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

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Tuesday, June 10, 2003

ImClone Founder Jailed   So now I suppose the AM-radio drive-by shows will have a hoot with this. “His cellmate traded him for a pack of cigarettes,” etc. Whatever. A prison system that tacitly condones rape as part of a sentence is inhumane. It is the very definition of “cruel and unusual punishment” and our Constitution explicitly guarantees that even the lowliest among us should be spared that. That’s why we started this country. There is nothing even remotely humorous about the violation of a basic human right. Rape is not funny. 7:20:02 PM    comment []

Good ol' Harris Teeter! They have whole pork loins for $1.67 a pound. This one, about seven pounds, will be used to make Canadian bacon. The stainless steel injector is called a spray pump. You can buy one from the SausageMaker if you're inclined to brine large cuts of meat. I like to hold it up and wave it at Twyla and say, "Come on, girl - we're going to the vet!" The spray pump is especially important for curing hams. Injecting cure along the bone helps prevent "bone souring", which will ruin a ham. Some purists avoid using injection, but this is not the same as the water pumped into ham before sealing it in cryovac. Spray pumping gets the brine flavors through the meat evenly and and speeds up the curing process. 5:28:51 PM    comment []

The vision thing. Since my optometrist diagnosed a corneal dystrophy 2 years ago, I have practically convinced myself that I'm losing it. Last week, on my annual visit, I asked what could be done to help my reading. It has become a great effort for me. After explaining what I do at work, he said maybe I should get "Access 125" glasses, which he jokingly called "Cubicle Glasses." Basically you get two focal lengths: up close, about 10 inches, and a little farther off, about two feet. "Don't try to walk to the bathroom wearing then though," he joked. Yesterday they arrived, so today was my first chance to test them. Amazing. I can read the computer screen without tilting my head back. The letters are crisp and defined and I don't have to scan across the screen using my neck. That means I can read more and with a lot less effort. The minor adjustment in my prescription helped a lot too. This probably sounds all too familiar to people who've been wearing glasses a long time, but I've only had "real" glasses for two years (reading glasses longer). I'd like to thank ol' Ben Franklin (or whoever) invented these things. The quality of my life just improved measurably. Think I'll go buy a book. 4:59:36 PM    comment []