefully, this decision will have positive consequences for those who need an extra dose of confidence this year and into the next.

Think about it.

This story is about a boy who grows up with a drug dealing father who gets shot in the first part of the novel.  The cops want to believe that he knows who did it, or maybe did it himself.  A hidden birth certificate identifies his long lost mother as the current district attorney.  Jude moves in with her, but the good life does not work out for him.  Set up for a crime he did not commit, Jude is sent a maximum security prison for five years despite the fact that he is a minor.  Many years of self discovery later, Jude finally finds out the truth about his father, mother and his step-father.

Even though I figured out who the bad guy was early in the story, there were enough plot twists to propel the story.  There is a happy ending.

I understand why “everyone” might be reading this book.  Some of the issues contained in this book are glamorized in the mass media, but Jude does not do that.  Jude makes the statement that even being associated with drugs and drug people can make a person guilty by association.  The price for association, no matter how noble or innocent, is often quite high.

Most teen readers should like Jude.  It has an easy style, and the flow of the story is quite fast.  Enjoy.

After their old Model T blows a tire in front of an old house, the Williams family winds up working on an apricot ranch just down the road.  They are given a house to live in and the chance to go to the same school for the whole year.

The middle girl, Robin, explores the grounds during one of her “wanders.”  Robin is especially fascinated with the old house which has been boarded up.  She meets an elderly lady who lives near the old house.  She gives Robin a special key, and Robin eventually makes the old house her special place.  Inside, there is a library furnished with books and red velvet curtains.  Robin comes to love the place.

Robins charachter is especially poinqant.  After being on the move for so long, she makes friends on the ranch.  When someone wants to destroy the old house, Robin is forced into action.  When the family is offered a job somewhere else, the decision is partly left in her hands.  As she confronts her emotions and motivations, Robin discovers some very important truths about friends, family and people.

The Velvet Room is a nice read, especially for younger readers.  Although the story takes place during the depression, the warmth of the characters overshadows the bleakness of their position.  The values and interests of the story are as important today as they ever were.  This book is enjoyable and highly recommended.