Even still Kansas persists...

All I wanted was to make dinner: dice up some vegtables, fry up a little polenta, roast a bell pepper, saute some garlic, stir it all up, drink a gin & tonic. And only one thing between me and dinner and a little relaxation--Kansas.

So I stop by the neighborhood grocery store and after I can't find the polenta I ask the friendly clerk who says, "What's 'at? Like pork or somethin'?" and after I try explaining to him what it is, he says, "Nah, pretty sure we ain't got nuthin' like 'at."

"Okay, thanks," I say, thinking, "No problem. I'll just move on to Plan B." And off I go back to the vegetables.

A couple minutes later, unable to locate alfafa sprouts for the sandwiches I wanted to make, I ask another friendly clerk who says, "Sure, alfalfa sprouts? Right over here." And he procedes to take me to the alfalfa sprouts. Our conversation went something like this.

Him: Here ya go, sir.

Me: Oh, no, these are bean sprouts. I'm looking for alfalfa sprouts.

Him: No, these right here? These are alfalfa sprouts.

Me: No, these are BEAN sprouts. I'm looking for alfalfa sprouts. The kind that are thin like hair that you might put on sandwiches or salads.

Him: Well, yeah. Alfalfa sprouts. [He points to the BEAN sprouts again.] Are you gonna make a salad?

Me: No.

Him: Well, these'd work on a salad.

Me: Uh huh, yeah, but do you have ALFALFA sprouts?

Him: Yes, sir, right here. [He points to the BEAN sprouts again.]

Me: Thank you.

Him: You're welcome, sir.

So, without polenta or alfalfa sprouts, I'm about to dig into a steaming stack of Eggo Waffles.

+++
I mentioned Kevin Phillips' newest book American Theocracy this morning. Today, Phillips was hitting the media promoting the book.

Please, if you can, listen to the interviews at the following places:

Fresh Air with Terry Gross at NPR.org

and this interview with Amy Goodman at Democracy Now.

Also, the first segment of Democracy Now! was an interview with Aparisim Ghosh, the chief international columnist for Time magazine, and a discussion of his article "One Morning in Haditha." You can read the article here. But please,if you can, go to Democracy Now! to listen. It's important. This must be stopped.