9/12 – The Day After
Posted on 12 September 2016 | No responses
Just ran a few numbers to put things in perspective:
There were around 9000 casualties (dead and wounded) from the attacks on 09/11/2001.
There have been around 60,000 (American) service men and women killed or injured as a result of the “War on Terror”. That does not count any Iraqi, Pakistani, or Afghan civilians. Nor does that count the number of Americans who suffer PTSD or committed suicide as a result of serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Never forget: freedom isn’t free but at what price, America?
Happy New Year 2015
Posted on 5 January 2015 | No responses
Thank you everyone for returning to Anthurian. So far my viewership is up 2,500% from the previous week with a high of 78 (!) views. Oh, I can smell the IPO and book deal now.
I guess I can’t go back now though; the haggis is in the fire.
Why I Am Leaving Facebook
Posted on 31 December 2014 | No responses
I originally posted this to Facebook on November 29, 2014 but re-posting here as a way to re-start Anthurian.com. I do not know what this site will turn into or how often I post but the bigger experiment is how long I can away from social media, Facebook especially. Here’s to 2015 and new starts…
After nearly a decade of sharing my life on Facebook, on January 1, 2015 I plan to step away. I will not close my account but it is time to make a change and leave the conversation. An early adopter, I came to Facebook using my gatech.edu account and was astounded at the connections I could make; amazed by the friendships rekindled. Far and wide, around the world, we’ve met, re-met, and kept in touch through the powers of the Internet.
All the while turning ourselves into data points. Commodifying human interaction and turning our relationships into single drops of water among the massive sea of Big Data. Spending our time with Likes and Pokes and forgetting that it’s the face-to-face and true companionship that makes friends, ties bonds strongly, and creates shared memories.
Instead, Facebook has turned into a world that splits and sequesters us into ever more polarized demographics. Like our country, we gravitate towards the feedback loop that seems most comfortable. Exchanging memes and eCards like a burning pestilence, political thought, religious views, and family events intermingle in Zuckerberg’s hot zone waiting to bleed out – both good and bad — until we go through de-friending purges and isolate ourselves further and further.
I am Generation X. We grew-up and made our lives with the Internet. We were the Dotcom Boom and its bust. We are the ones who’ve brought preceeding and successive generations together on the Web. But, thousands of years from now, each bit and byte will be worthless without context. Facebook provides no context. Facebook is not life. Despite the countless hours spent updating my timeline and sharing life’s events, it is still a simulacra.
I hope that this sparks me to return to writing on Anthurian.com. I am not a Luddite. I understand the advance of technology but ask all my friends to please stay in touch with me via other means.
On Hero Worship and the New Reality in Athletics
Posted on 18 November 2013 | Comments Off on On Hero Worship and the New Reality in Athletics
If I am reading this correctly then Lance Armstrong admits to doping but contends he was allowed to get away with it due to complicity among the higher-ups. Basically the UCI, USPS, (and NBC?) was covering up Armstong’s doping (to increase American viewership of the Tour de France?). For me the story isn’t about who did what but the plain facts that Armstrong – and others – cheated, it doesn’t matter WHO allowed him and his team to get away with it – especially when others were doing it and they got banned or fined while Armstrong got away with it. Cheating is cheating but, if we have to look at all this through the lens of the MLB and NFL then we should just stop banning doping altogether and admit that there’s nothing natural about world-class athletes anymore. They’re (mis)treated like race horses except that, as humans, they made the choice to allow the drugs into their systems.
Nor can I feel pity for Armstrong and his cancer now that I know he doped. He’s not an East German athlete who had no idea what was happening because they were ordered by the state. No, Armstrong turned his “tragedy” into a full-blown cause and non-profit, making money off his cheating and — let’s face it — drug use.
The worst part is that he was a role-model and played-up that fact. Just like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and other players that dope and cheat: they may say kids shouldn’t look up to them but, in reality, kids (and parents) do. Going after others, pointing fingers, laying blame, and filing court cases just continues to set bad examples and precedents. MLB has had to admit we’re in a post-doping world just like America’s image (in cycling) is forever tarnished by what Armstrong did, even if others were complicit. I don’t put it past his sponsors, the media (especially NBC), and the sanctioning body to try and cover the doping up “for the good of the sport” because it increased the popularity of cycling as a whole. But, even if that’s true, I find it hard to excuse Armstrong, the man, for what he did. Unfortunately, there aren’t (m)any William Mulholland’s left in the world who take full responsibility for disasters they helped create.
Think about this as you tune into the Winter Olympics this February and hear the announcers praise the athletes over and over again as records are broken and their abilities are marveled at. Yes, there ARE true athletes but from all reports, their numbers are decreasing in favor of the chemically-enhanced superhumans. Whether it’s Lance Armstrong, Ben Johnson, or José Canseco…cheating is cheating, plain and simple.
Baked Cheese Grits
Posted on 15 December 2012 | No responses
Colleen is not a big fan of plain grits but, when made with bacon and cheese, everyone loves grits! This is a fairly easy recipe to make and serves about 6. It’s great for taking to a holiday dinner and is easy to double.
To double, I suggest making up a batch of grits the previous day. After Sabina and I each have a breakfast bowl full, refrigerate the leftovers then, when making this recipe, mix with the hot grits to warm up.
I’ve also found that sprinkling and dusting the casserole dish with bread crumbs (after greasing) gives the grits a subtle crunch around the edges after baking.
- Baked Cheese Grits
- Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup bacon grease
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup grits
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 4 slices bacon — cooked crispy, and crumbled
- 1 cup grated Gruyere or Asiago cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup cheddar cheese
- Directions
-
- Preheat oven to 350 °. Grease a 2-quart casserole with 2 tbsp butter.
- Combine bacon grease and water in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. When mixture comes to a simmer, add grits and stir until thoroughly combined. Continue cooking grits until thickened, stirring frequently. About 15-20 minutes.
- While grits are cooking, whisk together egg and cream.
- Stir egg mixture into cooked grits along with bacon crumbles, Gruyere, and Parmesan cheese. Pour mixture into prepared casserole. Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese.
- Bake for until set, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand (at least) 5 minutes before serving.
