Our Illinois friends and family asked us: “Did you hear about the Governor?” The short answer is “Yes.” I’d like your help in getting the long answer just right.
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19 December 2008
One request regarding Blago
10 December 2008
Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 60 years
I hope that your news source of choice has a piece on the 60th anniversary of adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This statement is almost certainly the most important text of the 20th Century. (more…)
9 December 2008
Caption This! Round 3
Good job to all who participated in Round Two. Click to see the next photo: (more…)
8 December 2008
Rating the Unexplained Bacon
Okay, Farmer Billy’s slow killed bacon, Farmer Billy’s bacon fed bacon, Farmer Billy’s travel bacon. Mr Simpson if you really want to kill yourself I also sell hand guns. — Apu
I was about fifteen. I stood in front of the pantry, hanging from the door and staring into shelves devoid of anything that a teenage runner’s body needs. I just ran ten miles and what, I’m supposed to heat up some Cream of Mushroom soup?
My eyes scanned side to side, back and forth, looking for a genuine snack. Something processed, something salty and oddly, slightly, sweet, something crunchy and immediately satisfying.
Bac-Os. That would have to do. I upended the little bottle and bit down on a mouthful. The chemical taste wasn’t repulsive so much as off-putting. The texture of the bits was hard and gritty at first, and then broke down into a featureless mush.
I wasn’t going to do that again. Even my adolescent hunger wouldn’t drive me to chugging Bac-Os. I’d eat an apple or something, first.
The BB Procurement department recently returned from the supermarket with two products that attempt to improve on that formative experience. (more…)
3 December 2008
Kenosha and Dublin: financially bound
I started listening to NPR’s Planet Money podcast to understand why The Reserve money market fund broke the buck. I’d read several recommendations for the Planet Money’s analysis, but the financial crisis didn’t shock me until a major money market fund failed to meet my lowest expectations.
My second shock came when I heard a collaborative investigation by NPR and the New York Times that focused entirely on one link in the world’s economic mesh: between Kenosha and Dublin. The story was compelling and illuminating, aside from its personal relevance. It was also riveting to hear how millions of dollars (on paper) moved in 2007, along with me, from the northernmost suburbs of Chicago to the city of Dublin. (more…)
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29 November 2008
Walks around Rome: Photos from Oct 27
We saw a lot of central Rome on October 27th, so there are two sets of photos on Flickr for that day.
During the morning, we visited the Pantheon and a variety of churches. Take a look at our photos for the morning of the 27th.
In the afternoon, we walked through Rome’s Jewish Ghetto and the Trastavere area on the other side of the Tiber River. As evening approached, we had a scare, but you’ll have to get through the entire set to see it! See our set of photos for the afternoon of the 27th.
In other news about ancient Rome, (more…)
26 November 2008
Give thanks for your butter
There are many things that I love about living in Ireland. There are a few things that annoy or trouble me. But there is one thing that I clearly hate — the fact that butter comes in a single chunk of butter — 454 grams, to be precise. Why is it 454 grams, you ask? Because that is as close to one pound of butter as you can get in metric terms.
I could deal with a big block of butter if only there were measurements on the wrapping.
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21 November 2008
Caption This! Round 2
Here’s your second photo, ready for clever and comic captioning:
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20 November 2008
The Caption Contest Rules
The Bakker Bugle is proud to announce another contest for its beloved readers!
- BuglePoints™ for your captions!
- For the next few weeks, you can earn BuglePoints™ by making up funny, wry, tendentious, or otherwise pleasing captions for the photos that the Bugle staff post in special CaptionPosts™. Be sure to include your name with your caption, so we can award you the BuglePoints™ you’ve earned!
- A few days after a CaptionPost™ appears, the Bugle staff will add its own comment to that CaptionPost™, letting each of you know how many BuglePoints™ you’ve earned on that CaptionPost™.
- If you’re looking for an example, check out the Coming Soon: foto di Roma post. Although some people have earned points already, you’re welcome to add your own captions and get your BuglePoints™ total started!
- The goal
18 November 2008
More photos of Rome: north of the ancient city
Another day of photos of Rome is ready for your viewing pleasure. We spent October 26th in the diverse environs of the northern part of Rome — gardens, museums, fountains, and of course, piazzas. (Pizzas, too, for dinner that night.) Here’s the link for the set. (more…)