EL SEGUNDO HERALD September 7, 2017 Page 7
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“A Taste of Brooklyn”
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce,
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Preparation
Ingredients
Politically Speaking
One Man’s Opinion Another Man’s Opinion
Let’s Remember Ourselves
in the Harvey Tragedy
By Cristian Vasquez
In the middle of all the destruction and
devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey,
we have been reminded who we truly are:
kind-hearted Americans. The years of political
bickering and recent months of violent
polarization seem to have taken a pause in
the chaos of Houston’s worse hurricane in
years. However, even in this dire moment,
we see part of the problem that has caused
this deep rift between the right and left. In
the middle of news coverage, it was CNN
that decided to remind viewers that Texas
Senator Ted Cruz voted against a bill that
would contribute money to the victims of
Super Storm Sandy. That right there was a
reminder to America that on television, no
matter how desperate the situation, let’s take
a moment to smear someone of a different
ideology.
For the record, I do not like Senator Ted
Cruz and will leave it at that. Second, CNN
isn’t the only network that does this--but in
order to become a better person, group and
society, we need to start holding ourselves up
to a higher standard. Yet to have a network
show images of a flooded city and its displaced
families huddling in the background,
highlighting the tragedy, only to turn around
and berate a person for a legislative vote
is unnecessary. Should Cruz be brought to
task for all of his actions as a senator? Yes.
Does it have to happen in the middle of his
state drowning? No. We all know smear
campaigns are to politics what peanut butter
is to jelly, but there is a place and time and
CNN missed the mark on both. How we use
our resources says a lot about us and CNN
decided to use its platform for a political
attack when the focus should be getting aid
to the people in need. And yes, Senator Cruz
voted against providing people in a different
state with aid, but how did shaming him
during a broadcast make things better for
those in Houston? It didn’t.
It’s embarrassing that it would take a crisis
of this nature for Americans to stop accusing
each other of destroying the country
and come together as one. So why can’t, or
won’t, we do this on a daily basis? When
we look back at moments of great need, the
American spirit and heart are generous like
no other. Whether the need is at home or
abroad, we as a nation never fail to deliver.
But why must it be when the situation is
dire? Why can’t we approach each other
with the same kindness when dealing with
our daily affairs? The reasons why we don’t
remain unclear to me. However, it is clear
that some networks are more interested
in ratings and will use any opportunity to
remind its viewers who is to blame. We are
in desperate need of exercising our ability to
overlook our differences to help our fellow
countrymen. This week, the Great State of
Texas reminded us how it’s done. •
Heatwave Hits California
By Duane Plank
As Southern Californians, we do live in a
desert, by the way…sweltered over the weekend
with some confines scoring triple-digit temps.
Many of our fellow citizens habitating the great
state of Texas continued to deal with the aftermath
of the devastation wreaked by hurricane Harvey.
Most fair and balanced pundits have scored the
Trump administration with high marks for their
in-region preparation prior to Harvey hitting
landfall, as well as after the killer hurricane
moved on, petering into a tropical storm.
Of course, the leftists on CNN and MSNBC
scoured the Trump appearances in Texas, looking
for any negatives relating to the President’s
response. They went to page 36 of the “Resist
Trump” playbook and came up with a narrative
that Trump did not evoke sufficient empathy
when he visited the devastated, flood-ravaged
area during and after the biblical rainfall.
Even when Trump does it well, does the
right thing, he is excoriated by the “mainstream”
media.
Trump was not involved in the hands-on nuts
and bolts of pre- and post-Harvey planning, but
he efficiently and quickly gave FEMA all the
power and authorization that it needed to most
effectively help the stricken folks in Texas and
nearby environs. And he is doing everything
within his power to quickly send a nearly $7.9
billion initial installment for FEMA to Congress,
which hopefully will have been passed by the
returning-from-lengthy-vacationing walkabouts
by the time you peruse this column.
Unfortunately, as always seems to happen
during time of crisis, lowlife scavengers and
profit-mongers are taking advantage of the
cataclysmic environmental disaster. There have
been reports of price gouging, with gas, water,
lodgings, food and other necessities seeing their
prices in the areas affected by the hurricane
skyrocketing.
Even locally, it seemed that before the first
drop of water from Harvey had hit the turf in
Texas, local gas stations in our South Bay had
already raised their prices about a dime a gallon.
And they raised their prices again last week.
Smart capitalist businessmen charging what
the market will bear. Easy answer to that one.
And finally, pay attention, because this may
not occur all that often in this column. I am
going to give kudos to a lefty politician, California
Senator Dianne Feinstein. Last week, the
84-year-old Dem, who is running for re-election
in 2018, veered from the resist playbook, so
help me Rachel “Madcow” Maddow. Feinstein
counseled “patience” to her fellow California
libs in their dealings with President Trump,
noting that “this man is going to be President,
most likely, for the rest of this term. I think
we must have some patience. It’s eight months
into the tenure of the presidency.”
A little honesty from a veteran legislator
on the left. Her comments were immediately
shouted down by resistors like the soon-to-be
termed-out Cali state Senate leader Kevin
de Leon, who seemingly has his aspirations
blocked by elderly Demo office holders. “We
don’t owe Trump patience,” he said, while
eyeing Feinstein’s senate perch, “we owe
Californians resistance.”
That sums up the Dem strategy, eh? •
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• DELIVERY IN LIMITED AREA AT BOTH LOCATIONS •
Jerk-Rubbed Chicken
Skewers with Mango Salsa
Servings: 4-6 skewers
Mango Salsa
1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Let sit and allow flavors to meld while you prepare the chicken.
Jerk Chicken Rub & Skewers
1. Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2. Coat cubed chicken well with the rub. Marinate for 30 minutes or more.
3. Skewer 4-6 pieces of chicken per stick.
4. Cook on a grill pan at medium high heat. Turn frequently to avoid burning. Cook
for about 15 minutes or until juices run clear.
5. Place the chicken on or off the skewer and spoon the Mango Salsa on top •
Mango Salsa
• 2 cups mango, chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/2 tbs lime juice
• 1 tsp jalapeno, finely diced
• 1/4 tsp salt and pepper
Jerk Chicken Rub & Skewers
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 1 tbs fresh thyme leaves, minced
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground clove
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 pound chicken breast, cubed
• Skewers, soaked in water