Also speaking at the press conference: a Denver activist and homeowner who was recently questioned by the police about bricks being unloaded at her house. Says the ACLU, “Although the bricks were acquired for masonry repairs, Denver police accused the activist of ‘stockpiling’ the bricks for the [Democratic Convention]” Just a few hours ago, I walked down Denver’s 16th Street Mall. A number of restaurants appeared to have stockpiled chairs and tables for patrons to sit at. The patrons themselves appeared to be stockpiling bottles of beer on the tables. I’m not sure what to think.
Day: August 20, 2008
Provocative line of the day
I’ve watched the Bush presidency very closely. I’ve watched McCain closely for the last decade or so. And I either know or know a decent amount about a lot of the people advising him on foreign policy. And in terms of the physical safety and future of my wife and two sons, let alone the country, I would much prefer four more years of the Bush presidency to a McCain presidency.
Elsewhere Marshall also wrote:
“For anyone who had eyes to see, Georgia was a perfect illustration of this. He totally flew off the handle, ramping the situation up dramatically with his unstable rhetoric.”
Today, August 20th
Issac Hayes would have been 66 today.
Connie Chung is 62, Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant 60, Al Roker 54, and Joan Allen 52.
How to Use a Knife, Fork, and Spoon
From CuisineNet Digest. It includes:
The Zig Zag Method
By American custom, which was brought about partly by the late introduction of the fork into the culture, all three utensils are intended for use primarily with the right hand, which is the more capable hand for most people. This leads to some complicated maneuvering when foods, such as meat, require the use of knife and fork to obtain a bite of manageable size. When this is the case, the fork is held in the left hand, turned so that the tines point downward, the better to hold the meat in place while the right hand operates the knife. After a bite-sized piece has been cut, the diner sets the knife down on the plate and transfers the fork to the right hand, so that it can be used to carry the newly cut morsel to the mouth. Emily Post calls this the “zig-zag” style.European Style
The European, or “Continental,” style of using knife and fork is somewhat more efficient, and its practice is also common in the United States, where left-handed children are no longer forced to learn to wield a fork with their right hands. According to this method, the fork is held continuously in the left hand and used for eating. When food must be cut, the fork is used exactly as in the American style, except that once the bite has been separated from the whole, it is conveyed directly to the mouth on the downward-facing fork. Regardless of which style is used to operate fork and knife, it is important never to cut more than one or two bites at one time.
How about this?
In Europe it is permitted to use the knife or a small bit of bread to ease a stubborn item onto the fork.
Or this?
Essentially, used flatware must never be allowed to touch the surface of the table, where it might dirty the cloth. It is not proper to allow even the clean handle of a knife or fork to rest on the cloth while the other end lies on the plate.
Top 10 reasons to judge a restaurant unsuitable
This is a NewMexiKen perennial and today’s the day.
The top ten reasons to judge a restaurant unsuitable for a pleasant night out:
10. You pay before you eat
9. You pay after you eat, but you stand in line and pay a cashier
8. More men eating with caps on than those without caps
7. The piped-in-music is louder than the TVs
6. Soup served with soup spoon already in soup
5. They fill the condiments while you’re at the table
4. Menu includes photos of the food
3. Menu includes samples of the food stuck to pages
2. They wipe your table with a wet rag
And the number one reason to chose another restaurant if you want to impress your date or customer:
They wipe the seats of the chairs with the same rag
Best line of the day
From the Borowitz Report:
Biden Prepares 50,000-Word Acceptance Speech
Senator to Address Convention on Wednesday, Thursday
Amazing fact
In 2004, according to an article at Slate Magazine, 495 out of the 500 fastest times ever recorded for running 100 meters were set by men of West African ancestry.
Most Caribbean and African-American athletes are of West African descent.
Several factors contribute, of course, but one appears to be significantly higher levels of “fast twitch” muscle fibers among West Africans.
Santa Fe Silliness
At ‘Burque Babble NewMexiKen learned there’s going to be a $50 (under $30,000) or $25 (under $70,000) rebate from the legislature because gasoline is so expensive. I agree with ‘Burque Babble’s reaction including:
• I wonder if we’ll get the same series of five separate mailers telling us: 1. Announcement: A rebate is coming; 2. Announcement: Here’s how you will get your rebate; 3. Announcement: Your rebate should be here any day now, really!; 4. Announcement: Did you get your rebate? Because we’re not so sure; 5. Apology: Here’s why your rebate wasn’t for as much as you thought it would be and the obscure office to file a grievance.
• I wonder if we’ll have that same stupid tax problem we had with the last lame “rebate” (remember that?);
The last time the “rebate” was taxable income. The state giveth and the state taketh away.
All this for $50 or $25. What a pandering group of wastrels in our legislature.
Do you know who this is?
Forbes ranked her the third most powerful woman in the world in 2005.
It’s Yulia Tymoshenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine.
She’s 47. She rarely appears without her famous crown braid.