Throwing the Old and the Infirm to the Lions

"He Has Committed Every Crime That Does Not Require Courage"
Well, maybe we just ought to work through the night instead of gathering to talk about the putrescent acts committed, now, on a daily basis by this criminally irresponsible government, or what passes for a government. Notwithstanding our desire to avoid unpleasant subjects, we know that sometimes, if the Gods favor us, We The People can raise enough of a ruckus to make a difference, so, doggedly, we continue to exchange ideas and share them with you in hopes of turning course.

 

Tonight Liz and Schuyler prepared our cocktails. The alcoholic drink for tonight was a Green Dragon, made with Stolichnaya vodka and Chartreuse, and served with the caveat: drink it slowly, or go lie down. For others who didn't want an alcoholic cocktail, Schuyler made a pitcher of Scarlet Ladies.

 

Liz is the source of the quote, from Benjamin Disraeli, Queen Victoria's Prime Minister. Though short, it really hits the mark. The "he" of course, could apply not just to the president, but to everybody in his inner circle. Now, Bob and Judy told, us he's gearing up to commit another crime: draconian cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. That's right, sock it to the most vulnerable, after all, as Barbara Bush famously taught her son, "Who needs them?" The lions the Republicans would throw the Old and Infirm to, are of course, abject poverty, hunger, malnutrition, ill health, and early death. The lions, in the case of the mentally ill? Uncontrolled depression, schizophrenia, manic-depression, hallucinations and sure suicide.

 

Big Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare Coming in the Next Two Weeks
Bubba, his sister Bubbette, and Max's sister and her husband, gleefully told Bob and Judy that they'd read that Congress, at George Bush's behest, is planning to make massive cuts in these two programs. Bubba was especially bright eyed when he talked about this to Bob and Judy, fondly recalling that G. Bush and Jeb Bush had successfully cut benefits for the old and infirm in Florida. Bubbette and Max's sister were just gushing with joy at the prospect of the same kind of massive cuts nation-wide. Sweet people, those four. Funny, how dogs instinctively know when the devil is about: not a dog on the ranch will get close to either of those four, not even to pee on their jeans.

 

Seems that the churches they go to preach that it's an abomination to receive government entitlements. The old should have thought about their future before they got old; the infirm should have avoided getting ill; the poor should have saved, and the mentally ill should shake the devil out and pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Garbage, is what those holier than thou born-again "christians" called anybody needing a helping hand. They, all four, said the Christian thing to do was do away with Medicaid and Medicare, and at least start by approving the massive cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, as they did in Florida. It was obvious, Bob and Judy told us as we sat there, rapt and repulsed by this "christian" outpouring of disdain for the more unfortunate, that these born-again monsters must belong to the same church Pope Clement VI (1478 - 1534) did when he said this about a now-forgotten individual: "The Lord strike him with madness and blindness. May the heavens empty upon him thunderbolts and the wrath of the Omnipotent burn itself unto him in the present and future world. May the Universe light against him and the earth open to swallow him up." Mucho christian, no?

 

Gee, Do You Think Jesus Had It All Wrong?
In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus said: "Whatsoever you do unto the least of these my brethren, you do unto me, If you do it not unto them, you do it not unto me." A.J. said that he'd try and trick Bubba, Bubbette and Max's sister and brother-in-law into taking a peek at their "bibles" because he was convinced that they'd probably been re-written by some jerk Republican, deleting all references to Christ's beseeching mankind to look after each other. If all of those passages were not deleted or re-written, A.J. asked, "Do you think the born-agains are being taught that Jesus had it all wrong?"

 

Wonderfully, our "gang" now consists of 14 couples and a bunch of kids. The adults now represent so many faiths; one couple professes no faith, and one of our couples is a same-sex couple. What made tonight a salvable night after all, was that one by one the couples started speaking up, saying that they had been taught, religiously or secularly, that charity is a duty, so it seems, every faith under the sun except the born-again christian faith acknowledges that there is a scriptural instruction that we are stewards of our brethren. Guess Bush missed that at his church also, although of course his frigid mother probably scratched that part out of his Bible as well, that is, if you believe his rantings about how he's read his Bible.

 

Simply Put, Democrats, Liberals and Progressives Have Humane Values that Republicans Don't Have
For brevity, let's just say that tonight's gathering ended with a message for all Democrats, Liberals and Progressives, and that is that one of most salient tenets of our political views is that the individual matters, and it's seldom his financial accumulations that make up his worth, but the degree of generosity in his or her heart, and the degree to which he and she are willing to sacrifice a bit for the betterment of all mankind. Liberals have nothing to apologize for, instead, we should be extolling these virtues to the four winds. And speaking of virtuous liberals, Barry wanted to talk for a minute of the lame argument by one Republican, Representative Nathan Deal of Georgia, who in the debate over savagely cutting benefits for Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries, implied that without the cuts, beneficiaries would abuse the access to health care.

 

God bless the Democrat, Representative Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who Barry told us, countered Deal's vicious position with these words: "Higher co-payments will lead people to forego needed medical care. To listen to some of the personal responsibility arguments, one might think that people line up to see their doctors the way they line up to see a rock concert or sporting event, and the only way to control this irrational hunger or thirst for medical care is to make it more expensive. I just don't buy that." Well, Barry asked, of these two gentlemen, which one has the better values we should emulate?"
When Barry finished, we all decided we'd write letters to Representative Baldwin, demonstrating our deep appreciation for that humane and correct position.

 

A Dinner of California Wines
Last night, we all decided it might be interesting to have all our wines from one region, and tonight we thought we'd try to have all our courses with California wines. Last night we had most of our wines from Spain, so tonight, let's head west.

 

We are having a terrific rain storm, and though it isn't really very cold, we have small fires going in the fireplaces in the great room and in the large dining room. Why does food taste so much better when you have candles glowing and a nice fire in the fireplace?

 

This is one of our cooperative dinners and many couples helped out. Now that Beatrix and Jeremy are back, they add a hint of England to some of our dishes, and little by little we'll learn more about the favorite foods of our new neighbors who moved here from Iraq. With so many nationalities, don't be surprised if one of our dinners turns out be a smorgasbord of myriad flavors. The first dish we're having tonight is an Alsatian Bacon and Potato Tart. The tart is rich and spicy, with many intermingling flavors.

 

For this dish, we took a vote and agreed that a California Blanc des Blancs would be excellent, and we chose a Schramsberg Brut Blanc des Blancs. No matter how unpleasant the political or religious conversation of the evening, when you begin dinner with a great sparkling wine, you can put the unpleasantness behind you for a while. The tart can be made a couple of days ahead of time, as can the Creamy Clam Chowder we had next. We used cherrystone clams for our chowder, served it piping hot, and paired it with a wine we'd never tried before, from artisan winery Qupé in California, their Bien Nacido Cuvée a white wine which is a blend of viognier and chardonnay.

 

The seafood course tonight was California-Spanish influenced Shrimp Pan-Seared in Chorizo Butter. We made sure they were made with the best authentic Spanish paprika, pimentón, which added a smokiness to the shrimp that we found exhilarating. Paired with a Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It was served on a bed of simple white rice, and accompanied by a very unfussy watercress salad. Perhaps bringing some of their British influence to the table, Beatrix and Jeremy, instead of serving a sorbet between the seafood and the meat courses, served small portions of that old stalwart, Tomato Aspic on a bed of beautiful greenhouse Boston lettuce, and then brought out their beautiful Standing Rib Roast of Beef, a masterpiece.

 

The roast was served with a Potato and Onion Gratin and Roasted Broccoli with Poblano Butter. For this course, we served another Cabernet Sauvignon, an award-winning Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon.
Room for dessert? Yes, thanks to the small portions we always serve, we did still want dessert and were pleasantly surprised to be served Goat-Cheese Cake made with Marsala. Still wanting to try different California wines, we served the cake with a Bonny Doon Muscat Vin de Glacière (Ice Wine), a fine end to a great dinner.

 

Coffee Before Heading Home
The teenagers who helped us tonight were a real blessing. Serving and clearing up after 40 people have had dinner is something we've mastered; it doesn't really seem like a great deal of work, but anytime the kids pitch in to help, it's appreciated.

 

We had our after-dinner coffee back in the great room to briefly catch up on the teenagers' day. The rain stopped, so umbrellas weren't needed, only, as always with this administration, a strong stomach.

 

Summary:
Draconian cuts in Medicaid and Medicare will certainly mean great suffering for those least able to care for themselves. Republicans can't have ever read a Bible or they would know that Jesus instructed human beings to care for each other. They also couldn't have ever read the religious treatises of any other religion, since every one admonishes us to do the same thing: take care of our brethren.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

Evangelical Madrasas

Salem on the Porch
Climate change? Yes, it's unseasonably mild tonight and most people would consider that a blessing, but when you live on and from the land, you know how every day should be within its season. We know that something is happening around the world that isn't right, and tonight we can feel it. There is very little logic, up here in these hills, to taking off your sweater as November is just around the corner. But hey, try telling "rancher" Dubya that. Schuyler mixed up a batch of Platinum Blondes, a cocktail he made with golden rum and Grand Marnier. Also, he made a pitcher of nonalcoholic sangria.

Bob and Liz, drinks in hand, told us they felt they were living the Salem Witch trials all over again, what with this rabid culture of hate fostered by the rabid religious right, which, Liz avowed, is neither religious nor right, just rabid. When Alex asked her what she meant, she said that on a short visit to see some of her family, they had made her feel that if they could, they'd tie her to one of those stools they used in Salem to torture the so-called witches, and dunk her in the pond until she drowned. This conversation she had had with her family was innocuous enough, trivial really, but the results terrified Liz. When pressed to explain by Alex, Liz said that when asked by her family if she went to church, Liz, honestly and truthfully said that she didn't always feel the need to since, she told her family, living on a farm is like living in a church. She explained to them that looking at a flower, this thing of powerful beauty, she saw and felt God.

Well, Bob unhappily reported, in an instant the kind and loving family he and Liz had gone to visit erupted into a torrent of recrimination, accusation, condemnation and fault-finding.

Culture of Hate in Evangelical Madrasas
Liz and Bob could hardly believe what they were hearing, and still don't know what's wrong with seeing God in a perfect flower. Soon after they finished dinner, Bob and Liz decided to cut their visit short and returned to their farm.
Tonight, they also told us so many things they had heard on their visit. For one thing, Oh Joy! isn't it nice to hate? For one, they learned that these radical born-again evangelicals have decided that they, and they alone, will be saved. Every other faith, Christian or not, has been condemned by these sweet born-agains to hell. Now folks, Bob said, that's an awful lot of Christian religions, plus an awful lot of other faiths that are going to hell. They feel nothing but contempt for Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and, quite telling, since Bob and Judy both have relatives-in-law who are Episcopalian, Catholic and Mormon, those faiths as well. This clearly frightened Liz because all she could see was this desire for a Crusade of gargantuan proportions: the evangelicals against the world! She said it made Al Qaeda sound like Shirley Temple.

These rabid "christians" go to their churches and mindlessly, thought-free, and absorb all the drivel fed them by unnaturally unintelligent zealots. You've seen images of little kids leaning forward like little metronomes, back and forth, repeating by rote everything they read? No difference in these scary radical evangelicals. Nope, not a bit of difference - it's all as mindless, and in the end, since that kind of teaching involves no use of intellect, just as potentially dangerous. Jeez, whatever happened to plain old Sunday school?

The Mother of all Crusades
Unless we find some way to legally and constitutionally rein in these fanatics, they're going to goad our enemies into destroying us all, regardless of our faith, for in the end, faith is not really understood by rabid, radical evangelicals. Just as Bush seriously does not recognize the difference between good and bad, neither do these rabid, aberrant pseudo-christians. Given the chance, they will only too gladly engage in a world-wide crusade. A few of us, expressing doubts that things were getting that bad, were more than a little saddened by Liz' announcement that her family was invited by a group in Arlington, Texas, to send their youth, under subterfuge, to China to proselytize.

Liz found this offensive first, because these people were knowingly breaking the law, and second, because it cost a minimum of $4,000.00 per person to send countless teenagers to China; money which could have fed a heck of a lot of hungry people. As Kim said, why, if they were so concerned for other human beings, didn't they pool those $4,000.00 X ? to feed, clothe, or house poorer Chinese, or hell, even people here at home who have no food, clothing or housing? Their next step will most likely enflame the entire Muslim world, and well, sweetheart, there we'll go: everybody against everybody, all because of a sorry lot of zealots.

Rescue Us, Wondrous Dinner
Tonight, several families collaborated on dinner, and we were ready to enjoy it, as much for the supreme pleasure as for the chance to think of something other than wacko pseudo-christians. A few of the older teenagers, who can handle our dinners and still get their school work done, have decided that helping us and earning a little bit of spending money would benefit everybody. We appreciate their help, and in no time at all they had served everybody some minute Sesame Bleu-cheese Pizzette. From Michigan, the pizzette were paired with a St. Julian 2003 Lake Michigan Shore Riesling.

Next, from New England, we enjoyed small bowls of bean with bacon soup, paired perfectly with a nice Spanish wine, a Marqués de Riscal Rueda Blanco. After the hearty soup, we next had small paillards of Trout Poached in sparkling wine, and paired with a Prosecco di Cornegliano from the winery Carpene Malvolti. On the plates, we were served a warm salad of Zucchini, Tomato and Basil. After small dollops of peach sorbet, and wanting to follow the hearty soup and light fish courses with another hearty dish, we were served a delicious and spicy Beef Casserole. Paired with a Rhône-style wine from Bonny Doon. The casserole contained many delicious vegetables from Art and Terry's greenhouses.

To end the meal, mango pie was served, paired with a delicious Tokaji from Hungary, which always goes well with mango dishes.

Winding Down
Wonderfully satisfied, we joined the teenagers to enjoy our special-blend after-dinner coffee prepared from one of Max's many special blends. Since we enjoy the comfort of many faiths in our group, we wished the same comfort on our teenagers. The atheist neighbors in our group too, enjoy beautiful values. We all hoped the children would benefit from their own beliefs, but not at the expense of those who would disagree with them.

Summary:
Evangelical madrasas spewing unholy right-wing hatred are a danger to our country and an affront to true faiths everywhere that work honestly in behalf of all men, women and children.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

We The People: Not On Our Dime

Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter

 

Autumn on the Porch and the Braziers to Bush's and Libby's Feet The entire gang arrived just about the same time, and fortunately Schuyler had cocktails ready. Since we'd heard so much about them, tonight he made Cosmopolitans for us, using Grey Goose vodka and Cointreau. The reason for the prompt arrival was, of course, that everybody wanted to talk about the Libby indictment, not, it turns out, just because of the dishonesty involved, but oddly, also because of the cost to the country in dollars and cents. Bush Finds It Easy to Spend Other People's Money Bush has always been spending other people's money, and being the spoiled rich kid with no sense of direction, he never had to learn accountability. When he left Texas, the state was near bankruptcy, and now it's become obvious that left to his own devices, he'd bankrupt the country. Morally, he just did. Alex told us that a Washington Post-ABC news survey conducted Friday and Saturday reported that by a 3 to 1 ratio, 46 percent to 15 percent, Americans say the level of honesty and ethics in the government has declined rather than risen under Bush. Chomp on those figures Ann Coulter: Bush has sunk lower than Clinton ever did in the polls. Bob approached the scandal from another point of view however: unlike people such as us, farmers and ranchers who have to keep one eye perpetually on the bottom line, this guy just spends and spends, and costs us and costs us. At this point, Liz looked confused and asked Bob what he meant. Turns out, no breaking news here, that Bob, like the rest of us, has always been opposed to Bush's flitting around the country, on his 60 cities in 60 days fairy tale, and while the "Scooter" Libby affair was playing out, Bob had put pencil to paper and gotten all worked up, as well he, and we, should, over how profligate this nasty little guy is and how he goes through our national treasure. Bob did some investigating, and got some information from the Government Accounting Office. Seems that the base cost for flying Air Force One comes in at about $60,000.00 an hour. But, their report continued, Bush doesn't fly in a vacuum, no ma'am, when this guy flits around, a lot of other stuff flits around, like: a C-17 Globemaster III, much larger than Air Force One, to transport Bush's two Cadillac limousines and two or three sport utility vehicles, next, a CH-46 helicopter stands at the ready, and local police departments have to waste money on their own helicopters hovering around. Here, Max interjected that he too had read somewhere that wasn't the end of the story. There's the cost of maybe 100 support personnel, including advance team planners and Secret Service Agents. So, Max and Bob informed a hushed group of friends, a short trip by Bush can easily cost upwards of $200,000.00 and using that as a base figure, which is being generous of We The People, figure his 60-city frivolous flitting around to destroy Social Security as we know it, probably cost a minimum of $12,000,000.00 That's what Bob meant by Bush's finding it easy to spend other people's money; our money. Bush Promised to Bring Honesty and Integrity to the White House Liz, almost in shock and definitely angry, said that was criminal. From day one, she thought, Bush should have known his plan was doomed and he should not have spent that kind of money on it. But there was more she said. The White House, and certainly that creep Dick Cheney, knew all along about Scooter Libby's involvement in the Valerie Plame affair, and knows the involvement of Karl Rove, so to let Patrick Fitzgerald labor for 22 months at a cost of over 1 million dollars, was also criminal. Liz said, and quite seriously, that if the Queen of England can be forced to pay income taxes, Bush should pay, out of his pocket, for his little frivolous flitting around on Air Force One for no useful purpose but to satisfy one of his many whims (like his little invasion of Iraq), and that Scooter should pay for the cost of this expensive inquest for deliberately misleading Mr. Fitzgerald and for wasting We The People's money. Liz, always our feisty but beloved one, said that if Bush didn't quite have the $12,000,000.00 to refund to the country, he could get it from his nasty mamma, and Libby certainly can, and should, refund the country what it cost to force the truth out that could have come out from day one and not cost the country one penney. To wind up her point, Liz, also our Quote Queen, told us what Thomas Jefferson had written long ago about another nefarious person: "A cold-blooded, calculating, unprincipled usurper, without a virtue; no statesman, knowing nothing of commerce, political economy, or civil government, and supplying ignorance by bold presumption." Seems to fit this guy pretty well, doesn't it? Yep, a usurper, who's spent what little "political capital" he thinks he had, and never did bring either honesty or integrity to the White House. Grilling With Good Friends Max, ever the one to delight in cooking on the grills, pretty much planned our dinner, and with Charlotte to help him, just asked us to sit back and relax. Well, relax as much as you can when you wish you could wring the president's neck and his checkbook. The first dish Max and Charlotte served as after we all took our place at the dinner tables, were some exquisite Tapas-style Grilled Shrimp with Anchovies and Serrano Ham. Max, knowing that some people find anchovies very strong in flavor, always soaks them in milk before preparing them, and that makes them milder. After Fino Sherry, one of the best wines you can have with tapas is a good sparkling wine, and tonight Max and Charlotte introduced us to a new cava, or sparkling wine from Spain, a Paul Cheneau Brut Cava, which has a nice light-to-medium body. Charlotte next served us small bowls of Corn Chowder with Pancetta and Sea Scallops, a hearty soup made with many different vegetables and skimmed of any fat. Served with a González Byass Fino Sherry, the soup kept us both in the New World, because of the corn, and Spain, because of the delicious sherry. Max got some of the teenagers to help him carry dishes from the grills on the porch to the small and the large dining rooms. It was great of them to do this because Max had 40 people to feed tonight! The first course they brought in from the grills was Grilled and Mesquite Smoked Cabrilla Grouper, served with grilled fingerling potatoes and a medley of grilled mushrooms and garlic. Still in the mood for Spanish sparkling wine, we tried an Albet I Noya Brut Cava Reserva, a light-bodied wine with ginger and apple flavors which, magically, went very well with the perfectly grilled grouper. After very small servings of Charlotte's coconut granita, Max and his helpers brought in his Pancetta-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin, grilled to tender-as-butter perfection. Buttery grilled Elephant garlic served on simple, white rice, was perfect. For both the fish and the meat dishes, Max had served us delicious Rye bread he bakes in the outdoor Italian-style stone oven. Since tonight we wanted to try different Spanish wines, Max paired the tenderloin with a full-bodied, intense, dry Pedro Ximénez Alvear Amontillado Montilla-Moriles Carlos VII. Charlotte, also an amazing baker/chef made us individual Caramelized Lemon Tartlets, and on an adventurous note, and a generous note, since the wine is expensive, paired the tartlets with a wine she and Max brought from their wine cellar, an Alvear Pedro Ximénez Montilla-Moriles Solera, a syrupy, treacly wine Max and Charlotte wanted to try as a dessert wine. Well, folks, it was a success. I guess it pays to be adventurous. Except not with your nation's treasury. Summary: Bush has cost this country so much. We've lost the respect of the entire world. We, as a country, have lost our dignity and moral compass. Bush is also spending our national treasure as if he owned it. Sorry Bush, you don't.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved. ================================================ Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors. It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense. http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com ================================================

F., Such a Nasty Word

Pity We Have To Bother Our Beautiful Minds With The Manure in Washington
Gloriously beautiful, mild country day, portending good cocktails and a sumptuous dinner. If only, as a group, we were not all so interested in politics and what is going on around us and around the world. After everybody arrived, Schuyler served those who wanted a cocktail a Kamikaze, which he made with Grey Goose vodka and Rose's Lime Juice. I think the cocktails help to lessen the pain of talking about what a mess this administration has pooped on the country. We're no longer seen around the world as this beacon of decency, nor are we seen as a culture to emulate, rather, we're seen as the slime Bush & Co. have turned us into. We're seen as instruments of torture, maiming and killing. Thugs, in other words. Culture of Life
Beatrix and Jeremy have been in England for a long time, visiting relatives and friends.

 

What they report about how poorly we're seen by the British is astounding. They both said that perhaps the only friend we had in Britain was Tony Blair. Jeremy suggested that a lot of this dislike for us has its roots in Dubya's tired old phrase, 'culture of life.' The British, Beatrix told us, are a lot smarter than the 59,054,087 mindless, spineless lemmings that followed Dubya's many prevaricating homilies indicating that he subscribes to the theory of a 'culture of life.' Well, they both told us, not our lives, not your lives: only the lives of those who think like Dubya AND have enough money to live on Mullholland Drive, up and down Dallas' tony Turtle Creek, in Brookline, Massachusetts, in Georgetown D.C., in Grosse Point or Bloomfield Hills or ritzy River Oaks in Houston. That's the life Dubya's talking about. If you don't have enough money to put on the Ritz, then your life doesn't count: just ask the victims of Katrina, Rita and now Wilma.

 

Opposite of Culture of Life
Wring his little cojones just a tad and I'll bet he'll scream out, 'Well, you've got it all wrong, it's really a culture of death." Finally, one truth out of that mollescent little mendacious man. At this point, seething, Alex asked, for the entire nation, as Richard II did in regards to nettlesome Thomas à Becket: "Will no one rid [us] of this man?" Oh, that we would be so lucky. When asking to snuff poor Chávez in Venezuela, methinks Pat Robertson was targeting the wrong man, and since the rabid religious right didn't find anything offensive in that snuffing, they shouldn't find one here at home offensive either, should they, since they're not hypocrites?

 

Old Raccoon Eyes
No, not beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow, who has been accused of using too much eye makeup, but sycophant little Ms. Miers. Squinty, overly-painted little eyes, harboring a heart of steel, and colder'n a witch's tit, or is that Lady Macbush?

Anyway, as Bush's number 1 (sorry Condosleazza) admirer, Meirs proclaims that for years she has been on Bush's side on every issue, which has to mean, she approves of his 'culture of death.' So, how'd you like that on your Supreme Court Bench?" As The New York Times reported, when Ms. Miers' colleagues were asked to fill us in on what she'd been up to all these years, they couldn't cite any one example of her effect on Bush or his policies because she had affected them all, i.e. her thumbprint was on every action taken by Bush since he's been in office. Including approving torture.

 

F. That Nasty Word and The Culture of Death
Fascism, an ideology that has to be talked about with extreme caution and in an atmosphere of discretion. One thing that isn't controversial anymore, because the question is pretty much settled, is that fascism is about The Culture of Death. The great American novelist, Sinclair Lewis, warned us about fascism in his novel It Can't Happen Here. Well, seems we didn't pay enough heed. When there's wafting smoke of fascism in the air, can the full blown conflagration be far behind?

 

Bob gave us a few examples of what comprises fascism:

• Disregard for Human and Civil Rights
• According The Military Absolute Power and Limitless Funds
• Outing of Enemies and Liberals
• Abusive Control Over the Media
• Powerful and Controlling Nationalism
• Overwhelming Sexism
• Rabid Obsession with National Security
• Erasing of the Lines Between Government and Religion
• Overzealous Protection of Big Business
• Disdainful Attitude Towards the Arts and the Intelligentsia
• Rabid Attempts To Trample on Workers' Rights
• Unnatural Obsession with Punishing Crime
• Suspect Electoral Processes
• Widespread Corruption and Cronyism

 

Well, A.J. asked, does any of the above sound like anything that's been going on here since the presidency was usurped in 2000?

 

Elizabeth and Beatrix on The Culture of Life
These two gentle but wise ladies both had read an article by a writer we all need to read and learn from, Michael Blanding. He wrote an article, titled The Culture of Life Top Ten. Elizabeth and Beatrix gave us his list of Top Ten actions this nasty administration could take if it were remotely interested in promoting a Culture of Life, and not of Death:

• Withdraw the Troops
• Stop the Death Penalty
• Pass Effective Gun Control Laws
• Fund Social Services
• Create Universal Health Care for Children
• Research Alternative Energy
• Investigate Prisoner Abuses
• Support AIDS Clinics Abroad
• Implement a Fair Guestworker Program
• Join the International Criminal Court

 

Please, this is an excellent author, whose humanity comes through very clearly in his writing. Please read the entire article at: www.michaelblanding.com/cultureoflife.htm.

 

The Dinner Gong: a Brillat-Savarin Moment
Beatrix and Jeremy, recently returned from an extended trip to their homeland, England. They seemed so happy to be back, and happy to fall back into our way of living: living independently on our farms and ranches, but enjoying the company of all the neighbors nightly, together with the interminable political discussions. We had the feeling that their absence had left them with a desire to return to helping feed, magnificently, 28 adults and approximately 12 youngsters.

 

Beatrix, as soon as we were all seated, served us some tiny but exquisite Soy Sauce Duck and Radicchio Tartlets. She and Jeremy paired the tartlets with a wonderful Bland des Blancs, and we knew were off to the "Brillat-Savarin Moment." They paired the delightful Parmentier Soup, potato and leek soup, with a delicious Antinori Orvieto white wine. Their wine cellar, which is truly a cellar deep in the ground, with wine, did not need any tending while they were away.

 

Beatrix and Jeremy brought with them from their dining experiences in England, a dish we had never tried, Shrimp with a Medley of Wild Mushrooms Encased in Zucchini. Jeremy suggested pairing it with a dry white wine, a Puligny-Montrachet. After dollops of rhubarb sorbet, we were ready for out next course in which Max joined to help out. Max helped Jeremy prepare Seared Pork Tenderloins. The sauces used in the preparation of the dish were mushroom and fig sauce. A Pinot Noir was an excellent accompaniment to this dish. They chose a well-priced Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Berry from Oregon. On the plates, Beatrix, Jeremy and Max served roasted carrots, parsnips, turnips and potatoes.

 

We told you, this was a Brillat-Savarin moment. For dessert, we were served English Trifle, one of the best sweets from Beatrix and Jeremy's homeland. We had ours with small snifters of Courvosier. Tonight, we'd like to thank Eric LeVine, of Cellar Tracker, for helping us chose our wines. You can get invaluable help from his companty at www.cellartracker.com

 

Protecting our Young
We re-joined the younger set in the great room, where they were also finishing their splendid Trifle. We wished we could throw our arms around them and protect them from the F. thrusts this administration was trying to embed in the fabric, and the soul, of this great country. We, who put up with Dubya's doubtfully valid reelection, bear the responsible for never again letting anything like that monster ever hold sway over our beloved United States again.

 

Summary:
Fascism isn't dead. Some nefarious neocons are doing everything they can to keep it alive, here, in the United States. Pretty heavy charges, but at least, think about it.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

Terry Schiavo Schiuvit, It's All For Show

Cocktails Await
Farm and ranch work never ends, but let me tell you, it's a heck of a lot easier when it isn't so hot. These days of autumn are glorious, and ending them with all the neighbors gathered in the great room, sipping one of Schuyler's new concoctions, well, you can't beat it. Tonight he made us Perfect Manhattans, using rye whiskey, sweet and dry vermouth, and Angostura bitters. At the drinks table, he had a pitcher of nonalcoholic fruit juices.

 

Out, Out Damn Spot, Cried Lady Macbeth
Jim was telling us what Lady Macbush would famously say: "The poor? The dregs of humanity? Why should I trouble my beautiful mind with such filth? Besides, I don't have to, my two lovely holier-than-thou, dysfunctional sons take excellent care of them, if you get my drift," she foxily said as she dried her hands (even though she couldn't get all the blood off.)

 

It seemed to Jim that the Damn Spot, or the blood on her hands, was the blood of the poor, those infamously bothersome and inconvenient people who do so blight the earth. Wouldn't the world be a better place if there were no unsightly poor?

 

Two Dysfunctional Megalomaniac Sons and The Poor
President Lyndon Baines Johnson wisely, kindly, generously and bravely fought all who stood in his way until he got his Medicaid bill passed. And guess what, Jim said, he never went around trumpeting to the four corners of the world that he was holier than, can we say it, bull manure? He just went on and did the right thing, never once comparing himself to the Almighty, as the Bush boys do. You see, the one really did have cojones, the other two, to paraphrase Ms. Richards, were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, though the spoons were full of barnyard manure which through the years has slowly migrated to fill their empty skulls. And lo and behold, as Gabriel would say, it also migrated downwards to where their hearts should have been.

 

Again, Out Damn Spot, or As The Bush Family Calls It: Medicaid
Well, after all the good President Johnson's Medicaid has brought to the poor who needed and continue to need Medicaid in order to stay alive, those two sons of, oh you know, I just can't think of the word right now Jim said, but anyway, those two are beginning to whack away at Medicaid, with every intention of dismantling it because it isn't something that helps the rich. On October 19, to the praises of secretary and health and human services [vomitus] Michael O. Leavitt, Jeb Bush, he of the cheeks like a bare baby's behind, began dismantling Medicaid in Florida.

 

His plan, approved by the other demonic brother in Washington, will significantly and dangerously cut how much is spent on the 2.2 million beneficiaries of Medicaid in Florida, in other words, Jim said, in this administration that toots its horn as the "administration that follows a culture of life," now the state will be able to pick and choose who gets treated with the best medicine has to offer, and who gets placebos and just quietly dies and gets of the rolls.

 

Mr. Leavitt, repugnantly chirped: "Today will be remembered as a day of transformation for the Florida Medicaid program. Florida's framework will be helpful to other states." Yeah, it means that with Dubya's approval, other states will start cutting back on medications the poor elderly and disabled need, cutting back on doctors' visits, the flourishing of draconian measures to deny care, and rapid emptying of nursing homes. In other words, saving the state money by killing the poor.

 

Now Back to Terry Schiavo
Carmen, Jim's wife, wanted to know what all the hoopla was about, when cheeky Jeb Bush attempted to get the Supreme Court to intervene and forbid the removal of Terry Schiavo's feeding tube. His butchering Medicaid is proof that there's no compassion in him, so the Schiavo thing had to have been only a circus attempt to entertain the country and pull the wool over the country's eyes, making the foolish believe that the Bushes believe in caring for the disabled, like Mrs. Schiavo but, the truth is out. Just a big show folks! Carmen handed us copies of the following treatise, and after giving us a chance to read it, she quietly asked us to consider if any Republican can truly be a Christian when really they seem more instruments of Satan. How dare, she asked, the Republicans and their followers profess to be Christians when they cannot grasp even the most basic tenets of that faith?

 

The story of the 'rich young ruler' is well known. It is found in three Gospels: for Matthew he is young, for Luke he is a ruler, for Mark he is just someone, like you and me, but not as young for he had kept the commandments (mitzvoth) since his youth. All 3 Gospels insist he had many possessions. Using Jesus' harshest language, Mark warns us against attitudes that in fact are a barrier to our faith and a substitute for God: so he warns against scandals of power, urge to dominate, selfish arrogance and greed for possessions. Jesus' teaching shocks and grieves the rich ruler, while at the same time, it greatly astounds the disciples: how can wealth be such a barrier to Christian faith?

 

Isn't it a sign of God's blessing?

True the Torah teaches to use wealth wisely and justly, but somehow Jesus takes for granted that all possessions are amassed through exploitation, since even the Torah-teachers swallow up widow's houses, and make a show of praying. Over the centuries, the story of the rich ruler has made a deep impression on Christianity: many saints, took literally Jesus' advice to sell everything and founded Religious Orders -of men & women-, who live a life of Evangelical Counsels, even if at times attract the criticism of having nothing but possessing everything (2Cor 6,10).

 

Jesus' Option for the Poor:
The teaching of Jesus on poverty is firm, harsh and radical. Mark could not be more intense: Jesus looks steadily at the rich ruler and says: do not be possessed by possessions. And, looking just as steadily at his disciples he says: It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle! The disciples are left to plead: if this is so, who can be saved? To understand Jesus' praxis and teaching on poverty we must look at the context of his times and social conditions. Jesus is not asking us to live as destitute beggars (ptochos), or as penury-stricken people (penes) although their welfare must attend to. But He urges us to be familiar with those who lack the necessities of life, since he lives in them: I was hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, unemployed, despised. With these needy people we are all metaphorically united: the New Testament speaks of a pervasive, spiritual poverty or indigence (endees), as in God's house, we are all needy.

 

The latest biblical scholarship (both Liberation & Feminist) has provided deeper insights into the times and social conditions that motivated the evangelism of the radically poor for the radically poor. Experts suggest that Mark wrote his Gospel for a poor Church community in Roman-occupied Syria, at a time of persecution, while the Roman army was suppressing the First Jewish Revolt in Holy Land in A.D. 67-70. Tragically this ended up with the destruction of the Temple and the Old Jewish religious life. While addressing his message to a rather settled, structured and orderly Christian community, Mark writes about the life-style of John the Baptist, of Jesus himself and of his first disciples, all radical wanderers, all promoting a movement of the poor for the poor, all requiring a radical concern for all oppressed and marginalized. This was the setting which God had chosen to launch a New Order, and ransom all nations, all cultures, all times. The worldly rich and powerful would never see God's designs in such a mission.

 

Pretty Serious Considerations Force an Interlude
Sadness at the Bush brothers' destructive actions might have dampened our enthusiasm for dinner, but since Max and Charlotte were preparing most of our dishes.

 

First, Max and Charlotte served us some small but complex Provençale Toast Points. They were complex because on such small triangles of whole wheat toast, Max and Charlotte had spread a delicious mixture of Niçoise olives, anchovies, potatoes, olive oil, onion, garlic, capers and oregano. Max served those who wanted them, small glasses, called "copitas" of very slightly chilled very dry sherry, the Tío Pepe Muy Seco, from González Byass.

 

Charlotte then served us a Ceviche Limeño (from Lima, Peru), with shrimp, avocado, cilantro and limes. With the ceviche, Max poured a nice dry Spanish sparkling wine, a Freixenet Brut Cordón Negro. They brought out small dollops of pear sorbet to ready us for the next course. Max and Charlotte brought a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon from their wine cellar, a 2001 Louis M. Martini Reserve, Alexander Valley, to pair with his Seared Filet Mignon. By now, you know that when Max and Charlotte take over the kitchen, the fare for the evening is not going to be humdrum. With the Filet Mignon, they served fingerling potatoes roasted with extra-virgin olive oil and white wine, a mushroom risotto, and to please us all, Max made some of hi classic, baked on the grill, squash blossom and cornbread skillet bread.

 

Satisfied? Yes, but we still wanted some of Charlotte's, sorry, but this is the name of her classic dessert, Strawberry Charlotte, paired with another wine they brought from their wine cellar, an excellent Riesling from Idaho, Château Ste. Chapelle.

 

End of an Intense Evening
Each of us found the Bush brothers' attitude towards Medicaid beneficiaries disgusting. Carmen apologized for the long religious treatise, but thought we should, even those of us who are not Christians, think about the message.
We enjoyed Max's after-dinner coffee back in the great room with the teenagers, hoping, with all our hearts, that if any of them at some time in the future needed good social services, they would be there for them.

 

 

Summary:
If George and Jeb throw their arms up in rapture and profess to be holier than you know what Christians, how come they're dooming millions of poorer people to an early death by gutting Medicaid. Is that the culture of life, or is the culture of life only for the haves and the haves more?

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

The Military-Industrial Complex

From President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Farewell Address to the Nation January 17, 1961:

 

"Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations.

 

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

 

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

 

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."

 

The Military is Too Big for Its Britches
Schuyler was preparing cocktails in the great room as everybody started to arrive. Tonight, he made a drink we'd never tried before, a Gloom Chaser. He made them with Grand Marnier and Curaçao, and for those who didn't want alcohol, he had some nonalcoholic sparkling wine. Why a Gloom Chaser? Well, we just had a cold snap and couldn't sit out on the porch, and the thought of friends and relatives losing either their jobs or their health benefits had many of us worried.

 

As each person arrived, Alex and Jane handed them copies of parts of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Farewell to the Nation address. After everybody had arrived, gotten a drink, and had a chance to read those paragraphs, the import of President Eisenhower's message began our discussion.

 

Bob told us that the Neocons, the Bushies, have always favored the health of the Military-industrial complex over anything else. Bob also told us something we didn't have much stomach to hear, that as early as 1992 Shady Cheney and Wolverine Wolfowitz were touting the need for the United States to engage in preemptive assaults on other nations who might, just possibly, be a threat to the United States. Since 1998 Donald Rumsfeld has been counseling anybody who would listen, that Saddam Hussein had to be "gotten rid of."

 

Not Really That Much Money
Well, you could say things could be worse and guess what? You just might be right. Now really, so what if George is spending 558 billion on his Neocon military? Doesn't affect anything, does it? Well, maybe just a tad, since his budget doesn't include the 85 billion that he's spending in Afghanistan and Iraq, which he didn't include in his "budget." That comes from "supplemental appropriations."

 

Alex pointed out to us something that in the general scheme of things, seemed just a bit unusual. Some companies were making money hand-over-fist: Lockheed, General Dynamics, Honeywell, Boeing, Raytheon, International Military and Government LLC, United Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Bell Helicopter, General Electric, General Dynamics subsidiary Electric Boat, Halliburton, Science Applications Int. Corp. and Computer Sciences Corp.

 

And All For Snuff and So Your Friends and Relatives Would Lose Jobs and Health Benefits
Well, not that kind of snuff; not the kind you delicately pinch from a snuffbox and snort: no sonny, Bob said, we're talking about how all these companies have made untold fortunes to snuff out 1996 American service personnel and approximately 100,000 Iraqis.

 

Other victims of this sick scheme of Bush & Co., General Motors and Ford Motor Company, the real bellwethers for the country. We'd all heard 'as goes General Motors, so goes the U.S.' And now, The New York Times is reporting, both of these companies are bleeding millions of dollars. Ford is planning to shutter untold factories; they'll have 'significant plant closings.' GM is going to cut benefits, and it reports that this year they have lost $4 billion! So, soon, Ford will start laying off employees, and, can GM be far behind? So, Ford and GM will be casualties of the Neocons, and who will gain?

 

Eisenhower Was Right
So what about the plowshares. Are they not, too, important? The neocons are still reacting to their extreme distaste, as author Robert R. Reich writes in his book "Reason", against the "permissiveness, self-indulgence and anti-war softness" of the sixties, but in doing so, they are dragging the country down, and we have to regain our footing and save the country from these 1984 goons. And gee, do you think if we spent less on killing, [don't forget their constant harping on the culture of life], we just might be able to feed more people and house the homeless, or do just about anything else that me be kind and good?

 

Dinner, as Respite From Hell
We can't blame the teenagers for always wanting the gong to sound, announcing dinner. Sometimes, we too are very hungry, or like tonight, just anxious for a chance to get off the topics brought down upon us by these chancres.

 

Charlotte, as soon as we had all taken our places, served us some small Manchego Cheese and Radicchio Quesadillas and for those of us who wanted them, small glasses of Patrón Tequila Reposado. Terry and Art had brought some beautiful eggplants from their greenhouses, and made a Garlicky Roasted Eggplant soup.

 

Max brought a Fumé Blanc from their wine cellar to go with the soup, and his choice was one of the best of the California Fumé Blancs, a Château St. Jean La Petite Étoile Vineyard Russian Valley Fumé Blanc.

 

Shelley and Cathy suggested we not have a fish course tonight, and instead they roasted some really spicy Cornish Game Hens. The two said that this was such and easy dish to prepare that it was almost effortless. Remember that they had to serve twenty-eight adults and fourteen teenagers! Once again, we all sang the praises of the enormous, old French range and all its ovens, plus the two built-in ovens we had put in a few years back.

 

To give you an idea of what we mean when we emphasize "spicy" these are some of the major spices that made the dish so delectable: garlic, rosemary, mustard, Dijon and coarse-grained, paprika and pepper. We toasted them for this wonderful dish, and agreed with Max that the same Fumé Blanc would be best with the hens, one of the rare times we did not change wines when we changed courses. For vegetables, Charlotte had made one of her splendid vegetable terrines which added a richness and complexity to the roasted hens.

 

Unusual for us, we did not have as many dishes as we normally do, but the plump little Cornish hens signaled to Shelley and Cathy that we would not need both a fish and a meat course tonight. However, we did want dessert, and were not at all disappointed with Charlotte's splendid "south of France" Raspberry and Fig Clafouti, dusted with powdered sugar. Charlotte served this heavenly dessert with a beautiful wine from her wine cellar, a 2003 Château de Malle Sauternes.

 

Back to the Teenagers
Max brewed some of his special-blend after-dinner coffee which we drank after joining the teenagers back in the great room. Each couple wished only the best for their children, a world where money could be used for good, and not for war. Max, coffee cup in hand, said a brief but poignant toast: "To peace, and to the success of United States industry devoid of military interests, and to regime change and the rebirth of a political party that puts people first."

 

Summary:
The cost of emphasizing the value of the Military-industrial Complex over the lives of human beings is taking a drastic toll on non-military United States industries. Jobs are being lost to other countries, and U.S. citizens are paying an inhuman price.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

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General Motors Shafting Employees, Military-Industrial

We've always heard that as goes General Motors, so goes the United States. Well, General Motors is bleeding money and plans to cut back, enormously, on it's employee's and retiree's health benefits.

Meanwhile, in the Military-Industrial Complex that President Dwight D. Eisenhower so desperately warned us to cautious of, under this administration, the following are making money hand-over-fist:

General Dynamics, Honeywell, Boeing, Raytheon, International Militar and Government LLC, United Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Bechtel, McDonnell Douglas, Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter, General Electric, Electric Boat, the General Dynamics subsidiary.

Sorry retirees, Busho Whacko has other priorities, and sorry, it isn't you.

(The Grindstaff Chronicles will be covering these companies in upcoming issues.)

Who's Civilized? - Grindstaff Chronicles

The Grindstaff Chronicles

Interesting How the U.S. is Regressing
Schuyler was busy preparing cocktails for this evening as everybody began gathering. Tonight he's planning on serving some of us a Presidente, a drink from 1920s Cuba. He made the drink with Bacardi white rum, Curaçao, Martini & Rossi dry vermouth and grenadine. For those wishing a good nonalcoholic cocktail, he made Mary Pickfords, leaving out the rum.

The two couples who recently moved here from Iraq have settled in nicely, and it's been a joy having them as neighbors. They brought new life to our nightly gatherings. All four of them are more cosmopolitan and sophisticated than we are, but that just brings a new and good dimension to our group.

Having lived in a part of the world that has endured abominable violations of human rights, they were telling us that just before moving here they heard that next week, in England, there's going to be an international conference on how to use less lethal weapons on human beings.

To make a point, Barry, who moved here with his wife Kim from Israel to put the violence in the Middle East behind them and allow their children to grow up in a more peaceful atmosphere, sarcastically asked: why? When confronted with a potential assailant or miscreant, why not blow his brains out, or spill his intestines all over the place first, and ask questions later? Why not shoot him to smithereens right off the bat, and avoid all those inconvenient Miranda rights, trials by juries of one's peers, appeals, good legal representation and so forth, as the Bush administration would like?

Well, we all know that in reality Barry is a very gentle man, and if he weren't Jewish, he'd make a perfect Quaker. He was just trying to bring our attention to the fact that he'd also heard about the Less Lethal Weapons International Conference, but also had found out that the United States, i.e. Bush & Co., were absolutely not interested in attending this conference and learning how to be more humane. No, all the way down the chain of command, including down to that nefarious woman, Rice, who has approved the use of torture by the U.S. all over the world, they're more interested in taking this country back to the dark ages, where torture and inhumane treatment reigned supreme.

 

Kudos
With sincere reverence, in silence, we gave thanks to those countries who are sending delegates to the Less Lethal Weapons Conference. If you thought the present administration was sending any delegates, you'd be wrong. Only 15 Americans are attending the conference, 0, zilch, nada from the Bush government. Where does civilization end? At the current White House?

 

Bush to His Minions: We The Closet King Command You, Return This Country's Civil and Human Rights To That Period Prior To June 15, 1215
'Ol George, the criminally megalomaniac son of that infamously cold woman Barbara Bush, has tried, since usurping the presidency, to destroy our rights, won slowly century by century, since King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215. Bob said that's an awful lot of centuries W. wants to take us back to, but he got Carte Blanche to do it from 59,054,087 very stupid people, and from thousands of truly ignorant so-called "born-again christians" who wouldn't know true Christianity if it bit them on the butt.

 

Barry, to finish his point, said that from now on he would only be able to think of the Republican Party as the party of those who would revise history and render quaint the significance of the signing of the Magna Carta. Let the torture and killing begin!

 

Dinner by Shelley and Cathy
Tonight, Shelley and Cathy wanted to prepare most of our dinner. The transition from talking about less lethal weapons and the obliteration of our rights to a sure-fire banquet was strange, but we can get so involved in the horrors committed by this administration that we need to wind down, and our dinners are the mechanism that allow us to think about more pleasant things.

We went in to the large dining room and the teenagers went to their table in the great room. Seconds after being seated, Shelley and Cathy served us truly delectable Stilton Cheese and Walnut tartlets.

 

They poured small wine glasses of a very dry González Byass sherry, and by the quantity, we could tell that the sherry would be paired both with the delicious tartlets and the soup course. We were right, the perfect, simple chicken consommé they also paired with the same dry sherry. Cathy is an expert at baking fish, and tonight her Baked Red Snapper fillets were cooked to flaky perfection in Lucini extra virgin olive oil and lemon wedges. On the plates with the fish, she served a small mushroom salad and smoky, grilled corn with Monterey jack cheese, and paired the dish with a lively Riesling, a Wolf Blass Eden-Clare Valleys Gold Label.

Cathy served small dollops of mango sorbet as in interlude between the fish course and the meat course, which Max had helped them grill. Hoping that our new neighbors from Iraq would like the dish, Max, Shelley and Cathy grilled tapenade covered lamb and onion on skewers, served them over basmati rice, and added just a small salad of tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. They chose an Argentine Cabernet Sauvignon, a Domaine Chandon Terrazas de los Andes Mendoza Reserva.

 

Back to the Great Room
Dinner was delicious, and we still had Shelley and Cathy's dessert to look forward to. Because we wanted to talk to the teenagers about the Magna Carta, we decided to have dessert and after-dinner coffee in the great room with the kids. The chestnut and pecan tarts were so good, and such a beautiful way to end a good dinner.

We didn't want to scare the teenagers with our fears that this government is trying to do undo all the human rights gains we've achieved since 1215, but we did want to bring their attention to how long mankind has been struggling to be free and ruled righteously. We gave them all this web site address so they could study the Magna Carta in more detail:

 

www.bl.uk/treasures/magnacarta/magna.html

 

The site is just splendid, and we, the adults, will continue to go to it frequently.

 

Summary:
Are we, as a people, going to let this administration take away our civil rights, and take us back in time to the era before the Magna Carta was signed in 1215? It seems that half the country and the extreme religious right want just that.

---

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

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In Iraq, Who's Been Worse Than Saddam?

The Grindstaff Chronicles

"Christian" crusader petty little man with well-known mean streak and infamous potty-mouth
A few nights ago, the full moon was beautifully casting moonlight over all our farms and made lights unnecessary on the porch, where this evening Schuyler was busy making cocktails for all the arriving neighbors. Tonight, remembering that golden light, he made a cocktail called a Golden Russian, and used Ciroc vodka and Galliano. For some, he made nonalcoholic Sangría, with an extra pitcher for the younger crowd to drink where they were gathered inside.

With most of our dinner preparations done, we all gathered to talk about something that had been bothering Judy and Bob for a while, and about which we've written before. They thought it was kind of clever how the media had cow-towed to the White House and made it seem like Saddam was really this awful, nasty man who had killed tons of his own people. Funny, Judy said, but this White House, the most morally bankrupt White House since that pile of bricks was erected, was far more murderous and sadistic than Saddam had ever been.

Snap To Attention
At first, you could even the see the silence, it was so sudden and so loud. Then, like a sudden gust of wind, you could hear us all as we spun around to see just what Bob and Judy meant. They explained that those Paragons of Christian Virtue, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Meyers and that sweet piano player, Condosleazza Rice, were all directly, irrefutably responsible for as much killing, torturing, and maiming as Saddam, if you put simple mathematics to simple timeframes. Bush has held sway over Iraq 'x' amount of time, and killed and maimed between 8,000 and 100,000 Iraqis, (more or less 800 per month, 8,000 in 10 months) and that's just since 2001. It took Saddam 37 years, to kill roughly 300,000 Iraqi's, or 8,000 per year.

Judy and Bob apologized to us for not being as eloquent as one of their sources, Juan Cole, of the Informed Comment blog, but thanked him for permission to use some of his data. Prof. Cole is much more articulate. Judy and Bob were just too furious with this sorry thing that passes for a U.S. administration to be as eloquent as Dr. Cole.

We Are Worse Than Saddam
So, Carmen concluded after pondering every filthy detail she had just heard from Bob and Judy, Bush & Co. have dragged us down into the mire, the pig sty, as Condosleazza bangs away at her piano and the mousey librarian holds book fairs that decent women of principle will boycott. What's it going to take, A.J. asked, to clean us after we've been bathed in dung since Dubya usurped the presidency?

And as regards Condosleazza, The Champion of Torture, she probably took Malcom X's words to heart: "If someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery."

Oh, Sweet Guillotine, Where are You When We Really Need You?
Liz told us that this, from a speech given by Frederick Douglass on August 1, 1860, applies to all the demented sadists in the White House: "They who study mankind with a whip in their hands will always go wrong." And, of course, a whip is the least of the evils brought down upon the hapless Iraqis by Bush & Co. For the slimy and sadistic way in which this administration has dealt with ordinary Iraqis and "detainees" hopefully they'd receive a public whipping of their shiny black and white hinnies, followed by whatever punishment Osama Bin Laden, the guy The Whacko from Waco has forgotten, deems appropriate.

Ann Coulter, A Sage for the Ages
Ann Coulter, whining like Michael Jackson on steroids, claimed that Bill Clinton sullied the White House more than Bush has. Hmm. Sounds to us like consensual sex between adults is much healthier than slaughtering and butchering, maiming and torturing an entire people, and that's what Bush and his sick, sick, sick minions are doing, miring our country in more manure than we'll be able wash off in generations. But, since the guillotine is no longer used, the dominatrix-in-chief, family and minions, will probably get their just rewards from Bin Laden directly, and ultimately, from Bush's real father, Beelzebub. Oh lordy, can you just imagine that bed? Beelzebub begetting Dubya with Barbara the Barbarian/Catherine the Great? Now that should get Ms. Coulter's knickers in a knot!

Yuk, But Nevertheless, The Youngsters Want Dinner
After announcing, via the dinner gong, that they wanted dinner, now, - the youngsters concluded our outdoor "salon" and asked us to take our places at the dinner table so they could take theirs.

Charlotte, our angel cook, immediately recruited volunteers to help her serve us all small ramekins of Roasted Shallot Egg Custards. Served with the same sherry we had last night, an Osborne Amontillado, we were off to flights of fantasy. No, I'm not kidding, Charlotte is kind of our 'Saintess Cook."
Soon after this exquisite dish, she sent out Buffalo Mozzarella Soup, made with water and Monini olive oil, the apricots and scallions added a special touch that made this a truly delicious soup, especially when paired with Max and Charlotte's Mastroberadino Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio, a minerally, dry white wine.

Max had been grilling some excellent sea bass, adding a few mesquite wood chips to the grill for the last few minutes, and seved it grilled zucchini, Portobello mushrooms and scallions, paired with a lively American dry rosé, a Joseph Phelps Vin de Mistral. After some dollops of watermelon and pear sorbet, to our surprise, Max and Charlotte next served one of their specialities, Black Mole and Chicken, Mexican rice with diced carrots and beautiful peas, and wonderful black beans.

At first we thought they'd serve this spicy dish with beer, but not these gourmets, they served the mole, appropriately, with a somewhat hefty dry Alsace Riesling from Leon Beyer. Fish before a good mole dish is quite normal in Mexico, so there was no discordance here. A coconut granita followed the mole course, mentally taking some of us to the beautiful Mexican Pacific.

Winding Down
Feeling the desire to be close to the children and somehow convey to them a sense of safety in these dangerous times, we joined them in the great room and had our after-dinner coffee with them.

Summary:
Lest we cast the first stone: The U.S. has been just as barbaric as Saddam Hussein, warranting that this administration undergo the same kind of trial as Saddam began to undergo this Wednesday.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

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Joan of Arc de Bush

"God Speaks to Me, and Drag"
While reading this Chronicle of our conversations and dinner tonight, absolutely no offense is meant, directly or indirectly, to any person who for whatever reason, has an innate desire or need to dress in the clothing of the opposite sex. Such people, if they moved in to any farm in our broad community, would be welcomed just as any other neighbor would. What we do find offensive, is the president of the United States constantly dressing up.

 

As A.J. passed around Boston Sours made with bourbon and Angostura bitters, he told us that W had strutted and pranced around in so many costumes, the only one left for him to strut around in is the one that other cross-dresser wore: the suit of armor Joan of Arc wore all the time. Of course, she, who also heard voices from on high, was burned at the stake, and we, well, we can only hope.

 

Kim told us that Dubya's latest little outfit was the workman's gloves, jeans and hard hat, all to pretend that he was helping build housing for Katrina victims. Funny thing, though, Kim pointed out, he didn't know how to hold the hammer and the late-night comedians were calling his technique the girlie-man technique. Tap tap tap, tee hee hee. Kind of cancels out any advantage he thinks he's gained from all those belated trips to Louisiana and Mississippi. The gasoline expenditure to fly Air Force One down there, what is it, six, seven times? That expenditure could probably have built a couple of small houses for those who need housing. Anyway, Kim said, the most he accomplished was looking like one of those "guys" from the Village People.

 

Saint Joan
Big difference here. Joan of Arc was actually fighting for her country. She was even willing to die for her country, whereas our costumer-in-chief has been fighting against his country since he announced in 1999 that he was going to invade Iraq; since he decided to enrich the über-rich; since he decided to disenfranchise the middle and poorer classes by taking Social Security away from them, and since he spent like a drunken sailor (not like his daughters) and mortgaged most of the treasure of the United States to the Chinese. Also, I doubt the words he says he hears from God are the ones that tell him to condone, promote and encourage the use of torture. Jeez, if anybody in recent history deserves to be burned at the stake, it's old Saint Joan wannabe but YMCA look-alike little lord Fauntlerbush.

 

Liz found this wonderful quote by Bill Moyers: "You have to pursue the ideals of Joan of Arc with the political prowess of an Adam Clayton Powell. Whatever you say about Joan, her purpose was noble. And whatever you say about Adam, his politics are effective; they get things done he wants done."

 

Not a Medieval Royal Banquet, but Oh, What a Dinner!
Kim and Barry wanted to prepare most of tonight's dinner, and from experience, we knew we'd be fed like royalty. Kim first served us an absolutely velvety Shrimp Bisque. She prepared it with brandy, and paired it with a Lustau Amontillado Los Arcos sherry. The sherry was deliciously dry. Barry thoroughly enjoys helping Kim cook, and his contribution was Coquilles St. Jacques with a Ginger Sauce, served very simply on a bed of exquisite white rice. He and Kim brought over a rich Rhône white Hermitage from their wine cellar to pair with the delicious sea scallops.

 

As an interlude, Judy served us all small dollops of Guava Sorbet, to prepare us for the dish that she and Bob had prepared, Roasted Beef Tenderloin served with Fried Zucchini and a Fricassee of Wild Mushrooms. During both the seafood course and the beef course we enjoyed Max's freshly baked Zucchini Parmigiano-Reggiano bread.

 

Before returning to the great room to rejoin the kids, we enjoyed Biscotti with Vin Santo, dipping the biscotti in the wine, just as they do in Italy.

 

Winding Down
Today was a busy day. One of the horses didn't want to get in his trailer, and before long several of us were out on the road trying to catch him. Fortunately, a small patch of still-green grass caught his attention long enough for Barry to be able to catch him, and four of us struggled to get "old stubborn" in the trailer for a short trip to the vet. With the portable hot water "bathers" all the horses got perhaps their last bath of the season, so you can see why we were anxious to call it a day and sit down to dinner. I also know one thing, we're going to pray to St. Joan, the Patron Saint of soldiers; soldiers doomed to suffer for one man's childish folly, a man who cannot be trusted. As people were bundling up in sweaters, getting ready to leave, Liz told us what Confucius once related:

 

Tzu-kung asked, What is kingcraft?

 

The Master said: "Food enough, troops enough, and a trusting people."

 

Tzu-kung said: "Were there no help for it, which could best be spared of the three?"

 

"Troops," said the Master.

 

"And were there no help for it, which could better be spared of the other two?"

 

"Food," said the Master. "From of old all men die, but without trust a people cannot stand."

 

And we cannot trust Bush anymore.

 

Summary:
When those who govern you tell you they're getting their marching orders from God, and you can see that all they do is evil, beware, and change your government. Quickly.

©Copyright 2005 Grindstaff Chronicles. All Rights Reserved.
================================================
Reprinted from The Grindstaff Chronicles Newsletter which is published in the USA by farmers, ranchers, and neighbors.

It is intended to share the thoughts and lifestyle of people who work hard, like to relax and enjoy life, and are often dismayed by news, politics, and the events of the day that defy common sense.
http://www.GrindstaffChronicles.com
================================================

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President Bush's Only Veto

Begat Armaggedon
Noah begat Shem; and Shem begat Arphaxad; and Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber; and Eber begat Peleg; and Peleg begat Reu; and Reu begat Serug; and Serug begat Nahor; and Nahor begat Terah; and Terah begat Abram; and Abram begat Ishmael by the bondwoman, called Hagar. Abram's name was changed by God to Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac by his wife, Sarah, the freewoman.

Beelzebub begat Barbara the Barbarian, who begat Beelzebub Jr., AKA George W. Bush, who is committed to begetting the most horrendous holy war ever. His eternal tirades against certain Muslims is only stirring the flames in the Middle East, rendering quaint his sending the Polyester Queen, Karen Hughes the Clueless, on a mission to the win the hearts and minds of the people in the Middle East. Sorta stupid, isn't it? The epitome of counterproductive. Send La Hughes to appease, and then have El Wacko spout evil, challenging venom against all sorts of people in the Middle East. A new definition of working ass backward.

Right about now, I think we could all use a good cocktail. Schuyler, now that everybody's gathered on the back porch, is whipping up some Margaritas for us, with some exquisite Tequila Conmemorativo. His glasses were full of crushed lime wedges, and he told us this cocktail was meant to be sipped slowly. We once again are enjoying a mild evening, so the small braziers are enough to keep the more cold-natured of us warm.

The Two Thousand-year War and Torture
Our Crusader-in-Chief, who quite mistakenly calls himself a Christian, has, as most of the world's criminally megalomaniacs, encased himself in an impenetrable bubble, where reason absolutely cannot enter. Probably even the mousey librarian cannot penetrate that bubble anymore, and this megalomaniac is beyond redemption, hell-bent on unleashing a religious war of proportions never seen by man before. One simple point Jim wanted to make: a real Christian would never, ever, condone or approve the using torture, in any form or for any reason. Yet this fool, who has managed to convince half of the country that he is a Christian, adores the use of torture, just as the Spanish Inquisition did.

Alex told us that this megalomaniac maniac has never vetoed any bill presented to him, especially, he has never vetoed any spending bill, quickly sending this once rich country on its way into bankruptcy. But guess what? The only bill he's planning on vetoing is the one prepared by Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and John Warner, whose aim is to forbid the United States from using torture at Guantánamo, Afghanistan and Iraq. Judy couldn't believe that this is the only bill that "christian" fool is threatening to veto.

Christians?
Judy, by now quite disturbed by the bad news none of us could tolerate, said that she had recently done much research on what it means to be a true Christian, and could find nothing remotely Christian about Dubya. Actually, she told us, after much study she decided that you could not claim to be a republican and a Christian at the same time. That, she said, was an oxymoron if there ever was one. At the heart of Christianity, Judy told us, was the underlying issue of kindness, and kindness can't contemplate torture, the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocents, the maiming of thousands of people and the willful, wanton destruction of the housing of poor people. Christianity, Judy continued, is all about taking care of your neighbor and seeing to his well-being, to her health needs, to easing their lives as they grow older, all things the republicans find repugnant. Christian president indeed! Torture lover, yes ma'am!

Alex Sums it Up
Alex kindly had brought a clipping from The Washington Post, which in an editorial said: "Let's be clear: Mr. Bush is proposing to use the first veto of its presidency on a defense bill needed to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan [and Guantánamo] so that he can preserve the prerogative to subject detainees to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

Liz, on Essential Human Freedoms
Liz, who always has a quote at the ready for whatever the topic of the evening might be, told us what Franklin D. Roosevelt said in a speech to Congress on January 6, 1941:

"We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression [a concept Georgre and Laura don't get], everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way, everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want [a concept foreign to Republicans], everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear…anywhere in the world [tragic, that Bush doesn't get it]." Fear = torture.

The Younger Set Announces Dinner
Tonight's dinner has a decidedly Latin American flavor. The teenagers suggested that we serve some of these dishes, which they probably heard about at school. Because we hadn't fixed a dinner like this in some time, we were happy to fix what they wanted.

Bob and Judy did an excellent job of serving Avocado and Shrimp Flour Tortilla rolls, with just a hit of spice from jalapeño peppers. They chose