Daily Entries for the week of
Sunday, March 14, 2021
through
Saturday, March 20, 2021
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It’s Saturday, March 20, 2021
Welcome to the 1051st consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Tony Shalhoub in February 2017
Greg2600 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/greg2600/32976117582/in/photolist-2d4GV8F-9qcmx4-71kSG3-59QzSm-5G88ig-5Gcpyq-SeZdTq-6XgmA-6X8Yk-5GcpCY-oTNLKN
CC BY-SA 4.0
File:Tony Shalhoub 2017 (cropped).jpg
Created: 23 February 2017
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2.0 Commentary
I am in my eightieth year.
Totally grateful for so much that I have.
My physical comfort.
My health.
My activities.
My writing.
My family.
My friends.
My associates.
Without people around us we are greatly weakened; susceptible.
With people, we are strong; fortified.
Give thanks.
Thank you, my friends and family.
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3.0 Reading and Writing Events
3.1 Sacco and Vanzetti
We have founded the Memorial to Sacco and Vanzetti, Inc. to install a memorial in recognition of the contributions of Italian immigration to American society and of our justice system that can make a mistake, apologize, and move forward.
I spend a good deal of time writing,
like Agendas, Mission Statements, Endorsements, emails.
Today we posted this idea: drafting an over-arcing calendar to track all of the activities of the group.
With postmarks for where we want to be abd when.
Expect lots of discussion, ideas, creation.
Excited.
3.2 Conflicted
I wrote a great story poorly.
Rejected.
Dejected.
Have been writing this blog for 1050 consecutive days.
My friend Howard D suggested, “Rewrite the Conflicted manuscript as a blog.”
That idea totally changed the quality of the tell.
I spend a lot of time these days rewriting the manuscript.
Beta readers are enthusiastic.
Currently, I am working on our protagonist’s introspection and
decision to move out of her parents’ home in a small town,
into her own apartment with her girlfriends in a big city.
I’m editing this chunk, a prelude to submitting it to a professional editor.
And am waiting for Tory, my editor, to finish with her first set of pages.
She’s a young woman and must be anxious to do it right.
3.3 Storyworth
This week’s question asks me why I pursued a graduate degree.
I just finished this piece.
I don’t think I answered the question directly but I filled the space.
I’ll reread it tomorrow and publish in here in a couple of days.
3.4 Blog
No wriggle room here.
Every day requires its own effort.
On Sunday, I got an early start and was mostly done before I went off to the café.
3.5 Modernism and Existentialism
Online literature and writing classes for middle schoolers through adults.
Find community in a fun, dynamic learning environment and become a better reader.
We are finishing Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse this week.
Today, at the café, I intend to see how many pages we have to read and to review the themes that Ms. Woolf brings up.
Being a modernist novel, it’s not an easy read but it contains spectacularly beautiful passages.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
The only thing that scares me more than space aliens is
the idea that there aren’t any space aliens.
We can’t be the best that creation has to offer.
I pray we’re not all there is.
If so, we’re in big trouble.”
~Ellen DeGeneres
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5.0 Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
or text to 617.852.7192
Blog meister responds:
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Thursday night I had my friend, the builder-architect, over for dinner.
We had a plate of ravioli with Bolognese sauce followed by
a slow-roast chicken.
All good.
I changed the Bolognese sauce by making it creamy.
So I used the same Bolognese recipe but at the finish added
a handful of meltable cheeses with
half-a-cup of milk.
Excellent.
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11.0 Thumbnail
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the title character, Adrian Monk.
It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and
is primarily a police procedural series, but
also exhibits comic and dramatic tones in its exploration of the main characters' personal lives.
The series was produced by Mandeville Films and Touchstone Television in association with Universal Network Television.
The series debuted on July 12, 2002, on USA Network.
It continued for eight seasons, with the final season concluding on December 4, 2009.
The series held the record for the most-watched scripted drama episode in cable television history from 2009 through 2012 (broken by The Walking Dead) with "Mr. Monk and the End – Part II",
its series finale, with 9.4 million viewers, 3.2 million of them in the 18–49 demographic.[1]
The series was critically acclaimed, winning eight Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
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It’s Friday, March 19, 2021
Welcome to the 1050th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Stanley Tucci
A rich acting career
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2.0 Commentary
Almost through one of my busy Wednesdays.
Busy because I have my Granddaughter’s class to prepare for and then attend @ 3pm.
Before that, I have standing haircut appointment @ 1pm.
And before that a writing ninety minutes at the café.
And before that, I food shop.
And before that I lift weights.
And before that I have an overnight guest and a flurry of emails to respond to.
It’s almost 6pm and I have Friday’s post to prepare and ready for publishing.
When I’m done I’m going to suck on a popsicle and watch an hour of television.
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3.0 Reading and Writing Events
3.2 Conflicted
Three years ago agents passed on a manuscript I had finished.
The story, Conflicted, was great; the style not acceptable.
I put the Conflicted manuscript aside and turned my creativity to developing the blog.
After three years I developed a writing style
that the same people who had turned away from the Conflicted manuscript
find terrific.
Then my friend Howard Dinin suggested, “Rewrite the Conflicted manuscript as a blog.”
I spend a lot of time these days rewriting the manuscript.
Beta readers are enthusiastic.
I’ve started the final read before this next section is ready for my editor.
I have about four or five hours to go.
3.4 Blog
No wriggle room here.
Every day requires its own effort.
On Sunday, I got an early start and was mostly done before I went off to the café.
3.5 Modernism and Existentialism
Online literature and writing classes for middle schoolers through adults.
Find community in a fun, dynamic learning environment and become a better reader.
We had a decent class today.
Not the best, but decent.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
“Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and
driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for -
in order to get to the job you need
to pay for the clothes and the car, and
the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.”
~Ellen DeGeneres
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5.0 Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
or text to 617.852.7192
Many emails floating around tomorrow’s Board of Directors’ meeting of the Memorial to Sacco and Vanzetti, Inc.
Blog meister responds: The spirit of this endeavor is wonderful.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Wednesday night I had a small plate of Pasta Bolognese and
a chef’s dinner of a duck carcass.
Lovely.
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11.0 Thumbnail
Stanley Tucci Jr. (born November 11, 1960) is an American actor, writer, producer, and former fashion model.
Involved in acting from a young age, he made his film debut in John Huston's Prizzi's Honor (1985), and continued to play a variety of supporting roles in films such as Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry (1997), Sam Mendes's Road to Perdition (2002), and Steven Spielberg's The Terminal (2004).
In 1996, he made his directorial debut with the cult comedy Big Night which he also co-wrote and starred in alongside Tony Shalhoub.
He also played Stanley Kubrick in the television film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.
Tucci is also known for his collaborations with Meryl Streep in films such as The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and Julie & Julia (2009).
Tucci gained further acclaim and success with such films as Easy A (2010), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Margin Call (2011), The Hunger Games film series (2012-2015), Spotlight (2015), and Beauty and the Beast (2017).
He has won three Emmy Awards; one for Winchell (1998), one for a guest appearance on the comedy series Monk, and one for being a producer of the web series Park Bench with Steve Buscemi. Tucci was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Lovely Bones (2009). He was also nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (2003),[3] and a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, for The One and Only Shrek! alongside Meryl Streep.
Tucci also starred in numerous television series such as the legal drama Murder One (1995–96), the medical drama 3 lbs (2006), the docudrama Feud (2017), and the drama Limetown (2018). Since 2020, Tucci has voiced Bitsy Brandenham in the animated series Central Park.
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It’s Thursday, March 18, 2021
Welcome to the 1049th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Mordecai and Esther
Jewish Culture
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2.0 Commentary
The lower back strain that I suffered when I fell two weeks ago has abated.
Still twinges, but hardly noticeable.
Not doing badly on weight.
Lifting is getting close to where I can say I’m 66% of the way to my pre-pandemic strength.
Which I now believe I will not attain.
Which doesn’t reduce my commitment in the slightest.
The weights are ready for me:
I always hit them with my best shot.
I talk about weights a lot.
They mean a lot to me.
However, please don’t think that I am in any way a physically strong person.
Not at all.
Fit, I am.
Strength? Some of the women at the gym are stronger than I am by a long shot.
Which doesn’t reduce my commitment in the slightest.
The unpreparedness of the Biden Administration vis a vis our southern border
has drawn so much negative attention we hope good things will happen.
Allowing gate-crashers into America is not one of those good things.
Seeing Biden Administration officials heading off to the Far East
may have an unlooked for beneficial effect.
It may remind us that there is a very big world out there.
Very poor countries out there.
Very needy people out there.
People who desperately want to come to America to live.
Who have applied in the way we have told them to apply.
People who live south of our border have no more legitimate claim to entry
than other desperate people from around the world.
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3.0 Reading and Writing Events
3.1 Sacco and Vanzetti
Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants and anarchists and who, in 1921, accused of double murder, were found guilty and eventually executed. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the city of Boston, and most scholars agree that they did not get a fair trial.
We have founded the Memorial to Sacco and Vanzetti, Inc. to install a memorial in recognition of the contributions of Italian immigration to American society and of our justice system that can make a mistake, apologize, and move forward.
I spend a good deal of time writing,
like Agendas, Mission Statements, Endorsements, emails.
I think we are ready for our Friday Board of Directors meeting.
3.2 Conflicted
My friend Howard Dinin suggested, “Rewrite the Conflicted manuscript as a blog.”
I took his suggestion and these days spend a lot of time rewriting the manuscript.
Beta readers are enthusiastic.
I am closing in on completing another entire section for my editor, Tory.
I’ll look at her edit of the first section and then decide whether to continue on with her.
3.3 Storyworth
This is an application that my daughter bought me as a Christmas present.
Every week I am sent a question about my life.
This week’s question asks me Why did you pursue a graduate degree?
I spent a few moments on Tuesday gathering random thoughts on the subject and put the assignment aside.
3.4 Blog
No wriggle room here.
Every day requires its own effort.
I am working on it right now.
3.5 Modernism and Existentialism
Online literature and writing classes for middle schoolers through adults.
Find community in a fun, dynamic learning environment and become a better reader.
I’m in one of my granddaughter’s classes,
Modernism and Existentialism.
I must shine.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
Trying is the first step toward failure.
~Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Tuesday night I hosted two dear North End childhood friends.
We had a plate of Bolognese Sauce with penne pasta followed by
Roast Duck and a small cheeseboard.
Dinner was very good but
the conversation was better.
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11.0 Thumbnail
The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts that were found in the Qumran Caves in the Judaean Desert, near Ein Feshkha on the northern shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank.
Scholarly consensus dates these scrolls from the last three centuries BCE and the first century CE.[1][2] The texts have great historical, religious, and linguistic significance because they include the second-oldest known surviving manuscripts of works later included in the Hebrew Bible canon, along with deuterocanonical and extra-biblical manuscripts which preserve evidence of the diversity of religious thought in late Second Temple Judaism.
Almost all of the Dead Sea Scrolls are held by the state of Israel in the Shrine of the Book on the grounds of the Israel Museum, but ownership of the scrolls is disputed by Jordan and Palestine.[3]
Many thousands of written fragments have been discovered in the Dead Sea area. They represent the remnants of larger manuscripts damaged by natural causes or through human interference, with the vast majority holding only small scraps of text. However, a small number of well-preserved, almost intact manuscripts have survived – fewer than a dozen among those from the Qumran Caves.[1] Researchers have assembled a collection of 981 different manuscripts – discovered in 1946/47 and in 1956 – from 11 caves.[4] The 11 Qumran Caves lie in the immediate vicinity of the Hellenistic-period Jewish settlement at Khirbet Qumran in the eastern Judaean Desert, in the West Bank.[5] The caves are located about one mile (1.6 kilometres) west of the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, whence they derive their name. Scholarly consensus dates the Qumran Caves Scrolls from the last three centuries BCE and the first century CE.[1] Bronze coins found at the same sites form a series beginning with John Hyrcanus (in office 135–104 BCE) and continuing until the period of the First Jewish–Roman War (66–73 CE), spporting the radiocarbon and paleographic dating of the scrolls.[6]
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It’s Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Welcome to the 1048th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Beyoncé
at The Lion King European Premiere in 2019
Sassy - Vimeo: The Lion King European Premiere
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2.0 Commentary
As President Biden sorts out the mess at our southern border,
he must remember that most of the refugees are fleeing poverty and disease.
They are not political refugees being persecuted and threatened for their beliefs.
That so, they must be returned to their home countries.
‘Feeling bad’ for illegal immigrants is not policy.
Our immigration rules, existent or to come,
are for people the world over, Africa, Asia, Europe, Argentina, and the whole world.
There are no exemptions for people in Mexico or Central America.
The mess that’s growing is giving the far-right crazies a credible “I told you so.”
Gently but firmly, return the refugees to their countries.
Don’t cheat other deserving who followed the procedures that we’ve established,
The Democrats are making the wall seem like a good idea.
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3.0 Reading and Writing Events
3.1 Sacco and Vanzetti
Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants and anarchists and who, in 1921, accused of double murder, were found guilty and eventually executed. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the city of Boston, and most scholars agree that they did not get a fair trial.
We have founded the Memorial to Sacco and Vanzetti, Inc. to install a memorial in recognition of the contributions of Italian immigration to American society and of our justice system that can make a mistake, apologize, and move forward.
I spend a good deal of time writing,
like Agendas, Mission Statements, Endorsements, emails.
Today I worked on the agenda for our Friday’s Board of Directors Zoom meeting.
Part of that was preparing a presentation for the use of a piece of art held by the City of Boston.
3.2 Conflicted
Three years ago agents passed on a manuscript I had finished.
The story, Conflicted, was great; the style not acceptable.
I put the Conflicted manuscript aside and turned my creativity to developing the blog.
After three years I developed a writing style
that the same people who had turned away from the Conflicted manuscript
find terrific.
Then my friend Howard Dinin suggested, “Rewrite the Conflicted manuscript as a blog.”
I spend a lot of time these days rewriting the manuscript.
Beta readers are enthusiastic.
I rewrote a particularly difficult passage today.
Pleased.
3.3 Storyworth
This is an application that my daughter bought me as a Christmas present.
Every week I am sent a question about my life.
The answers are mailed out to a list of people that Kat has provided.
At the end of the year I get a hard copy of the book.
This week’s question asks me “Why did you decide to get a graduate degree?”
I jotted some thoughts that came to me in the first minute then filed the sheet to work on tomorrow.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
I like long walks,
especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
~Noel Coward
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5.0 Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
or text to 617.852.7192
Here are two from the posting on our homeless friend, Yan.
The first from Ann H:
Thanks for sharing about Yan!
xox
Ann Heimlicher
Boston Spot-Lite, Inc.
This next from Sally C:
How wonderful to hear news of Yan!
I was thinking about her the other day,
wondering how she was doing.
Sally
Blog meister responds: I miss her.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Monday night I had a prepared chicken cutlet that I bought from Whole Foods,
serving it with steamed spinach.
I also made a simple chicken soup with one of the two breast halves I had left-over from
a roasted chicken.
With the other half I made a simple chicken salad for my friend LouLou who came over to watch the Hunger Games with me.
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11.0 Thumbnail
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (née Knowles; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, director, humanitarian, and record producer. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.
In 2002, during Destiny's Child's hiatus, Beyoncé made her theatrical film debut in the U.S. box-office hit Austin Powers in Goldmember and began her solo music career. Her debut album Dangerously in Love (2003) featured four Billboard Hot 100 top five songs, including the number-one singles "Crazy in Love" featuring rapper Jay-Z and "Baby Boy" featuring Sean Paul. Following the 2006 disbandment of Destiny's Child, she released B'Day, which contained her first U.S. number-one solo single "Irreplaceable" and the worldwide hit "Beautiful Liar". Beyoncé continued her acting career with starring roles in The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls (2006), and Obsessed (2009). Her marriage to Jay-Z and her portrayal of Etta James in Cadillac Records (2008) influenced her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), which earned a record-setting six Grammy Awards in 2010. It spawned the UK number-one single "If I Were a Boy", the U.S. hits "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" and "Halo".
After splitting from her manager and father Mathew Knowles in 2010, Beyoncé released her musically diverse fourth album 4 in 2011. She later achieved universal acclaim for her sonically experimental visual albums, Beyoncé (2013) and Lemonade (2016), the latter of which was the world's best-selling album of 2016 and the most acclaimed album of her career, exploring themes of infidelity and womanism. In 2018, she released Everything Is Love, a collaborative album with her husband, Jay-Z, as the Carters. As a featured artist, Beyoncé topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the remixes of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran in 2017 and "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. The same year, she released the musical film and visual album Black Is King to widespread acclaim.
Beyoncé is one of the world's best-selling recording artists, having sold 118 million records worldwide.[6] She is the first music act to debut at number one with their first six solo studio albums on the Billboard 200.[7] Her success during the 2000s was recognized with the Recording Industry Association of America's Top Certified Artist of the Decade, as well as Billboard's Top Radio Songs Artist and the Top Female Artist of the Decade.[8][9] Beyoncé is the most nominated woman at the Grammy Awards, and is the most awarded singer in history with 28 wins.[10][11] She is also the most awarded artist at the MTV Video Music Awards with 24 wins.[12][13] In 2014, she became the highest-earning black musician in history and was listed among Time's 100 most influential people in the world for a second year in a row.[14] She occupied the sixth place for Time's Person of the Year in 2016,[15] and in 2020, was included on their list of 100 women who defined the last century.[16] Forbes ranked her as the most powerful female in entertainment on their 2015 and 2017 lists.
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It’s Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Welcome to the 1047th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Bolognese Sauce
The runaway best Bolognese recipe in the 11.0 Thumbnail section of today’s post.
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2.0 Commentary
March.
Weather in March goes from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Sometimes in the same day.
Does that surprise anyone?
Of course not.
And yet the shocking weather changes present themselves as
a prime subject when you are making small talk.
If my headaches recur on Sunday, I’ll contact my PCP and
ask if I should be concerned.
They started after my second shot on February 18.
One week short of a month.
I had a huge amount of fun creating the Bolognese Sauce recipe.
So happy it came out so right on my first go-round.
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3.0 Reading and Writing Events
3.1 Sacco and Vanzetti
Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants and anarchists and who, in 1921, accused of double murder, were found guilty and eventually executed. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the city of Boston, and most scholars agree that they did not get a fair trial.
We have founded the Memorial to Sacco and Vanzetti, Inc. to install a memorial in recognition of the contributions of Italian immigration to American society and of our justice system that can make a mistake, apologize, and move forward.
I spend a good deal of time writing,
like Agendas, Mission Statements, Endorsements, emails.
Today I’m working on a presentation to one of the city agencies for
one of the many permissions we’ll have to obtain on our way
to installing our memorial.
3.2 Conflicted
Three years ago agents passed on a manuscript I had finished.
The story, Conflicted, was great; the style not acceptable.
I put the Conflicted manuscript aside and turned my creativity to developing the blog.
After three years I developed a writing style
that the same people who had turned away from the Conflicted manuscript
find terrific.
Then my friend Howard Dinin suggested, “Rewrite the Conflicted manuscript as a blog.”
I spend a lot of time these days rewriting the manuscript.
Beta readers are enthusiastic.
I wrote some pages today.
I’m comfortable with the time I have for it and the results of my efforts.
3.4 Blog
No wriggle room here.
Every day requires its own effort.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
“I’m at a place in my life
when errands are starting to count as going out.”
~Anonymous
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5.0 Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
or text to 617.852.7192
Ann H and I had a lovely dinner several nights ago.
We talked about a homeless person, Yan,
whom I used to see on a daily basis
in the days before the pandemic, when
Blue Bottle café had table seating, and when
Microsoft still had stores to visit.
Neither of us had seen her in near a year.
Later that evening, Ann sent me this:
saw Yan on my way home.
She was all wrapped up in a blanket
think she was good
Awesome to see you.
xxoo
Blog meister responds: These annual dinners are treasures. Quite the coincidence, Yan.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Saturday night I had a roast chicken.
Delicious.
The chicken was barely 3lbs so after the slow-roast (1hr per pound @ 200*)
I broiled it to give it a nice color.
The vegetables I bought prepared.
Am very excited about Sunday night.
I’m trying my first Bolognese Sauce ever.
If it works (of course it will) I’ll use it Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights for guests.
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11.0 Thumbnail
BOLOGNESE SAUCE
This sauce is better prepared the day before.
Explanation below.
The layers of ingredients, the generous fat content, and the long cooking time
add a complexity to the sauce
missing when any of these steps are short cut.
3TB Unsalted Butter
3TB Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
4oz Pancetta (cut into 1/4-inch pieces)
4oz yellow onion, minced
4oz red bell pepper, minced
1 chili pepper, minced
3oz carrot, minced
3oz celery, minced
1oz fresh garlic, minced
1 lb ground Beef
½ lb ground Pork
½ lb hot italian pork sausage meat
4TB tomato Paste
2TB anchovy paste
1 cup Dry White Wine
1 ¼ cups Whole Milk
7 cups homemade chicken stock
5 sprigs Thyme
2 Fresh Bay Leaves
1 cup fresh basil or parsley or combination
1 TB dried oregano
1 ½ t salt and
½ t freshly-ground pepper
28 oz Italian tomatoes, San Marzano preferred, chopped
Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium heat until butter starts to sizzle, then
Add pancetta, and cook until golden and fat has rendered, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the mirepoix: the onion, carrot, peppers, and celery, and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
Add the anchovy paste and the tomato paste when the mirepoix is almost done and incorporate them into the vegetables. Scrape the bottom of the pan to avoid any burning.
Add the ground meat and cook over medium heat.
Stir frequently, separating the clumps of meat with the edge of a spatula.
The meat gets easier to separate as it heats and mixes with the pan juices.
Brown the meat (8 to 10 minutes). Scrape the bottom of the pan to avoid any burning
Add the wine and cook until liquid has evaporated, 6 to 7 minutes.
Add 1 cup milk and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes
Add all herbs and spices.
Add in the can of chopped tomatoes and
6 cups of stock. (Use the other cup of stock if the sauce appears too thick.)
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer and
cook 3 to 3 ½ hours.
Stir in remaining 1/4 cup milk and season with salt and pepper, as desired.
This recipe calls for a generous amount of fat.
I find the frying much easier with the generous quantity.
During the three-hour cook, you can remove the fat with a large spoon.
I leave the sauce overnight.
The fat rises.
It’s very easy then to edge it out with a spatula.
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It’s Monday, March 15, 2021
Welcome to the 1046th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
Goldberg Variation: X Files
Source
Frame showing Mulder and Scully examining a Goldberg machine
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2.0 Commentary
I believe in ritual.
Especially when it comes to food.
One of my favorites is a long walk
to get to my destination restaurant.
The prospect of a terrific dinner
imbues the walk with solemnity,
a backdrop to lovely thoughts.
Then the sit at the dining table becomes
a good rest as well as
a good dinner.
One is put into an altogether receptive mood.
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3.0 Reading and Writing Events
3.1 Sacco and Vanzetti
Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants and anarchists and who, in 1921, accused of double murder, were found guilty and eventually executed. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the city of Boston, and most scholars agree that they did not get a fair trial.
We have founded the Memorial to Sacco and Vanzetti, Inc. to install a memorial in recognition of the contributions of Italian immigration to American society and of our justice system that can make a mistake, apologize, and move forward.
I spend a good deal of time writing,
like Agendas, Mission Statements, Endorsements, emails.
Agenda
Phone calls
3.2 Conflicted
Three years ago agents passed on a manuscript I had finished.
The story, Conflicted, was great; the style not acceptable.
I put the Conflicted manuscript aside and turned my creativity to developing the blog.
After three years I developed a writing style
that the same people who had turned away from the Conflicted manuscript
find terrific.
Then my friend Howard Dinin suggested, “Rewrite the Conflicted manuscript as a blog.”
I spend a lot of time these days rewriting the manuscript.
Beta readers are enthusiastic.
Saturday I spent some excellent creative hours on my rewrite.
Simultaneously, Tory is working on her editing of the first 35 pages.
I begin to fear the additional pull on my time when she sends me her ideas.
I have to read them, decide which I will keep, (most of them) and then
allocate time to buff the first set of pages while
producing the next set without slowing the pace.
3.4 Blog
No wriggle room here.
Every day requires its own effort.
It's Saturday, and I go back to the blog again and again,
doing one section and switching to another project.
I like the variation.
3.5 Modernism and Existentialism
Online literature and writing classes for middle schoolers through adults.
Find community in a fun, dynamic learning environment and become a better reader.
It’s my granddaughter’s class. I’ve enrolled in the class on Modernism and Existentialism.
I must shine.
We are assigned fifty pages to read and analyze for a Wednesday afternoon Zoom meeting.
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4.0 Chuckles and Thoughts
“Describe your perfect date.”
“That’s a tough one.
I’d have to say April 25.
Because it’s not too hot and not too cold.
All you need is a light jacket.”
~Stan Fields (William Shatner) and Cheryl Frasier (Heather Burns), Miss Congeniality
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Friday night I met my dear friend Ann H for our annual birthday dinner.
(Our birthdays are very close.)
This is now a 35 year tradition.
The dinner at Rochambeau slipped since our last dinner there several months ago.
The liver pate was significantly oversalted.
The fresh tuna niçoise was perfect.
The Pork Osso Bucco was served with a rich, thick, tasty sauce that really belonged on a roast pork.
And it was slightly oversalted.
Service was very good.
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11.0 Thumbnail
"The Goldberg Variation" is the sixth episode of the seventh season of the science fiction television series
The X-Files.
It premiered on the Fox network in the United States on December 12, 1999.
It was written by Jeffrey Bell, directed by Thomas J. Wright, and featured guest appearances by Willie Garson and Shia LaBeouf.
The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology.
"The Goldberg Variation" earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.8, being watched by 14.49 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received mixed-to-positive reviews.
The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. In this episode, Mulder and Scully investigate a mysterious man named Henry Weems, who appears to be the luckiest man in the world. The title is a dual reference to Rube Goldberg machines and the Goldberg Variations by Johann Sebastian Bach.
In Chicago, a man by the name of Henry Weems wins $100,000 playing poker against a mobster named Jimmy Cutrona, though Weems appears ignorant of the basic rules of poker. Suspecting that Weems cheated, Cutrona attempts to kill him by throwing him off the 29th story of the building. After Weems lands in a laundry cart in the basement, he stands up and walks away. Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) initially believes the man has the ability to cure himself, but Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) thinks he may just be very lucky.
The agents track down Weems, a handyman at an apartment building. He refuses to testify against Cutrona. Weems has a fascination with Rube Goldberg machines and his apartment is filled with them. As the agents leave, one of Cutrona's enforcers arrives to kill Weems, but dies in an improbable cascade of events. The two agents rush back up stairs and find Weems unscathed. Mulder notes that Weems was the sole survivor of a commuter jet crash that killed 20 people in December 1989.
Weems buys a lottery ticket and wins $100,000, but throws the ticket away when he learns that it would take 12 months to get the money. A man retrieves the ticket and after ignoring Weems' warning that "something bad will happen", is hit by a truck. Later, as Mulder questions Weems again, another one of Cutrona's enforcers tries to kill him, only for his bullet to ricochet off Weems' pocket knife, barely graze Mulder's arm, and hit and kill the enforcer. Weems confesses that he has been trying to find a way to get $100,000 to pay for an expensive medical treatment for a boy in his apartment building named Richie (Shia LaBeouf). Later, after Weems is hit by a car, it appears that his lucky streak has reached its end. Cutrona kidnaps Richie's mom, Maggie, to stop Weems from testifying against him. Weems turns himself in to Cutrona so he would let Maggie go; instead, they plan to kill him. As they are about to execute Weems in the basement, Cutrona and his mobster partner, Dominic, are killed in a bizarre turn of events, whereas Weems and Maggie are unharmed as Mulder arrives with backup. In the end, it turns out that Cutrona is an organ donor and a perfect match for Richie, who gets his medical treatment and lives.[1]
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It’s Sunday, March 14, 2021
Welcome to the 1045th consecutive post to the blog,
existentialautotrip.com
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1.0 Lead Picture
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois).
U.S. Senate Photographic Studio; Renee Bouchard - https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/imo/media/image/Official_Portrait_2017.jpg
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2.0 Commentary
I don’t know what will happen to our economy if we ever attain full employment.
But after a lifetime of worrying about that, I think
it’s time that we worry more about the resistant poverty.
It’s time that we afford free community college education.
Health care for all.
Let inflation raise its head if it must.
But people in America going hungry?
No more!
If we pass Biden’s brewing infrastructure bill,
we are likely to nudge our employment rate toward ‘full’.
Let’s.
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3.0 Reading and Writing Events
3.1 Sacco and Vanzetti
Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants and anarchists and who, in 1921, accused of double murder, were found guilty and eventually executed. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the city of Boston, and most scholars agree that they did not get a fair trial.
We have founded the Memorial to Sacco and Vanzetti, Inc. to install a memorial in recognition of the contributions of Italian immigration to American society and of our justice system that can make a mistake, apologize, and move forward.
I spend a good deal of time writing,
like Agendas, Mission Statements, Endorsements, emails.
Late Thursday night I received the answers to some specific questions regarding making a 3-D mold from which we can make a perfectly detailed rubber mold of the art the plaster artwork from which a wax model will be made which will then be replaced with molten bronze.
Get it?
On Friday, absorbing this will be a priority for my time.
Also late Thursday, I received an illustration from our architect of the new Sacco and Vanzetti square we will be proposing.
We will discuss this at our next Board of Directors meeting on Friday, the 19th and then
plan our next step in the process.
The Board of Directors individually welcomed Stephen’s new role with us – our latest board member.
3.2 Conflicted
Three years ago agents passed on a manuscript I had finished.
The story, Conflicted, was great; the style not acceptable.
I put the Conflicted manuscript aside and turned my creativity to developing the blog.
After three years I developed a writing style
that the same people who had turned away from the Conflicted manuscript
find terrific.
Then my friend Howard Dinin suggested, “Rewrite the Conflicted manuscript as a blog.”
I spend a lot of time these days rewriting the manuscript.
Beta readers are enthusiastic.
I am a bit frustrated that I don’t have time to work on my manuscript.
Thursday night, @ 10.00pm, I got a surprise visit from a dear friend who needed a quiet place to spend the night.
It was nice having her but everything takes time.
Away from my creative writing.
Managed to glean out two hours on Friday for my creative writing venture.
3.4 Blog
No wriggle room here.
Every day requires its own effort.
3.5 Modernism and Existentialism
Online literature and writing classes for middle schoolers through adults.
Find community in a fun, dynamic learning environment and become a better reader.
We must read fifty pages of V Woolf’s To the Lighthouse by Wednesday, the 17th.
This is a modernist book and is frankly difficult to read.
I must refer to Spark notes before I start the reading or face a mountain of frustration.
It’s my granddaughter’s class. I’ve enrolled in the class on Modernism and Existentialism.
I must shine.
4.0 Chuckles/Thoughts
I never feel more alone than
when I’m trying to put sunscreen on my back.
~Jimmy Kimmel
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5.0 Mail
We love getting mail.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
This from friend James P:
Dom,
The Monet image reminded me of this version of Debussy’s Pagodas: https://youtu.be/RAnJsNDhZNc
Jim
Blog Meister responds: Lovely music. And, yes, related.
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6.0 Dinner/Food/Recipes
Thursday night I enjoyed fried haddock filets.
They were tasty.
not brilliant.
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11.0 Thumbnails
Ladda Tammy Duckworth (born March 12, 1968) is an American politician and retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel serving as the junior United States Senator from Illinois since 2017.
A member of the Democratic Party, she represented Illinois's 8th district in the United States House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017.
Duckworth was educated at the University of Hawaii and George Washington University.
A combat veteran of the Iraq War, she served as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot.
In 2004, after her helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents,
she suffered severe combat wounds, which caused her to lose both of her legs and some mobility in her right arm.
She was the first female double amputee from the war.
Despite her grievous injuries, she sought and obtained a medical waiver that allowed her to continue serving in the Illinois Army National Guard until she retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2014.
Duckworth ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 2006, then served as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and as Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs from 2009 to 2011. In 2012, Duckworth was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she served two terms.
Duckworth was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, defeating Republican incumbent Mark Kirk.
She is the first Thai American woman elected to Congress,
the first person born in Thailand elected to Congress,
the first woman with a disability elected to Congress,
the first female double amputee in the Senate, and
the first senator to give birth while in office.
Duckworth is the second of three Asian American women to serve in the U.S. Senate, after Mazie Hirono, and before Kamala Harris.
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