The Hollow Men

:::this is the way the world ends:::

Category: Informational (Page 2 of 3)

Earl Grey Cookies

January 6, 2007 / / 0 Comments

Here is the recipe you have all been pining for:

Earl Grey Tea Cookies (makes 6 dozen)

2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 T. Earl Grey tea leaves (or two tea bags)

1/2 t. salt

1 t. pure vanilla extract

1 c. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Pulse together all the dry ingredients in a food processor until the tea leaves are pulverized.  Add the vanilla, 1 t. water, and the butter.  Pulse together until a dough is formed.  Divide the dough in half.  Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a 12 inch log, about 2 inches in diameter.  Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.  Slice each log into discs, 1/3 inch thick.  Place on parchment or foil-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart.  Bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes.  Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.  Enjoy!

FYI, for our allergy-ridden friends, mangos are in the cashew family.

Fun Stuff

December 2, 2006 / / 0 Comments

As reluctant as I was to assume the role of Sunday school teacher, I’m finding it quite insightful. One of the kids, Eric Humphreys, seems to have similar taste in music to you, Toby, insisting that I listen to Sufjan Stevens (sp?) and Post War on his ipod. Anyway, one of the things we did talk about was consumerism, and we visited a site called Adbusters. Many of you may be familiar with this site, www.adbusters.org, an anti-consumerism/advertising site. They instigated the “Buy Nothing Day” holiday on November, 24th this year (obviously, it is a holiday that changes dates). I’m glad to say that I participated in it this year. They also have films and links to buy environmetally friendly, organic, or fair trade products. If you don’t know it, it’s kind of funny.

There…But Back Again?

November 28, 2006 / / 2 Comments

Perhaps you’ve all heard the brouhaha between Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema. It looks dire about Jackson directing The Hobbit, which would be a big disappointment after the brilliance of The Lord of the Rings films. I read about this this evening in The New York Times, so it’s certainly getting some attention. Go to thehobbitfilm.com to see more, and to read Jackson’s letter about his troubles with New Line Cinema.

As you can imagine, there are already fans pledging to boycott The Hobbit if it is directed by anyone other than Peter Jackson.

In other LOTR news, a great independent theater not far from our neighborhood in Minneapolis is playing all three LOTR films back to back to back on December 28th. I have to admit, I’m considering it–11 hours straight. It’s become part of the holiday tradition.

–Shotts

A New Tradition

October 30, 2006 / / 0 Comments

A new tradition was born as part of our weekend in Kansas City: bocce on the long lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum and Sculpture Garden. Or perhaps bocce anywhere we gather and have access to a servicable bocce set.

Please go to www.bocce.org for further information on the sport, its history, and its rules. Certainly, our version–termed “extreme bocce” by several passers-by–bends the rules in numerous and important ways–which is to say, any terrain is fair play, as long as it does not risk damage to the bocce balls. I’d say it is a cross between lawn bowling, billiards, and miniature golf.

An excellent weekend, Toby and Peters. Good form. You were greatly missed, J. E. and Ned.

Happy Halloween, and a good All Souls’ Day ahead.

–Shotts

Feel Free to Do Likewise

October 29, 2006 / / 2 Comments

I am sending this letter to both of my senators and all eight of my representatives. Feel free to use my letter for your own purposes, or make your own. Both of my senators are Jewish; so I am assuming the word genocide means somehting to them. I am also sending it to my very own President of the United States.

To: The Honorable Russ Feingold
506 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4904 

Dear Senator Feingold, 

This letter is written to plead that you and other United States representatives pay attention to what is happening in Darfur, Sudan. I, a voting citizen in a swing state, implore you to take some action, whatever action you can, to prevent the genocide occurring as we speak. How many more hundreds of thousands must be killed before we act? President Bush himself has described the situation as genocide. I am horrified, outraged, and flabbergasted that our country has remained neutral in action on this heinous situation. “You can look at it this way: back in 1944, the Germans didn’t want anybody coming in and seeing their death camps. Today in Sudan, the government doesn’t want anybody coming in and seeing what amount to death villages.” * 

Please let us use our resources where we can make a true moral stand against murder and injustice. Can we not send more aid to these areas? Can we not more fiercely condemn these behaviors? Kofi Annan and Bill Clinton both recognize Rwanda as their crowning failure. Will we stand by and do nothing, again? Is it true that we have resisted sending a U.N. Peacekeeping force because we have received information on Osama Bin Laden from leaders in Sudan? “It’s been a very good deal for the government of Sudan to give little tidbits of information about suspects around the world in order to blunt United States outrage over what’s happening in Darfur,” Prendergast says. * 

First, I challenge you as a respectable acting member of the government of the United States to respond to me with a letter entailing actions you are taking to prevent the slaughter taking place in Sudan and answer my questions. Are we turning our backs on Africa and Sudan because we have no financial interests there? Secondly, I challenge you to send me information on how I can make a tangible difference. 

Ned Gannon
2028 8th Street 
Eau Claire, WI 54703

* http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/20/60minutes/main2111909_page2.shtml

Humble Request Regarding Food and Going Hungry

September 16, 2006 / / 3 Comments

Hello All,

Speaking of food and going hungry, just thought I’d mention that I’m doing a three mile CROP walk this October. I’m supposed to have sponsors to raise money. I Don’t know too many people here to whom I can appeal. I’m trying to get people to send ten dollar checks made out to CWS/CROP Walk. Our goals are for ten people to raise a hundred dollars making a thousand per church out of twenty-two participating Eau Claire churches which will amount to twenty-two thousand dollars, or more…

For those of you who don’t know what this is: CROP Walk is intended to fight world hunger. Twenty percent of what you send will go to regional food banks, sixteen percent will go to administration costs and the rest to purchase seeds, farm equipment, land, drills for wells, water pumps, and other equipment intended on making communities self-sustainable mostly overseas in struggling countries where war does not prevent assistance and stability such as Malawi Africa. In other words, if you donate ten dollars, two dollars will go to local food banks, a dollar-seventy will go to administration, and the rest to fight hunger worldwide.

This is not the most efficient charity to fight world hunger, but it ranks as one of the more effiicent. CWS stands for Church World Service (an inter-denominational organization that includes all denominations, including Aglican and Orthodox, with the exception of Catholics who have a myriad of their own organizations) and if some of you are uncomfortable giving to a Christian based charity, I understand. It may also bother you that this organization also receives approximately 18-20 percent of their annual funds from the U.S. government. Again, I understand if this bothers you. Although, this situation arises because CWS has a much more effective manner of using funds than any direct governmental agencies do.

Despite these aspects, I do believe the organization does a lot of good, and I’m walking whether I get my hundred or not. Again, if you want to send a check, send it to: 2028 8th Street, Eau Claire, WI 54703, and make checks to CWS/CROP Walk.

If you aren’t interested in this for political, personal, financial reasons, or because you give time and money to other causes, no need to explain yourself in a blog. I know we’re all doing the best we can with what we’ve got. I’ll be grateful for anything that arrives before the October 8th deadline. Just know that if you pass on this. Spectra has already won.

Thanks,

Ned

Look and Feel

September 7, 2006 / / 7 Comments

 

 

Okay, I’m going to shake things up a bit.  Now that we’ve hit our one-week anniversary for this project, I am going to swap design templates in and out.  It’s as simple as flipping a switch and I can revert back to this design any time.  Let’s try a new one each day and let me know which one you like best.  Comment below to vote!

Baxter the Phat Box

September 6, 2006 / / 1 Comment

BaxterLast Friday our primary commuter car, George the Stanza, succumbed to preexisting illness on our way to work. He is repaired now with a brand new distributor and doing fine but at 160K he’ll never be that spry 84K car that he was when we bought him. So after a grueling weekend of shopping and banking, tonight we brought Baxter home.

Liz has been doing more driving for work out in the boonies of Texas so reliable transportation has become more important. We were tired of renting a car any time we went on a long trip. Furthermore Baxter gets 34 MPG which is 10 MPG better than George. Baxter has dual airbags whereas George has none.

If it sounds like I’m trying to justify purchasing a new car (that’s right, new new), I am. We don’t deserve a new car and it is sort of difficult to enjoy it as I resent needing a car at all but the fact that Baxter is iPod compatible really helps.

I know some of you may think that the Scion xB is an ugly car but you are wrong.

Date Change?

September 6, 2006 / / 15 Comments

My super will not allow me to be gone on the weekend of October 28.  I may have to work that Saturday.

Alternate dates are the weekend of October 21 or November11.

What say you?

Watch out

September 3, 2006 / / 1 Comment

You might get what you’re after.

feelings

In light of the recent firestorm regarding “deceptive luxuries” and “discontented idealists” I think it is important to remind all of The Hollow Men that I have only the highest respect and deepest love for each of you and I’m certain these feelings are mutual.

I hope that anything we write here will not drive a wedge between us but serve to build and maintain our friendship through the days that we are unable to be together.

If I come off as rude in my posts and replies it is due only to laziness. It takes me a very long time to express an idea let alone express an idea politely.

The Hollow Men have a long tradition of needling each other and instigating conflict which, for the post part, has been entertaining over the years. I hope we can continue that tradition on this blog with the knowledge that love and respect is always implied if not explicit.

I’m an ordinary guy
Burning down the house.

Moderate Comments?

August 31, 2006 / / 0 Comments

My last comments went into a section called comments in Moderation, which don’t get officially posted. So just because I want to see my own words on a page with a misty bridge along with all this other nonsense, I’m writing another blob. Jeff, in case you’re still interested, the faculty show is Thursday, September 7, though I don’t feel you need to drive down unless you want to just hang out a little in the evening. Two of the pieces, All the King’s Horses and I Lost Something have been purchased by Sacred Heart Hospital’s Rehab wing. As I said in the other comments I made, October is a very unlikely date for me. But because I rarely made the other fall events, I should be the one to miss anyway. Like Jeff, I could really use some HM banter, seeing as I have few friends here. But that is the reality of my schedule. Sara and I will doubtfully be home for Thanksgiving, but we will be in McPee on or at least around (maybe after) Christmas. As for our conversation this summer, Pete, there were more questions coming, but short time frame will have to postpone such questions until later.

OK, so here’s your stinkin’ title.(or is it ?)

August 30, 2006 / / 5 Comments

Great stuff on the BTOP. I fear that there are many things we have loved that we can never go back to. Many movies, books, toys, games, etc (can read a lot into the etc) that just do not stand the test of time. How many times have we gone to the video store to fill our evenings with these visions of yesteryear, these fond memories of days gone by only to realize that our memories of such things are far superior than the actual product. And isn’t it a great awkward moment when we share these formerly retired gifts with our friends and loved ones only to find the levels of suckitude have risen steadily over the years. I think sometimes it is better to have the recollections versus the re-experience. I glad our friendships have endured and aged well. We are a little more like fine wine than, say, Krull, or Tron. Anyway, as I take this second to reflect on BTOP or G-Force or whatever it is, I wonder if we have or might consider notifying one Jerod C S Morris. This might be the kind of thing to reconnect some stray connections.

Tob- your proposal strikes me as inticing to say the least. We will be back from Boston around Oct. 13, so shouldn’t have problems making the trip.

One of you may have to clue this old technophobe into how to post photos and images. I want to play, too!

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