Sunday Rambles

Blame Jimbo for this:

Which American accent do you have? Northern You have a Northern accent. That could either be the Chicago/Detroit/Cleveland/Buffalo accent (easily recognizable) or the Western New England accent that news networks go for.

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

(Born in Massachusetts, raised in Ohio and Illinois -- yep. It nailed it.)

... and this:



... which had me jitterbugging by my ownself in the middle of my living room. I double dog dare you to sit perfectly still while listening to that.

Fabulous.

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Ouch!

In-N-Out is the Barack Obama of hamburgers. Puny, over-hyped, from a union-led blue state that’s fiscally boned, and laughably inadequate once you take time to research it and its alternatives.

That's gotta hurt.

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This sounds like fun, and I'm thinking it could make for some serious mayhem for a blogmeet:

An assistant museum curator who questioned the authenticity of a Leonardo da Vinci has been murdered — but before he died, he left a code in his appointment calendar and a cryptic trail of clues connected to secrets in works of art that point to the killer.

Now, would-be gumshoes must figure out what drove one of four suspects to kill him. Was it greed? Fame? Lust? Or revenge?

That’s the plot of Murder at the Met, a murder-mystery scavenger hunt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York run by Watson Adventures, a private company offering a series of such games at 27 museums in seven U.S. cities, including Chicago.

Anybody interested?

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Quote of the Day:

Pat Quinn is Jerry Brown without the hot-chick past. Like California Moonbeam, our Governor Soybean is signing the Dream Act. The Dream Act is a boilerplate pander piece that gets good press and WOW Progressive support. A Progressive would step over a starving Mexican blocking his way into Whole Foods.

Who wrote that? The same guy who wrote this:

I worked to help Pat Quinn, become Governor and I voted for Pat Quinn. It took the Governor no time at all to prove to me that he does in fact believe in the Easter Bunny: Gov. Quinn immediately paid off Planned Parenthood by wedging in Terry Cosgrove for a State salary; Quinn sprung more felons than George Ryan in much less time; pushed the Civil Union and made war on Catholic Charities; ran business out of Illinois; crawfished on Real Labor as well as his bet with Gov. Walker; and now is signing the Illinois Dream Act that completely ignores immigration and the economic jackpot that is our State economy in the hope that Ralph Martire is correct that more people will vote for Pat Quinn again. Hug that Bunny, Guv....

Pat Quinn will sign the Illinois Dream Act on Monday.

Way to go, Hickey. Way to vote.

When you alienate your base, you're really screwed here in Illinois.
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Drive-Bys

By the time I got through the Cheeseburgers Across America recipes I was drooling all over myself.

By the time I got through the 30 Inaugural Cheeseburger recipes, I was a wobbly-kneed mess.

If that site had "smell-o-vision," I'd be a babbling idiot by now.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Go visit the Cheese & Burger Society for your very own self and see what I mean. Your taste buds will love me and your arteries will hate me.
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Hold onto your hats:

The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority is seeking toll increases ranging from 35 to 90 cents for IPass users to fund a $12 billion capital plan.

Read this to mean that non-IPass users (suckers) will get hit with increases of 70 cents to $1.80.

Ouch.

Those are huge increases.
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Oooooo! Fried clams:

Howard Johnson lied. So did your neighborhood shrimp hut. A fried clam is not a skinny strip.

A fried clam has a gut.

True dat. And the same for fried oysters. And they both go down wonderfully with a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of tartar sauce. (No, not cocktail sauce. That's for shrimp or fried scallops, silly.)

Now I'm missing my Nana and summers on Cape Cod... and also the fish fries at the NCO Club at Pease AFB... and fried swordfish chunks from Newick's.

Just the thought of these fishy treats brings back memories of salt air, clam shacks, endless miles of beaches and jetties, searching for starfish, hermit crabs, sea shells and sea glass and the feel of sun-warmed sand between my toes.

*Sigh*

These are the tastes of summer to me.
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Cray to the Zee? It's not the one with all the lovely facial tattoos, actually:

A mixed-race woman who is due to marry a white supremacist murder suspect on Hitler's birthday has spoken out in support of her man.

Erica Herrera, who is half Hawaiian and half Hispanic, said despite prison inmate Curtis Allgier's frightening appearance - with tattoos of swastikas and the word 'skinhead' covering his face - he is 'kinder' and 'gentler' than he is publicly portrayed.

'He's a very sweet, loving…He's a really kind-hearted, good person,' she said, defending her plans to marry the man who faces the death penalty for murder.

See? I told you so!
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Giggle of the Day:

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Ear Worm of the Day:

Right to Your Door

I had to order a catered lunch for a meeting I was hosting on Tuesday of this week. I decided to do something a little out of the ordinary for a corporate lunch, and ordered Chicago-style hot dogs and cheeseburgers from Gold Coast Dogs through our corporate account at Seamless Web.

I placed the order on Monday afternoon to make sure that there was plenty of time. I scheduled delivery for 11:15 a.m., and giving a 15-minute leeway on either side of that time for delivery. I added in a tip for the delivery person, as well.

On Tuesday, my well-laid plans went sideways.

Here's my email to Seamless Web:

I am writing to let you know that delivery of this order was one hour and ten minutes late.

My receptionist called at the 20 minutes late mark and were told that they thought it was a pick-up order [even though there was a delivery fee, delivery instructions and a tip written right on the order form], and that they’d send it right over.

I personally called at the 40 minutes late mark and was told: 1) I’d “have to be understanding” because it was their very first order through Seamlessweb; and, 2) the driver was on the way.

When I called at the 60 minutes late mark, I again got the “have to be understanding” song and dance and reassurance that the driver was on his way. I informed the person who answered the phone that I wanted to speak to a manager who gave me another “you have to be understanding” song and dance. I informed him that I have a blog, a Facebook account, a Twitter account and am very familiar with Yelp and Metro Mix, and that if I didn’t get satisfaction for an order that I assumed (rightly) would arrive cold, I wouldn’t hesitate to express my displeasure on ALL of those outlets, as well as on the SeamlessWeb website.

That got me a promise that I’d be hearing from the General Manager ASAP.

At the one hour and ten minutes late mark, the order arrived, tepid and soggy.

I still have not heard from the General Manager of Gold Coast Dogs.

I never once heard the words, “I’m terribly sorry, Miss. We’ll get this fixed right away.”

I never once was offered the name of a specific person to talk to about this problem.

The nearest Gold Coast Dogs location is close enough that I could have walked there and back at least five times in the time it took to get this order delivered.

I do not believe we should be charged for this order. Furthermore, SeamlessWeb should be having a very frank (no pun intended) discussion with the management of Gold Coast Dogs if Seamless is going to continue to use them as a vendor.

I would like a telephone call from someone at Seamless to confirm that this matter is being given priority attention. I am holding off on letting loose on the various social media outlets listed above until the end of business today, but won’t hesitate to express my displeasure if there is no redress.

Thank you.

Here is Seamless Web's response:

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I’m very sorry to hear your order with Gold Coast wasn’t exactly Seamless! I spoke with the restaurant and have confirmed this shouldn’t be an issue for the future. Also, they have approved a 30% discount off your order which I have already applied. For our part I would also like to off you a 25% off code for your next Seamless order, which I hope goes far more smoothly. If there is anything else I can do for you please do not hesitate to let us know! Have a wonderful afternoon.

I'm still boiling mad that no one from Gold Coast Dogs called me to apologize -- as promised. Yeah, I took the discount, but the order really should have been totally comped. Their customer service is absolute crap as far as I'm concerned.

Seamless did their best, but they're more concerned with fixing things going forward, and I'm more focused on them making me happy. Which I'm obviously not.

I've used Seamless for other orders and never had a problem. Gold Coast Dogs, on the other hand, I'll never use again and can't recommend at all. And I'll be linking this to my Facebook and Twitter pages, too. Re-post Facebook or re-tweet, won't you? I really do want them to feel some heat on this.

I'll let you know if I ever get an apology -- which I absolutely deserve.

Road Trip Eats

This article on favorite road trip snacks... and the recent spate of hot summer weather... got me more than a little nostalgic for the days when the Princess Mom and Darling Daddy loaded up the Ford station wagon and hauled us all to Nana's house in South Harwich, MA for our summer vacation.

So what were the top 10 snacking highlights of our road trips as we lounged in the "way back" of the wagon? (Nope -- no seat belts.)

In the cooler:

1. The Princess Mom's oven-fried chicken, served cold for a picnic lunch.
2. Home made potato salad, ditto.
   

Miscellaneous:

1. Regal Crown Sours sour cherry candies, purchased from a machine at an Indiana or Ohio tollway oasis -- the best sour candy ever. (And they don't make 'em any more. Wah!)
2. Kraft Easy Cheese. 'Nuff said.
3. Ritz Crackers.
4. An economy-sized box of Cheez-Its.
5. A big ol' gallon thermos jug of cherry Kool-Aid.
6. Keebler Pecan Sandies. (A Darling Daddy fave.)
7. Mother's Iced Oatmeal Cookies. (The Princess Mom loved 'em.)
8. Ice cream cones from the restaurant at the HoJo hotel we always stayed at in or near Schenectady, NY. (Pistachio for me!)

So what top 10 edibles figured in your childhood road trips?

Drive-Bys

Finally the folks down in Springfield have finally used their noggins:

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.
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Bistro 110 is closing in August? I'll have to get up there before then! They've always had fantastic food.
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Require homeless shelter residents to pay for their night's stay? Before you blow your stack, consider this:

The policy has had some unexpected advantages.

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."

Maybe it's not such a bad idea after all.
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Roadside Diner

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.

Bourbon, butterscotch, pecan gelato with Bourbon County Stout glaze and spiced pecans?

*Moan*

And that "Lace" part of the name? It's the lacing on the beer glass.

Oh, mama! Do I have to wait that long really?

Roadside Diner

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!

Rubber-Necking

Quote of the Day:

Chicago may be the unofficial brestaurant capital of the U.S. with 11 Hooters, 10 Tilted Kilts, two Brick House Tavern & Taps and a Show-Me's, with Twin Peaks planning to enter the market within the year.

I can't tell you how proud that makes me to be a Chicagoan.

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...)

Drive-Bys

The brilliant (and bent) mind behind @MayorEmanuel is finally revealed:

For weeks, journalists and insiders have urged the person behind @MayorEmanuel to reveal himself, but he (or she) demurred. Until now. After a protracted email negotiation, the author has outed himself to The Atlantic. He's receiving no compensation.

The genius behind @MayorEmanuel is Dan Sinker, who has a heart made out of Chicago and balls of punk rock.

Read the whole beautiful thing.

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I don't know why anyone would pay full price for a meal in Chicago, what with Groupon, YouSwoop, LivingSocial, kgbDeals, Open Table and Village Vines offering wonderful deals. And now there's a new and innovative entry into the market -- gDine.com:

Bargain-hunters, there's another discount-dining game in town.

gDine.com launched in the Chicago market today with about 20 participating restaurants, and owner Rakeesh Thakkar says he'll have 100 restaurants within two months.

"It's Opentable meets Orbitz meets Restaurant Week," Thakkar says.

Positioned as an alternative to couponing, the site lists restaurants and their deals, generally a set menu (with choices) for a given price. Diners select a day and time, pay up front and arrive to dine with the big unknown -- the check -- already paid.

Thakkar says the format is especially helpful to larger parties. Individuals can pay their share up front and enjoy dinner with no "who-ordered-what" issues at meal's end.

Sounds good!

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Have any of my readers tried this Provent doohicky?

Looks to me like it would beat the hell out of a CPAP machine or any of the dental devices available on any number of levels -- less invasive, more mobility in bed (YOU try turning over with a hose attached to your head without strangling yourself and/or yanking the machine off the nightstand), and certainly more portability.

I'm seriously thinking about getting the free trial sets, but would be interested to know if any of you have tried this product and how it did or did not work for you.

P.S. -- Given that my dreams, which are once again lasting all night long, have recently featured little pop-up ads in the lower right-hand corner of my dreams, just like the ones at Pajamas Media, anything that would improve my quality of sleep at this point would be welcomed.

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Note to self: Pay attention to the weather report and carry a damned umbrella if rain or sleet is in the forecast. You'll pay the price if you don't.

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Weekend Rambles

Friday:

1. The Hubble IMAX show (interesting) and Jim Henson/Muppets exhibit (absolutely charming!) at the Museum of Science and Industry
2. A stroll through the Chicago Cultural Center, with lots of time spent on the Vivian Maier street photography exhibit (fantastic -- don't miss it!) and the Portrait Project and Project Onward (loved!)
3. A force-march (I'm famous for these) over to Klay Oven for a delightful dinner
4. Another death-march back across town with stops at the original Billy Goat, the Wrigley building and Tribune Tower
5. Back to DP for cocktails at the Miner Street Tavern
6. Home

Saturday:

1. Brunch at the Sugar Bowl (huge! "Crepes? I can't get through a day with you on crepes!")
2. Gold, Sue and Africa exhibits at the Field Museum of Natural History
3. A leisurely drive up Lake Shore Drive and the Lake Michigan Circle Tour as far north as Glenview
4. Zip back down to Golf Mill Mall for a quick dinner of pulled pork sandwiches (who knew food court food could be that good?) and then off to see True Grit (how many Oscars will this movie be nominated for?) at the AMC theater
5. Back to Jimmy's in DP for the end of the Packers/Ravens game and cocktails

Sunday:

1. Lunch and Bears game in the bar at Jimmy's
2. A swing through Shop 'n Save to pick up exotic groceries that the mad Minnesotan can't get up in the frozen north
3. Home and collapse

See you later!

Update: Add a massage at the mall for the Minnesotan, another visit to the food court and The King's Speech (stupendous) to the day's activities. I didn't get a heck of a lot accomplished this weekend, but we covered a hell of a lot of ground in the process!

P.S. -- Whoohoo! Go Bears! Go Hawks!

Roadside Diner

I've eaten the food of two distinctly different purveyors this week, both of which were excellent.

First up was Nia, which I hadn't heard of, but for which a good friend had an about-to-expire Groupon. The restaurant has a warm, Mediterranean atmosphere, with predominating shades of Tuscan gold and deep burgundy, with lots and lots of shimmering candlelight. (The photos in their site header don't do it justice.) It's small enough to be cozy and large enough to accommodate a good sized group. Frankly, it'd be a great date spot if you like tapas.

The dishes run the gamut from Spanish to Middle Eastern, and feature a lot of seafood. In addition, Nia makes and cures its own sausages -- three different ones monthly. My friend and I split the charcuterie plate, which for a measly $20 featured all three sausages (including a fresh chorizo that knocked our socks off), crostini, black olive and roasted red pepper tapenade, apple and pear tapenade, a peppered goat cheese and a sheeps milk cheese -- delicious and so filling that we only had room for one of the tapas. We opted for the shrimp and avocado dish from the cold list. I know it sounds really simple, and it is, but it is also pure bliss -- big chunks of tiger shrimp, perfectly ripe avocado, seeded and diced tomato, diced cucumber, a lemon and EVOO vinaigrette and a light chiffonade of fresh basil.

The wine and drink lists have great selections at all price points, and I had a Tempranillo that at $10/glass was a bargain for a Chicago restaurant and tasted like it should have cost half again as much. My friend reported the same for her Sauvignon Blanc.

A word on service -- it was not to much, not too little, but just right. Knowledgeable, around when we needed him, left alone when we didn't and didn't disappear just about the time we were ready for our check, we loved Marty. Ask when you go (and tell him you heard it here). He's an absolute peach.

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At the other end of the gastronomic spectrum, tonight I stayed home and ordered in from Wally's in Park Ridge, IL (found viaGrubHub). For $15, which included delivery fee and tip, I got half a rack of tender, smoky spare ribs with extra sauce on the side, sweet and tangy coleslaw, a big baked potato with lots of butter and sour cream and a big slab of garlic toast. Dinner showed up in under the scheduled time, was piping hot and so good I finished everything. This is unusual, in that I can and do usually split a delivery meal into two servings. I'll definitely order from Wally's again, and may just have to mosey over there some evening, too.

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For ordering dinner for delivery, I like GrubHub because I get tired of ordering from the same local places, and they're always adding new and different restaurants. It also allows you compare and contrast menus, minimum orders and delivery fees. Finally, you can pay via PayPal, including adding a tip. It's a beautiful thing when the delivery guy just hands you your meal and then leaves -- no fumbling with credit cards or cash involved.

Quick Stops

Ooooh! This article on vintage cookbooks and comfort food recipes has given me the major guilts. One of these days I have GOT to finish what I started -- and that day better be soon, as my free time will be significantly shortened after the first of the year.
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Speaking of food and "ooooh!", click on the second photo and tell me that kasespatzle doesn't make you drool. I'm going to have to get to Edelweiss and try it.
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Giggle of the Day:


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

You mean dust bunnies aren't really pets?
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Drive-Bys

It's a trifecta of man vs. train within the past 24 hours:

• One guy on the Pink Line during rush hour (try 'splaining to St. Peter that you met your end on the pink line);
• One guy in San Antonio in the wee hours who traumatized an engineer, but at least didn't screw up rush hour; and,
• A stupid teen who might just get lucky and pull through despite his best efforts to the contrary.

I shudder to think what the totals for man v. train will be here in Chicago by year's end.
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The hippiest, dippiest joint in Chicago appears to be in financial trouble:

The Heartland's financial problems are varied. Some might blame the service or the food. (I like the food.) [I do, too -- especially the fried brown rice.] The bigger problem, James and Hogan say, is the recession. Paying bills with money they didn't have, they accumulated huge overdraft charges. Their bank won't give them credit. Big city license fees are due.

"It's the first time someone could say 'You're not living within your means,'" Hogan said. "It's taken us close to two years to ..."

"Get it," James said.

They get it now. They've made changes they hope will help. And they're hoping that the same trust and instincts that made them shake hands on a far-fetched deal 34 years ago will get them through again.

I hope they do learn the lesson, because that place is a gem. In fact, this song pretty much sums it up:


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Don't blame the mobile phone -- blame the inconsiderate assholes who think their time is more valuable than yours. (And if a friend does it to you more than once, they're not a very good friend.)
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The first in a series of laws designed to completely eradicate smoking and tobacco use in Finland came into effect Friday, including possible prison sentences for selling cigarettes to minors.

Finland is the first country in the world to write into its legislation that it intends not just to reduce smoking but to end all tobacco use through law.

Actually, my argument all along here has been that if it's not illegal to sell them or smoke them, it's pretty hard to say you can smoke them here but you can't smoke them there. Pretty smart, those Finns...
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Seeing "pink testicle" at first glance here, instead of "pink tentacle" means I should think about getting my eyes checked, right? (And not that my Freudian slip is hanging down a mile...)


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What are we heading for here? Oh... maybe this:

Most families who are due to lose their child benefit are worrying about how they'll make ends meet without it.

But for Kelly Marshall, who has five children by four different fathers, the handout has never been about paying for nappies, food and other everyday expenses.

She saved her benefit money to help pay for breast enhancement.

And as many parents envisage tightening their belts after the Tories announced plans to cut the benefit for higher-rate taxpayers, she plans to save more of hers for liposuction and a tummy tuck.

Fasten your seat belts. I predict that attitude will find it's way across "The Pond" soon, if it hasn't done so already.
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Drive-Bys

My new hero:

A North Carolina restaurant has put a ban on unruly children, with a sign on the front door saying screaming children will not be tolerated.

Brenda Armes, the owner of the Olde Salty's restaurant in Carolina Beach, said she got sick of customers complaining about parents who couldn't control their children during meals.

She said many parents allowed their children to treat the restaurant like their personal playground, misbehaving and 'squawking'.

And of course you know someone just had to bitch about it:

But Ashley Helfin, a mother of two, said: 'I've never seen a restaurant say, don't bring your screaming kids in here. You can't help it if your kids scream.'Ummm, Ashley?

The Princess Mom made sure each and every one of her children knew how to mind their manners in public. Just because you don't know how to parent doesn't mean the rest of the world has to suffer.

If you're ever in Carolina Beach, NC, go visit Olde Salty's!
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I saw this article and just had to buy the book. How could you not find NASA's "coefficient of flatulence" fascinating?

And I do hope Mike Ditka's The '85 Bears: We Were The Greatest also comes out on Kindle. From these excerpts, it looks to be a hilarious read.

(I do have eclectic reading tastes, don't I?)
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I see President Tin-Ear strikes again on the issue of illegal aliens. Too bad if the (legally) voting public wants the immigration laws already on the books to be duly enforced...
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Speaking of President Tin-Ear, nice to see he's knee-capping Emanuel's chances as a mayoral candidate here in Chicago:

“My expectation is, he’d make a decision after these mid-term elections.”

And...

"I think right now, as long as he is in the White House, he's critically focused on making sure that we're creating jobs for families around the country and rebuilding our economy.

"But I think he would be a terrific mayor," said Obama.

Right. As long as he's doing what you want him to do, its fine to think in the abstract about what a fine mayor he'd be.

In the meantime, da locals have da edge.

If Emanuel remains at the White House until Nov. 2, he would be forced to play catch-up unless he has an army in Chicago “laying the groundwork” for him, said Ald. Pat O’Connor (40th), Mayor Daley’s City Council floor leader.

Candidates for mayor must file at least 12,500 valid signatures between Nov. 15 and 22 — and three times that many if they want to be certain they stay on the ballot.

“It could work. Clearly, he’d have enough money and it could allow him to size up the field. But, it could also allow people to make commitments [to other candidates] they can’t come off, which would limit his ability to make alliances,” O’Connor said.

Nice of President Tone-Deaf, who knows Chicago and Illinois politics, to cut the guy who's had his back all these many months a break. Now that's politics Chicago-style.
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