Busman's Holiday -- Austin, TX

Wishing all my friends in East Texas an end to the rain and a respite from tornadoes.

In the meantime, seen in SOCO...

Saturday Ramblings

Normally he's the most serious of babies, so this shot of Mr. Monkey Toes grinning at the camera made my day!

He may look like his daddy, but he's got his mama's sweet smile!

_____

As cool as this is (and it is)...

... the fact that the animation was done by a high school freshman is just amazing!

_____

Mary Schmich lists her nine best books for 2010.

While I still haven't posted my list of December books read, here's my own Top 10 Books Read in 2010 (I'm choosing by what I read this year, not necessarily what was published this year)

1. Beatrice & Virgil: A Novel, Yann Martel -- In turns beautiful, comical and horrifying. This one has stuck with me like no other. I highly, highly recommend it.
2. Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority, Tom Burrell -- Written by a black man to a black audience, but for anyone who wants to understand race relations in this country it's a must-read.
3. Born Under a Million Shadows, Andrea Busfield -- My favorite character since Piscine Molitor Patel. I'll read this one again and again.
4. Confessions of a Compact Camera Shooter, Rick Sammon -- If you want to do a whole lot more with your little point-and-shoot camera, this book is packed full of good information and written in terms that won't intimidate the techno-challenged (like me).
5. The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafón -- Set in post-war Spain, it's a quest novel of heartbreaking beauty.
6. Packing for Mars – The Curious Science of Life in the Void, Mary Roach -- It made me laugh out loud and it was stuffed with interesting data.
7. The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food and Love, Kristin Kimball -- Not a life I'd choose for myself, but one that certainly is rich and wonderful. I could practically taste, smell and feel every element of life on an organic farm.
8. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand: A Novel, Helen Simonson -- A reminder that there's no age limit on finding love.
9. The Believers, Zoe Heller -- Whether you're liberal, conservative or independent, this is a fascinating fictional peek into the mind of the liberal left. Favorite quote: “’You want to know what I’d do if the truth revealed itself to me and it wasn’t the truth I wanted to find?’ ‘Yes’ Audrey smiled. ‘I’d reject it.” Bang on.
10. Mary Ann in Autumn: A Tales of the City Novel, Armisted Maupin -- I loved the original series and was delighted that Maupin treated my old friends, all of them dearly missed, with such affection.

What are your Top 10 reads for the year?

_____

Speaking of love stories, here's a dandy:

For the back story, go here. Sappy. Hilarious. Charming.

_____

So my underwire bra is a threat to national security and requires a groping that left marks for days, but an Iranian-American can get on a plane with a Glock in his bag? Sooooooooo glad to see that the TSA has it's priorities straight and is so effective in its mission.

By the way -- this story about a TSA agent stealing travelers' laptops is exactly why I object to having to step away from your stuff for a body scan or grope fest.

_____

It's no secret that I'm fully in favor of repealing that obnoxious "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law. I'm happy to report it's on it's way out the door! Well done.

(John McCain can go pound sand, as far as I'm concerned.)

_____

More Game of Thrones geekery:

The Artisans: Simon Brindle

Beautiful, no?

_____

I just had to swipe this from Becky:

Drive-Bys

Quote of the Day:

"I've had at least 8 beers, 5 nights in a row. I've got to get out of here....
...So I can get up and do it again tomorrow!"

(And no -- this is not attributable to CharlieDelta... unless he's been in New York City lately...
_____

Okay, now I'm disappointed:

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who is seeking re-election next week, said today he will not run for Chicago mayor next February.

That stinks, because I think he could have easily won... and I like him.
_____

Weather Update:

So just how windy was it yesterday? Here are some of the effects of Tuesday's wind and rain storm:

• The wind severely damaged three small planes parked and tied down at DuPage Airport. One plane became unsecured from the straps that held it down and flipped into a parking lot; another came loose from its ties and smashed into a third plane. No one was hurt.
• Willis Tower decided to close its Skydeck observatory and pull in "The Ledge" attraction. The Ledge's four glass boxes, which jut out from the building's 103rd floor, were retracted as a precaution.
• The Chicago Park District closed the Lincoln Park Conservatory on the North Side and the Garfield Park Conservatory on the West Side, which have glass roofs, because of safety concerns.
• Semi-trailer trucks pulling double trailers or other oversized loads were temporarily banned from driving on the Indiana Toll Road.
• Airlines canceled 500 flights at O'Hare Airport, causing ripple effects on travel nationwide.
• The City of Chicago received 408 calls to 311 about tree damage, meaning either a branch or an entire tree came down.

Yep. That's windy alright! And today, while not as bad as yesterday, the wind is still an issue:

The worst appears over, although some more strong winds are expected.

A wind warning is in effect today until 7 p.m. with southwest winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts up to 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Lets just say it makes for some interesting hair styles...
_____

My buddy and fellow voracious reader Mike has a Nook and I'm a Kindle kind of gal, which has made for some interesting and spirited discussions about which is superior (e-reader, that is). Mike sent me an email celebrating the news that the new Nook is slightly larger, comes in different colors and has a full color screen. I asked about whether it was back-lit or e-ink, and sure as shootin' it's back-lit.

Here's my take on it -- if you think the iPad is beautiful but all you really want it for is a reader and some basic apps, the new Nook fits the bill and for a hell of a lot cheaper.

That back-lighting thing, though?

"Using a computer is one of the most alerting things you can do. A light on a computer is very strong and right in front of your eyes. A computer will shift your biological clock and run signals to the brain to be on the alert," explains Gill, who cautions to avoid using a computer before bedtime and when you get up because you are unable to sleep.

Bugger! I guess we'll keep holding out for color e-ink...
_____

Not only is the idea of a treehouse in Manhattan just cool beans, the execution is lovely, too!
_____

Tootin' the Horn

Harvey makes birthday shopping easy:

[T]his year I was wondering what to ask for and drawing a blank. But I was pruning some of the dead links off my sidebar (which, apparently, I haven't done since 2005) when I noticed that the section labelled "USEFUL TOOLS" (right side, way towards the bottom) needs more links.

So, that's what I want.

Links to web sites that belong in the "USEFUL TOOLS" section of my sidebar.

Alrighty, then! I'm gifting him with one of my favorite sites -- The Awesomer -- which features tons of cool and useful tools... like this:



Happy 44th, Harvey!