Update
8 months ago
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Is It Still Racism When Andre Does It?
If you ever leaned even a little towards the Tea Party, U.S. Representative The Mr. The Honorable Andre Carson -- my Rep in the House -- thinks you'd like to see him swing from a tree, on the sole basis of the pigmentation of his integument. He's never met you, but he's certain of it. And he's not the least bit ashamed of his prejudice, either.
Me, I'm hardly a true-red-white-and-blue Tea Partier (it's the social conservatism that puts me off, mainly[1]), but I know plenty and they're not the lynchin' sort; vast majority of 'em would spit at anyone who suggested skin color was a good criteria for judging a person's worth.
Now, sadly, some few do think that's a fine, fine yardstick -- but then, so does the Honorable the Mister Andre Carson. Neither one excuses the other.
And I've got no use for either. Grow up, dammit, and start judging people on the content of their character, much as I have you on yours, at least as demonstrated to date.
(Perhaps the saddest part of this mess is that Andre Carson is an immensely likeable man when he's not waving a bloody shirt; if he'd abjure race-baiting and concentrate on reality-based issues, he'd have much to commend him, even for a Democrat. But don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen).
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You wanna quote from a great orator? Try this one: "A man's rights rest in three boxes. The ballot box, jury box and the cartridge box. Let no man be kept from the ballot box because of his color. Let no woman be kept from the ballot box because of her sex." I'm not sure if that's the first use of the "boxes" formulation but it's one of the earliest. Who said it? Fredrick Douglass. Some darned big shoes there, for any speaker who follows him.
1. This comment led to a nice little Roseholme argument, with Tam pointing out that "the" Tea party is really a plural and that the movement was, at least originally, single-issue: TEA, Taxed Enough Already. She's right, though I maintain that many "Tea" organizations now find themselves flying the banner of social-conservative chat-show hosts. No matter which of us has the most accurate model of the current state of things, one fact remains: they're not a frikkin' mob of cross-burners, no matter how much the CBC would like for them to be.
Me, I'm hardly a true-red-white-and-blue Tea Partier (it's the social conservatism that puts me off, mainly[1]), but I know plenty and they're not the lynchin' sort; vast majority of 'em would spit at anyone who suggested skin color was a good criteria for judging a person's worth.
Now, sadly, some few do think that's a fine, fine yardstick -- but then, so does the Honorable the Mister Andre Carson. Neither one excuses the other.
And I've got no use for either. Grow up, dammit, and start judging people on the content of their character, much as I have you on yours, at least as demonstrated to date.
(Perhaps the saddest part of this mess is that Andre Carson is an immensely likeable man when he's not waving a bloody shirt; if he'd abjure race-baiting and concentrate on reality-based issues, he'd have much to commend him, even for a Democrat. But don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen).
________________________________________________
You wanna quote from a great orator? Try this one: "A man's rights rest in three boxes. The ballot box, jury box and the cartridge box. Let no man be kept from the ballot box because of his color. Let no woman be kept from the ballot box because of her sex." I'm not sure if that's the first use of the "boxes" formulation but it's one of the earliest. Who said it? Fredrick Douglass. Some darned big shoes there, for any speaker who follows him.
1. This comment led to a nice little Roseholme argument, with Tam pointing out that "the" Tea party is really a plural and that the movement was, at least originally, single-issue: TEA, Taxed Enough Already. She's right, though I maintain that many "Tea" organizations now find themselves flying the banner of social-conservative chat-show hosts. No matter which of us has the most accurate model of the current state of things, one fact remains: they're not a frikkin' mob of cross-burners, no matter how much the CBC would like for them to be.
Water: Still Wet
And you'll be shocked -- shocked, I say -- to learn Our Government may have invoked National Security to hide, not secret stuff, but embarrassing incidents. Oh, and occasionally things that actually ought to be kept secret, if Wikileaks hasn't already leaked 'em (or, bizarrely enough, sometimes even if sneaks or even dear ol' Uncle Sam already published the info. Don't forget your kaleidoscope glasses!)
Victorian Breakfast
I made kedgeree this morning, a bit of Anglo-Indian brekky right out of Sherlock Holmes. Rice, hard-boiled egg, tomato, and fish. Really should have a little onion, which I lacked; but I cheated with chives instead.
Pretty good, though I used smoked salmon and it's plenty strong. Seasoning? Some curry for the rice, plus freeze-dried chives; a pat of butter and a shake of sumac (instead of a lemon wedge) before serving; at table, another Anglo-Indian* standard, Worcestershire sauce.
Next time, more egg and less tomato, I think.
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* Or fill-in-the-blank-Indian: take vindaloo, for instance. That fine, subcontinental-sounding term comes from the Portuguese phrase for garlic wine.
Pretty good, though I used smoked salmon and it's plenty strong. Seasoning? Some curry for the rice, plus freeze-dried chives; a pat of butter and a shake of sumac (instead of a lemon wedge) before serving; at table, another Anglo-Indian* standard, Worcestershire sauce.
Next time, more egg and less tomato, I think.
___________________________________
* Or fill-in-the-blank-Indian: take vindaloo, for instance. That fine, subcontinental-sounding term comes from the Portuguese phrase for garlic wine.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Scout26
We call him "Dave," 'cos that's his name, and he was one of the rarely-seen luminaries gracing the most recent Indy BlogMeet. It seems his docs have decided he's a quart low or a quart over or some such medical thing, and they've got him back in the hospital, where they can keep an eye on him 'til he does better.
Since we can't all crowd in and help watch (it annoys the nurses, especially after the first dozen), you might want to spare him a thought or a prayer, instead.
Since we can't all crowd in and help watch (it annoys the nurses, especially after the first dozen), you might want to spare him a thought or a prayer, instead.
Stencil-Cutting
Here's why I didn't even think about automating it:
All I found of the font were old samples! --Blowing it up and hand-smoothing (most of the divots are trimmed out of the stencil proper, btw, this is just the scrap) makes it almost "original work," right? Right?
...Aw, I sure hope that font didn't get sold to Righthaven....
All I found of the font were old samples! --Blowing it up and hand-smoothing (most of the divots are trimmed out of the stencil proper, btw, this is just the scrap) makes it almost "original work," right? Right?
...Aw, I sure hope that font didn't get sold to Righthaven....
Arrgh!
Oh, f'pity's sake...!
I stumbled into a multi-way argument in which one of the participants managed to conflate gun rights, his own personal religious beliefs and the huge argument over same-sex marriage.
Given that you can, with remarkably little effort, find plenty of people who confound the easy Left/Right alignments on those issues, pro or con on each of all three in every possible combination, just how darn hard would it be to admit that some issues cannot be resolved -- and resolve therefore when it comes to law to mind one's own business about 'em, leaving the tincture of time to muddle through the mess?
Rick Perry cannot, having recently signed on with the national ban people -- no, not the Brady bunch, the Fed'ral wedlock limitation -- and so he doesn't appear to trust the States individually, nor The People one-by-one. He wants the Feds to step in and instruct us ignernt masses. (Soooooo, what'll they do with all those same-sex married couples in New England and Iowa? Ship 'em to Leavenworth as Federal criminals? Just raise their insurance rates and estate taxes? Pretend they never happened? Too late!).
This action tells me something about candidate Perry, and not what you think. Sure, he may be a bit bigoted -- but pick your issue and you can find one anybody holds a strong opinion about; if a pol is upfront about his biases, I can weigh 'em against his other qualities. Sure, he may be an opportunist, a bit of a weathervane -- now name a politician that isn't; but some of 'em at least look to the law and Constitution to check if it's an ill wind or fair. Nope, not that; it tells me something more subtle, more fundamental: it tells me he won't leave well enough alone.
And for somebody asking for my vote to put him in as the el Supremo Cigarro of a Federal Republic of fifty grotty little experiments in democracy,* that's a career-limiting flaw. Hey, Rick? Just like your peer Barry O and all his predecessors, work on the whole knowing when to sit down and shut up thing. If more Presidents could master that art, we'd all be better off!
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* Sadly, most of them aren't little enough, or, really, grotty enough, and they keep getting less experimental and not especially democratic nor respectin' of inalienable rights. Look, if they're not tryin' stuff in NH or VT, in ND or AK, how're the rest of us spozed to tell if it's worth tryin' where we live? --And vice versa, of course.
I stumbled into a multi-way argument in which one of the participants managed to conflate gun rights, his own personal religious beliefs and the huge argument over same-sex marriage.
Given that you can, with remarkably little effort, find plenty of people who confound the easy Left/Right alignments on those issues, pro or con on each of all three in every possible combination, just how darn hard would it be to admit that some issues cannot be resolved -- and resolve therefore when it comes to law to mind one's own business about 'em, leaving the tincture of time to muddle through the mess?
Rick Perry cannot, having recently signed on with the national ban people -- no, not the Brady bunch, the Fed'ral wedlock limitation -- and so he doesn't appear to trust the States individually, nor The People one-by-one. He wants the Feds to step in and instruct us ignernt masses. (Soooooo, what'll they do with all those same-sex married couples in New England and Iowa? Ship 'em to Leavenworth as Federal criminals? Just raise their insurance rates and estate taxes? Pretend they never happened? Too late!).
This action tells me something about candidate Perry, and not what you think. Sure, he may be a bit bigoted -- but pick your issue and you can find one anybody holds a strong opinion about; if a pol is upfront about his biases, I can weigh 'em against his other qualities. Sure, he may be an opportunist, a bit of a weathervane -- now name a politician that isn't; but some of 'em at least look to the law and Constitution to check if it's an ill wind or fair. Nope, not that; it tells me something more subtle, more fundamental: it tells me he won't leave well enough alone.
And for somebody asking for my vote to put him in as the el Supremo Cigarro of a Federal Republic of fifty grotty little experiments in democracy,* that's a career-limiting flaw. Hey, Rick? Just like your peer Barry O and all his predecessors, work on the whole knowing when to sit down and shut up thing. If more Presidents could master that art, we'd all be better off!
_____________________________________
* Sadly, most of them aren't little enough, or, really, grotty enough, and they keep getting less experimental and not especially democratic nor respectin' of inalienable rights. Look, if they're not tryin' stuff in NH or VT, in ND or AK, how're the rest of us spozed to tell if it's worth tryin' where we live? --And vice versa, of course.
Monday, August 29, 2011
I'm Cutting A Stencil
...A middlin' big stencil, as such things go for me, for Roseholme Cottage's street number. The font is about right for a 1924 Arts & Crafts cottage, a bit old-fashioned for '24. I'm not all that great at it and there's one repeated number, soooo-- Wish me luck?
BlogMeet Report, A/K/A Is It "Shortly" Yet?
My "nap" turned into "slept like a log all night," at least until Rannie the Cat started combing my hair over my eyes at about 5:55 a.m. The alarm went off five minutes later, waking me from a strange dream about unwanted hairstyling.
So, you wanna blogmeet report?
We have the info on-hand!
In attendance:
Don Gwinn
Longhorn Jeff (of the Wheelbarrows Fulla Money)
Brigid
Mr. B
Midwest Chick
Rich
Roberta (who dat?)
Tam
Old NFO
Dave (Scout26).
Og, and Partner-In-Grime
Peter of Bayou Renaissance Man
and his lovely wife Miss D.
Shermlock Shomes and the talented Mrs. Shomes
The Jack
Old Grouch
Mad Saint Jack
Kerry
My snapshots do not begin to do the event justice!
So, you wanna blogmeet report?
We have the info on-hand!
In attendance:
Don Gwinn
Longhorn Jeff (of the Wheelbarrows Fulla Money)
Brigid
Mr. B
Midwest Chick
Rich
Roberta (who dat?)
Tam
Old NFO
Dave (Scout26).
Og, and Partner-In-Grime
Peter of Bayou Renaissance Man
and his lovely wife Miss D.
Shermlock Shomes and the talented Mrs. Shomes
The Jack
Old Grouch
Mad Saint Jack
Kerry
My snapshots do not begin to do the event justice!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
...Wotta BlogMeet Today!
Right around twenty (20!) bloggers, spouses and blog-reader in attendance! At least five states represented! Good food! WTMI and the world of "of course" from Og!* Tasty snackies courtesy of Brigid! Tall tales, gossip, innuendo and exuendo galore! Plus True Stories From The Gun Show!
I have photos, I have a list -- and I have a Colt revolver in .32-20. (Why that last item? Why not? My wheelgun wishlist has read, "Colt or Webley" for quite awhile now. With a Smith & Wesson collector occupying the attic, I dassen't look Smithwards, after all.)
All will be posted shortly. Need a bit of a lie-down first.
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* E.g., "...so he stumbles back outside. By then, the raccoon was on fire, of course." Or, "Then there's another 'Boom!' and suddenly, it's snowing again. Of course, this was in Indiana in July...." They make perfect sense in context but a sentence like that, when it skips across one's ears, it tends to fix the attention.
I have photos, I have a list -- and I have a Colt revolver in .32-20. (Why that last item? Why not? My wheelgun wishlist has read, "Colt or Webley" for quite awhile now. With a Smith & Wesson collector occupying the attic, I dassen't look Smithwards, after all.)
All will be posted shortly. Need a bit of a lie-down first.
________________________
* E.g., "...so he stumbles back outside. By then, the raccoon was on fire, of course." Or, "Then there's another 'Boom!' and suddenly, it's snowing again. Of course, this was in Indiana in July...." They make perfect sense in context but a sentence like that, when it skips across one's ears, it tends to fix the attention.
BlogMeet Today!
Remember, Indy BlogMeet, 3:00 this afternoon at Broad Ripple Brew Pub. If you're working the show, not to worry, stop on by after its over.
...The show? The Indy 1500 Gun Show! Tam and I will head out for opening time.
And between then and now, there's a building getting blown up. You could ask for more, but you wouldn't get it.Live screaming video here starting at 7:45 a.m. EDT, they claim. It was -- now you can watch the replay.
...The show? The Indy 1500 Gun Show! Tam and I will head out for opening time.
And between then and now, there's a building getting blown up. You could ask for more, but you wouldn't get it.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Saturday Dinner
Haunted by a migraine (etc.) all day, it finally wore off -- ibuprofen didn't cut it -- and I was pretty hungry when it turned supper time. Tam was amenable to steaks a la Bobbi: grilled over hardwood charcoal with a dab of Irish butter -- plus skin-on mashed tatties and a nice herb salad with radish, carrot and green pepper.
It turned out goooood. I threw a teaspoon of curry powder in the potato water, to see what would happen. The water's discarded but a hint of the flavor remained. Didn't have any fresh milk handy but powdered milk (and some of that butter) worked a treat. The steak came out melt-in-your mouth (it's the charcoal, the covered grill and the butter, plus a dash of sumac. Helps to start with very good beef, which we did.). The salad was good, too.
And there will be mashed-potato cakes for brekky tomorrow!
Trivia: There is no frog -- not even a hint of it! -- in Frogmore Stew. What a relief.
It turned out goooood. I threw a teaspoon of curry powder in the potato water, to see what would happen. The water's discarded but a hint of the flavor remained. Didn't have any fresh milk handy but powdered milk (and some of that butter) worked a treat. The steak came out melt-in-your mouth (it's the charcoal, the covered grill and the butter, plus a dash of sumac. Helps to start with very good beef, which we did.). The salad was good, too.
And there will be mashed-potato cakes for brekky tomorrow!
Trivia: There is no frog -- not even a hint of it! -- in Frogmore Stew. What a relief.
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