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Monthly Archives: April 2010
Contemplating The Descent
This time, maybe just a quick trip to Purgatory. One hitch: Lowe’s
seems only to have the 3 inch widths in stock.
Via: Flickr
Title: Contemplating The Descent
By: GinnyRED57
Originally uploaded: 7 Apr ’10, 12.23pm CDT PST
True-Blue Believers in God, Guns and Postum to the North, Caffeinated Non-Violent Pinko Heathens to the South
…that’s how politics in Utah works when both major parties book their conventions into the same complex on the same date.
Rolly: Guns and coffee don’t mix – Salt Lake Tribune
The Republicans secured their Salt Palace space some time ago and will hold their convention on the complex’s north side. The Democrats were having a difficult time finding a suitable place for what they were willing to pay, then settled on the Salt Palace’s south section after a group canceled its reservation for that day.
So between the two parties — the Democrats have around 2,700 delegates, and plan for a total attendance of about 5,000, while the Republicans have 3,000 delegates and could get as many as 7,000 attendees — there will be about 12,000 folks at the Salt Palace with huge trust issues between them.
The good news is that most of the guns likely will be on the Republican side of the Salt Palace while most of the coffee will be on the Democratic side — and there shouldn’t be too much mixing of the two.
I’m pretty sure none of my family members still living in Utah are involved in local politics, but if they were, most of them would be on the south side of the complex, arguing anti-war, pro-health care planks over a nice mocha java with the other East Bench Liberals. One or two might be inclined to stroll over to the north side, but the only cousin that’s what I’d call “gun friendly” is probably too centrist in his politics to feel comfortable at a conservative Republican shindig; he’s a public radio listener, for God’s sake!
The joke in the title depends on the underlying religious divide in Utah; it’s pretty much a given that conservative Republicans are generally of the “majority faith” (with a generous admixture of evangelicals from the northern half of the state). Therefore, anybody that’s a “not” tends to be a non-believer, a non-Christian, or from one ‘a them ebil social justice churches, and also tends to vote Democratic when given the opportunity. It’s a way of letting everybody know your “not-ness.”
With all that caffeine, you’d think Utah Democrats would get a lot more done, and a lot more of their people elected, but outside of the Salt Lake Valley, the overwhelming majority of people look on caffeine and liberalism as practically Satanic.
Retire the ‘R’ Word
I don’t use it, and you shouldn’t either. #FB
The R-word: Evanston High School students fight the R-word – chicagotribune.com
Evanston Township High School senior Megan McCareins wants to stamp out the R-word as she and others try to change how fellow students talk and think about people with intellectual difficulties.
McCareins and a handful of students recently gathered more than 3,000 signatures from students and staff, who pledged to stop using the words “retard” or “retarded” as an offhanded insult or in a derogatory manor.
“Hopefully this campaign will mean people will always be thinking about their choice of language,” McCareins said.
Evanston Township was one of 75 schools, colleges and universities across the state that took part last month in the “Spread the Word to End the ‘R’ Word Day” campaign, said teacher Leslie Wenzel.
The campaign is designed to bring awareness that using such words is hurtful to people with disabilities and those who love them, said Wenzel, whose students have cognitive disabilities and receive special education services.
The flippant use of such language perpetuates prejudice and discrimination and can be as cruel and offensive as any other slur or hate speech, she said.
“The bottom line of this campaign is that calling people names is the lowest form of communication,” Wenzel said. “We want people to do better with their language.”
The Spread the Word campaign is supported by a worldwide organization called Best Buddies, founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver in 1989. It pairs disabled middle and high school students with non-disabled students for mentoring and friendship, said Stephanie Lerner, a senior program manager with Best Buddies in Chicago.
Cinnamon French Toast
I’m off for the next couple of weeks, and today I’m out of the house, spending time at Panera while “the ladies” do their twice-monthly thing. It seems the clientele here this time of day is older than I’m used to seeing in the evenings, but there are plenty of people using laptops and taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi. One guy has a small monitor and full-size keyboard set up with a dock; pretty serious gear.
No doubt more than a few are unemployed or between jobs. Several are chatting with each other as if they’re regulars. Me, I’m just hoping to avoid the one chatterbox that seemed to be going from table to table asking people about mining disasters, as she seems to be both obsessed with the story from West Virginia, and a little loopy.
I’m set up with headphones so I can listen to NPR; currently connected to the KUNC.org website catching up on this morning’s news, as I slept through WBEZ’s broadcast for the most part.
Panera Bread › Recipes › Cinnamon Raisin French Toast
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast
Our Cinnamon Raisin bread makes fabulous French toast.
8 slices 1/2″ thick Panera® Cinnamon Raisin Bread
4 T. melted butter
3/4 c milk
1/2 c heavy cream
3 large eggs
1 T. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt1. For the French Toast custard, combine using a hand whisk the milk, heavy cream, eggs, honey, vanilla extract and the salt. This custard can be made well in advance. Give a brisk stir before making the toast.
2. Transfer the custard to a casserole or open shallow dish for dipping.
3. Dip one slice into the custard and turn over after about 15 seconds. Transfer the slice to a plate while dipping another slice into the custard.
4. Place a large skillet on a medium fire. Allow the pan to heat thoroughly before pouring 1 Tablespoon of the melted butter into the pan.
5. Place both slices carefully into the skillet and cook on each side until golden brown or about 2 minutes.
6. Repeat steps 3�5 until all the French toast is cooked.
7. An optional step is to place each finished French toast onto a baking sheet in a preheated oven until all are ready to serve.Serve warm with real maple syrup. Serves 4.
Portland Catholics Mostly Ignore Archbishop’s Demand They Cancel Newspaper Subscriptions
That’s a nice message, Abp. Vlazny – go ahead and demand your flock adbpt a “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” attitude to the child abuse scandal in the Catholic church. How about demanding priests in your care “do no evil” instead?
PORTLAND — Hundreds of churchgoers who attended Mass on Easter Sunday at St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception received an unusual written message tucked inside a weekly bulletin.
In a two-page statement, Archbishop John Vlazny declared that he had canceled his subscription to The Oregonian newspaper, and urged others to do the same for its displaying “hostility, arrogance and ridicule” in publishing a syndicated column, a cartoon and an editorial critical of the Catholic Church’s handling of sex-abuse scandals.
Vlazny said this is “simply not tolerable and should not be condoned without some form of protest … My friends, we Catholics are not perfect, but we are deserving of human respect.”Bob Caldwell, editorial-page editor of The Oregonian, said he was startled by Vlazny’s response. He said an editorial cited by Vlazny was a “fairly straight-down-the-line reaction to the sex-abuse scandal,” and was not, in any sense, anti-Catholic.
Vlazny’s letter has resulted only in “minimal cancellations,” according to Peter Bhatia, The Oregonian’s editor.
Lost Time Does Not Equal Lost Lives
Mining company defends history of violations by claiming their record is better than most companies’ for “lost time.” How about LOST LIVES? Meanwhile, company CEO’s salary unfortunately not tied to penalties assessed for safety violations…
Nation & World | Mines fight strict laws by filing more appeals | Seattle Times Newspaper
Officials at Massey did not respond to a telephone call seeking comment. The company’s Web site says its safety record is better than the industry’s average when it comes to accidents that result in lost time.
And Don Blankenship, the company’s chief executive, cautioned in a radio interview Tuesday against reading too much into the Upper Big Branch mine’s history of violations.
“Violations are unfortunately a normal part of the mining process,” Blankenship told the West Virginia MetroNews radio network, adding that there are violations at every coal mine in the country.
Although all mining companies have filed appeals, Massey — and Blankenship in particular — have developed a reputation for an aggressive style.
This guy sounds almost as charming as Bob Murray the loudmouth mining company owner that ran his mouth while his employees’ bodies waited for recovery under tons of rock in the Utah mine disaster a few years ago. That one was ultimately blamed on that company’s removal of support pillars in order to glean every possible ounce of coal in a worked-out level.
But don’t worry, Blankenship will come out of this with his income intact, and his company will write off the cost of recovery efforts and the lost income while his operation is shut down. He’s got his – and you can bet in a few months or years, long after the media lights are turned away, he and his company will be fighting the survivors’ lawyers through the courts, delaying paying out settlements as long as possible. It’s all about the bottom line with these guys.
Blankenship has long seemed to revel in the role of a modern-day coal baron. He amassed coal rights when some doubted the future of Appalachian coal, and raised profits by holding down production costs, collecting dozens of environmental and safety violations along the way.
A self-described “street fighter,” Blankenship, a large man with a mustache and a slight drawl, has staunchly defended the practice of blasting off mountaintops to reach coal seams.
He has accused state regulators of being anti-business and in cahoots with the union.
In 2008, according to public filings, Blankenship was paid $11.2 million in salary, bonuses and other benefits, up from $5.3 million in 2006. He lives in a relatively modest home in Rawl, W.Va. — where dozens of residents have sued Massey for, they say, poisoning the water supply.
He sounds like a real nice neighbor, too. If he’s a religious man (and how can he fail to be, living in West Virginia?), how does he reconcile his business practice with his faith practice? Does he not fear the reward that awaits him? Obviously not, so you can probably add “hypocrite” to the list of his many and grievous faults.
So Glad We Had This Time Together
…woke up to the sound of Carol Burnett’s voice on NPR this morning, which caused an instant and very pleasant flashback to our 70’s-era family/dining/TV room. Her variety show was always a favorite in our family, and even now I can remember many loud belly laughs caused by their particular brand of tongue-in-cheek sketch humor. We got hysterical most weeks watching that show; laughing helplessly at the famous “Went With The Wind” dress, but also at Tim Conway trying to close a door by sitting on its unusually large doorknb. Most of all, there was poor Harvey Korman, trying not to laugh and failing, every week.
It took forever to find a clip with most of the “doorknob” sketch on it; a nearly complete version of it was on a “Bust Ups and Bloopers” compilation DVD. The best part: Harvey pushes the door open with Tim still straddling the doorknob; his reaction is almost out of shot but you can see he wasn’t expecting the jolt he got.
Carol Burnett – Bust Ups, Bloopers & Blunders Finale HQ
Carol Burnett, Still Glad For ‘This Time Together’ : NPR
Carol Burnett was one of the original queens of TV comedy. Her long-running variety show, with its outrageous costumes and its uproariously unpredictable sketches, offered a warm brand of wackiness that parents would let their kids stay up late to watch. Now, in a new memoir, Burnett tells stories about what went on behind the scenes of The Carol Burnett Show — plus a few tales about what went down when she ventured out among the show’s fans.
The lingerie saleslady at Bergdorf Goodman, for instance, who cheerfully accepted a personal check without proper ID — but only after Burnett demonstrated her trademark Tarzan yell. Lacking options, needing stockings and seeing that the department wasn’t especially crowded, Burnett obliged.
“Right behind the saleslady, there was an exit door that burst open,” Burnett tells NPR’s Renee Montagne. “And in came a security guard with a gun pulled. I mean, we could have had our heads blown off.”