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Put Your Hands Up If You're A Non-White Woman/Man...

I assume that the majority of our readers here are white, (default race and all that) but I’m curious to see how many of you guys out there aren’t actually white. I’ve been doing some research for some race related posts, but it occurred to me that it would be almost pointless if I don’t have enough women of colour to balance shit out.

Anyway, if you can be arsed, let me know what your heritage is. If there are enough women of colour (Asian/Indian/Black/Latin etc) reading the blog, then I’ll probably proceed with the posts, if not, I’ll just abandon the idea altogether.

Don’t all shout at once people!

…Is more fucking expensive than the paperback version on Amazon UK, how messed up is that???

The kindle version is £6.99, and the paperback version is £5.99. I find this highly annoying, especially as I’m dying to read the book. I’m gonna wait until it reduces in price out of principle.

Long, long ago (yet not all that far away)

In a previous incarnation of KKB, Karen posted a NSFW and over-18-only image.

Through the years, it has (predictably) continued to get some traffic. There’s your usual spam and trolling (which I always enjoy blasting away), but occasionally someone posted a pertinent comment, which is why it has remained open.**

The last comment in there as of right now, from Dan, is this:

It does seem weird to me that people are ridiculing this guy for literally the one thing about himself he has no power over and can’t change. What the fuck?

“What the fuck?”

Really?

Can this guy (or anyone) be honestly surprised about people piling on someone over something that cannot be changed? Haven’t women particularly been often criticized, mocked, ridiculed, ogled, and even shunned for things that they cannot change?

Often pretty women are consistently considered stupid–because they are pretty. Women who are ‘built’ are often viewed suspiciously, as if having a figure automatically made them whores.

~    ~    ~    ~    ~

** I would love it if someone would tell me how I can close comments while allowing existing comments to show–I’m sure it’s me, but WordPress is not allowing me to do that right now.

Can’t believe it took seven seasons before I discovered how fantastic this show is!

Say it aint so!

Well, that was the biggest anti-climax ever. I wanted the Dutch to win, but Paul the Octopus got it right again. Bugger.

England’s performnce was abysmal. Enough said.

Unfortunately, I didn’t miss blogging even a little bit. I manged to read about three books, all DNFs. I think my relationship with romance novels is coming to a painful end, but hopefully one day, I’ll read an amazing book that inspires me to return to roms again, in the mean time, crime and thriller books are where it’s at.

We currently have my brother staying with us. He was in a car accident, fractured his wrist, and broke his leg in three places. He needed somebody to look after him, and I knew that it would be too much for my mother, so TTG and I have taken on the job. First couple of days were rough, seeing as he’s been in hospital for three weeks and hadn’t really been moving around. We’re all adjusting well. I hope he copes on his own when we’re both away overnight.

I think I caught on Twitter that DA Jane is pregnant, so huge congrats luvvie. Ooops, Jane isn’t preggers after all, my mistake, lack of following threads properly an all that, hehe.

I’m currently loving the new Budweiser Designated Driver ad. So funny.

Thanks to AL for holding the fort whilst I’ve been away, muchos appreciated.

I have sweet fuck all else to say, so I’m signing off now, I’ll catch you guys later on in the week. Maybe.

Step-Siblings In Love – Ewww or Awww?

Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Posted in: random rambling

Back in 2005, I wrote a post entitled Step-Siblings Falling In Love – Is It Yucky For You? This seems to be one of the most popular pages that random Googlers come across here at KKB.

Basically, I was asking whether or not romance readers were comfortable with plot devices featuring step-siblings who fall in love. Every now and then somebody actually posts a comment on this thread – check out the latest one by a reader called Dezz:

…While I agree with everyone — I find nothing wrong with step-siblings get together, I myself could not see myself with my stepbrother. I have 3, all older than me, and 2 more ex- step brothers, both older than me as well. I can honestly say I view them as my brother’s and the ick factor is quite high when thinking about them as anything else.

However I have (somewhat) of a similar situation. One of my brother’s best friends recently came back after being away for 3 years. He is now 23 while I’m 17 and since we haven’t seen each other in so long feelings have somewhat changed. However, he is like my family. He practically grew up at our house and eventually moved in with us when he was older. Now he lives with my brother and I still see him constantly. He works for my step-father and is eventually buying the company… therefore putting him in my life forever. When I say I’ve known him forever it’s true. I should view him as a brother but I don’t.

A few months after he came back we told each other our feelings. However I’m to young and he doesn’t want to ruin anything. Basically we can never be together because of the family. So in a sense it’s slightly the same. And let me just say, it sucks.

I think her situation is probably different, seeing as it’s her brother’s best friend, rather than a step-sibling, but it did strike me as rather sad. Mind you, she’s only seventeen, so it may just be infatuation on her part.

Dezz’s story was in response to this question that I posed at the time:

…what if the step-brother and step-sister featured in the romance story, were actually brought up together? Does that make for a higher ewww factor, or would it not bother you either way?

Step-siblings who’d grown up together and happened to fall in love wouldn’t bother me too much, my biggest problem would be sexual relationships between blood brothers and sisters.

What say you? Is there a higher ick factor when the two protags are step-siblings who grew up together, or not? Would you be interested in reading such books?

oh, really yeah, really

When a man makes a point of telling you, “I am the most intelligent man/person you’ll ever meet,” he may or may not be right about his intelligence; but the fact that he felt compelled to point it out rather than simply being (show,  not tell) says volumes more about his character than his self-proclaimed brilliance.

*~~*~~*~~*~~*

This observation may seem a tad sexist, but it’s based on the fact that in 44 years I’ve yet to hear a woman say this, while I’ve met my share of men who have.

Oh my gosh, you have got to check out this seventy-five year old British pensioner who won the Spanish equivalent of Britain/America’s Got Talent. Meet Paddy Jones!

I really hope she doesn’t put a hip out or something. How amazing was she?

No, I’m not talking about war and soldiers–I’m talking about teenagers and sex.

I may be wrong–though it seems the CDC is leaning towards agreeing with me–but given my own experiences as a teen (and the fact that I have really vivid memories of many of those… *cough*) it never has made sense to me to say, “just don’t do it and you’ll be fine” and then actually expect teens to “not do it”.

Ostrich and sand kind of thing, I’ve always thought.

And a bit like saying to a young kid, “Don’t talk to strangers!” and then being horrified that the overwhelming majority of abuse comes from people close to the kids.

Teach them all they need to know, and then let them make their own choices–they’ll make them anyway, isn’t it much better that they be informed ones?

Arm your kids with knowledge.

Do you ever feel the urge to say, to a loved one (or a friend, or well meaning relative, acquaintance, etc.), “I don’t know where you get your information, but it doesn’t apply to my reality”?

What are you thinking now

I confess I’ve been having to exercise restrain not to do that myself, just now.

I so don’t think so…

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Posted in: Azteclady Speaks, random rambling

You Are Blooming Flowers


You are an optimistic person by nature. In even the darkest times, you are hopeful about the future.

You feel truly blessed in life and can sometimes be overwhelmed with emotions.

You have an artist’s eye. You are always looking for beauty in the mundane.

You have a good sense of aesthetics, especially when it comes to shapes and color.

(thank you to the BookLoversMessageBoard for the quiz)

This is totally Wendy’s fault

Sunday, March 22, 2009
Posted in: random rambling

myhero

(even though she blames Kwana)

Now you too can go get your hero on!

“Come For Me…”???

Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Posted in: random musings, random rambling

im-coming

I give you permission to file this post under ‘Far Too Much Information Luvvie!’

Sooo, enquiring minds want to know if this request by your lover during the throes of sex ever works?

It just seems to me that every hero in every book seems to use this line, and as if by magic, the heroine orgasms instantly.

I can tell you that it’s never worked for me. I orgasm when I’m good and ready, and not before.

Just sayin’.

Snow, Glorious Snow!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Posted in: random rambling

snow-day001

So, the country came to a stop today just because of a little snow. Ok, maybe not so little, but still, how can a country like England not know how to deal with the white stuff? I wouldn’t mind, but we knew it was coming three days ago!

Anyhow, 1 in 5 people stayed off work today, costing employers over £1bn.

snow-day003

Personally, I found it was the perfect time to visit the post office, and do my big food shop. I was able to park across two car parking spaces, because the supermarket was so quiet. I was paranoid about women who can’t drive in the snow hitting my car, whilst attempting to park, which is why I selfishly used two parking spaces.

Yeah, yeah, I’m probably being a tad sexist, but having watched women with no spatial awareness whatsoever, have crunches in supermarket car parks for a number of years now, I thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

snow-day004

My final journey happened at 11pm tonight, when I drove over to my brother’s house to make sure everything was ok. They’re on hols at the mo, so I’m charged with looking after their property.

The snow was falling even heavier tonight, and I nearly got stuck up the hill, but I just about made it.

Anyhoo, I’m off to watch Lipstick Jungle now, after my big snow day.

G’night!

Thank Oprah For That…

Friday, August 29, 2008
Posted in: random rambling

So, my lil’ sister’s been in the States for the past two months. She went to a Philadelphia camp, to work as a camp counsellor for the summer.

She hated it.

She compared the camp to a cult, actually. Apparently, nobody was allowed to voice a negative opinion, and those who did, were frowned upon. It was all a bit too happy-clappy for her (That’s my girl), but at least she met some like-minded people. (The Australians and the other Brits there, I believe. *g*)

She also hated the camp director, and couldn’t understand why such a person would want to work with kids, when he seemed to despise them. Apparently he was a bit power mad, another thing that grated on my lil sister’s nerves.

She’d only been there two weeks, when she started comparing it to a prison.

Anyway, she left the camp two weeks ago, (not prematurely or anything, so she managed to stick it out), and decided to go to New York, then Canada, then New York again, then Miami, before finally heading back to Heathrow yesterday.

I’m so glad she’s back, safe and sound.

Now, I’m gonna kill her for the £123 bill that she rang up on the mobile phone (that we’re paying for, mind), in July.

Don’t You Just Love It…

Sunday, August 24, 2008
Posted in: random rambling

When the bad guy is made to pay in the end? I really do. There’s nothing more satisfying in a book, than when the good guy, is allowed to exact his revenge on the bad guy.

None of this I’m-the-good-guy-so-I-can’t-kill-him crap, shooting the bastard between the eyes, works for me every time.

Just saying.

First off, please keep in mind that the following rambling reflects only my internal dialogue, and as such, it is not meant to set down parameters for anyone else’s behaviour—just mine.

(If you wonder why on earth I bother to blog about it then, I’ll just say: ‘cause I like to hear myself talk, that’s why. And obviously, no one forces you to read 😀 )

Now that it seems I write reviews with a *cough* certain *cough* regularity, I have been pondering even more what reviews themselves mean, in terms of responsibility for me as reviewer.

As far as I am concerned, a review’s purpose is to provide information to other readers—information beyond the often inaccurate and occasionally spoiler-ridden back cover blurb, or the well chosen excerpt on the author’s or publisher’s sites—so that they, the readers, can make a more informed decision to buy, or pass on, a particular book.

To me as a reader, any review that consists exclusively of “great book! highly recommended!” is completely useless. Unless I know the so-called reviewer’s reading tastes really well, and how they mesh or differ from mine, I’m left with exactly the same frame of reference I had before reading that praise. And even if I do know that person’s tastes, I’m likely to ask a couple of pointed questions before buying the book. In my experience, blind words of praise are probably worse than nothing. (See Street Teams at Dear Author) (more…)

What’s So Great About Outdoor Sex?

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Posted in: random rambling

In our local rag, there’s an article about the increasing problem of people having outdoor sex in local beauty spots.

Apparently the warm weather brings these people out in their droves.

The paper refers to a girl who was gang-banged by five blokes on the bonnet of a car in broad daylight. I couldn’t figure out how they all managed to fit on the car.

Nearby residents weren’t happy about having their peace destroyed by the continuous grunting.

Apparently, this isn’t a one-off. This is a popular past-time for some people.

I don’t get it. I really don’t.

Even when I’m reading erotic romance, if the protags start having sex in public, I find myself worrying about them being caught.

Does this mean I’m actually a prude?

Dammit.

Can’t Be Arsed To Read…

Thursday, July 24, 2008
Posted in: random rambling

I haven’t read a new book in two weeks. The last book I read was a Heidi Betts Silhouette Desire. It was ok, but not amazing.

The truth is, I just can’t be arsed tro read at the moment. I think I’m going through yet another mini reading slump. All it’ll take is just one fabulous book to grab me I’m sure.

Any suggestions?