I'm fortunate that I only had to walk across the street to vote. 7 am I was in the door at the synagogue (my voting place) and 8th in line. Not bad. What disturbed me slightly was the fact that I didn't recognize anyone there, election officials or fellow voters. I had this sort of fantasy, perhaps generated by reading a recent piece about Norman Rockwell, about how Election Day is a moment when neighbors see each other participating in a civic duty, a chance to renew the ties of community and fellowship...but most of the anonymous faces were blanking out to iPods or focused on iPhones. Slightly more disturbing was the fact that all I needed to do to verify my identity was recite my name, address, and birth date; I have to believe this information ain't exactly confidential. Voting fraud seems awfully easy.
Jenn made a delicious apple cake this weekend. We picked up some Staymans and Winesaps, she melted a lot of butter, added some vanilla and other baking stuff (flour, sugar, cinnamon, etc.), popped the concoction in the oven, and 55 minutes later, baked apple goodness. Yet another reason fall tops my Pantheon of Seasons.
(On a more down note: she has yet to figure out the secret to Alu Gobi Masala made in the crock pot.)
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Blasphemy in Middle-Earth
I have no major issues w/Tea Party Delaware princess Christine O' Donnell's colorful views about masturbation and her dabbling in witchcraft; these things add some much-needed flavor to one of the most boring states in my opinion. (Driving through on I-95 is an exercise in frustration: 2 tolls, 55 m.p.h., and an incessant state of construction.) Her conservative Christian views- well, those I have some more problems with. But right now, my biggest gripe with her is an interview back in 2003 when she compared herself to Eowyn from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. That's unacceptable.
Tolkien is in my pantheon of Great Authors. He sparked my love of literature and sent me on my own quest of reading his works and the accumulated mountain of critical response. I dream in Middle-Earth. To have some Tea Party kook claim one of his characters for her own is grand abuse of Tolkien; the Professor would be rolling in his grave I've no doubt. I'd like to quiz O' Donnell about Eowyn, see if she actually knows the woman from her screen persona. Because Eowyn would rail against O'Donnell's retrograde views on the family sphere; Eowyn found herself restricted and bottled in the patriarchial culture of Rohan that kept her hidden behind the warriors, not allowing her to be a true shield-maiden of the Mark. In fact, Eowyn would kick O'Donnell's ass herself for even mentioning the comparison. Uuuurrrggghh. My teeth hurt from grinding.
Went apple picking yesterday and came back with several pounds worth. Jenn's already made one apple pie- yummy- and more to come.
Tolkien is in my pantheon of Great Authors. He sparked my love of literature and sent me on my own quest of reading his works and the accumulated mountain of critical response. I dream in Middle-Earth. To have some Tea Party kook claim one of his characters for her own is grand abuse of Tolkien; the Professor would be rolling in his grave I've no doubt. I'd like to quiz O' Donnell about Eowyn, see if she actually knows the woman from her screen persona. Because Eowyn would rail against O'Donnell's retrograde views on the family sphere; Eowyn found herself restricted and bottled in the patriarchial culture of Rohan that kept her hidden behind the warriors, not allowing her to be a true shield-maiden of the Mark. In fact, Eowyn would kick O'Donnell's ass herself for even mentioning the comparison. Uuuurrrggghh. My teeth hurt from grinding.
Went apple picking yesterday and came back with several pounds worth. Jenn's already made one apple pie- yummy- and more to come.
Monday, September 20, 2010
She Moves In Very Clear Nutjub Ways
One of the nice things about living in the vicinity of Washington, D.C. is the ability to get C-Span Radio in my car. For part-time political geeks like me, listening to Robert Gibbs give a press briefing or a wrap-up of the Sunday talk shows gives me my fix, allowing me to feel a bit more connected to the byzantine Beltway world that has an outsized influence on our lives. I'm still grappling, though, with the trauma of what transpired on the radio Saturday evening.
I was returning from my sister's place and catching a replay of the recent Family Research Council Values Voters Summit. The FRC is a perfectly good organization if you believe in family values, and I admit I do; after all, what's not to like about kids in good homes being raised with a code of ethics, of Americans helping one another out and using religious teachings as a means of imparting instruction in how to live, how to be kind to neighbors, and being a solid citizen? Of course, the FRC wants you to think of "family" and "values" according to its own definition. The group sees homosexuality as "harmful to the persons who engage in it and to society at large, and can never be affirmed. It is by definition unnatural, and as such is associated with negative physical and psychological health effects." Okay, millions of hard-working, tax-paying, patriotic Americans, you've just been marginalized! Moreover, the FRC somehow drinks the Kool-Aid that makes them consider the USA a nation of under anti-Christian attack: "FRC will continue to speak out when bigotry against people of faith, especially Christians (who are the most frequent target), is expressed in the media and in the political sphere." I want to ask these folks, "What color is the sky in your world?" All that being said, Mike Huckabee had just finished his folksy evisceration of the Obama administration (now I know what it's like to vomit in your own mouth) when Michelle Bachmann is introduced, our favorite paranoid nutjob Congresswoman from the great state of Minnesota. And you know what song is playing when she's introduced? U2's "Mysterious Ways". Oh, this is wrong on so many different levels! First, the "values" she claims to hold are in many ways antihetical to the inclusive pluralism of U2, not to mention most of the political causes they espouse. Then there's the fact that rather than moving in "mysterious ways," Bachmann moves in right-wing bigoted circles that make it clear in no uncertain terms where they stand: global warming = hoax, claim that Barack Obama has "anti-American views", promote the whole death panel canard in the health care debate, supports the teaching of intelligent design in schools, supports a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage (let's see- we had amendments that extended the franchise to women and black Americans but now want an amendment to deny citizens their rights?)...you get the picture. Ain't nothing mysterious about this chick.
For dinner: potato & onion fritatta. Delicious. At first seemed a bit bland but then the onion flavor seeped through. Don't think there's any way to muck up eggs, potatoes, and onions.
I was returning from my sister's place and catching a replay of the recent Family Research Council Values Voters Summit. The FRC is a perfectly good organization if you believe in family values, and I admit I do; after all, what's not to like about kids in good homes being raised with a code of ethics, of Americans helping one another out and using religious teachings as a means of imparting instruction in how to live, how to be kind to neighbors, and being a solid citizen? Of course, the FRC wants you to think of "family" and "values" according to its own definition. The group sees homosexuality as "harmful to the persons who engage in it and to society at large, and can never be affirmed. It is by definition unnatural, and as such is associated with negative physical and psychological health effects." Okay, millions of hard-working, tax-paying, patriotic Americans, you've just been marginalized! Moreover, the FRC somehow drinks the Kool-Aid that makes them consider the USA a nation of under anti-Christian attack: "FRC will continue to speak out when bigotry against people of faith, especially Christians (who are the most frequent target), is expressed in the media and in the political sphere." I want to ask these folks, "What color is the sky in your world?" All that being said, Mike Huckabee had just finished his folksy evisceration of the Obama administration (now I know what it's like to vomit in your own mouth) when Michelle Bachmann is introduced, our favorite paranoid nutjob Congresswoman from the great state of Minnesota. And you know what song is playing when she's introduced? U2's "Mysterious Ways". Oh, this is wrong on so many different levels! First, the "values" she claims to hold are in many ways antihetical to the inclusive pluralism of U2, not to mention most of the political causes they espouse. Then there's the fact that rather than moving in "mysterious ways," Bachmann moves in right-wing bigoted circles that make it clear in no uncertain terms where they stand: global warming = hoax, claim that Barack Obama has "anti-American views", promote the whole death panel canard in the health care debate, supports the teaching of intelligent design in schools, supports a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage (let's see- we had amendments that extended the franchise to women and black Americans but now want an amendment to deny citizens their rights?)...you get the picture. Ain't nothing mysterious about this chick.
For dinner: potato & onion fritatta. Delicious. At first seemed a bit bland but then the onion flavor seeped through. Don't think there's any way to muck up eggs, potatoes, and onions.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Peace Path
Every September 11th since 2002, the organization Women in Black has sponsored a Peace Path in Baltimore that stretches along Charles Street, Charm City's own main drag. People interested in peace line the street, hold up signs, flash the peace fingers, and encourage drivers to honk like crazy peace idiots. Every year, I've stood with them, usually with a sign that says something like "Peace is Patriotic!" or a FCNL (Friends Committee on National Legislation) placard reading "End War". On weekdays when it occurs, it's a mad couple of hours (4-6 pm: rush hour) that is usually exhilarating, often rewarding, and only occasionally nasty such as when a meathead yahoo in a Hummer zooms by giving us the finger and calling us names that are a bit too blue for this blog.
Yesterday was a Saturday and thus quite a different vibe: not as many cars going by, fewer folks lining the Peace Path...I walked up to the Stony Run Meeting House where perhaps 15 people were doing their best to support the effort, including 4 wonderful puppets, the kind you see at anti-global street protests that are about 8 feet tall and strapped to volunteers by metal harnesses. I chatted with some of them and even my crusty old heart felt irrationally upbeat and cheery at the number of honking fools out there, waving peace signs at us: grannies who could barely peek above the steering wheel, college students, soccer moms in mini-vans, taxi drivers, bikers, joggers...I'm constantly amazed every year that the accident rate doesn't skyrocket on this day. Something to be said for a lot of people making what is essentially a symbolic gesture and doing it with great enthusiasm and cheer. It makes no sense, on one level- what is actually accomplished by the Peace Path?- yet on a whole other level, it's just about the most sensible thing to do.
For the record: pasta with a previously-untried bolognese sauce made with turkey. Surprisingly tasty, even the zucchini.
Yesterday was a Saturday and thus quite a different vibe: not as many cars going by, fewer folks lining the Peace Path...I walked up to the Stony Run Meeting House where perhaps 15 people were doing their best to support the effort, including 4 wonderful puppets, the kind you see at anti-global street protests that are about 8 feet tall and strapped to volunteers by metal harnesses. I chatted with some of them and even my crusty old heart felt irrationally upbeat and cheery at the number of honking fools out there, waving peace signs at us: grannies who could barely peek above the steering wheel, college students, soccer moms in mini-vans, taxi drivers, bikers, joggers...I'm constantly amazed every year that the accident rate doesn't skyrocket on this day. Something to be said for a lot of people making what is essentially a symbolic gesture and doing it with great enthusiasm and cheer. It makes no sense, on one level- what is actually accomplished by the Peace Path?- yet on a whole other level, it's just about the most sensible thing to do.
For the record: pasta with a previously-untried bolognese sauce made with turkey. Surprisingly tasty, even the zucchini.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Basilicious
We planted some basil and rosemary that has done quite well, thank you very much. And by "we", I mean Jenn. We went off to New England for a few weeks of camping in August and when we returned, the basil has literally exploded; I mean, the stuff looked like someone had dropped several vials of illegal steroids into the soil, poured some magic growing potion on, and let it be for 14 days and voila! Exponential detonation of wonderful basil. As soon as we unloaded the car, Jenn clipped all that basil and immediately began PestoFest 2010. She was making yummy pesto for over an hour. Pesto, pesto everywhere, and never enough to eat.
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