Happy Friday, everyone. Here’s hoping you have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July Weekend. It will be a quiet one around Stately Brown Manor. My smoker is threatening to give up the ghost, and I am going to spend Saturday morning trying to revive it. It would be ironic to have the biggest barbecue day of the season arrive with a smoker that is D.O.A. Of course, that is the perfect excuse to buy a new one, right?
Narcissism is the soul of wit — and progressivism
One of the more ridiculous side effects of this moment in history is the trend of so many friends and family members refusing to acknowledge one another over politics. By most people’s reckoning, this issue is far more prevalent on the Left than on the Right. And as it is still more or less a free country, people are free to do whatever petty, destructive, bone-headed things they wish.
On the other hand, if you are going to banish someone from the family because they lean conservative, you have to accept all of the consequences. Consider this recent letter to advice columnist Amy Dickinson, which recently appeared in The Chicago Tribune:
Dear Amy: Four months before my daughter’s wedding, she told me that her uncle (my brother, “Dave”) would make her feel unsafe if he was a guest. She asked me not to invite him.
My daughter is very politically progressive, as are many of her friends, and although she and Dave have always had a good relationship (I thought), he is a conservative voter and has supported candidates we all abhor.
Dave has always been very nice, so my daughter’s request surprised me.
I wrote Dave a very nice note, telling him that we would not be comfortable with him at the wedding and that he would not be invited.
Dave did not respond and did not attend.
Afterward, I sent him a card and pictures from the wedding, all in an effort to make him feel like he was not being totally left out.
I have not heard from Dave since then. When my siblings found out what I had done they were angry with me.
That is just one problem.
Another problem is that Dave has not sent my daughter and son-in-law a wedding gift.
In the past, Dave has given family members wedding checks in excess of $1,000.
She says she was counting on receiving the same type of gift.
My husband says I should drop it – but I can’t. Dave’s behavior is upsetting and embarrassing to me.
How can I get my brother to recognize and change his petty behavior?
Please don’t tell me that I’m the one who started this by not inviting my brother to the wedding. After all, he’s a grown man, while my daughter is young and just starting out.
— Angry in Philadelphia
You can read Amy’s response here.
I hope to God that this is some sort of troll or joke. If it is not, you should print off this missive and show it to every progressive you meet when they ask why you are a conservative or anything that is not left-wing. If legit, this letter is the essence of progressivism. This is every column, commentary, article, news story and bar discussion about the Left rolled up in a nice, concise package. Thank you, Angry in Philadelphia, for helping every conservative make his or her point in a way they never could otherwise.
Your honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the prosecution rests.
(What do you want to bet her real name is Karen? And what is the over/under for the number of signs and flags in her front yard?)
Wine Recommendation: Just in case you want to party like it’s 1776.
This week I decided to try a German wine. I know, it is Independence Day weekend, and I should review an American wine. Hey, I’m already grumpy about that smoker. Don’t get me started, or I’ll start handing out Bud Light. Do you want Bud Light? Because that’s how you get Bud Light.
Submitted for your consideration, Starling Castle Red.
Normally, I don’t go for the sweeter wines, but I decided to give this wine a chance. It has a sweet side to it, but it does not have that sickeningly sweet taste that often accompanies some wines. Although if you are not partial to sweet wines or can’t politely work your way through a glass, you may want to take a pass. And it does have some low reviews.
It is made from the Dornfelder grape, which has a very dark skin, giving the wine a deep red appearance. Incidentally, the juice of all grapes is white, even red grapes. The wine takes on a red color when the vineyard leaves the grape skins in the vat. That’s an annoying piece of trivia you can throw out if the subject ever comes up.
It has a berry flavor, and the tannins are not overwhelming. I found a hard time coming up with something to pair it with. It might make a good dessert wine, particularly with a dessert that has a lot of bittersweet chocolate. You could try substituting it for a port since it is not as strong as a fortified wine.
That’s it for me. Have a great weekend! In between the boats, RVs, burgers, hot dogs, and cold ones, don’t forget why we have this holiday. Especially in these times.
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