Man, these are some insane times. The Republicans are on the run in district after district all across this land. Democratic candidates nobody even heard of 12 months ago are ahead in some polls, slightly behind in others, and running vigorous campaigns, aided by volunteers, many of whom come to Daily Kos and other blogs to share their experiences, stay up-to-date on the most important events, and, as much as anything else, to vent their rage.
It's the last part that's got me concerned.
As Hunter
has noted, use of the word "fuck" in diary titles is rivaling use of the word "the." As a vulgarian, I can appreciate that when you're angry, when your rage at the corruption and stupidity and disdain for Democracy that has penetrated every nook of our political system makes you want to yank off a puppy's ears, one way to express it is to throw around lots of "fuck" or "motherfucker" or "dirty-fucking-motherfucker-fuckface."
The rage is good. It keeps us going. It keeps us vigilant. It keeps us focused on evicting as many rethugs as possible from elected office. But the rage can also be self-defeating. Make you say things you wouldn't normally say, act in ways that don't help to achieve what are otherwise noble goals.
So, this weekend, find one hour, maybe 90 minutes, to relax and rejuvenate. In my household, we often do this by getting the kids to bed as early as possible, and then making a really good meal, pairing it with a good bottle of wine and a decadent desert, and, finally, just sitting quietly and enjoying it.
If this sounds attractive, let me make a dining recommendation (from my own food blog) that doesn't require a lot of work but that yields a fantastic result.
It's a center-cut pork chop, coated in simple rub, cooked in a pan for a few minutes, and then roasted in the oven for a few more minutes with some baby carrots. You couple this with some smashed potatoes, which are just some cubed potatoes, cooked until tender, and mashed together with some butter, cream, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper.
For desert, get some vanilla ice cream, a small pint of blackberries, and a few tablespoons of chambord. Pour the chambord over the blackberries in a small bowl, let them sit for 15-20 minutes, and pour the blackberries over top of a small bowl of ice cream.
So this weekend, relax, eat, rejuvenate, and get prepared for the stretch run. We've got a big job ahead of us.