I’ve been reading (in starts and stops, but mostly the latter) this book. It’s pretty great and does a very good job of not getting too bogged down in either the Jefferson or the wine. It also pretty much reinforces an opinion of mine that was previously based on gut reaction and a completely superficial reading of Jefferson’s Greatest Hits: Thomas Jefferson was a huge jerk. No, I’m not talking about his slavery contradictions (a criticism which, frankly, is totally played out for me). It’s the stupid, piddly, day-to-day antics. He spends a great deal of time and thought coming up with elaborate ruses to avoid paying taxes on his imported wines, for example. He requests that casks he ships back home be labeled as vin ordinare instead of the actual, more expensive contents. Sure it couldbe because he wants to avoid theft in transit but the much more logical conclusion is that he just doesn’t feel the obligation to pay the taxes on the good stuff. The Cult of Jefferson likes to explain these things away by painting him as some sort of absent-minded-professor-who-doesn’t-balance-his-checkbook-type. I don’t buy that reading.
Anyway, Angus and I were discussing how it’s pretty silly that Thomas Jefferson is always a name that pops up on those ridiculous “historical figures you’d like to invite to a dinner party” lists* as he seems like he’d be a complete loser. Add that to the fact that he’d probably be the Founding Father with the least amount of actual experience in the whole Revolution thing and you have one boring walking architecture treatise**. He would be the worst blogger of his founding peers, in other words.
There were Founders who’d make great bloggers and dinner guests. Angus and I agree that Washington’s blog would be awesome. He distilled his own whiskey, for crying out loud. I’d blogroll that. Hamilton’s blog would be “pseudonymous” in the vein of Richelieu. Madison wouldn’t have his own blog, rather he would be writing on half a dozen group blogs. James Wilson would be the blogger’s blogger. Franklin would either be the uber Instapundit or have set up a content-rich geocities page in 1995 that he was still maintaining in a wink, nod antiquated style.
We know we are lame. No need to comment to drive that point home.
*My own list: Angela Lansbury x 5.
**I’m not trying to say he is an inconsequential figure, but he really is more of an American Salutati than anything else. But what do I know?
Dwyeropolis 
Ahh,, I love me some Angela Landsbury!!! What other actress portrayed a teapot, mystery writer/crime solver and also starred in ” The Pirates of Penzance”. I could go on..but i won’t.
I love Spam!! My friends all make fun of me and think it’s so gross… until I make them an egg and spam brsaafket sandwich! They then proceed to tell me that’s the only spam they’ll ever eat… is fried with an egg. Lol. I always have a can of spam in my pantry. It’s my college staple. 😛
I spoke with Tom Jefferson’s business class at National College today. There were six students in the class. We talked for about an hour on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. In the Q&A session afterwards the students wanted to know about my personal journey to business ownership as well as the specific services that my incubator offers to small business owners. I enjoyed the class very much. In fact, I think that National College and CBI will formalize a written strategic alliance in the near future. There are about two dozen campus locations in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Virginia. The Cincinnati campus offers associate degrees in technology, business and medical industry disciplines. There were three fully operational computer labs in the campus building. I encourage any Villager interested in post-secondary education to check it out.
You won’t go on and Angus has barred me from going on. *sigh*
She really is some kind of awesome.
This is all up to you, Sarah. Not your mom. Not anybody else.Let me tell you a story.A fenrid of mine, was with this guy for 8 years. They were going to get married in 6 months when another woman appeared in the scene. This woman was pregnant. She thought that her fiance9 was to choose the other woman because they were not married yet and that her boyfriend and that other woman has a child together. they are to be a family.to her surprise, her fiance9 chose her and made it up to her. 6 years later, the child lives with them (the other woman was in a lot of trouble with the law after being dumped by the man her fault she did not make herself a better person after she fell down, right?) and they have a beautiful 10 month baby boy. They are very happy and a power couple now.. Successful with their married life and moneyed.This can happen to you. IF YOU WANT IT TO. What does he say about it? Tell me so I will know how to help you.Does he want to push through with the plans?orIs he confused? 0Was this answer helpful?
A perfect reply! Thanks for taking the trouble.
By the way, Heather, you *might* recognize another kind of awesome in my comment avatar. Any guesses?
Heather didn’t mention A. L.’s role in The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Oh MG, when I was a kid, my mom used to make this on a special ocoiascn. back then in Indonesia, this was a very expensive thing, and was a fancy thing to cook. So funny that I never bought this since I came to the U.S. Not sure why, but you know what? I am going to, because looking at that photos of yours make my mouth water so much. I am going to buy this, and make something.
This is all up to you, Sarah. Not your mom. Not anybody else.Let me tell you a story.A friend of mine, was with this guy for 8 years. They were going to get married in 6 months when another woman appeared in the scene. This woman was pregnant. She thought that her fiancé was to choose the other woman because they were not married yet and that her boyfriend and that “other woman” has a child together. they are to be a family.to her surprise, her fiancé chose her and made it up to her. 6 years later, the child lives with them (the other woman was in a lot of trouble with the law after being dumped by the man — her fault — she did not make herself a better person after she fell down, right?) and they have a beautiful 10 month baby boy. They are very happy and a power couple now.. Successful with their married life and moneyed.This can happen to you. IF YOU WANT IT TO. What does he say about it? Tell me so I will know how to help you.Does he want to push through with the plans?orIs he confused? 0Was this answer helpful?