Fans Go Wilde in Paris Cemetery

Famed writer and poet Oscar Wilde just can't seem to rest in peace. Fans of the Irishman, who wrote the novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and the play "The Importance of Being Earnest," is buried in the well-known Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

It all started in the late 1990s when one woman -- presumably -- decided to give the monument a little kiss. Since then, visitors have been planting smooches all over it. Some have even taken to drawing lipstick hearts and graffiti on it. One might think that lipstick kisses on a stone monument would be harmless, but according to Wilde's grandson, Merlin Holland, they are not. The grease from the lipstick sinks into the stone and each time it's cleaned, the stone is rendered more porous. 

In an effort to salvage the monument, Holland plans to have it restored (that includes replacing the castrated angel's private parts) and then surrounded by glass. 

Wilde died broke in Paris in 1900. The monument in his honor was erected in 1914.

Cancer ... Again!

For the third time in four years, I have cancer yet again. It's ovarian cancer again. Because of new findings, I'm not only being bombarded with the same chemotherapy regimen -- Carboplatin and Taxol -- that I received the first time, but I'm also getting Avastin, which slows down the progression of the disease. The trouble with Avastin is that it isn't especially effective overall in some cases. It also has potentially fatal side effects. Considering recurrent ovarian cancer is usually fatal anyway, what do I have to lose? My hope is that I will beat cancer once and for all and never have to deal with it EVER again.

My doctor said I have a 70% chance of beating the disease. I'm doing myself a favor this time around and eating better and exercising more. As a result, I feel better overall and function better during the day. Depression causes more problems than the side effects from the chemotherapy. 

Book Review: "The House of Mirth"

I saw the movie before I read the book. I liked both. The movie stayed very true to the book. It's one of the saddest stories I've ever read. I don't know what Edith Wharton's life was like -- biographies can only tell you so much -- but I've read three of her books and all three had endings that left me feeling depressed. Even though life was rough for Lily Bart, she seemed to me like a character who would prevail in the end even if that meant sucking it up and choosing to compromise. Read more ...