Arizona--The Constitution Applies to You Too

The reasons to cross Arizona off your travel plans just keep coming.  First there was the 'Show Your Papers' law that discriminated against people of color in general, and Hispanics in particular.  Now the legislature has passed a bill that would allow businesses to discriminate against gay and lesbian citizens based on "religious beliefs".

Senator Al Melvin, in an interview with an incredulous (and gay) Anderson Cooper, said that he wants "maximal religious freedom" in Arizona.  What does he mean by that?  He acknowledges that there are dozens, if not hundreds of religions, so is he advocating for heroin worshipping store owners to be able to indulge in that frimly held belief?  He dodges every direct question that Cooper posed to him, but I am going to guess he is not.  So what about those who want to follow the Bible literally?  Will they be able to have slaves?  Multple spouses?  Stone their disobedient children to death?  Read Leviticus--there are an awful lot of laws in there that secular governments disallow.  Is discrimination of gays the only thing that we will have religious freedom to do?  Why is that?  I find the argument baffling.  But it really isn't a reasoned approach--it is taking one's bigotry, wrapping it in rhetoric that is supposed to be seen as self-explanatory, and hoping nobody notices that you are hateful.  Thankfully the Governor vetoed the legislation, but the fact remains, the people of Arizona voted for representation that makes them appear to be living in a previous century.

The Butler (2013)

Frederick Douglass described the difference between a slave that works in the field and one that works in the house in his classic 'Narrative of the Life of an American Slave'.  This movie uses the real life story of Eugene Allen (made into the fictional character of Cecil Gaines in this rendition) to explore the centuries-old split between what has become of House Negroes (the middle class African American) and Field Negroes (the working class/underclass African American), and about the civil rights struggles beginning in the 1950's and continuing into the Vietnam Era.

Cecil (Forrest Whitaker)starts off life as a field hand, working with his parents in a cotton field somewhere in the South.  His life changes the day his mother is raped by a white owner's son while her husband and son, as well as the owner herself witness it.  Cecil's father is shot dead for protesting, and as some sort of an apology, Cecil is taken in by the elderly land owner to be taught to be a House Negro.  He learns that task well enough to be eventually taken on the White House staff as a butler, where he serves under, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan.  The lesson that he learned very early on was that he should largely keep his opinions to himself, which explains his survival in politics throughout both Republican and Democratic presidencies.

Juxtaposed against Cecil's portrayal of the compliant black man is his son's work as first a Freedom Rider, then a Black Panther, and finally as a progressive politician.  He gets to voice the angry man's impatience about the progress that civil rights changes made over the same period of time, and he does not have to listen politely to the racism of politicians as Cecil does.  The final counter piece is Oprah Winfrey's portrayal as Cecil's wife, who uses alcohol to manage the gap between the tow.  It is a very good film when all is said and done.

Dale Hansen: A Lesson in Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover

Dale Hansen is a Dallas sportscaster who spoke about his opinion on Michael Sam's announcement that he is gay, and he really impressed me on a number of levels.  Really, if you haven't seen this, you really have to take two minutes and listen to him speak.  Phenomenal

First, he was very articulate--it made me wonder if he has a debate background, because the fluidity of his commentary was reamarkable.  Second, he hit upon several of the off the field conduct issues that seem prevalent in the NFL that do not lead to repercussions within the league.  Players aren't commenting that they don't feel comfortable playing with men who murder, torture dogs, abuse women, lie to the police, bully, and a number of other high profile cases involving NFL players--those guys are okay.  But love another man?  They are not down with that.  Well Dale Hansen tells them off and but good. 

Since 1 in 10 men are gay, every team has at least a couple of closeted gay men on it--Michael Sam is groundbreaking in that he was honest about his sexual orientation.  Gay men are in professional sports, they always have been.  Locker rooms have women in them, some of whom are presumably straight, so naked NFL players have been naked in front of people who might find them sexually attractive for years.  It has been suggested that the average NFL lineman might not look all that attractive in the buff, regardless of if you are gay or straight.  So get over it.  Hansen goes one step further to note that it doesn't matter if you are comfortable in Michael Sam's world--he is in yours, and you need to include him.

I am guilty here of making a snap judgement that was totally off base--older guy, Dallas sportscaster, well, 'tolerance' was not the message I thought he woul db e preaching--so shame on me for that.

The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

The introduction to this book is written by David Mitchell, best known as the author of "The Cloud Atlas".  A less well known aspect of his life is that he is the parent of a child with autism.  His wife is Japanese, and she read this book, written by a Japanese teenager about his perspectives on the experience of having autism, and she shared the book with her husband.  For them, it was life transforming book.  It allowed them to experience the world through their son's eyes and to have a window of understanding into what it was like to be him and why he did the things that he does.

I am not a parent of an autistic child, but then autism is a spectrum disorder, and so there are many people in my life who live along that spectrum.  It was a simple and yet complicated book to read.  Simple in that it is very short and  is written as a question and answer book, by and large--Why do you run away?  Why do you ask the same question over and over again?  Those questions are followed by thoughts about where the behavior comes from and why it is necessary or comforting.  It is complicated because it is very clear that there are things that the author feels very strongly but has a hard time expressing.  Verbal language is not a a strength, nor is he physically affectionate, so in some ways he is trapped within himself without a means of showing how much he cares about things and people.  The thing that spoke to me in a loud and clear voice is that while special needs people learn differently and that it takes them more time, they appreciate their teachers.  They yearn to learn, and they need teachers with patience to teach them until they get it right--but once they have it, it is there forever.

Spartacus (1960)

This movie has what is considered to be the best movie score ever made. Stanley Kubrick was the director, and according to the reading my youngest son has been doing, he is the director who is best known for his use of music in film.  He's an aficionado of classical music in film, and is credited with introducing music by Mozart to a new generation.  The potential downside of it is that for some people, that music is forever associated with a particular film.  In any case, the musical score for this movie is a monster, with long stretches of music without much action beyond troops marching.  It is dated in the way that epics of the era are, and a bit histrionic, but definitely worth watching if you are a film buff who wants some literacy across the 100+ years of film making.

Here is the story:  Kirk Douglas is Spartacus, an uppity Roman slave who escapes captivity and leads a rebellion that goes on for quite some time before being squelched by a revived Roman army, all of whose commanders are really despicable.   The movie has a young Tony Curtis playing a young slave who has a homosexual liaison that was cut from the first film but has been restored in the current version.  The remake reinserted it, but Sir Lawrence Olivier was dead by then--his wife, Jane Ploughman, noted that once at a party she had heard Anthony Hopkins do a dead on impression of her husband, and they used him for the scene--note he is mentioned in the special credits.  The slaves prevail for a time, and then they are crushed--there are tragic elements, but Hollywood had to pull a bit of happiness out of their hat, so it is more of a bittersweet ending.

Marinara Sauce

1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano or other Italian tomatoes                  

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

7 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered

Small dried whole chile, or pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large fresh basil sprig, or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, more to taste                   

1.

Pour tomatoes into a large bowl and crush with your hands. Pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. Reserve.

2.

In a large skillet (do not use a deep pot) over medium heat, heat the oil. When it is hot, add garlic.

3.

As soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. Add whole chile or red pepper flakes, oregano (if using) and salt. Stir.

4.

Place basil sprig, including stem, on the surface (like a flower). Let it wilt, then submerge in sauce. Simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface is a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (If using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, adding more salt and oregano as needed.) Discard basil and chile (if using).

This is the third recipe for Marina Sauce that I have posted over the years--one was Marcella Hazan's and another was Mario Batali's so I am going with some heavy hitters. This one is from Lydia Bastianich, who's most recent cookbook, 'Lydia's Common Sense Italian Cooking' made the New York Times short list for cookbooks in 2013, so I thought this was worth adding to the collection.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

I loved this book (if you are a Kindle reader, you could consider that version to reduce wrist strain when reading it, because it is in the nearly 800-page range and not a light read on any level).  It was one of the New York Times Best Books in 2013, and while I haven't waded too deeply into their notable books for the year, I have read more than 1/3 the Booker Prize long list and this is better than they (except for the winner).

The story follows Theo Decker frome early adolescence into his late 20's.  The very best thing about this book is that Theo is complicate don many levels, despite his early age when we meet him.  He is in trouble at school, for what he is not exactly sure, but as he rolls the list of possibilities in his mind, it is pretty clear that he is a guy who likes to try things, and if it is forbidden then it might hold additional allure for him.  Unfortunately, en route to his appointment with the principal, he and his mother are waylaid by a bomb going off in an art museum.

Theo lives, but his mother does not.  While he is regaining consciousness, Theo is urged by a fellow victim to pocket a very lovely painting on his way out of the gallery that day--“The Goldfinch” (pictured here), a 1654 painting by Carel Fabritius, which he does.  Theo spends some time with the family of a friend of his, which lays the groundwork for what happens later in the novel, and then is collected by his father.  The trauma of losing his mother is hard to equal, but Theo's father is a close second.  He is a drunk, a drug addict, and a gambler who ends up in an early grave with the Russina mob hot on his trail--so not a stabilizing influence.  Theo spends this part of his life experimenting heavily with drugs and alcohol with very little in the way of supervision or boundaries, and it sets up a life long pattern of addiction that on the one hand he acknowledges, but on the other does very little to combat it.

Which is not to imply that Theo is unlikable--the reader is very much pulling for him, and since his father sold off all of his mother's possessions, in some ways this stolen painting is what he has left to remind him of her, a talisman of sorts, but one that has some significant drawbacks as well.  The book builds to an exciting conclusion with lost of ends left open to keep you thinking, but not so many as to be annoying.  Wonderful book.

Captain Phillips (2013)

I never want to be on a ship boarded by pirates.  Not ever.  In fact, I will avoid the waters off the Horn of Africa from here on out.  So for the likes of me, this movie is the closest that I will get to the experience of being held hostage by a ragtag group of machine gun toting hyped up young men who want millions of dollars in exchange for letting me go.  Tom Hanks is a great choice for the lead role in this movie--who would want to watch a movie about pirates taking over a ship?  It doesn't sound the least bit enthertaining.  But Hanks is an actor who has gotten audiences to watch all sorts of unpleasant things, from dying of AIDS to being cast away on a deserted island, so why hsould this movie be any different?  Of course we will watch him get abused by pirates.  He plays Captain Richard Phillips, a real life merchant marine captain who endured the story that the movie tells.  He has been shepherding large vessels filled with  goods around the oceans of the world for decades.  He is not a rookie, but when his ship gets boarded, he keeps a cool head in an extremely challenging situation.  The thing that was most amazing to me is that the crew is unarmed. Not one firearm amongst them. Some fire power might have helped them, but then again, it might not have. 

 

In any case, while we have very little sympathy for the Somalis involved, there is a the story told about the global economy and the lives of those who have very little.  These guys are owned by war lords, who are the ones who skim off all the money garnered, but the idea that rich nations are driving by with untold riches could make the locals wish for a piece of the pie.   It is just that that is not what is happening.  Phillips at one point says to his captor point blank, "You are not a fisherman."  Tense, but well done movie.  The actors who are noiminated for Oscars are well deserving of the honor.

Poached Chicken

• 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1. Put chicken breasts in a freezer strength zip lock bag and pound thick ends gently with meat pounder until 3/4 inch thick.
2. Whisk 4 quarts water, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and garlic in an enameled cast iron pot until salt and sugar are dissolved. Arrange breasts in steamer basket, making sure not to overlap them. Submerge steamer basket in brine and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Heat pot over medium heat, stirring liquid occasionally to even out hot spots, until water registers 175 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, cover pot, remove from burner, and let stand until meat registers 160 degrees, 17 to 22 minutes.

3. Transfer breasts to carving board, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice each breast on bias into 1/4-inch-thick slices, transfer to serving platter or individual plates, and serve.

This is a simple recipe on two levels--the chicken is simple and  moist--you can use it for anything, such as chicken salad, sliced chicken on salads, or served with fresh vegetables and a light dressing as a nice summer main course.  It is also super simple to make, so a good weeknight dish, and make extra to use later.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I reread this book and my biggest fear is that it would seem dated.  having finished it, my greatest surprise is that it did not seem dated at all.  On the contrary, it seemed more relevant than it did when it was first published, almost 30 years ago.  Which is the scariest thing of all. 

Why is that?  This is a book about the United States being taken over in a military coup because the elected government is felt to be too liberal.  The society has lost its moral compass, the hard liners believe, and they need to take over.

Well, that all sounds remarkably familiar.  Women have been the target of a group of predominantly male, predominantly Republican lawmakers and the story doesn't seem nearly as far fetched in 2014 as it did in the 1980's.  That alone is frightening enough.  Then there is the story itself.  The newly empowered establish a rigidly puritanical society with dissenters being hung (which is essentially everyone who disagrees with them), men becoming dictators and women relegated to the role as breeders, who have no control over their bodies.  Juxtapose that with the Republican rhetoric of the last couple of years--women who get pregnant weren't raped by definition, because to be pregnant is to have invited the sex, that children born of rape are gifts from god, that women have no right to reproductive health or decisions about their own bodies.  Hmmm, it is eerily familiar.

Then comes the kicker--all these supposedly puritanical men are not so squeaky clean--they visit prostitutes, they break the rules with the wome they sleep with, and they are no different from the men we have in power now.  It is all too sordid.  Add to that the destruction of the environment--which is from pollution, not global climate change (Atwood got that piece wrong), and you have a tale that reflects the early 21st century.  It just didn't seem all that much like science fiction to me.