What's the point?

Over the years there have been more and more seating only music venues, fewer and fewer with an open floor for dancing.  I am not talking about night clubs, but places where headliners go to play.  And more and more I am starting to think, why bother?

Now there are many acts where I would be happy with theater type seating.  I saw Jewel that way.  I would enjoy seeing James Taylor or Shawn Colvin that way too.  But Bonnie Raitt, Frank Turner, the Rolling Stones?  Are you kidding?

I am not saying that rock and roll concerts should have no seats.  Most of the people will want to sit down at least some of the time.  And some of the people really want to see the show but can't stand up for long periods of time, if at all.  We rock and rollers are getting old.  But standing in a skinny isle in front of your seat doesn't quite cut it.

A local venue, the Uptown Theater in Napa has booked the Beach Boys (or some remnant of the Beach Boys anyway).  It is strictly theater seating, there is no dance floor at all.  Who goes to see the Beach Boys with their hands folded neatly in their lap?

I have not been, only seen the layout on their website.  And I am sure it is a wonderful venue to listen to a singer/songwriter play their heart out and wring tears from your eye with heartfelt lyrics.  If James Taylor were to play there, I would love to go see him.  But a rock and roll show?  I will have to pass.
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Not the same thing

I have to preface this with a confession. I am a Grammar Nazi. Errors in grammar and usage committed by OTHER PEOPLE make my skin crawl, and I have to bite my tongue to not correct them. I have much more tolerance for my own mistakes.

The other day my wife and I went out for breakfast. Our server was excellent. He didn't disappear for long periods of time, When we asked for something, it was quickly delivered. It was good service and he earned the good tip we gave him.

More than once we asked for something, and his response was "No problem." While that would not be my choice of words it certainly did not cause the aforementioned skin crawling. In that instance it is just a substitute for 'Yes'.

However, when he would deliver something to the table, refill our coffee or water, and one of us would say "Thank you", his response was the same, "No problem".   "No problem" is not the same as "You're welcome".

Petty? Of course it is, and yes I am an old fart.   I was not particularly polite as a young man but I have grown to appreciate certain niceties that grease the wheels of society. Among those are "please", "thank you" and "you're welcome".  While "no problem" could be an acceptable answer to the question "May I have another cup of coffee?", it is not a response to "thank you".

This concludes my petty peeve for the day.

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Say it ain't so DiFi

So California Senator Dianne Feinstein, aged 82, is looking like she is going to stand for re-election in 2018. Of course a lot can change between now and then. Political climate change, at 82, her health may change, but my feeling on this has nothing to do with those sorts of thing. It really comes down to this. California needs two true progressive senators. Senator Feinstein is not now and never has been a progressive. While it is true that she has sided with the progressives on some issues, but only when that was the party line. I can't recall any time she has stuck her neck out to stand up for individual rights (Patriot Act) or protecting the New Deal (Glass–Steagall). She is and always has been at best a Corporate Democrat with a dash of chicken hawk and at worst a Democrat in Name Only. She has stood by the party in most cases but she has not led the party. As most in government do, she has done a decent job of representing her campaign contributors. But she has done less decent job of representing the working people of California. I am not saying that she has been a terrible Senator, she has not been. Only that she has been less than we need, especially now. Please madam Senator, step aside and allow someone show will advance the interest of the people against the encroaching corporate monolith. The battle between democracy and feudalism is rapidly approaching. You are not up to the task, and I am not entirely sure which side you would be on. Tweet

Mince Meat, Christmas Pudding and other things British

I know this is a stretch, but just in case I have any British readers... My wife and I are considering a vacation to England next year. We will likely be using our timeshare to trade into something there so where we go will likely be limited to a few major cities. That doesn't mean we will be stuck there. We may rent a car or use public transportation to get out of whatever city we are staying in. So my question for any British readers, imagine you have friends coming to visit from another country. You have a week or two paid leave to take them around to see the sights, and they are relying upon you to selected what they will see. Where do you take them and what do they do? And now for the cooking portion of the post. Last year I made Mince meat for the first time in many years. I have long lost my grandmother's recipe, but I managed to locate something that looked very much like the one she used. Following my grandmother's (and the recipe's) practice, I combined the ingredients, including the suet, and placed the mixture in clean jars in the refrigerator for a few months before making the pies. Other recipes I have seen cook some or all of the ingredients. Can anyone enlighten me on this? Is cooking mandatory, optional, heretical?