I know it is late notice, but there are still tickets available for the Colorado Cheese Festival this coming Saturday and Sunday, November 6 and 7 at the Embassy Suites on Costilla in Centennial.
There will be hundreds, maybe thousands, of cheeses to taste, demonstrations and the real highlight, the Grilled Cheese Competition in which top local chefs compete for best grilled cheese. Look out, chefs, one of the judges this year is very young and we all know kids are the toughest judges of grilled cheese sandwiches!
For complete details and to get tickets, see Colorado Cheese Festival.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
How Could a Political Junkie Ignore 2010?
I'm a political junkie. Generally, I live, eat and breathe politics, particularly in an election year. So why have I been conspicuously silent on the 2010 election? Maybe I'm losing my taste for it all. I used to accept the conventional wisdom that you go negative because negative works. Somehow, in this first year after the Supremes granted corporations superlative "equality" (companies are people, too?) in political involvement, the advertising just turned my stomach.
Here in Colorado, there were actually some media outlets to turn down the big bucks offered because the ads were, simply, lies. That indication that the media is beginning to look at the veracity of the ads offered encouraged me. That said, I still suspect my blood pressure rose at the tortuous twisting of truth and outright misstatement of fact that characterized far too many ads. I remember, back in the day when the rules changed, thinking that it was a bit silly that the candidate had to appear in his/her ad stating that they approved the ad. With the advent of 527 ads a few years ago, candidates lost control of what was said on their behalf. This year, the ads not produced by the campaigns seemed to outnumber the ads that included the "I'm so-and-so and I approved this ad" message. I'm also concerned that there is no way to know who paid for those ads and I am very upset by the rumors of foreign companies paying for the ads. I do not like the idea that foreign entities are influencing our elections.
If some TV stations choosing not to run some ads was encouraging to me, that the candidate who was most vocal about not running negative ads won was downright exciting. Had Governor-elect Hickenlooper not won, he would have been just one more reason for pundits to say that negative ads work. Hick's unique, witty and positive ads created a national stir with articles in some major newspapers across the country. I sincerely hope his positive campaign encourages other candidates to go positive.
There were only three candidates I was excited to support with my vote. You might guess that Hickenlooper was one of my favorites. I supported Senator Michael Bennet, not because I liked the negative ads when he had some great positive ads with his daughters, but because the ads against him angered me. The third candidate for whom I was proud to vote was a local Senate candidate, Katie Facchinello, the only candidate who has come to my door in 13 years. She was trying and General Assembly candidates where I live don't usually try very hard. The Republicans don't have to try because of the voter makeup of the area and the Democrats, when there are some, are candidates in name only.
It just was not a stellar election year. I would have been embarrassed if my foreign friends had been visiting to see this mess. If I am going to live, breathe and eat politics, there have to be more than three candidates for which I am proud to vote!
Here in Colorado, there were actually some media outlets to turn down the big bucks offered because the ads were, simply, lies. That indication that the media is beginning to look at the veracity of the ads offered encouraged me. That said, I still suspect my blood pressure rose at the tortuous twisting of truth and outright misstatement of fact that characterized far too many ads. I remember, back in the day when the rules changed, thinking that it was a bit silly that the candidate had to appear in his/her ad stating that they approved the ad. With the advent of 527 ads a few years ago, candidates lost control of what was said on their behalf. This year, the ads not produced by the campaigns seemed to outnumber the ads that included the "I'm so-and-so and I approved this ad" message. I'm also concerned that there is no way to know who paid for those ads and I am very upset by the rumors of foreign companies paying for the ads. I do not like the idea that foreign entities are influencing our elections.
If some TV stations choosing not to run some ads was encouraging to me, that the candidate who was most vocal about not running negative ads won was downright exciting. Had Governor-elect Hickenlooper not won, he would have been just one more reason for pundits to say that negative ads work. Hick's unique, witty and positive ads created a national stir with articles in some major newspapers across the country. I sincerely hope his positive campaign encourages other candidates to go positive.
There were only three candidates I was excited to support with my vote. You might guess that Hickenlooper was one of my favorites. I supported Senator Michael Bennet, not because I liked the negative ads when he had some great positive ads with his daughters, but because the ads against him angered me. The third candidate for whom I was proud to vote was a local Senate candidate, Katie Facchinello, the only candidate who has come to my door in 13 years. She was trying and General Assembly candidates where I live don't usually try very hard. The Republicans don't have to try because of the voter makeup of the area and the Democrats, when there are some, are candidates in name only.
It just was not a stellar election year. I would have been embarrassed if my foreign friends had been visiting to see this mess. If I am going to live, breathe and eat politics, there have to be more than three candidates for which I am proud to vote!
Vegetarians Get a Good Selection at T.G.I.Fridays
We went to a new menu tasting at T.G.I.Fridays tonight and I was excited to see a number of new vegetarian options on the menu. I'd gotten pretty tired of Fried Green Beans and the ubiquitous spinach artichoke dip. Now there are actually menu items that are designed to be vegetarian.
The menu is almost completely new, but only in Denver where we are the beta testers for the new selections.
We did not taste all the new items (we were promised Parmeson-Crusted Onion Ring Tower that was a no-show) and I'll be writing more about all the menu choices when I have had a chance to get the pictures and descriptions together, but, in the meantime, vegetarians should consider hummus, and Tuscan Summer Spinach Dip with Pizzetta Chips. There is a new Mediterranean veggie pizza and a tomato basil soup and mini grilled Cheese Sandwich (though I cannot vouch that the cheese is microbial). Pescetarians will want to try the Ahi Tuna with Avocado Crisps which are definitely something one would expect only from a restaurant where the chef is a big name. Even the main dish selections offer goodies for us -- a wiater assured me that, though he is a carnivore, he ate the Sedona Black Bean Burger the first three nights it was on the menu because he loved it so much. I'm looking forward to trying the Grilled Vegetable Dagwood with mango chutney mayo and tandoori-marinated veggies. The picture looks great, but don't they always? The Victory Garden Pasta with fresh broccoli, spinace and sugar snap peas in lemon vegetable sauce with basil butter and Parmesan looks intriguing as well.
I've got an email in to get some clarifications on the menu and some pictures (yes, some restaurants are too dark to take decent pictures with my 'Droid) and I'll have a more complete post. I wanted to get the word out for those of us who are tired of making do in restaurants in the casual restaurant category.
For those who
The menu is almost completely new, but only in Denver where we are the beta testers for the new selections.
We did not taste all the new items (we were promised Parmeson-Crusted Onion Ring Tower that was a no-show) and I'll be writing more about all the menu choices when I have had a chance to get the pictures and descriptions together, but, in the meantime, vegetarians should consider hummus, and Tuscan Summer Spinach Dip with Pizzetta Chips. There is a new Mediterranean veggie pizza and a tomato basil soup and mini grilled Cheese Sandwich (though I cannot vouch that the cheese is microbial). Pescetarians will want to try the Ahi Tuna with Avocado Crisps which are definitely something one would expect only from a restaurant where the chef is a big name. Even the main dish selections offer goodies for us -- a wiater assured me that, though he is a carnivore, he ate the Sedona Black Bean Burger the first three nights it was on the menu because he loved it so much. I'm looking forward to trying the Grilled Vegetable Dagwood with mango chutney mayo and tandoori-marinated veggies. The picture looks great, but don't they always? The Victory Garden Pasta with fresh broccoli, spinace and sugar snap peas in lemon vegetable sauce with basil butter and Parmesan looks intriguing as well.
I've got an email in to get some clarifications on the menu and some pictures (yes, some restaurants are too dark to take decent pictures with my 'Droid) and I'll have a more complete post. I wanted to get the word out for those of us who are tired of making do in restaurants in the casual restaurant category.
For those who
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Mosaic Visits Good Shepherd
Representatives from the Multicultural Mosaic Foundation visited Good Shepherd Episcopal Church on Sunday. Immediately, I knew it was a good thing I passed up the Greek baklava the night before, because they brought the Turkish version to share with the attendees at adult education. FYI, Greek baklava is made with honey, Turkish baklava does not use honey. It was delicious!
More important than the baklava was the opportunity to freely discuss Islam and Christianity, to ask questions and to get answers. After an initial slide show from the foundation representatives, there was a free-wheeling discussion that touched on sharia law and the allegations of some politicians that Muslims wanted to impose sharia law on various cities. Sharia law, and this is an oversimplification, includes the suggestions and commandments from the Koran. They are religious in nature and would make no sense to impose on a non-Islamic population. There were questions about the position of women in Islam. I could have answered that Islamic women are some of the strongest and most influential in their religion that I know, but, by remaining silent, I learned something new -- that when Islamic women work outside the home, the money they earn is theirs alone. They may choose to share it with the family, but they need not do so.
Generally, the people from Good Shepherd who attended had ample opportunity to ask questions and receive honest answers. What a pity that some I know have fears of Islam chose not to participate in the discussion and learn what might ease their fears of Islam.
More important than the baklava was the opportunity to freely discuss Islam and Christianity, to ask questions and to get answers. After an initial slide show from the foundation representatives, there was a free-wheeling discussion that touched on sharia law and the allegations of some politicians that Muslims wanted to impose sharia law on various cities. Sharia law, and this is an oversimplification, includes the suggestions and commandments from the Koran. They are religious in nature and would make no sense to impose on a non-Islamic population. There were questions about the position of women in Islam. I could have answered that Islamic women are some of the strongest and most influential in their religion that I know, but, by remaining silent, I learned something new -- that when Islamic women work outside the home, the money they earn is theirs alone. They may choose to share it with the family, but they need not do so.
Generally, the people from Good Shepherd who attended had ample opportunity to ask questions and receive honest answers. What a pity that some I know have fears of Islam chose not to participate in the discussion and learn what might ease their fears of Islam.
Jake & Telly's
Rachel Ray is just too energetic for me. Try as I might, I cannot make one of her "30 Minute Meals" in less than 60 minutes and I when I am finished, I am too tired to eat the meal. However, I picked up a good tip from her on one of her travel shows, "Ask a local for a restaurant recommendation."
Saturday, Robert and I decided to take advantage of one of our few free days this fall to wander through Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. We planned to finish off our excursion with a stop at Patsy's candies in Manitou Springs. We hadn't been to Manitou Springs in quite a few years and, sadly, we were reminded why. We could not for the life of us find a parking place. I could digress and talk about people who take two places when one would do, but...
So we went off to the Patsy's factory on 21st in Colorado Springs. Robert is a fan of the rosecup mints and I'm rather fond of the butterscotch popcorn. There might have been some Christmas shopping going on as well, but I'm not telling.
Our shopping done and the sweet teeth sated,, it was time for real food. We so rarely go to the Colorado Springs area lately that we had no idea where to eat. I asked the clerk for her recommendations, adding "I'm a vegetarian." She said, "So am I" and suggested that Jake & Telly's between 26th and 27th on West. Colorado Avenue in Old Colorado City had some of the best falafel she'd ever had. I was sold.
Actually, I saw no mention of falafel anytwhere on the menu, but the food was great, the service was attentive, but nor obtrusive and we'll find many more reasons to visit Old Colorado City, all of them including Jake and Telly's.
Along with the menus comes a plate of what must be housemade pita (delish -- as long as we have a little Rachel Ray theme going) with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
We ordered Saganaki, that wonderful sheep's milk Kasseri cheese served flaming and extinguished with lemon juice. I didn't take a picture. In fact, I didn't take my phone with me -- talk about a real vacation day!
By the time our main courses arrived, Robert remembered he had his phone with him, so I refreshed myself on taking pictures with his cell phone and we got pictures of his Salmon Mediterraneo -- an attractive dish if Alaskan sockeye salmon on Greek rice and seasonal vegetables , finished with a lemon caper butter sauce.
Robert had already done a bit of nibbling before I mastered the cellphone camera. Apologies, dear reader.
I was absolutely overloaded with the Vegetarian Mixed Mezze with grilled zucchini, eggplant and red pepper; gigantes beans, Spanakopita, Dolmadakia, Feta, olives, hummus, tzatziki, Tiropita and pita.
The leftovers were more than I could finish for lunch the next day and made a nice afternoon snack. As you can see from the picture, it is hard to arrange so much food artfully. Try as I am sure they did, it just looks like an incredible amount of food on a plate!
There was absolutely no way we were going to eat dessert, but the menu was seriously tempting with baklava, stuffed figs, Greek yogurt and much more.
Saturday, Robert and I decided to take advantage of one of our few free days this fall to wander through Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. We planned to finish off our excursion with a stop at Patsy's candies in Manitou Springs. We hadn't been to Manitou Springs in quite a few years and, sadly, we were reminded why. We could not for the life of us find a parking place. I could digress and talk about people who take two places when one would do, but...
So we went off to the Patsy's factory on 21st in Colorado Springs. Robert is a fan of the rosecup mints and I'm rather fond of the butterscotch popcorn. There might have been some Christmas shopping going on as well, but I'm not telling.
Our shopping done and the sweet teeth sated,, it was time for real food. We so rarely go to the Colorado Springs area lately that we had no idea where to eat. I asked the clerk for her recommendations, adding "I'm a vegetarian." She said, "So am I" and suggested that Jake & Telly's between 26th and 27th on West. Colorado Avenue in Old Colorado City had some of the best falafel she'd ever had. I was sold.
Actually, I saw no mention of falafel anytwhere on the menu, but the food was great, the service was attentive, but nor obtrusive and we'll find many more reasons to visit Old Colorado City, all of them including Jake and Telly's.
Along with the menus comes a plate of what must be housemade pita (delish -- as long as we have a little Rachel Ray theme going) with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
We ordered Saganaki, that wonderful sheep's milk Kasseri cheese served flaming and extinguished with lemon juice. I didn't take a picture. In fact, I didn't take my phone with me -- talk about a real vacation day!
By the time our main courses arrived, Robert remembered he had his phone with him, so I refreshed myself on taking pictures with his cell phone and we got pictures of his Salmon Mediterraneo -- an attractive dish if Alaskan sockeye salmon on Greek rice and seasonal vegetables , finished with a lemon caper butter sauce.
Robert had already done a bit of nibbling before I mastered the cellphone camera. Apologies, dear reader.I was absolutely overloaded with the Vegetarian Mixed Mezze with grilled zucchini, eggplant and red pepper; gigantes beans, Spanakopita, Dolmadakia, Feta, olives, hummus, tzatziki, Tiropita and pita.
The leftovers were more than I could finish for lunch the next day and made a nice afternoon snack. As you can see from the picture, it is hard to arrange so much food artfully. Try as I am sure they did, it just looks like an incredible amount of food on a plate!There was absolutely no way we were going to eat dessert, but the menu was seriously tempting with baklava, stuffed figs, Greek yogurt and much more.
A New Computer
After spending almost $200 and a hectic week trying to get my laptop so it could limp along for a couple more years, it lived just one more week before the motherboard died. I really did not want to buy a new computer, but I've become addicted to my laptop. I replaced it with the closest I could come to my old laptop, a couple steps down on the power scale and a couple steps up on the price scale.
Wouldn't you think I could get a better laptop for less money? Not the case. Sigh...
So if I've missed anything, send it again because it may have been lost between computers.
Wouldn't you think I could get a better laptop for less money? Not the case. Sigh...
So if I've missed anything, send it again because it may have been lost between computers.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Could I have this without the "user friendly"
My laptop is on the fritz and I was drug, kicking and screaming to Windows 7. Before I subjected my trusty laptop, repository of all knowledge of my life to repair people and an OS upgrade, I decided to backup my data to a DVD "just to be safe." In my day, this was a simple process -- "Backup C: A:" A bit frightening the first time, but... Now it took endless searching and numerous "You are not connected to the Internet" (of course I am not connected, my network adapter is fried) messages before I gave up on backup and just copied essential files to a DVD. When I mentioned this to the nice guy at the computer store, he seemed mystified as to why I would back up to a DVD and not to my second hard drive. I decided he thought these computers were bullet-proof. Then I was at another store looking for an alternative to the built-in wireless adapter. "But your laptop is more than two years old," he said, "surely you just want a new computer." He proceeded to tell me all the dreadful things to expect of my aging laptop. By the time he was done, I had absolutely no idea why the guy at the other place didn't comprehend the need for a complete back up not connected with the physical computer.
Our first computer lived a healthy 6 years. Frankly, we couldn't get a larger hard drive for it and we were finding that 5Mb was not enough for our needs. Our second lasted a similar time before we found we needed a 3.5" drive and there was no way to install one in the box. Its replacement is still in the basement, in case we need anything off the thousands of 3.5" floppies we have carefully stored away.
We live in a throw away society where user-friendly is so user-complicated we have to throw away good hardware because it is too user-friendly to keep it safe and working.
I think all this "user-friendly" stuff applies to far more than computers. I think we have come to depend on others to form our opinions for us instead of putting in the time and energy to form our opinions on facts rather than others' opinions. We saw this a year ago with health care when every fifth email I got was someone telling me what I should think about health care based on what someone told them. When I had the audacity to suggest that what was contained in the emails was less than accurate, the senders were offended, even when I gave them specific lines in the actual legislation so they would have complete information. Now we have people telling us that our current President got us into Afghanistan and people believe it despite that we were all alive to know that the President when we entered Afghanistan was George W. Bush and that the President in office when were sidetracked from Afghanistan to Iraq was named George W. Bush.
I can't even begin to understand those who, despite all the assurances from officials (including Republicans) in Hawaii that our President was born there, persist in believing someone who told them he was born in Kenya.
We've come so much to rely on "user-friendly" that we accept misinformation, mistaken information and pure lies rather than rely on our own resources, brains and (yipes) facts. We live in a time when it is too difficult to type "backup C: A:" and rely on some company which may have taken away our ability to backup our own data where we want to backup our data. At the risk of being called a Luddite (look it up, I am not going to be user-friendly with you), I think it is time we take back a bit of control over our information flow.
Our first computer lived a healthy 6 years. Frankly, we couldn't get a larger hard drive for it and we were finding that 5Mb was not enough for our needs. Our second lasted a similar time before we found we needed a 3.5" drive and there was no way to install one in the box. Its replacement is still in the basement, in case we need anything off the thousands of 3.5" floppies we have carefully stored away.
We live in a throw away society where user-friendly is so user-complicated we have to throw away good hardware because it is too user-friendly to keep it safe and working.
I think all this "user-friendly" stuff applies to far more than computers. I think we have come to depend on others to form our opinions for us instead of putting in the time and energy to form our opinions on facts rather than others' opinions. We saw this a year ago with health care when every fifth email I got was someone telling me what I should think about health care based on what someone told them. When I had the audacity to suggest that what was contained in the emails was less than accurate, the senders were offended, even when I gave them specific lines in the actual legislation so they would have complete information. Now we have people telling us that our current President got us into Afghanistan and people believe it despite that we were all alive to know that the President when we entered Afghanistan was George W. Bush and that the President in office when were sidetracked from Afghanistan to Iraq was named George W. Bush.
I can't even begin to understand those who, despite all the assurances from officials (including Republicans) in Hawaii that our President was born there, persist in believing someone who told them he was born in Kenya.
We've come so much to rely on "user-friendly" that we accept misinformation, mistaken information and pure lies rather than rely on our own resources, brains and (yipes) facts. We live in a time when it is too difficult to type "backup C: A:" and rely on some company which may have taken away our ability to backup our own data where we want to backup our data. At the risk of being called a Luddite (look it up, I am not going to be user-friendly with you), I think it is time we take back a bit of control over our information flow.
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