tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72991812509388086842024-02-19T07:23:27.241-06:00Anthrid- Den of a Thoughtful RabbitCrafts, etc, from Anthrid http://www.anthrid.etsy.comAnthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-22807415910669613572009-09-13T20:03:00.002-05:002009-09-13T20:06:19.557-05:00Greeting LIS 724!<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"> This is my blog, which<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I really haven’t updated in about a year—essentially since I started grad school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I needed a place where I could display some creativity because my job at the time simply did not allow for it. I had a lot of energy which I needed to expel somehow so I wrote the blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I focused on creative things that I did or things that I thought were unusual or cool as a sort of distraction from my quasi-existential crisis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Once I enrolled in grad school, my creative energy was all needed for class, so the blog wasn’t so important any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I may start it up someday when I have more free time, but for the moment, I’m letting it lay fallow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I found the templates very easy to use and I updated nearly every day with pictures and text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I also made the banners for site to personalize it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I do follow some more adult blogs, but I admit my favorites are mostly just entertaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s lots of fun to read the insights of other people and, while some blogs I follow are by celebrities like Stephen Fry or Neil Gaiman, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>many of them are just regular people with day jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>One of the ones I particularly like is </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.dailycoyote.net/">http://www.dailycoyote.net/</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> Shreve Stockton crossed the US from San Francisco to New York on a Vespa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, she fell in love with Montana on the way and moved there, living in a one room converted barn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>At some point she found an abandoned coyote pup and simply couldn’t let him die.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She has raised him like a pet to an adult and she posts beautiful photos and updates about him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The reason why I like this blog is simple escapism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It has, however, another element.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I find it very relieving to remember that some people pick the less obvious choice. Some follow crazy impulses and refuse to play safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That’s a kind of bravery I admire and one that is too readily ridiculed by those with safe jobs, marriages, and lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-50279271616476307882008-11-28T15:24:00.004-06:002008-11-28T15:40:52.013-06:00The Non-Horrors of FruitcakeI am making fruitcake! Usually that’s met with a gasp of horror, but this is Alton Brown’s Fruitcake: <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/free-range-fruitcake-recipe/index.html">http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/free-range-fruitcake-recipe/index.html</a> I have tweaked the recipe a little, but it’s basically the same. And there are not creepy glow-in-the-dark radiated bright green chunks.<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVXPDzQT0J0yyUYnsreaDb7zS8SY_PlX6BgNJbYMUAoZdIXeTHGKObtVUKCebOWVWntbfd7fLDjNrKdPORpZ8BXtenWycaDTSpWmTYfXD5F1yw-DpPvwx-5SMvgXugxgNDURExtfhtNw/s200/IMG_0250.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273824106999318914" />Dried sultanas, cranberries, currants, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, apricots, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, citrus zest, apple cider (which went a bit hard. That worried me until I realized I put ONE CUP of Jack Daniels in this recipe. A little more alcohol isn’t going to hurt things), butter, and Jack simmers on the stove. It makes the kitchen smell like Gløgg. Mmmm…<br /><div><br /></div><div>Pecans toasted in the oven. I don’t toast the ones on top of the cakes. They must get theirs during baking.<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3A3xaoI0h0vcKRP25Sr__LiYQZFBisk76mv4batSuoV5AY0dMpmDsOjaGfP9qro-mHdqryKGRW19VtUqdIVKgOBp1EOyOtQFFb1jAoUtEEUwFpApVKjPna1LIz9LNP4W_OP1NN-r48o/s200/IMG_0252.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273824115153978818" />Mixing!<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOEQdzNhf7YdbB_tPx-BeVWJutN9iJpQaEaha65na5FILmHai9Ic1TSCYb_w1kPLvIrSg42KzcH98KGOgQui-jX1Nc-iO7O0jVbB2l-D4pACxsbLcTzLfoRKlxx6mQFqm7WZm3Dmpe4G8/s200/IMG_0256.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273824121212075138" />Portioned into my own little fruitcake pan, bought especially for this service. Little chevrons of pecans are cute here</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KxnBKbx5mQSxejCJqFhglDb58v6wwKkjq2JszmLGgURebKftDKR6TPHQ-YRU7oaBWGGJU-gfML7buO5Dq4PRSUtsUbFZ_5LzoGAN__8Mhi6pvbUcStA_oSxSF-BjZCkxjMwFjmj6UXo/s200/IMG_0259.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273824130068803538" />Done! Now to spray with more Jack and store in the cool pantry until Christmas. They are edible now, yummy in two weeks, but delectable after one month. Because of the alcohol and sugars, nothing will rot or mold or turn rancid. The flavors meld and just become better.<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DBzsJ-MQWo_L_pnJfm1IrxQSovfIIArPfQWgktU9z_05RWBrmbNizYcYuifEsAXN0_lPDc_m0i9O1-u4XuujPjAggPjm57u9BreDfLYO6lLKbiznOuOwvOHWp9sHjlCmAUSOeoMs8tc/s200/IMG_0264.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273824133926066290" /><br /></div>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-43661264694343954802008-11-03T19:39:00.001-06:002008-11-03T19:45:46.800-06:00How I Managed to Resist Punching Out a Pseudointellectual on the Red LineOkay, I know it’s my own fault, but he started it. There I was nicely settled into my seat on the Red Line on my way to a class. I was dragging along my ridiculously heavy Anglo American Cataloging Rules in my super awesome Lucha Librarian tote bag (a lovely gift from Lauren and Eli). <br /><br />This guy, one of those men with mere strips of luminescent skin peeking out from endless bushy dark hair, comments on my bag to his girlfriend who was wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with some education institution or another. He says to her “lucha librarian? Cool. You know, like Lucha Libre. That’s Mexican wrestling.” I glance over, mostly to let them know I can hear them and say “Cool, huh?”<br /><br />The girl smiles and tries to get her boyfriend to switch topics. However, he couldn’t be stopped and went on to describe a “lucha librarian” as being kinky. At this point, I began to hate this guy. Lucha libre is not kinky. They wear masks because they are superheroes, not for weirdo sexual reasons. Luchadors would be terribly offended. If only Il Santo was there to straighten him out. I decide to ignore him and try reading a book for one of my classes. It’s called A History of Reading and he clearly thought it was hilarious that someone with a librarian tote bag would be reading something about reading. Nearly as self referential as There’s a Monster at the End of This Book. Whatever, dude.<br /><br />I get absorbed in my book for a little bit and come up for air in the middle of a rant about Barrack Obama and Socialism. He apparently believes that Obama is Socialist and that is a good thing because “look at Sweden or Australia.” Huh? Okay, fine. Then he nicely segues into the competition of the graduate level of education, except “not so much in school, but in work.” I can’t figure out what the hell he means by that, but his girlfriend was either rapt with attention or developed temporary deafness. <br /><br />I drop into my book again and put it away just in time for a reason to truly dislike the guy. He says to his girlfriend “Do you know what pheromones are? Do you?” She murmurs a yes. He says “Oh yeah, then what are they? Huh?” She doesn’t answer so he goes on to explain that “pheromones are the scents given off by your metabolic system so that others can tell if you’re healthy or not.” Okay, pheromones are scents given off by animals (and I think occasionally plants) that illicit an involuntary response from other of the same species. My understanding is that they are usually hormonal, like dogs in heat and not particularly indicative of health, although an ill animal might not have healthy hormone levels. I think he may have been thinking of a recent study that suggested that people tend to be attracted to the scent of those who are not closely related. Anyway, I don’t really care that he was a little iffy on the definition, but that he used what he obviously felt to be his intellectual prowess to badger his girlfriend and make her feel stupid. That’s not okay. <br /><br />He also kept looking at me, which makes me think he was hoping I’d acknowledge his coolness. Not until you learn how to treat other human beings, baby!Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-55651536790435653472008-10-31T16:20:00.004-05:002008-10-31T16:30:26.703-05:00Paper Plate Skeleton<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Xj1YZyXOIWYxmrsWLSphtN_YdIpv1_wtLgwwdxQ14HBO0V47Ikbqud0eRTO-2al_mLt5j1Z67_Q_IlinGggsIAl50EIgaPc4GZuE0HTLZypbW42pr-J6k92II5j5mxueDdJKdxDoqdQ/s1600-h/2284539783_baaa2e147c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Xj1YZyXOIWYxmrsWLSphtN_YdIpv1_wtLgwwdxQ14HBO0V47Ikbqud0eRTO-2al_mLt5j1Z67_Q_IlinGggsIAl50EIgaPc4GZuE0HTLZypbW42pr-J6k92II5j5mxueDdJKdxDoqdQ/s320/2284539783_baaa2e147c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263433313077421058" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKSPIND%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-ascii-font-family:Arial; mso-hansi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >My version of the paper plate skeleton!<span style=""> </span><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/2990296658_2335d0f055_o_d.jpg">Download the pattern!</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >I was trying to do a kindergarden style paper plate </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >skeleton in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Norway</st1:place></st1:country-region> and came up with this design.<span style=""> </span>I was a little disappointed when I looked up classic versions of this craft and found that they look nothing alike!<span style="">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""> </span>That’s me in a nutshell, I guess.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CGY4oHqqv0efMf8xOOQVei__edf78JyDfiYlNtYtQQRZ4n01T9qnDenA00AOlFdvkj7z1iU_0sKv3mxrj1RNWKJOvCFtIuWc0dtr_9E2HE9I3LohFvkuwByCXEPfKbWCivFHU-GjusM/s1600-h/2285327768_17871dcd1a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CGY4oHqqv0efMf8xOOQVei__edf78JyDfiYlNtYtQQRZ4n01T9qnDenA00AOlFdvkj7z1iU_0sKv3mxrj1RNWKJOvCFtIuWc0dtr_9E2HE9I3LohFvkuwByCXEPfKbWCivFHU-GjusM/s320/2285327768_17871dcd1a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263433315091494562" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""> </span>I can’t quite do anything in a traditional way.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >There was an upside.<span style=""> </span>Knut gave away almost all of the Halloween decorations (which are rare in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Norway</st1:place></st1:country-region>) to his students.<span style=""> </span>He made a little raffle system and guess what the kid who had first pick wanted?<span style=""> </span>The skeleton.<span style="">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""> </span>I feel quite honored. <o:p></o:p></span></p> Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-84007749687383415702008-10-30T10:44:00.002-05:002008-10-30T10:45:52.221-05:00Trail of Terror!!<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKSPIND%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-ascii-font-family:Arial; mso-hansi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:Arial;">I love old fashioned haunted houses.<span style=""> </span>I’m not too keen on the very expensive, pounding heavy metal professional ones.<span style=""> </span>I certainly have been in a few of those and while the effects may be technically better, they aren’t nearly so charming.
<br /></span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">The first haunted house I was even in was set up in a garden center.<span style=""> </span>I think I went with Indian Princesses and it was definitely old fashioned.<span style=""> </span>In fact, I suspect that sort of house doesn’t exist any more.<span style=""> </span>Most of the displays were static, and veiled by chicken wire.<span style=""> </span>They were sets like coffins, mad scientist-like things in jars (an underused prop, I think.<span style=""> </span>If you’ve ever been in a whole room that contained nothing but scientific specimens, IT IS CREEPY!<span style=""> </span>It would probably be sort of cool to have a room in a volunteer haunted house with floor to ceiling specimens in mason jars- spiders, rats, dolls, body parts, lizards, snakes, organs, etc and have the light filter through the jars.<span style=""> </span>A nice quiet creep before someone springs out at you), vampire dummies, skeletons.<span style=""> </span>I don’t even recall there being any living people.<span style=""> </span>It did have one part that was genuinely unsettling.<span style=""> </span>It had a long maze of corridors in almost complete darkness, without any sounds or creepy music.<span style=""> </span>It was all black walls and I distinctly remember having to feel my way out.<span style=""> </span>Creepy.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">I went to <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Peterson</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>’s Trail of Terror last night, which was excellent as it is every year.<span style=""> </span>It’s a wonderful mix of modern props and technologies (they had some fantastic large scale puppets this year.<span style=""> </span>Really amazing.) put on by volunteers, including children.<span style=""> </span>It is probably the most fun you can have for $8.<span style=""> </span>I would love to know who plans the event, because they are so dedicated to producing a haunted trail that is absolutely a cut above the average volunteer haunted house.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;"></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >There are two things that make volunteer houses special.<span style=""> </span>There is nothing like the experience of being scared by someone who is wholeheartedly enjoying themselves in a nonaggressive way.<span style=""> </span>At <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Peterson</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>, many of the monsters are children and, boy, can they scare!<span style=""> </span>They squeeze up into the tiniest little places and leap out at you!<span style=""> </span>You don’t see them coming at all.<span style=""> </span>They scream!<span style=""> </span>You scream!<span style=""> </span>You laugh and they’ve enjoyed scaring you so much they laugh too! <span style=""> </span>It’s great.<span style=""> </span>Last year had the best example I’ve ever seen of that phenomenon.<span style=""> </span>Knut is a huge darling wuss and people always target him because he’s a big adult man.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>We went into one section that was carnival themed.<span style=""> </span>I went in first and noticed a small girl (I have pretty good night vision) curled up almost behind a curtain.<span style=""> </span>She wisely stayed put because she knew I saw her.<span style=""> </span>However, when Knut came in, looking about four feet above her head, she leapt out screaming.<span style=""> </span>He screamed at the top of his lungs and fell into the wall behind him and the two started laughing so heartily.<span style=""> </span>He congratulated her on being so scary.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >The other thing that makes volunteer houses extra fun is the sort of people who visit them.<span style=""> </span>Most of them are not hard core scare freaks.<span style=""> </span>They are not the type to harass or heckle and they scream (I know because I’m one of them.<span style=""> </span>A kid in a gilly suit scared me almost to the loss of bladder control last night.<span style=""> </span>He/she scuttled out from under a burlap curtain along a (I had thought) unmanned stretch of path) at EVERYTHING!<span style=""> </span>Thus, we always end up hugging, hold hands, or holding on to jackets of people we haven’t met before.<span style=""> </span>It’s great.<span style=""> </span>Our little group of three merged together to become a group of six before the meat house section and stuck together the rest of the way.<span style=""> </span>I grabbed the jacket of the guy in front of me, another guy held onto my shoulder,<span style=""> </span>Natalie and another girl held hands, and Knut held on to everybody while we all screamed like crazy. <span style=""> </span>Fantastic. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >Our voices were hoarse by the end, so we had to recuperate with coconut fudge sundaes at Margie’s Candies.<o:p></o:p></span></p> Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-76942476689811058962008-10-24T09:53:00.001-05:002008-10-24T20:43:55.230-05:00How to Rescue Gross Store Bought Pumpkin Seeds<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChdvWWD8A_FgwuhtYaHAqgvd3gft0RVrG5CB-7kLnHWEJW_Iwfwaqzz9g5yPuoW0iU0uYO73-e5I36cAPts68dWH_3RtWkxmHHsUthAJ-AIP-394MhEfeXPrAvdXfBJrtusEbid3oQ_Y/s200/IMG_9856.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260897564732572738" /><p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Knut loves pumpkin</span></span></p><p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"> seeds. As in, I leave the room and a whole bowlful has mysteriously vanished. So, when we went to a local pumpkin farm and spotted a</span></span></p><p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"> bag of “homestyle” pumpkin seeds, we had to buy them. Famished after a hard day of picking pumpkins, hayrides, and haunted</span></span></p><p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"> trails, we dug into them as soon as we were in the car. They were gummy, chalky, and very salty. We got into an argument about whether</span></span></p><p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"> you’re supposed to eat the hulls or not. We still ate a quarter of the bag, but only out of desperation. They weren’t good.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">So we brought them home and they sat around on the counter for a few days. I decided to rescue them. Here’s how I did it:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYr1SDERApQox8-e9ub_otSCFKPZxTeOwPfZDCDnBTUi_Zz8cWVreW939ocVn1-EA76dCKIsBWoEJGfaCkFr01kezIhtzo3OQ41lUzr_Q5fNZDC_9TnBHZr5xXXU_o6IXOTrQPRKTO4fU/s200/IMG_9846.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260897560995259362" /> <p class="MsoAutoSig" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="">1.<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;"><span style=" font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:7pt;"> </span></span></span></span></span>Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="">2.<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;"><span style=" font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:7pt;"> </span></span></span></span></span>Put the seeds in a colander and wash them thoroughly. This will get rid of the excess salt and prime them a little for roasting. I ran them under cold running water and then shook out as much water as possible.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="">3.<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;"><span style=" font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:7pt;"> </span></span></span></span></span>Transfer the seeds to a bowl and gently coat them in 2 tablespoons of oil (I used olive, but I doubt it matters much). The oil is the difference between crisp, toasted, flavorful seeds and pallid dry ones. Don’t worry if they feel super oily. Pumpkin seeds are sort of naturally slimy when they’re wet. Don’t skimp on the oil.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="">4.<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;"><span style=" font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:7pt;"> </span></span></span></span></span>Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt. Kosher or sea salt is extra nice because of the big tasty flakes. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="">5.<span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:78%;"><span style=" font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:7pt;"> </span></span></span></span></span>Toast in the oven for 15 minutes. Take them out and turn them every 5 minutes. If they’re not golden and crisp after that time, roast in 3 minute increments until they are.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Voila! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-33572756219817939032008-10-23T08:20:00.002-05:002008-10-23T08:23:00.863-05:00NEW STORY ON THE FOGHORN!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmp161zksM0NNF_XDCaiuUVyhmMbWxNsTf2sotN6CrkXzjutZYsBizK8MvkSWRH0QbZ8lgplj_0QRDaZZrsEH1IJGuR6DKrtdTARgcejRgg3P-mjcam7UOkXu65G1a51fl8zitTIKIXw/s320/FOGHORN.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmp161zksM0NNF_XDCaiuUVyhmMbWxNsTf2sotN6CrkXzjutZYsBizK8MvkSWRH0QbZ8lgplj_0QRDaZZrsEH1IJGuR6DKrtdTARgcejRgg3P-mjcam7UOkXu65G1a51fl8zitTIKIXw/s320/FOGHORN.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Read about Knut’s MURDEROUS RELATIVES!!</span><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><br /><a href="http://thefoghornmagazine.com/fact-spindler-5.php">http://thefoghornmagazine.com/fact-spindler-5.php</a><br /><br /><br /></span>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-26983798504942517232008-10-15T11:05:00.001-05:002008-10-15T11:05:40.609-05:00Requiem<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKSPIND%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-ascii-font-family:Arial; mso-hansi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">
<br />There is a girl in one of my classes who looks so much like one of my best friends in Junior High.<span style=""> </span>I stare at her sometimes and I hope she hasn’t noticed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">My friend was bright, daring, funny, and brave.<span style=""> </span>We spend countless hours goofing around uptown, flirting with ridiculous boys we met, and generally getting into the sort of trouble you fondly look back on as an adult.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">She was so adventurous.<span style=""> </span>She would do anything on a dare like switching people’s lunches on the table when they weren’t looking or purposefully asking teachers embarrassing questions.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">She was artistic too, especially when it came to sculpting in clay.<span style=""> </span>She once made a teapot shaped like a knight’s steed that floored the class and teacher.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">She was pretty, loved horses, and spoke fluent Polish.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">We lost touch a little bit in high school because we took different classes, but always greeted each other and were delighted to find we were in the same lounges or study halls. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">After school, she got married and moved to the West Coast. She didn’t really know anyone and was lonely, so she experimented.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Crystal Meth gave her a stroke at 24.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Her husband, who was so young, couldn’t deal and divorced her.<span style=""> </span>Her parents took care of her.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">I haven’t seen her, but another friend reports that she can’t keep track of a conversation anymore and she’s lost her prettiness.<span style=""> </span>Her eyes are no longer symmetrical. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">The strangest thing is that this girl in class looks the way she did in Junior High, before her slim glamour of high school. <span style=""> </span>It’s very strange, indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-66954639779110154652008-10-12T15:13:00.003-05:002008-10-12T15:16:27.699-05:00Oysters and Martinis<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:initial;">Season One of <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_0" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;">Mad Men</span> contains this great scene where Draper and</span></span></p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPo2MfFyfCAaG5ZbAW9pPE-LA12gp4SW7RGPjs8_7-138mHxMVCFCcgjr3QVE8Gx1QpPfQnErH_O8RyYwvQ7OvGFlRIaonYWJqnQLaCNBbzgEIRwrH6QzGOvIcYDg9pX49RPf5iYQdyn4/s320/grand+central+oyster+bar+mad+men+new+york.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256363809079470402" /><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:initial;"> Sterling go out for lunch. Instead of today’s American cheese quesadillas and <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_1" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;">ice tea</span>, they go out for a proper New York executive lunch. They drink martinis and eat raw oysters.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:initial;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:initial;">They’re in a gorgeous restaurant with funny little half moon booths just big enough for two. The only place I’ve ever seen those for real is in the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_2" style="cursor: pointer; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; background-position: initial initial; color:initial;">Green Mill</span> in Chicago, a vintage jazz club beloved by <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_3" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;">Al Capone</span>. The booths in the Green Mills are aqua plush, unlike the red ones in Mad Men. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:initial;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:initial;">The martinis they drink are in delightfully frosty 4oz glasses. Many <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_4" style="border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;">martini glasses</span> now are 8oz or 10oz sizes (I suppose for Cosmopolitans and other super sweet <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_5" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;">mixed drinks</span>), which contain so much alcohol that the dregs in the glass are warm and gag-inducing by the time you get to them. Plus, the olives look super huge in small glasses. My brother was quite charmed by a martini he ordered at the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_6" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;">Brown Derby</span> in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_7" style="cursor: pointer; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; background-position: initial initial; color:initial;">Hollywood</span> . It was in the 4oz sized glass, but an additional 2 oz or so was provided in a chilled <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_8" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;">glass vial</span>. I feel pretty certain the Mad Men martinis are the classic gin and not vodka.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:initial;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:initial;">The oysters are equally delightful looking. There were nine served on crushed ice on a silver platter. They are accompanied but lemon wedges and wicked looking <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_9" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;">cocktail sauce</span>. I love oysters, but I’ve certainly never had them so elegantly presented. We mostly have ours at home. I told Knut I couldn’t love a man who didn’t know how to shuck oysters, so he dutifully learned. While we make home made <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_10" style="border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; background-position: initial initial; color:initial;">Oysters Rockefeller</span> (the NY Times recipe number 2. Alas, I learned from <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_11" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;">Big Secrets</span> that ours is not an authentic version (it’s spinach based) but I’d just as soon not deal with oyster stock and four pounds of parsley.) we sometimes enjoy them raw with a squirt of lemon and a spoonful of Burhop’s horseradish cocktail sauce. Good stuff.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:initial;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;color:initial;">I have no idea if this restaurant exists or if it’s all in a studio (probably). We are planning to make a pilgrimage to the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_12" style="border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;">Oyster Bar</span> in<span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223842337_13" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;">New York ’s Grand Central</span>. I intend to flop down and clamor for shellfish like a hungry seagull. </span></span></p></span>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-54821814680411850872008-10-10T16:01:00.002-05:002008-10-10T16:05:11.745-05:00Elephant V. Donkey<span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErnG9GbXMg1mIE9x0tjPxsdYlcRyPuOGX-p6722pI8MA_F3KGJeSMDCVw4Lw3hIDp8ojLCbfggaq4cJ-e7nHc7048G-FcywSM88Ga4pxULVKaH2mkF_hyC_Xu7QtSNxsManJbYGRq4I8/s1600-h/vote.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErnG9GbXMg1mIE9x0tjPxsdYlcRyPuOGX-p6722pI8MA_F3KGJeSMDCVw4Lw3hIDp8ojLCbfggaq4cJ-e7nHc7048G-FcywSM88Ga4pxULVKaH2mkF_hyC_Xu7QtSNxsManJbYGRq4I8/s200/vote.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255633814296563746" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" >The political coverage on television has </span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" >gotten really distressing lately. </span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" > I’m particularly bothered by the scary sounding audiences at McCain’s speeches. I don’t know why McCain/Palin are tolerated audience members yelling things like “Kill him!” and “Off with his head!” I have absolutely no problem with people agreeing or disagreeing with candidates on a political or personal level, but it’s starting to get so violent. <o:p><br /></o:p></span></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" ><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" >My own views lean towards Obama, although I really liked McCain before this election started. However, I’m bothered by some of his actions as the campaign has heated up. Obama is pretty well regarded in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Illinois</st1:place></st1:state>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" ><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" >One of the barbs that’s been sprung on Obama is that he’s academic and elitist. I think this is really peculiar coming from the GOP who most recently nominated George W. Bush, a transplanted member of a Mayflower family, a legacy Yale graduate, and a member of the Skull and Bones society. That essentially is as elite as it’s possible to get in this country. Obama comes from a nice family, but certainly not one so elite as suggested. Having so recently had student loans and work as a community organizer in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:city> makes me think he probably remembers quite well the sort of financial and social struggles most people face. <o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" ><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" >I actually do think that Obama’s academic qualities are a plus. Academia forces a person to base their conclusions based on physical evidence, in the case of sciences, or precedent, in the case of arts and letters. Basically, it forces you to look at the opinions of others, which should be a positive trait in the president, and then draw your own conclusions. A paper running along of the lines of “I think that Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an Elizabethan variation of the Oedipus Rex because my gut says so” is probably not going to earn its writer an A. I think one of the greatest tragedies of the recent years is that of Colin Powell. He was charged with convincing the UN to attack <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> based on what was later found to be faulty evidence. He said something to the effect that this was the greatest regret in his life. We need, as a nation, to really consider things and evaluate sources before we act. We have the power; we need to work on the responsibility. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" ><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" >McCain’s impulsiveness just doesn’t seem like a good trait in a president right now. As a senator, he’s very important. A straight talking person who isn’t afraid of party lines is a terrific asset in a large governing body. My concern is that he’s a better senator than president. His jumps like selecting the unknown Sarah Palin after one meeting and claiming he would suspend his campaign are strange and considering that we’re currently dealing with a terrible situations cause by impulse (the war, waged with insufficient intelligence and the failing banks, caused by giving morgages to people who couldn’t possibly pay them), more impulsive decisions doesn’t seem to be the right way to go.<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" ><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;" >I’m also distressed at his obvious personal dislike of Obama during the recent debates. He doesn’t look at Obama, doesn’t call him by his first name, condescends (“what Senator Obama doesn’t understand is…), and refers to him as “that one.” Some of the commentators say that that is just McCain’s style, but that is troubling. These are two American men who love their country and want the best for it, although their methods vary considerably. If he’s unable to put up a front of civility to a colleague, how will he be able to meet with unpopular foreign leaders like Putin or, heaven forbid, Ahmadinejad? Certainly, the president is the commander in chief of the military, but he must also function as a diplomat. This is an area where he clearly doesn’t live up to his idol, Reagan. Reagan was undeniably charismatic and able to control diplomatic situations, even with leaders with whom he certainly disagreed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-62828174550322126972008-10-07T17:18:00.002-05:002008-10-07T17:30:10.292-05:00BEST HAUNTED TRAIL EVER!!!It's the most wonderful time of the year!<br /><br />Ah, my heart leap this afternoon when I saw the first banner for Peterson Park's Trail of Terror!!<br /><br />It's AWESOME!!<br /><br />It's run entirely by volunteers and they must have an absolute mastermind planning it. They also have local children help scare willing patrons. It's an event run by familes... to scare the snot out of other families. <br /><br />Each year it's differently themed. We've been there for Urban Legends, Evil Circus, and Chicago Ghost Stories. The long wait is peppered with great posters in the theme, including fake newspaper stories, spooky music, and creepy guys in masks who sneak up behind you. There is also a little food stand that sells hot cider and hotdogs. <br /><br />I simply can't believe this isn't a professional haunted house. That's how good it is.<br /><br />Last year featured a scary walk through a miniature corn maze, an amazing inflatable tunnel, and the best use of small children EVER. Spoilers for that part below. Do not read the green print if you want to keep it a surprise, assuming they use it again. <br /><br />SPOILERS!!!<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#33cc00;">You enter a square room lit only by one black light bulb. The walls are painted black, spattered with neon paint. It looks empty. As you walk through, expecting something to leap out from the doorway, monsters erupt from the very walls! Scared the hell out of me and I'm usually pretty good at seeing the monsters before hand. The trick is that they use small skinny kids wearing black clothing and masks with matching paint spatters. When they plaster themselves against the walls and corners, they are next to impossible to see. I watched one little girl go back into her position and it was like she had vanished.</span></em><br /><br />END SPOILERS!!<br /><br />They always target the biggest male in the group, which is extra fun. They have Knut pegged as a screamer too! And it is extra fun when it's a little kid doing the scaring.<br /><br />Really, really awesome and they totally have my respect. I'll keep going back as long as I'm in Chicago. <br /><br />Here's the website with this year's information: <a href="http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/news.archive/park_id/433b5e34-bd4e-4fe5-a74e-81dedbacc96d.cfm">http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/news.archive/park_id/433b5e34-bd4e-4fe5-a74e-81dedbacc96d.cfm</a>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-10565738548514479912008-10-06T11:59:00.002-05:002008-10-06T12:01:58.509-05:00Style and Function. Or Not.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmJOvsE-8KEB4s1CxKGxrfVVVIMYzzTwrVx3TCZPB7pyUK6DhXJw04_dLx4OijMK7BgQyKhhEC_ua1gDjYdk6bodyv2_vx_nj0L0_u0z-VwoN9s40kjvMXNf05qXnUpSMCkThGJ9lx4U/s1600-h/HaroldWashingtonLibrary-004.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmJOvsE-8KEB4s1CxKGxrfVVVIMYzzTwrVx3TCZPB7pyUK6DhXJw04_dLx4OijMK7BgQyKhhEC_ua1gDjYdk6bodyv2_vx_nj0L0_u0z-VwoN9s40kjvMXNf05qXnUpSMCkThGJ9lx4U/s200/HaroldWashingtonLibrary-004.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254087188166970834" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">One of my classes is at the </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223312336_0" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Harold Washington Library</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. At first, I was pretty excited about this since I hadn’t actually been inside it. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Now I’m not too keen. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I never liked the outside of the building. It’s red brick with these peculiar green copper sheilds that looks a bit like giant beetles are crawling the sides and a huga carriage lantern sort of affair.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">When I walk inside, my first reaction is “Where are the books?” It’s a large empty marble foyer with a big square reception desk. Browsing seems an impossibility. Off to the side, there’s a door to the “</span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223312336_1" style="border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Popular Library</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">.” Is is all fiction? Just </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223312336_2" style="border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; background-position: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Romance novels</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> and </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223312336_3" style="border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Stephen King</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">? Who knows?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Find your way to a couple of escalators tucked into the side, mounted next to a couple of low wading pool type fountains. The escalators lead up to the third floor. After that, you have to go past the guards and ride escaltors in the center of the building or elevators at the opposite side. Not especially handicapped friendly.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:85%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">It’s just not very cosy or modern or friendly or anything really. There’s not much about it that suggests it was designed as a library. I am partially bitter that they chose that design over one by Helmet Jahn, but really, that design?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:100%;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-size:12pt;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></p></span>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-25574077390587028492008-10-03T07:39:00.003-05:002008-10-03T17:40:36.935-05:00Plaaaaaaaaaay Ball!<p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">The Cubs and the White Sox are in the playoffs.</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMmUJIPdeaSnWWWkJMknT9kIRxAC9RMkZp0PXxamm4r-Qn9uSmjyM1dyKyi6nJ6L03yylNUcKQGnYRHnpOdBTl5nQy85eID0KWYhrLctGx4tLiCI-qHyftsBeOgz6K0EK_ATUFmJl0zQ/s1600-h/cubs-logo.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMmUJIPdeaSnWWWkJMknT9kIRxAC9RMkZp0PXxamm4r-Qn9uSmjyM1dyKyi6nJ6L03yylNUcKQGnYRHnpOdBTl5nQy85eID0KWYhrLctGx4tLiCI-qHyftsBeOgz6K0EK_ATUFmJl0zQ/s200/cubs-logo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252906931455802722" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">I don’t think my nerves </span></span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">can take it.<br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">In fact, I think I’ve actually gone into a semi baseball-related catatonic</span></span><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;"> state since last year’s Cub woes. It’s simply too much to hope for that we might actually be in The World Series.</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlyJYfCevAXLUhsZkGGfS9I12usZ-3LOsNd4nrz2AWKXA-U_nY_H2TZUzy-3c_c0ZRtosct_apMQHeeb4vn0NbIg9vWoyG0Y_Z6aruQg_h-0P53jAX4dEYxc2ah6ckNuzikwbi25_NUU/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlyJYfCevAXLUhsZkGGfS9I12usZ-3LOsNd4nrz2AWKXA-U_nY_H2TZUzy-3c_c0ZRtosct_apMQHeeb4vn0NbIg9vWoyG0Y_Z6aruQg_h-0P53jAX4dEYxc2ah6ckNuzikwbi25_NUU/s200/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252906932363151234" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">It’s like being told we might get to take a picnic on the moon next Saturday. Sure, it would be great! Sure, I’d love to go! But I don’t dare get my hopes up.<br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">It’s a little different for the Sox fans. For one thing, they were in the <span style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer;" class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1223037501_0">World Series</span> a couple of years ago. They basically spoiled it, though, by putting billboards in heavily Cubbie areas with the phrase “We haven’t won a series in, like, months!” </span></span></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">Cubs fans snickered as they proceeded to totally suck the next season. Not because we hate Sox fans (those who do are jerks. And vice versa.) but because we don’t need that sort of snotty attitude from our south side brothers. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">I personally support our king, Mayor Daley. He loves the Sox. Everyone knows he loves the Sox. But he always always says “I root for Chicago .”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:12;">Huzzah!</span></span></p>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-49008326966951341172008-10-02T18:12:00.006-05:002008-10-02T21:39:12.356-05:00Vintage Halloween<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVl_PaoJOBL_PglN9k-_AqjnXag-Xsk4ZMkcNzKQ8jOl1g73DromwnELoMhG9iBsxxadEGleg8yUu8pJlnVIVzJRF_JPoRfga4sv0y_RGillu1chSHdqzWxzTkTMLy6FLcUFvF19uGAs/s200/IMG_9613.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252698865291094018" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222989134_0" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Halloween</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> will be upon us soon!</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Kids in princess costumes and parkas will assault our doors!</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Adults will somewhat inadvertently scare the snot out of them! (Kids are scared by the weirdest things. They seemed afraid of the jack o’ lantern</span></span></span></span></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEkooQoX7-dtCSv_YSl4Oqzc5IEfJ281BzRdDSbFX9XszdyKH9iWlc0O7n9iSnthP-53AmEojSM6qd84h_ipo5oQfhUQDwKv0dqA9t8sFSywFaXXHzYhZ5Kvf0v_Qi2wimsa6gxxT3k0A/s200/IMG_9620.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252698868665141682" /><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> Knut carved last year. C’mon! Parents, if your children are </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">seriously frightened of a hollowed out vegetable, they need a little shaking up.)</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I like those vintage </span></span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222989134_2" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Halloween decorations</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. Those sort of naïve round eyes witches, owls, and cats popular in holidays past. They have a unique cheerfulness that I really like.</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">In honor of that, I made these three: Devil, Owl, </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">and Black Cat. They’re made of paper weight polymer clay, </span></span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222989134_3" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">acrylic paint</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">, wire, and glaze with micro glitter. </span></span></span></span></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwiai_RIY7jGpy4LOac8b1SzCLI0vvhYJctZWXSuUfK_jAwv5eF8MgSHGpMPjdS8wCNS9Ei15iyccWi5H3t7fsZn9znk4DlAfj_SvXD4JdpRoa0xaXalG0Etqf23ZD1qGS16_f9cVbnJY/s200/IMG_9626.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252698870630762882" /><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I orignally made them for myself, but decided to put them on Etsy in the spirit of the spooky season. </span></span></span></span></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimLytwQsWeKklp_L9qHvFJXMBv6NiTKCvDXoTDNWElUKcnKj9hyphenhyphenr2Y80RZtG1c1e2YWNCP0M_TS6TstO3xgJf5Fb2v6Anki_optnxPQAaYqKDoon_fXu5Q72X7erjA5YPSltFlHjHKnW4/s200/IMG_9639.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252698869160504674" /><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';font-size:10pt;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Have fun!!</span></span></span></span></p></span>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-82978990754456471162008-09-26T17:51:00.002-05:002008-09-26T18:03:18.870-05:00Informational Needs in Poor Taste<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This is probably just a weird facet of my personality, but I’m always surprised at the banal search term people use when they’re teaching someone to use any kind of a data base or search portal. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">For instance, in one of my classes, a charming guy was showing us how to use </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Refworks</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Refworks</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> is a service that will take database information and save it for you, as well as creating </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">bibliographies</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. Very useful. Clearly, he will be a great librarian. He was approachable, happy to help, happy to stop and answer questions, very thorough, and gave good clear instructions. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">However, he was showing up how that service applies to a medical databases and he chose the search term “</span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_0" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">autism</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.” “Autism?” In a medical database? How dreary! Useful and important, no doubt, but not attention grabbing. Why not “giant tumors” or “</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">bezoar</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">” or “pica” or “</span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_1" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ebola</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">” or “rare parasites?” Any one of those explodes the imagination! Who </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">isn</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">’t interested in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">bezoars</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">? (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Bezoars</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, if you </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">aren</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">’t familiar, are hard objects that are formed in the stomach, usually around some sort of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">fibrous</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> material like hair. The stomach works like an oyster making a pearl, adding layer upon layer of hard material. They’re more common in ungulates like goats, but humans have gotten them too. See? You’re already interested!)</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Similarly, when we were taught to use Lexus Nexus 58 incarnations ago in high school, I recall the librarian picked something along the line of “</span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_2" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The American Revolution</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.” Dull, dull, dull. In a situation where you’re only showing how the system works, why not “Tiger attacks?” This is common also in school when you have to pick a report topic. The topic is “disease” or something and they teacher usually only suggests “cancer,” “HIV,” or “measles.” There’s hundreds of diseases! Let’s try to get kids a little bit interested! They probably haven’t even heard of </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_3" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Spanish flu</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">porpheria</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, polio, </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_4" style="border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">malaria</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, and a host of others. Why not carelessly mention that there are still strains of </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_5" style="border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">bubonic plague</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> in the world or that </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_6" style="border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">syphilis</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> caused people’s noses to drop off?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I suppose there is some sort of interest in good taste. I feel good taste is a poor trait in fields that pride themselves on spreading information. You should be able to ask anything in a library without fear of appearing in bad taste. If you want to know what they do with the bodies when cemeteries are moved, dang gum, you ought to be able to find out! This is a trait that is all too common, I’m afraid, in venerable institutions. For instance, the </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_7" style="border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Adler Planetarium </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">in </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_8" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Chicago</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> is very tasteful. It has lovely models of the planets, many beautiful antique compasses, and several displays on gravity. It is also exceedingly boring. Unfortunately, many of the questions most of us have about space are in poor taste, so they really </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">aren</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">’t answered. Here’s a short list of things I know people would like to know about space:</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Is there a toilet on the </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_9" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">space shuttle</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What would happen if you got trapped outside the </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_10" style="cursor: pointer; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; background-position: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">space shuttle</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">? Would you implode or dehydrate or boil or what?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What do astronauts do with their garbage?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What do we think would happen if a person was sucked in a </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_11" style="border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 102, 204); cursor: pointer; background-image: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-color: transparent; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; background-position: initial initial; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">black hole</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Is it possible to get busy in </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_12" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">zero gravity</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">? Has anyone tried?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Lika</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> still floating around somewhere?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Can you grow food in space?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What’s up with those </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222469481_13" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hubble telescope photos</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> with the smiley faces?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span style=" outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Arial;color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">There are probably countless others, too, but not a one of them was answered last time I attended the museum. However, I did have an extremely nice chicken salad. </span></span></span></p></span>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-15236691092550811832008-09-25T20:39:00.001-05:002008-09-25T20:43:34.168-05:00Language Pet Peeves<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px; font-family:arial;font-size:13px;"><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">These are language things I find annoying:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-family:'Courier New';color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Courier New;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" face="'Courier New'" color="initial" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">The phrase "Big Girl Panties"</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" face="'Courier New'" color="initial" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; ">What the hell does that mean? When you switch from durable functional cotton underwear to skimpy polyester man-attracting wisps? Does that somehow convey the act of mature behavior to some people? It also has the nice added effect of making every conversation vulgar “When I saw my mother lay dying, I put on my big girl panties and strove to give her the care and compassion needed to make her last days comfortable.” Eau de Trailer, eh?</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Veg”</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Eww… I can’t complain that this British shortening of the word “vegetable” is wrong, but I just hate it for no good reason. It leads to really unattractive mouth contortions. Begin by drawing your upper lip up and bracing your lower lip against your front teeth like a demented </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222393216_0" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Billy Idol</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">. Then let the whole thing drop like your Masai lip plate has fallen to the floor. Very attractive.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Li-barry”</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I’m embarrassed to say that there are people in the library science field that use this pronunciation. Please stop!</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">“Where are you at?”</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Maybe this is strictly a regional thing, but it always surprised me. I say “Where are you?” but I also pronounce “aunt” as “ah-nt” instead of “ant.” Perhaps this comes from having parents who came from </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222393216_1" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Wisconsin</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and Minnesota because most of the people who say this come from</span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1222393216_2" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Chicago</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> or Detroit . I can’t tell if there is a difference in meaning between “Where are you?” and “Where are you at?” The “at” takes an even stronger role in “where at?” It seems to take the place of “Where is it?” which is a complete sentence. As a result, if someone ask me “where at?” I tend to look totally vacant for a few moments before answering. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Using “literally” inappropriately.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I hear this in the news a lot. “The storm literally turned her life into a nightmare?” Oh it did, did it? It turned a waking experience into the dream state manifestations of the subconscious? Doesn’t that sounds like a relief? </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; font-family:Times New Roman;color:initial;"><span style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline- line-height: 1.2em; color:initial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">People also say “My eyes literally popped out of my head!” Really? How’d you get them back in?</span></span></span></p></span>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-66679673350489361562008-09-22T13:48:00.005-05:002008-09-22T14:00:19.942-05:00Math Questions for Literature Majors<div><div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Math Questions for Literary Majors</span></span></span><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><br />If <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">The Natural</span> is riding on a train traveling 60 mph and the obviously Freudian tunnel is 2000 feet away, how long before Memo declares “Oh, I am a twisted tree?”<br /><br />If Beowulf can kill a being with the mark of Cain once every three days, how many hours does it take before he wins the honor of the Danes?<br /><br />If a black ram can tup a white ewe no more than thirteen times in a day and no fewer than once a day, what are the maximum and minimum amount of times Desdemona must submit to the Moor in a fortnight?<br /><br />If Miss Elizabeth Bennett’s prejudice falls at an average rate of 15% per day after seeing Pemberly, how many day must pass before Mr. Darcy ought dare to renew his offer of marriage?<br /><br />If tilting at windmills is successful only three times in five, and there stand no less than forty giants; how many attacks sanctioned by God must Sancho witness?<br /><br />Mary Lennox’s colonial compound consists of her beautiful self absorbed mother, sickly distant military father, her ayah, and twenty five additional native servants. If cholera infects the household at the rate of 1.2 persons per day and death occurs an average of three days after infection, how long before Mary is the sole survivor ready to start a new and challenging life in Yorkshire?</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">(please note, due to decreased time for enjoyable activities, I did not double check the spelling of these characters' names. You have my humblest apologies!)</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Whew! Sorry I've been away so long! This Grad School/Working/Social Life thing had been kind of rough on me lately. I need to get into some kind of rhythm. One, preferably, that gives me 28 hours a day.<br /><br />Anyway, a surprisingly amount of my pals and relatives are studying for the GRE so they too can go to grad school! I am such a trend setter. Since the majority of them are poetic souls, their math skills have deteriorated since high school, and now have to relearn math.<div><br /></div><div> Fortunately, I didn't have to take them because I cannot remember what logs are or what you do with them or how to find them on a calculator.<div><br />In an effort to support these brave souls, I created these math questions. Hopefully, they'll help!</div></div></div><div><br /></div></div>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-72628852120366350312008-09-10T16:17:00.004-05:002008-09-10T16:24:03.968-05:00Bat Signals<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKSPIND%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-ascii-font-family:Arial; mso-hansi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >A while ago I said to Knut “You know, I think Dumble</span></a><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >dore is </span></a><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >gay.”</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >He thought I was crazy.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Of course, it turns out I was</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >right!<span style=""> </span>In this vein of extreme </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >cleverness, I’m going to try my hand and predicting the next </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Chris Nolan Batman movie.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKY2geVx-4fGinHVZuSwerlTiK1hAtSbfPgWfi5F-5XsRHb_iPmppfYiefiHmXttETHffibLZpc9h22mxU2MM1gYXKZCIUkzMLcniNSBZvWJTLQYDhoxmoyMmawC7vcWfrV_yItGrVF8/s1600-h/MPW-15152.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigKY2geVx-4fGinHVZuSwerlTiK1hAtSbfPgWfi5F-5XsRHb_iPmppfYiefiHmXttETHffibLZpc9h22mxU2MM1gYXKZCIUkzMLcniNSBZvWJTLQYDhoxmoyMmawC7vcWfrV_yItGrVF8/s320/MPW-15152.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244505810525025186" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >There will be Catwoman in the form of Rachel!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Evidence:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Lucius explains that the new </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >batsuit will hold up against cats.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Rachel’s body was never shown.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Rachel’s funeral was not shown or referenced.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The explosion at the warehouse started somewhere in the background, so the size is </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >unknown.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Joker previously generates a situation where it appears that </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >there will be an explosion that does not happen (the gas grenade in the bank manager’s</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > mouth)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Joker was aware that Rachel is extremely special to Batman </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >(he says so during the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Trump</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Tower</st1:placetype></st1:place> fight)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Joker clearly has no problem </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >altering other people’s </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >mentalities or bodies for amusement (Harvey Dent, prisoner with bomb under his </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >skin)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Supposition:</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Rachel’s character was really </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >fleshed out into a memorable</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > character.<span style=""> </span>A dramatic funeral would have fit the tone.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Maggie Gyllenhaal is far too </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >cool to kill off and she has </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >frequently played characters with strange quirks (Secretary)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The room where Maggie is held</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > appears to be a basement.<span style=""> </span>It </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >appeared that the building that was blown up had lots of windows and the explosion</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > appeared to come mostly from the first floor.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Rachel’s final letter said that </span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >she loved Harvey Dent, Harvey Dent turns vengeful after her (presumed) death.<span style=""> </span>It would be a</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" > nice parallel if she then avenged him, attacking Batman (Dent’s killer).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >My other hope which is based ENTIRELY in my imagination is:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alan Cumming as… THE PENGUIN!</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGkLVulgqp-gj_PzXghGBK288x6ClBia_HMdDhxz5PuJdO4qMAMaj6-RKk4pfBNl2VbMZEOWOtF-FE23n-UupxMZ1YG95kZWJdmK1jwMZqivoWJx4QzHzrlKSr2jbJMXHn1pMeXv0n2E/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGkLVulgqp-gj_PzXghGBK288x6ClBia_HMdDhxz5PuJdO4qMAMaj6-RKk4pfBNl2VbMZEOWOtF-FE23n-UupxMZ1YG95kZWJdmK1jwMZqivoWJx4QzHzrlKSr2jbJMXHn1pMeXv0n2E/s320/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244505809134703602" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Alan is a native South African.<span style=""> </span>While he gained fame an a brutal drug lord, he found his real place running guns, mines, and drugs into the Ivory Coast and Congo in exchange for blood diamonds. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>His beaky appearance, black and white clothing, and above all his love of “ice” gave rise to the nickname “Penguin.”<span style="">
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Now Penguin, is lured to <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Gotham</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place> where jewelers from around the country meet to bid on diamonds during a week long conference.<span style=""> </span>And Penguin is has decided he’s going to be the only seller… <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-80191023226014313622008-09-05T18:43:00.005-05:002008-09-05T18:47:51.077-05:00Luchador to Order<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvwmm7Q8K48hBC6-8WDumAuNJl2md44SixXpbVCiSj3XMGrxr5o4yjj5vHYjepf6Qi2xhF_-me8uO1O3rRdCgulHG1a23AbUMvVHcxEsQ-sMa0CE2el_CuR9MinoA7wJboibZlUflUy4/s320/IMG_9161.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242687322995621298" /><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I thought this was pretty cool.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A very nice person bought one of my Luchador mask necklaces and asked if I could do a purple one.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I came across quite nice one, white with purple edging, belonging to Mil Mascara during the 1960s (he wore quite a variety of masks) and made the necklace as a a custom item. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US;font-family:Times;font-size:12.0pt;">I think it turned out pretty well </span><span style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings;font-size:12.0pt;"><span style="mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings;">J</span></span><!--EndFragment-->Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-83413608703008982702008-09-04T08:25:00.003-05:002008-09-04T08:27:21.515-05:00Miss MLIS<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT15pSEuDeNoqyny9gE9mUuS6IBtXkDiQT9qE1BuBfdM2SrYC-dA9u_EL4IrdEZfp4EnOJvYEtVoQynWQBWS9nvLSCw2xt7LEPLUTzn9IT8FV6H_PXJ3grzSn55-GMRGn9DNJov5Y0oIc/s1600-h/260849159_c573eeadb6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT15pSEuDeNoqyny9gE9mUuS6IBtXkDiQT9qE1BuBfdM2SrYC-dA9u_EL4IrdEZfp4EnOJvYEtVoQynWQBWS9nvLSCw2xt7LEPLUTzn9IT8FV6H_PXJ3grzSn55-GMRGn9DNJov5Y0oIc/s320/260849159_c573eeadb6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242156870542695570" border="0" /></a><br />If some of you have noticed that my blog posts have decreased in volume, it is because I have started grad school. I am, at present, an embryo librarian!<br /><br />Needless to say, I intend to become one of those hideous glare-at-you-for-giggling, gray haired, seemingly immobile, dewey-decimal-obsessed, reference-desk-haunting harpies as soon as possible. <br /><br />Seriously, I seem to spend the majority of the day helping people find stuff anyway, so why not get a masters in it?<br /><br />Interestingly, when I announced my intention to go into library science, most people asked me when I would be getting my sexy librarian get up. Well, I’ve got the long hair, cleavage, doesn’t need glasses part covered; but I could certainly use some help in the horned rimmed glasses and bun department. <br /><br />Alas, they were not given to me the first day of class.<br /><br />At the moment, I’ve been imagining having a collage of great fictional librarians, preferably the sexy adventurous kind.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Note on the photo: Target is actually selling this “sexy librarian” costume. I won’t be buying it, of course, because this is the sort of thing we wear to classes, although my book skirt is a tad longer and I don’t wear glasses.</span>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-47720614456820194532008-09-03T10:50:00.006-05:002008-09-03T11:02:47.447-05:00Dog Heroes!!<span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link style="font-family: arial;" rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKSPIND%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-ascii-font-family:Arial; mso-hansi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLctx16v4997qjQAN34Ji0RBYQUxyNYP2N3dBNgHCEPHU79EiT6lkpu3FvZ7FhKgUeXPISY0ZEvp8voRgJ9A3_ulBEeDDFFF6erKu6HzlxzVdhxy2iBZcHVGU6im-wyvmycPwlQP9tPX0/s1600-h/black-labrador-dog_~15550-17mu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLctx16v4997qjQAN34Ji0RBYQUxyNYP2N3dBNgHCEPHU79EiT6lkpu3FvZ7FhKgUeXPISY0ZEvp8voRgJ9A3_ulBEeDDFFF6erKu6HzlxzVdhxy2iBZcHVGU6im-wyvmycPwlQP9tPX0/s200/black-labrador-dog_~15550-17mu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241824640407683506" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">We were celebrating Cynthia’s birthday on Saturday with a spirited round of drinking and board games.<span style=""> </span>Cynthia and Steffi hosted and around 1:30 we were spent from Apples to Apples (featuring a truly awesome argument why “Screeching” was the only possible choice for “Natural” by Megan) so Gabe, Megan, Matt, Ginny, Robin, Knut and I <span style=""> </span>headed out the door in a big herd.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Outside, about a half a block from the apartment, we saw a man sitting on the curb and a black labrador wandering on the street.<span style=""> </span>We just assumed the guy owned the dog, but he asked us if we knew her and explained she was blind. <span style=""> </span>He was outside half a hour previous and saw her and now he was nervous.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The dog didn’t look too old and she was plump and silky despite a few bare patches, but there was clearly something wrong with her.<span style=""> </span>She did not have a collar.<span style=""> </span>She was wandering aimlessly in a little circle in the middle of the street, shying at shadows and manhole covers.<span style=""> </span>The guy, Kirk, explained that he has called animal control, but they wouldn’t be in until seven the next morning.<span style=""> </span>What could we do with her in the mean time?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">She was a sweet dog.<span style=""> </span>She gratefully accepted our petting and sat politely on the pavement when asked.<span style=""> </span>While we petted her, Gabe got out her phone and rang Cynthia.<span style=""> </span>Cynthia gamely agreed to let the dog stay in her backyard until animal control could pick her up.<span style=""> </span>Now we just had to get a sweet blind dog to walk up the street, into an alley, and into a strange backyard.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Matt walked with her, holding a hand on each side of her body to guide her.<span style=""> </span>The rest of us walked on all sides to help steer her and encouraged her with whistles and frequent exclamations of “Good Girl!” <span style=""> </span>We got her into the tiny backyard and went home—where we promptly worried about her all night.<span style=""> </span>We were afraid someone had taken off her collar and dumped her in a nice neighborhood.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Then on Sunday, I received these emails:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">From Cynthia:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">so in case any of you are curious as to what happened to our canine
<br />friend -- as luck would have it, she's actually back with her owner!
<br />
<br />apparently she belongs to one of my neighbors, who heard her barking in
<br />the middle of the night. he had been looking for her and was worried
<br />(apparently she just went blind two days ago), and thought the barking
<br />sounded familiar so he followed the sound to my backyard, hopped the
<br />fence, and took her home (probably just a couple of hours after we put
<br />her there). luckily i had left a note to the other tenants in my
<br />building which included my name and phone number, so he was able to call
<br />me this morning to let me know what happened. i'm glad i was still
<br />asleep when he called -- i would have been really perplexed if i'd woken
<br />up and found that she wasn't there. anyway, he sounded like a nice guy
<br />and said he really appreciated us having kept watch over her.
<br />
<br />sadly, due to a mixture of grogginess and surprise, it didn't occur to
<br />me to ask him the dog's name until after i'd hung up the phone. but
<br />it's nice to know there's a happy ending to the story. thanks for
<br />spearheading the rescue mission! i'm really glad everything worked out
<br />the way it did.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And then this one from Kirk: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Hi all.
<br />
<br />Thank you SO much for your compassionate assistance with the dog last night. In a bizarre twist, it turns out I know the dog and her owner, though the dog was unrecognizable to me last night. Last I'd seen her, she was in perfect health, ten pounds lighter, fully sighted, and totally sprightly ... so I couldn't imagine that we were dealing with the same dog last night.
<br />
<br />Her name is Shadow, and she's only six years old, but due to illness she's gone blind and aged a great deal in the last month and a half. I visited her owner today, and she's back in their care. Her owner is incredibly attentive to her, so she'll get great care, but without the small team we had last night, I'm pretty sure things would have gone a great deal worse. [Her owner] was overjoyed that we had all taken time out to bring Shadow in, and out of harm's way.
<br />
<br />Cynthia, thanks so much for putting Shadow up for the night. Apparently she heard her owner's car and barked, and they heard her and took it from there.</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p style="font-family: arial;"></o:p></span> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">So here’s my appreciation to the Dog Heroes: Cynthia, Matt, Gabe, Robin, Megan, Ginny, and Kirk!</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-73998391080935831242008-08-29T12:51:00.003-05:002008-08-29T12:55:42.707-05:00Fall!<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >
<br /></span><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKSPIND%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="State"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-ascii-font-family:Arial; mso-hansi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Arial;" >Fall is coming!</span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3OAwAyXQQgOVLlibv8Z3pM6lioxgOyKa5YzjDgmXVKkX_taRbUvm99hUq9KFQ_VPxggALABgJgfdNfybQVtbq5UbOklSgPmET0GQVk9RW0BWynJ2FcqLD7UF9cGHTti5g5cLDjsXyCw/s1600-h/n582693354_215193_2863.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3OAwAyXQQgOVLlibv8Z3pM6lioxgOyKa5YzjDgmXVKkX_taRbUvm99hUq9KFQ_VPxggALABgJgfdNfybQVtbq5UbOklSgPmET0GQVk9RW0BWynJ2FcqLD7UF9cGHTti5g5cLDjsXyCw/s200/n582693354_215193_2863.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239999541301242434" border="0" /></a></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Arial;" ><span style="">
<br /></span></span></a></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I was noticing this morning that the light is starting to get a little more amber and the first dry leaves are starting to drift along the streets.</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" > </span><span style="font-size:100%;">It seems awfully soon, but I love Autumn and the days are just packed.</span><span style="">
<br /></span></span></a></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style=""></span><o:p></o:p></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >The last day of summer for me is the day we go to the Sheboygan County Fair.<span style=""> </span>I have gone 24 years, probably more if you count pre-natal experience.<span style=""> </span>It used to be combined with my oldest brother’s birthday, but he’s been regrettably far away for the last several years.<span style=""> </span>However, now we’ve gotten to share it with our spouses and one day, our babies.<span style=""> </span>Mom remarks that Rosemary will be big enough for the pony rides next year.<span style=""> </span>I loved the pony rides and one of my biggest regrets in becoming an adult is that I am too big for them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Anyway, I’ll probably report on that business next week.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >
<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Here are definite or possible Fall Events that I’m excited about, roughly in the order they occur:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:130%;" >September</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Tom’s birthday<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Larson Family Reunion in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Minnesota</st1:place></st1:state><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Apple picking<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Raking Leaves and Jumping in Them<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Buying mums<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Admiring fall store displays<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Making Halloween Decorations<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Getting out the Fall Jackets<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Having <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Hollywood</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Beach</st1:placetype></st1:place> to Ourselves<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Kite Flying<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Wearing Gloves<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Eating Caramel Apples<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" >October</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Visiting every Halloween shop in town<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Putting up decorations in my parent’s house<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Fixing the widow silouettes if needed<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Pumpkin Picking<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Corn Maze<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Fright Fest at Great <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Trail of Terror at <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Peterson</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> (awesome!<span style=""> </span>Put on by volunteers)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Making a Katy-style scarecrow out of a shock of corn<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Wearing my witch’s hat<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Deciding on costumes<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Halloween performance at the Symphony/ Zoo Trick or Treat<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Halloween show at The Music Box Theatre<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Watching edited for tv versions of scary movies<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Carving Pumpkins<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Dressing up Colin as The Amazing Spider-Dog<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Halloween Parade<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Strolling up and down the neightborhood with Spider-Dog on Halloween<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <span style=""></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);font-size:130%;" >November</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Dead of the Dead exhibit at the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Mexican</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Fine</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Arts</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Center</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></st1:place> in Pilsen<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Eating leftover Halloween candy<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Buying flowering kale<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Drinking spiced apple cider<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Just starting to think about Christmas<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Get out winter coats<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Celebrate Mom’s birthday<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Be thrilled by first snowflake<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Bake pies<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Help make Thanksgiving dinner (hopefully with two ovens!)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Enjoy Colin’s long fur<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Snuggle under blankets<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Look at baby sweaters for Rosemary<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Put the Christmas Mix on the ipod.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Yay!<o:p></o:p></span></p> Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-7216289282384423742008-08-28T12:22:00.001-05:002008-08-28T12:24:42.571-05:00Bat Dance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9AiXiVkBk3A9J4eo3IOWcNjDgMqolzX694nQC0eas208ZBQCz_oMpxeb5YeHFyiV1q9mZuwD6cjDKkgGy9QZdSNwWTo9klQvXuGmHZxKhz0w7NPTN5iQms3NFuCD4ZcGp5belRXX3I8/s1600-h/050316_bats_run_02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9AiXiVkBk3A9J4eo3IOWcNjDgMqolzX694nQC0eas208ZBQCz_oMpxeb5YeHFyiV1q9mZuwD6cjDKkgGy9QZdSNwWTo9klQvXuGmHZxKhz0w7NPTN5iQms3NFuCD4ZcGp5belRXX3I8/s320/050316_bats_run_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239620587886539394" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CKSPIND%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-ascii-font-family:Arial; mso-hansi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" >Oh man, is this picture cute!<span style=""> </span>This is a running (or possibly jogging as it’s on a treadmill) vampire bat.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><a href="http://www.livescience.com/animals/050316_bats_run.html">Read the full story here at LiveScience.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-40303010867790845912008-08-22T16:11:00.001-05:002008-08-22T16:13:42.371-05:00Yoda the Four Eared Cat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsHQfjetGlwX9GRng_fNBGqHMTuyfBFiMnKh8Brnn6inxu-_tlwOdUdEhiAkW1eQ-f3L0iP5aFhGeAqON77UtTOiHOQSKJxwJ3ewLBcEDtL8q8hJlq7MCtM8li4jFG0mZkRAoThXCZXA/s1600-h/41757655.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPsHQfjetGlwX9GRng_fNBGqHMTuyfBFiMnKh8Brnn6inxu-_tlwOdUdEhiAkW1eQ-f3L0iP5aFhGeAqON77UtTOiHOQSKJxwJ3ewLBcEDtL8q8hJlq7MCtM8li4jFG0mZkRAoThXCZXA/s320/41757655.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237453118150755682" border="0" /></a><br /> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoPlainText"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style="">Gosh, I love this cat! <o:p></o:p></span></a></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style=""><span style="">He’s soooo cute!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style=""><span style="">And I’m horribly allergic to cats.<span style=""> </span>I would take shots for this little guy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style=""><span style="">He has four ears.<span style=""> </span>Should anything with four ears be so darling?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style=""><span style="">He must be like cuddling a little space alien or X-Cat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style=""><span style=""><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-all-ears_22aug22,0,7246912.story">Full story on Yoda here.</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7299181250938808684.post-17293933535377534582008-08-21T11:43:00.002-05:002008-08-21T11:51:32.065-05:00Lego Mania!<p class="MsoAutoSig"><a name="_MailAutoSig"><span style="">Oh my god.<span style=""> </span>I wish I liked to play chess.<span style=""> </span>Witness!<span style=""> </span></span></a><a href="http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=852293">The Lego Chess set.</a><span style=""><a href="http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=852293"> </a> </span>Wow.<span style=""> </span>Look at the cute little dwarves, wizards, and skeletons!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSCXWbaVXqXZWN3MdO2fBfkFNf6_IFjkT55oEdd7pJ0n8eal8YopOZfUmlAdOdvSW3-CUmPAKVWionALlUPVcwGhnuxbS7eHzToBaiCGcmaBERMU0F4mJCcmP3Cm0gm0i_v74hxUXLKI/s1600-h/852293-0000-xx-12-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBSCXWbaVXqXZWN3MdO2fBfkFNf6_IFjkT55oEdd7pJ0n8eal8YopOZfUmlAdOdvSW3-CUmPAKVWionALlUPVcwGhnuxbS7eHzToBaiCGcmaBERMU0F4mJCcmP3Cm0gm0i_v74hxUXLKI/s320/852293-0000-xx-12-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237014431429667074" border="0" /></a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=""><span style="">I think it’s really interesting what Lego has become.<span style=""> </span>So many of the miniatures are so beautiful and clever now, like the Viking sets or Harry Potter.<span style=""> </span>They look like so much fun.<span style=""> </span>And since I engage in a surprising amount of playing when no one is watching, I can totally appreciate them.<span style=""> </span>I do hope the original building sets are available.<span style=""> </span>We had so much fun with those.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=""><span style="">We had the standard pack with 200 or so pieces.<span style=""> </span>All three kids played with it so a considerable amount of pieces were forever lost in the shaggy rya rug in the dining room.<span style=""> </span>Nothing hurts so much as stepping on one of those single peg pieces in your bare feet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=""><span style="">I think there were some illustrations on the box of what you could make, but don’t recall ever following them.<span style=""> </span>I made a lot of houses, gardens, cars, and crates for small plastic animals.<span style=""> </span>I do recall we had only two axles and four wheels of varying sizes, so one’s motorcraft was somewhat unraceable.<span style=""> </span>We had a marvelous time with them.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoAutoSig"><span style=""><span style="">One sore spot was the lack of female lego figures, however.<span style=""> </span>I am glad they remedied that because I distinctly recall arguing with a boy in kindergarten that because my lego guy was a girl, she needed to have the the little red hard hat to tuck her hair under.<span style=""> </span>Bowed over by this impeccable logic, he gave in and presented me with the helmet. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <span style=""></span> <p class="MsoNormal">Legos are made in <st1:country-region st="on">Denmark</st1:country-region>, I believe, and one of the big adventures most Scandinavian families have is a trip to Legoland in <st1:place st="on">Jutland</st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>They have various play areas and huge sculptures made entirely of legos.<span style=""> </span>Interestingly, one is about to open in <a href="http://www.legolanddiscoverycentre.com/chicago/us"><st1:place st="on">Schaumburg</st1:place></a> near the Ikea.<span style=""> </span>I keep telling Knut that <st1:place st="on">Scandinavia</st1:place> is coming to <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">him!</span><o:p></o:p></p>Anthridhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02695688389174917015noreply@blogger.com0