Where's Sous-do?

As you may have noticed, I haven't blogged in nigh unto a month. So where am I, ad up to what have I been?

Well, as you all know, I was job searching immediately following my layoff from the school job. I found a tentative part-time position, starting later in June, but in the meantime I'm still exploring other options.

All of that is on hold for the time being.

Well prior to the layoff, TFR booked us tickets to visit her parents, starting on the 31st of May and extending until June 16th. That is where we currently are -- the tickets are non-refundable.

My In-Laws live in Ft. Myers, Florida.

The trip has had its ups and downs -- mostly ups -- but let us dispense with the downs.

To save money on airfare (a significant amount), we took the red eye from Portland to Houston, leaving at 11:45 PM PDT and arriving at IAH at 5:30 AM CDT. I did not sleep a wink. I finally slumbered on the drive from Tampa to Ft. Myers. I still have not completely adjusted to the time change, and find myself unable to sleep at night and nodding off at various inopportune moents throught the day.

On the other hand...

I've slept in every morning. Happy hour starts at 4 PM. Daily activities consist of lounging by the pool, swimming in the pool, grilling near the pool, and eating/drinking as we gaze at the beautiful sky beyond the pool.

I'm partially wresting with guilt and frustration generated from not yet being gainfully employed, but between months of unabated work and weeks of nearly fruitless job searching, this is my first real vacation in quite some time. I'm also enjoying the Florida climate more than I expected -- this early in the season, it's not THAT muggy yet. I could easily see myself wintering in Florida and summering in Oregon.

Hell, if I had the money, I would retire today.

The Latest News From the Job Front

So here's what's happened:

The interview and the call-back both went well. The position os for a new restaurant that opens in early June, training starts May 30. Unfortunately, I'll be out of town the first two weeks in June -- we purchased non-refundable tickets to visit my in-laws.

But they want to hire me, so they're going to contact me when I return, and fit me into the schedule then. It will probably be part-time at first. but with the opportunity to advance quickly. Meanwhile, I continue to fill out applications and send out resumes in case I find something that's a better fit.

That's My Boy!

It's been a while since I updated my readers on The Lad. Well, it's been over four years since his birth, and he's growing into quite a wonderful boy -- sweet, very tender-hearted, good to his mother, bright (SCARY smart at times), with a surprisingly well-developed and wicked sense of humor.

And he's definitely his father's son. He insists on helping me in the kitchen every time I cook. When he plays, he plays at "cooking". When he pretends to salt his "food" while playing, he doesn't shake a salt shaker -- he pinches with his fingers and rubs them together. And today, he REALLY proved that I've raised him well.

The weather was glorious -- close to 80, I'd guess -- so we spent a lot of time outdoors -- we went to the park, went garage sale hunting. On our way home, we pulled up at a stop sign when the smell of smoke came wafting into the car. This wasn't charcoal smoke, this was real wood smoke -- oak, I'd guess, from the aroma. Before I could comment myself, The Lad chimed up, "Do you smell the barbecue?"

I'll make a pitmaster out of him before he can legally drink!

Takin' It To The Street

So the cooking audition fell through -- the company has been put on a hiring freeze, they may or may not call back in a few weeks. And the other two interviews went nowhere. So today I'm back out dropping off resumes.

This really sucks. I knew about the summer layoff when I took the school job last summer, but what I DIDN'T know back then was that the economy would tank and the job market dry up by THIS summer. I figured I'd have little trouble finding seasonal work. Instead, I'm right back where I was this time last year, scrambling to find work, and wondering if I'm EVER going to make a career move that doesn't go from promising to dead end in the short time it takes me to transition into it.

What I had hoped to do, and still may if I end up back at the school in the fall, is save up, buy a small concessions trailer, and start doing my own selling at fairs, festivals, etc. -- I'm convinced that the only way to really secure my future is eventual self-employment.

So out the door I go -- wish me luck.

Ohhhh... Halfway There

Thanks to everyone who's keeping me in their prayers. Do far, so good -- two interviews down, one to go. Both went well, I think they liked me. The first place definitely is a more attractive option, for reasons I'll get into once I've heard from them.

Only one thing has me a bit nervous: at the first place, the chef wants me to come back next Thursday and cook for him, and it will be Black Box, which means I'll show up, he'll have ingredients ready for me, and away I go. I've never done that in this kind of setting before -- sure, I've done it in school, I've done it ON the job, and I've worked a stage before, but I've never had to cook black box to GET a job before. It has me a bit nervous and intimidated, which is not a good start, since self-confidence is obviously one of the qualities he'll be watching for.

I really, really, really want this job. It starts out part time, but offers chances not only for full time hours but advancement and growth. I've become a bit pragmatic about the career futures available in this industry, and this job represents one of the few avenues with real advancement potential, especially for someone starting this late in life.

Wish Me Luck

As you may or may not know (I can't remember if I've mentioned it on this blog), my current job is with a private contractor providing food service for a private university. I'm not directly employed by the school. One of the ramifications of this is that I get laid off in the spring -- my last day is May 8th -- and, hopefully, rehired in the fall -- ostensibly some time in late August.

What to do in the meantime?

Well, this week I have 3 job interviews -- two on Wednesday, one on Thursday. Two are with restaurants, one is food service for a local corproration. Any one of them woulf pay well, and might even tempt me away from the school come fall. Regardless, they all represent a paycheck.

I'm asking for prayers and best wishes from my readers. I'll let you know how they all go.

Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day

Apprenticed to trade, WHERE was I was bound?

Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day

If he was his father's only boy, and his mother's pride and joy, where was he born (be specific)?

A Convenient Half-Truth

Two Tips of the Toque to the Llama Butchers.

The first is for a link to this editorial in the Wall Street Journal in response to the declassification by the Obama administration of memos regarding CIA "torture". The gist of the editorial is pretty obvious to anyone who's ever played sports, let alone those in the military and intelligence communities: Never reveal your playbook to your opponent. Of course, throughout the Past 8 years, we've grown used to the "playbook" being revealed by the press, but now, it's the administration itself telegraphing our punch.

The second tip is for the LB's posting Former VP Cheney's response. Cheney asserts that the current administration has been overly selective and less than forthright in their declassification process -- revealing the methods employed by the CIA in specific cases, but not the follow-up memos that show the end results and effectiveness of those efforts.

With all due respect (and admiration), Mr. Cheney, don't hold your breath. The mantra of the left is "Torture Doesn't Work" -- their minds are made up, don't confuse them with facts.

April Fool

A Tip of the Toque to the Llama Butchers:

According to Paul Begala, this isn't Tax Day, it's "Patriotism Day".

Lovely bit of hypocrisy, this. During the Bush administration, leftists made sure we knew we weren't allowed to question their patriotism for opposing the President on any number of issues. But the minute one of their own is in the White House, they are more than willing to question the patriotism of anyone who thinks our tax burden is exorbitent.

My response is to remind Comrade Begala and his fellow socialists of their favorite slogan as recently as a year ago:

Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism.

That's More Like It!

U.S. Navy rescues captain held by pirates

Three of the Somali captors killed, one in custody after swift operation

Well done, Navy. Let's hope this is an indication that the administration is learning. I'm not super optimistic, but it's a good first baby step.

He Is Risen

It Is Finished

What Happened to the Yardarm?

Unbelievable. The greatest superpower on Earth is being held at bay by four Jack Sparrow Wannabes in a dead-in-the-water lifeboat. I'm sure that's improving our image with the rest of the world.

From the Yahoo! news article:

The U.S. brought in FBI hostage negotiators to work with the military in
trying to secure the release of Capt. Richard Phillips of Underhill, Vt. An
official said the bandits were in talks with the Navy about resolving the
standoff peacefully.

How about, "Let him go and we let you live -- THIS time". Even that's a bit generous in my book, but for the sake of the captain's life, it may be necessary. But just like Terrorists, You don't negotiate with pirates -- ESPECIALLY not from a position of weakness. This isn't new territory -- our first foreign war was against African pirates associated with militant Islam.

Gen. David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, said more ships
would be sent to the area because "we want to ensure that we have all the
capability that might be needed over the course of the coming days." U.S.
officials said the guided-missile frigate USS Haliburton was among the ships en
route.

The additional ships will serve as a show of force following an
increase in the number of attacks and the first one on a U.S.-flagged ship. The
vessels would give the U.S. military more eyes on the threatened area and make
the pirates think twice before trying to seize another ship, but it was not
enough to mount a blockade, according to a senior U.S. defense official who
spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss
operational matters.

We don't need more EYES on the threatened area, we need more FISTS. The pirates aren't going to think twice about JACK just because they know we're watching -- they'll only think twice if we make it demonstrably and patently clear that we're watching, and ready and willing to lower the boom on them if they act up.

"These people are nothing more than criminals and we are bringing to bear a
number of our assets, including naval and FBI, in order to resolve the hostage
situation and bring the pirates to justice," said Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton.

Nothing more? They're something far LESS than criminals, Madame Secretary. While historically captured pirates were given criminal trials, they often never made it to trial due to being sunk at sea, and they were often treated the same as spies and non-uniformed combatants in wartime: summary execution was often the norm.

I'm not necessarily advocating summary execution, but I also believe that while pirates are under arms, they are not merely civilian criminals -- they are enemy combatants, and the appropriate response to their violent force is superior violent force.

President Barack Obama was getting regular updates on the situation, said
spokesman Robert Gibbs. Attorney General Eric Holder says the United States will
take whatever steps are needed to protect U.S. shipping interests against
pirates.

Sink them. destroy their vessels, shoot them dead, bomb their docks. Follow Jefferson and Decaturs example -- make vigorous, enthusiastic war on them. Make them understand that the end of piracy is death, and that the only hope of survival lies in lowering their flag, laying down their arms, or better yet, never take them up in the first place.

Update (5:46 PM Saturday):

An American
skipper held hostage by pirates tried to swim to freedom Friday but was
recaptured seconds later when the bandits opened fire within view of a U.S.
destroyer.

According to the article:

He was in the water only a matter of seconds — not enough time for sailors
aboard the Bainbridge to do much to help him, the defense officials said.
Because both the lifeboat and the Bainbridge are moving, no swimmers or divers
could have been standing by in the water, the officials said.

No swimmers or divers -- but what about GUNNERS? Why the HELL didn't they have small arms trained on these guys so that the instant he was in the water, they were taken under fire? *sigh*

Smoke 'Em if You Got 'Em

This last weekend was glorious here -- weather in the 50's Saturday, 60's on Sunday, and pushing 70 on Monday. We spent Sunday picnicing, going for a drive in the country, and grilling bison burgers. It felt more like June than April.

I also managed to get the grill and smoker cleaned up and ready to go for the coming summer, and I'm kicking things off THIS Saturday (regardless of the weather) with a rack of spare ribs. I'm thinking I'm going to smoke them dry the first half of the day, just to get plenty of smoke on them, but I'm definitely finishing them wet -- I love sticky, sweet-hot wet ribs with layers and layers of cooked-on sauce. in fact, I prefer a thicker sauce with ribs than with either brisket OR pulled pork (in fact, I like my pulled pork sauce to be very Carolina-inspired). Of course I'll be continuing my practice of making the sauce from scratch, and giving them an Oregon twist -- the sweet base will be blackberry jam (strained to remove the seeds, of course) from blackberries picked in my own back yard. And I'm making a batch of my Killer BBBBBBBeeans (That's Blackberry, Bourbon, Beer, & Bacon Barbecue Baked Beans). Sunday we're out to my aunt and uncle's place in Veneta for Easter dinner.

Quote of the Day

"North Korea and Iran going nuclear is not the same as Norway and St. Lucia going nuclear. "

- Mark Steyn

Why the HELL haven't I been reading this guy all along?

Quote of the Day

OK, so I just posted one. That was Sunday (barely). It's now Monday (by 14 minutes). A Tip of the Toque to the Ace of Spades Open Blog:

"If the pen is mightier than the sword, then criminalizing words is a way of disarming potential opposition..."

- Mark Steyn

Neil Cavuto is All Out of Bubblegum.

A Tip of the Toque to Aitch.

If you think that the government is our savior and the Nanny State is Utopia, you might find this video a bit unpleasant.

If, howver, you agree with Ronald Reagan that "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'", you'll share with Neil Cavuto in his anger as he hands congressman Alan Grayson (S - Florida) his socialist head.

The current government -- both the executive AND the legislative branches -- want us to sign away our rights to them, and the only reassurance and justification they offer is "Trust us -- it's for your own good". No thanks, I've seen from history where that path leads, and if my country is to go down it, by God, it won't be without a fight from some of us.

Everything Old is New Again

I've decided to go back to my old blog name, for several reasons. First of all, it matches the URL. Second of all, it reminds me, and the occasional reader, of somthing we all need to remember. Thirdly, I'm hoping the change will jar me out of my blogging doldrums and get the expressive juices flowing again. Finally, I just plain like it, always have, and miss it.

I'll still go by A Boy Named Sous as my Nom De Pixels, but the blog is, once again, Memento Moron.

Let's see how this goes.

Quote of the Day

I'm not usually a big fan of bumper stickerisms -- liberal OR conservative -- because they tend towards strawmen and false dilemmas, two fallacies that irk me probably more than any others. But today I saw a bumper sticker ona very nice Ford F-250 in Eugene that I believe actually hits the nail on the head. It's today's quote of the day:

"Don't spread my wealth -- spread my work ethic."

Quote of the Day

"If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with
inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just power from
the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made
beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth and their
soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not
forward, but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of
the individual, no rule of the people. Those who wish to proceed in that
direction cannot lay claim to progress. They are reactionary."

- Calvin Coolidge, 5 July, 1926

A Tip of the Toque to Mike at South Texian.

Soylent Dumb

A Tip of theToque to Ken, the Fifth String on the Banjo of Life:

Really?

All Things to All Men

As anyone who knows me or reads my blog knows, I'm incredibly fond of my home state, an equally proud of it -- despite my frustration with the political atmosphere here, it's a beautiful place, and outside the cities (especially Eugene and Portland), quite down-to-earth.

Also, despite what people think, Oregon, and the Northwest in general, is not one continual rainfall. One of the things that I've been proud of for quite some time, as it directly relates to the beauty of this place, is its incredible geological and climatic diversity, and the surprising way that diversity stacks Oregon up in comparison to other regions of the country.

I do not deny that there is beauty to be found across this great nation, nor do I imply we hold a monopoly on it. But what is amazing is the way in which so many diferent places in Oregon compare to so many different parts of the rest of the country. With the exception of a few very extreme examples (The Everglades, or the Grand Canyon, for instance), if you pick a specific place in America known for its geology, climate, and scenery, I can, with some effort, find somewhere in Oregon with similar features -- in some cases, admittedly, the Oregon version is a second-best copy, but in other cases, I'd happily stack Oregon up for comparison with confidence that we'd come out on top.

Let me give you a few examples. For copyright reasons, I am not posting any of the gorgeous pictures I found online here -- rather, I'm posting links and letting you see for yourself:

Hudson River Valley, New York
Columbia River Gorge, Oregon/Washington Border

Arizona's Painted Desert
Oregon's Painted Hills

The Blue Ridge Mountains
The Coast Range

A Maine Lighthouse
Oregon's Heceta Head Lighthouse

Grand Tetons, Wyoming
Wallowas, Oregon

Napa Valley, California
Willamette Valley, Oregon

See what I mean?

Change We Can No Longer Suspend Disbelief In

I've been watching with a mixture of sadness, fatalistic amusement, anger, and a bit of regretful vindication the Obama administration's handling of things, especially the financial crisis, and was inspired to create the following image:

What He Said

Robert the Llama Butcher has posted a YouTube video of Representative McCotter (R - Michigan) lambasting the Dems over the AIG flap. Go watch it -- I couldn't have summed up my own feelings on this any better.

While We're At It

Found this quize at The Bow Ramp too:

I am a: Glock Model 22 in 40 cal

What kind of handgun are YOU?

Serendipity

I took a "What Beer Are You?" quiz, and guess what I scored? You, you guessed it:

Your result for The If You Were A Beer Test...

Guinness

(100% dark & bitter, 67% working class, 100% genuine)

Okay, we all know Guinness is the best possible score on any "What Kind Of Beer Are You" test, so you can just go on and pat yourself on the back now. Like the world's most famous brew, you're genuine, you've got good taste, and you're sophisticated. What else can I say, except congratulations?

If your friends didn't score the same way, get ready for them to say: Guinness is too heavy; it's an acquired taste; it's too serious--and they probably think those things about you at times. But just brush 'em off. Everybody knows Guinness is the best. Cheers.

Take The If You Were A Beer Test at

A tip of the Toque to William Powell at The Bow Ramp.

Self-Evident

A Tip of the Toque to Mike at South Texian:

My Conservative Identity:

You are a Free Marketeer, also known as a fiscal conservative. You believe in free-market capitalism, tax cuts, and protecting your hard-earned cash from pick-pocketing liberal socialists.

Take the quiz at http://www.fightliberals.com/Inside-the-Book/What-Breed-of-Conservative-Are-You.html

I'm not so sure I agree with the results -- I DO believe in the free market, but I also believe that it is merely a tool to be used to secure even more basic freedoms, and is itself dependent on other important freedoms in order to function properly. But I did my best to answer the questions frankly and accurately, and that's what came up, so there you go.

Pop Quiz

Four Questions:

1. Which of the two main presidential candidates, , during the election, claimed that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong", despite the current crisis?

2. What was his critics' response?

3. Which of those candidates is now maintaining that claim?

4. Which of them are we to believe?

Qoute of the Day

"If Michelle Obama doesn't lay off all this "giving back" stuff pretty soon, she's going to find herself in Warren Buffett's tax bracket. "

- Ann Coulter

(A Tip of the Toque to Mike LaRoche at South Texian.

Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day

Where was the deal made on a dark and stormy day?

More Hopeychanginess

A Tip of the Toque to Phineas at Public Secrets.

Once again, a member of the administration of the President Who Will Clean Up Washington has some questions to answer regarding the ethics of his behavior.

The man who is President Obama's newly minted urban czar pocketed thousands
of dollars in campaign cash from city developers whose projects he approved or
funded with taxpayers' money, a Daily News probe found.

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion often received contributions
just before or after he sponsored money for projects or approved important
zoning changes, records show.

Most donations were organized and well-timed.

Change We Can Believe In.

Das is Das Amore

As I've mentioned, my sister's genealogy research has confirmed our Celtic and Germanic ancestry -- German, English, Welsh, Scot, Irish, Swedish, with a smattering of Swiss and French.

But my favorite ethnic cuisine, hands down, is Italian (ok, not hands down -- well-made Mexican gives it a run for its money. As do Northwest cuisine and Barbecue, both of which are American and thus no what I consider "ethnic"). And I must say, I'm quite good at it. I even suggested a while back to TFR that maybe I should try my hand at it as my business. She demurred. Until tonight, when I made lasagna.

I started with a green bell bepper, 3/4 of a sweet yellow onion, and a couple stalks of celery, all fine diced. I sweated them in some olive oil along with a butt ton (that's 1.35 metric assloads for my readers outside the US). That went ito a big pot along with 30 oz. of tomato sauce and 6 oz. of tomato paste. Then I browned 1 lb of hamburger and 12 oz. ground pork along with more garlic, dried parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, paprika, and powdered chili. I added this to my sauce, as well as the wine I used to deglaze the skillet. I also added some balsamic vinegar, fresh basil and fresh oregano, as well as more salt and pepper. Once it was ready, I latered sauce, ricotta, pasta, sauce, ricotta, pasta, sauce, ricotta, pasta, sauce, ricotta, pasta, sauce, mozzarella, covered it with foil and baked for 35 minutes, then removed the foul, added a little more mozz., parmesan, and baked it for 10 more minutes, then hit it with the broiler for 3 more, then let it cool and added more parmesan.

Family History: That Wasn't What I Expected; Almost Famous; Robbo Would Not Be Pleased; That Would Explain My Love of Chocolate

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.

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. The protagonist 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.

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.

Mission Nothing Accomplished

Iraq wraps up election with no major violence

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 to Dizzy 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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

If You Tell a Lie Big Enough, and Keep Repeating It, You're Probably Barack Obama

A tip of the Toque to Drew M. at Ace of Spades HQ.

The Scranton (PA) Times-Tribune first claimed it (no media bias there). Keith Goebbel Olbermann parroted it. Barry brought it up in the debate tonight. But it turns out that according to the Secret Service, The allegation of a "Kill Him!" epithet regarding Obama has no merit.

Will the MSM retract their repetition of it?

Will Obama stop beating this horse?

Don't hold your breath.

Damning Himself With Not-So-Faint Praise

Obama's ACORN Connection, straight from the horse's mouth.

Paying Back a "Pay It Forward"

As some of my longtime readers (all 5 of them) may recall, back in 2005, I went down to Houston to help out in a post-Katrina Red Cross Shelter. While I was there, I stayed with one of my best friends and his wife, who live in Spring, a suburb of Houston. The hospitality they showed me was far more generous than anything I did by going down there. They fed and housed me, they entertained me, heck, his brother gave me my first taste of God's Own Food.

Well, they say that no good deed goes unpunished, and Gustav Ike has them in a bad way. They thought their house had come through undamaged, but they've discovered that the roof is leaking, and the drywall in the master bedroom is... well, not DRYwall anymore, and not WALL for much longer. They don't expect power back for another week (he called me from his cell phone, which they use the car to recharge). They can get some food in the local grocery stores, but the lines are long there's not much left by the time they get in some times, and they're running out of money -- today they had to go to FEMA for MRE's. To top it all off, his wife's temp job is up, so they're down a paycheck as of this week.

My friend is not one to beg, he prides himself on being self-reliant, but things are tough, and he has agreed to let me ask my readers for help. This is a chance to give direct aid -- it isn't tax-deductible, it's not giving to an overarching charitable organization, but it is taking the bull by the horns and doing somehting to help someone. Hell, he helped me do the same for others 3 years ago, I have no problem asking for help for him now.

He says the most useful way of sending aid directly is through gift cards and gas cards. If any of you are interested, contact me in the comments or via email, and we'll talk.

Musical Geography Trivia Question of the Day

Where does the southbound odyssey start, and where does it end?

Quote of the Week

A tip of the Toque to Patrick at Born Again Redneck.

"Lurking just below the surface of the second-guessing about Sarah
Palin's fitness to be president is the serious question of whether we still
believe in the American people's capacity for self-government, what we mean when
we affirm that all American citizens are equal, and whether we tacitly believe
there are distinct classes of citizens and that American government at the
highest levels is an elite occupation. "

-- Steven F. Hayward, commenting at The Weekly Standard

Just Keep Telling Yourself

There is no liberal media bias. There is no liberal media bias. There is no...

A tip of the toque to Ace of Spades.

90%

My granddad used to like to say, "Figures don't lie, but liars sure figure". It was his gruff way of reminding people that numbers and statistics, no matter how technically accurate, can be presented in such a way as to imply much more than they really say.

The point was also driven home to me in my college statistics class. I did ok -- Math is not my passion, and statistics really pushed my limits. I escaped it with a C -- and that was just introductory statistics. But what DID stick with me, no matter how much the actual mathematics started to swamp me, was the professor's constant reminder to us whenever we were presented with statistics to ask questions -- never accept uncritically the assertions made by those presenting the statistics. Ask about the methods used to gather the information. If, for instance, the statistics are from a survey, and the presenters claim that X% of people favor Y, ask questions -- how many people did you ask? How were they selected? How representative of the population in general was the sampling? What exactly did they ask the people surveyed? How were the questions worded? Was it a yes/no question? If not, how many responses were available? How were THOSE worded? As you can see, statistics involves more than just numbers.

I have been struck by the importance of this recently, given the fact that one of the Obama campaign's main points of attack against John McCain has been "John McCain voted with President Bush 90% of the time".

Ninety Percent.

It's an interesting statistic to me, because it's the exact same number quoted by the Jeff Merkley campaign in attacking Gordon Smith -- "He voted with President Bush 90% of the time".

So let's start asking questions.

The first question that sprang to my mind was "How did you come up with that figure, 90%?" It seemed the obvious question to ask, but I soon realized that the answer to that question was dependent on another more fundamental question -- How do you define "Voted with President Bush"?

Obviously you can't mean "Voted the same way that Bush did", since Bush, not being a member of Congress, doesn't vote. So what DOES it mean? Voted in favor of 90% of the bills that Bush then signed into law, and against 90% of the bills that eventually passed but he vetoed? Voted 90% of the time the way Bush actively urged congress to vote? Voted the way the Republican Party leadership urged you to vote? Voted with the majority of your fellow Republicans? Please clarify.

But ok, for the sake of argument, let's accept the 90% claim for now. My next question is, how many times did Obama vote "with President Bush", using the same standard to determine the percentage? 0%? I doubt that10%? 20%? 50%? And if Obama voted "with President Bush" say, 30% of the time (as an example, I'm not making the claim that he did), would it still be fair to criticize McCain or Smith for all 90% of their pro-Bush votes? This is important to ask because just saying "they voted with Bush 90% of the time" and presenting that as a criticism implies "They voted wrong 90% of the time". That's unfair to both the senators AND President Bush. NO matter HOW bad a president you believe Bush is, it would be unreasonable to argue that he's been wrong about everything.

Here's what I mean: If Obama and the Democracts and the Republicans and Bush could all manage to agree on, again, say 30% of all the laws passed, that means that the Dems and Bush disagreed 70%, and the Dems and McCain disagreed 60% of the time (90-30=60), with McCain and the Dems agreeing with each other and against Bush 10% of the time. So even from the Democratic POV, arguing that Bush was wrong 70% of the time, McCain was only wrong 60% of the time. Given the way that the country is so split down the middle on so many issues, do you really think that's a strong criticism of your oponent?

Is This "Hope", or "Change"?

A Tip of the Toque to NRO via Ace of Spades HQ.

Obama's latest criticism of McCain? He's so out of touch, he doesn't even know how to send an e-mail.

Well, it's a fair cop, to be honest. John McCain doesn't use e-mail. You got him there, Barack. He he... yep, nailed him to the wall.

One small problem. The reason he doesn't use e-mail? His war wounds prevent him from:

"combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes. Friends marvel at McCain's encyclopedic knowledge of sports. He's an avid fan - Ted Williams is his hero - but he can't raise his arm above his shoulder to throw a baseball. "

Nice, there, Barry. Way to keep it classy. What's next, questioning his patriotism for not saluting the flag?

Blogging Buddies

Yesterday, one of my favorite bloggers was in town, so we got together for a couple of beers. Ken's a great guy, as nice in person as he is on his blog. Thanks again, Ken, for the beer and the company. Next time I'm buying.

Gainfully Employed

A big thanks to all the well-wishers regarding my recent big news. So without further ado, here's the scoop on where I interviewed yesterday, how it went, and what I decided:

My working interview on Friday was at a local university other than U of O. The interview yesterday was at Marche'. The interview went ok, but the chef there has a poker face, so I don't know how well HE thinks it went. He informed me that if they decide to call me back for a second interview, it'll be a "stage" (French, pronounced "Stozh"), which means working one shift without pay (but I'd be fed) to see how I work out.

I've decided to go with the University job, unless Marche' offers me either A) a really good shift and higher pay (in which case I'll leave the university job); or B) a part time position (where I can moonlight after the other job).

I know it sounds crazy, giving up a job at a high end restaurant to work as a prep cook and steward at a college cafeteria, but there are several reasons I went with this decision:

1) The college job is M-F, 6:30-2:30, regular work hours, which allows me to actually have a family life, and also minimizes the amount of time The Lad has to be at daycare.

2) The pay is $10/hour, which is pretty good for a starting wage in this town.

3) Because the job revolves around the school year, I'll be getting Christmas and Spring breaks off with pay. The downside is that I'll be layed off every summer, but as I mentioned before, there are a couple of possibilities there: I can find seasonal work (perhaps at King Estate, I'm told they do hire seasonally), and I can also use that time to start and build my own business.

Today was my first day on the job. I'm sore and exhausted but also elated. It's good to finally be back at a steady, full-time, permanent job. I loved culinary school, but that was the longest stretch of unemployment/underemployment I've been through in my entire adult life, and I'm glad to have it behind me.

Palin the Destroyer

This is the movie quote that comes to mind whenever I think of the aneurisms being suffered by the likes of Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, et al, regarding the turn of events in the presidential race.

Negotiating from a Position of Strength

Well, the "Working Interview" turned out to be an emergency fill-in for the person who just quit. I worked 2 hours, through the lunch rush, survived a minor catastrophe (not my fault), and have the job if I want.

I'm still going to the interview on Sunday, just to see how it goes. Actually, I'm looking forward to it a lot more now. There's a lot less pressure on me -- if I don't get it, I'm still employed. If I do, then I have to weigh my decision. But it's nice to have the "do or die" pressure off of me.

So here's the dilemma:

The interview Sunday is at probably the single best, and undoubtedly the best-KNOWN, restaurant in all of Eugene. The menu is exquisite, the owner AND the chef have stellar reputations. Working there for any amount of time would be a feather in my cap.

The other job is working in an educational setting. It's not nearly as prestigious, though it isn't exactly mere cafeteria work. It won't look AS good on a resume. But what it WOULD afford me is saummers off to pursue my OWN business -- I hope to save up and buy a concessions trailer and start doing fairs and festivals, selling my barbecue. I would have winter and spring breaks off, with pay, which would allow for vacations AND for moonlighting.

But the big draw is the annual summer layoff. That's three months free to try my hand at self-employment, as well as the possibility of working seasonally in some of the more tourist-driven businesses around (like King Estate). I've reached the conclusion that the likelihood of me, at this late stage in the game (I'm 40), working my way up through hte ranks from prep to line to chef de parti to sous to Chef are pretty slim. My best shot at self-employment will be to start soon, start small, and grow my business at the same TIME as gaining experience.

In terms of pay, I doubt either place will be offering a wage significantly higher than the other, but we'll see. That's DEFINITELY a consideration, but it would have to be in the neighborhood of $1.00/hour difference at LEAST for that to be enough to decide one way or another on its own.

Hope

No, not the Obama kind. Real hope, right now, and a request for prayers and good thoughts.

Most of you know I quit my job two weeks ago. The job hunting has been pretty discouraging since then.

But that's just changed. A couple of days ago, I got a call from one of the best restaurants in Eugene, I have an interview with them on Sunday. And less than an hour ago, I got a call from a former culinary classmate, and now have an interview in less than an hour at another location.

Both jobs have different strengths and weaknesses. At this point I'd be happy with either, but if I get offered both I want to make the right choice. I'll explain more after the interview, wish me luck.

Dems Giggle While Nola Drowns

A tip of the Toque to Dave in Texas from Ace of Spades HQ.

So glad to know that the suffering of of the people of the Gulf States is worth it to the Left if that means winning this election.

Because, you know, they're for the little guy.

"Light" Blogging

A little break from politics...

I took The Lad to the park down the street from our house today. It was gorgeous outside today, but there was a bit of coolness in the breeze, even when the sun was high overhead. It definitely had that late summer/early fall feel to it, when the sun feels like it's farther away than you've been used to all summer, and it feels like twilight even when the sun is high overhead. I wonder if the angle of the suns rays striking the earth affects our perception of its light in the same way it affects the amount of warmth we receive from it.

I've been doing a lot of reflecting on the qualities of sunlight this summer, and how things like time of year and time of day and ones surroundings affect sunlight, and how that sunlight in turn affects how we perceive our surroundings. And like today, most of that reflection has occurred while taking The Lad to the park -- though unlike today, it has mostly been at Skinner Butte Park in Eugene. Usually, I've taken him there near the end of the day while waiting to pick TFR up after work. Even with the late sunset of summer, it's been late enough in the day most times that the sun, while not on the horizon, was low enough to be below the park's treeline.

But Skinner Butte Park, as its name implies, is located at a butte. Not just on top of the butte, but also extending next to it, between Skinner Butte and the Willamette river. The playground to which I take The Lad is located on the lower land between the river and the butte. So while it was in shadows by the time we would leave, the butte itself was high enough that it was still bathed in light. And what strick me was the way the light striking the butte while we were in shadow made the features of the trees on the butte stand out -- it was as if I could see each branch, each leaf and needle in greater detail and clarity. The light often had a warm, golden quality to it that enhanced the effect. It was glorious -- relaxing, warm, and distinctly summerish.

After I'd enjoyed the sensation for a while, I found myself pondering what the cause of this effect was -- was it the fact that my eyes, accustomed to the shadow, was more sensitive to the light coming off the butte? Was it psychological, in that the dimness of the lower altitude enabled the brain to ignore it, and focus on the butte? Or was it the angle of the sun's rays, coming in under the leaves and highlighting them, instead of coming down more directly from above and washing everything into one mass of green? Or was it, as I suspect, some combination of all these causes?

I'll have to ponder this further -- next time I'm at the park.

Obama will Palin Comparison

A Tip of the Toque to Redstate:

A Tale of the Tape, Palin Vs. Obama.

The Noble Left

A Tip of the Toque to NewsBusters.

This is disgusting. The Kos-tic slime over at daily Kos started with a wild speculation, and ran with it. The allegation is that Sarah Palin's son, Trig, isn't really hers, but her teenage daughters, and that she faked her pregnancy to cover up her daughters.

It's bad enough that such a tabloidesque rumor could be given credence without any evidence to support it, and in fact, with some pretty compelling arguments against it (for starters, Downs Syndrome is much more common in children of older mothers). What's really disgusting is the depth of ugliness the posters at Kos have gone to, and the glee with which htey have done it. There's a references to Trig as a "Mongreloid", and much much worse.

You know how the other day I wrote that I believe that most people on the left are not truly evil, merely misguided? The scum over at Daily Kos are an exception to that.

Alaskan Gold

He did it! I had despaired of it happening, I had actually been foolish enough to listen to the MSM pundits discussing Romney and Pawlenty, but McCain did it! He nominated the running mate I've been hoping for some time that he would -- Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. What a ballsy choice, and I believe the right one. Palin's a staunch conservative, And her pro-life stance reinforces my growing belief that McCain is pro-life too. By tapping a pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, fiscal conservative, McCain has effectively reached out to those in the party to the right of himself, while at the same time, by picking a strong, accomplished woman, he's effectively reached out to those in the center.

And let's be clear about this, Palin's gender is not, by any stretch of the imagination, her only asset. She is an accomplished, successful person we can all respect. She married her high school sweetheart, and together they built their own fishing business. She's the mother of 5 children, the eldest of whom is about to deploy to Iraq. She fought her way up through Alaskan politics, making a name for herself as a public servant, she fought corruption within the ranks of her own party, she faced down the backlash from that, and won the gubernatorial election without help from her party's state apparatus.

She is bright, articulate, passionate, and committed. She is a good person, and she'll make a great VP.

It was a brilliant move on McCain's part. Her choice blunts one of the main talking points of the Obama camp. He who spouts "Change" as his mantra selected a longtime DC insider as his running mate, while his opponent selects an outsider, a normal person who earned her place, and a reformer at that. Are you more likely to reform Washington with someone like Biden at your side, or someone like Palin?

And McCain's choice of when to announce was as politically canny as his choice of running mate. Talk about stealing Obama's thunder.

I had hoped for some time she would be his pick, and I'm absolutely thrilled. I was already resolved to voting for McCain, but now I won't be holding my nose when I do.

Waving the Eye-Holed Bedsheet

Oh, for crying out loud... A Tip of the Toque to Ken at It Comes in Pints.





So apparently, if you notice that Barack Obama is skinny, you're actually making veiled references to his ethnicity.





I don't recall if I actually stated this or not at any point in this blog's past, but one of the things about watching the Democratic primaries that filled me with a sense of dread was the knowledge that regardless of whether Obama or Clinton won, we were in for a general election campaign season in which the left's response to any criticism of their candidate would be to call the critic(s) prejudiced. If Hillary had won, it would have been "SEXISM!", but since Obama won, the cry we hear whenever anyone questions his fitness for command is "RACISM!"

I started writing this post back on August 7, but set it aside to deal with regular life stuff. Since then, a lot more has been said regarding this. But the penultimate example of that of which I speak was pointed out to me by Ace of Spades HQ earlier today (Yesterday by the clock): a writer at Slate has actually stated that "If Obama Loses Racism is the only reason McCain might beat him."

Has it really come to this? Yes, yes it has. I foresaw it coming some time ago. And here's why I believe it has happened:

Set aside the cynical machinations of the political operatives, both sides employ those, and each side's operatives use slightly different tactics to acheive similar strategic goals. So why has the Obama camp been so successful in spreading this particular theme? In part because they're simply perpetuating what a lot of the people on the left actually believe. Not all, but the most adamant and died-in-the-wool leftists and liberals do. They really honestly believe that if you vote against Barack Obama, you must be a racist.

Logically speaking, their reasoning is valid, but not sound, because their premises are not true. Their argument, which I believe for most is almost subconscious, goes something like this: Barack Obama's idealogy is, almost to a T, their own idealogy. Politically AND philosophically, regarding matters of foreign and domestic policy, economics, Obama really does reflect and represent the beliefs and aspirations of the American Left. And these beliefs, this idealogy, is so dearly held, so firmly and completely believed, that they cannot fathom anyone in their right mind believing otherwise. Therefore, if someone is opposed to Obama, why, it CAN'T be because he simply disagrees with the man's politics, because those are impeccable! There must be some more nefarious reason, some personal vendetta! And once that conclusion is reached, it's a fairly short hop to note Obama's pigmentation and decide that the ulterior motive is racism. The person's real fault isn't that they're bigots, it's that they're not doctrinally sound. But since that doesn't compute, the Left falls back on the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. Which explains why everything John McCain says critical of Obama must be racism, whereas actual racist comments by Obama's running mate are excusable, even "Strengths".

To be fair, the same could be said of many of the beliefs held by those of us on the right -- some of those beliefs more commonly held by the right than others, but still, without much effort I'm sure I or my readers could come up with a quick list of things that most conservatives, both religious and non-religious, as well as quite a few libertarians, would argue are so blazingly apparent that they surely CAN'T be disputed with intelligence (The phrase "We hold these turths to be self-evident" comes to mind).

So why don't we all start claiming that everyone who supports Obama or opposes our candidates or positions is evil (or racist or whatever other variation of evil you want to pick)? Well, some of us do, and they embarrass most of the rest of us. And almost all of us are sure that SOME of our oponents ARE evil, or at the very least, self-interested and not concerned with upholding those truths we support. But we also acknowledge that not everyone who is on the left, particularly those who fall in the category of "Liberal" (in the modern, not classical sense) as opposed to outright socialist, has evil in their hearts or minds when they vote as they do. That's because we tend to filter our views of such people, to varying degrees, through Hanlon's Razor. It's possible that some of those on the left really do hate our system of government and/or way of life and want to replace it with somehting else, but except for the hard-core Marxists out there, it's more likely that people who vote opposite of the way I would truly mean well, they just haven't really thought through the logic of what they conclude they believe and support. It's like one of those cults where the congregations are true believers, and the "clergy" are the ones who know it's really a con game, and the deeper you get the less an innocent victim you become, and the more you join the ranks of the deceivers.

So let me spell it out for everyone out there who really believes that conservatives oppose Barack Obama because we're racist and he's black. No. We oppose him because we oppose his political views, just as we opposed Kerry and before him Gore and Clinton etcetera etcetera.... We don't like his ideas, we don't like the politics he and his party espouse, and we would rather not have someone who THINKS like him in the White House.

That's not to say there aren't racists who will oppose him, simply because of his color. Hell, he lost votes in the DEMOCRATIC primaries because of that, just as his opponents probably lost the votes of people who SUPPORTED him simply because they wanted a black president.

But really, for most of us, it truly is more about creed than color, more about policy than pigment. So when Obama says that we oppose him because he doesn't look like other presidents, my reply is that most of us oppose him because he reminds us TOO much of certain presidents.

The Trains Ran On TIme

Apparently, Obama thinks we should emulate China. I wonder if that extends only to the efficiency of their infrastructure. Give his upbringing in radical American Socialism, I kinda doubt it.

(A tip of the Toque to Rob at Say Anything BLog)