I wish I had room to store the books at my house, but I don’t. Is it asking too much for my mom to hold on to these items? Isn’t this a normal thing for adult children to do?? Sheesh!

I grew up watching the Chicago version, which starred Bob Bell as Bozo. The show was on every morning at 7:00 and I’d tune in while I was eating breakfast and getting ready for school. I didn’t care much for the comedy segments between Bozo and Cookie, but I absolutely LOVED the Grand Prize Game. I thought the kids who were chosen for the game were so lucky, and I was sooo jealous when one of them won the $50 bill and the brand-new Schwinn bicycle. I would have loved going to a taping of the show, but never did.

Anyway, it was sad to hear about Harmon’s passing today. The Bozo Show is definitely a fond memory from my childhood!

If you want to learn how France, Canada, India, Mexico, Peru, Australia, and a few other countries celebrate their independence, click through the link below. Some places do party with fireworks and parades like we do, but I think you might be surprised by a few of the other celebrations!

Live Science

I’d never heard of this stuff before, so I had to look it up. Apparently, red yeast rice is rice that has been specially cultivated with a mold called Monascus purpureus and has been used in Chinese medicine for more than a thousand years.

Red rice yeast is becoming more popular in western countries because studies have shown that this particular kind of rice can lower LDL (”bad” cholesterol) levels. Many people have reported success in taking red rice yeast as an OTC dietary supplement.

I checked out a few pictures of red rice yeast, and think the stuff looks absolutely nasty! I guess it wouldn’t be so bad in supplement form or whatever, but the thought of eating it in its natural state makes me want to gag.

Oh, and this is not a miracle cholesterol drug or anything like that. While LDL can be lowered, there are several side effects, including liver damage. So don’t go off and take this stuff by yourself. You need to be closely monitored by a doctor for safety and effectiveness.

So Jerry and I had a bit of a discussion about vacations tonight, and while we don’t have any money for a big trip in the near future, we could probably do something good next year (provided we save enough). We’ve always wanted to go on a Disney cruise, so that’s what we’re shooting for. Hopefully if we find some good cruise deals out there, we’ll be able to have the best family vacation ever next summer!

Oh, and of course we’ll have to stop by the theme park for at least one day. I can’t pass up a chance to go on Space Mountain or Pirates of the Caribbean!

Well, Landis swore up and down that the lab results were faulty, and the case went to court (or arbitration), where Landis lost. He then appealed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, a process that took more than three months from beginning to end.

Today, the Associated Press reports that Landis lost his appeal, as the three-person panel decided to uphold the original decision.

There is still one appeal avenue left to Landis — the Swiss Federal Court — but it’s unclear if he’ll exercise that option.

I don’t follow cycling all that much, but in nearly every mainstream article I read, there are talks of the widespread use of PEDs. Was Landis guilty of using illegal substances? I have no idea, of course, but it certainly seems as though these appeals are getting him nowhere. His reputation is basically ruined and he’s lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, endorsement opportunities, and salary (he’s banned for 2 years, remember?).

On the one hand, I feel like he should give up. It might be a European vs. American bias (ask any European if they think Lance Armstrong doped up during his Tour days) or it could be that Landis really was guilty. Either way, it doesn’t look like he’ll get a ruling in his favor. So why go to the extra time and expense of another appeal?

On the other hand, leaving things as they are would disgrace Landis for life and ruin what bit of a career he might have left. This is the “nothing left to lose” approach, which obviously could backfire if the Swiss Federal Court finds the lab tests valid as well.

If Landis was guilty of doping, he’s probably wishing he had just ‘fessed up on the spot and not gone through the last two agonizing years of arbitration and legal wrangling. Yikes.

This arrangement has worked tolerably well for the past two years, though there are definitely times when I wish I had a fourth wall and a door to shut out the traffic and noise. Heck, I’d even settle for a couple of pieces of velvet theater rope to keep my son and his friends from letting their games of tag or hide-and-seek spill over into my office!

On the whole, however, I do like my current setup. I’ve got everything I need within reach of my desk, plus a nice big window right next to me, which lets in all the sunlight and fresh air I could want. Plus, if I swivel 180 degrees in my chair, I can watch the ballgame on our big 37-inch LCD screen or check out the playroom to see what my son is up to. This sure beats a corporate cubicle any day!

I’ve been on a real reading tear (well, for me anyway) in 2008. After the first six months of the year, I’ve already read 30 books! I usually don’t keep track like this, but since I have to write up the reviews for Reviews and More, it’s easy to see where I stand.

In looking over the list of titles I’ve finished this year, I see that most of the stuff I’ve read fall into the mystery/detective/crime thriller genre (Agatha Christie, Michael Connelly). I also have more “modern” novels (written in the past 10-15 years or so) than I usually read, but very few classics (only Walden and Sybil).

I’d definitely like to keep up this pace for the next six months, and don’t foresee any problems with achieving this mark. However, I’m going to make much more of an effort to insert more classics into my list instead of sticking with the easy stuff. One a month should do, beginning with something from Dickens. Both The Pickwick Papers and Martin Chuzzlewit are available as free audiobooks at Librivox, so I’ll likely go with one of those.

Is Kenmore better than Amana? Where does Whirlpool fit in? Are Danze faucets as good as everyone says? Should I go ahead and pay more for Ethan Allen furniture? Heck, I have no idea!

That’s why I’m going to bite the bullet and have an professional come in to help me out. Jerry and I want to start entertaining more, so we’ve been talking about redoing our home for a long time now. Since he’s do a performance bonus at work next month, this seems like a good time to get the ball rolling.

I’d love to begin either in the kitchen or the living room, but really, every room needs an overhaul, so we can’t go wrong wherever we decide to start!

Nevertheless, there’s absolutely zero excuse for what Chacon did, and I’m glad to see the team take this kind of action. Hopefully no one else will claim this piece of trash off the wire by Monday, at which point the Astros will be free to terminate his contract without pay.

The sooner Chacon is out of the league, the better.