248 I love Martha

I wrote this story a few years ago, and it is still one of my favorites. I really like Martha Stewart and her products and believe if she weren't such a successful woman, there would be no trial.

* * *

My daughter called from aisle 4 of the super market--about a mile from here.

"What's a 'cornichon'?" she whispered.

"A what?" I shouted, "Spell it."

"C-O-R-N-I-C-H-O-N-S," she hissed, "I think it must be type of pepper and I'm standing here in spices and can't find it."

Carrying the phone to the kitchen bookshelf I looked through a few cook-books. No cornichons. I walked into my study to look at my encyclopedia of cooking, no cornichons.

"Did you spell this correctly?" thinking of all the times she creatively spelled.

"Well, I think so."

"How much does the recipe call for?"

"A Tablespoon."

"Hmmn, doesn't sound like pepper," thinking of all the times she creatively "substituted," when learning to cook.

"Can't you ask a store employee?"

"Have you ever tried to find someone in this store? Get real," she whooped.

"What is this for?"

"Deviled eggs."

"Hang up so I can use the modem and I'll check the Internet," wondering what's wrong with my mustard and mayo Deviled Eggs that she needs to reinvent a tradition and add cornichons--a Tablespoon even. Her faith in me shaken, she reluctantly agreed to wait while I matched my PC against her cell-phone. The first 10 on the Google search seem to be in French. This isn't looking good. We're in Cl'mbus O-hi-o for Pete's Sake. Finally, a definition.

Crisp tart pickles made from tiny gherkin cukes. I call her right back.

"It's a pickle. A tiny pickle. You are in the wrong aisle."

"A pickle," she screams. "I'm going to kill Martha Stewart."

247 Core Knowledge in Spanish

"Para los alumnos del tercer grado, al igual que en los años anteriores, la experiencia inicial del arte debe provenir de realizar actividades: dibujar, pintar, cortar y pegar y trabajar con arcilla u otros materiales. Acá sugerimos unas cuantas actividades, pero se pueden desarrollar muchas más para complementar el descubrmiento que hará su niño de la imagen y la luz, de la forma y el color."

I’m always looking for ways to improve my Spanish--an learn something new, too. I’ve started listening to 1550 AM from Delaware, Ohio which is central Ohio’s only Spanish language station, although I did find an all-Spanish program on 1580 AM the other night.

Now I’ve discovered Core Knowledge website for schools promoting consistent, graded curricula for children that build on core knowledge in literature, art, math and sciences. There are many, many links to materials and programs and essays supporting the concept of teaching children this way (most in English, but some in Spanish).

246 A Writer in her own Right

It was probably not a pleasant experience, but Rose Wilder Lane, a successful writer was outshone by her own mother of "Little House" fame whose work she selflessly edited. She was also very political, going from very liberal to what sounds like a libertarian in today's political scene, and considering the era she lived through, much makes sense today. Some of her writing is available on line at the WPA's Federal Writers' Project.

"The Federal Writers' Project materials in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division are part of a larger collection titled The U.S. Work Progress Administration Federal Writers' Project and Historical Records Survey. The holdings from Federal Writers' Project span the years 1889-1942 and cover a wide range of topics and subprojects. Altogether, the Federal Writers' holdings number approximately 300,000 items and consist of correspondence, memoranda, field reports, notes, graphs, charts, preliminary and corrected drafts of essays, oral testimony, folklore, miscellaneous administrative and miscellaneous other material."

In a WPA autobiography included in the above collection, Rose Wilder Lane, daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote in 1938-39:

“Politically, I cast my first vote -- on a sample ballot -- for Cleveland, at the age of three. I was an ardent if uncomprehending Populist; I saw America ruined forever when the soulless corporations in 1896, defeated Bryan and Free Silver.

I was a Christian Socialist with Debs, and distributed untold numbers of the Appeal to Reason. From 1914 to 1920 -- when I first went to Europe -- I was a pacifist; innocently, if criminally, I thought war stupid, cruel, wasteful and unnecessary. I voted for Wilson because he kept us out of it.

In 1917 I became a convinced, though not practicing Communist. In Russia, for some reason, I wasn't and I said so, but my understanding of Bolshevism made everything pleasant when the Cheka arrested me a few times.

I am now a fundamentalist American; give me time and I will tell you why individualism, laissez faire and the slightly restrained anarchy of capitalism offer the best opportunities for the development of the human spirit. Also I will tell you why the relative freedom of human spirit is better -- and more productive, even in material ways -- than the communist, Fascist, or any other rigidity organized for material ends.”
( Federal Writers' Project 1936-1940, http://memory.loc.gov/wpa/15100107.html)

245 A Senior Sandwich

I'm a senior sandwich. On the one hand, I'm involved in a homebound ministry through my church, which will include both nursing home and hospice visits, and visits to those who will be getting better and returning to health. I could be visiting church members old enough to be my parent. I am also signed up for the Senior Partners Program at The Ohio State University Health Sciences Center and might be meeting with a medical student young enough to be my grandchild.

This program pairs a medical student with senior adults around the community for four years, tracking any changes in health status that may occur, and I hope building a friendship and level of communication that will help the medical student when he/she is dealing with an aging population. We will meet about every 4-8 weeks throughout the academic year for 2-3 hours each time. Specific objectives will be set for each meeting, perhaps a medical history (mine, not his). OSU Lantern story here.

If you live in the Columbus area and are interested in this program, you can call 614-293-7914 and they'll send you a packet of information. If you are in another large metropolitan area that has a medical school, there are programs like this throughout the country. ABC evening news covered such a story a few weeks ago.

Index to themes, topics, passing thoughts, and ideas, updated

academe, libraries 10, 26, 29, 38, 54, 67, 70, 75, 134, 213, 226
art and artists 54, 66, 102,126,148
blogging 1, 32, 46, 56, 234, 240
books and journals 2, 29, 31, 47, 51, 53, 57, 74, 90, 93,104, 110, 115, 117, 119,149, 152, 155, 158, 166,170
campaign 2004 228, 229, 231, 233, 239,
condo living 40, 42
culture 31, 41, 139,140
economy, finances 7, 13, 33, 43, 61, 96, 101, 111,127, 132,163, 218, 220, 230, 232, 235, 242
education 110, 224
entertainment 72, 90, 109,123,129, 139, 215, 216, 222
faith and values 14, 30, 31, 32, 37, 46, 50, 63, 62, 68, 69, 87, 94,118, 127,130, 132,131,138, 141,145,152, 166, 168, [created new blog Church of the Acronym] 223
family 2, 4, 6, 21, 24, 28, 34, 36, 39, 55, 59, 67, 79, 80, 82, 86, 89, 98, 122, 128, 143,151, 156,160,165,169, 213, 220, 242
fashion 21, 55
food, recipes, eating out 3, 8, 10, 11, 25, 35, 36, 42, 56, 59, 105,108,137,161
friends 9, 10, 21, 50, 54, 92,102,168
genealogy 19, 20, 24, 44, 67, 71, 73,106, 209, 222, 227,
health 23, 25, 36, 39, 48, 53, 61, 60, 81, 83, 88,128,133,146,156, 160
history 85, 224
Illinois 44, 54, 63, 67, 224
Internet, Usenet, computers 26, 32, 33, 37, 62, 211, 212,
language 117,124,125
media 210, 217
nature 31, 42, 58, 57
observations, misc. 5, 12, 15, 49, 52, 113, 114,120, 121,136 154,162, 241
Ohio 20, 40, 97,107
pets 27, 39, 56, 92, 122
poetry 14, 22, 44, 55, 63, 80, 153, 221,
politics 9, 43, 70, 76, 78, 87, 99, 103, 116, 132, 135, 147,150,159, 213, 215, 225, 236, 237
science 2, 16, 29
sports 217
technology 96,142,
war 100,119, 143,144, 147, 219
women 20, 23, 44, 63, 238
writing 19, 62, 65, 67, 95,157,164

244 Get Fuzzy

This is one of the funniest cat cartoons I've ever seen.

243 Speeding and fatal crashes

Last week a "snapshot" in the USAToday showed that speeding is a factor in 30% of all fatal crashes. Of those crashes, 70% are men, and 30% are women. In the 16-34 age group, 315 tickets are issued per 10,000 drivers, in the 35-54 age group, 153 per 10,000, and for 55+ (my age group), only 37 per 10,000. A reader calls it a "me-first" attitude, and I agree. I see people zipping around on the freeway only to get to the light at the same time I do, but having endangered the lives of others.

And some parents aren't the smartest when it comes to putting temptation in the path of their youngsters. While going to my car last Wednesday morning, I noticed there was a very new, red BMW convertible parked next to my van. As I unlocked the van, I saw two teen-age girls get in the convertible and head for school. I know. I know. MYOB.

242 Waiting, waiting

We have an offer out on a house. We're waiting, waiting. Positive there will be a counter-offer. Then more waiting. Excitement is building.

Update: It is ours. We offered. She counter-offered. We countered her counter-offer. She accepted our counter-counter offer.

241 Where did it go? A question for these years.

"What ever happened to the passion we all had to improve ourselves, live up to our potential, leave a mark on the world?" Crossing to safety by Wallace Stegner

240 Voting Rights and Copyright blogs

When I was employed as a librarian, copyright law was always terribly confusing. Putting things on "closed reserve" was always a big issue--were we violating the law? I know I attended many workshops over the years on this topic.

Among my links I have an Ohio State law professor, Edward Lee, who seems to write frequently on this topic but is young enough to care about computer gaming and downloading music (I don't). On his website he has posted his most recent journal article (120 pages) on The Public's Domain: The Evolution of Legal Restraints on the Government's Power to Control Public Access Through Secrecy or Intellectual Property also an important issue for librarians.

Now he has convinced a colleague, Dan Tokaji, to blog in his specialty area of voting rights, especially as it is affected by technology. Equal Vote. After the controversy of hanging chads in 2000, I don't see electronic voting solving much--with no paper trail, but this blog will be enlightening. Are there computers that can't be hacked, compromised or that won't melt down when you need them most? Today's entry is on The Impact of the Holt Bill on Disability Access.

239 Ire and angst

“Much of the speech was forward-looking. It sought to position Mr. Bush as optimistic and steady in the face of serious challenges to the country and relentless attacks by Democrats who, he said, have failed to say how they would deal with the challenges the United States faces at home and abroad.”

That’s about the only accurate paragraph in the New York Times reportage of President Bush’s speech at a Monday night fundraiser. The reporter, who apparently didn’t hear the same speech the rest did, called it an “attack,” “an assault,” “mocking,” “biting” and an “indirect slap” when he said he wouldn’t “outsource” the military. I can even overlook “it sought to position Mr. Bush” rather than simply saying, “President Bush was optimistic and steady. . .”

What the reporter called “mocking” was a very gentle poke at Kerry done with a twinkle in his eye. He didn’t scream like an Al Gore imitating Howard Dean or whine with a sigh like a John Kerry. And he got a good laugh. George Bush is hardly a spell binding speaker, so a little levity makes it easier to listen.

The reporter, Richard Stevenson, did not editorialize, analyze or exaggerate Kerry’s speech against Bush on the same day which he inserted into the coverage of Bush‘s speech. No, he chose instead the word “said” three times. “In an appearance in New York, the Massachusetts Democrat said he had Mr. Bush "on the run" even before Democrats settled for certain on their nominee. He said the president had failed on the economy, had pursued a "reckless" foreign policy and was practicing "crony capitalism and crony government." . . .In a statement issued after Mr. Bush's speech, Mr. Kerry said: "George Bush's credibility is running out with the American people. They want change in America and I'm running because I am determined to bring that change and put America back on track." "

It’s pointless to remind readers again about the NYT partisan position, but I do wish in general reporting this early in the campaign, its columnists would make a bit more effort to control their ire and angst.

238 Keep your friends

The Columbus Dispatch columnist Mike Harden featured a touching and inspiring story yesterday (Feb. 24) about Georgia Griffith, a woman who was born blind, developed all her hearing talents to become a degreed musician, and then lost her hearing at age 38. My grandmother was blind and I know that in her 80s as she began losing her hearing, she believed being deaf was a greater handicap than being blind because it interferred with communication.

Georgia is so busy at her computer helping others and making friends, she hardly has time to sleep. Many years ago she became a proof reader of Braille music for the Library of Congress. Later she was hired by Compuserv to develop a handicapped users' database and to facilitate Internet forums. She routinely trades e-mail with 200 friends world wide.

About the ubiquitous spam she says: You'll never guess what they want me to do now!" About friendship she says: "If I was given the opportunity to exchange my friends for the gift of sight, I would keep my friends."

The free link to this article is through the Sacramento Bee.

237 I don't, I won't

A few days back I blogged at 225 that perhaps not all gays were thinking marriage is what they would do, and in the Feb. 20 issue of San Francisco Chronicle SFGate.com, I read:

""Marriage is not something that I feel I need to have for my relationship to be spiritually or emotionally complete," said Rebecca Rolfe, 42, deputy executive director at the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Center. "Essentially, I've been a longtime feminist and lesbian and have grown up having a lot of criticism of the institution of marriage. I've not necessarily seen it as a institution that benefits women or people in relationships."

Others were more pragmatic about the decision to opt out, citing the rather ominous words at the top of the marriage license application: "By entering into marriage, you may lose some or all of the rights, protections and benefits you enjoy as a domestic partner."

236 Washington's Farewell Address

It is a tradition to read Washington's Farewell Address in the Senate Chamber, and in 2004 Senator John Breaux of Louisiana delivered the address. After the reading, Senator Breaux signed his name in the Washington Farewell Address Book. [This was all stated in the future tense at the government website, so I'm assuming it took place.]

It is a long address--35 pages in pdf text--because it was printed and published in newspapers, and not read aloud. There were no political parties then, but sectional interests were a big concern. Washington noted the following as important to political vitality and strength:

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.

The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule indeed extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who that is a sincere friend to it can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?

Promote then, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.

WASHINGTON’S FAREWELL ADDRESS 19th September 1796

235 Jobs aren't the only things going overseas

The New York Times Sunday reported on how the jobs we’re shipping overseas are changing long held traditions. [In India] . . . caste, religion and other age-old Indian social divisions are being shaken. Empowered by an ample paycheck, often from big American companies like American Express and America Online, some Indian workers are living lavishly on credit cards, and their open-mindedness is breaking conventions about dating.” Full story here.

Young women in their 20s are not living with their parents, they are moving to the city and renting apartments, are working nights so that they can connect with their American customers thus becoming cut off from their own peer group, are not wearing traditional clothing, are drinking alcohol, wearing make-up and creating a role reversal by sending home money for their parents, who aren’t earning as much as their children.

They are becoming more materialistic, and settling for live-in relationships rather than marriage. “Many of these young Indians deal with car insurance but may never own a car; book hotel suites that cost nearly as much as their annual pay; and chat about pretzels, snow and baseball, which they have never tasted, seen or experienced.”

234 Blogging terms

Samizdat in Russian means self-published and before the fall of the Soviet Union, it was an important outlet for literature, usually not approved by the government. Blogs are self-publishing and come in many sizes and shapes. A blog called Samizdata has a long list of blog terms, with a site to the original use, just like the Oxford Dictionary would do:

clog blog--a Dutch blog

froglog--francophone blog

idiotarian--advocate of irrational and subjective values--usually a socialist, but could be paleo-libertarian or paleo-conservative

kittyblogger--one who blogs about cats or other mundane topics

progblog--left wing blog

The list is long, but fun to read. This isn't the only blogging glossary on the net, but it is well organized with cites and quotes.

Samizdata.net self describes itself as:"The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.

We are also a varied group made up of social individualists, libertarians, extropians, futurists, 'Porcupines', Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe.

You can use their glossary to look up some of the self-describing terms.

233 Dean's lasting influence on the Democrats

Although Howard Dean has withdrawn from the race, an editorial in the Wall Street on February 19 notes that his influence on the other candidates has been huge. He erased all the moderate gains the Democrats had made under Bill Clinton and has pulled the party further to the left.

“On the war on terror, he has almost single-handedly pulled his party to the antiwar left. As he often said on the stump, his main competitors all voted for the Iraq war. But as Mr. Dean climbed in the polls by denouncing the war, he made opposition to it a party litmus test. Senators John Kerry and John Edwards, who had voted for the war in late 2002, opposed the $87 billion to finish the job a year later. The candidates who stayed honorably hawkish--Dick Gephardt and Joe Lieberman--went down to defeat.

Mr. Dean was the first candidate to call for repealing all of the Bush tax cuts. Soon every Democrat was for raising taxes in some substantial way. Senators Edwards and Kerry now assail the Patriot Act they voted for, again following Mr. Dean. They also attack the education reform they voted for, in another Dean echo. Imitation is the sincerest form of politics.”

Two days ago, I heard one commentator say that if all the Dean supporters threw their support to Edwards, they would defeat Kerry. I don’t see such a move afoot at this time, do you?

However, Scrappleface had an interesting comment for Democrats to consider: "When you look at the two top vote getters -- Kerry and Edwards -- the question becomes 'who would you rather look at for the next eight months, or eight years?'" said an unnamed Democrat strategist. "On the issues, the candidates are mirror images of each other. But the more voters take a good look at John Kerry, the better John Edwards appears."

Victor Davis Hanson, as always cool and calm and incredibly in touch with history, commented on Feb. 20 :

“There were a number of legitimate areas of debate for the fall campaign — deficits, unfunded security measures at home, moral scrutiny over postwar contracts, more help for Afghanistan, greater control of domestic entitlements, unworkable immigration proposals, and the like. But instead of statesmanship from the opposition, we got slander about Mr. Bush's National Guard service, misrepresentations about intelligence failures that had hampered both previous administrations and the present congress, preference for an unsupportable European position over our own, and stupidity about what to do in Iraq.

232 Tomeboy responds to Fairly Traded article, #230

Your story re: Fair Trade Terms and Labels raises some very interesting issues. I've learned, though I am not a scientist, that much of the rhetoric about "eco-friendly/organic food" is simply not based on any scientific data.

Labels are another huge issue with food. The label "organic" can still be used if pesticide/herbicide was used in its production. Confusion is also used deliberately to mislead consumers, a recent case being a dairy farmer in Maine that produces "hormone free milk". Of course this is untrue, all milk has hormones. I believe in the "organics" right to market their products, however I am concerned that scare tactics are now a part of their marketing strategy.

The comment I had with your piece was the conditions of workers regarding organic farming. Organic farming requires much more labor intensive than traditional farming with pesticides/herbicides. Many organic farms have seen their market share grow, and have expanded operations and land because of organics lower yield. Of course, more labor is needed which usually comes in the variety of migrants with very poor pay. Many are illegal aliens to boot. There we have the conundrum of what truly is a socially responsible food product.

IMHO, it's ironic that genetically modified foods may serve as the best way to protect the environment and lives. Less tillage, less chemical, better yield, less land used, less fossil fuel guzzling tractors, etc... And contrary to what our European cousins may say, there is no scientific evidence that gmo foods are dangerous to consume. Nor are they an environmental hazard as well compared to traditional farming methods. Americans have been eating gmo's for 7 years.

Regards
tomeboy

You can check out his other thoughts and writings at his webpage: http://webpages.charter.net/tomeboy/t1.html

231 The wealthiest presidents

I heard on the radio yesterday, and I think the source was Forbes, but I'll have to check on that, if John F. Kerry becomes President of the United States, he will be one of the five wealthiest men ever to hold the office--in fact, he'd be third. George Washington was the wealthiest (adjusted for inflation). Counting Kerry, the other four are . . . Democrats. Found it.

230 Fair Trade Terms and Labels

On December 3, 2003, #118 I wrote about my home congregation in Illinois serving "fairly traded coffee" during the Sunday social time and for church events. I'd read about it in the church newsletter.

The Wall Street Journal February 17 had a chart about food labels for socially conscious buyers. As it turns out, "fairly traded" doesn't mean much at all, and is the weakest of the seven terms. "Sustainable" is another term that has no specific guarantee, and is quite general. The most specific term seems to be "fair trade certified" and it means that it complies with some environmental standards and that there are guaranteed prices for the workers.

"Rainforest Alliance Certified" is a licensed term of a non-profit dedicated to protecting biodiversity--but nothing about protecting the worker. "Certified sustainable" is a term used by various non-profits, and may indicate that a whole community benefits.

"Local" is an unofficial term and could mean a product is made or grown near-by, but that could be 15 miles or 1,000 miles. "Slow food snail" is a guide to indicate that traditional food practices are used, but that doesn't mean the employees benefit.

Obviously, terms like "family farm" and "sustainable" and "fair trade" have customer appeal for the socially conscious. Unfortunately, they just don't mean much. Get ahold of the chart and watch for the more specific terms if the environment, worker's conditions and pay, and bio-diversity matter to you.

229 Eugene McCarthy and the election of 2004

"Does history repeat itself? Yes—sort of. Our Book of the Week is Eugene McCarthy: The Rise and Fall of Postwar American Liberalism, by Dominic Sandbrook (Knopf). Reviewer Jeremy Lott finds some surprising parallels to the 2004 presidential campaign—and some notable twists as well."

"If liberalism is simply a political movement, joined at the hip to the Democratic Party, the ironists have a point. But if it is a broader political and sociological phenomenon, then LBJ dropping out of the race and Humphrey losing narrowly to Nixon hardly mattered. Once in office, Nixon gave the country affirmative action, a bender of an inflationary monetary policy, wage and price controls, and a fondness for new government initiatives that wouldn't be rivaled again until the second Bush administration."

In other words, the reviewer is saying liberalism has prevailed regardless of which party has been in the presidency. Full review at Books and Culture.