There was a time when I consdiered myself a dedicated kossack. True, I don't diary much, and I lurked here for maybe two years or so before actually making an account to comment. Still. I was here, all the time, sometimes for hours a day, reading, ingesting, learning, enjoying, communing. I used to think GBCW diaries were stupid, attention-seeking devices. Sometimes I would write disparaging comments in them, saying things like, "Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!" Who cares? Just go already! Right? Right?
But I have to tell ya, this diary was a tipping point for me. The Clinton v. Obama primary feuds were bad enough, but to be expected, we were all passionate. The health care/insurance "reform" debates were ugly though, and I feel as though an irremovable wedge has riven this community beyond repair. At least beyond my level of my patience. But lately ... geez. What the hell happened here?
Neither attention nor sympathy spurred this diary; I write and post this as a form of protest, if you will. It is protesting all the walk on eggshells rules and the derisive sentiments behind the ubiquitous admonishments to "grab a mop" or "stop whining for ponies," and the undeserved charges of racism, the name-calling, the ad-hom, the pie-fights, all the hating on Cenk Uygur and David Sirota by the small-minded and jealous, the personal attacks, the comments in BWD diaries (the diaries themselves are somewhat innocuous and have lots of wonderful photos but the comment section is other-worldly crazy), the automatic ridiculing people for the cardinal sin of having a high UID, the knee-jerk derogation of diaries by slink and eve ... all of it is too much for this soon to be former kossack to bear.
I accept the punishment of the permanent ban in order for this opportunity to register my protest. There are of course dozens (hundreds? thousands?) of kossacks here who are truly great and inspiring bloggers/commenters, and I wish you all the best in your blog quest.
I leave you, dear kossacks, with the best homemade ice cream recipe ever:
Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream Recipe
recipe from Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
Ingredients
1 cup (400 g) sweetened condensed milk
1+1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ( 1.3 oz or 40 g) + 1 tbsp dark roast ground coffee, divided
1/3 cup whole milk
Method
1.Brew a very strong coffee with 1+1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of ground coffee. With a paper filter, that will yield 1 cup of very strongly brewed coffee. You can substitute with a cup of strongly brewed espresso.
2.Whisk together the condensed milk, espresso, milk and ground coffee. Chill the mixture thoroughly (3 hours in the freezer worked for me), then freeze it in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
(I found the recipet at Cafe Fernando.)
Peace!
UPDATE: At great risk of weakening the sincerity of my protest, at the urging of some wonderful people, I have modified this to be a TTFN in case I change my mind. Apologies to those who thought I was being courageous!