Washington Pogo swamp

I read this, the first thing at the top of Gateway Pundit presently, and that's all that I read. The cartoon angel appeared momentarily on my shoulder strummed his harp and told me not read that. 

I asked, "Why not?"

And the little cartoon angel strummed his harp again producing heavenly strains into my right ear and he said, "Wait until they start throwing these bastards in prison and then read the details. That will make you happy. In the meantime just do what you do." 

Actually, I never understood this cartoon. We were on different planes. He was way up there ↑ over there ↖︎ and I was way down there ↓. And the ones that I did understand seemed too simple to be a cartoon. So the thing was never funny to me. I thought comics were supposed to be funny, and for kids, and this seemed to be something else. Possibly for adults. I don't know.

Know who's a good reader, better than me?

My nephew, Matthew. 

He doesn't recall this but I was bouncing him on my knee playing mechanical horse. I stopped and he asked, "Have you read any good books lately?" 

I was stunned. He was amazingly young and small for such an adult inquiry. Something like six or possibly seven. I told him the good books I recently read and then asked about books that he's recently read. He told me about an author who writes alternative stories where the reader decides what the characters choose then flip to the page that picks up that decision. I told him that would drive me nuts not reading the alternate choices. I'd have to read the whole book to see all the alternate fictions. 

He goes, "I know." 

Recently I asked him if he read Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer. He said, "In your previous apartment two apartments ago I picked up a book in your basement. It was torn in two for two books. 

I said, "That's it." 

I wasn't expected to live. I gave away hundreds of books. I was glad that he told me he picked that one. Such a strange book to choose.

It is a very fat book and uncomfortable to hold as you read. Better as two thinner books. Although not having a back cover for the first half and not having a front cover for the second half is also a pain in the butt to hold as you read it. 

He continued. I read it in High School and the outrageously obscene portions made me think, "Oh man, I can't believe I'm actually reading this thing in a High School."

Neither can I. 

Not that I can't believe reading the physical book inside the physical High School building, which was his disbelief, it's that someone so young can comprehend such a thing or have any interest. The book is beyond quite a few rather advanced readers. One such person I know threw it against the wall in frustration. It's impressive to me that a High Schooler teen would bother. Impressive they'd pick up an 800 page book and read it just for fun. But he did.