Random Friday Blogging: Cricket, US Politics, Egg Nog.
By We can all rest easy now, because in the Cricket, normal business has resumed.
An analysis of player performance through the second test at Adelaide can be found here. Dated, obviously, as Mitchell Johnson no longer rates as “atrocious” following Friday’s haul, so perhaps he should be upgraded to “mercurial”. Also, I disagree with the analysis of Andrew Strauss.
A charitable interpretation of the budget-busting extension of the Bush tax cuts is that the Democrats understand that compromise is an essential part of democracy. This is charitable because it sucks in policy terms, and that progressives are bemused and consider it yet another example of how the Democrats love to roll over and have our tummies scratched, but it’s far closer to the spirit of compromise than the other party has been capable of since the halcyon days of the 1980s.
A vote on the repeal of DADT tomorrow? One that should garner the 60 votes necessary to do so much as use the toilet in the US Senate? That’s my Christmas present. I do believe that we can now safely close the book on progressive policy advancement for the next generation or so.
Every year in my final year American Politics class, I show the 1994 documentary entitled “Taking on the Kennedys”, which is an excellent illustration of retail politics (and anything with a Blossom Dearie track as a theme song has to be good). It also demonstrates to the students that I can also be critical of Democrats. On occasion. (An advantage of working in the UK is that I don’t feel the professional obligation to hide my partisan inclinations in the classroom that I did in the United States). Somehow showing it won’t be the same any longer, and for whatever sentimental reason, I do find this a little sad. However, comparing the passing of the Kennedys with the emergence of the storied Paul family is just a bit wide of the mark.
I’m making egg nog this afternoon, which will result in a festive and merry version of me. A friend recommended this recipe (h/t Jeff Frane). It’s reasonably close to mine, except for how it isn’t. I don’t use rum, only bourbon (Makers Mark) and brandy (technically an inexpensive V.S. cognac). The milk/cream ratio is the same. I use 4x the eggs, and I do separate the eggs, and use slightly more yolks than whites. I also don’t use a blender. It is fantastically drinkable.
