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Comments Posted By Assumed Name

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Thanks, kes, although praises should probably be put on hold until after the contemplated masterpiece is successfully executed. *smiles* (He gave me “the face” when I mentioned brownies, so cake it is!)

» Posted By Assumed Name On August 6, 2013 @ 2:28 am

Making the cake harder by making it cold it is a good suggestion, Kalima. I might try that. After posting my question I came across a cake made as one big block….that might work as well…and only one cut is needed per cake to layer until the height is roughly the same length as the sides. (Banana bread is yummy and simple to make. I’m not one for the kitchen, but I don’t care for ingredients that aren’t food (!) and I feel cheated paying an arm and a leg because a manufacture uses food. So what’s a body to do, except bring out a bowl and wooden spoon?)

» Posted By Assumed Name On August 6, 2013 @ 2:25 am

Okay, this is *really* off topic (i.e., seriously non-political), but…

…I’ve decided to make, by request, a Minecraft birthday cake for my son. (The party is the 17th.) My first thought was to make a moist, heavy cake, cut it into squares, and build/decorate a Minecraft themed something or other. My second (and more sane) thought is to buy an undecorated cake from the bakery, and go from there. A bakery cake will be too crumbly to cut into squares, so I don’t want to do that…but any suggestions regarding how to get a checkered pattern on top that will allow easy cutting? (My other bright idea is to skip the cake tradition and do brownies instead–those are way easy to cut into squares and manipulate into a design.)

–Assumed, (Off to make banana bread! *smiles*)

» Posted By Assumed Name On August 5, 2013 @ 2:47 pm

Pleasure. *smiles*

» Posted By Assumed Name On August 5, 2013 @ 2:39 pm

In light of this weekend’s closing of US embassies in the Middle East ad Southeast Asia, I’ve been reading up a bit and came across the following PBS report:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/target/etc/modern.html

–Assumed

» Posted By Assumed Name On August 4, 2013 @ 6:14 pm

Hurrah!!

» Posted By Assumed Name On August 4, 2013 @ 6:11 pm

Ad,

They’re not really “American”, this 1%, are they? I mean, there really isn’t any national allegiance. Indeed, it’s difficult to tell under what flag any given multi-national corporation sails…unless that flag has a dollar or euro plastered on it. Money flows internationally as do goods and services (evident every time I call the cable company to complain about some aspect of my service going kablooie). I’m assuming that markets are also viewed as shifting–if the US middle and like markets have been drained dry, there are emerging markets in places such as China and India…or at least, perhaps, that’s the hope.

–Assumed

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 31, 2013 @ 5:57 am

Ad,

Yes!! (Esp. that part about he cowardly Mr. Paul. *smiles*)

–Assumed

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 31, 2013 @ 5:48 am

Choice,

This is better stated (and more accurate) than my response which was admittedly emotional. I would only add that given the social reality of race relations, even the Union army had its issues regarding the placement and activities of black men during the Civil War.

It’s also the case that not much changed for the majority of blacks who remained in the south after the war–as one southern descendent claimed upon being interviewed by Stephen Fry (of Jeeves fame), “Oh, we get along just fine with our blacks. The war didn’t mean nothin’…just had to pay ’em a little somethin’, that’s all. What was they gonna do? Where was they gonna go?”

That said, don’t misunderstand: I’m certainly happy the war took place, the north won, and the Constitution was amended. On the ground, however, things simply weren’t peachy.

–Assumed

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 31, 2013 @ 5:46 am

O/T Nirek, Whatever your take on pornography (I personally think it’s a problem on the level of sustaining gender oppression rape fantasies and all), it’s the case that internet pornography consumption is markedly higher in red states than in blue ones. Misogyny and inappropriate sexual conduct seem to go hand in hand.

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 31, 2013 @ 5:28 am

agrippa,

I don’t know about the “business as usual” take…their political currency seems rather potent of late, especially as a reaction to President Obama’s being elected: there’s the reactionary, activist Supreme Court lead by Robetts (Citizens United, The Voting Rights Act, etc.); the oddly uncommented upon 39 votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act; the attack on women’s reproductive freedom; the attack on organized labor; the dismantling of affirmative action; the vicious, unabashed racists rhetoric from elected officials; the literal closing of whole school districts in poor, black urban areas; and on it goes.

I’m afraid this is more than a pendulum swing.

Best,
–Assumed

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 31, 2013 @ 5:19 am

*blush*

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 30, 2013 @ 8:59 am

AdLib,

My family is dye-in-the-wool Catholic, and I agree this was a welcome change in rhetoric. I’ve been cautiously impressed with the current pope, but to my mind the most important moral and legal failing has yet to be broached: the church’s continued protection of known pedophile priests. There’s absolutely no excuse. Those men need to be identified, stripped of their collars, and reported to the authorities as sexual contact with legal minors is a crime. (Some things aren’t only between you and your confessor–that’s unimpressive nonsense in the face of such unadulterated evil.)

–Assumed

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 30, 2013 @ 2:03 am

AdLib,

I concur with all you’ve written (above and below). Related, just yesterday i had a run in with someone who tried to paint the Republican party as worthy of some semblance of respect as “the party of Lincoln.” I’m usually socially politic, but not that time: how utterly void of historical accuracy (many were moved by abolition, certainly, but too many were moved by economic interests as well); and to whatever extent the “old Republican party” was pro-emancipation, it has absolutely nothing to do with the party in its current anti-black, anti-Latino, anti-woman, anti-worker, and anti-poor instantiation.

Phooey!!

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 30, 2013 @ 1:56 am

I know HuffPo is evil, but here’s an interesting article on US poverty and unemployment:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/28/poverty-unemployment-rates_n_3666594.html

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 29, 2013 @ 3:06 am

Hurrah!! 😀

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 29, 2013 @ 2:45 am

Good news, indeed!!

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 29, 2013 @ 2:44 am

It’s a strange mixture of fears (with an “s”–a fear of demographic shifts and a fear of “uncontrollable women”) and a Talibanesque mixture of religion and politics: either way, it spells disaster for women’s hope of achieving economic and social parity with men.

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 29, 2013 @ 2:36 am

FYI A comparison between the condemnation of Martin and the mourning of Tsarnaev (who, by the by, is still breathing):

http://www.salon.com/2013/07/19/how_america_profiled_trayvon_martin_and_dzhokhar_tsarnaev/

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 20, 2013 @ 10:48 am

Well, yes. (The thing about pedophiles is that there is no known “cure”….they just are a danger.)

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 20, 2013 @ 9:21 am

…I’m speechless.

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 19, 2013 @ 2:14 pm

I hear you, funksands.

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 17, 2013 @ 6:09 pm

It does help, kesman–thanks.

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 17, 2013 @ 6:05 pm

Thanks for the heads up, Kalima.

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 17, 2013 @ 6:04 pm

…now that you mention it, I imagine that’s the case. (Let’s hope so, anyway. *smiles*)

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 16, 2013 @ 1:53 pm

Thank you for the welcome, kesmarn. You’re right both about the book being tabled (thus far *smiles*) and I agree she wasn’t very impressive at first blush. (The irony of her condescention towards Jeantel was glaring.)

On a slightly differnent note, although this is probably the last place to inquire, how does one ask semi-technical questions? (I went to the help desk, but didn’t see the post dialog box…I’d like to add an avatar next to my screen name.)

Best,
Assumed

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 16, 2013 @ 1:51 pm

I’ve read that juror B-37’s husband is an attorney…if so, it’s a wonder she wasn’t eliminated by the prosecution. (…and that book deal came very fast.)

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 16, 2013 @ 8:39 am

Actually, many people support him and, I imagine, are willing to help him. Indeed, before the trial, the defense received markedly more donations than the prosecution although that may be a function of a private defense as opposed to public prosecution paid for by government funds.

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 16, 2013 @ 7:48 am

Not at all…and I see you’ve read AdLib’s very welcome analysis. (I do hope this starts a movement of sorts, but I also hope people stop with useless and obvious pandering to the right with assertions such as, “This is not about race,” and, “This is the greatest (judicial??) system in the world-we have to accept the verdict (as the result of procedural fairness, I gather)”: GAG (and so on and so forth 😉 .)

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 16, 2013 @ 7:46 am

No worries–I notice that the times indicated when people posted are not in sync. (It’s nice to have an international community of shared interests. 🙂 )

» Posted By Assumed Name On July 16, 2013 @ 7:40 am