Moronic Monday.
Okay, so it is Tuesday, and almost Wednesday at that. Earlier today Mac put up a post quoting H.L. Mencken, a 1920's reporter/book reviewer/political commentator. The quote is as follows:
"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
I've been mulling the quote over in my head all afternoon and evening. I hate to think that its true that the majority of people in our country are morons...But events of late really seem to show that those are the facts. It makes me sad that in a country where we are free to seek knowledge in any place we may find it, that so many people ignore this freedom. My american architecture class this term spent several weeks discussing the American Revolution and looked at the principles that the country was founded upon as reasoning behind our architecture. If you're ever in the market for a great book about american architecture I highly recommend this one. My professor for the class wrote it and its got some really good elements of social commentary, as well as the architecture. At least I'm doing my duty in one way, seeking out information and educating myself apart from what is available to me beyond what the mass media provides. That's the least I can do to help change my country for the better and stop the kind of idiocy that's going on now.
In yet another product review today, I have to be completely enthusiastic about Trader Joe's Spicy Cider. It doesn't have any sugar added to it, and its got the fantastic brown sludge at the bottom that indicates that its been pressed from actually fruit instead of being filtered so its only vaguely apple-y tasting. It has a good combination of spices without being overpowering, and I love spiced cider anyway. Its no more expensive than what you'd pay for sugar-infused apple-water and therefore I have decided it was one of the best things of my Monday, quite likely my whole week.
On another note, Trader Joe's has a french chocolatier that makes truffles for them which are absolutely to die for. I didn't expect a huge amount because they only cost about a dime a piece (here in Oregon you get a box of 28 for 2.99) but they are amazing. TheBoy and I had a date last night that included a bottle of bubbly white wine and those truffles and they were amazing. I highly recommend both items.
Having seen this mentioned on a few other websites by now I figured I should do a little write-up of my experience with it. While stopping to pick up pop-tarts at the local Albertson's on November 2nd TheBoy came up to the self-checkout with a bottle of this in hand. With its tagline being "cola spiced up for the season" I scrutinized the bottle and made my original assessment that it was likely to taste like a rum and cola, as I tend to drink Morgan Cokes when drinking that drink. Never having had rum and Pepsi, I can't necessarily say it didn't taste like one, however, I sincerely hope not. Now, I will admit that I don't like Pepsi. I'm a coke drinker, through-and-through, although my coke of choice is generally cherry coke. At any rate, TheBoy opened the beverage and took a sip. He is a die-hard Pepsi drinker, who says one of my biggest flaws is that I'm a coke girl. The look on his face was hilarious and he quickly recapped the bottle and handed it to me. I opened it, smelled it, and then took a sip. And then a second sip. It tasted like syrupy, sludgey nothing. Lightly spicy, but mostly just bad.
Now I keep seeing the commercials on tv. It consists of 4 elves trying to drive a truck and failing miserabley. The narrator mentions that it's great...if it ever gets there (because the elves can't drive hardy-har) and I keep thinking "I wish it never got here." And its closing line--"'Tis the cola"?? Not if no one can stomach it. And I've yet to hear of anyone that likes it.
Tired.
Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I am frantically trying to wrap up the term as well as knit Christmas gifts. I promise a substantial post tomorrow.
Blast From the Past
I had the strangest thing happen to me today. Back when I was a freshman in college I was acting in NDSU's production of The Crucible. About a week or so before the production one of the girls on the crew asked me what town I was from in Maine, having seen my bio from the program. I told her, and she asked me if I knew this one guy, I did, through my sister and I asked her how she knew him. Turned out she was from not far from where I grew up. We kept talking and she asked where I went to school. Most of you might already knew but I went to a tiny public/private charter school by the name of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics. When I told her that she freaked out and told me she'd graduated in either the 1st or 2nd class since it opened (I was in the 4th class, it opened its doors in fall 1995). At any rate, we'd never met since she graduated before me and it was a weird coincidence that she and I both ended up at NDSU and then met. The last I heard from her was right before she graduated, which I believe was at the end of my freshman year, 4.5 years ago (it was definitely no less than 2.5 years ago, I just can't remember when she graduated). We lost touch after she left North Dakota.
Fastforward to today. I was rounding the corner to my research methods class and looked up to say hello to my friend Kristi and this blond girl stepped directly into my path. I couldn't get a good look at her at that point because I was a little flustered. She bluntly asked me where I went to high school and I standoffishly told her "oh, in Maine" at which point I realized I recognized her voice. I looked at her and my internal monologue said "holy shit! it's dhelia! no, it can't be!" Well, it is. She couldn't remember my name, but she remembered my face and having hung out with me a few times (this WAS almost 5 years ago) and we quickly exchanged phone numbers and agreed we'd have to get together sometime. She's here doing graduate work also and was as amazed to see me as I was to see her. I'm hoping she calls me because I'm not used to my new cell phone and her number didn't get saved.
I'm still a little freaked out by the whole situtation, but ultimately think its very cool.