Rubber-Necking

Why don't I discuss politics here as much as I used to?



It's like playing Whack-A-Mole Junior -- just too darned easy.

Drive-Bys

Got a Kindle and want to remove books from the archive permanently?  Here's how.  Good to know!
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I'm currently reading...

... so I found this column by Eric Zorn of great interest:

The schools are public. The funds to be spent are public. On one side of the table is a public body. Why shouldn't the public have a seat at that table, if only to listen in through the media to the offers and counter-offers?

Negotiating a contract of this dimension is a major governmental act — far more significant than many of the twists of the statutory knob that must, by law, be performed by legislative bodies at open meetings.

Closed doors are antithetical to democracy. Our traditions tell us that public oversight and input not only help keep officials honest, but also aid them in their quest to represent the will of the people (assuming that is their quest).

In the case of teachers union negotiations, parents are major stakeholders — even more so than most taxpayers — yet are totally shut out of the process until the parties emerge from marathon bargaining sessions brandishing a settlement.

I don't always see eye-to-eye with Zorn, but on this topic he's bang on the money.  Go read the whole thing.  And then go buy this book.  It's guaranteed to set your hair on fire!
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Giggle of the Day:

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Ear Worm of the Day:

Drive-Bys

How major media in the U.S. reports the Occupy Wall Street mess:

So enthused about promoting the far-left protests, ABC anchor Diane Sawyer on Monday night's World News championed “the Occupy Wall Street movement” by ludicrously claiming that “as of tonight, it has spread to more than 250 American cities, more than a thousand countries -- every continent but Antarctica.”

How they look at it across the pond:

A very privileged protest: Wearing $300 jeans and from some of the most exclusive schools, the children of the one per cent out for a good time at Occupy Wall Street

Which do you suppose is the more unbiased reporting?
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A "rewind button" for blurry photos? Ooooo! Faster, please! (Yesterday, if I had my druthers.)
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Currently unemployed? Read this article (with an admittedly depressing title), for some good food for thought about how you may be sabotaging your own prospects... and what you can do to change.
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One of the things I love about fall is the return of squashes in great quantity in my local supermarket. This article not only has great descriptions of all the differing varieties, it also has some great recipes for a slow cooker soup and two different stuffed squashes. Yum!
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I was glad that Chris Christie declined to join the current presidential race because I honestly believe that he should at least finish his first full term in office before running for something else. Now that he's come out for Romney, I'm really glad he's not running... because it would have been more of the same thing Mitt's known for.
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Quote of the Day:

"If the candidates are smart, they'll make it be 5, 5, 5, 5, and more 5." -- Ann Althouse

Damn straight, Skippy.
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Teach your children?

With every passing hour, the meeting between Chicago Public Schools officials and the Chicago Teachers Union to discuss longer school days appears less likely.

Last week, CTU President Karen Lewis had said she and her union officers were ready to talk about the district's controversial plan, but suggested union headquarters as a meeting location.

CPS countered by suggesting the two parties meet at a school that has chosen to add 90 minutes to its school day.

And since then, the talks have stalled.

This morning, schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard suggested Brown Elementary as a meeting site.

CPS officials have not heard back from CTU, said district spokeswoman Becky Carroll. CTU spokeswoman Stephanie Gadlin said she too does not know if a meeting will take place today.

It's called compromise or neutral territory, people, and you ought to learn how to find it. Both sides ought to be ashamed of themselves for the example they are setting for the very students they purport to care so much for.


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Giggle of the Day:


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Drive-Bys

What's the sweetest item not on the menu at Sweets & Savories?

A peek-a-boo playing Mr. Monkey Toes, of course! (Our brunch there was fantastic, by the way -- great food, lovely ambiance, very good value.)

Mr. Monkey Toes and Mommy play with Ziggy the skunk and Dot the ladybug. Yes, I've started him out early on theatre, and he loved every second of it. Chicago Children's Theatre is terrific fun for kids of all ages.
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Why don't I try online dating?

Within minutes of filling out my profile, e-mails with comments such as "Hey cutie!" or "What-up?" flooded my inbox. One man even said "Send me some body pics babe! Wanna see if you're hot from the waist down too!"

As Hairboy would say, "Yeef!"

You'd think these does and don'ts would go without saying...

Don't have screen names like "Mommywarnedyou" or "HotstuffMike." "Write a profile name that will make someone smile, not that will scare someone off," says Gandhi.

Don't take pictures of yourself with no shirt on in your bedroom. Shirtless photos are already sketchy, but if you want to show off your physique, be doing something, like swimming or fishing or rock climbing. You sitting in your desk chair with no shirt on just brings out all sorts of bad images that you don't want anyone to have in a first impression.

Don't use acronyms in your profile description that might offend, such as WTF or BS.

Do use spell-check when writing your profile. "You are wooing someone with your words so the first impression matters," says Gandhi. "And use punctuation. In this cyber-world, people think they can type the way they would text, and that can come off as lazy."

Don't reach out to people half your age. I got asked out by an 87-year-old man. I'm not against older men — but I will not be dating someone who could be my great-grandfather.

Don't "wink" at people. This is quite possibly more annoying than a million "pokes" on Facebook. If you like someone, send them a note.

Do write them an e-mail. "Take the time to write a good e-mail based on something the target has written," says Gandhi. "It doesn't have to be long — just enough to make them smile. And use the subject line in your e-mail to stand out. Ninety-five percent of people will say 'Hi'. Say something that responds to a comment in their profile. It shows you've actually read what they put out there rather than just looked at the pictures."

Don't be sarcastic. When I was struggling to write my profile, I decided to ask my 5-year-old son to describe me. I thought it was hilarious. But Gandhi warned, "Sarcasm doesn't translate in writing as well. They need to get to know you first, and that may be off-putting."

Unfortunately some men really do need to be whapped upside the head with the stupid stick. (For what it's worth, there are a lot of ridiculously dense women who should learn a lesson or two as well.)

Life as a satisfied singleton life suits me better every day.
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WTF? of the Day:

A new Harvard University study finds that July 4th parades energize only Republicans, turn kids into Republicans, and help to boost the GOP turnout of adults on Election Day.

I don't know what they're smoking in that ivy-covered corner of Cambridge, but it's apparently got some very strange side effects.
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Roughly 530 colleges across the country will soon have to submit special reports to Uncle Sam, explaining why their tuition and student fees have recently surged.

All I have to say is WHAT TOOK SO LONG???
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Obama really should be taking tips from Chicago's new mayor:

Eager to avoid job cuts but more determined to solve a budget crisis, Mayor Rahm Emanuel posed a painful choice for organized labor: face 625 layoffs or sign off on $20 million in work-rule changes by midnight Thursday.

Emanuel said he has identified the 625 employees “as a precautionary measure,” but he refused to identify them, nor would he reveal what city services might be reduced, eliminated or privatized.

The mayor stressed that he does not want to pull the trigger on the layoffs. He insisted that job cuts will not be necessary if organized labor will “be my partner” on $20 million in work rule changes outlined for labor leaders this week that, Emanuel claimed, are already in place in union shops in the private sector.

But the new mayor said he is prepared to balance the city budget, without furlough days that have undermined employee morale and with or without union help.

He's doing a great job of keeping his promises so far.
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Ear Worm of the Day:



I've never been a fan of Rod Stewart... but... I've gotta admit I love the way he does the old standards!

Drive-Bys

I'm putting this on Mr. Monkey Toes' birthday list this year:
That's just too cute for words, and I'm sure his daddy will approve!
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What's wrong with education in Chicago?

Our school day in Chicago is so short that by the time a kid graduates from high school, she will have been in the classroom four years less than her counterpart in Houston. As I heard Rahm Emanuel put it, a kid in Houston essentially has an extra entire high school education when compared to our kids. Four more years of education!

The statistic is equal parts sad and telling, and makes me realize why NASA is headquartered in Houston and not Illinois.

I don't care how advanced a curriculum is, there is no way a kid can compete with a four-year disparity. And that is just compared to Houston. I shudder to think how students in Japan are eating our kids' lunch, as there the school year is about 240 days, not a measly 180 days like ours.

It reminds me that instead of having high-brow debates about the best way to educate our kids, we should instead be doing something extremely low-brow. My wise mother simply called it "tush in seats." That is, we need more tushes, in more seats, for more hours. Only once that happens should we turn to other curriculum debates.

Who will fight this effort the most? The teachers union, of course.
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If you have a pet, whether cat, dog, ferret, bird or turtle, print this article and tape it inside a kitchen cabinet or medicine chest. You may thank me for that one day.
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Not getting enough sleep these days? Put the tech toys down at least an hour before you go to bed. (Unless, of course, you have a Kindle or Nook or any other e-reader with e-ink.)
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Not so popular with the kids?

The White House is ramping up an effort to promote a nationwide competition to decide which high school wins a commencement speech by President Obama.

An internal White House memo indicates that the White House is facing a shortage of applications less than a week before the deadline.

The competition was extended from the February 25 deadline until Friday, March 11 after few schools met the original application deadline. CBS News has learned a White House Communications Office internal memo dated February 22 noted "a major issue with the Commencement Challenge."

"As of yesterday we had received 14 applications and the deadline is Friday," the memo said. The memo also urged recipients to, "please keep the application number close hold."

A follow-up memo on February 28 reported receipt of 68 applications. Noting the competition among more than 1,000 schools last year, the memo said, "Something isn't working."

Ya think? That's just a sad state of affairs.
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Every photo on this page is breathtakingly beautiful. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
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I have a good friend in her mid-40's who just had her second heart attack. As she says, when it comes to smoking, not quitting is "not an option" any more.

I sent her my list of things that worked for me.

If you or anyone you know is thinking of quitting, please pass it on.
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Ear Worm of the Day:



What the heck -- let's have another:


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Giggle of the Day:


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One more thing:


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And one more, for my Meezer Boys:

Drive-Bys

Giggle of the Day:

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Ack! I'll NEVER get that damned bridge to stop bouncing.

Here's a question for my photographer friends. I've been giving strong consideration to making the jump from point-and-shoot to SLR... but the thing that's been hanging me up is the size and weight of SLRs, as I like to carry my camera with me all the time. When you start adding up the weight of a camera, a laptop and a Kindle that's a lot to be toting around.

Then I heard about the new Micro Four Thirds cameras, which have a lot of appeal to me. Have any of you gotten your mitts on a Panasonic LUMIX or an Olympic PEN? Pros? Cons?

Seriously! Grandbaby is on the way in September, and I want a good camera in my hands by then (and before is even better so I can get a little practice in before the big event).

All comments will be gratefully taken into consideration.
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Not too long ago I had words with my Darling Baby Brother about the fact that he really, really needs to quit buying his girls everything they want the minute it comes out. I pointed out that it made it really difficult to buy them Christmas and birthday gifts, and it takes the magic out of a spontaneous gift. Not only that, it doesn't teach them the value of a dollar or the necessity of waiting to buy something until you can afford it.

Now, DBB does not like to hear stuff like this -- however, he also has a son who can't keep a dollar in his pocket because he was raised the exact same way -- so he listens even when it's PITA Big Sis giving him what-for.

Apparently Terry Savage caught holy hell for doing the same thing with that lemonade stand column I wrote about last weekend.

She's right, though. We have a problem with people not knowing the value of a dollar, let alone appreciating it. Two things that she said stood out:

• Clearly there is a great misconception that entrepreneurship and generosity are incompatible. But that's far from the truth. Just look at Bill Gates and Warren Buffett -- two of our country's greatest entrepreneurs, who are in the process of giving away hundreds of millions of dollars to causes they think are worthwhile. But first they had to earn that money!
  
  
• It's important to start teaching those financial lessons at an early age. These little girls, around age 7 or 8, are already targets of consumer marketing -- for everything from toys to videos, from fashion to food. Certainly, it's also the right time to teach them the value of the money they spend, and how difficult it is to earn it.

Yes.
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JihadGene says, "It's Friday! Let's Dance!"

I say, "Giddy-Up-A-Go-Go!"



You?
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P.S. -- I are a lucky girl. Just so you know.

Bus Fumes

I kid you not, Governor Giveaway has some 'splaining to do. He can find $6 million to spend on the Museum of Broadcast Communication, but he doesn't have $380,000 to stop this:

With nine months of unpaid bills, one Illinois residential treatment center says it has no choice but to start discharging profoundly emotionally disturbed children.

Letters were sent this month to seven Chicago-area families, giving them 30 days to pick up their children.

"It was a very difficult decision … but the lack of payment is starting to affect other kids," said Debbie Reed, president and CEO of Chaddock, a residential treatment center in the downstate city of Quincy. "It's really a matter of stewardship."

The Illinois Department of Human Services owes Chaddock more than $370,000 for seven students in the state's Individual Care Grant program, which provides funding for residents with severe psychosis who cannot function at home. The facility has not been paid since September, "which makes it impossible for us to continue to serve ICG youth with no indication of when or if we may be paid," Reed wrote in the letter to parents.

Nor $1 million to pay for this...

The Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School in Chicago's Hyde Park community is owed more than $1 million for its 20 ICG students, said co-director Diana Kon, who acknowledges she's under pressure from her board to also terminate services for kids with ICGs.

"I don't want to be the one who closes a school that has been open for 100 years," she said. "We are scrambling to keep the lights on, the doors open and services up and running."

While there are many youths across the state with behavioral issues, those supported by Individual Care Grants have generally failed at every previous placement, said Ray Connor of Oak Park, who started the ICG parents group almost a decade ago.

"These are the most severe kids who are placed here for safety issues," Connor said. "They require 24-hour supervision."

Mark my word, that asshole's going to use this as an excuse to raise taxes. He's an impulse purchaser with this state's tax dollars at the expense of every day budget items, and that simply must stop.

I'm not 100% nuts about Bill Brady and some of his far right whackadoodlery, but at least he's fiscally conservative.

I cannot and will not vote for Quinn in November. His irresponsible spending habits are everything that's wrong in Springfield in a nutshell.

Drive-Bys

The Ricketts family is a class act:

Just because the Chicago Cubs haven't played in a World Series in 65 years doesn't mean they don't know what to do around championship games.

And, in this case, the right thing is to step graciously aside.

So the Cubs agreed to allow WGN-AM 720 to air all of the Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup finals series with the Philadelphia Flyers, including three games in the best-of-seven playoff that conflict with scheduled ballgames.

Rather than push the Hawks down the dial to the weaker signal of WIND-AM 560 as they make their first trip to the finals in 18 years in a bid to win their first Stanley Cup title since 1961, the baseball team is temporarily waiving its power-play status on the 50,000-watt flagship station they share.

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Go read this whole amazing story about the young men of Urban Prep:

Urban Prep is big on ritual.

Every time one of the high school's seniors gained college acceptance, he swapped out his red tie for a striped red-and-gold one — until an electrifying day in March, when all 107 seniors of Englewood's Urban Prep Academy for Young Men donned striped ties.

On Tuesday, they established another tradition.

The students, in their trademark uniform blazers and ties, publically (sic) announced where they would attend college. For the first graduating class of Chicago's only public all-male, all-African-American charter high, the declaration was monumental. Many of the students at the school, which is in one the city's roughest neighborhoods, are the first in their family to go to college. Only 4 percent of them read at grade level when they started four years ago, school officials said.

A tip of the cap to every one of the class of 2010, and to the teachers and administrators who got them there. Well done. Well done, indeed.

(More here on why this is such an enormous accomplishment.)
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Quote of the Day:

"There's more cleavage in this film than at a pro wrestler's wedding.

"And crotches, have we got crotches for you." -- Roger Ebert

And you thought he didn't like SATC2...
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Giggle of the Day:



Charlie Delta's garbage bin?
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Ear Worm of the Day:

Sunday Schedule

Quote of the Day:

" I think the best gift to a woman is a man who listens."

I think I just fell in love... with Common.

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Coming to Chicago any time soon? If so, bookmark this fabulous listing of loads of places to find dinner for two for under $20.

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Also, pump up your Chicago trivia knowledge by noodling around here. Lots of cool info that most of us who live here don't even know!

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Love Chicago style hot dogs? And a great love story? The Superdawg story has it all!

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With work sheets laid out on the tables, the 11 high school students looked ready to dive into their group projects.

But this exercise wasn't about trigonometry problems or physics theories. Instead, the teens were being tested on their financial smarts in a lesson called "good debt vs. bad debt."

The teachers who concocted the exercise were two financial planners who stood front and center in a personal-finance class.

This is developing not just personal finance knowledge, but also critical thinking skills. More, please!

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Hmmmm....

More than ever, consumer electronics -- particularly laptops, smartphones and Apple's new iPad -- are shining bright light into our eyes until just moments before we doze off.

Now there's growing concern that these glowing gadgets may actually fool our brains into thinking it's daytime. Exposure can disturb sleep patterns and exacerbate insomnia, some sleep researchers said in interviews.

This actually makes sense to me, as I fall asleep much faster if I read on my Kindle for half an hour or so before laying down than if I just switch off the laptop and try going to sleep.

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Here's a love story that'll break your heart... unless you've got no heart at all:

A cassette tape is waiting for me. It sits in a small bubble mailer on my night table. It stares at me when I walk in the room; it beckons to me as I walk out. But still it sits there and waits. It is the last thing. The last thing he sent to me from "over there."

There is no note inside, just a regular old-school cassette tape. The outside of the envelope is addressed in his handwriting. "Love, Poppa Bear" is written on the back. I've opened it to look inside, but I haven't yet drawn up the courage to listen.

And here's the follow-up:

Yesterday was pretty emotional. I had talked to some people in the morning and I realized that I needed to sit down and have a discussion with my husband. I talk to him all the time, but I think I let him know too often how angry I still am at the situation. So I sat and I talked with him. I really opened up my heart and reminded him how much I do love him and that no matter what, that will never, ever change. I laid on the floor and just talked and talked, and it felt so good to be openly communicating the way we once did. I then needed some music so I put on the playlist I had made for him and recorded on to a tape to send him to Afghanistan. I found that I needed more of him, I wanted to hear him too, so I did it... I listened to the tape. It was difficult, I cried through much of it. He talked about being so excited to come home and hold us and hearing those things after the fact is so hard. I had somehow forgotten how funny he was and found myself laughing through my tears. It was great hearing his voice, as emotional and difficult as it was, I enjoyed it. I am so thankful my mom had that idea to send tapes and we have this (albeit, old) piece of technology to keep him, and his voice, alive.

Cpl. Jonathan D. Porto - "Bringing Him Home" from DiamondFilms on Vimeo.

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Drive-Bys

Knock on wood, we've had one of the loveliest Springs I can ever remember here in Chicago -- warm weather, just enough rain to make things grow; not enough rain to drown them.
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What's true for the Metra trains is also true for the El -- in a contest between man and speeding vehicle on rails, the speeding vehicle will win. Always.

Lest you think this is a rare thing here, on my way home from the Cubs game on Friday I saw six spectacularly drunken and stupid fans try to get themselves run over by a Metra train not 50 feet from where I was standing. I know the engineer on that train must have had brown stains all the way down the legs of his uniform pants. I almost did, myself. And those stupid fuckers laughed. (Sorry, but they are.) You know what? In their case, a $500 fine isn't nearly enough, and I'm sorry there were no cops handy. I'd have volunteered to testify against them.
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I can see crankylitprof, caltechgirl and Mamacita all nodding and saying, "Yep. That's about par for the course..."

Me: “Oh, is this for an Ethics class?”

Customer: “Yes! I didn’t want to pay for the book, so I photocopied it. Do you think the professor is going to like how resourceful I am?”

Me: “I’m sure you’ll have a very lively discussion about it.”

Indeed.
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If you're on Facebook, you'll want to go read this if you have concerns about your privacy settings (and you should):

Facebook is now sharing your personal profile information with third parties. For now, it's just a few web sites, like the music site Pandora, and the consumer review site, Yelp.

Facebook is automatically sharing that information, without your consent. If you don't want to share, you have to opt out.

Dandy. Just freaking dandy.
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Giggle of the Day:

(For to Stedman and Gus and Fiona. I owed them.)
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Ear Worm of the Day:

Drive-Bys

Put-Down of the Day:

"You really are life's wet patch. An embarrassing little stain that no one wants to admit to.... or sleep on."

That's harsh.
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IT WASN'T ME!!!
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Oh. Dear. Lord.

Make it stop. Please?
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What took so long?

Chicago Schools CEO Ron Huberman on Tuesday touted a new "personal finance" class that is helping more than 900 high school students learn how to budget for college, do their taxes and make their money work for them -- all critical "life skills" in today's dour economy.

Financial literacy is especially important to the 86 percent of Chicago Public School students who come from low-income homes where parents might turn to expensive payday loans or currency exchanges for help, Huberman said.

"We want to make sure our students are armed with the financial literacy to understand any economic transaction they get into,'' Huberman said.

The eight-unit course that began as a pilot program this semester in 12 CPS high schools covers budgeting, saving, spending wisely, insurance, basic business models and the role of the marketplace.

I've been advocating for something like this for a long time. EVERY high school ought to have this class.
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How much do you want to bet that Anthony Bourdain and James Gottwald's babchi would get along famously? I'd give anything to be in the kitchen and at the table with those two, individually or simultaneously.
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Giggle of the Day, Part I:


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Giggle of the Day, Part II:


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Ear Worm of the Day:



Blame the owls.

Drive-Bys

I see articles like this that lament the lack of library staff and resources, music and art programs, etc., and I think of the Princess Mom, who was so busy and influential in my own grade school:

While she wasn’t a huggy, kissy mother, she was an involved mother – room mother, den mother, picture lady, she also helped start up and run our elementary school’s library.

Instead of bemoaning what the state isn't giving us, maybe it's time to bring back volunteerism and bring moms and dads back into the classroom on a regular basis, at least until life gets back to "normal" -- whatever that may become.

I know mom was really hurt when she got told, "Thanks a lot for all you've done and don't let the door smack you in the ass on the way out," when the library was up and running and the school district decided to bring in a "real" librarian to run the joint... but she also had the satisfaction of knowing that the library wouldn't have existed in the first place without her and the handful of other moms who conceived it, stocked it, organized it and ran it first (and would probably still be running the darned thing today, given the chance).
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Super Squirrel? I want it. (Blame Helen.)
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I needed an uplifting story today. This one did it:

The night of the fire, I sat at a laptop in the hotel room, eating a takeout order of sesame chicken and answering those e-mails. Dona was asleep, nearly crowded out of the bed by two dogs that couldn't get close enough. Over and over, I read these simple messages offering support and help.

I cracked open the fortune cookie.

"Your wealth is where your friends are."

Too right.
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Easter is coming. Time for Peeps on Parade! (Stop back, as more photos are added daily.)
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Ear Worm of the Day:


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I recently had a dream that included Rahm Emanuel and William Shatner doing a skit wherein they were both channeling smart-ass dogs (black & tan, short coats, Doberman mixes) and Becky (with a boyfriend 10 years her junior in tow) in the same night. While you wrap your head around that odd combination, keep in mind that wasn't as nutty as this... and I don't speak out loud like this.

Still... it was an odd one.

Sunday Schedule

Oooo! DWTS starts this week! (Just a guess, but Evan Lysacek and Chad Ochocino are going to be the hot contenders to beat.)

Interviews --

Cheryl on Chad

Louis on Niecy

Derek on Nicole

Anna on Evan

Evan Lysacek

Aidan Turner

Yay! I can't wait!

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Why am I happy I don't own a car any more? How about this, for a start?

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Quote of the Day:

"We are sick and tired of being sick and tired of our children being gunned down," said Louvenia Hood, of Mothers Opposed to Violence Everywhere. "It's time for this to stop."

I am sympathetic. However... here's the problem, as I see it: These kids are not being gunned down; they're gunning each other down. The problem starts in the home, and change also needs to start in the home. Standing in the street and praying in front of cameras won't fix anything; being present every day and parenting your own kids well will.

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I'm sorry, but $16 million would be better spent on teachers' salaries in this state right now. This is just one more example of governmental decision making processes that care more about pleasing "popular" agendas than actually fulfilling the mandate of educating children in this state. Oh, well. Dick and Jane may not be educated in Illinois, but, by golly, they'll be fashionably fit.

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The Illinois Democratic party moves on to the finals in Dem Lt. Governor Candidate Idol next Saturday. Too bad the voters can't vote online or text their votes for their favorites. Oh, wait! They did that already. Oops! My bad.

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"This legislation won't go into effect tomorrow."

Maybe not, but a dear friend of mine who works for the IRS informed me Friday night that the IRS has been champing at the bit to begin hiring not hundreds, but thousands, of new IRS agents to do nothing but ensure that businesses and individuals alike are complying with the new law, and that hiring will commence immediately on passage of the legislation. [Update: Here's more proof.]

Any way you look at either bill, it's the largest governmental power grab in the history of this country. Given that I'm already unhappy with this news: The five largest employers in the Chicago area are 1) the U.S. government; 2) Chicago public schools; 3) the City of Chicago; 4) the State of Illinois; and, 5) Cook County... and we can't afford any of them here at the moment... you can imagine my current level of disgust.

Mark my words -- we are about to get far more governmental intrusion into our lives and give up far larger portions of our paychecks than we ever thought possible.

Thank you, Mr. Boehner, for requesting a roll call vote. I want to know exactly who I will be working very hard to vote out of office in the next several elections.

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Bigger Models Make Women Feel Bad About Themselves, Too

[snip] The study did, however, come up with one icky way bigger models can be used to actually influence product sales: “if a normal-size woman sees moderately heavy images in ads for weight-loss products, she might feel overweight and be more inclined to buy a diet plan or gym membership.” Basically, use plus-sized models to make women feel bad enough about themselves that they spend more money on gym memberships and diet products. [The Cut]

What do you think? Do ads with bigger models make you feel better or worse about yourself?

When it's models like these, they just want to make me go shopping for one of everything in their catalog, because I know I'm going to look and feel wonderful... and that's good, because I'm already educated, unlike Dick and Jane.

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Yes, once upon a time I did Princess Idol. No, this wasn't me:

(Stick with this. It gets really... um... interesting... around the 1:20 mark.)

Seriously, I'd never do that to people.

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Programmed by elitists? And here I thought the Tea Party movement was full of booger-eating morons...

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Whoa! Mamacita is kicking butt and taking names:

I have already entered a zero for the midterm for each of you who blew it off. If you want that zero changed into something else, be bloody sure you get that test taken before your time is up. After I place your test in the Testing Center, the rest is entirely up to you. If you don’t get yourself up there, the zero stands.

If you allow that zero to stand, you will need to present yourself to the registrar to withdraw from the class. You’ll also be required to pay back your financial aid.

Sincerely, Professor Had-It-Up-To-Here with the lot of you.

P.S. Students who showed up on the proper day get bonus points, which will be added at the end of the semester. Also? These students rock. They’re awesome, while you’re. . . . well, never mind. It was an antonym. I hope you had a good time in Cancun.

Don't you wish she was your kid's prof?

Drive-Bys

From Barrie in AZ:


(I'm a realist. You?)
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Greg du Toit is more than a little bit crazy... but he takes fantastic photos.
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For those who think Sarah Palin should grow a thicker skin when it comes to the word "retard," I give you a Redneck Mommy who'd agree with her on that issue:


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I had one of those weird convergences of thought where Amy Alkon popped up twice -- once with her sending my thoughts bouncing thither, and once with another post sending me bouncing back yon. You see, she wrote a post about an email a professor sent to a particularly irksome student, which led me to thinking about Crankylitprof , who regularly applies the cluebat with righteous weal, and just how much she'd have approved that post. Later, I found this series of delightfully passive-agressive pokes at cell phone users that I was sure would get Amy's approval. One of these days soon, after I whittle down the current load of reading materials on my nightstand and in my Kindle, I'm going to have to order her book.
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More on vajazalling. Here's my question: Do you have to go commando and wear nothing but skirts or dresses if you emblingen the girlie bits? I mean... I'd hate to sacrifice a really nice pair of La Perla's to getting snagged on... ouch!!! It hurts to even think about it.
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Why do I love El Cap? Because he's a poet and an artist, of course!
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Giggle of the Day:


see more Lolcats and funny pictures
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Great Reader must be weeping in his kimchee that a South Korean won gold in Vancouver, but I say to him, "It's Friday! Let's Dance!" Not to rub it in, but...



Who else is joining the dance party? Lessee..

Ellison is dancing with himself to the little white chune box.

Kerrcarto is Livin' a Dream.

Billy Sweetfeets Gingersnap is rockin' a frog song.

And my Barstool Blog Son is doing the World News Polka.