Like Bob Marley used to sing: legalize it.
This is Neil Franklin, the director of Law Enforcement Against Drug Prohibition reflecting on his years as a police officer prosecuting The Drug War and its effect on black communities.
"I think about all those things I did throughout the years that I'm not proud of today."
31 May, 2011
Say It Ain't So, PBS
PBS is looking to run commercials in the middle of programs instead of at the end or beginning of them.
PBS officials told member stations at its recent annual meeting in Orlando that beginning this fall, the Wednesday science series “Nature” and “Nova” would contain corporate and foundation sponsor spots, promotional messages and branding within four breaks inside the shows, instead of at the very beginning and end.
The longest period of uninterrupted programming, according to a plan shown to the programmers, would be just under 15 minutes, compared with the current 50 minutes or more. Based on what PBS learns in the fall, the new format would continue to be introduced night by night through the year, officials said.
PBS officials told member stations at its recent annual meeting in Orlando that beginning this fall, the Wednesday science series “Nature” and “Nova” would contain corporate and foundation sponsor spots, promotional messages and branding within four breaks inside the shows, instead of at the very beginning and end.
The longest period of uninterrupted programming, according to a plan shown to the programmers, would be just under 15 minutes, compared with the current 50 minutes or more. Based on what PBS learns in the fall, the new format would continue to be introduced night by night through the year, officials said.
26 May, 2011
1934 Chicago World's Fair in Technicolor
This is pretty hoopy. It's footage of the Chicago World's Fair in 1934.
The Fair has a personal connection for me. One of my grandmothers came to Chicago while the fair was ongoing and she was so impressed, she decided to leave the farm in southern Illinois where she grew up and relocate to the big city. So it's neat to see what she saw that inspired her to make the move.
Here's Part 2.
The Fair has a personal connection for me. One of my grandmothers came to Chicago while the fair was ongoing and she was so impressed, she decided to leave the farm in southern Illinois where she grew up and relocate to the big city. So it's neat to see what she saw that inspired her to make the move.
Here's Part 2.
Open Meetings Law: Violated
I guess the good ol' boys in the state legislature did violate open meetings laws. Judge Sumi's decision is here.
Let the layoffs begin!
Let the layoffs begin!
Hey Herb Kohl, Don't Let the Door Hit You in the Ass on the Way Out
Herb Kohl is retiring but not before doing his level best to get the Patriot Act renewed. He voted Yea on a cloture vote in the Senate to end debate on whether to continue to allow the government to run roughshod over the Fourth Amendment. Gee, thanks Mr. Kohl.
I'll save the Surveillance State some time and let it know that the last book I checked out from the library was Oil on the Brain.
Did you read T. Herman Zweibel's recent op-ed about Kohl? I don't know whether it's an encomium or a bit of asteism. Normally when paying tribute to a departing politico, one revisits the accomplishments of the person. They fought hard on the Senate floor for this or they introduced a bill to do that. Not here. The best that Zweibel can come up with is that Kohl was direct.
And where are the Teabagger protests? Their buddy Ron Johnson also voted Yea. Where are the tricorned hordes insisting that "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized" should be the law of the land?
I thought these guys took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, not hand out exemptions.
I'll save the Surveillance State some time and let it know that the last book I checked out from the library was Oil on the Brain.
Did you read T. Herman Zweibel's recent op-ed about Kohl? I don't know whether it's an encomium or a bit of asteism. Normally when paying tribute to a departing politico, one revisits the accomplishments of the person. They fought hard on the Senate floor for this or they introduced a bill to do that. Not here. The best that Zweibel can come up with is that Kohl was direct.
And where are the Teabagger protests? Their buddy Ron Johnson also voted Yea. Where are the tricorned hordes insisting that "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized" should be the law of the land?
I thought these guys took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, not hand out exemptions.
25 May, 2011
Oil on the Brain by Lisa Margonelli
Every day millions of us buy gasoline. The price at the pump has attained unofficial status as the marker of the health of the economy. But knowing the price of a gallon of gas is about all many, if not most, of us know about the stuff. I was more or less in that category so I decided to read Lisa Margonelli's Oil on the Brain: Adventures From the Pump to the Pipeline.
Margonelli is a journalist out of Oakland who became interested in all things oil back in 2002 when she was up in Alaska at Prudhoe Bay and observed an experiment in oil spills clean up. This test involved dropping some bags of napalm onto an oil slick. She was mesmerized by the flames and it occurred to her that she was pretty ignorant about oil. And so her investigation began.
She writes from the perspective of the American consumer and starts by hanging out at a gas station. (The chapter headings include the price of oil when the events described take place and it was $1.62/gallon when she did her investigation for chapter 1.) This very first chapter sets the pattern for the rest of the book. First the reader gets a look at a particular link in the oil chain, in this case, Twin Peaks Petroleum in San Francisco. Then a bit of history behind it followed by some in-depth probing of the link which always includes the human faces behind it. (And there are some real characters.)
At TPP, the clerks have to deal with some difficult customers. No news there. But there are other problems such as "merchandise shrink", i.e. –employee theft. The stations' owner, Michael Gharib, says, "I make more money selling water than gas. And the gas gets shipped around the world and goes through a refinery and still my customers want it cheap." Hence gas stations became convenience stores. Margins are thin and being an independent station requires even more work since you don't have a Mobil or Shell sign on your lot.
Gas stations boomed in the 1920 with over 100,000 going up that decade. Gas was the same so the oil companies had to differentiate their product via other means. There were wars over who had the cleanest restrooms, trading stamps, and a whole host of other gimmicks. Then, like many things relating to oil, it all changed with the energy crises of the 1970s. I am just old enough to remember full service stations and the days before oil companies issued their own credit cards. Many stations closed and they went from being a place to have a "home away from home" experience to the junk food emporiums we know today.
Margonelli likes to highlight an important aspect of the big picture at the end of her chapters. Here in the first chapter it is the rather simple observation that Americans love their cars and that economic rationality doesn't seem to apply to our consumption of gasoline. As she notes, "But studies show that people love being in their cars even more than, say, being at work or at home. People prefer a half-hour commute to a shorter drive."
From the gas station we head to the distribution end and meet Roger, who drives a truck that delivers the gas to stations like Twin Peak petroleum. He spends a lot of his time breathing in gas fumes and stuck in California traffic. His dispatcher, Chris, is also profiled. For her too, the gas business is often about a thin profit margin. With the price of gas so volatile, she must make quick decisions about the prices Roger pays to fill his tanker truck. Oh, and wholesalers are known as jobbers in the trade.
The chapters on the refinery and drilling rig in Texas are very informative in that they explain how these operations work. Ever wonder how that sticky good becomes the gasoline you put in your car? Margonelli is happy to give a For Dummies explanation of what a refinery does. But what these chapters really emphasize is just how dangerous the work of getting that gasoline to your local station is. Refineries can leak and there are fires. They have a special klaxon and, when it sounds, workers know to run for their lives. Rigs are also very dangerous. The drilling system heading 10,000+ feet into the earth has a lot of parts that must be handled in a certain way. One slip up can mean the loss of a limb or worse. Until now, I never filled my car and thought that some guy somewhere had a big section of pipe flailing about near him. Moving a couple inches the wrong way could mean he loses his arm and gets one upside the head. Margonelli says that gas station pumps are modeled on ATMs because apparently American consumers find ATMs to wholesome or unimposing. In such a cozy atmosphere, who would think about the dangers encountered by the people who made sure there was gas for me to pump?
Chapters on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the NYMEX oil market round out the section taking place on our shores. Then it's off on a trip around the world to visit various oil producing countries. These chapters delve into the realpolitik behind oil and our foreign policy. This being the case, they are slightly more difficult reads if you're unfamiliar with the countries that Margonelli visits. But she does a good job of summarizing and simplifying for the layreader. In addition to the history lectures she gets on the ground and talks to people. You've got a warlord siphoning oil and reselling it? Margonelli visits him. Are there slums where those who don't enjoy the riches that oil brings live? We visit those places as well.
Venezuela is our first destination. The vagaries of Hugo Chávez are on display here along with his country's complicated relationship with mine. Oil was first discovered there in 1921 and immediately the U.S. government and U.S. oil companies were on the scene. Today Venezuela sells most of its oil to America despite having some harsh words for us. Known as "the devil's excrement" to some there, Venezuela seems to have a love/hate relationship with oil. It is at once Satan's shit but also seen as savior, a way to lift the people there up.
China's story is very different. It is one of a large, oil hungry country trying to deal with a steeply rising demand for cars and inefficient industry that gobbles up energy like Pac Man. This chapter is all about planning and development of electric cars. Much more depressing were those on Chad and Nigeria. These countries find themselves in situations similar to Venezuela but with even more dictatorial regimes in charge, rampant corruption, and plenty of violence.
It was very depressing to read how oil money in poor/developing countries rarely makes its way to the vast majority of citizens. An elite few almost always seem to benefit the most. Similarly dispiriting is reading about the Niger Delta and all the oil spilled there.
In these chapters about foreign countries the United States is always lurking in the background somewhere. The Chinese are looking to satisfy their oil needs under U.S. hegemony; Iran and the U.S. consider one another enemies; African countries have suffered under the decrees of the IMF and World Bank. Our oil consumption has consequences that we don't think about when we're at the pump that are environmental, economic, political, and moral in nature. Even George Bush declared we were addicted to the stuff.
Margonelli notes that our dependency on foreign oil will only increase. Rather than letting our oil diplomacy be carried out by the oil companies in various countries, she says our government will have to become increasingly involved directly in new ways. She also pleads for more conservation on our part.
Oil on the Brain is a fascinating book. I found it a good primer on the web of oil. The explanations of the mechanical side of things, e.g. – how oil rigs and refineries work, were interesting in their own right but they also illuminated just how deeply oil permeates our society. The chapters on foreign countries explained a lot but they also raised moral questions. We are something like 4% of the world's population yet we use in the neighborhood of 25% of the oil. With millions and millions of people in other countries mired in poverty while an elite few wallow in the wealth crude brings, do I then have any moral obligations, perforce? If I'm happy and willing to use oil from Nigeria, should I be more concerned about Shell screwing over the people there and letting those same folks shoulder the environmental burden of the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez sized spill every year? Purely here in the States, we have something similar where we are happy to let oil be drilled off the Gulf coast and shake our heads at the tragedy of a spill like we did last summer, but we're unwilling to drill in ANWR, the Great Lakes, or on the West and East coasts. One of Margonelli's best points is that most Americans see the business of oil as simply a series of economic transactions when, in fact, it is much more.
As I said above, this book is a primer. When I was done I thought about how it didn't go into depth about our relationship with Canada, from which we get a helluva lot of oil, if not the majority of the amount we import. It also didn't focus any time on Saudi Arabia, a country with which we have a relationship that has tremendous consequences worldwide. Margonelli left quite a bit out of her account but it's understandable. Oil on the Brain should be considered an introduction and springboard to further exploration of the topic of oil. And quite an interesting and thought-provoking intro it is.
24 May, 2011
"So the Story Gose"
Imbibe magazine has an article in their current issue called "So the Story Gose" about the titular German bier style. The American variations mentioned, such as one with cranberry, hibiscus flower and orange peel, sound very tasty. Hopefully a Wisconsin brewery will brew some up one of these days as it is a great summer thirst quencher.
My review of Leipziger Gose is here.
My review of Leipziger Gose is here.
23 May, 2011
Now Here's Something You Don't See Everyday
Not only do you get the Doctor Who theme played by Tesla coils, but you also get Adam Savage of Mythbusters doing a cage dance.
20 May, 2011
If We Only Had a Voter ID Law
Then we could have prevented this:
A Republican legislative aide is under investigation for possible vote fraud after she cast her ballot in the November election in Onalaska although she lives in Madison.
According to the Onalaska police report, Malszycki voted after her mother signed an affidavit saying she had lived at her home for two months.
So if this Marcie Malszycki is found guilty of voter fraud, would her mother also be guilty of aiding and abetting?
Punish them to the full extent of the law!
A Republican legislative aide is under investigation for possible vote fraud after she cast her ballot in the November election in Onalaska although she lives in Madison.
According to the Onalaska police report, Malszycki voted after her mother signed an affidavit saying she had lived at her home for two months.
So if this Marcie Malszycki is found guilty of voter fraud, would her mother also be guilty of aiding and abetting?
Punish them to the full extent of the law!
The Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross
The first installment of Charles Stross' Laundry series, The Atrocity Archives, was a hoot so I went out and got the second book in the series, The Jennifer Morgue.
With the first outing being a tribute of sorts to Len Deighton, Stross turned to Ian Fleming for the second go-round of Bob Howard, a network admin for The Laundry, Britain's secret agency devoted to keeping chthonian and extradimensional threats at bay. Bob is now living with Mo, whom we met in The Atrocity Files, and is still doing his level best at saving the world while putting up with The Laundry's obdurate beauracracy.
The book begins in 1975 as a team of Americans and Brits work aboard a giant salvage ship aiming to reclaim the K-129, a Soviet sub that sank keep in the waters of the Pacific. Based on the real-life Project Azorian, Stross adds his own little touch with the wreck slowly being lifted to surface only to have it grabbed and pulled back down into the murky depths by tentacles.
Of course this wouldn't be a Bob Howard story if the submarine were really and truly a submarine.
The Laundry sends Bob to Germany where meets his new partner, Ramona. Curiously enough, Bob's wards indicate that she is not all that she seems. Ramona may be the most beautiful supermodel on the outside, but behind all that is someone or something else. It turns out she is a changeling, a creature that uses a spell to give itself a human appearance and she works for The Black Chamber, which is essentially the American version of The Laundry. Furthermore, she feeds on men, boasting that every man she's slept with has been dead within 24 hours. Bob and Ramona team up for their next mission and begin by becoming psychically linked to one another so that the thoughts and sensations experienced by one can be heard and felt by the other.
Ellis Billington is the Dr. No character here. He made his billions in software development and now he's gone and bought the ship used back in 1975 to attempt to recover the K-129/chthonian artifact. And so Bob and Ramona are sent to the Caribbean island of St. Martin to find out exactly what Billington is up to. In addition to zombified seagulls acting as sentries for the arch-villain, a little bout of skinny dipping ends up being a funny homage to Thunderball. There are no doubt many James Bond references which were lost on me never having read any of the books nor having seen any of the movies in some time. But, as in all of them, the bad guy reveals his plans just before leaving Bob and Ramona to die allowing them to apply their secret agent occult craftiness to an escape and thwart Billington's plans.
The Jennifer Morgue was a blast. Being an IT person myself, I feel Bob's pain at having to deal with lusers and he makes a nice contrast to Bond. Instead of drinking the finest cocktails, he ends up with a martini made with the cheapest gin on offer. Like Bond does in several stories, Bob plays baccarat except he is coerced into doing so by one of Billington's minions and loses his shirt. Stross goes perhaps a bit too meta when he has Bob fuss over the whole shaken vs. stirred thing, mentioning Bond by name, but, for the most part, the tributes and parodies are left for the reader to decipher.
Stross took many pages in the first book to explain his world where mathematical algorithms are magical and Lovecraftian beasties lurk at the thresholds of our world just waiting for a crazed cult member to let them in. Here he tones down his Irving the Explainer routine a bit as he hedges his bet. For readers not familiar with The Atrocity Files, Stross rehashes the rules of his world and gives some background on the characters. However, he gives the Cliff's Notes versions, essentially, instead of the lengthier indulgences of the first book. There's enough explanation to get newbies up and running without forcing veteran readers to overdose.
As with The Atrocity Files a short story is included and in this case it's "Pimpf". I think that all the technobabble that Stross left out of the novel ended up here. It's a fairly simple tale wherein Bob gets an intern named Pete who gets sucked into a video game. While it gets bogged down in Linux a bit too often, it's still a fun, light-hearted affair.
With the first outing being a tribute of sorts to Len Deighton, Stross turned to Ian Fleming for the second go-round of Bob Howard, a network admin for The Laundry, Britain's secret agency devoted to keeping chthonian and extradimensional threats at bay. Bob is now living with Mo, whom we met in The Atrocity Files, and is still doing his level best at saving the world while putting up with The Laundry's obdurate beauracracy.
The book begins in 1975 as a team of Americans and Brits work aboard a giant salvage ship aiming to reclaim the K-129, a Soviet sub that sank keep in the waters of the Pacific. Based on the real-life Project Azorian, Stross adds his own little touch with the wreck slowly being lifted to surface only to have it grabbed and pulled back down into the murky depths by tentacles.
Of course this wouldn't be a Bob Howard story if the submarine were really and truly a submarine.
The Laundry sends Bob to Germany where meets his new partner, Ramona. Curiously enough, Bob's wards indicate that she is not all that she seems. Ramona may be the most beautiful supermodel on the outside, but behind all that is someone or something else. It turns out she is a changeling, a creature that uses a spell to give itself a human appearance and she works for The Black Chamber, which is essentially the American version of The Laundry. Furthermore, she feeds on men, boasting that every man she's slept with has been dead within 24 hours. Bob and Ramona team up for their next mission and begin by becoming psychically linked to one another so that the thoughts and sensations experienced by one can be heard and felt by the other.
Ellis Billington is the Dr. No character here. He made his billions in software development and now he's gone and bought the ship used back in 1975 to attempt to recover the K-129/chthonian artifact. And so Bob and Ramona are sent to the Caribbean island of St. Martin to find out exactly what Billington is up to. In addition to zombified seagulls acting as sentries for the arch-villain, a little bout of skinny dipping ends up being a funny homage to Thunderball. There are no doubt many James Bond references which were lost on me never having read any of the books nor having seen any of the movies in some time. But, as in all of them, the bad guy reveals his plans just before leaving Bob and Ramona to die allowing them to apply their secret agent occult craftiness to an escape and thwart Billington's plans.
The Jennifer Morgue was a blast. Being an IT person myself, I feel Bob's pain at having to deal with lusers and he makes a nice contrast to Bond. Instead of drinking the finest cocktails, he ends up with a martini made with the cheapest gin on offer. Like Bond does in several stories, Bob plays baccarat except he is coerced into doing so by one of Billington's minions and loses his shirt. Stross goes perhaps a bit too meta when he has Bob fuss over the whole shaken vs. stirred thing, mentioning Bond by name, but, for the most part, the tributes and parodies are left for the reader to decipher.
Stross took many pages in the first book to explain his world where mathematical algorithms are magical and Lovecraftian beasties lurk at the thresholds of our world just waiting for a crazed cult member to let them in. Here he tones down his Irving the Explainer routine a bit as he hedges his bet. For readers not familiar with The Atrocity Files, Stross rehashes the rules of his world and gives some background on the characters. However, he gives the Cliff's Notes versions, essentially, instead of the lengthier indulgences of the first book. There's enough explanation to get newbies up and running without forcing veteran readers to overdose.
As with The Atrocity Files a short story is included and in this case it's "Pimpf". I think that all the technobabble that Stross left out of the novel ended up here. It's a fairly simple tale wherein Bob gets an intern named Pete who gets sucked into a video game. While it gets bogged down in Linux a bit too often, it's still a fun, light-hearted affair.
19 May, 2011
One of Dan Carey's Best: New Glarus Smoked Rye Ale
If the Damen und Herren aus Schlenkerla were to ever brew a rauchbier roggenbier, then I'd bet it would taste a lot like Dan Carey's Smoked Rye Ale.
This was the first of Carey's limted edition Unplugged beers this year and it's one of his best. Rauchbiers are certainly not pleasing to everyone's palate and this was obvious last weekend when I saw this brew aplenty on liquor store shelves while the latest, the double IPA, was quite scarce. That this was the case should lay to rest any notions of craft beer drinkers around here, on the whole, being adventurous types. For most it seems to be all IPA all the time.
The Smoked Rye Ale, as you can see from the photo above, poured a nice copper color and was slightly hazy. My mini-mug held a small head which dissipated rather quickly. Dipping my proboscis into the glass, I got a whiff of the smoked malt but also sweet plum aromas. This stuff just smelled like heaven.
Putting this stuff into my mouth, I noticed immediately how it wasn't as viscous as Schlenkerla's Märzen or Urbock. It had a nice limber mouthfeel to it. At first my tongue was treated to a little bit of hop bitterness paired with the crisp rye but this was soon replaced by a rich smokiness. Once the beer was down my maw, I found that it left my tongue with a nice dry hoppy finish.
I recall drinking a rauchbier at J.T. Whitney's, a brewpub no longer around, here in Madison and finding it very clean and refreshing with the smoke flavor lingering in the background. I've also seen beers recently with some smoked malt added to the grain bill for a little sumpin' sumpin'. But NG's Smoked Rye Ale is the real deal. The smoke flavor is at the fore and Carey doesn't skimp on it. Yet he too managed to make a very quaffable brew. I find that rauchbiers mellow with each passing sip so, by the time I'm halfway home, the flavors are more balanced. But be warned: this is a big beer. 8.5% big. I didn't taste the alcohol which makes it deceiving.
Junk Food Pairing: I like to eat beef summer sausage with rauchbiers so I'd recommend you snap into a Slim Jim with this beer.
This was the first of Carey's limted edition Unplugged beers this year and it's one of his best. Rauchbiers are certainly not pleasing to everyone's palate and this was obvious last weekend when I saw this brew aplenty on liquor store shelves while the latest, the double IPA, was quite scarce. That this was the case should lay to rest any notions of craft beer drinkers around here, on the whole, being adventurous types. For most it seems to be all IPA all the time.
The Smoked Rye Ale, as you can see from the photo above, poured a nice copper color and was slightly hazy. My mini-mug held a small head which dissipated rather quickly. Dipping my proboscis into the glass, I got a whiff of the smoked malt but also sweet plum aromas. This stuff just smelled like heaven.
Putting this stuff into my mouth, I noticed immediately how it wasn't as viscous as Schlenkerla's Märzen or Urbock. It had a nice limber mouthfeel to it. At first my tongue was treated to a little bit of hop bitterness paired with the crisp rye but this was soon replaced by a rich smokiness. Once the beer was down my maw, I found that it left my tongue with a nice dry hoppy finish.
I recall drinking a rauchbier at J.T. Whitney's, a brewpub no longer around, here in Madison and finding it very clean and refreshing with the smoke flavor lingering in the background. I've also seen beers recently with some smoked malt added to the grain bill for a little sumpin' sumpin'. But NG's Smoked Rye Ale is the real deal. The smoke flavor is at the fore and Carey doesn't skimp on it. Yet he too managed to make a very quaffable brew. I find that rauchbiers mellow with each passing sip so, by the time I'm halfway home, the flavors are more balanced. But be warned: this is a big beer. 8.5% big. I didn't taste the alcohol which makes it deceiving.
Junk Food Pairing: I like to eat beef summer sausage with rauchbiers so I'd recommend you snap into a Slim Jim with this beer.
Chicago Reader Shows Madison Some Love
Mike Sula of the Chicago Reader was in Madison recently and now he's written a couple pieces about our fair burg's culinary scene.
First there is a review of Nostrano owned by Tim and Elizabeth Dahl. Tim originally hails from Madison though he and Elizabeth lived in Chicago until a couple years ago where they proved their mettle as pastry chefs.
Tim is executing a menu that wouldn't look at all out of place back here in Chicago in the context of our own recent superabundance of affordable regional Italian. In Madison it's more sui generis, and well placed to adapt itself to the incredible diversity of meat, cheese, and vegetable producers in southern Wisconsin.
The second is a profile of the Underground Food Collective and a savory look at the fine things they do to animal flesh.
The CSA has allowed the group to experiment with preparations as varied as lardo, headcheese, fresh sausages, and porchetta di testa, and to narrow down a 14-item product line that they've just begun to offer wholesale to restaurants and retailers.
First there is a review of Nostrano owned by Tim and Elizabeth Dahl. Tim originally hails from Madison though he and Elizabeth lived in Chicago until a couple years ago where they proved their mettle as pastry chefs.
Tim is executing a menu that wouldn't look at all out of place back here in Chicago in the context of our own recent superabundance of affordable regional Italian. In Madison it's more sui generis, and well placed to adapt itself to the incredible diversity of meat, cheese, and vegetable producers in southern Wisconsin.
The second is a profile of the Underground Food Collective and a savory look at the fine things they do to animal flesh.
The CSA has allowed the group to experiment with preparations as varied as lardo, headcheese, fresh sausages, and porchetta di testa, and to narrow down a 14-item product line that they've just begun to offer wholesale to restaurants and retailers.
18 May, 2011
It's In Black and White
The Capital Times recently gave its webpage a makeover. It threw into sharp relief something that I think readers knew: this outpost of the Fourth Estate is lilywhite. T. Herman ZweibelDave Zweifel, Shawn Doherty, John Nichols - a bunch of pale faces all. It's sort of ironic since Nichols enjoys teaming up with his friend Robert McChesney and laying down some vituperative criticism on the corporate media for being homogenous yet he comes home to a stable of bloggers that is uniformly white. (But they have both kinds – men and women!)
Madison is about 80% white so by no means is this city a model of diversity. Yet, while 1 in 5 people here is non-white, 0 of 13 Cap Times bloggers are people of color. Over at the Wisconsin State Journal, things seem much the same. Mary Spicuzza, Clay Barbour, Doug Moe, Chris Rickert – they all look Caucasian to me. Ditto with the gang at 77 Square – Rob Thomas, Lindsay Chrisitans, etc. Isthmus doesn't strike me as a bastion of racial diversity either.
It's not that any of these reporters/bloggers/columnists are, to my mind, unqualified* to do the work they do, it's that I appreciate a little diversity of views. It reflects my own world better. Every morning I go to bed and wake up next to a woman of color. When my father-in-law comes over and holds court, I am hearing not only from a man who simply has a lot more melanin in his skin than I do, but someone who's had drastically different experiences in life, partly because of the color of his skin. The ideas and points of view that these people of color bring into my life are interesting and enriching.
Yeah, there's an occasional column from a national figure like Eugene Robinson and Madison's poet laureate Fabu gets to chime in periodically but the Madison's mainstream print media doesn't feature the work of local people of color on a regular basis despite Madison becoming less white every day.
Contrast TCT to the newest arts and entertainment magazine in town, M.A.D. (Music. Arts. Dialogue.) found by Ray Allen, publisher of The Madison Times, a newspaper which is like the equivalent of the Chicago Defender here.
Unfortunately the publication's "focus is to stay connected to a demographic that is young…" Well, I guess I'm not the target audience. Still, I look forward to seeing the first issue.
*Except Rickert whose columns quickly devolved into pablum generated by a simple Mad Libs-like formula: take a contentious issue, divide people's viewpoints into two simple, extreme groups carefully making sure there is no grey area, show how each has a point, and then emerge victorious by demonstrating how he's smarter than everyone else via taking the middle path.
Madison is about 80% white so by no means is this city a model of diversity. Yet, while 1 in 5 people here is non-white, 0 of 13 Cap Times bloggers are people of color. Over at the Wisconsin State Journal, things seem much the same. Mary Spicuzza, Clay Barbour, Doug Moe, Chris Rickert – they all look Caucasian to me. Ditto with the gang at 77 Square – Rob Thomas, Lindsay Chrisitans, etc. Isthmus doesn't strike me as a bastion of racial diversity either.
It's not that any of these reporters/bloggers/columnists are, to my mind, unqualified* to do the work they do, it's that I appreciate a little diversity of views. It reflects my own world better. Every morning I go to bed and wake up next to a woman of color. When my father-in-law comes over and holds court, I am hearing not only from a man who simply has a lot more melanin in his skin than I do, but someone who's had drastically different experiences in life, partly because of the color of his skin. The ideas and points of view that these people of color bring into my life are interesting and enriching.
Yeah, there's an occasional column from a national figure like Eugene Robinson and Madison's poet laureate Fabu gets to chime in periodically but the Madison's mainstream print media doesn't feature the work of local people of color on a regular basis despite Madison becoming less white every day.
Contrast TCT to the newest arts and entertainment magazine in town, M.A.D. (Music. Arts. Dialogue.) found by Ray Allen, publisher of The Madison Times, a newspaper which is like the equivalent of the Chicago Defender here.
Unfortunately the publication's "focus is to stay connected to a demographic that is young…" Well, I guess I'm not the target audience. Still, I look forward to seeing the first issue.
*Except Rickert whose columns quickly devolved into pablum generated by a simple Mad Libs-like formula: take a contentious issue, divide people's viewpoints into two simple, extreme groups carefully making sure there is no grey area, show how each has a point, and then emerge victorious by demonstrating how he's smarter than everyone else via taking the middle path.
Stalzy's Deli: Second Impression, Part 1
(Sorry about the Emerson, Lake and Palmer reference but it had to be done.)
The Dulcinea and I had dinner yesterday at Stalzy's Deli. (Our first impressions are here.) It was our first opportunity to have sandwiches instead of samples and hot ones at that. Walking in I saw a familiar face. It was the wife of a certain homebrewer, who shall remain nameless, sent on an errand for Russian dressing. This anonymous zymurgist has apparently become addicted to Stalzy's food and can now be found at home making his own sandwiches with the deli's ingredients.
We stepped up to the counter and were greeted with a winsome smile by the young woman behind the counter. She took our orders and we found a table. The D availed herself of the special which was a beef sandwich while I went with a corned beef Reuben.
The beef sandwich was tasty. The meat was sliced more thickly than was the stuff we sampled a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately it had been overcooked a bit and was a bit on the chewy side. Atop it was fried onion. I neglected to bring anything to write on as well as my camera so I'm going from memory here but I seem to recall the seasoning being pretty basic – salt & pepper – with the flavor of the meat being left at the fore. The bun had been grilled and was charred a little around the edge. I personally don't mind this but The D was slightly disappointed. We were both less than excited about the horseradish mayo that came on the side. More horseradish, please. She also ordered the sweet and sour slaw which I blathered on about previously.
My Reuben was very good. Starting at the top, it was grilled to perfection. The rye bread was very good stuff with that sharp, earthy flavor that so many local ryes lack. My sandwich had just the right amount of cheese. There was enough to add flavor but it wasn't competing with the corned beef. On my previous visit, I found the kraut to be very mild. Here it seemed a bit more tart but not lip-puckering as I'd have liked. But that's just me. I'll leave a detailed critique of the Russian dressing to the likes of the anonymous brewer who is an expert on such matters but I thought it was good and not especially sweet. As for the corned beef, it was as mouth meltingly tender as I remembered it to be. Warmed up, I could taste nutmeg tones. My only gripe is that there wasn't enough of it. To compound the problem, the slices were folded over on one side of the sandwich leaving the other half with a paucity of the cured manna. A Reuben expert I ain't but, aside from being skinflints when it comes to portion size, Stalzy's did a really good job here.
Both sandwiches came with a pickle spear. For some reason no one else in my family eats pickles. Dill pickles, at any rate. So I ended up with The D's. They were pretty crisp and were certainly delicious. Lastly, I had the potato salad. This was the same stuff I had at the preview except there wasn't any what I thought was mustard seed to be had. It wasn't bad but nothing to email home about either.
I recommend looking at the paper copies of the menu on the counter as there were more items on it than the board hanging from the wall. I saw German potato salad for sale in the deli case but didn't see it available as a side and I didn't ask because I didn't notice its availability until after my order had been placed. Also in the case were fresh and smoked kielbasa from Bavaria Sausage on the southwest side but neither is available on the menu. To finish my Dutch uncle routine, it'd be nice to have a short stack of potato pancakes on the side instead of a full stack of four as an entrée in itself.
It was a bit strange to be in a deli that didn't have bagels, knish, or matzo ball soup. I don't offer this as a complaint so much as an observation. From what I've read, the Stalzy's folks aren't pushing themselves as a Jewish deli but rather as a Midwestern variation on that theme. I suspect the menu will evolve over time as they find out what plays well in the depth of winter and the height of summer as well as what their customers want.
As for our first proper visit, it was hit or miss but it was mostly hits. There's still more to try and the place has only been open for about a week and a half so you can count on things being tweaked.
The Dulcinea and I had dinner yesterday at Stalzy's Deli. (Our first impressions are here.) It was our first opportunity to have sandwiches instead of samples and hot ones at that. Walking in I saw a familiar face. It was the wife of a certain homebrewer, who shall remain nameless, sent on an errand for Russian dressing. This anonymous zymurgist has apparently become addicted to Stalzy's food and can now be found at home making his own sandwiches with the deli's ingredients.
We stepped up to the counter and were greeted with a winsome smile by the young woman behind the counter. She took our orders and we found a table. The D availed herself of the special which was a beef sandwich while I went with a corned beef Reuben.
The beef sandwich was tasty. The meat was sliced more thickly than was the stuff we sampled a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately it had been overcooked a bit and was a bit on the chewy side. Atop it was fried onion. I neglected to bring anything to write on as well as my camera so I'm going from memory here but I seem to recall the seasoning being pretty basic – salt & pepper – with the flavor of the meat being left at the fore. The bun had been grilled and was charred a little around the edge. I personally don't mind this but The D was slightly disappointed. We were both less than excited about the horseradish mayo that came on the side. More horseradish, please. She also ordered the sweet and sour slaw which I blathered on about previously.
My Reuben was very good. Starting at the top, it was grilled to perfection. The rye bread was very good stuff with that sharp, earthy flavor that so many local ryes lack. My sandwich had just the right amount of cheese. There was enough to add flavor but it wasn't competing with the corned beef. On my previous visit, I found the kraut to be very mild. Here it seemed a bit more tart but not lip-puckering as I'd have liked. But that's just me. I'll leave a detailed critique of the Russian dressing to the likes of the anonymous brewer who is an expert on such matters but I thought it was good and not especially sweet. As for the corned beef, it was as mouth meltingly tender as I remembered it to be. Warmed up, I could taste nutmeg tones. My only gripe is that there wasn't enough of it. To compound the problem, the slices were folded over on one side of the sandwich leaving the other half with a paucity of the cured manna. A Reuben expert I ain't but, aside from being skinflints when it comes to portion size, Stalzy's did a really good job here.
Both sandwiches came with a pickle spear. For some reason no one else in my family eats pickles. Dill pickles, at any rate. So I ended up with The D's. They were pretty crisp and were certainly delicious. Lastly, I had the potato salad. This was the same stuff I had at the preview except there wasn't any what I thought was mustard seed to be had. It wasn't bad but nothing to email home about either.
I recommend looking at the paper copies of the menu on the counter as there were more items on it than the board hanging from the wall. I saw German potato salad for sale in the deli case but didn't see it available as a side and I didn't ask because I didn't notice its availability until after my order had been placed. Also in the case were fresh and smoked kielbasa from Bavaria Sausage on the southwest side but neither is available on the menu. To finish my Dutch uncle routine, it'd be nice to have a short stack of potato pancakes on the side instead of a full stack of four as an entrée in itself.
It was a bit strange to be in a deli that didn't have bagels, knish, or matzo ball soup. I don't offer this as a complaint so much as an observation. From what I've read, the Stalzy's folks aren't pushing themselves as a Jewish deli but rather as a Midwestern variation on that theme. I suspect the menu will evolve over time as they find out what plays well in the depth of winter and the height of summer as well as what their customers want.
As for our first proper visit, it was hit or miss but it was mostly hits. There's still more to try and the place has only been open for about a week and a half so you can count on things being tweaked.
16 May, 2011
Sons of Norway, I Feel Your Pain
Last week the Wisconsin State Journal published an article called "Stoughton struggles to keep Norwegian heritage alive" which chronicled the struggles of some people in the town who are trying to, well, keep Norwegian heritage alive there.
It's easy to claim some Norwegian pride this weekend when up to 30,000 people flood Stoughton streets to sample lutefisk and admire rosemaling during the annual Syttende Mai celebration.
But maintaining that heritage the other 51 weeks of the year has been difficult as fewer people in this city south of Madison identify with Norwegian ancestry and local Norwegian groups face declining and aging membership.
As a member of the Polish Heritage Club here in Madison, I can feel their pain.
The PHC and the Norwegian heritage groups in Stoughton start from different positions. There a once majority group is on the outs, so to speak, while Poles and Polish-Americans have never been the predominant ethnic group in these parts and are instead working to carve out their own niche in the greater Madison culture. Still, we are in pretty much the same boat – attempting to promote a minority ethnicity. And we too have an aging membership, although ours is not in decline.
I don't know about Stoughton but I think there are a couple things that make Madison a tough nut to crack. First is the UW which ensures a steady flow of young transients. Young people, generally speaking, don't care much about the traditions of yesterday and transients, by definition, don't stay and don't weave themselves into the community. The second element is that there are few new immigrants. While many Poles and Norwegians emigrated to Wisconsin back in the 19th/early 20th centuries, there are very few now. (Although there are more people from Poland in the Madison area than you'd think.) For the most part, their cultures became absorbed into the mainstream decades ago. In Madison this has led to familiarity breeding contempt to some extent. To state things in an overly simplistic and crude way, Polish and Norwegian (and perhaps German and Scandinavian more broadly too) cultures aren't exotic enough. This is despite, from my experience, anyway, that most people don't seem to know very much about them. They tend to be lumped together into this nebulous blob that doesn't warrant much attention except when you're telling Ole and Lena jokes or making fun of polka. The idea that there's this thing that is Polish culture or Norwegian culture and that it is distinct from American culture and, furthermore, is interesting in its own right is either generally thought of as a joke or a subject fit only for a thesis paper instead of being something worthy of playing out in the larger cultural milieu – out on the streets and in the lives of people generally.
I also assume, from reading the article, that the Norwegian groups in Stoughton have similar internal problems to those of the PHC, namely, trying to answer the question "What traditions should we promote?" in such a way as to overcome external obstacles. As the piece notes, Stoughton was inundated with Norwegians in the 1870s and was 75% Norwegian within 30 years. I get the impression that Norwegian heritage groups there consider the traditions of those people as the ones that need preservation and promotion.
The PHC's mission statement is to not only preserve and pass down traditions, but to also promote Polish culture generally. Unfortunately we get bogged down in the past a lot of the time. As seems to be the case in Stoughton, we often tend to view the traditions and practices from the time when Polish immigrants arrived here in Wisconsin as being "Polish culture". They are overly romanticized and conceptions of Polish culture become static. In my opinion, for a small ethnic cultural organization to lapse almost entirely into atavism means it won't be around much longer.
Going back to the article, it mentions rosemaling (decorative floral painting) and has pictures of people dressed in 19th century costume preparing to party like it was 1899. There's nothing wrong with these things but it is reasonable to assume you can attract large numbers of people away from all the other things in their lives purely on the basis of wallowing in traditions from which they are generations removed? There was Norwegian culture before any Norwegians set foot in Wisconsin and the culture continued to change after Norwegian immigrants became assimilated. Focusing on a small period of time and its attendant traditions is to ignore the fact that culture is not static but dynamic. For a similar (but much more excoriating) take on the Polish side of things, read this post by Nina Camic.
As far as the PHC goes, we still tend to organize events around the Big 4: 19th century folk traditions, Chopin, Poland during World War II, and the Solidarity movement. However, things are changing albeit slowly. We sponsor various events that are firmly rooted in the present like the Polish Film Festival and some concerts, the most recent of which was Klezmafour at the High Noon Saloon. There is momentum in the club to do other things but there's a few decades of inertia to overcome.
While I don't know how to expand our membership or even get more people to attend events, I am convinced that ethnic heritage organizations like the PHC need to:
1) Broaden its horizons so that it is not the equivalent of a hyper-specialized chapter of the SCA.
2) Leverage online resources. Get a webpage if you don't already have one and do some social networking as well. E.g. – get a Facebook page.
3) Throw social events so members can simply get together instead of having to raise funds or explicitly promote the club.
I'm a Polish-American, not a Pole. Personally, I think the PHC works best when it engages Polish culture on a variety of levels. This allows me to establish my own identity as a Polish-American instead of being told what that identity is. For instance, while most Poles and no doubt a huge percentage of Polish-Americans are Catholic, I'm not. I'm not even a Christian. And so traditions relating to Easter, Christmas, and anything else to do with religion hold minimal interest for me. I'm much more keen on watching Polish films, listening to Polish music, eating Polish food, and socializing with my fellow members.
If you're not a member of some kind of ethnic cultural organization, then riddle me this: what can a group like the Polish Heritage Club do to grab your interest? I don't necessarily mean for you to become a dues paying member, but what kind of event could we organize to get you to dedicate some time and perhaps money to get a taste of Polish culture? Polish films? Polish music groups? Polish food? Lectures? Dancing? Plays? Books?
It's easy to claim some Norwegian pride this weekend when up to 30,000 people flood Stoughton streets to sample lutefisk and admire rosemaling during the annual Syttende Mai celebration.
But maintaining that heritage the other 51 weeks of the year has been difficult as fewer people in this city south of Madison identify with Norwegian ancestry and local Norwegian groups face declining and aging membership.
As a member of the Polish Heritage Club here in Madison, I can feel their pain.
The PHC and the Norwegian heritage groups in Stoughton start from different positions. There a once majority group is on the outs, so to speak, while Poles and Polish-Americans have never been the predominant ethnic group in these parts and are instead working to carve out their own niche in the greater Madison culture. Still, we are in pretty much the same boat – attempting to promote a minority ethnicity. And we too have an aging membership, although ours is not in decline.
I don't know about Stoughton but I think there are a couple things that make Madison a tough nut to crack. First is the UW which ensures a steady flow of young transients. Young people, generally speaking, don't care much about the traditions of yesterday and transients, by definition, don't stay and don't weave themselves into the community. The second element is that there are few new immigrants. While many Poles and Norwegians emigrated to Wisconsin back in the 19th/early 20th centuries, there are very few now. (Although there are more people from Poland in the Madison area than you'd think.) For the most part, their cultures became absorbed into the mainstream decades ago. In Madison this has led to familiarity breeding contempt to some extent. To state things in an overly simplistic and crude way, Polish and Norwegian (and perhaps German and Scandinavian more broadly too) cultures aren't exotic enough. This is despite, from my experience, anyway, that most people don't seem to know very much about them. They tend to be lumped together into this nebulous blob that doesn't warrant much attention except when you're telling Ole and Lena jokes or making fun of polka. The idea that there's this thing that is Polish culture or Norwegian culture and that it is distinct from American culture and, furthermore, is interesting in its own right is either generally thought of as a joke or a subject fit only for a thesis paper instead of being something worthy of playing out in the larger cultural milieu – out on the streets and in the lives of people generally.
I also assume, from reading the article, that the Norwegian groups in Stoughton have similar internal problems to those of the PHC, namely, trying to answer the question "What traditions should we promote?" in such a way as to overcome external obstacles. As the piece notes, Stoughton was inundated with Norwegians in the 1870s and was 75% Norwegian within 30 years. I get the impression that Norwegian heritage groups there consider the traditions of those people as the ones that need preservation and promotion.
The PHC's mission statement is to not only preserve and pass down traditions, but to also promote Polish culture generally. Unfortunately we get bogged down in the past a lot of the time. As seems to be the case in Stoughton, we often tend to view the traditions and practices from the time when Polish immigrants arrived here in Wisconsin as being "Polish culture". They are overly romanticized and conceptions of Polish culture become static. In my opinion, for a small ethnic cultural organization to lapse almost entirely into atavism means it won't be around much longer.
Going back to the article, it mentions rosemaling (decorative floral painting) and has pictures of people dressed in 19th century costume preparing to party like it was 1899. There's nothing wrong with these things but it is reasonable to assume you can attract large numbers of people away from all the other things in their lives purely on the basis of wallowing in traditions from which they are generations removed? There was Norwegian culture before any Norwegians set foot in Wisconsin and the culture continued to change after Norwegian immigrants became assimilated. Focusing on a small period of time and its attendant traditions is to ignore the fact that culture is not static but dynamic. For a similar (but much more excoriating) take on the Polish side of things, read this post by Nina Camic.
As far as the PHC goes, we still tend to organize events around the Big 4: 19th century folk traditions, Chopin, Poland during World War II, and the Solidarity movement. However, things are changing albeit slowly. We sponsor various events that are firmly rooted in the present like the Polish Film Festival and some concerts, the most recent of which was Klezmafour at the High Noon Saloon. There is momentum in the club to do other things but there's a few decades of inertia to overcome.
While I don't know how to expand our membership or even get more people to attend events, I am convinced that ethnic heritage organizations like the PHC need to:
1) Broaden its horizons so that it is not the equivalent of a hyper-specialized chapter of the SCA.
2) Leverage online resources. Get a webpage if you don't already have one and do some social networking as well. E.g. – get a Facebook page.
3) Throw social events so members can simply get together instead of having to raise funds or explicitly promote the club.
I'm a Polish-American, not a Pole. Personally, I think the PHC works best when it engages Polish culture on a variety of levels. This allows me to establish my own identity as a Polish-American instead of being told what that identity is. For instance, while most Poles and no doubt a huge percentage of Polish-Americans are Catholic, I'm not. I'm not even a Christian. And so traditions relating to Easter, Christmas, and anything else to do with religion hold minimal interest for me. I'm much more keen on watching Polish films, listening to Polish music, eating Polish food, and socializing with my fellow members.
If you're not a member of some kind of ethnic cultural organization, then riddle me this: what can a group like the Polish Heritage Club do to grab your interest? I don't necessarily mean for you to become a dues paying member, but what kind of event could we organize to get you to dedicate some time and perhaps money to get a taste of Polish culture? Polish films? Polish music groups? Polish food? Lectures? Dancing? Plays? Books?
13 May, 2011
Doctor Who Copying Doctor Who (and LOST)?
I watched last week's episode of Doctor Who, The Curse of the Black Spot, just after having finished listening to the DW audio drama The Whispering Forest. Has anyone listened to it? Did you notice the similarity between the two stories?
In The Curse of the Black Spot The Doctor, Amy, and Rory land on a pirate ship whose crew is being disappeared by a spectral siren whenever they get hurt. Even the teensiest cut will lead to an encounter with the luminous maiden who makes them disappear without a trace. The Doctor figures out that her victims aren't really dead. Instead they are teleported to a spaceship by the siren which is in fact its holographic medic who is simply doing her Hippocratic duty.
On the audio end of things, The Doctor, Tegan, Turlough, and Nyssa land on a planet and encounter the inhabitants of Purity who are obsessed with cleanliness to the point of using carbolic soap until their skin is red and raw. The people of Purity fear the TARDIS denizens because many of their kind have been absconded by The Takers. As it turns out, these Takers are medical droids who are merely following their programming.
Writer Stephen Cole appears to be a fan of LOST with The Takers being analogous to The Others and the titular whispers being heard when The Takers are nearby.
Potosi Does a Shandy
Potosi Brewing is joining Leinenkugels by introducing a shandy.
Hopefully Steamboat won't be as syrupy sweet as Leine's Summer Shandy.
Hopefully Steamboat won't be as syrupy sweet as Leine's Summer Shandy.
Where's the Geek Love?
My interest was piqued when I read that Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy was returning to theatres, albeit briefly, this summer. Then I stupidly looked at the list of cinemas that will be showing the films. The only ones in Wisconsin at this point that are willing to give me the precious Galadriel on the big screen are in Lake Delton and Kenosha. What's up wit dat?! Don't theatre managers here think that people from Wisconsin want to see these films too? Instead they'll be showing at a tourist trap for Flatlanders and a city that is essentially part of Chicagoland.
Here we are a month away from the extended version of The Fellowship of the Ring going onscreen and Wisconsin has the same number of theatres committed as does Alaska despite having nearly eight times the population. Even the fucking Mormons are on top of this with Utah's eight theatres ready and willing.
Hey Madison cinemas - how about showing a little love to the geeks in your city?
Here we are a month away from the extended version of The Fellowship of the Ring going onscreen and Wisconsin has the same number of theatres committed as does Alaska despite having nearly eight times the population. Even the fucking Mormons are on top of this with Utah's eight theatres ready and willing.
Hey Madison cinemas - how about showing a little love to the geeks in your city?
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