Muga chaka, Muga, Muga...

[Thor]

We had a fairly freewheeling, free-spirited pastor while I was growing up. Probably a bit too free-spirited for Lutherans, frankly, and there was a constant low hum of disapproval -- silent disapproval, of course; we were still Minnesotans -- from some of the older set, who preferred their cold fire with a side of frozen brimstone (not to forget the jellied, lye-infused fish on white toast). Anyway, I swear that a little overindulgence with the communion wine led to a yearly ritual in which he encouraged us to sing "Go Tell It On the Mountain" somewhere in the midst of Advent.

Now, it's true that nothing moves a person to spirituals more than the warm glow of a northern Minnesota winter. And it's also true that no one is impassioned by the spirit of the music quite like a church full of transplanted Scandinavians, more than half of whom have been vanned over from the nursing home just across the street. One of whom regularly (wo)manned the organ for this festival of wild abandon. As a study in unintentional polyrhythm and hilariously stilted clapping (always, always, always on 1 and 3, to the extent that those could be discerned from the organist's earnest keying), it was unsurpassed. I wish I had it on video.

But apparently the rigid white Germans singing songs in English qualified as gospel in the local cultural context.

Remind Theresa to tell you about last night's Tex-Mex dinner in Delft, which commenced with a "mojito," continued with "fajitas" that couldn't be ordered until pronounced as if the word were Dutch, and finished with a realization that the steak was spiced for the tandoor.

 

[Chris Weber]

originally posted by Thor:
Clapping. Clapping along to gospel hymns. Clapping on 2 & 4 rather than somewhere in the general vicinity of 1 & 3. That's always worth two, three hours of entertainment with Lutherans.

Clapping on 2 & 4? Must be Reggae.

 

[Thor]

Clapping on 2 & 4? Must be Reggae.

Actually, clapping to 2 & 4 completely destroys reggae. It's all about 3.

 

[Jeff Grossman]

originally posted by Thor:
(not to forget the jellied, lye-infused fish on white toast)

I recall your write-up about this from some years ago. That was hilarious.

 

[Kevin Roberts]

originally posted by Doug Padgett:

originally posted by Kevin Roberts:
We are certainly over the moon. Our general coping strategy with the academic job market has been to not get too attached to any particular job, no matter how perfect it might seem on paper. But it really seems so far as near to the perfect job as possible for my wife/family. Halfway between my parents and my wife's parents geographically, good school, motivated students, and being both graduates of St. Olaf, my wife and I know a little bit about small midwestern towns with norwegian-lutheran colleges, Luther and Decorah seem like the perfect fit.

And now I can make my Chambers St. orders more than an annual just-after-the-tax-return occasion. Gamay for all!

Cheers,

Kevin

Congratulations! (On both your wife's job near home--an unimaginable prize--and your increasing consumption of great wine--I can imagine it; I just can't pay for it for it right now.)

Thanks, it was a very much a right place/right time situation. They say it is better to be lucky than good, and trying to get a TT job everybody (more or less) is good, so to get a job you need to be lucky, and my wife certainly was. I just need to ration my meager wine consumption for another 6 months and live vicariously here.

As for lutefisk, I will contend that while the flavor is certainly foul, there is an amount of butter and salt that will render (nearly) everything almost palatable. However, no amount of toppings will change the revolting gag-inducing texture than can only result from fully denaturing all the proteins in a slab of cod by soaking it in drano for several months. As someone who had to eat lutefisk to "earn" Christmas presents for the first 16? 18? 20? years of my life, (memories may be repressed, details shady) I can certainly attest to that.

Cheers,

Kevin

 

[Oswaldo Costa]

Since there has been no note yet on the recently released 2008 LdH Tondonia Rosado, this seemed like as good a place as any. First off, this past icon of these august pages has become an endangered species, so good luck trying to get one in an efficient market. Second, it shares that nutty oxidative note that, in my experience, all LdH whites have and none of the reds. Thoid, unlike in the whites, where I am, unlike most, not a fan of the oxidative note in question, here it is absolutely gorgeous. Fourth, and last, the sheer depth of the stunning aroma made me expect a measure of gravitas, but I was disappointed on that particular score - let's say, I would not sing of this particular body as electric -, though, as consolation, the acid/sweet balance is ideally equipoised.

 

[Karen Goetz]

originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Since there has been no note yet on the recently released 2008 LdH Tondonia Rosado, this seemed like as good a place as any. First off, this past icon of these august pages has become an endangered species, so good luck trying to get one in an efficient market. Second, it shares that nutty oxidative note that, in my experience, all LdH whites have and none of the reds. Thoid, unlike in the whites, where I am, unlike most, not a fan of the oxidative note in question, here it is absolutely gorgeous. Fourth, and last, the sheer depth of the stunning aroma made me expect a measure of gravitas, but I was disappointed on that particular score - let's say, I would not sing of this particular body as electric -, though, as consolation, the acid/sweet balance is ideally equipoised.

To me, there is something wonderful about equipoise and body electric in the same paragraph in a Disorderly post.

 

[Oswaldo Costa]

Obrigado (just so you get some practice).