tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-140330692024-03-07T17:50:51.734-07:00Anne's RamblingsA few thoughts on life, knitting, music, food and whatever else.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-86429713334302719702012-04-26T18:08:00.000-06:002012-04-26T21:20:12.866-06:00Sausage and Sauerkraut4 slices bacon -- chopped fine<br />
1 pound sausage -- crumbled, sliced or whatever<br />
1 onion -- chopped<br />
garlic!! (as much as you like, minced or mashed)<br />
3 medium carrots -- julienne<br />
4 - 8 oz roasted peeled red chiles -- chopped (may sub red bell pepper, add near end of cooking if using bells)<br />
6 oz wine (I use red)<br />
2 TBSP mustard powder<br />
3 TBSP red chile powder (your choice of heat level and amt.)<br />
turmeric (I use about a tsp or a little less)<br />
whole mustard seed (optional) -- use as much/little as you like. Add it just after the wine & spice mixture.<br />
1 pkg sauerkraut (32 oz) -- drained (We prefer Hebrew National but that is tough to find in Socorro, NM)<br />
1 - 2 cups shredded cabbage (I use a mix of red and green.)<br />
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Brown the bacon and pour off most of the fat. Add the sausage, onion and garlic and brown that. We like it fairly brown.<br />
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Mix the powdered spices into the wine and let it sit a few minutes. While that is waiting cook the carrots and red chiles a little. De-glaze the pan with the wine and spices and add the sauerkraut. When everything is nearly done add the fresh cabbage; add the bell pepper now if you are using it instead of (or in addition to) red chiles.<br />
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Serve with your favorite not-spaghetti pasta. It tastes fine with spaghetti but it just does not work well. Rainbow rotini, radiatore, penne, bow ties all work quite well.<br />
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I want to try making my own pasta to go with this. Perhaps a spaetzle made with part rye flour and caraway seeds would be good.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-17215331526295407072011-06-06T20:45:00.006-06:002011-06-06T21:38:06.114-06:00Narrators Make or Break an AudiobookHi. My name is Anne and I am hooked on audiobooks. Even more so since my sight is not what it used to be.<br /><br />It's not easy to read an entire long book aloud and remain consistent in the character of the reading so this is my tip o' the hat to the narrators and performers of these works.<br /><br />One audiobook I was prepared to love turned out to be an ear-torturing mess. I wanted to love this one; it is about the Yiddish language and the author read it. No, I am not going to out the book; the author is probably embarrassed enough without my little squib from an obscure blog.<br /><br />There are several amazing audio performers who seem to have a magical touch about their reading or performing a book. Performing is perhaps more appropriate a term for works of fiction as the narrator has to give different voices to different characters. And be consistent! And not sneeze or get hiccups.<br /><br />Nick Podehl does a wonderful performance of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Foundation</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Intrigues</span> by Mercedes Lackey. He gets the voices right and the moods of the different scenes. As soon as the third book in <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Collegium Chronicles</span> comes out I am getting it! His work on two of Andre Norton's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Witchworld</span> books is also right for those books. Unlike some male readers he can convey the femininity of female characters.<br /><br />Not every audio performer can do nonfiction and fiction. Scott Brick handles both extremely well. From <span style="font-weight: bold;">No One Would Listen</span> by Harry Markopolos (about the Bernie Madoff scandal) to Terry Brooks' Shannara epic fantasies he shines. His performance of female voices is excellent. I have several more of his works in my audio library, including <span style="font-weight: bold;">Alexander Hamilton</span> by Ron Chernow and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad Money</span> by Kevin Philips <br /><br />At times a performer seems to almost channel the author; Christian Rodska becomes Winston Churchill while reading those books. He conveys the tragedy of the war in the four volume history of World War Two without over-emoting.<br /><br />When I first heard about the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Autobiography of Mark Twain</span> I knew I'd get it if it came out in audiobook format. It has and Grover Gardner of Blackstone Audio absolutely nails it! He skipped the Mississippi accent but that does not matter. I'll be re-listening to that one this summer. He narrates the massive work by William Shirer: <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich</span>. I'm unsure how to describe that performance other than brilliant. It's a tough piece of history brought to life.<br /><br />There are many more wonderful narrators and performers I must mention and thank. June is Audiobook Month so I should really blog more about them.<br /><br />Huge thanks to all who make audiobooks possible.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-76564282105914341092010-11-30T19:13:00.007-07:002010-11-30T20:01:28.076-07:00Just StopIt is time for the religious people to just shut up about things that are none of their business. Mostly I am yelling at fundamentalists, Catholics and Mormons who do not like the idea that two people of the same gender can love each other. Just. Shut. Up.<br /><br />You jabber about how abominable it is to be gay. You go on and on about the evilness of "the gay agenda". If there is a gay agenda I think it is just to have the same rights as anyone else. This is the 21st century and it is high time to put away the Bronze Age myths.<br /><br />Mormons have their <a href="http://www.postregister.com/scouts_honor/part1.php">very own scandal</a> involving Boy Scouts and sexual abuse. The Church did little to protect children -- the same children that claim are harmed by having two parents of the same gender. That is sick. Perhaps to a bigot it s better to be raped than to be in a family with two dads or two moms.<br /><br />There are any number of fundamentalists who have harmed kids. Mojoey has a huge catalog of their sins on his <a href="http://mojoey.blogspot.com/">Deep Thoughts</a> blog. We see that in many cases these ministers are serial abusers. And the churches cover up for them. Disgusting. And yet to these "godly" folks a loving family with same-gender parents is too horrible to think about.<br /><br />Do I even need to say anything about the Catholic Church? If you have missed that scandal you have been a little out of touch. Many people have come out of the abuse closet to relate to the rest of us the appalling things done to them by priests. And the horrible pope knew what was happening; he could have prevented many rapes and yet he did not. How evil. And sickening. But this bastion of all that is holy is opposed to same gender marriage.<br /><br />This fall there have been way too many (one would be too many) suicides of LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) teens. If these lovely god-smitten religious people had kept their mouths shut about homosexuality would there have been fewer deaths? I think so. The bullying of these young people is utterly inexcusable and yet churches say similar things.<br /><br />Proposition 8 in California banned same gender marriage. Appalling. Since when do we in the USA vote to take rights away? A lot of the money used to finance this atrocity came from religious people and churches. There is an <a href="http://base8.lavenderliberal.com/">on line catalog of bigots</a> so you can find out if you are doing business with haters.<br /><br />It is time for the god-botherers to think about what they are doing. A <a href="http://www.queerty.com/arkansas-school-board-member-clint-mccance-gay-kids-should-all-commit-suicide-20101026/">school board membe</a>r in Arkansas wanted to <a href="http://atheism.about.com/b/2010/11/06/gay-kids-committing-suicide-clint-mccance-likes-this.htm">have gays die</a>. He resigned over the flap but he should have thought before expressing that hateful idea.<br /><br />So just be quiet about other peoples loves. It is none of your business to poke your religious nose into the lives of people who do not share your belief in a magic sky fairy. If your imaginary friend thinks you should not engage in gay sex that is between you and your imaginary friend. If gay sex offends you take Nancy Reagan's advice to "just say no" and don't do it. But please keep your nasty-minded bigotry to yourself.<br /><br />The federal "Defense of Marriage Act" must be repealed. "Don't Ask Don't Tell" is ridiculous and must be repealed. What is so tough about giving our LGBT citizens the same rights the rest of us have? If your objections are because of the writings of Bronze Age mystics who didn't know what lightning was then you really need to keep them to yourself.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-56574012468704876102010-10-18T17:33:00.004-06:002010-10-18T17:55:40.905-06:00End the Shame on Victims of Sexual AssaultVictims of sexual violence in the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/10/17/congo.rapes.march/index.html?iref=allsearch">Congo are protesting </a>the use of rape as a weapon of war. Good for them! They are in a culture that devalues women -- especially if they've been violated. It is never the victim's fault!<br /><br />The Congolese women are moving from victim to survivor with their actions. It will not be easy but many important things are not.<br /><br />In the USA (and many other places) we must remove the shame from the victims and survivors of sexual assault. As long as we are unnamed in news reports it will seem that no one knows anyone who has been raped. No one should be named without consent but I believe naming victims will help end the shame. I am a survivor of the kiddie porn industry and I am open about what happened to me.<br /><br />I have no shame because of what was done to me. None. Not a tiny drop. If there is shame and opprobrium let it fall on those who commit the crimes. That is where it belongs. It is never the victim's fault.<br /><br />A bunch of years ago a friend and I were walking in the town where we lived. We happened to be discussing flashers and what to do if confronted by one. A flasher exposed himself to us a few minutes later and we -- without thinking about it -- burst out laughing. She pointed at the creature, we looked at each other and continued laughing. Tears ran down our cheeks and we had to lean on each other for support. The flasher shrank away. We never saw him again.<br /><br />Our laughter gave us both a feeling that we were in control in that situation. Flashers generally want to elicit horrified reactions but we refused to cooperate.<br /><br />I am not suggesting laughing at rape; it is too traumatic to laugh at, certainly. But victims who take the power over their feelings and then their lives will be able to more on to become survivors.<br /><br />It is true that living well is the best revenge.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-87035864546288620052010-06-02T17:55:00.004-06:002010-06-02T18:08:03.695-06:00Guinea Bird StewSome birds just beg to get themselves eaten. We had such a guinea -- he was mean to our chickens who actually manage to pay their way. So that bird was turned into dinner.<br /><br />My friend killed him quickly, bled him out and skinned him. The meat was darker than store-bought chicken and he seemed a lot tougher.<br /><br />In a small saute pan I browned gently about 1 1/2 cups of pearl barley as though I were making pilaf. That went into the crock-pot first. Then the guinea bird stuffed with half an onion went in. The other half of the onion went next to the bird.<br /><br />Because this was my first attempt at cooking guinea I wanted as much of the flavor of the bird as possible so I used water as my cooking liquid. Next time, and there will be a next time, I'll use white wine, and fresh sage and rosemary to season.<br /><br />I set the crock pot on high for 3 hours then turned it to low. I had about half a pound of fresh mushrooms on hand so I sliced and sauteed those and added them when I turned the heat down. The barley was nearly done then and the bird was getting tender.<br /><br />Total cooking time was about 6 hours. Guinea bird tastes a lot like home-raised chicken but the flavor is much richer.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-69133155845946799332010-05-24T22:20:00.004-06:002010-05-24T22:43:46.668-06:00Dear Politician SHUT UPI hate robocalls. And it is primary election season here in the Land of Enchantment so the politicians are robocalling. In the last 5 days I have had over 20 calls from these ninnies who want my vote.<br /><br />Like I am ever going to vote for someone who annoys me. Oh, wait. That'd be all of them.<br /><br />My phone is mine. I pay my bill every month so I can have land line service. My best buddy lives 1100 miles away and we talk a lot; never could I afford that many minutes on a cell plan.<br /><br />The "Do Not Call" list has spared me a lot of telemarketer calls but charities and politicians are exempt. The politicians who exempted themselves should be tarred, feathered, flogged, painted with bacon grease and staked out on an ant hill. But it'd be cruel to the ants to put such a toxic mess on them; they are a natural part of the ecosystem.<br /><br />No, I will not just shut off my phone; I do not feel that I can. My son is 24 years old and a Staff Sergeant in the US Air Force. He is in South Korea right now and that may not be the best place to be. There are some phone calls a parent never wants to get but those are the calls you really don't want to miss so my phone is left on. And I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">hate</span> robocalls.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-38790291180202373362010-04-24T19:31:00.003-06:002010-05-23T17:55:05.178-06:00Chocolate Chip CookiesCream together:<br />1 pound of butter<br />4 cups brown sugar {dark or dark/light mixed}<br /><br />Beat in:<br />5 eggs {6 if they're smaller}<br />3 or more TBSP <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">real</span> vanilla {don't use fake stuff!}<br /><br />Sift together:<br />4 cups whole wheat flour<br />2 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp salt {or a little more}<br />2 tsp baking soda<br />a little nutmeg if you like it<br /><br />And add to the butter sugar egg mixture. This will be a very stiff<br />batter.<br /><br />Add:<br />4 cups rolled oats<br />4 cups Wheaties cereal {or wheat-based equivalent <span style="font-weight: bold;">not</span> cornflakes!}<br />2 pkg chocolate chips {semi-sweet or milk choc. or mix...}<br />Nuts if you like them {1 1/2 cups walnuts or pecans} Mix thoroughly.<br /><br />Use about 2 TBSP batter per cookie, 12 to a std. sized sheet. Bake<br />8 - 12 min {or a little longer if necessary} at 350 deg F. Makes a<br />bunch but they never seem to last...Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-12014092450783341232010-04-17T16:20:00.004-06:002010-05-23T17:56:32.862-06:00Frittata SortaThis recipe makes a huge batch.<br /><br />2 - 3 slices bacon chopped, browned, drained<br />1 onion chopped fine<br />6 - 12 crimini mushrooms chopped<br />1 cup artichoke hearts (we use marinated ones) chopped<br />1/2 cup dried tomato<br />Steamed potato cubes -- 1 - 2 cups<br />1 1/2 cup broccoli florets<br />spinach -- be generous<br />cheese slices to cover the top. I use sharp cheddar but any good cheese will work.<br /><br />18 eggs<br />1 cup milk<br />3 TBSP flour<br /><br />You will need a big pan; mine is a 12 in. skillet and this pretty much fills it.<br /><br />Brown the bacon and drain off most of the fat. Brown the onion and mushrooms. Add the tomato, artichoke hearts and cook them till the tomato begins to soften -- just a few minutes.<br /><br />Then add the potato, broccoli and spinach. Let those sit in the pan while you prepare the eggs.<br /><br />Beat the eggs and milk thoroughly with the flour. Mix into the pan and bake at 365° for about 35 - 45 minutes. It is done when a knife inserted comes out clean.<br /><br />You can add any number of other things to this. Garlic and fresh herbs are nice. Ham, sausage or chicken blends in well. Chopped mild red chiles are good or you can use bell peppers. Grated carrot, celery, frozen mixed veggies ... there are really no limits on what you can put into this.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-84828064397997067562010-03-18T13:10:00.003-06:002010-03-18T13:22:36.163-06:00Gee ThanksThank you, republicans (sic) for trying to save us from the horror that is Obamacare. You just want everyone to be healthy don't you.<br /><br />Thank you for saving thousands of women from the indignity of the annual Pap test and mammogram. We know those tests are really uncomfortable and messy. We understand how you want to save us from that. Sure. You are also saving many women from early diagnosis of cancer when treatment is most effective. Yeah, if we women really wanted to live like normal folks we'd never have been born female.<br /><br />Thank you for saving me from the terror of the ophthalmologist exam that might tell me why my vision in one eye is blurry. If I had wanted sight for all my life<sup>1</sup> I should have been born a Rockefeller, I know, please don't rub it in.<br /><br />Thank you for saving me from the utter misery of the asthma medications that I cannot afford. Breathing is way overrated and everyone tells me that I look good in blue. I don't think that's exactly what they meant, though.<br /><br />Thank you, republicans, for nothing. I'd never wish any of the illnesses suffered by the uninsured on you, I think I am above that. It would be nice, though, if you had learned a little more from your kindergarten teachers about manners, the truth and compassion.<br /><br /><sup>1</sup> I have a family history of macular degenration and a few symptoms that might indicate the early stages of that condition. It may also be a mild bout of optic neuritis. Or it may be something else. I'm saving up for a visit to the ophthalmologist.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-52234325342860164132010-02-01T11:02:00.005-07:002010-05-23T17:55:39.963-06:00Easy Bread<span style="font-size:100%;">My no-knead bread:<br /><br />4 cups +/- whole wheat flour mix (I add gluten and flaxseed meal 1/4 cup each to this)<br />3 - 4 cups water<br />2 tsp yeast powder (active dry)<br />2 - 3 TBSP sugar or equivalent of honey<br />4 tsp salt (it helps the yeast)<br /><br />Mix half the flour (be sure the gluten is in this part if you're using it and the sugar, salt and yeast) and most of the water. Mix until it looks ragged and sloppy. Add the remaining flour till it makes a shaggy looking dough. you may need to play with it a little. Mix it pretty well; I like to stir like crazy as the texture is better.<br /><br />Cover it and let it rise until it has doubled. Squooge it into a large skillet that you've rubbed with a little oil or sprayed with a no-stick spray. You can bake this in standard loaf pans if you want.<br /><br />Cover it again and let it double. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes. It may take a little longer if you are using loaf pans.<br /><br />It will make an interesting focaccia bread with a smaller batch and larger skillet. And the focaccia toppings.<br /><br />Sometimes I add regular oatmeal to this; it goes in with the water and first half of the flour and it usually takes more water.<br /></span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-27691422264562816462009-12-16T13:25:00.003-07:002009-12-16T13:33:21.264-07:00Republican Hypocrisy and Life<a href="http://www.harvardscience.harvard.edu/medicine-health/articles/new-study-finds-45000-deaths-annually-linked-lack-health-coverage">45,000 Americans</a> die each year because they have no health insurance and cannot afford medical care. <p></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.rnclife.org/brochure/rprolife.html">The republican (sic) party</a> claims to <a href="http://www.rnclife.org/">be pro-life</a>. But whose lives are they for? Newt Gingrich <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2009/12/12/gingrich-health-care-repeal/">has stated</a> “If the left manages to drive through a bill which is opposed by 65 percent of the country on health care, our commitment should be simple — when we get a majority, we’re repealing the whole thing.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So 45,000 American people die from lack of affordable medical insirance and Gingrich states he will repeal health insurance reform. What is so “pro-life” about this? </p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you are a sentient, already-born person the republicans (sic) do not care whether you live or die nor do they care if you suffer horribly because of some untreated disease. If you are an embryo or fetus you have their love and protection.<br /></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-71746149483398643182009-01-14T16:18:00.004-07:002009-01-14T16:26:16.983-07:00ReligionI've never really understood religion; you have to accept that certain things are true and those things might seem impossible. So why do so many people believe?<br /><br />The christian bible is riddled with inconsistencies, contradictions, violence, and mayhem all ruled over by a very vengeful, mean-spirited god. Why does that god, if it exists, deserve anything but contempt?<br /><br />So I am an atheist; life is simpler that way. I try to do the right thing and not because of an invisible sky fairy who will fry me forever if I slip up. Doing the right thing is what an ethical person will do.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://outcampaign.org/" target="_blank"><img src="http://outcampaign.org/images/A-100-v3.png" border="0" alt="The Out Campaign: Scarlet Letter of Atheism" /></a><br /></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-13265722856702612502007-05-06T11:38:00.000-06:002007-05-06T11:46:10.298-06:00<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Culture of Life?</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When Terri Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state President Bush and many supposedly pro-life republicans were fuming at the efforts of her husband, Michael Schiavo, to have her feeding tube removed. Ms. Schiavo was unable to swallow, see or speak because of severe brain damage. There was a bill rushed through Congress to try to force the doctors to reinsert the tube. President Bush raced back to Washington on Air Force One to sign that bill.</p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It is interesting to note that while governor of Texas, Bush signed the "Advanced Directives Act" which allows a patient's surrogate to make life and death decisions for that person. That law also allows a hospital, with notice to the family and after consulting the bioethics committee, to remove life-support from a patient who has no hope of recovery. The family is given a little time to find another facility to care for the patient.</p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And while governor of Texas, George Bush there were 131 executions of condemned prisoners. Bush has stated that he has no qualms about any of those executions.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Culture of life? Am I missing something?</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">And where was the president while Hurricane Katrina was devastating New Orleans? On vacation.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">On Monday, the 29th of August, while New Orleans was being inundated Bush was at a birthday photo op with Sen. John McCain in Arizona and later he went to a resort to promote the new Medicare drug plan. Later that day he flew to California to another group of senior citizens to push the drug benefit.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">On Tuesday, Aug 30, Bush was playing the guitar with a country singer. On Wednesday Bush finally returned to Washington, flying over the disaster zone in the process.<br /></p><br /><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">While Americans were dying in a flood the president was vacationing, politicking and partying? I have not reproduced the entire Katrina timeline, it is available at several web sites.<br /></p><br /><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So the republicans have staked out the pro-life position. But whose lives? They seem to value one Caucasian woman with brain damage over a neighborhood full of minorities. A fertilized ovum is more valuable to them than the adult woman who carries it.<br /></p><br /><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Then there are the thousands of Iraqis who have died as a result of the war on their country. We rightly mourn our troops who died there but how much thought do the republicans who started the war give to the dead Iraqis?<br /></p><br /><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There are some things I do not comprehend.</p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-1128122918083837962005-09-30T17:00:00.000-06:002005-09-30T17:34:34.160-06:00A Little LateBut that has never stopped me from rattling on. Warning: if you have not seen the movies or read the books *The Lord of the Rings* this post might not make a whole lot of sense. It also contains spoilers.<br /><br />*Lord of the Rings,* written by J.R.R. Tolkien, is just about my favorite fiction work. It is beautifully written, the characters are worth caring about and the setting seems almost real.<br /><br />Peter Jackson's films of the trilogy are incredible and beautiful; I love them. His attention to detail brings Middle Earth to life. The characters are wonderfully portrayed by the actors.<br /><br />I have a few issues with those films, however. "Fellowship of the Ring," the first part of the story, is pretty true to Tolkien's story except for Aragorn. Tolkien's Aragorn accepted who he was; he never flinched from his duty to become king. Jackson's Aragorn seems unwilling to acknowledge who he is and that weakens him.<br /><br />In "The Two Towers" we see more changes from Tolkien's story and because of the constraints of the movie format this is understandable. I do not like what Jackson does to Faramir in his story. Tolkien's Faramir is a much stronger person than his brother Boromir who dies because he tries to take the Ring from Frodo. He states this at his first meeting with Frodo in Ithilien. If he feels the call of the Ring we do not see it in the books. Jackson's Faramir almost repeats his brother's error but finally sees what the Ring will do.<br /><br />Jackson's Faramir is pretty rough with Frodo and Gollum. I cringed seeing the abuse of Gollum at the hands (and feet) of Faramir's soldiers. Tolkien's Faramir is extremely gentle with the Hobbits and their guide; he displays true strength through kindness.<br /><br />Jackson's Faramir is a weak leader while Tolkien's Faramir is described as a Captain who can master both men and beasts. Personally I prefer the Tolkien character as he is truly strong and noble; a man of Numenor.<br /><br />There's a huge inconsistency in "The Two Towers." Elves show up at Helm's Deep and help save Rohan from Saruman's hordes. We never see anything of them though after the battle. Were they all killed? If so why is there no mention made of it? Did they go on to fight for Gondor? We never know.<br /><br />Frodo, in Jackson's "Return of the King," is duped by Gollum into sending Sam away. Tolkien's Frodo would never have done this. Sam is not treated too well by Jackson, either; he was quite gentle with Gollum in Tolkien's story. When he tied the Elven rope to Gollum he made the knot quite loose. He didn't love Gollum but he was never mean to him. Jackson has Sam treating Gollum quite badly.<br /><br />In spite of my criticism of the movie version of "Lord of the Rings" I still think it is a brilliant achievement. Is is, however, very much Peter Jackson's story rather than J.R.R. Tolkien's.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-1125591229409014982005-09-01T10:03:00.000-06:002005-09-01T10:13:49.413-06:00Catch UpWow.<br /><br />Floods seem to be happening. In early August I went to <a href="http://www.ad6uy.com/cavern.html">Carlsbad Caverns</a> which is an absolutely gorgeous and wonderful cave. See it if you can.<br /><br />A couple of days after returning home we were hit by a flood, the second of the year. Ow. No water got into the house, thanks be, but there's an awesome mess to clean up. Several of my neighbors were not as lucky and did have soaked homes.<br /><br />A berm now surrounds my place. My heartfelt thanks go to my County Commissoner Charles Gallegos and to the Road Superintendant of Socorro County. They arranged for a county equipment operator to start the berm. Benny is an artist with that front end loader. He makes operating it look easy and he also uses it as a precision tool.<br /><br />My losses are nothing compared to the mess in New Orleans. I cannot imagine the devastation in the lives of the survivors. My losses seem trivial compared to theirs. I have a small idea of their feelings.<br /><br />May the survivors of Katrina find peace.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-1123117022259366822005-08-03T18:51:00.000-06:002012-04-26T18:10:14.290-06:00HandsA friend of mine told me that she thought her hands were ugly. She has a couple of enlarged knuckles and her nails are not perfect but I think her hands are beautiful.<br />
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My friend's hands are competent hands. She spins, knits, weaves and does glass work. She has made gorgeous sculptures from clay. Her hands can bathe a dog, fix dinner, make beautiful things. She cares for her grandson too.<br />
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Picture perfect hands with manicure-shop nails are overrated in my opinion. Give me useful hands that can do things and I'll show you truly beautiful hands.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-1121192066311754192005-07-12T12:00:00.000-06:002005-07-12T12:14:26.316-06:00Walking with CatsThe Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico is my home now. My place is about a mile from the Rio Grande and just across the road is a tract of government-owned land.<br /><br />Most evenings I take a walk out there and the cats follow me. Taking a walk in desert arroyos with three cats is a hoot.<br /><br />They usually run full speed around me, for each yard I walk they run several. They will pounce each other, chase each other and occasionally scare each other.<br /><br />Few holes, which might be home to a mouse or other small critter, go unsniffed.<br /><br />Much of this land is covered by mesquite "trees" (for a desert area like this they're trees, in a well-watered suburb they'd be bushes) that are 3 - 8 feet high and too thick for me to walk through. Like most desert plants it is quite thorny.<br /><br />The cats love the mesquite because it is home to many chase-able things. I've never seen a cat catch anything on a walk; they sure have fun hunting and chasing.<br /><br />I'm not sure why the cats need to accompany me on my evening strolls. They can get tto the arroyos without me. They can travel faster and quieter than I can. But if they are outside when I cross the road they will gallop after me. Perhaps they do not want the Filler of the Food Bowl to get lost.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-1120957217109210772005-07-09T19:00:00.000-06:002005-07-09T19:19:38.423-06:00FoodWe are getting further away from our food all the time. As life gets more crazy we have less time to start with real fresh ingredients and end up with a healthy meal.<br /><br />It certainly is easier to buy a box of frozen something and heat it up but what are we sacrificing?<br /><br />Real food should have color, texture and (most importantly) taste. Nutrients will most likely be there if your food is fresh and colorful. Tofu has none of those attributes but I have been told it is very nutritious.<br /><br />Sweet is nice but it is not a true flavor. White corn is sweet but it does not have rich corn flavor. Corn should taste like corn. It should also be nicely colored, yellow at least although there are a lot of varieties of colored corn.<br /><br />Peppers come in a riot of colors: red, yellow, purple, orange, red and green. They are loaded with flavor and vitamins.<br /><br />The more I read about nutrition the more I am in favor of brightly colored food. Lycopenes in red tomatoes and watermelons have gotten some press recently. That red stuff is good for you.<br /><br />Beta carotene is another good-for-you color. Interestingly, it must be ingested in food to have the most benefit. Taking a pill won't help you much. A <a href="http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/ds/dsBetaCarotene.php"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">study of smokers</span></a> taking a beta carotene supplement showed them to have more lung cancers that smokers not taking a supplement.<br /><br />So lycopenes and beta carotene are good for us but only if we get them from real foods. Yum, please pass the tomatoes!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-1120356958240221692005-07-02T20:04:00.000-06:002005-07-02T20:15:58.243-06:00Kitchen Sink MeatloafThere's not a formal recipe for this. Mix about 1 cup of tomato juice (drained from a 26 oz can) with 3 chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped garlic (lots) a chopped onion, a good dose of medium red chile powder and about 3/4 cup of oatmeal.<br /><br />Add 2# of good ground beef and about 1/2 of a pound package of frozen corn kernels. Mix it all up and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours.<br /><br />Prepare a large cast iron pan by drizzling a little olive oil into it and adding a thick layer of thinly sliced onion (2 large ones). Place the meatloaf mixture on the onion layer, cover with the tomatoes from the can you got the juice from (stewed, dcrushed of diced: it's all good) and bake for about 1 hour and 15 min at 375°.<br /><br />Serve with a salad and corn biscuits.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-1120146319562032382005-06-30T09:29:00.000-06:002005-06-30T09:45:19.566-06:00I just don't get it"When in the course of human events . . ." begins a very important document in the USA. We are losing out rights very quickly in the good old USA. The Supreme court decision allowing local governments to take property (with compensation) from a private citizen and give that property to another private entity is just plain <span style="font-weight:bold;">wrong</span>. <br /><br />Granted the local government must have a well planned plan for economic development, and it must be to the public good. I wonder how quickly a plan could be developed? A few generous campaign contributions might surely speed the process.<br /><br />Carried to its ridiculous extreme (something humans are pretty good at) trhe case could be made that a local government must require that all property be used in the way that generates the most tax revenue. <br /><br />Goodbye home, hello automall. Yeah, that is the absurd extension. I hope we get a little sense back in the court soon. <br /><br />PeaceAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-1120096834063787722005-06-29T19:21:00.000-06:002005-06-30T09:28:24.603-06:00LaceLace is fascinating to me. I've tried various lace techniques (bobbin and needle included) and, for me, knitting lace is the most satisfying. A yarn over makes a little hole; a decrease makes a slightly raised area. Combine them and you have shapes.<br /><br />My current knitting projects are shawls with lace. One is a finer gauge navy blue circular one. It has bands of Celtic knot and key designs. There are a few free charts for these patterns <a href="http://www.ad6uy.com/knitting.html">on my web site</a>. The second is a Faroese style with lace in the center panel.<br /><br />Knit on.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14033069.post-1119990602154775262005-06-28T15:25:00.000-06:002005-07-12T12:19:44.200-06:00Be SafeAs I have had more to rattle about I decided to join the rest of the world and blog. When the <a href="http://www.space-frontier.org/">Space Frontier Foundation</a> had FFO running I posted the following:<br /><br /><h2>Why Space? </h2> <p>I look at the night sky and wonder what's out there. Many stars, maybe planets like our own Earth. Or not. In my mind's ear I hear a voice, my son when he was about 8, "Mom, we're going to the creek to explore." </p> <p>"Be careful, son. Want to take some cookies with you?" </p> <p>"Sure, thanks Mom. See you later." I know what's at the creek, the dangers, but I have to let him go. He knows what to watch and listen for. He knows to sniff for fire, listen for the rattle of the snake, he watches for danger. I hope I have taught him well. </p> <p>Several of you who are trying to go Out There are very dear to me. I see in you the explorer that is in my son. You have That Look in your eyes when you talk about the stars and rockets. I don't know all the dangers out there, I cannot know, I cannot teach you. "Stay here! Be safe! You could get hurt! You could get killed!" are the words I want to scream because I care. Instead I say "Be careful, Friends. Want to take some cookies with you?"<br /></p> <p>Be Safe, Dear Friends<br /></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12694447738630949869noreply@blogger.com0