LinorStore.com November 2006 Newsletter

Movie

The Defender is a new movie by Marty Scorcese, Executive Director of “Apocalypse Now”, “Gangs of New York”, “The Aviator”, Goodfellas. I saw “The Defender” with my husband and a male friend. I like the mafia/mob type movies. In fact, my husband teases me that the mob is “in my blood” although I’m of Russian/Romanian descent. Stars Leonardio DeCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and John Mahoney. True Scorcese, down to the nitty gritty details, The Defender takes us on a ride of twists and turns through the Boston police department. If it were a novel, I would also enjoy it, the twists taking you to a new direction. Note: Do not drink a large soda and miss the end of the movie, especially the last frame, which has a funny . $10 movie rating.

Book Review

Candy Freak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America by Steve Almond.

Steve Almond calls himself a “candy freak admitting to eating at least one piece of candy every day of his life”. This book explores his adventures to small candy factories to see how chocolate is made and find out how the family businesses are surviving against the Big Three: Hershey’s, Mars and Nestles.

I learned that companies pay slotting fees $25,000 to have their products stocked in major stores, which cuts out the smaller family-owned businesses. Also, I discovered through first-hand experience that selling boutique hand-dipped chocolate online is difficult because it’s an impulse, sensory purchase.

Almond describes tasting the freshly made chocolate in such luscious terms that this reader had almost an oral satisfying experience similar to the author’s. On page 51, part of his description of eating one candy bar is “The sweetness of the milk chocolate rushed across the tongue, played against the musky crunch of the nut, then faded”. It’s a very sensual experience.

I highly recommend reading this book, while you eat some candy, of course.

Cats Know Best

When it comes to feeding time, our three male cats are usually on schedule. Their daily routine also consists of playing, cat napping and snacking.

Playing

Buddy, a three-year-old gray and white cat likes to play with shadows. For him, the best game is holding up your fingers casting shadows on the wall or floor. He crosses his paws when attacking the shadow, similar to a hunter.

Stubbers, a 15-year-old black longhaired cat, likes chasing Buddy and Nova around the house. Buddy and Stubbers have made up their own version of “leapcat” where one cat lies prone on the floor and the other jumps over him while keeping away from paws, claws and teeth from the other.

Nova, a 9-year-old orange, sleek, tough cat removes paper napkins from the holder and dances on them. And, of course, all three like to get high on catnip, which is reserved for Saturday nights.

Lately, I’m discovered that because cats are into routines, and dislike disruptions to them, that it would benefit me to pay attention to their demands, because I’m the one who has set the times according to my routine.

For example, at night, Stubbers or Buddy will come to me and look at me until I get the message that it’s time to go to bed. Once upstairs Buddy jumps up on the sink reminding me to take my vitamins, wash my face and brush my teeth. Then he sweeps the sink which I think is his way of washing up and we go into the bedroom.

Last week, I found out the hard way, that Buddy’s clock is the one I need to follow. I ignored his orders to go to bed and stayed up way too late which made me cranky in the morning. Like many people, I need a certain number of hours of sleep. My body and mind just don’t work properly if I don’t get them.

Let me give you an example. Two nights last week, I was working on a freelance project. Ok, I was obsessively into the project to get it done. I didn’t eat dinner because I had big lunches and I was focused and making progress. I went to bed almost 2 hours after Buddy’s first call.

Not only did I not feel rested, but I had two terrible days at work resulting in being crabby and bursting into tears over a small issue.

Gift Shopping?

Linorstore.com has several gift ideas for yourself or for the special women in your life.

Strip Malls/Landscaping

What’s up with planting shrubbery, bushes at gas stations and strip malls that drivers in regular cars can’t see oncoming traffic.

What’s up with parking lots with large lawns and not enough room for 2 cars to pass? They also have flowers and curved concrete lanes. Why do we need concrete turn lanes into a mall? We need more parking spaces.

America

America in general needs more jobs. Healthcare costs have increased. IT, technical commnunication and manufacturing jobs are outsourced to foreign countries. Unemployment rate is 6% in U.S. and 8-9% in Europe, but is not a good thing. People do not file for unemployment or they fall off the rolls so these numbers are inaccurate.

People in their 40s (both male and female) have been losing jobs because of mergers and other situations, and can’t find jobs with a salary near what they were making. I even took a 10K pay cut to get a job. Yet, the president of my company has 6 cars, including a Rolls Royce. My raise was 2-3%. Corporations are not giving raises, not rewarding their people resulting in disgruntled employees.

Personal opionion: I hope voters see the truth and that American voters use their vote to speak their mind. American people do not have control over what’s going on. If our government is supposed to be by the people, why are our representatives not listening to us?

Retro clothing

Oh no, the 70s are back! Peasant blouses are now sleeveless and are also available for pregnant women. Girls/women wear them for evening wear. It used to be more of a casual thing. When I was 5 years-old, I wore pedal pushers, now they’re called capris.

My mom wore houseslippers, now they are called Mules and worn to work.

Black and white fashion trends are back. Big jewelry with huge beads, jewelry worn in the 40s trends, and hats are back. Today’s women are wearing fashion from 40s through 70s (wide leg and boot leg jeans), peasant blouses, shirts with bell sleeves, “fluffy shirt”. Jacket dresses from 70s are back now. If I had only kept things and if they would fit, I’d be in fashion with clothing older than my co-workers.

Pet Stories

We’ll be adding pictures and stories in the near future. If you’d like to share, send an email to gifts4u@comcast.net.

Note: These views are my own and not those of LinorStore.com as an Etailer.

Chocolately yours,

Linda Blatchford

Etailer, Web Designerchic