tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40736732024-03-07T17:07:19.874-06:00farkleberriesCommitting bloggery in Chicago: Lenka Reznicek's commentary on news, politics, law and the media; with random observations on life's absurdities served with a dash of black and bathroom humour.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1268125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-41663757999762421992011-06-17T15:11:00.005-05:002011-06-17T15:33:01.680-05:00Terrorist-Proof ToiletsDear readers of this blog (however rarefied your ranks may be by now),<br /><br />Certainly the best way to return from a lengthy hiatus is with a hearty war, crime, and bathroom-related posting, and this piece from <a href="http://motherjones.com/mixed-media/2011/06/terrorist-proof-toilets-moscow">Mother Jones</a> does not disappoint. From Vancouver to North Carolina, privies are bearing the brunt of these near-Apocalyptic violent times, as humanity's sensibilities and bowels suffer the consequences. <br /><br />Perhaps Mother Russia has a thing or two to teach us about [E]sc[h]atology...these are no mere stainless-steel jailhouse crappers, but<blockquote>"..<a href="http://motherjones.com/mixed-media/2011/06/terrorist-proof-toilets-moscow">.self-maintaining, solar-powered, and terrorist-proof toilet cabins</a>, as reported by the Moscow Times. This Swiss Army knife of a potty is made of a fibrous concrete that can withstand a bomb blast. Demonstrated as part of Moscow's Clean City expo in June, 'its appearance can be modeled to fit the architectural surroundings, even in the old part of the city,' the Times reported chirpily. My takeaway: If I'm ever in Moscow and feel the ground trembling, I'll dive into the nearest loo."</blockquote><a href="http://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2011/03/story-behind-toilet-bomb.html">Bombs away?</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_will_bury_you">"Мы вас похороним!"</a> Indeed.<br /><br />Something strange is definitely going on: <a href="http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/26208123/detail.html">Boulder, CO didn't warn residents about erupting toilets</a><br /><a href="http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=5764">Exploding toilets surprise some Palo Alto, CA residents</a><br /><a href="http://gizmodo.com/252520/the-strange-case-of-the-exploding-toilets-japan-on-high-alert">The Strange Case of the Exploding Toilets: Japan residents on high alert</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-15952828041929506802011-03-05T09:54:00.005-06:002011-03-05T09:59:56.772-06:00"You Get What Anyone Gets - You Get A Lifetime."[Note: this is a post I wrote today on the Brady McTigue Memorial Page, here on facebook. Brady was an old friend from Plattsburgh days, who I learned yesterday was killed in a hit-and-run accident while riding a bike near his home in Jacksonville Florida. I don't know many details, but he died six days after the accident, and as far I can gather the driver has not been found. There is a brief account of the accident and a Crimestoppers call for witnesses at <a href="http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2010-09-16/story/police-want-help-jacksonville-hit-and-run-investigation">JAcksonville.com</a>. Brady's essay, "Fatwood," from one of his now-deleted blogs Camera and Sickle no longer exists, but 8 years ago I had posted an excerpt [here] (<a href="http://farkleberries.blogspot.com/2003/02/easy-trip-to-splitsville-i-just.html">Easy Trip to Splitsville</a>) The photos here are some of my favorites of Brady's work, found at his (still active) DeviantART page under geshe451. If you haven't seen his pictures before, why not have a peek, before they fade into the past? ]<br /><br />Seeing the "how I met Brady" stories on this page, I have to confess, I don't remember exactly how we met. It was around 1988 or so, I was a DJ and student at SUNY Plattsburgh, and I think Brady was a member of a student group or peripherally involved with the WPLT 94.9 station there.<br /><br />Back then, we'd have rambling discussions on experimental artists I'd never heard of at that point; he introduced me to bands like Throbbing Gristle, Brian Eno, The Jazz Butcher, Genesis P-Orridge, Coil, The Fall, Helios Creed, Jim Thirlwell's myriad Foetus permutations...the list was seemingly endless. Brady had a rare gift for imparting enthusiasm and passion for challenging, unusual music with the "unschooled." I have to give Brady credit for introducing me to musical genres that have since become favorites like dub, ambient, hard bop and classic jazz.<br /><br />He eventually moved away from Plattsburgh, as did I and many of our cohort; for a number of years we lost contact, but with advent of the Internet we crossed paths with our blogs about 7-8 years ago, a mutual interest in photography (Flickr), and eventually, Facebook. Years ago, I saw mocked-up examples of visual art he'd created using mirror-imaged color copies of photos, matting and other traditional analog techniques; later I was amazed at how the digital imaging revolution amplified those possibilities.<br /><br />One of the most inspiring things about Brady's photos was his innate skill at capturing transcendence within decay and disintegration of natural and man-made objects, and distilling the kinetics of fire, water, stone, wind and steel into still images that seemed to live and breathe. I think both the Adirondacks (see his essay, "Fatwood") and the Florida coastline provided rich artistic potential. Oh, and he had a great sense of humor, too (the photo I'm thinking of is "Doggles," a real-life "Dastardly and Muttley" shot :) ).<br /> <br />This is "Fatwood":<br /><br /><blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPanveK6wX4mbno_5sctCfdIK9wreBrKAc0agX6KF8OyJr7m-NXjE7p404MwBmKqi4PJg9MLnLz1fo7BUaLtd4yU1VtL8qxdguH8qLXlw9g1P6GDyesfx4dqD8cwn6akVI4tAODQ/s1600/nocturnal_ignitions_by_geshe451.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPanveK6wX4mbno_5sctCfdIK9wreBrKAc0agX6KF8OyJr7m-NXjE7p404MwBmKqi4PJg9MLnLz1fo7BUaLtd4yU1VtL8qxdguH8qLXlw9g1P6GDyesfx4dqD8cwn6akVI4tAODQ/s320/nocturnal_ignitions_by_geshe451.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580625326035303666" /></a>getting to the fatwood factory is not something you set out to do. all of a sudden, it is possible to split every piece of wood. "split" implies a certain sense of halving, but here it's more akin to "splitting up." making parts for distribution. or burning. more surface area; hotter fires from the same amount of wood. i filled a wheelbarrow full of a number of very hot, fast fires. my general rule of thumb is that if i can stand the piece of wood up on the block, it gets split. two things happen when i find myself in fatwood factory. the first is i become more concerned with accuracy than power. as each piece of wood gets thinner, the need to power through it decreases. it's a direct proportion: less is less. it's a well placed tap that does the job not a swift cut. that's because, in the end, splitting wood is not about cutting. it's about separating the wood from it's structure and order. you are taking it one step closer to chaos. you can "read" the wood. the ends of the sectioned wood can give you a road map to easy trip to splitsville. the cracks indicate places where drying has loosened the bond betweens cells that hold the tree together. what was once a aqueous network of structure and exchange becomes a brittle dotted line that says "cut here." a mindful examination of the wood's surface will reveal untold tales of potential cleavings. you can almost see into the heart of the wood. adventures en flambe await: pop me big boy, what are you waiting for? instead of cutting the wood in two with a heavy sharp object, you're directing force through a focused locus, transferring it and liberating kinetic energy latent in each log section. bone wielding space oddessy ape guy becomes wheelchair scientist guy with the tilt of your head. most folks would prefer the wood that they have to split be uniform and "straight." no burls and the like making for hard splitting. you hit one of those hard spots and the axe can sing out like a bell. in the crisp winter air, the bang echoes off the trees and warps around the drifts in the snow. it accents the howl of the coyotes in a flurry filled afternoon as the light wanes. most times, a big gnarled old log section is a long burner. no splitting much more than quartering. the density of the wood, at a place where two or more directions of growth merge (more or less), is insane. the wood locks in on itself, making a near indestructable fist. wood like that burns for a long time. some twisted bastard of a log that, dry, gives you a hernia slogging to the stove is just the ticket for couple of hours of uninterupted, untended fire, warmth, running water...... you can leave the house. -- Brady McTigue<br /></blockquote>I only learned of Brady's death yesterday, many months late. Sadly, I hadn't suspected his absence of web posts was because he was no longer here. I'm grateful to have met friends like Brady over the years: people whom we may not see or hear from physically for decades, but whose influence as creative kindred spirits uplifts us, even in absentia.<br /><br />Perhaps this isn't the right place to address this, but I so hope for the sake of his wife Sally, and his family that someday the driver of that truck is found or does the karmically right thing and comes forward. Probably, Brady understood as well as anyone how Universe is ever-changing and impermanent. I remember he sometimes wrote he thought his life would be short, as many of the male relatives in his family passed on early. Unfortunately that prediction came to pass, in an oblique way.<br /><br />A Latin quote from Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' that's stayed with me over the years is "Omnia Mutantur, Nihil Interit" - everything changes, but nothing is truly lost. May it be so. To Brady's family, and his wife Sally, I wish peace, love, and healing. Namaste.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIT7g8TtHP-aJwhUXqwU6JoQMeRjusdaERyzNCAcu8S4fMWmSDcNul9t2sABwcvbsxQMcvkCR6KkXlcAzMu_CYLcfhFzLpKPhNXqsBaGQcnThNH7BA6RxxdXB216Eqbs93Gh1Bg/s1600/doggles_by_geshe451.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIT7g8TtHP-aJwhUXqwU6JoQMeRjusdaERyzNCAcu8S4fMWmSDcNul9t2sABwcvbsxQMcvkCR6KkXlcAzMu_CYLcfhFzLpKPhNXqsBaGQcnThNH7BA6RxxdXB216Eqbs93Gh1Bg/s320/doggles_by_geshe451.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580625607799325490" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-59579287152032326902010-07-09T14:46:00.007-05:002010-07-09T15:15:32.954-05:00Our Trash Got Flash, Part 2: The Bidet in the Alley<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5W88STGzGTK3S1jul-EA_RHP-LiNMTrpXMoTHTmELqFTF5ufI60zQDq78zQrEXtofwpXtzo-5pSFcQewbnQr4_uUS8qYaktAke6snCEq2G6ysBSJBa9cSCPOxicslhMQgOlcxMw/s1600/bidet.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5W88STGzGTK3S1jul-EA_RHP-LiNMTrpXMoTHTmELqFTF5ufI60zQDq78zQrEXtofwpXtzo-5pSFcQewbnQr4_uUS8qYaktAke6snCEq2G6ysBSJBa9cSCPOxicslhMQgOlcxMw/s400/bidet.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491999888243238866" /></a>A <strike>couple of</strike> four months ago, <a href="http://farkleberries.blogspot.com/2010/03/pink-trash-sofa-edgewater-chicago.html">I posted a photograph of a discarded hot-pink sofa</a> in the alley behind our apartment. Well, yesterday brought another interesting garbage photo-op: next to the dumpster was a seemingly brand new tan bidet complete with shiny chrome spigot (uncannily similar to the one shown here) that some unsophisticate removed from their domicile. <br /><br />Unfortunately the local junkman - who roams the alley in a old red pickup chock-full o' old tires, barbed wire, and rusty bedframes - snatched it up before I could grab my normally ever-present camera. He picked it up and put it *on top* of the already-groaning 6-foot-high pile of junk in the truck bed that heaves precariously over every speed bump in the alley.<br /><br />The junkman made quite the find that morning: that bidet was probably worth its weight in gold, or at least domestic Wagyu steaks. <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?num=100&hl=en&client=firefox-a&q=bidet&cid=14571362197959132682&ei=U4A3TNSHGonkMcbZsd4F&sa=title&ved=0CNMDEPMCMCQ4AA#p">These babies retail for over $500.00 apiece</a>. That's almost as much as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_seat#cite_note-timemag-0">a government-issue toilet seat*</a>.<br /><br />Edgewater neighbors: if you see the junkman's red pickup, run, don't walk! Before the tan bidet falls off and lands on your car/head/dog/baby stroller.<br /><br />* Correction: according to Wikipedia, 'President Reagan held a televised news conference in 1987, where he held up one of these shrouds and stated: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_seat#cite_note-timemag-0">"We didn't buy any $600 toilet seat. We bought a $600 molded plastic cover for the entire toilet system."</a> 'Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-88810548028534675532010-07-01T11:15:00.003-05:002010-07-01T11:23:03.198-05:00Manx Chicken in a Pan<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4742336749/" title="manx-chicken2 by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4742336749_8a146cf809_o.jpg" width="500" height="375" border=0 alt="manx-chicken2" /></a><br /><br />{with apologies to my vegetarian/vegan readers}<br /><br />"Three chicken leg quarters simmering in a pan like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Isle_of_Man">Isle of Man flag</a>, albeit widdershins." For those into heraldry, this configuration is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triskelion">triskelion</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-18599563504055373442010-06-10T14:14:00.002-05:002010-06-10T14:22:56.300-05:00Please Do Not Smell The Flowers: What's the Scoop?<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4688309727/" title="Please Do Not Smell the Flowers. by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1265/4688309727_ab1a4958be.jpg" width="500" height="375" border=0 alt="Please Do Not Smell the Flowers." /></a><br /><br />Seen yesterday next to the Foster Hall-SSRB ramp on 59th Street at the University of Chicago. I doubt it's genuine (there really aren't any flowers here to smell, per se, barring a few overripe tiger lilies).<br /><br />Click to view full size, where the lines "All Activity is Being Monitored" and "In Cooperation with the Initiative for Community Protection" are clearly visible. Googling the term turns up nada, so it's clearly a red herring rather than an attempt to razz an existing UC organization.<br /><br />Scav Hunt relic? Emergency phone-camera kiosk backlash? Subtle jab at the "Chicago School" and capitalism? "All Your Smell Are Belong to Us"?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-18024074891185485002010-04-03T18:15:00.003-05:002010-04-03T18:29:21.123-05:00Should There Be an X-Files 3 Movie?<em>(SPOILER ALERT - and a disclaimer. I've watched "X-Files: I Want to Believe" three times so far - the first time in a standard theater, and twice afterward on DVD. For some reason, I seem to rack up more complaints with each viewing. Maybe I should give it a rest, and revisit the film in a year or so to see how it has aged. Mind you this post comes from someone who considers </em>The X-Files<em> to be one the finest series to grace the Boob Tube, so my expectations may be overly high. Please take these words with a grain of saltpetre.) </em><br /><br />Only if the screenplay makes it worthy of the investment in big screen running time and real estate. Case in point:"X-Files: Fight The Future" made excellent use of big-screen FX and integrated well with the Season 5 mytharc. "X-Files: I Want to Believe" was essentially a long-form MOTW episode, muddied by the fact there several monsters.<br /><br />Which "monster" triggered more audience consternation? Was it the Russian "Frankenstein doctor," the dying gay assassin seeking a nubile female body upon which to graft his head (love the "Married in Massachusetts" throwaway quip), or the now-cliched pedophile priest who "castrated himself at 28"?<br /><br />XF:IWTB might have worked better as a TV/cable movie/series reboot rather than a feature film. Granted, XF:FTF rode the series' popularity wave nicely (rather than "jumping the shark" - ouch) but oh, my, XF:IWTB could have been SO much better, even without aliens, the 2012 theme, or William.<br /><br />As Garrison Keillor says in his Lake Wobegon tales: "It could have been worse." But not <span style="font-style:italic;">much</span>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-87411482638480802822010-03-18T16:23:00.002-05:002010-03-18T16:24:23.830-05:00Pink Trash Sofa: Edgewater, Chicago<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4443408867/" title="DSC06183 by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4443408867_47784905fc_b.jpg" width="500" height="375" border=0 alt="Pink Trash Sofa" /></a><br /><br />Say what you will about the Edgewater neighborhood: our trash got flash.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-72366819393237769632010-03-18T16:07:00.001-05:002010-03-18T16:07:42.479-05:00Lynch-ian Lamp<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4444136636/" title="DSC06169 by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2699/4444136636_fe1d0b8b3d.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="375" alt="DSC06169" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-81173252658343365192010-03-09T08:35:00.000-06:002010-03-09T08:37:05.571-06:00Willow Springs Woods in Winter<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4417433475/" title="Willow Springs Woods Winter by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4417433475_eaecffaec8.jpg" width="500" border=0 height="375" alt="Willow Springs Woods Winter" /></a><br /><br />A place where I find peace.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-34058875492063537582010-03-08T08:42:00.000-06:002010-03-08T08:43:04.322-06:0059th Street Underpass at Lake Park (or, It's All Greek To Me)<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4403388051/" title="59th Street Metra grafitti by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2709/4403388051_b49133f35e.jpg" width="500" border=0 height="375" alt="59th Street Metra grafitti" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-35640391629034018522010-02-23T19:03:00.006-06:002010-02-23T19:20:25.850-06:00A Cronenbergian Dream of the Sixth and Seventh Chakras<blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mandala-life.com/shop/images/chakra_7_6.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="http://mandala-life.com/shop/images/chakra_7_6.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><span style="font-style:italic;">Last night I dreamed that I pulled a hard one-inch-long plug of whitish fat or flesh from the center of my forehead, from where my 6th (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra#Ajna:_The_Brow_Chakra">Ajna</a>) chakra should be. <br /><br />In the dream, as I looked in the mirror, I noticed a large jagged hole in the crown of my head on the right-ish side that exposed my skull, roughly where the 7th (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra#Sahasrara:_The_Crown_Chakra">Sahasrara</a>) chakra should be. There was no pain or anxiety, and when I looked more closely at the slightly bloody opening, all I could see was a dark hole - no dura mater or brain tissue. I thought to myself, hmmmm...</span>this looks sort of serious...I wonder if I should see a doctor?</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-2852706897071043892010-01-27T11:24:00.004-06:002010-01-27T11:35:21.197-06:00Haloscan Going Dark on February 11thSadly, Haloscan, the commenting application Farkleberries has used for over eight years, will be shutting down operations in a few weeks. I received this notification in my inbox this morning:<blockquote>Haloscan is being shut down on: Feb 11, 2010<br />The Haloscan hardware and software is physically failing and we have no choice but to discontinue the service. Two Options: Switch to Echo or Export your comments FREE.<br />Although we can't rescue Haloscan, we are trying our best to limit the negative impact on users. To do this, we have worked hard to provide 2 options for Haloscan sites.</blockquote>For now, I'm exporting all comments for possible future use rather than switching to the replacement service, Echo, but I wanted readers to know that their past comments will likely disappear (at least for a time) from Farkleberries and my other Haloscan-supported sites as of 2/11/10. If you're a fellow Haloscan user, now's the time to export and backup.<br /><br />Haloscan helpfully provides a link to the <a href="http://wiki.js-kit.com/HaloScan-Upgrade-FAQ">EchoWiki FAQ</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-8808812332954815142009-12-29T11:57:00.002-06:002009-12-29T12:02:46.568-06:00The University of Chicago Quads in WinterWhere frosted glass frames the winter sun's fire<br />We watch the flickering light 'twixt tree and spire <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4225295541/" title="University of Chicago Quad in Winter by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2626/4225295541_80f25dd421.jpg" border=0 width="375" height="500" alt="University of Chicago Quad in Winter" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-83508508487186487962009-12-28T15:19:00.002-06:002009-12-28T15:25:38.372-06:00Is That a Bomb in Your Pants, or Are You Just...A rather unfortunate (but appropriate) dynamic ad appears on the right side of this <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/28/passenger.stories/index.html">CNN story on the Northwest 253 attempted bombing, where suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab unsuccessfully tried to detonate an explosive device secreted in his trousers</a>, badly burning himself in the process. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh100nloeT2usc3-sWX30-PspFKnw2wWqPwuhjQR0xyXbzGppyNUkgy1CLl1-ZSJuH1PjdrIoUGPr6iw-YjsshZMtg4yGjz9WsE1Py8J_VqsDOf547jTIJJoH6UV5Y0O4R2fwmAIg/s1600-h/cnn-nw-253-122809.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh100nloeT2usc3-sWX30-PspFKnw2wWqPwuhjQR0xyXbzGppyNUkgy1CLl1-ZSJuH1PjdrIoUGPr6iw-YjsshZMtg4yGjz9WsE1Py8J_VqsDOf547jTIJJoH6UV5Y0O4R2fwmAIg/s400/cnn-nw-253-122809.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420399828002152514" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-63465509292092453982009-12-21T11:49:00.008-06:002009-12-21T12:25:52.970-06:00Blue, Blue Christmas LightsGlad Jul! This set of Christmas lights purchased last year at Target remind me of an old imported Italian light set my family had when I was a child. Those Italian lights had a set of three concentric colored plastic "crowns" that reflected and transmitted the colored light from the bulb in a magical fashion. I used to stare into the tree and unfocus my eyes, watching the lights' myriad colors coruscate across the tinsel and ornaments like a kaleidoscope. <br /><br />We used that set of lights for over ten years, until several bulbs burned out and the electric current running through the remaining ones increased to the point it overheated the others, causing some of plastic "crowns" to melt over the bulbs. Not the safest design, but they were the most beautiful Christmas lights I've ever seen. I'm pretty certain that 1970 set was not <a href="http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/corporate/standards/">UL Listed</a> (ha!) but they were still a sight safer than the actual wax Christmas tree candles my parents and grandparents used to have on their (natural) trees when they were kids.<br /><br />Both of them have hair-raising stories of trees that caught fire and threatened to burn down the family home, if not for a quick-thinking relative that doused the burning branches with water or tossed the flaming tree out the door into the snow. Those were the good old days...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/2181345260/" title="Christmas Lights Macro by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2290/2181345260_3d3ef0de17.jpg" width="500" border=0 height="375" alt="Christmas Lights Macro" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-513201870212290012009-12-17T08:27:00.003-06:002009-12-17T08:32:41.251-06:00Rosehill Cemetery, May ChapelThe gates have been opened...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4188154349/" title="DSC05756 by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/4188154349_f122e0f61f.jpg" width="500" height="375" border=0 alt="Rosehill May Chapel Gates" /></a><br /><br />...they have arisen? Where have they gone?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4188915776/" title="Rosehill May Chapel Vaults by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2601/4188915776_bb483b8ccc.jpg" width="375" height="500" border=0 alt="Rosehill May Chapel Vaults" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-79238921665000880182009-12-17T08:22:00.001-06:002009-12-17T08:23:26.512-06:00mattandsamsometimes stillness othertimes<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4188155427/" title="mattansam by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2538/4188155427_b6834d88e4.jpg" width="500" height="375" border=0 alt="mattansam" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-73260819594463510162009-12-15T17:03:00.003-06:002009-12-15T17:07:36.285-06:00Let's Dance: The Willowbrook Ballroom<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_Henry_Ballroom">Willowbrook Ballroom</a> on Archer Avenue in Willow Springs, IL: place of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_Henry_Ballroom#History">legendary music</a> (from Count Basie to the Village People) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resurrection_Mary#The_legend">hauntings, notably the story of Resurrection Mary</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4188919986/" title="DSC05807 by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2662/4188919986_6c49f77bcb.jpg" width="500" height="375" border=0 alt="DSC05807" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-85289968755169032222009-11-25T08:24:00.006-06:002009-11-25T08:43:51.375-06:00Prescribed Burn Ahead in Willow Springs WoodsIf only a photo could convey the sharp, evocative scent of burning brush in Willow Springs Woods (<a href="http://www.fpdcc.com/tier3.php?content_id=65">FPDCC.gov Region 6 - Palos Division</a>) last week; a perfect fall day in the southwest suburbs.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4128488829/" title="DSC05653 by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2687/4128488829_a2c613f216.jpg" width="500" height="375" border=0 alt="DSC05653" /></a><br /><br />Traveling a bit further west on Archer Avenue to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Gate_Woods">Red Gate Woods</a> forest preserve area, we found this old mossy stone wall or foundation, partially buried under what could be a century or two of accumulated soil and undergrowth. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/4128490201/" title="DSC05665 by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2794/4128490201_b38c4fcd74.jpg" width="500" height="375" border=0 alt="DSC05665" /></a><br /><br />Who lived here in the woods along Illinois' most haunted highway? Early Polish or Irish immigrants who built the roads and canals along this ancient native American trail? We do know what's buried here today in Red Gate Woods: <a href="http://wikimapia.org/606271/Nuclear-Waste-Burial-Site-Plot-M">the remains of CP-1, the first sustained nuclear "reactor" built by Enrico Fermi at the University of Chicago</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/3022034303/" title="Plot M Monument, Red Gate Woods by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/3022034303_4a74880cf7.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="375" alt="Plot M Monument, Red Gate Woods" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-51269532131026023202009-11-05T14:02:00.001-06:002009-11-05T14:06:43.727-06:00No Diamonds in the Dumpster<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjIa6UyHyYYa6Sv-0NQgHQrUuj2hKJ7X7_UbeJ9oNFYd3QznfL6PLI9xEbz2RiwPHRUaCVzk6dTlKYQb_E5gqIdpHcDxoTgMlhKDhNLds4iv2th9WiDOkcQ8wy1l4TTOfHgBLzQ/s1600-h/no-diamonds.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjIa6UyHyYYa6Sv-0NQgHQrUuj2hKJ7X7_UbeJ9oNFYd3QznfL6PLI9xEbz2RiwPHRUaCVzk6dTlKYQb_E5gqIdpHcDxoTgMlhKDhNLds4iv2th9WiDOkcQ8wy1l4TTOfHgBLzQ/s400/no-diamonds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400713108459769074" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-89142153232277334732009-10-30T14:52:00.002-05:002009-10-30T14:59:01.403-05:00The Vancouver Severed Foot Mystery continuesA <a href="http://farkleberries.blogspot.com/2008/06/canadian-severed-foot-mystery.html">little over a year ago, we posted on an eerie series of severed-foot sightings near Vancouver Island</a>, six at last count. The phenomenon has never been satisfactorily explained (though foul play is generally suspected), nor have any suspects been named to date.<br /><br />This Tuesday, the Vancouver Sun reported <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Foot+found+Richmond+beach/2156192/story.html#at">foot number 7 was found</a>:<blockquote>RICHMOND - A right foot has been found inside a running shoe on a beach in Richmond, the seventh foot found along B.C.’s coast in two years, RCMP said Wednesday.<br /><br />Two men walking on the beach Tuesday evening found the foot in a white size 8.5 Nike running shoe on the beach at No. 6 Road and Triangle Road, the RCMP said.<br /><br />The BC Coroners Service confirmed the remains were human through a forensic autopsy and will conduct more forensic tests in its investigation with the RCMP. [read <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Foot+found+Richmond+beach/2156192/story.html#at">full article</a>]</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-78113557510495634252009-05-15T16:35:00.002-05:002009-05-15T16:39:14.638-05:00I Iz Not Ded, I Iz on TwitterGreetings, Farkleberries fans: it's been a long time. While full time posting will not resume just yet, I've dipped my toes into the pool with Twitter's short and sweet 140-character limit.<br /><br />Sometimes, less IS more.<br /><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/reznicek111">http://twitter.com/reznicek111</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-76279455754530784412008-12-17T13:42:00.000-06:002008-12-17T13:43:03.016-06:00Bonnie Beehive, aka. Miz Moo<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/3115804629/" title="Bonnie Beehive by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/3115804629_8a06c2d79b.jpg" width="500" border=0 height="375" alt="Bonnie Beehive" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-84460964011911963782008-12-11T14:15:00.002-06:002008-12-11T14:27:57.812-06:00Pork Rolling<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/3101096422/" title="Pork Rolling by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3101096422_a3967330a7.jpg" width="500" height="375" border=0 alt="Pork Rolling" /></a> <br /><br />A fine selection of pork roll at the Manasquan (NJ) ShopRite: <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=taylor%20ham">Taylor Ham</a>, the true classic Trenton pork roll; <a href="http://home.att.net/~casesporkrollstore/About.html">Case's (aka "Jersey Ham") regular and Tangy</a>, and for the <strike>cheapskate</strike> budget-conscious, ShopRite Brand Pork Roll. Who knows, maybe it's just as good ... but when you're indulging in artery-clogging processed pork, why skimp?<br /><br />Having a 2-lb. Taylor chilling out in our freezer, I opted only to purchase two small packs of pre-sliced pork roll for holiday enjoyment (and tormenting our guests). Taylor classic in the 6-slice red box, and the 8-slice "thin" Case package.<br /><br />I also picked up a 16 oz. brick of Dietz & Watson <a href="http://www.dietzandwatson.com/go/our-kitchens/breakfast-kitchen/">Philadelphia Scrapple</a> for our next pancake breakfast. No, they had no <a href="http://www.habbersettscrapple.com/history.html">Habersett's Scrapple</a>, unfortunately.<br /><br />What's <span style="font-style:italic;">your</span> favorite kind of Pork Roll?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4073673.post-42862494832614685072008-11-14T15:46:00.003-06:002008-11-14T15:59:45.529-06:00The Golden Anus in the Walker Museum Basement<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/3030691576/" title="Golden ??? by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/3030691576_3170dffcb2.jpg" width="500" height="375" border=0 alt="Golden Anus in the Walker Museum" /></a><br /><br />Well, I'm not sure what else to call this...the "Golden Grommet"? If anyone knows the title of the piece and the name of the artist, please let me know in the comments. Otherwise, just admire this for what it is ... and understand why it kept in the basement of the University of Chicago's Walker Hall, away from light and prying easily offended eyes. <br /><br />I'm half-tempted to invite a couple of people to take a picture with a hand on each side of the...er...artwork. Instant "Golden GOATSE"!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/reznicek111/3029922847/" title="The World Can No Longer Afford The Rich by Reznicek111, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/3029922847_b93d0e497e.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="375" alt="The World Can No Longer Afford The Rich" /></a><br /><br />This piece of wisdom comes from the women's room wall in the Social Sciences Building, University of Chicago, home of the History Department (and no longer the home of the Economics Department. No indeedy.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com