Things I have had to come to grips with this morning that displease me:

1. I am a premature ejaculator reviewer
2. There?s a particular kind of folk music that grabs me by the heart and reveals to the world what kind of schmaltz queen I really am
3. The magazines at hair salons and dentists? offices are not safe with me

Before I put my uglies on display, can I first tell you that yesterday I went down to Cambridge and got my hair cut for the first time since MAY?holy god, she had to lop off 3 full inches to make me look even remotely civilized. But this woman is the best and I came home feeling like a million bucks and looking, I trust, a little less like a woman who lives in the woods with the personal grooming habits of the Unabomber.

Ahhhhh, honestly, a great hair cut is a very good thing.

It is such a good thing I have the courage and self-esteem to reveal those less attractive aspects of myself.

Two new books in my midst and I am ga-ga over both of them despite, and I must strenuously underscore the disclaimer, the fact that I have yet to complete these two delicious volumes. In truth, I have barely begun them and yet here I am recommending them to you. Why would I show no restraint? Why would I not calmly and thoughtfully wait until I had completed these books before sharing them with you all?

Because they?re SOOOOOooooooooooo good. I can?t help myself.

PopCo, Scarlett Thomas

You know how much I loved the beginning and middle of The End of Mr. Y, but did not like how it wrapped up. And STILL! I am a mere 20 pages into this fabulous book and recommend it HIGHLY (oh so highly). There should be a warning sticker on this blog.

Everything You Need to Feel Go(o)d, Candace B. Pert, Nancy Marriott

ARRGH. Haaaaaate the title. But love her so much. Loved Molecules of Emotion and Your Body is Your Sub-conscious Mind. So, alas, two titles out of three I?ll forgive her especially because the book positively vibrates in my hands. Yet, if after reading it I think it is complete garbage?I will come back with a bowl of crow to eat publicly.

BBC Radio is the best kept secret of the known universe as far as I am concerned. The wealth of diverse music, interviews, radio shows etc is beyond the pale. To mix it up a little, sometimes I venture out of my preferred genres. Recently, I have been on Radio Scotland and listening to a program called ?Traveling Folk.? (I KNOW, god, I know?I?m going to have to turn in my punk/hard rock membership card).

While listening to it last week, I heard a song that just melted me?just reverted me to a ten year old girl sitting next to my mother on the piano bench singing old ballads while she played. The song is ?Pretty Fair Maid? from the cd Fiddler's Green by Tim O?Brien.

And yes, I ordered it. Would you be a dear and pass on a recipe for some soft foods for me? Maybe some Farina? Rice pudding? Baked oatmeal? Something with good fiber.

Over at Patry's today I had to come face-to-face with my inner klepto.

I do take pictures or magazines from hair salons, etc and only sometimes do I ask. I wish I felt badly about this but there?s actually one photo spread I can still see in my mind?s eye that I SHOULD have freaking taken/bought/begged/borrowed or stolen but didn?t and I?ll never see it again because I can?t remember what magazine it was in--all of which is to say, my guilt is of the milquetoast variety. Thoughts of glossy magazines unceremoniously (and illicitly) defrocked of one of their glistening pages doesn't keep me up at night.

I have binders upon binders filled to the gills with clipped images and what can I say? It must be the bird in me---gathering up bits to build my nest.

got 2 cents?