From a response to Bobby in regard to stories he's reading: HP Lovecraft stories, used to scare myself silly with these when I was a kid, but finally realized that Cluthuloowoohoohoo couldn't come back until someone said his name three times and no one can say that god awful name! Now I scare my self with the YmmyNummyTummyCron a book of great and fearsome evil--recipes for pie crust made with lard, fries in animal fat, home made bacon, extra salty, etc. It scares my oldest daughter [who lives with me and is aware of my diet] and my doctor, anyway.

Imagine the horror if Cluth... [more consonants and a couple of vowels--I never could even spell the name, much less say it] had a name like Sam or even George. "George Bush, Jr.; George Bush, Jr.;" no I won't say it the third time. He might bring cheney back with him.

Back to reading [also to Bobby]:

My world stumbles on! I am almost finished with "A Secret History of western Sexual Mysticism" or something like that. My mind is reeling with antinomianism, spiritual marriage and other weird stuff. Say you're getting married, can I recommend a spritiual marriage. Its just like ordinary message except that the male never, ever reaches climax. this energizes your mystic sprit to rise above worldly limits to attain union with the godhead. It's not that I hate you, I just want someone to actually try this out and make a report. Purely scientific interest, of course.

And today:

Just finished reading Blackout. Connie Willis' latest in her sometimes superb time traveling series. [To say Nothing of the Dog is as good as Pratchett's best for a series of laughs. And Doomsday is a painfully beautiful examination of the reality of history.] Then read Between Planets--once a favorite when I was a kid. Not bad , even now. Though the insistence on slide rules as essential equipment in the far future is amusing in our world, but mathematicians has reason to love them so I can forgive their inability to imagine a world without them. Finally am on the last novella in the Mammoth Book of Golden Age Science Fiction. Some quite good, some less so, but all needed to be read in view of 1940's and 50's scientific understanding.