Bibliophiles unite! Who doesn’t love the opportunity to get their hands on a signed copy of a first edition hardcover novel? Anyone who loves the written word will appreciate how cool it is to have something like this in your book collection.

The Capo’s Mistress by Richard Harris is now out in hardcover and to celebrate, the author is holding a contest where ten winners will receive a signed copy of the book. All you have to do is visit the web site for The Capo’s Mistress, http://richard-harris.com and register to win on or before September 30, 2007. This is a singular opportunity for all book lovers.

The mystery/thriller, set in Las Vegas, is available in stores and on the internet. The book introduces hard-boiled Mike Driscoll, an ex-detective sucked into a dangerous case de his weakness for pretty women. The style harkens back to classic detective novels: brisk, engaging and full of vivid descriptions.

In the age of the internet, I love to see authors work hard to promote their own books. Just think of all the great novels we missed back in the day before the net. The opportunity to share you greatest work with the world is a gift, both for the author and for those who will be able to experience reading the story.

By now nearly everyone has read about the University of Florida student who was tasered by campus police during a Q&A with John Kerry on campus yesterday. I’m not going to jump in here right now and deconstruct Kerry’s politics or even the views of the student, Andrew Meyer. All you need to know is that Gainesville is a tiny blue dot in a mostly Blue Florida. Life is different in a campus town. Most residents are rabid Democrats, but as soon as you roll outside the city limits into the calm of Alachua or Micanopy, you‘ll see signs during election time that let you know you are right back into the Red.

I will jump in and say I think that campus police took the situation WAY too seriously. So, Meyer got mouthy. He waved around a copy of a book. He asked more questions than most students. All in all, he was at the microphone about a minute and a half. That is not all that long in the scheme of eternity, my friend.

He flailed around a bit while the cops restrained him. I did not see him strike anyone or threaten violence. He did resist arrest, though I bet that while it was happening he must have been overwhelmed by how utterly absurd it was that he was being arrested at all.

But, a taser? Come on, people. Even the out-of-shape campus police must have felt comfortable that he was not going to harm them. I hope that the officer who initiated the shock is put through the ringer on this one, including mandatory counseling to determine if he is mentally suited to continue duty.

As for Meyer being restrained for his diatribe – whether or not I agree with what he was saying, I do feel that he was shown a disgusting lack of freedom of speech. Way to go, Florida. Keep our state in the headlines for the most embarrassing of reasons.

One thing that I see as an international pursuit is home improvement. We’re all out to undertake projects that better our home and surroundings. It doesn’t matter if you rent or own or share a place with someone else. We all seem to be in a constant endeavor to make our homes more comfortable. I’ve mentioned before in my blog that I have home improvements underway to update the bathrooms and kitchen. I also want to replace the windows and add a porch to the front of the house. Sure, it will all add to the value of the house, but it will also make things more comfortable.

I like the style of windows we currently have, at least when it comes to safety. You have to wind a lever and the sections of glass open up and out. Someone would be hard pressed to break in through one of our windows. But, I’m not as pleased with their insulation properties. Most new windows use double glazing and trap a layer of air between panes of glass. It’s the best way to make sure you are not losing heated or cooled air through your windows. For purposes of lower utility bills, I am looking into all new windows for the beginning of the coming year. The cost of energy just keeps rising and it doesn’t look like there is an end in site. The best we can do is to make changes in our lives to conserve and spend less.

I’ve been get pretty exciting about the idea of putting some tilt & Turn windows in for the back sunroom. I saw a good description of the windows over on the Anglian website and they look perfect for maximizing our view of the star fruit and lemon trees. Plus, they’d be a cinch to clean. I keep thinking of the old sit-com where the maid would typically say, “I don’t do windows.” I can see why. Getting outside in the yard to clean the outside of a window seems like such an undertaking. If I can clean them on both sides from the comfort of my sunroom; all the better.

 

Tonight is the first lesson is the second session of swim lessons for Gigi. After this session concluded, I will sign her up for two more sessions and we will conclude lessonsin mid-November. I know I get pretty tired of the hot days of Florida during the summer months, but somehow it all feels OK when you realize you can comfortably swim in an outdoor pool until almost Thanksgiving, usually later. If the pool were heated, we could go even longer.

In a couple of weeks we will see the beginning of the most luxurious weather on earth, in my opinion. June through mid-September are difficult months in Florida, but the rest of the year is pure bliss. I’ll wear sandals all winter and we will have our windows open, except for the few short weeks we get wintry weather in the area.

There is a reason people move to Florida! Yeah, you give up the mountains and I miss them dearly. But, I can visit up north and vacation in the mountains. I can still go on ski trips and time thing so we can play in the snow at my dad’s. But when it comes to being able to enjoy my own yard and the local attractions, I love that Florida allows me year-round access to blooming flowers, singing birds, and warm sun.

I’m not a big drinker. I like to have the occasional beer with pizza or at a cookout. I cook with liquor often, but don’t use it as much for mixed drinks. One thing I really do appreciate, though, is wine. I drink wine because I genuinely like the way it tastes, the way is can complement some foods, and the way it makes a meal seem more celebratory. I don’t just drink wine to drink it; I drink it to savor it. And, I don’t drink it often, just when it’s right.

I like to try new flavors, new varieties of wine. I have my favorites, for sure, but I am absolutely willing to look at something new to me. That’s why a Wine of the Month club is right up my alley. It gives me an almost passive way to try new wines on a monthly basis. The Amazing Clubs wine club features hard-to-find wines from boutique wineries around the world. That’s the way I like them. I can walk into any grocery store around here and pick up a bottle of whatever the neighbor is drinking. I want to try the obscure stuff. The club allows you to cancel at any time if you are not happy with the product. That makes the risk minimal and the potential to discover new favorites highly likely.

Here is a little follow up for the story I wrote last week about the risk of infections now that we are back to school. One of the things I stressed in the article was how important hand washing is in preventing illness. I also talked about how I use Staphaseptic on all our cuts and scrapes, to help prevent MRSA.

Well, the Soap and Detergent Association sponsored a study based on observations last month of more than 6,000 people in four big cities. They found that in public restrooms, one-third of men didn’t bother to wash after using the bathroom, compared with 12 percent of women.

Ew, you dirty boys!

The most disgusting results came out of Atlanta’s Turner Field, where only 57 percent of men there washed their hands after using the bathroom. Bring a can of Lysol with you if you plan on attending a Braves game. Kudos to the women there, though. 95% of you washed after using the bathroom.

And, things have gotten worse since the last time the survey was conducted two years ago. At that time, only one-quarter of men didn’t wash, compared with 10 percent of women.

A recent Harris Interactive survey found 92 percent of Americans said they usually or always wash up after using the bathroom. Someone is lying on the interactive survey. The results of the Soap and Detergent Association study are conducted undercover, so the results are more objective.

Now, doesn’t this make you want to go right out and by a gallon jug of hand sanitizer?