I'm going to be ballsy, kids:
I think it's going to be Santorum, I really do. I think he's gone to ground, doing the 99 county thing and engaging in the statewide retail politics that tends to go over really really well in Iowa. There are signs emerging in the polls that there's a surge for Santorum lurking out there and I think his 99 county thing is going to pay off.
(On a personal note: I find Santorum utterly detestable. If the Republicans are stupid enough to hand him the nomination, I will run (not walk, run) over broken glass, hot lava and beds of rusty nails to cast another vote for President Obama. And I'll encourage all my friends to do the same- not that I think they'll need the motivation. Ditto if for some god-awful reason they decide to give it to Michelle Bachmann as well.)
Behind Santorum, I think comes Ron Paul. He's got the organization and the enthusiastic supporters but I think he hits a peak in New Hampshire- maybe Nevada and doesn't make much noise after that. No doubt, he's a principled guy and I think the Republicans if they really wanted to put a clear cut choice in front of the country would be wise to take a good long look at him- but as always, the problem with Libertarians is that they sound great on paper, but once you apply it to the Real World, you realize that only about 20% of it would actually work there.
The battle for 3rd Place should be interesting, but I'll give it to Romney, because that's where the money is. A 4th Place finish for Gingrich means that the pressure is on in a big way for Iowa and New Hampshire and hopefully after Iowa, Bachmann, Perry and Huntsman will take a bow a be along their merry way. (Shed a tear too, for Fred Karger and Gary Johnson- who will undoubtedly also fade fast into oblivion.)
Now the real question is, if Santorum wins, will it give him traction to actually compete? Mike Huckabee, as all the world knows was the darling of the Iowa Evangelical Voter in 2008 and faded quickly. I doubt Santorum will play well in New Hampshire, but he could hang on in New Hampshire to really try and make some noise in South Carolina. In the end, however, I think a Romeny v Santorum battle comes down to electability and given the fact that Santorum was tossed out on his ass by the good people of Pennsylvania in 2006, I don't think it's an argument he's going to win.
So that's my ballsy prediction- an equally ballsy prediction and one that's far more likely to take place is the following:
1. Paul
2. Romney
3. Gingrich
4. Santorum
5. Bachmann
6. Perry
Keep in mind that I do think Santorum could finish as high as 3rd and Romney or Gingrich could easily bump Paul down to 3rd as well- but Gingrich has been dropping and if there's one thing that pays off more than good old fashioned retail politics in Iowa, it's organization- especially for caucuses. But while I stand by my first prediction (tots going to happen, peeps, I know it...) it wouldn't surprise me to be wrong and have things fall into place more along the lines of my second prediction.
Either way, it should be interesting. (Yay for PoliSci Geek Moment!!!)
(You know, a thought just occured to me: I wanted to actually try and participate in the Caucuses this year, but can't really stomach changing my party affiliation. Mayhap the Hamburg Inn is still doing their Coffee Bean Caucus? If so, I might have to break my fast there one fine morning this week and cast a bean for someone. Probably Gary Johnson just to give him some love, as my 2008 Bean went for Mike Gravel on the Democratic Side. Would that satisfy my bucket list requirement? I think it might... no point changing party affiliation unless there's someone I actually want to vote for. So far, the Republicans have failed to impress...)
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
(Oregon) Ducks Fly Together
No seriously: this time, they've got wings. (Which presumably won't be worn while playing- I mean, you could put an eye out with them things.)
No More Mix 96.5
Yep, they've gone country.
I can't say this causes me any serious pain- but I can sympathize. One of the more cringeworthy, W-T-F moments of my young life was when Q103 home of Open House Party and some show with Rick Deez that also rocked my face off on my junior high weekends also briefly went country. They're now happily z102.9 again but the old magic just isn't quite the same anymore. The Top 8 At 8 used to be hard- it used to be ALL 8 SONGS IN 30 SECONDS or something like that- none of this 'take as much time as you need crap' and if you got one even just a little bit wrong, tough titties. Now it's like the Top 5 At 9 or something like that. Just weird. And Open House Party? No idea where to listen to it now...
So, fans of Mix 96.5: I feel your pain.
However, to be totally honest, I never really clicked into your station back in the day really. It seemed to play a lot of late 80s stuff which I didn't dig all that much at the time- and more softer contemporary rock. I remember listening to that old chestnut: 'In The House Of Stone And Light' (remember that song? Anyone? Remember who sang it?) on Mix 96.5 and digging it for about a minute or so before it just got all weird and new agey and I stopped caring about it. (Though interestingly: I was reading 'The Dragon Reborn' by Robert Jordan at the time and there was lots of vivid imagery of the Stone of Tear as a fortress of stone and light... so it made sense in a weird way to me. Even though that damn Wheel of Time Series still hasn't finished yet.)
But, alas, another fortress of my youth wanders off into the mists of history. Yea, verily we will mourn the loss of Mix 96.5 and think of it fondly from time to time. In the meantime, KISS COUNTRY is here to stay, y'all...
I can't say this causes me any serious pain- but I can sympathize. One of the more cringeworthy, W-T-F moments of my young life was when Q103 home of Open House Party and some show with Rick Deez that also rocked my face off on my junior high weekends also briefly went country. They're now happily z102.9 again but the old magic just isn't quite the same anymore. The Top 8 At 8 used to be hard- it used to be ALL 8 SONGS IN 30 SECONDS or something like that- none of this 'take as much time as you need crap' and if you got one even just a little bit wrong, tough titties. Now it's like the Top 5 At 9 or something like that. Just weird. And Open House Party? No idea where to listen to it now...
So, fans of Mix 96.5: I feel your pain.
However, to be totally honest, I never really clicked into your station back in the day really. It seemed to play a lot of late 80s stuff which I didn't dig all that much at the time- and more softer contemporary rock. I remember listening to that old chestnut: 'In The House Of Stone And Light' (remember that song? Anyone? Remember who sang it?) on Mix 96.5 and digging it for about a minute or so before it just got all weird and new agey and I stopped caring about it. (Though interestingly: I was reading 'The Dragon Reborn' by Robert Jordan at the time and there was lots of vivid imagery of the Stone of Tear as a fortress of stone and light... so it made sense in a weird way to me. Even though that damn Wheel of Time Series still hasn't finished yet.)
But, alas, another fortress of my youth wanders off into the mists of history. Yea, verily we will mourn the loss of Mix 96.5 and think of it fondly from time to time. In the meantime, KISS COUNTRY is here to stay, y'all...
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Epic Win
This is what an Epic Hotwire Win looks like at 9:04 in the morning... the Missus did her thing, worked her magic and got us in at the Raddison with the Waterpark attached to it right near MOA for about $60 a night. It's very nice. And very very relaxing thus far...
(BTW: What a brilliant concept indoor water parks are. I'm not really a roller coaster guy but I love water parks! The downside to my love for water parks is that I usually am having so much fun I forget to reapply sunscreen and end up with a nasty burn. Indoor water parks negate that irritating problem and as it's December in Minnesota and I'm on my balcony in a veritable sauna of warmth from the heated pools below me I have to say, I'm digging it. Had my parents known of such a place when the sibs and I were younger, I'm willing to bet they would have plonked down the money to keep us here for a day- because if it's indoors, I could really and truly stay all day- for the lazy river alone.)
Monday, December 19, 2011
Food Adventures #3: Cheesy Bacon Ranch Pull-A-Parts and Vodka Gummy Worms
Basically, do the following: get a loaf of bread. Cut it in every direction- but don't go through the bottom crust. Stuff cheese and bacon bits into the cracks. Pour a delightful mixture of butter and ranch dressing mix over the whole loaf, wrap in foil and cook for 15 minutes or so. Unwrap it and cook for 10 more and bam, you've got the supposed 'crack bread.'
And it was delicious. But maybe it was the bread or maybe it was the cooking time or maybe it was the cheese- but I was curiously underwhelmed. I might, at some point in the future take another run at these things, but for now the verdict is 'good' but not 'crack bread.'
In Memoriam: Hitchens, Évora, Havel and Jong-Il
Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011) died late last week- obituaries and memories of this combative, fierce atheist are all over the internet and I have to say, whether I agreed with him or not (sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't) he was a fantastic writer who was a genuine public intellectual- the probable last of a dying breed. One of these days I'll have to snag a copy of his writings or his memoirs just to have- he's well worth reading.
I was also sad to learn this morning that Cesária Évora (1941-2011), the extraordinary Caboverdian singer had died at the age of 70. Called the 'Barefoot Diva' since she performed barefoot in solidarity with the poor of her native Cape Verde, her voice was soulful and bittersweet as she explored the Portuguese style of fado and the mournful morna throughout her career. (I've got a thing for distinct voices- Tom Waits, Norah Jones, etc- Cesária Évora was right up there with the best of them.)
One of the true champions of human freedom died yesterday: former President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel (1936-2011) died at the age of 75. A dissident and a playwright whose words and commitment to non-violence proved pivotal in the fight against communism, he lead first a free Czechoslovakia and then the Czech Republic after the fall of Communism- this quotation was one I always found to be extremely inspiring:
Then, of course, there was the one that dominating all the headlines. Kim Jong-Il (1941/2-2011)*, Leader of North Korea has died at the age of 69. A horrible Stalinist throwback, he's kept North Korea isolated, poor and starving while maintaining a million man army for God knows what crazy reasons that were rolling around in his head. You know the James Bond villains with the super-weapons that you knew couldn't possibly be realistic in any way, shape or form? Yeah, what made Kim scary was that you thought that he might be crazy enough to make such a weapon- and use it. (Which is also what made the North Koreans such brilliant Bond villains in 'Die Another Day.') He's been succeeded by his son Kim Jong-Un, who has been dubbed 'The Great Successor' and already people are wondering if a collapse and reunification could be just around the corner. I would say it's getting closer- but it's not there yet. The true player in all of this is China. They don't want a united Korea on their border- such a Korea would be an economic competitor and a potential challenger for regional hegemony and happily, China controls North Korea's light switches. So no one's going to war with Beijing's say so- and with China's help North Korea would collapse in a big hurry. So I'm not betting on collapse and reunification anytime soon. However: Kim Jong-Un is pretty young and there are, reportedly, factions with the military that are probably fighting for power behind the scenes. If he loses control of some of the military- all bets might be off. So stay tuned.
*No, his year of birth isn't a typo. I'm guessing it's 1941, but wikipedia (the font of all knowledge) has this to say on the matter:
Anyway, take from that what you will...
I was also sad to learn this morning that Cesária Évora (1941-2011), the extraordinary Caboverdian singer had died at the age of 70. Called the 'Barefoot Diva' since she performed barefoot in solidarity with the poor of her native Cape Verde, her voice was soulful and bittersweet as she explored the Portuguese style of fado and the mournful morna throughout her career. (I've got a thing for distinct voices- Tom Waits, Norah Jones, etc- Cesária Évora was right up there with the best of them.)
One of the true champions of human freedom died yesterday: former President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Havel (1936-2011) died at the age of 75. A dissident and a playwright whose words and commitment to non-violence proved pivotal in the fight against communism, he lead first a free Czechoslovakia and then the Czech Republic after the fall of Communism- this quotation was one I always found to be extremely inspiring:
"Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good"There was a generation of leaders and intellectuals that emerged in the wake of the Cold War that genuinely thought that the potential freedom that capitalism- true capitalism not that politician tainted, crony capitalism we currently have here in America- would be truly transformative for humanity. They weren't just committed to economic freedom in and of itself though- these were true democrats, believing in human rights and political freedom to go shoulder to shoulder with the economic freedom. In that sense, Havel belongs to a generation that cannot be claimed by any ideology or political party- he was one of the true freedom fighters.
Then, of course, there was the one that dominating all the headlines. Kim Jong-Il (1941/2-2011)*, Leader of North Korea has died at the age of 69. A horrible Stalinist throwback, he's kept North Korea isolated, poor and starving while maintaining a million man army for God knows what crazy reasons that were rolling around in his head. You know the James Bond villains with the super-weapons that you knew couldn't possibly be realistic in any way, shape or form? Yeah, what made Kim scary was that you thought that he might be crazy enough to make such a weapon- and use it. (Which is also what made the North Koreans such brilliant Bond villains in 'Die Another Day.') He's been succeeded by his son Kim Jong-Un, who has been dubbed 'The Great Successor' and already people are wondering if a collapse and reunification could be just around the corner. I would say it's getting closer- but it's not there yet. The true player in all of this is China. They don't want a united Korea on their border- such a Korea would be an economic competitor and a potential challenger for regional hegemony and happily, China controls North Korea's light switches. So no one's going to war with Beijing's say so- and with China's help North Korea would collapse in a big hurry. So I'm not betting on collapse and reunification anytime soon. However: Kim Jong-Un is pretty young and there are, reportedly, factions with the military that are probably fighting for power behind the scenes. If he loses control of some of the military- all bets might be off. So stay tuned.
*No, his year of birth isn't a typo. I'm guessing it's 1941, but wikipedia (the font of all knowledge) has this to say on the matter:
Details surrounding Kim Jong-il's birth vary according to source. Soviet records show that he was born in the village of Vyatskoye, near Khabarovsk, in 1941, where his father, Kim Il-sung, commanded the 1st Battalion of the Soviet 88th Brigade, made up of Chinese and Korean exiles. Kim Jong-il's mother, Kim Jong-suk, was Kim Il-sung's first wife.
Kim Jong-il's official biography states that he was born in a secret military camp on Baekdu Mountain in Japanese Korea on 16 February 1942. Official biographers claim that his birth at Baekdu Mountain was foretold by a swallow, and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow over the mountain and a new star in the heavens.
Anyway, take from that what you will...
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Food Adventures #2: Regular Cheeseburgers, Coconut Rum Cupcakes
A quick mixture of onion salt and chili powder were applied and away we went on the George Foreman. The seasoning glazed nicely on the burger giving it a little bit of crunch which I liked. I also went all out with the cheese- getting some sharp Cheddar from the New Pi out in Coralville (it was made with Raw Milk so I was interested in seeing what, if any difference you would see in taste) and added a tomato slice and a slice of red onion (the flavors are sharper, I noticed immediately) to complete what I genuinely feel was a really, really good burger.
I'm not sure when cupcakes became some hip and trendy in the food world but consider me a convert. If I'm going to make cupcakes I want them to knock the socks clean off of people.
30 for 30: Six Months In
As you can see, this is a list that I'm actually trying to stick too, 6 months later. Several of these are in progress, so, one year in, six months from now I'm hoping the number I have crossed off seems a little more impressive. I've altered a couple of goals as well. For reasons passing understanding, I seemed to have it in my head that attending the Brainerd Ice Fishing Extravaganza was a worthy goal. No longer. It's been replaced by Trekfast. Ditto my somewhat apropos of nothing desire to apparently read 'Ulysses' by James Joyce. That's been replaced with some good old-fashioned political theory/philosophy to keep my political science skills up to snuff...
1. Finish My Novel
2. Get Another Tattoo
3. Publish My Novel (conventionally would be preferred, but I might be open to Kindle.)
4. Get Something Pierced Again... (I'm thinking labret. Thoughts anyone?)
5. Get Contacts Again (Eye appointment on Monday! Hopefully this will be done SOON.)
6. Go Skydiving
7. Go to a Twins Game
8. Road Trip It To Winnipeg for either a Jets or Blue Bombers Game...
9. Visit All 50 States (or failing all 50, get to the lower 48 at least.)
10. Lose 30 to 40 pounds... (whatever gets me back down to the 190-200 range- and maintain it!)
11. Train for a Triathalon. I know that seems totally nuts, but I love cycling, I can run and I could learn how to swim better.
12. Attend Trekfest! (Something I've never done, despite being a fan of Star Trek!)
13. Go to a Music Festival... (either 80/35 or Lollapalooza? Farm Aid?)
14. Attend the Iowa Caucuses. (I've never actually done this. I did it in Minnesota, but not Iowa.)
15. Bone Up On My Political Theory! (Hayek, Guerin, De Soto, Gramsci!)
16. Read something by Faulkner- and understand it.
17. Re-read The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby- and try and appreciate them.
18. Watch, understand and appreciate a rugby game, a cricket game and an Aussie rules football game.
19. Attend a Premier League game... (this would involve going back to the UK. Excellent!)
20. Attend a Major League Soccer game.
21. Attend a Civil War Re-Enactment/Commemorations of the 150th Anniversary of the War
22. Expand our backyard patio, put in a pergola and a fire pit
23. Finish off our bathroom, re-floor and repaint our master bedroom
24. Go back to Europe- Spain, Portugal, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Greece and Cyprus are all on my wish list.
25. Become a father- I know this is dependent on any number of factors beyond my control, but I think trying should be a lot of fun... ;-)
26. Learn How To Make Bread from Scratch
27. Become a good amateur bartender
28. I'd like to take my wife on a real honeymoon
29. Improve my foreign language skills
30. I'd like to save up and get a subscription to The Economist. Probably the best news magazine out there.
BONUS: Finally went to the Lion's Den- any Iowa kid who's traversed the state on Interstate 80 will undoubtedly remember the signs near Baxter, Iowa for a gigantic ADULT SUPERSTORE. I must have driven past that place a million times and finally, at the ripe old age of 28, the Missus and I stopped to check it out. It's pretty much what you would expect out of a gigantic ADULT SUPERSTORE.
1. Finish My Novel
2. Get Another Tattoo
3. Publish My Novel (conventionally would be preferred, but I might be open to Kindle.)
4. Get Something Pierced Again... (I'm thinking labret. Thoughts anyone?)
6. Go Skydiving
7. Go to a Twins Game
8. Road Trip It To Winnipeg for either a Jets or Blue Bombers Game...
9. Visit All 50 States (or failing all 50, get to the lower 48 at least.)
10. Lose 30 to 40 pounds... (whatever gets me back down to the 190-200 range- and maintain it!)
11. Train for a Triathalon. I know that seems totally nuts, but I love cycling, I can run and I could learn how to swim better.
12. Attend Trekfest! (Something I've never done, despite being a fan of Star Trek!)
13. Go to a Music Festival... (either 80/35 or Lollapalooza? Farm Aid?)
14. Attend the Iowa Caucuses. (I've never actually done this. I did it in Minnesota, but not Iowa.)
15. Bone Up On My Political Theory! (Hayek, Guerin, De Soto, Gramsci!)
18. Watch, understand and appreciate a rugby game, a cricket game and an Aussie rules football game.
19. Attend a Premier League game... (this would involve going back to the UK. Excellent!)
20. Attend a Major League Soccer game.
21. Attend a Civil War Re-Enactment/Commemorations of the 150th Anniversary of the War
22. Expand our backyard patio, put in a pergola and a fire pit
23. Finish off our bathroom, re-floor and repaint our master bedroom
24. Go back to Europe- Spain, Portugal, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Greece and Cyprus are all on my wish list.
25. Become a father- I know this is dependent on any number of factors beyond my control, but I think trying should be a lot of fun... ;-)
26. Learn How To Make Bread from Scratch
27. Become a good amateur bartender
28. I'd like to take my wife on a real honeymoon
29. Improve my foreign language skills
30. I'd like to save up and get a subscription to The Economist. Probably the best news magazine out there.
BONUS: Finally went to the Lion's Den- any Iowa kid who's traversed the state on Interstate 80 will undoubtedly remember the signs near Baxter, Iowa for a gigantic ADULT SUPERSTORE. I must have driven past that place a million times and finally, at the ripe old age of 28, the Missus and I stopped to check it out. It's pretty much what you would expect out of a gigantic ADULT SUPERSTORE.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Greetings From Flyover Country
The Des Moines Register was all abuzz over some article Stephen Bloom wrote for the Atlantic Magazine entitled 'Observations from 20 Years of Iowa Life.' It's currently provoking a firestorm on the internet and, being curious, I found a link, went to the article and read it to form my own opinion.
For the record, Bloom's being slapped for:
and...
In general, I didn't find the article all the surprising. The Atlantic seems to be called The Atlantic for a reason: it's aimed at the snotty East Coast intelligentsia, the limousine liberals and a general audience that undoubtedly thinks that Iowa is where the potatoes come from. You can't fault for the man for aiming at article square at an audience that's going to eat it up like fresh warm quinoa- and apparently it worked.
But for the rest of us, well, shit. First of all, I think there should be a rule issued to all members of the bi-coastal media elites. Anytime a Professor at the University of Iowa offers to write you an article dissecting what Iowa's really all about, just tell them no. Just turn them down flat and say 'thanks, but no thanks.' Iowa City is a horrible vantage point to draw conclusions about the way this state actually works. I grew up here and it's like living in a fishbowl. If it wasn't for Marian Coleman and her overeager war on Halloween in the early 90s (all in the name of being political correct, of course) I probably would have happily eaten up all the liberal bullshit that Iowa City has to offer and would probably be a happy granola eating supporter of President Obama (and a diehard Democrat) as a result. But Marian Coleman declared war on Halloween and it just seemed so fucking stupid to me (especially as I went to the Catholic school in town- that did celebrate Halloween. Except for the few Catholic diehards that thought it was Satan's Pagan Sex Orgy Day and made their kids read novels by Morris West and meditate on mysteries of the Rosary) that I started to wonder just what the hell liberalism had to offer, cast my first, entirely fake vote in the 1992 Kids Vote Election for H. Ross Perot and have been a die-hard independent ever since.
But my original point stands: you can't understand Iowa if you live in Iowa City. I'm not entirely sure I understand Iowa- and ironically, it took three years in Minnesota to let me wrap my head around just what exactly the Midwest was about. And I've decided it's about beer and karaoke on Saturday night. Is Professor Bloom right? Do people cling to guns and religion here? Meh. Define 'cling' and we can talk. People believe in God in Iowa- not just the Christian variety: Cedar Rapids (who dared to print on Easter Sunday HE IS RISEN on the front page of the Gazette 20 years ago when Bloom first arrived in our fair state) is the home of the Mother Mosque- the first Mosque west of the Mississippi. There's a pretty big Shriners shrine near Altoona in Des Moines and there's synagogues here and there as well. There's more variety, religiously speaking than Bloom would have you believe.
Plus, while I think it's safe to say religion is important to a lot of people here in Iowa, I'd hardly say it's a defining characteristic- no matter where you come from. And guns? Seriously- people hunt. People hunt everywhere. It's not that big of a deal unless you live in New York City and have never seen a deer and think that killing animals to eat is some kind of moral plague that must be opposed. For cryin' out loud, when faced with an overabundance of deer right here in Iowa City and faced with the choice of birth control or sharpshooters, uber-liberal, progressive, neo-socialist Iowa City went with the sharpshooters. (Because, I suspect they discovered it's damn hard to get Bambi to put a condom on.) Guns and hunting are only a big deal if you want them to be. If you think they're a sign of diminished intelligence or potential Republican voters or people who have the irrational audacity to believe in a higher power of some kind. How dare they! Don't they know the readers of The Atlantic are concerned for their well-being?
I've never been to Keokuk so I can't speak for that fair metropolis but I'll admit that Davenport might not be the most attractive city I've ever seen but here's the kicker: I've never been there. I've driven through it- but I don't know what goes down there. I don't know what the cool hangout spots are. They've got a kick-ass Art Museum there, I know that- but I'm not going to judge based on a ten minute drive through any given place. That'd be unfair. I used to think the only thing worth doing in the Twin Cities was the Mall of America. Then I lived in Minnesota and actually looked around them a little bit and wanted to reach back in time and smack my younger self upside the head for being such a dumbass.
Is Bloom wrong? Not entirely. I mean, there are some stereotypes that hold true about rural Iowa and indeed about Iowa in general- but what irritates me is that this bullshit is the kind of thing that contributes to Iowa's ongoing brain drain. There's a lot of hip, cool shit here in Iowa that should appeal to 20-somethings looking to settle down and start a life. Would it be so hard to spare a sentence out of his 9,000 words to lend a little balance? To be honest, I grew up here and I left because I thought it was a good idea at the time. But as soon as I was gone, I missed it. I missed the crappy bacon cheeseburgers they used to serve at the IMU foodcourt. I missed College Street Billiards and got misty eyed when the pep band marched in one of my first weekends back and struck up the Iowa fight song. I'll let you in on a dirty little secret: I've lived in Minnesota and Iowa and I can't picture myself living anywhere else. Upper Midwest for the win, baby!
Where Bloom really pisses me off is with this:
Thanks a bunch, Professor.
(Another good retort is to be found here.)
For the record, Bloom's being slapped for:
"...Keokuk, is a depressed, crime-infested slum town. Almost every other Mississippi river town is the same; they're some of the skuzziest cities I've ever been to, and that's saying something."
and...
"Those who stay in rural Iowa are often the elderly waiting to die, those too timid (or lacking in educated) to peer around the bend for better opportunities, an assortment of waste-toids and meth addicts with pale skin and rotted teeth, or those who quixotically believe, like Little Orphan Annie, that ‘The sun’ll come out tomorrow.’"
In general, I didn't find the article all the surprising. The Atlantic seems to be called The Atlantic for a reason: it's aimed at the snotty East Coast intelligentsia, the limousine liberals and a general audience that undoubtedly thinks that Iowa is where the potatoes come from. You can't fault for the man for aiming at article square at an audience that's going to eat it up like fresh warm quinoa- and apparently it worked.
But for the rest of us, well, shit. First of all, I think there should be a rule issued to all members of the bi-coastal media elites. Anytime a Professor at the University of Iowa offers to write you an article dissecting what Iowa's really all about, just tell them no. Just turn them down flat and say 'thanks, but no thanks.' Iowa City is a horrible vantage point to draw conclusions about the way this state actually works. I grew up here and it's like living in a fishbowl. If it wasn't for Marian Coleman and her overeager war on Halloween in the early 90s (all in the name of being political correct, of course) I probably would have happily eaten up all the liberal bullshit that Iowa City has to offer and would probably be a happy granola eating supporter of President Obama (and a diehard Democrat) as a result. But Marian Coleman declared war on Halloween and it just seemed so fucking stupid to me (especially as I went to the Catholic school in town- that did celebrate Halloween. Except for the few Catholic diehards that thought it was Satan's Pagan Sex Orgy Day and made their kids read novels by Morris West and meditate on mysteries of the Rosary) that I started to wonder just what the hell liberalism had to offer, cast my first, entirely fake vote in the 1992 Kids Vote Election for H. Ross Perot and have been a die-hard independent ever since.
But my original point stands: you can't understand Iowa if you live in Iowa City. I'm not entirely sure I understand Iowa- and ironically, it took three years in Minnesota to let me wrap my head around just what exactly the Midwest was about. And I've decided it's about beer and karaoke on Saturday night. Is Professor Bloom right? Do people cling to guns and religion here? Meh. Define 'cling' and we can talk. People believe in God in Iowa- not just the Christian variety: Cedar Rapids (who dared to print on Easter Sunday HE IS RISEN on the front page of the Gazette 20 years ago when Bloom first arrived in our fair state) is the home of the Mother Mosque- the first Mosque west of the Mississippi. There's a pretty big Shriners shrine near Altoona in Des Moines and there's synagogues here and there as well. There's more variety, religiously speaking than Bloom would have you believe.
Plus, while I think it's safe to say religion is important to a lot of people here in Iowa, I'd hardly say it's a defining characteristic- no matter where you come from. And guns? Seriously- people hunt. People hunt everywhere. It's not that big of a deal unless you live in New York City and have never seen a deer and think that killing animals to eat is some kind of moral plague that must be opposed. For cryin' out loud, when faced with an overabundance of deer right here in Iowa City and faced with the choice of birth control or sharpshooters, uber-liberal, progressive, neo-socialist Iowa City went with the sharpshooters. (Because, I suspect they discovered it's damn hard to get Bambi to put a condom on.) Guns and hunting are only a big deal if you want them to be. If you think they're a sign of diminished intelligence or potential Republican voters or people who have the irrational audacity to believe in a higher power of some kind. How dare they! Don't they know the readers of The Atlantic are concerned for their well-being?
I've never been to Keokuk so I can't speak for that fair metropolis but I'll admit that Davenport might not be the most attractive city I've ever seen but here's the kicker: I've never been there. I've driven through it- but I don't know what goes down there. I don't know what the cool hangout spots are. They've got a kick-ass Art Museum there, I know that- but I'm not going to judge based on a ten minute drive through any given place. That'd be unfair. I used to think the only thing worth doing in the Twin Cities was the Mall of America. Then I lived in Minnesota and actually looked around them a little bit and wanted to reach back in time and smack my younger self upside the head for being such a dumbass.
Is Bloom wrong? Not entirely. I mean, there are some stereotypes that hold true about rural Iowa and indeed about Iowa in general- but what irritates me is that this bullshit is the kind of thing that contributes to Iowa's ongoing brain drain. There's a lot of hip, cool shit here in Iowa that should appeal to 20-somethings looking to settle down and start a life. Would it be so hard to spare a sentence out of his 9,000 words to lend a little balance? To be honest, I grew up here and I left because I thought it was a good idea at the time. But as soon as I was gone, I missed it. I missed the crappy bacon cheeseburgers they used to serve at the IMU foodcourt. I missed College Street Billiards and got misty eyed when the pep band marched in one of my first weekends back and struck up the Iowa fight song. I'll let you in on a dirty little secret: I've lived in Minnesota and Iowa and I can't picture myself living anywhere else. Upper Midwest for the win, baby!
Where Bloom really pisses me off is with this:
After years and years of in-your-face religion, I decided to give what has become an annual lecture, in which I urge my students not to bid strangers "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Easter," "Have you gotten all your Christmas shopping done?" or "Are you going to the Easter egg hunt?" Such well-wishes are not appropriate for everyone, I tell my charges gently. A cheery "Happy holidays!" will suffice. Small potatoes, I know, but did everyone have to proclaim their Christianity so loud and clear?Jesus. Are you fucking kidding me? At this very moment Fox News is guns blazing with it's Annual Bullshit about the War on Christmas and some fancy-panted credentialed member of the Liberal Academic Elite sounds off with an elitist rant about how backwards people are out here in the Boonies and then caps it off with the above quote? Somewhere Glenn Beck just got a raging hard-on. Somewhere Bill O'Reilly's Sharia-Communist-Liberal-Gay-Somebody Hates America Radar just went 'ping' and now my holiday season gets to hear about the bullshit War on Christmas for yet another year.
Maybe it wasn't such a good idea. One gutsy, red-in-the-face student told me in no uncertain terms that for the rest of her life, she would continue offering Merry Christmas and Happy Easter tidings to strangers, no matter what I, or anyone else, said, because, "That's just who I am and I'm not about to change. Ever!" Score one for sticking it to the ethnic interloper.
Thanks a bunch, Professor.
(Another good retort is to be found here.)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
The Townie Bar Challenge: The Vine (Coralville)
Tonight, The Quiet Man and I ventured out to The Vine in Coralville. If memory serves, President Clinton ate here prior to an appearance at Carver Hawkeye Arena sometime in 1998.
That's about the extent of it really. For sure, The Vine has the best wings in Johnson County. Period. No one else comes close- and I didn't even need to order some to remind myself of just how good they are. (The Quiet Man even agreed with me on that score- presumably a fond memory of his pre-vegetarian days.)
Yet, the Coralville edition of The Vine was curiously underwhelming. Maybe it was because it was a Sunday night and the place was empty except for a broken hearted Bears fan (Jesus is still Tebow's home skillet, y'all) at the bar and one, lone, Cowboys fanatic watching as the Cowboys battled back and forth with the Giants. (Which they lost 37-34- Bahahahahaha!) This was a game, by the way, that started with Tony Romo conceding a safety by falling on his ass in the endzone. It was kind of all downhill from there for the Cowboys. Sort of. Either way, the Cowboys lost and this makes me happy inside because there's just something about diehard fans of the Dallas Cowboys that kind of sets my teeth on edge sometimes. And if they're 'America's Team' then America needs help. Fast.
But The Quiet Man and I found a booth and I got a stein of the in-house Vine Ale. I wasn't really sure what kind of beer it was (and neither was The Quiet Man who, as he was driving settled for a pint). For all I know, it could have been Killian's Red- but whatever it was, it wasn't drowning in hops and it wasn't full of weird-ass flavors and it went down smoooooooooooth. So props for good wings and good in-house ale, Coralville Vine. But aside from that...
I'm sorry: the high ceilings just freaked me right out. They were freakin' high. Like high as in 'Mr. Architect, have you been smoking dope on the job?' high and gave the vague, beer soaked impression of cathedral ceilings. Cathedral ceilings with industrial ductwork painted forest green and more Iowa Hawkeye banners than you can shake a stick it. I honestly began to wonder if someone from this establishment had jimmied the door to Carver Hawkeye Arena during construction in the off season and knicked all the banners. Because that was the vibe I was getting. I felt like a very small individual in a very tall room. It was like they designed it with Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan in mind. (Yes, that's right. I dropped a Gheorge Muresan reference into this review. Bask in the awesomeness of it- or if you're too young to remember Muresan, check Wikipedia.) It made the entire place feel very, very un-intimate. And that bothered me.
Call me a purist, but I like LOW ceilings in bars. I think it grounds a watering hole a little bit and generally make a place feel more friendly and more comfortable. I don't want to feel like I'm drinking in Carver Hawkeye Arena. (Come on, Coralville Vine: these days most people LEAVE the arena and then go home and drink. Unless they're Women's Basketball or Wrestling fans.)
It was odd- but I give the Coralville Vine props- I did like their bar. Granted it was probably made in 1998 as the sign above grandly proclaimed but the fact is after the flood of 2008 for it to be here at all is pretty impressive- so mad props to them for that. And I do like the whole 'polished wood and mirrors' look when it comes to bars. Call me crazy, but that's what I dig.
The sum of the experience was The Quiet Man and recalling just how shitty the Coralville Strip used to look. Back in the day, you had to actually drive into real live parts of Johnson County for more than 2 minutes to get to North Liberty and the only reasons you had for coming to the Strip were the Coral Fruit Market, Coral IV Theaters or, of course, Shakey's (closed, as Father Cigar vouchsafed to us in the Familia Cigar repeatedly- because they were caught using dog food on their sausage pizza instead of you know, actual sausage. Though that's probably a load of crap. But if it was it had just enough truth to it to make you wonder.)
Overall: The high ceilings freaked me right out- but their in-house beer was good and they do have the Best Wings Around. However, I gotta say that I vastly prefer the Iowa City Edition of The Vine to it's Coralville counterpart- whether Bill Clinton ate here or not we've got to go with a solid ** out of **** which would give us a grade of C.
P.S. No, we didn't take pictures. Just wasn't worth it, really.
That's about the extent of it really. For sure, The Vine has the best wings in Johnson County. Period. No one else comes close- and I didn't even need to order some to remind myself of just how good they are. (The Quiet Man even agreed with me on that score- presumably a fond memory of his pre-vegetarian days.)
Yet, the Coralville edition of The Vine was curiously underwhelming. Maybe it was because it was a Sunday night and the place was empty except for a broken hearted Bears fan (Jesus is still Tebow's home skillet, y'all) at the bar and one, lone, Cowboys fanatic watching as the Cowboys battled back and forth with the Giants. (Which they lost 37-34- Bahahahahaha!) This was a game, by the way, that started with Tony Romo conceding a safety by falling on his ass in the endzone. It was kind of all downhill from there for the Cowboys. Sort of. Either way, the Cowboys lost and this makes me happy inside because there's just something about diehard fans of the Dallas Cowboys that kind of sets my teeth on edge sometimes. And if they're 'America's Team' then America needs help. Fast.
But The Quiet Man and I found a booth and I got a stein of the in-house Vine Ale. I wasn't really sure what kind of beer it was (and neither was The Quiet Man who, as he was driving settled for a pint). For all I know, it could have been Killian's Red- but whatever it was, it wasn't drowning in hops and it wasn't full of weird-ass flavors and it went down smoooooooooooth. So props for good wings and good in-house ale, Coralville Vine. But aside from that...
I'm sorry: the high ceilings just freaked me right out. They were freakin' high. Like high as in 'Mr. Architect, have you been smoking dope on the job?' high and gave the vague, beer soaked impression of cathedral ceilings. Cathedral ceilings with industrial ductwork painted forest green and more Iowa Hawkeye banners than you can shake a stick it. I honestly began to wonder if someone from this establishment had jimmied the door to Carver Hawkeye Arena during construction in the off season and knicked all the banners. Because that was the vibe I was getting. I felt like a very small individual in a very tall room. It was like they designed it with Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan in mind. (Yes, that's right. I dropped a Gheorge Muresan reference into this review. Bask in the awesomeness of it- or if you're too young to remember Muresan, check Wikipedia.) It made the entire place feel very, very un-intimate. And that bothered me.
Call me a purist, but I like LOW ceilings in bars. I think it grounds a watering hole a little bit and generally make a place feel more friendly and more comfortable. I don't want to feel like I'm drinking in Carver Hawkeye Arena. (Come on, Coralville Vine: these days most people LEAVE the arena and then go home and drink. Unless they're Women's Basketball or Wrestling fans.)
It was odd- but I give the Coralville Vine props- I did like their bar. Granted it was probably made in 1998 as the sign above grandly proclaimed but the fact is after the flood of 2008 for it to be here at all is pretty impressive- so mad props to them for that. And I do like the whole 'polished wood and mirrors' look when it comes to bars. Call me crazy, but that's what I dig.
The sum of the experience was The Quiet Man and recalling just how shitty the Coralville Strip used to look. Back in the day, you had to actually drive into real live parts of Johnson County for more than 2 minutes to get to North Liberty and the only reasons you had for coming to the Strip were the Coral Fruit Market, Coral IV Theaters or, of course, Shakey's (closed, as Father Cigar vouchsafed to us in the Familia Cigar repeatedly- because they were caught using dog food on their sausage pizza instead of you know, actual sausage. Though that's probably a load of crap. But if it was it had just enough truth to it to make you wonder.)
Overall: The high ceilings freaked me right out- but their in-house beer was good and they do have the Best Wings Around. However, I gotta say that I vastly prefer the Iowa City Edition of The Vine to it's Coralville counterpart- whether Bill Clinton ate here or not we've got to go with a solid ** out of **** which would give us a grade of C.
P.S. No, we didn't take pictures. Just wasn't worth it, really.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Townie Bar Challenge: Shakespeare's
The Mission: Illuminate a drinking establishment free of college punks and d-bags. I'm sorry, I make no apologies for growing up in Iowa City and once upon a time, slipping my way through the orgy of humanity in the Airliner or Jake's on a Friday or Saturday night was something I was totally down with. But now, I'm 28 and when I want to drink, I want to drink in peace, quiet and a state of chillage uncluttered by hormones and Keystone Light, dammit. And out of this desire came The Townie Bar Challenge.
Basically, The Quiet Man and myself are launching a quest to find the best Townie Bar in the Johnson County Metro Area- we're including Coralville, North Liberty, University Heights- shit, even Tiffin if we get really crazy about it. We're going to go to all these bars, check them out, grade them and then after all is said and done, we're going to declare a winner. The Best Townie Bar of the Johnson County Metro Area. (Whether we'll get super crazy and hit every non-downtown Iowa City bar in the county has yet to be decided.)
We kicked things off tonight at Shakespeare's:
As long as I can remember, there's always been a bar here. Shakespeare's used to be called Jirza's but my brain keeps telling me that it was something else before even that and it was a big deal when the original version closed or was sold or turned into what it is today. (The Quiet Man said he would consult Mervgotti on the matter- maybe that'll shake something loose.) Anyway, Shakespeare's is a nice, comfortable watering hole in the heart of the East Side of Iowa City. It's color scheme tends to run towards browns, greens, reds and wood panelling that puts one in mind of a 'retro' bar, but Shakespeare's dials it back enough not to be unbearable. (To me, if you're going to be a 'retro' bar you either go into enough detail to be authentic about it or you end up with something totally unbearable.)
The first time I walked into Shakespeare's, I thought it looked like every bar I ever went to when I lived in Minnesota- complete with the Big Buck Hunter in the corner and I loved it. It was comforting a little taste of the Medium White North and a clientele that screamed 'townie' but not 'scarred, cynical, old townie that can't stand the sight of anyone under 30'- there was a broad age range in there that didn't make me feel all that out of place.
Food-wise, although I didn't partake last night (The Quiet Man did), is pretty good and well-priced. Beer wise, Shakespeare's has a pretty decent range beyond the traditional domestic line (Budweiser, Coors, etc.) I partook of a Shiner Bock (excellent), A Fat Tire (also good) but managed to be surprised that they were offering Slingshot- a dark ale from Backpocket Brewery which is moving to Coralville soon. The Slingshot was really good: I wasn't exactly sure if I was trying to be a dark ale or what it was, but whatever it's beer identity, it went down smooth and left just the faintest hint of hops at the back of your mouth. The Quiet Man thought it might be a German IPA of some kind- and if it is, then consider me a fan. People tend to go overboard with IPA's in my opinion and they tend to be hit or miss with me- some people get it right and other people, I mean come on now- I want to taste some beer in my glass, not just a mouthful of hops.
For whatever reason last night, Shakespeare's was also jamming out hardcore with the 80s tunes. I heard the original version of 'It's My Life' (done by Talk Talk) for the first time in the United States (I heard it everywhere when I was in France of all places. Not sure why.) And they slipped some Romeo Void, Sex Pistols, The Smiths, Pixies, Talking Heads and Sex Pistols into the mix- in other words, my kind of music. (The music thing will be an interesting aspect of the TBC that The Quiet Man and I might have to explore a little bit. We're not really live music people and not every bar has a jukebox- though we didn't exactly go exploring at Shakespeare's to check.)
Overall: Shakespeare's is a very comfortable bar. Perfect for grabbing a beer and chilling a little bit, it has a good age range of clientele (younger peeps won't feel out of place), doesn't feel pretentious or hipsterish and has decently priced food and decent variety of beer.
The Grade: *** out of **** (B) The Quiet Man and I decided to dispense with pluses and minuses last night, so consider a B a solid 3 out 4 stars- Shakespeare's didn't grab me immediately and make me want to live there but nor did I hate it. It was a solid, decent bar- worth checking out if you want to try something new.
Basically, The Quiet Man and myself are launching a quest to find the best Townie Bar in the Johnson County Metro Area- we're including Coralville, North Liberty, University Heights- shit, even Tiffin if we get really crazy about it. We're going to go to all these bars, check them out, grade them and then after all is said and done, we're going to declare a winner. The Best Townie Bar of the Johnson County Metro Area. (Whether we'll get super crazy and hit every non-downtown Iowa City bar in the county has yet to be decided.)
We kicked things off tonight at Shakespeare's:
As long as I can remember, there's always been a bar here. Shakespeare's used to be called Jirza's but my brain keeps telling me that it was something else before even that and it was a big deal when the original version closed or was sold or turned into what it is today. (The Quiet Man said he would consult Mervgotti on the matter- maybe that'll shake something loose.) Anyway, Shakespeare's is a nice, comfortable watering hole in the heart of the East Side of Iowa City. It's color scheme tends to run towards browns, greens, reds and wood panelling that puts one in mind of a 'retro' bar, but Shakespeare's dials it back enough not to be unbearable. (To me, if you're going to be a 'retro' bar you either go into enough detail to be authentic about it or you end up with something totally unbearable.)
The first time I walked into Shakespeare's, I thought it looked like every bar I ever went to when I lived in Minnesota- complete with the Big Buck Hunter in the corner and I loved it. It was comforting a little taste of the Medium White North and a clientele that screamed 'townie' but not 'scarred, cynical, old townie that can't stand the sight of anyone under 30'- there was a broad age range in there that didn't make me feel all that out of place.
Food-wise, although I didn't partake last night (The Quiet Man did), is pretty good and well-priced. Beer wise, Shakespeare's has a pretty decent range beyond the traditional domestic line (Budweiser, Coors, etc.) I partook of a Shiner Bock (excellent), A Fat Tire (also good) but managed to be surprised that they were offering Slingshot- a dark ale from Backpocket Brewery which is moving to Coralville soon. The Slingshot was really good: I wasn't exactly sure if I was trying to be a dark ale or what it was, but whatever it's beer identity, it went down smooth and left just the faintest hint of hops at the back of your mouth. The Quiet Man thought it might be a German IPA of some kind- and if it is, then consider me a fan. People tend to go overboard with IPA's in my opinion and they tend to be hit or miss with me- some people get it right and other people, I mean come on now- I want to taste some beer in my glass, not just a mouthful of hops.
For whatever reason last night, Shakespeare's was also jamming out hardcore with the 80s tunes. I heard the original version of 'It's My Life' (done by Talk Talk) for the first time in the United States (I heard it everywhere when I was in France of all places. Not sure why.) And they slipped some Romeo Void, Sex Pistols, The Smiths, Pixies, Talking Heads and Sex Pistols into the mix- in other words, my kind of music. (The music thing will be an interesting aspect of the TBC that The Quiet Man and I might have to explore a little bit. We're not really live music people and not every bar has a jukebox- though we didn't exactly go exploring at Shakespeare's to check.)
Overall: Shakespeare's is a very comfortable bar. Perfect for grabbing a beer and chilling a little bit, it has a good age range of clientele (younger peeps won't feel out of place), doesn't feel pretentious or hipsterish and has decently priced food and decent variety of beer.
The Grade: *** out of **** (B) The Quiet Man and I decided to dispense with pluses and minuses last night, so consider a B a solid 3 out 4 stars- Shakespeare's didn't grab me immediately and make me want to live there but nor did I hate it. It was a solid, decent bar- worth checking out if you want to try something new.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Hooch, Man #3
Yes, it's the Anchor Christmas Ale Challenge! The Quiet Man as a true afficionado of all things beer really got into the Christmas ales last year and pointed me towards a couple of breweries that rotate their Christmas ales every year. Schell's and Anchor. Schell's annual Snowstorm last year was AMAZING- but unfortunately, I didn't both to keep a bottle to do a proper comparison this year (something I'm going to correct as soon as I can get my hands on a sixer.)
Anchor's Christmas 2010 I did keep a bottle of however so I could compare it to this year's and this is what I got:
With all apologies to The Quiet Man (who does this far better than I ever could.)
Smells like a Christmas Tree. I remembered right away why it didn't really knock my socks off last year. That Snowstorm 2010 spoiled me! But a few sips and subtle spices start to emerge that perfectly fit the holiday season. Cinnamon and maybe just a hint of nutmeg blend with coffee and chocolate for a rich, dark beer that grew on me as I drank it. And there was plenty of sediment left behind...
Was oddly disappointing. It didn't smell like a Christmas Tree- but there wasn't that much of a difference from last year from what I could tell. There was lots of coffee and chocolate and it was smoother and sweeter than last year which I thought was a plus, but compared with the differences between Snowstorm 2010 and 2011 I was expecting a little more. Perhaps foolishly- but in the end the lack of Christmas tree smell in the 2011 edition convinced me that it was just, ever-so-slightly better. But then again it was only ever-so-slightly different.
Anyway kids, stay tuned next year and maybe I'll expand the Christmas Ale Challenge to include Schell's Snowstorm and a variety of other winter/Christmas ales that tend to grace the shelves at Hy-Vee this time of year.
In the meantime, Happy Drinking!
Food Adventures #1: Reubens and Spicy Burgers
My fascinating with the reuben stemmed from an encounter a couple of weeks ago at Village Inn where I actually sampled a reuben for the first time, wondering idly as I did so just where Thousand Island Dressing came from. (I answered that question with The Secret World of Salad Dressing.)
But I had genuinely never had a reuben and wanted to know more. (I've had reuben balls at a bar somewhere in Minnesota and they were delish, but never an actual reuben.) Needless to say I found out that the original reuben used Russian dressing not Thousand Island Dressing and so one version, some pre-sliced marble rye bread, corned beef from the deli (both from the Cedar Rapids Super Target), swiss cheese and Russian dressing. (Surprisingly good. Another thing I'd never tried before.) The following emerged:
The sauerkraut was from a can which I wasn't happy about and I think it'd be interesting to try and corn my own beef (it's gotta be possible right) so perhaps a third version will be forthcoming.
The other thing I tried, apropos of nothing was to really make an interesting, spicy burger. This (unfortunately not pictured) came out of a random tip I heard on an episode of Restaurant: Impossible where Chef Robert 'Huge Neck' Irvine keeps telling people to 'mould, not pack' the meat. So I tried moulding and you know what? He's totally right- I produced more shapely burgers than I usually do (previously mine tended to be charcoal briquets) and just for kicks I added sliced onions, Sriracha sauce and baco-bits.
The second version I added a crushed up saltine to help it stick together better (it did- though I think there's got to be something better to do the job.) And the result was pretty good- the Sriracha gave the meat just enough kick to be spicy, but not enough to be overwhelmingly so. (I tend to use the Missus as a good barometer of what's too spicy- she said it was right on the border, which is where I wanted it to be. She also wanted a mushroom and Swiss burger, so I, long time hater of mushrooms, sauteed some 'shrooms and onions in a healthy dollop of Malbec which absorbed right into the 'shrooms and, both the Missus and Her Bestie, Nurse Ratchet assured me was delicious.)
But I had genuinely never had a reuben and wanted to know more. (I've had reuben balls at a bar somewhere in Minnesota and they were delish, but never an actual reuben.) Needless to say I found out that the original reuben used Russian dressing not Thousand Island Dressing and so one version, some pre-sliced marble rye bread, corned beef from the deli (both from the Cedar Rapids Super Target), swiss cheese and Russian dressing. (Surprisingly good. Another thing I'd never tried before.) The following emerged:
The sauerkraut was from a can which I wasn't happy about and I think it'd be interesting to try and corn my own beef (it's gotta be possible right) so perhaps a third version will be forthcoming.
The other thing I tried, apropos of nothing was to really make an interesting, spicy burger. This (unfortunately not pictured) came out of a random tip I heard on an episode of Restaurant: Impossible where Chef Robert 'Huge Neck' Irvine keeps telling people to 'mould, not pack' the meat. So I tried moulding and you know what? He's totally right- I produced more shapely burgers than I usually do (previously mine tended to be charcoal briquets) and just for kicks I added sliced onions, Sriracha sauce and baco-bits.
The second version I added a crushed up saltine to help it stick together better (it did- though I think there's got to be something better to do the job.) And the result was pretty good- the Sriracha gave the meat just enough kick to be spicy, but not enough to be overwhelmingly so. (I tend to use the Missus as a good barometer of what's too spicy- she said it was right on the border, which is where I wanted it to be. She also wanted a mushroom and Swiss burger, so I, long time hater of mushrooms, sauteed some 'shrooms and onions in a healthy dollop of Malbec which absorbed right into the 'shrooms and, both the Missus and Her Bestie, Nurse Ratchet assured me was delicious.)
The Scorecard #7: Post-BCS Edition
College: Iowa is Insight Bowl bound once again- this time to face Oklahoma. I'm not sure whether to be frightened or excited. But our season seemed to settle into a pattern of crap one week and amazing the next so given the fact we kind of took a dump, offensively speaking against Nebraska (Better than the 42-7 pounding the last time we played them, but 20-7 was not what I was hoping for) then by rights we should be playing up for Oklahoma. Hopefully. We better be.
The BCS was also announced last night and we've got the following:
BCS National Championship: LSU versus Alabama. A perfect argument for a playoff. I'm not happy about it- because really, if 'Bama wanted a rematch, they should have earned it on the field. They pipped Oklahoma State by something like .009 percent in the final BCS standings which is enough to trigger an automatic recount in pretty much all 50 states yet the voters in their perceived wisdom favor a top-heavy SEC to give 'Bama the rematch which, in my mind, having lost their division and their conference, they didn't really earn. (I tend to measure conferences by their strength and consistency top-to-bottom and the SEC is way overrated in my book. For sure, they play DAMN good football and LSU will probably and deservedly win the national title but the problem with the SEC is that the good teams are very good and the bad teams are very bad and there's not much in the way of a middle. (Florida, South Carolina.) Conferences like the Big 12 and the Big 10 tend to be better top to bottom and provide more balance than the SEC does. Though the Big 10 does get rightfully slapped for their weak non-conference slate.)
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin versus Oregon. Wisconsin and Michigan State played a damn good Big 10 title game which Wisconsin won- I think they should give Oregon a better run for their money than Sparty would- but the way Sparty was playing, I gotta wonder if either team would have done the job. Can Wisconsin beat Oregon? I think so... but Oregon is very fast so this should be interesting to watch.
Fiesta Bowl: This one I've got circled- Oklahoma State versus Stanford. This to me has the potential to be the marquee match-up of the BCS slate. Should be kick-ass...
Sugar Bowl: Michigan versus Virgina Tech. Also could be interesting- I didn't twig to it right away, but there's rightful grumbling in some quarters that Boise State and TCU were passed over for a team that lost and lost badly to ACC Champion Clemson.
Orange Bowl: Clemson versus West Virgina. The Big East was a disaster area this year but the right team got in and although part of me wants to go... blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah to this match-up, it too has the potential to be interesting.
In fact, pretty much every other BCS Bowl seems more interesting than the boring-ass national title rematch. Seriously- Santa, can we have an 8 team playoff to avoid all the tiresome crap once and for all. Settle it on the field!
Professional: Minnesota lost to Denver yesterday. 'Nuff said.
The BCS was also announced last night and we've got the following:
BCS National Championship: LSU versus Alabama. A perfect argument for a playoff. I'm not happy about it- because really, if 'Bama wanted a rematch, they should have earned it on the field. They pipped Oklahoma State by something like .009 percent in the final BCS standings which is enough to trigger an automatic recount in pretty much all 50 states yet the voters in their perceived wisdom favor a top-heavy SEC to give 'Bama the rematch which, in my mind, having lost their division and their conference, they didn't really earn. (I tend to measure conferences by their strength and consistency top-to-bottom and the SEC is way overrated in my book. For sure, they play DAMN good football and LSU will probably and deservedly win the national title but the problem with the SEC is that the good teams are very good and the bad teams are very bad and there's not much in the way of a middle. (Florida, South Carolina.) Conferences like the Big 12 and the Big 10 tend to be better top to bottom and provide more balance than the SEC does. Though the Big 10 does get rightfully slapped for their weak non-conference slate.)
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin versus Oregon. Wisconsin and Michigan State played a damn good Big 10 title game which Wisconsin won- I think they should give Oregon a better run for their money than Sparty would- but the way Sparty was playing, I gotta wonder if either team would have done the job. Can Wisconsin beat Oregon? I think so... but Oregon is very fast so this should be interesting to watch.
Fiesta Bowl: This one I've got circled- Oklahoma State versus Stanford. This to me has the potential to be the marquee match-up of the BCS slate. Should be kick-ass...
Sugar Bowl: Michigan versus Virgina Tech. Also could be interesting- I didn't twig to it right away, but there's rightful grumbling in some quarters that Boise State and TCU were passed over for a team that lost and lost badly to ACC Champion Clemson.
Orange Bowl: Clemson versus West Virgina. The Big East was a disaster area this year but the right team got in and although part of me wants to go... blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah to this match-up, it too has the potential to be interesting.
In fact, pretty much every other BCS Bowl seems more interesting than the boring-ass national title rematch. Seriously- Santa, can we have an 8 team playoff to avoid all the tiresome crap once and for all. Settle it on the field!
Professional: Minnesota lost to Denver yesterday. 'Nuff said.
Friday, December 2, 2011
A Letter From My Congressman
I completely forgot about this, but I sent a letter to Congressman Loebsack asking him to vote against some ridiculous attempt by Congress to control the internet because big corporation/Hollywood/record companies want them too. It's worth noting that this is the same bill Google is vociferously campaigning against right now- and although I have my own concerns about Google, I think just this once, they're on the side of the angels.
Government control of the internet should be a non-starter for anyone who cares about freedom in this country. If they can control the web, they can control a lot of other things (including indefinately detaining Americans, just because they can.)
Yes, kids, we've got troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, millions of Americans out of work an out of control debt situation and Congress wants to be Hollywood's bitch.
Anyway, here is the good Congressman's response:
Wikipedia has a pretty good summary of what's what- basically, this bill aims to cripple the Internet as we know it so that outmoded industrial dinosaurs can protect their crumbling status quo. Congress is part of that crumbling status quo, so I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less from Good Congressman Loebsack.
But here's the catch: while intellectual property is important, where does it go in our current system? Corporations. You're seeing that start of models running against the so-called 'gatekeepers' of the creative class in music and publishing- models that let the creators of music and authors profit directly from their endeavors without a corporation taking a hefty cut out of the middle. The internet threatens the very existence of these gatekeepers- hence the bill designed to cripple the power of people challenging the status quo.
So Our Congressman is a corporate lackey in other words, with the intellectual backbone of a jellyfish who (like a lot of other Democrats) fights for the unsustainable status quo of the crumbling post-War progressive oonsensus to the detriment of several promising threads emerging in the struggle for a post-industrial capitalist model.
Didn't vote for him last time and I don't expect to start next time.
Government control of the internet should be a non-starter for anyone who cares about freedom in this country. If they can control the web, they can control a lot of other things (including indefinately detaining Americans, just because they can.)
Yes, kids, we've got troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, millions of Americans out of work an out of control debt situation and Congress wants to be Hollywood's bitch.
Anyway, here is the good Congressman's response:
November 30, 2011In other words, fuck internet freedom. Corporations sign my paycheck.
Dear Friend,
Thank you for contacting me. I'm honored to represent you. Your opinion is very important to me and my priority is to provide Iowa's Second District with the best representation possible.
The Stop Online Piracy Act, H.R. 3261, was introduced in the House of Representatives on October 26, 2011 by Representative Lamar Smith. The bill would authorize the Attorney General to seek a court order against a foreign internet site committing or facilitating online piracy such as trafficking counterfeit or pirated goods. The court order would require these web sites to cease and desist activities that constitute intellectual property offenses. The bill also expands the offense of criminal copyright infringement to include public performances of copyrighted work obtained by digital transmission of work such as movies or musical performances intended for commercial dissemination.
As your Representative, I believe access to free flowing information over the internet is critical to competing in today's diverse global economy, but we must also ensure intellectual property remains protected. We can and should achieve both of the goals. Please be assured that if H.R. 3261, or similar legislation comes before the full House of Representatives, I will keep your concerns in mind.
Thank you again for contacting me about this important issue. My office is here to assist you with any and all concerns you have, so please do not hesitate to contact me whenever you feel that I can be of assistance. I encourage you to visit my website at www.loebsack.house.gov and sign up for my e-newsletters to stay informed of the work I'm doing for you. I am proud to serve the Second District, and I am committed to working hard for Iowans.
Sincerely,
Dave Loebsack
Wikipedia has a pretty good summary of what's what- basically, this bill aims to cripple the Internet as we know it so that outmoded industrial dinosaurs can protect their crumbling status quo. Congress is part of that crumbling status quo, so I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less from Good Congressman Loebsack.
But here's the catch: while intellectual property is important, where does it go in our current system? Corporations. You're seeing that start of models running against the so-called 'gatekeepers' of the creative class in music and publishing- models that let the creators of music and authors profit directly from their endeavors without a corporation taking a hefty cut out of the middle. The internet threatens the very existence of these gatekeepers- hence the bill designed to cripple the power of people challenging the status quo.
So Our Congressman is a corporate lackey in other words, with the intellectual backbone of a jellyfish who (like a lot of other Democrats) fights for the unsustainable status quo of the crumbling post-War progressive oonsensus to the detriment of several promising threads emerging in the struggle for a post-industrial capitalist model.
Didn't vote for him last time and I don't expect to start next time.
Bookshot #36: The Omnivore's Dilemma
I wasn't sure what to make of this book at first. I thought maybe that it might be trying to convert me to vegetarianism (mission: unaccomplished) or maybe convert me to granola eating Whole Foods loving hipsterism (mission: also unaccomplished) but I was wrong on both counts. What this book does try to do is try to answer the simplest of questions: what do you want for dinner? (And more to the point: where does it come from?)
The author, Michael Pollan breaks this down quite nicely. First, he decides to break down the big industrial food chain- he looks at corn, chronicling the rise of corn and how it came to dominate the agricultural industry and just how much corn is in everything we eat these days. Then, he takes it a step further: he looks at how big meat works- following a calf from it's ranch in South Dakota to the feedlot where it eventually meets its end. He looks at the effect of corn on cattle and how that overturns most of the cow's natural instinct- to eat grass- in favor of a streamlined, industrial, capitalist model of agriculture. Which is having detrimental effects on our environment, our health and our world as a whole.
There has to be, Pollan decides, a better way: and so he turns and plunges into the world of Big Organic food, which might well have some health benefits but has embraced- or been coopted by the capitalist-industrial model of food that dominates the marketplace today. He traces the rise of the organic food movement and it's explosion in recent years, but in the end, decides that while it's marginally better- there has to be still another, better way to fix this endless confusion about the state of our food.
Which he finds down in Virginia on a farm owned by a guy named Joel Salatin: this, to me, is where the book really gets interesting. Salatin runs a pastoral farm. Everything is done on a very small, local scale. Pollan is actually forced to go to Salatin's farm after he refuses to send Pollan some of his pastorally raised meat and what Pollan learns has some potentially fascinating implications. Salatin operates on a local level keeping every aspect of his farm in a kind of symbiosis that works extremely well for him. Cows grave one area first, followed by chickens, followed by rabbits, followed by- and so on and so forth. The pattern benefits all involved produce almost an ecosystem- each element working in concert with the other to grow food, raise animals and produce a healthy, vibrant farm. (Salatin even thinks his grass is important.)
After this trip through the various food chains out there, Pollan decides that the real challenge is going to be making what he calls the perfect meal: consisting of everything that he grew, gathered or hunted himself- which is a lot harder than people might think. He had an extensive garden, so some herbs helped him out there. He managed to get some yeast straight out of the air that worked for bread. His expedition for salt- not so much- and his mushroom hunting produced initially mixed results before hitting the morel-load, so to speak. He foraged for bing cherries in his neighborhood and created the bulk of his meal with no problem. The real hook for Pollan comes when he wrestles with hunting.
Pollan, needless to say, is not a hunter. He killed a chicken on Salatin's farm because he thought he should and because he wanted to see if he could do it- which is the part of the book that really tries to make the hard sell on the ethics of eating meat. It had me thinking hard about it for a little bit, but ultimately it fell short. Biologically, we're omnivores, so we eat meat. The question of what kind of meat we should eat, however proved to be a far more powerful question to me than whether or not we should eat meat to begin with. Grass fed, ethical meat-- when they say it tastes better, kids- they're not lying to you, they really mean it! But in the end, Pollan decides to saddle up and go get a California Wild Boar which serves as the centerpiece to his meal.
It's a neat concept- but unfortunately one that's probably totally untenable on a day to day basis.
This was a fascinating book but not for the reasons you might think. Yes, it gave me a bad case of foodie fever and had me watching Restaurant: Impossible, Kitchen Nightmares and Top Chef and planning my future restaurant/bar/hip neighborhood pub and yes it did prompt me to decide to whenever I can afford grass fed beef, I'll get it over anything else. And had me longing for spring so I could plant my garden all over again.
But what I found most fascinating were the implications for models of post-industrial capitalism, should any emerge in the near future. Consider Salatin's farm: it's very, very locally based and relies on a small scale population of consumers to make it's profits. The idea of pastorally raised meat on such a local scale would never survive if the internet didn't bring such a massive quantity of information directly to consumers. It's kind of a strech to imagine it now, but the model that Salatin is developing essentially uses a global platform to project a product locally. It's kind of strange to imagine, but you could posit a future where people market products from their homes/small businesses to people across the world and shop for food anywhere from big box industrial food stores to small, local slow food farms and farmer's markets.
Like I said: it's a stretch to really imagine it, but if you read carefully there are some interesting threads that you could use to posit what a post-industrial capitalism might look like. Which, at the very least, you have to admit is an interesting thing to start thinking about, since whether we like it or not, it's coming.
Overall: Interesting book. If the goal was to make me more food-aware, then mission very well accomplished. Didn't quite manage to convert me to vegetarianism, but had some thought provoking thoughts on that subject. (Plus, I don't think that was the point Pollan was trying to make.) And there are interesting trends emerging in the food world that are going to be worth keeping an eye on. Fascinating, educational, wonderful and thought-provoking. Well worth my time- and certainly worth yours.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Secret World of Salad Dressing
Have you ever wondered where Thousand Island Dressing comes from? I mean, it seems to show up everywhere in some form or another- Big Macs, Burgers, Reubens, etc. It's become the go-to special sauce for all kinds of culinary items. I know this probably sounds a little strange, but after church last Sunday the Missus and I took in some breakfast/early lunch at the Village Inn and I sampled my very first Reuben Sandwich. (It was delicious. The one I made last night though, was better.) And the thought came to me: where exactly did Thousand Island Dressing come from?
Well it turns out the Thousand Islands are, in fact, a real place:
Yep, one thousand island in the St. Lawrence River from Kingston, Ontario roughly 50 miles downstream. You might ask, how can you have one thousand islands in one river? Is the St. Lawrence River all that big? Well, I don't think it's that big- I mean, it's big, but not SUPER big- so they decided that if an island was above water year round, have an area greater than one square foot and support at least one tree, then they'd count it. Which means there are some really space limited islands in the Thousand Island chain:
(P.S. I kind of want this house. Flooding would be a bitch to deal with, for obvious reasons, but if you could survive a flood, it'd be awesome.)
But, back to Thousand Island Dressing. The font of all knowledge (Wikipedia) states thusly:
And that, kids, is where Thousand Island Dressing comes from.
(Haters: Don't judge me- you know you've thought about it too. I choose to celebrate the small mysteries in life and I ROCK at it. So suck it. (And here's the part where the GI Joe appears out of nowhere and says: 'Now you know' and then you all say 'And KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE!')
Well it turns out the Thousand Islands are, in fact, a real place:
Yep, one thousand island in the St. Lawrence River from Kingston, Ontario roughly 50 miles downstream. You might ask, how can you have one thousand islands in one river? Is the St. Lawrence River all that big? Well, I don't think it's that big- I mean, it's big, but not SUPER big- so they decided that if an island was above water year round, have an area greater than one square foot and support at least one tree, then they'd count it. Which means there are some really space limited islands in the Thousand Island chain:
(P.S. I kind of want this house. Flooding would be a bitch to deal with, for obvious reasons, but if you could survive a flood, it'd be awesome.)
But, back to Thousand Island Dressing. The font of all knowledge (Wikipedia) states thusly:
Thousand Island dressing is attested in a 1900 cookbook, in a context implying that it was well-known by then in New Orleans.So, of the salad dressings of the world, Thousand Island seems to be the 'internet viral video' of the bunch. Someone invented it, carried it by word of mouth to someone and once it hit New York City, it went WILD.
According to The Oxford Companion of Food and Drink, "the name presumably comes from the Thousand Islands between the United States and Canada in the St. Lawrence River." In the Thousand Islands area, one common version of the dressing's origins says that a fishing guide's wife, Sophia LaLonde, made the condiment as part of her husband George's shore dinner. Often in this version, actress May Irwin requested the recipe after enjoying it. Irwin in turn gave it to another Thousand Islands summer resident, George Boldt, who was building Boldt Castle in the area. Boldt, as proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, instructed the hotel's maître d'hôtel, Oscar Tschirky, to put the dressing on the menu. A 1959 National Geographic article states, "Thousand Island Dressing was reportedly developed by Boldt's chef."
And that, kids, is where Thousand Island Dressing comes from.
(Haters: Don't judge me- you know you've thought about it too. I choose to celebrate the small mysteries in life and I ROCK at it. So suck it. (And here's the part where the GI Joe appears out of nowhere and says: 'Now you know' and then you all say 'And KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE!')
#18: Sports I Don't Understand, Part I
Cricket: On my Big Bucket List (yet to be published, let alone thought of) there has long been the goal to understand and view a cricket match in person. Like baseball, it's one of those games that always left me scratching my head- probably even more so than baseball. That just takes hours- cricket test matches can go on far days. But I've always been curious about how it works, so took to Wikipedia (the font of all knowledge) and this is what I was able to discern.
There are tantalizing similarities between cricket and baseball but that's about it. Cricket (like baseball) has one team that's up to bat and the other team out fielding. Cricket as a bowler (pitcher) who bowls (pitches) a ball to a batsman who attempts to hit the ball. If the ball is hit and caught, he's out. If the ball hits the wicket he's out. If the ball is hit outside the entire field (home run) then the batting team gets six runs and no more. If it's hit to the edge of the field and rolls out, they get four runs and no more. If it's hit into play, then the batsman (batter) can attempt to score runs.
Still with me? Good. Because here's where it gets nutty. Instead of a diamond and bases, you've got a pitch. At each end of the pitch, you've got wickets (roughly equivalent to plates) which consist of 3 stumps and 2 bails. The pitch is 20 yards long. (OK, now take a deep breath, because it gets crazy from here on in.) There are 2 batsman (batters) one at either end and in order to score runs, they each run to the opposite end of the pitch- one switch of position equals one run.
So why does cricket take so long? Well kids, it's because in baseball you have to strike out 3 people to end the inning. (Funnily enough, it's called an innings in cricket, and the 's' stays whether it's singular or plural.) In cricket, you've got to dismiss (strike out) 10 people on the other team.
To sum up: If you hit the ball out, it's 6 runs. If it rolls out, it's 4 runs. If you hit it and the other team catches it, you're out. If they bowl to you and the ball hits the wicket, you're out. If you hit the ball and no one catches it and it doesn't go out- then you can score runs by swapping places with the batsman at the other end of the pitch. One swap equals one run and you can score as many as you can, but if the other team hits the wicket while you're doing that: you're out.
Dismiss 10 and you've ended the innings. (Oh and just to make it super confusing, you bowl to one end of the pitch for one innings and bowl from the opposite end the next innings and so on and so forth.)
To win in hardcore Test Cricket: dismiss everyone on the other team (10 players) twice AND score the most runs. Otherwise, it's a draw.
And that kids, is why cricket takes so damn long. Confused? I have no doubt that you probably are- and as there's not a good place to watch cricket on US Television, I retreated to YouTube to pour over random clips and try and get my knowledge on.
There are tantalizing similarities between cricket and baseball but that's about it. Cricket (like baseball) has one team that's up to bat and the other team out fielding. Cricket as a bowler (pitcher) who bowls (pitches) a ball to a batsman who attempts to hit the ball. If the ball is hit and caught, he's out. If the ball hits the wicket he's out. If the ball is hit outside the entire field (home run) then the batting team gets six runs and no more. If it's hit to the edge of the field and rolls out, they get four runs and no more. If it's hit into play, then the batsman (batter) can attempt to score runs.
Still with me? Good. Because here's where it gets nutty. Instead of a diamond and bases, you've got a pitch. At each end of the pitch, you've got wickets (roughly equivalent to plates) which consist of 3 stumps and 2 bails. The pitch is 20 yards long. (OK, now take a deep breath, because it gets crazy from here on in.) There are 2 batsman (batters) one at either end and in order to score runs, they each run to the opposite end of the pitch- one switch of position equals one run.
So why does cricket take so long? Well kids, it's because in baseball you have to strike out 3 people to end the inning. (Funnily enough, it's called an innings in cricket, and the 's' stays whether it's singular or plural.) In cricket, you've got to dismiss (strike out) 10 people on the other team.
To sum up: If you hit the ball out, it's 6 runs. If it rolls out, it's 4 runs. If you hit it and the other team catches it, you're out. If they bowl to you and the ball hits the wicket, you're out. If you hit the ball and no one catches it and it doesn't go out- then you can score runs by swapping places with the batsman at the other end of the pitch. One swap equals one run and you can score as many as you can, but if the other team hits the wicket while you're doing that: you're out.
Dismiss 10 and you've ended the innings. (Oh and just to make it super confusing, you bowl to one end of the pitch for one innings and bowl from the opposite end the next innings and so on and so forth.)
To win in hardcore Test Cricket: dismiss everyone on the other team (10 players) twice AND score the most runs. Otherwise, it's a draw.
And that kids, is why cricket takes so damn long. Confused? I have no doubt that you probably are- and as there's not a good place to watch cricket on US Television, I retreated to YouTube to pour over random clips and try and get my knowledge on.
Bring Me Your Novel Juice
I feel like I'm losing my mojo a little bit, kids. Part 3 went by quick- a lot of it, looking back on it now, is a mess. But a lot of it is good. Ditto with Part 1. Lot of it's messy, but a lot of it's good. Part 2 started out strong but seems to going awry somewhere. My writing, such as it is seems flat and I'm kind of getting bummed out.
I need fresh juice. Nicely pulped novel juice to get the narrative flowing again... in the spirit of that, I'm going to issue myself a challenge:
Finish Part 2 by New Year's! (And I suppose I should cap off Part 3 as well.) I want to have a pile of writing that can be called a novel by 2012. 2012 will be about revising the crap out of what I have and making it better...
At least that's the plan.
I need fresh juice. Nicely pulped novel juice to get the narrative flowing again... in the spirit of that, I'm going to issue myself a challenge:
Finish Part 2 by New Year's! (And I suppose I should cap off Part 3 as well.) I want to have a pile of writing that can be called a novel by 2012. 2012 will be about revising the crap out of what I have and making it better...
At least that's the plan.
African Restaurant?
Color me interested... my experience with African food has been limited so far. I ate at a really cool Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurant in Geneva and when I was a guard at the Art Museum (lo those many moons ago) there was a catering company that did African food for a few events that was delicious!
There was an Ethiopian place at the corner of Washington and Linn (David's Place) that was a pretty cool bar and had some good beer, but I never got a chance to try the food. So when the Daily Iowan brings me news of this place... I get interested.
There was an Ethiopian place at the corner of Washington and Linn (David's Place) that was a pretty cool bar and had some good beer, but I never got a chance to try the food. So when the Daily Iowan brings me news of this place... I get interested.
Merging the Blue and the Brown?
Hmmmm... this could be interesting. There's a proposal out there to merge the DOT Enforcement Officers (blue squad cars) with the State Patrol (brown squad cars.) I'm not against it if it saves money, but it'll be interesting to see how they do it, because there are important differences between the two agencies and their respective purviews that I would imagine would have to be carefully delineated to make this work. (The DOT Enforcement people have broader powers of search on stops that the State Patrol does- at least that's my limited understanding of what the difference is. If I'm not quite right on this, interweblings, correct me please!)
Anyway: keep half an eye on this. Could be interesting to see how they do it...
Anyway: keep half an eye on this. Could be interesting to see how they do it...
Sunday, November 27, 2011
10 Years Gone, Part II
That big game time decision? Yeah, it was a no.
I was tempted, in a vague kind of way. I missed out on every major clichéd high school experience in the books, so there was a little tickle that was urging me to go- just so I could say that I had gone. It wasn't especially about the people: there were a few people there I would have been happy to say hello too, more I would have been even happier to say absolutely nothing too and at the end of the day, nobody I was particularly close with on the guest list.
Plus, I had to sound like a tight-fisted bastard, but $30 at the door is a lot! And what did we get for this door fee? Well, we got free beer, limited appetizers, a DJ and a stroll down memory lane. Hard liquor? For that there was a cash bar. (And if you want to make me pay $60- because damn sure I'm not going to do this without the Missus- the least you can do is spring for an open bar, I think.)
But I kept debating going right up until 7 PM last night, I really did. Part of me felt it was foolish not to go, as we are literally maybe 2 blocks away from the First Avenue Club where it was being held. At the end of the day, however, a night of non-action, Love Actually, ice cream and falling asleep to episodes of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia won out. Plus, I needed a shower and a shave and was just plain exhausted after a long weekend in Omaha.
Oh well: 2021, I'm totally there!
I was tempted, in a vague kind of way. I missed out on every major clichéd high school experience in the books, so there was a little tickle that was urging me to go- just so I could say that I had gone. It wasn't especially about the people: there were a few people there I would have been happy to say hello too, more I would have been even happier to say absolutely nothing too and at the end of the day, nobody I was particularly close with on the guest list.
Plus, I had to sound like a tight-fisted bastard, but $30 at the door is a lot! And what did we get for this door fee? Well, we got free beer, limited appetizers, a DJ and a stroll down memory lane. Hard liquor? For that there was a cash bar. (And if you want to make me pay $60- because damn sure I'm not going to do this without the Missus- the least you can do is spring for an open bar, I think.)
But I kept debating going right up until 7 PM last night, I really did. Part of me felt it was foolish not to go, as we are literally maybe 2 blocks away from the First Avenue Club where it was being held. At the end of the day, however, a night of non-action, Love Actually, ice cream and falling asleep to episodes of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia won out. Plus, I needed a shower and a shave and was just plain exhausted after a long weekend in Omaha.
Oh well: 2021, I'm totally there!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
10 Years Gone
I've been meaning to try and put together some coherent thoughts about it being 10 years since I graduated high school, but I just can't. High school was...
Well, let's start at the beginning. High school was high school- there were good times and bad times and times in between, but at the end of the day, I was sexually frustrated, unatttractive and completely inept socially speaking. But despite that, high school was probably one of the best things to ever happen to me. From 2nd to 8th Grade, I was an unwilling attendee of The School That Shall Not Be Named on the north side of Iowa City. (Think about it people. You'll get what school I'm talking about.) It was a decent enough school, I suppose, but it was small. Cliques were the order of the day and if you weren't in the right tax bracket, you weren't cool and people let you know it. I know one girl who actually transferred schools the bullying got so bad, which is just ridiculous. (Girls, especially the high school variety of girls can be downright vicious when they want to be.) In short, if being a teenager wasn't bad enough, I had few, if any friends (but the friends I did have were good ones- a habit of mine that continues, I'd like to think, to this day) and was pretty miserable outside the normal teenage bullshit.
So transferring to City High was a breath of fresh air. God, to this day, I can think nothing but good thoughts about that school. It was amazing and going there and graduating from there is one of the things that I will always, always be thankful for- and proud of. (Go Little Hawks!)
I was a little nervous transferring schools- but I got over it. Quickly. After skipping my 8th Grade Graduation- what a psychotic idea that was. I mean, what the hell were you graduating too? Oh that's right- 4 more years of the same old shit. I arrived at City High and hit the ground running. It took me a year or so, but I found a little corner, found out plenty of things I didn't know about myself, went on a few dates and did a whole lot of growing up. Some of it sucked, but a lot of it didn't.
Yet, I find myself curiously indifferent to the thought of my 10 Year High School Reunion. It's not that I didn't consider going, it's just that I looked at the guest list and didn't really get all that excited about it. I looked at the price ($50 for the Missus and me- $25 a pop! And it'd be more now) and became even less thrilled, despite the lure of free beer.
But The Quiet Man, who's been writing extensively on this topic for awhile now mentioned a good point. Mervgotti (another one of the gang from high school) isn't going because he feels like people haven't changed all that much in 10 years. I'm starting to wondering if he might be right... I found the idea of five year reunions ridiculous- people are barely out of college, for cryin' out loud.
So, to go or not to go? Part of me thinks it'd be nice to just go, relax, chill with people and get completely smashed on free beer. The other part of me resents what these reunions can end up being about: the 'ooh, look at me' factor. That's just irritating. I don't have a damn thing about my life to apologize for, so I think I'd just resent the hell out of being put in a situation where I might think about doing so. Plus, as the Missus pointed out at her ten year reunion with Facebook you tend to already know what's going on in everybody's life anyway (more than you probably want too, if you're being really honest about it) which tends to dull the conversation a little bit.
To go or not to go? At this point, given the fact it'd cost me $40 big ones at the door I'm leaning more towards no and yet...
I think this might be a game time decision, kids- tickets are apparently staying at $25 at the door. So stay tuned!
Well, let's start at the beginning. High school was high school- there were good times and bad times and times in between, but at the end of the day, I was sexually frustrated, unatttractive and completely inept socially speaking. But despite that, high school was probably one of the best things to ever happen to me. From 2nd to 8th Grade, I was an unwilling attendee of The School That Shall Not Be Named on the north side of Iowa City. (Think about it people. You'll get what school I'm talking about.) It was a decent enough school, I suppose, but it was small. Cliques were the order of the day and if you weren't in the right tax bracket, you weren't cool and people let you know it. I know one girl who actually transferred schools the bullying got so bad, which is just ridiculous. (Girls, especially the high school variety of girls can be downright vicious when they want to be.) In short, if being a teenager wasn't bad enough, I had few, if any friends (but the friends I did have were good ones- a habit of mine that continues, I'd like to think, to this day) and was pretty miserable outside the normal teenage bullshit.
So transferring to City High was a breath of fresh air. God, to this day, I can think nothing but good thoughts about that school. It was amazing and going there and graduating from there is one of the things that I will always, always be thankful for- and proud of. (Go Little Hawks!)
I was a little nervous transferring schools- but I got over it. Quickly. After skipping my 8th Grade Graduation- what a psychotic idea that was. I mean, what the hell were you graduating too? Oh that's right- 4 more years of the same old shit. I arrived at City High and hit the ground running. It took me a year or so, but I found a little corner, found out plenty of things I didn't know about myself, went on a few dates and did a whole lot of growing up. Some of it sucked, but a lot of it didn't.
Yet, I find myself curiously indifferent to the thought of my 10 Year High School Reunion. It's not that I didn't consider going, it's just that I looked at the guest list and didn't really get all that excited about it. I looked at the price ($50 for the Missus and me- $25 a pop! And it'd be more now) and became even less thrilled, despite the lure of free beer.
But The Quiet Man, who's been writing extensively on this topic for awhile now mentioned a good point. Mervgotti (another one of the gang from high school) isn't going because he feels like people haven't changed all that much in 10 years. I'm starting to wondering if he might be right... I found the idea of five year reunions ridiculous- people are barely out of college, for cryin' out loud.
So, to go or not to go? Part of me thinks it'd be nice to just go, relax, chill with people and get completely smashed on free beer. The other part of me resents what these reunions can end up being about: the 'ooh, look at me' factor. That's just irritating. I don't have a damn thing about my life to apologize for, so I think I'd just resent the hell out of being put in a situation where I might think about doing so. Plus, as the Missus pointed out at her ten year reunion with Facebook you tend to already know what's going on in everybody's life anyway (more than you probably want too, if you're being really honest about it) which tends to dull the conversation a little bit.
To go or not to go? At this point, given the fact it'd cost me $40 big ones at the door I'm leaning more towards no and yet...
I think this might be a game time decision, kids- tickets are apparently staying at $25 at the door. So stay tuned!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Sigh... Must There Be A Trophy?
Well, it's not as bad as the Epic Fail of a Cy-Hawk Trophy they had to withdraw, but all in all, consider me uninspired. A block of a wood topped by a football? It looka nice, I'll give it that and I'm coming around to the concept of a Heroes Game- I'm actually thinking it's pretty cool when you start thinking about it.
But if heroism is the theme, instead of sticking shields to the side of a wood block, why not have the trophy be a full on shield? THE CORN SHIELD TROPHY for the ANNUAL HEROES GAME. That sounds pretty bad ass to me. I'm sure these guys would agree as well.
Saleh Out?
I'd like to believe it, but hasn't he agreed to transfer power like six times before? I will believe it when I see it, put it that way-- but hopefully, it'll happen.
Anne McCaffery, 1926-2011
Noted science fiction and fantasy author Anne McCaffery has died at the age of 85. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award, was elected a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America in 2005. Her book, The White Dragon was the first science fiction novel ever to land on the New York Times best seller list.
She is also widely credited for changing the genre of science fiction-fantasy as we know it. Her blending of both genres was groundbreaking and she wrote her first novel Restoree in response to the unrealistic portrayals of women in science fiction and is all around one of my favorite authors of all time.
Although she was 85, this really and truly makes me sad. Of all the authors I've ever read, McCaffery has influenced me the most- she, along with David Eddings and probably Tolkein helped me to inculcate a love of reading and books that has never gone away- and something I hope never will go away.
Dragonflight, Dragonquest and The White Dragon remain some of the best books of the genre I've ever read. I remember we had an omnibus edition containing all three books and I must have read that thing so many times, it fell apart in my hands- and such was the love of these book in our house that when it fell apart, all three books were replaced. And I'm sure when those fall apart, they'll be replaced again.
The Rowan and its subsequent sequels and prequels were also eagerly devoured by me- I think I own all of them, scattered around either my house or my parents house and I'm sure a few of them will need replacing at some point in the near future, they've been read so many times.
Basically, her books got me through junior high and high school. They were comfort and escapism when I sorely needed them, they forever knocked down any notions of science fiction and fantasy being 'bad literature' or 'not literature' at all- read them and see for yourself. The women she wrote about in her books were strong, fierce and independent- knocking down another stereotype and influencing my own writing in the process. No scantily clad damsels in distress for McCaffery!
Everyone has authors that change their lives and Anne McCaffery changed mine.
She will be missed.
(And if you haven't picked up Dragonflight or The Rowan, stop what you're doing and find them. Now. You won't regret it, I promise you...)
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Indoctrinate U?
Hmmmmmm... I get leery when people start equating education with indoctrination, I really do. I'll acknowledge the shortcomings of the education system, but I never swallowed the b.s. my professors dealt me and I found it irritating when some of them were a little to obvious about their political leanings. I wasn't, after all, there to be preached at- I was there to learn something. Probably why I stayed firmly planted in Comparative Politics.
But, the Great Guru Instapundit linked to this article which has, I have to admit, a fairly decent analysis of Marxisms role in the Left's philosophy these days. It's an interesting read and just underlined the fact that I need to bone up on the political philosophy in a big way. I think I'll tackle Hernando De Soto after I finished my current book and keep going from there...
But, the Great Guru Instapundit linked to this article which has, I have to admit, a fairly decent analysis of Marxisms role in the Left's philosophy these days. It's an interesting read and just underlined the fact that I need to bone up on the political philosophy in a big way. I think I'll tackle Hernando De Soto after I finished my current book and keep going from there...
This Can't Be Good
Syrian rebels have launched an attack- their first- in Damascus, hitting a largely empty Baath Party building sending 'a message to the regime.' Syria is continuing to spiral out of control by the day and while a month ago, I thought Assad seemed more stable that Qaddafi ever did, now I'm not so sure. The Syrians might just manage to oust their dictator without a single NATO jet taking to the skies. (If there's any international intervention, I'm betting heavily on Turkey. They've got regional power aspirations and they're getting annoyed with Damacus and Assad's inability to see anything remotely resembling reason- while the Free Syrian Army gets more members by the day.)
But this does send a powerful message- Assad is in trouble. God willing and the creek don't rise, the Ayatollah and all his Merry Men might not be that far behind.
But this does send a powerful message- Assad is in trouble. God willing and the creek don't rise, the Ayatollah and all his Merry Men might not be that far behind.
Now This Is A Protest
Anyone who was on the Interwebs yesterday undoubtedly saw the video of the UC Davis Officer pepper spraying the Occupy protestors who were refusing to move on their campus. To me, that seemed somewhat excessive. First of all, there's no need to show the big-ass can of pepperspray to the crowd- second of all, they want to be arrested. You're going to end up dragging them away anyway, so why not just roll up your sleeves and get going with it? Pepper spraying just seemed unnecessary to me.
Of course, the Chancellor, Police Department and the University are all under fire- so when the Chancellor finished up her press conference on the matter yesterday, she walked out of the Admin building and was greeted with more protestors. Sitting in silence- lining her 3 block walk to the her SUV. Whether you agree with the Occupy crowd or not (I generally don't, but in this case, the police officer was in the wrong- there was no justification from what I can see for dousing peaceful protestors with pepper spray) you have to admit that it's a pretty powerful scene.
NPR has the vid, here. (Pepper Spray vid is also included.)
Of course, the Chancellor, Police Department and the University are all under fire- so when the Chancellor finished up her press conference on the matter yesterday, she walked out of the Admin building and was greeted with more protestors. Sitting in silence- lining her 3 block walk to the her SUV. Whether you agree with the Occupy crowd or not (I generally don't, but in this case, the police officer was in the wrong- there was no justification from what I can see for dousing peaceful protestors with pepper spray) you have to admit that it's a pretty powerful scene.
NPR has the vid, here. (Pepper Spray vid is also included.)
Friday, November 18, 2011
Late Night Chronicles 85: I Want To Believe
Published on Facebook, 11/18/2011
I'm frustrated. I've finally come to the conclusion that I just don't understand liberals and it's start to depress me because it's looking increasingly like I never will. I've listened and I've tried and tried- I own all seven seasons of The West Wing. I read Huffington Post every single day probably- I check out Talking Points Memo and Daily Kos from time to time. I love NPR. I can't get through a day without it. Shit, I've ever started reading Mother Jones all in an attempt to understand and finally achieve that long sought after break through so I can finally understand just where the hell liberals are coming from.
And don't get me wrong: I'm not a Republican by any stretch of the imagination. There's a fundamental hyopcrisy about modern conservative though that just nauseates me. I can't stand sermons about the evils of government followed by demands for control of pornography, marriage, women's bodies, what's on television and what we listen to in the very next breath. Either you're for small government or you're not. Pick one.
So I can't be Republican. I just can't do it. I might be able to dabble in aspects of Libertarianism and even (the chill, non-violent, I'm a political theory class so leave me alone, all right?) bits of Anarchism, but other than that? Pass.
Problem is, intellectually try as I might, I just can't get all the way onboard with the whole Progressive-Liberal-Lefty thing and after much deep, dark, deliberation I think I've come across some reasons why:
It makes me insane when liberals keep throwing the past in my face. What are y'all? Conservatives? You can't throw the whole 'but the Republicans want to take us back the 50s and the uptight, racist, misogynist Leave It To Beaver Crap' when Progressive ideology seems bent on achieving the ultimate goals of the New Deal- from the 30s!. Fight for unions, you say- you can take bathroom breaks and have the 40 hour work week and 8 hour work day, thanks to them. And I do thank them. But when unions are fighting for two-tiered wage systems that penalize younger workers (like myself) in favor of older ones and when new teachers hired and usually the first fired, I've got to ask: just what have they done for me lately?
Take to the streets, you say- protesting stopped Vietnam! I remember when my Russian politics professor told me that on the eve of the Iraq War. We were going in there, come hell or high water and I had resigned myself to it at that point- I was just praying that we could do the job with a level of competence that wouldn't cost our fighting men and women their lives needlessly. I was wrong about that- and it still makes me angry to this day- but we were going in there. The decision had been made and no amount of drum circles or nostalgic rallies trying to get the graying ranks of academia to recall the follies of their youth was going to change that. The hard work of true Revolution is done at the ballot box- something that I'm hoping the Occupy Crowd wakes up to sooner rather than later.
And then, there's socialism. My God, all this weird obsession with socialism. European Social Democracy must be imported immediately! Nationalized health care! Nationalized banks! Take all the profits from the rich, greedy bastards and redistribute them amongst the masses! After all, it's only fair. After all, it's equal, after all- it works! Look at Europe! Yes, let's stop and look at Europe for a moment shall we. The Soviet Union collapsed in a heap and the European Union is about to implode. Still want to be like Europe? Still want nationalized health care? You probably shouldn't. Everyone think it'd be awesome if the government covered everybody and sure enough, everybody would have access to health care- but it's free health care. Just because something is free doesn't make it good, in my book. Do you really want the quality of your health care dependent on the government we elect? Sure, we elected Obama who seemed pretty competent at the time- but then again, we elected Dubya as well. Would you want him running your health care system? Then there's the most damning thing of all: people want the government to do things for them in this country. They just don't want to pay for it. Until you can square that circle at the ballot box with a convincing win- true national health care will remain just that: a dream.
The obsession with recapturing their youth that drives the Baby Boomer Generation is doing horrible, horrible things to Progressive-Lefty-Liberal politics in this country. The insistence on marches, because marches change the world! Occupation, because camping out in a park is going to make a difference! It's chock full of the same attitudes that pissed off 'the silent majority' way back in 1968 and got Nixon elected. When Newt Gingrich starts shopping around his secret plan to end the war, I'd start looking for ways to move to Canada, kids.
But despite my issues- I tend to lean left on a lot of things- and if not left, the pure hardcore libertarian. I want legalized pot. I want to end the Drug War because it's a waste of money. I'd like to end the Death Penalty for the same reason. I believe in marriage equality and get angry when a Democratic President doesn't have the balls to do the right thing because his 'views are evolving.' I do get queasy about abortion- I'm sorry if that's a true piece of heresy, but I do. Not because I know what it's like to have a uterus or anything, but because I think it sends a terrible message to young men that 'sowing your wild oats' is free, easy and for a few hundred bucks and cab fare to Planned Parenthood, entirely without consequences- at least for the young men. That offends me, because I was raised to take responsibility for my actions- and so, I think were a lot of other people. But aside from that I have problems with the notion that 'government knows best.' It doesn't. Abortion, whatever your feelings on it ultimately comes down to the actions of individuals faced with that choice.
And thus we expose the hyopcrisy inherent in modern Progressive-Liberal-Lefty thought: for drugs, marriage, abortion, the death penalty and a whole host of other issues- the government most definately does not know best. For everything else though, it does. And that confuses me. Congress, while millions of Americans are out of work and there are war raging across the world, today decided to declare that pizza was, in fact, a vegetable.
And you want these people running our health care system?
Now, I know what you're going to say: but Tooooooommmmm, it's not Congress, it's the evil corporations and banks that hold them in thrall! If we just get the right people in there, we can really get a lot of good things done for the country.
That's not going to do the trick kids. We send good people to Congress all the time. They've got modest incomes and big dreams and genuinely believe in public service and doing good for people yet somehow they stay forever retire after 20 years and step right into a lobbying job to soak up the big bucks. You want to get serious about this, you have to neuter the entrenched political class... but there are too many sweetheart deals heading to the Lefty-Progs-Liberals, so you won't.
It's all the more depressing, because I really do worry about the health of democracy in this country. (Some people worry about paying their bills, this is what I worry about. I'm a PoliSci freak- so don't judge!) I want strong, sensible, consistent ends to my political spectrum. I'd like voting reform so we can squeeze in at least one more party to keep the other two honest. I'd like a government that can lend a helping hand when people genuinely need it and then leave everyone else the hell alone as much as possible. I'd like to go to a Caucus and not worry that I need neurological examination because I believe the candidate who wants to put us back on the Gold Standard is the least bad option of all the options out there- left and right! I'd like to be proud to vote for a true Liberal or even a true Conservative- a true anybody would be a good start!
I know that true Revolution is more than camping in a park or marching in a street. It's meetings- a shitload of 'em. (Tell me where, kids, I'll show up.) I know we can do better as a country- I'd just like a little hint that I'm not alone in that thought. I'd like to put hardcore, fierce Independents directly into the mainstream of political discourse in this country and I'd love to take down the entrenched establishment in the process.
But when it comes to mainstream- whatever that means- politics in this country, I feel a lot like Fox Mulder right at the very start of The X-Files. Big glasses, crappy haircut and a burning, feverish desire to believe.
I want to believe. Can you help me, please?
.
I'm frustrated. I've finally come to the conclusion that I just don't understand liberals and it's start to depress me because it's looking increasingly like I never will. I've listened and I've tried and tried- I own all seven seasons of The West Wing. I read Huffington Post every single day probably- I check out Talking Points Memo and Daily Kos from time to time. I love NPR. I can't get through a day without it. Shit, I've ever started reading Mother Jones all in an attempt to understand and finally achieve that long sought after break through so I can finally understand just where the hell liberals are coming from.
And don't get me wrong: I'm not a Republican by any stretch of the imagination. There's a fundamental hyopcrisy about modern conservative though that just nauseates me. I can't stand sermons about the evils of government followed by demands for control of pornography, marriage, women's bodies, what's on television and what we listen to in the very next breath. Either you're for small government or you're not. Pick one.
So I can't be Republican. I just can't do it. I might be able to dabble in aspects of Libertarianism and even (the chill, non-violent, I'm a political theory class so leave me alone, all right?) bits of Anarchism, but other than that? Pass.
Problem is, intellectually try as I might, I just can't get all the way onboard with the whole Progressive-Liberal-Lefty thing and after much deep, dark, deliberation I think I've come across some reasons why:
It makes me insane when liberals keep throwing the past in my face. What are y'all? Conservatives? You can't throw the whole 'but the Republicans want to take us back the 50s and the uptight, racist, misogynist Leave It To Beaver Crap' when Progressive ideology seems bent on achieving the ultimate goals of the New Deal- from the 30s!. Fight for unions, you say- you can take bathroom breaks and have the 40 hour work week and 8 hour work day, thanks to them. And I do thank them. But when unions are fighting for two-tiered wage systems that penalize younger workers (like myself) in favor of older ones and when new teachers hired and usually the first fired, I've got to ask: just what have they done for me lately?
Take to the streets, you say- protesting stopped Vietnam! I remember when my Russian politics professor told me that on the eve of the Iraq War. We were going in there, come hell or high water and I had resigned myself to it at that point- I was just praying that we could do the job with a level of competence that wouldn't cost our fighting men and women their lives needlessly. I was wrong about that- and it still makes me angry to this day- but we were going in there. The decision had been made and no amount of drum circles or nostalgic rallies trying to get the graying ranks of academia to recall the follies of their youth was going to change that. The hard work of true Revolution is done at the ballot box- something that I'm hoping the Occupy Crowd wakes up to sooner rather than later.
And then, there's socialism. My God, all this weird obsession with socialism. European Social Democracy must be imported immediately! Nationalized health care! Nationalized banks! Take all the profits from the rich, greedy bastards and redistribute them amongst the masses! After all, it's only fair. After all, it's equal, after all- it works! Look at Europe! Yes, let's stop and look at Europe for a moment shall we. The Soviet Union collapsed in a heap and the European Union is about to implode. Still want to be like Europe? Still want nationalized health care? You probably shouldn't. Everyone think it'd be awesome if the government covered everybody and sure enough, everybody would have access to health care- but it's free health care. Just because something is free doesn't make it good, in my book. Do you really want the quality of your health care dependent on the government we elect? Sure, we elected Obama who seemed pretty competent at the time- but then again, we elected Dubya as well. Would you want him running your health care system? Then there's the most damning thing of all: people want the government to do things for them in this country. They just don't want to pay for it. Until you can square that circle at the ballot box with a convincing win- true national health care will remain just that: a dream.
The obsession with recapturing their youth that drives the Baby Boomer Generation is doing horrible, horrible things to Progressive-Lefty-Liberal politics in this country. The insistence on marches, because marches change the world! Occupation, because camping out in a park is going to make a difference! It's chock full of the same attitudes that pissed off 'the silent majority' way back in 1968 and got Nixon elected. When Newt Gingrich starts shopping around his secret plan to end the war, I'd start looking for ways to move to Canada, kids.
But despite my issues- I tend to lean left on a lot of things- and if not left, the pure hardcore libertarian. I want legalized pot. I want to end the Drug War because it's a waste of money. I'd like to end the Death Penalty for the same reason. I believe in marriage equality and get angry when a Democratic President doesn't have the balls to do the right thing because his 'views are evolving.' I do get queasy about abortion- I'm sorry if that's a true piece of heresy, but I do. Not because I know what it's like to have a uterus or anything, but because I think it sends a terrible message to young men that 'sowing your wild oats' is free, easy and for a few hundred bucks and cab fare to Planned Parenthood, entirely without consequences- at least for the young men. That offends me, because I was raised to take responsibility for my actions- and so, I think were a lot of other people. But aside from that I have problems with the notion that 'government knows best.' It doesn't. Abortion, whatever your feelings on it ultimately comes down to the actions of individuals faced with that choice.
And thus we expose the hyopcrisy inherent in modern Progressive-Liberal-Lefty thought: for drugs, marriage, abortion, the death penalty and a whole host of other issues- the government most definately does not know best. For everything else though, it does. And that confuses me. Congress, while millions of Americans are out of work and there are war raging across the world, today decided to declare that pizza was, in fact, a vegetable.
And you want these people running our health care system?
Now, I know what you're going to say: but Tooooooommmmm, it's not Congress, it's the evil corporations and banks that hold them in thrall! If we just get the right people in there, we can really get a lot of good things done for the country.
That's not going to do the trick kids. We send good people to Congress all the time. They've got modest incomes and big dreams and genuinely believe in public service and doing good for people yet somehow they stay forever retire after 20 years and step right into a lobbying job to soak up the big bucks. You want to get serious about this, you have to neuter the entrenched political class... but there are too many sweetheart deals heading to the Lefty-Progs-Liberals, so you won't.
It's all the more depressing, because I really do worry about the health of democracy in this country. (Some people worry about paying their bills, this is what I worry about. I'm a PoliSci freak- so don't judge!) I want strong, sensible, consistent ends to my political spectrum. I'd like voting reform so we can squeeze in at least one more party to keep the other two honest. I'd like a government that can lend a helping hand when people genuinely need it and then leave everyone else the hell alone as much as possible. I'd like to go to a Caucus and not worry that I need neurological examination because I believe the candidate who wants to put us back on the Gold Standard is the least bad option of all the options out there- left and right! I'd like to be proud to vote for a true Liberal or even a true Conservative- a true anybody would be a good start!
I know that true Revolution is more than camping in a park or marching in a street. It's meetings- a shitload of 'em. (Tell me where, kids, I'll show up.) I know we can do better as a country- I'd just like a little hint that I'm not alone in that thought. I'd like to put hardcore, fierce Independents directly into the mainstream of political discourse in this country and I'd love to take down the entrenched establishment in the process.
But when it comes to mainstream- whatever that means- politics in this country, I feel a lot like Fox Mulder right at the very start of The X-Files. Big glasses, crappy haircut and a burning, feverish desire to believe.
I want to believe. Can you help me, please?
.
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