THE LAST RUM RATION, MATE

Now available at fine restaurants everywhere 

It's been 40 years since the Royal Navy eliminated the daily rum ration for its sailors. One of the last casks has been recently tapped and bottled. One American restaurant is charging $80 for a shot of the stuff. They warn that no cocktails will be made from the Black Tot Rum, named in commemoration of that day that the ships went dry.

I have a problem with vegetables.

We have a problem with vegetables.

I have a problem with vegetables. I just plain don't like them. I don't like fruit either, but vegetables are even worse in my view... My fundamental issue is that I only like about four or five varieties of veggie, and some of those only in specific dishes, or preparations.
It is nice today to see in the NYTimes an article that I am not alone... that I am part of an American trend. The article details how, despite all the government's efforts to get us to eat our veggies, like our own stubborn youth, we will sit at the dinner table 'til bedtime rather than force down another forkful of spinach.
For my weight, the government suggests I eat nine servings (NINE SERVINGS!!??!!) or four and a half cups of vegetables a day. Four and a half cups is more than a quart, right? That is a huge pile of veggies to plow through each day. In all honesty, I dont think I am getting even one serving a lot of days, and never more than three.
I understand that every journey begins with a first step... but as vegetables go, I really don't see much of any way to incorporate them into my daily routine. I can throw some lettuce on a sandwich, or eat some baby carrots or order the yummy maple squash when I go out, but to do that on the order of nine, or even six or even four times a day is difficult to imagine.
But I guess the answer, for me at least, is to just frickin pay attention to what I eat, and if an opportunity for a veggie comes up, then at least consider it.
Here's a link to the article in the Times... it really is quite interesting.
Sorry for the Saturday morning rant... not meaning to ruin anyone's appetite.

One July day in 1982...

taking myself back to when I was half as old

One of the very cool things about sorting through boxes of old papers is the occasional gem one comes across that brings a shock. I think back to 1982, still in the Navy, I was 28 to my 56 today... just half as old. Ariel was two, almost three. I was in Nevada on temporary duty on the high desert (hence my squint). I believe that my flight and this photo occurred on the day Ariel broke her arm, falling off a dock back home in Maryland.

I had begged, borrowed, cajoled and stole my way into a ride in an A-4 Skyhawk, the light attack bomber version of the aircraft that the Blue Angels used at the time. It was really a swan song for me and my naval career. I was on my way out the door within weeks, looking forward to returning to Vermont. The flight lasted right around three hours, if I remember correctly and included a little of everything the aircraft was capable of... we shadowed F-4s and F-14s, we went low and fast across the desert sand. The pilot, who I only remember was named "Tom" tried to get me sick with the old "this is how we used to do it in Nam" maneuvers.
Most memorable of all was shooting through a ravine high in the mountains south of Lake Tahoe, clouds overhead, rocky cliffs to the left and right, and on one promontory, on the right side, a little bit above use, a couple of mountain goats...I don't think they even looked over at us.
How awesome to remember back to that day. I wish there was a more major, cosmic message I could impart from this, but it was just nice to relive it for a moment... and then return to today.

Just in case you have forgotten this skill...

An early 20th century bookman provides the handy instructions

WHY DOES RALPH LAUREN PISS ME OFF SO?
Now, even the smallest of children can be pretentious, poser pricks

Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy fashion as much as the next guy. Project Runway is one of my secret, guilty pleasures, and not just because Heidi Klum is so adorable. And, I normally flip through my wife's Vogue or Nylon while visiting the lav.
But, for some reason, for many years, I have really disliked the work of Ralph Lauren, and I am not even sure why. The Lauren lines exude a smug and superior attitude that I just cannot get past. Yesterdays NY Times front page ad for RL kids again peeved me right off.
I guess the part that rips me is that the clothes are intended to look rugged and outdoorsy... sort of an LL Bean look but for people with soft hands. Forbes says RL is worth almost $5 billion, making him one of the 200 richest people in the world. The two youths I have included here... why, what a jolly pair of characters they are.
On the left is Oliver...Oliver what?!?!? Oliver Twisted? Gimme a break. The look is totally Robert Redford in the Sting from what, the frickin' 1970s? Portraying what, the 1930's? And this other numb nuts in the red plaid? What's his deal? Larchmont Lumberjack? Montauk Mountaineer? Danbury Deerstalker? Lauren is projecting this look as luxe, when it is really derivative of 1970's rural discount store crossbred with Carhart.

ART 195 ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS
How I spent my summer - Part 4

For our final project we were instructed to select a media, a material and explore it. I chose to work with the UVM campus. I had developed a new appreciation for the campus and I had wandered around for project three. And the campus was certainly the backdrop on which the entire class developed their third projects. I've spent the best part of 23 years at UVM, and I found some attractive places to do art. The issue was how to convey the concepts without actually doing the art... we were on a very short timeline and I needed to utilize some of the work (location scouting) from the third project to get it done...So I did my usual ironic take on things...

The first one I am showing is a bookcase full of softcover books... my thought was to make dust jackets with marks on the spine to make comment on the contents...

The next one I call the thesis defense from hell...I found this little out of the way conference room, and I envisioned it filled with cardboard cutouts of the victim, and the inquisitors...in this case (left to right) Ghandi, Lincoln, Mother Theresa and Christ (must be for a Doctorate of Divinity)
Finally, the get lost signpost where the actual names on the signs are replaced with states of mind and such...this one would be quite easy to accomplish as the template of the sign is easily reproduced.

Grade awarded: A
Grade deserved: B

OVERALL
Grade awarded: A
Grade deserved: B

ART 195 ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS
How I spent my summer - Part 3

After the tragedy of project 2, I was eager and psyched to get on with the third effort, which was to be site specific. I had selected my medium...colored sand...and had, I thought found the image I wanted to use... a picture of Hannah....
The Hannah picture was not able to happen, because I couldn't find a good place to do it without it being in peril of being driven on, or just generally worn upon... So, I decided to work on an idea called Bike Trails. The idea was to symbolize in sand the travels of bicycles, and to explore that idea in a bunch of different ways....first was bikes parked...

Another was a bike accident...
Then, some studies for potential tread designs (not included in the final project)...
And finally, a flourish of a parking job...There were numerous other tests, and images, and other doings... the project consumed me for a week. I really enjoyed doing the work, and wasn't terribly bothered when they blew or were rained away. This was the project I was personally most satisfied with, and feel optimistic that I will continue with these works.

Grade awarded: A
Grade deserved: A

ART 195 ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS
How I spent my summer - Part 2

The second project was based on Skin & Armature, building and covering a frame. My work was a twig and paper mache tree. The project finished very different from my original concept. The idea was to try to tie together the ideas of trees and human habitation. While there was a kind of quaint rusticism to it, overall the construction was shoddy, and I was unsuccessful at conveying my idea...
The exterior....

The interior...
Grade awarded: A
Grade deserved: C-

ART 195 ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS
How I Spent My Summer - Part 1

This class, which I took in July 2010 was taught by a dynamic and challenging instructor, an artist from Chicago by the name of Sam Jaffe. Our first challenge was a fabric project, in which I made a wall hanging on the subject of Roller Coasters. Techniques included embroidery, machine sewing.

I started with a piece of fabric, a print of roller coasters, red on white. The neutral toned border was men's suit fabric swatches from the 1950s. I also had some fabric with black boxes on white background, like crossword puzzles which I filled with words describing the experience of a roller coaster. There was some red, white and blue ribbon which I used to trace the profile of a roller coaster upon.

The project was a success inasmuch as I was able to familiarize myself with various techniques of sewing, but I think fell short as it would have been much stronger if

• larger
• more demonstrative of the roller coaster experience
• kill the border

Grade awarded: A
Grade deserved: B