Knock, Knock...

... is this thing on?

Yes, I've been a bad blogger. But I've also been a busy girl. I'll try harder, m'kay?
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For a dear friend, Moonbeam McQueen's post here should speak straight to your heart. 2011 will be a good year for you, too.
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Photography and friendship -- no wonder I loved this story!

During his trip, Bieber took his own pictures. He took a few final shots with Roche and one of her brothers, and then they put the film canister outside the Café des Deux Moulins in Montmartre, the restaurant where Amelie works in the movie.

In the canister, they left a note that read, "It happened once, it can happen again. If you find me, I can buy you coffee and we'll become friends. It's the beginning of an adventure."

I love DSL, but you'll never find that creating this kind of story... unless the whole camera is lost and then found.

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Got an idea for a gadget, but no money to manufacture? Try this Quirky idea.
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Given that parts and cars out of Japan are going to be scarce for a good long time, it seems pretty stupid to have the tax paying public fund discounts for GM cars once again. Ford has managed to not only survive, but to thrive on its own. It's time for GM to do the same.
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Given that I found my own St. Paddy's Day hat, filled with Popeye's chicken nuggets, in the refrigerator it makes absolute sense to me to look for the remote in the freezer. (And, no -- don't ask.)
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Yes, I'm loving food trucks here in Chicago, but I find the idea of A Game of Thrones food truck more than a bit odd, even if Tom Colicchio is behind the menu.

The Buzz: Game of Thrones King's Landing Menu

More info on the food truck here and here. HBO really has gone nuts on promoting this series, as evidenced by the themed store it's opened in Manhattan.

Fantasy fiction lovers are the new cool. Who knew?

(A tip of the cap to Ray at Finish the Book, George.)
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Speaking of AGOT, 1600 pages into the next manuscript and it's still not done and turned in??? George'll never make the July deadline... but I've been saying that all along.
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DWTS -- I'm pretty sure the DJ is outta here tonight. Who do you think will be voted off?

Quick Stop

Ear Worm of the Day:



Try to shake that one out of your head.

Quick Stop

Finally, a song that knocked my latest ear worm, which had lasted for days, right outta my head:

I can imagine the Grouchy One and Hair Boy doing this song at a blog meet in the back woods of Tennessee with our humble host and the Cartoon Kid joining in... and that's a scary thing.

Crying Uncle

Okay, I gave in. Now follow me on Twitter, dammit.

Truckin' Along

I took a little hike over the river to grab a bite...

... from the boys at the Southern Mac & Cheese Truck.

Then I bopped back over the bridge...

... and back to the office, where I could sit down and enjoy...

What's in The Bedford?

"Stroganoff" meatballs, roasted mushrooms and sherry blue cheese gravy and paprika

All for $9? Creamy, cheesy, gooey...

... DECADENT!

Here's the scoop -- it's enough for two women, especially if you add a little side salad, or one hungry guy. I'll be tracking this truck down again and again and again.

Drive-Bys

Giggle of the Day:

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24 hours of Mexican food in Chicago? Sounds fabulous!
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Boozer and his former wife, Cindy, say the Osorios promised 1,000 percent returns from projects that benefitted disaster-stricken areas.

When you truly believe you're going to get returns like that, you might want to remember Bernie Madoff and how well promises like that worked out for his clients.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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Quote of the Day:

You don't wait to find clarity a few days after you begin a war. You'd better have complete clarity before you ever give the order to fire in the first place.

Too right.
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They spent their whole lives together and their love was plain for all to see.

What a lovely love story! (And the photos are gorgeous.)

Drive-Bys

Giggle of the Day:

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Quote of the Day:

By way of summary, President Obama has developed a doctrinal approach to international affairs that differs not only from that of his immediate predecessor, but from any doctrine ever embraced by any major power. He eschews the notion of national interest, pays undue deference to international actors who may or may not mean us well, and deploys American troops without clear objectives or lines of command.

In short, he has delivered precisely the foreign policy that he promised to deliver. [Emphasis mine]

Go read the whole fascinating piece here.
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We're funding the Beeb?

Apparently so:Not only will your tax dollars fund NPR, now they’ll fund the BBC.

That's just... swell.
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30 things we need and 30 things we don't. Beautiful!
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While not much news from the Middle East is amusing these days, I am finding humor in the fact that no one seems to agree on the correct spelling of a certain Libyan leader's first or last name in English. I'd turn it into a drinking game -- you drink every time you spot a different spelling -- but I'd be passed out on the floor before I could get through the evening news or the headlines on the Drudge Report.
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Les Moonves is a douchebag.
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Here's another quote that I just loved:

These kids are bypassing all the tricky stuff. It's like teaching a young man to hunt by having him hold an arrow and then throwing the deer at his hand.

Too funny!
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Here's my early prediction for DWTS -- Kirstie Alley, Ralph Macchio and Chelsea Kane will be the final three.
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Ear Worm of the Day:



This was my nephew's favorite song as a little boy. It's been stuck in my head for two days now.

Quick Stop

Argh! There's a Super Moon out indeed, and I feel like it's lasted 10 days already! The craziness continues today -- I'm off to drain and recycle a vein in about 45 minutes, and then I've got to track down a television for the premiere of Season 12 of DWTS. Maks and Kirstie Alley -- it's too crazy to process.

To much to do, too little time...

And would someone please stop flipping the crazy switch into its locked and upright position at my office???

Keep on Truckin'

Tamalli Space Charros for lunch today -- YUMMMMM!!! Seriously moist and delicioso tamales with fabulous sauces. We'll be looking for them again.

Drive-Bys

Giggle of the Day:

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Quote of the Day:

“I can’t believe individuals would actually pick some of these plates.”

Personally, I think UPDWAZU is quite humorous.
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I find this to be a heretical thing to do to a poor, defenseless teddy bear. Then again, anyone with a name like Augustina Woodgate is probably going to end up more than a little eccentric.

Drive-Bys

I admit it -- I have a girl-crush:

"We have to make county government more efficient. We have to figure out how to provide good service to people with fewer resources," Preckwinkle said. "We're clearly going to have to consolidate services. We're going to have to do more shared purchases and be more intelligent about our purchasing."

Of the 37 initiatives Preckwinkle outlined after being sworn into office, 11 already have been completed, including the final rollback of predecessor Todd Stroger's unpopular sales tax increase, her office said. The county sales tax will drop by a quarter-cent in January 2012 and go down by another quarter-cent in January 2013.

Preckwinkle also has suspended all nonessential construction projects and purchasing, consolidated offices, and reduced payroll.

I heart her.
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The city of Chicago has finally allowed food trucks to do more than deliver more than pizza, coffee and danish pastries. Today I tried the empanadas from 5411 and they really rocked.

Next on the list? Meatyballs, Mac & Cheese, Tamales and Naan-wiches. Yum!
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Top o' the Morning to Ya!

Drive-Bys

Giggle of the Day:

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Aaarrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Of course I find this and this when I can't have any bacon, dammit!
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Lest you think that I think that all Democrats are profligate wasters... I luuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrvvvve me some Toni Preckwinkle:

"[I]f we don’t impose some discipline on the county now it just gets harder and harder going forward. We need to make our plans and figure out how we’re going to provide services in an environment in which resources are less. That’s just how it is."

Let her run for President and she'll have my vote. That woman's got balls of titanium and she ain't afraid to whip 'em out!
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Quote of the Day:

“Older people are not just wrinkly adults. They have totally different needs.”

Ain't that the truth?
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In honor of St. Paddy's Day, here's a little Irish earworm for you:

Traffic Report

Do NOT get between me and the elevator at 11:30 a.m. or you might just get flattened.

This giving up breakfast for Lent is a dangerous thing.

That is all.

Sunday Schedule

This is an old clip from the Spike O'Dell show on WGN Radio of Gavin Coyle singing "Danny Boy."

I heard Gavin do this for the first time this morning on Dean Richards' Sunday Morning show, and just had to share it with you. Gorgeous!

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Whoohoo! They finally opened the Merchandise Mart to the general public! Get all the details on how to get in and how to get around here.

I'll be wandering that place over and over and over again, as there are a gazillion showrooms there.

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Go read this to understand why I'm so disappointed a trip to Ireland is not in my budget again this year.

Our crock of gold may have turned out to be a crock of s--t, but the very essence of our country — the beauty of our landscape, the richness of our history, the friendliness of our people — will never disappear. That landscape can’t be sold, our traditions and our history are eternal, our hospitality is an unwavering fact.

The land is magical and its people the warmest and most welcoming of anywhere I've ever been.

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Quote of the Day:

Did you notice the graceful winning?

Once again, Ms. Althouse nails it.

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If this is true, then I'll live a very long time and retain my marbles!

Sunday Funnies

Here's the rest of Tommy Tiernan's "Something Mental" (totally unsafe for work or kids):





Hang on to your hat for this one:







Screamingly funny!

*ahem*
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Saturday Ramblings

There's an exclusive trailer for Game of Thrones up at Entertainment Weekly. All I can say is, "Oooooooooooooooo!!!" (Winter is coming.)
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St. Pat's Day is coming, too. Get ready (not safe for work or kids):

I laughed so hard that my stomach aches. I blame lynn.

Parts 6 through 10 tomorrow...

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Speaking of George R.R. Martin and his record on promises, seems I'm not the only one who speaks of reasonable doubt as to the July publishing date. The boys over at Finish the Book, George are also not buying it:

"Call me just a total amateur--because you know, I don't get paid to chortle and frolic with my cats--but I don't understand how you can have a page count for a book that has no final manuscript turned in."

... and...

"I will have as much of a chance finding this fucking book on July 12th as the Feds chances of finding Hoffa's body. Oops i said too much."

If I'm a cynic, I'm a cynic in good company!

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Roadside Diner

Recent fast food breakfast finds that are astonishingly tasty and pocketbook friendly, too?

Caribou Coffee's Chicken Apple Sausage Daybreaker:

The "brioche" bun has more a challah chewy density and sweetness, but it pairs really well with the savory/sweet elements of the chicken apple sausage. This thing is so darned good that I haven't gotten around to trying the rest of Caribou's hot breakfast sandwich offerings... but I'll get there eventually. The Daybreakers are less than $3.75 with tax -- a great value, especially for the quality of the ingredients.

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It's also no secret that I'm a huge fan of Potbelly's breakfast sandwiches, which for $3.32 with tax, are an incredible bargain. But NOW, my local Potbelly's is offering breakfast "squares," where the bread is a square-shaped, skinnier and slightly smaller roll, the egg portion remains the same as the original sandwiches, but the meat portions are a little smaller (1 sausage patty instead of two, for example) and they now have cheddar cheese available. The new bread toasts up crispy and wonderful, and the portion size is more lady-like. For about $2.75, this is a steal of a deal!

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On the flip side, Dunkin Doughnuts has a new calorie and cholesterol bomb called the "Big N' Toasty" that contains not one, but two fried eggs, four slices of bacon and American cheese piled onto liberally buttered and grilled Texas Toast.

At 580 calories and 55% of your recommended daily allowance of saturated fat, and costing just under $5.00 with tax, this might give you pause. I will say, however, that they're not kidding about the tasty part. Rats.

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So why am I so fixated on breakfast all of a sudden?

I normally spend the last five to ten minutes of my train ride into the city assessing the level of my hunger pangs and the demands of my taste buds, then plotting my pathway to Burrito Beach for a Lo-Carb Scramble or to Potbelly's or Caribou or Dunkin Doughnuts or to Lloyd's Express for a more customized breakfast, working up a healthy appetite by the time I've picked up the daily selection and hit my desk. I am a creature of habit, dammit.

I don't usually give things up for Lent, but this year I decided that it would be good for my self discipline, if not my soul, to give it the ol' college try this year. And I figured that for it to be a true exercise in self denial, then it might as well be something I really, truly love... and I love breakfast.

How do I define breakfast? It is the meal that you eat after waking up in the morning any time before 11:30 a.m. It also involves fried or scrambled eggs, bacon (not even on burgers) and/or sausage, pancakes, french toast or hash browns at any time of the day.

Urk.

(I can do this...)

Give-Away

Update: We have a winner! Mexicanne and The Meezers gave her a real run for the money, but I saw Cordovan in a whole new light in her entry... and laughed my butt off. Congratulations, my friend!

As for the rest of you who entered, keep an eye peeled towards this blog. CSN likes me, and I'll probably be doing another give-away in a few months.

Thanks for playing!

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Those crafty folks at CSN Stores want me to do something unobtrusive for my next give-away, but I'd already spilled the beans to you all before they made that particular request so...

Here's what I need you to do: Go noodle around in their stores, especially taking note of the lovely recessed lighting they have available. Pick one item (any item) and drop me a comment containing a link to that product and why you find it illuminating.

The most creative answer wins a $75 gift certificate good at any of CSN's online stores.

You've got until Friday at 5:00 p.m. to enter.

Good luck!

(And I'll be sneakier about how I do this the next time CSN Stores offers up one of these fantastic dealios!)
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P.S. -- Winner of last contest Sandy says,

Easy, painless experience. Merchandise exactly as advertised, delivered to my home quickly. I actually comparison price shopped and their price was quite good. I'm quite happy with the crate - nice quality. Thanks again.

They are the real deal. There are one or two caveats. They apply the gift certificate as a coupon, so no other coupons are applicable. In addition, they will not price match if you are using the gift certificate. (For example, I'd been looking at the wicker and metal crate combo; their price was about 35% higher than competition, but they would EITHER price match OR allow use of certificate - not both.)

I wouldn't hesitate [to use them again].

There ya go!
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P.P.S. -- I get zip, zero, zilch, nada for doing this. I just love being able to give stuff away!

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

Question of the Week:

"I've been a derelict blogger the last couple weeks, but you've been fooking nonexistent! What, did you go to Ireland again and get married?" -- My Norwegian Pal from the North Woods

Ummm... no and no (although the former would be nice) (and the latter is not high on my bucket list... although there's a certain smolderingly hot Italian bartender from one of my favorite Dublin pubs who would at least have me toying with the idea for a day or two if: a) I had enough Black Bush in my system and b) I'd completely taken leave of my senses).

Work has been crazy busy. That Was Then opened, and I've been helping out with front-of-the-house stuff like box office and concessions (including an odd experience with a strange little woman who looked like a character straight out of The Simpsons, but that's a story for another day). This required convoluted train scheduling and extra travel time. I've been up to my eyeballs in biographies -- looooooooooong biographies. I was sick one day. I didn't feel like it a few times. I got distracted a few more times.

Between Mad Mikey and Harper, however, I've been suitably chastised... and it's nice to have been missed.

Now back to my regularly scheduled blogging...
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So now it's scientifically proven:

[S]cientists claim to have settled the score once and for all: Guinness tastes better in Ireland than anywhere else.

Experts from the Institute of Food Technologists carried out extensive taste surveys in 33 cities in 14 countries to find the best place for a pint of the black stuff.

And the majority of testers said they enjoyed a pint of plain in Ireland far more than in any other location.

The study, which claims to be the first to scientifically prove that the stout doesn't travel well, used 'non-expert' tasters, each from different countries, to conduct the test.

It took 103 in 71 different pubs where factors such as pub ambience, Guinness appearance, flavour, and aftertaste were all considered.

Using a Visual Analogue Scale which ranks enjoyment from 1-100, Guinness drinking in Ireland averaged a score of 74, compared to just 57 anywhere else.

There's another reason, not raised by this article:

The only place their Quality Team shows up to inspect taps, lines, refrigeration temperatures and the like, and where they'll yank the publican's license if they don't comply with their quality standards is Ireland.

(And I certainly would have volunteered to be a part of that tasting panel!)
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Classic Obama -- Asking one Arab nation, which is currently making government protests illegal, to arm another Arab nation's rebels... and being surprised when he doesn't get a response.
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Guilty of driving while webbing? You’re not alone. An online State Farm survey found 19 percent of drivers say they use the Web while driving.

As someone who was hit by a taxi driver when he yakked away on his cell phone, may I just say this:

Get the fuck off the phone when you're behind the wheel.

Thank you.
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Once again George R.R. Martin toys with my emotions:

The next book in George R.R. Martin’s bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire series has a publication date.

Yes, we swear, after waiting six long years since the release of the last novel in the saga, the fabled Book 5 A Dance With Dragons is close enough to being finished* for Martin’s publisher to set a release date. We have that date, exclusively, along with a first look at the book’s cover art and an interview with the man himself.

A Dance With Dragons will be published by Bantam on July 12, 2011. The manuscript is huge — the publisher estimates the hardcover edition will run more than 900 pages, putting it about the same length as the longest book in the series, A Storm of Swords. Schedule your summer vacation accordingly.

His last book in this series had at least three "firm" publication dates on Amazon.com, and each one came and went whizzing by over the course of more than 18 months.

Yes, I know. You've all seen publication dates before: dates in 2007, 2008, 2009. None of those were ever hard dates, however. Most of them... well, call it wishful thinking, boundless optimism, cockeyed dreams, honest mistakes, whatever you like.

This date is different. This date is real.

I call bullshit. He hasn't even turned in the final manuscript yet... because it's not DONE yet.

Oh, well. At least we now know what the cover will look like.
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The good folks at CSN Stores apparently like me and my readers, as they've authorized me to do another give-away. I'm still figuring out just what kind of contest it'll be. In the meantime, start sharpening your wits if you want to win. Stay tuned!