A sincere thank you to my readers...

...who come from all over this planet! Thank you, so very much!

For those few who may have some appreciation for my photographic efforts, may I offer you the following:

These are river rocks, which I have selectively gilded. They lay in a bowl of Chinese white porcelain. The largest is 1 and one-half inches.

This is a handmade glass bead with gold leaf that I was given in late 1996 by the artist. I am so sorry I do not remember his name, but I became extemely ill that day, with a 105 degree temp. The bead is approximately 3/4" high, just to give you an idea. Click for enlargment!

This egg (1 and 1/16 inches high) was also a gift from another artist, and though it is brownish, I find it very lovely, don't you? Again, click it to enlarge it.

When I do this macro-photography, and see the 'other worlds', I tend to remove myself from the concerns of today's world.

Quite frankly, though I visit the sites, I do not care anymore what Michelle Obama is wearing. She is ill-advised re: fashion.

I do not care any longer regarding what Barry Soetoro (or whomever he may be) is doing. He is extremely ill-advised re: the office of the president of these United States.

*********

On being called a racist...

Yes, I am a 'racist'--a HUMAN racist--because the only race I recognize is the HUMAN race.

No one's color matters to me, as long as they act as if they are human beings.

If, and when, they revert to 'animalism', as so many have recently, it is then that I take umbrage with them.

When anyone begins to feel superior to another, I take umbrage with them.

When anyone attempts to dominate another, I take umbrage with them.

When anyone, especially anyone in the political arena, attempts to dictate to me--oh, yes, I will take umbrage with them, especially if they obfuscate (LIE!).

Drop the race crap, politicians, because no matter what color we are, we are all participants in the HUMAN race!

Next Nomination for the Supreme Court of the United States

Everyone, from now on, will be Photoshopped (TM), and will have to therefore pay a 'Photoshop Tax', whether they like their Photoshop (TM) or not!

Justice Stevens is retiring from the Supreme Court. Convenient.

(And that's why Michelle went to Mexico, even though she does not speak the language.)

She's just 'itchin', in her SPANX, to be doing something, even though she 'surrendered' her law license, under suspicious circumstances, 17 years ago.

Don't even put it past Barry to nominate his wifey.

How much 'law' do you think she even remembers?

Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce, as of tonight...

...is 'not good standing', or not IN good standing, within the State of Illinois.

I expected this, but was heartily hoping against it, hoping that Bill Morton has finally found some 'footing' in his life, after all I have given him, and all the knowledge I imparted to him.

Apparently...he chose to learn nothing.

When you visit the Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce website http://www.rogerspark.cc/ (which, by the way, should have been celebrating its FIRST ANNIVERSARY!), there is nothing there to spur you to join the chamber, just a listing of businesses in Rogers Park, which indicates Bill Morton is 'yearning' for those businesses to become members, but (in his laziness) he has not been out pursuing them as members.

The businesses are all from an Excel File I compiled for the October 10, 2009 gathering at Quest Network Services.

One Year!

And before that I, myself, put in six hard months to make this Chamber a reality, including seed monies, graphics, logo design, document design, and writing the blog.

And he has, apparently, let it slide.

How disgustingly disappointing!

And, I would be concerned, if I were a member, if my membership continues to be valid.

Is there anyone who can tell Bill Morton to 'Wake the F*%k Up?"

Apparently, I could not.

On April 20th, at 12:01 AM, he will become 33 years old...I would say, Bill, it is time to grow up now, unless you have chosen to be a LOSER.

QOTD

"We don't know who we are until we see what we can do."

--Martha Grimes

From Wikipedia:

Martha Grimes (born May 2, 1931) is an American author of detective fiction.
She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to D.W., a city solicitor, and to June, who owned the Mountain Lake Hotel in Western Maryland where Martha and her brother spent much of their childhood. Grimes earned her B.A. and M.A. at the University of Maryland. She has taught at the University of Iowa, Frostburg State University, and Montgomery College.
Grimes is best known for her series of novels featuring Richard Jury, an inspector with Scotland Yard, and his friend Melrose Plant, a British aristocrat who has given up his titles. Each of the Jury mysteries is named after a pub. Her page-turning, character-driven tales fall into the mystery subdivision of "cozies." In 1983, Grimes received the Nero Award for best mystery of the year for The Anodyne Necklace.
The background to Hotel Paradise is drawn on the experiences she enjoyed spending summers at her mother's hotel in Mountain Lake Park, Maryland. One of the characters, Mr Britain, is drawn on Britten Leo Martin, Sr, who then ran Martin's Store which he owned with his father and brother. Martin's Store is accessible by a short walkway from Mountain Lake, the site of the former Hotel, which was torn down in 1967.
She splits her time between homes in Washington, D.C., and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

A possible coup d'etat?

Has 'the pointer' become a non-leader?

He certainly has not shown 'leadership' throughout the past 14 months. But he has certainly shown his preference for ISLAM!

He's shown himself to be more of a 'party boy', who prefers Wagyu beef at $100 a pound, and possibly, whatever else may be available by the pound, ounce, or gram.

A supposed-man who doesn't even have the guts to say to his wife,

"Honey, don't wear that--it's too low-cut."; or

"Honey, don't wear that, it makes your booty too big."; or

"Honey, don't wear that, save it for our private time."

Quite frankly, I doubt whether he calls his wife "Honey" at all.

All is not well in Obamaland...I just have this feeling that Michelle wants more, and Barry cannot deliver. Nor has he ever, in their marriage-time, been able to accomplish that.

She is not 'satisfied' to be the First Lady, and she has made every effort to extinguish that flame.

The next six months, or so, should be very interesting, and I will not be surprised at all when Barry is forced out of office, due to his lies.

Here is the post.

That’s Weird?… Obama’s Nuclear Summit Logo Is an Islamic Crest


This is planned.

Again, there are NO coincidences in life.

What is surfacing regarding Barry Soetoro shall not be covered, as he has been trying to do.

His lies just don' work no mo', do they?

Today, in Rogers Park

This lovely front garden resides at 1522 W. Sherwin Avenue, and, of course, it changes dramatically as the seasons do their changing thing. Today, it looked like this:

forsythias, tulips and daffodils! It is always lovely here!

Later, I found these three white tulips. How many of you have ever looked closely at a tulip?

Click to enlarge and just do it!

I vowed that, on my way to Evanston to pay the bill for this internet connection, I would shoot this Christmas wreath again.

Hello, Ald. Joe Moore, and your cronies at Gateway Centre! Christmas was almost FOUR months ago!

But then, I noticed again (though the photo is from Sunday), that Ald. Joe Moore, who is notorious for "posting" in the neighborhood, still has NOT sanctioned the removal of this sign, THOUGH THE VOTES ARE ALREADY IN, COUNTED AND PUBLISHED!

How PROGRESSIVE!

Perhaps Bill Morton, at the Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce, may have something to say about this, but I am afraid he's too busy photographing coffee cups at Charmers!

Clue: Uniting the community, Bill? Ya workin' on that, YET?

Sunday's Surprises in Rogers Park

This gorgeous magnolia on Sheridan Road, near Greenleaf Avenue, looks fragile...kind of like Poland right now. But it is durable and strong, as are the Polish people!

My favorite Hosta bed on Sheridan Road just south of Chase Avenue shows no sign of damage from the recent hail storm. The Hosta is also durable and strong, much like the Poles, and keeps 'coming back', even when it looks as though it has been beaten to the proverbial pulp!

Then, as I looked down at the sidewalk (always have to watch my step!), I found this little gem on Morse Avenue, just east of Sheridan Road.

It's a tiny copper bit of Rogers Park history, embedded into the concrete. I've Googled and Googled, but can find no mention of "Simpson Bros. Co.", nor can I figure why the term "Chamber of Commerce" applies, as to my knowledge, there was no chamber in Rogers Park during the 1910s or 1920s, which I assume is the period during which this sidewalk was 'laid'.

Perhaps, someday, I'll find the answer?

Omen of Christmas Future, OR?

Today is, as all my sources revealed, the tenth of April, 2010.

This is the facade of the Gateway Centre at Howard and Hermitage in Rogers Park.

The mall is also one of Ald. Joe Moore's "jewels of the 49th ward" .

Jewel, schmewel, I say!

They have not removed the Christmas wreath, YET, and those little lights have been burning since mid-December!

OR...perhaps they are keeping it up to demonstrate how next Christmas will be celebrated?

Click on pix to enlarge

Major Rule #1: The evergreen does not remain green when it is cut down or cut and fashioned into decorations!

Major Rule #2: Paint will not stick to concrete unless it is the proper paint for concrete, and has been properly applied during proper drying/curing weather!

What with all the empty storefronts in the Gateway Centre, wouldn't you agree the place is pretty much "Moore's FOLLY" ?

On today's walk north...

...I took some close-ups of just-emerged ivy. The leaves are a mere inch to an inch and a half, and it was grand to finally see them!

I walked on to Jarvis Beach, Howard Beach, then ended here, at Rogers Beach, where waves rolled in, slapping at the boulders.

The view to the north shows the Evanston campus of Northwestern University.

Wasn't it just a beauty of a day?