This is the grave of Grace Metallious at Gilmanton, NH (the real Peyton Place). It's the only marble stone in a huge cemetery of granite ones which tells you how she fit in to the community!
Helpful votes received on reviews:
84% (4,547 of 5,389)
Location: Lucasville, OH USA
In My Own Words:
I much enjoy writing reviews of books and classical music. This hobby keeps me busy and since it's a labor of love I’ve tried my darndest to finely hone the technique. MY REVIEW SPECIALTIES: classical music (all periods, but especially the Romantic and Modern eras); classic rock music; Russian literature (pre-WWI); significant Civil Rights books; celebrity and historical figure biographies; pre-1… Read moreI much enjoy writing reviews of books and classical music. This hobby keeps me busy and since it's a labor of love I’ve tried my darndest to finely hone the technique.
MY REVIEW SPECIALTIES: classical music (all periods, but especially the Romantic and Modern eras); classic rock music; Russian literature (pre-WWI); significant Civil Rights books; celebrity and historical figure biographies; pre-1940 world literature, including the American Masters; pre-1960 mysteries; Ancient Middle Eastern and sub-Saharan African anthropology; pre-WWII European history; 1950s nostalgia; scholarly world religion books; nature/science books; Amazon Vine books (my primary contemporary reading source); general and specialty cookbooks; BBC films and programs; B&W horror films; 1960s TV and films, and; gourmet food items.
I’ve discovered over time that truthfulness, and the cultivated ability to ignore criticism of my criticism is of the highest possible value -- I call them as I see them, (oh, once in a blue moon I cannot resist being noxiously unrestrained *.*) But even when the material does not personally appeal to me I still endeavor to glean out the respective value of any extant art as I scribe my summaries.
The majority of my review work is very upbeat. I think the chief foundation for this is due to an inclination towards those items which have initially appealed to me on some level. It’s only in those singular, atypical instances where the book, music, etc., runs notably afoul of my expectation and which in the end draws a one- or two-star rating. When an intuition of literary or musical compost arises, I endeavor to restrain my fervent human inclination to blast away and conversely enumerate specific reasons as to why the item of scrutiny fails to meet reasonable standards of quality. Review readers care not one whit about my several pet peeves – consumers universally desire clear facts which will support their own decision as to whether they’ll purchase a product or not.
Summarizing review work, I felt pleased and privileged to be selected by Amazon as an ABNA reviewer in 2009 and I’m proud to report that there are still some worthy writers out there!
To conclude these mundane topics and to now explore other personal quirks which are equally grueling…
I'm retired these days and now have little to do beyond firing my old Army .45, listening to classical music 24/7, and ceaselessly reading and writing. I also cook from scratch nearly every day, frequently developing new or novel recipes. (See and print out any of these culinary ideas [for free] at Recipezaar.com under my "Bone Man" profile – I’ve posted hundreds of recipes over there.)
Over the years I've taught at University, hacked out a weekly newspaper column for a time, served as a State Park Ranger, State Game Protector, Park Manager and as a Deputy U. S. Deputy Game Warden (THAT was fun!), and several times I even did MANUAL LABOR -- Ugh!!! Anyway, I eventually managed to nail down a couple of college degrees (hard science and social science, '73 and '97, respectively) during my two “academic periods”. My immediate family consists of my much-revered and infinitely tolerant wife, a charming daughter, two cherished grandchildren, a cheerful big brother, and vast numbers of delightful nieces and nephews.
MY “HUGE FAVORITES" - Powers Boothe; Fay Wray; Michael Richards; Vincent Price; John Russell; Bela Bartok; Alan Hovhaness; Leo Tolstoy; Dorothy L. Sayers; Arthur Upfield; Julia Child; James Beard; "Steppenwolf" (both the Hesse book and the classic rock band), and; "The Gadfly” by E.L. Voynich. I’m also exceptionally partial to both boullibaise and good pizza… but never together.
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Contributions
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Rarely have I been so impressed with a product for domestic use. This beautifully-patterned rug would enhance both the beauty and utility of any home. Even before unrolling it, I could immediately tell that this was not your average area rug. The weight is significant and after I had it laid out on the floor, the remarkable but still subtle colors seemed to blend right in with the existing room colors. I took it into the bedroom, which is of an entirely different decor... same thing. This rug fits in anywhere! But the real treat came when I took off my shoes and socks and walked on the rug. Never have I felt a rug so soft and yet, at the same time, rugged and… Read more
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have a good friend who was in the U.S. Navy for several years and when he saw this book lying on my table he told me some pretty impressive stories about The Enterprise. Having now read the book myself, I found that his comments were spot-on and there was much more about this remarkable aircraft carrier that he hadn't told me. If there was a more famous warship in the U.S. Navy, I don't know what it would be. The Enterprise endured multiple attacks, quite significant ones, and she was always able to rebound and her technology much-improved each time as a consequence of the process. Of course, The Enterprise was arguably the most famous of all our aircraft carriers. Absent the… Read more
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This is one of those gifts for a child or grand-child which is good in every aspect. Not only do the kids like such gifts but they additionally learn something in the process: how to tell time.
My grandson (age 5) dearly loves this watch and he was very excited when he first saw it -- other than remote-control toy cars, it's his first significant taste of technology. He's also quickly catching on to the *how to tell time* thing as well.
This watch is well-made and stands up to all the things that young kids can dish out as they play. It's certainly an excellent choice for a gift for a young child.
Highly recommended!
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This stuff will make you happy. I revert to it constantly. I'll keep adding to the list.
I'm no expert beyond listening to classical music 24/7. I'm retired and it's always playing here, either on CD (I have several hundred), NPR Radio, You Tube.... wherever I can find it. Enjoy these as I have -- they are listed in no particular priority.
When you're in college, it's much better to go out for a good time with friends than it is to engage in the drudgery of writing a term-paper, complete with bibliography. There's a sort of trick to term-paper writing and I finally figured it out.
The big no-no is plagiarism. Competent university&hellip Read more
The Charlie Chan films, produced by Fox Studios, chiefly starred two actors as the famous Chinese detective over the many years in which they were made: Warner Oland and Sidney Toler (the latter following Oland's death.) I have no particular preference for one or the other, although a few of these&hellip Read more
Wish List
Favorite Items
Adventure, pulp fiction, and Russian literature suits me to a tee. British mysteries (cozy murders) generate some superb escapism for me. I like the older authors the best, Anatole France, John O'Hara, etc. Right now, I'm reading all 12 English translations of "War and Peace" so if you need a recommendation, see my reviews, lists, and guides for each. SEE MY NUMEROUS LISTMANIA LISTS FOR SOME REALLY TOP READING RECOMMENDATIONS!
I also enjoy Classic Rock CDs along the lines of Led Zeppelin III, Steppenwolf Gold, Rock of Ages (The Band), and Magical Mystery Tour (The Beatles). My most favorite Classical Music composers were, for the most part, Russians -- but I still enjoy it all. SEE MY LISTMANIA LISTS ON VARIOUS GENRES OF RECOMMENDED MUSIC!
If there's a big rainstorm in the movie, I probably like it -- it makes me snooze. Also, with a few exceptions, I think that the older films are the very best ones. The 60s color films in letterbox format also hold a special appeal for me. Some additional flicks I'm partial to include Slingblade, Alice in Wonderland, The Longest Day, Blue Velvet, Easy Rider, House of Fools, The Old Dark House, The Abominable Doctor Phibes, and Doctor Renault's Secret. That last one is pretty obscure but the bulk of my favorites seem to all fall into that category. SEE ALL THE LISTMANIA FILM LISTS I'VE GENERATED!
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