narcimund

It looks like the barrel of a HUGE metaphorical gun pointed right at you. I'm having flashbacks of watching St. Helens go *boom* in 1980... First Class Citizen Twice Over

Yes! This is exactly what I've been saying. Thank you! :) First Class Citizen Twice Over

What are you talking about? I know of four of us openly gay males, three openly lesbian women, and several bi women. Those are just the ones who aren't shy. First Class Citizen Twice Over

I've meant to give them a try to see what all the shooting is about. They're perfect for my small hands but jeez! They sure do look bizarre. First Class Citizen Twice Over

Oh god. Of course it was Heinlein. I hope he knew before he died how deeply he'd influenced millions of people's politics. Not enough to save America, unfortunately, but I think he knew it was hopeless. First Class Citizen Twice Over

It took me 18 years. But then again, I suppose I could have applied sooner... First Class Citizen Twice Over

Who was it that said an armed society is a polite society? First Class Citizen Twice Over

Ok, I take it back. KawiZ is NOT just talk and braggadocio (great word, iddnit?) He's seriously just shy a copy of photoshop after all. So out of the goodness of my heart I let him borrow mine and his dz.com-ready attachments are currently winging their way back to his computer where he'll soon astound us all with his stiff ... er ... upper lip. Yeah, that's what I meant. First Class Citizen Twice Over

Same old story... everyone's endowment grows online. Reminds me of the tagline from Alien: "In space, no one can hear you scream." Now it's: "Online, nobody knows you're (too old/too young/too pimply/too saggy/scrawny dicked)." First Class Citizen Twice Over

Well, as long as you're sticking with the summer months anyway, Oregon weather is fantastic that half the year. Green, lush, warm but rarely hot, and there's enough rain in the winter that the ground is always soft under landing footsies. Skydive Oregon has more comfy facilities but Eugene Skydivers is much kinder to a fixed budget. Also, Eugene Skydivers is near Eugene which is a great place to live for a summer. I know -- I've done it :) First Class Citizen Twice Over

As long as it's good beer. First Class Citizen Twice Over

Mmmm. Breakfast was boiled polenta with poached summer strawberries, fresh pomegranete seeds, and cream. Life is good. First Class Citizen Twice Over

I think this reveals the whole story. It's the votes he was after. It's all fun until the election returns come in and you actually have to do something. Oh, and a big round of applause to PDS. You get points for following through, if not for being dignified in public First Class Citizen Twice Over

A nice thing about never watching tv or listening to commercial radio is you don't get programmed with these things :) First Class Citizen Twice Over

I'm torn about the novelty childrens' products. On the one side, they're all about teaching children to form lifetime associations between fun and the factory's logo. On the other side, they're inadvertantly teaching the children to never be complacent and satisfied with the food in front of them. And that's all good. It might just become clear to these factory conglomerates that employ chemists instead of cooks that if the kids develop a taste for variety, they're going to grow up to be adventurous. And no adventurer gets their kicks from a supermarket's selection. I ate pressed turkey loaf and luncheon meat with cheese bits and dehydrated astronaut ice cream and pop rocks when I was a kid and I turned out ok. First Class Citizen Twice Over

The distribution technology is Flash, which is easily accessible to most anyone. But the execution is fabulous. Whoever put this together is talented both in video production and Flash. I'm really impressed! Yes, it's a LOT of work to do this. I didn't hang out long enough to see how they're making money. Perhaps it was a portfolio piece. Maybe just a labor of love like dz.com. First Class Citizen Twice Over

It might be a kid thing, but it's a recent one. Kids certainly didn't demand cans and bottles before the invention of cans and bottles. They also don't demand that in France or the Amazon. Or maybe they're starting to with the spread of cans and bottles and hyperefficient television marketing techniques across the world. I've read plenty of anecdotal reports that even France, the world's CENTER of true cuisine, is falling rapidly. First Class Citizen Twice Over

Dave, my S&W 640 was $450 and was perfect for my small hands and complete lack of confidence and understanding at the time. It's simple to use, sturdy, easy to clean, and with .357s in it, completely effective for home defense. Now that I've got more experience I love my $700 Kimber 1911 Ultra-Carry, although some of its 90 year old design features are a bit user-hostile. I also love my $200 Taurus .22 semi-auto. It fits in a pocket and you can't beat that. You can spend $700 or $200 or $2000 and get something just right, depending on your needs. First Class Citizen Twice Over

Americans are being taught to admire and cherish the anti-cuisine culture. We're sold on the joys of tastelessness, factory production, unconnectedness from the soil to our bodies. We're taught to desire that very specific LACK of food in our food. A friend of mine named Tig spent days building a red sauce for a special dinner with his young son who he doesn't get to see often. Cooking and providing deliciousness and nurishment soothed his aching soul which is torn apart by the distance to his dear son. From his description and my experience with his cooking, I can assure you it was a world-class red sauce. When he served the 11 year old boy the plate of pasta, the boy asked what brand of sauce it was. My friend explained it wasn't store-bought, but came from Farmer's Market fresh tomatoes and herbs and three days of loving preparation. The boy said, (and I quote) "YUCK!" and wouldn't touch it. He refused to eat anything without a brand name, a sterilized jar, and a UPC code on the label. Somebody out there is training the world to hate food and by all reports, they're being tremendously successful. First Class Citizen Twice Over

I'm not saying anything. Nope. Zipped lips. First Class Citizen Twice Over

Isn't that the truth? Oh, the stories I've read about the swiss, the french, the chinese, the mexicans. These cultures are about serious food and eating together and enjoying family. America is mixed... We have mountains of garbage and the popular, interstate highway culture is absolutely vile. But get one mile away from the freeways and america begins. This is where a pig slaughter becomes an extended family picnic. This is where mom wears and apron and bakes pies. This is where homemade fruit and flower jams get sold at the county fair. Or go to the city and discover 2 and 3 star restaurants where chefs wordship Julia Child and James Beard as messiahs. They're experimenting with oily fishes and artisinal cheeses and shaping food and sqeeze bottle sauces. Maybe it's a bit precious but jeez! It's not fast food! Or go to the small hippy communities and discover slow food. Pots of beans and herbs simmering for hours next to progressive soups that might be 6 months old, eaten and refreshed every day. Not a single molecule of the original soup is left but it's the same pot of soup, more delicious and healthful than ever. Locally grown produce in season. That's it in a nutshell: "Locally grown produce in season." America isn't a cuisine nation, but we have cuisine behind the billboards, in the house that doesn't have a TV. First Class Citizen Twice Over

We can easily switch out something for the mammal for you. How about broiled prawns in olive oil and sea salt? How about sliced grilled duck breast? Or no meats at all. Really, the base meal is the bread and the oil/vinegar plate. Everything else is optional. But add in a few extras like these and the assembly becomes fun and creative. "Hey, did you try the bell pepper with the eppoises cheese?" "No, not yet. But did you try the fresh anchovy with a prawn?" This whole meal with exotic strange ingredients will cost less than $20 (well, leaving out the wine!), take 1/2 hour to assemble, be totally healthful, and could easily be a romantic moment you'd remember forever. Now do it all the time and life's good. Oh! Speaking of wine, this is the cool part. ANY WINE WHATSOEVER goes with this meal. Oregon pinot noir, bordeaux, alsatian gevurtztraminer, italian barbaresco, champagne, australian semillon, god, what couldn't you drink with bread and oil? Don't get me started about wine! First Class Citizen Twice Over

Here's our most common dinner: We get good bread, tomato, maybe some proscuitto or jamon serrano or salami, a nice raw vegetable or two, and slice it all up on a platter. Pour olive oil and a little balsamic in a flat plate and sprinkle tellicherry black pepper over the top. Light candles and the fireplace, open a bottle of wine, and sit on the floor around the coffee table. Pick up bread, pile it with stuff, dip in the oil, and eat! We probably do this three times a week. First Class Citizen Twice Over

Oh yum. This sounds great! It would be a good recipe for actually cooking the tuna, too, being italian-ish. Usually I do japanese things to tuna which means leaving it raw or just searing the outside. I got to taste imported tuna-filled hot cherry peppers in oil a few days ago. Very yummy and I then used the tuna/chili oil for sauteeing asparagus. Added grated Romano cheese at the end and let the cheese crisp in the pan before serving. The spicy fishiness was aromatic and wonderful. First Class Citizen Twice Over