Observations Along The Road... at Dreamwidth

It’s been a while, hasn’t it. It looks like I did my last major order tea post back in 2019, but I know I’ve done some major orders since then. Part of the reason for the break was the pandemic, combined with our having to go to Las Vegas on business and discovering the wonder Sheffield Tea and Spices over on Eastern near St. Rose (there’s also great Cuban and Steak near there). But the black and black-flavored portion of the tea cabinet is getting low; we’re pretty much down to a bunch of teas we pick up at Point Loma Tea,  plus a few tins left from Upton and Sheffield. We’re still pretty good on green, herbal, and chai teas.

So what’s on the order board this time? Note that prices in [ ] are the 2019 prices, for comparison.

First, from Upton tea:

• TP12: Premium China Keemun.  Often called the burgundy of China teas, this North China Congou is rich, flavorful and appropriate for any time of day. We offer this as our basic Keemun, although it is in the middle range of the standard series. $7.50 [$7.00] / 125g.
• TA20: Tippy Orthodox FBOP Assam. A uniform, broken-leaf tea with bold character and strong, malty flavor. This tea is a great choice for breakfast and throughout the day. $7.75 [$7.00] / 100g.
• TB86: Richmond Park Blend. A mellow, whole-leaf blend of Keemun, Ceylon, and Darjeeling. An exceptional tea which is smooth enough for drinking plain, and sturdy enough to take milk or lemon. From our London blender. $9.50 [$8.75] /100g.
• TB14: Scottish Breakfast Blend. Blended to appeal to those who favor an eye-opening experience in the morning, this tea yields a cup with a round, full flavor, malty notes, and brisk character. A perfect choice to start the day. $7.75 [$6.75] / 125g.
• TB15: Java BOP Blend.  A rich breakfast blend especially suited for those who enjoy a powerful cup in the morning. This also is a great choice for iced tea. Java teas are never expensive, so you get the best produced for a few cents a cup. $7.25 [$6.25] / 125g.
• TB02: Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend.  A tribute to the famous London tea auctions, our Leadenhall Street Breakfast Blend is a blend of two classic British teas: a brisk Ceylon and a thick, malty Assam. The result is a flavorful mixture which lends itself to the addition of milk. 8.50 [$7.00] / 125g.
• NF90 Naturally Flavored Vanilla Tea.  This naturally flavored, whole-leaf black tea is smooth and rich with creamy vanilla flavor. The aroma is fragrant with notes of sweet vanilla bean. Enjoy this decadent treat any time of day. Note: What works really well is to mix either this or the Caramel Tea half-and-half with Lapsang Souchong or the Baker Street Blend.  $12.50 [$10.50] / 100g.
• NT01 Naturally Flavored Earl Grey Creme Vanilla.  This naturally flavored black tea selection provides a wonderful balance of a classic Earl Grey with creamy vanilla notes. The rich cup is smooth and satisfying. Note: This is a close approximation to Monks Blend.  $10.25 [$9.00] / 100g.
• TB49: Darjeeling-Ceylon Iced Tea Blend. Half whole-leaf Darjeeling and half OP Ceylon. A great hot tea as well! The brewing information provided is for making an iced tea concentrate. $10.00 [$7.50] / 125g.
• ZG20: First Grade Gunpowder Green. Superior grade of green tea in the style of gunpowder teas (tightly rolled tea leaves resembling gunpowder pellets). $6.75 [$5.75]/125g.
• TB30: Kensington Breakfast Blend.  A bit lighter than our River Shannon Blend, this English Breakfast style tea is a rich blend of Assam, Ceylon, and Keemun. Best with milk. $8.75 [$7.50] / 125g
• TB75: Baker Street Afternoon Blend.  A bit of Lapsang Souchong is blended with Keemun and Darjeeling, yielding a mildly smoky tea. Perfect for an afternoon uplift. Another special (whole-leaf) blend from our London source of fine teas. $10.00 [$8.75] / 125g.
• TF92 Naturally Flavored Tropical Black Tea.  A melange of dried papaya, passion fruit and pineapple, blended with a rich black tea, creates a decadent tropical fruit experience. Fragrant and sweet, this tea is wonderful hot or iced. $8.00 [$7.25] / 125g.
• TD06: Darjeeling BOP Blend. The best value in Darjeeling tea. Broken leaf Darjeeling is often overlooked, either because the price is so reasonable or because too much value is placed on a more stylish leaf. This flavorful BOP blend offers a great cup at a very attractive price. $14.75 [$12.75] / 125g.
• TC20: Bimbula BOP. This smooth, mellow cup of tea offers classic full-bodied Ceylon flavor. Enjoy it hot or iced. $8.75 / 125g.

From Sheffield Tea, we’re ordering the following. This is our first time doing this by mail; normally we do it in-store. But we don’t have any trips to Vegas planned for a while.

• Dark Chocolate Black Tea. Remember stealing the chocolate cookies when your mom was baking cookies? Our Dark Chocolate Black Tea will bring back fond memories. We aren’t sure when chocolate was first added to tea or who was responsible for doing it. But we are sure of one thing – thank the gods he or she did it. With each tasting we are consistently impressed by the way the natural chocolate flavoring blends with our Ceylon tea. Heavenly with a dash of milk and a little sugar. $15.90 / 4oz.
• Berry Tango. Berry Tango is the berry-flavored tea you must have if you can only have one fruity black tea. The raspberry and blueberry flavors dance around in a beautiful performance, bringing strawberries, red currants and other flavors into this choreographed artistic work we call Berry Tango. The lighter nuances of all these fruits when blended with a high quality black tea allows all the flavors to come through. $13.90 / 4oz
• Blood Orange Tea. Blood Orange Tea has an intense orange flavor, yet has sweetness notes, reminding you of freshly squeezed oranges. A blood orange has some raspberry-like notes, giving it a flavor beyond a traditional orange. We know this tea will be appreciated by our friends who like not just orange flavored teas, but for anyone who appreciates citrus flavors in any tea. To complete the flavor, our blender only uses high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka – Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. The result is a tea worthy of any tea cup when looking for an orange or citrus-flavored black tea. $13.90 / 4oz
• Chestnut Grove Tea. Chestnut Grove Black Tea was personal favorite from our first sip. It also became an instant hit with our friends from the day we placed it on our shelf, and it continues to be one of top selling teas. We still keep a tin of it at home. Chestnut Grove is unlike any other tea in our store, with it’s unique chestnut flavor. It’s like a hazelnut type flavor with a caramel finish, while using a mellow English Breakfast Tea. It is blended with premium black tea from Sri Lanka flavored with roasted chestnut, with hints of caramel even though it has none. It also has what we characterize a Hazelnut-like finish. The result is a roasty, smooth and full bodied black tea with pleasant dryness.  $15.90 / 4oz
• Chocolate Mint Black Tea. Chocolate Mint Black Tea is an invigorating cup of creamy chocolate with refreshing mint. Everything and everybody needs a special day right? Well, according to the National Confectioners Association, February 19th is Chocolate Mint Day. Mmmm. That’s a good day. Now we need a Chocolate Mint Tea Day. $15.90 / 4oz
• Icewine Tea. Our Icewine Tea has the same, grapey flavor you have in a glass of Icewine, just not in a glass. If you are familiar with Icewine, then you know the sweet flavor of which I speak. For this Icewine Tea, our blender uses several black and white teas, Ontario Icewine, Currants and natural flavors. The flavor is complex with nuances of the grapey icewine, pears and berries. Very unique in the tea world and very unique on your tea shelf. You should add a touch of sugar to enhance the flavors. $13.90 / 4oz
• Monk’s Blend Black Tea. Monk’s Blend Black Tea is one of our most flavorful teas. The dramatic combination of vanilla and grenadine ensures a particular satisfying cup. We’ve had Monk’s Blend since we opened. It’s one of those classic teas, along with Earl Grey, and several others whose history as a flavor goes way back, and has many versions. Regardless of the version you believe, it’s a tea you need to sip, and our version is as good as it gets. $13.90 / 4oz
• Salty Caramel Black Tea. Salty Caramel Black Tea tastes as good as it sounds. The popularity of Salted Caramel has now extended to tea, and our blender has done a fine job of creating a black tea and capturing the flavor we all love. The smooth caramel flavor is finished with a hint of salt. To further accent the caramel, almond and brittle pieces are added to support the profile. $17.90 / 4oz
• Samovar Tea. Samovar Tea is our version of what traditionally has been known as Russian Caravan Tea, or just Caravan Tea.  The common tea is Lapsang Souchong, a smoked tea from the Fujian Provence. High quality Lapsang teas have a very distinct smokiness created by drying the tea leaves over pine wood fires. Lapsang provides a base tea and flavor for Caravan teas. We craft our Samovar by starting with our luxury Lapsang Souchong base tea. We blend in Assam from the Assam Valley of India for boldness and to reduce the level of smokiness. We then blend in Formosa Oolong to further moderate the smokiness and add a smoothness. $13.90 / 4oz
• Vietnamese Black Tea. Yes, a Vietnamese Black Tea. When we decided to expand our teas into additional countries and regions, we looked to Vietnam since we heard so many good reports about the flavor, the aroma and everything we look for in a cup of tea ourselves. They are the 7th largest producer of tea in the world. Most tea drinkers never knew Vietnam even grew tea, let alone a major player, but they are. They produce some of the most delightful teas we have found and at very reasonable prices. This one could be one of your “regular”, daily teas. We found this Vietnam OP tea to sit along side of our Ceylon, Indian, Sri Lanka and other black teas. As far as appearance and color are concerned, a thoroughly processed leaf tea from Vietnam does not differ at all from the far more popular sorts from China. In taste, however, it is far spicier. Not spicy like chile pepper spicy, just a brighter, more lively flavor when compared to your standard English Breakfast tea. This results from the particular fermentation and drying process. Therefore, the quality we offer may rather be compared to a Ceylonese highland type and is, thus, particularly interesting for tea drinkers who like a mild and, at the same time, fully aromatic tea. $13.90 / 4oz
• Yorkshire Gold Loose Tea. Yorkshire Gold Loose Tea is one of the most popular teas in Britain. Their slogan is “A Proper Brew”. A nation of tea drinkers, and they take their tea seriously. Taylors of Harrogate is a family-owned tea company based in Yorkshire in the rolling countryside. They have been family-owned from it’s founding over 100 years ago. We carry Yorkshire Gold Tea because we have so many British customers who either live in the Las Vegas area, or visit us while in town. Taylors of Harrogate considers Yorkshire Gold their finest blend. They choose teas from the best tea gardens in three origins: Assam, Kenya and Rwanda. They are known for paying more than market for the tea to secure the best teas in the best tea gardens in those countries. This consistent blend produces a very robust, yet very smooth cup of tea. The color is bright and coppery. $13.90 / 4oz
• Tahitian Breeze. Our Tahitian Breeze is like fruit from the tropics. This fruity flavor evokes a warm breeze through the palms while walking with sand between your toes. Pineapple, Papaya, Apricot and other luxurious flavors will make you yearn for a sandy tropical beach, with a hot or cold cup of Tahitian Breeze in your hand. To highlight the delicious tropical flavors, many will add a dash of sugar. $15.90 / 4oz
• Blackberry Tea. We have had so many requests for a Blackberry Tea, we had to find one which was worthy of our friends. We feel that we were able to find one which has an outstanding taste and scent to please the most discriminating blackberry lover. We find that as the tea cools a bit, the blackberry flavor develops more. We also found that it makes a great iced tea. $13.90 / 4oz
• Citrus Green Tea. Our Citrus Green Tea is blended with green tea from China with the delicate flavors of lemon and lime. The clean vegetal notes of the green tea blend seamlessly with the citrus crispness. It is delightfully sweet, lifted by the freshness of the lemon-lime. Not too dry or too citrusy, it is the perfect hot or iced. In fact, it is one of our more popular green teas, especially when steeped then chilled as iced tea. If you like light, citrusy teas or a green tea but with a delicate lemony flavor, then this might become your preferred tea. $15.90 / 4oz
• Lemon Basil Oolong Tea. Lemon Basil Oolong Tea is a multi-faceted treat. The Oolong tea provides a very smooth flavor as a base. Then our blender adds enough lemon and basil in the right amounts to get your tastebud’s attention. Both flavors are distinctive, but neither is overpowering. The sweet lemony touch and light peppery basil balance is just right. The marigold blossoms highlight the tea and add a bit of color. Tea is a visual experience as well. One sip and you could be hooked, even if you haven’t been an Oolong fan before. We have a lot of requests lemon-flavor teas, so when we found and tasted this Lemon Basil Oolong, we knew we had to offer it to our friends. Lemon and basil are paired in many cuisines around the world, and the combination is no different in a tea…if crafted just right. $19.90 / 4oz

That should last us a while. Sheffield seems to be about twice the price of Upton, perhaps because they are more of a retail location. But they have quite a few unique blends (and they are the only place I find Monks Blend these days). I particular, the Chestnut Blend, the Salty Caramel, and the Lemon Basic Oolong are wonderful and very unique.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as Tea Time 2024 by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, starts at sundown Sunday night, September 25^th. Thus, it’s time for my annual New Years message for my family, my real-life, Blog,  Dreamwidth, Google+, Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook friends (including all the new ones I have made this year), and all other readers of my journal:
(* Yes, it is an old picture. I still find it funny.)

L’Shana Tovah. Happy New Year 5783. May you be written and inscribed for a very happy, sweet, and healthy new year.

For those curious about Jewish customs at this time: There are a number of things you will see. The first is an abundance of sweet foods. Apples dipped in honey. Honey cakes. The sweet foods remind us of the sweet year to come. Apples in honey, specifically, express our hopes for a sweet and fruitful year. Apples were selected because in ancient times they became a symbol of the Jewish people in relationship to God. In Song of Songs, we read, “As the apple is rare and unique among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved [Israel] amongst the maidens [nations] of the world.” In medieval times, writes Patti Shosteck in A Lexicon of Jewish Cooking, apples were considered so special that individuals would use a sharp utensil or their nails to hand-carve their personal hopes and prayers into the apple skins before they were eaten. And the Zohar, a 13th-century Jewish mystical text, states that beauty – represented by God – “diffuses itself in the world as an apple.” With respect to the honey: honey – whether from dates, figs, or apiaries – was the most prevalent sweetener in the Jewish world and was the most available “sweet” for dipping purposes. And as for the biblical description of Israel as a land flowing with “milk and honey,” the Torah is alluding to a paste made from overripe dates, not honey from beehives. Still, enjoying honey at Rosh HaShanah reminds us of our historic connection with the Holy Land. Although the tradition is not in the Torah or Talmud, even as early as the 7th century, it was customary to wish someone, “Shana Tova Umetukah” (A Good and Sweet Year).
(Source: Reform Judaism Website)

Another traditional food is a round challah. Some say they it represents a crown that reflects our coronating God as the Ruler of the world. Others suggest that the circular shape points to the cyclical nature of the year. The Hebrew word for year is “shana,” which comes from the Hebrew word “repeat.” Perhaps the circle illustrates how the years just go round and round. But Rosh Hashana challahs are not really circles; they are spirals… The word “shana” has a double meaning as well. In addition to “repeat,” it also means “change”. As the year goes go round and round, repeating the same seasons and holidays as the year before, we are presented with a choice: Do we want this shana (year) to be a repetition, or do we want to make a change (shinui)? Hopefully, each year we make choices for change that are positive, and each year we will climb higher and higher, creating a spiritual spiral. The shape of the Rosh Hashana challah reminds us that this is the time of year to make those decisions. This is the time to engage in the creative spiritual process that lifts us out of the repetitive cycle, and directs our energies toward a higher end.
(Source: Aish Ha’Torah)

There are also apologies, for during the ten days starting Tuesday evening, Jews examine their lives and see how they can do better. On Yom Kippur (starting the evening of October 4^th), Jews apologize to G-d for their misdeeds during the past year. However, for an action against another person, one must apologize to that person.

So, in that spirit:

If I have offended any of you, in any way, shape, manner, or form, real or imagined, then I apologize and beg forgiveness. If I have done anything to hurt, demean, or otherwise injure you, I apologize and beg forgiveness. If I have done or said over the past year that has upset, or otherwise bothered you, I sincerely apologize, and will do my best to ensure it won’t happen again.

If you have done something in the above categories, don’t worry. I know it wasn’t intentional, and I would accept any apology you would make.

May all my blog readers and all my friends have a very happy, healthy, and meaningful new year. May you find in this year what you need to find in life.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along the Road as 🍏🍯🍎🍯 L’Shanah Tovah – Happy New Year – 5783 by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link to the left. You can sign in with your LJ, DW, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. Note: Subsequent changes made to the post on the blog are not propagated by the SNAP Crossposter; please visit the original post to see the latest version. P.S.: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

Note: The plugin I use for crossposting to Dreamwidth ( https://wordpress.org/plugins/lj-xp/ ) appears to have broken with DW's move to https. It looks like that plugin isn't being maintained -- perhaps this is due to the LJ death spiral and the lower use of DW. In any case, to address this issue, a paid user could create a syndication of my blog's RSS feed ( http://cahighways.org/wordpress/?feed=rss2 ); a new plugin could be recommended; or someone could fix that plugin.

I'll note that there have been three posts since the plugin broke.

As always, you can read my blog at http://blog.cahighways.org/

(to the tune of “The Saga Begins” “American Pie”)

About a week ago
At Verizon in the mall
My phone was starting to die…
And I thought me and my picks
Could talk Verizon into
A deal on an LG G6
But their response, it didn’t thrill me
They called mall-cops, and tried to shill me
I escaped from that fight
Called *611, and made it right
I checked again, redid the order
Picked it up at a Ranch called Porter
They behaved like they orter
That’s where I got this phone…

Oh my my Verizon Cellphone
You’ve the only brand I ever have owned
Northridge Mall sucks, but Porter Ranch pwned
And now I’ve got the latest smartphone
Now I’ve got the latest smartphone.

This has been an interesting week. Back in August, while we were on vacation, I had a problem with my 4+ year old, 1st generation, Moto X. Driving through Aspen to Colorado Springs, my phone had trouble finding signal after we got out of the canyon, even after multiple reboots, when my wife’s newer Droid Turbo was doing fine. I had been having significant battery life problems, and we noticed the sides of the phone were starting to crack — indicating potential battery expansion. Given my contract was long up (meaning, given our old plan, I was essentially making payments for nothing), the conclusion was: replace the phone.

Doing research during and after the trip, I settled on two primary candidates, as the Moto X4 (though just announced), wasn’t at Verizon yet: The Moto Z2 Play and the LG G6.  Both were running Android Nougat, and both had the right mix of features. Although I was leaning to Moto because I liked their Apps, the smaller size of the G6 (the G6 was 5.86 x 2.83″, and the Z2 was 6.15 x 3.00) combined with the larger battery (the G6 was 3300 mAh, the Z2 was 3000 mAh) led me to the G6. Both were in my price range: under $25 a month. That number derives from the fact I was paying $40 a month for line access, and with the new phone, I’d be paying $15 with a $25 credit towards the phone: thus my overall bill would not increase. I planned to get the new phone once our current billing cycle ended.

Checking online, of the two Verizon Wireless stores closest to our house, only the Northridge Mall had them in stock. So I went over there. I dazzled them with my data, and we sat down to discuss the G6. They said the price was $28/month. I said it was $20/month online. They said, “Well then buy it online.”. I got on my phone and attempted to do so. However, I got to a screen instructing me to scan a barcode, with no other options. I asked them for help — they had no clue. I asked for a supervisor — he was out. I asked if anyone else knew what this screen meant. They didn’t, and they refused to tell me if the order had actually gone through. I gave a loud “Harrumpf” of exasperation… and they told me to leave the store and that they were calling mall security to escort me out. That got me even more frustrated (and when that happens, I tend to trip). I tripped over a chair, went flying, and they kept insisting security was on their way. I finally got out of the store, sat outside, and tried to call customer service (with the mall cops standing over me watching). After 1/2 hour on hold with my phone about out of power, I called my wife. She came over, went in the store (because they wouldn’t let me in), confirmed the order was not placed, and we went home.

Once home, I called customer service and placed an order for the phone — at $20/month, no problem — through customer service. Receiving the request to pay the sales tax online, I went to their website to do so. However, the plan price confused me, so I called them back. We sorted things out and I entered the card, thinking the order was placed.

Checked the next day at work, and the order was still “pending, call the credit department”. Evidently, the card didn’t go through for some reason, and they couldn’t fix the order. They cancelled it (which took a day to show up in their system as cancelled), and we redid the order.

That evening, I received mail that the phone was ready for pickup (within 3 days, although the website said 7). I called the store that evening to make sure I had all I needed to transfer, and to talk to a representative. Nice as could be. Driving home the next day, I got a call the phone was ready. I went up there yesterday evening. Francisco Linares helped me, and was as nice as could be. He helped me start the initial transfer, told me what I needed to do when I got home, and we confirmed that my current plan was just fine and the monthly pricing would be as I thought it would be (I’ll need to check that on the next bill). I picked up an extra Micro-USB to USB-C dongle, and I was home in under 40 minutes, when I thought it would take 3 hours. Yet again, the Porter Ranch store demonstrated that they understand customer service: they did it right.

Later that evening I ordered more USB-C stuff: a new power brick, a wireless charger, and cords and such.

I’m now the owner of a new LG G6, just waiting for the cases and cords to arrive. Comfortable in the hand and easy to use.

And that, friends, is the Saga of LG. Kudos and stars to the Verizon telephone personnel that helped, and to Francisco and the staff of Verizon Wireless in Porter Ranch for doing it right. Boos and 💩💩💩 to the staff of the Northridge Mall store, who care more about sales than customers. If you have a choice between the two, go to Porter Ranch.

Two final notes: People ask: Why Verizon? We’ve been with them since they were Airtouch Cellular, meaning about 20 years. We have 3 phone lines and 2 tablets, and in general they’ve been good. People ask: Why not an iPhone? I’m a big iPod Classic user, and I don’t want to pollute the iTunes ecosystem.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along The Road (on cahighways.org) as this entry by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link below; you can sign in with your LJ, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. There are currently comments on the Wordpress blog. PS: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

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Driving home from picking up the vanpool van this evening, I decided to listen to a short podcast: the Ensemblist Unedited episode on BroadwayCon.*  Listening to it, I realized that I’m not a fanboy.
*: No, I can’t link to it directly. They are theatre people; they don’t know how to make their webpage such that one can link to a specific episode. Update: You can get the individual episode links from http://theensemblist.podbean.com — not obvious, but at least its something.

Perhaps I should clarify. I know many folks that love (or should I say, luuv) their fandoms. They obsess. They know every word, every lyric, every character, the smallest minutae. They cosplay. They go to conventions for their fandoms. This could be science fiction, comics, theatre, TV, you name it.

I understand their obsession. I just don’t get obsession. It is the same way that I view myself as a professional audience. Just as I can’t inhabit characters, I can’t obsession about things. That doesn’t mean I don’t know them well (although I typically don’t read or see shows multiple times with the same cast). I just don’t fall as deeply for them. I think that goes for the rest of my life as well: I’m not strongly outwardly emotional — I’m quietly emotional.

To those of you that get so into fandoms. Enjoy. I’ll just be over here on the side. Watching.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along The Road (on cahighways.org) as this entry by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link below; you can sign in with your LJ, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. There are currently comments on the Wordpress blog. PS: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

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So you forgot to get me a present for the Christmas or Chanukah this year (and I know you did)? Don’t despair. Here’s what you can get me:

• If you are someone who hates liberals, who despises Clinton and Obama: Please, give it up (or at least give up your online animosity towards Obama, Clinton, and liberals). You won the election, both Clinton and Obama will be gone from the elected political stage in a month. It’s not worth the anger. As for the Liberals, remember that this country was made great by people from both sides expressing their views and finding compromises that both could grudgingly accept, even if they found them a little distasteful. Liberals want this country to succeed just as you do (even though you might not believe it). Let’s tone down the animosity and the partisanship.
• If you are Liberal, and/or utterly despise Donald Trump: Tone down the rhetoric. The hatred has quickly become one note, and you will come to realize it isn’t worth it — it may feel good now, but remember that it didn’t feel good when they did it to Obama, or when they will do it to the next Democratic President (and there will be one). What you do now is poking an anthill with a stick, and it doesn’t help the country. We should be respecting our President as much as we can, and being generally silent when we can’t. Note that I didn’t say agree. We should be continually working to rebuild our party(s), and insisting that Congress and the Courts do their job to uphold the constitution, limit the Presidency as the Constitution designed, and to investigate any malfeasance (as was done for past administrations). We should figure out how to find compromises to make this country succeed, instead of being small children and insisting that it is our way, or we take our toys and go home. As for Trump, we need to play to his ego, and convince him that he is at the crossroads of going down as one of the worst and most divisive presidents, or one of the greatest presidents who unified the country after years of intense partisanship. He needs to do the latter — abandon the tweeting, pick good and qualified advisors and cabinet heads and listen to them, and work to best serve not only those from the electoral majority states that won him the election, but those voters who are a majority of those who vote who voted for his opponent. He is better than that — he must be positive, not punative.

Folks, we all want this country to succeed, grow, and prosper. We may disagree on how to get there, but our goals (I hope) are the same.  How we behave on the network — at least many of us — does not help us get that goal. Don’t become the Internet 4Chan wants. We are so much better than that.

And that, friends, can be your holiday gift to me.

May all of you have the merriest of Chrismas Days (if that is your celebration), a Chappy Chanukah and a Gud Yom Tov and Chag Sameach (if that is your celebration), a blessed Kwanza (if that is your celebration), or just a relaxing day off of work while everyone else celebrates, thankful that the holiday music is finally coming to an end.

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along The Road (on cahighways.org) as this entry by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link below; you can sign in with your LJ, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. There are currently comments on the Wordpress blog. PS: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

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Today is the day when we are thankful for many thing. Home. Family. Loved ones. Stan Freberg.

Yup. Stan Freberg, who reminded us in his 1962 album “The United States of America” that this is national “Take an Indian to Lunch” week. I wonder if he would have to change the words these days, although the sentiment is equally true…

Take an Indian To Lunch

Take an Indian to lunch this week
Show him we’re a regular bunch this week
Show him we’re as liberal as can be
Let him know he’s almost as good as we

Make a feathered friend feel fed this week
Overlook the fact he’s red this week
Let him share our Quaker Oats
‘Cause he’s useful when he votes
Take an Indian to lunch

Two, four, six, eight, who do we tolerate
Indians, Indians, rah; rah; rah

Take an Indian to lunch this week
Let him sit right down and munch this week
Let’s give in and all do the brotherhood bit
Just make sure we don’t make a habit of it

Take an Indian to dine this week
Show him we don’t draw the line this week
We know everyone can’t be
As American as we
(After all, we came over on the Mayflower)
Take an Indian
(Not a wooden Indian)
But a real, live Indian
To lunch!

Stan Freberg also reminded us about how the first Thanksgiving really went…

The Luncheon Under The Trees

Narrator:Needless to say, the luncheon there under the trees was a great success, and a good time was had by Puritan and Indian alike. Everything came off beautifully with the exception of one minor catastrophe.

Mayor: What do you mean you cooked the turkey, Charlie?
Charlie: Well, I cooked the turkey, that’s all.
Mayor: You put our national bird in the oven. Is that correct?
Charlie: Yeah, well I, uh …
Mayor: And all of us had our mouths set for roast eagle with all the trimmings.
Charlie: Yeah, well I, uh …
Mayor: You did a thing like that?
Charlie: Well, the two birds were lying there side by side.
Mayor: The *turkey* was for the centerpiece, Charlie, I mean …
Charlie: Well, they looked so much alike that I, uh …
Mayor: Well, we blew it now. They’re all sitting down at the tables out there.
Charlie: Yeah, yeah.
Mayor: … starting on their little nut cups already. Just have to switch the birds, that’s all.
Charlie: Yeah, well …
Mayor: Serve them turkey instead of eagle. But it’s kinda scrawny-lookin’, isn’t it?
Charlie: Yeah, well I thought I’d stuff some old bread in it and make it look a little fatter.
Mayor: You do that, OK?

May all my friends and readers have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and remember the holiday for what it originally was: shopping later that evening at the Mall of Plymouth for those stylish belt buckles. Stay safe!

 

 

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There’s a new Faire in Simi Valley, and we went to it today. Although, to be truthful, it isn’t really a Faire. However, it is Faire-like, and it is true to the spirit of Faire, and for something new, it is quite remarkable. It also raises some interesting questions.

It is Tumbleweed Township (FB), and it is a Living History event set in approximately the 1880s to 1890s in the West (actually, perhaps what Simi Valley was at that time). This event is put on by the same folks that do Nottingham Festival (FB), a new Renaissance Faire in Simi Valley in mid-November. Like Nottingham, the folks behind the event (Actors Rep of Simi Valley (FB) and the Simi Valley Cultural Association (FB)) are dedicated to doing Faire like it was done originally — that is, going back to the first days of the first RenFaire in Ventura County. That means a dedication to living history, and less of a concern about profits and maximizing revenue. As they put it on the Nottingham page:

Since the days after the Faire put on by the Living History Center left Agoura, there has been a desire to bring a more accessible regional Renaissance style event back to the Ventura County area. A group of dedicated volunteers from the community along with the Actor’s Repertory Theater of Simi and the non-profit Simi Valley Cultural Association set out to make that dream a reality. Nottingham Festival will recreate the magic and revelry of an Elizabethan faire and marketplace with street performers and stage acts that will provide entertainment for all ages. Craft workers and reenactors from various guilds will entreat you to experience a taste of the handicrafts and lifestyle of the 16th Century. Our hope is that you will be well entertained and maybe even learn a thing or two about the time period and its people. Proceeds from this non-profit festival will be granted to smaller non-profit agencies in the surrounding communities, as well as some set aside for the further development of the arts programs for youth.

Tumbleweed is an attempt to create a new living history event — this one set in a township in the 1880s and 1890s. There are still many Faire-ish elements: food booths, craft booths, stages, and music. However, the crafts are a little bit different, the shows a bit more cowboy-ish, and the atmosphere — as befits the Western ethic — a lot less bawdy. There is also — thankfully — a lot less fantasy aspects. No pirates. No fairys. No fantasy elements. The closest fantasy elements are Steampunk. It’s also pretty easy to garb yourself — jeans, flannel shirts, cowboy belts and hats work just fine. Just no guns. Only the actors get replica guns. Per the agreement with Simi PD: “There shall be no firearms or replica firearms allowed to be brought onto the premises by the public.”

Now that you know what the notion behind what Tumbleweed is, how was it executed? Pretty good. It was very small this year.  There were perhaps 8 food vendors: turkey legs, BBQ chicken and steak and veggies, kettle corn, sandwiches, shave ice, ice cream, coffee, and of course, mead, whisky, and cider. There were about 15-20 vendors: a few clothing, jewelry, soaps, crafts, and such. There were three stages with a small number of shows. There were a few guild-like exhibits, including a quilting bee. There were games of chance. There was also the “Grand Exhibition Hall of Famous Personages” — which is like the “Explorers Hall” at Nottingham with famous people brought back to life, from Jenny Lind to Annie Oakley to Kit Carson, to Sacagawea to… you get the idea.

So, the town was small and attendence was moderate — but the idea is great. A big problem with Faire is that there are so many of them, and they are all similar, and all explore the same history. This was a new historical area, and actually relevant to when it took place. Simi Valley and California epitomize the west, and towns like this did exist. With better publicity, they could be starting a new trend (further, I could image this being something that Orange Empire Rwy Museum could do quite well).

But there are dangers as well. What RenFaire has become is fantasy; it rarely presents true living history anymore. This is good, because it is accepting of all races and creeds (whereas the original Elizabethan time would be less forgiving). If there is any parodying of culture, it is parodying of Anglo-Saxon culture. When we turn to the old West, however, we run the risk of stereotypical “Cowboys and Indians”, of the Lone Ranger and Tonto, and this can be a danger. While there was freedom in the West, it also created a stereotypical view of the Native American — and care must be taken. However, done right, it can present a true picture of the relationship between Western settlers and their Native American neighbors — different from what the movies might present.

It also created the question in my mind of what other periods of living history might be ripe for equivalent events — and how might this be done without cultural approbation. Other eras have been done — just look at the successful Great Dickens Christman Fair and Victorian Holiday Party (FB) in the Bay Area. Doing a Feudal Japan Faire would probably not be a good idea. But what about Europe in the Dark Ages, well before Elizabeth. What about the mid-East in Biblical times? What about a Colonial faire? All could be quite interesting — and educational.

Coming back to Tumbleweed Township (FB): Was it a success? I can’t speak to financially for the participants, but I think it is a great idea, and we’ll certainly be back. I hope it grows, for it is an era that is worth exploring.

Tumbleweed Township (FB) runs for one more day, running 10 AM to 5 PM. Tickets are available online or at the gate. The event takes place at 3855 Alamo in Simi Valley across from the DMV!

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Recently, I have seen various things that remind me of how society has changed since my youth — whether it is for the better, I’ll leave to you decide. It is markedly a loss of innocence and a growth of awareness.

• When I was up at camp Friday night, I noticed in the dining hall a brit that all campers had to sign. This evidently has been part of camp for the last (mumble) years since the current director came, and I think is it a good thing. It requires all campers to acknowledge that camp is a mutually supportive safe space, that embraces individuality. Back when I went to camp in the 1970s, we had that feeling (although there were a few bullies), and I believed that everyone came away with the impression that camp was a safe space. I certainly did, and I was one of the more individualist campers out there. But today we have to say it and remind people — a sad commentary on not only the prevalence of bullying, but the acceptance of bullying in some circles.
• Back in the 1960s, the Smothers Brothers had a routine about updating old musical standards that reflected societal mores no longer in vogue — the example I remember was the all-white MacNamera’s Band requiring integration. The other day I read a review of Beauty and the Beast in the Daily Cal that captured another thing people might have missed, best embodied by this paragraph: “At this point, most audiences — and, indeed most Americans — know the plot of “Beauty and the Beast”: Belle, a brilliant woman utterly suffocated by the patriarchy and her small town, escapes marrying a misogynistic, violent, entitled alpha male (Gaston), and ends up being held captive by another man in his castle. ” The reviewer goes on to castigate the show as outdated, but you’ll find a large number of Broadway successes (and even Shakespearean successes) have such equivalent dated values, from Merchant of Venice to How to Succeed to Flower Drum Song to … you name it. My comment is more on the increased awareness we have of these issues — our increased recognition of art that accepts violence and perpetuates stereotypes, or that appropriates culture. Again, a loss of innocence from our youth, but perhaps for a good reason.
• The third item is also from the Daily Cal, this time looking at the Venmo culture. Again, here’s the key paragraph: “Short Venmo transactions — supposedly aimed at discreet, cold-cut convenience — were enough to make me feel left out. Something about the nature of their publicized transactions screamed: “We don’t want to announce to the world that we hung out, but we still want you to see and imagine what we did.” And that’s when it struck me: We, as Millennials, have entered a whole new territory of humblebragging.” Through Facebook and Venmo and Twitter, we’ve entered the era where we regularly state our status by sharing our activities, humbling our friends who cannot afford such luxuries. I’ll admit I’m guilty of that with my theatre reviews — it is hard to know the balance. But again, the issue here is awareness — we’re increasingly aware of when privilege comes into play.
• That brings me back to camp. While at camp — with this increased sensitivity — I was realizing that most of our Jewish summer camps are camps of privilege — just due to the nature of the makeup of Judaism as predominately white. There are black Jews and hispanic Jews and Jews in lower socioecomic spectra, but what do we do to reach out to them to provide that camp experience — that safe shared space. If they came, would it be humble-bragging of our position? I don’t know, but it would be good to find a way to reach out.

 

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Previously, on Transposing the Matrix: If you recall, Tuesday I had an auto accident resulting in my 2006 Toyota Matrix being totaled. Friday, we began the search for a new car. That post detailed some of the requirements for any replacement vehicle: cargo capacity, not too big, being able to work with my iPod Transpod, convenient Aux jack, backup camera, decent gas mileage. In the last episode (Update 1), we had narrowed the field to three contenders: : the 2016 Scion iM [brochure], the 2016 Honda Fit, and the the 2016 Subaru Impreza 5-Door.

Today we visited the dealers again to reexamine the cars, to test drive the Fit, and to re-test drive the Impreza without a migraine and with my iPod Classic. This was extremely useful: the Fit knocked itself out of the running. Why? The seats were extremely uncomfortable, the cup holders would not fit our typical drink cups due to a bad bad design, and the TransPod blocked one of the drink holders. The engine also seemed to be noisier.

On the other hand, the Impreza Imprezzed. Through some re-adjustment, I was able to get the TransPod to work, although I may still go with a vent mount cell phone holder. I was able to drive the car, and was impressed by both its handling and the fact the cabin is quieter. In fact, the only major drawback with the Impreza is that my wife likes it as well, and so she’ll keep wanting to borrow it… at least until we pay it off and can get her an Outback. Further, the Impreza is the only one that can come with a non-black interior — important in the San Fernando Valley.

This pushes the Scion iM into second place, which is fine. Both are excellent cars, and we really couldn’t go wrong with either. The prices are similiar: the MSRP on the Scion is 19,995; we’ve dealers verbally offer below that if we sign on the dotted line. MSRP on the Impreza is $20,768, with an estimated dealer invoice of $19,758 — meaning we can talk them down to the Scion’s range. Right now, we think we’ll try for the Impreza first, with the Costco pricing or better. If not, we know we can safely walk across the street to the Toyota dealer.

The one remaining question to investigate is: Which has the lower cost of insurance? We’re guessing the Subaru, as a less popular theft car.

What’s next? Tomorrow I’ll go over to the body shop and clean out the Matrix (I’ll probably grab the cargo netting; it should work in the Subaru). I’ll pull off the personalized license plates for use on the new car. Then it is just waiting to hear from the adjuster with their valuation of the Matrix, which we’ll probably argue with a bit. Charlie Kline provided a pointer to an article with some good tips on how to get max value. I certainly want them to pay for the full tank of gas I had just put in. I’m also going to contact the credit union and get the pre-approved loan updated to a new car loan and for the correct estimated amount.

Once we get the check from AAA, we’ll talk to the dealer. If they can best the credit union rate, we’ll go with them. We’ll sign over the down, and then do the paperwork game.

 

This entry was originally posted on Observations Along The Road (on cahighways.org) as this entry by cahwyguy. Although you can comment on DW, please make comments on original post at the Wordpress blog using the link below; you can sign in with your LJ, FB, or a myriad of other accounts. There are currently comments on the Wordpress blog. PS: If you see share buttons above, note that they do not work outside of the Wordpress blog.

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