But I think this attack on the French goes too far.
The New Republic on Gore:
"Bitterness is not a policy position."
Representative Lloyd Doggett is working hard to convince other rank-and-file Democrats that opposing the war is not political suicide. After reading Dick Morris' take, I sincerely wish Doggett the best of luck. Should you be reading this, Congressman, please disregard the letters I've sent you! Your other constituents are behind you 100 percent!
The Berkeley College Republicans is the campus' largest student group.
It's over now, thank God, but Jaguar's ubiquitous "London Calling" ad campaign threatened to drive me mad all summer. The leering copper was so creepy! And who would use a Clash song to sell luxury cars? In an article from last week's new "Ideas" section of The Boston Globe, all is explained.
Growing up with a father who never misses a Dallas Cowboys game, I always thought I knew something about football devotion. My daddy has been a fan in good times and in bad, and I expect he will remain faithful to what he considers to be "God's Team" for the rest of his life. But I have to say that, until I met Mr. Bucher, I really understood nothing about the emotional extremes possible in following a sports team. See, Daddy's lifelong passion for the Cowboys is just that-- he loves his team unconditionally.
My husband, on the other hand, practices a more severe faith. For him, it is insufficient to merely love the Green Bay Packers. It is not enough simply to join his happiness to theirs through all the vicissitudes of regular and post-season play. No, he must also hate other teams-- and with an equal passion. For, when given the chance, do they not try to defeat the Packers? And on other weekends, by winning against other teams, do they not threaten the Packers' chances for play-off adventures? As it happens, one wicked team in particular is despised beyond all others for their relentless and insolent challenge to Packer supremacy. So naturally, word of this unfortunate incident was met with great rejoicing in the Bucher household last night.
Update: Ah, how cruelly hopes are dashed.
More info on Martha Toogood's extended clan group, the Irish Travelers.
Tonight I made a variation on a dish I like from a very good Austin restaurant-- North by Northwest-- My very favorite thing there is a salad that contains either pears or apples, blue cheese, and candied walnuts, all dressed in a sherry vinaigrette. But they also have some other very nice salads, one of which is topped with grilled steak, and that was what I was in the mood for tonight.
Unfortunately, Mr Bucher and I have been marginalized as apartment dwellers by the Fire Code of the City of Austin which denies us that which is the very birthright of mankind, namely the privilege of cooking meat over fire. So, as usual, grilled steak was out. But I did have a good idea from the new issue of Cooking Light, which was to cook the meat in the oven in a pre-heated cast-iron skillet.
The Cooking Light recipe also suggested a spice rub made from brown sugar (1tbs), cumin (1/2 tsp), ground coriander (1/2 tsp), salt (1/2 tsp), and red pepper (1/4 tsp). I added more of all the spices and a little less of the sugar, mixed them together and rubbed all of it on both sides of a 3/4 lb sirloin steak, trimmed. Meanwhile, I gave the skillet a few sprays of olive oil and put it in the oven at 450 F for 5 minutes.
Then I began the salad. Made a simple vinaigrette with basalmic vinegar, olive oil, salt pepper, and, in honor of the steak, a dash or two of worchestershire. Drizzled this over what is surely one of the marvels of the modern world, a bag of pre-washed flat-leaf spinach. Opened up the oven, threw the steak in the pan. Closed oven. Set about plating: Placed greens in two large bowls. Added some thinly sliced red onion, some thick slices of lovely red tomato, and some medium slivers of red pepper.
After about 4 minutes, I turned the steak over. The recipe suggested flipping after 7 minutes, but the steak I brought home was rather slim. Another four minutes went by and it was done. I took it out and sliced it thinly, then I threw more worchestershire into the pan to deglaze it a bit and tossed the steak pieces back in to soak up the juices. Then I divided them between our two bowls and called Mr. Bucher to dinner. Time elapsed was approximately 25 minutes. Not bad for a hot nutritious meal on a weeknight. And it was just what I wanted.
I am studying for the LSAT right now-- I take it in two weeks. The thing that happens when you study for the LSAT is that everything begins to sound like an LSAT problem. As I just spent the weekend doing logic games, this passage from Margaret Atwood's review of the new Ursula K. Le Guin short story collection was disturbingly familiar:
"Unchosen Love" and "Mountain Ways" take place on a world called O, created by Le Guin in A Fisherman of the Inland Sea. On O, you must be married to three other people, but can have sex with only two of them. The quartets must consist of a Morning man and a Morning woman--who can't have sex-- and an Evening man and an Evening woman, who also can't have sex. But the Morning man is expected to have sex with the Evening woman and also the Evening man, and the Evening woman is expected to have sex with the Morning man and also the Morning woman.
Got that? Good. Now which of the following may be possible...
David Brooks, one of the smartest writers around, examines the Fog of Peace.
Say you're going to fool around with your husband's brother. In general, it's probably best not to do it either A. in front of him or B. on a crowded Long Island commuter train. But both at once?
In the threesome's defense, they were riding the "Babylon" line.