IT'S TAX TIME AT THE LIBRARY

Minister of War: Gentlemen. Gentlemen. Enough of this. How about taking up the tax?

Firefly: How about taking up the carpet?

Minister of War: I still insist we must take up the tax.

Firefly: He's right. You've got to take up the tacks before you can take up the carpet.

--From the Marx Brothers, "Duck Soup"

BOOK REVIEW

Author: Vowell, Sara

Title: Assasination vacation

In ten words or less: History nerd visits presidential assassination sites.

Vowell, a contributor to NPR’s “This American Life,” visits places connected to three presidential assassinations—those of Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, and James Garfield. Vowell describes herself as a history nerd, and she writes with feeling and humor about her subjects.

Why bother? Vowell is a witty storyteller, and –let’s face it—is a whole lot younger than most of the authors who write about history. A refreshing take on what we know about America’s past.

CLUELESS ABOUT THE OSCARS

I've always been a movie fan, but last year I didn't get to see many of the nominated films. In fact, I saw only three: Sicko, No Country for Old Men, and Michael Clayton. And I saw Michael Clayton last weekend at the cheap theater. So I can't really make any predictions, except maybe that I'll being going to the movies a lot more next year.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Regarding Amazon's Kindle e-book reader:

"It doesn't matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don't read anymore."
--Steve Jobs

Great Backyard Bird Count

http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

This last weekend was the Great Backyard Bird Count. My yard had pretty slim pickings--30 house sparrows, 2 black capped chickadees, and one cardinal. Maybe the frisky squirrels scared the birds away. But when I went out for lunch, I saw a bald eagle flying over the river. Kind of made up for it.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"What is reading but silent conversation."

--Walter Savage Landor

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW

Big snowstorm here in the northwoods yesterday. Had to drive back from a meeting two hours away, and the trees were frosted with snow, and looking quite lovely and tranquil. Unfortunately, the landscape was also dotted with day-glo billboards shouting, "State's largest adult superstore!" But anyway, it made me think of Robert Frost's poem. Another foot of snow is predicted for Sunday.

Stopping by woods on a snowy evening
By Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

YOU BACK THE ATTACK! WE'LL BOMB WHO WE WANT!

Anniversary of the Dresden Firebombing, February 13, 1945

Allied firebombing caused a firestorm that destroyed the city and killed 135,000.

It's a good time to re-read (or read for the first time) Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five; or, The Children's Crusade, a duty-dance with death." His book was partially based on his experience as an American prisoner of war in Dresden during the firebombing.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Allow the president to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such a purpose - and you allow him to make war at pleasure. --Abraham Lincoln

Smoked Sturgeon
February is sturgeon harvesting month on Lake Winnebago

· Ingredients:
· 1 Filet of a 4 foot sturgeon
· Brine
· 1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
· 3 Cloves of Garlic, Sliced (Fairly thin)
· 1 cup Soy sauce
· 1 cup brown sugar
· 1/2 cup Non-iodized Salt
Dissolve ingredients in Large glass mixing bowl. Cross cut sturgeon into 1/2 " Strips. Add fish strips to brine marinade, cover, and refrigerate 3-5 hours.
Rinse in cold water and pat dry with a cotton towel. Sprinkle lightly with course ground black pepper.
Place fish loosely in preheated smoke, using flavored wood chips of your choice. Do Not pack meat tightly on racks.
Smoke 4-8 hours (8-12 hours for Sturgeon Jerky)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

It is an important and popular fact that things are not always what they seem. For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons.

Douglas Adams, The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy

COMING UP: THE 25TH INSECT FEAR FILM FESTIVAL

This year's film festival, held on the University of Illinois campus, will feature the films, "The Bee Movie," and "Antz." There will be a question and answer session with Simon Smith, director of "The Bee Movie." Always a good time, and it's free!