Thoughts: Under the Tuscan Sun, Outing Joseph Wilson's Wife As CIA Agent, Tigers Lose Only 119!, Focus on Bush's Competence, and Bill O'Reilly's scouting report on Democratic candidates.

The Jets looked absolutely pathetic against the Dallas Cowboys; the Chicago Bears were just overmatched against the (had to win, 1-2, Packers), but if you want sad, Jets/Dallas was it. It might be true that Chad Pennington could have given life to the team, but he would have to be practically a miracle worker to have them more than 2-2 (better than 0-4, surely), if that. The team lost too many people in the off season ... it almost felt like the 2001 Mets ... everything had to fall in place, and one major problem, the team would fall like a house of cards.

Books: She's Not There by Jennifer Finney Boylan was a very enjoyable read, though at times I wanted a few more details about the switch. Details are important when you are reading about the development of a married transsexual college professor who decides to fully become her true self when s/he is around forty. Lucky for him, he had a depth of optimism and strength (and a fun life ... professor and musician with a great wife) ... in a way, it seemed a bit too easy. Surely, others without his advantages would have had a tougher time of it, especially if they lived in a less liberal environment.

The story as well as the concept is amazing and again the reason the book was so good was her ability to write an autobiographical account with such style. She is an author of around eight books after all (some are books for teenagers which were written under an assumed name that she apparently wants to keep secret ... have yet to find out what it is) as well as being an co-chair of the English department at Colby College. It is also interesting to note how many feminine traits are really biological, such as emotions (she felt more emotional when ruining dinner or watching certain movies). She also noted how women seem to have questioning tones, even when saying their names ("My name is Jennifer?"). So far, the women I asked about this didn't really agree. What do you think?

Definitely worth adding to your reading list. On the other hand, Gentleman Revolutionary: Governeur Morris - The Rake Who Wrote the Constitution by Richard Brookhiser was a disappointment. This was especially the case because Brookhiser was so great and amusing in interviews, including suggesting Morris (who is an interesting character that is underappreciated) would be the person who'd call if you were in trouble and/or jail. Unfortunately, the book, a relatively brief one, doesn't really do the man justice. I didn't quite understand why he had certain beliefs (e.g. why was someone who had a slave as a child and lived in slave heavy NY so anti-slavery?) and more than once the guy was made out to be an unpleasant spoiled rich kid ... I don't think that was his intention.

It was quick reading, and for those interested in the subject, of some benefit to get a thumbnail sketch of his life. I just didn't get much pleasure from reading it ... it's one of those books you just read to finish it, but are annoyed for having to waste your time to do so. The good part is that you learn something, and it is relatively painless. A quick pan of a recent book on Thomas Paine's Common Sense (forty two pages, or something or other) ... not bad, I guess, but overall trivial. I got as much from reading the original itself (it was one of those with an elongated introduction telling the life and times of the author, etc.). On the other hand, I wasn't that impressed with the author's presentation of the book either.