Sorry, but today I have so much work to do it is not even funny.... but I thought about something.
I wonder if the prevailing sentiment of an utter disdain for the poor that we have here evolved from the English's complete hatred of the poor in the 16th and 17th centuries. They often blamed the poor and unemployed for all the ills of the country and envied smaller countries who did not seem to have the same poverty issues (perhaps because they treated their poor differently or they did not have such a growing population in a limited space with limited opportunity)... but anyway... just a thought.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
It is Friday!!!
The last Friday in September and it is the first day I've opened the windows and turned off the air. There is a cool breeze out and as it flutters the curtains, I can hear the wind chimes hit against each other as I study (or type this during my brief lunch break).
Have you guys discovered Trader Joe's Cookie Butter?
This stuff is amazing... and you can only get it at Trader Joe's (or for an insane markup on Amazon). I would drive an hour and a half for this stuff... really... it is that good. If you like gingerbread and love the texture of peanut butter... this is for you. I am going to lament the moment our jar is empty.
I think I wrote Trader Joe's like 5 emails telling them they should build a store in our area, but our population is too small (see I need to live in a city).
Today, many many centuries ago William The Conqueror...well he wasn't called that yet of course because he hadn't done anything... embarked on the Norman invasion of England (and all rejoiced).
He looks pretty badass with his funny shaped head and tiny pointed feet. And as you can tell, Photobombs existed long before Twitter....
Aiden has his 3rd and 4th teeth coming in and he isn't fussy, but he wants to chew on THE PLANET...tables, hands, coasters...the dogs. He owns teethers, but they are no match for how awesome a rag is and while he likes it, it terrifies me so I have since purchased rag material teethers in the shapes of fruit so he can chew away with me feeling grossed out.
Finally, this is my last day with American Slavery, American Freedom and I am going to really miss this book. Found out today how much the early colonial Virginia government behaved like mob captains. Every single dude down the line got a payment so you could ship your tobacco to England and guess what... pay them to sell your crap to foreign countries because they wanted a cut too. They even outlawed the sale of tobacco to anyone else so they could make sure that they got the 5% of the entire English budget from the Virginia colonists (yea 5% of the whole budget)...now granted that included Maryland and North Carolina (kinda sorta since NC was still technically part of VA) eventually, but still 5% of the entire budget is a lot.
I also have to read about the Black Power movement in 1960s and Affirmative Action this weekend, but I have taken a bit too much time reading my colonial book because I like it so much...
One Governor in Va (they were royally appointed at this time and often just went to Va for the duration of their term and went back home) made so much money off side extortion "fees" that he sent his entire salary home to his wife... Tony Soprano better watch out...
Have you guys discovered Trader Joe's Cookie Butter?
This stuff is amazing... and you can only get it at Trader Joe's (or for an insane markup on Amazon). I would drive an hour and a half for this stuff... really... it is that good. If you like gingerbread and love the texture of peanut butter... this is for you. I am going to lament the moment our jar is empty.
I think I wrote Trader Joe's like 5 emails telling them they should build a store in our area, but our population is too small (see I need to live in a city).
Today, many many centuries ago William The Conqueror...well he wasn't called that yet of course because he hadn't done anything... embarked on the Norman invasion of England (and all rejoiced).
 |
| I know what you are thinking...hardcore dude right??? |
Aiden has his 3rd and 4th teeth coming in and he isn't fussy, but he wants to chew on THE PLANET...tables, hands, coasters...the dogs. He owns teethers, but they are no match for how awesome a rag is and while he likes it, it terrifies me so I have since purchased rag material teethers in the shapes of fruit so he can chew away with me feeling grossed out.
Finally, this is my last day with American Slavery, American Freedom and I am going to really miss this book. Found out today how much the early colonial Virginia government behaved like mob captains. Every single dude down the line got a payment so you could ship your tobacco to England and guess what... pay them to sell your crap to foreign countries because they wanted a cut too. They even outlawed the sale of tobacco to anyone else so they could make sure that they got the 5% of the entire English budget from the Virginia colonists (yea 5% of the whole budget)...now granted that included Maryland and North Carolina (kinda sorta since NC was still technically part of VA) eventually, but still 5% of the entire budget is a lot.
I also have to read about the Black Power movement in 1960s and Affirmative Action this weekend, but I have taken a bit too much time reading my colonial book because I like it so much...
One Governor in Va (they were royally appointed at this time and often just went to Va for the duration of their term and went back home) made so much money off side extortion "fees" that he sent his entire salary home to his wife... Tony Soprano better watch out...
 |
| These guys made NOOOO money... |
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Do Not Try This At Home...
I adore doughnuts... I mean if I have a weakness it is a doughnut. I want to eat doughnuts all of the time and I am glad that I have all this studying to do every day because there are two doughnut shops within five minutes of my house...
In my quest for new doughnuts... I heard of the Cronut, you know...that blissful sounding mesh between a croissant and a doughnut??? Some Dunkin Donuts across the country apparently carry a version...but not ours sadly...
I also saw two different recipes for cronuts online. One, from Foodwishes (an amazing blog that everyone should check out) uses the good old fashioned croissant dough recipe... now if you have made croissants at all in your life from scratch... you know they are a devil to make and take a looong time.... so I understood how to make that recipe, but felt I did not have the time.
The second recipe involved pilsbury croissant dough and a home made glaze... I can do that I thought....
I will not show you the results, I hid them to save the eyes of the innocent... but they were dark brown/blackish doughnut shaped crunchy on the outside / dough on the inside messes...
and I realized that whatever planet that recipe was on, the recommended temperature of the oil was waaaaaayyyy off... and sadly my cronuts are not happening.
Maybe I will just eat a dozen regular doughnuts to make up for it, this sounds like a good idea.
In my quest for new doughnuts... I heard of the Cronut, you know...that blissful sounding mesh between a croissant and a doughnut??? Some Dunkin Donuts across the country apparently carry a version...but not ours sadly...
I also saw two different recipes for cronuts online. One, from Foodwishes (an amazing blog that everyone should check out) uses the good old fashioned croissant dough recipe... now if you have made croissants at all in your life from scratch... you know they are a devil to make and take a looong time.... so I understood how to make that recipe, but felt I did not have the time.
The second recipe involved pilsbury croissant dough and a home made glaze... I can do that I thought....
I will not show you the results, I hid them to save the eyes of the innocent... but they were dark brown/blackish doughnut shaped crunchy on the outside / dough on the inside messes...
and I realized that whatever planet that recipe was on, the recommended temperature of the oil was waaaaaayyyy off... and sadly my cronuts are not happening.
Maybe I will just eat a dozen regular doughnuts to make up for it, this sounds like a good idea.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Idle Hands...
Reading American Slavery, American Freedom still... I came across a passage that explained some of the labor problems in 16th century England that were insane.
So apparently employment was so hard to find after an apparent massive population boom in 16th century England that the government had to move in and do something about it...
hence the Statute of Artificers
Now these laws did a lot of things and one of those things was pretty much to force a person to hire a laborer for periods of one year only...
I know what you are saying... that looks perilous, even with those nice clovers....
But according to some of the stuff I am reading, this toiling on the farm did not take very long because in order to maintain this insane system each person had a specific job they were trained for so see that one guy holding the wheat while those others picked it and the woman who apparently is floating on her own medieval ego is watching, this might actually be pretty accurate because the law meant to employ everyone
Because IDLE HANDS LED TO THE DEBIL!
Anyway... so after everyone did their job, they sat around and did nothing and hence...were still idle so I don't see what it fixed but....
Any law this amazing wonder of monarchy is alright with me, however much nonsense it is....
The Book talks about one Master who had so many people under his employ (oh by the way you could not fire them, you could not stop their terms early, if you did the courts would send them back to you)... he ran away from home because he couldn't handle taking care of so many people...
So lets be realistic here...these people were serfs, indentured servants, slaves who basically got "paid" because the government couldn't catch up with the amount of people the fertile English population were birthing every year.
But its crazy because they thought being idle was ungodly so they made this law that apparently took care of the idle, but instead it specialized every single job to get people off the roads and stealing so they literally sat at someone's house who had to pay them and when they didnt have a job to do...they sat idle.
(now there were government houses that made linen and other materials where I am sure the days were long, grueling, and not fun at all)
And I would sit around and be idle too if I had to stay on some guys property and basically had no real power to leave... but I just thought this was pretty funny..
BTW.... read American Slavery, American Freedom if you want to know more. I am really enjoying the book.
So apparently employment was so hard to find after an apparent massive population boom in 16th century England that the government had to move in and do something about it...
hence the Statute of Artificers
Now these laws did a lot of things and one of those things was pretty much to force a person to hire a laborer for periods of one year only...
 |
| A year of this... oh the joys! |
I know what you are saying... that looks perilous, even with those nice clovers....
But according to some of the stuff I am reading, this toiling on the farm did not take very long because in order to maintain this insane system each person had a specific job they were trained for so see that one guy holding the wheat while those others picked it and the woman who apparently is floating on her own medieval ego is watching, this might actually be pretty accurate because the law meant to employ everyone
Because IDLE HANDS LED TO THE DEBIL!
Anyway... so after everyone did their job, they sat around and did nothing and hence...were still idle so I don't see what it fixed but....
 |
| Is she not AMAZING!!!???!!! |
The Book talks about one Master who had so many people under his employ (oh by the way you could not fire them, you could not stop their terms early, if you did the courts would send them back to you)... he ran away from home because he couldn't handle taking care of so many people...
So lets be realistic here...these people were serfs, indentured servants, slaves who basically got "paid" because the government couldn't catch up with the amount of people the fertile English population were birthing every year.
But its crazy because they thought being idle was ungodly so they made this law that apparently took care of the idle, but instead it specialized every single job to get people off the roads and stealing so they literally sat at someone's house who had to pay them and when they didnt have a job to do...they sat idle.
(now there were government houses that made linen and other materials where I am sure the days were long, grueling, and not fun at all)
And I would sit around and be idle too if I had to stay on some guys property and basically had no real power to leave... but I just thought this was pretty funny..
BTW.... read American Slavery, American Freedom if you want to know more. I am really enjoying the book.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Oh Thomas More....
I read Utopia when I was a teenager, it is probably something I need to go back and re-read with a more sophisticated mind... but who has time?? While reading a passage from my current assigned text for my Seminar in Southern History, American Slavery, American Freedom, he uses a passage from Utopia to illustrate some common ideas amongst the English during the early years of the idea of colonizing outside of England (don't forget they kept trying Ireland)...
"The inhabitants who refuse to live according to their laws, they drive from the territory which they carve out for themselves. If they resist, they wage war against them. They consider it a most just cause for war when a people which does not use its soil but keeps it idle and waste nevertheless forbids the use and possession of it to others who by the rule of nature ought to be maintained by it."
First...Thomas... you cheeky fellow you....
First, you were supposed to be a HUMANIST... do you know what a HUMANIST is???
While Humanism was the predecessor of the Enlightenment on some levels and did a lot with reason (within religious bounds mind you, Sir Thomas here was a devout Catholic x 1000000)... There was apparently a weak spot for busting up anyone who did not agree with you...
psst... you should read this guy's stuff on Martin Luther, can we say noooot happy.
Anyway...
Apparently in Utopia you can attack and kill people who don't use the land in a way you find appropriate... the English will use this later a great deal, but I just thought it was funny that THAT was in Utopia, which I always thought of as a happy shiny bears dancing sort of place....
"The inhabitants who refuse to live according to their laws, they drive from the territory which they carve out for themselves. If they resist, they wage war against them. They consider it a most just cause for war when a people which does not use its soil but keeps it idle and waste nevertheless forbids the use and possession of it to others who by the rule of nature ought to be maintained by it."
First...Thomas... you cheeky fellow you....
 |
| Behind this icy stare and large nose is a hard headed war lover who gets beheaded when Henry VIII got annoyed with him |
While Humanism was the predecessor of the Enlightenment on some levels and did a lot with reason (within religious bounds mind you, Sir Thomas here was a devout Catholic x 1000000)... There was apparently a weak spot for busting up anyone who did not agree with you...
psst... you should read this guy's stuff on Martin Luther, can we say noooot happy.
Anyway...
Apparently in Utopia you can attack and kill people who don't use the land in a way you find appropriate... the English will use this later a great deal, but I just thought it was funny that THAT was in Utopia, which I always thought of as a happy shiny bears dancing sort of place....
 |
| How did that whole Utopia feel here #dontloseyourhead |
Monday, September 23, 2013
A Discovery
Lately I've been in a facial/make-up rut and that is one reason I enjoy the Birchbox subscription because I can find new products. I like specific looks and I am more of a facial/skin person... moisturizers and such...
Because of this I've discovered I like Juice Beauty, its kind of one of those "natural" lines and after two samples... one a peel and one a lip gloss, I think I like the company.
So if you are looking for NON heavy stuff that is more along a natural regiment...
Try this...
Here they are - Juice Beauty
I want to try the Hydrating mist!
Also, if you want to try Birchbox out, the place where I get all these samples monthly, I totally recommend it, I have really enjoyed my subscription.
Try Birchbox
Because of this I've discovered I like Juice Beauty, its kind of one of those "natural" lines and after two samples... one a peel and one a lip gloss, I think I like the company.
So if you are looking for NON heavy stuff that is more along a natural regiment...
Try this...
Here they are - Juice Beauty
I want to try the Hydrating mist!
Also, if you want to try Birchbox out, the place where I get all these samples monthly, I totally recommend it, I have really enjoyed my subscription.
Try Birchbox
Saturday, September 21, 2013
School Stuff...
This semester should be called Things Shonda Has Never Truly Studied...
Tonight I've been feverishly attempting to finish Elusive Equality, a book about the desegregation of the Norfolk, Virginia schools...but more importantly the continued struggle between race relations in Virginia throughout the period the book covers and how those relations were muted or minimized in order to present a community that endured the transition from Jim Crow to racial desegregation with little problem. The truth of course lies a lot farther from smooth transition and close to heated antagonism.... especially when black effigies are hung in front of schools to intimidate students from transferring there... or entire schools are shut down in order to make sure no black kid was able to attend.
It is a good book, these books are often hard to read...hard to imagine that someone would think another person is so inferior that they dont even deserve to be in the same room.
There was one passage where a single african american girl attended an all white school and the teacher, to antagonize her, would wear gloves when she turned in her work so as not to touch her....
in our country.... in 1958 by the way, so within the lifetimes of a lot of people I know....
that was just.... hard to grasp...and infuriating.
Tonight I've been feverishly attempting to finish Elusive Equality, a book about the desegregation of the Norfolk, Virginia schools...but more importantly the continued struggle between race relations in Virginia throughout the period the book covers and how those relations were muted or minimized in order to present a community that endured the transition from Jim Crow to racial desegregation with little problem. The truth of course lies a lot farther from smooth transition and close to heated antagonism.... especially when black effigies are hung in front of schools to intimidate students from transferring there... or entire schools are shut down in order to make sure no black kid was able to attend.
It is a good book, these books are often hard to read...hard to imagine that someone would think another person is so inferior that they dont even deserve to be in the same room.
There was one passage where a single african american girl attended an all white school and the teacher, to antagonize her, would wear gloves when she turned in her work so as not to touch her....
in our country.... in 1958 by the way, so within the lifetimes of a lot of people I know....
that was just.... hard to grasp...and infuriating.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Early Mornings
Someone decided to wake Adam and I up at five-thirty this morning and after about another thirty minute battle of him going back to sleep, I slept late, until about 7:15 AM. Being behind drives me nuts because Adam didn't have lunch, I rushed to get coffee in my system, our walk is going to be much later and I have a book to read and a house to clean.
But... after my annoyance at the internet yesterday with people going nuts because someone didn't give them a discount or the fact that its imperative to your freedom to bring your handgun into Starbucks... I am giving the growing culture of disgruntled a break and working really hard to be positive and finish work I have to have finished in order to enjoy the weekend....
Oh, I would like to win the powerball... Adam I know you read this, go get a powerball ticket and we can move to the hills of Scotland.
First...
What on earth is in the Pumpkin Spice flavoring at Starbucks? That stuff is yummy, now I don't get the big lattes with all the whipped cream or anything, but I had a bit of it put in my Americano the other day and it was really really good... well, anything with Cinnamon is really really good...
Now apparently...There is a syrup, I need to find this syrup and just bask in its spicy goodness.
These Doughnuts are also something I want desperately and I want to try. Can you tell I am in the fall spirit.
Let's finish this yum fest off with the fact that in the next week or so I will be making a Pear Tartin now for those of you who do not know what it is, its similar to a pie, but gooeyer and more bad for you.... but soooo tasty and again, a taste of fall in my opinion. My awesome friend Zoe is bringing me some pears so what better way to use them right?
Now, is this not a great deal better than my angerbucket rant of yesterday???
YES.
Also... I want a dark red, very thick, wool infinity scarf for the fall/winter and I have yet to find one that peaks my interest... still looking, suggestions are welcome!
Have a great Thursday guys, Friday is one day away and tomorrow...if all goes well, I will be at Ikea (also known as the place where my money goes to disappear)
 |
| I need this.... |
But... after my annoyance at the internet yesterday with people going nuts because someone didn't give them a discount or the fact that its imperative to your freedom to bring your handgun into Starbucks... I am giving the growing culture of disgruntled a break and working really hard to be positive and finish work I have to have finished in order to enjoy the weekend....
Oh, I would like to win the powerball... Adam I know you read this, go get a powerball ticket and we can move to the hills of Scotland.
First...
What on earth is in the Pumpkin Spice flavoring at Starbucks? That stuff is yummy, now I don't get the big lattes with all the whipped cream or anything, but I had a bit of it put in my Americano the other day and it was really really good... well, anything with Cinnamon is really really good...
Now apparently...There is a syrup, I need to find this syrup and just bask in its spicy goodness.
These Doughnuts are also something I want desperately and I want to try. Can you tell I am in the fall spirit.
Let's finish this yum fest off with the fact that in the next week or so I will be making a Pear Tartin now for those of you who do not know what it is, its similar to a pie, but gooeyer and more bad for you.... but soooo tasty and again, a taste of fall in my opinion. My awesome friend Zoe is bringing me some pears so what better way to use them right?
Now, is this not a great deal better than my angerbucket rant of yesterday???
YES.
Also... I want a dark red, very thick, wool infinity scarf for the fall/winter and I have yet to find one that peaks my interest... still looking, suggestions are welcome!
Have a great Thursday guys, Friday is one day away and tomorrow...if all goes well, I will be at Ikea (also known as the place where my money goes to disappear)
 |
| Going to Ikea WOOOOOOOO!!!! |
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Rant for the Day... NO YOU DONT DESERVE A DISCOUNT ON EVERYTHING!!!!
Having worked retail for over a decade and dealing with aggressive and unfriendly customers who get mad because we do not offer their specific group discounts, I despise the sense of entitlement every single person who demands discounts has.
I worked for a bookstore, so we gave teacher's discounts on teaching material... which made sense...
I know some places do military discounts, good for them if they want to do that, but I wouldn't expect it... to be honest...
So recently a little cupcake shop in my town has opened up and they are pretty tasty, well made cupcakes...
Today they posted that they give discounts to military, this is a base town so I understand... and then from out of the woodwork angry rude people start berating the new small business for not giving their specific group a discount...
talking about how they would NOT SHOP HERE AGAIN and TELL ALL THEIR FRIENDS...
just so indignant and rude and expectant....
you know what, if you cant buy a cupcake without demanding a 10% off pat on the back for doing whatever job you get paid for...then make cupcakes yourself and save the rest of the world your false sense of importance.
If I got a discount I would feel special, I would not expect it from every business I walked into.
in essence,
grow up.
I worked for a bookstore, so we gave teacher's discounts on teaching material... which made sense...
I know some places do military discounts, good for them if they want to do that, but I wouldn't expect it... to be honest...
So recently a little cupcake shop in my town has opened up and they are pretty tasty, well made cupcakes...
Today they posted that they give discounts to military, this is a base town so I understand... and then from out of the woodwork angry rude people start berating the new small business for not giving their specific group a discount...
talking about how they would NOT SHOP HERE AGAIN and TELL ALL THEIR FRIENDS...
just so indignant and rude and expectant....
you know what, if you cant buy a cupcake without demanding a 10% off pat on the back for doing whatever job you get paid for...then make cupcakes yourself and save the rest of the world your false sense of importance.
If I got a discount I would feel special, I would not expect it from every business I walked into.
in essence,
grow up.
This is Random...
More of a question rather than a post here today...
While I attempt to read about the school closures in Norfolk, Va to contest desegregation, I turned on Sesame Street for Aiden to watch while I read....
Why do the adults in Sesame Street, regardless of the year of the taping of the show, look like they are from the 1970s?
While I attempt to read about the school closures in Norfolk, Va to contest desegregation, I turned on Sesame Street for Aiden to watch while I read....
Why do the adults in Sesame Street, regardless of the year of the taping of the show, look like they are from the 1970s?
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Something I Came Across
So.... This ...
"it is only when a woman surrenders her life to her husband, reveres and worships him, and is willing to serve him, that she becomes really beautiful to him. She becomes a priceless jewel, the glory of femininity, his queen!” (1973 Marabel Morgan)
reminded me of This...
" Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave." (The Goblin King, Labyrinth)
Anything an evil goblin lord tells a girl obviously isn't any way a woman should behave...
Just saying....
This guy is an evil tyrant who turns babies in to goblins...
Ok back to your normal day...
"it is only when a woman surrenders her life to her husband, reveres and worships him, and is willing to serve him, that she becomes really beautiful to him. She becomes a priceless jewel, the glory of femininity, his queen!” (1973 Marabel Morgan)
reminded me of This...
" Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave." (The Goblin King, Labyrinth)
Anything an evil goblin lord tells a girl obviously isn't any way a woman should behave...
Just saying....
 |
| Please forget that he looks like this.... |
This guy is an evil tyrant who turns babies in to goblins...
 |
| This does NOT look like a queen to me |
Thoughts
We decided a few months ago, in order to save some money and have a little more breathing room in the financial department, to cut cable. Now with a computer intelligent husband and modern technology, we do not miss very much and my subscription to Netflix opened the doors to such train wreck...cannot look away...shows like Confessions: Animal Hoarding (don't judge me). One of the channels I miss, Current is now Al Jazera USA, but on Current was a documentary show called Vanguard and Adam and I loved it. We watched every Vanguard that came out and we watched this one....
American Jihadi
The documentary follows the history of Alabama born Omar Hammami, a pretty normal southern kid who was smart, had friends... lived normally with his Syrian born father and American mother until he became radicalized, went to Canada, Yemen, and eventually Somalia and became a terrorist...
It is an insane documentary and one that kind of stuck with me because I was like... what is wrong with this kid??!!?? Hammami was on twitter, pretty regularly and he slowly went on the outs with his terrorist organization al-shabaab and then they started trying to kill him, and according to them and pretty reliable sources... they have.
American Terrorist Killed
I read this article last night about Omar, twitter, and the odd relationship he had with one of the journalists who followed him...
Omar and Me
The article was really interesting and it says a lot about how social media and how close communications have enabled people to discuss or even connect in the oddest of ways. Reading the author's continual frustration with this stupid dude who just couldn't get his egotistical head out of his ass enough to realize that not only had he gone into some false world of activism, but he had options had me reading by the light of my phone at midnight, which is way past my post Aiden bedtime.
You just wonder why on earth do people think its sensible to kill people, to shoot each other, to do anything this assinine when they have the opportunity to do so much.... live in a pretty stable society, have friends, family...everything and then like they just lost their senses and in Omar's case...get so caught up in their own stupidity that they would rather get shot than admit...OK I'm an idiot, I need to get out of this.
I am going to admit I have a prejudice here, I abhor militant religious groups, I think they are the exact opposite of any sort of message of faith and when you start to babble about killing people and use your scripture to do it, you are cherry picking to the point of absurdity and you aren't practicing your faith AT ALL. This goes for ANY militant religious group. There are terrorists in all sorts of faiths... Look at the word terrorist, terror...who would want to inflict that on anyone?? Let alone innocent people who what... represent the entity you have a beef with? Get over it... when will these idiots learn that when you hurt a kid, an innocent bystander, anyone... it doesn't scare people, it makes them mad...and then more violence, more stupidity??? I get that and I am not a springing well of knowledge.
Even Buddhists
I think I just got really frustrated with this story because you want to reach through the screen, slap this kid and go...get your shit together and stop being an idiot... you have no reason to be doing this, you are only causing more hurt, strife, and death for innocent people when you and your idiot enemies shoot, bomb, and kill each in the name of something you obviously don't fully understand. No kid in Alabama has any reason to have any jihad against anyone..... So you don't agree with a war, YOU are in America... out of a lot of places you have the right to work on that, express that, go to college... go in to politics and foreign relations and become someone who does something GOOD not someone who is an idiot, becomes a murderer, thinks its a good idea to attempt to brainwash other idiot kids into doing what you did, and get murdered on the other side of the world causing your family more pain and hurt just because you were too stupid to realize you messed up.
Moral of the story here... Don't be stupid and get caught up in crap you don't understand. I have no idea what life is like for anyone else but me, I am not going to juxtapose my life experience and my opinions with someone in a world I know nothing about and while it may sound selfish, I am going to worry about me, worry about my family. I have opinions... I pretty much think that violence, war, aggression of any kind is pretty ignorant when you get down to it and if we spent more time trying to get along than we do trying to tear each other down, things would be a lot better.
American Jihadi
The documentary follows the history of Alabama born Omar Hammami, a pretty normal southern kid who was smart, had friends... lived normally with his Syrian born father and American mother until he became radicalized, went to Canada, Yemen, and eventually Somalia and became a terrorist...
It is an insane documentary and one that kind of stuck with me because I was like... what is wrong with this kid??!!?? Hammami was on twitter, pretty regularly and he slowly went on the outs with his terrorist organization al-shabaab and then they started trying to kill him, and according to them and pretty reliable sources... they have.
American Terrorist Killed
I read this article last night about Omar, twitter, and the odd relationship he had with one of the journalists who followed him...
Omar and Me
The article was really interesting and it says a lot about how social media and how close communications have enabled people to discuss or even connect in the oddest of ways. Reading the author's continual frustration with this stupid dude who just couldn't get his egotistical head out of his ass enough to realize that not only had he gone into some false world of activism, but he had options had me reading by the light of my phone at midnight, which is way past my post Aiden bedtime.
You just wonder why on earth do people think its sensible to kill people, to shoot each other, to do anything this assinine when they have the opportunity to do so much.... live in a pretty stable society, have friends, family...everything and then like they just lost their senses and in Omar's case...get so caught up in their own stupidity that they would rather get shot than admit...OK I'm an idiot, I need to get out of this.
I am going to admit I have a prejudice here, I abhor militant religious groups, I think they are the exact opposite of any sort of message of faith and when you start to babble about killing people and use your scripture to do it, you are cherry picking to the point of absurdity and you aren't practicing your faith AT ALL. This goes for ANY militant religious group. There are terrorists in all sorts of faiths... Look at the word terrorist, terror...who would want to inflict that on anyone?? Let alone innocent people who what... represent the entity you have a beef with? Get over it... when will these idiots learn that when you hurt a kid, an innocent bystander, anyone... it doesn't scare people, it makes them mad...and then more violence, more stupidity??? I get that and I am not a springing well of knowledge.
Even Buddhists
I think I just got really frustrated with this story because you want to reach through the screen, slap this kid and go...get your shit together and stop being an idiot... you have no reason to be doing this, you are only causing more hurt, strife, and death for innocent people when you and your idiot enemies shoot, bomb, and kill each in the name of something you obviously don't fully understand. No kid in Alabama has any reason to have any jihad against anyone..... So you don't agree with a war, YOU are in America... out of a lot of places you have the right to work on that, express that, go to college... go in to politics and foreign relations and become someone who does something GOOD not someone who is an idiot, becomes a murderer, thinks its a good idea to attempt to brainwash other idiot kids into doing what you did, and get murdered on the other side of the world causing your family more pain and hurt just because you were too stupid to realize you messed up.
Moral of the story here... Don't be stupid and get caught up in crap you don't understand. I have no idea what life is like for anyone else but me, I am not going to juxtapose my life experience and my opinions with someone in a world I know nothing about and while it may sound selfish, I am going to worry about me, worry about my family. I have opinions... I pretty much think that violence, war, aggression of any kind is pretty ignorant when you get down to it and if we spent more time trying to get along than we do trying to tear each other down, things would be a lot better.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
The Weekend Was a Haze....
I had a weekend, if one would describe a weekend as feverishly attempting to finish reading three books and turn in two papers by midnight Sunday night and have a third paper ready by midnight Monday...
In between that, we did end up going to an Indian place to eat some pretty tasty dinner and I had a nice Indian beer new to me, but on the whole, the weekend has consisted of reading about the romantic lost cause mentality of the South, Jim Crow, and the rise of the Christian Right in American politics....
In other words, at times infuriating, at times heartbreaking, and at times...baffling...
This weekend coming up is the Ocmulgee Indian Festival, I am very excited about that as always.
Here are our Mounds!
I think it is pretty neat to have such a cool landmark in my area... and the festival is amazing. Old navy had a pretty nifty sale this weekend and with a coupon for one item at 50% off I was able to snag a pretty nice button up plaid shirt, I think some of my fall fashion woes are over!
I think this with some dark skinny jeans, a gray sweater and maybe a dark blue scarf will look pretty awesome when it is not 90 degrees....
Now, back to this...
God's Own Party
Which I have to finish and write a paper on... if I can get out of the Jerry Falwell chapter, I will be fine......The one on Billy Graham was pretty cool....but Jerry Falwell, is a no.
In between that, we did end up going to an Indian place to eat some pretty tasty dinner and I had a nice Indian beer new to me, but on the whole, the weekend has consisted of reading about the romantic lost cause mentality of the South, Jim Crow, and the rise of the Christian Right in American politics....
In other words, at times infuriating, at times heartbreaking, and at times...baffling...
This weekend coming up is the Ocmulgee Indian Festival, I am very excited about that as always.
Here are our Mounds!
I think it is pretty neat to have such a cool landmark in my area... and the festival is amazing. Old navy had a pretty nifty sale this weekend and with a coupon for one item at 50% off I was able to snag a pretty nice button up plaid shirt, I think some of my fall fashion woes are over!
I think this with some dark skinny jeans, a gray sweater and maybe a dark blue scarf will look pretty awesome when it is not 90 degrees....
Now, back to this...
God's Own Party
Which I have to finish and write a paper on... if I can get out of the Jerry Falwell chapter, I will be fine......The one on Billy Graham was pretty cool....but Jerry Falwell, is a no.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Muffins!
Last post of the day ... I promise
So when you want muffins, but you don't feel completely Martha Stewart....
This is how you spruce up 99 cent muffin mix.
1/2 cup of half and half
1 egg
1/3 cup of melted butter or vegetable oil
Mix it up, and bake per directions
They turned out really creamy and not overly dry like the mix muffins usually do...
buttery too...buttery!!!
September 2013 Birchbox
Received the September Birchbox today and there are some interesting things I am stoked about trying and hairspray that I am giving away and that person can tell me how it is.
The theme was red this month and I really am looking forward to trying the bright orange nail polish I received....
Next is some VERY bright red lip gloss, maybe I will try something new...
Now this I am excited about...
Can I say... How cool is this??? I loathe the wine stain when I am out, if I had a few of these in my purse at dinner, I could have a second glass!
and finally...
Like I said, I don't use hair spray but... I will see what someone else says about it.
All in all a pretty nice Birchbox month, I still think this is totally worth the 12 bucks a month.
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| The September Birchbox with lip gloss, nail polish, wine wipes, a face peel and some hairspray |
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| I love this color |
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| woah... scarlet woman indeed |
Now this I am excited about...
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| For those of us who have a little wine... |
Now I have really sensitive skin, but I like skin treatments so I am hoping this doesn't feel like I have poured hot acid on my skin.
and finally...
Like I said, I don't use hair spray but... I will see what someone else says about it.
All in all a pretty nice Birchbox month, I still think this is totally worth the 12 bucks a month.
Clothing Frustrated
I will be the first to admit that I am more comfortable in a pair of jeans and a hoodie, but I've discovered during my daily attempt to ignore my mounting schoolwork that clothing for the 30 something crowd can be completely just off base unless you have insane amounts of money that a full time graduate student / mom does not have....
I can no longer do the major mall stores because they cater to someone at LEAST ten years younger than I and the stores for "women" are well.... Ok like the lady in "This is 40" said... I'm not ready to shop at JJill and Chicos.....
So I don't want to look like this...
and I am not exactly ready for this...
and I cannot in any way afford this...
I know there are places to go and I know that if I look long and hard enough I find something that compromises but sometimes I Just get so frustrated because I do want to dress nice, but the effort and the costs end up so annoying that my hoodie and jeans are still a staple.
I can no longer do the major mall stores because they cater to someone at LEAST ten years younger than I and the stores for "women" are well.... Ok like the lady in "This is 40" said... I'm not ready to shop at JJill and Chicos.....
So I don't want to look like this...
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| you can get this look at forever21.com |
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| you can get this look at chicos.com |
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| This is from jcrew.com and the sweater is over 200 dollars by itself......... |
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
A Sort of Recipe...
As you can tell when I talk about food or do recipes they are very generalized... because I kind of throw a dash of this and that until I get what I want...
This is how I make Collards....
I ADORE collards...
and I have a pretty quirky way of making them but they taste awesome so hey...
First take your collards... Fresh are best, but I have found some frozen varieties are OK in a pinch.
Make sure they are bite sized....
Put them in a pot and cover them with water, at least enough over them to cover them all, they will reduce quickly, but the juice rules...
I add one packet of goya's ham concentrate seasoning... I've done bacon, I've done bones...but with grad school and a baby this is fast.
Then I add to taste...really to taste... garlic powder, onion powder, some cayenne pepper, and well I use ghost pepper flakes because I like everything spicy.
Now bring all this to a boil on high and stir it a bit....
Then I add 1/4 of a cup of crisco or butter, whatever I have in the house and then... The magic part....
1/3 to 1/2 of a cup of vinegar.... YES vinegar... it does magic things to collards.
Then I put the whole thing on low, put a lid on it and cook it for at least two hours, sometimes more...
It may sound like an odd mix of things, but the collards come out AMAZING.
Adam, my husband, was never a fan of collards...but he loves mine.
This is how I make Collards....
I ADORE collards...
and I have a pretty quirky way of making them but they taste awesome so hey...
First take your collards... Fresh are best, but I have found some frozen varieties are OK in a pinch.
Make sure they are bite sized....
Put them in a pot and cover them with water, at least enough over them to cover them all, they will reduce quickly, but the juice rules...
I add one packet of goya's ham concentrate seasoning... I've done bacon, I've done bones...but with grad school and a baby this is fast.
Then I add to taste...really to taste... garlic powder, onion powder, some cayenne pepper, and well I use ghost pepper flakes because I like everything spicy.
Now bring all this to a boil on high and stir it a bit....
Then I add 1/4 of a cup of crisco or butter, whatever I have in the house and then... The magic part....
1/3 to 1/2 of a cup of vinegar.... YES vinegar... it does magic things to collards.
Then I put the whole thing on low, put a lid on it and cook it for at least two hours, sometimes more...
It may sound like an odd mix of things, but the collards come out AMAZING.
Adam, my husband, was never a fan of collards...but he loves mine.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
The Allure of the Lost Cause
Taking a course on the South is actually pretty eye opening to me. As a "southerner," if I can be called one for just living in the South my entire life... I've never been wholly attracted to the history of the area... for various personal reasons. When you live in a racially split and charged area where people still cite violence against African Americans as acceptable and there are marks of the world of Jim Crow a few miles from your house etched in marble with a statement blaring "Colored Only"... I don't know... I just didn't want to learn about it because I didn't think it was a flattering or good thing to remember.
That was before I decided to be a historian and before I truly understood that all history is important, even ugly history.
I'm reading a book written in the 1930s on the South called Mind of the South and as a historian I have a few problems with it... lack of sources, the kind of lack of any other voice besides that of a white male perspective, but I do understand its time frame and I do get that the author had some important and vital things to say... but I HATE romanticizing the South.
I guess it is because when we romanticize, even when we attempt to tell the truth alongside the romantic viewpoint, things begin to blur and the realities kind of give way to picturesque landscapes and these simpler times where things were relatively different and enveloped in this lavender haze that reminds me of some sort of foreboding fairy tale fog.
Cash writes like a novelist and oddly enough, before he hung himself in a hotel, he was supposed to be working on his epic novel about the South... and I think the language in his book is more suited for it. While I get the setup, making people understand why Southerners in the Old South behaved the way they did... I think making the South this mystical land where it was easy to lose yourself and get caught up in the fantasy and have an almost antagonistic relationship with reality... I think it was also just as plausible that rich people knew how to remain rich and maintain their lifestyle and dupe poor people... the simple, almost primitive in Cash's mind "cracker" into doing what was necessary to maintain the way things were.
I'm not bashing Cash, far from it... I think the book is important, remains relevant when studying the South, and makes a lot of statements that needed to be made during that period right before WWII and a few years from the emergence of the Civil Rights movement, but his language lends to the myth of a more innocent time when I do not believe historically we should look at it that way....
Perhaps it is because unlike Cash who was a journalist by trade and admittedly did not research his topic as thorough as some other works I've read, wrote a book more from the heart than from a sterile academic viewpoint. As a southerner, the same sort of emotions cause me to have an automatic bias against anything that writes about the antebellum period in a favorable light is the emotion that causes Cash to write the truth as he saw it, but to also do it in a pseudo-sympathetic way, its just my emotional response is the opposite. Also, I've done scholarly research from the Colonial era up to the 1960s now and enough to dispose of the romantic language for whatever reason and document it in a more sterile manner.
The truth is... I don't know. Like I said, I don't mind the book at all, I think it is rather well written and has a lot of important things to say even if he lacks footnotes, end notes, and his sources are few and scattered in between his on the porch in a rocking chair style.... I think I just need to get over my own prejudices against the subject and be more open minded and understand that just because cash writes in this romantic manner does not in any way mean he endorsed the sentiment or the behaviors of the Old South. I'm not done with the book and I have to say I enjoy it... but the language did get to me for a moment and I had to take a step back.
That was before I decided to be a historian and before I truly understood that all history is important, even ugly history.
I'm reading a book written in the 1930s on the South called Mind of the South and as a historian I have a few problems with it... lack of sources, the kind of lack of any other voice besides that of a white male perspective, but I do understand its time frame and I do get that the author had some important and vital things to say... but I HATE romanticizing the South.
I guess it is because when we romanticize, even when we attempt to tell the truth alongside the romantic viewpoint, things begin to blur and the realities kind of give way to picturesque landscapes and these simpler times where things were relatively different and enveloped in this lavender haze that reminds me of some sort of foreboding fairy tale fog.
Cash writes like a novelist and oddly enough, before he hung himself in a hotel, he was supposed to be working on his epic novel about the South... and I think the language in his book is more suited for it. While I get the setup, making people understand why Southerners in the Old South behaved the way they did... I think making the South this mystical land where it was easy to lose yourself and get caught up in the fantasy and have an almost antagonistic relationship with reality... I think it was also just as plausible that rich people knew how to remain rich and maintain their lifestyle and dupe poor people... the simple, almost primitive in Cash's mind "cracker" into doing what was necessary to maintain the way things were.
I'm not bashing Cash, far from it... I think the book is important, remains relevant when studying the South, and makes a lot of statements that needed to be made during that period right before WWII and a few years from the emergence of the Civil Rights movement, but his language lends to the myth of a more innocent time when I do not believe historically we should look at it that way....
Perhaps it is because unlike Cash who was a journalist by trade and admittedly did not research his topic as thorough as some other works I've read, wrote a book more from the heart than from a sterile academic viewpoint. As a southerner, the same sort of emotions cause me to have an automatic bias against anything that writes about the antebellum period in a favorable light is the emotion that causes Cash to write the truth as he saw it, but to also do it in a pseudo-sympathetic way, its just my emotional response is the opposite. Also, I've done scholarly research from the Colonial era up to the 1960s now and enough to dispose of the romantic language for whatever reason and document it in a more sterile manner.
The truth is... I don't know. Like I said, I don't mind the book at all, I think it is rather well written and has a lot of important things to say even if he lacks footnotes, end notes, and his sources are few and scattered in between his on the porch in a rocking chair style.... I think I just need to get over my own prejudices against the subject and be more open minded and understand that just because cash writes in this romantic manner does not in any way mean he endorsed the sentiment or the behaviors of the Old South. I'm not done with the book and I have to say I enjoy it... but the language did get to me for a moment and I had to take a step back.
From the Garden
I do not know if you would honestly call my little space a garden, but this spring/summer I had tomatoes, herbs, and habanero peppers and everything turned out very productive.
Now, I love hot things and because I am southern I truly enjoy some hot pepper sauce on any greens I eat.
This summer, I turned it up a bit and decided to make the hot pepper sauce with my crop of habaneros.
The recipe if you can call it that is simple...
Now, I love hot things and because I am southern I truly enjoy some hot pepper sauce on any greens I eat.
This summer, I turned it up a bit and decided to make the hot pepper sauce with my crop of habaneros.
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| the fruits of my little bit of labor |
The recipe if you can call it that is simple...
I took a medium container of vinegar and brought it to a boil with some added salt and garlic to taste. While I was waiting for the vinegar to boil, I took all the tops off the peppers and tossed them in a large canning can. I left some room, but you don't have to. Once the vinegar was doing a rolling boil I poured it over the peppers and sealed the can, leaving it on the counter until I heard the famous pop!
Now... I had some peppers and vinegar left over and a jalapeno sitting around so I took the left overs and cut up the peppers and also pickled me some jalapenos and habaneros together for some kick to my nachos when I make them... the pepper sauce is NOT for the weak.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Hobbies, Likes, and the Internet
How the internet has changed hobbies...
I always wonder what things would be like without the internet. I mean, I am old enough to say that in high school... I remember the world without the internet and it was a much different place, almost alien.
Don't get me wrong, I like the internet, but at times the easy connection of every hobby, every obsession, can be a bit arresting....
My old woman weird story of the day comes from a news report I watched while I was attempting to not read an article I have to read and respond to today for one of my classes....
First.... 15% of all videos viewed on the internet are cat videos, that is cool... people like cats, I mean I like cats...but wow, that is a lot of cat videos....
Then the report went on and featured the Cat Video Festival where ten thousand people attend yearly. TEN THOUSAND people go to an outdoor festival where they play cat videos on big screens from the internet...
and like I said on my Facebook... Mind blown!
There are times when I feel really alienated from this new wave of culture because I don't really obsess about any hobby that much. I mean I like Harry Potter, I LOVE Harry Potter, but I just don't get that into anything.... am I weird now because I don't??
I feel like it sometimes.
I always wonder what things would be like without the internet. I mean, I am old enough to say that in high school... I remember the world without the internet and it was a much different place, almost alien.
Don't get me wrong, I like the internet, but at times the easy connection of every hobby, every obsession, can be a bit arresting....
My old woman weird story of the day comes from a news report I watched while I was attempting to not read an article I have to read and respond to today for one of my classes....
First.... 15% of all videos viewed on the internet are cat videos, that is cool... people like cats, I mean I like cats...but wow, that is a lot of cat videos....
Then the report went on and featured the Cat Video Festival where ten thousand people attend yearly. TEN THOUSAND people go to an outdoor festival where they play cat videos on big screens from the internet...
and like I said on my Facebook... Mind blown!
There are times when I feel really alienated from this new wave of culture because I don't really obsess about any hobby that much. I mean I like Harry Potter, I LOVE Harry Potter, but I just don't get that into anything.... am I weird now because I don't??
I feel like it sometimes.
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