Summary:
Just because Sookie has broken up with Bill doesn’t mean her relationship with the supernatural world is over–especially when she finds Eric naked and suffering from amnesia on the side of the road.  When she discovers from Pam that a league of evil witches have their sights set on ruling Shreveport, she agrees to hide Eric while the vampires, werewolves, and Wiccans attempt to fend off the witches.  To top it off, Sookie’s brother has gone missing, which may or may not be related to the near-war going on.

Review:
While the books in the series so far have been improving, Dead to the World is definitely a step back.

The individual plot lines aren’t so bad, but Harris doesn’t do a good job of keeping them integrated and flowing.  The book reads as if it has too many sticks in the fire.  Just too much happens in such a short book.  The reader is left feeling a bit of whiplash from the rapidly changing storylines and situations.

I knew Sookie would have a rebound after Bill, but I’d hoped Harris would be more creative than having that rebound be Eric.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like Eric better than Bill, but I also enjoyed the tension between him and Sookie.  I wish that had lasted longer.  Similarly, I don’t think giving Eric amnesia was a wise character development choice.  I’m pretty sure anyone with amnesia plopped into the supernatural world would be a cowering mess.  That doesn’t tell us anything about who Eric is underneath his persona.  Sookie’s interactions with him therefore felt so fake that I not only couldn’t take real interest in them, I was also a bit grossed out by the falseness of them.  I didn’t expect Sookie’s rebound to be emotional, but I did expect it to be more real.

On the other hand, Sookie’s character development takes a nice turn.  Without Bill in the picture, she may have expected the supernatural world to pretty much leave her alone.  Instead she finds out they still depend on her.  Through the various situations, she starts to become a more empowered version of herself, and I enjoyed seeing that.

The best part of the book by far is Jason’s plot-line.  I can’t say much more or I’ll give away the secret, but suffice to say that I hope True Blood gets to this part of the story sooner rather than later.

While I’m irritated by some of the character development choices Harris has made, I am still enjoying the world she has created.  I am hoping though that the series returns to the tight, witty writing found in Club Dead.

3 out of 5 stars

Source: Bought on Amazon

Previous Books in Series:
Dead Until Dark, review
Living Dead in Dallas, review
Club Dead, review

Ormai è certo: True Blood ripartirà a giugno 2010 in America e nel frattempo fioccano spoilers che arrivano direttamente dal creatore della serie, Alan Ball e da alcuni sceneggiatori come Alexander Woo e Raelle Tucker.
Dichiarano innanzitutto che la serie seguirà in modo del tutto fedele il terzo libro della saga della Harris dal titolo “Club Dead” ma in questo caso non ci sarebbero molte news da dare, basterà leggere il libro. Ma siamo sicuri che questa dichiarazione rispecchierà la terza stagione? Vediamo un pò…

Quelle menti geniali non ci terranno molto sulle spine e ci diranno praticamente subito chi c’è dietro il rapimento di Bill mentre gira voce che Eric sfoggerà in tutto il suo splendore con pochissimi vestiti addosso… Ma qualche assaggio già l’abbiamo avuto nei sogni della nostra beneamina Sookie…

Nuovi personaggi, come era ovvio, nella nuova stagione che porteranno scompiglio a Bon Temps mentre è annunciato anche il ritorno di vecchie glorie: il più atteso (anche se solo nei flashback) e forse il più benvoluto dal pubblico è quello di Godric, ma anche Pam resterà accanto al suo creatore Eric. Pare invece che gli americani non gradiscano molto il personaggio della Regina interpretata da Evan Rachel Wood, ma ad ogni modo, dovremo tenercela in quanto il suo personaggio per ora è considerato “regular” nella serie.
Inoltre è stato aperto il casting per cercare l’attrice che interpreterà Caroline Compton:  la moglie di Bill sarà molto sorpresa nello scoprire che suo marito non è morto durante la guerra civile…
Come abbiamo già detto in precedenti articoli, la parte da protagonista delle vicende sarà affidata sempre a Sookie: per la cameriera telepatica (anche se in effetti al Merlotte’s ha lavorato poco ultimamente) ci sarà un viaggio introspettivo alla scoperta di sé stessa:

“Ci saranno più ipotesi e congetture su quello che lei può essere e per questo sarà portata a scoprire chi sia davvero“.
Tutta la stagione sarà incentrata proprio sulla sua identità e il che porterà in modo naturale a concentrarsi meno sul rapporto che ha con Bill anche se le dichiarazioni di Alan Ball sono ferme su questo punto: il loro rapporto non morirà.

Jamie says:  Sometimes, there’s nothing like a good slice of pizza- especially one that has your favorite toppings!  Kathryn and I baked this veggie pizza for dinner.  Side by side, we stood washing, slicing, and tossing the topping onto the dough.  We purchased the pizza dough from the Publix Bakery, and pressed it onto a baking sheet sprayed with PAM.  We then mixed tomato sauce, tomato paste, and Italian seasonings (basil and oregano) together and spread it on the dough.  We sprinkled low-fat mozzarella cheese on top and added sliced onion (another onion from Mom and Dad’s trip to Georgia), fresh minced garlic, fresh mushrooms, jarred roasted red peppers, and canned artichoke hearts, anchovies, and olives.  We baked the pizza for about 25 minutes, and topped it with a dash of garlic salt.  It was quite tasty. 

Nutrition note:  To add more veggies to your diet, try loading your pizza with veggies instead of meat.  Veggie are low in calories and fat-free.

Two thirds through the expedition and we were in Prison.   Prison Camp that is…a.k.a. Gordon Hirabayshi Camp Ground, a once minimum security prison which was adopted by the Forest Service.  It has since been dismantled and provided a  great place to rest and recoup with the comfort of corrals for our horses and campsites for us.  We have just been through a grueling leg of our journey, up and over Mt. Lemon.  Though the views and scenery were amazing as we crossed through 5 eco-zones, ascended and descended 5,000 feet and traveled 24 miles the trail was not equine friendly and taxed our horses and our reserves.

Group dynamics were strained as we struggled individually and collectively to find meaning.  We decided we all needed a much deserved break to rest, re-charge and repair.  Visiting with friends and family, eating out, listening to live music, hiking, doing laundry, taking multiple showers/baths….what may be ordinary in the front country was experienced and savored,  providing the much needed down time to return refreshed.

On our first day back together we had the gift of the presence of Barbara Rector, Creator of Adventures in Awareness and Laura Brinkerhoff, Creator of Leap of Faith .  Wise and talented facilitators, with years of experience with the horse and human bond, they gave us the gift of their curiosity encouraging us to tell our stories of the trail.  “What inspired us to apply for this expedition?  How did we find our resilience during challenging times?  If we were to mentor others that were going on this trip what advice would we have for them?”  These and other questions encouraged learning, reflection and appreciation.

Listening to ourselves, having others bear witness to our stories, hearing the unseen world of our expedition team members has provided the much needed sense of purpose to fuel our curiosity as well as our courage as we continue.

Thank you Laura and Barbara for the reminder of the importance of asking a question of ourselves and others that we think we know the answer to and Really Really listen.  Though the expedition is of traveling and living in the natural world, it is important to also attend to the unseen world that gives purpose to our journey.

Posting by Pam

Pierre Vermeren,

historien français, spécialiste du Maghreb

Q : Votre ouvrage Le Maroc de Mohammed VI. La transition inachevée vient d’être réédité en France. Comment expliquez-vous son succès ?

R : Il y a beaucoup d’interrogations en France parce que la presse donne un compte-rendu de l’actualité marocaine très aseptisé. La censure du journal Le Monde n’a fait qu’accentuer la demande. Pourtant, le Maroc est un pays qui marche très bien dans l’actualité éditoriale en France, à la fois par intérêt, par amitié et aussi par volonté de comprendre ce qui se passe. Les Français ne sont pas que des touristes potentiels. Une partie de la population française essaye de mesurer la réalité des changements en cours au Maroc.

Q : Compte tenu des changements qui se sont opérés au Maroc depuis la parution de votre livre, auriez-vous envie d’y ajouter quelque chose ?

R : Je rajouterais un chapitre sur la manière dont la presse européenne a traité les dix ans de règne. Les journaux français ont traité de cette question avec beaucoup de désinvolture. La période estivale est très difficile pour faire des bilans. Le suivi d’actualité est très pauvre en France, il est propice au scandale et à la conjoncture. La France a un regard anormal sur les pays d’Afrique du Nord. C’est dommage, parce que les Français ont droit à plus d’information. Par exemple, le PAM (Parti Authenticité et Modernité) est totalement inconnu en France.

Q : Justement, que pensez-vous de ce phénomène ?

R : C’est une tentative de ressouder tous les partis politiques d’obédience royaliste qui ont été créés par l’administration depuis les années 60. On rassemble tous les héritiers de ces tendances, en construisant un attrape-tout idéologique. Reste la nécessité de déterminer une ou des oppositions. Il y a le choix entre une opposition très conservatrice liée au religieux et au nationalisme, et une opposition éventuelle de gauche. Je ne sais pas si le PAM a choisi son adversaire ou bien s’il préfère deux oppositions.

Q : Le PAM est-il une menace pour la démocratie ?

R : L’histoire le dira. On revient à une configuration très classique où il y a un grand parti qui est un parti de fidélité totale à l’appareil d’Etat et au roi, avec une opposition plus distancée. De ce point de vue, il y a incontestablement une clarification, et l’interrogation porte davantage sur l’opposition qui va se structurer.

Q : Quelles sont les conditions de renaissance de l’USFP ?

R : C’est certainement le passage à une nouvelle génération. Pour le moment, l’UFSP est dirigée par la génération de l’indépendance. La nouvelle génération doit être émancipée de l’histoire du nationalisme marocain pour être en prise avec les débats du monde contemporain liés à la mondialisation.

Q : Quel regard portez-vous sur les partis à tendance islamiste ?

R : La vraie question porte surtout sur l’absentéisme des Marocains aux élections. La scène politique actuelle montre que les islamistes ne représentent pas grand-chose. Si cette masse de la population décide un jour de voter, il y aura forcément une remise en cause des équilibres apparents. Or, on ne sait pas ce que pense la population qui ne vote pas. Peut-être qu’elle est plus éloignée qu’on ne le croit des préoccupations islamistes. Il est très difficile de le savoir, dans une société où il n’y a pas de sondage. On fait donc de la politique fiction. Mais il existe bien une force islamiste militante d’obédience confrérique, comme dans le cas du Cheikh Yassine.

Q : Est-ce que Al Adl Oual Ihassane constitue un danger pour la scène politique ?

R : On peut le penser. Mais peut être qu’ils se situent en dehors du champ politique. S’ils pensent que la religion a la primauté absolue sur le politique, cela change en partie la donne. Ils n’ont pas d’existence légale, mais leurs objectifs relèvent peut-être plus de l’utopie ou de la foi…

Q : Et comment définiriez-vous le PJD (Parti Justice et Développement) ?

R : Ce parti a un certain nombre de propositions sur la société. Il fait partie intégrante du paysage politique, mais c’est probablement un parti qui est divisé : certains cadres veulent intégrer le champ politique pour faire carrière, et d’autres veulent rester purs. Si l’on compare le PJD à l’USFP, on voit que pendant des décennies, ce dernier est resté pur, puis qu’il a finalement intégré le jeu politique, et que cette intégration lui a coûté cher. Mais le Palais semble aujourd’hui dénier toute représentativité au PJD.

Q : Est-ce qu’il y a une régression de la liberté de la presse au Maroc ?

R : Il est évident qu’il y a des contradictions à l’intérieur de la scène politique marocaine qui produisent des tensions fortes à l’intérieur du pouvoir. Au Maroc, la presse ne possède qu’une partie du pouvoir qu’elle pourrait escompter. Le conflit se situe ici : accepte-t-on un partage de l’information ou veut-on revenir au monopole d’État ? Chaque pouvoir essaye de garder sa prééminence, d’où la confrontation en cours.

Q : Mais un journal a déjà fermé boutique et plusieurs autres pourraient lui emboîter le pas. Pendant que de nouveaux journaux voient le jour…

R : On a une centaine de journaux contrôlés par des groupes économiques qui portent un regard peu critique sur la société et encore moins sur l’État. Les journaux indépendants jouent un rôle politique, de sorte qu’un journal ne peut pas être remplacé par un autre journal. Avec quelques centaines de journaux, il y a une illusion de pluralisme.

Q : Peut-on donc parler de véritable transition démocratique ?

R : Il y a des aspirations à la transition d’une partie de la société. La question concerne moins la nécessité de la transition que ses implications. Est-ce que la transition doit conduire à un partage du pouvoir, ou à une nouvelle répartition des rôles ? Il y a des tensions fortes qui existent entre tous les pouvoirs, dont la presse qui est aussi un pouvoir. Pour le moment la transition a débouché sur un contrôle de l’information plus ouvert, mais si ce contrôle devait se re-monopoliser il y aurait une réelle régression dans la transition.

Q : Peut-on parler d’élite intellectuelle au Maroc ?

R : Dans mon domaine, c’est-à-dire l’histoire, il y a une élite intellectuelle. Le problème, c’est la relève. La génération qui monte est une génération mal considérée dans la société, qui n’a pas les moyens matériels de faire des études approfondies, de lire ce qui se passe à l’étranger, même dans le monde arabe. Il y a une élite intellectuelle, mais dans cinq ou dix ans, pourra-t-on en dire autant avec la relève des générations ?

Q : Et l’élite politique ?

R : La vie politique au Maroc ne s’est pas totalement émancipée du modèle confrérique, du modèle de la Zaouya. Le modèle du marabout (devenu chef de parti) interdit une vie démocratique et partisane normale. La permanence extrêmement longue des mêmes leaders aux postes de direction démontre que cette élite n’est pas sélectionnée selon des critères politiques ou intellectuels normaux, mais selon des critères inhabituels. Et c’est un élément de fragilisation de la vie politique.

Q : Globalement comment se situe le Maroc démocratiquement parlant par rapport à ses voisins maghrébins ?

R : En Tunisie, il n’y a pas d’espoir à ce stade. En Algérie, il a beaucoup de désespérance sur la nature du pouvoir et sur la structure des inégalités. Au Maroc, il y a un peu plus d’ouverture et d’espoir, mais avec des variations liées à la conjoncture. Le Maroc bénéficie d’une très bonne image en Europe et de la sollicitude de nombreux pays. Cette image positive aide le pays, mais ne peut pas tout résoudre.

Propos recueillis par Hicham Bennani

Le Journal Hebdomadaire, novembre 2009

BIO Pierre Vermeren

1966 : naissance à Verdun

1985 : découverte du Maroc

1996 : nommé professeur au Lycée Descartes de Rabat

2001 : récompensé par le prix Le Monde de la recherche universitaire.

2009 : publie Le Maroc de Mohammed VI. La transition inachevée.

Actually, I just got home from work. On my drive home from the newspaper (this is Pam, btw. Figured sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s writing!) I was trying to figure out who would answer her phone at 11 p.m. (midnight for you gals on the East Coast) on a Saturday night, and figured the answer would likely be no one. Then I realized I haven’t updated here in a while, so…problem solved! (Well, I updated on Halloween, but in all fairness, that wasn’t a me update.)

Let’s break this down to make it easier, shall we?

1. Proof people from Beaumont are poor drivers.

My mom came to visit last month, and through stupid scheduling issues I had to work one of the days she was in, so we met for dinner. After dinner, I took a one-way street back to work. After crossing one of the major intersections, the road goes from three lanes to two. I sat at a red light to go straight, then moved to the left lane, since the driver in the right lane was also going straight.

Suddenly, the driver to my right sped up. I didn’t think anything of it…until that person began to make a U-turn. In a one-way street. Without checking her blind spot. I slammed on my brakes, but she didn’t see me, so: Thunk. She turned right into me. On a one-way street.

Thankfully it was very minor. My bumper got some nice damage, but she was insured, so Geico paid for all of my repairs (about $2,000 total) and paid for a rental car while mine was being fixed. But still – I know she was a Beaumont native. How do you not know which roads in the town you’ve lived in for 24 years are one-way streets? And how do you not check your blind spot before making any sort of turning decision?

2. My trip to Missouri, which isn’t quite ‘home’ anymore.

Yes, yes, I know it's blurry, but this is us, missing all of you.

At the beginning of the month I went back to CoMo to see everyone and to finally be a spectator for the Mizzou/Baylor game. I had so much fun! Lib’s fundraiser was a huge success, and the little Coke-bottle gator I won at the silent auction has gotten rave reviews from work. Tracy, Libs and I had a girls’ night after the football game, and we missed all of you greatly. While it was nice to hang out on campus again and eat at some of my favorite places (though I somehow didn’t get to Shakespeare’s or Addison’s…), the vibe was totally different.

Unfortunately I really don’t have much to say about this weekend other than it was an amazing vacation and I was really sad to leave. Naturally, photos are up on Facebook, squeezed in between photos from high school football games.

3. I (kinda sorta) have a social life!

I know, crazy, right? Well, it’s only girls from work. Alex and I hang out a lot, and recently we’ve been joined by Teresa, a sports reporter. Teresa is by nature a loud and outgoing person, and when you put her and Alex together, there’s a lot of chattering, and I tend to kind of fade in the background, since shouting to be heard isn’t really my favorite thing ever. But on Thursday we got fake Trops from Eskimo Hut (best find EVER) and played Rock Band til super late, which was so much fun. And we’ve got another copy editor starting in a few weeks named Joanne, who’s a May grad of UT. Hopefully she’ll join our little group, too.

However, between work and hanging out outside of work, I see an awful lot of these girls. Which is fine, but I don’t know them that well, and I frequently find myself wishing for friends outside of work to meet up with in free times, because hanging out with the same people gets old. I’ve been driving to my parents’ house a lot recently, mostly for laundry and my birthday. The drive is really long but it’s good to see high school friends. I’m even going to Austin in mid-December for a good friend’s 21^st birthday, which will be a nice break in the work monotony.

So I guess to summarize, I’ve settled in a bit more here. I have to work Thanksgiving, but my brother’s not going home til Saturday, and I have this upcoming weekend off, so we’re doing family Thanksgiving a few days late. I also saw a preliminary copy of the Christmas schedule, and it looks like I’m working on Christmas. I’m not sure if I even get any days off close to it, which sucks hard, since my grandpa is going to be in town the days before Christmas, and he’s old so I never know when I’m going to be able to see him next. But I’m at the bottom of the fucking totem pole, so when they say ‘jump’ I say ‘how high?’ and when they say ‘you’re working Christmas’ you respond with a joyful smile and a thumbs-up.

Needless to say, I’ve already decided my next job will be more traditional, with normal hours and normal holidays off. Because even though I like what I do…I like having friends and holidays off better. Maybe magazines will be my next stop?

Love and miss you girls. Anyone wanna come visit? It’s still warm here…

Summary:
Bill has been acting oddly distant with Sookie lately, so she isn’t exactly pleased when he announces he’s going to Seattle on a mission for the vampire queen of Louisiana.  She soon finds out from Pam and Eric, though, that Bill lied to her.  He’s actually been in Jackson, Mississippi with his one-time vampire lover, Lorena.  He’s also been kidnapped.  Something he’s been secretly up to has put them all in danger, so Sookie must put aside her anger for now and try to help the vampires free Bill and prevent a vampire war between the kingdoms of Mississippi and Louisiana.  Along the way, Sookie gets to know a whole lot more about the werewolves–not to mention about Eric.

Review:
I have to hand it to Harris, I expected there to be trouble in paradise for Bill and Sookie, but I didn’t expect it this soon or this serious.  Reading Club Dead made me realize this series isn’t about Sookie’s relationship with Bill, but about Sookie’s gradual entry into the supernatural world.  Bill just kind of served as a door.  I tend to be a bit of a romantic, but I’ve never really liked Bill nearly as much as the other supernatural guys, so let me just say–woohoo!

The plot is complex.  There are multiple mysteries for Sookie to figure out on top of dealing with her emotions about Bill’s betrayal and her odd popularity among the supernatural guys.  I enjoy the fact that she was never desired by human guys, but is among the the supernaturals.  It’s akin to the awkward growing up girl finding her niche in her 20s.  At first Sookie thought it was just Bill who has the major hots for her, but it turns out she’s a hot commodity with lots of the supernatural guys, but it isn’t just about her looks.  They like Sookie for her personality.  Something it seemed to me Bill never seemed to appreciate much.

Harris does a good job writing a unique werewolf world.  Whereas the vampires are notoriously cold emotionally, the werewolves are hot-blooded.  They’re passionate, strong, and animalistic.  Harris has them mostly working blue collar jobs, but excelling at it.  Sookie’s escort, Alcide, runs a highly profitable family general contracting business.

My only complaint is that Harris doesn’t seem to trust her readers to remember the rules of the world she’s created.  We get told yet again that silver chains can hold a vampire down, shifters aren’t out yet, Sookie had a hard time in school, the Japanese created synthetic blood, etc…  It’s annoying, and it makes it feel like Harris thinks she needs to dumb down the story for her readers.  I understand a quick rehash at the beginning of the book to remind us where we left off, but as for everything else, I think the reader can be trusted to remember that silver chain nets are dangerous to vampires.  Those parts are easily skimmed over though, and the res of the book makes up for it.

I originally was uncertain that Harris could keep Sookie Stackhouse’s world interesting for seven books.  I envisioned repeated “Bill and Sookie solve yet another mystery” outings, but I am glad to say I was mistaken.  As the books continue, more of the world is revealed, and Sookie’s life becomes more complicated.  I’m looking forward to what she’s going to reveal next.

If you enjoy the gradual building of a world around a strong female character, you will enjoy the direction this series is headed.

4 out of 5 stars

Source: Bought on Amazon

Previous Books in Series:
Dead Until Dark, review
Living Dead in Dallas, review

ROMA (Reuters) – Il Programma Alimentare Mondiale ha detto oggi che ha bisogno di circa 1 miliardo di dollari per i prossimi sei mesi per combattere la fame in Africa orientale, che minaccia oltre 20 milioni di persone.

“Per i prossimi sei mesi, abbiamo bisogno di meno di un miliardo di dollari, la metà dei quali per l’Etiopia”, ha detto il direttore delle emergenze del Pam Ramiro Lopes da Silva nel corso di una conferenza stampa nell’ambito del Vertice Mondiale sull’Alimentazione che si chiude oggi a Roma.

Oltre a eventi climatici disastrosi come la siccità, dicono le agenzie, altre due cause stanno aggravando il problema dell’insicurezza alimentare nella regione: l’aumento dei prezzi dei generi alimentari – che in Africa orientale sono rimasti a livelli doppi rispetto a quelli di inizio 2007 – e la crisi economica globale che ha compresso anche le rimesse degli emigranti africani, le quali, in certi paesi, rappresentano un quarto dell’economia.

Secondo i dati Fao, quest’anno l’Africa orientale – che comprende anche il Corno – produrrà 30 milioni di tonnellate di cereali, con una riduzione del 6,3% sul 2008, a causa, tra l’altro, della siccità e degli spostamenti di sfollati per i conflitti locali.

Fonte:
http://it.reuters.com/article/topNews/idITMIE5AH0DN20091118

Fuente: Youtube de Choice

Fuente: Youtube de Choice

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This look was inspired by an outfit I’ve seen Pam wear on True Blood. A gorgeous navy dress Pam wears when they are releasing LaFayette to Sookie, and you know LaFayette gets mouthy and Pam asks if she can kick him. She looks stunning. Navy is such a good color for her.

So I decided to do a simple but classy look. I used China Glaze Up all Night which is a dark, midnight blue. I thought it matched the dress well and plus the name was quite suiting since that’s sort of what vampires do. Then accented with Orly Country Club Khaki. It’s such a chic, neutral color. The colors are quite complimentary to one another and also the look would match that great khaki safari dress Pam wears when burying Bill and Jessica.

I painted the nail with two coats of Up all Night and then when it dried I put tape on my nail, covering most of it up but the bottom fourth of the nail. You have to make sure your nails are completely dry or else the tape will peel off the polish. Then I brushed on the Country Club Khaki and let it sit a minute. There’s less likelihood of a mess if you wait til the polish is a bit tacky. I didn’t get my tape on quite straight but it’s ok.