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.”