High Primal Thinking Carried To An Extreme

Sno-Cone Martini

The High Primal’s cocktail preferences are weird to say the least. Her recipe for a sno-cone martini is a classic ( see ed note). Let it be said that the High Primal requires copious amounts of ice when she relaxes with a martini. No, the ice is not for an ice bag for the morning after. The ice according to the High Primal is necessary to adequately dilute the drink.

 A working icemaker is an essential appliance for Happy Hour in the Rugare household. Unfortunately, even high quality icemakers have difficulty making ice when subjected to industrial type use and  require emergency maintenance occasionally. A 911 call was recently made to GE Appliance Repair in an attempt to resuscitate our gasping icemaker. Within two minutes, the technician pronounced the icemaker dead. An autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was extreme exhaustion.

A new ice maker is now laboring in the freezer. In an attempt to ward off more 911 calls in the near future, I thought it best that I review some basics of ice production with the High Primal (High Primals are experts on everything except icemakers).

Ice production is dependent on freezer temperature which is affected by door openings and food loads. More food in the freezer will keep the temperature more stable which in turn will help the icemaker perform more efficiently. GE recommends that the freezer be kept three-fourths full for optimal production. In a household consisting only of a High Primal and a Low Primal this is a challenge.

Not to worry. GE has the solution. I explained to the High Primal that if necessary, plastic jugs filled two-thirds with water could be used to increase the freezer load to three-fourths of its volume.

“Hell”, the High Primal said, “ I have a better solution. I wrap up garbage in freezer bags and store them in the freezer for future disposal”. My low primal thinking went right to work. What did she mean by future disposal? I thought that chili we had a few nights ago tasted rather strange. Did any of my Zantac nights have anything to do with the High Primal’s freezer temperature stabilization procedure? The High Primal took the fifth. End of low primal speculation.

Let it be noted, that the new icemaker is making ice cubes like crazy with help from our garbage.

ed notes: For those martini connoisseurs here is the recipe for a Sno-Cone Matini

- 2 jiggers of cheap gin ( premium gin works as well but is a waste)

- 1 jigger of cheap dry vermouth ( same comment as above)

- stir in a clockwise motion

- add 3 expensive stuffed olives ( cheap olives are not an option)

- add a least 6 large ice cubes

-continue adding cubes as the ice melts, as well as a dash of gin now an then - mostly then

 -The High Primal is also adept at making Manhattans. When ordering, it is best to instruct her to hold the ice.

 

It's Who We Are

Give me your tired, your poor!

The  debate over immigration policies is becoming another "third rail" when it comes to political positions. I'm sure most political strategists would advise their clients, " do not touch it with a ten foot pole". Although the son of immigrants , I must confess that at times I find myself thinking that the endless flow of immigrants, legal and illegal, into this country must be legislated into a dribble. All it takes is to remind myself of the inscription on the Statue of Liberty, for the liberal flow of immigrants unto our shores , regardless of color or religion, to make sense. It's who we are - a nation of immigrants. Hopefully a nation of immigrants dedicated to living their lives as Americans.

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

-Emma Lazarus

Facebook Billionaires Are Boring

I'll be glad when the Facebook IPO dust settles and it becomes yesterday's news. The media has gotten through to me that we now have new millionaires and a few new billionaires. I'm supposed to be impressed but I'm not. I must admit that I am jealous but I'll get over it when I come to terms with my limitations.

So this is what the American Dream has come to. No great novel has generated millions for the author. No new industry has been born with plants employing thousands of people. No technological breakthrough which will saves lives or make lives better. I must confess that I'm not quite sure what makes the Facebook concept worthy of spawning zillionaires.

 Social media? I wouldn't spend a dime to make it a necessary part of my life. Obviously others are willing to spend much more. When all these cute computer games, stupid smart phones and social media interaction suck up what's left of our wealth, where will we bury the American Dream? Actually we shouldn't worry. China will see to it that our Dream gets a respectful burial.

I respect creativity in the form of the Arts. I respect scientific research. I respect the application of technology to create better products. I tolerate the social media. I'm sure Zuckerberg and his associates will enjoy their wealth. I question whether they have earned it.

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I'm too lazy to play computer games and too cheap to get a smart phone.  I do wish I had thought of the Facebook concept but I would have preferred to invent the transistor or write "Turandot".

He will be missed

Thurston 1998-2012

Our grandog has gone to the land of endless treats. He will be missed something awful by his family as well as the High primal and me. The High Primal burst into sobs at the news of his passing. Thurston was the only pet she ever bonded with. The best tribute I can post about Thurston is a link to a post I wrote several years ago, "Nice day for a house guest".

Lines In The Sand

With President Obama's unequivocal  support for gay marriage and Mitt Romney's unequivocal support for marriage only between a man and a woman, the lines have finally been drawn in the sand for this year's presidential election. The choice will clearly be between ( as much as I dislike the terms) the left and the right - the extreme right. I predict that Obama will evolve more and more toward the left as opposed to more moderate positions and that Romney will be be dragged more to the extreme right from the middle where he would rather be. This is not all bad - we will have a clear choice as to what we want this country to be, a democracy or a theocracy.

What price privacy?

The most uninteresting person in the world - on the left

Just finished reading Consumer Report's expose on privacy. The emphasis was on Facebook but I suspect that Twitter and even Blogger are targets for invasion of our sacred privacy. I'm flattered to think that someone is lurking in blogoshere to usurp my identity. I would forewarn them that they are barking up the wrong tree. To assume my identity, the would be usurpers will be doomed to being the most uninteresting  person in the world ( my apologies to Dos Equis). Just to play safe, upon Consumer Report's  recommendation I have removed my John Barrymore image from Twitter and Facebook. Blogger for the time being will have to put up with my true image.

I wonder if all this privacy crap has something to do with the phone call I got today. I have won 5.5 million dollars. The caller did not want my bank account number or my my credit card number. He, in broken English, just wanted me to confirm that I was who I was. Of course I am who i am. Am I a millionaire? I wouldn't be wasting my time on blogger if I was.

After seeing some of my more recent images, I'm seriously thinking of changing my Blogger image. Not in the interest of privacy but in the interest of propriety.

Cinco de Mayo

    Cinco de Mayo is a day to celebrate. The question is what. After stocking up on enchiladas, tacos, nachos and a case of Dos Equis, I find that Cinco de Mayo isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. A day to celebrate Mexican independence? Wrong. I was dismayed to learn that we’re the only ones who make a big deal about Cinco De Mayo.
 
     Mexico's Independence Day is actually celebrated on September 16. Only the people in the Mexican region of Puebla make a big deal about Cinco de Mayo (the Mexican Army scored a victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862). So why do we make such a hoopla out of May 5? My best guess is that it’s an excuse for Mexican Americans to party and for Mexican restaurants to increase their bottom line. After all the Irish Americans have their day, so why not the Mexican Americans. Besides, I need an excuse to feast on all those enchiladas, tacos , nachos and Dos Equis I stocked up on. Beats the hell out of corned beef and cabbage and Harpers.

     Actually this year Cinco de Mayo is a day for the High Primal and I to celebrate. Our youngest granddaughter, Kelly, will receive her Bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, from Kent State University. The family will celebrating with her at, where else, a Mexican restaurant.

    As luck will have it, today is also Derby Day. The High Primal and I make it a point to do some celebrating on Kentucky Derby Day. No mint juleps this year. I’ve got all that Dos Equis to get rid of, as well as a few nachos, enchiladas and tacos. I'd put my money on Secretariat but I can't find a bookie to take my bet.

      ONLY 60 MORE DAYS TO JULY 4. Need to stock up on hot dogs and Budweiser to celebrate my favorite INDEPENDENCE DAY.

May Day! May Day!

May Day! May Day! I'm not crying for help - just calling attention to May Day. I'll skip dancing around the Maypole.

In the United States and Canada the official holiday for workers is Labor Day in September. May Day used to be the traditional day to honor labor but after the Haymarket Square riot in May, 1886,  President Grover Cleveland feared that commemorating Labor Day on May 1 could become an opportunity to commemorate the riots.  Labor now has its day in September but May Day still retains some of its links to labor albeit tinged with communist leanings.

In spite of any political implications, May 1 seems like a fitting day to muse about productivity. Productivity is defined as the amount of output per unit of input (code for labor) or the number of hours it takes to produce a good. In the service sector, it is measured by the amount of revenue generated by an employee divided by his/her salary. In other words, the more that employees work their butts off, the higher the productivity. One has to wonder, what happens to productivity when employees work themselves to death?  Dare I say that such an effort would lower productivity considering the time spent on replacing the employee. What about working one’s fingers to the bone? Obviously that would raise hell with health costs.  The more I think about it, working harder may not be the best the path to higher productivity. Working smarter is a much better alternative.

Speaking of working smarter, it goes hand in hand with thinking smarter. Labor should never forget that it achieved dignity only through the ability to organize against those who would abuse human rights. Now that sounds a bit like May Day.