From My Personal Library--The Stuff Americans Are Made Of

My older sister is pretty smart--maybe one day, I will admit that she is indeed smarter than me. She reads lots of interesting books and a few years ago, she suggested that I pick up a book that she found amazing--The Stuff Americans Are Made Of by Josh Hammond and James Morrison. Published in 1996, the book focuses on the seven cultural forces that define Americans, and in this very interesting and noisy election year, I am pulling this book off the shelf and taking another look at it. Perhaps you would like to know what you are made of--before you make your election day decision!

The seven forces that define us as Americans according to Josh and James are:

• an insistence on choice
• the pursuit of impossible dreams
• obsession on big and more
• impatience with time
• acceptance of mistakes
• the urge to improvise
• fixation on "whatsnew"

The authors make their case clearly and proudly by illustrating their seven forces in the life and accomplishments of the Super American (my term): Ben Franklin. Josh and James define Ben as a combination of Ted Turner, Perter Uebberoth, Warren Christopher, Steve Jobs, David McCullough, Russel Baker, Red Adaire, Dave Barry and Teddy Roosevelt all in one. WOW!!

OK--lets see why they think that about Ben Franklin based on their seven forces that make Americans

Choice: Ben chose to educate himself, read everything he could find, left Boston to live in Philly, wrote extensively under a pen name of Silence Dogood and was curious about everything around him. He was chosen to be a writer of the Declaration of Independence.

Impossible Dreams: No argument that he was a visionary. He founded the Philly library, hospital, fire company, insurance company, militia, philosophical society, college--and if that is not enough--he encouraged the lighting and paving of city streets.

Big and More: He worked for a bigger and better Philadelphia. Philly still has that going on as they constantly seek to be as cool as NYC (my bias expressed here). While a diplomat in France during the American Revolution, he worked to unite the colonies to be a bigger and better United States of America.

NOW: He worked lots of hours when he was young with the hope of retiring in his forties. Of course he didnt. He established brevity--his aphorisms found in Poor Richard's Almanac survive today--like this one-- No pain no gain. And one that is noted in the title of my chosen book--"But dost thou love Life, then do not squander Time, for that's the Stuff Life is made of".

OOPS--he once owned slaves--he became an advocate of abolition.

Improvise--Ben was a tireless inventor and entrepreneur. Lets see-he is credited with the Franklin stove, bifocals, electric storage battery, lightening rods (of course) and electric motor. He also invented things that never made history.

Whatsnew?: His stock in trade.

Ane he was reportedly a wonderful dinner companion, a joiner, a team player, attuned to the world around him and rewarded by being a member of the greatest team an American could wish for--The Continental Convention. He was one of the authors who wrote the compromise that resolved representation between big states and small states--the Congress with two houses.

In hours, the state of this marvelous union will for the last time be described by George Bush. HOORAY--his "lasts" are starting to pile up! I review the seven forces that Americans are made of and dream and imagine what the country will be like a year from now.

• an insistence on choice: All citizens have exactly the same opportunity to make a choice for the next president of the United States. A choice of age, gender, race and experience.
  
• the pursuit of impossible dreams: For the first time, our choice includes an American with a heritage of color, a Viet Nam POW, a female
  
• obsession on big and more: We can become obsessed with being bigger and better than ever for more than our weapons and threats of waging war--we can actually wage global behavior and peaceful co-existence by social networking with global leaders--imagine that.
  
• impatience with time: Let's just do it, gosh darn it. Lets break the race barrier in American presidency.
  
• acceptance of mistakes: YEP--we make some and we will make some more. Its OK!!
  
• the urge to improvise: Pick the president who is willing to listen to others and change how we solve and lead the solution of global issues
  
• fixation on "whatsnew": Everything old is new again--CAMELOT is more than a once in lifetime experience. It wasnt just for us Boomers. Bigger and More is having CAMELOT twice in a lifetime!! Its what we need to heal and recharge the American Spirit. Americans under 35 deserve the "happily ever-aftering" that is here in America (Camelot if there ever was one)
  

And then what could be better for a liberal moment??? The promise today for another Camelot with a united Kennedy endorsement of Barak Obama--its finally not only getting interesting, but it is getting AMERICAN--an election that reflects what we are made of.




Can you dare to be pass that torch to an new generation of Americans??

If so-- we share the salute recognized around the world.

Lets go and make an Obama-rama come true for the resurgence of a gentle, giant nation. This election can be the one that re-launches the United States as a country of benevolence not violence.






and keeps us on top of the world.

CONGRATS-- you have just thoroughly enjoyed a liberal moment.

This blog entry in memory of you, my wonderfully liberal friend, Jim Weinberg, Esq. We managed to argue politics--and we were both on the same side. I am missing you during all this election fun..

_____________________________________________________________





Next blog: My hometown A - Z: St Louis and the Letter B

Susan's Favorite Recipes

These are undoubtedly the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!!




Secret Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup rolled oats, regular or quick
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place rolled oats in blender or food processor and process until finely ground. Combine ground oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.

2. In another bowl, cream butter, sugars, vanilla and lemon juice together using an electric mixer. Add eggs and beat until fluffy.

3. Stir the flour mixture into egg mixture, blending well. Add the chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix well. Using 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie, scoop round balls with an ice cream scoop and place 2 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Back until cookies are lightly browned, 16-18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container to keep them soft and chewy.

Makes 24 cookies.

Next blog--something fun from my personal library.

My Hometown A to Z Today: A

I was born on a cold February morning in 1952 in St Louis, Missouri.

I have never been sorry that I am a Midwesterner--and while I have loved living in other parts of the country, I have fought to retain the Midwestern characteristics that set us apart. (I admit I have tried to lose a few.)

Just like Johnny Carson, another Midwesterner, I don't think that I have an accent--but I think that every other part of the country endears itself by the accent. And although the Midwest will probably never again be my home, I cannot forget from whence I come--and so I have added to my rotating, repeating blog entries--a feature fondly called: My Hometown A - Z.

It is difficult, if not darn near impossible, to write about my hometown of St Louis, Missouri without A being the St Louis Arch which began construction in 1963 when I was 11 and Kennedy was president, Jackie was First Lady, Elvis was king of rock and roll and life was great. There were no Beatles, we were launching monkeys and beagles into space, and Roger Maris was homerun king. Along with all this good news, St Louis planned to memorialize the Mississippi waterfront so loved by Mark Twain with an ARCH.

St Louis was known for other things before 1963-- a memorable history of baseball teams, the world's largest brewery and the city's financial support for an ambitious aviator who changed the dream of transatlantic flight to reality by crossing the Atlantic non-stop in 1927.

The St Louis Arch JOINS those other things that make St Louis fabulicious and it certainly does not diminish them.

With all the jokes about the Arch being a stainless steel McDonald's arch or a croquet wicket, the St Louis Arch is really a work of art and the largest man-made monument in the country--and maybe the world.

A Midwestern characteristic is fierce loyalty--St Louis still cherishes baseball, beer and Charles Lindbergh. BUT St Louis's most recognizable feature is now the St Louis Arch.



There is nothing more fabulous on July 4th than that Arch illuminated by the riverfront fireworks. Its just breathtaking.










Why is the Arch there on the Mississippi waterfront?

Quite simply, it commemorates the end of the East and the beginning of the Western part of the United States--what I prefer to think of as the wild side!! The Arch stands close to the starting point of Lewis and Clark's exploration of the Louisiana Purchase and the move west of American explorers, pioneers and just wild, adventurous people who were tired of living in the rather predictable and staid East. (Another Midwestern characteristic---never let people East of the Mississippi River think they had anything on us--especially their claims of a sophisticated, refined lifestyle.)

Why an Arch???

In 1947, a group of civic leaders held a national competition to select a design for the main portion of the Memorial space. Eero Saarinen won this competition with plans for a 590-foot (180-metre) catenary arch to be placed on the banks of the Mississippi River. However, these plans were modified over the next 15 years, placing the arch on higher ground and adding 40 feet (12 m) in height and width. It is not a pure inverted catenary arch. But close.


The construction of the Arch began February 12, 1963 and was completed on October 28, 1965, costing less than US$15 million to build. As a child of 11, I watched the legs of the Arch being built on a rather dismal, undeveloped and trashy looking riverfront. The riverfront is still being developed, but it has not been dismal since the arch legs first appeared above ground. It took on an air of excitement and "becoming' that still exists there today.



As the two legs grew taller and taller, there was a certain anticipation and trepidation about whether the legs would meet at all.

I remember something about there being NO margin for error.




Vice President Hubert Humphrey and Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall dedicated the Arch on May 25, 1968.

There have been some airplanes that have dared to fly through the Arch--with other pilots who claim that the inverted catenary arch design serves as a magnet that draws small planes and sky divers toward it with an unrelenting force. Not substantiated--but another Midwestern characteristic--we love a good story.

There are 4 million visitors a year--so the Arch seems to be quite magnetic to tourists as well. In 2005, the Arch was illuminated at dark to make it a stunning sight for travelers crossing the Mississippi on Highway 70/64/44/55 which converge at the Arch. It stands proudly welcoming all adventurous travelers ready to leave the East behind and venture on because they still believe that America has a free, untamed, wild side.

Happy New Year!!

Coming soon-- Another new rotating feature--Susan's Favorite Recipes.
I have chosen The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER as the first recipe to appear in this blog feature.