Book Your Ticket

I'm still processing my way through my maiden voyage to the Hysterics at Eric's and will post on that soon. In the meantime, I found this via Tommy, who may be big, but is not stupid...

1. Favorite childhood book?

It was a set called "The Children's Classics," bound in deep, rich, shiny cordovan leather and embossed with the profiles of a young boy and girl, that came with our Encylopaedia Britannica. The set contained Black Beauty, Treasure Island, Robinson Crusoe, The Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson and many more. I read and re-read those books.

2. What are you reading right now?

Liar, Liar by K.J. Larsen.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

None. Although I have a library card, I almost never have time to stop there.

4. Bad book habit?

Yes.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library teed up on your Kindle?

Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1, Edited by Harriet Elinor Smith; Fairy Tales Every Child Should Know, Hamilton Wright Mabie; Worth Dying For: A Reacher Novel, Lee Child; The Life and Adventures of Santa Clause, L. Frank Baum; The Reluctant Mage, Karen Miller; Hour of the Hunter, J.A. Jance; Diary of Samuel Pepys; The Mountain of Marvels, Aaron Shepard; and Decision Points, George W. Bush.

6. Do you have an e-reader?

My bosses gave me a Kindle for Christmas last year. I carry it with me everywhere. In fact, I love it so much that I bought one for my sister-in-law!

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

One book at a time. I'm a really fast reader, so it doesn't make sense for me to jump around too much.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

Not since starting a blog. My reading habits really slowed down, however, when I got a computer at home!

9. Least favorite book you read this year?

The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

It ranks right up there with The Bonfire of the Vanities, which I loathe and have never been able to force myself to finish. The Fitzgerald book has equally miserable characters.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?

Beatrice and Virgil by Yan Martel. It's a beautiful, terrible, immensely moving book.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

All the time!

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

Cozies, mysteries, fiction and the occasional panty-dropper.

13. Can you read on the bus?

I can and do all the time.

14. Favorite place to read?

Everywhere and anywhere I have five or more minutes.

15. What is your policy on book lending?

I don't lend books any more. I'll give you a book if I'm done with it. If it's one of my all-time favorites that I read over and over again, I'll buy you one, but you can't have mine.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! That's sacrilegious!

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

Again, no. But I do like the highlighter and notes features on my Kindle.

18. Not even with text books?

Ask me in January.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?

English. I can do a little Spanish and a little French, but not enough to do a whole book.

20. What makes you love a book?

Finely drawn characters. A great story line. The delicious details of time, place, and the five senses. Something that makes me stretch a bit. Being able to close my eyes and effortlessly envision the characters and the scenery.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

I have to love the book myself, and know the reading tastes of the person I'm recommending the book to.

22. Favorite genre?

Who can pick?

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)

Business books. I really enjoyed Rembrandts in the Attic, Freakonomics and Digital Phoenix. I should raid my own company's library more often.

24. Favorite biography?

The Lyndon Johnson series by Robert Caro. Fascinating stuff.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

I'm Okay - You're Okay, and that was back in my hippy-dippy camp counselor days.

26. Favorite cookbook?

The Princess Mom's old Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or nonfiction)?

Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiorty, by Tom Burrell (whom I also got to meet at the Chicago Book Fair).

28. Favorite reading snack?

Honey roasted cashews. Pistachios. Smokehouse almonds.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

I won't say "hype" so much as say I had an author believe her own hype so much her books became expensive and overrated retreads -- and that would be Janet Evanovich, who I no longer bother with.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?

I don't read a lot of critics. I read a book because it interests me, not because of what someone whom I've never met recommends for or against.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews??

If the book is bad and I save someone else from wasting their time and money, I don't feel bad at all. If the book is a so-so book and is written by a blogger, I have a harder time with that because I want to love the book and do love the person. Still, I think you've got to be honest. I've read blogger-written books that I've loved, and I've read blogger-written books that just didn't do it for me.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?

Latin or Greek.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character). Math and science are not my strengths. Still, Feynman makes it all approachable.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?

My next textbook.

35. Favorite poet?

John Donne. I love the way he uses secular language to describe religious themes and religious language to describe secular themes.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

I don't. I do, however, usually have at least three or four books teed up on my Kindle besides the current read.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?

Never.

38. Favorite fictional character?

Piscine Molitor Patel.

39. Favorite fictional villain?

Tyrion Lannister, who is sometimes villain, sometimes not.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?

More light-hearted reading. I save the heavy stuff for home.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.

Two days... and it nearly killed me.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

See 9 above. I've tried three times and never could get through more than six chapters of Bonfires. I won't even bother to try again with Beautiful.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

Nothing. I once let a chicken burn so badly it welded itself to the pot and the house was filled with smoke. Because I was reading, I didn't notice a thing. (Yes, The Princess Mom was pissed.)

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

Not a single one. I'm always so disappointed with the film because it doesn't match my own imagined version. I read the book or see the movie, but never both. The only exception I'm going to make with this policy is the HBO miniseries of Game of Thrones.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?

Pat Conroy's Prince of Tides. Babs really stank that one up.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

Around $100.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

What skim? I open and inhale.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?

Bad writing. Not one character or idea I identify with.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?

The Kindle does it for me. I've got a couple of series I like, and I keep them in order. Other than that, I keep organized by giving books away.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

Give them away. There's not a chance in the world that I could afford to build the shelves to hold all of the books I've read. Besides, there's great pleasure in the giving and sharing!

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

No. (Other than textbooks. Which is about to change.)

52. Name a book that made you angry.

The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War, by James Bradley.

Also, The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland" (the writer is delusional and makes arguments in favor of a pedophile) and The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption by Jim Gorant.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

Life of Pi, because the cover art just didn't appeal and I felt it was over-hyped (and which turned out to be my favorite book ever) and The Poisonwood Bible, again because the cover art didn't grab me.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

Moby Dick, or, the whale by Herman Melville. Gadzooks, what a miserable slog that was.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?

The Vicki Lewis Thompson Nerd series. The Aunt Dimity series. Anything by Hester Browne. The Billy Boyle World War II series. Brad Thor. Lee Child. Karen Miller. Jaqueline Carey. My nemesis -- George R.R. Martin. Jonathan Kellerman (but not his wife Faye). Is that enough to start with?

Laying Rubber

How close do I live to O'Hare International Airport?

I awoke with a start at 5:02 a.m., realized my alarm hadn't gone off and still made my 6:00 a.m. flight.

God bless 303 Taxi!

(I have no clue what I shoved in my suitcase other than clean undies, socks and a toothbrush...)

Drive-Bys

WTF?

A shooting at a Coast Guard recruiting station in Northern Virginia is connected to a string of similar incidents at military-related buildings, the FBI said Wednesday.

FBI spokeswoman Lindsay Godwin said ballistics tests concluded that the same gun was used in the first four shootings, and preliminary test results also link the latest shooting. The Coast Guard incident was reported Tuesday. No one has been injured in any of the shootings.

No details about the type or caliber of weapon have been released. But investigators previously have said it appeared that the shots were fired from a high-powered rifle.

Five different military buildings in Virginia have been shot at and this is the first we've heard of it???
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It's idiotic articles like this that make me want to disown most feminists:

It’s a wise child, they say, that knows its own father. Nowadays, however, wisdom is hardly required; DNA tests can do the job with scientific certainty. For the entire course of human history, men have nursed profound, troubling doubts about the fundamental question of whether or not they were fathers to their own children; women, by contrast, usually enjoyed a reasonable level of certainty about the matter.

Now, a cotton-wool swab with a bit of saliva, plus a small fee, less than £200, can settle the matter. At a stroke, the one thing that women had going for them has been taken away, the one respect in which they had the last laugh over their husbands and lovers. DNA tests are an anti-feminist appliance of science, a change in the balance of power between the sexes that we’ve hardly come to terms with. And that holds true even though many women have the economic potential to provide for their children themselves. [Emphasis mine]

I want to tar and feather this bitch myself for her breathtaking egocentrism and profound stupidity.

Gawd. It's no wonder so many men dislike and distrust women.
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For all you people who think only cat people are nuts, think again:

The PAWsitive Therapy Troupe is hard at work preparing to present "A Canine Version of the Nutcracker" in Glen Ellyn and Downers Grove this holiday season. Their 45-minute production will feature 28 dancing therapy dogs and one human, said Becky Jankowski, founder of the troupe, organizer of the show and wife of the human (Don Jankowski).

Some dogs are unleashed for solos, and others perform on leash with their owners in group dances. All are in costume, or as much as a dog will tolerate.

At least cats are smart enough that they'd never put up with this nonsense!
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Well, this little piece of news makes me have new respect for Oklahoma voters:

Oklahoma voters have approved a measure that would forbid judges from considering international law or Islamic law when deciding cases.

Republican Rex Duncan, the sponsor of the measure, called it a "pre-emptive strike" designed to close the door on activist judges "legislating from the bench or using international law or Sharia law."

Well done!
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Because I just love the guy:


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Quote of the Day:

"We've got pigs in there, you've raw meat hanging up...I was there this morning, and it was absolutely disgusting. It smelled foul and looked foul but that's how it should be, so we're happy."

I'm such an idiot fan girl!
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Urk. It'll be days until we know who are next Governor will be. I have no idea what the voters in this state were thinking that made the race this close.
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The owner of a North Side auto dealership was ordered held on $50,000 bond Wednesday on a weapons charge after police found a gun on his passenger seat and him apparently naked from the waist down inside a Bentley on the Near West Side.

What do you want to bet there was alcohol involved?

Quick Stop

Giggle of the Day:

Inspired by Yabu.

PSA

Did you?
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Keep your fingers crossed:

Drive-Bys

I spent the day at the Lincoln Park Zoo yesterday:









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Saw this...

And immediately thought of Jimbo. Can't imagine why...
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Tagline of the Day:

"Protection for your privates, both literally and figuratively"

Love it!
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Sunday Schedule

Here's another cool source for ordering eyeglasses online: Spex Club has all frames, readers and sunglasses for $58/pair, regular prescription glasses for $78/pair and progressives and bifocals for $108/pair. They have some really interesting styles and, when I can justify the expense again, I'll be looking there, too.

(Yes, glasses are just another form of jewelry for me!)
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Put this guy on the list for the 2010 Darwin Awards:

A British man died after poisoning himself with two spoonfuls of caffeine powder bought over the internet, local media reported Friday.

Michael Lee Bedford, 23, from Mansfield, central England, was at a party in April when he swallowed caffeine powder that a friend bought online for £3.29 ($5.26), Nottingham Coroner’s Court heard Thursday.

He washed the powder down with an energy drink, and around 15 minutes later began sweating and vomiting blood. He later died at King’s Mill Hospital in Nottinghamshire, central England, the Nottingham Post reported.

Don't blame the manufacturer -- blame the idiot who didn't bother to read the dosage instructions.
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Seems there's another candidate for the Darwins at the Palmer House Hilton, of all places:

Police said Duskey was sitting on the stair rail and attempting to slide down when she lost her balance. She fell from the mezzanine level to the basement level, police said. She landed on her back, police said.

Oddly,

Alcohol did not appear to be a factor, police said.

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More later!

Spooked! (Part 3)

Speaking in a cold monotone, Orpet, 21, admitted terrible things. He was a seducer, romancing and discarding a high school girl. He was a liar, denying the facts until they were thrown in his face. And he was a coward, abandoning his one-time sweetheart's body in a wintry forest rather than seek help.

Yet he remained steadfast that he was not a murderer. Marion killed herself when he told her they were through, he said. He had not given her the poison.

And in the end?

Ghost stories tempt us into thinking that buried questions can be answered, that long-ago tragedies can somehow be put right. Look deeper, though, and our assurance vanishes in a wisp of fog. Nothing remains but the mystery, haunting us like a shadowy girl in the middle of the road.

Book Your Ticket

So I fibbed. Big changes coming in January. In the meantime, here's my October reading list containing 11 books and bringing my total for the year to 138:

Easily Amused, Karen McQuestion*

Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese[1]*

Ape House, Sara Gruen[2]*

The Last Block in Harlem, Christopher Herz*

Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory, Ben Macintyre[3]*

The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption, Jim Gorant[4]*

The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, Lauren Willig*

Whiskey Sour: A Jack Daniels Mystery, J.A. Konrath[5]*

The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, Lauren Willig*

Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Live with a Blind Wonder Cat[6]*

Cross Roads, Fern Michaels*

---

[1] Set mainly in Addis Ababa, the story of conjoined twins born to a Malaysian nun and an English doctor at a mission hospital and adopted by a pair of Indian doctors. History, culture and medicine are all bound together in the telling of this novel. A most excellent read!

[2] By the author of Water for Elephants, this novel combines working with primates (bonobos) in a language lab setting, animal rights activists and reality television in an intriguing morality tale.

[3] The true story of The Man Who Never Was, which is actually more fantastic than the Hollywood version. If you’re a fan of WWII intelligence stories, this is for you.

[4] If you are a dog lover this is a must. You will never, ever look at Michael Vick as a good human being again.

[5] Far superior to what the cutesy title and the conceit would indicate. I’ll be reading more of these.

[6] Very, very funny… and no person or animal dies.

Saturday Ramblings

From the Department of Too Darned Cute:



I want one of each!
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This is beautiful news, given that Illinois is another state that's dead guilty of not getting ballots into the hands of military members serving overseas on time:

A Maryland federal court ruled today that it is a violation of a soldier’s constitutional rights to not receive his complete ballot on time. The court ruled that the John Doe officer stationed in Iraq had standing to sue based on deprivations of their constitutional rights.

This is an enormously important decision which will affect the 2012 elections.

This means that military members need not wait on the bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., at the Justice Department to sue. It may end the monopoly on DOJ’s oversight of military voting, which is a good thing for everyone in uniform. It means that in 2012, during the presidential election, we won’t have to wait for the DOJ to act. It means that the Eric Holder military voting disaster of 2010 might not happen again.

Booyah!

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Joan has posted a hilarious video that not only reminds me how much I love Bill Cosby, but also brought on another long-forgotten tale of the Princess Mom. Go watch the video and then check out the comments!

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Og mixes his wife's chili with sleep and conjures up Alton Brown in his dreams.

My dreams lately have been of the all night long variety, including one that involved not one, but two VPs from my place of work and large amounts of stress, but I'm blaming last night's lulu on the muy guapo and talented Jose, who added a drop of butterscotch schnapps to my usual nightcap Cherry Garcia (good vanilla vodka, Cuarenta y Tres, Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, a dollop of creamer and some other super-secret magical goodness shaken with ice).

Anyhow, somehow Perez Hilton,* poncy pink hair and all, appeared in my dreams. He apologized for offending me in the past and begged for the privilege of a spot on my blogroll. Yes, he owes the world an apology for the load of bile he regularly unleashes on the glitterati. I don't care that he's recently realized just how hurtful his words are and that he's terribly sorry that he's been guilty, guilty, guilty of being two-faced in his judgment of others.

All I care about is that he was in my dreams and I don't want him there. Make it stop! (And, Og? Could you send Alton Brown my way? Dinner across the table from him in my dreams would be a fun thing!)

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My Conservative Identity:

You are an Anti-government Gunslinger, also known as a libertarian conservative. You believe in smaller government, states’ rights, gun rights, and that, as Reagan once said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

Take the quiz at www.FightLiberals.com

Blame LL.

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*No, I'm not linking the SOB. I refuse.

Appearances Can Be Deceptive

I'd like to think the face of evil is utterly recognizable and immediately repugnant. That's not how evil works, however.

Evil can be frightening.

Evil can be seductive.

Evil can also be disguised by the blandest of facades. That is the face of evil that was the last Toni Keller ever saw.



And once again a casual acquaintance of a murderer blurts out the stupidest of comments:

"He was a really sweet guy," she said. "Anytime we needed anything, he would help out."

Yep. Just the kind of guy you'd want to bring home to mom.

I'm glad they found him so quickly. I only wish his punishment could match his crime.

Saturday Morning Cartoons

It's Fractured Fairy Tales Day!

The Ugly Duckling:

Cartoon Break:

The Little Tinker:

Cartoon Break:

Aladdin's Friendly Lamp-O-Rama:

P.S. -- Here's the scoop on Narrator Edward Everett Horton.

Spooked! (Part 2)

Though no bottle was found near her body, the coroner concluded Marion had consumed cyanide mixed into an acidic solution. That had produced blistering on her lips and the white residue found in the palm of her right hand.

Sometimes real life is spookier than fiction!

Quick Stop

If you ever needed a good excuse to eat chocolate, you're in luck:

So you missed National Bittersweet Chocolate Day (Jan. 10) and National Chocolate Souffle Day (Feb. 28) and National Covered Raisin Day (March 24) and National Chocolate Milkshake Day (Sept. 12) and who knows how many more such chocolate-flavored holidays! Stop right now!

That's right: Take a moment (or an hour) this October 28 to celebrate National Chocolate Day.

Mark your calendars accordingly... and don't say I never did anything for you. If you don't do it for yourselves, do it in honor of the Princess Mom, for whom this was a personal holiday.

Spooked!

Scarlett Johansson...



...bears a striking and eerie resemblance to Marion Lambert, murdered in Lake Forest, IL, in 1916,

And the story gets weirder from there:

The girl in the road didn't move as the headlights swept over her.

She wore a long blue dress that was soaked from the rain, and her feet were bare. The approaching driver slowed and reached for her cell phone, thinking the girl might have been in an accident. But before she dialed, she took a closer look — and could scarcely believe what she saw.

Light seemed to pass through the girl, as though she were a figment from a disturbing dream. When the car pulled alongside her, she smiled, displaying blackened teeth in a deteriorating mouth.

Unnerved, the driver sped away.

I can't explain it," she recently told the Tribune, years after the incident. "It just wasn't real."

A chill runs through local historians when they hear this story. The driver had been traveling on Sheridan Road in Lake Forest, near the now-closed Barat College. That was close to the spot where, on a winter morning in 1916, a young woman's frozen body was discovered — the prologue of a drama that would consume the town and the nation.

Stay tuned for the rest of the story... which sounds like it would make a wonderful movie.

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

Another one of my childhood heroes has passed away:

Pioneering TV cartoon artist Alexander Anderson Jr., who created Rocky the flying squirrel and Bullwinkle the moose, has died. He was 90. Anderson's son Terry tells the Los Angeles Times his father died at a Carmel nursing home on Friday after battling Alzheimer's disease.

Crusader Rabbit:



Rocky & Bullwinkle:



Dudley Do-Right:



They just don't make 'em like that any more, more's the pity.

Thanks for years and years of enjoyment, Mr. Anderson!

Full Stop

The investigation into the disappearance of art student Antinette "Toni" Keller is now a homicide investigation, officials said today.

But remains found in a secluded park where she was last headed are so badly burned, they can't be positively identified as Keller's, officials added. Items belonging to Keller were found near the remains, officials have said.

Officials also disclosed that the remains were found on Oct. 16, just two days after Keller disappeared. But officials said they were unable to determine whether the remains were human.

It was not until a week later, on Oct. 23, that officials determined they were human and held a news conference to announce the discovery.

I understand why the parents of a lot of students at NIU would really, really love to yank their kids out of there right now.

Again, my thoughts prayers go out to Toni's family, the Dekalb PD, the students and staff of NIU and the folks in the surrounding community. This is a terrible, terrible thing.

Stormy Weather

Holy smokes! The headlines from this morning? "Great Lakes Cyclone" expected to hit Chicago area and Storm front spawns brief tornado warning in Kane.

WGN Radio says we expect 30' to 35' waves on Lake Michigan today, and winds gusting up to 60 miles per hour. They also inform us that umbrellas are useless.

There has already been one ground stop order at O'Hare airport (oops! there goes another one!), and, if you're travelling here over the next couple of days, you should count on more.

If driving, motorists are urged to keep both hands on the wheel and slow down, the Naperville release said. Drivers are cautioned to keep a safe distance from cars in adjacent lanes, and to take extra care in vehicles with high profiles, such as trucks and SUVs.

Oh. And monsoon type rain just blew in.

I can't wait to go to work today.


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Update: Yes, I made it in to work. Tornadoes have touched down in a bunch of places here in the Midwest. In addition, the skydeck at the Willis (SEARS) Tower pulled in the ledges and shut down for at least the day AND this poor woman was impaled with the business end of a falling branch.

Gadzooks.

Drive-Bys

Between the shooting on campus that killed six in 2008, the very recent suicide and now this apparent murder, my first alma mater has really been knocked for a loop.

If you're the praying kind, please keep the family of Toni Keller, and the students, faculty and staff of NIU and their families in your prayers. (And pray they find the bastard who did this, too -- and fast.) My heart goes out to all of them.
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Portland residents will vote Nov. 2 on a proposal to give legal residents who are not U.S. citizens the right to vote in local elections, joining places like San Francisco and Chicago that have already loosened the rules or are considering it.

I had no idea that Chicago allowed this, and I am adamantly against it. If you want a vote in this country, you should have to be a legal citizen.

Abdirizak Daud, 40, moved to Minneapolis 18 years ago before coming to Portland in 2006. He hasn't been able to find a job. Some of his nine children have attended Portland schools, and he'd like to have a say in who's looking over the school system and the city, he said.

But between his limited English and the financial demands, Daud hasn't been able to become a citizen.

You've had18 frigging years, pal. If you couldn't find a job or scrape up the money or learn the freaking language in all that time, what the hell have you been living on and what have you been up to?

To become a citizen, immigrants must be a lawful permanent resident for at least five years, pass tests on English and U.S. history and government, and swear allegiance to the United States.

Supporters of Portland's ballot measure say the process is cumbersome, time-consuming and costly. The filing fee and fingerprinting costs alone are $675, and many immigrants spend hundreds of dollars more on English and civics classes and for a lawyer to help them through the process.

Allowing noncitizens to vote fits with basic democratic principles, Hayduk said.

Sorry, but that offends my basic democratic principles. I've known too many people who've worked to hard to get that citizenship to think for even one second that unless you've worked for it, too, you should get a vote. After 18 years you should either man up and do what it takes to become one of us or go the hell home.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington, D.C., group that advocates tougher immigration enforcement, says voting is a privilege and should be limited to citizens.

"People who are legal immigrants to the United States after a five-year waiting period can become citizens and become enfranchised," spokesman Ira Mehlman said. "But until then, being here as a legal immigrant is a conditional agreement, sort of like a trial period. You have to demonstrate you are the type of person we would want to have as a citizen, then you can become a citizen and vote."

Too right.
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My one big bitch with Amazon's Kindle is that you can't share books with other Kindle owners, unlike Barnes & Noble's Nook. Well, lookee here:

Amazon.com Inc. is going to allow the lending of e-books purchased from its Kindle Store.

The online retailer announced the upcoming feature in a discussion forum for the Kindle on its website Friday, saying that later in the year it will start letting Kindle users and people who use its free Kindle apps loan books to others for a two-week period. During the loan, the book's owner will not be able to read the book, Amazon said.

Only some Kindle books will be available for lending; Amazon said that the decision is up to the book's publisher or rights holder.

Thanks, Mr. Bezos! That made my day!
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Giggle of the Day:

Sunday Schedule

I have another new heroine:

The real story of bigotry and intolerance is the fact that it lives and thrives on the left. As a gay woman who spent most of her adult life pushing the cart for liberal causes with liberal friends in a liberal city, I found that sexism, racism and homophobia are staples in the liberal world. The huge irony is liberals spend every ounce of energy promoting the notion that they are the banner carriers of individualism and personal freedom, yet the hammer comes down on anyone who dares not to conform to, or who dissents even in part from, the liberal agenda.

Think about what would happen if you did act up? If you dared to say you like Sarah Palin, or admire Margaret Thatcher, or think global warming is a hoax, or think Bill Clinton is a sexual predator, or that George W Bush isn't to blame for everything, or that Barack Obama has absolutely no clue what he's doing, you know there would be a price to pay. Odds are that your "liberal" friends would very liberally hate you. At the very least, being shunned would be your new experience, condemning you to suffer that horrific liberal malady called social death.

Sing it, sister!

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Now here's a little blast from my past:

The bulky, blue machines are all more than 40 years old now, but the idea behind them remains as irresistible to Chicago children today as it once was to their parents and grandparents.

"Now You Can Operate the Amazing Mold-A-Rama Automatic Miniature Plastic Factory!"

I can't wait until my grandson's old enough to start his own collection. Lincoln Park Zoo, Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry and Brookfield Zoo -- Oh, the fun we'll have!

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Yep. I called this one a year and a half ago, and once the price of the Kindle itself went down, the sale of the device... and eboooks... went way up:

Though they only make up 9 percent of the consumer book market, e-book sales are up 193 percent over a year ago, according to the Association of American Publishers.

An estimated 4 million U.S. homes have an e-book reader such as Amazon's Kindle or Barnes & Noble's Nook, according to Forrester Research, which predicts sales of more than 29 million devices by 2015.

HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray reports "a sea change in the past few months" among new best-selling books: "On some books, the e-books are outselling the hardcovers."

Seriously, my Kindle was second only to meeting my daughter for the first time on my list of all-time great Christmas gifts. I use it all the time. It weighs next to nothing, fits in most of my purses and I can get books in seconds any time I want. On top of that, I've used it for simple Google searches lately, and I can even check email or blog from the darned thing if I'm really stuck far away from my laptop.

One more thing -- I've been introduced to a lot of new authors through the Kindle store's best seller list, and I've gotten a lot of interesting stuff either free or at a discount that way. (And when I've liked the discounted/free stuff, I've gone back and purchased more of the authors' works at the regular Kindle price.)

They really are dandy little devices.

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Getting ready to put together your Christmas shopping list? This article is loaded with tips for saving money on all your holiday purchases. (You may even want to print and save it for future use!)

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More Facebook privacy issues. Sheesh!

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Quote of the Day:

Braun's ego -- remember her run for president in the 2004 cycle? -- is matched only by her leaden political ear, behind which she had dabbed a little eau de Stroger. Yeah, that'll bring out the vote.

Zorn's got her number, all right.

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Where are you on the empathy scale?

My score: 67
0 - 32 = low (most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20)
33 - 52 = average (most women score about 47 and most men score about 42)
53 - 63 is above average

64 - 80 is very high

80 is maximum

Found via LL, who found it via Vox Day. Dr. Helen also took the test.

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Blogthings!

You Crave Inspiration

You are optimistic about both your present and your future. Things are going well for you. You see love as companionship. You're the type of person who would fall for his or her best friend. You expect other people to respect you. You are respectful of them in return. Your inner child is playful. You can have as much fun as any kid!

The City Park Test

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

... and...

Your Workspace Says You Work Best With Others

You are generally fairly organized, but you have occasional slip ups. You find keeping organized challenging. You are hardworking and driven. You have an excellent work ethic. You are proud of your life, and you want your co-workers to know how great it is. You're not afraid of some subtle bragging. You don't switch careers often, and you intend to stay at your current job for a long time. At work, you tend to be an extrovert. You enjoy working with other people and drawing people into your work space.

What Does Your Work Space Say About You?

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

Quick Stops

Giggle of the Day:

Fownd in mah offiss kitchun, akshuly.
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Why women get more miserable with age (and men cheer up)? Because people keep writing bullshit like this.

The older I get, the more comfortable in my skin and happier I get.
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CharlieDelta's Cat Strikes Again!


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Drive-Bys

The pith and vinegar that is Frank J.:

So the Democrats sucked. But not just plain old, usual politician sucked, but epic levels of suck where it’s hard to find an analogue in human history that conveys the same level of suckitude. It was sheer incompetence plus arrogance — and those things do not complement each other well. We’re talking sucking that distorts time and space like a black hole.

It’s Godzilla-smashing-through-a-city level of suck — but a really patronizing Godzilla who says you’re just too stupid and hateful to see all the buildings he’s saved or created as he smashes everything apart. Or, to use Obama’s favorite analogy, you have a car stuck in ditch, so you call the mechanic, but the only tool he brings with him is a sledgehammer. And then he smashes your car to pieces and charges you $100,000 for his service. Finally, he calls you racist for complaining. Obama and the Democrats have been so awful, it’s hard for the human brain to even comprehend.

Go read the whole gorgeous thing.
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Another example of your tax dollars and mine put to good use:

Projects to weatherize homes are a key part of the Obama administration's fusion of stimulus spending and the green agenda. But a new report by the Department of Energy has found serious problems in stimulus-funded weatherization work -- problems so severe that they have resulted in homes that are not only not more energy efficient but are actually dangerous for people to live in.

But at least a few more jobs will be created as a result of having to fix this mess, right? At least that'll be the spin from Washington...
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Giggle of the Day:



(I shouldn't find that funny... but I do.)
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Ear Worm of the Day:


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I have a new hero -- Moe Tucker, former drummer with the Velvet Underground:

I'm stunned that so many people who call themselves liberal yet are completely intolerant. I thought liberals loved everyone: the poor, the immigrant, the gays, the handicapped, the minorities, dogs, cats, all eye colors, all hair colors! Peace, love, bull! Curious they have no tolerance whatsoever for anyone who doesn't think exactly as they do. You disagree and you're immediately called a fool, a Nazi, a racist. That's pretty f'd up!! I would never judge someone based on their political views. Their honesty, integrity, kindness to others, generosity? Yes. Politics? No!

And she's always voted Democrat in the past, but not this time. Go read the whole interview here.

Drive-Bys

Found on a stroll down Michigan Avenue last Saturday:



More autumn pretties from the Lurie Garden:



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When parents not only show an interest in their kids, but a commitment to their education, the school system really should pay attention:

Chicago Public Schools agreed Monday to lease a field house next to Whittier Elementary School to a community group for $1 a year and build a library inside the school.

The action comes as a group of Pilsen parents continued a sit-in to gain control of the building and convert it into a library to prevent it from being razed.

The CPS turned off the heat and the water in the building during night time temperature drops down into the 30's and 40's. The parents hung in there anyway, and the school board was forced to turn them both back on.

I'm 100% in support of these parents. God bless 'em every one for not backing down.
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Bomba the Jungle Boy bit the big one? Oh, no! He was a Sunday afternoon favorite of mine growing up!


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Sweet Potato Soup with Maple and Bacon? That sounds an awful lot like yummy, yummy comfort food to me!
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Just how out of sync with the working public are government employee benefits? Go here to find out. Guaranteed to make your head explode.
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Tootin' the Horn

Eric and Jimbo and Dave...



Birthday smooches (both belated and on time) to all of you!

Drive-Bys

Pretties from my trip to the Lurie Garden on Saturday:







Oom Keesie has hit the 150,000 visitor mark... and it was my cleavage that lifted him over the top. I can't tell you how proud that makes me. (Not to mention what it says about Keesie and his pals. I have had at least one hit a day since he linked to that post two years ago.)
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Mmmm! Bubba's Bodacious Bacon Fried Corn and Creamed Corn Gratin with Fried Onion Rings and Bacon. What's not to love?
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Quote of the Day:

TV has given us the illusion that anarchy is people rioting in the streets, smashing car windows and looting every store in sight. But there’s also the polite, quiet, far deadlier anarchy of the core citizenry—the upright citizenry—throwing in the towel and deciding it’s just not worth it anymore.

Scary stuff, my friends. Go read the whole thing.
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Are you playing any of those Facebook apps like Farmville or Mafia Wars or the like? Then you need to know this:

Some of Facebook’s most popular apps are sharing the names of users and their friends with advertising companies without their knowledge, it was revealed today.

The security breach means that tens of millions of Facebook users have had their personal details passed on - even if they had set their profile to the strictest privacy setting.

The practice violates Facebook's own rules on data protection and will raise questions about its ability to keep information about its users' activities secure.

Between the folks at Google and the folks at Facebook, neither of whom cares one jot for your privacy online, you need to be very, very careful.
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Ear Worm of the Day:



Yep. I really am digging the Dala Girls. Their harmonies give me chills.