The Thriller -- A Sorbet to Cleanse the Literary Palette

As I mentioned days ago, I've been on a history kick -- reading non-fiction almost exclusively for about a year. The other day I broke the habit -- I bought and read Codex by Lev Grossman, a novel about an investment banker drawn into a search for a medieval book that may or may or not exist that lies at the center of a power struggle between a n English duke and duchess. While it seemed like the perfect tonic to my history fix -- a novel, but about a (fake) historical subject, the book unfortunately, was boring. It was neither thrilling nor particularly interesting at all, despite starting off with a bang. The characters were wooden and the plot turned out to be exceedingly lame; I figured out the surprise twist at the ending about halfway through. Needless to say, I don't recommend it...

The Bears -- An Inspiration to A Healing City

The Onion reports on how sports can provide hope to a city beset by the aftermath of a natural disaster -- in this case, the lingering effects of the Great Chicago Fire.

Books

I like to read quite a bit -- though I never seem to have enough time for it these days. I tend to get on "kicks" where I read a lot of one type of genre -- history, or classics, or mystery / suspense -- these kicks typically last months, but sometimes go on for a year or two. I'm currently in the midst of a history / historical novel kick;I'm simultaneously reading The Pirate Coast, about America's supposed first clandestine military operation against Tripoli and I'm also reading Saints and Villians, a novelist's take on the life and martyr-like death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who was killed by the Nazis for his role in the assassination attempt on Hitler.

I've been looking at some suspense novels at Borders the last few times I've been there -- maybe I'll start on a new kick soon...

Cubs' Lineup, 2007 Style

Like this a lot better than 2006, although there's work to be done, and I suspect at least two of the players with the (?) will be gone / bench fodder prior to opening day...

C Michael Barrett
1B Derrek Lee
2B Mark DeRosa
SS Cesar Izturis (?)
3B Aramis Ramirez
RF Jacque Jones (?)
CF Alfonso Soriano
LF Matt Murton (Cliff Floyd?)

Democrat Rumble

Barack vs. Billary. Let's Get It On 2008 Style...

Click on the links to see what they're both about.

What's a bleeding heart liberal to do, except commit political hara-kiri rather than be forced to choose between these two transcendent Democratic stars?

Although if forced to choose, I'm Obama all the way. Don't like to think about what hijinks Bill could get involved in if he was back in the White House with nothing but time on his hands...

Super Bowl Baby!

Continuing their every 22 years run of NFL Titles (1941, 1963, 1985 and now 2007?) Da Bears are back in Da Super Bowl. Here's a trip down memory lane for the Bears

The Super Bowl Shuffle

Bill Swerski's SuperFans