Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Pizza for the Proles

Pizza for the proles? I don't guess an educated "educator" can really be classed as a prole, but I bet quite a few of them in Wisconsin and elsewhere believe themselves to be. You see I am certified after much time, effort, and expense, in Texas to teach school in the elementary and junior high (middle school) grades. Also getting a spec ed cert and perhaps a high school social studies composite. Guess what? There will be very very few jobs available in Texas next school year and those few that pop up will have literally hundreds of applicants. A bit pissed? Yes. Think it a good idea to have such draconian cuts in the education budget? No. Whining in the street about it? No. If I did someone would just drive by and yell, "get a job you puss!" Perhaps it is just because I live in Texas that I don't really worry so much about it. There are other things to do. Some jobs may suck but there are jobs available. If worse comes to worse I could go back into the taxi business, but that likely won't be necessary. I look at the whining going on in Wisconsin (and very soon other places) as much ado about very little. It does not appear that the state is asking very much of them to be quite honest. Now apparently there are some pizza places in Madison where management is very happy to have these folks in the streets. Seems like their business is booming. Pizzas are being ordered for the marchers from around the country and indeed around the world. Folks just want to show their solidarity I guess. One of the funniest things I have heard lately were some Wisconsin fruit loops comparing their "plight" to those protestors in the Middle East. C'mon. Get real. When the Wisconsin Air Guard stafes your "encampments" then perhaps I will put some stock in that claim. Until then? STFU. Now back to this pizza thing; apparently fellow blogger and frustrated author who goes by the moniker "Jurassicpork" has spent a few of his own bucks to send pizza to the proletariat. Good for him. I read this fellow's blog(s) fairly regularly and can tell you he is, well I just don't agree with him. Any attempt at serious, respectful discussion is met with vile vitriol. As a result I sometimes can't help myself and write something kinda smartassy just to yank his chain. I won't link to his blog(s) here but they are fairly easy to find on the internet. Don't get me wrong. I defend Mr. Porks' right to free speech. I am not sure that he (or some others of his ilk) would do the same. How did I again get off the Pizza thing? Dunno. Back to to it. Now I have lived in the environs of NYC back in my younger days. Spent a summer as a communications op with the Coast Guard right there across the channel from Queens. Busy busy busy does not describe it. Very little time off. I did get into "the city" as often as I could though. One thing I noticed was that there was a pizza joint on every corner. Seems like every grocery or drug store had a small pizza oven in the back. Damn good pizza sure. Some of the best I have every tasted was in those days. Since moving to Houston however I can tell you that there are some pizza joints here that are every bit as good as those in the NY/NJ area. Every bit as good! Why? Because there are people who have escaped the environs of that particular region of the country and have opened up shop down here. That they brought with them their pizza recipes goes without saying. So the next time I hear someone talk about NY pizza or even Chicago style for that matter, I will say to them "We have just as good down here." They won't believe me of course, but that is their problem. Now we do have many "pizza chain" type restaraunts here and those do not qualify as what I would consider good authentic pizza. They are all edible of course but it is not the same thing.  Incidentally, there is authentic food from around the globe here in my area. People are here from all over and have brought with them their culinary specialties. Ever eaten Ethiopian food? I have not either, but there is a place on Richmond Ave that I have been thinking about trying for years. Guess I need to get around to it one of these days. Coming to Houston? Bring your appetite. Oh I suppose that if we have some sort of street protests down here (not orchestrated by Sheila Jackson Lee, LA Raza, or Quanell 10) I will pony up and send them some pizza. Just to show my solidarity. That would make me a wonderful human being.  By God!

5 comments:

Jayhawk said...

"...some Wisconsin fruit loops comparing their "plight" to those protestors in the Middle East."

Rather offensive, really. Wisconsonites are carrying signs to preserve a suburban home and two cars in the garage, while those in the Middle East are facing death by gunfire in an effort for their families not to starve to death.

Bartender Cabbie said...

agreed

repsac3 said...

Regarding the "fruit loops:" You know who also said that, right?
Rep. Paul Ryan On Wisconsin Protests: "Like Cairo Moved To Madison" That was from 2/17. Fox's Judge Napolitano said it, as well. (Forgive me for being too lazy to dig up a video.)

I trust you find them as ridiculous as you do the Wisconsinites who drew that particular analogy.

While I get where you're coming from, I fear you're misunderstanding the concept of analogies. The whole idea is to compare two things that are not exactly the same, and to draw conclusions based on the few similarities they do have. The fact is, people far more often compare apples to oranges than they do apples to apples, because in the latter case, there is no real comparison to be made. An apple isn't like an apple; an apple is an apple.)

So, while it's true that no one is taking shots at them from the air (so far, anyway... I understand a government official (former, after such talk) has suggested using live ammo to deal with the WI protesters), there are ways in which the protests in Madison are like the protests in Cairo. I don't think it's all that ridiculous to talk about those similarities, as long as one isn't suggesting that the two protests are exactly the same, or that the folks in WI are under the same kind of threats (or as brave, or that the situation is as dire) as the folks in Cairo were under.

Nice place you have here, BC... Hope you don't mind my visiting, given the number of times you've been to my blog. If I may, though, one word:

Paragraphs.

'nuff said.

repsac3 said...

Oh, and regarding the pizza... You are correct.

I don't believe you.

There's just something about the water here in NY that helps make the best dang pizza (& bagels) in the US... I'm not going to say TX pizza is bad (especially since I've never had it), but every bit as good? I just find that awful hard to believe...

I'm out on Long Island, and even that far away (not far, for those unaware), the pizza isn't quite as good as in NYC. Still awful good, but not that thin crust, well-seasoned NYC pizza... There really is nothing like it, in my humble...

Obviously, you are welcome to disagree, but... ...well... There's no other way to say it; You're just wrong. 8>)

Bartender Cabbie said...

Well in a rush here so I will just address the pizza thing. Not saying all pizza in this part of the area is as good as the NE variety. Most is not but if you look hard enough you can find some real authentic pizza that is top notch and right up there with the NY/NJ pie.