RandomCha

This is in regards to your story today on the “Downing Street Memo.” This memo is yet further concrete evidence that this war was indeed fixed by the Bush Administration long before our troops were deployed. Why has it taken corporate media, including the Tribune, so long to report this story? Weeks ago astute readers were already coming across it on websites like tompain.com. I suppose it’s just easier to publish article after article about the daily deaths in Iraq rather than take a hard look at how we ended up in this quagmire in the first place.

Rob Christopher
Chicago

“It occurred to him that there was a truth in every lie if you waited long enough, and you might as well believe everything while you waited.”

–Dawn Powell, from “The Golden Spur” (1962)

from zephsright
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I was *this* close to just calling in sick today. For no good reason. Just to have a relaxing day. But then I thought about Brandon here alone all day …

Damn.

With my frequent flier miles unusable (for the moment), that means a round-trip ticket to Portland is $315. I’m wrestling with this, but I’m not sure that a reading is worth it. So I’m toying with the idea of just having a long weekend vacation somewhere, just for fun. Airlines be damned, but tickets to ANYWHERE are expensive now. Even round-trip to NYC is running at least $275. Last time I flew it was just under $200. So I dunno.

One thing I DID decide is to do is take part in this year’s Renegade Craft Fair, September 24-25 in Wicker Park. (http://www.renegadecraft.com) Yesterday I applied and sent in my application materials. It’s a juried show, but I think I have a good chance of getting in. Having a booth there will certainly move some copies of the book, get it out there, make me some connections. So maybe this is a good trade-off for not going to Portland.

Just found out I can’t use my frequent flier miles for anything. Fudge.

backburner is going to Las Pinatas at 6.30 and has asked me if I’m interested. Tug of War: o how I love it, but I must have a margarita, if I go there, and that means blowing the rest of the evening because I’ll be warm & fuzzy & totally unable to do anything productive. But still. And will it be crowded? And so many calories. But I want! I want!

Too much coffee today, obviously …

From xinexine72 :

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(I could not find a free poll-creator that I liked. I spent about 15 minutes surfing online, trying to find one, and then I suddenly thought, “Why the hell am I wasting time on this?” So, umm, I’m just going to ask everyone the OLD FASHIONED way and you can give me your two cents via a comment:)

100SP (my book) has been selling very, very well at Powell’s Books in Portland. In fact, I’ve sold more than 50 copies out there. I’ve never been to Portland. Kevin Sampsell is my contact at Powell’s, and we’ve been emailing back and forth about the possibility of me coming out there to do a book signing/reading event. Well, I got his latest email last and he said, “If you find you’re going to be out here, let me know and I will try and set something up for you.”

The implication seems to be that IF I’m going out there anyway, THEN he’ll try and set up an event. I still think it’s really generous of him, because he is very busy with the bookstore and promoting his own small press books, but what it means is that I will have to make the commitment first.

To complicate the matter, there are other summer travel plans I’ve been contemplating, and time/money prevent me from doing all of them. But it might be possible to take 2 short trips instead of 1 long trip. So fairly soon I need to decide what to do.

MY QUESTION: WHAT SHOULD I DO THIS SUMMER?

1. Go to Portland, try for a book signing/reading
2. Go to NYC with my friend Jessi, have fun
3. Go to Indianapolis with Andy to visit his Dad
4. Stay in Chicago, save $$$ for future travels