When in doubt . . . Wash
Tag: TMC Meta
Jul 17 2011
Two Very Scary Things
Jul 16 2011
Too Many Miles and Too Many Smiles
Cross posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette
Harry Forster Chapin (December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter best known in particular for his folk rock songs including “Taxi”, “W*O*L*D”, and the number-one hit “Cat’s in the Cradle”. Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger; he was a key player in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977. In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work.
WhyHunger.org is the organization that Harry co-founded with Bill Ayres in 1975.
Rare Harry Chapin concert on WFUV
To mark the 30th anniversary of his friend Harry Chapin’s passing, WFUV-FM (90.7) host Pete Fornatale will air a rare concert by the folk singer on “Mixed Bag” at 4 p.m. Saturday.
The concert, recorded live at Fordham University on Nov. 27, 1977, has not been broadcast in more than three decades; it airs 30 years to the day of Chapin’s death. It was recorded as part of the 1977 Hungerthon to benefit World Hunger Year, the organization co-founded by Chapin and Bill Ayres.
Jul 14 2011
La Fête Nationale
Cross posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette
La Fête Nationale, le quatorze juillet, or to Americans Bastille Day is the French national holiday which marks the start of the French Revolution with the storming of the Bastille in 1789.
On 17 May 1789, Louis XVI convened the Estates-General to hear their grievances. The deputies of the Third Estate representing the common people (the two others were the Catholic Church and nobility) decided to break away and form a National Assembly. On 20 June the deputies of the Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath, swearing not to separate until a constitution had been established. They were gradually joined by delegates of the other estates; Louis XVI started to recognize their validity on 27 June. The assembly re-named itself the National Constituent Assembly on 9 July, and began to function as a legislature and to draft a constitution.
In the wake of the 11 July dismissal of Jacques Necker, the people of Paris, fearful that they and their representatives would be attacked by the royal military, and seeking to gain ammunition and gunpowder for the general populace, stormed the Bastille, a fortress-prison in Paris which had often held people jailed on the basis of lettres de cachet, arbitrary royal indictments that could not be appealed. Besides holding a large cache of ammunition and gunpowder, the Bastille had been known for holding political prisoners whose writings had displeased the royal government, and was thus a symbol of the absolutism of the monarchy. As it happened, at the time of the siege in July 1789 there were only seven inmates, none of great political significance.
When the crowd-eventually reinforced by mutinous gardes françaises-proved a fair match for the fort’s defenders, Governor de Launay, the commander of the Bastille, capitulated and opened the gates to avoid a mutual massacre. However, possibly because of a misunderstanding, fighting resumed. Ninety-eight attackers and just one defender died in the actual fighting, but in the aftermath, de Launay and seven other defenders were killed, as was the ‘prévôt des marchands’ (roughly, mayor) Jacques de Flesselles.
The storming of the Bastille was more important as a rallying point and symbolic act of rebellion than a practical act of defiance.Shortly after the storming of the Bastille, on 4 August feudalism was abolished and on 26 August, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen proclaimed.
This time of the year it stay light in Paris until very late so the fireworks will start at 11 PM local time, 5 PM EDT.
You can view the festivities live from this French website. A digital clock on the homepage is counting down the minutes until the big event.
Pop some champagne and celebrate. Vive La France!
Jul 06 2011
Stuff
Cross posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette
Republished from our first day on line.
I have stuff. Lots of stuff and not just the tangible kind that you can put your hands on and touch. When I suggested to ek hornbeck that we start this site and began working on diaries that I should write to help fill the pages as we attract readers and participants here, I began by looking at some of the “stuff” in my bookmarks and went WOW, I need to “clean” out all this stuff. Then I said “Wait, I now have a place to put this “stuff” that I am about to “delete” forever into the infinity of cyberspace”.
Jul 04 2011
Welcome to Stars Hollow: One Year and Going Strong
Cross posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette
The Stars Hollow Gazette is still here and, from the looks of things, will be for some time to come. Just one year ago I posted this diary:
The “park” and its benches are open. It is quite a liberal place, very liberal in fact and not ashamed to say so. We hope to give a space to those who want to feel comfortable expressing their views and ideas, a comfortable place for give and take, discussion, agreement and disagreement. None should expect a Utopia, we all have our own views and ideas, there will always be conflicts and opposition.
Besides the current news, this is an environment for creativity, a place to put your “stuff” for others to enjoy. A place for music, art, fiction or just chit chat about what ever moves the moment, a place to stream your thoughts on life, the universe and everything.
We chose the Fourth of July to debut as a subtle reminder that this country was born out of agreement to dissent. As responsible citizens, we have a right to voice our opinions. Democracy does not end at the voting booth, it begins there.
We wanted a place for people to be able to say that the president is a “dick” and why. A place where if you have a cause, an special interest, something that moves you to tears or rolling on the floor laughing, you have a place in our park. We believe that the more you write, the better you get. If we has a second motto here, it would be “Write More And Often“.
I want to thank everyone who contributes to Stars Hollow, especially those who contribute everyday.
ek hornbeck, my partner in this endeavor, who worries more than you can possibly know. It is his devotion to the “art of blogging” that caught my interest years ago at Daily Kos and then Docudharma, which we also administer. I could not do this without him.
Edger, the technical artist behind the curtain that has made this site so pretty. He has my special thanks and respect.
Translator, aka Dr. David W. Smith, for the some of the most informative, interesting diaries. Not just science but entertainment and insight into small town living. Thanks, Doc, I hope you are comfortable here.
mishima, our steadfast Japanese partner, who without fail and in the face of the worst disaster, has given us the news in the morning and insight into living in Japan every Saturday. He will be on hiatus from the news while adjusting to his new work schedule. Thank you so much, my friend, stay well.
Special thanks to davidseth, our “bloquero” from Dream Antilles, JekyllnHyde for his fantastic Editorial Cartoon diaries, BruceMcF for Sunday Train. You all help to sustain this place and have my deepest appreciation for your writing and work.
My last thank you is to a special friend who passed away before he could diary here, Ben Masel, a true activist, perpetual Wisconsin candidate and dear, dear friend. John Nichols in his tribute to Ben wrote
A few weeks ago, on a break between radiation and chemotherapy treatments, Masel was outside the Willy Street Co-op promoting the latest of his political projects when a manager informed him that the activity was not allowed. Masel stood his ground. The police were called and they informed the veteran of 40 years of speaking truth to power that he had to cease his campaigning. Actually, Masel informed the officers, he had every right to exercise his rights in so public a place. He directed them to review a specific section on a specific page of a specific set of rules and regulations. The manual was retrieved and reviewed and, when all was said and done, Masel’s assessment of his rights – and those of all who dare dissent – was accepted.
“Ben knew the laws better than the police did,” explained his longtime friend Amy Gros-Louis, echoing a sentiment shared by judges, lawyers and the many police officers who came to regard Masel with a mix of frustration, awe and, eventually, respect.
I blog in your memory, Ben.
Thanks to all who comment, read and just lurk. Lurking is a good thing, we encourage it because if you read enough, we hope, eventually, you’ll create an account and express yourself.
So welcome, sit on a bench or stretch out on the grass and enjoy the company.
Have a Happy and safe 4th of July and keep on reading and writing.
Jun 30 2011
“Turtles Hit The Tarmac at JFK”
Cross posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette
Sometimes I love New York
Jun 21 2011
Summer Solstice 2011
Cross posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette
We are halfway through the year and are ready to celebrate the first harvest amidst climate disruption, natural disasters compounded by man’s foolish idea that he could harness the devil. I spent some time this morning weeding my herb garden, snipping the flower buds from the huge pot of sweet basil so the energy goes to the flavorful leaves and a short walk on the beach. This morning I will watch the sun rise for the last few hours of Spring and later watch it set on the first few hours of Summer which ushers in at 1:16 PM EDT as the Earth tilts towards the sun at its Northern maximum, the Tropic of Cancer. It is a but a moment in time significant for so many cultures, religions and countries. Here in the US there are many cities that will light huge fires in public places to celebrate the longest day of the year, Midsummer. The fires will be lit in the stone fire pit in my yard. We’ll eat some of the newly harvested vegetable that are available at the local markets and eat food cooked with the herbs from my garden.
ONCE, HUMANS were intimate with the cycles of nature, and never more than on the summer solstice. Vestiges of such awareness survive in White Nights and Midnight Sun festivals in far northern climes, and in neo-pagan adaptations of Midsummer celebrations, but contemporary people take little notice of the sun reaching its far point on the horizon. Tomorrow is the longest day of the year, the official start of the summer season, the fullest of light – yet we are apt to miss this phenomenon of Earth’s axial tilt, as we miss so much of what the natural world does in our surrounds.
In recent months, catastrophic weather events have dominated headlines as rarely before – earthquakes and tsunami in Asia; volcanic cloud in Europe; massive ice melts at the poles; tornadoes, floods, and fires in America. “Records are not just broken,” an atmospheric scientist said last week, “they are smashed.” Without getting into questions of causality, and without anthropomorphizing nature, we can still take these events as nature’s cri de coeur – as the degraded environment’s grabbing of human lapels to say, “Pay attention!”
Jun 09 2011
The Rules of the Road in NYC
We don’t need no stinking rules:
3-Way Street from ronconcocacola on Vimeo.
By summer 2010, the expansion of bike lanes in NYC exposed a clash of long-standing bad habits – such as pedestrians jaywalking, cyclists running red lights, and motorists plowing through crosswalks.
By focusing on one intersection as a case study, my video aims to show our interconnection and shared role in improving the safety and usability of our streets.
3-Way Street by ronconcocacola
h/t Watertiger at Dependable Renegade
May 30 2011
Why Are We Still In Afghanistan?
Cross Posted fromThe Stars Hollow Gazette
Osama bin Laden is dead. Now after 10 years why are we still Afghanistan? What our diplomats fail to recognize about tribal customs of the Afghan people gets an explanation from Rachel Maddow. The reason for the military to be in Afghanistan is dead, of that I am certain. Are we now getting closer to bringing our troops home?
May 28 2011
What’s Cooking: Grilled Marinated Sirloin Steak Tips
Cross posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette
This is a dual tutorial because there are two methods of grilling: charcoal (wood) or gas. But first some ask what cuts of beef are “sirloin steak tips”. The answer is they are some of the pricier and tastier cuts of beef that come from the hind quarters. :
The loin has two subprimals, or three if boneless:
the short loin, from which club, T-bone, and Porterhouse steaks are cut if bone-in, or strip loin (N.Y. strip) and filet mignon if boneless,
the sirloin, which is less tender than short loin, but more flavorful, and can be further divided into top sirloin and bottom sirloin (including tri-tip),
the tenderloin, which is the most tender.
It can be removed as a separate subprimal, and cut into fillets, tournedos or tenderloin steaks or roasts (such as for beef Wellington), or can be left on wedge or flat-bone sirloin and T-bone and Porterhouse loin steaks.The round contains lean, moderately tough, lower fat (less marbling) cuts, which require moist cooking or lesser degrees of doneness. Some representative cuts are round steak, eye of round, top round and bottom round steaks and roasts.
The flank is used mostly for grinding, except for the long and flat flank steak, best known for use in London broil, and the inside skirt steak, also used for fajitas. Flank steaks were once one of the most affordable steaks, because they are substantially tougher than the more desirable loin and rib steaks. Many recipes for flank steak use marinades or moist cooking methods, such as braising, to improve the tenderness and flavor. This, in turn, increased the steaks’ popularity; when combined with natural leanness, increased prices have resulted.