"Juan" written by Jbeatty on estrip.org

10/22/10 04:53 - 47.ºF - ID#52997

Juan

So as every NPR junky has heard Juan Williams was fired this week.

I have mixed feelings about this whole mess. First I must confess I love NPR. It's the only radio station I will listen to, with the exception of christian radio (that is a completely different kind of obsession). I love NPR because its where I get not only my news but entertainment. I don't think NPR is a liberal media outlet although I'm sure someone would argue that. Even though I completely disagree with Mr. Williams sentiments I was shocked to hear he was fired. I disagree with him being fired for expressing his feelings. I believe he probably was fired more for where he said his comments than for what he actually said. With that said I will still listen to NPR and give them my money.

It's incredibly unfortunate that Sarah Palin is still in the spotlight. She is now calling for all federal funding for NPR to be cut

. It's unbelievable to me the idiocy that spews forth from this woman. Why should a news organization that is truly "fair and balanced" be in her sights? Is it because she feels threatened by anyone smarter than her? I mean she folded when Katie Couric, of all people, interviewed her. Such hard hitting questions as "what newspapers do you read?" really threw a wrench in her spokes. I sincerely hope our country is still with it enough to never elect this woman.

tinypliny writes at 11:24:02 10/29/10 - Comment #59091: Also, Muslims have the best sartorial skills on the planet. I would NEVER trust an Indian Hindu or any of the other zillion religious/idealistic/non-religious/way-of-life Indian sects for making any garbs whatsoever.

tinypliny writes at 11:21:16 10/29/10 - Comment #59090: How is a muslim garb different from an arab garb?

PS: heh, all the top bollywood stars and starlets are muslims btw.

heidi writes at 09:59:42 10/29/10 - Comment #59087: What is "Muslim garb"? :::link:::

jason writes at 10:06:24 10/28/10 - Comment #59059: Juan Williams got fired for two reasons: First, and I think foremost, it was because he consistently went on Fox News Channel. This was a source of annoyance for his bosses. Secondly, it was because he was in a sanitized, politically correct, left-leaning company culture epitomized by that condescending bitch Schiller, that cannot come to terms with the fact that millions of people just like Juan Williams have suffered trauma because of the successful (and unsuccessful) attacks by Muslims on airplanes. The backlash was predictable and justified.

I won't say NPR violated his free speech rights. Only the government can do that. Some are arguing because of the government dollars being spent it does constitute a free speech violation, but I doubt that would be a successful argument in court. Juan Williams doesn't have a right to a job. If he wanted to be employed with NPR he had to be a good boy and stay on board with the company culture (as Libertad has already said). In the end he's making more money with a better company, and his reputation is only diminished in the eyes of hard core left wingers. All's well that ends well, and he'll be fine.

People are pissing and moaning over 2-3 million dollars (allegedly). I think they can do without it and let their moneyed, left-leaning demographic pick up the slack. For that matter, I think state sponsored news and political coverage is an awful, ill conceived idea. It's actually worse in the UK because you are forced to pay a license fee for the privilege of consuming nakedly biased, condescending coverage. If NPR were to keep the tax money, I wish they would focus on children's programming, educational and cultural programming. That's what I love most about NPR and PBS. I'm willing to pay for that.

libertad writes at 11:29:05 10/23/10 - Comment #59016: I don't see anything wrong with the firing of Juan Williams. This is definitely not a violation of free speech. I think that NPR and any other news agency is within its right to hire and fire the type of journalist that fits their programming. Their rationale for firing him is completely reasonable.

"His remarks on The O'Reilly Factor this past Monday were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR," the statement read. :::link:::

jbeatty writes at 08:22:33 10/22/10 - Comment #59014: They used to play the BBC World News Hour on NPR. I really enjoyed it. But it was always on at odd hours, I think around 11pm or midnight even.

tinypliny writes at 07:15:48 10/22/10 - Comment #59010: Meanwhile, across the pond, they are trying to cut funding and support to the BBC World Service - my favourite news source (apart from Google News).

metalpeter writes at 05:48:59 10/22/10 - Comment #59009: I can't believe I'm going to say what I'm going to say about Palin.

1st. You can't fire someone for something they say there is this thing called freedom of speech. Well except for Bill Maher and "Nappy Headed Hoes" . But you really shouldn't be able to... Lets say you can.

2nd. People are hired for how they speak and how they convey things. That is why you hired them you shouldn't get rid of them when they say something you don't agree with. Again you are in the MEDIA the truth is 1st.

What happened is that NPR doesn't like fox so he went on fox not npr so they fired him.

Every media person has a slight bias or in some cases a strong bias. Most shows or channels have a biased as well. O'reily fits in with fox and the way in leans.

Now I agree with Sarah Palin NPR should lose its funding, well or some or maybe the show he was on. They are trying to control what people say. If it isn't what they believe to be the truth they can fire you. Who says that they haven't made other people do what they say. The Media should be held to a certain standard.

The Problem with the news is that how news is covered has changed. News used to be just one part of the media and yes sometimes it did go along with government lines. Yes sometimes it was part of the propaganda machine. But it was about the truth. It wasn't about making a profit and having ratings. See when ratings come into it, you can't get into great discussions and different views of what is going on, you have to have catch phrases and quick little bits with no details and talking points and crap like that and people yelling and not really talking......

Permalink: Juan.html
Words: 279
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 10/22/10 04:53

09/01/10 06:17 - 86.ºF - ID#52630

Petty, but worth it!

The past two days I have biked to buy my groceries. Yesterday I went to the Asian Grocery stores on Niagara st. and the Lexington Coop. Today I ventured out to Wegmans for the rest of the stuff. On my way home on Elmwood traffic was pretty much at a standstill as it is most hours of the day. I was in front of the Burchfield Penney when I heard someone shout "Wow!". I turned to look and saw a two rednecks in a rusted out red Chevy Blazer staring at a college girl in tight shorts. The passenger side lowlife was in his early 20's with his seat tilted all the way back sporting a dirty white t-shirt. His facial hair completed the look that said he hadn't showered in days. I'm sure had the vehicle not been in motion he would have a had a shot with her. Soon thereafter Casanova looked directly at me and shouted "faggot!". I sped up my pace in hopes to get my revenge. I knew that I would eventually catch up to them given the pace of traffic. It was finally around Breckenridge st. where they were stopped a red light. I pulled up right next to them looked at him a called him a "douchebag" right to his face. In retrospect it was probably not a great idea. But I didn't stick around for the repercussions. I headed down the one way street in hopes that they wouldn't be able to catch me. It really did make my day.

Permalink: Petty_but_worth_it_.html
Words: 258
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 09/01/10 06:17

08/30/10 07:09 - 63.ºF - ID#52607

Why I have stopped blogging

In an unsolicited response to (e:paul,52605) . I suppose I have stopped blogging for more than one reason. Part of it is I just haven't had a whole lot I have wanted to share with the world lately. I know this may sound kind of strange but I have had people say things about my blog that aren't really part of estrip and it made me uncomfortable. In turn I stopped blogging because I wasn't sure how much I wanted to share about my life. So many things have happened and changed in my life I would love to be able to write about them here however I am reasonably public with this account and am not certain I am comfortable saying them. I have often thought about starting over here with an anonymous account. But for whatever reason I just haven't. Everytime I start to write a blog I end up erasing it and just continue to lurk. I have actually started to lurk on my own facebook account partly for the same reason.

For me the increased popularity of facebook has had absolutely nothing to do with why I stopped blogging. I was on facebook at least a year before even knew estrip existed. Facebook has gotten to the point of annoying the shit out me. I really can't stand most things that people say and do on facebook. It isn't anywhere near as creative as estrip is. In fact I really only keep it to stay informed.

It also makes me sad to see that the blogging traffic on estrip has dwindled. I obviously have to take some responsibility for not posting much of anything in the past year. When I first moved here and didn't know a single person estrip was one of the best things about Buffalo. I met people instantly. I suppose I don't spend a whole lot of time with estrip people anymore but occasionally I still see them and hang out with them, and it alwasy turns out to be a good time. I would like to say I will blog more from now on, but I'm not certain I will follow through as usual. But I guess one post is a start.

Permalink: Why_I_have_stopped_blogging.html
Words: 371
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 08/30/10 08:29

05/12/10 03:38 - 47ºF - ID#51543

Silence of the Lambs...sort of

Permalink: Silence_of_the_Lambs_sort_of.html
Words: 3
Location: Buffalo, NY

05/06/10 01:49 - 58ºF - ID#51515

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

I have stopped blogging. I'm not really certain as why other than being incredibly busy this semester, mostly I suppose I haven't had much I wanted to say. As of 6pm today I am finished with school, at least for now. It feels strange to have nothing due, and a "clear schedule". I have spent the past five years reinventing myself. It has been a learning experience to say the least. I am now ready to re-enter the workforce. I feel grown up, yet at the same time I feel the same uncertainty with less of the excitement I felt when I was 21. If anything I am proud of myself. I never half-assed anything I did in school this time around. I took it seriously and learned that things worth doing take some effort, and sacrifice. It was a challenging, frustrating, exciting, empowering, and rewarding experience. I am ready for whats next.

Permalink: Ch_ch_ch_ch_ch_ch_changes.html
Words: 152
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: food

12/07/09 09:00 - 30ºF - ID#50494

Going Vegetarian

Just kidding, I could eat bacon with a side of bacon for breakfast. I did however make another vegetarian dish tonight. Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Quiche. This was my first quiche and I'm reasonably pleased with the results. I cheated a little bit with the dough and didn't let it rest before I baked it. It did shrink a tiny bit, but it still turned out flaky and delicious.

I used to hate quiche as a child, come to think of it I hated mushrooms as well. This dinner would not have been well received by me at age 8. I have a strange memory of quiche from 7th grade. In my English class there was some sort of contest. I don't recall the the contest but the prize was either a pizza party or a quiche party. I do like quiche but the pizza would probably still win out today.

Permalink: Going_Vegetarian.html
Words: 152
Location: Buffalo, NY

12/01/09 06:15 - 42ºF - ID#50426

What is vegetarian?

So every now and then I've been known to cook something vegetarian for dinner. Last night I made Shakshuka

And Nan-e barbari

Shakshuka is an Israeli breakfast of eggs and tomatoes with some feta and few other things. According to Saveur (where I stole the recipe from) it is a Libyan dish. The Nan e-barbari is Iranian but it was originally an Afghan recipe.

Anyway as I was chopping vegetables it dawned on me that it was vegetarian but not vegan. Then I started thinking about all the different types of vegetarianism. I work with a girl that claims to be a pescetarian. Which means she won't consume flesh unless its that of a fish. And then there is the flexitarian which is such a stupid concept to me. Basically it means you are vegetarian until you are in the mood for a bacon cheeseburger. I also know someone who states emphatically when referring to his wife and his eating habits that "she will eat it if it swims, but I will eat it if it clucks". I suppose that should be another category. Is there any other types of vegetarianism out there?

Vegetarian food does not bother me, given that it doesn't suck. I wonder how many people out there are vegetarians because they like it, and how many crave a rack of ribs with a side of bacon on a daily basis. With that said Shakshuka is pretty damn delicious.

james writes at 08:18:22 12/08/09 - Comment #53458: I was vegetarian in high/middle school. My mother is very Catholic and couldn't understand that fish is meat. To this day we have arguments about it, though we have them over very rare steaks.

tinypliny writes at 10:36:34 12/06/09 - Comment #53402: But that bread looks AMAZING! I love how the lavash-like flatbreads look - seems you followed that recipÃ© to the dot.

tinypliny writes at 10:22:45 12/06/09 - Comment #53399: Thanks! I went to the kitchen fully intending to make a whole wheat naan using your recipÃ©. But then I got derailed and soaked urad dal :::link:::(bean) and moong dal :::link::: instead to make an altered version of Ragi Idlis :::link::: . If they turn out remotely presentable tomorrow, I will post. Right now, I am waiting for some teeny-weenies to atleast start the fermentation before I resort to mixing in the yeast.

jbeatty writes at 08:12:20 12/03/09 - Comment #53320: Apparently my grammar is shit as well.

jbeatty writes at 08:11:01 12/03/09 - Comment #53319: (e:tinypliny) This is the recipe I use :::link::: . It's not very exactly clear and the grammar and punctuation are horrible but the bread turns out well.

leetee writes at 11:14:29 12/02/09 - Comment #53282: As someone who calls herself a vegetarian, i define my diet as "ovo lacto" vegetarian. I won't eat animal flesh of any kind, or additives to food that involve killing the animal (ie jello --- eeewww). But, i do eat dairy and eggs.

I think everyone chooses to be a vegetarian for different reasons, and often as life evolves, so does our diet. At work, meals can be very difficult for me, since the state of new york does not care that i won't eat that cheap nasty cut of meat that we serve, but so far, i am enduring.

I will say, however, because my reasons for choosing to be vegetarian are ethical or moral and not health, i do find myself craving meat, particularly holiday meals with turkey and ham. Or maybe i miss being a part of that....?

tinypliny writes at 09:29:13 12/01/09 - Comment #53274: RecipÃ© for the Nan please? :)

tinypliny writes at 09:22:39 12/01/09 - Comment #53273: Vegetarian is a label. For some, it's not a choice and for some, it is. Sometimes, it's a fad, yet other times, it's a decision. For some, it's following one's heart, yet for others, it's following a blind culture. For some, it's a weight-watching diet (that inevitably fails) and yet for others, it's a necessity to health. For some, it's melding in, and for some others, it's rebellion.

And so...

I chose to be called a comfortarian. :D

joshua writes at 09:03:13 12/01/09 - Comment #53269: This looks delicious JB. This is almost like the huevos rancheros of northern Africa!

joshua writes at 09:01:48 12/01/09 - Comment #53268: What the fuck? What happened to the whole "labels are just words" movement? =D

theecarey writes at 08:47:05 12/01/09 - Comment #53262: my minor in nutrition is failing me at the moment, but there are several nutritional classifications for different types of vegetarianism. Personally, in terms of labeling, I think someone is vegetarian or they're not, with vegan being more restrictive.

Easy enough, pretty much all food appeals to me.

Shakshuka and Nan-e barbari looks and sounds delicious. I enjoy reading your adventures in various cuisine.

janelle writes at 08:34:30 12/01/09 - Comment #53261: Lol@the flexitarian comment. When I first heard that term, I embraced it for Drew and I. Drew was a vegetarian (using uncutsaniflush's definition) when we met. Then, he started to eat seafood when we went out on dates. Around the same time, he started the ministry thing, he didn't want to make an issue out of the vegetarian thing. So he would eat meat when served to him at a church event or a church member's house. He dropped the label of vegetarian

When we were first married, we ate vegetarian meals for dinner and Drew generally didn't buy meat or eat meat at home. Only I did. Now, Drew will eat meat when I make it around the house.

For me, Flexitarian is what I use to try to explain my diet to people who don't understand the gray between black and white. It's a binary between eating lots of meat and no meat. I think Americans eat way too much meat. I think our eating habits are way too meat centered. I have some concerns over the ethics of the meat industry, but I don't necessarily have an issue with slaughtering an animal to eat meat.

Over the years, I've put thought into how much meat I eat. On average, I eat about two lbs of meat a month at the most, which I think is far less than the average american. Now I'm moving into thinking about where I get my meat. Soon, I should be getting organic beef from Native Offerings. And I'm really excited about that.

heidi writes at 08:29:32 12/01/09 - Comment #53259: (e:uncutsaniflush) is totally right about it all being the Pope's fault! I'm from a heavily Catholic area and most folks don't get the "fish is meat!" thing. "Heidi, do you want fish fry?" ew.

"I'm a vegetarian, I don't eat anything with a face." -Princess Daisy, 'Super Mario Bros.'

I've heard that Jerry Garcia said a similar thing, "I don't eat anything with an asshole." but I can't get confirmation from Google. It seems a more technically accurate statement.

uncutsaniflush writes at 08:10:01 12/01/09 - Comment #53257: Personally, I think that the Roman Catholic Church is responsible for many Western people's idea of vegetarianism. Consider this, on "meatless" Fridays, one could eat fish. The Pope sez fish ain't meat. Vegetarians don't eat meat. Therefore, vegetarians eat fish.

I've known "vegetarians" who ate seafood and poultry but no beef, pork and lamb.

To my mind, a vegetarian is someone who does not eat animals - no matter if the critters are in the air, in the water or in the ground.

Vegans are the fundamentalists of the vegetarian world - they don't eat animals or anything that comes from an animal. So no cheese or eggs for vegans.

And, of course, there are some religions that do not allow their members to eat animals.

metalpeter writes at 07:56:47 12/01/09 - Comment #53256: most Vegatarians don't count fish and say it isn't meat. But it is meat. I have an uncle who would not eat meat but would make an exception for Beef on Weck when he would visit Buffalo, I don't blame him for that at all.

zobar writes at 07:50:35 12/01/09 - Comment #53255: My sister had a friend who wasn't anything tarian but she wouldn't eat meat if it had 'jiggly wigglies' in it - ie, anything that looked like the inside of an animal. Chicken wings, for instance, were a non-starter. And yet, they went out for crawfish once and she tore that shit up - antennae, eyeballs, and gelatinous brain goo notwithstanding.

- Z

jason writes at 07:10:03 12/01/09 - Comment #53248: Hate to use this again but you can't be a lil veggie any more than you can be a lil preggo!! Your dinner looks so good. I'm excited to learn more and get better. Btw let's talk about beer sometime like we did at the wedding.

Permalink: What_is_vegetarian_.html
Words: 246
Location: Buffalo, NY

11/29/09 06:24 - ID#50407

Politcs Politics

I'm not really into talking about politics, I do however love laughing at people who are. I also enjoy when politicians and talking head pundits slip up and say crazy things.

For example: apparently Senator Buttars doesn't particularly like it when "the gays", "stuff it down his throat all the time"

Or this young lad who prefers to be the teabagger instead of the tea-baggee.

Permalink: Politcs_Politics.html
Words: 69
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: food

08/23/09 07:07 - 69ºF - ID#49617

Food Stuffs

I'm pretty sure this is a rip off of fruit loops

So I ended up making the stuffed french toast last Sunday. I stuffed it with this

Blueberries with lime sugar and Brie.
Also I did another batch with Nutella and Red bananas. (thanks everyone for the suggestions), ((e:jenks) how does the hollowed out bread thing work?)
It turned out pretty decent. When it comes to breakfast food though I really like Eggs Benedict. I love syrup on my bacon, but pancakes really suck. But the masses were satisfied, I think the Lambrusco helped.

So two weeks ago Elizabeth and I went to Cleveland just for the hell of it. Neither of us had ever been there and mostly we wanted to just take a quick trip out of Buffalo.

Cleveland reminds me of Buffalo

We went to two restaurants there. Plus a winery on the way. These are some of my favorite things we ate there. It's from the restaurant Greenhouse Tavern.

Top: House Made Fromage Blanc
Bottom: French Breakfast Radishes

We also went to this really awesome restaurant the night before ( sorry no pics) called Crop

They have such a cool Sunday night deal. 3 course prix fixe for $25. You get your choice of entree, but everything else everyone gets. We ended up talking to the owner for a while. He a was a cool guy, from NY. Anyway, if you find yourself in Cleveland these are really fun places to check out. Great food, service and atmosphere.

Today we slept in and are making Vichyssoise and a Tomato Tart for dinner. I can't wait Im starving.

Permalink: Food_Stuffs.html
Words: 285
Location: Buffalo, NY

08/16/09 07:27 - 69ºF - ID#49547

Question about french toast

So I have never made stuffed french toast. I've actually never even had it before. So I'm wondering am I supposed to cut a pocket into the bread and actually stuff it? Or is it acceptable to make a sandwich? I have seen mostly sandwich looking concoctions online which seems to be easier to spread stuff out evenly. But I'm not sure what most people here have seen or had.