Author: substitute

nope

Where my chiles at?

Since I was a small child I have shopped at the same supermarket. It is now a Ralphs, and has previously been a Hughes and a Market Basket over the years. (For those in the area, it’s the one in Westcliff Plaza).

Currently it is billing itself as a “Ralphs Fresh Fare”, a kind of upscale market that is supposed to be full of good things, especially produce and “gourmet” stuff. It isn’t, though; it’s just another Ralphs supermarket.

Tonight I went there to obtain stuff for kung pao chicken. I got some chicken and then went to find the dried red peppers. These I buy from the Mexican food section, because Mexican people buy different spices. They are all Toro brand and come in plastic packages instead of the jars the Anglo spice section has. Plus, Toro carries all the neato dried chiles like ancho, etc.

I couldn’t find it this time! It moves occasionally so I asked a clerk. “Nope, we don’t carry those.” WHAT? I went to the manager, who carefully said “They don’t have us carrying the Toro spices any more. Other locations do.”

So, I guess I’ll have to go to the Costa Mesa Ralphs a few blocks away to get dried chiles. Because, I guess, rich white people in Newport Beach don’t like feeling “downmarket” when they see the spices poor Mexican people use.

And this leaves the supposedly “Gourmet” and “International” market without any dried chiles whatsoever. None, nada, zip.

Since I didn’t want to go to the other market I made a dish using fresh serrano chili and a little rooster sauce which was good. But I’m dropping that market forever.

“Segmenting” marketers must all be shot now.

And I’m not saying it either!

http://www.theonion.com/onion3912/i_should_not_be.html

I must not think bad thoughts

The facts we hate; we’ll never meet
walking down the road.
Everybody yelling “HURRY UP! HURRY UP!”
But I’m waiting for you, I must go slow.
I must not think bad thoughts.
When is this world coming to?
Both sides are right, but both sides murder.
I give Why can’t they?

I MUST NOT THINK BAD THOUGHTS…

I’m a no good coward and an American too
A north american that is, not a south or central or native american

…my planes, my guns, my money, my soldiers
my blood on my hands, IT’S ALL MY FAULT
I MUST NOT THINK BAD THOUGHTS

–X, “More fun in the New World”

The mind of a skinhead

I usually visit my brother’s family annually in Philadelphia, a city I like pretty well. A visit to that city usually involves a trip down to South Street to eat a huge cheesesteak and wander about.

A couple of years ago, while wandering down South Street in the usual crowd of tourists and kids, I came up behind a gaggle of skinheads. They were the usual crappy racist kind, with nazi stuff hanging off them, etc. Oddly, one of them was black. They were clustered around the entrance to a deli, arguing about whether to buy cigarettes there, or go somewhere else. It was important to buy cigarettes.

The black kid said to a taller blond skinhead “Hey, we don’t want to buy cigs at a JEW STORE.”

The blond one responded “Wait. You’re a nigger nazi but you don’t want to shop at a jew store?”

There was a long silence, while thick slow wooden wheels rotated in their heads. Then one of them said “Fuck, whatever” and they all proceeded into buy the necessary cigarettes.

I doubt that the National Socialist Revolution is going to get very far in Philly.

finally a good day

I drove out I-10 to Beaumont, down California 79 to Hemet, and then back on 74 through Perris and over the Ortega Highway to San Juan, finally coming back home via the toll road. An excellent drive, with twisties to keep my skills up, some nice untraveled straightaways for zoomage, and lots of natural beauty. The hot season has just hit (it was over 90 F) but everything is still green, and the birds and insects are making an insane racket.

In the same little strip mall in Perris was the From God Thrift Store and the For Ya Ears Records & Tapes.

Also, there was a church in the San Bernardino area called The Rock: A Church Aflame! but fortunately they were only a couple blocks from HOSE-MART.

The word “hose” is funny. There was a business called HOSE-MAN that Enigma and I used to cackle at on our commute. Try it:

HOSE-FISH
HOSE-COSY
CHOCK FULL O’HOSES
BAD HOSE RISING
ABIE’S IRISH HOSE

etc

Weapon of Mass Destruction

She’s brisk. She’s blonde. She’s efficient. She’s the mouthpiece for the world’s most powerful military. She’s dressed like an elementary school principal in 1978. SHE’S VICKY CLARKE!

Sir, the BF-932 Dress has been released for theatre operations and the enemy is in full flight.

Out of freaking nowhere

I got an email from a high school friend I hadn’t spoken to in 20 years. He is, of course, in Kazakhstan.

Apparently he works for an NGO that is trying to foster democratic institutions, etc.

This is the second time in a month the Internet has coughed up something interesting like this. I also got email from a college friend who was setting up a “Make a CD a month” club with other people I knew then.

How very odd, and interesting.