2008 Elections

People are already talking about the ‘08 elections and I’m worried about media narrative. Not who has the best one, but who the media are going to screw over. In 2004 we had to deal with the media and their portrayal of Howard Dean as an unelectable hothead who was too liberal for anyone outside of New England. Never mind that he was a moderate who ended up being key in the ‘06 elections. I’m worried that the media is going to tear down yet another candidate before s/he has a chance to raise money and break through. I’m worried that we’re going to see another bland candidate who is boring enough to not trigger any of the media’s list of master stories that will inevitably make it seem like there is nothing new under the Democratic sun. I’m worried that the supposedly liberally-biased media is going to toss another one to yet another Washington Insider, Populist Outsider, Too Liberal, Too Conservative, Too Centrist, Too Bland, Too Interesting, Too Religious, Not Religious Enough, or any other stripped down, oversimplified, bullshit story from some hack who thinks that the American public can’t stand to think of their leader as anything other than a cartoon character.

No wonder so many people vote Donald Duck.

HOT Chocolate

More than a year ago a friend of mine introduced me to xocoatl, the original hot chocolate. There’s a place in New Haven that serves it called Mocha (on Orange and Chapel, I think). When I say hot chocolate, I mean HOT chocolate. This stuff goes cold before you can finish it, because it has a load of cayenne pepper added. You can can make an inferior version at home with a packet of hot cocoa mix, add some milk, and add as much cayenne pepper as you can stand. The real stuff is very tasty, but be careful, as the heat won’t hit you at first, and you may end up drinking more than you can handle at one pull. Drink it like it’s scalding coffee at first. It seems to be best when it’s still hot enough to feel hot, but at very hot you miss the chocolate. Definitely worth a try.