Robbing (Fiscally Responsible) Peter to Pay ("A Day Late, A Dollar Short") Paul

The California legislature and governor have presented a new budget. . . one that "borrows" money from local government and special districts to pay bills at the state level. Hmm. . . I think we voted this option down in a special election just a few months ago. At least, I THOUGHT that's what the ballot read.

For Those of Us Who Are Clutter-Challenged. . .

Organizing for Life: Declutter Your Mind to Declutter Your World by Sandra Felton

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is a heavy-duty read. It's not about how to organize your house: It's about why many of us have difficulty doing so. A thought-provoking and sometimes disturbing read, it addresses issues such as self-esteem, alcoholic parents, attention deficit, etc., etc. Author Felton doesn't condemn; rather, she offers hope and concrete suggestions for the perennially disorganized and clutter-challenged.


View all my reviews.

This Comic Geek Speaks on comicgeekspeak. . .

A couple of weeks ago, I did a phone interview with the fun, smart guys at ComicGeekSpeak. We discussed how publisher Cinebook goes about translating Franco-Belgian comic books and graphic novels, what the response has been in North America, what it's like to work with a largely European workforce, etc., etc. It's a pretty animated discussion.

If you're interested in listening, the podcast is here.

Pay Attention to What Our Legislators Are (Not) Doing

With a new Federal administration come new hopes, new promises, new impetus for change. It's an opportunity to do what many new administrations accuse their predecessors of not doing: action rather than talk. Particularly at this time, with the U.S. economy in the throes of dramatic adjustment, our elected Federal leaders have a tremendous opportunity to engender goodwill in the Americans they serve by demonstrating it themselves.

Voting to discontinue automatic pay increases for themselves would be a good place to start. In fact, several places would be a good place to start, but would any other be more applauded and more appreciatively viewed by their constituents - and at such little cost, relatively speaking?

Why, then, did our Congressional House leaders actively let this opportunity slip through their fingers this week?

Read about it here. If you feel strongly about it, call or email your senator to voice your opinion.

When your mom is an editor . . .

. . . you might say stuff like this:
Teen son to mom, as he's wearing his homemade costume for the Napoleon Dynamite dance he's about perform in the school showcase (moon boots, a white T-shirt with "ringer" neckline and sleeve edges colored in marker, a paper decal of “Vote for Pedro” awaiting ironing and temporarily stuck on with pins, his dad’s old aviator-style glasses) -
“This is just a rough draft, but what do you think?”
It warmed my heart. :-)

The Bluecoats: Robertsonville Prison

Does the above title ring a bell with you? No? This isn't surprising, unless you're a Francophone and recognize the translated title of a much-read volume in the comic-book series "Les Tuniques Bleues."

I'm now translating this series into English for publisher Cinebook. The volume Robertsonville Prison takes its setting from the infamous Andersonville Prison, which operated during the War Between the States. "The Bluecoats" takes a humorous look at the ineptitudes, inefficiencies and incongruities of humans and their actions in wartime. It's been extremely popular over the years with the French-speaking world (the comic-book series, not war) and is making its debut in North America.