[1] Charming, heartbreaking, and an excellent reason to reacquaint yourself with Holden Caulfield and why so many young boys identify with him.
[2] Transfixing fictional narrative told from the perspective of a chimpanzee, born in the Lincoln Park Zoo, who learns to speak English, and the devastating results.
[3] Biography of the larger-than-life man who conceived of and ran the OSS during World War II.Another big booger of a book.
[4] Young adult fiction that’ll grab most adults, too.Harry Potter + time travel + gothic = most excellent read.Yes, there’ll be a sequel.
[5] My friend Walt assured me I’d love this book; the opposite is true.The main character is by far the most shallow, unreasonable and unlikeable I’ve run across in a long, long time.
[6] On the other hand, this book I did love.The protagonist is real a charmer and the story’s got a lot of wit.
[7] Historical fiction, set in the world of England’s Edward III.If you can keep all the names straight, you’ll find it’s a fascinating look at an uneasy era in Britain’s history.
[8] I really liked this story of half a Hollywood brother/sister dance duo, bored and at loose ends when his sister marries and moves to the U.K.Because of his acting ability and fluent German, learned from his grandmother, he ends up spying against Hitler before the U.S. enters the war.
[9] Not your run-of-the-mill chick lit.Bitterly funny.
[10] Grade C.If I wasn’t already invested in the characters from previous books, I probably would have rated this lower.Kellerman just didn’t hit the emotional notes he usually does.
[11] Yes, they’re light reading.Still, I like Woods’ characters.
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!"
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. _____
There are more, but these are the ones on my I Really Miss That list at the moment. _____
Now here's an example of improvising on the fly:
The U.S. Army has established an app store (the Army Marketplace) for military smart phone users. This includes the iPad, which soldiers are also big fans of. The army app store includes an "App Wanted" section where users can post descriptions of an app they need. If a developer (in uniform, or an army approved civilian with access to the Army Marketplace) is interested, a discussion can be started on an attached message board. The army hopes that the needed app will be quickly created and made available at the Army Marketplace. Developers can charge for their apps, although the army is also willing to pay developers to create needed apps that have been described by military smart phone users.
I've always assumed that if sunspots and solar flares are strong enough to cause magnetic poles to flip and potentially wipe out satellite and electrical grids they also dramatically affect climate. Turns out I was right. _____
It's no secret I'm a birth mother, and that my daughter's adoption was arranged at a time when adoptions were closed and original birth certificates were sealed.
I can make an argument for finally opening those doors... and I can make an argument for keeping them closed.
Women who long ago made the choice to give their child a stable home with a loving parent or loving parents did so for all sorts of reasons. Some of us kept our secret and rarely, if ever, talked about it. Some of us have been open about it from day one. I refuse to judge any of them.
Here's the thing -- if you are one of the sisterhood who made this choice, you have another choice to make:
Birth parents can remain anonymous and have their names redacted from any released birth certificate by filling out a form by Nov. 1.
I've been very, very lucky, but I can understand how this could be a difficult choice. Whatever your choice, I stand behind you. _____
If the Divine Miss Marilyn were still alive, I'd have to get her the world's most expensive cat toy:
I got mine between Chicago and Bloomington, IL, this last weekend. Pix to follow later in the week.
Many thanks to the fine folks at the Chicago Architecture Foundation in for allowing Mr. Bill and I to tag along for a trip designed for their docents, instead of the general public!
Did I Really Make Breakfast? (Well Grandma did help a lot), Fabio Viviani[4]
Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer, Wesley Stace[5]
The Year She Fell, Alice Rasley
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, James Hogg
Private Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, Ulysses S. Grant[6]
[1] Now I’m ready for A Dance With Dragons.Let’s see if Martin got the manuscript to the publisher in time for it’s promised July 12th delivery date.(He’s never been on time in the past.)
[2] While I usually like Hester Browne’s books, this one lacks a little pizzazz.
[3] If you’re a baseball fan, this is a must read – it’s an unvarnished portrait of a talented and self-destructive icon.
[5] Like peeling an onion.(Pay attention to the wording of the title.)
[6] Read in conjunction with Booth’s Sister, My Thoughts Be Bloody and The Autobiography of Mark Twain.There’s a lot of overlap in the historical figures, and the four books combined give a fascinating overview of the time.
The vast majority of the 440,000 senior citizens who registered to receive free transit rides over the last three years will lose the privilege on Sept. 1, officials said Wednesday.
That's when current senior free-rides permits on the CTA, Metra and Pace will be deactivated.
As a result, the revenue from fareboxes is expected to increase by a total of $30 million annually at the three transit agencies, officials estimated.
Only about 25,000 seniors enrolled in the current free-rides program are expected to still qualify for free transportation on mass transit when the changes implementing a financial means test take effect, according to the Regional Transportation Authority, which administers the program.
There's no reason that people who can afford to pay shouldn't pull their own weight, especially in these economic times. _____
Bistro 110 is closing in August? I'll have to get up there before then! They've always had fantastic food. _____
Residents say the shelter is much calmer and cleaner since the fees started and paying guests seem more serious about getting their lives in order. There are fewer fights and emergency calls.
"Beforehand, it was like a madhouse," said Ronald Wells, who has been living at missions for a year. "People really weren't interested in doing anything for themselves."
Edward Bravo, who became homeless after being evicted from his apartment, said paying his way makes him feel better about himself. "When everything was free, it was okay," he said. "Now I feel inside of me, it's helped me."
A fistful of small unstretched canvas paintings that turned to bits of colored cotton knit fabric in my hands because I took too long to pick which one I wanted;
A fantastic pillow-strewn bed with beautiful cream colored linens perched high on the side of a hill overlooking a lake. The sun was behind the waves of the lake, revealing schools of shimmering fish and mermaids;
Skeet shooting;
Gorgeous architectural arches with a twilight sky beyond them. I have to choose either to go get my camera and possibly miss the shot because night will have fallen before I get back or to just stay and enjoy the view, knowing I have missed a perfect photo opportunity;
The Princess Mom and my sister.
That's just the bits I remember over a couple of days. Ack. _____
The way things are going, I'll see you in my dreams!
I have another political crush -- Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford. I don't suppose we can cajole him into running in the next gubernatorial race, can we? _____
Back in my youth I once read my way through a chicken burning so badly that it welded itself to the pan, which had to be tossed. I was so wrapped up in my book that I didn't see or smell the smoke that had filled the entire first level of the house. (So it's no wonder that i can read in the middle of a very busy and noisy sports bar and not be distracted.)
I can now validly claim limited brain capacity... _____
As some of you are aware, I recently underwent major oral surgery -- in 16.5 hours I went from a mouthful of teeth to no teeth to a mouthful of temporary teeth.
Here are some observations:
Now I know what the phrase "like pulling teeth" really means.
My brother tells me that toothless is not my best look.
My brother tells me that I should be commended for having the guts to go out in public looking like Jacob Marley's ghost. He also confessed that he wouldn't have. (The big chicken!)
16.5 hours is a very long time to sit in a dentist's chair.
If you're going to get implants, get 'em all done at once. It's not brave. Brave would be willingly going through that more than once.
If the dentist offers you more novocaine -- TAKE IT. Don't gut it out.
Apparently I have a very high pain tolerance.
You are going to need more than four days off before going back to work -- mostly to wait for the swelling to go down and bruising to fade so your coworkers don't think you're a domestic battery victim.
Buy a couple of large gel packs and have them in the freezer before going to the oral surgeon. The eensy weensy ones you'll get from your oral surgeon are a joke.
It's a good thing you can't get stretch marks on your face, because the amount of swelling is amazing.
You'll look fine the day after. It's the day after the day after that you'll start looking like crap.
"You look pretty good, considering everything we did to you," is not a morale booster.
I just don't have it in me to do an all liquid diet for six months.
Mushy food mostly sucks.
On the other hand, I finally took my brand new food processor out of the box an put it to good use.
If toothless isn't my best look, neither is two black eyes and a purple Fu Manchu.
With your temporaries in place you'll be lithping like Winthrop Paroo. Temporaries are made of acrylic and are very thick.
My temporary choppers are bee-yoo-tee-ful... but I want my permanents, and I want them right now.
I am hyper-aware of the temporaries and of the lithping; therefore, I'm talking a whole lot less... and I was much more of a listener than a talker in the first place.
Oddly, talking less has lead to blogging less. Don't ask me why -- I surely don't know. And I'll try to do better.
What was your favorite childhood (purported) food that now makes you scratch your head in wonder? (I've got too many to count!) _____
PSA:
Do you have a universal life insurance policy? If so, you may just want to request an in-force ledger illustration. Prepare to be shocked when you get it. _____
Things I'm Digging This Week:
I'm not in any way, shape or form an oatmeal for breakfast kind of girl. I want eggs, bacon and toast on a regular basis. But, given that bacon is not on the list of mushy foods I'm allowed, I've gotten a little desperate. Fortunately, I tripped across BetterOats' mmm... muffins old fashioned instant oatmeal with flax. Yummy stuff, and not the texture of wallpaper paste.
I have a 9" Tiffany pewter bowl on my desk that I got for hanging around the company for 10 years. I put it to work as the world's largest candy dish. Normally I fill it with Hershey's kisses, Starburst jelly beans, and all sorts of appallingly normal American candy. This weekend, however, I trolled the ethnic aisles at my local Shop 'N Save and found Mieszanka Krakowska in the Polish section. Not reading a word of Polish, I figured they were fancy hard candies (and cheap), so I threw a bag in my cart.
I'm not a big candy person. Give me salt or tart. I'm the one that will choose the savory dessert plate over the chocolate mousse at a fancy restaurant. I have a piece of candy out of that ginormous candy dish maybe once a week or so. Until now.
"Named after Poland's most romantic city, these chocolate covered jellies come in a variety of flavors: orange, lemon, pineapple, raspberry. Each jelly is slightly tart, not too sweet and covered with a rich dark chocolate which makes these a favorite with adults."
I wish Gavin Coyle's version was up on YouTube, because it's absolutely haunting (and has been stuck in my head for days). _____
Update: I just noticed that Gavin Coyle will be playing at the Fifth Province Pub at the Irish American Heritage Center on June 9th. Does anyone want to go??? This is fabulous news!
One of the reasons I love my Kindle is that I am no longer bringing more books into my house than I take out again. I still have bags and bags of them... and now I have good motivation to finally get rid of them. Operation Paperback, here I come!
I probably have enough to put a book in the hand of every single man and woman in an entire division and still have a few left over!
I just ran across Bangers & Lace via Twitter (follow me, will ya?) and, unless I'm willing to settle for the grilled cheese and tomato soup (which, by the way, would be no sacrifice), it'll be October before I can indulge.
My porcelain throne did its best imitation of Old Faithful in the week small hours of the morning.
I found this out due to my downstairs neighbor pounding on my door to let me know HER bathroom light fixture was doing ITS best imitation of Victoria Falls.
After much wailing, gnashing of teeth, manic plunging and flailing around with a sponge mop, the beast was temporarily tamed.
That's the bad news.
The good news? It took four big tall brawny men (my Super, his two sons and his cousin) with great big wrenches to wrestle the problem permanently into the ground. Lawd-a-mercy, Miz Scarlett!
The other good news? I finally got this little doohickey installed.And considering the fact that I got almost no sleep and, since I was awake, I began my Spring cleaning to kill the time until the Super arrived, I'm ready to test it out right now.
I was interested in trying Village Vines ($10 for the reservation, but 30% off the entire bill) and I was ready for a girls' night out. My first choice wasn't available for a Sunday evening, but a quick choice of the remaining options turned up Azucar, which turned out to be a lovely trifecta of great wine, small plates and convenient location.
My girlfriend and I agree -- charming ambience, super selection of Spanish red wines, small but outstanding selection of cheeses, and fabulous seafood, as well as a friendly and knowlegeable bartender (ask for Michael -- he's great), made this a place we'll go back to again and again... and we'll bring friends and family, too.
Our favorite? Vieiras Salteadas -- Sea Scallops Dusted With Smoked Paprika, Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, Serrano Ham With A Porcini Mushroom Sauce -- three perfectly seared scallops with a sauce I threatened to bathe in, rather than leave sitting on the plate. We also had a lovely Crema Catalana for dessert that came close to bringing on tears of joy when it hit the palate, and, if applied facially, would take thirty years off your complexion.
Directly across the street from the Logan Square Blue Line stop, it's easily accessible. With regular Sangria, Margarita, Mojito and Caipiriña drink specials, as well as a small but lovely outdoor patio, it would be silly not to try out this neighborhood gem!
Though the drop-off boxes may look similar at first glance, only some are operated by charities. Other boxes are placed by commercial companies that may — or may not — donate some money to charity. And some of the charities involved don't meet the baseline standards of the Better Business Bureau or the Chicago-based American Institute of Philanthropy.
During a day's drive around the Chicago area, the Tribune spotted about 10 types of boxes that ran the gamut from collecting the clothes almost entirely to benefit charity (Salvation Army) to collecting the clothes purely for profit (USAgain).
Some of these non-profits will even take... and use even the most motley of your donations:
By government estimates, Americans throw 85 percent of their unwanted textiles in the trash each year. That may be, in part, because of a widespread perception that charities want only those items that can be resold in their thrift shops. While these are the most valuable donations, other castoffs can still make millions for charities on the secondary materials market, which includes selling used clothes in developing countries and recycling them for industrial uses.
So the Salvation Army's Maj. Mark Anderson stresses that he doesn't mind when people donate ripped jeans, stained shirts and coats with broken zippers.
"We want to receive any and all articles because, if we can't sell it in one of our stores, then we can sell it to what they call the 'rag market,'" Anderson said. "They can repurpose those textiles for anything from wiping rags or materials for new textiles to even as an additive to asphalt. (That revenue) is a big deal for us."
One of the oldest trades in the world, textile recycling today represents a nearly $1 billion business, according to the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles association (SMART), an industry trade group. Eric Stubin, president and CEO of Trans-America Textile Recycling Inc. in the New York City area, said many businesses work closely with charities to recycle clothes that can't be sold in domestic thrift stores. According to Stubin, used textiles unfit for resale in the U.S. can fetch up to 35 cents a pound.
See? You can feel good about even your flimsiest, ripped up, worn out our torn cast-offs. _____
I've had three -- count 'em, three -- referrals from here today. Why?
Note to the big-mouthed guy who holds our entire train car hostage with your pontifications on everything and nothing every single day of the work week: We're getting quiet cars, pal. Nanny, nanny boo-boo to you! _____
Back in the '70s I was in a high school theater production that involved interpretations of a number of children's books. "May I Bring a Friend?" was done as a spoken chorus with high and low voices, boys and girls voices and a triangle.
Today I have had a running chorus of:
The King and Queen invited me
To come to their house on Monday (Ding!)
For Tea.
I told the Queen
And the Queen told the King
I had a friend
I wanted to bring.
The King told the Queen,
"My dear, my dear...
Any friend of our friend
Is (Ding!) welllllllllllllcome here.
So
I brought
My friend.
Why, after more than 30 years, has this popped up amidst the flotsam and jetsam of my psyche?
Man up, Father Mike, and quit trying to gain martyrdom by forcing Cardinal George to fire your flaky butt because you can't even zip your lip when you're on suspension for not being able to keep your big yap shut.
If you don't want to follow the doctrines of the Church you serve (and apparently you don't), just be honest and quit already. _____
At least four mail carriers have been robbed in Chatham and Englewood in the last month alone, two of them at gunpoint. Another was robbed at gunpoint in Englewood in February.
This follows a series of less violent thefts from mail carriers on the West and Northwest Sides last year.
Nobody can say whether the targeting of mailmen is just another sign of desperate measures in a bad economy or part of some criminal strategy, but it’s prompting the union that represents mailmen to appeal to the public for help in watching their backs.
The public may have a bigger stake in this than just receiving its mail on time. In at least two of the recent incidents, the robbers specifically targeted the carriers for their “arrow keys”—the master keys that not only give a mailman access to a bank of mailboxes or a collection box but also in some cases to the locked front doors of apartment buildings.
One arrow key could allow a criminal to get inside the front door of most apartment buildings in a given zip code — and inside all its mailboxes. But it’s the possibility of someone wanting inside a building for more sinister purposes than rifling through the mail that could be a real cause for concern.
Yikes. _____
Those who do not learn from the past are apparently doomed to repeat it. Just what we need -- more credit to people who can't afford it. _____
I'm pleased to share the news that Seanachai Theatre Company is throwing a special benefit on Monday, June 13th from 7-10 p.m. at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago.
What's so special about it? John Mahoney has agreed to do a dramatic poetry reading, and a meet and greet immediately following!
Well it didn't take long for Obama to go from the first really presidential act since he took the oath of office to returning to his usual douche baggery:
