Feet Under

Six Feet Under
$9.98
I expected more from this album even though I read the track titles before I bought it. Transatlanticism and Breathe are the only real keepers in the mix for me. The Onion in the Petunia Patch is pretty, but really just a novelty. As a huge fan of the show and what I remember to be it's soundtrack, this album was a disappointment.

Under the Feet of Jesus
$14.00
The world desperately needs a novel which chronicles the struggles and hardships facing the Mexican immigrant community. Viramontes, in her first novel, seems to be making a stab at The Grapes of Wrath for the Chicano community. However, this book is a miserable failure.

The characters are all flat and stereotypical, and while I think that this might be somewhat intentional, Viramontes presents these archetypes without a hint of irony or criticism, which makes the relationships and character development seem overly simplistic. This is particularly true of the teenaged romance between Estrella and Alejo, which reads like it could have been pulled straight out of the Twilight Saga, or any other breathless teenage romance novel.

Viramontes also has a habit of beating the reader over the head with her metaphors and themes. So for example, the main character is Estrella, which means Star. If that's not blatant enough for the primarily English-speaking audience, Estrella actually goes by the name Star among her friends. This was apparently still not obvious enough a metaphor for Viramontes, so she inserts no fewer than five scenes where Estrella/Star stares up into the night sky, thinking about how similar she is to one of those stars. And just in case we missed it, Estrella's mother gives her a lengthy sermon on how she is starlike. And this is one of the book's subtle moments.

The form itself is laden with too many metaphors and similes -- in fact, the simile is such a dominant mode of description that it seems everything in the book is simply "like" something else, and never actually itself, which might be fine if she wasn't also attempting to deal in archetypal language. As it is, Viramontes seems unable to decide if her characters are overdetermined or underdetermined in their nature. Most of the similes are also unfortunate taken on their own; Viramontes seems to be trying to create a unique discourse but ends up simply nonsensical.

All in all, this book wasn't worth the read. Rather than being a significant contribution to the field of Chicano Lit, it undermines the political efforts of the last 40 years. If you want a more complex vision of Chicano politics and identity, I recommend the novels of Dagoberto Gilb.

Six Feet Under - The Complete Series Gift Set
$179.90
Five stars for the show itself; five stars for this wonderful box set with all of its extras and its fabulous design. Zero stars for the condition of the case :( Like other reviewers have stated, the front flap/cover of the box was ripped off upon removing the plastic from it. I'm pretty sure my set was new and not used, and the package that came in the mail was not damaged. I think this is just a design flaw. I don't see how the flap *could* stay attached after opening once or twice. The joint where the flap joins the rest of the box is just paper - it's not reinforced by anything, and it's not really flexible or heavy-duty. I'm going to try to find some sort of archival-safe adhesive to try to put the pieces back together (the joint was visibly damaged upon receipt, and it ripped off completely the first time I gently opened it). I'm a little bummed about this, but at 51% off, this set was a great deal. The CDs and DVDs all appear to be in great shape - none were loose and none are scratched.

Medi-Dyne ProStretch Heel Pain Relief Kit, Regular Size (Under 175lbs)
$42.99
After struggling with plantar fascia for going on 12 years, I finally came to the conclusion that no temporary fix would solve my problems, including this set of heel cups and this piece of plastic.

Sure, you will get some relief by using this product every day, rocking your foot back and forth, wearing the heel cups, etc. But what if your pain is caused by a flat foot, or a problem with an over pronation of your foot? You need to get a diagnosis of your foot problem and make sure these treatments are even an option for you. This is what happened to be my problem, I have over pronation of my foot, which was stretching the tendon beyond its ability, so I would experience severe heel pain every day. This pain was especially worse following rest. I wear supportive shoes, Saucony and Brooks, and I stretch before walking, but the pain was becoming unbearable.

I finally went to the Good Feet store and spend $600 on arch supports. As crazy as that sounds, it was a great solution, and I feel I have found a cure for my foot problems. There are 3 arch supports they provide, and one is especially good for walking a lot, and there are others that are more relaxing. I am very pleased at my purchase from Good Feet and wish I had gone there sooner.