Saturday, December 4, 2010
Final Harvest - Leeks
Sunday, November 28, 2010
An ambitious expansion
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Garden Journal #13
Sunday, November 7, 2010
What Arkansas voters think about us
No, there wasn’t another chance for our opponents to put our civil rights up for a vote this year in Arkansas. In 2004 government-by-mob resulted in cementing marriage discrimination into the Arkansas Constitution by a vote of 75% to 25%. 2008 saw Arkansas voters vote 57% to 43% to deny parent-less children loving homes and families with Act 1, the foster and adoption ban on unmarried couples. 2010 was free and clear of efforts to put LGBTQ people and their families on the sacrificial altar that is all too often benignly called “politics.”
Where do we stand with voters right now? In an election year dominated by topics like jobs, the economy, and spending we didn’t hear too much about “the gays,” but the yearly Arkansas Poll from the University of Arkansas keeps asking voters and the results are in. The NWA Times reported yesterday in their editorial about the Arkansas Poll and the data was important enough for them to include a mention of marriage equality.
We also note the drop in the percentage of respondents who believe there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple.
The percentage of those polled who think gays should be allowed to marry is still below 20 percent. The number who would allow gay domestic partnerships is also steady at 27 percent, a number consistent with recent years’ findings. However, the number of people who think there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple is below a clear majority at 48 percent. This compares to 54 percent in most recent years.
Let’s work with the relationship recognition numbers first, but please be sure to read all the way down for the numbers on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. They will surprise you! The numbers for relationship recognition support in Arkansas for the past few years:
So for the first time there is NOT a MAJORITY of Arkansans who want to make same sex couples legal strangers. Though full marriage equality is only supported by 19% of Arkansans, the additional 27% of Arkansans that support civil unions or domestic partnerships bring the total percentage of Arkansas voters who support recognizing same sex relationships to 46%. It’s not the magic fifty percent and I wouldn’t take it to the bank (or the ballot box) but it’s worth noting that support for relationship recognition rose 6 points from 2009. Sound odd for Arkansas? Should we just blame it on the economy?
To put this in perspective, both Equality California and Equality Maine have stated that they will not be returning to the ballot box until they see consistent polling for full marriage equality above 50%. Both states briefly had marriage equality and both states lost it at the ballot box, with just under 48% voting NO to repeal. Our number for marriage equality is 19%. We aren’t there. We won’t be there for a long time. But nearly half of Arkansas voters think there should be some kind of legal protections. Keep your chin up.
Now what about the actual pressing legislative issue dealing with the LGBTQ community, DADT? It was polled for, but why did the NWA Times not report the numbers? Perhaps because it’s not newsworthy? 56% of Arkansas voters approve of “homosexual men and women” serving openly in the military. Read it for yourself:
Something to keep in mind: how you ask the question matters. A CBS Poll this spring showed that the number approving increases if those “homosexuals” are referred to as “gay men and lesbians.” The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was held up before the election but the word is that it will be voted on again in a lame-duck session of Congress after the Pentagon reports December 1st on how it will affect the military.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Garden Journal #12
Monday, October 18, 2010
Garden Journal #11
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Graph of the Day - October 13th
Friday, October 8, 2010
Graph of the Day - October 8th
Private employers have added 863,000 jobs this year. The recovery is happening but it is very slow and is much slower for the average American when compared to the stock market. Productivity and profitability is at all time highs for corporations but they there is not rapid job growth. I think corporations are holding the American economy hostage until they get the people to agree to even more favorable measures towards large business and wealthy Americans. Perhaps then the wealthy and their corporations will CONSIDER lending, investing, and expanding. Until then they save......and American hurts because of it.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Garden Journal #10
Monday, October 4, 2010
Garden Journal #9
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Garden Journal #8
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Garden Journal #7
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Map of the Day - September 12th
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Graph of the Day - September 7th
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Map of the Day - September 2nd
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Graph of the Day - August 28th
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Graph of the Day - August 24th
Monday, August 23, 2010
Cafetière à piston
On Kyle's last trip to IKEA he brought me an awesome surprise: a french press. It was such a thoughtful surprise because he knows I like coffee and hate dragging out a coffee pot to make just a cup or two. It is a great addition to our kitchen.
It got put into a cupboard and was not used until I came back from my trip to Richmond to see my friend Gary. He swears by his french press and since I had not used one before I asked him to teach me. It's not hard, but not being familiar with one is just enough for someone like me to avoid it. So now I pass on the knowledge.
1. One tablespoon regular ground coffee per 6 ounces cup of water. (A "cup" of coffee is 6 fluid ounces, not 8.) Straight into the bottom of the beaker.
2. Pour in BOILING water. A coffee pot does not have the right temperature water going over the grounds. This is important for best flavor.
3. Place plunger on beaker (do not push down yet) and allow to steep for a few minutes (no more than 4 or 5 minutes).
5. Pour and enjoy! (If you brewed more than a cup, be sure to pour coffee into a different container. If it sits too long with the grounds it will get bitter)
Because the coffee grounds remain in direct contact with the brewing water and the grounds are filtered from the water via a mesh instead of a paper filter, coffee brewed with the French press captures more of the coffee's flavour and essential oils, which would become trapped in a traditional drip brew machine's paper filters. French pressed coffee is usually stronger and thicker and has more sediment than drip-brewed coffee. Because the used grounds remain in the drink after brewing, French pressed coffee left to stand can become bitter. For a 1⁄2-litre (0.11 imp gal; 0.13 US gal) French press the contents are considered spoiled after around 20 minutes.