Monthly Archives: November 2008

Thanksgiving

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Happy Holiday!  It’s nice to have a day off.

 The goals for today are to wash the dog, do some laundry, gather newpaper and boxes for Grandmother, and make lemon bars

It should be doable.

Grandmother is moving. At some point. She has come to the conclusion that her double wide trailer is too large to keep up with. We fear that it will take some time to sell, but it is more important that she take care of her health.

Daley thanksgiving dinner happens at the usual dinner hour. My family starts thanksgiving dinner at maybe 9 in the morning…but the Daleys are less gluttonous and start dinner at 6. That means I have all day to get other things done.

well-prepared for Christmas

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Chris put up the christmas lights. We are the first on our block to do so. And Saturday I wrapped presents. My parents are coming to visit on Friday, so I have all the little gifts for my family ready to send with them. Wrapped, now.

I don’t like to leave things for the last minute, but this is ahead of the curve even for me.

It is nice to see the cheerful christmas lights

 

Abolish Capitalism

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I have asked for the abolishment of certain words before (see ‘Teleconference’). I found another one: Capitalism

This article  provides an alternative:

 I refuse to use the word “capitalism” in this context, because it’s really a Marxist term and doesn’t capture the essence of a system in which individuals and corporations freely exchange goods and services without government interference, if indeed it ever did. When so-called “capitalists” who run the finance, real estate, insurance, and now automotive industries come to Washington, hat in hand, for taxpayer dollars, it’s laughably ludicrous to call them supporters of the free market. Moreover, the term “capitalism” doesn’t capture or connote the importance of property rights and the ability to exchange them freely that are at the base of human liberty in the way that the phrase “free market” does.

 

I’m irritated with the persistent of ‘Marxism’ as a valid political theory. It was a living theory more than a hundred years ago, but the world has changed.  Using Marxism as economic theory now makes about as much sense as using the four Humors for medical diagnostics.  When I hear people refer to it now, I think they are being intellectually lazy and not willing to reevalute the changes that have heppened during the 20th and 21st century.

So lets not use that word any more. Free Marketer can be a replacement.

Popovers

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My beautiful friend Wendee came to visit this weekend, and we went to the Pilgrim’s Festival. We enjoyed the rummage sale, perused the jam jars and watched part of the reenactment play.

Later we go home to  walk the dog. For dinner we went to Don Jose, which is large and homey and has blackand white photos of western movies up on the walls.

We stayed up kinda late talking, so I slept in later than usual for me. When I woke up I wanted to make a nice pancake breakfast for Wendee, but I remembered we had no syrup. I racked my brain for what sort of yummy food I could make, and then I remembered:

POPOVERS

We used to make these when I was a kid. The floury dough would sit low and unassuming in their individual muffin pan beds until

POW

they would explode up from their middles, arching into a shell that would crisp while the hollow center would cook into a soft doughy goodness.

There is a trick to popovers; you have to start them at high temp and then lower the temp just before halfways through. I had been nervous to attempt popovers with my old ancient oven, but now with my new and very temperature accurate oven I was ready to try.

Joy of Cooking gave me the same recipe mom had used, and I mixed up a batch. JOC says the ingredients have to be room temp. I let them get warmer on the counter while I waited for Wendee to wake up. The other very important part of popovers it that their deliciousness is greatly enhanced by eating them immediately after taking them out of the oven.

HOT HOT HOT and with butter and jam or sugar.

Wendee awoke, and agreed to the popover experiment. I greased the muffin pan, including a silicone one I got for my weddings, floured it and poured in the batter.

The result:

Perfection

Better even than I remember from childhood. Crunchy, crispy soft and doughy deliciousness with butter, tea and jam.

yum yum

I thought halloween was over…memories of profane horrors

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So someone hooked me up to some facebook groups regarding the Christian culture of my youth. Some skeletons are stored much more comfortably in the closet.

But the doors were opened and out rattled the dusty (or not so dusty) bones.

The first one was, of course, A.C.E.- Accelerated Christian Education. That was where it all started. Here is a nice quote from the journal Phi Delta Kappa I found on Wikipedia regarding that initial horror:

“If parents want their children to obtain a very limited and sometimes inaccurate view of the world – one that ignores thinking above the level of rote recall – then the ACE materials do the job very well. The world of the ACE materials is quite a different one from that of scholarship and critical thinking”[18]

‘Cause really, I prize the abandonment of critical thinking above most things. (where is the irony emoticon when you need it?)

But Facebook is demonstrating it’s wide range of people. There’s more!

HOMESCHOOL

That was lighter reading, perusing the groups of homeschoolers who reminisce about staying in their pajamas all day and finishing the day’s homework in 2 or 3 hours. And all this while testing 2 or 3 or 10 grades above their ‘schooled’ peers.

The homeschool groups were cheerier. But then they dipped back into the dark. Someone mentioned being schooled by ATI, the homeschool program developed by Bill Gothard

Bill Gothard…*shudder*… and the Institute for Basic Youth Conflicts. Hard to get more hard core stupid…I hesistate to use the word ‘stupid’ because it’s more damaging than that, but I want to be derisive and dismissive.

Gothard’s week-long seminar in Basic Youth Conflicts was a hitler-youth like winnowing of impulses and life choices into sin and salvation–and salvation always lay on the side of submitting one’s free will and personality to the authority of God. And the authority of God was not represented by an internal understanding or relationship with God…It was corporeally represented by the Church Leader. My pastor quoted Gothard almost as frequently as scripture.

Bill Gothard developed a highly structured Home School curriculum. THANK CHRIST I was spared that. I suspect it’s because it was expensive. But I would love to hear about what it was like from those who were subjected to it.

Facebook has a group for that, too. I found it through the “Bill Gothard is quite possibly the Anti-Christ” group.

 

Slog

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I will tell you, this post has very little thought put into it.

I have 6 weeks of work left, and the things that I need to do are progressing nicely. There are a few more things that I have to do that I could be working on. But I’m not.

My motivation is low, and I’m scouting around for something to entertain me. No luck. The news is depressing, offering unsubstantiated expectations for the new president (euphoric, dire and cautious–covering the bases) and reports of massive massive layoffs.

pheh

Pop culture or other fluff seems silly and selfish in the face of this news, so no solace there.

The best place right now is in cute animal pictures.

I’ve been in the office for 3 hours now, and not getting much done.

Maybe I should unearth my iPod. A podcast would come in handy right now.

Citizen Action Kit

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Well, I tell you. I am sad that my team did not win the Presidential election.

But I am not willing to go gently into that dark night. I feel ominous about what President Obama might choose to do regarding taxes and stifling business. Then I remember, he’s not the only guy with influence on these matters.

So here is my plan:

I will get the names and addresses of all my government representatives and create pre-addressed stamped envelopes for all of them. Maybe more than one for each. Then, when I hear of a situation that I have an opinion about, I can dash off a letter to the people who are handling that situation and let them know how I think it should be handled.

This election had a massive turn-out. I’m sorry they didn’t vote for my team, but it is heartening that so many people are willing to take action to be involved in government. I don’t think that momentum should be lost. So, I’m going to make my action kit of preaddresses envelopes and let my representative know that their job and performance is being scrutinized.

That wayI have a reason to stay on top of issues. Rather than just stewing about it, I can take action. I would hope to avoid frustration and impotent rage. Let’s hear it for potent rage!

Tomorrow we’ll know

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I guess most of the country is pretty excited about the election.

I don’t know what will happen. I can’t predict.

But I will be walking into my polling place tomorrow.

See you on the other side!