31 August 2007 • 10:29 pm
The Gay Patriot blog has always been a model of civility and lucidness of thought, and its comment re Sen. Larry Craig is no exception. One of GP’s coauthors has this to say about the outgoing legislator:
Whie I have been critical of the Senator’s judgment, I do think it unfortunate that, in the future, a man who, by all reports, for over a quarter-century, had diligently worked on behalf of the citizens of the Gem State, will likely be remembered primarily for this one thing.
I’m afraid that GayPatriotWest is right. The senator will likely be crudely memorialized on the walls of men’s room stalls all over the country. A legislative career was frittered away when he seemingly put his desires ahead of his obligations.
Filed under: Gay Patriot, Sen. Craig
For a couple of years I and my wife had heard great buzz about the Minnesota State Fair. Now that we live in MN, we decided to check it out. We went last Thursday, the first day of the fair. The weather was inclement by the time we arrived at the fairgrounds and we neglected to bring along any raingear; not to worry, for their were several exhibitors who were selling ponchos (read ultra–flimsy trash bags with advertising). Four dollars got us two ponchos. (My wife turned her trash bag poncho inside out so that others would be unable to read the advertiser’s name.)
We decided to hit the “World’s Best” french fries, the first of many food stops. Neither the fries nor the price charged was, in our opinion, world class. The Australian potatoes were better, for they were sliced lengthwise and deep–fried, and came with a variety of toppings (cheese, ranch dressing, etc.). The Italian sausage sandwich was standard, such as could be found at most any fair or carnival. Next I tried walleye–on–a–stick; it was good but the portion was thin and rather small, and gone in two bites. The Belgian waffle on a stick, dipped in chocolate was a tasty treat, and so was the funnel cake with powdered sugar. The birch beer that I bought to wash it all down was decent and I drank it while watching the parade in the rain.
The parade participants had their game faces on despite the weather. The Honey Queens (state and national) must have been wearing rain–resistant makeup, for their eye liner appeared to be holding up well. The high school marching band decided to forgo actually playing any music, and opt instead for the drummers to lay down a beat, while the brass and woodwinds moved their instruments from side to side in keeping with the rhythm. I imagined the odor of wet band uniforms as the kids rode the bus home.
We left the fair after visiting the various exhibition halls and eating ourselves silly. While no one thing was a standout, cumulatively it was an impressive event, one that we will visit again next year and bring with us some out–of–state friends.
Filed under: Minnesota State Fair, Uncategorized
Every learned person BT knows has read Don Quixote at some point. Now there’s another reason to reread the mad knight’s exploits: the wonderful translation by Edith Grossman. Ms. Grossman’s effort is reliable and smooth and she dots the entire book with footnotes where there is some translational ambiguity or to elucidate the reader as to places, titles, monetary currencies, historical events, or other literature that the author alludes to, etc. Readers will find short side-by-side translations by different translators in the rear of the book. Available in hardcover and softcover. High recommended. Available here.
Filed under: Cervantes, Don Quixote
After a months–long absence from this humble effort, BT is back at the blog. Since my last post, I’ve moved to a different state, experienced a death in the family, and lost a beloved pet (Saint Bernard) due to illness. However, I did take time out to go flyfishing once again in Alaska (Kuskokwim Bay area). Below is a photo of a rainbow that I caught.
Filed under: Alaska, flyfishing
