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I like to read about food and nutrition sometimes. Right now I'm mid-way through "Ultra-Processed People." My! Quite an eye-opener. Will help us be more cautious in what we put into our mouths. Us versus the Food Corporations rages on...those sneaky ultra-processed foods are addictive.
Also reading a novel-- "The Book Club for Troublesome Women"-- a great read--fascinating premise.
Right now reading "A Letter to the Luminous Deep," by Sylvie Cathrall. Unusual!
Here's a photo of the building in 1984. (see photo). But yeah--since then, aWalmart Sooper-Center went in to the south of it, and a chik-fill-a to the north.(yuk). Looks also like it got a slight remnodel, with new coach lights and some other stuff. But the windows are zackly the same.Quote:
Originally Posted by littlebittybobby
Before I do my usual monthly recap, I want to discuss a book that I just finished, which had a major impact on me. It is A Rip in Heaven by Jeanine Cummins, about the old Chain of Rocks Bridge murders in Missouri in 1991. I had never heard of these murders, but I'm sure you folks in MO were very much aware of them. I selected the book because I liked her book American Dirt so much. The murder victims were the author's first cousins. I used to read a lot of true crime, but I'm not sure I have the stomach for it anymore. That being said, I thought it was a great read, even if it robbed me of some sleep and peace of mind (kind of crazy, I know).
I guess what really struck me was the casual cruelty of the perpetrators. How does one get from, "Hey, it would be fun to go smoke a couple of joints on the old bridge," to "Hey, it would be fun to gang rape and kill those nice kids we talked to on the bridge?" It doesn't make it OK, far from it, but a lot of murderers have some type of grievance against their victims, or some type of inner demons or compulsions to commit terrible acts, but this was just so casual and spontaneous and horrific. I have so much trouble wrapping my brain around it. I also have trouble fathoming how Tom (the sole survivor who was the primary suspect at one point) was ever able to process and come to terms with the horror he both witnessed and endured.
I will mention that I really like old bridges, so that was another element of fascination for me. However, I would have been totally creeped out by the bridge in the dark at night, with the open manhole covers, and the tangled weedy mess at the entryways and the graffiti. The whole beginning of their escapade that night had such a "don't go down the basement!" feeling about it, and it seemed like Tom was seriously creeped out before anything bad even happened.
So I would be really interested in knowing the thoughts of others who read the news coverage at the time, or were following the case from afar, or read the book.
I think it's kind of cool that the bridge is now part of a park and bike/walking trail. If I'm ever in MO (unlikely I guess), a visit to that stigmatized bridge would be an absolute must.
Yes, the Chain of Rocks murders were pretty horrific.
It wasn’t an open and shut case.The cops arrested the girls’ cousin Tom at first ( later exonerated him.) They finally arrested four other guys and apparently beat confessions out of several of them. And then, one of them, Reggie Clemens, had very poor representation in court.
So the case dragged on and on for decades because of Reggie Clemons and his legal challenges. He finally got a second trial, and then, after maintaining his innocence for decades, confessed to rape and second-degree murder,. So he’s serving several life sentences now.
The official story on the ACLU website about Reggie Clemons is that the girls “ fell from the bridge.”Geez. Gotta love the ACLU. Yeah, they just “ fell” the silly girls.
one thing I distinctly remember about this case is how the girls’s mother behaved. She wanted to see, just served, but she didn’t seem vindictive or crazy towards Reggie Clement and his years of appeals.
Rosa, you can read up about prosecurtorial malfeasance in the Reggie Clemons prosecution case which caused Reggie to get a new trial. The prosecutor was Nels Moss, who I dealt with when our friend killed his wife, shot her to death. So there's your “ one degree of separation” for you to this murder case.
This account of Tom Cummins is amusing for its typical take on race issues in St. Louis. The St. Louis American is apparently,throwing shade at Tom Cumminsand implying he is guilty, of what exactly I don’t know.But that’s The American, our city’s black newspaper for ya.
https://www.stlamerican.com/news/pol...mmins-remains/
Thanks, IL. Interesting that you have had dealings with Moss.
Hmmm, this caused me to look this guy up. He died in 2915. A source said he worked for the city prosecutor’s office only until 1999. My friend shot and killed his wife, our other friend, in the year 2001. But I know it was Moss who communicated with our neighborhood about this crime so I don’t understand this timeline unless he was doing some contract work for the city prosecutor’s office after he officially left.Quote:
Originally Posted by rosarugosa
It is common in my city neighbothood to have an “Order of protection” against badnicks that prohibits them coming into the neighborhood. I didnt think this was necessary for Jeff, our friend, but some did. I heard that he had an Order protection out limiting his presence in our neighborhhod but I still saw him around, and then someone threw a “going to prison “ party for him smack dab in the middle of our neighborhood at a favorite restaurant so…hmmm.
Were you surprised when your friend killed his wife? How did you feel about seeing him after?Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
I was furious with Jeff for ruining his life and her life.
Jeff is black, Ellie his wife was white and this stirred up the usual race bullshit endemic to St. Louis. It split our neighborhood with friends no longer speaking to friends. Things were not the same for ten years afterwards. So I was furous with him for doing that, too and this was a big deal because we had a very large and close circle of friends, I would say probably 30 people in the core party group.
He shot her on the day their divorce was final. The judge had awarded the house to her and she told him he had to leave. Ridiculously, they both still occupied the house out of a stupid idea that if one of them left that person had less claim on the house.
okay---when i read a book, it hasta be read and like a text book. Also, i find it necessary to do some outside reading pertinent to the book i'm on. Why? because mosta these writers of a 300-page book coulda had a 1000-page book--if they even adequately research it. I'm not talking about these journalism-school wonders who "research" what some other journalism-school wonder already wrote, and echo what they said. See? So, yeah---I been going xtra slow on my latest read. Yup.
TNB. Avoid them, no matter how nice they seem, and it will greatly avoid drama. seeeewhatumsayin'?Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
That is what our lawyers had us doing and it was horrible! Finally he started stalking me away from the house and I got a protective order. The judge gave me the house but he was extremely angry, like Jeff, and I thought I would end up like Ellie if I kept the house so I gave it to him to avoid him murdering me. (He had already told me he was thinking about having his first wife killed, he knew people who could do it as a favor. He was a lawyer.) So I lost my house. I still have a recurrent dream where I get the house back.Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
Wow. is this your ex?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tybee
Oh, yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
okay----so yeah---look at this----it really happened at Nine-Eleven Missippissi one night. (see photo). But, anyway---it was the result o' too much a that fine wine. Yup. Edited to add: I cant find the photo i was going to post. So, as an alternative, I'm posting a photo of the very first Pizza Hut, located in Wichita, Ks. Yup.Attachment 6420
You talkin about the fire that shuttered the sister restaurant to 1111 Mississippi? Some asshole put out their cigarette in a hanging basket and later that night a full fledged fire burned. The owner who own several restaurant in that complex had to pull out of our neighborhood’s development plan. Tragic for them. Insurance wouldn’t cover cost of rebuild.Quote:
Originally Posted by littlebittybobby
okay---i did not know about that one, faux. but yeah---cigarrrettes are a nuisance. what was the victim's name, in that murder in your hood? just curious. Or, maybe tell me the exes' name, so i can look on MODOC to see his current status.
He got out of prison a few years ago.He has a very common name so you won’t be able to ID him: ’ Jeff Harris.Quote:
Originally Posted by littlebittybobby
There are ways to read about the murder but you are not a good enough sleuth to find those sources.
Uh Oh! I suspect PacMan won't get much sleep tonight after that challenge. :treadmill:Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
I will throw him a bone: the murdered wife’s name is Ellie Torgeson HarrisQuote:
Originally Posted by Alan
Just started Saving a Continent: The Untold Story of the Marshall Plan.
I'm reading The Ecology of Wisdom--writings by Arne Naess, the founder of the Deep Ecology movement.
A lot of simple living messages in there, that's for sure! It's great.
Here's my full June reading list:
- Midnight Blue by Simone Van Der Vlugt - really good historical fiction set in the Netherlands in the 1600s, including elements of pottery and the plague.
- My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite - I got this from a Little Free Library in front of our inn in Hatfield last year. The title amused me, and I had taken a picture for my sister, but I ended up deciding to take the book home with me. It was OK, better than it sounded, but mostly from the local color of the setting in Nigeria.
- Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - this was YA fiction, and it felt like it. I probably would have enjoyed it more in my teens, but it ws decent. It's about a young girl who is sexually assaulted by a popular classmate and her struggle to come to terms with the event.
- Horse by Geraldine Brooks - this was a superb piece of historical fiction about the legendary racehorse Lexington. I loved every page!
- A Rip in Heaven by Jeanine Cummins - discussed previously.
So far this year, I have read 33 books and added 40 to my list, lol.
Wow! So at your current rate, you should be able to finish your list of 40 by year-end! Good work!Quote:
Originally Posted by rosarugosa
I just saw a graphic on FB yesterday that indicated that the US read the most books vs other countries. I found that surprising. (Average 10/year)/
I need to pump up my reading. Still trying to get through Les Miserables.
Whoa! I think that's good for at least 4 books. But what a great way to spend your time! One of my all time favorite stories.Quote:
Originally Posted by happystuff
Catherine, I don't think I expressed myself correctly. I had added 56 books to my list in 2024, and I read 51 books in 2024. So far this year, I've added 40 and read 33. I pretty much add more books to the list every year than I read in that year, so I just get further and further behind. It's not a real problem though. While I'm just about guaranteed to die with a big list of books I never got around to reading, it also means that I will always have many books to eagerly anticipate during my lifetime.
I've been keeping a list of books I've read for a long time. Just finished The Lost Man by Jane Harper. I had read The Dry by her a long time ago and my sister reminded me about the author. I'm off to read The Survisors by Jane Harper. She writes mystery, murders taking place in the dry of Australia. Descriptions and feelings are very well done for me.
okay---so sad about your friend Ellie. That said, she must've been very naive. Yup. Too bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by iris lilies
okay---i'm gonna hafta delay research on the case until later. See---i needta make a run to Rader, Zurra, ta look at some junk cars. Yup. BTW---there's a church cemmeterry there that has nearly 100 Raders buried there. Rader, as in "BTK". Little known fact: more than 15 years before BTK was apprehended, another Rader---Greg--who was a solid citizen who worked at Droopy Drawers U, was caught stalking and then attacking LeeAnn, the local newscaster. Greg took three bullets, which ended his nasty habit at the 'partments near the bike shop. (see photo). Attachment 6428
Currently reading "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng. I've never seen the movie or series. Good read so far.
Just finished Adam Higginbotham’s book on the Challenger disaster. Great week. Read it in a weekend. Now on his Chernobyl book.
My July reading list:
- Migrations by Charlotte Mcconaghy - I really liked this moving story set in a somewhat dystopian future. The world is much the same as our current world, but lots of species are extinct or going extinct, e.g. no more wild populations of many animals, seagulls by the water are a rare sighting, no backyard birds. Sadly, it was all too easy to imagine! The characters and the storyline were decent, but it was this vision of the future that got to me the most.
- The Women by Kristin Hannah - this book generated a lot of discussion online, with people passionately loving it or hating it. I was surprised to find that I liked it OK, with no passion for or against. I think there is a place for historical fiction that piques our interest in something, even if it isn't some definitive masterwork. It was a novel with romance elements and lots of action and adventure, focusing on military RNs who served in the Vietnam War. Sometimes a book like this will send the reader off for a deeper dive on the subject, and other times, it may just generate some awareness that wasn't there previously. I'll probably fall into the latter category, although I did do a bit of Googling afterwards.
- After Annie by Anna Quindlen - I usually like this author, but I wasn't crazy about this one. It's about a youngish wife and mother of three, who drops dead of an aneurysm on page one (so I'm not spoiling any surprises). It was a bit depressing.
- Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent - I seem to like characters that are "on the spectrum," so I really liked the character of Sally. I thought this was an engaging novel, although some elements were a bit far-fetched, and some of the plot devices have been a bit overused in recent years, in my opinion.
- The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose - speaking of characters on the spectrum, Molly the maid makes a return appearance in this sequel to The Maid, which I had really enjoyed. Like The Maid, I found the mystery plot a bit weak, but I really enjoyed the characters. Apparently this is a series now, with two other maid mysteries published. I probably won't read any of the others, since I have so many books on my list, and series often get to feeling like I'm reading the same book over and over.
Thanks for the recommendations, rosa! A couple of them do pique my interest--Migrations, and After Annie in particular. I also like Anna Quindlen a lot, but frankly never read her fiction, so I might try this one.
I started reading The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono. The only reason I didn't finish it is because I was tired and fell asleep--but the book is more fable than novel. 74 pages broken up with illustrations and white space. The book, about a simple man who tends sheets and plants oaks, makes me feel peaceful. I'll finish it tonight.
For research on my next book project chapter, I'm reading The Ecology of Wisdom --a collection of writings by Arne Naess.
Catherine: I think you probably would like Migrations. I have another by her on my list: Once There Were Wolves.
I am enjoying a non-fiction book - Slow Medicine. The author describes her medical education back in the 60s-70s and how it has changed into Fast Medicine. Doctors used to "examine the patient" and were taught the cues that explained the body's health status. It has been my experience with doctor visits lately that they never even touch anymore. Just tests and drugs. Anyway, it is an interesting book to me.
Just finished "The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart," by Holly Ringland and just started "Broken Country," by Clare Leslie Hall.
I suppose it's there for dramatic storyline, but I hate it when strong female characters make stupid decisions about men and sex. Or maybe I'm just a dried up old lady.
No, women need to stop being stupid.Quote:
Originally Posted by KayLR
Just watch the weekly. “ Catfished” videos on Youtube. Old ladies my age, 75% of them, believing young handsome men with $$$ are after them and they send their life saving to the scammers. The Woman last week sent over $200,000. The one this week was $17,000 out.