tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78246387814087224832024-03-12T22:29:15.338-04:00here still runningOne of Godde's Odd Chillun with a blogjohniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-39337823924477027152009-01-06T13:16:00.005-05:002009-01-06T13:27:51.879-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg52TZTh5-m-q0c9C15dq5vQiAyyD-F0IXEbO0tcvglNiDgn8Re95PNuL4qHdMTQ_YxViICD2a-5hrkGzbhylv0bcd9DWHykas7T67v0HZ-CKcThVP5ER-U330psu7QMojP-JmtttyNNrl/s1600-h/IMG_0078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg52TZTh5-m-q0c9C15dq5vQiAyyD-F0IXEbO0tcvglNiDgn8Re95PNuL4qHdMTQ_YxViICD2a-5hrkGzbhylv0bcd9DWHykas7T67v0HZ-CKcThVP5ER-U330psu7QMojP-JmtttyNNrl/s400/IMG_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288247526361927634" border="0" /></a>When you're ten, the best way to your boy's heart may be through his baby brother. (Hannah, Carter, and Rochelle; L to R)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HULDNDTp9ezqDtojSyqOF7-T0gIZ7OAwHvbHRtt-omtU5cecvur7oFJvz7iQX0iO5SMT6ZVtW5kTYnwePkSH7BXtXmn1dpMfoBvxeSNA2UoHNAka9z26Yy-2TwbiLwDF-HZbXiGJ9WfT/s1600-h/IMG_0077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7HULDNDTp9ezqDtojSyqOF7-T0gIZ7OAwHvbHRtt-omtU5cecvur7oFJvz7iQX0iO5SMT6ZVtW5kTYnwePkSH7BXtXmn1dpMfoBvxeSNA2UoHNAka9z26Yy-2TwbiLwDF-HZbXiGJ9WfT/s400/IMG_0077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288247259799199730" border="0" /></a>Or maybe not.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPy5uxm7ScDqzeX0XnctPS3qvQi5UbUdIhwHK6ADaMBHkZdJo_uJax3ypSiTdGFXSKCKRTB7I8NauWdojH3b3XGHUeApuyNYB-o_SzKti8_84Ml_bxwMKyUexKSB0jGbshZQ9g2G-DSMN/s1600-h/IMG_0089.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCPy5uxm7ScDqzeX0XnctPS3qvQi5UbUdIhwHK6ADaMBHkZdJo_uJax3ypSiTdGFXSKCKRTB7I8NauWdojH3b3XGHUeApuyNYB-o_SzKti8_84Ml_bxwMKyUexKSB0jGbshZQ9g2G-DSMN/s400/IMG_0089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288246730214506930" border="0" /></a><br />As this reveals, Miz Scarlett is over her pique at the disruption in services last month, and has resumed her regular devotions. It also reveals I am (finally) following the good example of other bloggers and posting kitteh pictures while my own mind is blank: enjoy!johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-22242174525273770132008-12-31T14:29:00.004-05:002008-12-31T15:51:16.611-05:00We Must Remember ThisLately I don't seem to care to read anything but History, likely in part to be a sign of a stubborn perversity of character, for I am an American, and it has long been observed, by ourselves and others, that Americans are more interested in what comes next than in how we got here in the first place. History, after all, is bunk.<br /><br />At first we literally had no recorded past--no institutions, no traditions--except those we brought as European immigrants; it was in freeing ourselves from the oppressive weight of that past that we transformed a mixed body of captives, immigrants, and despised survivors into something that had never been known before--a New Order of the Ages: Americans. Moreover, this successful rebellion against the past promised an ever richer and brighter future; the untapped wealth of the new continent, technological innovation, and the genius of a free people combined to insure that, no matter how much the present was better than the past, the future would be better still. The Neo-Conservative insistence that they make history rather than subject themselves to it exemplifies <span style="font-style: italic;"></span>a rich vein deep at the core of being American.<br /><br />My generation felt a widespread suspicion of this assumption of Progress, though it was not the first to feel it threatened; the "Lost Generation" of post-WWI intellectual modernists, those who got through the Great Depression--other generations of Americans had gravely considered if "progress" could, or should continue, only to emerge with the triumph of the Grand Alliance over the Axis Powers in WWII and the New Deal repairs to Capitalism , which continued for two more decades until questions re-emerged about inclusion into the brighter world--minorities, women, the poor; what we have come to call "identity politics"--and the wisdom of including unwilling peasants around the world at the point of our guns.<br /><br />In my Sophomore year of high school--1961--the U S moved from being a Creditor to a Debtor nation, a condition which has persisted and accelerated. Also in that year, the U S began to apply its new strategic doctrine of "Flexible Response", as opposed to the "Massive Retaliation" of the Fifties under Eisenhower, to Southeast Asia: opposing what was seen as Soviet expansion in the Post-Colonial world with ground troops rather than atomic bombs. And in Albany. a county seat town in SW Georgia, local Black people were demanding the rights of U S citizens.<br /><br />It has, at best, not been Progress, but more the opposite, ever since; the size of the U S foreign debt is perhaps the single most salient economic fact of our lifetime, it is still heresy to ask if the U S must continue to spend hundreds of billions to police an increasingly resentful world, often through the most brutal and unpopular of local, Westernized surrogates. There has been some advancement towards a more inclusive society, but even here, failure is pervasive. There has been no victory--no triumph over evil--since these questions were raised nearly fifty years ago. Instead, we has been presented, since at least 1980, with repeated policy errors compounded by the need, popular and elite, to deny that these facts exist.<br /><br />Obama's election is widely hailed as a sign that these trends may finally be reversed, and that we may, for he first time in decades, be part of the solution rather than the problem. Maybe, but I do not see Obama nor the associates he has chosen so far, to be leading the way, especially in foreign policy; at best, he may provide an opening for us to point the way we want to go, which I believe he will then follow, but he is far too shrewd a politician to stick his neck out that far ahead. The more significant question is whether or not we have become so degraded by our experience in this new world so as to prefer willful ignorance. If not, we may indeed take a step towards being a city, if not that example for all others of Winthrop's sermon aboard the <span style="font-style: italic;">Arabella, </span>one<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>ready to take its place among others.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-49437917706288911242008-12-22T16:03:00.004-05:002008-12-22T16:16:53.516-05:00Home Sweet Home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvPUkd-EXlLQIjbpMWdRkdztdZD8MBmPiItMQW7Xp9Rgi8WXqVD_EPq5h2CUAxeRXoybuvEGDyduMDcSUkN3-PdTSEseiNkvHbPQeNh6eDep1Yh_UiQbUlIEapwtlGC2nmahL2xaND_G-/s1600-h/IMG_0086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvPUkd-EXlLQIjbpMWdRkdztdZD8MBmPiItMQW7Xp9Rgi8WXqVD_EPq5h2CUAxeRXoybuvEGDyduMDcSUkN3-PdTSEseiNkvHbPQeNh6eDep1Yh_UiQbUlIEapwtlGC2nmahL2xaND_G-/s400/IMG_0086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282724244556640418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98K8HKGwqVDdIAG9SWyoSNmO2bqGYulUmqPgXxCLy12lL0D8SIGPENVDs1Ifq2cZgeCTpTF0MhFce8KCXvITICYhm-C9tDsvKYbeXJjWJtyrF5pb2oWMj5ZpDNpdO94G723PCDfGJWbf-/s1600-h/IMG_0085.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi98K8HKGwqVDdIAG9SWyoSNmO2bqGYulUmqPgXxCLy12lL0D8SIGPENVDs1Ifq2cZgeCTpTF0MhFce8KCXvITICYhm-C9tDsvKYbeXJjWJtyrF5pb2oWMj5ZpDNpdO94G723PCDfGJWbf-/s400/IMG_0085.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282723925619535986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEK8lrylfD4IRoKklDlXuPzjXU8ubaEkJxoFx9XVdsIfaLhyphenhyphenfQ4Y2JpRF6D8gpsIzfzyXUcISo1mbmupGoyO4ctYRAAEJABNaWj5_QtY_vJAAvT7HmjXUVjMDdJ4bpcXmdys1amU2HSNP/s1600-h/IMG_0084.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigEK8lrylfD4IRoKklDlXuPzjXU8ubaEkJxoFx9XVdsIfaLhyphenhyphenfQ4Y2JpRF6D8gpsIzfzyXUcISo1mbmupGoyO4ctYRAAEJABNaWj5_QtY_vJAAvT7HmjXUVjMDdJ4bpcXmdys1amU2HSNP/s400/IMG_0084.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282723563666027250" border="0" /></a><br />The furniture has been here for nearly a month, so it's been long enough to acquire a more lived-in look. From the top, the Dining area (I am not responsible for the "chandelier") looking towards the entrance (on the left), the Living area from the dining table towards the fireplace, and the living area from the entrance with the kitchen and a bath in the background. Reminder: close the door on interior shots.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-88831295874175718582008-12-22T15:27:00.005-05:002008-12-22T16:03:40.773-05:00Just in Time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoWy-29D4R0P8DlROcfw2nhCrIMZf8SNNZdiSkgdrC2pe9IWCCPTkJByNlAOPG3jgV3AbJcTmB0bVk_S6Oqi-zOi0mFfPonBWyJJf-7uYXD8BG5PpJg6HjO3bSFpVM32Rzk7UD3aO55R1/s1600-h/IMG_0088.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoWy-29D4R0P8DlROcfw2nhCrIMZf8SNNZdiSkgdrC2pe9IWCCPTkJByNlAOPG3jgV3AbJcTmB0bVk_S6Oqi-zOi0mFfPonBWyJJf-7uYXD8BG5PpJg6HjO3bSFpVM32Rzk7UD3aO55R1/s400/IMG_0088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282722397577949042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoEkCShggHvU6xHB8AwxxprH2EgSLwbZnd0JjIoRRjtoMYjYRFqxlZgSMTjcNf0QEf5Yeduogxd_A9SJiYU3qXdElFcRruHPZXm9fKhJ_DShoHJeYZWXUEU93QaMhe7JylXu4nz7I_yxh/s1600-h/IMG_0081.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoEkCShggHvU6xHB8AwxxprH2EgSLwbZnd0JjIoRRjtoMYjYRFqxlZgSMTjcNf0QEf5Yeduogxd_A9SJiYU3qXdElFcRruHPZXm9fKhJ_DShoHJeYZWXUEU93QaMhe7JylXu4nz7I_yxh/s400/IMG_0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282722002044848226" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-tkN7hZJhklowP4DpELSymShpiW4EPuNHYNiMjdzagzNBWNCfOfjWNPuyrhbU-BmTISPhM1G5zvd5QaSFNIUhOChc9ZUspJ8AOP143WJ1xMl88-2Jh622N_Y3aMTOelI2V1OrOl9yWRv/s1600-h/IMG_0087.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-tkN7hZJhklowP4DpELSymShpiW4EPuNHYNiMjdzagzNBWNCfOfjWNPuyrhbU-BmTISPhM1G5zvd5QaSFNIUhOChc9ZUspJ8AOP143WJ1xMl88-2Jh622N_Y3aMTOelI2V1OrOl9yWRv/s400/IMG_0087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282714234593518706" border="0" /></a><br />I went to the Phoenix airport last Tuesday afternoon for my flight home. Regrettably, I neglected to observe one of the Prime Rulez for U S domestic flights: Nevah Accept a Connection Through Chicago between December 1st and April 1st, so I went back to Nimsey's (Daughter: short for "Lil Nimrod") for another night and another try, which brought me to the airport parking lot in Hartford at about 1:00 AM Thursday, with the cheerful holiday greeting from the shuttle driver "We gotta Big Storm comin' in tomorrow night, and another Sunday." After a half-hour of ice chopping, I was on the road with the basics running through my head: get Scarlett, go to pharmacy, re-stock larder. I finished about ten minutes before the first flakes fell in earnest; the above shot is from the front window Saturday morning.<br /><br />Other than bringing a camera with an almost dead battery, not bringing my cellphone charger,<br />and the above, the trip went smoothly. I must figure out how to get some of the better pictures from Nimsey's e-mail to my photo file, as we depended on her camera, but I did get a couple before the battery died.<br /><br />The big news was Carter Wonderbaby (shown) learning to crawl Sunday afternoon, which he repeated half-heartedly for Mommy's videocam, and refused to do for Daddy for the next day or so, perferring to sneak in practice while Daddy wasn't looking. For the experienced, he was at the rocking back and forth on hands and knees stage, and the raised on hands and push off straight-legged with feet stage, which he often enjoyed, but which produced no forward motion, which eventually annoyed him on occasion.<br /><br />I have been recovering over Lamb and a Lobster, Shrimp, and Whitefish Gratin with Leeks and Carrots; I shall have to ask Paul and Jane to allow me to join the Mutual Workout Encouragement Society and Camp Meeting soon. And get myself to church Wednesday night.<br /><br />A Blessed End of Advent and Joyous Christmas to all y'all from Miz Scarlett (also shown) and me.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-72968395960834514462008-12-08T18:14:00.001-05:002008-12-08T18:18:11.335-05:00AnnouncementFor those who may not have quite given up hope that I may blog, however unlikely that may be beginning to seem, it won't be this week; I leave for a week in Arizona tomorrow. Yes, I will bring my camera, but not my laptop.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-2577938177003935602008-11-17T14:25:00.003-05:002008-11-17T14:47:32.286-05:00Spare Thou ThoseThis was in response to a book review Paul posted a link to at his place: <a href="http://buddhapalian.blogspot.com/">Byzigenous Buddhapalian</a>. Bacevitch is Andrew J Bacevitch. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Limits of Power: the End of American Exceptionalism</span>, which was recently published and is apparently getting some attention.<br /><br />Bacevitch, as quoted in the link and on Rachel Maddow's show Friday, says nothing that is inconsistent with the conventional wisdom of the History of U S Foreign Relations over the past forty years.<br /><br />The more interesting question to me is why anything Bacevitch is saying should be news to anyone who claims to be informed about the subject, whether scholar, pundit, or public official. The short answer is, of course, "sin", or, as he points out more specifically: the arrogance, greed, and self-righteousness which permeates, but is not limited to, all these groups.<br /><br />A friend of mine joked during the '96 elections that the trouble with Republicans was they didn't really believe sin as an experiential fact. Another very astute friend, when I asked him what he was currently reading in the Summer of '06, replied *Immoral Man and Moral Society* I take some comfort in reading the President-Elect has been influenced by his reading of Reinhold Niebuhr. None of this should be taken to claim Niebuhr as an infallible guide; to do so would be oxymoronic, intrinisically contradictory to his point. He was, for example, far too ready to belittle or ignore the U S role in the formation of the Cold War.<br /><br />He does, however, keep an important insight before us, which may be especially useful as we attempt to discover thirty years of Republican sin in detail and to do what we can to make amends; it is always too late to control the outcome, but it is always time to repent and make the effort.<br /><br />"Spare Thou those who confess their faults." eh?johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-338838409886105042008-11-04T16:14:00.002-05:002008-11-04T16:33:48.769-05:00Election Day in ConnecticutOne of the first things I did after moving last month was to go to Town Hall and register to vote in my new location. Later, I looked up the voting location on a map; it's a middle school in a part of town I ordinarily wouldn't go.<br /><br />Late this morning, armed with the paper I got when I registered, I went looking and found the site with very little trouble ( passed the side street it was on, but looked and noticed the name as I passed, so I doubled back). I found a parking place close to the entrance and, though there was a steady trickle of people making their way to the entrance, there was no line outside, only a man with an Obama sign and a woman with a McCain sign standing in the proper place, quietly chatting with each other.<br /><br />There wasn't a line inside either, and the registration paper saved me an extra step, as my ID (driver's license) still has my old address. One side, a paper ballot, and it was done within a minute or two.<br /><br />I joined the sign carriers to chat for a few minutes, and joked about how congenial they seemed. They both said something like "Hey; we're all in this together."; it seemed courteous not to point out that was a Democratic point this year. Both were friends and veterans of many an election. I did remark that the lack of a line might be attributed to the fact that both campaigns make the same assumption about the way Connecticut's going; I don't suppose there are lines in Utah either. <br /><br />In all, a low key and steady event: the way "Nutmeggers" like to think of themselves.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-56644489716904695932008-10-21T15:24:00.003-04:002008-10-21T15:35:17.055-04:00I'M BAACCKKK!OK, briefly:<br /><br />I've been ill, but am fine now, thanks, I've moved, gotten a new computer, and a new innertubes server, the last being a major part of the delay. I also have new phone service with a different provider; Ill get an e-mail together later for those of you who wish to keep track of me off the tubes. If you have not been part of this elite group in the past, you may apply in the comments to this post.<br /><br />Sorry for the delay; fighting the corporate powers is tedious, as some of you know from your own recent experience.<br /><br />That is all.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-23506317481532215812008-09-22T15:33:00.002-04:002008-09-23T15:24:28.059-04:00Internet DisruptionHi all, my Internet service has been interrupted due to the move. I'm fine and should be back online next week.<br /><br />09/23 Tuesday afternoon<br /><br />I'm back in person on the innertubes; thanks to my lovely and gifted lil Nimrod for the first part of this message, and to Mimi for letting you all know the trouble was with the Internet provider, and not me.<br /><br />Tha-t-t-t-hat'a all, folks.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-68850665692982256012008-09-15T16:20:00.003-04:002008-09-15T19:35:59.904-04:00Blogger Down: Returns to ActionDear all:<br /><br />I have been in the West Haven VA Hospital since Thursday PM, but now (4:21 PM 09/15/08: Happy B'day, Mimi!) am back home. Symptom: "kidneys took the weekend off" says the Doctor, who had a nice sense of humor. I felt sluggish and w/o appetite Saturday, went to bed after church Sunday, skipped a meal or two, and passed out Tuesday AM getting up. At this point sanity and good sense dictated calling 911 to to be admitted; I chose to try to get enough strength to do it myself Thursday Noon. Thanks: I've already thought so, too.<br /><br />Treatment consisted mostly of continuous hydration by IV for 72 hours, another 24 to make sure the kidneys were still moving towards "normal" levels with liquids by mouth, then discharge for follow-up Monday to make sure I'm ready to do the MRI that is still scheduled for the 26th. Explanations await the MRI, but tentatively, since I've had no major changes in diet or habits for over a year, the hypothesis is I got dehydrated, partly because of my Ileostomy (I have no colon, and cannot re-absorb liquids as efficiently as before, but that was 26 years in July), which avalanched. The Ultrasounds suggest "something" "or or near" the left kidney, but the indications are so vague the techs struggle to decide what to say about it.<br /><br />For the time being, I'm well, but still a little puny (Alas! Not in size.) which will likely delay my anticipated move until at least the first of the month.<br /><br />So what did you guys do this weekend? Divest?johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-71163575417955279882008-08-25T21:22:00.002-04:002008-08-25T21:31:52.368-04:00Tomato Season<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh378RNaKdJpXHqZ9UZGdvw9E2sdCyLhnyqrbepmylwn0QnHR01GEXawKPoJJkQ8gGuW9xCehlAfIpHw_bgCkMKWKdgGf3LU-tkebT6XadF9yKjRR6q1guGaIFCA9Bu2gAkJWizakgSL0-n/s1600-h/IMG_0075.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh378RNaKdJpXHqZ9UZGdvw9E2sdCyLhnyqrbepmylwn0QnHR01GEXawKPoJJkQ8gGuW9xCehlAfIpHw_bgCkMKWKdgGf3LU-tkebT6XadF9yKjRR6q1guGaIFCA9Bu2gAkJWizakgSL0-n/s400/IMG_0075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238631686533804018" border="0" /></a><br />sometimes seems as if it will <span style="font-style: italic;">never </span>come, especially with a cool, rainy Summer such as this has been. Nine pounds (8.98, to be precise) may seem like a lot at once, but after slow roasting half, and making Ratatouille with the rest, I may have to get a few more by Friday. Oh, yeah, Gazpacho: make that maybe five pounds more.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-68291878520333326812008-08-19T11:20:00.002-04:002008-08-19T11:23:27.818-04:00The Meaning of It All, Courtesy of Mr. IdleThe Expanding Universe song from "The Meaning Of Life"; click on the post title to view it.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-86579210137701952812008-08-11T21:07:00.002-04:002008-08-11T21:39:39.246-04:00Georgia On My MindMy first reaction was, "Why does that dolt want to take over South Ossetia? Does he think the Russians won't intervene? Or does he think the Americans will intervene on his behalf?"<br /><br />The historical background is that Ossetia, and the other autonomous areas Georgia attempted to invade, have been independent and at odds with Georgia since before the Russians showed an interest more than two centuries ago.<br /><br />The economic context is equally plain: the Russians furnish Europe with oil and natural gas. With Ukrainian independence, Russia lost most of her Black Sea ports; Georgia provides an avenue for Caspian oil while leaving the Russians out, which gives other major interests (can you say "Exxon Mobil?") an opportunity to deal from a position of dominance.<br /><br />The Georgian President clearly decided to end a long standing border feud, which may very well have included Ossetian irregulars taking advantage of Russian protection to engage in provocative acts. Unambiguous information about the deployment of troops and their potential on both sides is lacking; Georgia claims to have withdrawn, and to have been invaded by Russia, but, given the distances involved and the effective range of modern weapons, "withdrawal" and "invasion" mean relatively little at this point.<br /><br />The Russians, to their credit, have already called an emergency meeting of the Security Council to intervene, which the U S later urged as if it hadn't already happened. The French are working "on the ground" to appeal to both sides for a cease fire. And contradictory statements as to the facts come from both sides, as civilians die, and flee, and weep.<br /><br />"Great power" theory, developed in the late stages of Western Imperialism, does allow for the sponsorship of small, relatively weak states by the powerful. It does not follow that the powerful should choose whom they will sponsor foolishly, with only one factor predominating. Especially, it does not allow the weaker state to determine the course of the Great Power, by sending a brigade in support of other foolish adventures, nor to entice the Power into a conflict far greater than the interests at stake. The morons directing U S foreign policy appear to be committing both these errors here, at a time when their ability to back up such idiocy is grievously lacking.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-15382874167344270502008-08-09T20:41:00.004-04:002008-08-09T20:51:37.017-04:00A Little Late Night FunThe dance group Pilobolus with a piece to The Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer in the City". If you're almost that old, but not quite, you may remember the group leader, John Sebastian, doing the theme to the TV show "Welcome Back, Kotter."<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz9WfHTaYlwXyJWuwEYBRFEup7DMHLHMNVdJufQVCeWp3eVm7We05GM6_1p7w5wLGHQEIOJRnqvkeb4DsrtCA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-55811402242092794362008-08-08T19:39:00.002-04:002008-08-08T20:29:05.926-04:00The Casualties of War: RapeI accepted Military duty for two reasons: to insure I would be able, in the future, to visit my mother in the U.S., and to avoid being raped in prison.<br /><br />Since my era, when most women in the armed forces were nurses and therefore officers, whom enlisted swine were not to think about, on penalty of violating The Military Code, much less touch, the integration of women in "non-combat" roles (Tell that to Major Tammy Duckworth, who ran for Congress without legs) has changed the interaction of male and female service members. I would feel more sympathy for military supervisors, who must struggle with protecting rights on both sides, while dealing with ambiguity and getting on with a very difficult task, except that rape is a matter of power, and they have the power, and are often the guilty parties. <br /><br />Anecdotally, a friend is a victim of such circumstances. She is multi-lingual, forceful, and directed; she now finds it nearly impossible to leave her house, to drive is impossible, and using public transport is planning a mission, with plenty of prescription help. The Army (she's a reservist) and VA deny she's got any reason for PTSD, in part because the 24 hour battle she was in, with ammo running low, doesn't count 'cause she's a girl. Girls aren't supposed to be in combat, therefore it didn't happen.<br /><br />I'm brought back to this shameful horror, not that it's ever very far away for me, because of a report in the Sacramento Bee (part of McClatchy; if this doesn't work, use the link to the right under "U S news source worth reading": http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/1135543.html) ) for the testimony before the California legislature of a sailor for Veterans' rights. You will also find the story of the female "contractor" who was gang-raped by her co-workers, and kept in an eight foot metal box, until a sympathetic guard gave her a cell phone to call her father.<br /><br />Whether I agree with their commitment to the military or not, these are dedicated and responsible people who have been brutally treated, denied, and cast aside to defend the indefensible. Clearly, the U S armed forces need a thorough housecleaning, which will not happen without the persistent, active investigation of such wrongs. This will be possible only with the active interest of the public.<br /><br />With the oceans of horror this maladministration has brought us, we may want to allow ourselves to overlook one or another example; we cannot allow ourselves to overlook this one, for it is a part of a much deeper systemic evil: the denigration and suppression of women, the silencing of their voices. The U S military has failed, grossly and dishonorably, to address this evil; however, I think they may, if firm direction comes from the ultimate civilian authority. The military heard Truman say "Blacks are an equal part of the armed forces", and subsequent administrations continued it. It only takes a boss who says "Cut this shit out, and I mean it." for it to work.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-74317561032475528372008-08-07T19:46:00.008-04:002008-08-07T19:58:40.822-04:00Pillar of Fire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IR1B1jlJIab-3ppycEAviAoL9HnJOBZkmr1hPSHp3xMnNFKwOKYTrLgd4BSKW5dA7f2dPuccnbxqna7Iy3FMwZiH4bIg5rjtjLCy7A7EgJyl-PoWJ0YgFGChAZCU9S-M8vGB4wX2veU2/s1600-h/289801c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IR1B1jlJIab-3ppycEAviAoL9HnJOBZkmr1hPSHp3xMnNFKwOKYTrLgd4BSKW5dA7f2dPuccnbxqna7Iy3FMwZiH4bIg5rjtjLCy7A7EgJyl-PoWJ0YgFGChAZCU9S-M8vGB4wX2veU2/s400/289801c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231927850364710418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PVbGe9sNM1wK2aE_7n-a1VnMOwfCV_V4vA-Y-L08Z7nnU-a5DJYCA-QHGx9MgGuNkSvZar_KOn2LXfYt1Uh5TbGTMCka4bioEMd2NLxG4QlLfySbge06nNPPqHhAybvp4Wi-WfP84jAm/s1600-h/289701c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PVbGe9sNM1wK2aE_7n-a1VnMOwfCV_V4vA-Y-L08Z7nnU-a5DJYCA-QHGx9MgGuNkSvZar_KOn2LXfYt1Uh5TbGTMCka4bioEMd2NLxG4QlLfySbge06nNPPqHhAybvp4Wi-WfP84jAm/s400/289701c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231927764965459538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABKJq3eGltOHSo1Jr2d7A0_pgEre1iFTC_EV7kkd0GnfQfa0OYU-Fb0iK_JkvZ_ce5Ho3kL1vKkuXH3osQz8mPVd5hguKu5lNyYdSd8Eb07HpuEkZwOFVj0SpeKG74F3O9EdmCYVhZbRG/s1600-h/289401c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABKJq3eGltOHSo1Jr2d7A0_pgEre1iFTC_EV7kkd0GnfQfa0OYU-Fb0iK_JkvZ_ce5Ho3kL1vKkuXH3osQz8mPVd5hguKu5lNyYdSd8Eb07HpuEkZwOFVj0SpeKG74F3O9EdmCYVhZbRG/s400/289401c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231927663779039234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZcwU7y_tovhipy-uQ6g6qr5mkZYTQscjSLx8mQtSsPfQagVRBeeBYsdr4B0kaM9MiRJMyQz4TYkiYy3azJFKCDJtqLoTWhbPgM0gIzarKKqCahSZ5lWGXKT43fPxH2_BHNV4bieYY-vT/s1600-h/289601c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZcwU7y_tovhipy-uQ6g6qr5mkZYTQscjSLx8mQtSsPfQagVRBeeBYsdr4B0kaM9MiRJMyQz4TYkiYy3azJFKCDJtqLoTWhbPgM0gIzarKKqCahSZ5lWGXKT43fPxH2_BHNV4bieYY-vT/s400/289601c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231927014261006402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGgSewLiPXnsJ1PH6sdnCF3sO9LCZ6f79xZdCp6KL3ux00dj5fydjXSPVLsDzFq5cXfgGlBcpzngPvzzQ9utFs9iU_Z6-6eCAefm1h7pgKohLz-9UnBm8u4fiegvqQUH_aomduRkpikBy/s1600-h/289501c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGgSewLiPXnsJ1PH6sdnCF3sO9LCZ6f79xZdCp6KL3ux00dj5fydjXSPVLsDzFq5cXfgGlBcpzngPvzzQ9utFs9iU_Z6-6eCAefm1h7pgKohLz-9UnBm8u4fiegvqQUH_aomduRkpikBy/s400/289501c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231926795439305730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbmY8n1jPU9t_U-MZ5jcl_wfpyavVI9_2glom_KpXxfHgcm3T23FqRT1fiLG5_HWWpYLt3Kjb6yL3MhWXw_vfTeO66jZX74FtbK8_Y0Z-1Z-EhouqkmA_Xyswx6lMR98SXdTDV_US0gUd/s1600-h/289301c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbmY8n1jPU9t_U-MZ5jcl_wfpyavVI9_2glom_KpXxfHgcm3T23FqRT1fiLG5_HWWpYLt3Kjb6yL3MhWXw_vfTeO66jZX74FtbK8_Y0Z-1Z-EhouqkmA_Xyswx6lMR98SXdTDV_US0gUd/s400/289301c8d8a0$ee505c30$D83C39DD.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231926663724500802" border="0" /></a><br />A volcanic eruption with a lightning storm at Chiat, 1300 km. south of Santiago, Chile. Our place is fragile indeed, but in the hands of <span style="font-style: italic;">El Shaddai.</span><span><br /><br />H/T AZ Dollar Bill, Combat Medic, and good person, who is also the source of the Swan picture.<br /></span>johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-36357922557431141242008-08-06T20:16:00.004-04:002008-08-06T20:46:20.336-04:00OK, OK; Here We Go Again.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cxqvPrEiH2HdOxs9q4CqZ8-5k0oL17Grb6P06B8bsN50xrYa0ugRiXl1OGL9mmLiarE5x1xx49jk2YK5E2nqvuSUVcoDwKOmuJDUTXT_tAHpxMLvHVYrweDprI4fRjEiRd_hw1qy3VvI/s1600-h/IMG_0073.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cxqvPrEiH2HdOxs9q4CqZ8-5k0oL17Grb6P06B8bsN50xrYa0ugRiXl1OGL9mmLiarE5x1xx49jk2YK5E2nqvuSUVcoDwKOmuJDUTXT_tAHpxMLvHVYrweDprI4fRjEiRd_hw1qy3VvI/s400/IMG_0073.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231565545458812482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkF1PpYHQPIDC5oR7EoqJMsgBYUZXcjvYq7quDTHIXg4F4lJ_wj5IK7uGD-Qt94inOaJRMVXsjrj-b9K3AbMY6yjspWRDyKzV1ri39xkfuz6tTrqi5csJ7lR4qPLkgtBCUypRqJJok40C/s1600-h/IMG_0071.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkF1PpYHQPIDC5oR7EoqJMsgBYUZXcjvYq7quDTHIXg4F4lJ_wj5IK7uGD-Qt94inOaJRMVXsjrj-b9K3AbMY6yjspWRDyKzV1ri39xkfuz6tTrqi5csJ7lR4qPLkgtBCUypRqJJok40C/s400/IMG_0071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231564665722524402" border="0" /></a><br />Above: tonight's supper: Rockfish (very much like Red Snapper) with sauted Fennel and Red Onion, leftover potato salad (which didn't go well), and snap beans with Roasted Red Peppers. The wine was a rich Alvarinho from Portugal: Auretus 2005 from Trajadura, the color of honey and almost as rich, but with the varietal acidity and minerality which makes it so good with seafood. This one would also match very well with Roasted Chicken and other dishes I would hesitate to put an Alvarinho with; thus far I had only drunk the Spanish Galician version of the grape, Albarinyo, which has decidedly less weight and depth.<br /><br />Below: supper a night or so ago: Seared Lamb with garlic and Ratatouille, with a little too much squash. I have several variations of this classic dish running in my head, now that tomatoes are in; nonetheless, to not abandon the concept altogether, there must be eggplant, plenty of olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and basil. After that, the discussion may begin: are you an innovator or just plain whacko?<br /><br />All of it was pretty tasty, aside from the usual post-mortem of "less of this, more of that". All of it is relatively quick and easy, without processed ingredients, because a) I'm lazy, b) I'm convinced it's good, and c) only rarely do I get so curious (Duck Confit, for example) that a & b get overwhelmed.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-9401345040152980932008-07-24T20:24:00.002-04:002008-07-24T20:31:58.789-04:00Thank All Y'allfor your good wishes. I had a wonderful dinner at my all-time favorite restaurant*, and suffered the penalty and reveled in the pleasure of gluttony, and got the owner/ chef's** recipe for Duck Confit: woo hoo!<br /><br />* <span style="font-style: italic;">Arugula</span> in West Hartford<br /><br />** Christiane Gehamijohniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-74731741170207571812008-07-22T23:02:00.005-04:002008-07-23T11:07:41.126-04:00It's Here!!!!!!The Really Important Event, or, more accurately, the sixty third anniversary of the Really Important Event. Whaziz? The birth of the only JohnieB that ever was (to my knowledge).<br /><br />So here's your invitation; no reservations required, nor need you check razors, butcher knives, forty-fours nor other tools at the door, though we do request you keep their use to a minimum till the party gets goin' good. Thank you.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KtoUb5ULcjY&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KtoUb5ULcjY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-8213546489260351552008-07-22T13:49:00.002-04:002008-07-22T14:44:26.707-04:00Poetic Justice: Dreaming for Action.Part Two: The Transformation of Energy<br /><br />Older people remember a time when no aspect of life was planned around energy use. Children did not learn in school how to grow and prepare their food; almost all transportation, over long distances, used the oxidation of fossil fuels as the energy source; end use of products were "off the books", generating enormous material waste in "landfills".<br /><br />At first, only a few "tree-huggers" sought comprehensive change; then, as more people began to look for ways to escape endless commutes in expensive SUVS, local solutions began to appear. City councils and legislatures were driven to provide alternatives, and some long-cherished privileges were lost. Innovations were difficult at first, then local efforts began to combine, and demand grew that obstacles be eliminated. The economic boon to areas that cooperated was made known by the new entrepreneurs.<br /><br />The solutions were coordinated with public-private consortiums to develop renewable energy sources; the new systems were mandated to use a rapidly rising percentage of "clean" energy, creating a major market. On the private level, major public funds were directed to low-cost loans, privately administered, for green construction and renovation, and for R & D. The new companies formed to provide the services provided new and productive work, partnering with educational institutions for their training programs.<br /><br />Though the transformation is far from complete, it is well underway, and well-established; today wind turbines are far more common than "gas stations", and private vehicle ownership is far less common: most people don't want the bother, though there are still specialized uses. Gardens connected to schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces are commonplace.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-27820437339776569902008-07-21T19:28:00.001-04:002008-07-22T11:39:25.546-04:00Final AlertTomorrow is the Really Important Event; watch for announcement.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-92102513154876165752008-07-21T11:22:00.002-04:002008-07-21T12:56:54.603-04:00The Really Important Event UpdateTwo more days leftjohniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-42685292961782649912008-07-20T20:00:00.004-04:002008-07-20T20:29:08.205-04:00Sunday Dinner with JohnieB<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7GkmthBx5BbUBa1e4MpYZ5AQxKIcKq_tY3WSPDJOAsKmGjM6XWY3qCLFq4LWCibk5nBhM1W5jKiieU4-4LSAa8hNgFFmaEdWIpWRIFB5OWJXBysVG8V1giFOprwm9Qf2BTWy09dtGpkM/s1600-h/IMG_0069.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7GkmthBx5BbUBa1e4MpYZ5AQxKIcKq_tY3WSPDJOAsKmGjM6XWY3qCLFq4LWCibk5nBhM1W5jKiieU4-4LSAa8hNgFFmaEdWIpWRIFB5OWJXBysVG8V1giFOprwm9Qf2BTWy09dtGpkM/s400/IMG_0069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225251277491523746" border="0" /></a>You'll notice a certain similarity: fish simply prepared and pasta with Asparagus and fresh peas, with local fresh Chevre, peaches, and blueberries for dessert; this is pan-seared Sea Scallops and Couscous.<br /><br />Part of the reason is lack of imagination/ laziness, perhaps, but the peas and asparagus are still beautiful (the shells on the peas were yucky, but the peas weren't affected) and the asparagus may well have been the best of the year so far: firm and green with tightly closed, dense heads. I love Moroccan/ French style Couscous, and it is ready in minutes. It has a slight nutty but unobtrusive flavor which goes wonderfully with fresh vegetables. Besides, I am beginning to sense I have an audience for this kind of thing, and I didn't want to disappoint either one of y'all.<br /><br />Pan-seared Scallops are a real treat, and terribly simple, but they must be done correctly; overcook them and you may as well eat rubber. A cast iron skillet, or one with some thermal mass, on medium high heat, with butter to coat. Place the scallops on the surface for one minute, turn them, and remove the pan from heat. Leave the scallops for perhaps a minute, no more than two, which in my opinion is pushing it, plate and eat. No salt, no herbs, no damned fiddlin' around with anything, except a fork. I like Chardonnay, malolactically fermented (without oak) for this. The current one is "Razor's Edge" from Australia, but Tolossa from California (Sonoma, I think) and many French White Burgundies are wonderful.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-24013951655002766402008-07-20T12:24:00.001-04:002008-07-20T12:26:12.603-04:00Countdown to the "Really Important Event"Three days left. <br /><br />H/T Eileen Fluffikins the Episcopali-Femjohniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7824638781408722483.post-36900644363355252422008-07-15T19:16:00.004-04:002008-07-15T19:25:18.403-04:00Not a Cook; Not a Problem<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHvP1c-T4JhxriFzI3o2cEjr3afheeGFwvlR5djZ4oYi1hfjzkjpL9CKUxwiizzXfbFBi0xZi10l-zclSsBOXANT1MI0aryfyr84VOkBQGWL6J4qDjvcVmCRk1eQWZdqraGLf3KmI2bWC/s1600-h/IMG_0067.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHvP1c-T4JhxriFzI3o2cEjr3afheeGFwvlR5djZ4oYi1hfjzkjpL9CKUxwiizzXfbFBi0xZi10l-zclSsBOXANT1MI0aryfyr84VOkBQGWL6J4qDjvcVmCRk1eQWZdqraGLf3KmI2bWC/s400/IMG_0067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223384264939971602" border="0" /></a>Store bought cooked and deveined Shrimp, store bought Spinach Ravioli, with Asparagus, fresh peas, and red Scallions, with my best oil and Brittany sea salt. Yes, you must boil the Ravioli in salted water for five minutes, and the peas/ asparagus for 2-3 minutes. You can boil water, right?<br /><br />Oh yeah, it took almost ten minutes.johniebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11635403219973766022noreply@blogger.com12