In Rare Form

This post is dedicated to Joey, whose disgust with the Obamenon is apparent (and justified).

(Speaking of guys named Joe, where is Joe Millah?)

As Mittites we extolled his virtues as a manager. Obama has demonstrated that he is the Un-Manager. As defined in Lowdogg’s Lexicon:

-Noun; One who desires the fruits of management without the labor; also one who takes credit for the “good stuff.” blaming everything else on anything else (underlings, drugs, genetics, a vast right-wing conspiracy)

ABC News’ Jake Tapper has a pretty scathing post about Obama’s penchant to blame his staff for campaign missteps. There are at least ten clear times where Obama has blamed mistakes, gaffes, and faux pas on staffers. I understand that you can’t always stop your employees from saying the wrong thing, but Obama has attempted to explain the sending of written documents from his official offices as actions for which he holds no responsibility. The fact that he was “not aware,” and therefore not responsible is cause for deep concern.

I work in a service business. I have employees. If there is a mistake, I pay for it, in more ways than one. Thousands of other people take responsibility for such things. That is the mature and responsible course for a leader to take.

Is it too much to expect the man auditioning for the country’s top management post to do that same?

While on the topic of celebrities, does it bother anyone else that Angelina Jolie is probably the only mother in the world commended for bringing a fifth and sixth child into the world? During an interview on the Today show, Jack Black said to Angelina that she and Brad would “have as many as [the] ‘Brady Bunch’ when you have these,” making official all the twin rumors swirling around her protruding navel.

Normal citizens in metropolitan areas typically face ridicule and downward glances when strangers find out #6 is on the way. But society is expected to bask in the glow of Angelina and Brad’s children and hearken the arrival of more jutting cheek bones and pouty lips. Yes, the Jolie-Pitts support more humanitarian causes than the average celebrity. Yes, it’s noble of her to adopt children from impoverished countries and endure pregnancy.

But when educated, married mothers who are handling six children without a staff of twelve, (as in no night nurses, full-time nannies, cooks, personal trainers, drivers and stylists), are demeaned for “irresponsibly” populating the earth, it’s such a double standard.

No doubt the new Brady Bunch will get photographed by Annie Liebovitz for the cover of Vanity Fair after Angelina delivers. Just be sure at that time to recognize the unsung heroes who are scrubbing macaroni and cheese and nail polish out of their kid’s hair themselves.

After spending a lovely Saturday up in Sausalito, my friends and I walked past a Lappert’s ice cream shop and were wondering if we NEEDED an ice cream, when out walked a double decker tin roof sundae in a waffle cone.  My friend, J, and I looked at each other and said, “Um, yes, we need some.”  So we walk in, and promptly press our noses to the glass, deciding which flavor we needed, when my other friend, S, engaged me in dialogue:

S: That was Jamie Foxx!

LeMare:  The man holding the cone?

S:  The big black man that looked like Jamie Foxx.

LeMare:  I didn’t notice size, skin color, or face, but I did notice the double decker waffle cone with Tin Roof Sundae.

S:  He had a couple carats in each ear.

J:  How were we supposed to look at his face when he was holding that cone?

LeMare:  This is like when women complain about men looking at their chests and remind them that their eyes are up here.  Was he wearing sunglasses?

S:  On top of his head.

LeMare:  He didn’t need them covering his eyes, not with such a clever decoy as a delicious cone on a beautiful day!

So, celebrities who are hounded by the paparazzi, let this be a lesson to you.  If you don’t want to be recognized, hats and dark glasses are not the way to do it.  For heaven sakes, all it takes is something decadent in your hands and NO one will be looking at your face!

Here was the menu for today’s Mother’s Day feast:

Aunt JoEllen’s Barbecue Beef Brisket

3-5 lbs. boneless brisket
4 oz. bottle of liquid smoke
1/2 bottle Barbeque Sauce
1/2 small bottle Worcestershire sauce
celery salt
garlic salt

Marinate boneless brisket in liquid smoke for at least 12 hours before baking. Preheat oven to 225. Pour off liquid smoke and add half the bottle of Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle on celery and garlic salts. Cover and bake for 5 hours. You may want to turn the meat over during this time, but it’s not necessary. Remove brisket from oven and add ½ bottle of barbeque sauce, pouring it directly on the brisket. Continue baking 225 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from oven. Let brisket stand 20 min. before you carve it across the grain of the meat with an electric knife. Serve with barbeque sauce thinned with drippings if desired. (You can make this a day ahead, refrigerate, and throw out the fat on top—the taste only gets better)

Mashed Sour Cream and Scallion Potatoes

Place the potatoes and garlic in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and garlic and return to the pot. Add the sour cream, milk, and butter and mash with a potato masher. Add scallions and stir gently to combine well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Boston Lettuce Avocado Salad and Lime Dressing (Dave Lieberman)

For the salad:
2 small to medium heads Boston lettuce, discard any wilted leaves
1 Hass avocado, pitted
1 large bunch scallions, thinly sliced
Leaves from 1 bunch cilantro, finely choppedFor the dressing:
2 limes, juiced
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
About 20 grinds fresh black pepper
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Pull the lettuce leaves from the head, rinse gently under cold water, and lay out on clean towels to dry. Use a spoon to remove the flesh in 1 piece from each half of the avocado. Thinly slice the avocado flesh into thin wedges.Whisk together all the dressing ingredients.

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a plate and top with the avocado wedges, scallion, and cilantro. Finish with a healthy drizzling of the dressing

Lynette’s Baked Beans

3 cans Baked Beans (B&M is best, but Bush’s will work too)
1/3 lb bacon
Green Pepper
Onion
1/2 c. Ketchup
1/2 c. Brown Sugar

Cut up bacon in small pieces and fry.  Put bacon (and a little of the grease for taste) into the slow cooker.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for at least 4 hours.

In light of the tremendous disaster in Myanmar, consider making a donation here.

I my attempt to introduce you to new artists, I hope you’ll like Griffin House.  I’m a big fan.  Enjoy!

Zuiikin is a world-class instructor of all things English to our friends across the Pacific.  First we enjoyed the English Self Defense Video which taught them killer moves and important phrases like, “Take Anything You Want!” and “Spare me my life!”.  Now we watch them instruct young Japanese how to explain to English speakers that they are having tummy problems:

The campaign of Barack Obama is a fascinating story, a bonus in a year where the contentious race for the Democratic nomination has already been pure entertainment for a conservative Republican like me.

Much has been made of the Jeremiah Wright debacle. One definition for that word is “a great disruption.” Whatever your feeling on the matter, can this be argued? One thing that is clear is that Obama should not be surprised. From a one year old New York Times piece (via Best of the Web):

Few of those at Mr. Wright’s tribute in March knew of the pressures that Mr. Obama’s presidential run was placing on the relationship between the pastor and his star congregant. Mr. Wright’s assertions of widespread white racism and his scorching remarks about American government have drawn criticism, and prompted the senator to cancel his delivery of the invocation when he formally announced his candidacy in February.

Mr. Obama, a Democratic presidential candidate who says he was only shielding his pastor from the spotlight, said he respected Mr. Wright’s work for the poor and his fight against injustice. But “we don’t agree on everything,” Mr. Obama said. “I’ve never had a thorough conversation with him about all aspects of politics.”

It is hard to imagine, though, how Mr. Obama can truly distance himself from Mr. Wright. The Christianity that Mr. Obama adopted at Trinity has infused not only his life, but also his campaign. He began his presidential announcement with the phrase “Giving all praise and honor to God,” a salutation common in the black church. He titled his second book, “The Audacity of Hope,” after one of Mr. Wright’s sermons, and often talks about biblical underdogs, the mutual interests of religious and secular America, and the centrality of faith in public life.

The article concludes:

Mr. Wright, who has long prided himself on criticizing the establishment, said he knew that he may not play well in Mr. Obama’s audition for the ultimate establishment job.

“If Barack gets past the primary, he might have to publicly distance himself from me,” Mr. Wright said with a shrug. “I said it to Barack personally, and he said yeah, that might have to happen.”

 I don’t support Obama. I don’t like his policies. I’m less concerned about his Church associations, notwithstanding his pastor’s nuttiness. How he has dealt with those is an interesting window into who he is.

What else tells us about him? I liked this post from Eric at The Tygrrrr Express. Eric is also a conservative, but like many (including me) he can’t help but be impressed with Obama. He does possess formidable political gifts. This excerpt illuminates one of them:

Bill Kristol correctly pointed out that many of Obama’s answers lacked substance. Even if that was true, the fact that I did not notice that during the interview only goes to show how effective he was. To go back and watch it again, and judge the performance in a harsher light, would be unfair.

I know this has happened to me- Obama exudes a kind of reasonableness. I know this is what makes him a palatable choice for many people, even Republicans that should know better.

We’ll keep watching the Obamenon unfold.

A year ago, I was working at my desk and an email to the entire floor popped into my inbox:  “Whoever left their Spring 2006 Mix Tape in the Cafeteria, you can find it at the receptionist’s desk.”  My first question, where does one procure a Walk Man these days?  Does this person also have a typewriter?  Or simply, was the owner of the Spring 2006 Mix Tap a cult follower of the John Cusack film, High Fidelity?

High Fidelity is, first and foremost, not a film for those sensitive to certain words that begin with the sixth letter of the alphabet.  Once you look past that, though, it is a tale of music fanatics who use music (and mix tapes) as a metaphor for life.

 While High Fidelity’s style is not to be quoted to the same extent as, say Waiting for Guffman or Arrested Development, there are a number of memorable lines:    

*

Rob: Liking both Marvin Gaye and Art Garfunkel is like supporting both the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Laura: No, it’s really not, Rob. You know why? Because Marvin Gaye and Art Garfunkel make pop records.
Rob: Made. Made. Marvin Gaye is dead. His father shot him. 

*

Barry’s Customer: Hi, do you have the song “I Just Called To Say I Love You?” It’s for my daughter’s birthday.
Barry: Yea we have it.
Barry’s Customer: Great, Great, can I have it?
Barry: No, no, you can’t.
Barry’s Customer: Why not?
Barry: Well, it’s sentimental tacky crap. Do we look like the kind of store that sells I Just Called to Say I Love You? Go to the mall. 

*

Dick: Marie de Salle’s playing. You remember I told you about her. I like her. She’s kind of Sheryl Crow-ish crossed with a post-Partridge Family pre-L.A. Law Susan Dey kind of thing, but, you know, uh, black. 

*

Laura: I’m too tired not to be with you.
Rob: What, so if you had a bit more energy we’d stay split up, but things being as they are, with you being wiped out and all, you want to get back together? Is that it?
Laura: Yeah.

I thought it was enjoyable, but I thought I’d like it more than I did.  I’d be interested to know your thoughts on the film!

My brother-in-law’s father kept a yearly log while all of his kids were growing up to track their activities, funny sayings and attitudes. This one was a keeper and came from my brother-in-law’s mouth when he was seven years old.

You were just out of the bathtub tonight when [your older sister] came walking in. Your words were, “Get out of here–I’m completely nude!” You also called Mom a “sex maniac,” because you claimed she was always coming in on you when you were getting dressed from your bath.