Weekend Cat Blogging #286

From the strange sounds coming from Vincent, I would not have been surprised to see his head spinning around and then spewing split pea soup. As it turned out, we had a visitor.

I have a strong feeling this cat has decided he wants to move in with us, as he meets me at the bottom of the stairs, rolls around for me to rub his belly and meets me at my car to rub against my legs. He really does have a beautiful face...

Fortunately, a squirrel caught our visitor's eye and he ran off to stalk it. Vincent and Jules guarded the deck the rest of the evening.

Vincent is our entry for this week's Weekend Cat Blogging, hosted by Paulchen's Foodblog?!.

Two Book Reviews

After watching Nora Ephron on this season's finale of Real Time with Bill Maher I felt justified in my initial reaction to her latest book, I Remember Nothing and Other Reflections. Whether it was fear or boredom, she just didn't come across well on that medium. Maybe she just didn't remember what she had wanted to say?

I did enjoy a few of the stories from her life, particularly as one of few female journalists in New York. I was also born early enough to appreciate her stories of Lillian Hellman and Katherine Graham. Otherwise, I did not get the sense Ephron knew too much outside her own life.

I found this book a bit grumpy, rather than the funny insights I expected from Ephron. I have problems with memory these days, too; I recommend everyone forget this title and not waste our slowly deteriorating memory capacity.

**1/2 of *****

I tend to misplace things; however, I guarded my David Sedaris ticket like it was a winning lottery ticket. He was reading from his new book, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modern Bestiary, in the intimate setting of Alabama Booksmith. Sadly, I was too sick to attend. I was so disappointed!

I was not disappointed in this book, however. Sedaris, of course, has been a favorite storyteller for a long time. Potential readers should know up front that this is not a children's book, although I certainly could see the title story as a teaching tool on interracial dating.

I initially thought Aesop's Fables but apparently that was not his intent.

I was going to call them fables, but fables always have morals, and not all of these do,” Sedaris said in an interview on NPR’s Morning Edition. “So I wound up calling it a bestiary, which is just a book in which animals do things that people do.

Sedaris takes on human relationships and situations with the same wit we have come to enjoy. Maybe there isn't a moral to every story, but we do indeed get the point.

To listen to the NPR interview and read an excerpt, go here.

I will cherish my autographed copy of this book...although I need a magnifying glass to see the autograph!

****1/2 out of *****

Feel Good Friday

The 365-day-per-year rivalry comes down to today: The Iron Bowl.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Lunch began with a Bloody Mary followed by choices of creole dressing and jalapeno dressing and finished with a dark chocolate coconut canape. I've found that dieting during the holidays does not have to be torture. Even so, a walk around the property only helped.

Wishing You......

LennonNYC: Tonight on American Masters

Watch the full episode. See more American Masters.

We love you, John. Oh, yes we do.

Tonight's episode of American Masters on PBS will feature John Lennon.

This film, with a prologue narrated by Yoko Ono, profiles John Lennon and Ono's years in New York City: their migration from London to New York in search of artistic and personal freedom; their family life with son, Sean; their commitment to peace and political activism; their struggles to remain in America; and, of course, Lennon's music from that period.

It can be seen on Alabama Public Television tonight at 8 p.m.

Countdown to Iron Bowl 75

It is a big week in the State of Alabama. The Iron Bowl will be held in Tuscaloosa on

Friday, November 26th, at 1:30 p.m.

Roll Tide Roll!

Think Before You Scream

This chart, with information from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), leaves me feeling a little more than justified in my anxiety about the events of the 1980's and Reagan administration. I wasn't just crying 'wolf' because a Republican was in office, as I was accused.

Cartoon by John Trever / The Albuquerque Journal

So, the question on deck is what are we willing to sacrifice to achieve debt reduction and fiscal responsibility? It appears many are willing to sacrifice economic recovery and jobs to make a point.

It has become clear that the US people are still arguing about policies from the 1930's and the 1960's and the 1980's preventing us from moving forward now.

1938 in 2010 by Paul Krugman

Weekend Cat Blogging #285

Vincent is never at a loss for ways to relax. It takes extra effort at times to get to this point, but he always makes the best of it.

A 48-second video of Vincent as he attempts to share the smaller pet bed with Jules, accompanied by DirectTV's "60s Revolution" music.

Vincent is this week's entry for Weekend Cat Blogging, hosted by Nikita Cat and Elvira Mistress of Pussydom at Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat.

Happy Pre-Thanksgiving Weekend!

Public Speaking on HBO

Martin Scorsese's documentary Public Speaking will air on HBO Monday night, November 22nd, 9 p.m. CST. It features Fran Lebowitz*, New York writer and social commentator.

I first read Lebowitz's Metropolitan Life in the very late 1970s. She was my female Woody Allen and represented the majority of what I knew about New York City at the time. I don't know if Ms. Lebowitz would like that comparison or not but I doubt she will read this so I won't worry. If she did, I'm fairly certain she would let me know in no uncertain terms, which is one of the things I like about her and one of the things that scares the hell out of me too.

I few years later I read her book, Social Studies. Only occasionally since then have I seen a few magazine articles. She is well-known for her sharp and quick wit.

Read the synopsis here and watch the expanded trailer here.

*Fran Lebowitz should not be confused with Fawn Liebowitz, who was an unseen, fictional character created for the 1978 movie National Lampoon's Animal House. If you will recall, Fawn Liebowitz died in Sylvia Plath Hall at Emily Dickinson College in a kiln explosion.

Free Afternoon = Happy Dance

Once my great-niece was quoted as saying, "I love this day!". That was how I felt yesterday, although there was no Putt Putt Golf on my itinerary. (Bragging rights: This is the same great-niece who was offered a $30,000 college academic scholarship yesterday, one of many more offers to come I imagine.)

It is rare that my office closes AND pays us for the afternoon, but that was the case on Thursday afternoon; after all, it was a rare Thursday Game Day in Tuscaloosa.

In Birmingham, I had the opportunity to enjoy the afternoon prior to the Thursday night game.  I took a few photos on the walk to my car:

The colors in this particular photo remind me of a Bev Doolittle painting, maybe The Forest Has Eyes or Music In The Wind?

I had a great, calorically-dense lunch with leftovers for dinner at Max's Delicatessen located in The Colonnade. Review here.

A brief visit with a friend who had tumbled down some stairs and an Alabama football game followed. A little light reading and a good night's sleep made for a wonderful work-free Thursday afternoon and evening. As my great-niece now says: do the happy dance.

Feel Good Friday

Our Military

I ran across this video and a beautiful column written in The Miami Herald titled Let Them Leave The Shadows by Leonard Pitts. Pitts encourages us to look at these pictures and ask ourselves: "where would you be without your face?" These beautiful and moving photographs were taken by Jeff Sheng.

Senator Harry Reid has scheduled a vote on Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) next month.

The answer Pitts gave to the question: "Unwhole".

Journalism 101

From Thomas Friedman's column in The New York Times:

On Nov. 4, Anderson Cooper did the country a favor. He expertly deconstructed on his CNN show the bogus rumor that President Obama's trip to Asia would cost $200 million a day. This was an important "story." It underscored just how far ahead of his time Mark Twain was when he said a century before the Internet, "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." But it also showed that there is an antidote to malicious journalism -- and that's good journalism. Continue here.

I only took a couple of college journalism courses but I've been exposed to journalistic news and ethics all my life. Since we have apparently hit bottom in broadcast journalism perhaps Cooper will start a trend to bring us back from the National Inquirer-worthy stunts of Fox News, the Rushes, and the Keiths.

The Book Tour and The Library

He's baaaccckkk.

It is true. I vacillate between the stark embarrassment of our former president and occasional sympathy for the guy. Let's face it. He is a 'guy'. He only fits the title of statesman because of his title. Former President Clinton took him along on relief for Haiti (favor to his dad, perhaps?). I realize he is only two years out, but from the interview clips I've seen, it appears there has been no true introspection. I am embarrassed by what was allowed to happen during his eight years in office, yet I feel sympathy for him because he still seems like a lost boy.

Freedom Plaza

On Tuesday, a groundbreaking was held for the George W. Bush Presidential Library on the campus of Southern Methodist University where the library will be built.  Former Vice President Cheney, looking somewhat gaunt, apparently could not pass up a chance to get a dig in at President Obama which won't be repeated on this blog. I was happy to read that black-draped protesters, including Cindy Sheehan, were present to remind us of the ongoing invasions and those who gave, and will give, their lives.

I hope this is a reminder to all of us when choosing a leader of the United States.  We need someone with a curiosity, knowledge, and sense of the world outside their home state if we plan to have any chance of continuing to make it in this interesting and complex world.

Looking Out My Office Window

This is the iPhone view from my office window. That is the Capstone College of Nursing at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Over the summer, we watched this grow into the beautiful building that it is today.

Michael Vick's Amazing Game

Maybe you are not a fan of Michael Vick, but if you are a fan of the game of football, you had to love his performance last night against the Washington Redskins. From the 88-yard touchdown pass (64 in the air) on the first play of the game to the last yard of his 333-yard performance, it was exciting to see that level of skill.

The media were soul-searching and hand-wringing today. Even NPR got in on the discussion of the "fans' dilemma about whether being a great football player can make up for his past crimes". I'll answer that with two names known for comebacks: Mohammed Ali and Kobe Bryant.

While I find dog fighting reprehensible personally, the fact is that I do not look to the football field to find my moral compass. Furthermore, Michael Vick paid his debt to society as sentenced. Once that is done, I believe it should be over. And, as a side note, I believe the right to vote should also be restored. Otherwise, what is the point?

Sunday Reflections: Atheists Don't Have No Songs

Weekend Cat Blogging #284

Wow! I printed a kitty cat.

Is this wrong?

Non-pet people say, absolutely!; dog people say, yes; and, cat people say, is what wrong?

Jules is this week's entry for Weekend Cat Blogging, hosted by Salome at Paulchens FoodBlog?! stepping in for Breadchick and LB at The Sour Dough.

Side note - Interesting study shared by one of my readers: For Cats, a Big Gulp with the Touch of a Tongue by Nicholas Wade

iPhone Photos

Feel Good Friday

From NPR:

The history of the Vietnam War has been told many times in hundreds of books, movies and plays. But Next Stop Is Vietnam explores the impact of that conflict through the popular music it inspired. Continue...

Dine Out For Diabetes, November 11th

In addition to eating sweets to raise money for the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham residents will be eating out to raise money for juvenile diabetes research on Thursday, November 11th.
 
From the Dine Out For Diabetes Facebook page:

In celebration of November’s designation as National Diabetes Month, the Birmingham Junior Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is hosting Dine Out for Diabetes.

Over the past year, studies revealed that the number of people with type 1 diabetes is growing faster than ever before. Some estimates say that new diagnoses are up a staggering 3 to 4 percent. That makes the mission of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation all the more critical.

Please visit our participating restaurants on November 11 for lunch and/or dinner. The restaurants will donate 15% to JDRF. We hope to see you there!!

Sponsored by: Birmingham magazine- special subscription offer November 11

Participating Restaurants:

All-Day Service

Tutti Frutti Yogurt - Soho Square

Lunch Service

Ted's Restaurant - 328 12th St S

Billy's Restaurant Overton - 4520 Overton Rd.

Jackson's - Soho Square

Dinner Service

Avo - 2721 Cahaba Rd
Dram Whiskey Bar - Mountain Brook Village
Billy's English Village - 2012 Cahaba Rd. 

This is a disease that has affected my closest friend, so we hope to see you eating out at one or more of the participating restaurants.

BBQ, Lemon Pie, and Dieting

Stop me if you have heard this one: Two dieters and a diabetic walk into a BBQ restaurant in search of lemon pie....

Our visit to Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q with the local Lunch Bunch was to participate in the Sweet on a Cure fundraiser to benefit the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. We thought the joke would be on us but with a little juggling we were able to piece together some fairly good lunch choices that met our limited caloric and carbohydrate needs, as well as satisfied our midday hunger pangs.

The lemon pie made its way into the hands of a local sculptor and his assistants. While it looked delicious, no one needs lemon pie sitting around tempting those of us without an ounce of willpower.

Sweet on a Cure continues through Sunday, November 14th.



Photo from Jim 'N Nick's

After Eight Years of The Bush/Cheney Disaster, Now You Get Mad?

As seen on sharoncobb.com (thanks, Sharon!)

To the Tea Party and Republicans who support them:

You didn't get mad
when the Supreme Court stopped a legal
recount and appointed a President.

You didn't get mad
when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate Energy policy and push us to invade Iraq.

You didn't get mad
when a covert CIA operative got outed.

You didn't get mad
when the Patriot Act got passed.

You didn't get mad
when we illegally invaded a country
that posed no threat to us.

You didn't get mad
when we spent over 800 billion (and counting) on said illegal war.

You didn't get mad
when Bush borrowed more money from foreign sources than the previous 42 Presidents combined.

You didn't get mad
when over 10 billion dollars in cash just disappeared in Iraq.

You didn't get mad
when you found out we were torturing people.

You didn't get mad
when Bush embraced trade and outsourcing policies that shipped 6 million American jobs out of the country.

You didn't get mad
when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.

You didn't get mad
when we didn't catch Bin Laden.

You didn't get mad
when Bush rang up 10 trillion dollars in combined budget and current account deficits.

You didn't get mad
when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.

You didn't get mad
when we let a major US city, New Orleans, drown.

You didn't get mad
when we gave people who had more money
than they could spend, the filthy rich, over a trillion dollars in tax breaks.

You didn't get mad
with the worst 8 years of job creations in several decades.

You didn't get mad
when over 200,000 US Citizens lost their lives because they had no health insurance.

You didn't get mad
when lack of oversight and regulations from the Bush Administration caused US Citizens to lose 12 trillion dollars in investments, retirement, and home values.

You finally got mad
when a black man was elected President and decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick.

Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, job losses by the millions, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, and the worst economic disaster since 1929 are all okay with you, but helping fellow Americans who are sick...
Oh, Hell No!!

Weekend Cat Blogging #283

Open, sez me.  Open, sez me. Open, sez me.

 Panic mode. Judi??!!

Calling in reinforcements.

Jules and Vincent are this week's entry for Weekend Cat Blogging, hosted by Pam at Sidewalk Shoes.

iPhone photos

RIP Jill Clayburgh

Update 11/08/2010: Clayburgh's Unforgettable 'Unmarried Woman' by Janet Maslin, The New York Times

As a young adult female in the 1970s, Jill Clayburgh represented strong and competent, but not flawless, women on the big screen in such films as An Unmarried Woman, Starting Over, and It's My Turn. Her performance in An Unmarried Woman had a tremendous impact on me as a young woman. Women were in transition; Erica and her friends were the precursors to the Sex and The City friends.

“An Unmarried Woman,” Jill Clayburgh finds herself suddenly single after her husband has an affair and leaves her. She meets a sexy artist but rejects his offer of a life together to pursue her own goals.


Saul: “Independent.”
Erica: “Trying to be.”

Clayburgh became the face of female empowerment in film. Rest in Peace.

Mental Farts

Update 11/06/2010:  Apparently the worst moment of his presidency -- which included 9/11 -- was getting slighted by Kanye West? Interview transcript here.

Let's see if I have this right. As reported to NBC's Matt Lauer in an interview with George W. Bush while promoting his book, Decision Points, the iconic Katrina photo was a 'huge mistake', yet on being asked if he approved water-boarding he replies, "damn right".   I believe that sums up everything some of us thought about this ultimate fraternity boy presidency.

The New York Times review of Decision Points by George W. Bush by Michiko Kakutaini.

Feel Good Friday

It must be true. I heard it on the news.

This Letter to the Editor was published in The Tuscaloosa News on Sunday, October 31, 2010. I was initially puzzled by the editorial decision to publish it until I saw the name of who submitted it. There is an Ed Stephenson who is a biology professor at The University of Alabama so I sense this may have been his way to show people how incredibly lame some of these rumors sound. Stating "I heard it on the news" these days is about as credible as "I read it on the Internets".

America needs to wake up
Published: Sunday, October 31, 2010 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 11:59 p.m.

Dear Editor:

Nov. 2 will be the most important election in this country in over a thousand years! Our country is in a mess thanks to the know-nothing hat-wearing baby-hating money-worshipping break-dancing Democrats who were idiotically elected two years ago.


The coming of Obama, the anti-Christ, who is also a socialist atheist Muslim Hindu communist Marxist terrorist was prophesied in 1,437 passages in the Bible (Isa. 34:19, Rom. 7:9, Lov. 5:33, Vho. 7:10, Cth. 4:44, etc.).


Our schools have turned their backs on the biblical principles of public prayer and genocide and patricide and involuntary servitude and feminine subservience and unicorns and are required instead to indoctrinate students in algebra and maypoles and literature and witchcraft and lesbianism.


Thanks to Obamacare, your doctor is required to kill you if you do not have an insurance policy and must give you inoculations that will give you autism or spinal curvature or an itchy rash.


A bill in the Congress will ban the selling of pork and beans and crackers and gunpowder and bathtubs and will make us pray to Washington six times a day. We have to pay for their asinine projects like sending men to Mars and to Nevada and building pyramids on the ocean floor and studying whether dolphins can get AIDS.


Everyone who refuses to bow down before Obama the Great Nigerian Overlord will have a chip implanted in his brain. I heard all of this on the news. Get your head out of the sand America!


Ed Stephenson
Tuscaloosa

Dia de los Muertos, numero ocho

From The Birmingham News:

Gallery: Bare Hands Gallery 8th Annual Day of the Dead


Description: Bare Hands' Day of the Dead Festival is a one-day celebration honoring the Hispanic, primarily Mexican, celebration known as Dia de los Muertos (Day of Remembrance for the Dead). The annual commemoration at Bare Hands combines community art installation and procession with remembrance, creativity, performance, music and food to highlight rich cultural tradition yielding an exquisite downtown arts and cultural event. The art installations inside the gallery and courtyard will remain on display until November 16 for viewing, photographing and review free of charge to schools and the general public in Birmingham, Ala.

Schedule of events, November 2nd, here.  

VOTE

As seen at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear

Washington, DC

Saturday, October 30, 2010

A Birmingham Food Blogger

As seen on Magic City Post:

• Marti Kilpatrick is just another Birmingham food blogger. Who happened to write at Southern Living magazine, then advanced in the kitchen at Bottega, one of Frank Stitt’s Southside restaurants. Nowadays, she continues to blog at Blank Palate, but from San Sebastián, Spain. Oh, and she was featured on CNN.com in the Eatocracy blog. Amazing. “Blogger Spotlight: Blank Palate.”

One never knows where blogging will take you.