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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (June 9, 2011)
BY LANCE SPARKS On War and Wine Fortified, once more into the breach and shrapnel holes that riddled his bird’s wings and fuselage. Clearly, it was a near-miracle the crate fl ew at all. He and thousands of other young men and women survived that bitter war, but some struggled with peace. My stepdad was not a nice guy; he drowned in gin the hero inside himself and fattened into a drunk who used his fi sts on me, my four sisters and our mother. He found a better life in later years, post-retirement, but he never again located the hero. Maybe he needed his war. In 1910, the great American philosopher William James published his essay, “The Moral Equivalent of War”; there, he argued that “War is the strong life; it is life in extremis; war taxes are the only ones men never hesitate to pay.” James added that war’s “dread hammer is the welder of men into cohesive states.” There it is: War fi nds the hero inside the jerk; war “welds” us into “cohesive states”; start a war and we’ll gladly pay. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have dragged on for 10 years and will cost us $159 billion this year. So, school budgets collapsing? Declare a war. Call it a war on ignorance. Call us to battle. 2009 Lagarde 2009 Corbieres ($12) 34++ COUPON 11AM-MIDNIGHT SUN-THU 11AM-1AM FRI-SAT 11 AM -10PM DAILY SERVING DELICIOUS NEW YORK PIZZA BY THE SLICE AND BY THE WHOLE PIZZA PIE 2.00 OFF ANY 18” LARGE $ ® Sestiere OAKWAY GOLF COURSE NO TEE TIMES 2000 Cal Young Road, Eugene (541) 484-1927 Women’s Health & Annual Exams Anne Marie Moore, WHNP-BC 541-393-2334 Friendly, personalized & compassionate healthcare Nurse Practioner, Board Certified annemariemoore.com 16 * 4775 / ):,-6 < 7=: ?ITSQV¼\PM?PQ\ COUPON 1211 ALDER 686-9598 Roque delivers several surprises: fi rst, this dry white from the Languedoc region of France is aromatic and refreshing but with a silky mouthfeel; second, we’re told that the grapes used are all Grenache Blanc, unblended with the usual half dozen white grapes allowed; third, it’s delish and delightful — fl oral, citrus, mineral, well-matched with shellfi sh. Fortifi ed, we march again to war. Soon, our schools will thrive. Salud. ew NOW 2 LOCATIONS! A SY'S NEW YORK PIZZA COUPONS GOOD UNTIL JUNE 23 RD , 2011 Noir ($20) is terrifi c, deep, rich, complex and craftily balanced to achieve texture at once fi rm and smooth. Flavors are nuanced, from black cherries to blackberries with a dash of spice. Deserves a medal, maybe several; it also rewards service in good stemware. Spendier but classic: Boedecker 2008 Pinot Noir Boris ($29) is excellent, a blend of barrels selected by Sundance manager Boris Wiedenfeld. Texture is fi rm, fl avors defi nitively Oregon pinot (black cherry/raspberry/pepper). Give this wine some air before serving in Riedel glasses, with a tender steak. COUPON 55 SILVER LN. 654-0603 Pinot olf I t’s dawn of summer 2011. Ordinarily, I’d be rolling around our ratty offi ce/ lab on the 22nd fl oor of Eugene’s shakiest/oldest highrise. I’d drag my chair over to the grimy window and peer down on the Park Blocks, feasting my eyes on the burst of fl owers and the bounty of spring’s early harvest. I wax sappy when I see Eugeneans strolling the market, loaded down with plant starts for their gardens, armloads of fl owers, bags of organic groceries. This year, though, we’re still soggy, wet, cold, huddled in winter gear. The rhodies have erupted, sure, but the roses are still tight and our world seems to be melting — along with our schools. And I’m thinking we need another war. Partly I’m thinking about war ’cause it’s Memorial Day as I write this and I can’t help remembering my stepfather and how war brought out the best and worst of that man. The best, heroic: He was a young pilot, Navy lieutenant, assigned to fl y Catalina seaplanes, rescuing downed fl yers from the Pacifi c. Whatever the weather or the seas, he’d splash down that rattle-trap and snatch a brother from the watery grave awaiting him. In one grainy black-and-white snapshot, the skinny, ginning, khaki-clad “loot” stood by his Cat,’ pointing at bullet the Zen of y o G Problem solved, pour the wine: We desperately seek drinkable pinot noirs under $20. Plowbuster $ 9 HOLES 14 M O N D A Y - F R I D A Y En j wine FREE LARGE SODA 2 SLICES W/ PURCHASE OF ;]VLIa2]VM !IU\WXU:IQVWZ;PQVM COUPON $10 in advance • $15 day of tour Sustainable Building Advisor Certificate Program Convenient classes held one Friday & Saturday per month for 9 months beginning in October Northwest Energy Education Institute at Lane Community College FREE INFORMATION SESSION Wednesday, June 15th 6-7pm Eugene Public Library, Tykeson Room To attend, RSVP @ 541-463-3154 QUESTIONS? VISIT WWW.NWEEI.ORG OR CALL )[MTNO]QLML\W]ZWN LMTQOP\N]TXZQ^I\MOIZLMV[XT][VMIZJaX]JTQKOIZLMV[QV -]OMVM¼[?PQ\MISMZVMQOPJWZPWWL Live music • Food & Beer Garden • Chair Massage • Community Booths www.klcc.org or call 541.463.6000 T he Survival Kit June is all about survival, isn’t it? Students surviving the year, teachers surviving the students, Dads surviving another year of lawnmowers and barbecues to bask in the glory of Father’s Day. Enter Euphoria’s Chocolate Survival Kit, filled with chocolate espresso beans, malt balls, a Caramel Almond Chortle, even a couple of white chocolate aspirin to ease the psychic pains of life. The perfect gift forDads, Grads and Teachers? A Chocolate Survival Kit from (541) 463-3154 17th & Willamette Valley River Center Oakway Center Stewart & Bertelsen APPROVED BY AIA FOR 100 CES LEARNING UNITS WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM EUGENE WEEKLY JUNE 9, 2011 33
