The idea of proportionate response is barbaric. Does Israel have to wait until the Arabs "catch up" and kill several hundred Israelis? How many soldiers equals a baby? Do pregnant women count as one and a half people? How many free bombings does Hezballah get before Israel is allowed to respond? If a bomb doesn't kill anyone, does it count? How many kidnappings equals a killing? When Hezballah kills Israeli Arabs, which side do they count for?
For 55 years, the Arabs have been "almost" ready to accept a state of Israel. Tell you what. When they are really ready, let people know. Until then, stop lying to yourself.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Friday, July 14, 2006
Today's morbidly amusing incident - but first some background to place it in context:
Britain is a strangely chaotic and unfair country compared to the United States. In the US, we are accustomed to the Rule of Law. And all, theoretically, are equal under the law and entitled to many rights enumerated in Law. In Britain, they have far fewer laws, what they have here are "guidelines". This means you actually live in a very gray legal situation were you have few rights and who you know and who you can intimidate shape the sort of life you will lead.
As well, this is a very provincial society for all they are a "First World" nation and incessantly sneer at Americans as ignorant and small minded.
So with this in mind, we briefly flash back to the events of 2 weeks ago on June 29th.
At 5pm on June 29th my fiance and I had an appointment at our local Registrar's office to attend to give Notice Of Intent to Marry. Normally this office is open 8:30am - 4pm, but a week previously when I had phoned to check details of the process, I had (typical American, I complained) expressed intense dismay that my fiance would have to take a day off work to register when he had just taken off so many days due to surgery. Compassionately, the lady I was speaking with revealed they maintained a secret "special out of hours appointments" service and made our appointment for -after work- the next week! Now I really appreciated this courtesy BUT, the right and fair way to offer a courtesy like this would have been to note it on the information site so everyone had a chance at it and just had to prove its need. Most Brits don't complain, they suffer silently in public and grumble privately and resentments grow.
Moving on in time to June 29th...We show up at the Registrar's office, and for an hour we fill out forms, answer silly questions in rediculous regimented routine, and then the moment comes when I pass over my divorce document. This was the original issue divorce document from the State of Pennsylvania, with the gold foil seal and impression of the sealing machine. The Registrar stared at the document and then pulled out a large loose-leaf binder and started to compare it to documents pictured on the pages. After a while she finished and looking up at me she annonced that my divorce document would not do as it didn't match any of the authorized American divorce documents in her book.
I was puzzled, I said, it was an official original PA divorce decree and had already been approved by the UK Home Office when they issued me my "marriage visa". Nevertheless, the lady explained, the Registrar's Office was a different branch of gov't and had to approve it themselves. I couldn't understand why there was a problem untill the lady said, "We have photocopies of what the official Amercian divorce decrees look like from the issuing authorities in California, Texas, Florida, and New York and yours doesn't match."
Duh! Perhaps that was because MY decree was from Pennsylvania! At this point a classic insane culture confusion type conversation took place. I finally pointed out that those decrees she had copies of were from only 4 of the US states and that we had a whole additional 46 other states to choose from to get divorced in and that they all proudly and legally issued their very own divorce certificates. This resulted in some major running about from office to office consulting other civil servants, none of whom wanted to take responsibility for many a sensible decision. Finally it was decided to hold on to my divorce decree and send it on for examination and approval by the Chief Registrar of the UK. Good grief! I was told that if my decree was approved, copies of it would be made and distributed to registrars all over England to add to their little American Divorce Decree Sample books.
Good grief!
So I waited the requested 10 days to allow them to make up their minds and phoned in to find out if my decree was approved as legit. The office had no clue when I explained what I was calling about ( no surprise there!) and took my phone number and promsed to call back.
Today, just before 5pm I get a call from the Registrar's office. My divorce decree has been accepted and the Registration is approved - sort of, kind of, god forbid anyone here give a plain, simple answer.
The real story is, having receieved my PA divorce degree at the National Top Registrar's Office, it was passed about and everyone sort of looked at it and said, "huh" and " never heard of Pennsylvania, where is it then?" Since there are no laws to follow, only guidelines, they finally decided to dubiously and sceptically approve it without ANY CLUE whether it was genuine and without bothering to even check with the US authorities here in London who would easily have assured them it was legit.
Instead, typically, it has been approved with a warning that "we rely on both the applicant parties' assurances that this is a legitimate document, understanding that it is entirely dependant upon their attestations that the legitimacy of the marriage rests."
Woah, is that nuts or what?
But, the morbidly amusing bit I promised... When the lady from the Registrar's office phoned me, she hadn't even bothered to get out my file and check my name. Instead, when I answered the phone she asked, "Are you the American who's marrying ONE OF OUR BOYS?"
Oh my goodness ;)
Britain is a strangely chaotic and unfair country compared to the United States. In the US, we are accustomed to the Rule of Law. And all, theoretically, are equal under the law and entitled to many rights enumerated in Law. In Britain, they have far fewer laws, what they have here are "guidelines". This means you actually live in a very gray legal situation were you have few rights and who you know and who you can intimidate shape the sort of life you will lead.
As well, this is a very provincial society for all they are a "First World" nation and incessantly sneer at Americans as ignorant and small minded.
So with this in mind, we briefly flash back to the events of 2 weeks ago on June 29th.
At 5pm on June 29th my fiance and I had an appointment at our local Registrar's office to attend to give Notice Of Intent to Marry. Normally this office is open 8:30am - 4pm, but a week previously when I had phoned to check details of the process, I had (typical American, I complained) expressed intense dismay that my fiance would have to take a day off work to register when he had just taken off so many days due to surgery. Compassionately, the lady I was speaking with revealed they maintained a secret "special out of hours appointments" service and made our appointment for -after work- the next week! Now I really appreciated this courtesy BUT, the right and fair way to offer a courtesy like this would have been to note it on the information site so everyone had a chance at it and just had to prove its need. Most Brits don't complain, they suffer silently in public and grumble privately and resentments grow.
Moving on in time to June 29th...We show up at the Registrar's office, and for an hour we fill out forms, answer silly questions in rediculous regimented routine, and then the moment comes when I pass over my divorce document. This was the original issue divorce document from the State of Pennsylvania, with the gold foil seal and impression of the sealing machine. The Registrar stared at the document and then pulled out a large loose-leaf binder and started to compare it to documents pictured on the pages. After a while she finished and looking up at me she annonced that my divorce document would not do as it didn't match any of the authorized American divorce documents in her book.
I was puzzled, I said, it was an official original PA divorce decree and had already been approved by the UK Home Office when they issued me my "marriage visa". Nevertheless, the lady explained, the Registrar's Office was a different branch of gov't and had to approve it themselves. I couldn't understand why there was a problem untill the lady said, "We have photocopies of what the official Amercian divorce decrees look like from the issuing authorities in California, Texas, Florida, and New York and yours doesn't match."
Duh! Perhaps that was because MY decree was from Pennsylvania! At this point a classic insane culture confusion type conversation took place. I finally pointed out that those decrees she had copies of were from only 4 of the US states and that we had a whole additional 46 other states to choose from to get divorced in and that they all proudly and legally issued their very own divorce certificates. This resulted in some major running about from office to office consulting other civil servants, none of whom wanted to take responsibility for many a sensible decision. Finally it was decided to hold on to my divorce decree and send it on for examination and approval by the Chief Registrar of the UK. Good grief! I was told that if my decree was approved, copies of it would be made and distributed to registrars all over England to add to their little American Divorce Decree Sample books.
Good grief!
So I waited the requested 10 days to allow them to make up their minds and phoned in to find out if my decree was approved as legit. The office had no clue when I explained what I was calling about ( no surprise there!) and took my phone number and promsed to call back.
Today, just before 5pm I get a call from the Registrar's office. My divorce decree has been accepted and the Registration is approved - sort of, kind of, god forbid anyone here give a plain, simple answer.
The real story is, having receieved my PA divorce degree at the National Top Registrar's Office, it was passed about and everyone sort of looked at it and said, "huh" and " never heard of Pennsylvania, where is it then?" Since there are no laws to follow, only guidelines, they finally decided to dubiously and sceptically approve it without ANY CLUE whether it was genuine and without bothering to even check with the US authorities here in London who would easily have assured them it was legit.
Instead, typically, it has been approved with a warning that "we rely on both the applicant parties' assurances that this is a legitimate document, understanding that it is entirely dependant upon their attestations that the legitimacy of the marriage rests."
Woah, is that nuts or what?
But, the morbidly amusing bit I promised... When the lady from the Registrar's office phoned me, she hadn't even bothered to get out my file and check my name. Instead, when I answered the phone she asked, "Are you the American who's marrying ONE OF OUR BOYS?"
Oh my goodness ;)
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
My visa arrived in the mail today. What an incredibly expensive nightmare this has been. It's not ended yet, of course. I still have more increasinly small hoops to jump through. My loathing of the UK gov't increases with each sleazy money-making hurdle they erect. They change the rules every few months! Seriously! I went to the Home Office website to check what documents I need to submit after the wedding in order to get my extended leave to settle (and work) for spouses. And what do find? The rules are changing tomorrow. Yes, June 22 they change all the rules. They just changed them on May 5th! And before that in March. And before that in Nov - and I may have missed other changes, they come too fast and frequently to keep up with them. What is guaranteed with each change is an increase of the obscene "processing" charges they demand. Processing what, you may ask. I ask, too since the charges don't cover their answering questions. Ah ha! If you want to ask them a question, make an appointment, or inquiry, you must call a premium charged 3rd party agency which charges you £2.10/min.
I won't mention the charge for the spouse's leave to settle extension - you would just feel as ill as I do now.
I won't mention the charge for the spouse's leave to settle extension - you would just feel as ill as I do now.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
The word is that the British Consulate has issued my visa. Andrew found that out last night when he called them. I sort of can't quite believe that that long, miserable struggle is over. They were supposed to email me to advise me when they issued it but of course they didn't. So I can't relax and believe it untill it arrives at Andrew's house. Then I will relax and get ready for the next hurdle in this mad process.
Arrrgh!
Arrrgh!
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
My mother, Helena Schwimmer died yesterday morning at 2:40 am est. It's been a long struggle for her, which she did with her usual grace, humour, and spirit. Now she is free of pain and at peace. In my family we don't believe in things like heaven or hell. We believe that a person lives on in our thoughts and memories. I have many happy, wonderful memories of Helena, she'll always be with me in that way.
My dear friend Bo wrote this for me last night -
Memories.
I live on memories,
And should I move on,
I will live in memories,
If only one's.
My dear friend Bo wrote this for me last night -
Memories.
I live on memories,
And should I move on,
I will live in memories,
If only one's.
So lets move the plot forward a month or so. In the mean time, our heroine has flown to NYC to attempt to get her UK Visa and renew her US passport. Of course she arrives just as the UK changes their visa rules! And what does the Consulate do? It cancels her appointment so they can close for training on the new rules!
Next, the US passport agency refuses to give her a prompt appointment to renew her passport - they offer an appointment 3 days after she is scheduled to return to the UK.
Arrrgh!!
At least I got to spend a few days with my sons. They are both absolutely lovely, amazing, wonderful young men and a delight to be with. I also got to meet my son Andrew's new girlfriend Joanna. What can I say about Joanna? That she is as lovely, as charming, as amazing, as wonderful as my son? OK, she is! Yes! I'm so happy for Andrew. And Joanna is also quite an artist as well, the painting she gave me is brilliant and I have it displayed prominantly on my living room wall.
So back I flew to London. All the US and UK changes are a nightmare BUT they did make a few small changes that allow me to wiggle things to apply for everything I need via mail. It requires a tiny bit of dodginess but I'll manage. At the moment my passport is in the hands of the US gov't as they process the renewal and I'm counting the days untill it is mailed back to me.
On April 18th we went up to Oxford for the ACCU conference. Six interesting if exhausting days. I made a deal with the Event Organizer where I would work as her assistant for the conference in exchange for our room and the Speakers dinner, etc. So we had a relatively cost free time.
When I returned to London on Sunday the Demon Internet starter kit for the new BICLP network had arrived. I'm scheduled to turn up the network for the BICLP on May 5th, the day after the election.
Next, the US passport agency refuses to give her a prompt appointment to renew her passport - they offer an appointment 3 days after she is scheduled to return to the UK.
Arrrgh!!
At least I got to spend a few days with my sons. They are both absolutely lovely, amazing, wonderful young men and a delight to be with. I also got to meet my son Andrew's new girlfriend Joanna. What can I say about Joanna? That she is as lovely, as charming, as amazing, as wonderful as my son? OK, she is! Yes! I'm so happy for Andrew. And Joanna is also quite an artist as well, the painting she gave me is brilliant and I have it displayed prominantly on my living room wall.
So back I flew to London. All the US and UK changes are a nightmare BUT they did make a few small changes that allow me to wiggle things to apply for everything I need via mail. It requires a tiny bit of dodginess but I'll manage. At the moment my passport is in the hands of the US gov't as they process the renewal and I'm counting the days untill it is mailed back to me.
On April 18th we went up to Oxford for the ACCU conference. Six interesting if exhausting days. I made a deal with the Event Organizer where I would work as her assistant for the conference in exchange for our room and the Speakers dinner, etc. So we had a relatively cost free time.
When I returned to London on Sunday the Demon Internet starter kit for the new BICLP network had arrived. I'm scheduled to turn up the network for the BICLP on May 5th, the day after the election.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
I find myself profoundly depressed lately and this is my excuse for not posting here. In fact, the depression seems to leave me with such apathy and lethargy that I do very little indeed. Sad, since I'm normally a cheerful and productive sort. It all comes down to this damn UK visa. It's a house of cards. I need to get to the US to get my visa. To do this I need to get the money to buy plane tickets. To get money, I need to work, but I can't work unless I get the UK Visa so I can get married and get permission to settle. Oh yes, did I mention getting married? This is the really crazy bit, you have to either be a citizen here or have a special UK Visa for them to allow you to get married. In the US, you just go get married but not here, oh no , no, no.
I feel like I am living in a nursury rhyme -
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
I have no idea what to do and my current visa waiver for the UK expires in 10 days.
How do you define despair?
I feel like I am living in a nursury rhyme -
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
I have no idea what to do and my current visa waiver for the UK expires in 10 days.
How do you define despair?
Monday, March 06, 2006
I'm morbidly amused that Crash won the Best Picture Oscar last night. I thought it was a crap film, exploitative and boring. Same old, same old. I liked Brokeback Mountain, really enjoyed watching it. Brokeback Mountain had charm. at its heart it was an old fashioned love story with a perfect classic tragic ending. Memoirs of a Geisha had enormous style and beauty.
But this was the year of the Battle of the Minorities and one minority won out over the others. Sad in a way. Especially because for me, Brokeback Mountain was not about the tragedy of a hopeless homosexual love but about love, full stop.
Ah well, a pox upon the Academy Awards. I'm delighted that Wallace & Grummit's new film won Best Animation Feature. I hope it encourages more theatres to show it, more people to watch it and more to buy the DVD. Aardman films are delightful.
But this was the year of the Battle of the Minorities and one minority won out over the others. Sad in a way. Especially because for me, Brokeback Mountain was not about the tragedy of a hopeless homosexual love but about love, full stop.
Ah well, a pox upon the Academy Awards. I'm delighted that Wallace & Grummit's new film won Best Animation Feature. I hope it encourages more theatres to show it, more people to watch it and more to buy the DVD. Aardman films are delightful.
Friday, February 24, 2006
WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?
wHY IS NO ONE PROTESTING? WHY ISN'T THE U.N. SCREAMING ABOUT THIS? WHY ISN'T AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SCREAMING ABOUT THIS? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY ISN'T THE ENTIRE CIVILIZED WORLD BOYCOTTING THIS NATION?
Barb
Old horrors, young victims
I've covered horror stories across the African continent, and every time, I tell myself I've seen it all. But nothing could have prepared me for the scenes I witnessed in the tiny dusty town of Gulu in northern Uganda.
It is in this region that a rebel force -- the Lord's Resistance Army, which claims to base its principles on the Ten Commandments -- has waged a protracted 20-year war against the Ugandan government. The army is led by Joseph Kony, a 43-year-old so-called "Disciple," who is as elusive as he is mysterious. His modus operandi is to kidnap children from villages at night and indoctrinate them into his group. Reports from victims suggest he physically and mentally abuses them into submission. The United Nations says more than 30,000 children have been kidnapped in the last 10 years alone.
In a bid to escape danger over the past three years, every young child in every village surrounding Gulu makes a nightly trek from their village homes to the relative comfort of the town. The locals call them the "night commuters."
They're given shelter at several locations in Gulu -- a canvas roof; a cold, hard floor; and if they're lucky, a blanket. No food, no water, no showers are available. But at least they get to become kids again, knowing Joseph Kony would not attack the well-fortified town. In the morning, they get up and proceed to make the long commute back home, just lucky to be alive.
Those who are kidnapped by Kony's army live a life of horror. While reporting this story, we met Alice, a 19-year-old girl who recently managed to escape after eight years in captivity. She told me blood chilling stories of events no child deserves to witness. She spoke of how the group she was in was made to kill a child who tried to escape by biting him to death, of how she was made to cut up and cook the body of a village chief killed by the rebels and forced to eat the meat from his body, and of how she was raped and eventually had a child from the man who defiled her. She showed us the physical scars of her time as a child soldier -- bullet holes on her leg and shrapnel wounds on her chest.
The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant of arrest for Joseph Kony. Nonetheless, he's able to operate with relative impunity throughout the northern part of Uganda. As long as he's alive and leading his ragtag group of rebels, no child in northern Uganda will ever be safe.
By Jeff Koinange, CNN Correspondent: 1:44 PM
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/
Barb
Old horrors, young victims
I've covered horror stories across the African continent, and every time, I tell myself I've seen it all. But nothing could have prepared me for the scenes I witnessed in the tiny dusty town of Gulu in northern Uganda.
It is in this region that a rebel force -- the Lord's Resistance Army, which claims to base its principles on the Ten Commandments -- has waged a protracted 20-year war against the Ugandan government. The army is led by Joseph Kony, a 43-year-old so-called "Disciple," who is as elusive as he is mysterious. His modus operandi is to kidnap children from villages at night and indoctrinate them into his group. Reports from victims suggest he physically and mentally abuses them into submission. The United Nations says more than 30,000 children have been kidnapped in the last 10 years alone.
In a bid to escape danger over the past three years, every young child in every village surrounding Gulu makes a nightly trek from their village homes to the relative comfort of the town. The locals call them the "night commuters."
They're given shelter at several locations in Gulu -- a canvas roof; a cold, hard floor; and if they're lucky, a blanket. No food, no water, no showers are available. But at least they get to become kids again, knowing Joseph Kony would not attack the well-fortified town. In the morning, they get up and proceed to make the long commute back home, just lucky to be alive.
Those who are kidnapped by Kony's army live a life of horror. While reporting this story, we met Alice, a 19-year-old girl who recently managed to escape after eight years in captivity. She told me blood chilling stories of events no child deserves to witness. She spoke of how the group she was in was made to kill a child who tried to escape by biting him to death, of how she was made to cut up and cook the body of a village chief killed by the rebels and forced to eat the meat from his body, and of how she was raped and eventually had a child from the man who defiled her. She showed us the physical scars of her time as a child soldier -- bullet holes on her leg and shrapnel wounds on her chest.
The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant of arrest for Joseph Kony. Nonetheless, he's able to operate with relative impunity throughout the northern part of Uganda. As long as he's alive and leading his ragtag group of rebels, no child in northern Uganda will ever be safe.
By Jeff Koinange, CNN Correspondent: 1:44 PM
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Snowstorm photo album
Tom went out into the snow and took some photos and then he graciously sent me copies.
A priest, a minister, and a rabbi were all sitting at a table, finishing dinner and discussing theology.
Suddenly an angel appeared before them. "I have been sent to grant each of you one wish," he said. "Who will go first?"
The catholic priest stood up. "I wish for the destruction of all protestants!"
Then the protestant minister bolted up. "I wish for the destruction of all catholics!"
The rabbi stayed seated and just smiled, so the angel asked, "How about you? What do you wish for, rabbi?"
The rabbi answered, "Well, if you're going to grant their wishes, I'll just settle for another cup of coffee."
Suddenly an angel appeared before them. "I have been sent to grant each of you one wish," he said. "Who will go first?"
The catholic priest stood up. "I wish for the destruction of all protestants!"
Then the protestant minister bolted up. "I wish for the destruction of all catholics!"
The rabbi stayed seated and just smiled, so the angel asked, "How about you? What do you wish for, rabbi?"
The rabbi answered, "Well, if you're going to grant their wishes, I'll just settle for another cup of coffee."
Valentine's day
My old friend Bo sent me a lovely song and then phoned to wish me happy V day. Sweet man, a good friend
Monday, February 13, 2006
Alan dropped by this afternoon to return the washed, empty glass souffle dish the tiramisu was in. He had finished it off. We went out tonight with Ron & Hilary and Alan brought along a small portion of the tiramisu he had saved out for Hilary. She loved it. She was raving about it and only allowed Ron a small teaspoon of it, keeping the rest for herself. They thought it was perfect and absolutely not too much booze.
I'll have to make it again but next time I will make it when we're all having dinner together so we all get reasonable servings.
I spoke to Andrew and Joanne - they are just a delight - and Andrew is going to have a try at making a tiramisu soon I hope he enjoys it. The recipe book describes it as "Heaven in your mouth". It is.
I'll have to make it again but next time I will make it when we're all having dinner together so we all get reasonable servings.
I spoke to Andrew and Joanne - they are just a delight - and Andrew is going to have a try at making a tiramisu soon I hope he enjoys it. The recipe book describes it as "Heaven in your mouth". It is.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
The tiramisu was lovely and lush and silken - and very alcoholic. Mea Culpa, next time I will use less booze and a lower alcohol content version as well. I used a very high alcohol rum because that was all I had available. It was delicious anyway, but more suitable for Baba au rhum than tiramisu. It was still much better than anything commercial I've ever had in a restaurant.
My finace was moaning about it being too alcoholic but I completely discount that as he had eaten half the serving dish at that point and protested my taking even a single serving.
My finace was moaning about it being too alcoholic but I completely discount that as he had eaten half the serving dish at that point and protested my taking even a single serving.
Friday, February 10, 2006
TIRAMISU - Don't try this at home kids!
Ok, I made it at home today. It's a special treat for my fiance. It can be very nice at restaurants that make it carefully, don't cut corners. But it's not sublime. I wanted to produce a sublime tiramisu. So I ignored all the easy-make, quick-step, derivative, and variations on tiramisu and looked for something that, given my knowledge of cooking , had the right feel to it. I found my perfect recipe in Lorenza di Medici's Basic Tiramisu. The recipe is:
Ingredients
* EGG YOLKS, 3
* EGG WHITES, 3
* SUGAR, superfine (castor), 4 tablespoons
* VIN SANTO, or MARSALA, or BRANDY, or RUM 1-1/3 cups (I used rum)
* ESPRESSO COFFEE, very strong, 1/2 cup
* MASCARPONE CHEESE, 8 ounces
* CREAM, 1 cup (This is UK double cream so in the US get heavy whipping cream. NOT UHT crap, please.)
* SAVOIARDI (LADY FINGERS), I believe I used 18 of them for the bowl I used.
* Cocoa powder - the highest quality, pure cocoa.
* dark chocolate - I used a super high quality bar of black african chocolate - 86% which is amazing since the highest I've ever previously seen was 72%. This was dark, silky, and sweetly intense.
You will need 3 mixing bowls for this and 1 large glass souffle dish or any glass serving dish with high, straight sides - I recommend 4" high.
Directions
1. Make a zabaglione by beating the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar in the top of a double boiler until ivory colored. (I used a large pyrex mixing bowl with a handle over a pot of boiling water and a hand mixer.)
2. Add 1/3 cup liquor and whisk over gently simmering water until the mixture begins to thicken. Let it cool.
3. Stir about 1/4 cup coffee into the Mascarpone. Taste and add a teaspoon or so of sugar if desired, I did. I also added a bit more coffee to get the soft, silky texture I wanted.
4. Whip the cream to soft peaks.
5. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the zabaglione.
6. Dip the lady fingers into the remaining liquor mixed with the remaining coffee and line the bottom of a 9-inch bowl or individual containers (wine glasses work well).
7. Cover them with half the Mascarpone, then half the zabaglione, then half the whipped cream.
7a. Dust with cocoa powder after the zabaglione layer before you add the cream.
8. Repeat the layers, starting with more dipped ladyfingers and finishing with the cream.
8a. Dust or sprinkle lightly with cocoa. Shave the chocolate bar over the top so chocolate curls/bits scatter all over it.
9. Refrigerate for several hours (4-24) before serving.
9a. Alan says add more shaved chocolate on top before serving.
Whew! I finished the tiramisu and it's now sitting quietly chilling in the fridge, the flavours maturing and mellowing.
We'll have it for dessert tonight. I'll know if my work paid off after we've tasted it. It looks gorgeous and smells gorgeous so I have high hopes.
If you have a dishwasher, this isn't any more than a horribly huge amount of fussy, careful, skilled work. If you have to wash it all up afterwards by hand, as I do, this is almost unspeakable. But one must suffer for beauty.
If you want quick and easy - get an "apple pie" at MacDonalds.
Ingredients
* EGG YOLKS, 3
* EGG WHITES, 3
* SUGAR, superfine (castor), 4 tablespoons
* VIN SANTO, or MARSALA, or BRANDY, or RUM 1-1/3 cups (I used rum)
* ESPRESSO COFFEE, very strong, 1/2 cup
* MASCARPONE CHEESE, 8 ounces
* CREAM, 1 cup (This is UK double cream so in the US get heavy whipping cream. NOT UHT crap, please.)
* SAVOIARDI (LADY FINGERS), I believe I used 18 of them for the bowl I used.
* Cocoa powder - the highest quality, pure cocoa.
* dark chocolate - I used a super high quality bar of black african chocolate - 86% which is amazing since the highest I've ever previously seen was 72%. This was dark, silky, and sweetly intense.
You will need 3 mixing bowls for this and 1 large glass souffle dish or any glass serving dish with high, straight sides - I recommend 4" high.
Directions
1. Make a zabaglione by beating the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar in the top of a double boiler until ivory colored. (I used a large pyrex mixing bowl with a handle over a pot of boiling water and a hand mixer.)
2. Add 1/3 cup liquor and whisk over gently simmering water until the mixture begins to thicken. Let it cool.
3. Stir about 1/4 cup coffee into the Mascarpone. Taste and add a teaspoon or so of sugar if desired, I did. I also added a bit more coffee to get the soft, silky texture I wanted.
4. Whip the cream to soft peaks.
5. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the zabaglione.
6. Dip the lady fingers into the remaining liquor mixed with the remaining coffee and line the bottom of a 9-inch bowl or individual containers (wine glasses work well).
7. Cover them with half the Mascarpone, then half the zabaglione, then half the whipped cream.
7a. Dust with cocoa powder after the zabaglione layer before you add the cream.
8. Repeat the layers, starting with more dipped ladyfingers and finishing with the cream.
8a. Dust or sprinkle lightly with cocoa. Shave the chocolate bar over the top so chocolate curls/bits scatter all over it.
9. Refrigerate for several hours (4-24) before serving.
9a. Alan says add more shaved chocolate on top before serving.
Whew! I finished the tiramisu and it's now sitting quietly chilling in the fridge, the flavours maturing and mellowing.
We'll have it for dessert tonight. I'll know if my work paid off after we've tasted it. It looks gorgeous and smells gorgeous so I have high hopes.
If you have a dishwasher, this isn't any more than a horribly huge amount of fussy, careful, skilled work. If you have to wash it all up afterwards by hand, as I do, this is almost unspeakable. But one must suffer for beauty.
If you want quick and easy - get an "apple pie" at MacDonalds.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Bye-Bye Betty
Betty Frieden, one of the founders of American feminism, died Feb 4th, on her 85th birthday. I was still a child when her book The Feminiine Mystique was published. I remember older friends talking about the then radical idea that a woman might need, not just want but need more than a husband and children.
I had conflicting opinions back then and after decades I still have conflicting thoughts about the whole subject. Of course women want and need more than the narrow little role of wife and mother. I have no conflict with that. But what has always troubled me is how those who rejected traditional roles denigrated and condemned and ridiculed those who chose to retain the roles or attempted to integrate a wide variety of roles. Fundamentally it was just a switch in the gender of who was telling us how to live. So we discarded the male lifestyle direction of women for female lifestyle direction and surprise! the females trying to direct our lives were as uncaring of individual women's needs and wants as their previous taskmasters! Fourty years later stay at home mums still are not respected and people still ask them "do you intend to go back to work?". Ha! Anyone who asks that should be sentenced to raise 3 young children without extra household help for a few weeks. All women work. Some do it in the home and some in a office, but they all WORK. Dont ever fool yourself about this. The most high-pressure, techically difficult project management job I ever worked on was a freaking piece of cake compared to daily care for 3 children (or more sometimes).
So back to Betty. I always liked Betty and what she had to say. My arguement was with the come-latelies like Gloria Steinem. The ones who weren't interested in giving women a choice, the ones who kicked the concepts of equality to the side. My arguement was with the All-females-are-dykes-under-the-skin radical and men are the anti-christ crowd. The ones who imposed a conventionalism on the new feminism that was as narrow and confining in its own way as that previously imposed by men. Is it better for the gulag to be guarded by them or us? We are still in the gulag.
Bye Bye Betty. You fought the good fight.
I had conflicting opinions back then and after decades I still have conflicting thoughts about the whole subject. Of course women want and need more than the narrow little role of wife and mother. I have no conflict with that. But what has always troubled me is how those who rejected traditional roles denigrated and condemned and ridiculed those who chose to retain the roles or attempted to integrate a wide variety of roles. Fundamentally it was just a switch in the gender of who was telling us how to live. So we discarded the male lifestyle direction of women for female lifestyle direction and surprise! the females trying to direct our lives were as uncaring of individual women's needs and wants as their previous taskmasters! Fourty years later stay at home mums still are not respected and people still ask them "do you intend to go back to work?". Ha! Anyone who asks that should be sentenced to raise 3 young children without extra household help for a few weeks. All women work. Some do it in the home and some in a office, but they all WORK. Dont ever fool yourself about this. The most high-pressure, techically difficult project management job I ever worked on was a freaking piece of cake compared to daily care for 3 children (or more sometimes).
So back to Betty. I always liked Betty and what she had to say. My arguement was with the come-latelies like Gloria Steinem. The ones who weren't interested in giving women a choice, the ones who kicked the concepts of equality to the side. My arguement was with the All-females-are-dykes-under-the-skin radical and men are the anti-christ crowd. The ones who imposed a conventionalism on the new feminism that was as narrow and confining in its own way as that previously imposed by men. Is it better for the gulag to be guarded by them or us? We are still in the gulag.
Bye Bye Betty. You fought the good fight.
Monday, February 06, 2006
I'm not too keen on any organized religion. Much like professional sports, organized religion is a machine. A business set up to empaower itself and control the rest of us.
I'm disgusted with Islam in the same way I am disgusted with Christianity. I have no problem with people practicing their beliefs in the privacy of their home on a fully consentual basis. But the moment anyone tries to impose their faith-based beliefs on me , I have absolutely no use for them left.
I'm disgusted with Islam in the same way I am disgusted with Christianity. I have no problem with people practicing their beliefs in the privacy of their home on a fully consentual basis. But the moment anyone tries to impose their faith-based beliefs on me , I have absolutely no use for them left.
Dear muslims,
If you do not like my country, please leave.
If you do not like the way our women dress, please leave.
If you do not like our separation of politics and religion, please leave.
If you support violent responses to criticism of Islam, please leave.
If you support terrorism in any way, shape or form, please leave.
If you cannot accept satirical cartoons in our newspapers, please leave.
If you do not support democracy or the freedom of speech, please leave my country.
SBrant http://face-of-muhammed.blogspot.com/
If you do not like my country, please leave.
If you do not like the way our women dress, please leave.
If you do not like our separation of politics and religion, please leave.
If you support violent responses to criticism of Islam, please leave.
If you support terrorism in any way, shape or form, please leave.
If you cannot accept satirical cartoons in our newspapers, please leave.
If you do not support democracy or the freedom of speech, please leave my country.
SBrant http://face-of-muhammed.blogspot.com/
Comment on the Danish cartoons
This said it well so I'm copying it-
Friday, February 03, 2006
A Moment of Truth
A new non-political international movement is rising.
4000 terror attacks after 9/11, the world was still slumbering. But 12 innocent satirical drawings in a Danish newspaper, the kind of cartoons printed daily by the thousands in newspapers all over the world, have changed the geopolitical situation.
Suddenly, a new understanding is emerging across political differences.
In recent years, the world crisis between Islam and the non-Muslim world has been discussed in thousands of books, countless television debates and millions of articles across the globe. It did nothing but divide us. Even former western allies were divided, and a wave of anti-Americanism has swept even the free western societies.
Now ridiculous circumstances have changed all that. A sense of humour has changed what all the debating could not.
For 1400 years, Islam has waged war on all surrounding non-Muslim civilizations. During the course of history, Christianity was reformed, Europe colonized the world and set it free again, dictators lived, reigned and died, and totalitarian regimes emerged and vanished.
But Islam stayed, unreformed. And today, it imprisons more than 1 billion people, moderate and radical souls alike, in a huge gap of difference to the rest of us. Across political divides, across national boundaries, across various degrees of freedom, across race, people or religion, black or white, rich or poor; it stands out as our opposite. Only Muslim reformists seek to lessen the gap. And their voices are quickly silenced.
In modern times, waves of immigrants from Muslim countries have entered Europe. All European countries have been subject to islamization; the process of slowly incorporating Islamic values and Muslim customs into our way of life. Far East countries like India, Thailand, Indonesia and China are experiencing the Muslim Jihad. Israel lives with it. America feels it. Africa suffers from it, and is too weak from disease and poverty to resist.
It is suddenly coming to our attention that Islam is not, cannot, and will not be integrated or assimilated to the values of freedom and democracy. Islam is not only a religion; it is a totalitarian and expansionistic political ideology.
It is now a moment of truth. The current events unfolding all over the world are opening our eyes. 12 cartoons have touched the soul of the free societies: The right to speak freely without fear.
The drawings did not cause this. But they catalyzed a world conflict dormant since the birth of Muhammed.
Now we know what his face looks like. And we are still in majority on this earth to stand up to it.
The current events will eventually lead to either a 3rd world war or finally some sort of Islamic self-realization that has been 1400 years in the making.
posted by sbrant
Friday, February 03, 2006
A Moment of Truth
A new non-political international movement is rising.
4000 terror attacks after 9/11, the world was still slumbering. But 12 innocent satirical drawings in a Danish newspaper, the kind of cartoons printed daily by the thousands in newspapers all over the world, have changed the geopolitical situation.
Suddenly, a new understanding is emerging across political differences.
In recent years, the world crisis between Islam and the non-Muslim world has been discussed in thousands of books, countless television debates and millions of articles across the globe. It did nothing but divide us. Even former western allies were divided, and a wave of anti-Americanism has swept even the free western societies.
Now ridiculous circumstances have changed all that. A sense of humour has changed what all the debating could not.
For 1400 years, Islam has waged war on all surrounding non-Muslim civilizations. During the course of history, Christianity was reformed, Europe colonized the world and set it free again, dictators lived, reigned and died, and totalitarian regimes emerged and vanished.
But Islam stayed, unreformed. And today, it imprisons more than 1 billion people, moderate and radical souls alike, in a huge gap of difference to the rest of us. Across political divides, across national boundaries, across various degrees of freedom, across race, people or religion, black or white, rich or poor; it stands out as our opposite. Only Muslim reformists seek to lessen the gap. And their voices are quickly silenced.
In modern times, waves of immigrants from Muslim countries have entered Europe. All European countries have been subject to islamization; the process of slowly incorporating Islamic values and Muslim customs into our way of life. Far East countries like India, Thailand, Indonesia and China are experiencing the Muslim Jihad. Israel lives with it. America feels it. Africa suffers from it, and is too weak from disease and poverty to resist.
It is suddenly coming to our attention that Islam is not, cannot, and will not be integrated or assimilated to the values of freedom and democracy. Islam is not only a religion; it is a totalitarian and expansionistic political ideology.
It is now a moment of truth. The current events unfolding all over the world are opening our eyes. 12 cartoons have touched the soul of the free societies: The right to speak freely without fear.
The drawings did not cause this. But they catalyzed a world conflict dormant since the birth of Muhammed.
Now we know what his face looks like. And we are still in majority on this earth to stand up to it.
The current events will eventually lead to either a 3rd world war or finally some sort of Islamic self-realization that has been 1400 years in the making.
posted by sbrant
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