So I stumbled onto a youtube video posted by a young girl, in which she dives into a lengthy, circuitous, somewhat nonsensical diatribe about politics, the world, global warming, lots of big issues. There was a lot of sighing in this video — a lot of “how can liberals be such idiots!?!”

Then, of course, a flurry of comments and video responses ensue. The polarization builds and the viral rage spreads. The internet has become a sponge for our country’s anger and frustration. Maybe the release of these feelings is healthy in a way, but productive conversation has not occurred. People are not working out their anger with each other, because the culture discourages it. It is sufficient to continue being angry.

But I do believe people want to understand each other. These issues are not clear cut, the answers are not obvious, and no single group comprising half the population are all idiots—at least I hope not. But I think people lack tools for acknowledging and discussing nuances civilly. We can all be “experts” on a topic, but we must take the time to research and build supporting evidence. Before launching into a rant, most people are not making the effort.

So maybe what’s really missing is an understanding or respect for rational debate? I know I’m pretty terrible at it, but I do respect it as a process that has worked well. Do you think we can somehow introduce a form of interest-based mediation into the youtube dialog, or educate people about how to self-mediate?

I’d like to better understand how Wikipedia covers this, because I think commons-based peer production can be employed to aggregate and interpret evidence for different sides of a particular issue. In a way this might already happen on Wikipedia, but I’m not sure whether Wikipedia’s format (or culture?) is exactly the right thing for this. Wikipedia has one big page for the Armenian Genocide, and even the title of that page is contentious. The big issues that tug on people’s core values may demand a separate space for each facet of the issue, where that particular piece can be fleshed out: history, claims, supporting evidence, etc.

A professor of mine worked with different groups on these really divisive issues, and he found 5th and 6th graders to be among the most thoughtful debaters, because they were willing to listen to the merits of both sides, to recognize difficult grey areas, and to be more flexible with their own core beliefs. So if we want to move the conversation forward, maybe the real goal is to teach adults to be more like 5th graders, or to teach 5th graders to somehow leave open a window in their minds…

I am loving our new knife block:

It’s called the Kapoosh and it holds a slew of knives without regard for shape or size. What a huge improvement over most knife blocks—I highly recommend it. Our other option was a knife magnet, but we don’t have the wall space for one, and it’s honestly not as easy to use. Our Kapoosh is situated right below the counter. Now I can whip out my steel in a moment’s notice.

I was up in Boston for an amazing ROFLcon weekend and last night I stumbled into/crashed a birthday pig roasting part for a guy named Craig, who I’d only met the day before (our mutual friend Christine paved the way). The victim was a 75 lb pig, purchased from Mayflower Poultry (“Live Poultry, Fresh Killed”). Lots of fish, scallops, shrimp, crabs, and mussels also perished. It was incredibly delicious. Here’s the whole gallery of crappy cell phone pics. Roasting a pig this size not a one-person operation. Three guys who love food, Craig among them, did the bulk of the work. These guys were having a blast, though after 15 or so courses they started losing steam, understandably, so I tried to do my part by slicing up some fruit for dessert.

The roasting box they used is called a La Caja. It’s insulated, it has aluminum walls, and you set the coals on top. A La Caja cuts the roasting time in half (down to 4 hours in this case) but still requires a lot of charcoal (set on top of the box, not underneath) — about 40-50 lbs total I think. At one point they removed the charcoal top and set it on the driveway while basting the pig, and the driveway’s tar started to melt. Wow.

But seeing the whole process gave me confidence in roasting a big animal, should the need arise. Sure, you need some outdoor space, a bathtub to brine it in, a big work table to cut it on, and a lot of people around to eat it, but otherwise it’s just like a chicken!

Dear Blog,
How are you? I am fine. I miss you. New York is big. I am busy. I know you worry about me. Am I safe and warm? Am I happy? Am I eating enough?

Blog, you don’t have to worry.

See, here I am. Eating, all safe and warm and happy.

Lentil soup Winnie made tonight

Smoked turkey drumstick and cheese on Balthazar’s raisin-walnut bread

My version of pasta with Bittman’s double sun-dried tomato sauce

Eggs baked into a baguette

Karl’s amazing & simple tofu satay

Broiled trout with ginger

And Winnie’s huge corned beef -n- veggie dinner on St. Patrick’s day

I will write more often, Blog. I promise. Now that we’re finally settling into our new home, I will try to make more time for you. You are special to me. I’m sorry.

Love,
Carl

See also: Dear Rabbit and Dear Microwave via Get In My Belly.

Frontline has made an incredibly well-produced and thorough analysis of the war from 9/11 through late 2007. It’s 2-3 hours long but I highly recommend it because it reveals so much about what happened, especially inside the administration, the pentagon, and the CIA. The focus is on the political side and there are many interviews. There is violence but not too much—but it was very hard for me to watch how the political games, confidence games, partisanship, ignorance, subtle pressures and overt manipulations led to horrific distortions of data and, therefore, to failures of strategy. But I now feel caught up on what’s going on. I hope you’ll make the time to watch this.

Frontline: Bush’s War

Bittman’s jamaican rice & beans, chicken & turkey sausage, red chard with soy sauce, and basil/goat cheese/tomato salad.

Cross-posted on Thing-a-day

• dice and roast a parsnip and 3 yams at 425° for 20-30 minutes, shaking occasionally
• meanwhile, saute 3 shallots, finely chopped
• add chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme, and a bunch of kale, chopped small
• bring to a boil, simmer for 15 minutes.
• add roasted vegetables, 3 cloves whole garlic, and a can of great northern beans
• season with salt & pepper and simmer for 10 more minutes to blend flavors.
• garnish with shredded beets
• enjoy with buttered baguette bits