The Flowers of Mendocino

Nobody 851

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Nobody # 851

Nobody Asked Me But:

When to forgive – LAUSD police officer Jeff Stenroos screwed up royally last week when he made his false report that he had been shot by an assailant outside El Camino High School, putting nine schools on lock-down and causing over 300 police officers to waste their time hunting for the gunman who never was. If he were an all-around bad guy, I would support throwing the book at him. But reports thus far seem to show a nice guy who, for whatever reason, badly messed up . Should he be punished? Yes. Should his punishment be so severe that his life is ruined? I say no.

As for the students who are now outraged about the inconveniences they suffered while in lockdown, I say poor babies. If they can’t handle a few hard hours now, then I think they are in for unpleasant surprise about what their future life has to offer.<<<

The current call is to try to act more positive. But I am already positive that:

Michele Bachman is a nut case – and an even greater gift to the Democrats than Sarah.

Jared

Lee Loughner, who smiled during his not guilty plea hearing, should be tried, convicted and sentenced to be imprisoned for life in an impregnable plastic bubble forever to be on public display as an object of scorn.

Almost all congressional Republicans spell cooperation doitmyway.

Newspapers should put retractions and corrections on the front page.

Frequent trips, long and short are food for the soul.

REVIEWS

The Grill on the Alley - Unlike the Beverley Hills version, this one, where we went for Barbara’s birthday dinner last week, is not on an alley but in a piazza like shopping area in Westlake. Our dinners were excellent. We started by sharing a Caesar Salad with Thousand Island dressing. Barb had the pork chop with mashed potatoes along with zucchini and onions. The accompanying blackberry sauce was the only negative – too sweet. But since she had it on the side, she could enjoy her pork without it. I had the short ribs, very dark and rich and so delicious that I am ready to go back for more next week. They were accompanied by carrots and parsnips along with excellent Yukon gold mashed potatoes.

After dinner Barbara applied for a bartender’s job at the restaurant. Her gimlets are so much better than theirs that any comparison looks foolish. But the Grill’s were large and strong, so all was not lost – at least on me.<<<

“Fall Of Giants” - Ken Follett has written some excellent historical novels – “Lie Down With Lions,” “World Without End” and “The Pillars of the Earth.” He has also written some current clunkers such as “Night Over Water” and “Whiteout.” In “Fall of Giants,” Follett returns to history and to excellence. This massive novel, 900+ pages (and 24 CDs for those of us who listened to the audio) is only the first in Follett’s “The Century Trilogy.”

“Giants” takes place in early 20^th Century England, Russia, the Continent and the United States. It follows the lives of six major characters from the time immediately preceding the outbreak of WW I to the early 1920s. Some struggle with the changes that happened during those momentous years. Others prosper. Some earned my cheers, others my Bronx cheers. All grabbed and held my interest, as did the real historical figures that appear on Follett’s stage.

A note on audios: The quality of the reader is very important, and most are very good. A bad reader, and there are a few, can ruin a good book. And while an excellent reader can’t save a bad book, he or she can make it bearable. And such a reader can make a good book soar. John Lee, the reader of “Fall Of Giants,” is one of those.

MORNING CANNED COFFEE DRINKS

PART 1 – Alas, those that are here no more

1. Starbucks Iced Coffee – tall, thin can, slightly milked and sugared, my co-favorite.

1. Caribou – tall, fat can – barely behind Starbucks but in much larger can, which made it the co-favorite.

3. Cinnabun – tall and thin, mocha’s and latte’s with slight cinnamon flavor. Light and very good.

Part II - Currently in my frig.

1. Illy Iced caffe - short and thin, but excellent. This is not only the best of the straight coffees; it is the best of all the current iced coffee drinks. It is my Friday drink. Too bad it is so small.

2. Seattle’s Best – tall, thin mochas and lattes. Much like the old Cinnabuns, but without the cinnamon. Mild flavor, but good; my Sunday morning drink.

3. Starbuck’s DoubleShot – My Saturday drink, short but potent. Coffee and heavy cream flavor.

4. Illy Cappuccino – Tall and thin, slightly creamy; this one could move up in my ranking.

Gone from my refrigerator and good riddance – Starbuck’s frappuccino (too watery), Wolfgang Puck (also too watery).<<<

“Absent Friends” - Does the goal of truth always justify the search, or is it sometimes better to let heroes stay on their pedestals while lovers and friends remain at peace in their innocence? This is the theme of S. J. Rozan’s novel about 9/11. Rozan, who normally writes crime fiction staring a Chinese female/Anglo male detective partnership, wrote this stand-alone in 2004, as she was working through her reactions to the terrorist attack, which marks the before/after event in her story.

A journalist has killed himself. Or was he murdered? Laura, a fellow reporter and his lover, is determined to discover the truth about the story on which he was working. It concerned an event that happened many years ago, which profoundly changed the lives of six childhood friends on Staten Island. Before her search has ended, the damaged will be hurt again and Laura will be faced with the author’s question – was her search worth it?

Is the book worth your time? Absolutely.<<<

This UCLA basketball team has the unique ability to cause me to feel lousy even when they win, as they did yesterday by a point. What is the word to describe them? Careless? Unfocused? Actually nonchalant is the best word, but I can’t spell it.

Actually, the Bruins must have the best talent in the PAC. How else to explain a 6-3 record for a team that plays without passion or purpose?<<<

If Wyatt Earp were alive and sheriff of Tucson, anybody who “carried” would end up being carried - to the cemetery.<<<

Tea Party activists urge Richard Lugar to retire, saying, “A good Senator, like Lugar threatens everything we believe in.”

Former Virginia Senator George Allen (R) has announced that in 2012 he will try to recapture his old seat. He says it was a mistake to openly announce his hatred for immigrants. “Some things,” he said, “are better kept secret.”

Nobody 850

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Nobody # 850

Nobody Asked Me But:

Sarah on the defensive – “All media except for Fox and The Wall Street Journal are just mummies trying to suck my blood. But they cannot Jew me down. I will continue to urge my followers to reload those surveyor’s scopes.”

President Hu Jintao to President Obama – “How dare you lecture us on human rights when people in your country are continually exposed to movies starring Adam Sandler.”<<<

I assume that you read that Keith Olbermann was fired by MSNBSEE-how gutless we can be?

This past week was “take a gun to school week” in Los Angeles, sadly evident at Gardena High where two students were wounded when a gun discharged in a third student’s backpack. If this had taken place in Arizona, with their “anyone can carry anywhere” law, the teacher and three students would have pulled their weapons and shot that damn backpack to pieces.<<<

One of the great myths of the past 100 years is that the NRA’s absolutist position on the right to own guns is based on the Second Amendment, when, in fact, it is based on the Twenty-eighth – the right of gun manufacturers and dealers to make obscene profits.

Did you know that on average in the U.S. there are 82 gunshot deaths a day?<<<

And while on the subject of amendments, here are the first 2 as written for the conservative constitution.

1. Congress shall make no law abridging the Freedom of Speech, except where citizens desecrate the Flag of the United States; respecting an establishment of Religion, except to support Christian schools, religious apparitions in food products and the display of crosses and creches in public places; or abridging the free exercise of Religion, except to block the construction of mosques in sensitive areas as determined by Florida Pastors or the Fox News Channel.

2. The right to bear Semi-Automatic Weapons, AK-47s or Bazookas shall not be infringed by background checks, safety locks, age limits or common sense. - David Cole, Georgetown University<<<

I am very worried about the sanity level of my fellow Americans. (People over 50.) It’s not because the majority sees Obama as a failed president, although I think that’s pretty crazy. It’s because in a recent presidential preference poll for 2012, their choice is Betty White.<<<

Is the best team the one that was the most consistent winner over the long season or the short play-offs? Call me a traditionalist. Call me old fashion. Heck, just call me bitter after the Patriots loss last Sunday. Single elimination tournaments and the inclusion of wild card teams strongly decrease the chance of the sport’s best team being crowned national champion.<<<

Did you hear that because Amy Chau made her daughter stand outside in the frigid winter weather for failing to practice the piano as instructed, the girl froze up during her recital?<<<

If you can name an offensive player who is more valuable to his team than Derrick Williams is to Arizona I probably won’t agree.<<<

Clarence Thomas to Antonin Scalia – “Are you going to skip the Tea Party Convention this year Antonin?”

Scalia – “No! If I did it would be a conflict of interest.”

If you were paying attention, you will remember that three weeks ago, I named T. Jefferson Parker’s “Iron River” as my favorite book of 2010. I am happy to report that I finished Parker’s new novel, “The Border Lords,” and thought it to be a close second among equals. “Border Lords” is the fourth of six Parker novels about the free flow of drugs north from Mexico and guns south into the hands of drug cartels. So far each side has its wins and losses as right and wrong battle it out. Hopefully, by the end of six, the wrong shall totally fail and the right, prevail.<<<

Here’s The Roving Reporter reporting from Arizona. “Excuse me sir,” (to man with Hands Off Our Kids sign) “why do you object so much to Michelle Obama’s open letter to parents?”

A: “Because she is too blaa-aa, she’s too blaa-aa, too blaa-aa, she’s too tall.”<<<

Did you read that in their book “Academically Adrift,” the authors, Arum and Roksa, claim that nearly 50% of college students learn little in their first two years? I am a living contradiction to their study. By the middle of my sophomore year at the University of Arizona I had aced the PPSE exam – that’s Ping Pong Stroke Efficiency to those unaware of the challenges of the Wildcat curriculum.<<<

How can I be excited about the mob roundup in New York and New Jersey last week when they left the Corleones and the Sopranos untouched?<<<

“They call me a dreamer/Well maybe I am/But I know that I’m burning to see,” which leads me to:

Wouldn’t it be nice if on at least some of the most contentious issues separating us, people started listening with an open mind and a willingness to compromise? For instance, gun control. There are a few advocates for both sides that will never budge, but perhaps the others could have a conversation something like this:

Spokesperson for pro-gun group – If we believed that you were not planning to ban gun ownership completely, we can agree to some restrictions.

Spokesperson for anti-gun group – If we can agree on reasonable restrictions, your basic right of gun ownership is safe with us.

And then go from this starting point to a few reasonable compromises such as banning private ownership of assault weapons or toughening pre-purchase check-ups.

And for abortion, the same thing - Isolate the on demand people and the never-never people and have the rest dialogue to compromise.

However, there are certain issues for which there is no middle ground. One such is gay rights. Basic human rights are a constitutional guarantee and should not be subject to compromise.<<<

THE HIDDEN MIKE – this is a new feature where a Nobody microphone listens in on the real stories of history. It is January 1919, Woodrow Wilson and French Minister Georges Clemenceau are discussing treaty terms for the surrender of Germany.

Wilson – “But Minister Clemenceau, your terms are too harsh. They would totally ruin the German economy and condemn their people to second-class status.”

Clemenceau - “You do not understand Mr. President. The French are no good at fighting or winning wars. So we must get our victories, make our gains at the conference table. We must win the peace!”<<<

I started this Nobody by putting words in Sarah’s mouth that I think are consistent with her regular rants. So, I will close the same way.

Sarah: “It is wrong to politicize the Arizona massacre, which was just a random act by a lift-wing nut.”

Despite politics, life is good!

Nobody 849

Sunday, January 16, 2011
Nobody # 849

Nobody Asked Me But:

(It has been said that this picture of Emily, taken about 11 years ago was the inspiration for Paris Hilton's use of sun glasses. It is too bad that Hilton could not have also emulated Emily's angelic behavior.)<<<

When I saw “True Grit” so many years ago, I thought it was a good movie – no better – a vehicle for John Wayne to again be larger than life. So when I checked out the new Coen version Friday I expected it to be better. It was. I expected Jeff Bridges to be better than Wayne. He probably was. But when Bridges yells, “Fill your hands, you sons of bitches,” he was an imposter. Honest to goodness, I heard Wayne’s voice.

Over all, I think “True Grit” is AA nomination level but not the winner level. Hailee Steinfield, on the other hand is “winner worth,” with Bridges and a terrific Matt Damon not far behind. And the voice-over-credits of Iris DeMent singing of “Leaning On The Everlasting Arms” was the most haunting since Lillian Gish sang it in “The Night of the Hunter.”<<<

I thought that President Obama gave a great and beautiful speech in Tucson last Wednesday. But I disagreed with him on one point. He recommended forgive and forget. I am more of an Old Testament guy, in particular the 11th Commandment, which as I recall, goes something like this:

Those who spread hate, they shall be blamed, for without blame there is no responsibility.

I don’t know whom I feel the most scorn for, the attack dogs of the Right who cry foul when they are held partially responsible for hate crimes against their targets or the soft-soft Left who quickly back off in the name of being reasonable and let them off the hook.

Actually I do know – the Right – but the soft-Left is pretty pitiful too.

The great hypocrisy is this: The Right wants to light a hundred thousand fuses and then deny any connection or responsibility when a bomb goes off. They remind me of the chorus in a strange but popular song from long ago:

I didn’t know the gun was loaded
I’m so sorry my friend
I didn’t know the gun was loaded

But then they stop short before they get to the last line

And I’ll never, never do it again.<<<

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

This week’s winner comes from David Frum, former speechwriter for President Bush II - “Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us and now we’re discovering we work for Fox.”<<<

WISHES FOR 11

That people ahead of me in lines will be ready when their turn comes.

That, in the name of truth and to provide a more accurate description, the BCS finally agrees to drop the C.<<<

Here, from the LA Times is this week’s addition to classic movie review lines - "The Green Hornet" may not be the most tedious superhero movie ever — the competition is admittedly tough — but it is certainly in the running.<<<

JIMMYLEAKS

Continuing with my exclusive on the Conservative Constitution

Article I. Congress shall have only the powers literally, specifically and expressly granted herein, and no others. That means definitely, without question, absolutely, no regulation of the Health Insurance or Financial Services industries.

Any law enacted by Congress and signed by the President may be overturned by the vote of three or more States if they find it burdensome, offensive, annoying or in any way touching on Health Insurance, Property Rights or Guns.<<<

It’s tough being a Bruin fan when even a win leaves me with a bad taste. But in Thursday’s win over Oregon State, in which the Bruins blew a 17-point second half lead, UCLA once again looked like a team with neither a brain nor a soul. If this team were a game of draw poker, I would keep Smith and Lamb and discard the rest.

After the game, I checked the NBA boxes and saw that Russell (Westbrook) had 32 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds and ONE turnover and Kevin (Love) had 35 points and 11 rebounds and remember that, “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, what might have been.” (JG Whittier)<<<

Q: Did the Bruin win Saturday giving them an Oregon sweep change my mind or soften my view?
A: No. They still played half of the game as if they were the PAC-10’s worst.<<<

Speaking of PAC-10’s worst, what a great feeling it was to see USC go O for Oregon.<<<

Shooting from the lip (Things about which I have an opinion without knowing anything) Is organic food worth the cost? A: No.<<<

A word a day to brush the cobwebs away: Plushophilia - people who are sexually attracted to stuffed animals.<<<

I am sure you have read about the Southern publisher who wants to “clean up” Huckleberry Finn by taking our every instance of the use of nigger (a most vile word but integral to Twain’s classic) and replacing it with slave. But did you know that in 1905 the Brooklyn Public Library objected to it for a very different reason - "Huck not only itched but scratched, and that he said sweat when he should have said perspiration."<<<

Good-bye Sophocles, hello PC - In deciding to cancel the much honored Monrovia High School drama Department’s production of “Rent,” the district superintendant, Linda Wagner, said: “We need to consider all our constituents, and from now on the school will only be allowed to put on plays that every child and every parent find to be acceptable.”<<<

Second string – if you are a sports fan of a certain age, you remember Bob Waterfield. Waterfield was the quarterback and kicker of the Los Angeles Rams during their early glory days. He was also the husband of actress Jane Russell. What perhaps you don’t know is that during Waterfield’s first year at UCLA he was second-string tailback behind another fairly famous athlete – Jackie Robinson.

Rudyard Kipling, meet John Wooden. In many ways, you two think alike. If “IF,” Kipling’s great poem had waited a century to be born, Coach could easily have been the one to give it life. Just read these three stanzas from the poem, and I think you will see what I mean.

If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,

If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster 

And treat those two impostors just the same;



If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, 

Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much,

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, 

And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!





Nobody 848

(Portrait of the author as a young man)

Sunday, January 11, 2011

Nobody # 848

Nobody Asked Me But:

Pima County Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik lashed out at what he called a “climate of "vitriol that has permeated the political scene and left elected officials facing constant threats. And unfortunately Arizona, I think, has become sort of the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry."

“The tyranny of the perpetually open mind” – I read this phrase last week and was moved by the truth and lie within it. I believe that a mind too open leads to a person without a center. I was for my lifetime touched by a line from an Ingmar Bergman film I saw very many years ago, when a character explained another’s mental illness with these words: “She thinks too much and feels too much.” To live in a world of gray, a world without convictions, is to be cursed with confusion.

However, the other side of the story, the closed mind, is, if anything, worse. Much of the evil that plagues humankind comes from a commitment to absolutes.

As for me, I'll take the middle lane. I will close around a few certainties, very few - love is good, cruelty is bad or evil, depending on the degree or circumstance, justice is good, God is a human invention, good tacos are a holy experience. For most everything else I will, at the very least, consider the possibilities.<<<

I wrote the above last Wednesday, and then yesterday it, once again, proved all too true. The cult of “I’m right” struck again, and Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is in critical condition. Oh, and thanks, Sarah P. for taking down your website that showed Rep. Giffords in the crosshairs of your rifle scope – AFTER SHE HAD BEEN SHOT!

So am I joining the collective blame group on this tragedy? You’re damn right, I am! The true believers of the Far Right have won elections and rating points by stirring up the mobs with their feebly disguised hate rhetoric and then trying to buy themselves absolution with “We didn’t mean for them to take us literally or go that far.”

(with apologies to William Cosmo)

So many Repubs, they did dare

To grin as they rode Tea-Pot bear

But when they got to D.C.

They were finished, you see

And licking her chops was the bear

or

Republicans grinned when they won

As they rode to success on the gun

But when they got to D.C.

They were finished you see

The one that really won was the gun.<<<

In a letter to the Times commenting on a recent piece about Otto Penzler in which he mentions his atheism, a reader asks how the mystery book icon can look at the wonders of nature and not see God? I guess my response would be that how can we see God in wonders without also seeing him in natural disasters and human evil? A God that would permits these hideous happenings is no God at all, but merely chance, nature and human perfidy.<<<

Vital question of the week – will LA temperatures ever reach as high as 70 again?<<<

JIMMYLEAKS

David Cole, who teaches constitutional law at Georgetown has discovered the top-secret Conservative Constitution and has generously given me permission to reprint it here in small doses. Here then is the Preamble to the Conservative Constitution:

We, the Real Americans, in order to form a more God-Fearing Union, establish Justice as we see it, Defeat Health-Care Reform, and Preserve and Protect our Property, our Guns and our Right Not to Pay Taxes, do ordain and establish this Conservative Constitution for the United States of Real America.<<<

News Item – Witchcraft now legally a profession in Romania.

Reaction - Christine O'Donnell just announced that she is moving to Bucharest for a spell.<<<

Speaking of language – is a “real” good position the opposite of a phony good position?

WISHES FOR 11

I wish the heck I could make up my mind between Hawaii and NYC for my vacation choice this year – or do I want a European tour? Or the southeast?

If the world is really going to end on May 21, I wish Barbara would make tacos twice a week and Lake Champlain Chocolates would open an ice cream store on our block of Minnehaha.<<<

Hello, my name is Jim Turner and I am fast becoming an addict – A Kindle addict that is. What’s not cool about downloading “Dead Zero” in about 30 seconds while at Pauley waiting for tip-off?<<<

Are there any more consistent film makers working today than the Coen Brothers?<<<

Here is a huge Nobody salute to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gilland for her non-politically correct stance on immigration. Here are two quotes to give you a sample of her thinking:

“Immigrants, not Australians, must adapt. Take it or leave it."

“We speak mainly English, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the language!”

As Herod so aptly sung in Jesus Christ, Superstar, “Don’t ya’ get me wrong.” I am pro-immigrant. But I am also pro-assimilation.<<<

Those (Republicans) who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. President Obama and his party lost favor with the voters when they spent their 2008 capital on programs, not jobs. Now it seems that the Republicans are about to spend their 2010 capital on repealing programs, not expanding job opportunities.<<<

Did you know that in Cleopatra’s Egypt a remedy for painful teething was to feed the babies fried mouse?<<<

I still want the Lakers, who are playing more like chumps than champs, to win, but if they don’t here are my hopes and nightmares:

Hopes, in order – Oklahoma City, Dallas, Orlando.

Nightmares, in order – Miami, Boston, San Antonio.<<<

The Star lead line read – “Point guard critical in PAC-10.” I think the truth/fiction here depends on whether you mean within the PAC or for a PAC team to be successful in the post season. If the writer means within the PAC, he or she is wrong for the simple reason that there is no excellent point in the PAC this year. Therefore the teams that are successful will do it without a top pg.<<<

Action: Bachmann considering White House bid.

Reaction: What, she wants to buy the place?

Reaction # 2: Michelle is a legion in her own mind.<<<

The Republican-controlled Arizona State Legislature passed a bill denying transplant coverage to about 100 patients who had already been approved on the grounds that they had a lower possible success rate than others. And I thought Republicans were against death panels.

Will I ever get it through my thick skull that hypocrisy has no conscience?<<<

DAVID CARR - YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THE WOODMAN

In his review in today’s NY Times of a new short biography of Marshall McLuhan, David Carr comments on the book’s subtitle, “You Know Nothing of My Work,” calling it strange. Not strange at all if you are a Woody Allen fan. In his AA winning “Anne Hall,” Allen has a scene where he and Diane Keaton are standing in a movie line where an obnoxious man is (wrongly) pontificating on the meaning of McLuhan’s commentaries on the media. At that point, the Woodman has the real McLuhan step forward, introduce himself and tell the know-it-all, “You know nothing of my work.”

Nobody 847

Sunday, January 2, 2011
Nobody # 847

Nobody Asked Me But:

“The world is so full of a number of things
That I think we all should be happy as kings.”
Robert Louis Stevenson, from “A Child’s Garden of Verses.”


I thought it would end when I retired. After all, free time is, if not my middle name, at least my nickname. But it didn’t. A journey home, after the freedom of a trip, although always delightful, is still a plunge into busy. I can still feel the air thicken as home draws near. Perhaps I continue to have too many deeds I want to get done, too many books I want read, too many computer minutes “demanding” my time. “Don’t you get me wrong,” as the song goes (from Guys And Dolls, I think) I love my life at home. Wouldn’t trade it for anything except - let’s see. When is our next trip?

Our Christmas trip to Arizona was, as always, a delight. This time we stayed in Scottsdale where Elizabeth and family met us. (Greg, Benjamin and Marie spent this Christmas with their family in Reno.) We opened gifts, ate pizza, sat by the pool while the little ones swam, did some shopping so that Ryan and Emily’s gift cards didn’t burn holes in their pockets. Elizabeth and I, early risers, had coffee and conversation over the hot breakfasts that were an Embassy suite bonus, and we all enjoyed the wine and finger food at the hotel’s complementary afternoon gathering. Actually only Elizabeth and I had the cab, Barbara abstained and the children, for some reason, drank cokes or lemonade.

GOODBYE OLD YEAR. HERE ARE A FEW OF MY BESTS AND MY FAVORITES FOR 2010

BOOKS

Seeing as how I read several books that made top 5 or 10 lists, my choice for best book may seem a little surprising, because it was written by a crime fiction novelist. But T. Jefferson Parker’s “Iron River” leads my list. Yes, it is a story about cops and murder but it is much more. It is a morality tale about free enterprise. The iron river flows with guns made in America and shipped south to Mexico where they deliver drug traffic death, to competitors, which is not that bad, to those who oppose their evil business, which is and to innocents, which is the worst of all. This book should be out in paperback early next month. I highly recommend that you read it.

Incidentally, Jeff Parker is one of the best writers around regardless of genre. Two of his other books, “Silent Joe,” and California Girl” are among my best of the decade.

Here in order, are the others in my top 5:

“Freedom” – Jonathon Franzen
“The Passage” – Justin Cronin
“The Information Officer” – Mark Mills
“Painted ladies” – Robert B Parker (Because it my last adventure with Spenser)

The book I took the most joy from this year was “Carney,” because it is well written, entertaining and, mostly, because it’s publication fulfills a dream for my life-long friend, Jim Hitt.

Note # 2 - To make it easier for myself to settle for 5 books, I did not include audios. I listened to the second and third books in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy and loved them both. Also excellent and entertaining was “City of Thieves” by David Benioff.

Note # 3 – Best first novel – tie between James Hayman’s “The Cutting” and Paul Grossman’s “The Sleepwalkers.”

Worst book (in a year where there were not many) – “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter” by Seth Grahame-Smith.

Most disappointing – “Moonlight Mile” by one of my favorite writers, Dennis Lahane. I felt like he gave Patrick and Angie short-shift as if he were glad to get rid of them. And his Russian mobsters bordered on being cartoon characters. I did like Patrick’s decision to become a history teacher.<<<

FOOD

Best meal – Again this year it was the macaroni and cheese that Barbara fixed for Valentine’s Day. Very sharp cheddar, excellent salad and dessert and a fine bottle of Cab. As Anne sang while getting her gun – “Who could ask for anything more?”

Best restaurant meal – The Hamlet at Moonstone Gardens, the happy surprise I wrote about after returning from Cambria. My scampi, which followed a Caesar Salad with Thousand Island dressing and small shrimp was the best. And it didn’t hurt that Barbara shared her delicious fried shrimp with me. My small shrimp and Barbara’s large ones – just call this our redundant/oxymoron dinner.

Runner-up – An interesting tie in that both restaurants were in Portland. The halibut, shrimp and chips at Halibut’s, a bar-restaurant in northeast Portland, Oregon was excellent, as was the pizza at Flatbread Restaurant, on the water in Portland, Maine. Add on – Barbara reminded me to mention the best bread – the English muffin bread from standard baking Company, also in Portland (Maine).

This one gives me great pleasure:

Best new local ice cream - The easy winner is LA Creamery in Topanga Plaza. Made from Straus Dairy cream, every flavor I tested (5) was delicious, and my double scoop – brown butter pecan/salted caramel left me eagerly planning a return visit.

LODGING

Best vacation lodging – We had so many on our two big trips in 2010, but the best was our cottage at Hidden Pond in Kennebunkport, Maine. The two bedrooms and two baths, the huge great room, (is that redundant?) the screened porch, the breakfast basket delivery (with the NY Times riding sidecar), the setting – made it one of our all-time favorite places to stay.

Runner-up – We stayed in some great rooms and excellent hotels this year. Two in Oregon come to mind - the mini-garden suite at the Ashland Creek Inn and our room at the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria, which was special for being at the meeting point of the Pacific and the Columbia River. The Shangri La in Vancouver was cool, tech and looked out over Vancouver. But the Hyatt in Seattle takes my runner-up spot. The room, the view from the 40th floor, the Starbuck’s in the building and the included breakfasts at Ruth’s Chris off the lobby win it this spot.

SPECIAL BEST LITERARY BATHROOM AWARD

This one in the great Poison Pen mystery bookstore in Scottsdale.

WARM FUZZIES

Warmest family fuzzy – attending Emily’s Transition (graduation) from the 8th grade. Just in time too, as my WFF from Ryan’s transition two years ago was wearing off.

Warmest newspaper fuzzy - http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke-20101224,0,4306937,full.column

TELEVISION

Best television – “Mad Men,” “Justified” and “Rubicon.” However, the latter illustrates the problem of carrying over stories until next season. The show was canceled leaving those of us who liked it feeling unfinished. No, I didn’t watch “Boardwalk Empire,” which was, from what I read and hear, my mistake. But one I can rectify when it is released on DVD.

Worst TV move of the year – KCET dropping its affiliation with PBS. Who was at fault? KCET says PBS National. PBS National says KCET. Unbiased third parties say KCET. I’m convinced.

Worst television event – LaBron’s fiasco.

POLITICS, AKA STRANGE HAPPENINGS

Rumor of the year – After seeing a picture of the president on vacation, Barbara commented about how white Obama’s legs are, which makes me think that he was born white but dyed brown by conspirators plotting the take-over of our government 40 or so years later. (Or is this really truth disguised as rumor?)

Best proof that there is still hope for justice – Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor: Justice Sotomayor has given hope and a voice to those of us who still believe that justice is not just a utopian pipe dream. She has been more than expected and, as a bonus, has been the verbal match for the loquacious Justice Scalia.

DUMB DUMBS – The military may have separate bathrooms for gays. I guess that is because they fear that homosexuality may be contagious and that you might catch it from a toilet seat.

My favorite quote: “This is a big fucking deal.” – Joe Biden on the health care bill.

Lie of the Year – (actually, make that lies) the Republican campaign against “Obamacare.” There are no death panels and it is not a government take-over. (How I wish that it were.)

MOVIES

I have made no secret as to my favorite movie of the year. “The Social Network” is also the best out of the few I’ve seen. The second best is Polanski’s “The Ghost Writer.” I also saw and enjoyed the Swedish versions of “The Girl Who Played With Fire” and “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest.” I will be interested to see how the American versions turn out, starting this year with “The Girl With The Dragon tattoo.”

Movies that I didn’t see but want to are - “The Kids Are All Right,” “True Grit,” “Winter Bone,” “Another Year” and the French film, “Carlos” - all 5 ½ hours of it.

SPORTS

Most satisfying fall from grace – Mike Garrett’s forced resignation as USC Athletic Director.

Most unpleasant fall from grace – Tiger – I know, it started in 2009, but it continued to make headlines in 2010.

Thugs of the year:

Professional – Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger – has never seen a young woman that he didn’t want to accost.

College – Mississippi State power forward Reynaldo Sydney after a year on the bench, recently became eligible to fight his teammate while on the bench.

Whitewash of the year- NFL lets Farve off with a fine.

Gentleman of the Year - Armando Galarraga, who, I am sure you remember, turned out to be a perfect gentleman after umpire Jim Joyce’s admittedly terrible call at first base robbed the Tiger pitcher of a perfect game.

Asinine comment of the year - “If you eat pork, don’t complain about Michael Vick.” Max Kellerman CNN – as if killing animals for food equates with killing dogs for fun.

PAC-10 PREVIEW

Here is my brief PAC-10 preview. Note: I wrote this before the first game on December 29. The league seems very jumbled this year and, therefore, I will pick clusters rather than the specific order of finish. Call me a coward if you like, but call me.

First Tier – Washington, Washington State, USC (UGH): these three have played the best in the pre-season, especially, and most unexpectedly, the Cougars.

Second Tier – Arizona and UCLA: Despite their 11-2 record, the Cats have been inconsistent. So, too, have been the Bruins.

Third Tier – every body else in a jumble of the lesser talented: there should be a prize named after these boobies.

POY candidates – Derrick Williams/AZ, Isaiah Thomas/Washington, Klay Thompson/Washington State, Reeves Nelson/UCLA.

FOY – Joshua Smith – if he can cut down on his fouls and get more minutes.<<<

And finally, as I start this new year, I am thankful for life, for family and friends and, in a world where courtesy is no longer the coin of the realm, for a mother that made me an exception to this new rule.