cornflower blue
Monthly Archives: July 2012
creative juices are flowing!
So today I went to Wayne to transfer some images to canvas and to have them framed.
I am getting ready to be part of a photography show for First Friday Main Line August 3rd in downtown Ardmore, PA. (Hey any local photographers are welcome to enter, check out the website for details!)
Wayne Art Supplies and Custom Framing is a wonderful little store with personal service in the heart of Wayne, PA.
The owner David took a lot of time with me. After I chose my images, he used the machine they have to transfer photographs to canvas, which gives them an awesome look. The pricing is beyond reasonable and they can do a wide array of sizes. They can stretch your canvas to a wood frame, or mount them on foam core, or give them to you plain (just canvas).
I chose to have mine mounted on thin foam core and we popped them into ready-made frames that are very well made and perfect for what I wanted. (I wanted good quality frames that were simple, well made, and uniform in size and design.)
The great thing about getting these photos done at Wayne Art Supply is not only the reasonable pricing, but the fact that they really intuitively knew the look I was going for.(You definitely don’t get this level of service everywhere or on the Internet.)
It was so fun to frame some of my photos to show!
My framed images will be available for sale, with partial proceeds cheerfully going back to First Friday Main Line. Small arts-based non-profits need love too in a tough economy!
Be sure to visit Wayne Art Supplies and Custom Framing if you need art supplies or need something framed or wish to transfer photos to canvas, watercolor paper, or almost anything else you can dream of. They also have a wonderful selection of things that make fun and creative gifts for children.
Wayne Art Supplies is located at 112 E. Lancaster Ave. in Wayne, PA. Their phone number is (610)-254-9011.
And oh yes, the images I am showing are all of Chester County!
totally insane (truck sinks in garage deck at paoli hospital)
I get Patch updates and I have to pass this along – totally insane! Good job Patch! And seriously, makes you wonder if that entire garage should be checked for safety.
Fire Truck Sinks Through Hospital Garage Deck
By Bob Byrne Email the author 4:40 pm
Fire and heavy equipment crews are racing to pull a West Chester Goodwill Volunteer Fire Company truck out of danger after it partially fell through the upper deck of a parking garage at Paoli Hospital Thursday afternoon.
A Main Line Health (the corporation that owns the hospital) spokesperson tells Patch the incident happened around 1:30 Thursday afternoon. Crews with a big-rig crane were still working to free the truck at 4:45pm.
Malvern Fire Company Chief Neil Vaughn tells Malvern Patch that a crew from the Goodwill Volunteer Fire Company was at the hospital to transport a fire company member who is being treated for cancer.
TE Patch Reader Todd Rudo sent the attached news tip photos to Patch from his cell phone.
It appears that the right rear wheels of the fire truck fell through some kind of fault in the concrete roof.
malvern: from flying pig to pig in a poke
June 23rd was the last time I wrote about Malvern on this blog. Before that I wrote in May.
I feel that Malvern’s super-sizing via the Eli Kahn development on King Street is a huge mistake. Having gone by the site quite a few times at this point, I am profoundly disturbed by what I see every time, and can easily envision for the future. Yes, it is a site that should be redeveloped. But why not a park and a couple of stores? Or something Malvern lacks? Sufficient parking?
You know what I think Eli Kahn and Jack Loew’s 
project is going to be like when it is done? A super-sized Charleston Greene. And over the years, how has Toll’s Charleston Greene worked for you ,Malvern?
Hasn’t that been a problem site, with islands not in a stream that are supposed to be traffic calming pedestrian islands that don’t work there anymore than the one in front of Bryn Mawr Hospital does?
I have to laugh every time I hear developers say to those in suburbia and exurbia that living in a “mixed-use” development on little spits of land or wedged in with a shoehorn next to existing buildings is such an exciting proposition. Folks, it’s just another New Urbanism Fairy Tale. Or redevelopment fantasies. Take your pick.
The economy can’t sustain big plans. And who says people outside a city want to be crammed in like lemmings? Doesn’t everyone know what happens to lemmings sometimes?
Municipalities dream of ratables like they are drugs and they need a fix. And then you see reality. Reality is that if you have ever lived next to a train tracks or a train station, you don’t repeat it. There is more noise and more dirt, and there is nothing like having your windows open on a nice spring day only to have the unmistakable odor of Septa trains and their burning brake pads wafting in the window.
And when you live on top of train tracks you also have fire fears during warn months or periods of drought. Septa and Amtrak also spray heavy-duty pesticides loaded with carcinogens in lieu of weeding.
Of course, don’t even get me started on stormwater management. You see when you live with rail as the neighbor, you are basically their stormwater management system if they have runoff issues.
I lived across the street from R-5/Paoli/Septa/Amtrak tracks for over a decade, so I know of what I speak. I also have sat and watched developers promise using too tall tales, and then what happens? It doesn’t turn out as planned. After all, when they show municipal fathers and mothers plans at a town meeting, the plans are all lovely with hearts and flowers on a field of green. Not real scale, and how it will look in conjunction with everything else around it.
I firmly believe with Malvern and this development that after the sheen of new wears off, these developments will end up being apartments going for cheap not chic because living on top of transit has limited appeal unless you want to live in the city, or near the 69th Street Terminal or in a row house near the El.
Told you so.
So I think Malvern has bought itself a Pig in a Poke. The town already has a Flying Pig, so it really didn’t need A Tale of When Pigs Fly By A. Developer.
Daddy Warbucks told Malvern they would have big bucks. And they believed him. Dumb. Real dumb.
Malvern Patch: $60,000: East King Revitalization’s Impact on the Borough
The new apartments and businesses won’t be a windfall for the borough.
By Pete Kennedy Email the author July 2, 2012
During a discussion of the police services and budgeting at the June 19 meeting of Malvern Borough Council, resident Joan Yeager asked a related question:
“Once the King Street project is completed, how much additional money is going to come into the borough? In taxes and all,” she said.
“Something in the neighborhood of $60,000 a year,” council president Woody Van Sciver said, citing a financial feasibility study done before the project was approved.
“That’s it?” Yeager replied
pie on the fly
Shoo Fly Pie Plate – total kitch but would be fun to own!
One of my grandmothers was Pennsylvania German. So I have a dash of Lancaster County Cooking in my gene coding.
Today I thought “Shoo-Fly Pie”.
Shoo-Fly Pie is a molasses based pie. I have seen some home cooks now cooking it in a chocolate crust, and well, to me, taste-wise that might work with pecan pies, but would be serious sweet confusion in a Shoo-Fly Pie.
My pie is different because I add a little spice to it – 
otherwise it is too bland. I am also picky about purchasing a Shoo-Fly Pie, because a lot of the time unless it is a really good baker it is a gelatinous bland blob in a pie plate with crumbs on top.
Now I committed a cardinal sin today and did not watch my pie, so it sort of exploded on top. That however, could be covered up with a piping of unsweetened or lightly honey sweetened whipped cream if I was serving it for company, but I think once I slice it, the only one who will be bothered if it is not perfect is me.
Today another issue I had was I did not feel like rolling out my own crust so I used a 
graham cracker crust I had in the cupboard to use it up. The flavors will work, but there is nothing better than a traditional homemade flakey pie crust.
Also, use a deep dish pie plate, and if you use a pre-made pie shell, spend the extra money for a deep dish pre-made shell.
Shoo-Fly Pie
1 unbaked deep dish pie shell (9 inches)
1 cup flour (regular flour with no additives, preferably organic)
1 cup brown sugar (dark is best, light will do)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup hot water
1 egg
1 cup molasses
dash Mace
dash Cinnamon
dash Allspice
First pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl mix together flour and brown sugar. Add dashes of spices referenced above, lightest dash should be allspice. Use a pastry cutter and cut in the butter. Keep on “cutting” until the mixture is fine crumbs and uniform. Take 1/2 cup (dry cup measure) of crumbs and put aside in a little bowl.
In another bowl first dissolve the baking soda in hot water – not boiling, just hot tap 
water. Add molasses and beat. Beat in the egg. Mix well, it will be flat looking yet sort of fluffy. (Not like meringue where it stands up, just a fluffy-frothy appearance)
Take your ooey gooey wet and pour into the large bowl of crumbs and beat it in.
Pour mixture into pie shell.
A shoo-fly pie recipe found on the web
Top with the crumbly mixture I told you to put aside in a little bowl. Spread the crumbs evenly over the top by hand but *DO NOT* try to smooth out unless you want your crumbs disappearing like they were swallowed by quick sand.
Place on a baking tray lined with parchment and place *carefully* in oven – the hardest thing about making a Shoo-Fly Pie other than watching it so it doesn’t “explode” is getting it in the oven without sloshing it out of the pie shell.
Bake for about 35 minutes. Cool on a rack a couple of hours before serving. Refrigerate left-overs.
Today I ignored my pie as I was speaking to a friend on the phone. It exploded. I put it back together and I am not thrilled, but if you look at photos of Shoo-Fly pies on the Internet, exploding is common.
If you want to do a sweet crust or a graham cracker or a vanilla wafer crust with this kind of pie, that works. But trust me if you use another recipe, ignore the ones that call for chocolate. It is too wrong a taste, and I say that as a chocolate fanatic – I love chocolate, but not in Shoo-Fly Pie.
seen in a garden….
Saw this recently…had to take a picture
former district attorney wants to help coatesville
It was a relatively small blip in The Daily Local and worth a conversation. Former District Attorney Joseph Carroll, now of “Of Counsel” at Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hippel has announced that he is interested in helping Coatesville.
COATESVILLE — A former Chester County district attorney has applied with the city to become both a temporary city manager and temporary public safety coordinator for less pay than the last city manager was making.
Former District Attorney Joseph Carroll said Monday during a City Council meeting that he handed his application into the city earlier that day. He said a public safety coordinator would have the same responsibilities as a police chief but would be a civilian.“I have a lot of fond memories of the way Coatesville was,” Carroll said after the meeting. “The people here now are just as good as the people were when this city was very successful. I would like to help council make that happen again, and I think it’s possible.”
Coatesville to an outsider looking in, has seemed so lost for years. It has also been a 
victim of bad municipal management, failed bids for eminent domain for private gain, crime, and so on.
victim of bad municipal management, failed bids for eminent domain for private gain, crime, and so on.It is home to a lot of people, and is this something to be considered? Look at what Jean Krack and Paul Jannsen did and didn’t do before they moved on to wreak havoc in other municipalities, so why not look at someone who actually has a brain and a spine?
Any thoughts out there on this?
Coatesville deserves better than it has gotten for decades, so is Joseph Carroll the man to get the ball rolling?
Another thing, look at what he is willing to do it for. He has the knowledge base, and would be willing to do this at a reduced rate of pay so isn’t this a good thing to consider?
Now if there was only someone willing to do this for Phoenixville.
bad form.
I will preface this post with the fact that I honestly do appreciate the jobs that those in the public sector do.
Firemen, policemen, nurses, teachers, EMTs, etc. I know many, many amazing people in these job categories. But there has been this photo making its rounds on the web that just irritates me.
Check it out and then I will tell you how it makes me feel as someone in the quote end quote private sector.
Have you read it now?
You know how this makes ME feel? Like I am the enemy. I also live within my means, did not accept bailout money, do not live in a multi-million dollar home, did not crash the markets, and so on and so forth. This simple statement smacks of class warfare, and that is unfair.
Getting a bit more controversial, many of these public service employees have fabulous health and benefit plans. Yes there are hiring freezes and things like that because guess what? The economy is in the toilet and almost everyone is feeling a pinch. Millions of people are out of work.
Maybe this sector of people would get more in this country if say, more municipalities and hospital systems were willing to trim upper management fat, and give back. Check out this link for an interesting list of salaries from Main Line Today Magazine which says for example that an assistant township manager in Lower Merion makes $122,921 and a township manager makes $193,324 …and it is going up and I will get to that.
Like it or not, and average workers do not identify with upper level management in the public service area, but you want to know where your increases go if you are from that employment sector? To management level employees. The article in Main Line Today was from 2011 and it lets you get a peek as to a whole lot of salaries.
The other truism is this: reality is someone will always be doing better or earning more than you. It’s life.
And when it comes to benefits, well I don’t know coming from the private sector how much sympathy I have. I used to work for an employer who did not offer benefits or access to benefits. So for a few years now, I have been self-pay on my benefits. Including self-pay through breast cancer. So to me, everything is relative, and if I had employer or taxpayer-funded benefits that were for the most part paid for, I would not object to chipping in. Again, because my perspective is different and I do this myself for myself. (which of course opens the whole conversation about Obamacare, and sorry, I haven’t seen the benefits, and don’t know that I ever will.)
But let me remind all of you, just because I have these opinions, it doesn’t mean I don’t respect public service employees. I just think that sometimes people need to get a little bit more realistic about life.
Now, as to respect. Which to me seems to be an underlying theme in the photo of that statement above.
Respect is earned. I have met and know some fabulous firemen (volunteers), EMTs, police, and so on. I have also met some who leave a lot to be desired. For example, as a photographer of public events I have been what only can be described as menaced a few times by police personnel who have no clue what no expectation of privacy in a public space actually is. The most memorable occurred at a music and food festival a few years ago.
There I was with friends, taking photos (and there were a few dozen cameras around me at the time, some with those super long and fat “paparazzi” lenses), and speaking to the person who happened to be the driving force behind this event. I was not even using a flash. I was on a public street, at a public event, taking photos.
All of a sudden out of nowhere is this police officer. Literally so close to me, that it could be described as invading my personal space. He tried to take my camera. As in made a grab to yank it off my neck. As in touch me. He singled me out and ordered me to stop taking photos. Mind you all around me, camera after camera was still snapping away.
I stepped back, away from him and asked why and reminded him this was a public event on a public street. I also believe I asked why he was not attempting to confiscate any other cameras. I did not get an answer other than telling me he could do this. At that point, someone I knew, a lawyer, stepped in and he disappeared.
That event really upset me. It ruined the event, I felt bullied and harassed and I know I had done nothing wrong. Some would have filed a complaint, I chose not to. I figured maybe everyone is entitled to a bad day and working crowd control at a huge summer event couldn’t be much fun.
But a few years later, when I see things like that slogan above, this is something I think about.
And on the 4th of July, something occurred involving a public service employee that I find abhorrent and unacceptable. It involves a Paoli first responder. Who apparently gave people the finger during a 4th of July parade. The huge Welcome America parade.
So how is this o.k.? How is this something the public at large is supposed to respect?
When I saw this on Main Line Media News’ website I was truthfully shocked.
Paoli Fire Company has issued a statement about this July 4th incident on July 5th:
July 5, 2012Dear Citizen,On July 4th, 2012 Paoli Fire Company proudly participated in the 2012 Wawa Welcome America Independence Day Parade in Philadelphia, PA. Afterwards, the fire company was made aware that a member of the company made an obscene hand gesture while riding in the rear of the engine. Not only was this gesture apparent to spectators, but was also captured on the live television broadcast. First and foremost, the Paoli Fire Company would like to express a profound and sincere apology to the parade organizers, event sponsors, 6abc and the City of Philadelphia for this inappropriate and disrespectful act. Moreover, Paoli Fire Company apologizes to all of the citizens who witnessed the gesture; both live and on the televised broadcast.Paoli Fire Company does not condone such behavior, nor does it believe that these actions should be tolerated. We expect the highest level of professionalism and respect from all of our members in all situations, especially when interacting with the public. As such, the member in question has been indefinitely suspended pending further disciplinary review, and we are currently reviewing our internal policies related to conduct and training.The fire company, comprised almost exclusively of volunteers from Chester County, prides itself on providing highly skilled fire, rescue and emergency medical services to the community of Paoli and its surrounding areas. We recognize the importance of a strong and supportive relationship with the citizens that we serve and other first responder organizations that work with us. This trust is not easily earned, but we will do all that is necessary to demonstrate the momentary lapse in judgment by an individual member does not reflect the principles and operating standards of the organization.Respectfully,John Beatty Ira DutterPresident Chief
Check out what Bob Byrne wrote in Tredyffrin-Easttown Patch:
Paoli Fire Co.Tries to Put Out a PR WildfireA one-finger gesture seen ’round the world puts the Paoli Fire Company in the middle of a public relations firestorm.By Bob Byrne July 7, 2012
The volunteer firefighter, riding in a rear-facing seat in the back of a Paoli Fire engine cab, flipped the TV camera – and the world- the bird in a live broadcast originally aired on Philadelphia’s WPVI-TV/6ABC and then rebroadcast around the globe on CNN. The video now also lives in infamy and (most likely) perpetuity on the internet.
The gesture and the way the fire company first responded touched off a flurry of bad publicity and angry comments on websites across the internet.
Also on TE Patch: FingerGate: How should Paoli Fire Company Handle the Scandal? Patch readers weigh in.
At first the Paoli Fire Company said viewers did not actually see what they thought they saw.
So now, let’s talk about upper level management who eat all the monies that should perhaps be more evenly disbursed in a municipality. Your taxes pay for this. Whether local, state, or federal, taxes pay for this.
In Lower Merion Township where I used to live a controversy is in full bloom. Douglas Cleland, the Township Manager is renegotiating his contract.
Cleland’s contract if approved, as per Main Line Media News, means that his salary will end up around $207,000 per year. If I recall prior conversations about this salary, this means Cleland makes more than the Mayor of The City of Philadelphia, Mayor Michael Nutter, more than high-ranking members of Congress, and more than United States Supreme Court Justices. And for what? In the scheme of things, some are speculating that his package would come out over $240 and up to $300K and over is you count all the perks and deferred compensation and so on.
As a former resident of Lower Merion I can tell you, this is not a man who is user-friendly or accessible to residents. He in fact controls the majority of the commissioners more than they control him. Through his dictums you have a hard time reaching other management level employees, like the township solicitor – and the truth of the matter is, usually township managers and so one are accessible to the public. Of course, it doesn’t help that the President of the Board of Commissioners Liz Rogan used to be his employee before a former commissioner made it possible for her to go into politics. And the Vice President of the Board in Lower Merion? Paul A. McElhaney? His brother is the head of the workers’ association. (It’s not a true union, nor is membership mandatory.)
This package will get passed, and so if people think things are wacky in places like West Vincent, they also should check out Lower Merion. Lower Merion in a manner which makes people understandably hate local governments is vetting and voting on this in the dead of summer.
However, in all fairness, when discussing public sector employees, you need to look at the cream of the crop. Some of whom are in Radnor Township. Newly promoted Lt. Andy Block and Lt. Chris Flanagan are two examples. These two men deserve the accolades they receive from their home township and community at large.
Another public sector employee who is the cream of the crop is Radnor Township’s Manager Bob Zienkowski. I am a huge fan of this man. Not only has he taken a township and turned it around after a huge scandal involving the former manager Dave Bashore could have tarnished Radnor forever, but he is the real deal when it comes to public sector employees.
Recently, instead of asking for more, he voluntarily gave back. Lower Merion Commissioner Jenny Brown wrote to constituents recently and summed up what Zienkowski has done:
Last week, the Manager for our neighboring municipality, Radnor Township, showed the type of leadership that we should be able to expect from a first class township manager. According to a Radnor Township Commissioner, the Radnor Township Manager recently went to his Board of Commissioners and offered to reduce his overall compensation. Among the things he offered (and that have been incorporated into his new contract):
1. Radnor’s Manager has agreed to no increase in salary for as long as he works for the Township (his salary, which is significantly less than Lower Merion’s manager’s salary, will remain at its 2010 level);
2. Radnor’s Manager has agreed to pay for his own life insurance (previously funded by taxpayer dollars);
3. Radnor’s Manager has agreed to personally pay for (the Township will not have to pay for) his attendance costs at any conferences or training;
4. Radnor’s Manager has agreed to pay 10% of his family health insurance premium in 2013, 11% in 2014, and 12% in 2015.
5. Radnor’s Manager will contribute 2% of his gross salary towards OPEB (other post-employment benefits)
In addition, I note that while Radnor’s manager may participate in his township’s deferred compensation plan, it is only with his own money, there are no employer contributions (Lower Merion’s manager gets an 8%, legally questionable, taxpayer-funded contribution). As well, unlike Lower Merion, the Radnor manager is required to live in the township he manages.
In Lower Merion, not only is the manager paid excessively more than any other township manager, he has demanded a raise for next year and expects the township taxpayers to pay for all sorts of perks, including the nearly unrestricted personal use of his township-owned car and he wants the taxpayers to continue to pay for all of the gas he puts in his car – can you imagine not feeling any “pain at the pump”!?! There are other inappropriate perks that I don’t have room to detail in this email but will discuss at the meeting.
That is leadership. That is a public servant in the most positive and proactive sense of the word. I am sorry, but there is something to be said about a man who gets where a lot of us are who don’t have government or public sector jobs.
I felt it was important to show good form along with the “bad form” I am writing about in this post. Radnor’s Manager is not taking the fat for himself, he is sacrificing when he doesn’t have to. He is leading by example.
Here is the article from Main Line Media News and Philadelphia Inquirer about Lower Merion’s manager issue. While not a Chester County issue or topic, it is well worth reading because it is just so outrageous. But then again, this is a municipal manager who kept his job after a failed bid years ago of eminent domain for private gain.
There are many fine individuals who work in Lower Merion Township, don’t misunderstand me. But I think Lower Merion needs different leadership. This is a well-heeled municipality, yes, but you would never know to drive through it. Check out the condition of their public parks, or even the roads.
In Lower Merion, a dispute over town manager’s pay comes to a head this week
By Marie McCullough Inquirer Staff Writer
Lower Merion manager’s salary to rise to $207K in proposed contract
Published: Monday, July 09, 2012
By Cheryl Allison callison@mainlinemedianews.com
Lower Merion Township has now posted terms of a proposed new two-year contractfor its manager, Douglas Cleland. ….He would receive a 2-percent pay hike, to $207,049, effective Jan. 1, 2013, and extending until the end of the contract period on Jan. 6, 2014.
He would also continue to receive longevity increases the same as other township employees, based on his base salary for 2012.
In addition, according to the terms, Cleland would continue to receive deferred compensation of 8 percent, slightly higher than most other township management employees.
So when we hear about situations like firefighters getting caught on camera giving people the finger on 4th of July, or township managers up for fat contracts which are utterly outrageous in this economy, it is easy to understand why emotions might run high when people discuss “public servants.” (I hate that phrase, incidentally.)
But when we hear about the negative things, we should also remember the positive.
At the end of the day however, we are experiencing an economy that probably hasn’t been felt as keenly since the Great Depression. That means that all of us have to give a little.
How do you feel about the public service people in your community? I believe they do deserve our respect, but I do not feel one size fits all. I also think other communities should pay attention what goes on in their neighboring municipalities.
I for one hate to say it, but am very glad I am out of Lower Merion Township. Lower Merion in my childhood was such a beautiful place to live. Now it is well, tarnished. Radnor on the other hand, is really an example of what can happen when government and residents work together for a common good as opposed to pandering to special interests.
not your average “beach read”
Women titillated by 50 Shades of Gray. From screencrush.com http://screencrush.com/50-shades-of-grey-movie/
Time to get slightly controversial. An article recently in Forbes online, specifically Forbeswoman has prompted me to comment on something I had not commented on, because I simply found the topic distasteful.
It’s that Fifty Shades of Gray by EL James. First I was merely appalled by a mindless news report on NBC 10 this past March by Dawn Timmoney. The news report cut into this kitchen scene with purported “Main Line” women. There they are talking about oops how naughty the book was and how naughty they were for reading it. They looked half in the bag, and just…well…gauche. Yes, they indeed needed a spanking. What I did not know then is that the book is supposedly a big hit with middle-aged women. I must be a different kind of woman or more of a traditionalist that I thought.
So we now know these ladies are into soft porn, rape fantasies, and bondage.
And so do their kids, neighbors, rabbis, ministers, priests, lady at the checkout aisle in the grocery store, cleaning lady, etcetera. And apparently they need this book to feel sexy or get their proverbial rocks off? Low self esteem much?
Really, that is what you want the PTA and girl scout troop leader to know? Or say your own mother?
Wow.
I am not a prude, but the whole premise of these books is profoundly disturbing to me. It seems to me, that for all women have advanced throughout the years, that this sets them back. And I am also not a women’s libber.
But to me, it seems that if this is what you have to turn to, there is something definitely off in your interpersonal relationships. I get that some people are into role play, and quite frankly, what happens behind your bedroom doors doesn’t affect me. But don’t assume that everyone wants to hear about it.
Once you get past the porn side of the book, what I find that disturbs me is the fact that there is this darker side to the book that objectifies women, and glamorizes what amounts to domination of women in what I feel is an unhealthy way, along with basically glamorizing rape and potentially violence and emotional abuse of women. I also think it makes a mockery out of relationships.
Have I read the book cover to cover? No, I did not want to. The basic idea of it was disturbing, not titillating. I read an excerpt or two online and flipped through it in a bookstore when I saw a couple of women furtively checking it out. This is not something I would buy, nor would I borrow it from a friend.
I truly find the whole idea of subservient female anything distasteful. There are undertones to the concept of the book that are unacceptable and possibly dangerous. And hearing it portrayed as something to revive ailing relationships, just wow. EL James as Dr. Ruth of today? Yuck.
I love to read. A good author can send you to foreign lands, and interesting locales and paint word pictures that put you there, in the moment of the book. But this? What kind of message does a book like this send? Is this what you want your daughters to read and learn from? Really?
I am sure someone said something like this when Jaqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls was published in 1996, but wow, that sure seems tame by comparison.
And this book has probably made the author a millionaire and has reportedly also boosted sales of things like plain white rope in hardware stores all over the country. Even more amusing? Hotels are offering Fifty Shades of Gray Tourista Packages. And oh yes, the Daily Mail in the UK is predicting a rise in babies born a veritable baby boom, with direct attribution going towards…you got it…Fifty Shades of Gray.
Does Fifty Shades of Gray have Pinterest Boards yet?
Like this Forbes writer said, I am also not a book burner. But what is wrong with a society that views this as fabulous? I don’t get it. Do you? Am I wrong? If you have an opinion, feel free to post a comment. Remember I reserve the right to not publish comments as I see fit.
Here is the Forbes article:
ForbesWoman 6/23/2012 @ 12:23PM |45,152 views
Is ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ Dangerous?
Kathryn Casey, Contributor
you whooooo…..summer breakfast recipe
So there was a request from someone for a German Pancake for breakfast. I have shared the recipe with friends, but decided to post because it is soooo simple and truly delicious.
Please note I like cooking mine with a sprinkling of fresh berries and this morning I used my very own blackberries! (Of course the back story on the blackberries is I had no idea what the canes of this plant were next to a dog rose, but I decided to leave it alone and wait and see.)
Anyway, I wouldn’t suggest this for Saturday breakfast since the weather people claim it is going to be 103 degrees, but maybe Sunday would be more civilized? Or whenever it cools off!
And thank you for all the wonderful feedback on my recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, including from the folks who run the community gardens in Radnor Township. It is really nice to know that when someone takes the time to write something that it is appreciated!
Here is the recipe – every one I have seen has been pretty basic:
German Pancake
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plain old table salt, not sea salt, not kosher salt)
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup milk, warmed (I do it in the microwave for like 30 to 45 seconds)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 cup unbleached flour (white or white organic – just flour, no
- 2 teaspoons butter (for pan)
- Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix eggs and sugar with a whisk until frothy.
Slowly whisk in the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. (hot and warms to cool and all that)
Add salt and vanilla extract.
Slowly whisk in warm milk, again a nice brisk whisking to keep it frothy. (again, pay attention to do this slowly as you are adding a hot or warm item to a cool one)
Add the flour and whisk away until your batter is as smooth as looking at the top of a glass of milk.
Set bowl to the side.
Pre-heat your pan for 7 minutes, maybe 10. The pan you use for this is either a heavy-duty heavy grade Caphalon pan or a cast iron pan. 10 inches is the size you want. Smaller or larger will not work.
When your pan is reheated, take that other 2 tablespoons of butter and melt it in the pan in the oven. Take it out, give it a swish and carefully pour your batter into the pan. If you care to add some fresh berries at this point, or slice peaches into it, feel free.
Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake an addition 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
When you remove it from oven it should look just like my photo. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, cut into wedges and serve with maple syrup. I am partial right now to some of the syrups I have found at local farmers markets from Pennsylvania – they are seriously just as good as Vermont and Canadian syrups.
Enjoy!