Public support of US wars

I wonder how strong support would be for the two wars we're fighting if there was a mandatory military draft. No exceptions of any kind. Every 18 year old would be required to serve for 12 months. Israel already does this.

Just like it did with Vietnam, I think this would send support for the wars plummeting. It's one thing to support a war when you know there's little chance of someone you love being affected. But when your child or sibling or niece or nephew is at risk, you look at war completely different.

Maybe the constitution should be amended to say that all 18 year old relatives of all federal politicians (Congress & Executive branch) would be required to serve on the front lines of any war declared for the duration of that war. I doubt they'd be so quick to send troops all over the globe.

Happy Gay Pride Day!

There's a reason that gay pride is celebrated in June. That's because after centuries of oppression, a group of gay men and women had enough when police raided a bar in NYC called the Stonewall Inn. Instead of running, which they had done for so long, these men & women turned on the police and beat the crap out of them. There were a series of riots at the bar over the next few nights and these riots - now called the Stonewall Riots - marked the beginning of the modern gay rights movement in the USA. Today is the 40th anniversary of that date.

Read more about the riots in the Wikipedia entry in the link. It's important history.

Why?

Why do I like turkey ruebans so much, when I don't like either sauerkraut or Swiss cheese?

Recommendation

Go see the movie "Up"; it's a wonderful movie.

Unlike most animiated films, the script isn't one of an adolescent making his way toward adulthood. It's the story of an old man finding adventure late in life. It's a very emotional story, which is unusual for animated films. I teared up several times which is not all that unusual for me. (I once cried at a dog food commercial years ago).

Memorable characters, funny situations and beautiful pictures. What else do you need in a summer movie?

Happy Pride Day

Happy Pride Day to everyone. Today is the day that Columbus is celebrating gay pride. It's a big celebration here - 60,000 people last time I went about 6 years ago. It's been over 100,000 for a couple of years now. I'm an old married guy now, so I don't go anymore. Husband has no interest in being in a crowd that large - gay or not.

If you don't know the reason that gay pride is celebrated in late June every year, I advise you to search Wikipedia for Stonewall Riots. Surprisingly rainbow flags were NOT involved. It's important to know history.

In honor of Pride, I want to recommend that EVERYONE (regardless of sexual orientation) read a Armistead Maupin book. (No, I don't get commission). I just read Michael Tolliver Lives last weekend and, as usual, was blown away. His books always come across as fun, breezy and chaotic - until you get to the end. At that point everything comes together in a way that is surprising but still somehow obviously RIGHT. He's written a lot of books by now - most of them part of Tales of the City series. Do yourself a favor and read (or re-read) them. Great stuff and fun summer read.

The Pleasures of Homemade Iced Tea

Several weeks ago husband and I had a couple people over for dinner and, on a lark, I decided to make iced tea from scratch. You know - no powdered mix involved. Boy I had forgotten how much better the real stuff is than the instant stuff. Iced tea was a summer staple in our house when I was growing up. I pieced together this recipe mostly from memory. Make it yourself and you'll see what I mean!

Homemade Iced Tea
2 quarts of boiling water
10 tea bags of your favorite black tea
12 ounce can of frozen lemonade concentrate
1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)
Ice


Put the tea bags in a heat-safe pitcher and pour the boiling water over. Let the tea steep until the water is tepid; at LEAST 2 hours (but 3 hours is better). I know this is a long time, but don't skimp on this step or it won't taste right.

When the tea is room temperature, use a slotted spoon to remove the tea bags. Add the frozen lemonade concentrate and stir briskly until all of the lemonade is dissolved into the tea. Add sugar to taste (1/2 cup is what I add), again stirring until the sugar is dissolved. It's ready to serve!

Be sure to put the ice in the glasses when you serve it and NOT to put it directly into the tea. That will dilute it too much. Also, be sure to stir the tea well before serving, everytime you serve it (assuming it lasts more than the first time!).

Enjoy!

Happier News!

I haven't posted since Trixie died partly because I was feeling a little blue, but mostly because I've started using Facebook. I'm not rabid about it, but putting out a few notes a week seemed to sate my need to share. It IS fun, but I prefer longer form.

The REAL happier news is that my niece CS and her husband had her baby boy 2 weeks ago and my nephew DB and his wife had their baby girl yesterday morning. Everyone is happy and healthy. I'm very happy for all of them. And even happier that I get to call my OLDER sisters GRANDMA!