Don’t go to Oregon with a cold!

I took a trip to Oregon recently, developed a cold and went to the store for some cold medicine only to discover that it can only be obtained with a prescription. I can imagine some of the arguments for this and so can you. They (Oregonians) think that the chemicals in many common cold remedies are used to make Meth. I think this is very noble but it doesn’t stop or even slow down meth producers. I don’t think state regulators give these laws a lot of thought. What about the working poor that have no access to medical care? How are they supposed to get a prescription? Everyone else is forced to spend more than they need to to in order to see a doctor just to stop their sniffles. This makes it more difficult to see a doctor even if you have medical care and makes insurance more expensive for the rest of us.

 Show me that these laws do ANYTHING in the fight against meth besides giving politicians something to crow about at election time and I will reconsider. Until then I think Oregon is making life very hard for the poor and responsible, law abiding citizens looking for relief when they’re sick.

Ketchup and Phad Thai

I had a real disappointment last night. I ordered phad thai for takeout at one of my favorite local thai restaurants, Nibbana Thai Cookery, and when I got home I was horrified to discover that it had been “Americanized” which for phad thai means that ketchup had been added to it. I have eaten there many time before and this was the first time their phad thai had included ketchup. This may not seem like a very big deal but when I order a phad thai I don’t want the subtle flavors drowned out by ketchup! It’s sad because this had become my favorite thai restaurant in Bellevue and now I’ll never go back. I will do the extra driving from now on and make Nood Boat Thai Cuisine in Issaquah my sole source of Thai food. Noodle boat has the best Thai food I have ever tasted. The only reason I’ve ordered anywhere else is that it’s a good 30 minute drive from where I live. I suppose this means that I will eat less Thai food but when I do eat it I’ll know what I’m getting. Noodle Boat’s staff would never stoop to adding ketchup to a phad thai. That’s one reason I love them. I also know that they drive to the International District in Seattle every morning to pick up fresh ingredients for their dishes. They don’t use salty, wholsale, cheap, frozen crap. That’s one of the things that makes them so special.

Mmmmm, all this writing about Thai food makes me want to hop in my car and drive right over there!

Is the tomato a fruit or vegetable?

This question has been asked so many times that you’d think everyone knew the answer. Most people know that botanists consider the tomato to be a fruit but don’t know that because of a Supreme Court decision in 1893 the tomato must be referred to as a vegetable. That’s right, botanists are breaking the law! I doubt any of them are going to jail but it is an odd little fact that could win you a bar bet. So if any asks you is the tomato a fruit or a vegetable you can tell them it depends on what you mean. Legally speaking.

Roger Waters

Thursday night, October 12, I saw Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame perform at the Key Arena in Seattle. It was unbelievable. We had 5th row seats from the floor and were at a good angle. Not to close to the edge and not too far back. The sound was the best I have ever heard in an indoor venue. The song selections were superb. He did almost half of The Wall, many Final Cut songs, a few from his last solo album Amused to Death, “‘Sheep” from Animals, a few from Wish You Were Here and Set The Controls For The Heart of The Sun which is a Pink Floyd classic. His backup band included musicians at the top of their game and all were top-notch showmen.

 After the first set, Roger came back and did the entire Dark Side of the Moon. It doesn’t get much better than that. They carried it off beautifully. Roger looked great. He obviously takes good care of himself. He’s got to be in his mid 60’s yet he had lots of energy and he gave us his all. The show also had a strong anti-war, anti-Bush message. The giant screen behind the band displayed graphics that went along with the songs. They were related to current events and international figures and helped show how relevant Roger’s music still is after all these years.