The Mysteries of Condiments

I ate lunch yesterday at a Vietnamese restaurant that I frequent maybe once a week. I order the same thing every time - the #25 with a side order of crab rangoon. The waitress knows my order and tells it to the cook before I'm even seated.

When she brings the crab rangoon out she always brings Ketchup and Mustard. I've never used these condiments before with my crab rangoon. I always use the more traditional sauces and the delicious, sinus-clearing sriracha sauce.

Why does she brings these condiments with the crab rangoon? If she knows my order, she must know that I never use these. Is there a cultural disconnect? Am I missing out on the wonderful combo of crab and mustard?

The Boring History of Chile

Last summer, I was going to travel to Chile. I began looking at airfare, destinations, transportation, and buying travel guides. Then I bought a Miata and decided to spend my summer driving to the lower 48 states and see America instead. I think I made the right choice but I am still fascinated by Chile and still wish to travel there. It ranks as the country I would visit if I was granted one wish by a travel-agent genie. However, no matter how much I rub my passport, no supernatural phenomena appear.

So it goes without saying that am pumped whenever a new Chilean History book appears on the shelves of the bookstores. Chile has an amazing past: European Conquistadors. A fight for independence. The military coup of 1924. Democratic elections.

In 1970, socialist Salvador Allende was democratically elected President. The US was scared that communism had now spread into the Americas and decided to undermine the presidency with propaganda and financial blockades. When that didn't work the US decided to set up an atmosphere where an assassination was possible. On September 11, 1973, (note the date) a military strike killed Allende and Augusto Pinochet, a US hand picked successor ascended to power.

Pinochet became a tyrant and ordered the killing of thousands of dissidents and forcing the exile of 30,000 more. The US was complicit in these human-rights violations. Pinochet began an international terrorism unit and assassinated exiles in foreign countries, including a car bomb, killing two people, in Washington D.C. in 1976.

This all sounds like it would make a fascinating book. Much intrigue and formerly classified information between the CIA, the White House, and Chile. However, The Pinochet File, which I finally finished, is written so dryly and you can't wait for the 500 page book to be over. In fact, most of the time, I was so bored and I couldn't even be outraged that we were permitting this to happen or that US citizens were killed in their nation's capitol by a group of terrorsts that we helped install.

The ironic part I guess is that once Pinochet was out of power the Chileans democratically elected a socialist again. Probably to see how the platform would all play out without US involvment. Then they were progressive enough to elect a woman as President in 2006 who is the daughter of an air force general who was captured and tortured in the military coup of 1973.

If there a country that is more geographically, politically and culturally diverse, I sure haven't found it. Maybe when the genie finally appears he can point me otherwise, but most likely he'll help me pack my bags for a trip to the country with the world's driest desert and lushest jungle; the mysteries of Easter Island and the chill of Tierra del Fuego; the ocean and the Andes.

Voices of Protest - HBC: February

My friend D runs the History Book Club at Barnes and Noble and although I've been sick the last couple of days, I took a nap and then went over to the discussion. The book was Voices of Protest by Brinkley and was about Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and Great Depression politics. There is really nothing that I'm going to add to a review that you can't find at amazon, but I did really enjoy the book; it is tremendously readable and quite interesting.

The best part of the night was listening to Ernie, a 75-year old man, talk about his experiences at the time and remembering listening to Father Coughlin while he was growing up. Time to get some rest.

Mom Wrestles Bear

This isn't the most amazing thing you've read today?

http://espn.go.com/outdoors/general/news/2006/0221/2338668.html

Smells like Suc-chess

I coach chess at the local High School. Membership is checkered because we are always competing for members with other clubs and sports: speech, football, baseball, track, robotics. Places where the students can get a letter. Our meetings are pretty laid back; we work out some chess problems but don't delve into a lot of theory. Some of the students read chess books, others don't.

However, whatever we're doing works because we won our chess tournament today and are now 2-0 this season. Our first match was against the school that I used to teach at and where I helped set up their chess club. It was a pretty even match-up and we ended up winning 4-3-3. The students were pretty happy but a little apprehensive because they had to use clocks for the first time; our club can't afford them.

The meet today was against Wayne and we came out very strong, ultimately winning 6-2-1 (W-D-L). When I used to coach soccer I would have my players work hard at practice and I would then sit back during the games. There was nothing I could yell across the field that would get them to play better or smarter; of course I would talk to the players that had just come off or were just going in but I refused to play Nintendo with my players. I had to hope that the practices would pay off.

It was much more nervewracking watching the chess games today. I was nervous, I was sweaty. The feelings are the same as soccer but since the pace of the game is so much slower the tension was excruciating. I still had to trust my players; trust that they would see the traps, the opportunities, the positions just like we worked on in practice.

You can always tell which student lost a game because invariably their face would be flushed. There is something so personal about losing a game of chess, the embarrasment of not seeing the attack correctly, the frustration of not beating your opponent, that makes watching the already fragile High School ego heartbreaking. The only thing you can say is 'shake it off; work on the next game'.

Dollie, Dolley, Dolly

One of my earliest memories is from when I was still living in Cincinnati. I was about four and I remember being pounced on by a large black dog. I can recall the snout forward, jaws open, paws outstretched tackle - though this memory may be influenced more by movies than the actual event. The dog left me scared of its canine brethren for much of my adolescent years. So much so that when I moved to Indiana, I avoided certain activities where I might encounter such creatures. I decided to pick up safe activities like bike riding, playing "war" in various backyards throughout my new neighborhood, and paperboying. For some reason, dogs seemed set on seeking me out and destroying me.

There was the time that I was chased all the way home into my garage by a mongrel while riding my Huffy. It was so close to my heels that it got stuck in the door as I ran into the house. There was the time I followed the advice to "just stay still and back away slowly" while I was hunting snails in the creek only to be hounded again. At least as a paperboy with my cumbersome paper carrier and daily news, I had some sort of protective gear and a weapon, though the dogs seemed to sense my newfound embattlements because I don't recall them being anything but a burden.

You can understand why I was less than pleased when I was playing basketball on a summer afternoon at a neighbor's house, I turned to see my parents get out of the van with my sisters and Dollie, our new dog. Over the next couple of days I plotted a strategy of dealing with this new adversary that had used her "puppy wiles" to get into my house. I decided to overcome my fear and make peace with my new family member. I had dreams of becoming good at baseball finally by hitting ball after ball in the yard and having Dollie retrieve them. Dollie, it turned out though, had other ideas. She preferred to mostly lay around and eat treats. Sometimes, she would jump over cushions that we would set for her and point to possible disturbances in the backyard, but overall she was decidedly an indoor dog. Over the next decade, Dollie and I never really became close but we would sometimes share the couch for a nap or go on walks together.

Dollie is now 15 and is joined in our house by Jack, a fellow Brittany and 50-pound lap dog. She has become grayer in the face, a little forgetful, and somewhat lumpy. She has large fatty tumors covering her body and has recently been losing her balance more frequently.

A few days ago, we were told that Dollie has cancer. My family hasn't had to deal with death much, all of my grandparents are still alive as are all close family and friends. Occasionally, a high school friend would pass away, but the only funerals that I've attended have been those that I served as an alterboy at in grade school.

Dollie has made me less afraid of dogs and hopefully I've added a little happiness to her life. The news of her cancer, and the idea of having to face Dollie's death isn't shocking. She is an old dog that has been steadily deteriorating. I've always tried to live by Wolfshiem's maxim from the Great Gatsby: Let us learn to show our love for someone when they are alive, and not after they are dead. I'm confident I've done that with my dog, Dollie.

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The name Dollie was originally Adrena though that spelling may be wrong. The spelling of Dollie is up for constant debate in my family. My grandmother wanted to name her after the first lady, Dolley Madison, a gracious hostess with a sassy, ebullient personality, whose most lasting achievement was her rescue of valuable treasures, including state papers and a Gilbert Stuart George Washington from the White House before it was burned by the British army in 1814. However, that seemed to a little too stuffy for me as a grade schooler and I enjoyed singing "Hello, Dolly" in a gruff Louis Armstrong voice so I proposed Dolly. When that didn't fly, I decided just to be contrary and have since spelled her name "Dollie".

Running Errands

I have reached the point in my running where I have enough endurance to do errands while I'm out. Every other week one of my runs is to the bank about 1.5 miles away; I stand in line, rest, and withdraw a roll of quarters so that I can go home and do laundry.

Yesterday, I had to take my car back to the shop because the mechanic didn't cut a 45 degree angle into some part of the brake, as a result, the rear brakes made a knocking sound when the car was slowing down. The problem was easily fixed and there was no charge. So after school yesterday, I walked home, changed into my running clothes and hopped on the River Greenway. I ran up the Greenway through Sweeney, past some kids smoking pot on the bridge, and into the West Central neighborhood. I was a pretty awesome run because instead of running in a circle I was able to run away from my house for 3 miles then drive back home. I was able to see different scenery than I usually do, although I was running a bit faster than usual to make it to the shop before it closed.

It gives a whole new, and more rewarding, meaning on the phrase "Running Errands."

Dust Your Fingers Off. Vote!

I'm looking to buy a new pair of white shoes. Please help me pick; I'm also open to other suggestions. They would be worn while walking to the store, working the scoreboard at High School basketball games, and driving to Chicago. The nominees are:

1. The Saucony Kilkenny XC Flat
Pros: I could play pick-up dodgeball in them, under $50
Cons: Is there a vague South Park reference in the name?

2. The Steve Madden Stryker
Pros: Classy and athletic look, I used to play striker in soccer
Cons: $80, who spells stryker with a 'y' anyway?

3. Adidas Originals Country II
Pros: The green leather color adds some spice but doesn't overpower
Cons: Is this one of those retro styles that never really comes back?

Add a comment; tell me what you think. Full Disclosure: Gender, age, and sexuality will add to or detract from the weight of your suggestion. Thanks for the help.

Boot Formally Revokes Support of Mike Davis

Mike Davis today showed how totally out of touch he is with Indiana Basketball tradition and how over his head he is coaching in the Big Ten. It is totally inconceivable to Davis why his fans have turned against him. Let me explain.

Mike Davis is the first coach in Indiana history to begin his tenure with three straight 20-plus win seasons and three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. In each of his first two seasons, Davis led the Hoosiers to six victories over ranked opponents. The last time Indiana defeated at least six nationally-ranked opponents was 1992-93. Under Davis' direction, Indiana has defeated four top 4-ranked programs (No. 1 Michigan State and No. 4 Illinois in 2000-01 and No. 1 Duke and No. 3 Oklahoma in 2001-02).

However, in the last two seasons, Mike has failed to make the NCAA tournament with a 14-15 record and 7-9 in the conference in the 2003-2004 season and 15-13 record, 10-6 in conference, the next year, which was the first time in over 25 years that IU failed to make the tournament in back-to-back seasons. This year the Hoosiers were ranked as high as 9th in the nation and were 12-3. Yet, typical Mike Davis fashion has turned a potent offense that scored 100 points in their first three games into a feeble 13-8. How does Mike fix this problem?

According to the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne he blames the fans and the media for his player's and his coaching scheme's poor results. "I know a lot of teams around the country that would have been happy if they were one game out of first and ranked in the country, but it's really, really taken effect on out players - not just this year but every year I've been here, because it doesn't matter what I do." Unfortunately, Mike, IU fans expect more than being ranked in the country, and now the Hoosiers are 2 1/2 games out of first in the Big Ten. We expect to make it to the tournament every year, we expect to win a conference road game. There wasn't a lot of complaining when you made it to the final game your first year or advanced in the tournament the next two. There are IU alumni who remember never seeing a home loss in Assembly Hall their entire academic careers. There are alumni who remember the undefeated season. There are alumni who remember when IU used to run an offense instead of constantly settling for three pointers.

If you can't live up the expectations, get out. And do it without making excuses. Mike says, "Indiana needs to have one of their own. They need to have someone that has played here, so they can embrace them." I don't remember hearing this his first three years; as if his lack of Hoosier affiliation was the problem. Since 1938, the year of the first NCAA tournament, IU had Branch McCracken who played at IU then coached them to 2 National Championships; Lou Watson a IU player turned coach who was dismissed after six seasons and a 62-60 record; and Jerry Oliver's 7-12 interim season. The school then chose to look outside of its alumni circle to a former Ohio State player, Bobby Knight who as a coach won 3 national championships. IU fans like coaches who win national championships not just coaches that are Hoosiers; IU fans want coaches with the drive and wherewithal to become members of the Hall of Fame (McCracken, Knight); to claim otherwise does a disservice to your fan support, your players, and your ability.

US Male and Female Olympic Athlete of the Year

The Olympics are only a couple of days old but I've already made my picks for the US athletes I like the best. At a time when we focus all of our national attention on a Nike Spokesperson who finished fifth and someone who came just to watch the opening ceremonies, I like to find the underdogs who come out and play their respective sport in the spirit of the games.

Man of the Year: Joey Cheek

Although no grown man should ever call himself Joey, Mr. Cheek wins hands down by being a witty ("I'm majoring in economics because I heard it gets all the girls"), classy (going to college is going to be a greater accomplishment than competing), and philanthropic (he's donating his full $25,000 in winnings to aid refugees in Darfur) American that came, saw, and quietly conquered the rest of the 500-meter speedskating field.

Woman of the Year: Cassie Johnson

How many other women do you know that can push a 44 pound stone with absolute precision? She is the US skip on the coolest sport of the Winter Games, a graphic designer major, and silver medalist in the 2005 World championships. Oh, and she's absolutely adorable. If curling shoes weren't so darn impractical, they would be the next bowling shoe.

Fort Wayne Fanny Freezer 5K

K and I ran in Shoaff Park on Saturday. She took the train and was in town for the weekend. The race was two loops around the golf course. We showed up at 12:45 for preregistration because I thought the race began at 1:00. The race began at 2:00 though and we avoided the 20 degree weather by sitting in a cold car and listening to the miserable Hoosiers lose yet another game - this time at home versus the Hawkeyes. My parents came to cheer us on which was awesome; my mom in her long thermal green coat, my dad in his red UD Flyers hat.

The race overall was scenically boring, but we had to overcome a few obstacles. At first my feet became numb, but I thought that this was because of my new socks and shoes but K had the same symptoms and we realized that our feet felt like ice blocks because of the freezing temps. K and I ran together for much of the first 2 miles then as I was running up the hill the second time my nose started to bleed. At first I was just wiping it on my hand, but it didn't look like it was going to stop so I picked up a leaf and soaked it with a bloody mucus mix. K saw what was happening and offered a glove that she was wearing. I took the glove, stuck a finger up my nose and continued running. During the entire race flurries were falling, but down the backstretch the snow was so heavy and and blowing so quickly that I ran much of it with my eyes closed.

I finished at 29:22 and promptly got rid of some jello that I eaten earlier. Another race, another great experience.

Vermont

I recently finished Walking to Vermont which is essentially about a former New York Times writer who buys a retirement home in Vermont then the day he leaves the Times decides to walk from Times Square in Manhattan to his house in Vermont, some 400 miles away. Now, don't get carried away with the Bill Bryson comparisons. The difference is that Christopher Wren actually does it, all 400 miles. Bill walked further but it seemed like much of his book is about how he is rationalizing cutting parts out.

The part of this book that I like the best is Wren's flashbacks to his reporting days. When it starts to rain on him, he thinks back to when he was in Vietnam dug into a rat infested bunker. In the middle of the night rats climb on top of his net cocoon of a bed and begin to make baby rats. He grabs his gun to shoot them off but then remembers he's in a war zone and a shot from his gun would wake the soldiers around him and give the false impression they were under attack. The rats eventually scamper off and we are left with a story with impressive if not exactly pleasant imagery.

I've always had an unfounded love of Vermont which is the reason I originally bought the book. A few years ago I half-heartedly applied to numerous high schools in Vermont, the towns seemed quaint albeit cold, and I imagined that Ben and Jerry's ice cream and maple syrup were served with all meals. I voted for Howard Dean largely because Vermont was an attractive place to live politically, environmentally, and socially.

Then I actually visited Vermont. It was more beautiful and hospitable then I ever could have imagined. It had history (Ethan Allen), nature (The Green Mountains), quirks (a floating bridge), and personality. My first night there I met a girl at a restaurant that agreed to show me around town and we ended up camping on Lake Champlain together. The next day we hiked up Camel's Hump in the mountains. The breakfasts were fit for kings and the air just smelled different.

Walking the Appalachian Trail never really appealed to me, but I think the 270 mile Long Trail that runs the length of the Greens sounds fantastic. The summit of Camel's Hump was so foggy that you couldn't even see the next peak and it felt like you were standing in a cloud. I can only imagine doing that for leisurely month-long walk in the woods. Add it to my list of things to do.

Bombs not Books - Fiscal Year 2006

Not-my-President Bush's new budget for 2006 is cutting 48 education programs totaling $4.3 billion - this includes Safe and Drug-free school grants, education technology grants, literacy programs, and other programs that mainly effect inner-city youth.

However, for balance he's decided to find room to train 70,000 teachers for AP math and science - recruiting 30,000 engineers and professionals to become teachers. The entire nation currently has only 32,000 AP teachers. We are going to triple the amount of AP classes. Which schools are going to get these new teachers? Probably not the ones where Even Start and literacy programs are being cut.

The idea that engineers would give up lucrative private sector jobs to come teach is absolutely ridiculous unless they were going to schools where they could focus on teaching instead of discipline; where classroom management skills weren't required. I know I wouldn't.

However, to truly balance the budget and cut down the deficit the President has prudently decided to add a 5 percent INCREASE in our defense budget. He can't find $4.8 billion to save education programs but he's found nearly $20 billion plus an additional $50 billion for a down payment on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Now get this trickery: Bush can claim that he has slashed the $2.2 billion dollars for 56 new F-22 fighters. However, he has simply restructured the contract so that instead of buying them all in the next two years he will buy 20 a year in 2008, 2009, 2010. So he is actually not getting rid of planes; he's buying 4 more! When is his presidency up again? Right, exactly when the new president comes into office and finds a bill collector from Lockheed Martin wanting payment for planes Bush ordered. Classic.

I guess the bright side is that when we finally have enough firepower to take on Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, and anyone that needs to be "smoked out" many of us will be too dumb to be consciencous objectors. Unless, of course, you were fortunate enough to have new AP math and science teachers.

Can That Really Happen?

Two days ago, as I was leaving school, the brakes fell off my car.

I was leaving the parking lot and pulled up to the stop sign. Suddenly, it felt like I had hit a refrigerator and sounded like I was pulling it behind me. I pulled the car over, checked underneath, and found nothing. I put the car in reverse, because I thought it might be the transmission, and backed all the way to my parking spot. I checked again- nothing under the car- but the otherwise "sporty" neon felt like it was pushing a buffalo when it was in drive.

I called my dad. He came over from work, drove the car, and had me stand outside to see if I could locate the noise. The only sound I heard was the value of the car crashing to zero. A tow truck took the car to Fox & Fox. I figured that was the last of the car and began figuring out ways to get to Chicago and back on a regular, if not as frequent, basis.

I got a call the next day from my dad saying Fox & Fox had called and said the brakes had fallen off of their brackets. Can brakes just fall off? Thank goodness it happened on at the school parking lot and not the highway. For $250, they fixed me up and now I'm back on the road. I'm not sure I would have paid more than that to get a '95 Neon back.