Miscellaneous

[bktheirregular]

Took today off - they're not paying me, so it's not like I'm losing money. (Actually saving money, since my brother was good enough to spring for lunch today.)

Also decided to indulge in shallowness; the National Security Advisor was testifying before the 9/11 Commission, and I decided that I should give her testimony the attention it deserved.

In other words, I whinged that her testimony would preempt the Yankees home opener.

FYI: it didn't. See current music.

ETA: discussions with the kid brother on what to do for dinner.

Him: "What to do for a vegetable?"
Me: "I'll get some corn."
Him: "That's a grain, not a vegetable."

Is it? I was always under the impression that corn was a legitimate veggie.

Comments

[lizbetann]

"Corn" is a European term for general grain; I think they call what we call "corn" by its proper name, "maize".

I think what happened was that the first Europeans who hit America's shores saw Native Americans grinding dried maize and assumed it was like their wheat/barley/rye/etc, and tagged it as "corn".

It's a very starchy vegetable, hence it's ability to be ground and used as flour, but it is a veggie. *g*

[bktheirregular]

I'd forgotten about the etymology of the word - always wondered about pre-Columbian references to "corn" in European literature - but my brother made the point about being able to turn corn into bread.

I'll razz him on that point later tonight. :)