Will whiskey make you frisky????

Mark Twain: "Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough."

Bourbon is from Kentucky.

And bourbon is a distinctive product of the United States.  But bourbon does not necessarily refer to the modern Bourbon County in Kentucky; it refers to an entire region of that name which now includes 34 Kentucky counties, and probably once included hundreds if not thousands of backyard distilleries.

Starting in the late 18th century, this region was known for several decades as "Old Bourbon." During this period, whiskey became the region's most important export. Because most people living there still called the whole region "Old Bourbon," any whiskey shipped from the area was labeled "Old Bourbon Whiskey."

Though, technically, bourbon can be made anywhere is the U.S., 97% of all bourbon is distilled and aged somewhere near Bardstown, Kentucky. One reason is said to be the iron-free water filtered through the high concentrations of limestone, unique to the area.  But the biggest reason is tradition.  Anything called bourbon that is not from Kentucky (unless it's Jack Daniels, a faithful bourbon style), is suspect.

Bourbon must be at least 51% corn, aged in new charred-oak barrels, distilled to no more than 160 proof (80% alcohol), barreled at no more than 125 proof (62.5%), and bottled at 80 proof (40%) or more.  Most bourbon is 70% corn.

These are my favorites (prices are in USD, of course):


Premium

Woodford Reserve  (??)  90.4  Labriol & Graham  Versailles, KY  37.99

Basil Hayden's (8 yrs)  80  Jim Beam  Clermont, KY  36.99

Maker's 46 (??)  94   Maker's Mark Loretto, KY  34.99

Four Roses Small Batch (??)  90   Four Roses  Lawrenceburg, KY  29.99

Maker's Mark (6 yrs)  90   Maker's Mark Loretto, KY  22.99

Wild Turkey  (8 yrs)  101    Wild Turkey Distillery  Lawrenceburg, KY  21.99

Wild Turkey   (6-7-8 yr blend)  81   Wild Turkey Distillery  Lawrenceburg, Kentucky 19.99



Moderate

Jim Beam Black (8 yrs)  86  Jim Beam Clermont, KY  19.99

Old Forester (6 yrs)  86  Brown Forman  Louisville, KY  18.99


Cheap* 

Jim Beam White (4 yrs)  80  Jim Beam Clermont, KY  14.99


*I include this category because, on a routine basis, I prefer 80 proof.  Also, I drink Manhattans.  In a 2/1 mix with vermouth, subtlety and nuance are lost.  Beam is mediocre but consistent.  (I also own Beam stock, LOL.  And Beam produces something like 112,000 gallons per day, so it's easy to find. :=P)

All of these prices are from Binny's, except for the Forester, which is from Foremost.  In Chicago sales tax is around 9.5%  plus a Cook County liquor tax of $1.03 on a fifth. :-(


Best uses of bourbon:

1- The Manhattan Cocktail

This drink was reputedly invented for or by Jenny Jerome (aka, Lady Randolph Churchill, Winston's mom) in connection with a New York political campaign.  This more or less guarantees that it is a ladylike, though strong, drink.  The story may be apocryphal.  Regardless, I prefer that the drink be made with bourbon, though some Philistines, usually Canadian, insist that it be made with rye.

1 jigger bourbon
1/2 jigger sweet vermouth (M&R or Noilly Prat)
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 Collins maraschino cherry, with perhaps a little juice (Collins maraschinos are bigger and firmer than supermarket brands...  also more expensive.)

Shake the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker (instead of stirring them), creating a froth on the surface of the drink.  (There's no evidence that whiskey bruises, LOL.)  Serve in a stemmed cocktail glass.


2- The Mint Julep

Michele insists the best use of bourbon is the mint julep, regardless of whether or not it's Derby Day.

These are direct quotes:

"I think that the best mint juleps want 100 proof bourbons, because they frost the cup better, and interact with the bruised mint better.

"You should never, never, never use simple syrup.

"A mint julep should be lots of bruised mint, about a teaspoon of spring water, a little bit of bar sugar, 100 proof bourbon, crushed ice, and a mint sprig in a silver or pewter Jefferson cup.  It should never be a sweet drink, but rather a refreshing one.

"BRUISE the mint, do not crush it.  Use the back of a spoon, or a pestle."

(NOTE:  Forester makes an excellent and inexpensive 100 proof.  So does Wild Turkey.  Be careful of the silver when brusing the mint.  Michele, me is hoping for silver Jefferson cups for Valentine's Day...)

Hors d'oeuvres 

To go with your bourbon, you may want some hors d'oeuvres, and then maybe some breakfast the next day...

1 - Poor Man's Pate de Fois Gras

1/2 lb liverwurst
3 oz ceam cheese
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1/3 cup cream
1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire
1 tbsp dry sherry
1/4 tsp each S&P
tiny pinch cayenne
tiny pinch nutmeg

Fork mash and blend the liverwurst, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and cream, then add everything else and thoroughly blend.  As curries differ, you may wish to add yours gradually to ensure that it remains only a subtle undertone.

Place in a buttered pate mold, or in individual pots, and cover with clear plastic wrap

Refrigerate before serving.  It may seem runny, but refrigeration firms it up.


2 - Gudrun's Special Grilled Pate

Use the above recipe, but omit the curry, cayenne, and nutmeg.  Add 2 tbsp finely chopped onion, and  add horeeradish to taste.  Spread on small cocktail rye slices or quartered rye slices.  Place on broiler pan and grill under a broiler flame until they begin to brown.


3 - Onion Canapes

English Muffins
Butter
Lemon Juice
Sharp Cheddar
Sweet Onion (such as Italian Red Torpedo or Vidalia)
Paprika

Get some miniature silver dollar English muffins (available from Wolferman's), or cut them out of full size muffins with a cookie cutter.*  Or just cut up some muffins, lazy.

Cut each circle in half, spread with butter, and sprinkle a little lemon juice.
Add a suitably sized piece of sweet onion, cover with sharp cheddar, sprinkle on a little paprika, and broil until it bubbles.

*Waste not, want not: The crusts from the cutouts can be saved and used for Gudrun's famous "nest eggs."  Put butter in a nonstick pan, add the gutted muffin, and crack an egg into the hole.  Add S&P.  Cook to desired done-ness, turning if you wish.  Add some sauteed Canadian bacon, Hollandaise, and a black olive for a reasonable and not too heavy facsimile of Eggs Benedict.  (I use bottled Hollandaise :=P)

We Don't Need no Steenkin' Rules

...especially when they are fallacious. 

There are plenty of things people do with language that are irksome, actually break language rules, and bring out the vigilante spirit in almost any thinking person:

An actor being interviewed says, "Between he and I."  Give me a break...  It's good that his lines are written for him.  But failure to correctly use the objective is catching on, I guess because it's regarded as cool, or maybe because they heard that idiot. 

"Where are you at?" is ridiculous. But "Where you at?" which might be disparaged by many, sounds fine to me. Call me ghetto bitch. LOL.

Repeated parts of acronyms: example: A(utomatic) T(eller) M(achine) machine, ATM machine :=P.

Less (an amount), when it should be fewer (individuals): example, less people.

"Anyways": horrible sounding, but an actual word.  Once again, I think people just think it sounds cool.  Anyways, I don't know why people can't just say "anyway."

"Irregardless":  also a word.  But, irregardless of the consequences, why not just say "regardless"?

       

"Ax" for "ask" (same as "liberry" for "library"): not even grammar...  enunciation.

BUT (and I am now violating a supposed rule of grammar), there are many "rules" of grammar that are not rules of grammar at all.  They are myths that developed from over simplifications by school teachers, medieval monks struggling to translate Latin to English, or simply people trying to impose their stylistic preferences.  You yourself have doubtless heard these rules and perhaps even ascribe to some.  But, thinking about them, you'll have to agree that all they really do is undermine the confidence of would be writers.  Good writers, on the other hand, generally discard them because the result of applying them would be stilted and unreadable verbiage.

You can't start a sentence with the word “however.” Wrong! It's fine to start a sentence with “however” so long as you use a comma after it when it means "nevertheless."

You can't start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction like "and," "yet,” or "but."  This "rule" has no historical or grammatical basis and, if applied, would inhibit rhetorical effectiveness.

You can't start a sentence with the word "because."  Because you can, LOL.  Stylistically, fragments can be useful.

You can’t end a sentence with a preposition.  “This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I shall not put.”  (Winston Churchill)  Feel free to end your sentences with prepositions.  Break the non-rule.  What are you waiting for?

You can't split an infinitive, and (its corollary) you can't split a verb phrase.  I want to boldly tell you that it's okay to split infinitives.  Splitting an infinitive is often an improvement in terms of elegance.  The rule against splitting may or may not relate back to 19th century concepts of a "prestige" form of English, or to the fact that in Latin (once the scholarly language of the world in which most treatises were written), and also in Greek, the infinitive is one word with no equivalent of the "to" marker.  The rule against splitting a verb phrase is probably an outgrowth of the rule against splitting infinitives.

A run-on sentence is a really long sentence.  Nope.  A run-on sentence can be short.  A run-on sentence simply lacks proper punctuation or conjunction.  This is a run-on sentence: "I am right he is wrong."

Tired of the Same Old You???

Shape shifting as a mythological, fantastical, illustrative or literary device is as old as dirt.  It exists in ancient legend, poetry, children's literature, all forms of performance art, and modern diversions such as movies and computer games.  Though there are a variety of ways in which shifts occur, shifts are clearly divided into (1) voluntary, and (2) involuntary.  They can be shifts into human, nonhuman, or inanimate forms, and can include out-of-body experiences.  The one critical issue is, "How physically real can they be?"  Answer:  Shape shifting can't be real, except in the case of a few color changing animals, and then it's coloration, not shape.  EXCEPT, of course, in a virtual reality such as Second Life, or alternatively (or complementarily) in a controllable dream.

Voluntary shape shifting is just that: a voluntary transformation based upon some selfish motive.  This may be profit, revenge, or, most importantly here, amusement - not necessarily in the form of a practical joke, but in the sense of obtaining experiences otherwise unavailable.  (Prolly never done in SL.)

Involuntary transformation, on the other hand, is often the result of action by a deity, a curse, some evil being, an "infection," or use of a potion.  The drama of dealing with this transformation - overcoming the curse, defeating evil, or receiving just deserts for irresponsible or malevolent behavior, makes for good storytelling.  Iz why the stories, LOL.

MULTIPLE MYTHOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATIONS (or How complicated can it get?)

Transgender humans are a simple form of shape shifting in that they involve only a few "appendages" and represent only a matter of degree in other areas.  Disguising one's gender may present one with opportunities otherwise unavailable. 

Such shifting is common in mythology. For example, Zeus disguised himself as Artemis to get close enough to Callisto to take advantage of her. 

The beautiful Callisto was a companion nymph of Artemis (aka the Roman Diana), all of whose nymphs took a vow of chastity.  Zeus (aka the Roman Jupiter) was determined to have her, and, to evade the scrutiny of his wife Juno and get close enough to Callisto to seduce her, disguised himself as Artemis. He was successful, and of course Callisto got pregnant.  The REAL Artemis, enraged by all of this, expelled Callisto from her group.  Then either Zeus, trying to cover things up, or Juno, out of anger, turned Callisto into a bear, even though it wasn't in any way her fault.  (*sigh... Typical.) 

Callisto was a bear, but her son Arcas was of course human.  He grew up, and became a fine hunter of bears.  This was an obvious recipe for disaster, but tragedy was averted by Zeus, who turned them both into heavenly formations, Callisto into the constellation Arctos (the Great Bear - Ursa Major), and Arcas into the nearby constellation Arctophylax (the Little Bear - Ursa Minor).

In Second Life, so many follow the example of Zeus that it's hardly worth mentioning.  Unfortunately, they don't have his abilities to remedy any unfortunate situations thus created.

Ancient myth shape shifting score: Deity -> Tranny -> Furry -> Human -> Celestial Body   Hmmmmmmm...

LITERATURE

Puck or Robin Goodfellow, being a faerie, is a ubiquitous character in English and Celtic folklore. In Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, Puck is a minion of Oberon, the Fairy King, who sends him to obtain juice from the flower love-in-idleness as part of a plot to punish Titania.    Puck makes mistakes, creates chaos, and his humorous mischief drives the play.

Shape shifting?  Puck transforms Nick Bottom’s head into that of a donkey, so that Titania, the fairy queen, will fall in love with the beast and will forget about her little changeling boy, whom Oberon has other plans for.  As for Puck himself...

  

“Through bog, through bush, through brake, through brier:        

Sometime a horse I’ll be, sometime a hound,
A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire;
And neigh, and bark, and grunt, and roar, and burn
Like horse, hound, hog, bear, fire, at every turn.”

Puck busily uses "love juice" to create chaos, and then restores order among lovers.  The quote “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” describes the exaggerated silliness of their behavior  Well...  It wuz all a dream anyway.

Shakespearian shape shifting score:  Devil -> Horse -> Hound -> Hog -> Bear -> Fire
Man -> Donkey

Changeling Boy (Human taken and raised by faeries)

SUPERHERO AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT-BASED SHIFTING

Insert your favorite superhero here: ________________.  Superman and Hulk stand out, but almost all have transformational powers. I am not going into superhero abilities, simply because they are totally made up for the purpose of producing dramatic storylines, and there are far too many of them.  I'm also not going into non-heroic transformations.  There are literally dozens of tropes common in literature, television and movies.  You know all of them...  Hulking out, biological mashup (for example, The Fly), bitten by a whatever, "I just woke up that way," the 50-foot marshmallow, etc.  So, ignoring the effect of changing clothes in a phone booth, let's examine the most common shift, therianthropy (from human to animal): wolf, dog, cat, etc.

THERIANTHROPY

Lycanthropy, or changing into a werewolf, is the best known form of therianthropy. The werewolf seems rooted in European folklore and myth, and in anthropology. But a human->wolf metamorphosis is common in Turkish and Asian legend, and all over the rest of world as well.

Cynanthropy, sometimes spelled kynanthropy, is chagrining oneself into a dog (weredog).  This is the most common therianthropy after lycanthropy.  Obviously one can't alternate between dog an human form, but the term also applies to ppl suffering from the delusion that they possess both human and dog anatomical features.  Legends relating to dog-men seem to emanate from China and other areas of Asia, and focus on humans turning into dogs, dogs into people, and attendant bestiality. :=P

Ailuranthropes (werecats) are common in European and African folklore.  A werecat may become a super-sized housecat. (I have one of these, inherited from my daughter, though I was told initially that it was merely a Bengal.)  On continents where larger felines exist, legend also has them as lions or leopards, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs or panthers.  (I refuse to digress into the neko experience: do it yourself :=P.)

Native American legend contributes skin-walkers, persons with the ability to transform into any animal they wish.  A requirement of this transformation, however, is that they be wearing the pelt of the chosen animal.  (I have seen some really nice rabbit pelts in SL, but I don't know much about bunneh transformation in legend.  And I further refuse to digress into Furry Fandom :=P.)

LUCID DREAMING

So actual physical shifting is PROBABLY impossible (without drastic surgery or a virtual existence).  But what about spiritual shape shifting?  What about lucid dreaming?

A lucid dream is a dream in which one knows that one is dreaming. Furthermore, it's a dream that the dreamer can actively participate in and manipulate.  Lucidity occurs when, in the midst of the dream, because of some clue or realization, the dreamer realizes that it's a dream.  Though lucidity and dream control are not exactly the same thing, achieving lucidity will lead the dreamer to do things not possible in reality.  The potential for adventure, fantasy, and transcendence is exciting and amazing.

You can even try this at home!!!  (But don't hold me responsible for your health or happiness... :=P)

Good dream recall is the first step toward lucid dreaming.  Without good recall, any lucid dream one has may be forgotten entirely.   Some people keep notes on their dreams, though to me this seems a bit extreme.  I'm not that scientific...  Girls just want to have fun!

Many have noted that lucid dreams are common during morning naps, when you wake after about 1 or 1.5 hours.  This is because we tend to remember dreams when we awake directly from REM sleep.  (LOL, I knew I wasn't just lazy.)

Mnemonically Induced Lucid Dreams (MILD) occur immediately after waking up and before falling back asleep. Induction requires setting your alarm at intervals of 4.5, 6, or 7.5 hours.

Wake Initiation of Lucid Dreams (WILD) uses relaxation and meditation to induce a dream while maintaining consciousness.  This is a great technique if you can master it.  I found that it works especially well while at one's place of employment...  Uh, nm.

Wake Back To Bed (WBTB) is ideal for beginners:  Sleep 5-6 hours, get up for an hour, and then go back to bed.

And what are the benefits of learning lucid-dreaming??

Explore Alternate Realities.

Improve Your Problem Solving Skills - Solve problems on demand unhampered by conscious                 logic (LOL).  Really, lotsa inventions were dreamt up this way.

Face Your Fears - Ask your boss what his problem is.

Create Confidence - Practice and rehearse your actions, and experiment with different outcomes.

Be More Creative - You might be the new Salvador Dali.  Or you might write a werewolf story with a first person point of view.

WHAT I DID THIS SUMMER...

             

I read lots of books!!!!!  The best 17 are here:

America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It - Mark Steyn

Humorous confirmation of what you  already know about the Muslim agenda.  The EU's birth rates are so low that native European populations are halved with each successive generation.  Europe's Muslims are multiplying -- but they are not integrating culturally.  But as Europe slips into a long Eurabian night, America 's population still climbs at a healthy rate, and is still able to politically and culturally integrate immigrants.

The Big Short:  Inside the Doomsday Machine - Michael Lewis

The housing and credit bubble:  In the old days, people put 20% down (of their own money) and the lender financed 80%.  The loan was paid off, in its entirety, over a long haul (30 years), to the original lender, often a Savings & Loan.  In the mortgage crisis days, the loans were "originate and sell," the mortgage makers/lenders getting their fee up-front, and  immediately selling the mortgage to another entity to collect the loan payments.  The mortgages were then bundled into bonds and sold as real estate investments, all of which, using smoke and mirrors were made to look like “good investments,” which the ratings agencies went along with.  And, of course, some found a way to make money on all of this, by betting on default.  (One reason all of this collapsed was the belief that home prices could only go up, and therefore defaults wouldn't matter, and therefore many loans could be to ppl who couldn't really afford them,  ARMs with teaser starting rates but with eventual rates that ppl would find impossible to pay.)
 
In the Garden of the Beasts:  Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin - Erik Larson

The true story of William Dodd, the impecunious and thrifty new American ambassador to Germany, and his family, who witness the rise of Hitler in an atmosphere of mounting oppression and terror.  Though his son and daughter are initially entranced by the New Germany and the infectious enthusiasm  of young Nazis, they watch with alarm as Jews are attacked, the press is censored, and drafts of horrific new laws are circulated.

Faithful Place - Tana French

A Dublin Murder Squad detective must deal with tragedy and investigate his own likeable but horribly dysfunctional family.

Six (6) Jacquelyn "Jack" Daniels thrillers (Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Fuzzy Navel, Cherry Bomb) - J.A. Konrath

Chicago homicide detective Jacquelyn "Jack" Daniels pursues a succession of monstrous killers.  Jack is a mature woman with an estranged ex-husband, an outspoken elderly mom, an annoying private eye ex-partner, and a crazy cat acquired from a serial killer.  She can't sleep and her love life is hopeless, mostly due to the demands of her job.   Despite all this, Jack's attitude is positive and even light-hearted.  Jack balances the horror of her cases with a quietly self-deprecating sense of humor.

Four (4) Harry Hole thrillers (The Redbreast, The Devil's Star, The Snowman, Nemesis) - Jo Nesbo

Harry Hole is a loose cannon on the Oslo Police Force Homicide Squad.  He's a heavy drinker, continuously in trouble because of it, but he's also a brilliant detective.  This, of course, is the only reason he survives.

Three (3) Michael Kelly thrillers (The Fifth Floor, The Chicago Way, We All Fall Down) - Michael Harvey

Cynical, wisecracking Chicago Private Investigator Michael Kelly gets involved in political corruption, bio-terror, murder, etc.


Now, back to my reading...

Standard and Poor's and Moody's Created the Mortgage Mess

The government is still paying, and adding to the deficit, to fix their mess!!! And who gave them a license to rate anyway???

There is no question that the U.S. deficit requires immediate and forceful action. But ask yourself this... How can a ratings agency, staffed by broker wannabes who blissfully ignored the quality of the securities that led to the mortgage disaster a few years ago, be so arrogant as to reduce the credit rating of the world's largest economy, a sovereign nation that historically has always paid its bills?

S&P claims to be the "breakaway leader" in global risk assessment. Well, if its primary mission is to assess credit-worthiness of tradeable securities, its own rating is FAIL.

Thanks to the bean heads (not counters) at S&P and Moody's, the country experienced a financial meltdown, largely resulting from mortgage backed securities rated AAA by S&P, which should have been rated B-, or maybe C, since they were packed with subprime mortgages almost certain to default. They didn't consider the possibility that overblown housing prices might decline. (Of course, a number of smart investors bought insurance on the bonds they KNEW would fail. Hence the bankruptcy of companies like AIG.)

Who's paying for this mess, besides the investors who lost their investments? The U.S. government (aka, US), that's who. in addition to the $700 billion used to prop up banks and car companies, the government has made financial recovery commitments of about $12.2 trillion, and of that has spent $2.5 trillion. On what? On this: $1.6 trillion on purchases of high-grade corporate debt and mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae; $330 billion insurance on debt issued by financial institutions and poorly performing assets owned by banks, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac;and $528 billion in lending to banks. (Source: NY Times)

The S&P decision is really nothing more than an opinion, one based upon an analysis already found to have contained a $2 trillion error. The federal government has a far better debt-to-income ratio than many AAA-rated companies: IBM, Boeing, Chase... Why does S&P think it's more likely to default than they are?? Some of the COUNTRIES that retain Triple-A ratings: Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the U.K., France... LOL.

For conspiracy buffs the answer to this question of "why a downgrade now" is easy... S&P has some agenda of its own that will capitalize on international perceptions of the ability of the U.S. to pay off and control its debt. But WHO ELSE shares the agenda? And WHAT is it? Somebody is gonna make lotsa money.

- Some institutions are required by covenant to hold only AAA-rated debt. They may be forced to dump treasuries. The traders, primarily at hedge funds, will pick them up cheap. When the price of treasuries recovers, these traders will walk away with a nice profit.

- The traders could also take advantage of a spike in interest rates. They will buy the higher-yielding debt and then sell it when rates come back down.

- Currency speculators will profit.

- Precious metals will rise.

- The weakening of the dollar will improve the cost base for transport, lighting, heating, and manufacturing in countries exporting to the U.S.

- If the dollar weakens, U.S. multinationals operating abroad and repatriating euro profits back to the U.S. will show greater gain.

- Interest rates will be higher increasing the borrowing costs of US companies, thus aiding their competitors. Product costs will increase.

- Profitability will decrease and shares will lose value.

- Jobs will be lost.

- Purchasing will decrease, and the economy will stagnate.

- Also, banks want more interest. The debt is a big red herring. Keep your eye on the ball.

So war is expensive. So is fixing the result of S&P's prognostications. And war is waged on many fronts in this "global" economy. Somebody is gonna make lotsa money. For our own safety, the ratings industry must br subjected to scrutiny and oversight! If you only buy AAA-rated assets, you can say you're being responnsible, but you're not... You're only relying upon some supposedly disinterested party's research. Do your own research when you can. Ratings agency judgements should not be part of the rules for how anyone or any institution must act.

This slideshow link says it all: https://docs.google.com/present/view?skipauth=true&pli=1&id=ddp4zq7n_0cdjsr4fn

LOLLAPALOOZA HITS 20!!!!

It's Lollapalooza's 20th annivesary, Grant Park Chicago, Aug 5-7, and here is the line-up:

http://lineup.lollapalooza.com/

Over the years, Lollapalooza has intruced such artists as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, The Cure, Primus, The Killers, Rage Against the Machine, Arcade Fire, Nine Inch Nails, Jane's Addiction, Metallica, X Japan, Soundgarden, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Alice in Chains, Tool, Hole, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Strokes, Lady GaGa, and Green Day.

Unfortunately, it's sold out :=P (But I guess you can get tickets from scalpers, or for the many after-shows.)

Attendees should also plan to see Marilyn's statue, about a mile north on Michigan Ave. Her panties give perving a whole new meaning.

Le Guide Culinaire

Who Said Food?????

In response to widespread popular demand, I have prepared an index of the recipes I have published in this blog thus far. Please feel free to disagree with my own ratings of specific recipes or ideas... But, trust me, it's all good... :=P

Sheila's Irish Soda Bread 3/16/11 ★★★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2011/03/aran-soide.html

Plum Pudding 12/3/10 ★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2010/12/plum-pudding-underrated-treat.html

BBQ Tips 5/22/10 ★★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html

Savory Oatmeals - Golden Oats Medleys 12/25/09 ★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2009/12/goodbye-aughts-hello-oats.html

Date Nut Pinwheels - Russian Tea Cookies 12/18/09 ★★★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2009/12/i-made-you-cookie-but-i-eated-it.html

Beef Bourguignon 9/24/09 ★★★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html

Black Bean and Roast Beef - Steak Salad Nagy 7/31/09 ★★★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html

Shrimp Arnaud 12/18/08 ★★★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2008/12/omg-its-shrimp-arnaud.html

Glazed Red Cabbage - Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts 12/9/08 ★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2008/12/prepare-to-fire-retro-rockets.html

Layered Crab Dip 11/25/08 ★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html

Cannoli 11/8/08 ★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2008/11/holy-cannoli.html

Almost Better than Sex Cake 10/7/08 ★★★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

Fresh Fruit Bottom Crust Pie 8/18/08 ★★★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html

Orange Shrub - Raspberry Shrub - Special Shrub 8/9/08 ★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2008/08/shrub-is-not-bush.html

Rumaki - Traditional and Gudrun's 7/14/08 ★★★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

Salade Nicoise 5/25/08 ★★★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2008/05/yummedy-summer-p.html

Transylvanian Paprikahendl - Mamaliga - Impletata 5/6/08 ★★★
http://livyurdream.blogspot.com/2008/05/vampires-in-sl.html