A few hundred years after the Pilgrims hit Plymouth Rock, hopped out, declared “Mission Accomplished,” and headed out to the nearest Indian casino for a feast and a floor show, we can still find things to be thankful for.
For one, I’m thankful for Hugo, the eerily familiar-looking nephew of mine, who I met for the first time yesterday. The guy is smart as a whip, eating and barfing like a baby literally twice his age (okay, twice his age is slightly under two months, but still…)
Anyway, another thing we all have to be thankful for is that the great Edith Layton has emerged from behind her nom de romance and published her first general fiction historical novel, Queen of Shadows. Yes, that’s right, it’s by “Edith Felber.” In some bookstores right now, there are actually TWO Felbers, side by side, on the new fiction table.
That’s a record, and it may stand until Hugo gets off his ass and finally gets around to finishing his first novel. I gotta say, the kid’s a little lazy when it comes to that.
Fanny Roborat
45 comments
cooper
November 24, 2006 at 5:05 pm
1First novel…? Psssh! You can’t even get him to sign his Social Security Card; but he’s a smart kid. Probably figures, why bother?
BTW, Unc, I must say the Spike team is really hitting it’s stride now. Episode 109 with Fred Willard was solid and funny! I watch on the website since I’m having to hit the sack earlier and earlier. Midnight Saturday is really asking too much. Plus watching on the net, minimizes most of that crap - excuse me - advertising. It is sad to see that the 30 minute comedy shows are really less than 21 minutes of yuks.
Apathete
November 24, 2006 at 5:15 pm
2Only problem with your record aspirations - Hugo is not a Felber, is he?
Great pictures, especially Father and Son.
Murray
November 24, 2006 at 8:08 pm
3Yeah, family is the best. It’s the first thing to be thankful for.
Sunny weather, a good bike ride, and even though it meant getting up at 5 this morning to be at Staples at 6, I’m now working with a beautiful new monitor, thanks to my wonderful wife. Lots of other things to be thankful for too.
Dale
November 24, 2006 at 8:29 pm
4In Re Apathete’s good point: May I encourage Hugo (or Susie) to adopt the Spanish tradition (and with the name Hugo, he’s halfway there) of taking the mother’s last name as the second last name? In Spain and Latin America he would automatically be Hugo Holland Felber (sorry, the Norbert has to go. A small price for the continuation of the Felber line, no?) And then culturally uneducated booksellers and librarians would shelve him under F (people! Garcia Marquez goes under “G”! Vargas Llosa under “V”! Don’t MAKE me complain!).
SeattleDan
November 24, 2006 at 8:58 pm
5Well, duh, Dale. Of course Garcia Marquez goes under G. It’s those damn Frenchies that give me so much trouble.
Dale
November 24, 2006 at 10:49 pm
6You laugh. The entire Barnes and Noble chain (I know, I know, why do I bother) has it backwards–even in their Spanish language sections. (And a Puerto Rican friend was spontaneously erased from all enrollment–annoying–and payroll–disastrous–records at NYU when the administration decided to switch everything to her second last name.)
cooper
November 25, 2006 at 6:07 am
7SeattleDan, the Frenchies annoy everyone, even -and especially - Saint Mark Twain. *Before the frogophiles out there begin firing their trebuchets at me and drawing Maginot Lines in the sand, my great grandmother was a Beauchamp in good standing. Oui ! C’est vrai!
historyenne
November 25, 2006 at 6:36 am
8As a registered, card-carrying Francophile and French teacher, let me just say that even we who love the French find them annoying. Good people everywhere have been annoyed by the French since the death of Charlemagne. I’m only nice to them so they’ll share their food and wine.
Harold
November 25, 2006 at 7:37 am
9Queen of Shadows! The long-awaited book by Edith Felber, filled with beheadings and disembowelments! (Not to be confused with Edith Layton’s To Seduce a Bride, which was not.)
Sheesh, can’t that kid cut his own fingernails? I tell ya, kids these days, expecting to have everything done for them…
dee
November 25, 2006 at 7:56 am
10Novel, schmovel. I’m waiting for his Susan Cheeveresque account of growing up surrounded by such interesting relatives.
Dale
November 25, 2006 at 12:52 pm
11Make sure to give him a bit of a hard time. Too cool and well-adjusted a family is just about the surest prescription for a failed career as a novelist.
cooper
November 25, 2006 at 1:56 pm
12historyenne, if they actually share the food and wine, maybe that makes it worth the effort. I’m curious, when you travel to France and speak the language with the natives, do they consider you to be unusually worldly and intelligent - for an American. Does that open doors and hearts to you?
cooper
November 25, 2006 at 2:06 pm
13Dale, good point. When Hugo is just beginning to speak, Susie could talk wrong (old Steve Martin joke) - “May I mambo dogface to the banana patch?”. Always good for a laugh, Susie, and really lightens up that first stressful day at pre-school.
tess
November 25, 2006 at 2:52 pm
14Fingernails need trimming already? Reminds me of what happened while my mother was giving birth to my oldest brother — as he put it, he “had fingernails and used them.” Broke my mother’s water, and gave himself a nasty scar down his face when he decided to he’s got these nifty bits of keratin so may as well test them out. Came out a month premature, too.
So Susie, keep ‘em trimmed to the point where he cannot do harm. Though it’s another matter entirely when he starts teething.
historyenne
November 25, 2006 at 8:03 pm
15Cooper, they’re usually just surprised. Generally, they assume I’m Canadian, and I confess I don’t usually correct them, because when I’m on vacation I don’t want to spend my time defending the policies of an administration I don’t support. However, if they ask, I say I’m American, then they usually say something like “Wow, and you speak French?” I say yes, then do my best to deflect the political baiting, or at least to express how divided the US is over Iraq and the administration. As for opening doors and hearts, yes, frankly, it does, and I have had some very interesting conversations with taxi drivers in Paris. Plus it’s really fun to eavesdrop on people who don’t think I can understand them.
On a related note, I now work in Japan for a company that provides foreign language education to the Japanese, and so employs instructors from many countries. The other day I overheard a German telling an Australian about his travels in the US, and saying very seriously how he had discovered that all Americans are not, in fact, stupid and ignorant “the way we always hear they are.” I dont’ think that people in other countries think such things about us because they want to be snide or perpetuate malicious stereotyping, it’s simply what they grow up hearing, and there are always just enough “ugly Americans” traveling the world to keep these ideas alive. In all seriousness, I do believe that if we (Americans) want to improve the world’s perception of us, then we individually must lead by example. This means acknowledging the existence of stereotypes and preconceptions without becoming defensive, and also accepting that there are things about other countries that we find annoying without being judgmental about it. The French are fiercely protective of their language and culture, to the point of absurdity at times, and they can be both snide and belligerent in their defense of it. However I find that putting up with this really is a small price to pay for the privilege of enjoying the things I have come to love about that language and culture, things that acually do go beyond cuisine. And if we are honest with ourselves we will admit that some prominent Americans are ignorant and stupid, if they weren’t, we’d have nothing to talk about here at FanAp. It’s just a lot easier for us to hear other Americans complaining about it than for us to hear foreigners doing so. By the same token, while the French may recognize the ridiculousness of their desperate defense of a cultural and lingual significance that they lost a very long time ago, they don’t want (or need) Americans pointing it out to them. No one wants to hear criticism from strangers, even if it’s criticism we give ourselves, that’s universal to the human race.
Thus endeth the diatribe. Being serious for that long gives me a headache. But even though I was being facetious with my comment about the food and wine, they were a major motivating force behind me putting in all the effort and the decade that it took to learn the d**n language. And if you speak French to the French, they are more inclined to share.
cooper
November 25, 2006 at 8:58 pm
16historyenne, that’s impressive. Japan, huh? How long are you there, or is it open-ended? BTW, I know what you mean about people thinking you’re Canadian and letting them run with it. In the little traveling that I’ve done, I’ve found that helpful at times. Just sprinkle your English conversations with “aboat” and “eh?” and you’re home free.
I’ve often chuckled at the way the French so stridently defend their language, but on the other hand, once it’s gone, it’s gone. Maybe, they have a point.
Send us a travelog of Japan sometime. My aunt Fumi was a Yamoto and a second generation American. I don’t know where her ancestrial home was.
historyenne
November 26, 2006 at 6:31 am
17cooper, I’m fortunate in that I grew up in Wisconsin, so my native accent isn’t that different from the Canadian one. Very handy, eh?
What a multinational family you have! I’m envious, my family is all British. I’m in Osaka, for a minimum of a year, but that can be extended indefinitely. I have mixed feelings at this point, because I only just got here (about 2 wks) and since I don’t speak the language–or even read the alphabet–it’s been frustrating at times. But as I was stomping into work today feeling grouchy, I discovered a craft fair on the basement floor of my building, and bought some handmade teacups from a very nice woman who was patient with my mix of halting Japanese and sign language. Everyone I’ve encountered here is intensely polite, and they really seem to mean it, which is a nice change from the forced “helpfulness” that is prominent in the American service industry–but that’s a separate topic. Japan is very interesting, very different from Western countries, and I’m studying the language (did I once think French was difficult? What joyous days of blissful ignorance those were!) in hopes of one day being able to communicate with all the nice people. I’ll keep you updated
Linkmeister
November 26, 2006 at 3:03 pm
18historyenne, study that language! I lived in Yokosuka for two years and didn’t study it, and I ended up in Honolulu where a good working knowledge of it would have been useful.
You never know where life will lead you, so learn as you go.
M. Moskowitz
November 26, 2006 at 5:22 pm
19Hey, Adam, I understand that you’re a new uncle. Congratulations and let me tell you your timing is impeccable. I have a new product that has just recently hit the market in Kinshasa, Montevideo, and now, for the first time in the United States - Post Falls, Idaho - and it’s bound to be the new must have for the Holiday Season. Hypoallegenic, completely inedible, and in 27 different textures and colors it’s “Baby’s First Soul Patch” (Register Trademark). Huh? Huh? Call me, Babe. I’ve got lots of them.
It's Pat!
November 26, 2006 at 6:48 pm
20Historyenne, I’m really impressed with your career move. What an adventure! I really appreciated your “diatribe” - and your are correct - stereotypes die one person at a time. Aint’ easy, but worth it. You just have to be judgemetally apathetic - fanatically. Right Adam??
It's Pat!
November 26, 2006 at 6:49 pm
21Well, I can’t spell big words
Ann
November 26, 2006 at 6:51 pm
22H -enne,
I lived between Osaka and Kyoto for three years, teaching English and editing technical papers mostly. My (American) boyfriend was proficient in Japanese and I was somewhat less so, and we were often amused to hear ourselves discussed openly—people just assumed we couldn’t understand a word!
Maybe at the next Felberpalooza I’ll tell the story of my redheaded American friend at the public baths…
Linkmeister
November 26, 2006 at 9:58 pm
23Grins. Ann, there was a bathhouse right across from my apartment in Yokosuka. The apartment had no hot water and no shower, so if I wanted to get clean, I had to pay my 100 yen to use the bathhouse.
I was the crazy hairy gaijin to those men, I’m sure.
cooper
November 27, 2006 at 4:31 am
24Hmmm… Shall we begin the countdown on Mr. Rove? http://thinkprogress.org/2006/11/26/lott-rove-divide/
I bet W can get along fine without his “Brain”.
siobhan
November 27, 2006 at 4:45 am
25From your lips to God’s ear, Cooper.
historyenne
November 27, 2006 at 6:33 am
26I have heard tell of these public bathhouses. Fortunately, my apartment has a shower attachment on the bathtub, but the public bath sounds like an interesting experience
nato
November 27, 2006 at 9:31 am
27Hey M. Moskowitz, does this mean there are three of us “damned liberals” up here in Post Falls? Or are you just retailing the soul Patches from here due to our low wages and minimal workers’ rights? Still not enough to start our own chapter of Drinking Liberally, but it’s a start. . .
M. Moskowitz
November 27, 2006 at 6:52 pm
28nato, Post Falls, ID is merely a mail drop and a warehouse/mini storage bin on the edge of town to conceal a bit of contraband.
Adam, you’re a man of discerning taste (heh, heh!). I’ve got the inside edge on a new concept; tell me what you think - from the innovative Frank Sumatra of Indonesia - “Welcome (to Planet Earth) Wagon Basket” - coming soon to a birth center near you! All the things an aspiring young human might need for a competitive advantage in this dog-eat-dog world. Items include these deported Italian Napa-gel balls for soaking or eating. I admit that’s not a new idea, but recent technological advances are keeping explosions to a mere minimum. Trust me. And to exercise that crucially important early eye-hand coordination, we’re introducing the “Marie Antoinette Bobble Head Action Figure”. Oops. The head keeps falling off. Maybe this still needs work. No, wait, that’s perfect! Heh, heh. Another possiblity we’re experimenting with, for flattening that newborn tummy, is a 1/20 scale functioning train set with special ankle straps that positions the little bugger to where it’s laying across the tracks and unless the tyke does a full sit-up as the train comes by… well, he or she will the next time, I promise! This is a wind-up toy, good for up to 50 reps. No more young & obese Americans, starting right now! We’re thinking of calling it “(No) Brakes on a Train” - cute, huh? Yeah. We thought so, too.
What we need from you is just a couple of hundred grand, to get the ball rolling, and your face as spokesman. No wait, even better - your back! Just to the right of the Sony Playstation logo. How do I keep coming up with these great ideas?!
David
November 28, 2006 at 7:21 am
29Vaya con Diablo, Senors Rummy and Rove.
Ann
November 28, 2006 at 10:51 am
30Seattle is paralyzed by half an inch of snow today, so my office is closed. I get to do some work anyway, thanks to the miracle of the Internet, although we all know the Internet is supposed to be for fun!
I’m going to pull on my boots and hike to the nearest Starbuck’s. Wish me luck.
SeattleDan
November 28, 2006 at 12:00 pm
31Good luck, Ann. I made it to the store. I’m sure everyone from the midwest and East Coasts think we’re wusses. But, damn, it’s slicker than you know what out there.
dee
November 28, 2006 at 12:29 pm
32Wow I read a few of the stories and comments in the Seattle Times. It’s not the half inch of snow, it’s the ice underneath it! People taking 10 hours to drive sixty miles. I’ve become an utter wimp since I moved to NC and won’t drive in it anymore.
You folks stay warm and dry and cozy up there. Sounds like a great day to curl up with a good book or a friend who’s read one.
Dale
November 28, 2006 at 12:40 pm
33Off topic–a few months ago I contributed (minutely) to a fundraiser for a women’s radio station in Iraq called Radio Almahaba and have periodically received updates via Children’s International, the Canadian NGO that is helping them. Until now, the updates have been of the “things are terrible but we struggle on, we have hope, thank you thank you” variety. I just got the following forward from Ako Swabb, the NGO director, a forward from one of the leaders at the station. There is nothing really that I/we can do…
“I just got this distress email from Bushra. Could you please join me in sending positive thoughts and prayers for Bushra, Steve, Nesrin, George, Amir, the staff of Radio Almahaba and the innocent people of Iraq ? Bushra’s email address is dawood_bushra@yahoo.ca (ca is for Canada and there is an underline between the two names.)
Ako
Baghdad is burning, innocent people are dying in hundreds, and in a savage way, we are alone here. I know we have all the good people abroad like you and many others but you can only do very little.
We have just get bombed as I am writing this email, we are also stranded inside the building because they suspect a car bomb at the gate of our building. I thought I have to tell you that in case we can’t make it
AKO, we are left alone, sorry to say that but we have to fight our own battle and defeat the evil powers.
Pray for us dear sister, and forgive me if I ever said or did anything that bothered you in any way.
I am still hoping that we will meet again and if not in this life then in the next life time
Take care
Bushra
Harold
November 28, 2006 at 1:45 pm
34Ann, SeattleDan, we regularly get socked with wint’ry nastiness here in Northeastern PA, and I would gladly take a foot of snow instead of a thin layer of ice. Be careful, stay off the roads wherever possible, and watch out for falling branches from trees weighed down by ice, especially trees that have not lost all their leaves yet.
Dale, that just sucks.
cooper
November 28, 2006 at 3:20 pm
35Dale, sorry to hear about this sad situation. Please let us know what happens.
hedera
November 28, 2006 at 9:21 pm
36Dale,
Oh. My. God. And there’s nothing we can do except pray, if that works. May Allah be with them, or God, or whoever.
SeattleDan
November 28, 2006 at 9:36 pm
37Thank you, hedera, for trying to express the inexpressable. I couldn’t come up the words. There are real human beings out there suffering from what we cannot imagine.
David
November 29, 2006 at 5:38 am
38Slight correction, Seattle Dan: suffering from what we as a political entity refuse to imagine, and which the major media so effectively keep us from being able to imagine as this administration continues on what I can only refer to as a truly evil enterprise under the “leadership” of the most clueless fuck in our political history.
Dale
November 29, 2006 at 10:49 am
39Quick update: I received an e-mail from Bushra and they are still, at least, alive, although conditions have not changed. It is somewhat long so I will not post it here, but if anyone wants to see the whole thing (it is tragic, touching, and interesting) please e-mail me.
Murray
November 29, 2006 at 10:50 am
40Ann, you guys are getting snow and we get temperatures in the 60s. It was even warm enough to spend Mon. and Tues. putting a new roof on Tony’s house. This was our first chance after the election, and with him living on the top of PA’s second tallest mountain and a sky resort just behind the house, by all rights we should have had a foot of snow on the ground (and roof).
In one more respect our country seems to be backwards.
Ann
November 29, 2006 at 1:17 pm
41Staying home again today, due to icy condition of streets. Chips & pop supply dangerously low. May risk trip to local convenience store. Need ice skates. Why no Netflix??
Ann
November 29, 2006 at 1:19 pm
42The previous comment in no way indicates a lack of concern for serious stories, such as Bushra’s.
SeattleDan
November 29, 2006 at 1:31 pm
43Better go now, Ann. The snow is returning later this afternoon.
David
November 29, 2006 at 7:58 pm
44Dale,
The homicidal absurdity of it is way beyond sickening. This is one of those times the sense of utter powerlessness to ameliorate that madness cuts very deeply. Natalie Maines was so right to apologize to the world for the bastards in the White House. The idea that this deadly chaos is ok so long as our geopolitical/economic interests are served is genuinely horrifying. I am so very, very sick of what “US interests in the region” actually means. Satan is dancing with delight at the moment.
hedera
December 1, 2006 at 4:05 pm
45Dale, I would be indeed interested in Bushra’s story, but I don’t know how to email you. I went to your blog and didn’t find anything about Bushra, nor any email address, since Blogger.com doesn’t display them. (I blog there too.) How do we do this?