Last Saturday I visited a used book store in Port Jefferson, New York. It was cold and blustery... a perfect day to wander the stacks without a plan. Smitten with the colorful covers and straightforward titles in my immediate view, I found myself in the section, ANIMALS, for a good long time.

After reading what I thought would be an average story about how China was preparing for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, I found myself eager to share some interesting details from China Changes Coarse in the Los Angeles Times.

I don't know if this will spook anyone else out as it did me - but sometime last week as I was searching through news websites - I stumbled upon a strange article on the internet. At first I thought this was a joke but as I continued to read I realized this was real!

A trip to the beach on New Year's Day with his wife and kids convinces Emmett to wake early each morning and think. In the dark, he prepares a pot of coffee, starts and stokes a fire and tells about the now, the recent and the distant past. Thus is the premise and content of Nicholson Baker's A Box of Matches.

I have fond memories of my imaginary friend, Workaschmizer. Although I made him up, he was somewhat of an enigma. A permanent resident of my closet, he looked like a black blob. He had a voice and and lively personality but no discernable form. He wasn't really a person... more like an energy field.

From the New York Times today...

Thought that this article was a good fit with GUTSY. This article describes the little things that people do to make a statement. Things to try to beat The Man. We've all done it... Ordered a coffee at Starbucks as a small rather than the requisite Grande.