Why?

I’ve had the pleasure of knowing a sweet young man in his early 20’s who moved with his hearing-impaired mother from Ethiopia and Sudan to America. For six years he has held the job of concierge at the retirement center at which I taught a class. Impressively, he was attending Seattle Central Community College and he loved the challenge of his courses. I've had the pleasure of chatting with him many times about his life and ambitions. His smile was genuine, and his sense of humor lightened many moments for the center’s residents. What further impressed me was his excitement about life’s possibilities. His goal was to attend the University of Washington. He had the grades, obviously the work ethic and even some scholarships. He continued to work to earn further money needed. I was looking forward to congratulating him on graduating with his AA degree this weekend. I knew how proud he was and could only imagine how proud his mother must be.

Instead of enjoying a celebration of his accomplishment, he lies unconscious in extremely critical condition in a Harborview Intensive Care Unit. Walking down a sidewalk after leaving his Beacon Hill apartment the other evening, he was jumped and attacked by 6 men who beat and kicked him to unconsciousness from which he has not recovered. It was a random attack, the purpose robbery. They have taken more than ever could be imagined. I so hope they have not taken everything.

Mini Garlic Cheeseburgers

My husband made mini garlic cheeseburgers for dinner this evening. They would make great hors d oeuvres for meat loving friends.

Mini Garlic Cheeseburgers

Ingredients:
1 large hamburger patty per person
Johnny's Seasoning Salt (or salt and pepper)
1 French bread baguette (about 3' round), sliced
Slices of your favorite cheese
Tomato slices
Dilled gherkins
Hot pepper chilis (we like Mezzetta Brand)
Garlic butter for the baguette slices
Catsup
Mayonnaise

Instructions:
Mix some mayonnaise into some catsup for dipping sauce. Slice tomatoes. Season and broil the burgers. When they are done, top each with a cheese slice and when cheese melts, cut each patty into quarters. While the meat is cooking, top the baguette slices with garlic butter. After removing the meat, toast the bread under the broiler. When the baguette slices are toasted, place a dab of mayonnaise on each one and top with a quarter of a patty of meat. Serve with tomato slices, gherkins, peppers, dipping sauce and French fries (Hank put frozen fries under the broiler) green salad or macaroni salad would be good for lighter fare.

Books

I love book TV, it’s my indulgence on weekend mornings. Like a print newspaper, it exposes me to information that I would not normally have sought. This morning Johan Van Overtveldt author of “Bernanke’s Test” is discussing the economic situation in America and it’s impact around the world. He is amazingly knowledgeable but his intelligence has another more important dimension. Like Antonio Damasio in the field of neurophysiology, he is simply and clearly spoken on a complex subject. Economics is a subject that has most of us confounded, frustrated and about which most speakers make our minds trail off amidst a barrage of numbers and acronyms. I’ve come away from his talk/interview curious about a book on the subject of economics, even tempted to look at it. If my book budget was unlimited and I had a Kindle electronic book reader I really believe I would have downloaded his book after the show.

This made me wonder if the electronic readers will have people actually reading more. Ultimately, I will get one. I think a lot of times I am not reading because I don’t have a good book on hand. Often, I come across descriptions of books in magazines, newspapers and from friends. They seem interesting, like something I’d enjoy reading, then I forget about them, or lose the scrap of paper on which I’d jotted down the title. I don’t make it to the bookstore or library in time. (Side note: I have a strange relationship with libraries. I’ve probably paid for an electronic book reader with all the library fines I’ve paid. I’ve never minded, though, I’ve considered library fines and the rare parking fine I’ve gotten as my contribution to local civic coffers.)

So, this morning, I’ve given myself another good point for my building list of justifications for buying an electronic book reader. And, if you are curious but intimidated about learning more about the economic maze in which the world seems to find itself, I recommend checking out Overveldt's book, Bernanke's Test.