And it fit!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Kitchen Update
Well we had the lady from New Prairie come out to give us an estimate. It was, um, a little high. Like nearly ten times what we wanted to spend high. So, yeah, on to DIY.
Our lovely neighbor, Pat, this weekend took us to her friend Sarah's house, to introduce us to Sarah and her husband who had done a lot of work on their old house themselves. Well, Sarah had. She's amazing. She made me feel like a total loser, actually. She's one of those people who knits, and has a rain barrel, and makes her own ice cream every week, and, oh, I don't know, put in her own dry-wall. So she gave me lots of ideas (and a bowl of apple crisp with homemade frozen yogurt). I'll let you know how we get on with improvements . . .
In other news: we're trying to be vegan. It was a decision based, in part, on M's cholesterol report. So, anyway, if you have any fantastic vegan recipes, send em my way! Thanks, Sara, for the vegan lasagna. I'm trying it soon. Tried vegan french toast this weekend. That one needs a little tweaking.
And speaking of kitchens and food . . . check out my insanely talented little brother here - the "Daring Danish" entry blows my mind. My brother made that! Once upon a time, he wouldn't eat food that touched other food on his plate!
Our lovely neighbor, Pat, this weekend took us to her friend Sarah's house, to introduce us to Sarah and her husband who had done a lot of work on their old house themselves. Well, Sarah had. She's amazing. She made me feel like a total loser, actually. She's one of those people who knits, and has a rain barrel, and makes her own ice cream every week, and, oh, I don't know, put in her own dry-wall. So she gave me lots of ideas (and a bowl of apple crisp with homemade frozen yogurt). I'll let you know how we get on with improvements . . .
In other news: we're trying to be vegan. It was a decision based, in part, on M's cholesterol report. So, anyway, if you have any fantastic vegan recipes, send em my way! Thanks, Sara, for the vegan lasagna. I'm trying it soon. Tried vegan french toast this weekend. That one needs a little tweaking.
And speaking of kitchens and food . . . check out my insanely talented little brother here - the "Daring Danish" entry blows my mind. My brother made that! Once upon a time, he wouldn't eat food that touched other food on his plate!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Jim Wallis Criticizes James Dobson's Distortion of Barack Obama's Statements on Faith and Politics
Evangelical leader Jim Wallis, author of The Great Awakening and founder of Sojourners, the largest network of progressive Christians in the United States, today criticized James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, for distorting Barack Obama's statements on faith and politics at the annual Pentecost Conference in 2006 held by Sojourners.
Full Text of Jim Wallis' Statement:
James Dobson, of Focus on the Family Action, and his senior vice president of government and public policy, Tom Minnery, used their "CitizenLink" radio show today to criticize Barack Obama's understanding of Christian faith. In the show, they describe Obama as "deliberately distorting the Bible," "dragging biblical understanding through the gutter," "willfully trying to confuse people," and having a "fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution."
Now that James Dobson is insinuating himself into this presidential campaign, his attacks against his fellow Christian, Barack Obama, should be seriously scrutinized. And because his basis for the attack on Obama is the speech the Senator from Illinois gave at our Call to Renewal/Sojourners event in 2006 (for the record, we also had Democrat Hillary Clinton, and Republicans Rick Santorum and Sam Brownback speak that year), I have decided to respond to Dobson's attacks. In most every case they are themselves clear distortions of what Obama said in that speech. I was there for the speech, Dobson was not.
You can read Obama's now two-year old speech, which was widely publicized at the time and will see that Dobson either didn't understand it or is deliberately distorting it. There are two major problems with Dobson's attack today on Barack Obama.
First, Dobson and Minnery's language is simply inappropriate for religious leaders to use in an already divisive political environment. We can agree or disagree on both biblical and political viewpoints, but our language should be respectful and civil, not attacking motives and beliefs.
Second, and perhaps most importantly, is the role of religion in politics. Dobson alleges that Obama is saying:
"I [Dobson] can't seek to pass legislation, for example, that bans partial-birth abortion because there are people in the culture who don't see that as a moral issue. And if I can't get everyone to agree with me, it is undemocratic to try to pass legislation that I find offensive to the Scripture. ... What he's trying to say here is unless everybody agrees; we have no right to fight for what we believe."
Contrary to Dobson's charge, Obama was very strong in defending the right and necessity of people of faith bringing their moral agenda to the public square, and was specifically critical of many on the left and in his own Democratic Party for being uncomfortable with religion in politics.
Obama said that religion is and has always been a fundamental and absolutely essential source of morality for the nation, but also said that "religion has no monopoly on morality," which is a point that I often make. The United States is not the Christian theocracy that people like James Dobson seem to think it should be. Political appeals, even if rooted in religious convictions, must be argued on moral grounds rather than as sectarian religious demands--so that the people (citizens), whether religious or not, may have the capacity to hear and respond. Religious convictions must be translated into moral arguments, which must win the political debate if they are to be implemented. Religious people don't get to win just because they are religious. They, like any other citizens, have to convince their fellow citizens that what they propose is best for the common good-- for all of us and not just for the religious.
Instead of saying that Christians must accept the "the lowest common denominator of morality," as Dobson accused Obama of suggesting, or that people of faith shouldn't advocate for the things their convictions suggest, Obama was saying the exact opposite--that Christians should offer their best moral compass to the nation but then have to engage in the kind of democratic dialogue that religious pluralism demands. Martin Luther King Jr. perhaps did this best of all with his Bible in one hand and the Constitution in the other.
In making abortion the single life issue in politics and elections, leaders from the Religious Right like Dobson have violated the "consistent ethic of life" that we find, for example, in Catholic social teaching. Dobson has also fought unsuccessfully to keep the issue of the environment and climate change, which many also now regard as a "life issue," off the evangelical agenda. Older Religious Right leaders are now being passed by a new generation of young evangelicals who believe that poverty, "creation care" of the environment, human trafficking, human rights, pandemic diseases like HIV/AIDS, and the fundamental issues of war and peace are also "religious" and "moral" issues and now a part of a much wider and deeper agenda. That new evangelical agenda is a deep threat to James Dobson and the power wielded by the Religious Right for so long. Many evangelical votes are in play this election year, especially among a new generation, and are no longer captive to the Religious Right. Perhaps that is the real reason for James Dobson's attack today on Barack Obama.
Evangelical leader Jim Wallis, author of The Great Awakening and founder of Sojourners, the largest network of progressive Christians in the United States, today criticized James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, for distorting Barack Obama's statements on faith and politics at the annual Pentecost Conference in 2006 held by Sojourners.
Full Text of Jim Wallis' Statement:
James Dobson, of Focus on the Family Action, and his senior vice president of government and public policy, Tom Minnery, used their "CitizenLink" radio show today to criticize Barack Obama's understanding of Christian faith. In the show, they describe Obama as "deliberately distorting the Bible," "dragging biblical understanding through the gutter," "willfully trying to confuse people," and having a "fruitcake interpretation of the Constitution."
Now that James Dobson is insinuating himself into this presidential campaign, his attacks against his fellow Christian, Barack Obama, should be seriously scrutinized. And because his basis for the attack on Obama is the speech the Senator from Illinois gave at our Call to Renewal/Sojourners event in 2006 (for the record, we also had Democrat Hillary Clinton, and Republicans Rick Santorum and Sam Brownback speak that year), I have decided to respond to Dobson's attacks. In most every case they are themselves clear distortions of what Obama said in that speech. I was there for the speech, Dobson was not.
You can read Obama's now two-year old speech, which was widely publicized at the time and will see that Dobson either didn't understand it or is deliberately distorting it. There are two major problems with Dobson's attack today on Barack Obama.
First, Dobson and Minnery's language is simply inappropriate for religious leaders to use in an already divisive political environment. We can agree or disagree on both biblical and political viewpoints, but our language should be respectful and civil, not attacking motives and beliefs.
Second, and perhaps most importantly, is the role of religion in politics. Dobson alleges that Obama is saying:
"I [Dobson] can't seek to pass legislation, for example, that bans partial-birth abortion because there are people in the culture who don't see that as a moral issue. And if I can't get everyone to agree with me, it is undemocratic to try to pass legislation that I find offensive to the Scripture. ... What he's trying to say here is unless everybody agrees; we have no right to fight for what we believe."
Contrary to Dobson's charge, Obama was very strong in defending the right and necessity of people of faith bringing their moral agenda to the public square, and was specifically critical of many on the left and in his own Democratic Party for being uncomfortable with religion in politics.
Obama said that religion is and has always been a fundamental and absolutely essential source of morality for the nation, but also said that "religion has no monopoly on morality," which is a point that I often make. The United States is not the Christian theocracy that people like James Dobson seem to think it should be. Political appeals, even if rooted in religious convictions, must be argued on moral grounds rather than as sectarian religious demands--so that the people (citizens), whether religious or not, may have the capacity to hear and respond. Religious convictions must be translated into moral arguments, which must win the political debate if they are to be implemented. Religious people don't get to win just because they are religious. They, like any other citizens, have to convince their fellow citizens that what they propose is best for the common good-- for all of us and not just for the religious.
Instead of saying that Christians must accept the "the lowest common denominator of morality," as Dobson accused Obama of suggesting, or that people of faith shouldn't advocate for the things their convictions suggest, Obama was saying the exact opposite--that Christians should offer their best moral compass to the nation but then have to engage in the kind of democratic dialogue that religious pluralism demands. Martin Luther King Jr. perhaps did this best of all with his Bible in one hand and the Constitution in the other.
In making abortion the single life issue in politics and elections, leaders from the Religious Right like Dobson have violated the "consistent ethic of life" that we find, for example, in Catholic social teaching. Dobson has also fought unsuccessfully to keep the issue of the environment and climate change, which many also now regard as a "life issue," off the evangelical agenda. Older Religious Right leaders are now being passed by a new generation of young evangelicals who believe that poverty, "creation care" of the environment, human trafficking, human rights, pandemic diseases like HIV/AIDS, and the fundamental issues of war and peace are also "religious" and "moral" issues and now a part of a much wider and deeper agenda. That new evangelical agenda is a deep threat to James Dobson and the power wielded by the Religious Right for so long. Many evangelical votes are in play this election year, especially among a new generation, and are no longer captive to the Religious Right. Perhaps that is the real reason for James Dobson's attack today on Barack Obama.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Swerves
Saw the first fireflies of the year LAST NIGHT as M and I walked the hood having a jangly conversation. (Adj. 1. jangly - like the discordant ringing of nonmusical metallic objects striking together; "cowboys with jangling spurs.")
Also, yesterday, I was riding my bike home from work when a man on his bike, in front of me, in the bike lane, swerved suddenly as I was passing him on the left. I rang my bell and scared the shit out of him. Then, a few hours later, in the car, on my way to pick up M at the train station, I was driving up Iowa Street and saw the same guy, in his car, backing into a driveway in order to turn around and head down Iowa, and again he didn't see me coming, again I scared him. Both times we nearly collided. It was almost like the universe WANTED me to run into him.
Also, yesterday, I was riding my bike home from work when a man on his bike, in front of me, in the bike lane, swerved suddenly as I was passing him on the left. I rang my bell and scared the shit out of him. Then, a few hours later, in the car, on my way to pick up M at the train station, I was driving up Iowa Street and saw the same guy, in his car, backing into a driveway in order to turn around and head down Iowa, and again he didn't see me coming, again I scared him. Both times we nearly collided. It was almost like the universe WANTED me to run into him.
Monday, June 09, 2008
If your appliances are avocado, they're not green
M and I are thinking about/hoping to redo our kitchen, which was probably renovated by a sweet but totally un-hip DIYer once in the 60s, once in the 70s, and once in the hideous-vinyl-flooring 80s. We don't have a ton to spend, of course. So. But we got the number of a local contractor-company-couple-thing and they're supposed to be really good (tho a little pricey). They're called New Prairie Construction. What I understand is they're a lesbian couple, they employ local artist-types, and they're green. So hooray.
Anyway, today I googled "Green Kitchens" and the first thing that popped up was a blog by a woman in CA who I wish was my next-door neighbor. Check her out here
And through her site, I found this
I like the recipes page a lot. It's like a little gathering of random recipes by ingredient. Some with pics. I want to make the basil and lemon pasta. My basil needs serious eating. Here's the recipe:
CAPELLINI WITH LEMON AND BASIL
The Savory Way, Deborah Madison
zest of 1 lemon, cut into narrow strips
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
8 fresh basil leaves, finely sliced
2 tsp. finely chopped parsley
3 oz. capellini
salt
freshly ground pepper
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
Put the lemon zest, juice, butter, oil and herbs in a bowl large enough
to hold the cooked pasta comfortably. Also have ready 2 heated pasta
bowls or plates.
Bring several quarts of water to a boil, salt to taste and add the
pasta, and cook until al dente. Lift out the noodles with a pasta scoop
and add them immediately to the large bowl. Repeatedly lift the noodles
with a pair of tongs, mixing them with the other ingredients as you do
so. Divide the pasta between the 2 bowls and add a little pepper.
Serve with cheese, if desired.
Anyway, I'll let you know how the kitchen thing goes. I've contacted New Prairie to get an estimate and some ideas. I'm thinking white cabinets and walls. Old school linoleum floor in green maybe. Some weird composite countertop in a warm brown. Hmm. I'll let you know.
Anyway, today I googled "Green Kitchens" and the first thing that popped up was a blog by a woman in CA who I wish was my next-door neighbor. Check her out here
And through her site, I found this
I like the recipes page a lot. It's like a little gathering of random recipes by ingredient. Some with pics. I want to make the basil and lemon pasta. My basil needs serious eating. Here's the recipe:
CAPELLINI WITH LEMON AND BASIL
The Savory Way, Deborah Madison
zest of 1 lemon, cut into narrow strips
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
8 fresh basil leaves, finely sliced
2 tsp. finely chopped parsley
3 oz. capellini
salt
freshly ground pepper
freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
Put the lemon zest, juice, butter, oil and herbs in a bowl large enough
to hold the cooked pasta comfortably. Also have ready 2 heated pasta
bowls or plates.
Bring several quarts of water to a boil, salt to taste and add the
pasta, and cook until al dente. Lift out the noodles with a pasta scoop
and add them immediately to the large bowl. Repeatedly lift the noodles
with a pair of tongs, mixing them with the other ingredients as you do
so. Divide the pasta between the 2 bowls and add a little pepper.
Serve with cheese, if desired.
Anyway, I'll let you know how the kitchen thing goes. I've contacted New Prairie to get an estimate and some ideas. I'm thinking white cabinets and walls. Old school linoleum floor in green maybe. Some weird composite countertop in a warm brown. Hmm. I'll let you know.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Catch up
I was sitting at my computer (new!) and my desk (old!) and looked up out the window into the backyard. Here's what I saw: snow covering the ground, the white old rickety garage to my right, the white house behind our own white house, the four evergreens at the back of our yard (two juniper, two spruce) and three (three!) male cardinals chasing each other around over the snow and in and out of the trees. To say this was beautiful seems so stupid but this was beautiful. They are little flying ruby-creatures and chirping-machines and they're fighting, I think. Now they're gone and it's quiet. The sun is setting and the snow on the ground is doing that weird thing where it sort of glows blue at dusk.
So, to catch up:
My toes hurt pretty regularly. What's up with that? I do not know. Marty thinks it's frostbite. My toes will turn black and fall off or something.
Marty just kissed my ear and the cat is going: "Ra-ow, ra-ow, ra-ow."
I went to Kentucky. There was an ice storm.
Our basement flooded.
I have a piece coming out in Harper's "Reading" section in April.
The last episode of "Curb your Enthusiasm" was so right on.
I'm teaching an online class right now. It's s strange. The class is always happening. When I'm asleep: class is in session. When I'm scratching my butt: class is in session. At first it really tripped me up. Instead of teaching being this node of anxiety in the week it was this film layer of anxiety over everything. But so far so good. I'm sort of growing into it.
Gillian Anderson is officially creepy as the new "Masterpiece Theater Dude." We shall call her creepy Gillian, henceforth.
OK, I have to go make dinner right now. Huevos Rancheros. It's seriously good. Come visit, sweet friends, and I'll cook it up.
So, to catch up:
My toes hurt pretty regularly. What's up with that? I do not know. Marty thinks it's frostbite. My toes will turn black and fall off or something.
Marty just kissed my ear and the cat is going: "Ra-ow, ra-ow, ra-ow."
I went to Kentucky. There was an ice storm.
Our basement flooded.
I have a piece coming out in Harper's "Reading" section in April.
The last episode of "Curb your Enthusiasm" was so right on.
I'm teaching an online class right now. It's s strange. The class is always happening. When I'm asleep: class is in session. When I'm scratching my butt: class is in session. At first it really tripped me up. Instead of teaching being this node of anxiety in the week it was this film layer of anxiety over everything. But so far so good. I'm sort of growing into it.
Gillian Anderson is officially creepy as the new "Masterpiece Theater Dude." We shall call her creepy Gillian, henceforth.
OK, I have to go make dinner right now. Huevos Rancheros. It's seriously good. Come visit, sweet friends, and I'll cook it up.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Friday, December 28, 2007
Manquake
I just got Doctor Zhivago in the mail. The envelope describes it as: A brilliant, epic film about a man and his mistress caught up in the manquake of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.
Manquake.
Plus the disc is two-sided. I've never had to flip before.
All in all, I'm very excited.
Manquake.
Plus the disc is two-sided. I've never had to flip before.
All in all, I'm very excited.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Dream
Last night I dreamt that I desperately needed to check my email, but instead of a keyboard there was only a bunch of little blue beanbags in the shapes of the letters. They were in a basket--like kids toys in the living room--and I had to search through to find the letters I needed. The worst part was that you could hardly tell what letter each bag was supposed to be, because they were really blobby. AND I couldn't remember my email passcode, so I kept having to do it over and over. Another weird thing was that the keyboard had been there but was lost by my bestfriend from childhood, Yamuna, who I haven't seen or talked to in about ten years. I think she came up with the beanbag idea to placate me. And then the beanbags worked. Or sort of.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Thursday, October 04, 2007
In our fucking basement!
I don't want to freak anyone out by posting a picture. But google "water bug" and you will know my horror.
Friday, September 28, 2007
who the?! hey the?!
So I'm reading this novel by Mrs Gaskell and it's nearly 700 pages long and I'm totally into it and I'm all "What's going to happy with Molly and Roger?!" even though I know, really, what's going to happen with Molly and Roger, but I want to see it, you know, I mean because now I've been living with these people for nearly 700 pages, so I stay up til about 2 in the morning reading and reading and then I only have a few pages left and I turn the page and the last chapter is called "Note from the Cornhill Editors" and it turns out she never finished the book! She died. What the fuck!? Shouldn't there have been a warning label?
Monday, September 17, 2007
Tat
I don't know if you can see this. But half of this lovely tattoo is a line from my book. Holy crap! This is from the back of a student of NEG's. I think it's so cool and weird. He must be a really insiprational fucking teacher. I think I want to include it in my bio from now on. Like...her work has appeared in blah, blah, blah, and on the lower back of a young female co-ed at the University of Colorado, Denver. Or something like that. I haven't quite got the wording down yet.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Grrrr
I am CRANKY. And I have no friends here so I have to be cranky by myself (woe, woe!) or else be cranky with Marty who is at a meeting at 5:30pm on a Friday and therefore likely cranky himself.
So: I demand nonsensical stories. Gossip. Movie reviews. Etc. Get commenting!
Much love,
D
So: I demand nonsensical stories. Gossip. Movie reviews. Etc. Get commenting!
Much love,
D
Friday, September 07, 2007
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