The CIA and Other Crimes

I have been cooking like crazy. It's been quite a bit of fun, seeing what recipes I can come up with for the esoteric ingredients I've been buying. The fresh ginger muffins on the right were the result of buying two hands of ginger at the Chinese market I went to in order to find chicken feet to make a really good demi-glace. This is gelatinous chicken broth reduced to its next to nth degree. The nth degree is called glace. The muffins went immediately into awaiting mouths. The demi-glace was packaged for the freezer, to be used at some later date when I need good quality chicken stock.

And I've been listening as I've cooked. Legacy of Ashes is a tough book to read. What a bunch of shameless boobs. The CIA chiefs, the Presidents who used their services, and all the self-serving men in between. Were we safer with Clinton, who never talked to these people and never sought any intelligence (what he sought instead is well known) or with all the others who thought they were getting reliable intelligence? There were Burma Shave sized signs going down the road to self-destruction, which said that the USSR had no money or ability to do any harm to us. They were great at disinformation and skullduggery. But that's only part of this very long story. It's all painful. But we should all know about our employees. The CIA works for us, right? How are they representing us? Are the effective? Can you fire them? Well, no. But you should read this anyway.

Do we all agree that I needed something light after that? Kill The Messenger is about a bicycle messenger who has difficulties. Lots of difficulties. It was your standard pulp mystery. I enjoyed it. One thing that was really fun is that as a guy on a bike in LA, the messenger, JC, knew all the streets that are around The Times building. It takes place between Chinatown and the court buildings. What fun. Sure people are getting killed and awful stuff is happening. But the kid takes the Gold Line; a shoot out takes place across from the Biltmore; he lives in Chinatown.

And speaking of The Times. :) Sigh. I'm trying to move on. I went to Lee, Hecht, Harrison - an employment service - to help me with my resume. The Times offered me their services. I think if I was looking hard for a job that I would really enjoy this service. So, I should be moving on, but I will be going to The Times tomorrow to see what havoc Sam Zell has wrought. They should be announcing the new editor today or tomorrow. My life is so peaceful these days. I can't imagine that my friends are enjoying much peace. That's sad.