Prior to a family reunion a couple of years ago, a relative of mine ran across an interview with my maternal grandfather, Claude Smeraglia, from July of 1968. At the time, he lived and worked in an Italian-American enclave adjacent to the airport in Birmingham, Alabama. The interview was conducted by a Samford University student at the East Side Drug Company, a pharmacy he owned and operated. I’m guessing the student’s thesis was a comparison of past cultural discrimination with the racial discrimination and unrest that dominated the headlines at the time. To put his remarks in context, you need to remember the social and political turmoil of 1968. His thoughts on the growing entitlement mentality and Americans’ demands for cultural assimilation seem eerily prescient.
Aug 10
A Better Version of Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Volume 3
Most people who discover Bob Dylan’s music these days run across a song of his (or a cover of a song of his) in a film or on Pandora. If their interest is piqued, they’ll likely buy one of his greatest hits albums on a whim. The first Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits album was released in 1967 and was by all accounts a great compilation album. Despite the fact that only four years had passed, the folks at Columbia decided to ride the success of the first Hits album by pressing another one in 1971 that included songs from many of the same albums. Although the second Greatest Hits album would go on to become one of Dylan’s most successful records, it was only half-filled with fan favorites. Dylan insisted that some previously unreleased songs be included to appeal to existing fans, a gambit that payed off many times over. Dylan’s third Greatest Hits album, released in 1993, is an even stranger compilation of songs.
Aug 10
My Guest Column For The Greenville News
When the wife and I moved to Greenville, SC from Washington DC, we didn’t really know anyone. I set a meeting with mayor to talk about the city, the local economy, and get a sense of what’s in store for the metro area. We spoke for almost an hour and I enjoyed the conversation very much. I didn’t think my meeting request was weird at the time, but everybody now laughs at the mere mention of it. Anyway, I told the mayor that the main reason we chose Greenville over other cities across the southeast was the city council’s commitment to urban redevelopment and the relatively low cost of living. He suggested I write a guest column for the local paper about our decision-making process, so I did.
Aug 10
Honey Glazed Carrots
The wife and I have bee trying to eat more vegetables. Whether its cauliflower, cabbage or anything from our garden, we’ve been making meals out of it. I’ve never been a big fan of carrots (except in soups), and I can’t eat them raw at all. After playing around on the interwebs, I ran across a recipe that looked like something I could sink my teeth into.
Aug 10
Chronicles of a DIY Bathroom Remodel
Our bathroom remodel is finally finished. Here are the before and after pictures:
Aug 10
Bathroom Remodel 7: Finished
I really let this project drag on. We’ve had a functional bathroom for weeks, but I haven’t really had a chance to finish the drywall and paint. We entertained guests a couple of weekends ago, which made me put off sanding the drywall mud. After they left, the wife broke the central vaccuum. She somehow sucked up a three foot long rubber band that she uses to work out. After disassembling it a few times, I eventually got it out. Last weekend, I finally got around to painting the beadboard and trim.
Aug 10
The Intellectual Laziness Of Modern Cinema
I could go on and on about how there are 75 movie remakes and reboots currently in the works, but countless barrels of virtual ink have already been spilled on that topic. And I don’t want to talk about the annoying ubiquity of young hero sagas that employ the same mythological structure. You know the story; a lonely youngster doesn’t fit in, he’s told by a wise mentor that he’s destined for greater things, he discovers a secret power and/or secret world, he stumbles but eventually learns how to wield his power responsibly, and then he faces down his character’s antithesis. You’ve seen this story in everything from Star Wars to Harry Potter to the Matrix to pretty much every comic book movie ever made. Even Twilight is a variation on this theme, albeit a bad one. No, I want to specifically talk about Hollywood’s unfortunate fascination with twist endings and their growing comfort with Deus ex Machina.
Aug 10
On Blogging & Blog Visitors
Most people don’t know, but this isn’t my first blog. I’ve had several websites in several formats, including one I built from scratch just to teach myself HTML/CSS. I maintained a pseudonymous opinion/political blog on Google’s Blogger platform starting in early 2005. I learned pretty quickly that the secret to building a reliable readership is short, frequent posting. I was never very good at being brief, but I was pretty good at putting up new content.
Aug 10
Port-Dried Figs
Figs were on sale at the market, so I got some to make a tart for the wife. When I bought the wine for the chicken marsala, I also picked up a bottle of rose port. After tasting the port, the wife decided she wanted to sweeten and dry the figs.
Aug 10
Chicken Marsala
I’ve been trying to get some of my pan sauce recipes online lately so the wife can cook them when I’m not around. Chicken Marsala is her favorite.
