May 3 Mini Link Log

Today I wrote today's phenology post and tomorrow morning's reader-requested book review, and tracked down the link, hidden by cookie conflicts, to the song I cited in the LJ version of today's book review. This left little time for collecting other excellent links. Categories: Books, Recipes, Song.

Books 

Today's review is of a book that meant a lot to me:

http://blogjob.com/priscillaking/2016/05/03/book-review-the-last-word-on-the-gentle-art-of-verbal-self-defense/

Recipes 

Disgraceful, decadent banana muffins. (Reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup, and the oil to 1-2 tablespoons, for regular-type banana muffins. Substitute cornmeal for flour for gluten-free banana muffins--yes, they taste good--and add blueberries, chocolate chips, or nuts for my version of decadent banana muffins; but these days you have to be very, very careful about cornmeal.)

http://blogjob.com/irenen1kitchen/2016/04/01/rainy-day-baking-banana-muffins/

Song 

Search engines absolutely refused to pull up the text to this song, even when I typed in a complete line, word for word, or the title. In the end I had to search my own e-mail, where I'd e-mailed a copy formatted for printing to myself a few years ago, to get this link to the song I cited as "music" in the LJ version of that book review post this morning. This song parody is made up of the most common sneaky verbal attack patterns, or vaps, in English (as discussed in the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense series). If it sounds like this (the sentence patterns, minus the melody), even if it's coming out of a church-lady type who may have managed to believe that she's sounding patient and humble and gentle and long-suffering (probably in response to a non-churchgoer and/or male and/or less educated type who is YELLING, which she considers VERY BAD), it's sneaky verbal abuse. There is likely to be some exaggerated attempt to make the voice and body language seem conciliatory or "submissive." This person really intends to have her (or his) own way, but wants full credit for acting deferential--even though that's the last thing s/he is. And yes, there are churches where this is what's presented to the young and/or confused as the way Christians are supposed to talk in difficult situations; there are people young and/or confused enough to buy it. I used to be one of them.

http://ozarque.livejournal.com/2005/08/21/