Meg e-mailed about how her friend and her friend's husband showed up Friday night unexpectedly to share good news (pregnant). Meg hadn't gone to the grocery store yet and thought she and her boyfriend would go out to eat before the surprise visit. Due to the surprise, she went off to the kitchen and dug around the fridge. She had bacon and eggs in the fridge. She searched her phone and found this recipe:
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a separate large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, 7 to 9 minutes.
- Add the pasta, 1/2 cup reserved cooking water and the parmesan to the pot with the bacon. Cook, stirring and adding more cooking water as needed, until coated; season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Top the pasta with the eggs and chives.
That's one to file away for emergencies. It really is tasty. I made it for lunch today and it's easy, it's quick and it's tasty.
I found a very interesting passage in a piece by Max Parry at DISSIDENT VOICE:
As it happens, the relationship between the CIA and the New Left’s intellectuals goes back to its origins. One of the most prominent idealogues of the Frankfurt School, Herbert Marcuse — often referred to as the “father of the New Left” — spent almost a full decade during the 1940s working for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the CIA, and as an anti-Soviet intelligence analyst in the U.S. State Department. This was not just during wartime but continued well after WWII was over in West Germany until 1951 when Marcuse immigrated to the United States to work as a professor at universities on the east coast, the same year that the CCF was founded. However, one interesting fact that Maupin overlooks is that while Kamala Harris was growing up in Oakland in the 1960s, Marcuse relocated his teaching career out to the west coast at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where his work continued to be cited as an influence by the middle-class student activists and radicals of the counterculture as the left drifted further away from the socialist countries and the working class. The documentary The documentary Herbert’s Hippopotamus: Marcuse and Revolution in Paradise examines Marcuse’s time in Southern California in the late 60s.
Prior to his work in the OSS, in Weimar Germany the young Marcuse had been a pupil of philosopher Martin Heidegger even as his mentor infamously joined the ascendant Nazi Party, though the relationship came to an end once Marcuse’s own academic career was obstructed by the Third Reich in the early 1930s. One of the major thinkers associated with the New Left promoted by the CCF was a former lover of Heidegger’s, Hannah Arendt, who penned one of the most seminal and harmful works in equating the Soviet Union with Nazi Germany as twin pillars of authoritarianism in The Origins of Totalitarianism. In particular, Maupin takes aim at Arendt’s essay Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil where she famously observed Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann’s thoughtless conformism and ministerial disposition in his lack of remorse for his atrocities while covering his trial. Maupin interprets her notion as implicitly concluding that lurking underneath the surface of every ordinary hardworking person is a potential fascist, therefore anyone who would try to organize them for a collective cause is a threat to society. This cynical, psychoanalytic definition of fascism as rooted in what Adorno called the “authoritarian personality” replaced the Marxist economic understanding. Yet in spite of her work, Arendt controversially participated in the shameful post-war apologia and rehabilitation of Heidegger’s reputation.
Critics might say that Maupin’s diagnosis of the Western left as the manipulated brainchild of Western intelligence agencies is oversimplistic, conspiratorial or risks espousing a form of vulgar Marxism. Indeed, it is a touchy subject for those too personally connected to the artistic and intellectual milieu of the time to accept the undeniably significant role played by the CIA in subverting leftist politics, arts and culture in the second half of the twentieth century. Some on the left will inevitably try to dismiss his analysis by likening it to the right-wing canard of “cultural Marxism” spoken of by paleoconservatives simply because of the overlap in mutual subjects of criticism. Nonetheless, there is a small kernel of truth at the heart the right’s mostly fictitious narrative of Western Marxism’s control of academia but unfortunately, what they misinterpret as a plot to “subvert Western culture” was hatched at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia — not the former Soviet Union. Today’s pseudo-left which recoils working people is truly an imposter generated by the CIA’s cultural cold war program to replace actual Marxism, the real casualty of the pervasiveness of Western Marxism in universities.
So, the argument goes, the CIA fostered a number of things to weaken the left and that included certain moves into academia. This is the period where Gloria Steinem's working for the CIA, by the way, and spying on foreign students. Besides Gloria, who else do you think could have been fostered by the CIA?
There aren't a lot of intellectual lights in this country. For the CIA to foster someone, the person would have to do their bidding. How so? Well, I guess in 2020, they'd have to be pimping Joe Biden.
I wish I knew which 'intellectuals' were supporting which candidates. It's not like, for example, some 'intellectual' 'hero' got into an argument with a young woman insisting that she and everyone else should support Joe Biden.
Oh, wait. Noam Chomsky did do that. What was his university as a professor? Oh, right: MIT. The CIA hub, right?
Hmm.
This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for Friday:
Friday, October 16, 2020. Friday. We take a look at some of the candidates for US president.
Gino Spocchia (INDEPENDENT) reports:
Former president Barack Obama praised Joe Biden’s “good instincts” and said he would use them as president, despite voting for the Iraq war.
In an appearance on the “Pod Save America” podcast, Mr Obama discussed how a Biden administration would be able to implement “actual policy that works”, and that lived-up to his “good instincts”, having learned lessons from almost five decades in politics.
On the Iraq war, the Democrat argued that Mr Biden “learned a lesson from that”, having later admitted that his vote for the Iraq War as a senator "was a mistake".
Here's what actually happened. Barack Obama went on a podcast run by his former flunkies who worship him and, even there, he stumbled and lied. Joe does not have "good instincts." The record does not beat that out. Someone with "good instincts" does not violate women and girls' space to the point that Jon Stewart has to mock you on THE DAILY SHOW as happened when Joe was vice president. Someone with "good instincts" would immediately stop that behavior after being mocked by both THE DAILY SHOW and THE WASHINGTON POST. Not Joe. When called out in 2019, "good instincts" would not result in you, two days after your video 'apology,' making jokes at an assembly of union workers. Joe Biden is an ass. That's what Joe Biden is.
Good instincts? That would not allow your brothers and your son Hunter and now your son-in-law to all be accused of profiting from you, of corruption, of profiting on your public office. Does any living person in your family know how to apply for a job that they are qualified for? Do any of them know how to actually work for a living?
Good instincts do not lead you to make the votes Joe has made throughout his long, long, long political career. Good instincts do not allow you to pretend to support Anita Hill -- while offering her no supporting in the confirmation hearing and while you were telling Republicans that she was lying.
Joe Biden learned his lesson from Iraq?
I guess Barack wasn't a very involved parent before the White House. Or maybe he just wasn't a good parent period. Maybe his own lack of skills was why he was forever trashing African-American fathers?
Here's the basic on parenting. You teach your child to learn from a mistake. Learning from a mistake means admitting you were wrong, yes. That is step one. If that's all you've taught your children, you're a failure as a parent. Words are empty without action. Step two, when you make a mistake is making a real effort to improve anyone you have harmed by your mistake. Joe did nothing to improve the lives of the Iraqi people. In fact, he steered the US effort in 2010 to overturn the votes of the Iraqi people who, in March 2010, voted thug Nouri al-Maliki out after one term. Joe led the US effort to overturn that vote -- despite the fact that we already knew Nouri was running secret prisons and torture chambers. Joe led the US effort to negotiate The Erbil Agreement -- the legal contract that overturned the votes of the Iraqi people.
Liars like Patrick Cockburn have never written one word about The Erbil Agreement. Liars like Patrick Cockburn have blamed Nouri's second term on the government of Iran. The government of Iran did back Nouri. But it was only after the US, working months on The Erbil Agreement, got the agreement signed that the Iraqi political process finally began moving again. In March of 2010, Nouri lost the election. He refused to step down. His refusal, for eight months and several days, brought the Iraqi government to a standstill. This period was called a "political stalemate" (we used the term, the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, many press accounts used the term). Did it end in October with Iran's blessing of Nouri?
March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board noted in August,
"These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but
everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a
cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form
the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. November 10th
a power sharing deal resulted in the Parliament meeting for the second
time and voting in a Speaker. And then Iraqiya felt double crossed on
the deal and the bulk of their members stormed out of the Parliament. David Ignatius (Washington Post) explains,
"The fragility of the coalition was dramatically obvious Thursday as
members of the Iraqiya party, which represents Sunnis, walked out of
Parliament, claiming that they were already being double-crossed by
Maliki. Iraqi politics is always an exercise in brinkmanship, and the
compromises unfortunately remain of the save-your-neck variety, rather
than reflecting a deeper accord. " After that, Jalal Talabani was voted
President of Iraq. Talabani then named Nouri as the prime
minister-delegate. If Nouri can meet the conditions outlined in Article
76 of the Constitution (basically nominate ministers for each council
and have Parliament vote to approve each one with a minimum of 163
votes each time and to vote for his council program) within thirty
days, he becomes the prime minister. If not, Talabani must name another
prime minister-delegate. . In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister-delegate.
It took eight months and two days to name Nouri as prime
minister-delegate. His first go-round, on April 22, 2006, his thirty
day limit kicked in. May 20, 2006, he announced
his cabinet -- sort of. Sort of because he didn't nominate a Minister
of Defense, a Minister of Interior and a Minister of a Natioanl
Security. This was accomplished, John F. Burns wrote in "For Some, a Last, Best Hope for U.S. Efforts in Iraq" (New York Times),
only with "muscular" assistance from the Bush White House. Nouri
declared he would be the Interior Ministry temporarily. Temporarily
lasted until June 8, 2006. This was when the US was able to strong-arm,
when they'd knocked out the other choice for prime minister (Ibrahim
al-Jaafari) to install puppet Nouri and when they had over 100,000
troops on the ground in Iraq. Nouri had no competition. That's very
different from today. The Constitution is very clear and it is doubtful
his opponents -- including within his own alliance -- will look the
other way if he can't fill all the posts in 30 days. As Leila Fadel (Washington Post) observes,
"With the three top slots resolved, Maliki will now begin to
distribute ministries and other top jobs, a process that has the
potential to be as divisive as the initial phase of government
formation." Jane Arraf (Christian Science Monitor) points out,
"Maliki now has 30 days to decide on cabinet posts - some of which
will likely go to Iraqiya - and put together a full government. His
governing coalition owes part of its existence to followers of
hard-line cleric Muqtada al Sadr, leading Sunnis and others to believe
that his government will be indebted to Iran." The stalemate ends when
the country has a prime minister. It is now eight months, thirteen days
and counting.
November 10th The Erbil Agreement was signed and November 11th the Parliament was finally in session after eight months of nothing. November 11th, the KRG website announces:
Baghdad, Iraq (KRP.org) - Iraq's political leaders yesterday agreed to hold the parliamentary session as scheduled on Thursday and to name an individual for the post of Speaker of the the parliament (Council of Representatives). The Speaker post will go to the Al-Iraqiya bloc, which is headed by former prime minister Ayad Allawi.
During the meeting, which was attended by the leaders of all the winning blocs at President Masoud Barzani's Baghdad headquarters, agreement was reached on two other points: to create a council for strategic policy and to address issues regarding national reconciliation.
President Barzani, who sponsored the three days' round of meetings, stated that today's agreement was a big achievement for Iraqis. He expressed optimism that the next government will be formed soon and that it will be inclusive and representative of all of Iraq's communities.
The agreement that they are discussing is The Erbil Agreement. If you can't address that agreement, you aren't an honest broker. Patrick Cockburn has never written of it. Never admitted to it. Emma Sky's spoken of it, written of it, even included it a book. If the 'expert' on Iraq can't get honest about The Erbil Agreement, you should wonder what else they're lying about.
Joe was obligated, in 2010, to do what was best for the Iraqi people if he truly realized he made a mistake. In no world is overturning election results a good thing. Joe doesn't think overturning the results are a good thing here in the US. He can't stop pushing the fantasy that Donald Trump won't honor the election results from this upcoming November. And yet it is Joe who overturned an election. The Iraqi people voted out thug Nouri al-Maliki and they risked their lives to do so. Instead of backing the Iraqi people, instead of fostering trust in the ballot box and in the notions of democracy, Joe pushed for the votes of Iraqi people to be overturned.
That was bad enough. But no one has held Joe accountable for what happened.
Yes, Iraqi voting went down as a result. Yes, trust in democracy was not fostered. But I'm referring to the rise of ISIS. That's what resulted from the US government giving Nouri a second term. ISIS rises in Iraq during Nouri's second term and does so in response to Nouri's continued targeting of the Iraqi people. No second term for Nouri, no rise of ISIS. Let's deal with that option and wonder why Joe gets a pass from the press. On that? On everything.
Again, basic parenting is teaching children that words are not enough. "I made a mistake" or "I'm sorry" is not enough. You have to make an effort to make it right. Joe did nothing for the Iraqi people. So his 'mistake' isn't a real admission.
More to the point, he doesn't believe it was a "mistake" to vote for the Iraq War. He believes it was a "mistake" to trust Bully Boy Bush. He was so stupid that he trusted Bully Boy Bush. If, in the fall of 2002, you'd asked most Democrats: Should we trust Bully Boy Bush? The response would have been a loud "Hell no!" But idiot Joe wants to tell you he wasn't as smart as every other Democrat in the country and that he trusted Bully Boy Bush at that point.
Joe Biden said his vote for the Iraq War "was a mistake"? Barack, I believe you've confused him with many of your own voters in 2008 who supported you because you promised -- at campaign event after campaign event and in campaign ad after campaign ad -- to end the Iraq War. They voted for you. You ended up with two terms in the White House, two terms as president. You left after two terms and US forces were still in Iraq and the Iraq War continued. I think it's the deluded from 2008 who now feel that their votes for you were "a mistake."'
Barack left the White House after two terms as president with US troops still in Iraq, still dying in Iraq, with the war still dragging on.
Are Donald Trump and Joe Biden the only candidates you can choose from?
No.
Howie Hawkins is running for president on the Green Party's ticket and he reminds you of some realities about Joe Biden.
Jo Jorgensen is running for president on the Libertarian Party's ticket
"Vote for what you really want," Jo Jorgensen offers.
Howie participated in a debate with other presidential candidates, including Gloria La Riva of the Party For Socialism and Liberation, last week. Though it went off without a hitch on FACEBOOK, there were streaming issues at YOUTUBE.
The organization which sponsored the debate has posted a full version of it to YOUTUBE.
Stream that if you have a candidate in the mix, if you like to be informed or if you're just curious what alternatives exist. Grasp that when Donald said no to a debate, the corporate media did not reach out to Howie or Jo or Gloria or anyone to try to put together a debate or to give them a townhall. If you want to know about the other candidates, you're going to have to do some of the work yourself because the corporate media -- and Amy Goodman of Beggar Media ('send us money, I've bilked PACIFICA out of millions and I still need more!') -- will not cover them. Credit to MORNING JOE on MSNBC for having Howie on last week. We noted that last week. But that's one show and that's one appearance.
Here's Angela Rodriquez on YOUTUBE doing what the corporate media should be doing, explaining the basics.
She can do it from her own home with no budget but the wealthy corporate media can't? No, they won't. This is not a new development. This was part of the corruption that inspired the rage of the film BULWORTH.
Here's Jo Jorgensen taking her message directly to the voters.
Are we noticing the reality that Jo, in her media under-covered campaign, still attracts larger turnout at her events than Joe Biden does?
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