Surly's Soap Box

Let's see...

T-Bones... *check*
Charcoal... *check*
Opinion section from the Red Star Tribune...*check*

The opinion section burns pretty quick because there is nothing of substance in it, so I'd better add some paper from the old classifieds.

Yup, grilled some steaks tonight. No particular reason, just happened to have some in the freezer, and it was a good excuse to buy a bottle of wine. Rodney Strong 2002 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, in fact.

It was a pretty good wine paired up with a salt/garlic/pepper encrusted t-bone. Note to the buyer: This is one you want to open and let breath for at least a half hour. I think I would recommend decanting it, though I didn't. I just kept the wine moving in my glass, and the tannins mellowed quite well.

Tannins are that oaky, dry taste. Some wines, like classic chardonnay, are aged in oak, and the flavor is part of the character of the wine. In other wines, like what most people can afford, the wine is actually aged in plastic barrels, and the tannins come from the stems attached to the grapes. Yes, they toss the whole bunch in there, not just the grapes. The tossing in of the stems is something they do every were, so don't feel your getting ripped off.

Like hops in beer, tannins in wine are a natural preservative. The more tannins, the longer it takes a wine to mature. Reds traditionally have more tannins, so they generally take 3-5 years to mature, while whites are 1-3. Some people who collect wine get into those special bottles that sit on the shelf for years, but if you are just a casual drinker, looking to drink the bottle the night you buy it, good news: The wine at the local liquor store is ready to drink when it hits the shelf. If you buy in bulk, by the case or are part of a wine club, they while give you advise on the proper storage.

On a more personal note (now I'm checking to see if people really read my blog), I have been rather, err, surly lately. I am surprised at how viciously I went after the Muslims in my posts the last few days. Whether Islam is a evil religion or if there are a lot of evil people in Islam is a question people more qualified than I are trying to answer these days, and my responding in the same sort of anger that they are acting in solves nothing.

Religiously, I, as a Christian, disagree with Islam. I believe that the followers of Islam are misled, that Allah is a false god, and that they need Jesus. I can't reach out to them with rocks, stones, and vicious words. Their actions in the world today are hardening peoples hearts against Islam; I don't want my actions to harden a Muslims heart against Jesus. I have two Iraqi families living across the alley from me. I don't lie awake at night fearing for my life. I don't feel stares of hate coming from them. My daughter has even played with their kids. I'd trust the teens to baby sit. How can I so easily divorce my perception of reality from my experience? My experience shows a loving family caring for their kids, grilling out on their deck. I've seen the husband sneak a beer and smoke a cigarette while I was puffing on a stogie and flipping burgers. I'm confident an adult beverage was at hand.

Today, I was driving through North Minneapolis and happened to drive by a mosque. Nothing special, looked like an old store front. Like everything else in the neighborhood, the building looked run down. In the parking lot, up close to the building, was the classic-oil-barrel-turned-BBQ-grill-on-wheels. Similar to ones I've made and used over the years.

There is common ground here. While we live in a society where walls are erected as quickly as we can take a look at someone, we all have to eat. In my catering business, I go out of my way to respect the religious requirements of my customers. No pork, no mushrooms, true vegan dishes: I don't want to anyone to stumble because of my carelessness, or even malice. But we all have to eat.

Maybe this spring, I'll toss leg of lamb on the grill and have the neighbors over. True society is formed over food. Friendships as well. We'll just have to see what happens.


Christianity,Cooking,Food,Islam

Okay. I get a little worked up. The Muslims swarming into the streets, burning cars and buildings, killing people, it just drives me nuts. Don't they have jobs?

**breath**

**relax**

Alright.

Captain Ed points to a blog called "We Are Sorry", set up to apologize for the "Cartoon Mayhem".

Opening Statement:

"In the middle of all the mayhem surrounding the Danish cartoons controversy, a group of Arab and Muslim youth have set up this website to express their honest opinion, as a small attempt to show the world that the images shown of Arab and Muslim anger around the world are not representative of the opinions of all Arabs. We whole-heartedly apologize to the people of Denmark, Norway and all the European Union over the actions of a few, and we completely condemn all forms of vandalism and incitement to violence that the Arab and Muslim world have witnessed. We hope that this sad episode will not tarnish the great friendship that our peoples have fostered over decades."

Further down the page:

"When confronted with such a situation, we deplore the use of violence in all its forms, as well as threats of violence and derogatory and racist remarks being thrown in the opposite direction. We condemn the shameful actions carried out by a few Arabs and Muslims around the world that have tarnished our image, and presented us as intolerant and close-minded bigots." (italics mine)

Good. It's a start. Someone is trying to make headway. A moderate voice perhaps. They make other points, such as the paper that published these cartoons have a history of goading people. I'll give them that. They also make a point that the media tends to focus on extremist, and they get the air time. Looking at our own media and seeing the fruit cakes they parade out as representatives of our society, I see they're point. But where is the outrage? Why isn't the Islamic world 'up in arms' to stop this sort of radical behavior?

The comment section raised some good points, some pro, some con:

From

"Sorry, but I don't believe a word of it. When I see ALL of you rise to the streets and supress what you deem as a "few" radicals who have hijacked (no pun intended) your religion, I'll believe it. And I mean all three BILLION plus of you worldwide. Otherwise you are as responsible and as cowardly as the people you claim to distance yourself from. Another people learned this back in the 1930's. They silently stood by while madmen took over their country. Millions of innocents died back then because their people stood by and did nothing. Where are your leaders standing up and speaking out? Where are your clerics? Where are your millions of citizens taking to the streets and speaking out? Nowhere is the correct answer. Because Muslims are simply manipulating the world media to achieve your goals. Apologize my arse. When I see the above mentioned I'll take your apology seriously.

You Muslims started this war officially on 9-11. I suggest you rise up and deal with these people you deem radical and quickly. Otherwise be warned. You started this, but we sure as hell will."

And this:

"Nice to see moderate Muslims trying to be sensible. However, it's my feeling that moderate Muslims are becoming an ever smaller group. You guys better get that radical side of your religion under control and soon. The whole non Muslim world is slowly turning against Muslims because of the violence preached and perpetrated by Muslims."

And of course someone who doesn't even try to get the facts straight:

"it's good to see that someone can put things in perspective and realize that some christian fanatics in a magazine no one in norway have heard of does not represent the view of all citizens in this country, and that some jokemaker in denmark tried to be funny(he did not succeed though, the jokes sucked) and didnt(at least i think he didn't) know that drawing the prophet was some kind of horrible thing to do, as Jesus have been in jokes "forever". Anyway, i think people should leave the judgement for this jokes up to their respective god to make judgement over, and not to take things in their own hand, and start violent behaviour, which really makes things a lot harder for muslims all over the world, and especially in europe.

hopefully the majority of muslims understand that this was a harmless joke( and i really think they do, to bad some rotten apples destroys for the whole bunch(that goes for christian fanatics as well))"

I would have put links to their individual sites but they changed their guest book format as I was writing this.

There are a lot of people saying the same thing: The moderates need to step up to bat. Like the one commenter said, "You guys better get that radical side of your religion under control and soon. The whole non Muslim world is slowly turning against Muslims because of the violence preached and perpetrated by Muslims."

As for me, I'm laying off commenting on anything muslim for a while. I get too worked up. I get angry. I try to put the people in the streets in the context of criminals that need to be dealt with, but the more I look into it, the more I see their preachers as the instigators and the governments as the sponsors. It's a culture/religion in need of reformation, and it will undoubtedly be a bloody one.

I think I'll find some leftie-kook "social justice" commies to go after.



Current Affairs,Islam,Middle East,News and Politics

There is so much info out there on the Mohammad cartoon thing. Some of it really makes me angry because it really shows what we are dealing with here: Religious fanatics intent on destroying the free world. There is no other way to look at it.
This is not about misunderstanding or insensitivity.
This is not about poverty.
There are people at work whose intent is to, once again, destroy the free world. Like this guy (from Gateway Pundit):

Imam Ahmad Abu Laban, the man behind this whole Danish cartoon controversy, not only faked obscene cartoons on his trip to the Middle East, but also:

* Entertained the "Blind Sheikh" behind the first World Trade Center attacks
* Praised Osma Bin Laden after 9-11 Attacks
* Preached he "Shed no tears" after 9-11 Attacks
* Accused of giving Political support to Osama bin Laden's network
* Accused of giving Financial support to Osama bin Laden's network
* Joined with 225 Islamic Radicals to form Global Jihadist Group in 2003
* Said that Theo van Gogh - "Had it coming!"
* Called on his flock to Give Their Lives to Global Jihad for Palestinians
* Met with Sheikh Qaradawi in Saudi Arabia who has legalized the murder of American soldiers in Iraq

Imam Ahmad Abu Laban, the leader of the Islamic Society of Denmark toured the Middle-East to "create awareness" about the 12 cartoons that were published in Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, on September 30, 2005...

See, the original dozen cartoons that were published weren't quite provocative enough, so he came up with three others that were, well, disgusting. I won't print them here because it's not necessary. You can find them on other sites if you are committed to seeing them.

There is only one reason to do something like that: To cause trouble. This man is listened to in the muslim world. And they need to deal with him. Infact, if he did come up with these pictures on his own, he should meet the end he has prescribed for others.


Current Affairs,Islam,Middle East,News and Politics