First, the before.
My editor and I walked up to the Fox around 5, stopping for a light dinner on the way. It was a nice, warm afternoon, no rain in the forecast, perfect for a little demonstrating. The police had Woodward blocked between Grand Circus Park and the freeway, and Detroit did show out for it.
This was protest ground zero. The two sides separated to opposite sides of Woodward. On the pro-Trump side: A man drenched in fake blood (abortion), some bikers with various love-it-or-leave-it signs, a makeshift band of young men plowing through “CNN Sucks,” a few Beckys. This was shot from the Trump side. Here’s Becky on the bullhorn:
The guy in the lei was wearing a yarmulke and trench coat. There were a couple of black folks on this side, one Latino-looking dude with a “legal immigrants for Trump” sign, along with InfoWars, religious people — the usual tossed salad.
On the anti-Trump side, a far larger group, more energized, with a smorgasbord of causes — green new deal, unions for all, one job should be enough, abolish ICE, etc. I took video of this side, but I won’t embed here; no need to eat up bandwidth. You’ve all seen a demonstration before. (Lots of pix of this side at Deadline Detroit, too.) This side was far more diverse, not only in causes but in age and ethnicity. Draw your own conclusions.
At the peak of the chanting, a hayride rolled right through the middle of everything:
Earlier in the day, spotted Marianne Williamson on the street. She’s been called fat-phobic. She’s certainly not fat herself; this is a size-0 XS woman if there ever was one:
After a while, it was time to go inside. Locked up my bike — a bike was very helpful for getting around this complex — and went into the media pen. All the media, except for the CNN moderators, were in the pen. It was a nice pen, thoroughly air-conditioned and well-wifi’d:
But we got no closer to the actual debate than you all did; we watched it on TV:
You all watched it, too, so I don’t have to tell you anything you already know. I was startled by Marianne Williamson, not only by the some of the sensible — but really not pertaining to the presidency — things she said, but also by how many supporters she had outside, and not the ones you’d think, i.e., not people like her. A surprising number of African Americans, for one, and the biggest watch-party venue of the lot:’
This is a couple doors down from the Fox. Which looked gorgeous on TV; kudos to the lighting and staging technicians.
And tonight we do it all again. I might wander down again; I think my credential will at least get me past the barricades for one more night, although unsure of the press pen. No matter. Detroit is fun 365 days a year, but most fun in summer, when we all come outside. As I left, the demonstrations were down to a few plucky sign-carriers, and these folks:
“Replace Rashida” was one of the signs on the pro-Trump side, earlier, but my guess is, they won’t come close. Her district seems to love her, and to be sure, she’s one of the warmest politicians I’ve seen in a while. She came out to march a while in the early demos, along with Nathan Phillips (the Native American guy in the Covington kids story). You can see her picture, along with many, many others, at the Deadline Detroit story.
Me, I’m going to eat some breakfast and get my butt to work. Have a good day, all.
Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on July 31, 2019 at 9:23 am
Are you sure the guy in the lei and long black coat isn’t Charlie LeDuff?
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LAMary said on July 31, 2019 at 9:34 am
Marianne Williamson is an Oprah person like Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz but spiritual and stuff. I had a few co-workers who were big fans. I never got why Oprah was so adored and Phil and Oz baffle me. Marianne is part of that category.
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basset said on July 31, 2019 at 10:00 am
Local election here tomorrow, for Mayor, Council seats, and two charter amendments… I did the retired-guy thing and signed up to be a poll worker. Report to come.
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basset said on July 31, 2019 at 10:09 am
We have 35 district Council seats and 5 at large, members are limited to two terms but can run at large after that. One of those is an Argentine immigrant who was our first Hispanic Councilmember, another is a Nigerian Muslim woman in head scarf who’s never run for office before. Will be interesting to see how they do. Two other immigrants are running, one Mexican and one Japanese: https://www.tirrcvotes.org/news/four-candidates-who-can-make-history-in-nashville
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Deborah said on July 31, 2019 at 12:05 pm
Cool Nancy, I was wondering if you were there as I was watching.
I thought Mayor Pete and Beto were the most articulate of the bunch. And I too thought Williamson said some sensible things. Sanders bugged me. Warren is quite the fighter isn’t she? Delaney’s eyes were creepy. Klobacher was weak. The rest were forgettable. In general they didn’t give the candidates enough time to speak, IMO.
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Heather said on July 31, 2019 at 12:24 pm
Some of my friends are really terrified of Williamson’s growing popularity. Being kind of a woo-woo person myself (although not to the point of believing that illness is an illusion or whatever and you can cure it with positive energy), I also think she has some good points about dark energy, etc. But as my friend said, “She doesn’t have to make them in a presidential run.”
I’d say she won’t be the nominee, but these days, who freaking knows? I’m still Team Warren.
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Jeff Borden said on July 31, 2019 at 12:33 pm
My one requirement of any Dem candidate is they can defeat the Orange King. A second term for this pustule is almost unimaginable. He and his cult would be greatly emboldened and he wouldn’t have to worry about reelection, leaving him free to undermine and destroy with impunity. Those seeking only a “pure” contender can kiss my ass. This should be an all hands on deck election with one goal: retiring that racist shitheel so that the SDNY can take him and his corrupt family down.
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Scout said on July 31, 2019 at 1:15 pm
Hear, hear, Jeff Borden. Purity is a unicorn and at this point, a rabid skunk would be a better POTUS than the racist clown with stupid hair we’re stuck with now. My favorites are E Warren and Kamala, but come November 3, ’20 I am voting for whomever won the nomination, even if it is one of the old white men or Tulsi or Marianne. Any Dem with pulse has my vote because if jackass cheats his way into a second term, we’re toast.
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beb said on July 31, 2019 at 1:19 pm
Our mainstream media at work:
https://whitehousewatch.com/2019/07/jonathan-weisman-deputy-washington-editor-for-the-new-york-times-reveals-his-own-toxic-political-geography/
Detroit isn’t from the Midwest, Atlanta isn’t part of the deep south and Austin, Texas isn’t from Texas. At least according to a tweet from the Deputy Washington editor of the New York Times.
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Jakash said on July 31, 2019 at 1:23 pm
Didn’t watch it, and some of you folks seem to have liked some of what she said last night. But, gonna post this anyway…
“Marianne Williamson is the Michele Bachmann of Jill Steins.”
https://twitter.com/OhNoSheTwitnt/status/1156510242571767809
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Sherri said on July 31, 2019 at 1:37 pm
Weisman’s tweet (and McCaskill’s before it) are pretty good demonstrations of what systemic, institutionalized racism looks like. Neither of them can think about areas like the Midwest, Deep South, or Texas except through the eyes of white people. Weismann has even written a book on anti-Semitism, yet he can somehow conceive of some way in which John Lewis is not from the Deep South, in which his experience and voice is erased from that locale.
Weismann is someone who is deciding whose stories get told what point of view is the framing. We have far too many Weismans in those roles.
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Julie Robinson said on July 31, 2019 at 2:07 pm
Marianne Williamson has said many common sense things about the power of hate vs. the power of love and caring. These don’t mean she’s fit to be President. Apparently her fans were using Chaos Magick last night to get her more airtime. This involved waving their hands through the air in coordinated gestures. Okay.
But I’m not a fan of the whole Oprah/Dr Phil/Dr Oz industrial complex. It’s a million miles wide and half an inch thick, a Mitch Album equivalent.
Have been dealing with both health issues and then insurance issues for myself, mother, and daughter. Nothing big for me, I’ve been getting physical therapy for my knee, but somehow the billing got mixed up and it took 90 minutes on the phone to get it straightened out. Daughter’s getting better, Mother is a worry and sees doc tomorrow.
All of this not to complain, and I’m grateful for both the time and funding, but it’s wearying.
To add insult to injury, the damn squirrels keep eating our tomatoes. Cayenne pepper and other remedies have been useless. Fantasizing some violence. (Won’t go beyond the fantasy.)
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JodiP said on July 31, 2019 at 2:56 pm
Julie, it’s unsightly, but putting some chicken wire around your tomatoes will help keep the squirrels away.
We had company last night, so no debate. I’ll see if I’m up for it tonight.
I do have some exciting personal news: I got a promotion! I will supervise a group of social workers at the county who specialize in behavioral health and criminal justice. I’ve known the person who will be my manager for many years, and have worked under her as part of this group for much of the past 3 1/2 years. She’s solid, and has been a great mentor. I will be more scarce as a commenter here. I’ve been quiet lately because work’s been really busy.
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alex said on July 31, 2019 at 3:52 pm
My heavens, Marianne Williamson is even thinner than her resume.
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David C. said on July 31, 2019 at 3:54 pm
Almost all conpeople sound sensible sometimes and the bar has been lowered considerably, but anti-vax nutjobs don’t get by my filter.
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Dexter Friend said on July 31, 2019 at 4:22 pm
Williamson said she was either from Grosse Pointe or “I lived in Grosse Pointe”, but her Wikipedia page says she was born in Houston and was schooled in Los Angeles…no mention of Grosse Pointe.
I do not understand why Bernie scares older people, while he is popular with younger folks, generally speaking. I believe in Bernie 100%. I want him to be 46. I did not like how the blind draw of candidates made the 2 debates a segregated deal. Someone should have realized this fiasco was a possibility. They never heard of seeding? Or would that be viewed as racist or something? It is total bullshit is what it is.
It appears Trump realizes the USA is a racist nation, whether this is true or not. 51% of white adults think Trump is a racist. So what, says Trump…he won the presidency with less popular votes than HRC, no skin off Trump then. He is ramping up his racism to solidify his racist base…he is sickening, awful…he must be defeated. What do any of you think of Kushnerville in Baltimore? Rats, mice, broken plumbing, black mold everywhere… owned by a Netanyahu puppet who serves Trump.
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Suzanne said on July 31, 2019 at 4:47 pm
I do wish the Dems would go low. Bring up Moscow Mitch’s refusal to bring election security bills to the floor. The fact that voting was hacked, or attempted to be, in FL and that the GOP is doing nothing about it. Mention the dead kids at the border, in schools, at the Garlic Festival.
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Deborah said on July 31, 2019 at 5:12 pm
As much as I loathe and despise Trump and can’t imagine what another term for him would do to this country, I actually think McConnell is more dangerous. If his dem opponent would manage to win that would be amazing. Of course the Dems will need to win the senate to keep another asshole from becoming the substitute for McConnell. If we manage to get a dem president but don’t take the senate and McConnell wins his election then it will still be pretty bad. We need a dem nominee with the longest coattails to scoop up senate wins too. But you all knew this already… preaching to the choir.
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Jeff Borden said on July 31, 2019 at 5:40 pm
You’re correct, Deborah. Moscow Mitch McTreason is even worse than the Orange King. I doubt he can be dislodged from a deep red state like Kentucky, even though it is one of the 10 poorest states in the U.S. while he and his wife, Elaine Chao, are multimillionaires. So, the voters in a state with just 4.4 million will ensure the hundreds of millions of us who don’t live there can never lance this boil.
McTreason is responsible for one significant change in my political viewpoint. I’ve always opposed term limits. No more. People like him need to go away, but this can’t be accomplished through the ballot box.
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Deborah said on July 31, 2019 at 8:05 pm
I’m in Abiquiu for tonight and 2 nights after so I’ll be missing the debate tonight. I’m sure I’ll catch up online tomorrow.
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basset said on July 31, 2019 at 9:06 pm
Dexter, I’m old, 64 in a few weeks, and I’m not “scared” of Bernie but I am tired of getting scolded. Can’t relate to him at all.
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Julie Robinson said on July 31, 2019 at 9:55 pm
Congratulations, Jodi. Sounds like a great fit.
The squirrels climb up and over chicken wire. The poor plants have been so damaged that now they’re dying. Good thing we aren’t depending on these for our food or our living, as so many others do. We just like good fresh tomatoes.
Um, why has no one nominated Alex for thread win? I just about spit out my proverbial coffee.
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LAMary said on July 31, 2019 at 10:18 pm
Delaney’s eyes are too close together and scary. Watching tonight’s debate the team here decided Bennet’s mouth is too small. We have to start weeding out the weak candidates and creepy facial features are as good a place to start as anything. Also Delaney and Bennet were unimpressive in general.
Also, Inslee looks like an older Clark Kent.
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Dexter Friend said on August 1, 2019 at 1:25 am
Chris Matthews characterized Joe as Gulliver, tied down and hammered with everything he commented on and voted on for the last 50 years. Joe did OK. I am sick of that phony Kamala Harris…did Tulsi Gabbard expose her to the nation, oh yeah, big time. About time, too. Joe is strong on law and order too, but Harris was a prison-packing prosecutor and as Atty. Gen. of California continued on, recommending harsh marijuana penalties for small evidence samples and cramming the offenders into prisons, already bursting at the walls. She’s vague and doesn’t seem knowledgeable about The Region, either, saying we should pull troops “responsibly”, which means nothing. Gabbard impressed me, Bennet droned on, Inslee impressed heavily with his commitment to climate change answers and plans. Nobody’s taking DeBlasio seriously but he says the right things for me, and I have always fell in line with Gillibrand, even though I am so far from her world of privilege it’s like she’s in another world. I confess I know nothing of…never even heard of Marianne Williamson until these debates. She’s a lecturer and author and deals in spirituality? Is that right? I don’t watch network free TV in the daytime; did she have Dr. Phil type TV show? What makes her rate to debate for the Presidency? What the hell kind of connections does she have? who are her backers?
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Dorothy said on August 1, 2019 at 7:10 am
Congratulations Jodi on the promotion!!
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Suzanne said on August 1, 2019 at 8:55 am
Gabbard sounded good last night but this is why I’m not a fan of hers.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/tulsi-gabbard-syrian-dictator-assad-is-not-the-enemy-of-the-united-states
and
https://www.thedailybeast.com/tulsi-gabbards-campaign-is-being-boosted-by-russophiles
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Julie Robinson said on August 1, 2019 at 9:42 am
Totally off topic, as I peruse the “historical records”* over on the right, I’m struck at all the lighthearted exchanges we used to have. These days it’s hard not to be depressed/angry, isn’t it?
*Anyone get this movie reference?
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Icarus said on August 1, 2019 at 9:49 am
Julie Robinson @ 27 is that Empire Records? If so it is, what’s the word, timely, because I am currently ripping my CDs in an effort to bring my music system into the 21st century and I have that movie CD because I liked one or two songs and back in the day, you had to buy the WHOLE album just to get the song you liked.
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Dorothy said on August 1, 2019 at 9:53 am
Julie I don’t get the movie reference but I am taken by your entry @ 27. Maybe we could have a challenge – today or maybe one day next week – to tell a funny story about something happened to us recently. I have a good one but will wait and see what everyone else thinks. If you want to start it today I’ll chime in later. We should try to do this regularly considering all the gloom and doom with this administration. Funny stories will carry us through another 18 months of all of the dolts (the Liar in Chief and Moscow Mitch come to mind first).
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basset said on August 1, 2019 at 10:46 am
Change of topic… anyone here know Dayton? Looks like a long drive later this summer will include an overnight sleep stop there, maybe there’s an interesting place to eat or something?
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Julie Robinson said on August 1, 2019 at 10:53 am
Oops, make that historical documents, not records. It’s from the cheesy but heartfelt Galaxy Quest, about a group of actors from an old show bearing great resemblance to Star Trek. It’s years later; the actors’ careers are in the dumpster and they’re reduced to appearances at fan shows, where they interact cynically with the true believers.
Until some space aliens and the ship knock on the sliding glass doors of the captain, played by Tim Allen. (Not really a fan of his but he does great work here.) It’s all true. There are galaxies and galaxies of beings who are engaging in space, and this particular set of beings is in big trouble.
They’ve been watching the Historical Documents, as they call the episodes of the show that have been beamed out into space. Who else can help them? The has-been actors become a plucky force of good as they transform themselves into what the aliens, and their fans, believed they were. Good overcomes, but not without many losses along the way.
There are stellar performances from Allen, Sigourney Weaver, as a woman cast for her looks and irritated that most of her job is repeating orders to the computer, and the late, great Alan Rickman, as a frustrated Shakespearean actor driven to distraction by being asked to repeat his catchphrase ad infinitum. There is a sweet subplot featuring Tony Shaloub and an early performance by Sam Rockwell, who is convinced he will die because his character doesn’t have a name.
There are many layers in the seemingly simple and silly plot that are appreciated in this household. It gets pulled out as a buck-up movie. Perhaps it’s time to watch it again.
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Joe Kobiela said on August 1, 2019 at 10:55 am
Bassett,
Air force museum.
Pilot Joe
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Sherri said on August 1, 2019 at 12:34 pm
Margaret Sullivan on the debate formats: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-debate-format-is-an-embarrassment-heres-how-to-make-it-better/2019/07/31/3b1b24ba-b38b-11e9-8f6c-7828e68cb15f_story.html
I haven’t watched any of the debates, but I have been attending lots of local candidate forums (five in the last two months), so I have some thoughts. I get the frustration with time limits, but without them, some candidates will never stop (and never get to the point, and never answer the question.) My experience is that audience questions are 90% crap, usually based on a faulty premise, that would require a discussion to get down to what their real question is.
The real key to a good forum is the moderator. If the moderator is good, she can make up for a lot of the ills of the format, and if the moderator isn’t good, the format won’t save you. The best forum I’ve been to over the last two months had a fabulous moderator, no audience questions, deep questions, and five minutes for answers. The moderator did not hesitate to interrupt when the candidate veered off-topic and pushed them back to the question.
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basset said on August 1, 2019 at 12:44 pm
been there several times, the most recent with Mrs B… “you bored yet?” “yes.”
This is more of a pit stop, drive all day and stop for the night before driving some more the next day.
Joe, we were in your area Sunday, coming down 69 on the way back from Mrs B’s high school reunion outside Kalamazoo. No time to stop, though, trying to make it home in one jump.
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Dorothy said on August 1, 2019 at 12:52 pm
Basset I live in Dayton. I’d recommend someplace in the Oregon district for dinner. We like Thai 9. Near UD’s campus I like Jimmy’s Ladder 11. Has a huge menu – something for everyone – and not too expensive. If you look up some alternative places and need an opinion I’m happy to chime in. Are you looking for company at dinner if we are not otherwise engaged when you’re here? I have only met Jeff (TMMO) in person from this community so meeting another Nancier would be fun. Unless you think I’m a major pain in the ass or something….
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basset said on August 1, 2019 at 1:16 pm
Not so far… sounds like fun. Nancy, would you share our email with her? So far we have met only Nancy & Joe in person.
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Dorothy said on August 1, 2019 at 1:24 pm
I’ll look forward to hearing from you behind the scenes!
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Joe Kobiela said on August 1, 2019 at 2:12 pm
Basset,
Maybe another time, I was in Paris Sunday anyway, Paris Texas that is, they do have a Eiffel Tower it has a red cowboy hat on top of it.
Pilot Joe
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Deborah said on August 1, 2019 at 3:22 pm
Is Twitter broken today? Or is it just because I’m in Abiquiu?
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basset said on August 1, 2019 at 7:15 pm
Joe, if I remember correctly Paris, Illinois has an Eiffel-themed McDonald’s. Paris, Tennessee has a whole park: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower_(Paris,_Tennessee)
I did drag Mrs. B to the Gilmore Museum outside Kalamazoo last weekend, she liked the old cars better than old airplanes but I was disappointed that they only had one Checker on show.
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Julie Robinson said on August 1, 2019 at 8:53 pm
It was a very long afternoon at the doctor, where I learned that those little dizzy spells my mom had also included two falls. Thankfully nothing is broken and the doctor thinks it’s an inner ear disorder rather than something more serious, but still…
Also, the cat seems to be sick.
So I didn’t have anything funny to share, until I watched this little gem from last night’s Stephen Colbert show: https://youtu.be/rsWQiE4N648. Motown Sings The Debates.
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alex said on August 1, 2019 at 10:55 pm
Kroger on Dupont. The store that has everything except what’s on your shopping list.
I’m getting ready for a long weekend at the lake. Chicago friends visiting. Prepping my new go-to for potlucks, America’s Test Kitchen pasta salad that’s supposed to make people want seconds and thirds and eat the whole thing up instead of turning up their noses at it, and it has certainly lived up to the promise so far at all the potlucks this summer. Fuckin’ yummy.
So I can’t find the fucking anchovies. The one secret in the infused olive oil that you nuke to infuse with not only anchovy but minced garlic and pepper flakes. (I used Aleppo pepper flakes from Penzey’s, a freebie for buying a shit ton of other stuff.) Anyhoo, I ask some lady who’s there, not a Kroger employee but a member of some consulting firm that’s there to help arrange their store. I overheard her and others getting a consultation regarding the deli and cheese shop earlier. So she’s answering customer questions in another aisle later and I ask where are the damned anchovies. She drags me over to a Kroger employee who then drags me back to the very place where I thought they were supposed to be. Buried deep within the kippers and sardines and suchlike she points me to a stack of anchovy tins. Well, where the hell are the glass bottles of rolled anchovies in oil that used to be on the shelf over yonder that I used to buy. She says they don’t carry those anymore, sorry.
So I’m exiting the store with my incomplete purchase and preparing to go to another store when a woman in a bright yellow top gets in my face and starts flipping out on me. “Twice! You interrupted me twice and stole away the people that were helping me.” I had no clue. And I genuinely felt sorry. And I responded “If it’s any consolation, I didn’t find them helpful either.” Then she went totally berserk and I had to exit fast with my incomplete purchase.
I went to Earth Faire across the street to see if they had fricking anchovies. They did, but also in a tin and not a bottle. I get home and start making my America’s Test Kitchen pasta salad and I open the tin of anchovies and it’s a mislabeled tin of sardines. Fuck! I call them and they put me through to a manager and I tell them that they may have a mislabeled lot of anchovies.
Fortunately, I have some anchovies, although older than God, in a jar of coagulated oil in the fridge. So I end up using those.
So the story continues after we shit or puke the next few days, or if the dish is as big of a hit as it was the last time. The dressing is pepperoncini brine mixed with the infused olive oil and it’s the bomb!
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Jeff (the mild-mannered one) said on August 1, 2019 at 11:23 pm
Hat tip, JodiP. That sounds like work worth doing. And Dorothy isn’t a pain in anyone’s anywhere!
The Hall of Fame Game bleachers are sparsely occupied. That’s usual in August for Canton, but it has me wondering why I’m watching this. But football has begun, a nice counterpoint to the bloodsport of Democratic candidate debating. When do the Republican debates start?
As I contemplate the apocalypse, now on the road south of me in Cincinnati, I can report that at the lunch after today’s funeral, there was a broccoli salad that included blueberries. It looked like most sheer drop edges do to me, horrifying, yet I felt compelled to throw myself into it.
And behold, it was good. Wish I had a recipe, but I do not, so I can only pass along the general concept. Raisins, diced red onion, and I think dried cherries . . . and you don’t need to ask if there was bacon. I said it was good.
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Jakash said on August 2, 2019 at 12:45 am
Funny story, alex, though infuriating for you, obviously.
I’ve long since decided that about 1/4 of the products that I particularly seek out in a grocery store will end up being discontinued within a couple years. It happens over and over again.
With regard to the pasta salad, as I read the comment I thought, “whoa, that’s a lot of sodium.” Pepperoncini brine FTW! I just happened to have some pepperoncini with dinner — 390 milligrams of sodium in 12 of those little rings, which I love. So, I had to look up the recipe — the “nutrition facts” says 899 mgs of sodium per serving for the ATK pasta salad. Given that the pasta has 0 mgs to begin with, that’s ramped up quite appreciably.
I’m not writing this to be a jerk — though it may seem that way! ; ) Just an observation about how salt makes everything so much tastier, whether one notices it, or not. I just read recently about some guy who asked a friend of his who was a chef “How come I can never get my burgers to taste as good as yours?” The chef’s reply was that the most likely explanation is that you’d never believe how much salt he puts into the patties…
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Dexter Friend said on August 2, 2019 at 4:32 am
I only eat anchovies on pizza, but rarely, as everyone I know hates them, and sardines. It’s like back in my drinkin’ daze, I’d always buy Nouveau Beaujolais and a nice German Riesling for Thanksgiving dinner and nobody would touch a drop of it…they wanted crap like sugary Lambrusco. I quickly got over it, but I did pine for Nouveau Beaujolais the first couple sober years upon release day. I loved that wine. Alex, the thing I cannot find anymore is an ample display of creamed herring. I used to buy that weekly; now, no dice. Warning: if you feed your dogs pig ears, throw them out or burn them: salmonella is killing doggies. Source: Channel 6, Miami, FL.
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basset said on August 2, 2019 at 7:00 am
I found an expired can of kippers way at the back of the pantry and dumped em out in front of a trail camera, probably a possum or a coon has eaten em but it’ll be interesting to see. may check that cam and others this weekend.
election day was long, the “I have no plans but throw the bums out” mayoral candidate won the precinct I worked but finished third overall and the “don’t vote for my opponent because he moved here from San Francisco” council candidate in our district lost by almost two to one.
the poll work was slow, just over 200 voters all day. just about all of ours were pretty reasonable, although we did get one who filled out a ballot then refused to hand it in because she didn’t trust the system.
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Suzanne said on August 2, 2019 at 7:26 am
I wanted to have a go at making springerle cookies as I was cleaning out cookbooks and found a handwritten recipe from my grandmother who made them every year at Christmas. Could I find anise in the spice aisle of any grocery store in the area? No. Same with cornichons when I ran across an interesting potato salad recipe that called for them and the recipe stated that really, no substitute would do.
While I am complaining, why do grocery stores only seem to sell siracha in very large bottles? We are not hot sauce eaters but I do use it occasionally so I don’t need the big bottle, but that’s generally all I can find.
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ROGirl said on August 2, 2019 at 7:57 am
Creamed herring should be in the refrigerated section, if the store has it. My father used to get it. I recall a brand called Ma Cohen’s, don’t know if they still sell it.
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Julie Robinson said on August 2, 2019 at 9:02 am
Noooooo, please don’t say they’re remodeling that Kroger again!!!! *existential shudders*
That place is the bane of my existence. Always too busy, the too-small parking lot is a cluster upon cluster. They keep expanding the liquor section while products we used to buy disappear from the shelves. Mother started getting homebound meals, and is supposed to keep a cooler by the door in case she’s away for the delivery. Could we find an ice pack there? They had ten different styles of coolers, no ice packs. I tracked down an employee, who called the office, sure enough, no ice packs. No wonder Amazon does so well.
She lives almost across the street, and there are no other groceries nearby, not counting Earth Fare. (Good for tidbits, not for staples.) The next closest is Walmart, anywhere from 10-30 minutes down Dupont Road, depending on the status of the two-year long construction project. She hates them anyway, and Meijer, another 10 minutes away, is just too huge for her.
We’ve tried home delivery, but she really struggles with the computer interface, and I do think it’s good for her to walk around the store and have some social stimulation. And she likes picking out her own groceries, as do I, so I totally get that.
I did learn that if you have the app on your phone, it will at least tell you what aisle an item should be in, and saves time hunting for those they no longer carry.
Sorry for the rant, but I’m facing going there this afternoon and dreading it.
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Deborah said on August 2, 2019 at 9:17 am
Recently i was also looking for one of those little jars of anchovies and could only find tins. When we were in France and had lunch at the artist’s mother’s house that I mentioned here before, she served the most delicious homemade olive tapenade that I had ever tasted. I asked for the recipe, it included anchovies. The artist also said to use sweet pitted black olives. What in the heck are those? I just used kalamatas and of course my result didn’t taste anything like hers. Capers are the other ingredient, everything is puréed in a food processor. If any of you know what they are and where to find sweet black olives let me know.
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basset said on August 2, 2019 at 9:21 am
Forgot to mention… the Nigerian-, Argentine-, and Japanese-born candidates all made it into runoffs, and the Nigerian was second out of fifteen at-large candidates.
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LAMary said on August 2, 2019 at 9:48 am
I occasionally get the jars of anchovies from Amazon. For stuff like putanesca sauce I just use the tins.
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diane said on August 2, 2019 at 10:09 am
While we are talking cooking here, can I ask a baking question? Does anyone have any experience using silicone molds for cookies? I want to make cookies in a particular shape and can’t find a cutter but do have a silicone mold sheet. Would it work-does anyone have a recipe? I don’t care what kind of cookies they are, I just need the shape.
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Heather said on August 2, 2019 at 10:21 am
Anchovies are good for a simple pasta dish too–just melt them in olive oil with garlic. Toss with lemon juice/zest and chopped parsley. Add some bread crumbs for texture if you like.
Well, I got laid off this week. It was kind of a shock in some ways, not in others. We acquired another company earlier this year and there has been lots of reorganization. I gather I’m probably too expensive for their needs. It was never a great fit, and I got a pretty good severance deal–plus my own financial situation is good, so I’m not too worried. Already doing some networking, etc. We’ll see how I feel at the beginning of next year, when the severance runs out! I’m worried about ageism in the job market, of course, but some friends my age have emailed me about being able to find good jobs. Anyway, if I had to get laid off, this is really the ideal situation. Could be the kick in the pants I needed to do something better.
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Deborah said on August 2, 2019 at 11:17 am
Heather, I’m sorry you have to go through a job hunt, not fun, but as you said from things you’ve posted here about your job it’ll probably turn out just fine to be free from that place.
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Deborah said on August 2, 2019 at 11:42 am
Heather, if you’re possibly interested in writing for an architecture firm let me know. I can hook you up with some people who could give you advice about that. Maybe you still have my email address or text #? Or you can IM me through Facebook. I’m still in Abiquiu so may not get decent service until tomorrow when I’m back in Santa Fe. I’ve had a hard time connecting to NN.c today.
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Heather said on August 2, 2019 at 11:50 am
Thanks, Deborah, I’m looking at any and all possibilities! And even if it doesn’t work out, making more contacts is always good. I’ll email you.
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JodiP said on August 2, 2019 at 12:15 pm
Alex, love how you told the story! I too, have been unable to find anchovies packed in oil in a jar. Well, my co-op has a very tiny jar for about $5…but I bought a tin a few weeks ago, used two and am now dreading getting rid of the others which I put in a container. I should have just fed them right away to our cats and dog!
I looked online for help solving the mystery, but just came up with Amazon ads and recipes. Amazon sells three 4.25 oz jars for $22.09, which is steep. I have looked in 3 different stores. Our fancy store, Lund’s had useless staff. Trader’s Joe’s has great customer service, but no anchovies, and our food co-op is small enough I could peruse the shelf myself. I helped another customer at the co-op the other day who was also looking for the jar version, and she ended up buying a tin too.
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Deborah said on August 2, 2019 at 1:09 pm
Diane, I’m no baking expert by any stretch but i’d think it would be hard to get the cookies out of the silicone mold sheet once baked, unless the cookies were kind of flexible, not crumbly. But otherwise it seems it would work just fine. If you made a simple sugar cookie dough but baked for less time so they remained flexible that might work. I have no experience with using a silicone mold for cookies, I’m just speculating. Under done sugar cookies are my favorite kind of cookie, I like them soft and almost bendable.
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David C. said on August 2, 2019 at 1:51 pm
My wife hates silicone baking sheets/cups. They seem to insulate whatever is being baked and she doesn’t feel it browns correctly.
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diane said on August 2, 2019 at 9:07 pm
Thanks Deborah and David C. I am going to experiment this weekend.
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LAMary said on August 2, 2019 at 10:25 pm
Deborah, I think the olives that are canned, not in jars with brine or cured in oil would be considered sweet. You know the black olives that you get at salad bars? Those.
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Dexter Friend said on August 3, 2019 at 1:26 am
Nobody in my family can stand canned black olives, except me and my 1 daughter. When she was very young she could eat a whole can of them. I got used to olives/pimientos because they are always here.
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susan said on August 3, 2019 at 9:45 am
Look on a can or jar of olives and check out the “serving size.” Two. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Hoo boy.
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Jakash said on August 3, 2019 at 12:42 pm
Having been subjected only to canned black olives, growing up, I didn’t even realize that I like olives until I was an adult. Now I like many varieties, with Kalamata being my go-to. Still avoid canned black olives, though, even if no other are on offer. I’ll eat them begrudgingly if they’re in or on something, but not by themselves.
Wow, that’s pretty unrealistic, susan. One of my favorite serving sizes is that, for Vlasic pickle spears, it’s 2/3 of a spear!
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susan said on August 3, 2019 at 1:45 pm
Oh, I just looked on a can of “medium” olives—you know, the really small ones—; serving size is five. But the jar of Calamata olives says “about two.”
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beb said on August 3, 2019 at 3:28 pm
In local political news… The Donald Trump of Oakland County, L. Brooks Patterson has died (age 80). His hatred of Detroit was so immense that it killed any regional cooperation with Detroit and the suburbs that depend on it. The hagiography has already begun but there is nothing good to say about him.
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Dexter Friend said on August 3, 2019 at 5:29 pm
I would say he was a racist by definition. He used to guest with J.P. McCarthy on WJR frequently. He was adamant that he would not attend any event south of 8 Mile Road, spicing his comment up with little tidbits about getting shot and /or getting jacked-up one way or another. That man hated Detroit, no doubt, back in the 80s anyway. He made me sick to listen to him, but J.P. had him on the radio, much too often. On the Detroit theme, it’s been 30 years since Jim Fitzgerald of The Freep declared he was done with the Detroit Lions, not being able to stand all the ineptness and constant losing. Thirty years ago, yes. Jim is long gone, and the Lions are as bad as ever…predicted to be the worst team in the entire league in 2019. Some things never change. ~ But…Go Lions! 🙁
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Deborah said on August 3, 2019 at 10:06 pm
I made a few comments that didn’t show up here I guess because I sent them from Abiquiu. One was about my not knowing there was anything better than canned black olives until I was thirty something. And when LB was a little kid she absolutely loved them. When I eventually found brined/oiled olives it was a revelation.
I was at Whole Foods in Santa Fe today and got some giant black Cerignola olives at the olive bar for another try at the tapenade recipe. I will have to pit them though, will try the cherry pitter. I also found jarred anchovies instead of in tins.
I also bought some canned black olives if my Cerignolas don’t work.
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Deborah said on August 3, 2019 at 10:15 pm
There is no other way to say this: Trump has blood on his hands in El Paso, and if you’re a Trump supporter you do too.
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Suzanne said on August 3, 2019 at 11:44 pm
Agree, Deborah.
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beb said on August 4, 2019 at 1:05 am
I only heard about El Paso on the evening news. “Again?” I think I cried out. Deborah is right. There is blood on his hands.
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Deborah said on August 4, 2019 at 4:47 am
And there’s another one in Dayton, OH. Dorothy are you guys OK? A mass shooting in the Oregon district.
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Dorothhy said on August 4, 2019 at 5:32 am
What a terrible thing to wake up to. I got a message from my daughter’s friend who lives north of Manchester, England asking if we are okay. Yes Deborah we are fine. I don’t know what time this happened in Dayton. We were up later than usual because we watched Bohemian Rhapsody which we had on the DVR. I’m still trying to process this news. I’m filled with anxiety that I might know someone who was killed or injured. I just recently finished directing a play with six young people and will be listening for names when they are released. I mentioned the Oregon District to Basset the other day as a potential place to eat when he and his wife come to Dayton soon. This bar where the shooting happened is diagonal across the street from Thai 9 where I recommended. (I have Channel 7 on and she just said this started around 1 AM).
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Dorothy said on August 4, 2019 at 8:35 am
I typed a post at 5:30 this morning Deborah, but maybe in my fraught state I did not click on Submit comment. We are fine. But I’m most anxious to hear the names of victims. I just directed a play with six young people ages 18-30 or so and only know of one of them who has posted she is safe on Facebook. Don’t you all feel like eventually each of us is going to be involved in a mass shooting?! It feels so inevitable. I’m sick to my stomach thinking about this. Just three days or so ago basset and I talked about getting together when he and Mrs. basset come through Dayton in a few weeks. And I mentioned the Oregon District as having nice restaurants. This shooting was in the OD. Good God please save us from ourselves!
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Deborah said on August 4, 2019 at 9:00 am
One of the comments I made while in Abiquiu that didn’t show up here because of the lousy AT&T service was about someone doing target practice in Carson National Forest. Our land backs up to CNF and the gun noise was way too close for comfort. The rat-a-tat-tat sound indicated that there was some kind of semi-automatic involved. I think I know who it was which kind of terrifies me. One of our neighbors, a very (very) wealthy couple who recently bought a lot of land by the Chana river have a young adult son who lives with them and acts quite odd, he’s a “survivalist” who believes the end is near and he owns lots of guns. From what I’ve read about some of the mass murderers this guy seems like the type. I sure hope I’m wrong. It’s horrific that we even have to think about possibilities like this.
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Andrea said on August 4, 2019 at 9:25 am
Thoughtful piece on the history behind people like Trump and Williamson. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/08/01/self-centered-religion-shared-by-marianne-williamson-president-trump/?utm_term=.cb511c8c6b08
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Deborah said on August 4, 2019 at 9:46 am
That’s the Chama river not Chana.
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David C. said on August 4, 2019 at 12:13 pm
I know statistically mass shootings are rare and the chances of any one individual being affected are very remote. I share your feelings about it though, Dorothy. These idiots emotions are being cranked up to 11 and you have a party, a “news” station, and various internet crazies egging them on. As one match can start a forest fire, who knows what could start something that can’t easily be contained.
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Sherri said on August 4, 2019 at 12:23 pm
We need to stop calling them mass shootings and start calling them what they are: terrorism. Google “stochastic terrorism.”
We’re already seeing people who have been through more than one of these domestic terror events, or who survived the first one only to die in the second.
I’m sick to death of hearing about mental health or thoughts and prayers or anything else that doesn’t involve getting rid of so many guns. It takes a perverse reading of the second amendment to conclude that there is a personal right to own a weapon capable of killing like this.
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Sherri said on August 4, 2019 at 1:19 pm
A bunch of brown men kill a bunch of people in the US, and we start two wars, completely reorganize whole divisions of the federal government, rework airline security dramatically, equip local police with military equipment, change a million thing large and small.
A bunch of white men go around shooting people in the US, and we…offer thoughts and prayers, and blame mental illness but do nothing to address it.
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ROGirl said on August 4, 2019 at 1:50 pm
They haven’t released any information about the shooter in Dayton (last I checked, that is), but I was struck that the shooter at the garlic festival last Sunday and the one in El Paso were 20 and 21 years old, respectively.
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Suzanne said on August 4, 2019 at 2:37 pm
Exactly. We have a few Muslims radicalized into terrorism and we shut down travel from entire countries. We have an increasing number of young white Americans radicalized into terrorism and we are told that maybe we should ban video games or something, but really, there is nothing we can do.
I suspect the President and Moscow Mitch and Leningrad Lindsey and their buddies are cheering in private for the good work these young men are doing for them.
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Sherri said on August 4, 2019 at 3:00 pm
I’m still goggling at the Republicans who were shocked over the new discovery of Reagan’s racism. Y’all, he began his campaign in Philadelphia, MS, what did you think that was about?
Next they’ll be shocked that William F Buckley was racist. Or the rest of their heroes, who somehow were always on the side of maintaining white male supremacy, but were never racist or sexist, oh no.
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Sherri said on August 4, 2019 at 3:22 pm
And do, let’s talk about mental illness a second. I have a mental illness. I have four close friends whose kids have mental illness, and all four of them have struggled to get treatment for them, even though they all have good insurance and live in major metropolitan areas. I’ve watched it play out year after year, in multiple locations. Even for me, when my psychiatrist retired, I decided to let my PCP prescribe my meds and manage my illness myself, because finding a new psychiatrist is so hard.
So, I don’t want to hear the words “mental health” mentioned in regards to domestic terrorism anymore, unless it’s about the action you’re going to take to improve everybody’s access to mental health treatment.
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beb said on August 4, 2019 at 4:03 pm
The governor of Texas says this is the time for memorials; not the time for politics. AS if memorials will do any of the dead one damn bit. The Vice Governor (I think) suggested we need to do more about mental health. You know, no one voluntarily admits that they are mentally unfit. And friends and neighbors go out of their way to overlook signs of mental illness. So any policy based on mental illness is going to fail. Unless we start with the assumption that anyone wanting to own a gun is crazy and it is up to them to prove that they are sane enough to own a gun. But even then questions aimed at detecting racism or paranoia will be challenged as infringing on some people’s rights.
I am glad to see Democrats calling for Moscow Mitch to reconvene the Senate to address gun safety. McConnell, of course, won’t but if the Dems keep calling for it all during this recess it will put the onus on the Repubs for not doing something about guns.
Background checks will help but not greatly. More success will come from bans on “bumpstocks” and other means of increased firing speed. Bans on large magazines and bans on military style ammunition designed for the killing of people. (I’m vague on this but I know that some bullets will just go right through a person while military bullets are designed to rip up as much as of the person as possible by fragmenting or tumbling, etc. Since gun confiscation (the only sensible policy) is a no-go, I would propose that anyone owning a semi-automatic be required to register with the government the same way owners of full-automatic weapons have to. I’d also like to see a limit on how many guns a private citizen can own without registering as a gun dealer. Two rifles, two shotguns and a handgun seems plenty to me. Finally I think we need, as a national policy, that if you handle your firearm so carelessly that is discharges unintentional you should be deemed unfit to possess a gun. That would stop infants from shooting themselves or their mothers (assuming they survive their first mistake) dropped guns accidentally going off at gun shows and so on.
The Second amendment must not be a suicide pact. If it begins to harm the population (as it has) it must be reeled in until the nation is safe(r).
Thank you for listening to my rant.
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Suzanne said on August 4, 2019 at 4:21 pm
You are right, Beb. How many shooters have fine mental health until they don’t but there’s that gun and life crapped on me and I am madder than hell and boom!
But then My day was ruined when I read the morning paper and discovered our sycophantic NE Indiana Rep, Jim Banks, has hired Tucker Carlson’s son as a staffer. So I am a bit grumpy.
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Dorothy said on August 4, 2019 at 4:25 pm
I’m watching the press conference that started about 15 minutes ago. Some of you may know these facts already or are watching it on CNN perhaps. But the shooter killed his own sister; six of the nine dead people were black. They also just showed video of the police officer who killed the shooter, who fell right in front of the bar Ned Peppers. They listed the names of the police officers who were right at the scene (did not identify which one brought down the shooter) and four of the six officers all were sworn in on the same day when they became police officers, in April 2016. Also heard earlier this afternoon that when the name of the shooter was released and people in his hometown found out his identity, two people actually said they were not surprised to hear it was him. No motive has been identified yet.
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Sherri said on August 4, 2019 at 4:39 pm
trump is a villain, no doubt, but taking back our country from Moscow Mitch is just as important, which is why I want some of those gazillion candidates for the nomination to turn their attention to the Senate. Hickenlooper, Beto, you’re not going to be president, but you could be senators!
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David C. said on August 4, 2019 at 5:03 pm
I can’t say why anyone would want to be President instead of being a Senator. Being a Senator must be the easiest gig in the country. No real responsibility, lots of days off, great bennies.
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susan said on August 4, 2019 at 6:27 pm
People who own guns need to buy goddamn insurance policies to own and operate them. Just like you need to buy insurance policies to own and operate a motor vehicle. Why isn’t that brought up as one step to take? In addition to real actual background checks.
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