Author Archives: Coffeecat
She-Devils of the Song Dynasty: Pan Jinlian
Outlaws of the Marsh, awesome as it may be, is basically a man’s book. The primary relationships it describes are brotherly (its alternate title is All Men Are Brothers), and women, when they’re not relegated to the sidelines, are portrayed as … Continue reading
You’re Safer Than You Think: Advocates For A Less Fearful Life
Once, I helped out at a church daycare, looking after eight one- to two-year-olds while their moms were at Bible study (translation: coffee and chatting, though, after learning how active toddlers can be, I was happy to help those moms … Continue reading
“You Have No Honor!”: More Parallels Between Star Trek and Outlaws of the Marsh
“Great men do not seek power; they have power thrust upon them.” — Kahless John and I continue to watch Outlaws of the Marsh, and we keep remarking at how much the Outlaws remind us of Klingons. A few episodes back, we watched … Continue reading
“The Finest Organic Suspension Ever Devised”: Top 10 Coffee Moments in Starfleet History
Picard may love his Earl Grey, hot, Worf prefers prune juice, and the Cardassians can’t get enough kanar, but all those potables pale in comparison to the beverage Starfleet really runs on: coffee. More vital than plasma fluid, coffee’s what keeps … Continue reading
Elizabeth Bennet Is My Wonder Woman
Pride and Prejudice and comic books seem to belong to two separate universes: one’s high tea with scones and clotted cream, the other’s hot buttered popcorn; one’s a hike through the Cotswolds, while the other’s a snowboard ride down a slope … Continue reading
New Harry Potter Flick Is Intermittently Brilliant
(Contains spoilers for anyone who’s still not aware of the major plotlines of the book.) Solid but often workmanlike, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince feels as though everyone involved wanted to get through with it and focus on the grand finale … Continue reading
The Sadomasochistic Joys of Sichuan Hot Pot
Only that which never ceases to hurt stays in the memory . . . – Nietzsche Last night, my in-laws introduced me to two varieties of Chinese fondue – a mild Cantonese version and the infamous Sichuan hot pot. I had … Continue reading
Books That Make You Dumb; or, Are We a Nation of Literature Snobs?
Are readers of Gabriel Garcia Marquez smarter than fans of Nicholas Sparks? If you loved Lolita, does that mean you’ve got more going on upstairs than someone whose favorite book is He’s Just Not That Into You? We book nerds want to believe … Continue reading