2 sm cups of water
3 med-lg coffees (light/sweet)
1 mozzarella cheese/pesto/tomato/lettuce on baguette bread sandwich
bag of bbq potato chips (net wt. 1 1/2 oz.)
3-4 pepperoncini peppers
1/2 pickle (sliced lengthwise)
sm plate of assorted raw vegetables/orange slices
4 sm candies (hard/sweet)
2 sm cups of water
1/4-1/2 pack of cigarettes
note: in the past month also consumed 2 sm "marshmallow type" candies that weren't listed
Quickpicks: Great Reads
Fiasco, by Thomas E. Ricks. A Washington Post reporter details the incredible series of missteps that led to the war in Iraq, and then to the mismanagement of the occupation. The theme that emerges is the frustrating and astounding failure to learn from mistakes; the same poor management issues crop up over and over again, angering both the Iraqis and seasoned American military men while the top civilians in Washington (and you know who you are) stay the course. At this point, there isn't much new information revealed, but seeing all the details laid out dovetailed chronologically brings home the scale of the fiasco, and the thin likelihood that anyone presently in charge has the skill to turn things around, if indeed anyone could this far down the road. Penguin Press, 2006. - Walt Maguire
The Poetry Home Repair Manual, by Ted Kooser. Ted Kooser was our first Midwestern US Poet Laureate (2004-2006). Listen to him: the adjective is not enemy to the noun, but its servant. Nouns inspire associations, so that one adjective limits the reader's options. Many American poets write in first person and in present tense but Kooser advises otherwise. Watch the ends of your lines, how you go off into space. Cute won't do - meaning is preferable. Pack a lot into your title and concentrate on the poem. Buy this book and use it with a Poetry Handbook by either Babette Deutsch (1982) or Mary Oliver (1994). You'll then have a complete home poetry workshop. Bison Books, 2007. -Jay C. Rochelle
The Species Crown, by Curtis Smith. Smith's novella and collection of short stories has an intimate feel, often as if the narrator is whispering his tale directly into your ear. This effect derives in part from Smith's penchant for using the second person; the direct "you" technique has a way of getting close to the skin and making one squirm, both in pleasure and discomfort, as the stories unfold. At the same time, each piece resonates with dark humor, keen intelligence and startling imagery that will keep you moving from story to story without pause. Press 53, 2007. - Aimee LaBrie
Possible Side Effects, by Augusten Burroughs. Possible Side Effects of reading Augusten Burroughs new paperback with the same title will include uncontrollable laughter and some very embarrassing snorts. Burroughs has once again allowed the general masses into his life and we are thankful. In this montage book, he recalls visiting his grandmothers in the South. His one grandmother teaches him the ways of the tooth fairy, fashionable clothing, and manners while the other teaches him the gentle art of revenge. St. Martin's Press, 2006.- Michelle Whittle
recommendations via Philadelphia Stories
unrelated: No Child Left Behind
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