It comes down to what makes you happy and what makes you feel good, and yes, what you can afford.

Hope you have a WONDERFUL time with your Mom, Emily!

I’ve long felt that I should get at least one of the ‘mainstream’ American weeklies — just so I know what’s considered worthy of coverage in a mainstream American newsmagazine, so I think we’re going to switch to Newsweek. I’m still mad at Newsweek for employing Isikoff, but I think they’re better than Time lately. For now, I’ll continue to get the Economist and the Nation as my two other weeklies.

My theory about the fast food is that it’s the consistency, not the price. When travelling, you never know whether one of the ‘healthier’ usually local places is going to actually be good or not. With a fast food chain, you may know it’s crap, but at least you’ll know what kind of crap it is. I’ve been guilty of it myself, both on plane trips and long road trips.

I didn’t know one could fry cheese curds.

I remind myself that Hitler was also Time’s Man of the Year. That is not to compare Bush to Hitler. (Although by Bush’s own moral categories - you’re either good or you’re evil; for us or against us - there is a fair comparison to be made; my own moral categories are more, shall we say, subtle.) Rather, “Man of the Year” doesn’t designate a good person, merely a powerful and influential person. (I know you know this.) But that doesn’t excuse the caption. While Bush may be a revolutionary in the sense of his willingness to trash our country’s best values and social movements, the evocation of the “founding fathers” is deliberate and, to me, painful.

2. I think the illustration of Bush on Time makes him look a lot like Jerry Falwell. But the caption - “American Revolutionary”? Dear God/dess.

3. I love the stories about your button. I need a button.

4. I don’t know what to say about the food, except that I, too, am disheartened. I don’t even know whether to judge it as a Midwestern phenomenon; I grew up there (though waaaay east of you), and I visit yearly, but I haven’t lived there in a decade. I do know that when Phaon and I go home, if we want to eat out and eat good food, we go to this tucked-away-in-a-strip-mall Lebanese place (with an innocuous name like “Pita Corner”) for delicious, fresh food made by an immigrant family. Otherwise, our options are bland chain restaurants. Cheese curds are definitely a “we border with Wisconsin” sort of food. I don’t think an Arby’s back east (or out west) would carry them.

Thanks for spending the $7 to blog. I enjoyed it!