I do not think that word means what you think it means

We’re having a fairly lazy sports-filled Sunday (Illinois basketball and then football playoffs) after a busy Saturday. We went out to eat with Shane and Matt, then headed over for a show at the Morris Center (a Vegas show, The Rat Pack, made its way to South Bend, and it was fantastic), and had a nightcap with them at South Bend Chocolate Cafe. Good times!

While all this was going on, Notre Dame’s men’s basketball team was in the process of defeating the #1 team (20-0 Syracuse), a game that we had tickets to but sold so we could go see The Rat Pack show. Argh! I never wished so much that I had a clone! We were both a little bummed that we weren’t there for the big game, but we enjoyed our evening out and have no regrets.

Newt Gingrich was also busy beating the pants off his opponents (try not to dwell on that image too long) in South Carolina. I’m rather delighted by this outcome, because it means that the Republicans are in complete disarray, and currently many in the base are breaking for Gingrich. Newt Gingrich. It just boggles my mind. Apparently his debate performance Thursday night garnered him a whole bunch of last-minute support from the evangelical base in SC, which also boggles my mind. In discussions with some of my like-minded friends, we speculated that they are digging his belligerence because they think he can really put President Obama “in his place” (which I happens to think is in the White House) in a debate. I guess that whole electability thing doesn’t worry them too much, or Newt’s extremely negative favorability rating, or that he was forced out as Speaker of the House, or that he paid a $300,000 ethics fine, or...well, you get the idea. The guy’s got baggage the size of a small country. No, they just want to see a smackdown in a debate between Gingrich and the President. My mind is still boggled.

[Sidenote: Newt, shut up about your stupid “Lincoln-Douglas style debates” already. If, by some bizarre chance, you end up being the nominee, you’ll get your chance to debate the President, but you don’t get to dictate the terms. The thought of listening to this bloviating garbanzo bean (as columnist Frank Bruni famously called him) ramble on for hours makes my head hurt and my stomach churn. He’s like the hangover of the Republican party...without the previous night’s fun.]

Newt fired them up at the debate with his attack-dog response to moderator John King’s question about his marital woes, and his second wife’s assertion that he asked her for an open marriage. (I won’t go into details, but you can watch the clip here if you haven’t heard about it.) How DARE anyone ask him such a question?! (It reminded me of Will Ferrell yelling “You don’t talk to me like that!” to his family in a skit. I wonder if Newt drives a Dodge Stratus?) You know why John King dared to ask it, Newt? Because you pretended to be some sort of highly moral person when you were leading the impeachment effort against President Clinton, all the while in the midst of a long term affair with a congressional staffer. It’s your hypocrisy that we hate most. Because of that, it was a legitimate question. The way he turned the outrage around and made himself a victim was a sight to behold. The arrogance and self-righteous indignation just oozed out of him.

Anyway, in Newt’s blistering attack on King, he scolded the entire “elite media” for engaging in such tactics, and accused them of protecting President Obama by attacking conservatives. I think that is absurd, but what I want to focus on here is the constant use lately of the word “elite.”

Elite media, liberal elite, east coast elites, Hollywood elites...you name it, they’re tossing around the word left and right (so to speak!). I think it goes without saying that this is a insulting term for them. It seems to be a code word for “not like us.” In other words, all those elites look down on you and think you’re stupid, but hey, I’m not an elite, I’m just like you! (Kindly ignore that part about Newt’s PhD in history, and his million dollar line of credit at Tiffany’s, okay? Thanks.)

I am bothered that this has become a bad word to a certain portion of the population. The Free Dictionary defines ‘elite’ as:

1. a. A group or class of persons or a member of such a group or class, enjoying superior intellectual, social, or economic status: "In addition to notions of social equality there was much emphasis on the role of elites and of heroes within them" (Times Literary Supplement).
b. The best or most skilled members of a group: the football team's elite.

This is not a derogatory term, folks. I would hope that anyone who has a job would strive to be among the elites of their profession; this seems a desirable thing to me, rather than a scornful epithet. In my daily dealings, I would love to be able to encounter the elite of those providing service to me, whether it’s a grocery store clerk, a mechanic, or the radiologist reading my mammogram. Elites are good, by their very definition: they are good at what they do. The right wing seems to be portraying them as some sort of foppish dandies who look down their noses at the common people. A clever bit of spin, but highly inaccurate.

Personally, I would like my politicians to be more than a little elite. Not in a monetary sense, but I definitely want the best and brightest leading our country and drafting our laws and deciding our court cases. The next time someone calls you an “elite,” I suggest thanking them for the compliment and for their high regard of you. Maybe it will make them go home and look the word up so they understand exactly what it means and why you didn’t take it as an insult.

Got it!

After an initial kerfuffle about a backorder on my new computer...the new notebook’s here! The new notebook’s here! Just in time, too, because my previous laptop’s screen gave up the ghost yesterday. I spent much of the afternoon and evening yesterday getting the new one all set up, and getting some essential programs installed. I still need to get a new wireless keyboard, because the one I had doesn’t work with Windows 7. It’s a shopping day tomorrow!

Before you laugh with derision at my using a wireless keyboard with a laptop, let me head you off at the pass. When on vacation, I don’t take the keyboard with me. I use the laptop keyboard. But for everyday use, I find that the edge of the computer really cuts into my wrists, so I prefer a separate, larger keyboard. I also like a wireless mouse (I’m not a big fan of touchpads), and that I WILL take on vacation!

Anyway, I’m very happy with it. It’s so much faster! If I had to restart the old one, it took a good 15 minutes to get everything up and running, even after I weeded out the startup programs. This one takes a couple of minutes. Fun! Now let’s see what all I can fill it up with!

A quick note of thanks to everyone who sent good wishes about some family health problems. It seems like there is a lot going on right now, but things are looking up for most of those involved. I guess all you can do is just take these things as they come and do your best to make the right decisions and do the right things. That doesn’t always happen, but I think most people understand that it’s a difficult thing to be under such duress, and will have the needed compassion and understanding.

Not everyone will, of course. It’s coming up on one year since my Dad’s death, and I recall quite vividly the reaction of one particular person. I’m to the point where I can laugh about it now, because it showed so well the true nature of this person. Just ugly...ugly to the core. Such a person is surely rotting from the inside out. Well, the time is inching ever closer when they will experience such loss for themselves. You know what I’ll do? I’ll keep my goddamn mouth shut, because I know how it feels. I won’t gloat, because I know how it feels. I also find it a horrid thing to take any sort of glee in anyone’s death, no matter how much I dislike the person, or a person to whom they are connected. Especially when the person lost is such a kind and decent man as my Dad. How ghoulish and awful. A subsequent “apology” was laughable. Their initial reaction showed exactly how they felt, and their true character.

Ah well. I try to put such things in perspective, as well as in the past. I don’t forget about them, though.

On a happier note, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball team ended the regular season today on a high note, with a win at UConn! They’ve never won there before, and it was a good, hard-earned win. Next up is the Big East tournament, followed by the NCAA tourney. I keep thinking about how much Dad would have enjoyed watching this team! We always talked about how we love a true “team,” not one in which one guy is the superstar. The Irish definitely have that this year, although Ben Hansbrough is a standout player, and could possibly win Big East player of the year. I guess during the tourney this year, I’ll be cheering for two. That’s okay. I’m a mouthy broad!

Hoooops!

Notre Dame's home opener for basketball was today, and Randy had extra tickets. Seventh row, baby!

The arena at Notre Dame was renovated this past year, and they did a fantastic job. This is where the basketball and hockey games are played. All new seating...gone are the color-coded seats. I went to many a concert in this venue, and I have lots of great memories. I saw my first concert there. I believe it was AC/DC opening for Aerosmith. Or was it Boston? I can't remember...not because I was wasted (I was a good girl in high school...feel free to laugh), but because it was...well, that was some time ago. Ha! No, I'm pretty sure it was AC/DC opening for Aerosmith. That was when Bon Scott was still alive and Aerosmith was still wasted. AC/DC blew them off the stage. Oi! Oi! Oi!

Anyhoo, the new digs are really nice. We played University of North Florida. A smaller school, and I think they were definitely outmatched. At one point, we were up by over 30 points, but it ended up being I think a 20-point win. What was that? Did I just hear someone say that basketball is...boring?!

Hey! You want a piece of me?

It's only our state sport. Well...I don't think that's official, but it might as well be. Even 5-foot me likes to go out and shoot hoops once in a while.

Being at a game, hearing the horn and the squeak of shoes on the court...the sound of the ball on the hardwood floor...the swoosh of a three-pointer drained with nothing but net. The thud as a player hits the hardwood, the cleanup guys coming by with their mops to clean the sweat off of the floor.

::sigh::

It's all so beautiful. I'm a Hoosier. What can I say? Oh, and I got a couple of awesomesauce green T-shirts.

My favorite player is Luke Harangody, #44. He's a senior, so he'll be gone next year. I really hate to see him go, but I think he has a future in the NBA. He's a pretty good-sized guy, a power forward. What I like about him is that he's big, but he's also fast, and has great ball-handling skills. (Shut up with your dirty minds!)

I'm mainly focused on football at the moment, but it was a lot of fun to get back into basketball. I look forward to seeing a couple more games in person, and seeing what the Irish can do this year. A video and then a slideshow. Action...action...action!

And one more.

I'm so happy.

Hodgepodge

Just a few odds and ends today.

A big thanks to Hollie over at Life in a Small Town for this award. Does anyone know Spanish? Maybe I shouldn't be thanking her! Ha ha! No, apparently it's the Look How Cool Blog Award, and I thank you very much, Hollie. As with other awards, I balk at choosing just a few on which to bestow this, so if I read you, I pass it on to you!

Ken and I have tickets for the Notre Dame game tonight (I think they're playing Rutgers), so let's see if they can win for us this time!

Over on Facebook, I mentioned seeing 47 turkeys in our back yard yesterday. I've seen a larger number at other times, but it's always fun to see a big flock like that. I saw at least 7 toms, so I'm sure we'll have some babies around here this spring and summer! Here is a portion of them--they filed off through the marsh after stopping for a drink at the pond. They are amazingly large birds! (Click the picture to enlarge. The picture, not the birds.)

Did everyone watch the speech last night? I thought President Obama did a good job, walking the fine line between optimism and scaring everyone to death. I think everyone needs to understand that a turnaround isn't going to happen overnight. I hate to say it, but I don't think we've hit bottom yet. Around here, it seems like every day brings an announcement of another place closing down, 50 more workers out of a job, etc. However, I agree with our President that we are not quitters. I believe there will be a recovery, and if we can all ride out this storm together--and help each other along the way--we'll be stronger and smarter. Or at least we'd better be smarter.

Wow, Bobby Jindal is getting slammed big time for his Republican response, from some of his fellow Republicans. (I'm watching CNN as I type.) As they just said on CNN, I don't think Jindal is in any position to be slamming the Democrats for running up the debt. What did your President do for the past 8 years, Governor?

Did you see Raaaaaahm afterwards? Lookin' good, Rahm!

I made jambalaya Monday night, using Harry Connick, Jr's recipe. It turned out great! I almost left out the ham, but I had some in the freezer, and followed the recipe pretty much as written. With the andouille, it had just enough spice for me (the cayenne pepper and Creole seasoning helped, too), although Ken added some Tabasco. And could someone please tell me why it's almost impossible to find andouille around here? The grocery store I go to used to have Aidell's (I had some in the freezer), but they don't have it now. I suppose you could use regular sausage, or maybe even chorizo, but it's just not the same. I love that smoky, spicy flavor. I need to find a new dealer source for andouille.

Harry Connick, Jr's Jambalaya

4 T butter (I used a combo of butter and olive oil)
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used turkey thighs), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3 Tbs minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Creole seasoning
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
28 ounces chicken broth
2 1/2 cups long grain rice
1 cup chopped ham

In 6-quart Dutch oven (mine is a 5-quart, and it all fit), melt butter. Add onion, celery, and green pepper; cook till soft (about 6 minutes). Add chicken, garlic, and seasonings; cook 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, then sausage. Cook 2 minutes longer.

Add tomatoes with their juice, broth, rice, and ham. Heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 20-30 minutes or till liquid is absorbed. This makes quite a bit, definitely enough for 2 meals for me and Ken, and maybe a lunch or two for him.

Very tasty! Thanks, Harry!

Speaking of food, as well as our local grocery store, they had some fish on sale that I investigated. It's called swai, or basa, and it's sort of an Asian catfish. I consulted my handy dandy fish guide that Kim and Steve sent from the Monterey Aquarium. It lists sustainable fish and recommends the best, some good alternatives, and ones to avoid because they aren't harvested in a sustainable manner. I was happy to see that farmed basa was on the good alternative list, so I picked up a couple of packages. Since I read that it was similar to catfish, I dipped it in some Zatarain's Fish Fry and fried it in a little oil. Very good, mild fish flavor. And like I do with fried catfish, I put a little Tabasco on mine, which really surprised Ken because I'm not usually a spice girl. (Ha!) I have no idea why I do that--I think it must be something I picked up in Florida from my relatives when we used to have fish frys all the time.

I hadn't been buying fish for a while, because it seemed like almost everything I looked at was on the "avoid" list. I was happy to find a good fish to buy besides tilapia (US farmed), and I might go back and pick up some more. I think next time I'll just fry it sans Fish Fry coating, in a little butter. I really would like us to eat more fish.

And why sustainable, you ask? If you didn't ask, I'll tell you anyway. It's the whole environmental, planning-for-the-future thing. You can't just fish a species into extinction; you have to protect the ecosystem and preserve all species in order to maintain a healthy ecosystem, as well as protecting the fishing industry and those who make their living in that way. Visit the Aquarium's Seafood Watch site, and click on "Seafood Guides" to find information about various types of fish. You can also print a pocket guide like Kim and Steve sent to us--I carry mine in my purse. Fish is good for you--let's be good to the fish, too.

Basketball...it's the law

At least in Indiana, it is.

Notre Dame lost to Marquette (I'm shaking my fist at you, Milwaukee Dan #2!), but it was a fun game to watch. They played 'em tough, and took the lead a few times, but couldn't quite pull it off in the end. Marquette is a good team, and I say good job on both teams' parts for keeping it clean and not playing dirty. I love a good defensive game, and this was a really low scoring game (indicative of either good defense from both teams, or really really crappy shooting from both...I'd say this game was more of the former) with very few fouls. I know that elbows fly and their hands are everywhere, but I didn't see any really dirty play.

Man, I love basketball.

Luke Harangody is amazing. The guy is a forward, and he's big. He's a junior, and there is some speculation of whether he'll stay for his senior year or go pro. I think he definitely has a shot in the pros, but I hope he stays and gets his degree. Oh, and he can play basketball while he's at it. [grin] He's got a killer hook shot. Even the Marquette fans sitting behind us were impressed with some of the shots Luke made.

Even though our team lost, it was really fun to go to a game. We've got a couple more coming up, too. The Joyce Center at ND is a great place to see a game (or a concert). There's not a bad seat in the house, and the student section is loud, crazy, and green.

Of course, this has got me even more antsy for spring, so I can go out and shoot some hoops. I really enjoyed doing that last fall, and I can hardly wait to work on my mad skillz. Don't let my short stature fool you...I'm the Muggsy Bogues of Nutwood! (Actually, I totally suck. I just have fun shooting.)

I hope everyone is safe and warm tonight. There's a nasty storm passing through to the south of us, with ice and freezing rain. Tis a night fit for neither man nor beast!

I had a Diet Coke at the game, so I'm all hopped up on caffeine. Think I can manage to get to sleep at a decent hour? The jury is still out.