Populist Ranting

Perhaps I am being an ignorant populist. I want to complain about banks. Specifically, I will write a few words about bank's recent advertisements. These ads communicate variants of the following:

• Still lending, Still Strong
• 10 Trillion says we are ready for you
• 125 years of history

Banks are trying to say to us, we're different. We will not, uh, bring down the system of finance in your country again. And I don't believe the banks. Not more than two years ago these institutions were knee deep in some of the most convoluted types of capitalism the world has seen; borrowing money which is not theirs, to lend money to those who will never return it, predicated on the infinite rise in home prices.

Nickel-and-diming customers as their prime business model. With their subprime business model being the creation of insane subprime mortgages. Hey, banks. I don't yet believe you. I still find you greedy, reckless, and harmful to the country I live in. You no longer have me as a customer, Bank of America. Royal Bank of Canada, you do. This is my stand against insanity!

Asheville is . . .

• Rows of antique stores on Swannanoa River Road
• Artsy, quiet, strange, Christian, hippy Black Mountain
• Poor people, rich tourists, expensive, hipster downtown
• Pleasantville-Hendersonville
  
• Views of Mt. Pisgah while driving the expressway
• Normal, liberal arts, college, UNCA
• crazy, gorgeous, ridiculous, progressive Warren Wilson College
• Marijuana coves, small hollars, shotguns, Appalachia, in Madison County
• Funny and true Waynesville
• Trailer parks, upcoming, the Coves, kind Swannanoa
• Mansions, Starbucks, wine, the Biltmore Mansion
• Dynamic, feels-like-Brooklyn, everyone and nobody together in West Asheville
• Sunday brunch at 27 restaurants in town; modern man's Church
• Christ School, Asheville School, boarding school heaven, haven?
• Billy Graham's right-wing-or-is-it-left-wing training center
• Unbelievable, what is this?, this is it!, River Arts District
• Retirees, money, condos everywhere, even in the River Arts District!
• Local food, barbeque, Appalachia Sustainable Agriculture Project
• the best biking in the country, and the Blue Ridge Parkway
• farmers markets, farms, I-only-eat-sprouts people, hispanics and taquerias
• arden, fletcher, skyland, beverly hills, weaverville, enka, candler, woodfin, I've been to all-of-'em
  

I have had the fortune of living in Asheville for four and a half years. Over that period I have grown proud, embarassed, humbled, stupid, and perhaps grown up. I've had my first night in college in Asheville, and am soon to have my last. I worked at what I consider my first job, refereeing soccer games, and am soon to progress with the grace of whomever graces these things into a profession as a teacher. I feel blessed and perhaps even well-cared for by this place, the people, the town, and the environment. Perhaps hard work is paid off, and also perhaps I am lucky; ultimately all that may be said is that we must move forward from here, doing the right things, and acknowledge where we've been.

Asheville has seen me at my best and at my worst; and it still accepts me today.

Hey referee! I mean, hey teacher!

I taught a lesson at the high school today while my adviser from my university observed. After, she praised the lesson and my skill at conveying it; I feel proud. Her and my co-op teacher were alike in their happiness. To do a meaningful job well, whatever that job is, is self-sustaining. It reminds me of the zen saying, when you wash dishes, wash the dishes. It was a cool feeling! I cannot believe I am going to be paid to do the job of teaching. It is dynamic, fun, energetic, exciting... these are qualities in a job that are of utmost importance to me. It is those qualities that makes me love my job refereeing soccer games; it is also what makes me love trading stocks. I wish I could stick to the two that are productive (teaching and refereeing) and stay away from the one which is less so (trading stocks!). In other news, I left a girl a quick note after our mutual class today. The note was left on her notebook. It read, I thought elegantly, "Bye. -Josh"

HTCE 15: Puff Pastry

I bought it in a store, so I shouldn't be as proud of this recipe as my others, but I've learned a few things and love working with it regardless of its frozen origin.

Buy some good stuff; mine wasn't organic but was all-natural, just butter, flour, and salt. Thaw it in your refrigerator until it is workable. Flour a work surface, and roll it out thin. Conversely, use it in the squares that it is frozen into, and just fold it onto itself; I find it too thick and rich. After you have rolled it, add something special; I tossed on some fennel, fine ground black pepper, and a bit of sea salt. Now the fun part: the filling.

Fill the pastry to the edges. Things I've tried and love in puff pastry: sauteed vegetables, sprouts, glazed carrots, broccoli (leftover from HTCE 13, steamed broccoli). I'll try with apples soon. Puff pastry is a great appetizer. This blog is ridiculous.

HTCE 14: Kombucha

For 1 gallon of Kombucha.

Brew 6 tsp black tea in about 1/4 gallon water, let steep 20 minutes. Remove tea, blend in 1 cup plain-vanilla, average-joe sugar. Add 3/4 gallons of water. Add in your SCOBY. Cover with cheesecloth and let ferment for 5-9 days, depending on how sweet (5 days) or sour (9 days) you prefer.

I'm lazy: please look up Kombucha and SCOBY.

For my 600th blog

Here's a link to good work my father does with his company, through an environment and energy saving product for schools, businesses, individuals: the g-plug.

HTCE 13: Broccoli

I made steamed broccoli from a simple recipe. Cut the stems from the head of a broccoli; add a little water to a pot, dice one clove of garlic, bring cut stems to a boil with salt and a little bit of pepper, simmer and after 4-5 minutes add the cut heads; steam another 4-5 minutes as the water is cooked off. Add salt and butter yum.

Fall

It is my favorite season. Happy fall to you!

Yom Kippur Observance

May you be inscribed in the book of life whether or not you are Jewish

I'm still around town

I'm busy.

• Observing my co-op teacher's classroom
  
• Refereeing soccer
  
• Going to school
• Seeing friends
• Staying in touch
• Reading news
• Relaxing
• And most important of all: lazing
  

Forgiving

I think everyone is more forgiving than we think. We imagine that while we are individually willing to forgive we're worried that the other won't be so quick to forgive or apologize.

HTCE 12: Sprouts

Sprouts are not really a recipe - this is a filler - but they are a food I make at home frequently, and it is super inexpensive, they are fresh, and they are just a fun thing to be able to make at home, exerting some self-sufficiency, sprouts . . .

Take two tablespoons of raw, whole beans or seeds. Soak in water for 12 hours, then drain, and place on a flat plate, or on paper towel, and place in the sun. Rinse every day, and start noshing after about 3 days. As time progresses and if you haven't noshed away all your babies, they will continue to grow until they are full sized like those in stores.