Challenging the Human Spacial Concept

Always a fan of architecture, concepts which challenge people's current ideals of what is right, necessary, good, and true, Yahoo!news has provided again.


The article, World's Skinniest House, is an art installation in Warsaw Poland.  As a technicality, it is only an installation and not a house because it does not meet certain Polish building code.  Otherwise, it technically is livable, ranging from four feet across to a mere twenty-eight inches.  It houses a bathroom, bedroom, what looks like one window, and will apparently be the workspace for Etgar Keret, an Israli writer.  I cannot eve tell if it houses a kitchen, but that is because of the phone and lack of housing specifics in the article.  Still, it's courageous.  Or crazy.  It all depends on your perception.


The article did comment, however, that it is a bit of an eye sore on the surrounding area and would even seem to hinder creativity, as the space is so small.  Regardless, it rivals the 9.6-foot wide house in NY, which I had initially been surprised by.  I'd like to say it's a nice change from the expansive demands of society up to this point.  Everyone wanted bigger thinking it was better, but we can only expand so far as we will run out of space before we run out of greed.  Maybe these smaller houses are more a testament to humans realizing sometimes more isn't better, it's just more.  Now it's just time to find a happy middle ground.

When the "Bichu" is the Dealbreaker

Sorry Congress Pizzeria, the lovely and delicious pizzeria and cocktail lounge on North Milwaulkee Ave in Chicago, but there are certain lines we just can't cross.


Last night was a friend's going away party.  They are spending five months volunteering in South Asia - kudos to them - and had a lovely, low-key, pizza, soda and beer soirée last night as one last "hoorah" with their friends.  And it was wonderful, it really was.  The people were all great, we stayed for nearly three hours, the pizza was incredible and I was set to leave with wonderful reviews and a glowing smile.


That was, at least, until someone called my name to turn around and look at something they'd found on the ground.  A Cockroach.  Also known as a Bichu in Spanish, and I just happen to like the way that rolls off the tongue better (by the way, bichu is actually just general for an annoying pest or bug, not a cockroach specifically).  Dear Congress Pizzeria, I no longer love you.  In fact, I was almost sick at the thought of having eaten in a place that shares rent with such horrid little bichus.  


I would like to say it's been great, but this relationship is officially over.


To our friends, however, have a wonderful time abroad!  

Network Marketing Gaining Attention

To all you nay-sayers, disbelievers, or pointers of fingers at what you still call the "Pyramid Scheme", it's time to wake up.  Network Marketing is becoming an ever increasing, popular, and admirable option as a business model and money-making tool.  


Don't believe me?  Read the Wall Street Journal?  Recently, the Wall Street Journal posted this article, calling Network Marketing the "ULTIMATE Social Business Model".  Rather impressive.  It also listed the 7 most successful, publicly traded companies currently running under this model, and I do believe many of them also have an extensive global market or world-wide reach, part of which I'm sure adds to their placement in the top 7.  


Still don't believe me?  Do you know who Warren Buffet is?  The long and the short of it is that he's basically the most ingenious investor in the market right now and people look to him for investment, financial, and business advice since he is a true expert in the area.  He's also the owner of Berkshire Hatahway, a parent, financial company to a number of smaller companies including GEICO, Borsheim, and Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company of Nebraska.  He is also the proud owner of a Network Marketing company.  Yes, that's right, Pampered Chef, that wonderful cooking company selling the latest and greatest in cookware.  Clearly he sees value in what the company not only has to offer but in the way it offers it to their clients and what they offer as a career options to their employees.


If you are part of a network marketing company reading this, then you are already well aware of what it has done for you or what it could do, and also where it proposes challenges.  Do not ever let anyone tell you that it's easy, because it's not, and if someone suggests otherwise, be weary.  When you are involved in network marketing you must remember one thing: you own your own business.  I'll say it again:  you own your own business.  There is no one to report to, no one to make sure you're staying focused and on track, and therefore no one else to split the profits with, more or less.  But that also means you have to be willing to actually put in the legwork.  You have to go out and build your clientele.  You have to be willing to work when others won't and you have to be an encouraging leader for those you bring into your business and help them prosper just like you would hope new storefronts would prosper.  That is the difference and that is ultimately what sets a lot of people apart in this business.  There is a certain form of discipline and attitude required to succeed and some people have it and others don't.  And that's just fine.  Just like some people will be lawyers and doctors and others will be welders and craftsmen.  Some people will be entrepreneurs and network marketers.  Just saying, though, it's no longer an industry to look down upon.  It is making its mark in today's society.

Truth Behind the Ale

Yes, that's right.  Here is the "skinny" on Ginger Ale.  


I recently found myself under the weather:  aka massively achy body, fever, and total loss of appetite.  The best thing to do in those scenarios is run yourself a diet of ginger ale (to help the upset stomach), tea and soup (hot liquids do wonders for achy bodies), and a little sweet and salty food + protein (to keep your blood sugars in place).  


Ergo, I grabbed for my favorite Ginger Ale of all times: Canada Dry. This stuff is amazing and has happily gotten me through lots of other colds in the past.  I love the flavor and feel it's less "syrup"-y and fake tasting than a number of other GAs.  (That's Ginger Ale for short).  Plus, being a bit of a health nut, you can imagine my ecstatic pride when the commercials for Canada Dry boasted the use of "Real Ginger" in the recipe.  I did a little happy dance, patted myself on the back for a product-picking job well done, and grabbed a few more bottles yesterday with added confidence.


Then I looked at the back of said bottles.  I wanted to know just where on the ingredient list "Ginger" fell, because maybe it was second!  How cool would that have been?  Yeah, okay, ready?  Here is the ingredient list:


carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium benzoate (preservative), natural flavors, caramel color.  


?????????  Did I miss something?  I actually re-read the label about four times to ensure I hadn't, in fact, missed anything.  Where was the ginger?  


Then, on a tiny label in the corner it said, "a part of the natural flavors includes Real Ginger".  Ah.  I see.  That is supposed to make me feel better.  I am supposed to be assuaged by the fact that a small portion of the 10% or less of the natural flavors in this is ginger.  Clearly it's not a large enough part or it would be on the ingredient list itself.  I see. Wonderful.  Yes, yes, good job GA.  


*Sigh*.  Unfortunately, my sense of pride in my favorite GA is deflated.  I still love it and will drink it loyally when I'm sick, but it's disheartening that companies can get away with advertising like that when, clearly, it's a misleading ploy.  Sadly, Canada Dry is still my favorite, but I guess I'll have to relinquish my health nut here and just say it's simply because of taste.  

Cleo's: Bar & Food

Recently, I met some friends at Cleo's, a petite bar and food joint with a rocker / alley bar feel.  The outdoor café, however, is gorgeous.  Plus, they have daily specials, which, on Saturdays, includes $1 mini burgers and mini pork sliders, $2.50 retro cans, and $4 bloody marys and mimosas.  Yum!

The service is also wonderful and friendly.  We didn't feel pressured to buy tons of food or drinks, although we did, nor did we feel we were on a time clock.  The indoor flat screen TVs are great, but the feel of the overall bar varies.  Inside it's a little grungy-er and the outside is more beer garden-y.  It's worth checking out, and definitely worth taking a few hours to experience it if you go for the specials.

Natural "Cures"

Fun fact of today:  

Did you know Cashews can actually help reverse depression?

Cool!  Pass the nuts please!

Boutique Beans

Stopped by a new coffee shop in Wicker Park today, on behest of a friend who raved about it so much we just had to check it out for ourselves.  The name:  Buzz: Killer Espresso.  The verdict: Delicious.


Buzz is located on Damen just north of North Ave in Chicago's Wicker Park.  Careful though, as it is nestled into the trees and you can easily pass it if you're not looking for it on the west side of the street.  They place has a cute little outdoor seating area, three bar seats inside and a cute back room.  The decor is simple, elegant, and clean, which means it's a very inviting place and one where you realize that there are no frills needed to enhance the coffee you're about to enjoy.  The coffee speaks for itself.


And it does.  Forget Starbucks, this is boutique coffee, coffee that is meant to be enjoyed, experienced, and unique.  It is not cookie cutter coffee needing to be perfected from one store to the next across the entirety of the nation.  This is local coffee brewed specifically for the day and your personal enjoyment.  And the quality is amazing.  Plus, even better, the prices include tax, so everything is rounded to the $1.00 or $.50 mark which makes it easy for carrying change.


But be forewarned, they do only take cash.  Be sure you have some handy.  Two 12 oz lattes (one with soy) cost $7.50.  Worth every penny??  Absolutely!  They were refreshing and exquisite.  


5 Stars.  Hands down.  And extra bonus points for their cute bee-themed coffee cup logo!

Other Blog Enjoyment

Recently had a blog recommended to me via a friend.  It's called "To My Husband" and it's little blurbs about minor notes from a woman to a man she does not know yet.  It's nothing serious, not like the list of pre-recs she requires of her future man....per sé...but it is a funny adage of general woman to men mentalities and responses.  LOVE IT!  Check it out.  It'll put a smile and maybe even a laugh into your day.

Jobs Are Changing

Remember when you were little and your parents used to tell you, "Get good grades and study hard!  If you get into a good college you'll get a good job"?  Remember that?


Me too.  Except, you know what they told us?  Lies.  Yup, your parents lied to you, but not on purpose.  They thought they were telling you the truth because taht's what they knew.  That's what they grew up on.  


Today, however, we are facing a much different beast.  Say hello to the "No more 40 Hour Work Week" monster.  According to the article, 40-hour (or the 9-5) work week headed towards a fate similar to dinosaur:  extinction.  People are finding it harder and harder to find a "normal" job, and it's extremely common.  


The new jobs:  
1)  You either work a standard of 8-6 or longer
2) You work less than 40 hours for multiple jobs with very off-hours.


The difference?  Profiles and degrees.  High profile jobs or people often working jobs that require advanced or multiple degrees are seeing an increase in their work week whilst those with lower demand jobs with lesser degree requirements are seeing their schedules become more wonky (I like that word).  


The problem?  Often turning down a job that means either losing the position completely to someone willing to take the new hours or meet the new demands or seeing a severe cut in pay as a result.  It's a "dog eat dog" world out there folks.  Time to add a new classes to the college and high school curriculums:  "How to survive in today's world" and "Your boss really doesn't care about your self-esteem or recreational time requirements".


Or, the other option, is to join one of the many network marketing companies out there.  Network marketing is basically "word of mouth" marketing, a way of growing your business based on referrals and word of mouth.  It's a no-base-pay environment, and you have to work for what you earn, but when you own your own company you often are willing to give a little more because you get a lot more in return.  


Either way, things are changing.  The question is, what's next?

Local Produce Goodness

I awoke this morning to a strong urge to visit a farmer's market.  There's something magical about a sunny, warm (not hot!) summer day that puts an air of freshness in your step.  And my feet wanted to find food, but not any food, fresh food.


Luckily, Chicago has an amazing website listing all the farmers markets by days of the week. Sunday, from 8am-2pm, one is located in Wicker Park off Damen.  It's a cute little farmer's market, hosting everything from cheese and meats to fresh veggies and fruit, and even a sprinkling of bakery venders and a stand for making crepes!  Unfortunately, I awoke late enough in the morning, (is 11:45 still considered morning? or are we breaching the afternoon mark?) but headed over instantly.  Luckily I wasn't too late that all the good carrot bunches were taken, as I wanted to make the carrot soufflé again.  It was so good and I had extra ingredients left over I decided it was worth my while to revisit such a wonderful dish (the recipe to follow shortly).


However, a note to all farmers market patrons.  It's always best to visit these places as early in the day as possible.  With an earlier visit, you are privy to the best picks of the day.  By noon, all the blueberries were gone and the selection of the season's last strawberries were almost disappeared as well.  The carrot pickings were still okay, but there was a lot to be missed by attending so late.  


Also, farmer's market does not always equal organic.  It does equate itself with complete freshness, but don't be swindled into thinking that all farmers market goers are all all organic.  Unless the market specifies that its venders to adhere to that standard, or the venders themselves specifically make a point to say they are organic, you are not necessarily paying for organic food.  You are paying for freshness and in support of the belief that family run and small owned farms deserve as much of our patronage (if not more) as corporate or large-owned farms.  


Still, I love farmers markets.  They make you feel alive and in touch with the natural goodness around you.  There's also something about paying a little more for peak freshness and great quality that makes you truly appreciate the food you are eating.  So thank you, dear farmers, for your continued service and love of food.  I will look forward to buying more from you next week.

To Have or Not To Have ... Babies That Is

I've always been a bit of a rebel, a "black sheep" if you will, going against a lot of the "norms" I've felt pushed upon me growing up.  And there were a lot of "norms", people always telling you what they thought you should be doing.  It ranged everywhere from, "don't you want to be a lawyer like your mother?", "you're not supposed to take the architecture class because colleges prefer seeing 4 years of science instead of 3 years and 1 architecture class", "why would you want to move away from family?", and then my favorite as of late, "so when are you two going to settle down?"


Settle down...I love that one.  It's a bit of a backhanded compliment, really, apparently we are a good enough couple that we look like we belong together, we're "at that age" where we're supposed to want to be married and looking at a family down the line, and well, that's just want people do, right?  But at the same time, it's also a slight scolding for not being where people think you should be.


But maybe that's not the case any more, or at least, the "not any more" trend is growing.  Whether you like the concept or not, people are starting to reject the idea of settling down...at least when it comes to the "having kids" part.  I read the Yahoo!news article on the No Baby Boom, and was intrigued.  Having also taken part in the movie DINKs, a story about a couple who chose not to have children but live in a child-based suburb, the story pulled on a couple different strings of mine.  Apparently, there is a growing global trend of people making the conscious decision to forgo having children.  Ever.  They are childless couples, and according to the surveys done, it is not just a US trend.  More and more people, especially because of the influx of people moving to cities, are choosing to not have children.  Some of their arguments include the desire to have more income, more freedom, more choice, and more enjoyment of one another.  And you don't have to take my word for it, the article does an excellent job of highlighting the various survey findings.  And it's not always just about the money.  


It's refreshing to know I'm not the "black sheep" anymore, at least to the extent it seemed originally.  It's wonderful what people are starting to accept these days as a form of normalcy without looking down on it as much.  And, hey, I'm absolutely okay with making a really great aunt.