Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Big Sleep - 1946

I'm going to see a classic old movie from 1946, The Big Sleep, starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, at the DOC movie theater in Chicago, tonight. According to IMBD: "Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a rich family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail, and what might be love." The American  Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema. Bogart and Bacall met in 1944 on the set of "To Have and Have Not" and married the following year. Director Howard Hawks said that it was Bacall's character (Marie) that Bogart had fallen for "so she had to keep playing it the rest of her life."


Wild Coyote at 47th Street

Jane and I saw this wild coyote on our walk at 47th Street yesterday:

Photo by Marge Ishmael
Photo by Jane Masterson

According to this Shamanic website: "Coyote may appear to teach us to laugh at ourselves and life’s ironies. Be prepared for your sense of humor to arise in full force in line with what is happening around you and to you. They also remind us that whatever we do to others will be done to us. You get back what you give out…The Coyote teaches how wisdom and folly go together. In others mistakes we see our own foolishness and can learn from their mistakes. "


Some general animal symbolism of the Coyote:
  • Skill
  • Instinct
  • Ingenuity
  • Enthusiasm
  • Transformation
  • Inventiveness
  • Intelligence
  • Playfulness
  • Resourcefulness

Monday, January 23, 2012

Goat cheese, red and yellow fire-roasted peppers, & caramelized garlic

These crackers make a quick and tasty snack -- with goat cheese, red and yellow fire-roasted peppers, and caramelized garlic:

Photo by Marge Ishmael

Duchess of Cambridge - Mustique Vacation

Photo from justjared.buzznet.com
The Duchess of Cambridge (formerly Kate Middleton) and her family will soon be enjoying a luxurious vacation holed up in a $23,000 per week mansion on the Caribbean island of Mustique. I'm not sure how wise this is given the prevailing westerly winds of anger, unease, and anti-establishment. A little more emphasis on her charities and a little less on exotic vacations and fashion might be advisable.  I fear the honeymoon period for the Duke and Duchess may soon be over...

Photo from Daily Mirror (Kate, her sister and mother)
The Duke and Duchess (and their PR machine) should perhaps note the fact that William's great grandparents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, gained much popularity when they stayed in London during World War II and visited air raid victims after the Blitz. Brits like to think their Royalty "feel and share their pain" in difficult times, as in the photos below:




  

Chinese New Year 2012 - Year of the Dragon

Source: Reuters

Celebration of the Chinese New Year begins today, marking the start of the Year of the Dragon. The holiday is the most important in China... 

Years of the Dragon


1904 * 1916 * 1928 * 1940 * 1952 * 1964 * 1976 * 1988 * 2000




Source: Reuters


The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. A symbol of good fortune and intense power. The Oriental Dragon is regarded as a divine beast - the reverse of the malicious monster that Westerners felt necessary to slay. In Eastern philosophy, the Dragon is said to be a deliverer of good fortune and a master of authority. Therefore, those people born in Dragon years are to be honored and respected.


  

And here is a pink Water Dragon:

Photo: sketchfu.com


Sunday, January 22, 2012

Chicago Snow - January 2012

Three photos taken on my Chicago block this weekend:



All photos by Marge Ishmael

Newt Gingrich

The Washington Post calls Newt Gingrich "the GOP's eccentric big thinker and bomb-thrower."  He did really well in the South Carolina primary yesterday, easily beating Mitt Romney. Gingrich pulled in 40 percent of the vote so far, followed by Romney with 28 percent. Romney seemed like the stronger candidate until he started saying things about his tax rate being "closer to the 15 percent rate than anything" and "For the past 10 years, my income comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past, rather than ordinary income or earned annual income. I got a little bit of income from my book, but I gave that all away. Then, I get speakers fees from time to time, but not very much."  The "not very much" turned out to be $374,327.62 in speaking fees for 2010-2011 !!!

Gingrich with wife and Franciscan monk : http://www.buzzfeed.com/

I think I read somewhere that Gingrich is the "angry candidate of doom and gloom"....but I must say that his bluntness is refreshing. He's pugnacious and not one of those slick candidates who never loses his cool....and I'm wondering if this might be to his advantage in 2012? I'm a registered Democrat and therefore a little surprised that I'm thinking this way...

"Amphibians (toads, frogs, salamanders, and newts) begin their life journey from a lake, pond, or muddy puddle. Anyone with an amphibian as a totem has access to ancient truths. They have the ability to breathe underwater and must be near a water source to survive and procreate. Change or metamorphosis is taking place or soon to take place when an amphibian totem shows up." http://healing.about.com/od/animaltotems/

And 2012 is the Year of the Dragon...in fact the Underwater Dragon...