My sister, being a full-time (but not quite Desperate) housewife and mother, has recently taken up researching our geaneology as a hobby, mostly through the web site Ancestry.com. She's managed to trace our ancestors back as far as the 16th century (the English Branch), and has dug up some fascinating stuff. Among our ancestors were early Pilgrim or Puritan settlers in Massachissetts (not Mayflower passengers, but within a few years, and giving birth in the colony by 1627), and victims of an infamous Massacre in Upstate New York during the Revolution. What I really found interesting were the following tidbits:
That Wasn't What I Expected:
I have always known I had German ancestry -- my surname, after all, is blatantly German, and my sister's research has confirmed my German Ancestry. But what surprised us was that our Patrilineal line was NOT German, despite the family name. In fact, the first of my ancestors born in America was also the first ancestor with that last name. His father, Hendrik Johansson, was born in Sweden, as was HIS father, Johan Hendriksson. Why my ancestor had the middle name Johansson and then the last name that our family now bears is a mystery -- my best guess is either he was orphaned and adopted or his mother remarried. But so far, we don't have any records that say one way or another -- this was in the
Almost Famous:
For a couple of generations, my mother's family has been convinced we were related to Daniel Boone -- there are, after all, several Boones in the family lineage, and from the right part of the country. But my sister's more detailed research has shown conclusively that we are not related to Daniel Boone on my mother's side. On my FATHER'S side, however, we ALMOST are -- my great-grandfather married a woman who was a great-granddaughter of Daniel Boone and a greanddaughter of Meriwether Lewis. Unfortunately for us, she was his second wife, and our family line is from his first marriage.
Robbo Would Not Be Pleased:
This part will dismay my Royalist friend over at TPSAYE: My sister has also discovered in her research that we are direct descendants of a(n) (in)famous(?) roundhead, Daniel Axtell. Being a descendent also of Patriots from our own revolution, and a staunch Declarationist, I'm actually rather proud of this point.
That Would Explain My Love of Chocolate:
So it turns out that I am more and less of a mutt than I always suspected. The Irish, English, Wlsh, Scot, and German ancestry we always believed in has been confirmed. There is still no evidence of the Cherokee and Choctaw blood that has been hinted at from my mother's side, but that is offset by the revelation of Swedish ancestry, as well as French (to my horror) and... this is the one that really blew my mind... Swiss -- from a small valley south of Lake Geneva, just a few miles from the French border.
I'll post more if it seems interesting enough.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 02, 2009
Ex Libris
Spoiler Warning: Lurch, don't read this. I promise I'll reread, and I want you to approach the book unbiased.
Oh. My. Lord.
I just finished The Last Centurion by John Ringo. It's an excellent near-future novel (military sci-fi? Maybe, thos the Sci os just barely fi. More on that in a moment) set about 120 years from now. In the novel, a new Ice Age and a flu epidemic have rocked the world. Theprotagonist hero of the book is Bandit Six, a U.S. Army captain left with his unit in the Middle East when the Eflluent hits the Aerator. The book is written as his blog memoirs of all that transpire.
The book is part Michael Crichton, part Tom Clancy, and I found it all gripping. I lost a lot of sleep reading it, since the only time I've had to read it was late at night. Whether it was the explanatory chapters or the action, it all had me engrossed, and was written in a believable, approachable, no-nonsense (Bandit Six would probably say no BS) tone. Mr. Ringo is an Army vet, so I trusted his representation of members of our military, and although it was fiction, it gave me deeper respect for our troops and all they do.
The book isn't for everyone -- particularly not for those of a particular political or philosophical bent, and especially not for those of that persuasion who don't like their assumptions about What Is So being challenged. It is politically and philosophically unambiguous, and the parallels to current events and politics is intentionally obvious. A couple of political figures in the book are brazenly patterned after real life politicians. The names are changed, but you'll recognize theem right away -- I'm sure this is "a feature, not a bug".
But if you're open to looking at things from a different angle, or if you happen to agree with Mr. Ringo which I admit to, (although I also admit I'm not quite as stark in my holding of those opinions as he is), it's a good read, andit might just make you think. It might also scare you, sicken you, sadden you, but also move you, inspire you, and challenge you, all in turn.
I only had two minor quibbles with the book.
The first has to do with the "crichtonesque" parts of the book, particularly those addressing the climatic shift and flu epidemic that are the backdrop, as well as the agricultural ramifications. At certain points, the data and processes that are explained seem to be taken from currently available, real-life data. At others, it is obviously future-occurring fiction, albeit extrapolated fro mreal life hypotheses. The problem I have is that the way Bandit Six (and thus Ringo) presents the information makes it difficult to distinguish the two. To a certain extent this is good storytelling, but I fear both what I call the "Left Behind" effect -- readers who take the extrapolation as being reality -- and a "guilty by association" reaction by those who disagree with Ringo, who will reject the current data as being just as speculative as the future fiction data. As an aside, I think the extrapolation is not only possible, but plausible. However, as the dustcover iteslf says, this is just one POSSIBLE future. Since I already saw some similarities between Ringos and Crichtons works, perhaps Mr. Ringo could have taken a cue from Crichton and used footnotes for the real life data.
The second nit is even more minor, but it leads me to some reflections on the nature of "near-future fiction" and sci-fi in general. Let me explain the reflections first, and then the minor nit with Mr. Ringo's work:
There was a time when science fiction was, if you will, the prophet of technology. From Jules Verne's Nautilus to the Star Trek Communicators that became today's cell phones, what one generation's sci fi authors would dream up, another generation's scientists and technicians would make reality. Often it took a couple generations, and by then, science fiction had moved on to bigger and better things. Scinece had to move fast to try to keep up with science fiction. But as technological progress increases in pace, science seems to not only be keeping up, but catching up with science fiction, and may soon pass it. This is especially true of near-future sci fi. Unless you go the Greg Bear route and write about life a thousand years from now, and instead write about things "the day after tomorrow", you run the risk that by the time you go to print, your day after tomorrow will look more like the day before yesterday (I'm reminded of an episode of Viva Variety! in which Johnny Blue Jeans proposes a futuristic action movie set in "The yearrrr Twoooo Thouuuuusand......" -- the show was aired in the late 1990's). The "prophet" may soon be just a historian.
Case in point from The Last Centurion:
At a couple of points in the book, while Bandit Six is describing military engagements involving the Strykers under his command, he notes that the machine gun cupolas of the TC (Track, or vehicle Commander) positions are up-armored and thus safer for the TC's.
This left me wondering why, if it's 2019, the Strykers aren't equipped with CROWS, since at least some vehicles deployed in real life in Iraq since 2004, 15 years earlier than the book, were already deploying them and the systems wre in more common use by 2008.
This is not to disparage Ringo's book or his skill as a writer -- I'm assuming that given that the book was published in 2008, and it may have taken Mr. Ringo a year or so to write the book, and it may not have yet been readily apparent that CROWS systems would be so widely adopted.
Despite those minor irritants, the book was a thouroughly good read. I hope we can look forward to reading more about the world, and exploits, of Bandit Six.
Oh. My. Lord.
I just finished The Last Centurion by John Ringo. It's an excellent near-future novel (military sci-fi? Maybe, thos the Sci os just barely fi. More on that in a moment) set about 120 years from now. In the novel, a new Ice Age and a flu epidemic have rocked the world. The
The book is part Michael Crichton, part Tom Clancy, and I found it all gripping. I lost a lot of sleep reading it, since the only time I've had to read it was late at night. Whether it was the explanatory chapters or the action, it all had me engrossed, and was written in a believable, approachable, no-nonsense (Bandit Six would probably say no BS) tone. Mr. Ringo is an Army vet, so I trusted his representation of members of our military, and although it was fiction, it gave me deeper respect for our troops and all they do.
The book isn't for everyone -- particularly not for those of a particular political or philosophical bent, and especially not for those of that persuasion who don't like their assumptions about What Is So being challenged. It is politically and philosophically unambiguous, and the parallels to current events and politics is intentionally obvious. A couple of political figures in the book are brazenly patterned after real life politicians. The names are changed, but you'll recognize theem right away -- I'm sure this is "a feature, not a bug".
But if you're open to looking at things from a different angle, or if you happen to agree with Mr. Ringo which I admit to, (although I also admit I'm not quite as stark in my holding of those opinions as he is), it's a good read, andit might just make you think. It might also scare you, sicken you, sadden you, but also move you, inspire you, and challenge you, all in turn.
I only had two minor quibbles with the book.
The first has to do with the "crichtonesque" parts of the book, particularly those addressing the climatic shift and flu epidemic that are the backdrop, as well as the agricultural ramifications. At certain points, the data and processes that are explained seem to be taken from currently available, real-life data. At others, it is obviously future-occurring fiction, albeit extrapolated fro mreal life hypotheses. The problem I have is that the way Bandit Six (and thus Ringo) presents the information makes it difficult to distinguish the two. To a certain extent this is good storytelling, but I fear both what I call the "Left Behind" effect -- readers who take the extrapolation as being reality -- and a "guilty by association" reaction by those who disagree with Ringo, who will reject the current data as being just as speculative as the future fiction data. As an aside, I think the extrapolation is not only possible, but plausible. However, as the dustcover iteslf says, this is just one POSSIBLE future. Since I already saw some similarities between Ringos and Crichtons works, perhaps Mr. Ringo could have taken a cue from Crichton and used footnotes for the real life data.
The second nit is even more minor, but it leads me to some reflections on the nature of "near-future fiction" and sci-fi in general. Let me explain the reflections first, and then the minor nit with Mr. Ringo's work:
There was a time when science fiction was, if you will, the prophet of technology. From Jules Verne's Nautilus to the Star Trek Communicators that became today's cell phones, what one generation's sci fi authors would dream up, another generation's scientists and technicians would make reality. Often it took a couple generations, and by then, science fiction had moved on to bigger and better things. Scinece had to move fast to try to keep up with science fiction. But as technological progress increases in pace, science seems to not only be keeping up, but catching up with science fiction, and may soon pass it. This is especially true of near-future sci fi. Unless you go the Greg Bear route and write about life a thousand years from now, and instead write about things "the day after tomorrow", you run the risk that by the time you go to print, your day after tomorrow will look more like the day before yesterday (I'm reminded of an episode of Viva Variety! in which Johnny Blue Jeans proposes a futuristic action movie set in "The yearrrr Twoooo Thouuuuusand......" -- the show was aired in the late 1990's). The "prophet" may soon be just a historian.
Case in point from The Last Centurion:
At a couple of points in the book, while Bandit Six is describing military engagements involving the Strykers under his command, he notes that the machine gun cupolas of the TC (Track, or vehicle Commander) positions are up-armored and thus safer for the TC's.
This left me wondering why, if it's 2019, the Strykers aren't equipped with CROWS, since at least some vehicles deployed in real life in Iraq since 2004, 15 years earlier than the book, were already deploying them and the systems wre in more common use by 2008.
This is not to disparage Ringo's book or his skill as a writer -- I'm assuming that given that the book was published in 2008, and it may have taken Mr. Ringo a year or so to write the book, and it may not have yet been readily apparent that CROWS systems would be so widely adopted.
Despite those minor irritants, the book was a thouroughly good read. I hope we can look forward to reading more about the world, and exploits, of Bandit Six.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Barak Obama: Restoring America's International Image
... as weak and appeasement-minded.
A tip of the toque to LauraW. at Ace of Spades HQ.
US President Barack Obama's offer to talk to Iran shows that America's policy of "domination" has failed, the government spokesman said on Saturday.
"This request means Western ideology has become passive, that capitalist thought and the system of domination have failed," Gholam Hossein Elham was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.
Welcome Back,Kotter Carter.
A tip of the toque to LauraW. at Ace of Spades HQ.
US President Barack Obama's offer to talk to Iran shows that America's policy of "domination" has failed, the government spokesman said on Saturday.
"This request means Western ideology has become passive, that capitalist thought and the system of domination have failed," Gholam Hossein Elham was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.
Welcome Back,
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Memento Miko
A few pictures of Miko:
This one was taken when The Lad was The Wee Bairn:
This one more recently:
And this past December, her last snow:
This one was taken when The Lad was The Wee Bairn:
This one more recently:
And this past December, her last snow:
Cold Comfort
"Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, Is he who sings songs to a troubled heart."
- Proverbs 25:20 (NASB)
Sorry to continue on a down note, but the posts on my dad and LBD have me reflecting on something -- particularly the nature of mourning, especially for a Christian. It started following the death of my father -- I remember feeling guilty about being so sad, especially since, as a believer, I was (and remain) sure that my father's spirit lives on. in a different way, but with the same assumption of comfort, I've been reminded today (by a well-meaning vet tech) that Miko's suffering is over and she is no longer feeling anything.
But in both cases, the point is missed. I no longer feel sorry for her, and never did for my father. I felt, and feel, sorry for myself. I mourn their loss not in the sense of them having lost their lives, but in the sense of me losing them.
When my father passed, similarly well-meaning people told me, "at least you know where he is". And I remember thinking, "yes, and I also know where he isn't. He isn't here".
Life goes on -- some of us believe it even goes on for those who have left this world, and we carry with us the hope of seeing them again. But in the meantime, we have to muddle through this world without them.
That's the reason for our tears.
- Proverbs 25:20 (NASB)
Sorry to continue on a down note, but the posts on my dad and LBD have me reflecting on something -- particularly the nature of mourning, especially for a Christian. It started following the death of my father -- I remember feeling guilty about being so sad, especially since, as a believer, I was (and remain) sure that my father's spirit lives on. in a different way, but with the same assumption of comfort, I've been reminded today (by a well-meaning vet tech) that Miko's suffering is over and she is no longer feeling anything.
But in both cases, the point is missed. I no longer feel sorry for her, and never did for my father. I felt, and feel, sorry for myself. I mourn their loss not in the sense of them having lost their lives, but in the sense of me losing them.
When my father passed, similarly well-meaning people told me, "at least you know where he is". And I remember thinking, "yes, and I also know where he isn't. He isn't here".
Life goes on -- some of us believe it even goes on for those who have left this world, and we carry with us the hope of seeing them again. But in the meantime, we have to muddle through this world without them.
That's the reason for our tears.
Chew Toys in Paradise
"Every pet is a little tragedy waiting to happen"
-George Carlin
We lost Little Big Dog today. She was just a few months short of being 7 years old. She developed a serious case of AIHA (also called IMHA), an autoimmune disease in which her body's immune system attacked her own red blood cells. She wasn't getting oxygen to her body, and the waste wasn't flushing out. The vet told us her chances of surviving were very slim, and she was suffering, so we decided to have her put down.
I remember the day we got her. We had just recently moved into an apartment after months struggling to get on our feet following our move back to Oregon. We'd talked about a dog for years, but our income and living situation had not allowed it. We were for the first time in almost 2 years both gainfully employed, and living in a place that allowed pets. It was tax season, and we had a modest refund coming. TFR began searching the paper for ads, and one day she called me at work. A family living in Elmira had a litter of Lhasa Apso puppies, and was only asking $250 for them. She was headed over there to look, and would call me back. She did, informing me that she had found a pup she liked, and wanted to pick me up after work and take me out there to see it. On our way out, I made it clear that we would LOOK at the dog, but that we would not buy until we had discussed it.
Well, that didn't last long. We got to the farmhouse, and the woman put this tiny puppy in my hands. I took one look at the dog, one at my wife, one more at the dog, and got out my check book.
Her breed wasn't supposed to like kids, but she was potty trained while living in an apartment complex, and every time we took her out, the kids would gather round, and she adored kids her whole life. In fact, she got along with just about everyone, except select other dogs -- especially Onyx, her nemesis, a black mutt who gets walked past here regularly. She was more aggressive the bigger the dog. In fact, the only thing that really scared her was... I kid you not... houseflies. She would hide from them under our legs and tremble. She hated being on a leash, loved the outdoors, but seldom got to go off a leash, because she didn't get along with other dogs at the dog park.
She never acted like a small dog -- she was feisty and loved to play rough, loved to chase balls, liked to try to carry sticks that weighed almost as much as her. She was the best dog I ever had. She was loyal, obedient (usually) and affectionate. She was also very good with The Lad -- she put up with a lot of harassment from him, and they developed an almost sibling-like relationship. She loved him. Even today, as she lay helpless in my lap, waiting for him and TFR to return from his daycare so he could say goodbye, just the sound of his name perked her up momentarily.
We stayed with her until the end. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life, but it was the right thing to do. She'd given us almost 7 years of unconditional love, the least we could do was end her suffering and comfort her during her passing. It took just a few seconds... one last sigh and she went to sleep forever.
Goodbye, Miko. Run free in Heavens fields -- no more leash for you.
-George Carlin
We lost Little Big Dog today. She was just a few months short of being 7 years old. She developed a serious case of AIHA (also called IMHA), an autoimmune disease in which her body's immune system attacked her own red blood cells. She wasn't getting oxygen to her body, and the waste wasn't flushing out. The vet told us her chances of surviving were very slim, and she was suffering, so we decided to have her put down.
I remember the day we got her. We had just recently moved into an apartment after months struggling to get on our feet following our move back to Oregon. We'd talked about a dog for years, but our income and living situation had not allowed it. We were for the first time in almost 2 years both gainfully employed, and living in a place that allowed pets. It was tax season, and we had a modest refund coming. TFR began searching the paper for ads, and one day she called me at work. A family living in Elmira had a litter of Lhasa Apso puppies, and was only asking $250 for them. She was headed over there to look, and would call me back. She did, informing me that she had found a pup she liked, and wanted to pick me up after work and take me out there to see it. On our way out, I made it clear that we would LOOK at the dog, but that we would not buy until we had discussed it.
Well, that didn't last long. We got to the farmhouse, and the woman put this tiny puppy in my hands. I took one look at the dog, one at my wife, one more at the dog, and got out my check book.
Her breed wasn't supposed to like kids, but she was potty trained while living in an apartment complex, and every time we took her out, the kids would gather round, and she adored kids her whole life. In fact, she got along with just about everyone, except select other dogs -- especially Onyx, her nemesis, a black mutt who gets walked past here regularly. She was more aggressive the bigger the dog. In fact, the only thing that really scared her was... I kid you not... houseflies. She would hide from them under our legs and tremble. She hated being on a leash, loved the outdoors, but seldom got to go off a leash, because she didn't get along with other dogs at the dog park.
She never acted like a small dog -- she was feisty and loved to play rough, loved to chase balls, liked to try to carry sticks that weighed almost as much as her. She was the best dog I ever had. She was loyal, obedient (usually) and affectionate. She was also very good with The Lad -- she put up with a lot of harassment from him, and they developed an almost sibling-like relationship. She loved him. Even today, as she lay helpless in my lap, waiting for him and TFR to return from his daycare so he could say goodbye, just the sound of his name perked her up momentarily.
We stayed with her until the end. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life, but it was the right thing to do. She'd given us almost 7 years of unconditional love, the least we could do was end her suffering and comfort her during her passing. It took just a few seconds... one last sigh and she went to sleep forever.
Goodbye, Miko. Run free in Heavens fields -- no more leash for you.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Keeping Eternal Watch
I've had a request from one of my readers for pictures from our trip to San Diego. Most of the pictures include TFR, The Lad, and friends, and due to privacy concerns, I won't be sharing them here on the blog. That reader, however, is one of TFR's best friends, so Wanda, we'll be sending you pics.
However, I did want to share one set of pictures from the trip. While I was there I spent an afternoon at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetary, visiting my father's grave:
It was the first time since we buried him there that I've had time to really spend time there -- when we went down to bury my grandmother, there just wasn't time. So this time, we spent a good amount of thime there, making sure it was cleaned up and leaving flowers:
I also asked TFR to take the Lad away so I could spend some time alone with my dad. I know he's not there, but it helped a lot to have a place where I could connect with my memories of him. My father was the best friend I ever had, the best man I ever knew, and by far and away my hero. My life has never quite been the same since he died. It was good to talk to him, to weep for him, and to let myself face the loss.
But my father loved serving in the U.S. Navy, probably as much as anything else he did in his very busy life, so I'm convinced he would have loved knowing that he was up on Point Loma, keeping eternal watch on the shores of the country he loved. In fact, as I reflected on his final resting place, I had two thoughts that gave me some consolation:
He has a great view, and...
He's in really good company.
However, I did want to share one set of pictures from the trip. While I was there I spent an afternoon at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetary, visiting my father's grave:
It was the first time since we buried him there that I've had time to really spend time there -- when we went down to bury my grandmother, there just wasn't time. So this time, we spent a good amount of thime there, making sure it was cleaned up and leaving flowers:
I also asked TFR to take the Lad away so I could spend some time alone with my dad. I know he's not there, but it helped a lot to have a place where I could connect with my memories of him. My father was the best friend I ever had, the best man I ever knew, and by far and away my hero. My life has never quite been the same since he died. It was good to talk to him, to weep for him, and to let myself face the loss.
But my father loved serving in the U.S. Navy, probably as much as anything else he did in his very busy life, so I'm convinced he would have loved knowing that he was up on Point Loma, keeping eternal watch on the shores of the country he loved. In fact, as I reflected on his final resting place, I had two thoughts that gave me some consolation:
He has a great view, and...
He's in really good company.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
PAC It In
Yesterday was the only day of the year I ever root for the OSU Beavers in football. That's because when it comes to the bowls, I'll always root for a PAC-10 team over a non-conference opponent. Even the Beavers. Even, if they ever make it to`another bowl, the Huskies. Though I'm not holding my breath for that one.
This bowl season is proving to be especially sweet for the Conference of Champions -- 4-0 with only one Bowl, the Grandaddy of Them All, left. If SC can hold up their end of things and beat Penn State, it's a clean sweep.
This from the conference that I heard Oklahoma State fans referring to as the PAC-1. I can only imagine how they felt being beat by a "Nobody" like the Ducks.
Hopefully the PAC-10 will start negotiating a more challenging set of bowl match-ups, especially for the PAC-10 runner up, who deserves to face better than the #3/#4 in the Big 12. Meanwhile, this should quiet those who questioned the worthiness of our teams to even be in these games.
This bowl season is proving to be especially sweet for the Conference of Champions -- 4-0 with only one Bowl, the Grandaddy of Them All, left. If SC can hold up their end of things and beat Penn State, it's a clean sweep.
This from the conference that I heard Oklahoma State fans referring to as the PAC-1. I can only imagine how they felt being beat by a "Nobody" like the Ducks.
Hopefully the PAC-10 will start negotiating a more challenging set of bowl match-ups, especially for the PAC-10 runner up, who deserves to face better than the #3/#4 in the Big 12. Meanwhile, this should quiet those who questioned the worthiness of our teams to even be in these games.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Too Slow, 'Pokes
It's good to be a Ducks fan today. It's even better being a Ducks fan in San Diego (where we're on vacation right now). Everywhere we go we've seen people in their school colors, and it got old seeing a lot more Oklahoma State fans than Oregon fans. Finally the last couple of days we started seeing more Green and Yellow. Yesterday we bumped in to some fellow Quacker Backers at the beach, and got to talking about the ESPN fan polls, and the fact that over 90% of the people voting nationwide expected the Cowboys to win.
Apparently they didn't count on the added motivation for the Ducks provided by playing a team whose colors are orange and black and whose initials are OSU. Beavers fans could have warned them. Oregon won last nights game 42-31.
I was particularly pleased that the nail in the coffin lid was provided by a touchdown run by LeGarrett Blount. He's dating one of TFR's co-workers, and I had the honor of meeting him and talking a bit at their work holiday party. He's a quiet, humble, likeable young man. He's also a juggernaut whom you do NOT try to arm tackle. It's going to be fun to watch him run over the top of Ducks' opponents for another full season next year.
There was extra sentimental significance to this game for me. The last time Oregon played in the Holiday Bowl was 2000, when they beat Texas in an even closer barn-burner. That was the last time I was in San Diego for Christmas, and my mom bought tickets to the game for the men in the family. It was a wonderful time -- Texas fans are incredibly boisterous and arrogant whn going ino or leading a game, and just as sullen and quiet in defeat. That would also prove to be the last football game father and I attenmy ded together before he passed away.
The rest of the vacation has been enjoyable -- we took The Lad toDizzy Disneyland, we've been to the beach, and I've had a chance to visit my father's grave at Fort rosecrans National Cemetary. I'll add more when I get home, including pictures. In the meantime, Happy Holidays to everyone.
Apparently they didn't count on the added motivation for the Ducks provided by playing a team whose colors are orange and black and whose initials are OSU. Beavers fans could have warned them. Oregon won last nights game 42-31.
I was particularly pleased that the nail in the coffin lid was provided by a touchdown run by LeGarrett Blount. He's dating one of TFR's co-workers, and I had the honor of meeting him and talking a bit at their work holiday party. He's a quiet, humble, likeable young man. He's also a juggernaut whom you do NOT try to arm tackle. It's going to be fun to watch him run over the top of Ducks' opponents for another full season next year.
There was extra sentimental significance to this game for me. The last time Oregon played in the Holiday Bowl was 2000, when they beat Texas in an even closer barn-burner. That was the last time I was in San Diego for Christmas, and my mom bought tickets to the game for the men in the family. It was a wonderful time -- Texas fans are incredibly boisterous and arrogant whn going ino or leading a game, and just as sullen and quiet in defeat. That would also prove to be the last football game father and I attenmy ded together before he passed away.
The rest of the vacation has been enjoyable -- we took The Lad to
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Eat It Like It's Stollen -- Carnival of the Recipes, Christmas and Desserts Edition
Sorry, I've been waiting for months to use that pun. Christmas is probably my favorite time of the year, and DEFINITELY my favorite time for parties and festivities (ironically, also my favorite time for worship and reflection). I'm leaving on vacation in the morning, so it's going up early, if you submit late, I'll add you when I reach a computer in "Sun" Diego.
After being an off-and-on contributor to the CotR for years, I figured it was high time to host one, and what better time than the holidays? To justify the pun, I thought I'd let this edition focus on Christmas recipes, especially desserts. Unfortunately, I'm getting lots of festive recipes, but few desserts, so before we get to the desserts, let's treat this like a true party.
Starting with appetizers and drinks, I'll kick things off myself by getting everyone Nogged Up. Ben brings Seven Cheap Foods to Serve At Your Holiday Party, and Famous Recipes has a Famous Beef and Broccoli Pita Folds recipe that could easily be miniaturized for a great little Appy.
So now on to dinner. For the main course, Christmas Recipes presents Black-Eyed Peas and Ham Christmas Recipe, and Slow Cooker Recipes and Crockpot Recipes brings their Crockpot Honey Ham and Vegetables, but between Elisson's THREE BIRDS WITH ONE PAN, the Diabetic Recipes blog with their Diabetic Recipe for Lemon Chicken, Steamy Kitchen Modern Asian with their Duck Breast with Sweet and Sour Cranberry Chutney, and Chicken Recipes' Chicken Pasta Primavera, Bird is DEFINITELY the word at this party. If you are looking for a Feast of Seven Fishes recipe, Famous Recipes Food and Cooking Weblog offers their World Famous Halibut with Garlic Sauce. for a break from the thematic, Chris presents Try these 7 incredible Indian dishes for your instant OM! moment.
Of course, you need a holiday side dish to go with your main course, so Richard Taylor presents How to Bake the Perfect Sweet Potato or Yam, and CzechFolks give us an ethnic flavor with Exploring Czech Food – Part VI - Famous Potato Salad (Poznavame Ceska Jidla – Cast VI - Slavny Bramborovy Salat).
Need a salad to lighten the palate after all that protein and starch? Then go nuts with this Famous Avocado Spinach and Walnut Salad recipe from World Famous Recipes.
I hope you saved room, because here come the desserts. Let it snow, or at least let me have some of MCs Oreo Snowball Truffles! EVLiving serves up some yummy Christmas Raspberry Muffins with Streusel Topping. If singing O Tannenbaum or Stille Nacht is your thing, try some German Christmas Cookies - They're Going Fast from makingthishome. Beth at Elizabeth Chandler Designs provides a more traditional holiday "twist" with her Orange Peel Candy. As if that weren't enough, Kris butters us up with Peanut Butter Banana Bread. More4Kids has some Fun and Tasty Christmas and Holiday Desserts, and Chef Tom closes out the evening with some Holiday Sugar Cookies to leave behind for Santa.
If you're not too hungover the next morning, and find yourself with a leftover turkey carcass, you might want to use it in Kris' recipe for a Tasty, rich stew.
After being an off-and-on contributor to the CotR for years, I figured it was high time to host one, and what better time than the holidays? To justify the pun, I thought I'd let this edition focus on Christmas recipes, especially desserts. Unfortunately, I'm getting lots of festive recipes, but few desserts, so before we get to the desserts, let's treat this like a true party.
Starting with appetizers and drinks, I'll kick things off myself by getting everyone Nogged Up. Ben brings Seven Cheap Foods to Serve At Your Holiday Party, and Famous Recipes has a Famous Beef and Broccoli Pita Folds recipe that could easily be miniaturized for a great little Appy.
So now on to dinner. For the main course, Christmas Recipes presents Black-Eyed Peas and Ham Christmas Recipe, and Slow Cooker Recipes and Crockpot Recipes brings their Crockpot Honey Ham and Vegetables, but between Elisson's THREE BIRDS WITH ONE PAN, the Diabetic Recipes blog with their Diabetic Recipe for Lemon Chicken, Steamy Kitchen Modern Asian with their Duck Breast with Sweet and Sour Cranberry Chutney, and Chicken Recipes' Chicken Pasta Primavera, Bird is DEFINITELY the word at this party. If you are looking for a Feast of Seven Fishes recipe, Famous Recipes Food and Cooking Weblog offers their World Famous Halibut with Garlic Sauce. for a break from the thematic, Chris presents Try these 7 incredible Indian dishes for your instant OM! moment.
Of course, you need a holiday side dish to go with your main course, so Richard Taylor presents How to Bake the Perfect Sweet Potato or Yam, and CzechFolks give us an ethnic flavor with Exploring Czech Food – Part VI - Famous Potato Salad (Poznavame Ceska Jidla – Cast VI - Slavny Bramborovy Salat).
Need a salad to lighten the palate after all that protein and starch? Then go nuts with this Famous Avocado Spinach and Walnut Salad recipe from World Famous Recipes.
I hope you saved room, because here come the desserts. Let it snow, or at least let me have some of MCs Oreo Snowball Truffles! EVLiving serves up some yummy Christmas Raspberry Muffins with Streusel Topping. If singing O Tannenbaum or Stille Nacht is your thing, try some German Christmas Cookies - They're Going Fast from makingthishome. Beth at Elizabeth Chandler Designs provides a more traditional holiday "twist" with her Orange Peel Candy. As if that weren't enough, Kris butters us up with Peanut Butter Banana Bread. More4Kids has some Fun and Tasty Christmas and Holiday Desserts, and Chef Tom closes out the evening with some Holiday Sugar Cookies to leave behind for Santa.
If you're not too hungover the next morning, and find yourself with a leftover turkey carcass, you might want to use it in Kris' recipe for a Tasty, rich stew.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Frosty the Meltman
A tip of the Toque to Edward John Craig at NRO, via Glenn Beck:
Boy, Greg Nickels must be proud.
Follow the link to NRO, and watch the video. This, apparently, is what passes for a "Holiday Pageant" in schools these days. Apparently they haven't really removed the religious content, they've merely switched religions.
Boy, Greg Nickels must be proud.
Follow the link to NRO, and watch the video. This, apparently, is what passes for a "Holiday Pageant" in schools these days. Apparently they haven't really removed the religious content, they've merely switched religions.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Nogged Up
One of the interesting (and at time fun) things about marriage is the way in which you blend and synthesize family traditions -- bringing together his and hers, wedding them out, combining them, and adding your own. This is especially true during the holidays.
I grew up in a teetotaling family. My parents, especially my father, had strong aversions to alcohol. TFR, on the other hand, grew up in a family that drank, albeit in moderation. As I became an adult, on my own I developed a taste for (usually) moderate alcohol consumption. This time of year, I particularly developed a taste for spiked egg nog.
As luck would have it, TFR's family, specifically her mom, has a family recipe for home made egg nog. I'm sharing it with you now, although I HAVE modified it myself (remember the synthesis thing?) to reflect my preference for a blend of liquor -- her original called for all whiskey:
EGGNOG
8 eggs
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup whiskey (Bourbon, to be precise, though Jack Daniels would do as well. Avoid Scotch/Irish/Canadian whiskies)
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup spiced rum
1 1/4 cup sugar (divided)
4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup water
Separate eggs into whites and yolks.
Whip egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar until light in color. Pour all the liquor over mixture and set aside.
Combine egg whites and salt, beat to a stiff peak.
Whip the cream.
Make a syrup of 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Cook to threading stage, pour hot syrup over the beaten egg whites to which salt has been added, folding carefully.
Fold yolks into the whites and then fold in whipped cream.
Garnish with nutmeg.
As it sits you will need to stir it a little. Keep cold.
I grew up in a teetotaling family. My parents, especially my father, had strong aversions to alcohol. TFR, on the other hand, grew up in a family that drank, albeit in moderation. As I became an adult, on my own I developed a taste for (usually) moderate alcohol consumption. This time of year, I particularly developed a taste for spiked egg nog.
As luck would have it, TFR's family, specifically her mom, has a family recipe for home made egg nog. I'm sharing it with you now, although I HAVE modified it myself (remember the synthesis thing?) to reflect my preference for a blend of liquor -- her original called for all whiskey:
EGGNOG
8 eggs
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup whiskey (Bourbon, to be precise, though Jack Daniels would do as well. Avoid Scotch/Irish/Canadian whiskies)
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup spiced rum
1 1/4 cup sugar (divided)
4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup water
Separate eggs into whites and yolks.
Whip egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar until light in color. Pour all the liquor over mixture and set aside.
Combine egg whites and salt, beat to a stiff peak.
Whip the cream.
Make a syrup of 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Cook to threading stage, pour hot syrup over the beaten egg whites to which salt has been added, folding carefully.
Fold yolks into the whites and then fold in whipped cream.
Garnish with nutmeg.
As it sits you will need to stir it a little. Keep cold.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Stay Away from Runaround CU
Oh, it gets better. Monday, TFR went in to the nearest branch of The Credit Union That Shall Not Be Named. She was directed to a window where she was able to pay off that burdensome debt of $.26 that had hung over our head for all that time (days, even).
Then, with the car loan paid off, she was directed to a second window where she would be able to close out our savings account. But NOT, of course, until after they'd called me, on the phone number listed on our accound, asked me to verify my secret password, and gotten my permission to close the account. An understandable procedure, but under the circumstances, also a bit tiresome.
Especially since it wasn't even the last straw. Once she'd closed the account, she was given a check for the $10 left in it. A check which she was then directed to cash at... you guessed it... another window. But not just ANY other window, she found herself back at the first window, where she'd made the $.26 payment. They took the check from her (the one with which she'd trekked... feet), and gave her the cash.
And now, finally, we are done with that "bank".
Then, with the car loan paid off, she was directed to a second window where she would be able to close out our savings account. But NOT, of course, until after they'd called me, on the phone number listed on our accound, asked me to verify my secret password, and gotten my permission to close the account. An understandable procedure, but under the circumstances, also a bit tiresome.
Especially since it wasn't even the last straw. Once she'd closed the account, she was given a check for the $10 left in it. A check which she was then directed to cash at... you guessed it... another window. But not just ANY other window, she found herself back at the first window, where she'd made the $.26 payment. They took the check from her (the one with which she'd trekked... feet), and gave her the cash.
And now, finally, we are done with that "bank".
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Cents and Senlessness
Oh, for crying out loud. This is the kind of stupid thing you hear about in e-mail chain letters. I never thought it would happen to me. and although I admit it has not reached any level of severity, it is frustrating. Here's what happened:
About a year ago, due to an auto accident I was involved in, TFR and I found ourselves in the market for as car. We found one that dit our needs perfectly: a 1996 Subaru. We love it. We were able to use the insurance money to make a down payment, and secured a loan from a local credit union, which shall remain anonymous (though my local readers would recognize the name immediately).
In order to get the loan, we had to open a savings account at the C.U., with a minimum balance ($10 -- eh, it was a formality). Because we are attempting to rebuild our credit, we arranged for automatic payments and have studiously made sure that the account from which the payment was made always had sufficient funds on the day of the payment. A year later, and our final payment was in November. The car was paid off and is ours.
Almost.
Due to some glitch in the credit union's system, a balance of $.26 was left in the account, and yesterday, we received a nasty past due notice, informing us that it will go on our credit report if we don't resolve it immediately. Understandably disturbed by this, I called the credit union and was assured that we have a ten day grace period. As long as we pay the balance off within that time, there will be no problems.
I immediately offered to make the payment on the spot, over the phone, to get it over with. Unfortunately, they do not have the technology in place to take a payment over the phone. Considering the circumstances that led to the phone call, I should not have been surprised.
The phone representative then went on to warn me that once the loan is paid off, it will be a closed account, and that since our savings account there will then be a stand-alone account and will have a balance of less than $100, we will begin incurring a $7 service charge each month.
So Either TFR or I get to take some time out of our already busy life (I'm working opening through closing on Friday), go to a nearby branch of the credit union, pay them TWENY-SIX CENTS, and then either deposit an additional $90 in the savings account, or close it.
Guess which we'll be doing
About a year ago, due to an auto accident I was involved in, TFR and I found ourselves in the market for as car. We found one that dit our needs perfectly: a 1996 Subaru. We love it. We were able to use the insurance money to make a down payment, and secured a loan from a local credit union, which shall remain anonymous (though my local readers would recognize the name immediately).
In order to get the loan, we had to open a savings account at the C.U., with a minimum balance ($10 -- eh, it was a formality). Because we are attempting to rebuild our credit, we arranged for automatic payments and have studiously made sure that the account from which the payment was made always had sufficient funds on the day of the payment. A year later, and our final payment was in November. The car was paid off and is ours.
Almost.
Due to some glitch in the credit union's system, a balance of $.26 was left in the account, and yesterday, we received a nasty past due notice, informing us that it will go on our credit report if we don't resolve it immediately. Understandably disturbed by this, I called the credit union and was assured that we have a ten day grace period. As long as we pay the balance off within that time, there will be no problems.
I immediately offered to make the payment on the spot, over the phone, to get it over with. Unfortunately, they do not have the technology in place to take a payment over the phone. Considering the circumstances that led to the phone call, I should not have been surprised.
The phone representative then went on to warn me that once the loan is paid off, it will be a closed account, and that since our savings account there will then be a stand-alone account and will have a balance of less than $100, we will begin incurring a $7 service charge each month.
So Either TFR or I get to take some time out of our already busy life (I'm working opening through closing on Friday), go to a nearby branch of the credit union, pay them TWENY-SIX CENTS, and then either deposit an additional $90 in the savings account, or close it.
Guess which we'll be doing
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Bastards
While I'm issuing memos:
Dear New York Wal-Mart customers,
Happy? Did you get your bargains? Find the stuff you wanted? Get all your Christmas shopping done early? Save a ton?
Great, fantastic! and only one man had to die to make it happen. How proud you must be, how smug.
As far as I'm concerned, you're beneath contempt. Every damned one of you who ran over the poor man or ignored the attempts of his coworkers and the police to rescue him. I'm all for commerce and capitalism, and I have no problem with a little bit of shopping for the holidays, but damn, what kind of animals are you?
And my heart goes out to the family of this poor man, who was working a temp job. I can only imagine what was going through his head -- trying to get ahead, working, trying to be productive, trying to either pull himself up by his bootstraps or trying to make a little extra to give his family a better Christmas.
And now he's dead.
Because you just HAD to be among the first ones in.
Well, now you have to live with the consequences. I hope it weighs on your consciences a good long time.
Dear New York Wal-Mart customers,
Happy? Did you get your bargains? Find the stuff you wanted? Get all your Christmas shopping done early? Save a ton?
Great, fantastic! and only one man had to die to make it happen. How proud you must be, how smug.
As far as I'm concerned, you're beneath contempt. Every damned one of you who ran over the poor man or ignored the attempts of his coworkers and the police to rescue him. I'm all for commerce and capitalism, and I have no problem with a little bit of shopping for the holidays, but damn, what kind of animals are you?
And my heart goes out to the family of this poor man, who was working a temp job. I can only imagine what was going through his head -- trying to get ahead, working, trying to be productive, trying to either pull himself up by his bootstraps or trying to make a little extra to give his family a better Christmas.
And now he's dead.
Because you just HAD to be among the first ones in.
Well, now you have to live with the consequences. I hope it weighs on your consciences a good long time.
Everything's Coming Up... Well, Not Roses
Dear Beavers,
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In case you're too lazy (or heartbroken) to count 'em, that's 65 HA's... Sixty-Five.... which, not coincidentally, is the number of points the Ducks racked up against you in a Civil War upset, in Corvallis -- a game the Beavers were supposed to win easily on their way to their first Rose Bowl since the 1960's.
Awww....
But don't feel too bad, Beavers. You still have a shot at the Rose Bowl. I mean, UCLA COULD beat Southern Cal next weekend. After all, we upset you. But even if that happens, you'll have backed into the Rose Bowl -- you will not have advanced to it on the merits of a victory over the Ducks. Furthermore, you'll be limping into it after having given up to Oregon 65 points -- not just the most ever scored in a Civil War, but the most ANY team has EVER scored on you. EVER.
Chew on that for a year. See you in Autzen.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In case you're too lazy (or heartbroken) to count 'em, that's 65 HA's... Sixty-Five.... which, not coincidentally, is the number of points the Ducks racked up against you in a Civil War upset, in Corvallis -- a game the Beavers were supposed to win easily on their way to their first Rose Bowl since the 1960's.
Awww....
But don't feel too bad, Beavers. You still have a shot at the Rose Bowl. I mean, UCLA COULD beat Southern Cal next weekend. After all, we upset you. But even if that happens, you'll have backed into the Rose Bowl -- you will not have advanced to it on the merits of a victory over the Ducks. Furthermore, you'll be limping into it after having given up to Oregon 65 points -- not just the most ever scored in a Civil War, but the most ANY team has EVER scored on you. EVER.
Chew on that for a year. See you in Autzen.
Monday, November 24, 2008
A Chili Reception
I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now. Yesterday, I participated in my first ever cooking competition -- a chili cookoff that was a fundraiser for Shelter Care, a local charity. The rules were pretty lax, there were only 21 entrants, but it was fun. And best of all, I placed 10th in the judging and -- get this -- second in the people's choice voting.
It wasn't my first choice of chili styles -- I used beans, to which, like Texans, I usually object, but I was appealing to the lowest common denominator, and I knew the local populace is not quite as discriminating when it comes to red chili purism.
I used four kinds of chilis -- Canned chipotles, and a fresh serrano, Anaheim, and jalapeno. I sweated my aromatics in rendered bacon fat, and deglazed after I seared the chuck roast with bourbon and porter. There were a few other tricks I pulled out, but I'm not going to reveal all my secrets.
The part that leaves me kicking myself is the fact that I lost by one vote, and found out later that everyone who participated had a vote in the popular vote -- myself included. Had I cast a vote and one on The Lad's behalf, I would have won. Oh, well, I didn't really need $150 cash. *whimper*
My one consolation was that I took second place to a fellow pro, who has owned his own restaurants. His advice to me was more heat and a little more salt.
Believe me, I'll remember that.
It wasn't my first choice of chili styles -- I used beans, to which, like Texans, I usually object, but I was appealing to the lowest common denominator, and I knew the local populace is not quite as discriminating when it comes to red chili purism.
I used four kinds of chilis -- Canned chipotles, and a fresh serrano, Anaheim, and jalapeno. I sweated my aromatics in rendered bacon fat, and deglazed after I seared the chuck roast with bourbon and porter. There were a few other tricks I pulled out, but I'm not going to reveal all my secrets.
The part that leaves me kicking myself is the fact that I lost by one vote, and found out later that everyone who participated had a vote in the popular vote -- myself included. Had I cast a vote and one on The Lad's behalf, I would have won. Oh, well, I didn't really need $150 cash. *whimper*
My one consolation was that I took second place to a fellow pro, who has owned his own restaurants. His advice to me was more heat and a little more salt.
Believe me, I'll remember that.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Muddling Through
It has come to my attention that my lack of postings has caused concern among my readers. I'm touched, and sorry for the silence. I've been rather busy with work and home life, and frankly, unmotivated to blog about much of anything. Work is fulfilling but not exciting, I'm too burned out to get worked up about politics, I've had nothing to say for some time.
But I did manage something last night that I thought was worth mentioning -- I invented a new cocktail. It's based on the Mojito, but with a culinary twist. Like any good cook, I like playing with ingredients, especially giving something a twist by switching out one similar but non-identical ingredient, then going from there.
In this case, it was switching out the mint and replacing it with basil (which is related to mint botanically). From there I started building on similar switch-outs for other mojito ingredients, with the idea of replacing them with ingredients that were both similar to the ones they replaced; and that went well with basil. This is what I came up with. I'm hoping my readers can help me with ideas for a name for it:
4 or 5 medium-sized basil leaves
1 oz. honey
1 oz. lime juice
1 1/2 oz. citrus-infused vodka
6-8 oz. ginger beer
1 cup ice cubes
Combine the basil and honey in the bottom of a Collins glass and muddle until the basil is crushed. Add the lime juice and vodka, stir until the honey is dissolved. Add ice to the top of the glass, fill with ginger beer, and stir again. garnish with a lime wedge, sprig of basil, and slice of candied ginger.
But I did manage something last night that I thought was worth mentioning -- I invented a new cocktail. It's based on the Mojito, but with a culinary twist. Like any good cook, I like playing with ingredients, especially giving something a twist by switching out one similar but non-identical ingredient, then going from there.
In this case, it was switching out the mint and replacing it with basil (which is related to mint botanically). From there I started building on similar switch-outs for other mojito ingredients, with the idea of replacing them with ingredients that were both similar to the ones they replaced; and that went well with basil. This is what I came up with. I'm hoping my readers can help me with ideas for a name for it:
4 or 5 medium-sized basil leaves
1 oz. honey
1 oz. lime juice
1 1/2 oz. citrus-infused vodka
6-8 oz. ginger beer
1 cup ice cubes
Combine the basil and honey in the bottom of a Collins glass and muddle until the basil is crushed. Add the lime juice and vodka, stir until the honey is dissolved. Add ice to the top of the glass, fill with ginger beer, and stir again. garnish with a lime wedge, sprig of basil, and slice of candied ginger.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Quote(s) of the Year
UPDATED 06/04/08
"someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more."
- Michelle Obama, campaigning on her husband's behalf
"someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more."
- Michelle Obama, campaigning on her husband's behalf
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