Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Food for Thought

Since many of us are obsessed with food today (see previous posts), here is food for thought in today's New York Times.

I can't imagine how ANYONE wants to have discussions with the Taliban. Yesterday in Afghanistan, they paid someone to throw acid in the faces of some school girls whose only offense was that they were going to school. People who would do this are lower than scum. They are sub-human and should be treated as such.

The Times has an article on the editorial page, A French Connection about a settlement of French Huguenots who settled in Florida 50years before the Pilgrims settled Massachusetts. The Spanish took exception and deliberately killed them all, men, women and children. So much for religious tolerance. Not that the Puritans were big on tolerance. I am sensitive to this subject because the ancestors of three out of four grandparents emigrated to this country for religous freedom, and the idea of intolerance is intolerable.

Next: An article about Mark Twain and all the American foods he craved when he was in Europe. One of the things he missed was fresh game. I recalled that as a child my grandparents served pheasant and rabbit, and sometimes venison. My mother remembers eating squirrel, and my dad ate doves. Sometimes we had wild duck, and of course one always had to chew diligently to make sure you didn't bite down on buckshot. No one except hunters has access to game anymore. In Europe, baby wild boar is on the menu, but not here. We've gotten away from our food roots. When's the last time you had roast wild goose?

I remember eating the fish my parents caught, so fresh, so delicious. Days gone forever.

Next to last: Thomas Friedman has a column in today's (again) New York Times about the Citigroup mess. Don't you just love your tax dollars going to these arrogant nincompoops? Nincompoops that made fortunes that they sure as hell aren't going to give back? Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing some of these people, the big shots, not the accounts payable people and the administrative assistants, selling pencils on the corner. Really. All that corporate greed is so disgusting. Bah, Humbug!

Last: Apropos greed, etc. The 2nd and 3rd pages of the Times which always has advertising catering to the filthy rich (now we truly understand that expression) have come down a bit in, shall we say, economic stature. Yup, we still have Chanel shoes and a Tourneau watch, but Gucci is advertising sneakers, such a deal $495 instead of the usual $895. And Cartier is advertising wedding bands, not baubels. Page 3 is even more pedestrian. Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Lord & Taylor (cozy mink earmuffs, only $98.00). Usually there's some handbag for $1400.00 or $2300 or more than any handbag should ever cost. And Saks has no payments for twelve months if you spend more than $2,000. Times must be really hard. Tiffany also advertising engagement rings, from $1,400. Not too bad, really. Lo, how the mighty have fallen. It is almost obscene to advertise this stuff when so many are losing their retirement savings and homes and jobs. Dress in flannel and corderoy and wear sensible shoes.

That is all I have to say on conspicuous consumption, religious tolerance, the economic meltdown and Mark Twain. Maybe we'll all be out shooting our own ducks and pheasants one of these days. If we want to eat. They won't be full of melamine, either.

Grapeshot, who probably shouldn't read the paper while she's waiting for stuff to cook.

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