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United States, North Carolina, Carrboro, English, Paul, Male, 56-60, All Music, All Food.

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Monday, March 24, 2003

You Don't Send Me Flowers Anymore US President George W Bush has complained directly to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that Russian companies have been selling military equipment to Iraq in breach of UN sanctions. 6:37:46 PM    comment []

This one is a beauty. It is the only mushroom of the latest blush, but it's a good one, now about 5 inches in diameter. 5:38:20 PM    comment []

Bloomin' And Chillin'           I genuinely respect Deb at Murray Hill 5 who recently began a blog entry with this disclaimer: (You'll have to please pardon me if it seems frivolous to keep writing entries and posting pictures of and about food while there is a war going on, but I will NOT turn this weblog into a forum for my political views and or rants. Murray Hill 5 was intended as my "happy place" on the internet, and so far it has been. I'd really like to keep it this way.) My objective in starting a blog was to share the joy I find in food, drink, and conversation. The war itself is an intrusion into that joy. With saturation coverage of it reaching fever pitch, the comfort of an aroma-filled kitchen or a porch with nature's sounds (excluding the ones caused by the beer) is even more essential. I can't make at totally exclusionary pledge as Deb does, but I can promise to keep it light. There's enough heavy. Having said that, I would like to say "Having said that." Having said that is the idiot's segue - itself a beautiful-sounding word, even when deliberately misspelled to sell strange scooters to suckers. It is almost as nice as "crepuscule", which sounds equally well when it's a gloaming, eventide, nightfall, or even a vesper. Having said that, I think I'll start a new paragraph. This one's about the Salmon Chanted Evening (name suggested by Christopher Key). I had already purchased it when he enlightened me to the cruelty of farm-raised fish.  I couldn't unpurchase and the poor things were already dead. That is about the worst thing that can happen to either a fish or a human. So I smoked it the best I could and had no problems with the papers. There is good reason to select meats and fish raised to have normal lives. It is harmonious with the existence of the poor critter and therefore it is harmonious with life. These farm-raised beasts live in confinement and I'll not bother anthromorphizing about that, but I will not allow myself to become a jailkeeper just to secure a higher link on the food chain. Food is essential, but it is also fun. I'll pay a little more - and I think the quality is a little better too. Having said that - holy shit! I've already said that! - I'd like to say what happens to salmon after it has been smoked. The next steps are called the "bloom" and the "chill". Blooming is just what it sounds like, as oxygen reacts with the multitude of compounds on the surface, it blooms like a flower, getting deeper in color. Then you chill it in the fridge. It dries out a bit there and that makes the flavor more concentrated. It takes no effort whatsoever to do either step, just the magic of time. 5:19:28 PM    comment []

Some slang from the Civil War, found Googling "war expressions" after hearing "embedded journalist" again. I thought I was ahead of the curve on word watching, but Jan Haugland over at Secular Blasphemy was already home drinking virtual beer before I had tied the laces on my running shoes  on "embedded journalist". You can read his piece in the new Occoquan Inquirer. While you're there, use the Amazon Honor System to buy editor Mark Hoback a virtual beer of his own for his great work. 12:38:41 PM    comment []

Anti-war speeches dominate Oscars The strongest comments during the ceremony came from Moore, whose film exploring US gun culture won the best documentary Oscar. Moore, who invited his fellow nominees on stage with him, said: "Fictitious election results that elect a fictitious president... mean we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons - shame on you Mr Bush." Some will say that Hollywood is silly leftist and has lost all credibility, yet films are our one remaining successful export. Michael Moore got booed, but also cheered. The one thing we still can sell competitively is fantasy. What will we sell when the dream is dead? (later on, I realized that the answer to this question is "operaring systems") 2:42:01 AM    comment []