The Book of Revelations
This is pretty spooky…National Guard in a New Orleans school are starting to see ghosts.
The Day After Tomorrow
Has anyone gotten the feeling lately that the world is ending? That the abuse that we’ve done to our planet and atmosphere is coming back to bite us in the ass?
Hurricane Rita is now a Category 4 hurricane, and will hit the coast of Louisiana and Texas by the end of the week, causing more destruction in an area that is still reeling from the last hurricane. Luckily, people are willingly evacuating, and FEMA trucks are ready with water, food and supplies in case of emergency. Politicians are bragging about how ready they are and how cooperative people are being. Well, duh, I’d hope so, since it was less than a month ago that a million people were displaced from their homes. Let’s not get too cocky now and just get these people to safety.
Can’t wait to see what Mother Nature has coming up next.
I think I’m going to get my comics into some waterproof/fireproof boxes.
Oh, and my wedding pictures, too. 
Memoirs of a Geisha Trailer!
Yay!!!
New Memoirs of a Geisha Trailer
I’m so excited for this!
(sorry, the trailer loads a little slowly - I suggest letting it load, then playing it.)
Damn You, Federated Department Stores, Inc.!
Looks like Federated Department Stores, Inc. is planning on changing the name of the beloved Chicago department store Marshall Fields…..to MACY’S. Ugh.
“To better serve our customers in this highly competitive retailing environment, we must concentrate on our best national brands and reduce costs so we can deliver outstanding value to shoppers,” said Terry J. Lundgren, Federated’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “We believe that continuing to build Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s aggressively across America will accelerate our comp store sales performance and increase profitability, thereby driving shareholder value.
The place just won’t be the same.
It’s hard to comprehend how much this saddens me. I mean, it’s going to sell the same things, look more or less the same, but there’s so much to a name. Marshall Fields. The name conjures up so many memories - eating in the swanky Walnut Room and seeing Billy Corgan and Courtney Love, taking the train with my mom and dad as a kid to see the window decorations during Christmas, Frango mints, etc. Marshall Fields *IS* Chicago.
Marshall Fields during the holidays
“We have great respect for the legacy and traditions of Marshall Field’s, and we carefully researched customer preferences and studied alternatives before making this decision to incorporate Marshall Field’s into the nationwide Macy’s brand,” Lundgren said. “While the store’s name will change, much of what customers love will stay the same, including Marshall Field’s traditions and its outstanding record of community and charitable giving. As part of this name change process, we will do everything we can to honor the Marshall Field’s heritage, particularly in its Chicago birthplace.”
WHATEVER! LIARS!
There’s a poll in the Chicago Tribune article (which is linked in the first paragraph of this post). Out of 3000 responses, 90.2% of those polled said that the name change will make a difference to them. 96.2% said that they will be less likely to shop there. Does that help the shareholder value? I don’t think so.
Here’s the comments of some readers:
- Why not change Wrigley Field to Tribune Park? People outside of Chicago just don’t get it. Macy’s will never be successful here. ( Submitted by: DK)
- This in an outrage. Changing the Marshall Field legacy to Macy’s is like renaming McDonald’s the Burger Barn. Field’s is a class act and its long-standing tradition in Chicago means so much to so many. Why not just keep it the Marshall Field’s Division like it was with May Co.? (Submitted by: Karen)
- I couldn’t afford to shop Field’s often, but I always appreciated the fact that they were there, and had the best service of any department store in town. As I have family on the East Coast, I’ve seen and shopped Macy’s—and have consistently found them to be promotional to the point of schlockiness. (Submitted by: N. Charles Henss, Jr.)
- I’m not a native Chicagoan; I moved to the area recently but have family in Chicago. It was always a treat to visit Marshall Field’s when I visited Chicago; like visiting a landmark. Sorry to lose a tradition. Macy’s will not have the same appeal and most likely I will not go there any more. (Submitted by: Tony Carbajal)
- Every Christmas for the past 10 years my Mom and I have lunch at the Walnut Room under the tree. It’s a special tradition for us that I planned on continuing with my children. Marshall Field’s is not just a department store to me but a special place in Chicago. I will not shop at Macy’s. (Submitted by: Karrie)
Sure, we’re being big babies about it. But it’s so hard to see a landmark that you’ve known all your life change names, because a corporation wants to make more money or wants to advertise. I still call it the Rosemont Horizon, even though it’s officially “The Allstate Arena”. Same thing with Comiskey Park/US Cellular Field, The Rosemont Convention Center/Donald A Stephens Convention Center, etc. The only one I call by its slave name is ‘The United Center’. Because I really had no childhood memories of the Chicago Stadium, and it’s not the same building anyway.
The name has a big tie to the people. I’ve traveled all over the US. I’ve shopped at Macy’s, and no offense, Macy’s is no Marshall Fields. Fields has a character that is all its own.
Hmph.
Will I shop there? I might, but not as much as I used to. And I won’t be happy about it.
*pouts*
Let’s Get Physical! Physical!
I went to my primary health care provider yesterday. Whatever that means. I guess it’s the person who will be my regular doctor, right?
Anyway, I’m ashamed to say that this is the first time I’ve gone to a regular doctor since, um, I don’t even remember when. It’s been years. Seriously, I think the last time I went to a doctor was in the last millenium. I’m so bad.
But having a doctor for a husband kinda changes things. These doctor types tend to nag a lot. They whisper things like ‘diabetes’ and ‘cancer’ and other scary things. So finally, I gave in. I mean, I’m paying for insurance anyway. I also promised myself last year after that whole eye surgery fiasco that I would take better care of myself.
Of course, I’m lazy and I never keep promises to myself.
Until now.
So I sat in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, filling out my medical history. My own is pretty stellar - fortunately I’ve led a pretty healthy life. Unfortunately, I believe that I might come from a pretty crappy gene pool, medically speaking. I’ve got a family history full of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes, etc. I really should be taking better care of myself diet-wise, but when you’re not actually the one who’s sick, it’s hard to keep to a diet to prevent it.
Claudine and I were talking the other day - with our family’s track record, my sisters and I will probably get one of those things that I just mentioned. It’s a pretty morbid thought, but hey, it’s a fact.
So I saw the doctor, and she was a no nonsense older woman, but pretty cool - because she called me a ’smart cookie’. Anyway, everything is working the way it should be, the heart sounds normal, blood pressure is ok, and I got the OK for healthiness. I escape death for another year - take that, diabetes, cancer and all you other diseases!
Next up: The dentist. Boo! Hiss!
Emmy Recap
Watched the Emmy’s yesterday, but didn’t think it was exciting enough for a minute-by-minute review. But here’s my highlights:
- Oh Ellen! She did a so-so job. Most of the jokes were ok, but she wasn’t half as funny as she was the last time she hosted.
- Yes, that WAS Barbara Hershey who accompanied LOST’s Naveen Andrews to the award show. Me and Claudine kept on going, “Is that Barbara Hershey? No way! She looks too young!” I guess it is!
- Sandra Oh has the smallest waist ever.
- Dave hates it when I watch Law and Order, he just doesn’t like dramas. However, when he saw Mariska Hargitay on the red carpet, he said, “Wow, if she looked like that on Law and Order all the time, I’d watch the show, too!”
- Donald Trump singing “Green Acres” was possibly the oddest thing ever, but I gotta give him props for having the balls to go out there and sing it in front of the nation. Actually, the whole Emmy Idol thing was stupid, though Macy Gray looked AWESOME with her “Courtney Love” makeover. Still looks like she’s high, though.
- I am sick and tired of the Desperate Housewives hype, from how good the show is to people prodding the actresses for gossip on how they don’t get along. It’s annoying and it’s getting old. It’s a great, clever show, but I’m glad they didn’t win.
- I must watch this “The Life and Times of Peter Sellers” movie. It feels like it won just about everything it was nominated for.
- With that said, remember the good ol’ days of the Emmy’s, when the winners were shows you’ve heard of before, shows that were on the big 3 networks? I think HBO is a GREAT network, but I don’t think it’s fair that there are people out there that don’t have access to it - it’s a channel that’s on cable AND that you have to pay extra for. What percentage of the viewing community actually has it? It’s not like the Oscars where a good percentage of the movies people have access to (I would have said ‘all’, but Redpac reminded me that some communities don’t get the arthouse movies). I dunno. When I didn’t have HBO I’d always get pissed when HBO programming won.
- Marcia Cross wins the fashion battle. I said I’m sick of the battle of the “Housewives”, but still, she looked spectacular. Her dress was gorgeous, the color was perfect for her. Honorable mentions: Jennifer Garner for being the best looking knocked up lady since Cat Zeta Jones, LOST’s Evangeline Lilly, who Redpac remarked “cleans up real good” and looked beautiful in her dress, and Adrien Grenier, who is just a cutie pie.
- The opening musical sequence was really cute - I love the song “September”. Well, it was cute for the first 2 minutes. Then we got really bored. Having the Black Eyed Peas come out didn’t save it. Oh wait, having BEP’s Taboo dance with Everybody Loves Raymond’s Doris Roberts was worth it. A little bit.
- Best Speech - S. Epatha Merkerson - who the hell is she? The boss from Law and Order. Anyway, she started off her speech with saying that she lost her speech down the front of her dress, and proceeded to hunt for it while she was on stage. When she realized they were going to start the music, she looked like a deer in headlights at the camera and said, “Thanks”. hilarious. Runner-up: Felicity Huffman, for telling us her first kiss with husband William H. Macy was in a cowfield.
- Jon Stewart needs to host this show. His little film about who to blame for Hurricane Katrina was comedy gold. “George Bush hates Black….Sabbath.”
- I really wanted Terry O’Quinn to win Best Supporting actor, but I believe that having fellow LOST castmember Naveen Andrews in the running split the vote. Sorry Shatner. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
- Everybody Loves Raymond has the same hold on the Emmy’s that Frasier did years ago. I’m glad it’s ending. Now other people can win!
- Patricia Arquette wins for Best Actress in a drama? I’ve seen Medium, and I dunno about that. She’s no Mariska Hargitay. Grr….
- I really wanted Hugh Laurie from “House” to win for Best Actor in a Drama. Hmph.
- I’m going to watch “Everybody Hates Chris” when it comes out, just because I was so impressed by the young star of the show, Tyler Williams, during his speech. He has a precense that was so calm, collected and professional. He acted like a kid, yet still acted mature. It’s hard to explain. But he did a great job.
- I adore the cast of LOST. I’ve been watching my DVD all week. I’m in love with them, and I’m so happy that they won Best Drama. Hopefully they’ll get the same amount of attention now as the Desperate Housewives, and that they get a raise, too. It’s hard filming a show out in Hawaii, you know? But really they deserve their award. Seeing the whole cast out there, so happy, with everyone getting along, it was good to see. I love this show! Season premiere on Wednesday!
All in all, it was on OK Emmy awards. Nothing amazingly exciting happened and it wasn’t memorable. Maybe next year…
The Latest Harry Potter Trailer
Ohh, I’m rubbing my hands with excitement! I can’t wait until this movie comes out!
Latest Trailer for the Goblet of Fire
Thanks to the wonderful Mike for the link!
Live, From the Happiest Place on Earth
Hey, was it just me, or did it look like President Bush was speaking from in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disneyworld when he was giving his speech tonight?
If you were wondering, he’s speaking from Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans.
Even Presidents Need to Pee
This was pretty funny….
Life in Bumblefuck, Egypt, the West Side
Hmm, I’ll start answering some of these questions that you guys have asked - you’re all doing a great job, and so far, it looks like all the questions I’ll be able to answer in some way!
What made you choose to live in the suburbs instead of the city, when that’s where you work?
- Karl
There are several reasons:
1) Money. Living in Chicago is horribly expensive if you want a house. We were thinking of getting a condo downtown that was in our price range, but the thought of friends having to find parking (anyone who knows Dave knows how he feels about parking!), expensive groceries, and a possibly long commute for Dave made us choose not to.
2) Location. Yes, although I work Downtown, Dave works in the suburbs. The great thing about working downtown is that pretty much anywhere you live in the Chicagoland area, there’s a train that can take you into the city. Chicago has the CTA, the ‘burbs have Metra. We wanted to find a place that wasn’t a far drive for Dave to go to work, but was also near a train station so I could commute into work. Also, the location of our home is not too far from his parents, who live in the suburbs, and my family, who live in the city. No more than half an hour drive.
3) THE HOUSE. We found the perfect house for us. We couldn’t pass it up!
With all that said, it’s still hard to adjust to life in the suburbs. It’s not an easy drive to the city - especially during rush hour. We live far out enough that when people have things going on in the city, we’re too lazy to make the drive in. Also, my parallel parking skills have really diminished - when I park by my dad’s place, there’s like 3 feet of space between the curb and my car. Ack! The suburbs are converting me!
I’ve got it good, though, because I still work in the city, so I still have that quick hustle and bustle of city life to experience. I miss it a lot, though!
