Matthew Dicks's Blog, page 709

Vegans. The annoying kind.

I don't mind vegetarians, vegans, and the rest of their ilk. In fact, I admire them and am envious of their ability to eat and enjoy vegetables and fruits to the exclusion of other foods.  Some of my closest friends are vegetarians. 

But when militant vegans attempt to disturb my own meal with their nutrition-turned-religion, then I become annoyed. I may annoy many people, and I may be callous and inconsiderate when doing so, but I don't ever make it a point of ruining someone's dinner...

Enough with the ten minutes

I spent the afternoon writing at Panera, which is always a delightful spot to work. Good food, caffeine-free soda, free Wi-Fi, and comfortable surroundings.

I have just one complaint.

I typically order one of two sandwiches.  The first is made with an ale mustard.  The second is made with chipotle mayonnaise.

I'm allergic of mustard and I despise mayonnaise, so I always ask that my sandwiches be made without these condiments. And every time I ask, regardless of who is taking my order or...

Demanding an apology: Can we all just stop it now?

From yesterday's Washington Post:

"The mother of a 13-year-old Montgomery County middle school student is demanding an apology from a teacher who had school police escort the youngster from a classroom for refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance."

You can read the full article here.

First, I'm completely in favor of a student's right to refuse to recite the pledge of allegiance. I believe that pledging allegiance to anything is a student's prerogative, and to force a student to comply...

Brilliant

Poisoned before my second birthday

When I was about sixteen months old, my stomach was pumped after having swallowed an entire bottle of paregoric.

Oddly enough, I never looked into what paregoric was until just recently.  It was just one of those family stories that was retold from time to time, without much thought.  

After some research, I learned that paregoric is a medication known for its "antidiarrheal, antitussive, and analgesic properties."  When I swallowed the bottle in 1972, it was a Schedule V drug, available...

Fine is not good enough

My wife and I are attempting to keep our daughter away from television until the age of two, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and based upon a great body of research that seems to indicate that television before this age can negatively impact cognitive development.

And I don't think we're overly cautious or overprotective parents. We allow Clara to cry herself to sleep each night, have left her with babysitters, and rarely call the doctor with concerns.

But too much...

A mixed bag

I received an email from a reader of this blog today that was interesting. 

She wrote:

I find you both acerbic and dorky.  One minute you remind me of fuzzy little bunny and another minute you're more like an angry rattlesnake.  It's strange.  I don't know if I that or not.  But I loved your book.

Say what she wants, as long as she likes me book, I'm good. 

Either way, I rule.

Whenever I am asked how I find the time to teach, write novels and run a small business, I reply that I don't sleep as much as most people, therefore I have more hours in the day to be productive.

I also contend that I am an efficient sleeper, using my ability to fall asleep in seconds to make the best use of my time in bed.

My friend, Kim, finds this claim to be amusing at best, but I think it's true. 

I contend that although I only sleep about five hours a night, I use every minute for...

Dream come true times two

UNEXPECTEDLY, MILO will be available in bookstores on August 3 of this year, which feels like a million years from now.  We are currently in the process of preparing for the book's publicity and marketing.  Galleys have been sent to a variety of media outlets and plans are in the works to publicize and promote the book. 

We have a couple original ideas in this regard that I look forward to sharing with you in the near future. 

Bookstores are also beginning to place their orders.    

In...

Just as odd as me, but a lot prettier

I often credit my wife for being the most tolerant woman alive, willing to put up with my alternative views on the world, my utter lack of conformity and my unwillingness to submit to cultural and social graces that I do not find logical or applicable. I am stunned with her unquestioning acceptance of someone as potentially annoying as me.

Then I realized, just the other day, that she is just as much of a nonconformist as me.

It's true. Though her friends and family obviously love her...