Looking forward to Arin Greenwood's new novel

Arin Greenwood has a new novel inspired by the Saipan lifestyle coming out called "Tropical Depression," and I am really looking forward to reading it. Arin is a great writer, a versed traveler and, most importantly, a genuinely nice person. I remember back when I was on the island I googled Bali one day and read something she wrote about it. (If you Google her you will find a diverse list of topics expatiated on.) Either the article or the bio tag mentioned she lived in Saipan, and while everyone seems to know everyone in Saipan, I don't think I had met her at the time. I was so happy to see such a raconteur living right on my little island that I emailed her and expressed that I would love to meet her. We got to be friends and had several great conversations over the years. She was one of those people that island people I thought cool like Zaldy Dandan, Mike Ernest and Galvin Guerrero really liked her as well.

As for the subject material, I can relate. Lots of us dream of going off to live on a tropical island. Some of us do it. It's not always what you think, it definitely doesn't suck, and there is usually no shortage of memorable stories and characters. My five years in Saipan are probably the most memorable, pivotal and happiest five years of my life -- despite the many problems there.

A while back Arin did share with me an early partial draft of her novel, which comes out in November, and I know I am looking forward to reading the full treatment. Even though I am not writing about or from Saipan these days, I would like to think this blog is still a valid resource to those interested in life in the CNMI. I still get the occasional email about prospects for living there. Arin's book will include a great take on the various missionaries, mercenaries and misfits that have had Saipan sand in their shoes I'm sure. I will update the Amazon link here as soon as it is available.

Vegans and poseur Dems

"Vegetarians and their Hezbollah like splinter faction the vegans are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit.”

- Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential

I read a couple of interesting things today. There is a story in the New York Times about differing views on diet choices impacting modern dating relationships. The story used the above quote from Anthony Bourdain, a personal pantheon member and author of just about my favorite book this decade: Kitchen Confidential. I dated a vegan for a short while once, against my own better judgment, and my tolerance for the vegan mindset lasted even less time than I expected. When she turned down Jimi Hendrix for a second time that was the final assault on good taste, so I ended the relationship on the spot. This piece reminded me of my recent thoughts on humorless liberals and liberals I have no use in being around in general. Vegans are real high on that list, at least pushy vegans. I suppose there are right wing vegans out there somewhere, but none I've ever heard of. Arin Greenwood is the lone exception I can think of to that rule. She is the more tolerable branch, a vegetarian.

Also, Matt Taibbi has a great story on how the Democrats have mastered the art of looking like they're against the Iraq War, but haven't done anything close to a serious effort on doing anything to actually stop it. This piece doesn't even expound on the Democrats failure to conduct any real oversight on the various assaults on the Constitution or to impeach the SOB.