The FIREBIRD (1909-10)
Music - Igor Stravinsky
Choreography - Michael Fokine
Conductor - Valery Giergiev

The Universal Symbol of the Blogosphere

A PRELUDE to COMING ATTRACTIONS

The Statue of Bigotry

ANOTHER SIDE of OBAMA CARE
The True Intent of the ACA Clarified

What We Must Overcome If We Hope to Advance

Ignorance, Stupidity, Spite, False Pride

False Images, Projected Fears, Malice

In the Conservative-Libertarian failure to present any evidence whatsoever that there may be a redeeming feature or two in this monstrous albatross now hung around our necks –– and by studiously avoiding any hint of admission that one might exist –– we, conservative-libertarians are doing ourselves a great disservice. We are doing exactly what "The Other Side" does all the time –– i.e. 

1) Admit no fault, however glaring, 

2) Attack the character and impugn the motives of those with differing views, 

3) Steadfastly maintain that black is white and vice versa no matter what evidence there may be to the contrary, 

4) Persist in turning a deaf ear and a scowling face to any overtures from the opposition that may appear sober, rational or even faintly amicable.

That's what "they" do all the time –– and isn't it irksome? So why should "we" give "them" another excuse to continue the present impasse?

What good do you imagine "we" might do ourselves in establishing greater credibility in the Public's Mind by following "their" lead, and behaving just as "they" tend to do?

Gridlock Belligerence and Intransigence have become so established and so routinized as to be REFLEXIVE –– i.e. we now react ––  like Pavlov's dogs –– without giving any THOUGHT to what we are saying. 

ALSO, in constantly denigrating, constantly vilifying, constantly insulting our opponents without offering solid suggestions for CONSTRUCTIVE ALTERNATIVES, all we are doing is the moral equivalent of expelling HOT AIR –– a gas becoming increasingly noxious and malodorous with each stale recycling of its decaying chemical composition.

Please don't take umbrage, instead try THINKING for a change. Who knows? It might help impel us away from our present stasis of moral and intellectual decay.

In the next day or two let’s try to address the following:

What may be the possible GOOD effects of Obamacare as it now stands? Whom might it help? Do those elements who stand to benefit properly deserve help in your estimation? Why or why not?

What –– realistically –– are certain to be the immediate ill effects? Whom is it likely to hurt? Why? And to what degree? Could the damage be healed without eliminating whatever good may come of the new law?

COMING NEXT:

Suggested steps we ought to have taken to reform our system of medical care.

Prepare to add suggestions, and discuss the ramifications of each idea presented.

Imagine his final moments

Success is counted sweetest

By those who ne'er succeed.

To comprehend a nectar

Requires sorest need.

Not one of all the purple Host

Who took the Flag today

Can tell the definition

So clear of victory

As he defeated – dying –

On whose forbidden ear

The distant strains of triumph

Break agonized and clear!

~ Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

The Scowling Libs

The Rise of “Punitive Liberalism” in the Wake of the Kennedy Assassination

by George Will  [edited, truncated, partially rewritten with emphasis added by FT]

"Ex-Marine Asks Soviet Citizenship"

~ Washington Post, November 1, 1959 (re Lee Harvey Oswald)

"He didn't even have the satisfaction of being killed for civil rights. It's — it had to be some silly little Communist."

~ Jacqueline Kennedy, November. 22, 1963

She thought it robbed [her husband’s] death of any meaning, –– but a meaning would be quickly manufactured to serve a new politics. First, however, an inconvenient fact — Oswald — had to be expunged from the story. So, just 24 months after the assassination, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., the Kennedys' kept historian, published a thousand-page history of the thousand-day presidency without mentioning the assassin.

The transformation of a murder by a marginal man into a killing by a sick culture began instantly — before Kennedy was buried. The afternoon of the assassination, Chief Justice Earl Warren ascribed Kennedy's "martyrdom" to "the hatred and bitterness that has been injected into the life of our nation by bigots." The next day, James Reston, the New York Times luminary, wrote in a front-page story that Kennedy was a victim of a "streak of violence in the American character," noting especially "the violence of the extremists on the right."

Never mind that adjacent to Reston's article was a Times report on Oswald's Communist convictions and associations. A Soviet spokesman, too, assigned "moral responsibility" for Kennedy's death to "Barry Goldwater and other extremists on the right."

Three days after the assassination, a Times editorial, "Spiral of Hate," identified Kennedy's killer as a "spirit": The Times deplored "the shame all America must bear for the spirit of madness and hate that struck down" Kennedy. The editorialists were, presumably, immune to this spirit. The new liberalism-as-paternalism would be about correcting other people's defects.

Hitherto a doctrine of American celebration and optimism, liberalism would now become a scowling indictment: Kennedy was killed by America's social climate, whose sickness required "punitive liberalism." [NOTE: That phrase is from James Piereson of the Manhattan Institute, whose 2007 book "Camelot and the Cultural Revolution: How the Assassination of John F. Kennedy Shattered American Liberalism" is a profound meditation on the reverberations of the rifle shots in Dealey Plaza.]

The bullets of Nov. 22, 1963, altered the nation's trajectory less by killing a president than by giving birth to a destructive narrative about America. ...

Punitive Liberalism preached the necessity of national repentance for a history of crimes and misdeeds that had produced a present so poisonous that it murdered a president. To be a liberal would mean being a scold. ...

Kennedy's posthumous reputation — Americans often place him, absurdly, atop the presidential rankings — reflects regrets about might-have-beens. To reread Robert Frost's banal poem written for Kennedy's inauguration ("A golden age of poetry and power/ of which this noonday's the beginning hour") is to wince at its clunky attempt to conjure an Augustan age from the blending of politics and celebrity that the Kennedys used to pioneer The Presidency-as-Popular-Entertainment.

Under Kennedy’s ... successor, Lyndon Johnson ... drove to enactment the Civil Rights Act, Medicare and Medicaid — liberalism became less concerned with material well-being than with lifestyle and cultural issues such as feminism, abortion and sexual freedom.

The bullets fired on Nov. 22, 1963, could shatter the social consensus that characterized the 1950s only because powerful new forces of an adversarial culture were about to erupt through society's crust. Foremost among these forces was the college-bound population bulge — baby boomers with their sense of entitlement and moral superiority, vanities encouraged by [the] intelligentsia ...

... During the late 1960s, ... Americans' recoil from liberal hectoring, catalyzed the revival of conservatism in the 1970s.  ... “Puntitive Liberalism” created a void that would be filled by Ronald Reagan 17 years after the assassination.

The moral of liberalism's explanation of Kennedy's murder is found underneath the human instinct’s tendency to reject the possibility that large events can have small, often squalid causes; there is an intellectual itch to discern large hidden meanings in events. 

And meanwhile, political opportunism remains perennial.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/will101013.php3#.Ul3b2c3-3NR

OUR PREDATORY PRESIDENT

You know the honeymoon is over, when the comedians start to roast you on late night TV. 

You got that, Barry, baby?

The Stinkpot-in-Chief waxes petulant –– again.

The liberals are asking us to give Obama time.

We agree –– and think 25 to life would be 

appropriate. 

- Jay Leno

America needs Obama-care like Nancy 

Pelosi needs a Halloween mask. 

 - Jay Leno

Q: Have you heard about McDonald's'

new Obama Value Meal?

A: Order anything you like and the guy behind you 

has to pay for it. 

 - Conan O'Brien

Q: What does Barack Obama call 

lunch with a convicted felon?

A: A fund raiser. 

- Jay Leno

Q: What's the difference between

Obama's cabinet and a penitentiary?

A: One is filled with tax evaders, blackmailers,

and threats to society. The other is for housing 

prisoners. 

- David Letterman

Q: If Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama were 

on a boat in the middle of the ocean and it 

started to sink, who would be saved?

A: America! 

 - Jimmy Fallon

Q: What's the difference between

Obama and his dog, Bo?

A: Bo has papers. 

- Jimmy Kimmel

Q: What was the most positive result 

of the "Cash for Clunkers" program?

A: It took 95% of the Obama bumper 

stickers off the road.

- David Letterman

The House on the Hill

They are all gone away,

The House is shut and still,

There is nothing more to say.

Through broken walls and gray

The winds blow bleak and shrill.

They are all gone away.

Nor is there one to-day

To speak them good or ill:

There is nothing more to say.

Why is it then we stray

Around the sunken sill?

They are all gone away,

And our poor fancy-play

For them is wasted skill:

There is nothing more to say.

There is ruin and decay

In the House on the Hill:

They are all gone away,

There is nothing more to say.

~ Edward Arlington Robinson (1869-1935)

A symbol of our nation's future?

MORE of MOTHER NATURE'S 

MODERN ART

 I can see whole galleries devoted to the display of gigantic enlargements of these formidable, disturbing, wildly provocative images, yet most will shrug, and say, "I don't see anything but a weather pattern made by Doppeler Radar." 

What could possibly be more exciting and stimulating to the imagination than exploring the origins and manifestations of anything as elemental as the weather?

AUNT WEESIE’S

 ANNUAL CALAMARI FESTIVAL 

More Than A Recipe

A Culinary Memoir from a Happy Family Life

I assure you that what is to follow is an authentic, perfectly legitimate account of how we used to live back in the 1940’s and early 50’s when most of the family still lived in Brooklyn and Manhattan.  The recipe for calamari, as Aunt Weesie made it, takes a lot of work, and it may be hard today to find fresh squid [the gutted, frozen, processed "rings" or denuded “carcasses” you may find at the supermarket have no flavor whatsoever -- take it from me], but anyway if done right, this recipe is a gourmet treat extraordinaire, IF you like the taste of MARINE life, that is. If you don’t, you really don’t belong in our family.

Back in those magical days of my childhood our Aunt Weesie staged an annual culinary ritual –– an event we frankly enjoyed more than Christmas. It centered on individual calamari (about 50 of varying lengths), each one gutted, skinned, debeaked, and thoroughly rinsed. The tentacles were reserved and set in a bowl of icy cold salted water along with the calamari "shells."  [We used to joke about the shells looking just like torpedoes, which they certainly did.] 

After each little squid and set of tentacles had been prepared thusly, they were taken out, patted dry on clean dish towelling, then stuffed with a mixture of bread, egg, grated Romano cheese, finely minced fresh parsley, the merest hint of puréed garlic, salt and fresh ground pepper. Each open end was then stitched shut with white thread to prevent the stuffing from escaping during the cooking, then lightly sautéed in imported olive oil for 2 or 3 minutes –– no more.

After the calamari had been sealed by the sautéeing process, the stitches were carefully removed.

Raw material from the fishmonger

MEANWHILE, we had, of course, prepared in advance an enormous quantity of homemade marinara sauce using a peck of fresh Italian plum tomatoes. 

First the bottom of the sauce pot was covered lightly in olive oil, then six or eight cloves of fresh garlic fully peeled and cut into coarse chunks were sautéed until they turned golden brown. 

The garlic was then REMOVED on a slotted spoon and discarded. [This is important. Overcooked or undercooked garlic is unpleasant to say the least. BURNED garlic is absolute HELL.]

Salt and Pepper were added to taste along with a tablespoon or two of chopped fresh basil, and maybe a teaspoon of sugar, but only if the tomatoes seemed too tart, and then the tomatoes, themselves, each cut into several pieces to ease cooking time. 

All this was simmered –– very gently –– for at least an hour and half, then cooled, and put in batches through a FOLEY MILL, a then-state-of-the-art device that made it possible to strain out all the seeds and skins without the bother of having to push the mixture through a sieve by hand using the back of a wooden spoon.

I neglected to tell you cooking calamari this way is a three-day affair. The marinara sauce, itself, could be prepared well in advance, of course, but the process of cleaning, stuffing, and sautéeing the squid took hours, and was usually done the day before the family festival was to take place. 

The rest is easy, but still time-consuming: 

The marinara sauce was reheated to the simmering point, but NOT BOILED, the calamari were then placed in the sauce along with their tentacles, covered loosely, and simmered for about 2 hours frequently stirred, of course at ten or fifteen minute intervals.

Meanwhile, Cousin Eddie and his wife Geraldine, or Uncle Bill and Auntie Anne always brought fresh loaves of crusty Italian bread and assorted pastries from a wonderful Old World Italian bakeshop on New York's lower east side, and we at home prepared a big salad with fresh greens that often included Belgian endive, baby spinach leaves, radicchio, a minced scallion or two, and possibly some arrugala along with whatever lettuce looked most appetizing at the greengrocer's at the time. This was dressed with olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, pureed garlic, chopped basil, a tiny bit of Dijon mustard and a few anchovies mashed up and liquefied.

After the company arrived, a big pot of salted water was put to the boil, the linguine was cooked al dente, the calamari were removed from the gently simmering sauce one by one and placed on a platter, the sauce was ladled over individual servings of linguine. Extra sauce was brought to the table in a large gravy boat accompanied by a silver ladle.

Everyone sat down, the salad was served, then the piece de resistance was presented along with a basket of crusty, freshly baked Italian bread.

The grown ups drank red wine, the kids were given lemonade  prepared by Grandpa using his own secret method [He never did tell anyone how he did it, but it was very special].

Later on espresso, usually made by Uncle Bill in the beautifully crafted copper pot brought over from Italy so many years before, was served with the assorted pastries.

Afterward, we'd all gather around the piano and sing familiar songs –– or Uncle Joe, who among other things had accompanied Vaudeville acts at the Palace, –– would bring his ukelele and accompany Aunt Weesie as they went through their clownish antics complete with fake mustaches and paper Derbies which always left us all in stitches.

And then toward evening, if the weather was fine, we all went out and took a nice long walk to look at The Narrows, watch the sunset and see the Statue of Liberty on Bedloe's Island which was just visible from where we stood. 

After we got back to the apartment, everyone helped Aunt Weesie put the food away, though there were scarcely ever any leftovers, and do the dishes. All parted reluctantly, but went home contented eagerly looking forward to the next family get together.

And I can tell you this with absolute certainty:

HEAVEN COULD HAVE NO GREATER REWARD OR GLORIOUS DELIGHT IN STORE FOR ME THAN THIS WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE DINING WITH FAMILY ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

These memories become increasingly precious with each passing year. I wish everyone had had the good fortune to have been blest with a family as wonderful as mine was then.

Aunt Weesie c. 1946

In gratitude and loving memory, 

FreeThinke

STEWED OCTOPUS

Polpi in Umido 

Italian-style Octopus Simmered in Wine and Tomatoes

This is a recipe for Southern Italian-style stewed octopus with white wine and tomatoes. The dish originated in Puglia, near the heel of Italy's boot. Octopus requires long, slow simmering, so keep your temperature low and give yourself plenty of time. This dish is at its best when you can get octopus fresh from the sea at a local fishmonger Serve with crusty bread or linguine. This recipe serves 4 as an appetizer or a light main course.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb octopus, either small or large

• 4 T. olive oil

• 4 cloves finely chopped garlic

• 1 cup crushed tomatoes or peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes

• 1 cup white wine

• 2 T. honey or sugar

• 1 t. chopped fresh oregano or thyme

• 4 T. chopped fresh parsley

• 1 t. chile flakes

• 2 T. capers (optional) 

• Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Toss the octopus into the boiling water, return to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, then remove. Discard water.

Skin the octopus, remove the beak and the ink sac, then cut into large pieces and saute in olive oil over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute or two.

Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir well and let it cook down for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chile flakes and bring to a simmer.

Add about a teaspoon of salt and the honey or sugar. Mix well, cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.

At 30 minutes, add the capers if you are using them, plus the oregano or thyme and half the parsley. Check the octopus ––– smaller ones will be tender in just 30 minutes.

Octopus can be very stubborn and uncooperative, so if they are still super-chewy, cover the pot again, and simmer for up to another 45 minutes.

When you think you are about 10 minutes away from being done, uncover the pot and turn the heat up a little to cook down the sauce.

To serve, add the remaining oregano or thyme, parsley and black pepper. Serve either hot or at room temperature with pasta, bread, and a green salad dressed olive oil, lemon juice and a hint of Dijon mustard. Homemade granita di cafe makes a lovely finish to the meal.

  Gloria Allred

Castigating vixen on the prowl

Under no constraints of good decorum

Never missing chances to cry foul

This dominatrix seizes every forum.

Overbearing, shrieking old virago,

Nasty as three-day-old garlic breath,

This baggage must have studied in Chicago.

Her nature like the lady named Macbeth

Eerily erupts in ersatz rage

Prompted by the lust to castrate men.

Roaring like a mad beast in a cage

Our All Red Gloria befouls her den.

With extravagant dishonesty she’ll claim

Love for Justice, but her claim is lame.

~ FreeThinke

Gloria Allred: Road Rage Motorcyclist Is 'Innocent Victim'

Tuesday, 08 Oct 2013 05:30 PM

By Bill Hoffmann

Edwin Mieses, one of several motorcyclists hit by Alexian Lien's Range Rover in the notorious New York City road rage case, is "an innocent victim," his attorney, celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred, says.

"My client is definitely an innocent victim who was trying to help the driver of the SUV when he was run over," Allred told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.

"[He's] 32 years old, he's a devoted father, he takes care of his two children who are ages 15 and 9, he's been living with the mother of his children for more than 16 years."

Mieses was one of dozens of motorcycle riders who were riding on the West Side Highway in New York City last Sunday when an SUV driven by Lien hit one of the bikes.

As some bikers attacked the vehicle, a frightened Lien fled, mowing down Mieses, authorities say. Lien was chased about 50 blocks before one of the motorcyclists smashed his car windows, dragged him out and beat him.

The Daily Mail reported that Mieses, an aspiring rapper, was recently arrested in Andover, Mass., for driving with a revoked license. 

But Allred says Mieses is not a member of any motorcycle gang and "did not do any wrong whatsoever" to Lien.

"[Lien] runs over my client and he crushes him. [He's] got two breaks in his spine, multiple fractures, a torn aorta, punctured lung, and God knows what else and we don't know that he's ever going to walk again," she said.

"We're looking for justice. And a lot of people say, and even some respected journalists have said, well, what about Mr. Lien? He was in fear. He's got his wife in the car. He's got his 2-year-old in his car.

"If you run over somebody, you need to stop. If you hit somebody, you've got to stop."

Neither Lien nor Mieses have been charged with a crime.

As many as six motorcyclists were involved in the beating of Lien, according to court papers.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/NewsmaxTv/gloria-allred-road-rage-motorcyclist/2013/10/08/id/529971#ixzz2hGd4Qn16 

BAH! HUMBUG!!!