nicegilles

Story of Stuff

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:28:17 GMT

http://storyofstuff.com

99% of the products we consume are gone in 6 months. Wow. It hits home every time our kids get a goodie bag at a party. Or every time we look at the clutter in our house.

It makes me proud to have an 11-year-old TV. But of course, for every thing that I'm doing right, there are 10 things that I could be doing better.

Farmer's market starts up in less than 3 weeks!

Market Fair at Claude Moore

Mon, 21 May 2007 17:24:41 GMT

This kind of dovetails well with what weaklingrecords posted about financial stuff. It may not be obvious, but keep reading.

We took the kids and ourselves to "Market Fair" day at Claude Moore Colonial farm in tony McLean, VA. It's the second time we've gone (we went probably 3 years back), and I'm kind of kicking myself for waiting so long to get back there.

The place is kind of funky. They've got all these reenactors that are living the life of 18th century tobacco farmers. They've got some livestock, a tobacco field, and a garden. The kids dig it and it's kind of fun.

But the "Market Fair" part is totally sweet. First of all, it's FREE to get in with a coupon from the internet. There's this clearing in the woods where they have all kinds of reenactors showing you what a market day might have looked like. And they're selling real stuff. But it's outrageously affordable. For food, they've got this open fire with chickens on a spit and sausages in a big pan. We were all ready for lunch so I bought:

3 chicken pieces (sixths, I guess, breasts or drumsticks)
2 sausages
3 hunks of baguette
2 slices of cheese
3 servings of asparagus (about 5 stalks per serving)

For this, they charge $13.50. I mean, this isn't McDonald's. As far as I could tell, this was all real food. Then I bought 2 beers. For $2 apiece. I think they were 12-oz cups, and they had 5 kinds of Dominion. On tap. And for an extra buck, I got 3 radishes and a pickled egg (I've always wanted to try a pickled egg).

Can I say again how there was no cover charge?

Basically, it was an amazingly pleasant experience. The kids got to watch this puppet show, and did some watercolors, and did some 18th-century kids things (rope swing, homemade see-saw). We got to have a couple of beers and spend the afternoon outside, and have an excuse to get together with some friends. The food was about the only thing you'd be compelled to spend money on. What's more, there was no residency requirement or anything, though the park is located in such a place that you probably minimally need a car to get there.

So here's where it relates to the weaklingrecords post. I find that a key part of being able to live within your means is just to realize when you're being marketed to, when someone is trying to manipulate your psyche to get your money. The assault is constant and exhausting. And we are conditioned to seek out spending opportunities to soothe the psyche. But at the same time, there are ways to get true enjoyment for a pittance. Use the library (we have out approximately 50 books at a time, at all times). Walk in a park. Walk through a city.

I've found that I'm just alarmed when I discover something that's free or reasonably priced. When our daughter started Kindergarten this year, I did a mental double-take when I realized that we didn't have to send a check off to anyone to cover it. It's already been paid for. Granted, it's coming from my tax dollars. But the guy renting across the street, who's not directly paying property tax, can send his kids there, too. And the couple next door w/o school-age kids, well, they're buying into it as well.

Comparing the attitude these days with when I was growing up, there's a very stark contrast in my mine. These days, you are what you spend. To not spend is to not participate in what passes for our community. And if you're not spending on gadgets to soothe the psyche, you're spending to play sports, or to send your kids to preschool, or to go to a ballgame, etc., etc., etc. You're conscious of your financial situation all the freaking time, at least in a place like Funfax.

I guess this entry doesn't have much direction. I hope there's some interesting stuff in there, though, for anyone who happens to read it.

REPENT!!!!!

Thu, 10 May 2007 16:44:47 GMT

To all who read this: back up your files!

After our hard drive completely crashed on our Mac the other day, I'm in an introspective mood. Though I haven't heard from the repair place, I'm pretty sure our data is lost. It's a good thing I back up all the time. Wait, no, I guess I only have really been backing up every couple of years.

The good news is that I've got an iPod, and all our music and, more importantly, our photos, are there. Well, I think the photos exist in reduced form on the iPod, but from what I can gather online, it's about 700 x 550 pixels or so, which is good enough to preserve the memories contained therein (consider, for example, the quality of photos that our parents have of us from when we were kids). And I know I've given a DVD with a bunch of photos to my parents, partly with this exact situation in mind. Also, we still have our previous computer, from 2 years ago, which should have everything from when we switched over.

The bad news is the things that aren't on the iPod:
Michelle's emails from the last 2 years (basically since we got the Mac.)
Damn passwords and usernames for God knows how many websites
emails pertaining to our very complicated travel plans for this summer
Quicken financial records from about the last 4 months
Michelle's journal of the kids.

That last one's probably going to sting the most. She printed it out in April '04, and we think we have a newer soft copy (at least June '05), but losing the last two years would suck. I figure we can gather some stuff from emails she's sent to family and friends (if she sends them to pack rats). But that's only really a sampling of the day-to-day stuff she puts in the journal. I guess if I'd really read it much, it may have occurred to me that we should email the thing to ourselves once in a while.

So let this be a lesson to you. Hard drives fail, unexpectedly and catastrophically. As yourself what would happen if your hard drive failed right now. And back your shit up.

3 1/2 Markets in 8 days

Tue, 08 May 2007 16:58:31 GMT

(vegetable boredom ensues)

Got my FM fix on several times last week after opening day last Tuesday. Wednesday, I chaperoned four 4-year-old boys (my son included) in their field trip to Frying Pan Park's farm. While there, I dragged them up and down the aisle of their Farmer's Market. Shameless, I know, but I tried to make it a learning experience. It was a smaller FM than even Fairfax City, with only the Beef lady from the other markets I frequent.

On Saturday, I went to the opening day of the Burke Farmer's Market, despite our 1:00 birthday party for Patrick. Pretty much the usual suspects, but there is a new cheese place in place of the milk place, which is disappointing. One of the "take-aways" from reading "Omnivore's Dilemma" along with Peter Singer's book ("The Way We Eat: Why our Food Choices Matter") is that even dairy products are not immune from major ethical issues when the things are raised "conventionally". Grass-fed cows raised humanely are much better for all parties (consumer, cow, environment, farmer). So if you have a source for grass-fed dairy products, do what you can to use it.

My haul from Burke was:
3 packs of sausages
1 dozen eggs
1 pack of cheese curds and a block of cheddar cheese from "Fields of Grace" farm
large mixed greens from Spring Valley Farm
2 bunches asparagus
4 pints of strawberries
3 ears of dried baby corn for making popcorn with
2 bunches turnips
2 bunches radishes
1 loaf of brioche bread and a loaf of banana bread (can't repeat this very often as this place charges an absolute fortune for very small loaves)

The construction at the VRE station is going to cause a lot of headaches for the Farmer's Market this year (along with the swim teams and little leaguers that also use the lot). I'm not looking forward to that.

Today (Tuesday) I was back at Fairfax City. There's a baker there that wasn't there last week. Not as good as the French lady from 2 years ago, but good, and about half the price of the guys at the Burke market. Today I bought:
1 q strawberries
3 bunches kohlrabi
2 bunches ramps (which stink to high heaven)
1 bunch spinach
5 ears dried baby corn
sweet potatoes
1 head "baby cabbage"

Lastly, I bought 10 artichokes for $2.50 at Super H Mart. That's the "artichoke season" bargain I've been looking for. I'm going to make our beloved roasted artichokes tonight or tomorrow. They're a ton of work, but you could eat a hundred of them.

Permanent Vegetable State

Tue, 01 May 2007 15:23:40 GMT

Welcome to the food network.

My haul from the first farmer's market of the season, in Fairfax City:

1.5 lb mixed kale/collards
2 quarts strawberries
2 bunches radishes
small basket spinach
med basket mixed salad greens
2 bunches asparagus
2 bunches ramps

Notable on the menu this week: collards/kale with potatoes and bacon, radish sandwiches, and a chickpea and gorgonzola soup with spinach.

There was one new booth at this market, a purveyor of beef. That's a first for either market (the Burke market has bison, pork, chicken, and goat). I don't cook too much beef, but will have to experiment. Maybe some tacos de lengua (I'd be the one and only consumer of that, I think).

Also, Spring Valley Farm from West Virginia, a popular booth at the Burke Market, has come to the Fairfax City market. They're the ones that carry the ramps, along with a real interesting salad green mix, asparagus, and some dressings and sauces (including ramp dressing). That makes 4 vegetable booths that are at both markets. I guess that reinforces my thought that I should attend two markets a week, since I can gauge what will appear at one based on what's at the other (plus, I can reduce the surge on refrigerator space.)

Last day of darkness

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 12:40:43 GMT

Well, I've survived another Farmer's Market offseason. The light of my stomach's life has been dormant lo, these 6 months, and it will shine again tomorrow. The Tuesday market in Fairfax City kicks off the season at 8 am.

I think I'll take this opportunity (in case anyone's listening) to plug a book. The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan, is probably the most thought-provoking and life-changing book I've read in recent memory. I would highly recommend it to anyone who eats.

Just as citizens of a democracy are ultimately morally accountable for the actions of their government, so are all consumers responsible for the effects of agriculture. The current state of conventional agriculture in the United States, particularly the corn industry and the meat industry, is pretty difficult to stomach. The effects on our farmers, our landscape, and our fossil-fuel consumption are extreme. If you drive a Prius and eat a conventionally-raised, meat-based Atkins diet, you may be better off buying a Hummer and going vegan. Though I haven't gone so far as to swear off conventionally-raised foods in all circumstances, I've found myself questioning what I and my family eat, and considering the issues raised in the book when I look at a restaurant menu or walk through a supermarket. I don't think it's an exclusive proposition. It's just a simple matter of coming to terms with the effects of your actions.

Ultimately, though, I think this is all life-affirming rather than a downer. The book does a good job of celebrating nature and its ecosystems rather than simply preaching and decrying the sinning masses. There's a certain amount of despair in knowing what we've wrought, but at the end of the day, it's acting ethically which builds us up and gives us hope.

Jackmoyeaux's birthday leads me to sin in the Washington Post

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:58:46 GMT

So after a wonderful (if slightly freezing) birthday bash for little Jack (firstborn of our very own bassmike) on Saturday morning, the family got in a nice 3-hour jaunt around the National Zoo. While walking out of the Elephant House, I spotted former Senator Bill Frist on his way in. Little celebrity brush, you know how it is. (It was only later that it occurred to me how funny it was that this former G.O.P. Majority leader was heading to the elephant house. Talk about not letting go of your work life).

Anyway, at the prompting of my sister-in-law (who occasionally freelances for the Post), I emailed "Reliable Source", the gossip column there. And, lo and behold, they posted my hot tip on Tuesday:

Bill Frist, wandering into the elephant house at the National Zoo Saturday morning with family; the former Senate majority leader braved the unseasonable cold in a black dress coat.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/10/AR2007041000055.html

So this might be pretty cool if it didn't make me feel so creepy. Do people in the public eye really need a fleet of citizen-spies reporting their every move to the masses?

If it was someone I actually respected even in the slightest, I might feel more guilty. But I think Frist is a bona fide soul-seller, after heading up the satanic outfit that is the National Republican Party.

OK, campers, time to get in the World Cup spirit

Fri, 09 Jun 2006 12:39:24 GMT

There's something exhilirating about shedding our American xenophobia and embracing a world phenomenon. But the World Cup is especially great because it's more timeless than the Macarena.

If you're a sports fan, ignoring the World Cup is like a beer conoisseur who only drinks standard American light lager, or a food connoisseur who doesn't eat vegetables. It just doesn't compute.

As La Copa Mundial kicks off in a mere 4 hours, I've decided to reminisce on some memories of World Cups past. Forgive me, by the way, for not referring to it as the "World Cup FInals", since the tournament has technically been going on since qualifying starts. I'm pedantic, it's true, but you've got to draw the line.

2002: The great thing about when the World Cup is halfway around the world is that those of us with small children can watch the games in peace. At 3 am, but in peace nevertheless. I loved the idea of getting up in the dead of night and turning on the TV to see bright sunshine and a stadium full of screaming fans. And of course the audio is in Spanish since I don't get ESPN. After the U.S. beat Mexico, I was so excited (and without an outlet for my excitement as the wife couldn't care less), that I listened to the postgame show on the Spanish-language radio station. Didn't get a whole lot out of it, I'll admit.

My other permanent memory that year was watching the Portugal vs. USA match in my hotel in California where I was visiting my company's home office for a meeting. I taped it, actually, and woke up early to watch (not knowing who won). After the U.S. pulled off the upset, I went down to breakfast, and the person who I see sitting there is a Portuguese guy from our company's Paris office. He'd arrived into SFO at 11 pm after an 11-hour flight and proceeded to watch his much-ballyhooed countrymen totally blow their tournament on the first day. Needless to say, he was not a very cheery breakfast companion. Exhausted and despondant. The only saving grace was that he didn't have to hear crap from his French coworkers, as the defending champions bowed out in the first round without scoring a goal.

For the actual finals, we were on our way up to Connecticut from DC that day. I vividly recall pulling into one of those service plazas on one of the Turnpikes (I believe it was in Maryland), and the match was on the tube. There was a pretty sizable crowd gathered around watching. I love those communal sports moments among complete strangers.

1998: I was in graduate school at the time. My office mate was Russian, and his Spanish vocabulary consisted of "Hasta la Vista, baby". That is, until the World Cup. Since the only feed you could get over-the-air was the Spanish TV station, we holed up in our office around a little TV to watch the games in Spanish. Nikolai added "impresionante" to his Spanish lexicon. At one point, we had two Russians, a Chinese (Hong Kong, actually), a Spaniard, a Frenchman and myself huddled around our tiny TV. The Spaniard was particularly amused with everyone's best renderings of the announcers' catch phrases.

I believe this was also the year when I came upon the idea of taking a red and a yellow piece of construction paper and wrapping them with clear packing tape. That way, if somebody cut you off on Lake Shore Drive, rather than flipping them the bird, you could merely give them a "booking". Also works well for beer fouls, when someone spills their drink at a bar. I encourage all of you, gentle readers, to carry on this tradition. A real crowd-pleaser.

1994: This is the first year I have stong memories of the World Cup, as the tourney was in the U.S. It was the year we graduated from college, and moved cross-country during the tournament. So I watched the first round in my boyhood home in Connecticut. Probably caught a game in Virginia (where I swung by to pick up my girlfriend and get engaged to her). We hurried to arrive at our friend's house in St. Paul, MN the day of the USA/Brazil match (July 4th, no less). Watched the final at our new home in Seattle. I guess that was kind of an eventful tournament, though the final match was widely regarded as a bust.

With that, we're now less than 3 and a half hours from kickoff. I've got a doctor's appointment at 11 near my house, so I guess I'll go home for lunch (and maybe a touch of football on the tube--Germany vs. Costa Rica). Enjoy it, everybody!

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:45:30 GMT

So the Democratic Primary in Virginia is on Tuesday (6/13). I wonder if anyone's got any opinions.

Here's my take:

Senate:
Candidates: Jim Webb, Harris Miller
Webb: In case you're not familiar, he's a decorated Vietnam Marine Corps vet, novelist, frequent op-ed columnist, et al (more on his website). His big credential is that he was outspoken against Iraq since before we invaded because of the strategic suicide it has turned out to be for our military (who can't even pretend to have the resources to pose a threat anywhere else in the world these days). He's been really skewered by the Miller people for supporting both Allen and Bush in '00.

He's getting lots of endorsements from lots of folks. People like Dick Durbin and Harry Reed. So in a sense, maybe he's the Democratic establishment candidate. This is humorous, since he's a political newcomer with a pretty strong Republican pedigree (including a stint as Secretary of the Navy under Reagan.) Very green in a political sense, which would surely contrast with slick Senator George Allen. Another contrast with the Senator is that Webb is a pretty bright guy (and George is "dumb as a post" according to Stephen Colbert, and other reports I've heard, including laypeople who have met him). He seems to be not drinking the Kool-Aid when it comes to Campaign Finance reform (by which I mean he realizes that everything that is wrong in Washington stems from the way in which candidates are funded. And I mean everything. Well, that's my opinion. I don't know if Webb would say it in such strong terms or not).

So I guess the concerns in my mind are, (1) is his lack of political prowess going to hurt or help against Allen, and (2) should we all be concerned or impressed with his having been a Republican. I'm willing to swallow both of these pills, which is why I'm supporting him.

Miller: This is maybe a more traditional Democrat. Long-time party activist/strategist/wonk. Professional Lobbyist. Pissed off that Webb would dare to run against him. Fueling lots of attack ads (we've gotten plenty of phone calls and mailers from him in this regard). A friend of Mark Warner's. According to today's Post, Warner encouraged him to run, then after Webb entered the race, declined to endorse anyone. Ouch.

I should point out that another issue I have with Webb is that I'm not real comfortable with the worship of the Military that Americans tend to engage in. I'm a firm believer in the Military-Industrial Complex. I'm a firm believer that the actual operation of the chain of command in the Armed Forces stands in direct contrast to the stated right of individual underlings to exercise moral judgment (and also I think they're conditioned to suppress moral judgment). Etc. I don't want to get too far into this. Suffice it to say on the surface I have trouble throwing my weight behind a "military guy". That said, I think that Webb is the kind of person who understands that war is not glorious, and that it's no way to solve the world's problems if it can at all be avoided. I guess that kind of thinking is common in combat veterans (as opposed to the Chickenhawk neocons). Anyway, I'm just digressing a bit.

VA-11 U.S. Congress:
Candidates: Ken Longmyer, Andrew Hurst
Anyway, on to the Congressional race. I'm in Tom Davis's district. Davis, who was elected in '94 with Gingrich et al, is perceived as a moderate Republican. I don't think his record, though, shows any significant independence from the Delay/Bush party line. His vulnerability was exposed when we won 60%-40% in 2004 with an opponent (Ken Longmyer) who raised next to nothing and who was a political nobody (not meant to slam the guy, but from what I understand, he just said, "someone's gotta run against, him, might as well be me.") To tell you the truth, I was saying the same thing when Davis ran unopposed by the Dems in 2002, and I wrote in my wife's name (as did my father-in-law, so she received at least two votes that year. My mother-in-law received at least two votes for Senate).

Anyway, so we've now gone:
2002--0 Dems
2004--1 Dem
2006--2 Dems

(To digress, the 2022 race, which should feature 10 Democrats in the primary, promises to be a doozie).

Here's what I know:
Longmyer: As I said, he got 40% of the vote in 2004. He's a retired teacher and State Dept employee/diplomat. Seems like a good guy. I heard him speak briefly in 2004 at a Democratic organizational event, and he's a solid public speaker. I'd love to have him as a professor. I think he's in his 60's, divorced and remarried with a young daughter. From reading his bio, his family is from Alabama, but he and his mom moved out to California when he was a kid. He graduated from UCLA. For what it's worth (always something in America), he's black.

Hurst: Young guy (35?). Lawyer. Political newcomer. More of a traditional candidate I guess (in that he seems to have political aspirations). Working-class background (met his wife while working at Denny's in New Jersey). Young family. For what it's worth, he's white.

So whom do I vote for? I think of Longmyer as more of a known quantity (I've heard him speak and followed his campaign a bit last time around). My reservations with him are, first of all, he's not a traditional candidate (he seemed to be doing it as a civics lesson last time 'round). Hurst seems more believable as an upwardly-mobile pol. In a world in which everyone treated elected office as a service to one's fellow citizens, I think I'd go for Longmyer. But that's not the country we live in. Then again, Davis could play down Hurst as being too young. As with many Democratic challenges this year, this one is about the incumbent. Davis's weakness in my eyes is his allegiance to the GOP party line.

I guess as I've written this, I've talked myself back into an undecided voter. Now I know how people end up going with the guy with the nicer tie. Actually, along those lines, someone called our house from Hurst's campaign last night and knew my mother-in-law (after seeing my wife's maiden/middle name in the voter roll she was calling from). So maybe that little personal connection is enough to win them our votes.

Tuesday Farmer's Market

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 13:43:57 GMT

Tuesday I added a bit to the weekly produce list.

3 pints of sugar snap peas.
1 pint of blueberries (first week for these!)
2 quarts strawberries
5 apples (I know, not in season. I guess this place has a storage facility. Apparently, apples can be stored pretty much forever at 36 degrees or so. At least that's what I remember reading in an article in Harper's a few years back about the apple harvest in Washington).

Getting stoked for the world cup. I kept on having dreams about the schedule last night. The kids helped me remember the dreams by tag-team waking all night long. Literally, I don't think we went 90 minutes without one of them waking up. Michelle must be especially wiped out, as she always bears the brunt of it.

Taking a breath, veggie-wise

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 20:26:30 GMT

I don't know if it's the harrassment by bassmike and ailiergauche that's gotten into me, but I was decidedly more reserved in my farmer's market take this week. Well, probably it was that this is a busy week and the wife wasn't ready for me to undertake crazy cooking.

Here's what I got:
1 bunch turnips
1 bunch yellow swiss chard (really brilliantly colored)
2 broccoli heads (picked out by the 3-year-old veggie-lover-in-arms Patrick)
1 bunch asparagus
3 pints strawberries
1/2 gallon whole milk
1 scone and 1 muffin (had the kids along, and bribed them)
1 small bunch of flowers

I think that's it. Man. I'd better hit the Fairfax City market tomorrow to atone for my paltry purchases.

Weekly take from the Farmer's Market

Tue, 30 May 2006 15:09:08 GMT

I'm not much in the mood right now, but I must document my veggies for the good of mankind:

Saturday's Farmer's Market take:

Beets, 3 bunches.
Radishes, 2 bunches.
Kohlrabi, 1 bunch.
Strawberries, 12 pints ($2.50/pint or $18/12 pints.)
Red lettuce, 1 head.
Mixed greens, medium portion
Scallions, 2 bunches.
Yellow onions, 1 bunch.
Sugar snap peas, 4 pints.
Cauliflower, 2 small heads.
Cilantro, 2 bunches.
Parsley, 1 bunch.
White Potatoes, 1 pint.
Yellow squash, 4 small.
Eggs, 1 dozen.

In case you didn't guess, we gorged on some strawberries this weekend. Made an amazing strawberry shortcake, too. And froze some.

Saturday's market

Tue, 23 May 2006 15:06:12 GMT

Here was the take from Saturday's Burke Farmers' Market:

Medium size mixed greens (about 6 servings?)
3 bunches radishes
3 pints sugar snap peas
2 bunches kohlrabi (one purple)
2 bunches turnips
3 bunches beets
1 lb. or so orange sweet potatoes
2 bunches asparagus
1/2 gallon whole milk (not homogenized. I normally don't have milk in my coffee, but I do now)
2 bunches collard greens
1 pint red potatoes
2 pints strawberries
1 bouquet flowers (for some friends' housewarming gift).
1 package pork & bison sausages
4 small summer squash (2 yellow, 2 zucchini)

I think that's it. Not too shabby. A little pricey, though. Then again, I spent about half as much at the grocery store as I normally do, and this stuff is all fresh and local.

Favorite menu item this week--sloppy joes and turnips. Hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Exciting new developments at this week's market: one guy had bags of pecans, but I didn't buy any. Another guy had some squash blossoms by the pint, but I figured Michelle would seriously frown on that one. All in all, most of the stands are offering about 20-30 different types of veggies, I'm guessing, which is great. It'll probably be a little while before the eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes. I'm enjoying the heck out of the roots, though. We had the sausages with roasted beets and sweet potatoes, which were all just fine. Leftovers for lunch today, too.

Fairfax Farmer's Market

Wed, 17 May 2006 14:13:08 GMT

Well, I'm disappointed in the Tuesday Farmer's Market in Fairfax City this year. No meat/egg guys (though they're at the Saturday Burke one). And no fantastic French pastry stand. The almond croissants at that place last year were unreal.

At least you can still get kohlrabi at any number of stands. Sigh.

Farmer's market for 5/13

Tue, 16 May 2006 11:04:04 GMT

If you're not interested in my vegetable purchases, read no more.

So on Saturday, despite the fact that we were both hosting and attending parties, the good wife allowed my weekly trip to the Burke Farmer's market. Granted, there were some things that I was buying that were required for the day's events. And I did take the 7-week-old with me. But still, I love her for taking me seriously.

Here's the take, as best I can remember it:
2 bunches turnips (FYI, spring turnips are the best part about the farmer's market this time of year. They're so sweet and mild, I have yet to find someone who isn't impressed).
2 bunches kohlrabi
4 bunches radishes
2 bunches beets
2 pints sugar snap peas
1 Ginormous head of romaine
1 Ginormous basket of mixed greens
5 bunches asparagus
2 "bears" of clover honey (for gifts)
2 pork chops (not technically a vegetable, I'll admit).

We served the turnip roots, kohlrabi, radishes, and sugar snaps at Patrick's 3rd birthday party that afternoon. I'd intended to use some of the lettuce there, too. Since I didn't, we ended up with a fridge full of lettuce and greens. We've made a brave effort so far to plow through, but we've got a lot of work ahead of us. We've also got beets (greens & roots), turnip greens, and 3 asparagus waiting in the fridge.

We also ate two bunches of asparagus at the party--here's an amazing way to eat asparagus:

1) preheat grill
2) snap bottoms off of asparagus stalks (just let them break wherever they will, as that's where they're tender enough)
3) put asparagus on a plate and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then salt and pepper
4) once the grill is nice and preheated, turn it down (assuming gas here) and put the asparagus on. If you have a fish/veg grill pan, it might be nice to put on there while it's preheating. Otherwise, you'll have to accept that a few precious shoots may be sacrificed to the propane/charcoal gods.
5) move the asparagus around a few times to ensure relatively even cooking. It's great if they're a little charred in places.

At any rate, these are absolutely wonderful. There is an acidity to the asparagus that makes them taste marinated. In fact, that's true of a lot of grilled veggies. I like to grill spring onions in the same way (nice fat ones, though scallions are acceptable). Ditto for peppers, onions, eggplant, zucchini. I think green beans would work, too. If you're trying to lose weight while stuffing yourself, just gorge on grilled vegetables until you can't stand.

I'm planning to hit the Tuesday market in Fairfax City today, somehow. This may require me to get off my ass and get into the office, though...

Brass Bonanza Magic

Thu, 11 May 2006 15:35:04 GMT

From Wikipedia:

The Bonanza was played in its entirety minutes before game time of the Carolina Hurricanes 2nd round playoff opener at home against the New Jersey Devils on May 6, 2006. The Hurricanes won that game 6-0.

Whalers

Tue, 09 May 2006 20:13:07 GMT

Did you know that the Hartford Whalers logo (featured on my photo of Pat Verbeek) has its own Emoticon? Are you ready?

}3

Amazing, huh?

Spring in the air, posting again, and Farmer's Markets

Mon, 08 May 2006 16:48:03 GMT

Well, now, it's been a while.

Saw bassmike and his family at our post-baptism shindig on Saturday. A good time was had by all, I think. Little Jack is all of 9 days younger than our Rory, and we decided that we'd get together at ND Freshman Orientation weekend in August of '25. Wow. We'll be in our 50's. Peak Oil will be well under way. We'll be riding bicycles cross-country to get there.

So the Fairfax County Farmer's Markets started last week, it being the beginning of May. It's a very happy time for me, obsessed as I am with local produce. I was thinking about starting a Burke Centre (sic) Farmer's Market blog. I probably won't, but I'll at least fill in some details herewith:

Tuesday, May 2nd, Fairfax City Farmer's Market (kind of like when baseball teams play their last exhibition game in their home stadium before the season starts. It's not exactly the real deal, but we can at least start getting excited).

Arrived at 7:55 or so, for the 8:00 opening. Not too many farmers there. I wonder if there would've been more had I gone later. I bought:

2 pks of strawberries (I had no idea you could harvest strawberries in May. Probably some help from the greenhouse.)
3 bunches radishes
3 bunches asparagus
1 head red lettuce
1 bunch kohlrabi
some kale
some arugula
(I think that was it)

Another advantage to going to the Tuesday market is to get a feel for what to expect on Saturday. Michelle doesn't like it when I come back with too much totally random crap.

Saturday, despite the flurry of preparations for the baptism at 1:30 and the party afterwards, I went to the first Saturday market with my mom, brother-in-law, and the two younger kids. We got there around 10 (a little later than normal, but no harm done). I bought:

5 bunches of radishes :)
3 bunches asparagus
2 bunches kohlrabi
2 bunches very small spring turnips with greens
1 bunch collards
1 bunch kale
1 bunch spring onions
4 sweet potatoes
1 lb ground pork
1 pkg pork/bison sausages
1 dozen eggs
1 q whole milk

The kohlrabi, turnip roots, and some of the radishes were served at the party, and were a great conversation starter (though M was skeptical of my plan to serve this stuff). The turnip greens along with the collards and kale will go into a black-eyed-pea, tomato, and feta dish this week (one of our favorites--the feta gives it almost a cream sauce). Sweet potatoes and spring onions and asparagus will be going on the grill with the sausage tonight. Pork in the freezer, and radishes munched on throughout the week.

I'd like to hit the Tuesday market again soon to see what vendors are there. I'm particularly interested in the French Pastry people and the meat people who are at Saturday's market. It looks like those guys added turkey this year to their somewhat odd list of pork, chicken, bison, and goat. At any rate, it's Patrick's third b'day tomorrow, and I'm meeting up with everyone for lunch, so I may have to take a raincheck.

A great statistic

Thu, 04 Nov 2004 13:03:08 GMT

The wife sent me this gem from U.S. News:

A survey of Americans showed the following results:

Is President Bush a Uniter or a Divider?
Uniter: 48% of respondents
Divider: 48% of respondents

Wed, 03 Nov 2004 19:04:57 GMT

Here's the article I reference in my post about the Bishops.

http://www.catholicherald.com/loverde/2004homilies/election1028.htm

The Blood of Christ

Wed, 03 Nov 2004 16:35:40 GMT

I've never felt more ashamed of my Church.

The Catholic Bishops have blood on their hands.
The blood of 100,000 or so Iraqi civilians killed in a war which flies in the face of every Catholic teaching on Just War, and who are victims of reconstruction plans penned by the delusional free market extremists.
The blood of the enemy soldiers and civilians in Afghanistan cut down by an unjust military strategy that gives no value to enemy life and infinite value to American public opinion.
The blood of the unborn children of women in poverty who will abort because they have no hope, no support.
The blood of children born with birth defects due to polluted air, mercury-poisoned fish.
The blood of the victims of gangland killings caused by decades of neglect of the schools and communities in our cities, neglect which has been exacerbated by the policies and cuts of the Administration.
The blood of U.S. soldiers in Iraq killed in underequipped vehicles by roadside bombs.
The blood of aborted children killed because their mothers were denied even the knowledge of contraception due to "abstinence-only" crusades.
The blood of the victims of the terrorism which Bush foreign policy will cause.
The blood of everyone dying of preventable AIDS in Africa and preventable diseases all over the third world.
The blood of Americans dying from a healthcare system designed for corporate profits and elite consumers rather than our nation's rank and file (and children).

In a two-page letter sent out in our bulletin this week, our Bishop stressed the fact that voting for a candidate *because* he is pro-choice is a grave sin. I don't really have a problem with that statement, and I didn't vote for John Kerry *because* he is pro-choice. I voted for him because I am pro-life, and life doesn't end at birth. I've formed this opinion from reading the Gospel and witnessing the works of Jesus on earth.

Yet I suspect that many more Catholics voted for Bush *primarily because* of his actions in Iraq than voted for Kerry *primarily because* he is pro-choice. And I fail to see how this vote is any less of a grave moral sin than the one that the Bishop pointed to--in fact, I would argue it's more of one. The war in Iraq, with its false and intentionally manipulated supporting evidence of just cause, is absolutely a war of choice, and therefore unjust. Yet the Bishops are silent. The fatalities are real and attributable (as opposed to the hypothetical and unknown number of abortions which might be prevented by legal changes which fly in the face of public opinion). The war clearly would not have been fought without the zealousness of the neocons. And your vote for Bush brings with it the blood of many, many of God's children.

I am going to write a similar letter to our Diocese when I withdraw from my (admittedly token) monthly pledge to the Diocesan Capital Campaign. I haven't decided what to do on the parish level, but I doubt we'll be giving any more unregulated contributions to the collection. As in so many other aspects of life, Catholic clergy react to the power of the almighty dollar, and perhaps a movement by the faithful will cause these men to see the folly of their ways.

I cry to think that my fellow Catholics were so complicit to the election of George W. Bush.

Reflections

Wed, 03 Nov 2004 15:14:36 GMT

An email I sent to some friends earlier today:

Some perspective from DailyKos.com (below). If there's one blessing from yesterday, it's that I was permanently changed by my experience volunteering with the Dems to get out the vote in Virginia. Talking with strangers of all colors, shapes, and sizes who see the evils that we see is so uplifting and energizing. The only way to fight the depression that comes from reading about what these guys are doing to our country and our world is to act. Act. Act. Don't just read and wallow. Don't just commiserate and complain. Talk to strangers. Organize. Act. It's the only way. We shall overcome.

http://dailykos.com/story/2004/11/3/61013/0352

OK. I read thousands of comments and dozens of Diaries last night and this morning. And you know something? I’m going to forget I read most of them. Just erase them from memory along with the names of those who posted them. Chalk them up to adrenaline crashes, too much rage and reefer and booze.

Because what I found in my reading was a plethora of bashing Christians, bashing Kerry, bashing gays, bashing Edwards, bashing Kos, bashing America and bashing each other. As well as a lot of people saying they’re abandoning the Democrats, abandoning politics, abandoning the country. This descent into despair and irrationality and surrender puts icing on the Republican victory cake.

Why were we in this fight in the first place? Because terrible leaders are doing terrible things to our country and calling this wonderful. Because radical reactionaries are trying to impose their imperialist schemes on whoever they wish and calling this just. Because amoral oligarchs are determined to enhance their slice of the economic pie and calling this the natural order. Because flag-wrapped ideologues want to chop up civil liberties and call this security. Because myopians are in charge of America’s future.

We lost on 11/2. Came in second place in a crucial battle whose damage may still be felt decades from now. The despicable record of our foes makes our defeat good reason for disappointment and fear. Even without a mandate over the past four years, they have behaved ruthlessly at home and abroad, failing to listen to objections even from members of their own party. With the mandate of a 3.6-million vote margin, one can only imagine how far their arrogance will take them in their efforts to dismantle 70 years of social legislation and 50+ years of diplomacy.

Still, Tuesday was only one round in the struggle. It’s only the end if we let it be. I am not speaking solely of challenging the votes in Ohio or elsewhere – indeed, I think even successful challenges are unlikely to change the ultimate outcome, which is not to say I don’t think the Democrats should make the attempt. And I’m not just talking about evaluating in depth what went wrong, then building on what was started in the Dean campaign to reinvigorate the grassroots of the Democratic Party, although I also think we must do that. I’m talking about the broader political realm, the realm outside of electoral politics that has always pushed America to live up to its best ideals and overcome its most grotesque contradictions.

Not a few people have spoken in the past few hours about an Americanist authoritarianism emerging out of the country’s current leadership. I think that’s not far-fetched. Fighting this requires that we stick together, not bashing each other, not fleeing or hiding or yielding to the temptation of behaving as if “what’s the use?”

It’s tough on the psyche to be beaten.Throughout our country’s history, abolitionists, suffragists, union organizers, anti-racists, antiwarriors, civil libertarians, feminists and gay rights activists have challenged the majority of Americans to take off their blinders. Each succeeded one way or another, but not overnight, and certainly not without serious setbacks.

After a decent interval of licking our wounds and pondering what might have been and where we went wrong, we need to spit out our despair and return – united - to battling those who have for the moment outmaneuvered us. Otherwise, we might just as well lie down in the street and let them flatten us with their schemes.

Inspirational

Mon, 01 Nov 2004 19:05:58 GMT

This is a moving report from the Florida front lines:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/003880.php

I've never been involved in a campaign before this year.

This year is different. My wife and I gave a lot of money to the Dems, MoveOn, ACT, & Kerry (I may be forgetting some). I hope that a strong showing by the Dems can bring us meaningful finance reform (the passed version of McCain Feingold seems to have utterly failed, as presaged by Paul Wellstone.) Maybe then we won't need to have the rich feeding the machine that rolls over the needs of the poor.

People, we need to get out and fight for people tonight and tomorrow. If you can possibly take some time in the next 24 hours, find your local Democratic party or even a non-partisan voter-rights group, and volunteer to give a couple of hours of your time. If you can take the day off of work tomorrow, DO IT. It will not only make you feel better about America, it will make America a better place.

Get these deceitful totalitarians out of the White House and the Senate.

(Oh yeah, and needless to say, VOTE tomorrow.)

NY Times article about Catholics and the Democrats

Thu, 14 Oct 2004 01:35:46 GMT

This is a very good article. It's interesting how he makes a point that the countries with the lowest abortion rates are ones where abortion is legal. It sometimes seems that pro-life activists are more concerned about outlawing abortions than preventing them. Poverty, social injustice, economic inequity, war, famine--if you want to prevent abortions, work to prevent these societal evils.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/11/opinion/11roche.html?ex=1098544977&ei=1&en=9d45f1c903861bf2

What can you do?

Thu, 07 Oct 2004 15:24:26 GMT

Funny: this is candidate-generic (and party-generic) political organizing advice. Not exactly rocket science, but nevertheless new to some of us.

I went to a "house meeting" for Kerry last night at a friend's apartment. There were seven of us there, including a couple of people who have been volunteering for Kerry.

At a minimum, if you want to help the effort, you can go to the Kerry campaign HQ:
2722 Merrilee Dr. Suite 310 in Dunn Loring/Fairfax
M-F 10-4, 5:30-8:30
Sa 11-5
Su 1-6

3147 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon/Arlington
M-F 10-2, 5:30-9
Sa 11-5
Su 1-9

You can sign up there to do any number of things--phone banking (calling voters from the HQ weeknights 6-9 and weekend afternoons), canvassing (going door to door), paperwork/working the desk there, calling volunteers, and get-out-the-vote phone drive right before the election. You can also sign up to road trip up to Pennsylvania to do canvassing.

The canvassing can also be done through ACT (actforvictory.com) or the League of Conservation Voters. Though I realize that some of us are a bit more introverted than others, the canvassing was talked up as a very rewarding and fun thing to do. I think the key is to hitch up with an extrovert (you know who they are).

They also talked about the subtle importance of making the Kerry majority heard--plant a yard sign if you have a yard, put a bumper sticker on your car if you have a car (or on your Segway if you drive one of those), vote in online polls after the debates (a good listing is posted on Atrios's blog, atrios.blogspot.com), wear a button around in public (I put one on my carry-on when I flew down to Florida). Remember that "people like to vote for a winner", a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Most of all, let's make our only regret on November 3rd be overconsumption of celebratory beverages on the evening of November 2nd!