This is a really good article about the state of sex education in this country and how uninformed our youth are about their sexual health. Abstinence does not always work and there should be a Plan B, but there isn't.
My father had somewhat the same approach to teaching me sex education. He would leave pamphlets for me to read since I told him we were not discussing that subject. Ewww! He made sure that I learned how my body functioned to prevent an negative consequences. One of the many things I am grateful to my Dad for.
The prison population is increasing at a phenomenal rate, with women being the fastest growing segment and we call ourselves an advanced society. No child left behind doesn't really mean anything to power hungry people does it? How can this be good for the country? Why can't we come up with a less destructive solution to the "drug" problem?
Data won the Copley Medal also but that's not mentioned. Of course that's in the future and it's fiction but humor is appreciated by geeks. Stephen Hawking is correct in stating that we need to colonize other worlds to protect ourselves from extinction. Congratulations, you are in august company.
This is major pet peeve of mine and it seems I'm not alone. I can go into a store and find semi-opened packages or some with the contents completely missing and then it takes me forever when I'm at home with scissors to even create an air pocket much less remove the item I paid for. Sometimes I even get hurt in the process. CDs really get my goat. So many little strips of plastic that shred instead of open. Grrr.
Dude, shut up. Nobody cares anymore. With every speech you show your disconnect and disrespect of the voters and I'm tired of hearing you babble and create more trouble.
Does anybody really care? There are almost two years before the election and anything can and more than likely will happen to change the country's perception of who should be the least disliked candidate to run the country for the next four years. The moral of this story being ...don't bore us too soon.
Some people are never happy and these people are a lousy example to their children. Another shining example of the more money than brains philosophy. Some schools don't have sports programs at all.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Children, Cauliflower And The Weather
I liked the Wiggles. I don't have kids but I saw an episode once and thought it was entertaining. I was fascinated by the Star Trek colors and the ...exuberance of the group. This doesn't sound good, I wish Mr. Page the best and hope he improves quickly.
What's up with trying to kill an eight month pregnant woman by her husband? You would think that the husband would have learned from the Scott Peterson case to get a divorce, but noo, he opted to hire a hit man instead. The hit man had ethics. Imagine that, he didn't.
Wonderful. They used as test subjects a generation that has known only brand names for their whole lives and then don't wonder why they got the results they did. Of course their brains lit up when they saw brand name logos. They've been preprogrammed to think brand names are better than the unknown. I wonder what the kids were wearing when they took the test. If anybody had been paying attention to the subjects and not the subject matter they probably would have anticipated the results. Sheesh.
I'm child free. By choice and design. I'm also single. By choice and design. This disturbs some people, mainly members of my family. I don't really care. I'm a firstborn by almost four years and that made me the built in babysitter. I was forced to have my brothers accompany me every where I went and they had to be supervised until the day I left home at eighteen. I hated it (I'm pretty sure they weren't too fond of it either) and have been in no hurry to repeat the experience. As I like to put it, the clock never ticked because it was never set.
After mom is gone my fantasy life would be to live by myself, not too close to neighbors, internet and access to fresh food. I know it sounds antisocial but I am somewhat of a hermit. I can chat and be obnoxiously outgoing when around people but I would prefer to be by myself and just visit the insanity. I need a telecommuting job.
I love cauliflower. Mom and I have been enjoying the gold one quite a bit and I'm making aloo gobi tonight for dinner. Both the gold and the purple varieties make a beautiful soup presentation but I prefer the taste of the gold, the purple is a little bland. Cauliflower makes a good substitute for fried potatoes and since we like spicy foods I'll have this recipe sometime next week.
I was so cold (Green Bay is warmer!) I could barely sleep last night. I covered the plants last night and I think I'll keep the heater on tonight. Not high but enough to keep the temperature above 50 degrees. I prefer tropical weather but I don't think we'll be feeling that any time soon.
Update: I'm adding this link to a meme for a poor starving graduate student who is trying to track the speed of a meme across the web. Link, ping Technorati and ask others to do the same. Done!
What's up with trying to kill an eight month pregnant woman by her husband? You would think that the husband would have learned from the Scott Peterson case to get a divorce, but noo, he opted to hire a hit man instead. The hit man had ethics. Imagine that, he didn't.
Wonderful. They used as test subjects a generation that has known only brand names for their whole lives and then don't wonder why they got the results they did. Of course their brains lit up when they saw brand name logos. They've been preprogrammed to think brand names are better than the unknown. I wonder what the kids were wearing when they took the test. If anybody had been paying attention to the subjects and not the subject matter they probably would have anticipated the results. Sheesh.
I'm child free. By choice and design. I'm also single. By choice and design. This disturbs some people, mainly members of my family. I don't really care. I'm a firstborn by almost four years and that made me the built in babysitter. I was forced to have my brothers accompany me every where I went and they had to be supervised until the day I left home at eighteen. I hated it (I'm pretty sure they weren't too fond of it either) and have been in no hurry to repeat the experience. As I like to put it, the clock never ticked because it was never set.
After mom is gone my fantasy life would be to live by myself, not too close to neighbors, internet and access to fresh food. I know it sounds antisocial but I am somewhat of a hermit. I can chat and be obnoxiously outgoing when around people but I would prefer to be by myself and just visit the insanity. I need a telecommuting job.
I love cauliflower. Mom and I have been enjoying the gold one quite a bit and I'm making aloo gobi tonight for dinner. Both the gold and the purple varieties make a beautiful soup presentation but I prefer the taste of the gold, the purple is a little bland. Cauliflower makes a good substitute for fried potatoes and since we like spicy foods I'll have this recipe sometime next week.
I was so cold (Green Bay is warmer!) I could barely sleep last night. I covered the plants last night and I think I'll keep the heater on tonight. Not high but enough to keep the temperature above 50 degrees. I prefer tropical weather but I don't think we'll be feeling that any time soon.
Update: I'm adding this link to a meme for a poor starving graduate student who is trying to track the speed of a meme across the web. Link, ping Technorati and ask others to do the same. Done!
Shock And Shame
No awe. Our military is stretched too thin, flailing uselessly in a country that is in the midst of imploding. Currently there are several units preparing to return to Iraq for the third time, like it's going to make a difference. Meanwhile the Pentagon is considering writing off the Anbar province and moving the marines to Baghdad which is tantamount to defeat. On several levels.
The draft, while evenly distributing the pain of loss across most economic levels, is not the answer. Neither is contracting out to private companies for the day to day running of the military (at a greater expense to the taxpayer) or having almost 30,000 immigrant soldiers (almost 2% of the military willing to die for a chance at citizenship) but that has been our solution. War is no longer a matter of honor and citizenship, it is a financial decision. From the war mongerers to the lowly private.
This creates several issues, not the least of which is a mercenary army whose loyalty will not be to the United States of America but to the almighty dollar, such as it may be. Serving in the military will become the poor person's only option for improving their life. Provided they survive whatever conflict that the war profiteers have deemed necessary for that decade.
Of course we could always supplement active duty military with the Reserves and the National Guard. Oops, we did that already. What to do, what to do? The cynic in me says the most expedient solution is to go back to that idea of selling citizenship for military service. If they are willing to die to live here so real Americans don't have to, why not? Umm, because it's wrong?
This begs the question, why would someone be willing to die for a country where the citizens don't care enough to participate by backing up their words with actions? It's not like veterans are held in high regard after their usefulness has passed. Why would you want to take the chance of dying for a country that starts a war and then blames the victims for not doing more to make it a success?
In war the only flowers are the ones on the graves of the service members who died in vain. Death doesn't care if you are a citizen or trying to provide for your family.
Crossposted at the usual place.
The draft, while evenly distributing the pain of loss across most economic levels, is not the answer. Neither is contracting out to private companies for the day to day running of the military (at a greater expense to the taxpayer) or having almost 30,000 immigrant soldiers (almost 2% of the military willing to die for a chance at citizenship) but that has been our solution. War is no longer a matter of honor and citizenship, it is a financial decision. From the war mongerers to the lowly private.
This creates several issues, not the least of which is a mercenary army whose loyalty will not be to the United States of America but to the almighty dollar, such as it may be. Serving in the military will become the poor person's only option for improving their life. Provided they survive whatever conflict that the war profiteers have deemed necessary for that decade.
Of course we could always supplement active duty military with the Reserves and the National Guard. Oops, we did that already. What to do, what to do? The cynic in me says the most expedient solution is to go back to that idea of selling citizenship for military service. If they are willing to die to live here so real Americans don't have to, why not? Umm, because it's wrong?
This begs the question, why would someone be willing to die for a country where the citizens don't care enough to participate by backing up their words with actions? It's not like veterans are held in high regard after their usefulness has passed. Why would you want to take the chance of dying for a country that starts a war and then blames the victims for not doing more to make it a success?
In war the only flowers are the ones on the graves of the service members who died in vain. Death doesn't care if you are a citizen or trying to provide for your family.
Crossposted at the usual place.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Talking, Ranting And Smoking
Another study that determines that women talk three times more than men. Sigh. I have to disagree with the author's black and white conclusions. There is no allowance or discussion of the effect of homosexuality on the brain. What a sexist presentation! I also think about sex more than once a day. I may not think about it every 52 seconds like a guy (all of them? are you sure?) but I know I think about sex at least once an hour. Does that make me a small international airport?
How about we start with you? This country survived for over two hundred years with people freely speaking their minds. Instead of restricting and eliminating the Bill of Rights for the masses, how about we spend some time eliminating the causes that force people to feel disenfranchised? Or is that a little too simple a concept for a control freak?
Until the mission is complete? What does that mean? Because the only way to get rid of a fanatic is to eliminate them, their friends, every relative and friends of the relatives until no one is left alive who might take up the cause. We have created many fanatics and not all of them are located in the country we have led into a civil war. But then you would have to read and be able to understand the reports, wouldn't you?
It's your fault Mr. Bush, not al-Qaeda's. You made them legitimate, instead of locating and eliminating Osama bin Forgotten, you just had to destroy a sovereign country, instigate instability and terror in a volatile area, cause the deaths of tens of thousand of innocent women and children and now you want to blame it on the convenient bogeyman.
When are you going to grow up and take responsibility for your actions? When is it finally going to be your fault instead of someone who has been out of office for years? When are you going to be a President in truth instead of a power hungry pretend President? When are you going to face reality? How can history perceive you kindly when the present despises you and all that you stand for?
Do or do not, there is no good halfway solution. If you smoke and don't want to quit, understand that you are likely to die of heart disease, stroke or cancer and quit complaining. If don't smoke you should understand that you are likely to die of a heart attack or stroke, just not as soon as a smoker. Nobody gets out of here alive. Of course, mom is 76 and still smokes a pack a day. Do you think genes might have something to do with it?
How about we start with you? This country survived for over two hundred years with people freely speaking their minds. Instead of restricting and eliminating the Bill of Rights for the masses, how about we spend some time eliminating the causes that force people to feel disenfranchised? Or is that a little too simple a concept for a control freak?
Until the mission is complete? What does that mean? Because the only way to get rid of a fanatic is to eliminate them, their friends, every relative and friends of the relatives until no one is left alive who might take up the cause. We have created many fanatics and not all of them are located in the country we have led into a civil war. But then you would have to read and be able to understand the reports, wouldn't you?
It's your fault Mr. Bush, not al-Qaeda's. You made them legitimate, instead of locating and eliminating Osama bin Forgotten, you just had to destroy a sovereign country, instigate instability and terror in a volatile area, cause the deaths of tens of thousand of innocent women and children and now you want to blame it on the convenient bogeyman.
When are you going to grow up and take responsibility for your actions? When is it finally going to be your fault instead of someone who has been out of office for years? When are you going to be a President in truth instead of a power hungry pretend President? When are you going to face reality? How can history perceive you kindly when the present despises you and all that you stand for?
Do or do not, there is no good halfway solution. If you smoke and don't want to quit, understand that you are likely to die of heart disease, stroke or cancer and quit complaining. If don't smoke you should understand that you are likely to die of a heart attack or stroke, just not as soon as a smoker. Nobody gets out of here alive. Of course, mom is 76 and still smokes a pack a day. Do you think genes might have something to do with it?
Monday, November 27, 2006
Sex, Health And Money
Male birth control. Nice idea except that the rate of STD's will increase as people rationalize they don't need condoms.
But if you want to have children, especially healthy ones, sooner rather than later is best, whether you are male or female.
Absolutely, positively, wonderful! Pilates is a great idea for Parkinson's. For advanced cases Feldenkrais is a great technique for balance, flexibility and reduction of pain. I'm willing to bet that Tai Chi would also be of great benefit.
If I could afford it, I would take my own advice. It's been a little over a week since I returned to being able to wear shoes. My leg is emaciated and I suffer from muscle spasms as everything tries to adjust. What disturbs me the most is the pain in my ankle, I can't cross my ankles or take the weight of the covers on my toes but the original pain is gone. My knee was not happy with the cast and aches constantly but I love having the freedom to drive again.
An expensive library for a man who is proud of not reading. Pricey too. Probably needs a whole wing just for his many "signing" statements. That's my two cents worth. You can donate more, it's anonymous.
I'm so far in debt that the poor have left me behind. Who knew that those who can't, can earn more money critiquing those who can? It takes the Peter Principle to a whole new level.
I know I'm happier with money. It helps to eliminate some of the daily irritations and leaves me free to deal with life, instead of living. To be able to show Mom a good time every day would make me very happy.
I'm a traveler, I'm never going to put down permanent roots, it's not in my makeup. It might have something to do with the military moving us around so much when I was a little kid, but I like meeting new people, seeing new countries and best of all, tasting new food. It wouldn't take much to meet my happiness level. Curiosity is a wonderful thing. And it's free.
But if you want to have children, especially healthy ones, sooner rather than later is best, whether you are male or female.
Absolutely, positively, wonderful! Pilates is a great idea for Parkinson's. For advanced cases Feldenkrais is a great technique for balance, flexibility and reduction of pain. I'm willing to bet that Tai Chi would also be of great benefit.
If I could afford it, I would take my own advice. It's been a little over a week since I returned to being able to wear shoes. My leg is emaciated and I suffer from muscle spasms as everything tries to adjust. What disturbs me the most is the pain in my ankle, I can't cross my ankles or take the weight of the covers on my toes but the original pain is gone. My knee was not happy with the cast and aches constantly but I love having the freedom to drive again.
An expensive library for a man who is proud of not reading. Pricey too. Probably needs a whole wing just for his many "signing" statements. That's my two cents worth. You can donate more, it's anonymous.
I'm so far in debt that the poor have left me behind. Who knew that those who can't, can earn more money critiquing those who can? It takes the Peter Principle to a whole new level.
I know I'm happier with money. It helps to eliminate some of the daily irritations and leaves me free to deal with life, instead of living. To be able to show Mom a good time every day would make me very happy.
I'm a traveler, I'm never going to put down permanent roots, it's not in my makeup. It might have something to do with the military moving us around so much when I was a little kid, but I like meeting new people, seeing new countries and best of all, tasting new food. It wouldn't take much to meet my happiness level. Curiosity is a wonderful thing. And it's free.
The Early Years
Nobody was more surprised than Penn when Teller started singing. On key and in rhythm, but they ultimately decided that Teller should remain silent while Penn reveled in being obnoxious.
Today's entry in the Random Flickr Blogging project.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Hacking The Template
Yeah, I'm playing with the template again. I've implemented three of Ramani's comment hacks. The first one just changes the color of the blog authors comments, the second one lets me notify someone (provided they left their email!) that I've responded and the last one added comments to the sidebar. Again, but this time using a widget based on JSON.
Sounds like I know what I'm talking about, doesn't it? I don't, but cut and paste is my friend. I have a Master's I should be able to follow directions. Especially clear ones. Thanks Ramani. Now I just need someone to chat me up.
I like my two sidebars, have no idea how I did it since I have a flexible template and was just playing around. It was one of the first hacks I tried but since I was using a different template I had to play with the instructions. I just played with it until it did what I wanted. I like to use all of my screen real estate. One of the things I've noticed about other's sidebars is that some of the post will overrun the sidebar, making it illegible.
Singpolyma has a one click feed widget. He was the one who came up with peekaboo comments. I've added him to the quirky hackers list.
Another addition is Vivek, who came up with making the blogger labels searchable in Technorati. Now that's really cool. Did you notice the peekaboo nav bar? It's been hiding for a few weeks. I like not seeing it and staying within the terms of service.
Oh well, on to finding new Firefox extensions. You are using Firefox, aren't you? I know you're not, Sitemeter tells me so.
Sounds like I know what I'm talking about, doesn't it? I don't, but cut and paste is my friend. I have a Master's I should be able to follow directions. Especially clear ones. Thanks Ramani. Now I just need someone to chat me up.
I like my two sidebars, have no idea how I did it since I have a flexible template and was just playing around. It was one of the first hacks I tried but since I was using a different template I had to play with the instructions. I just played with it until it did what I wanted. I like to use all of my screen real estate. One of the things I've noticed about other's sidebars is that some of the post will overrun the sidebar, making it illegible.
Singpolyma has a one click feed widget. He was the one who came up with peekaboo comments. I've added him to the quirky hackers list.
Another addition is Vivek, who came up with making the blogger labels searchable in Technorati. Now that's really cool. Did you notice the peekaboo nav bar? It's been hiding for a few weeks. I like not seeing it and staying within the terms of service.
Oh well, on to finding new Firefox extensions. You are using Firefox, aren't you? I know you're not, Sitemeter tells me so.
I Hate Shopping!
Especially during the holiday season. The crowds, the parking, the incessant repetitive music, the mess, the long lines, the attitudes and the noise all make me want to roast somebody's chestnuts. It all grates on my last nerve. I'm not a scrooge but I hate this time of year. The false frivolity and artificial sentimentality get worse with every celebration of an arcane festival. Thank goodness the lights are pretty.
This is one lucky cat. Sort of.
Some professions should be held to a higher standard. When you are able to influence life and death, you should do your job without prejudice and do it correctly.
This week's winner of the "How can I be any stupider?" award, is this brilliant young man from Rockville, MD. Yes, as his mother so eloquently pointed out, he is brain-damaged. Stupid, too.
The Bush regime once again exposes its disdain of women. The Argentinians seem to be more concerned with the security of Jenna and notJenna than the Secret Service. This is going a little far in trying to provoke an incident, wouldn't you say? There really isn't much excuse for dangling your daughters out as bait. If they are that disposable, they should have enlisted for Iraq.
What would Miss Manners think? Personal hygiene is important, but not worth going to jail over.
Live long and prosper. As long as you were born with the right genes, at the right time.
How to buy nothing. Interesting article with some good tips and a few that require a little bit of a rethink. I don't know if it is a good thing to train your kids to ask you questions like that in public.
This is one lucky cat. Sort of.
Some professions should be held to a higher standard. When you are able to influence life and death, you should do your job without prejudice and do it correctly.
This week's winner of the "How can I be any stupider?" award, is this brilliant young man from Rockville, MD. Yes, as his mother so eloquently pointed out, he is brain-damaged. Stupid, too.
The Bush regime once again exposes its disdain of women. The Argentinians seem to be more concerned with the security of Jenna and notJenna than the Secret Service. This is going a little far in trying to provoke an incident, wouldn't you say? There really isn't much excuse for dangling your daughters out as bait. If they are that disposable, they should have enlisted for Iraq.
What would Miss Manners think? Personal hygiene is important, but not worth going to jail over.
Live long and prosper. As long as you were born with the right genes, at the right time.
How to buy nothing. Interesting article with some good tips and a few that require a little bit of a rethink. I don't know if it is a good thing to train your kids to ask you questions like that in public.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Water, Wind, Sight and Fright
A real life story of courage and sportsmanship. It takes a real man to turn back and help a rival during a race. Mike Golding deserves praise for helping Alex Thomson after his boat capsized. It's not that he wasn't interested in winning (he was in second place), he just wasn't interested in winning with a death on his conscience.
Mother nature is fascinating. The Great Colonial Hurricane was the largest storm to hit the Northeast in the last 400 years, appearing fourteen years after the Pilgrims landed. The English had never seen a hurricane and the Indians had never seen a storm of such magnitude. Coincidence? Probably not, but it sure makes for as good a conspiracy theory as any.
More money than sense. The car cost more than my first house and the paint job is blindingly stupid.
How many pedophiles are there? What are the odds that any man you meet is a pervert? They actually aren't that good but you wouldn't know it from the hysterical overreaction people seem to be suffering from. This guy is right, almost every human relationship is now governed by law instead of trust. Society needs to step back, take a deep breath and think about what they are doing. Otherwise it might soon become illegal for anybody but mom to wipe a baby's bottom.
Heartwarming. How do you teach yourself echo location? Goes to show that it pays not to wallow in your misfortune.
OMG! Iraq is totally out of control. Immolating people in the streets is not what I consider to be an improvement over Saddam. Not at all. Every day the news gets worse, more sadistic, more tragic and more prolific. When they start revenge killing of toddlers will something finally be done? Or will the world wait until there is no one left?
Mother nature is fascinating. The Great Colonial Hurricane was the largest storm to hit the Northeast in the last 400 years, appearing fourteen years after the Pilgrims landed. The English had never seen a hurricane and the Indians had never seen a storm of such magnitude. Coincidence? Probably not, but it sure makes for as good a conspiracy theory as any.
More money than sense. The car cost more than my first house and the paint job is blindingly stupid.
How many pedophiles are there? What are the odds that any man you meet is a pervert? They actually aren't that good but you wouldn't know it from the hysterical overreaction people seem to be suffering from. This guy is right, almost every human relationship is now governed by law instead of trust. Society needs to step back, take a deep breath and think about what they are doing. Otherwise it might soon become illegal for anybody but mom to wipe a baby's bottom.
Heartwarming. How do you teach yourself echo location? Goes to show that it pays not to wallow in your misfortune.
OMG! Iraq is totally out of control. Immolating people in the streets is not what I consider to be an improvement over Saddam. Not at all. Every day the news gets worse, more sadistic, more tragic and more prolific. When they start revenge killing of toddlers will something finally be done? Or will the world wait until there is no one left?
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Another Holiday Shopping Season Begins
Alice's Restaurant just finished so I guess it is really Thanksgiving. Now the sappy Christmas music starts along with the race to find the last parking space. Sigh. At least the lights are pretty.
Five paragraphs into an article and it contradicts the headline. Sixty four, sixty eight, whatever. A rather glaring example of shoddy journalism wouldn't you say? Oh well, just another suicide bomber, facts aren't important.
Another in the hello? duh! department. I love science but sometimes scientists can be rather clueless. Life is a bit more complicated than ones and zeros or letters randomly jumbled together. Has it occurred to them to try this same experiment with twins? Now that would be informative.
Things are improving in Iraq. They provided fireworks and sacrifices to help us celebrate Thanksgiving. Not really.
One of the things I am most thankful for, is that I'm not Iraqi. I may be brown but at least I can go to the market for food without too much fear of being killed or mistaken for a criminal.
Another light bulb for science.
Hmmm. Another remake of the Wizard of Oz. It sounds intriguing. I wonder if they can get Roger Waters to do the music.
Five paragraphs into an article and it contradicts the headline. Sixty four, sixty eight, whatever. A rather glaring example of shoddy journalism wouldn't you say? Oh well, just another suicide bomber, facts aren't important.
Another in the hello? duh! department. I love science but sometimes scientists can be rather clueless. Life is a bit more complicated than ones and zeros or letters randomly jumbled together. Has it occurred to them to try this same experiment with twins? Now that would be informative.
Things are improving in Iraq. They provided fireworks and sacrifices to help us celebrate Thanksgiving. Not really.
One of the things I am most thankful for, is that I'm not Iraqi. I may be brown but at least I can go to the market for food without too much fear of being killed or mistaken for a criminal.
Another light bulb for science.
Hmmm. Another remake of the Wizard of Oz. It sounds intriguing. I wonder if they can get Roger Waters to do the music.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Wednesday Observations
I watched Jeopardy last night. Margaret Spellings was on but she lost to Michael McKean. He was confident, prepared and he kicked major tush. She was so far behind that it was obvious they asked him to be quiet for a while. He had 30K before Final Jeopardy, there was no way anyone was going to catch him. Wonder how it felt to lose to one of the better stoner actor comedians?
Shameful. I definitely wouldn't want their karma. This is what makes it so hard for other people to help others in times of need. Innocents will suffer because of a greedy few. The saddest part is the arrogant ungratefulness and the lack of shame.
I agree with this guy. Hiding the military dead from the public has desensitized us to the cost of the war. Unless you know someone who has been personally affected, this war is something in the abstract. You know, fighting them over there so we don't fight them over here. It's easier to pretend than it is to deal according to this administration. It's the way they handle every crisis.
A very different Thanksgiving menu. Purple potatoes cook quickly so be careful, otherwise they'll be mushy and watery. The pumpkin pie spice trick works with Pine Sol also. People think you've been cleaning all day.
A list that Marie Curie (the only winner of two Nobel prizes in different disciplines) and Paris Hilton are both on? I wanted to be on the list but it seems that there is some popularity involved.
Good advice if you are going to be a house guest over the holidays. No matter how good your friends and family are, good visiting manners are always welcome.
I don't know if I would call John McCain b.s. free but the rest of the article was great. We definitely are the land of the fake and the phony.
Shameful. I definitely wouldn't want their karma. This is what makes it so hard for other people to help others in times of need. Innocents will suffer because of a greedy few. The saddest part is the arrogant ungratefulness and the lack of shame.
I agree with this guy. Hiding the military dead from the public has desensitized us to the cost of the war. Unless you know someone who has been personally affected, this war is something in the abstract. You know, fighting them over there so we don't fight them over here. It's easier to pretend than it is to deal according to this administration. It's the way they handle every crisis.
A very different Thanksgiving menu. Purple potatoes cook quickly so be careful, otherwise they'll be mushy and watery. The pumpkin pie spice trick works with Pine Sol also. People think you've been cleaning all day.
A list that Marie Curie (the only winner of two Nobel prizes in different disciplines) and Paris Hilton are both on? I wanted to be on the list but it seems that there is some popularity involved.
Good advice if you are going to be a house guest over the holidays. No matter how good your friends and family are, good visiting manners are always welcome.
I don't know if I would call John McCain b.s. free but the rest of the article was great. We definitely are the land of the fake and the phony.
Alice's Restaurant
Mom just reminded me that my song is coming up. Every year, some time around noon, a radio station near you will play Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie. All twenty something minutes.
It is, in a word, classic. The lyrics tell a brilliant story (antiwar, about the draft), extremely humorous, easy to identify with, and unfortunately, just as skeweringly accurate now as it was then. It's a good time that shows you that not much has changed in forty years. It gets me how topical it still is.
Have a listen, you'll enjoy it. If you sing along you burn calories and it makes you smile. That's always a good thing.
It is, in a word, classic. The lyrics tell a brilliant story (antiwar, about the draft), extremely humorous, easy to identify with, and unfortunately, just as skeweringly accurate now as it was then. It's a good time that shows you that not much has changed in forty years. It gets me how topical it still is.
Have a listen, you'll enjoy it. If you sing along you burn calories and it makes you smile. That's always a good thing.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Sorry About That
Occaisionally I get comments. Yep, even here in the hinterland of the blogosphere some people feel compelled to drop by and leave their opinion. Most of it is appreciated which is why I don't make people jump through hoops to comment (JollyRoger, I still can't get through your spam blocker!).
Every once in a while (okay, twice) I get comment spam. I've left them both up. One was about a 9/11 conspiracy, I think everyone got that one, very entertaining.
Yesterday I heard from Jack Army. He says he's in Iraq but his profile says Hawaii. Anyway, his comment was all about how the Iraqi people want us to stay and he really seems to believe that we are fighting them over there so we don't fight them over here. He also wants to be a leader and a follower. Hmmm.
What we are doing is making them angry and they want us out. even if they have to watch us being blown to smithereens. Just leave is the message they're sending. By a wide majority. What's so sad about all this is that there numbers match ours. Over sixty percent want the US troops out of Iraq. Hopefully somebody will pay more attention to their wishes than they do ours, but I doubt it.
Sorry Jack, you need to get out of the sun. Wherever you are. Because you haven't been talking and listening to the right people.
Rest in peace Mr. Altman. I enjoyed M*A*S*H very much, the scenes with Bobby Troup were what got me through my time in the Army. I also enjoyed The Player. I worked for comedy development at Universal at the time and found the pitch scenes to be spot on. Thank you.
Every once in a while (okay, twice) I get comment spam. I've left them both up. One was about a 9/11 conspiracy, I think everyone got that one, very entertaining.
Yesterday I heard from Jack Army. He says he's in Iraq but his profile says Hawaii. Anyway, his comment was all about how the Iraqi people want us to stay and he really seems to believe that we are fighting them over there so we don't fight them over here. He also wants to be a leader and a follower. Hmmm.
What we are doing is making them angry and they want us out. even if they have to watch us being blown to smithereens. Just leave is the message they're sending. By a wide majority. What's so sad about all this is that there numbers match ours. Over sixty percent want the US troops out of Iraq. Hopefully somebody will pay more attention to their wishes than they do ours, but I doubt it.
Sorry Jack, you need to get out of the sun. Wherever you are. Because you haven't been talking and listening to the right people.
Rest in peace Mr. Altman. I enjoyed M*A*S*H very much, the scenes with Bobby Troup were what got me through my time in the Army. I also enjoyed The Player. I worked for comedy development at Universal at the time and found the pitch scenes to be spot on. Thank you.
Seven-Up
Links and one commentary for Tuesday. Do you like to play games on the web? Play the ESP game and help the blind surf the internet.
Any good acupuncturist could do the same, with less pain and for less money. Trigger point therapy is a very painful procedure to undergo because they are injecting (big needle!) something (saline, lidocaine, benzocaine, or botox) into the musculature. Acupuncture points are where they are for a reason and usually more than one. There are many reasons for back pain and as usual all of them should be treated, not just the "new and improved" or "just discovered" miracle treatment points that relieve one person's pain and have no studies to back them up.
So chimps prefer older females. How refreshing. Not so refreshing was the conclusion they extrapolated from the exosphere. Maybe menopause evolved as a way to give women a break from unwanted attentions. Now that's a different way of looking at it.
High school science can be more useful than you think. Especially if you need to fight a speeding ticket.
Niagara Falls from space. Nice.
I like Dr. Pepper, I don't know about Pea flavored soda. I guess if you can't afford Thanksgiving dinner you can get the holiday pack for the full flavor effect.
Daddy Warbucks and Charles Montgomery Burns are number one and two on the Forbes richest fictional characters. It seems they benefited from the Iraq war. Knocked Santa out of the top spot.
Save the cheerleader, save the world. Next. I knew Peter was going to survive by absorbing Claire's power. I'm looking forward to next week, I love Hiro and his crush is so sweet. Peter's brother is such an arrogant jerk. What a putz. Eden's sweetness can be dangerous. I hope Nikki makes it back before Jessica causes more trouble. Remember, if you recognize a person in a photograph, that actor will show up in a live scene, even if he's dead. Next week should answer more of the questions.
Any good acupuncturist could do the same, with less pain and for less money. Trigger point therapy is a very painful procedure to undergo because they are injecting (big needle!) something (saline, lidocaine, benzocaine, or botox) into the musculature. Acupuncture points are where they are for a reason and usually more than one. There are many reasons for back pain and as usual all of them should be treated, not just the "new and improved" or "just discovered" miracle treatment points that relieve one person's pain and have no studies to back them up.
So chimps prefer older females. How refreshing. Not so refreshing was the conclusion they extrapolated from the exosphere. Maybe menopause evolved as a way to give women a break from unwanted attentions. Now that's a different way of looking at it.
High school science can be more useful than you think. Especially if you need to fight a speeding ticket.
Niagara Falls from space. Nice.
I like Dr. Pepper, I don't know about Pea flavored soda. I guess if you can't afford Thanksgiving dinner you can get the holiday pack for the full flavor effect.
Daddy Warbucks and Charles Montgomery Burns are number one and two on the Forbes richest fictional characters. It seems they benefited from the Iraq war. Knocked Santa out of the top spot.
Save the cheerleader, save the world. Next. I knew Peter was going to survive by absorbing Claire's power. I'm looking forward to next week, I love Hiro and his crush is so sweet. Peter's brother is such an arrogant jerk. What a putz. Eden's sweetness can be dangerous. I hope Nikki makes it back before Jessica causes more trouble. Remember, if you recognize a person in a photograph, that actor will show up in a live scene, even if he's dead. Next week should answer more of the questions.
A Normal American
It never ceases to amaze me what I am supposed to believe in. I believe in small government, balanced budget, lower taxes and a military that is ready to defend this country's borders. You would think that would make me a conservative (right wing nutjob to liberals), but it doesn't.
I also believe in taking care of people who need it, clean air, water and food, equal healthcare for all, decent housing, safe workplaces and personal privacy. This makes me a liberal (barking moonbat to conservatives) for some reason.
I'm both and I'm neither. The story of my life. I'm not known as a fence sitter and have very little patience with people who can't make up their minds which is why I hate being a Democrat. If there is a way that we can avoid dealing with an issue, we take it up in committee. Unlike Republicans who enjoy passing useless resolutions in lockstep.
I believe that I am representative of most Americans even though some are more heavily weighted to one side or the other, which is what I believe the Founding Fathers intended. Checks and balances. A government of the people, by the people and for the people as a later president would so eloquently put it.
This has been forgotten in the rush to protect ourselves from the terrorist bogeyman. We have become unfriendly. Not just to would be visitors from other countries, but to each other. We can't continue in this vein and keep our national identity intact. We are losing our ability to compromise as we see things in just black or white and make no effort to learn about other cultures, a problem that is growing instead of receding. FYI, if someone was going to do something as bad as the stupid passenger thought, they wouldn't call attention to themselves. It would be counterproductive.
Lately we operate from a state of panic instead of a state of reason. Aren't we tired by now? It has been five years and long past the time we should have applied reason to solving our problems instead of knee jerk reactions. Fight or flight is not a good way to run a country, unless you want to run it into the ground.
I also believe in taking care of people who need it, clean air, water and food, equal healthcare for all, decent housing, safe workplaces and personal privacy. This makes me a liberal (barking moonbat to conservatives) for some reason.
I'm both and I'm neither. The story of my life. I'm not known as a fence sitter and have very little patience with people who can't make up their minds which is why I hate being a Democrat. If there is a way that we can avoid dealing with an issue, we take it up in committee. Unlike Republicans who enjoy passing useless resolutions in lockstep.
I believe that I am representative of most Americans even though some are more heavily weighted to one side or the other, which is what I believe the Founding Fathers intended. Checks and balances. A government of the people, by the people and for the people as a later president would so eloquently put it.
This has been forgotten in the rush to protect ourselves from the terrorist bogeyman. We have become unfriendly. Not just to would be visitors from other countries, but to each other. We can't continue in this vein and keep our national identity intact. We are losing our ability to compromise as we see things in just black or white and make no effort to learn about other cultures, a problem that is growing instead of receding. FYI, if someone was going to do something as bad as the stupid passenger thought, they wouldn't call attention to themselves. It would be counterproductive.
Lately we operate from a state of panic instead of a state of reason. Aren't we tired by now? It has been five years and long past the time we should have applied reason to solving our problems instead of knee jerk reactions. Fight or flight is not a good way to run a country, unless you want to run it into the ground.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Go Home
Is the choice that the American people have stated a preference for, but our opinion doesn't seem to matter anymore than it did on the bankruptcy bill. Or the Terri Schiavo resolution. The Pentagon is even less likely to listen to its employers than Congress did.
My first STFU award goes to Charles Rangel. Babbling bozo. Do they have recall elections in New York? They might want to consider it before all people 42 and younger have to register for the draft so they can be used as fodder in the "go long" strategy.
Meanwhile, McCain wants to "go big". Sending innocent kids to die is easy once you've rolled over on torture, isn't it old man? FYI, you are the threat at home. Presidential material you aren't but I suppose you might look good to people after the last six years.
Why must old men who dream of days of glory past, be adamant about sending young people to be the last person to die for a mistake? Have they not heard the phrase "throwing good money after bad"? It also applies to human beings. They should try being one for a change, we might like it.
My first STFU award goes to Charles Rangel. Babbling bozo. Do they have recall elections in New York? They might want to consider it before all people 42 and younger have to register for the draft so they can be used as fodder in the "go long" strategy.
Meanwhile, McCain wants to "go big". Sending innocent kids to die is easy once you've rolled over on torture, isn't it old man? FYI, you are the threat at home. Presidential material you aren't but I suppose you might look good to people after the last six years.
Why must old men who dream of days of glory past, be adamant about sending young people to be the last person to die for a mistake? Have they not heard the phrase "throwing good money after bad"? It also applies to human beings. They should try being one for a change, we might like it.
That Monday Thing
Eric knew as soon as he started, pumpkin racing was not his thing. His little brothers had yet to understand the feeling.
This was today's entry in the Random Flickr-Blogging project.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Sunday Rant And Movie Review
Torture is something I believe is wrong. Morally, ethically and spiritually. More wrong than murder, unless the victims were tortured first. The type of person who can willingly commit inhumane acts of of physical, emotional and mental violence is only slightly less despicable than the people watching who do nothing to stop it. The people that authorize and encourage such behavior in the futile hope that they will recover something of value should be treated as any rabid animal. Since I don't believe in the death penalty, at the very least they should be segregated from regular society, before their insanity spreads.
Not that I have an opinion on the matter. Speaking of torture, I went to see Casino Royale yesterday. It rocked! Probably the best Bond movie in decades. Daniel Craig did an excellent job and provided more "whoosh" (definitely sexier than Clooney) moments than any movie in recent memory. More of Judi Dench, which is always a good thing, and a storyline that made sense. What a concept. And a relief.
What does this have to do with torture? As soon as I realized Bond was naked (airblurred the good bits, unfortunately) I started to squirm and not all of the reasons had to do with the torture scene to come. The scene was effective in conveying my objections to torture and still managed to make me laugh while I empathized. Which explains the basis of my objection to torture.
Lack of empathy. How can you not imagine how it feels? How can you willingly terrorize another human being and move on to the next victim? If you torture ninety nine innocent people and one guilty, does that make it right? Other than deliberately withholding your help from someone who will die without it, nothing else shows a lack of empathy more clearly. Nothing. Even the people who work on death row are forever changed by the experience. They are not inhuman, a torturer is.
Back to the movie. Why don't American cell phones do all those cool things? Why don't they look that good? We are so far behind the times when it comes to bluetooth and convenience. The blond woman looked way too skinny. She may not have low food security but she and food aren't close friends. Running guy definitely deserved to be in the title credits. That was one of the best chase scenes I've seen in a long time. I felt like I lost a pound from all the exercise.
Cross posted at 3B.
Not that I have an opinion on the matter. Speaking of torture, I went to see Casino Royale yesterday. It rocked! Probably the best Bond movie in decades. Daniel Craig did an excellent job and provided more "whoosh" (definitely sexier than Clooney) moments than any movie in recent memory. More of Judi Dench, which is always a good thing, and a storyline that made sense. What a concept. And a relief.
What does this have to do with torture? As soon as I realized Bond was naked (airblurred the good bits, unfortunately) I started to squirm and not all of the reasons had to do with the torture scene to come. The scene was effective in conveying my objections to torture and still managed to make me laugh while I empathized. Which explains the basis of my objection to torture.
Lack of empathy. How can you not imagine how it feels? How can you willingly terrorize another human being and move on to the next victim? If you torture ninety nine innocent people and one guilty, does that make it right? Other than deliberately withholding your help from someone who will die without it, nothing else shows a lack of empathy more clearly. Nothing. Even the people who work on death row are forever changed by the experience. They are not inhuman, a torturer is.
Back to the movie. Why don't American cell phones do all those cool things? Why don't they look that good? We are so far behind the times when it comes to bluetooth and convenience. The blond woman looked way too skinny. She may not have low food security but she and food aren't close friends. Running guy definitely deserved to be in the title credits. That was one of the best chase scenes I've seen in a long time. I felt like I lost a pound from all the exercise.
Cross posted at 3B.
Friday, November 17, 2006
For All Kinds Of Reasons
This disturbs me. As the world becomes physically smaller it is important that we learn to get along with our neighbors ...and distant relatives. For many years before the crew without a clue destroyed America's respectability, the Geneva Conventions were adhered to by the military and mentioned as the "Holy Grail" of Human Rights behavior in movies and television. Now, it's just another inconvenience on the road of world intimidation.
Who decided that Americs is the be all and end all of the globe? It's just like the arrogance of the World Series. What world? We barely tolerate Canada and we make those who are from other countries join our teams as individuals, not competitors for the title.
What I find really funny about this situation is that under almost any other circumstance in America, it pays to be of European descent. As if only they know what they are talking about.
Did I phrase that gently enough?
Chertoff said the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Guantanamo prisoner Salim Ahmed Hamdan that required the United States to treat detainees under Geneva Conventions standards showed international law's entry into the U.S. domain.I wonder how much he would like it if the European Union demanded the same from him and the rest of Bushco before being allowed to travel in their airspace. What makes us so special? Why should we have information on another country's citizens who have done nothing wrong except expressed an interest in spending their money in our country?
He also pointed to negotiations leading up to last month's interim agreement between the United States and the European Union on sharing personal information about trans-Atlantic airline passengers.
The Bush administration sought addresses, credit card details, phone numbers and other details for U.S.-bound European air passengers as a way to determine whether any should be turned back from entering the United States as a security risk.
"Some in the European Parliament argued that the fact the information was derived from Europeans coming to the U.S. meant that we should be forced in the United States to let Europe supervise and set the terms of how we make use of that information," Chertoff said.
Who decided that Americs is the be all and end all of the globe? It's just like the arrogance of the World Series. What world? We barely tolerate Canada and we make those who are from other countries join our teams as individuals, not competitors for the title.
What I find really funny about this situation is that under almost any other circumstance in America, it pays to be of European descent. As if only they know what they are talking about.
Did I phrase that gently enough?
May The Farce Be With You
Of all the religions currently practiced on earth, I waver between Humanism and a deep appreciation of the Force (Qi). It seems that even without lightsabers, spaceships or space aliens that the Jedi religion is the fourth largest in the U.K. and they want recognition.
Star Trek geeks can now meet each other through a dating service that caters to their interests. Finally, a dating site where looks and money aren't the most important thing. Which is probably a good thing.
Oh no, Condi is finally worried about China and their military. Who could have foreseen that? Nothing like locking the barn door after the horse has been stolen. A Bush administration specialty, one they excel at like no other administration in history.
If your hard drive crashed and all your music was on it and the iPod, could you retrieve your music? Not normally but some enterprising people have devised ways to transfer the contents of your iPod to your new computer or hard drive. And they are easy.
Fallacious arguments. A list.
Not my type. While I approve of Ms. Fleiss' idea and wouldn't mind using the service, I think I would prefer someone who could make a little more conversation. If I'm going to fulfill a fantasy, it will be the one where a member of the "master" race does my bidding.
I received my Live From The Archives Vol. 13 yesterday. Good music, good cause. It goes on sale tomorrow. This is a great way to help people with low food security. Previously known as hungry.
Star Trek geeks can now meet each other through a dating service that caters to their interests. Finally, a dating site where looks and money aren't the most important thing. Which is probably a good thing.
Oh no, Condi is finally worried about China and their military. Who could have foreseen that? Nothing like locking the barn door after the horse has been stolen. A Bush administration specialty, one they excel at like no other administration in history.
If your hard drive crashed and all your music was on it and the iPod, could you retrieve your music? Not normally but some enterprising people have devised ways to transfer the contents of your iPod to your new computer or hard drive. And they are easy.
Fallacious arguments. A list.
Not my type. While I approve of Ms. Fleiss' idea and wouldn't mind using the service, I think I would prefer someone who could make a little more conversation. If I'm going to fulfill a fantasy, it will be the one where a member of the "master" race does my bidding.
I received my Live From The Archives Vol. 13 yesterday. Good music, good cause. It goes on sale tomorrow. This is a great way to help people with low food security. Previously known as hungry.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Shame, Shame, Shame
Pursuant to yesterday's post on space mirrors to warm the surface of Mars, someone is now floating the idea of sunshades to cool the earth. Why don't we try moving the moon while we're at it?
Five years later and that Osama guy is still forgotten and free while Afghanistan has a rising female suicide rate. By self immolation. What happened to the grand idea of bringing this country and her people into the twentieth century since the twenty first was so far out of their reach? They are still in the dark ages and it is getting darker. Conditions aren't poor, they're terrible. How anyone can still think that the Bush administration has improved the living conditions for anyone except their friends and donors boggles the mind.
I'm liberal, but not that liberal. This is beyond disgusting. Sex with a deer and a dead one (registration required) at that. He saw it on the side of the road and couldn't help himself? The lawyer is a piece of work also, arguing that since it was dead it wasn't an animal any longer. Gross, just gross.
Low food security my arse. These people are hungry and changing the name won't change the feeling. A kid isn't going to say "I feel a little insecure about the empty feeling in my stomach", it is going to be "I'm hungry, my tummy hurts". Once again the Bush administration changes the name instead of addressing the problem, hoping (futile as usual) that maybe people will forget the problem or better yet, blame the victims. Seriously, how do the people in Washington manage to shave every morning and not want to slit their own throat? Soulless wonders. Pod people. Shameful.
Speaking of shameful, the freepers and Malkin devotees have invaded the Ostroy Report and are using his grief to vent their anger at illegals. Just when you think they can't sink any lower, they manage to find a new level of shame. There is a time and a place for everything and this is neither the time nor the place. Take your garbage somewhere else, the man is in enough pain. You don't need to add insult to injury. Definitely shameful.
Five years later and that Osama guy is still forgotten and free while Afghanistan has a rising female suicide rate. By self immolation. What happened to the grand idea of bringing this country and her people into the twentieth century since the twenty first was so far out of their reach? They are still in the dark ages and it is getting darker. Conditions aren't poor, they're terrible. How anyone can still think that the Bush administration has improved the living conditions for anyone except their friends and donors boggles the mind.
I'm liberal, but not that liberal. This is beyond disgusting. Sex with a deer and a dead one (registration required) at that. He saw it on the side of the road and couldn't help himself? The lawyer is a piece of work also, arguing that since it was dead it wasn't an animal any longer. Gross, just gross.
Low food security my arse. These people are hungry and changing the name won't change the feeling. A kid isn't going to say "I feel a little insecure about the empty feeling in my stomach", it is going to be "I'm hungry, my tummy hurts". Once again the Bush administration changes the name instead of addressing the problem, hoping (futile as usual) that maybe people will forget the problem or better yet, blame the victims. Seriously, how do the people in Washington manage to shave every morning and not want to slit their own throat? Soulless wonders. Pod people. Shameful.
Speaking of shameful, the freepers and Malkin devotees have invaded the Ostroy Report and are using his grief to vent their anger at illegals. Just when you think they can't sink any lower, they manage to find a new level of shame. There is a time and a place for everything and this is neither the time nor the place. Take your garbage somewhere else, the man is in enough pain. You don't need to add insult to injury. Definitely shameful.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Joke of the Day 11/15/06
Time for a little joke.
Father O'Malley rose from his bed. It was a fine spring day in his new Texas mission parish. He walked to the window of his bedroom to take a deep breath of the beautiful day outside. He noticed there was a jackass lying dead in the middle of his front lawn. He promptly called the local police station. The conversation went like this: "Good morning. This is Sergeant Jones. How might I help you?"
"And the best of the day te yerself. This is Father O'Malley at St. Brigid's. There's a jackass lying dead in me front lawn. Would ye be so kind as to send a couple O' yer lads to take care of the matter?"
Sergeant Jones, considering himself quite a wit, replied, "Well now father, it was always my impression that you people took care of last rites!"
There was dead silence on the line for a long moment. Father O'Malley then replied: "Aye, tis certainly true, but we are also obliged to notify the next of kin.
Wednesday Web Wonders
I thought I would geek out this morning because politics is in that boring stage where nothing a citizen says, thinks or feels makes any difference.
So I run across this article in the NY Times about aching feet to see if my problem is mentioned. Yup, next to last. Hallux Limitus. Of all the foot problems it is the one most suffered by men. Figures. I've never worn heels for more than a few hours (sort of like makeup, looks good at first but then it starts irritating me physically), didn't do too much aerobics because of the ex-chest, and I've always worn extra wide shoes.
Fifth wonder of the world. Not bad. I've been on the Internets for over ten years and I've only just started to use the Google on a somewhat regular basiis.
This is a nice idea that is fraught with problems. Deploying space mirrors to warm a section of Mars sounds good on the surface but right off hand I can think of three problems. One, damage to the mirrors from space debris or for any reason could be fatal to those below. Two, oxygen? They would still have to carry around breathing apparatus. Three, changing the local weather patterns won't be local for long. Or so says chaos theory. Mother nature might be on more than one planet.
It was only a matter of time. And ingenuity. Wireless power. No more cables, no more hooks. Wireless power for our PowerBooks! Plus the flatscreen mounted on the wall won't have an ugly wire hanging down to the outlet. Bluetooth capabilities from cable and dvd players would really remove the clutter.
I love brussels sprouts and one of my favorite recipes is this one for the holidays. I made this recipe for a party where people said they didn't eat brussels sprouts, not one was left. Simmering in chicken broth removes the bitterness and the pine nuts add the finishing touch. I substitute half and half for the whipping cream.
So I run across this article in the NY Times about aching feet to see if my problem is mentioned. Yup, next to last. Hallux Limitus. Of all the foot problems it is the one most suffered by men. Figures. I've never worn heels for more than a few hours (sort of like makeup, looks good at first but then it starts irritating me physically), didn't do too much aerobics because of the ex-chest, and I've always worn extra wide shoes.
Fifth wonder of the world. Not bad. I've been on the Internets for over ten years and I've only just started to use the Google on a somewhat regular basiis.
This is a nice idea that is fraught with problems. Deploying space mirrors to warm a section of Mars sounds good on the surface but right off hand I can think of three problems. One, damage to the mirrors from space debris or for any reason could be fatal to those below. Two, oxygen? They would still have to carry around breathing apparatus. Three, changing the local weather patterns won't be local for long. Or so says chaos theory. Mother nature might be on more than one planet.
It was only a matter of time. And ingenuity. Wireless power. No more cables, no more hooks. Wireless power for our PowerBooks! Plus the flatscreen mounted on the wall won't have an ugly wire hanging down to the outlet. Bluetooth capabilities from cable and dvd players would really remove the clutter.
I love brussels sprouts and one of my favorite recipes is this one for the holidays. I made this recipe for a party where people said they didn't eat brussels sprouts, not one was left. Simmering in chicken broth removes the bitterness and the pine nuts add the finishing touch. I substitute half and half for the whipping cream.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
The More Things Change
The more they stay the same. This was a subject on another site just the other day but I never expected this. Recycling is so popular lately.
A part of The Diary of Anne Frank will soon pass into history with her. Fortunately somebody thought ahead and in a few years there will be another tree to replace it, but it won't be the same. 150 years won't be replaced in an instant or even a decade. It won't look the same but since most people have never read the book I guess it doesn't matter too much.
Yup, things are so much better in Iraq, as the crew without a clue maintains course, straight into oblivion. Why is it so easy for those who have never suffered to impose suffering on others?
But I like red meat. I prefer the kind that was raised without hormones. I wonder if this study took into account whether or not the 512 women ate fast food or one of the cheaper grades of meat. Cosentinos brought back the Painted Hills brand of ground meat, now I can make meatloaf again. Like my brother, I am not fond of commingled meats.
Considering some of the other stuff that evangelicals believe, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that they will endorse and do anything to bring about their version of Armageddon. They call it support for Israel, I call it willful interference in a country they refused to acknowledge until recently. How can you call yourself a Christian and have no intention to living up to true Christian principles like loving your fellow human as you love yourself or helping those who are unfortunate. I love how they pick and choose what parts of the Bible to believe.
Talking about counting your chickens before they are hatched makes this article even more interesting. What exactly was wrong with the way we were taught in the fifties, sixties and early seventies? I didn't understand long division at first, now I can do some problems in my head. Rounding off is my friend, then I add or subtract the leftovers.
Yippee! This has been in the works for a few months, now it really going to happen. Mom will be so happy, she was sad when we watched the last episode but she wants Garibaldi to return. And Bester of course. Now that was a character that I loved to hate and yet still feel sorry for him.
Heroes had me glued to the tv last night. If H.R.G. loves his daughter so much why doesn't he warn her? And how did he know how much heroin to give Isaac? Like many people Hiro is one of my favorite characters but the time paradoxes are going to confuse those who were confused by The Terminator. I guess all those years I read science fiction and comics are going to pay off. Save the cheerleader, save the world.
A part of The Diary of Anne Frank will soon pass into history with her. Fortunately somebody thought ahead and in a few years there will be another tree to replace it, but it won't be the same. 150 years won't be replaced in an instant or even a decade. It won't look the same but since most people have never read the book I guess it doesn't matter too much.
Yup, things are so much better in Iraq, as the crew without a clue maintains course, straight into oblivion. Why is it so easy for those who have never suffered to impose suffering on others?
But I like red meat. I prefer the kind that was raised without hormones. I wonder if this study took into account whether or not the 512 women ate fast food or one of the cheaper grades of meat. Cosentinos brought back the Painted Hills brand of ground meat, now I can make meatloaf again. Like my brother, I am not fond of commingled meats.
Considering some of the other stuff that evangelicals believe, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that they will endorse and do anything to bring about their version of Armageddon. They call it support for Israel, I call it willful interference in a country they refused to acknowledge until recently. How can you call yourself a Christian and have no intention to living up to true Christian principles like loving your fellow human as you love yourself or helping those who are unfortunate. I love how they pick and choose what parts of the Bible to believe.
Talking about counting your chickens before they are hatched makes this article even more interesting. What exactly was wrong with the way we were taught in the fifties, sixties and early seventies? I didn't understand long division at first, now I can do some problems in my head. Rounding off is my friend, then I add or subtract the leftovers.
Yippee! This has been in the works for a few months, now it really going to happen. Mom will be so happy, she was sad when we watched the last episode but she wants Garibaldi to return. And Bester of course. Now that was a character that I loved to hate and yet still feel sorry for him.
Heroes had me glued to the tv last night. If H.R.G. loves his daughter so much why doesn't he warn her? And how did he know how much heroin to give Isaac? Like many people Hiro is one of my favorite characters but the time paradoxes are going to confuse those who were confused by The Terminator. I guess all those years I read science fiction and comics are going to pay off. Save the cheerleader, save the world.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Babe, I'm Leaving You
No longer at the top of the food chain and deserted by lobbyists, members of Congress discover what their constituents have known for years. The trickle down theory of economics doesn't work as well at the bottom of the pork barrel.
Another entry in the Random Flickr-Blogging project.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Never Been There
So I took this regional accent quiz and they say I sound like I'm from:
Never been there, Wilmington or South Jersey but I hear from my mom I was in Baltimore for a few hours when I was two.
I have lived in England, France, Germany, Puerto Rico, Massachusetts, New York, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Washington State and my personal favorite, California.
Depending on who I'm talking to, most people think I'm from New York or the South. If I'm talking on the phone and they've never met me, nobody knows I'm black. I couldn't do that accent if someone held a gun to my head. I can do Scottish better and I've never been there. I'm a chameleon, comedienne or something to that effect.
H/T to Dark Wraith, Minstrel Boy and Konagod.
| What American accent do you have? Your Result: Philadelphia Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard. | |
| The Midland | |
| The South | |
| The Inland North | |
| The Northeast | |
| North Central | |
| The West | |
| Boston | |
| What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes | |
I have lived in England, France, Germany, Puerto Rico, Massachusetts, New York, South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Washington State and my personal favorite, California.
Depending on who I'm talking to, most people think I'm from New York or the South. If I'm talking on the phone and they've never met me, nobody knows I'm black. I couldn't do that accent if someone held a gun to my head. I can do Scottish better and I've never been there. I'm a chameleon, comedienne or something to that effect.
H/T to Dark Wraith, Minstrel Boy and Konagod.
Sunday Snippets
We start on a sad note this morning. A week or two ago I added The Ostroy Report to my blogroll. I find Andy's writing to be clear, logical, insightful and a pleasure to read. He hadn't been posting as much before the election and last night I found out why. He is suffering a tragedy of untold imagining or comprehension. His wife, Adrienne Shelly, was murdered two weeks ago in a senseless act of violence. My heart goes out to him and their daughter. Nobody should have to suffer like that.
I usually wake up at five on Sunday mornings so that I can listen to the Commonwealth Club. This morning's topic was "How to get a failing Congress back on track" with Norman Ornstein and Thomas Mann from October 23. They were under the impression that the Democrats would take the House by just five or six seats.
What was most interesting was when they were asked about impeachment. They felt it was worthless to investigate for several reasons. The first one made my eyes pop open. It's not worth it because the American people don't want it. Like I said, it was before the election. I personally thought that a blowjob wasn't worth impeachment but Congress proved me wrong. Now we have two countries teetering on the brink of disaster due to the policies of one administration and that isn't worth investigating? I don't think the rest of the world sees it that way and if we won't clean up our own mess others might feel the need to do it for us. We would be toast if there were international sanctions against us for harboring a war criminal.
They also felt that since this administration believes in the largest expansions of executive powers in history and are prepared to defend their position, that also makes it a moot point. What I fail to understand is why a President thinks he can get away with destroying the Bill of Rights, kill innocent Americans in a foolhardy war in a country that wasn't bothering us, destroy the economy as it pertains to the middle class and the poor, conduct illegal spying activities that subvert the laws of our allies, five years later have failed to repair the damage to New York from 9/11, hasn't even tried to repair the Gulf Coast damage from a natural disaster, lied to Congress and the American people, both to their face and behind their back and these aren't high crimes and misdemeanors? Is it only sex that counts? For some reason I don't think the public views it the same way.
Impeachment is not retribution, this is the type of situation the Founding Fathers designed it for. Not blowjobs but actual damage to the country. Even Nixon understood that he had screwed up and had the grace to step down, however unwillingly. The executive branch is one third of our government, not the ruling master and balance must be restored if this country is to have a viable future.
Of course it won't be pretty, it shouldn't be, but what has occurred over the last six years is criminal behavior and should be treated accordingly.
Did you know that Congress was in session the least amount of time in history and that they spent most of it on useless resolutions to help their reelection? Some days they were only in session for eleven minutes. No wonder the people were so irritated with them. This Congress had better produce some positive results.
On a happier note, I won a copy of Live From the Archives 13 yesterday. The money from this CD goes to help Bay Area Food Banks. Thirteen has always been my lucky number. This a good cause and the music is a bonus. They make good Christmas presents and the food banks definitely need the help this year. Thanks Annalisa!
I usually wake up at five on Sunday mornings so that I can listen to the Commonwealth Club. This morning's topic was "How to get a failing Congress back on track" with Norman Ornstein and Thomas Mann from October 23. They were under the impression that the Democrats would take the House by just five or six seats.
What was most interesting was when they were asked about impeachment. They felt it was worthless to investigate for several reasons. The first one made my eyes pop open. It's not worth it because the American people don't want it. Like I said, it was before the election. I personally thought that a blowjob wasn't worth impeachment but Congress proved me wrong. Now we have two countries teetering on the brink of disaster due to the policies of one administration and that isn't worth investigating? I don't think the rest of the world sees it that way and if we won't clean up our own mess others might feel the need to do it for us. We would be toast if there were international sanctions against us for harboring a war criminal.
They also felt that since this administration believes in the largest expansions of executive powers in history and are prepared to defend their position, that also makes it a moot point. What I fail to understand is why a President thinks he can get away with destroying the Bill of Rights, kill innocent Americans in a foolhardy war in a country that wasn't bothering us, destroy the economy as it pertains to the middle class and the poor, conduct illegal spying activities that subvert the laws of our allies, five years later have failed to repair the damage to New York from 9/11, hasn't even tried to repair the Gulf Coast damage from a natural disaster, lied to Congress and the American people, both to their face and behind their back and these aren't high crimes and misdemeanors? Is it only sex that counts? For some reason I don't think the public views it the same way.
Impeachment is not retribution, this is the type of situation the Founding Fathers designed it for. Not blowjobs but actual damage to the country. Even Nixon understood that he had screwed up and had the grace to step down, however unwillingly. The executive branch is one third of our government, not the ruling master and balance must be restored if this country is to have a viable future.
Of course it won't be pretty, it shouldn't be, but what has occurred over the last six years is criminal behavior and should be treated accordingly.
Did you know that Congress was in session the least amount of time in history and that they spent most of it on useless resolutions to help their reelection? Some days they were only in session for eleven minutes. No wonder the people were so irritated with them. This Congress had better produce some positive results.
On a happier note, I won a copy of Live From the Archives 13 yesterday. The money from this CD goes to help Bay Area Food Banks. Thirteen has always been my lucky number. This a good cause and the music is a bonus. They make good Christmas presents and the food banks definitely need the help this year. Thanks Annalisa!
They Can Have George
Goodness knows he isn't wanted here, unless you ask the 31% who are dumber than a bunch of rocks. This is absolutely pitiful, more of a smack in the face than the suicide bombings which have become so popular in the last decade.
How do you ask a man to be the last one to die for a mistake? It looks like we are about to find out.
But Mr. Hussein’s outbursts served to remind many Iraqis, even those who hated him most, of something they crave in the rudderless nightmare Iraq has become under his successors: a strong leader, able to forge a nation from the country’s fractious ethnic and religious groups, and to end the current wave of sectarian bloodletting that, left to build on itself, could ultimately match the mass killing that characterized Mr. Hussein’s psychopathic years in power.We have accomplished ...nothing. Not a frakkin thing. Almost 2900 American dead, in the six digits for the Iraqis, and this is the result? I want my daddy? If they need a Decider (he has his own enforcers!) we have one available. He believes in torture so he should fit right in.
How do you ask a man to be the last one to die for a mistake? It looks like we are about to find out.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Screw The Parades
Screw the Veteran's holiday sales too. A national holiday whose purpose does nothing to benefit the people who served their country and are promptly forgotten till the next year when they are dragged out again for a token holiday that is more concerned with commerce than honor.
For the thirty years that I have been a veteran I have watched people enjoy themselves without a clue or a care for the major sacrifices that veterans made and are still making.
For thirty years I have watched my government strip the benefits from the veterans and the retirees. People who were considered for the duration of their enlistment to be the property of the United States Government. You become the numerical equivalent of equipment from the moment you raise your right hand and swear the oath to protect the United States. You go where they tell you, when they tell you and how they tell you. You dress as they tell you, when they tell you and how they tell you. You eat where they tell you, when they tell you and how they tell you. You are property and are never allowed to forget it. It is not a joke when they tell you that if you get a sunburn you have damaged government property, some commanding officers have been known to award the offending troop with an Article 15 and a dock in pay.
For this, we get a parade and the rest of the country gets between ten and fifty percent off at the nearest mall.
For thirty years I have watched as veterans became a significant portion of America's homeless.
Representative Chet Edwards has a proposal that would be helpful and honor those who are serving their country at this very moment. It is the very least that should be done to help repair the damage that war inflicts on the survivors. Never forget that all gave some and some gave all.
Screw the parades.
Cross posted at Big Brass Blog.
For the thirty years that I have been a veteran I have watched people enjoy themselves without a clue or a care for the major sacrifices that veterans made and are still making.
For thirty years I have watched my government strip the benefits from the veterans and the retirees. People who were considered for the duration of their enlistment to be the property of the United States Government. You become the numerical equivalent of equipment from the moment you raise your right hand and swear the oath to protect the United States. You go where they tell you, when they tell you and how they tell you. You dress as they tell you, when they tell you and how they tell you. You eat where they tell you, when they tell you and how they tell you. You are property and are never allowed to forget it. It is not a joke when they tell you that if you get a sunburn you have damaged government property, some commanding officers have been known to award the offending troop with an Article 15 and a dock in pay.
For this, we get a parade and the rest of the country gets between ten and fifty percent off at the nearest mall.
For thirty years I have watched as veterans became a significant portion of America's homeless.
Although accurate numbers are impossible to come by ... no one keeps national records on homeless veterans ... the VA estimates that nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. And more than half a million experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every three homeless males who is sleeping in a doorway, alley, or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served our country ... now they need America to remember them.For this, children get another day off from school while veterans who have jobs, work to stay afloat. Almost two years ago this article in the Christian Science Monitor appeared, alerting some of the public to the impending problem. What has been done since then? Congress cut benefits and care for veterans. The people's response? Magnetic ribbons for their cars, not the veteran's.
Representative Chet Edwards has a proposal that would be helpful and honor those who are serving their country at this very moment. It is the very least that should be done to help repair the damage that war inflicts on the survivors. Never forget that all gave some and some gave all.
Screw the parades.
Cross posted at Big Brass Blog.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Dropping Like Flies
Yes, I know it's irreverent but I couldn't help myself. It just seems like at the end of the year the famous and relatively famous people die faster, and in threes. First Ed Bradley, then Gerald Levert and now Jack Palance. I had been wondering about him for the last few weeks and then he was part of a Jeopardy question the other night. No more one handed pushups at the Oscars.
Rest in peace and entertain them wherever you are.
Rest in peace and entertain them wherever you are.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
A Gentle Giant Passes
This makes me so sad. He was one of my favorites on 60 Minutes, now I guess they'll have to find somebody else to do great interviews with obnoxious stars and still be able to do a hard hitting segment exposing sexual abuse in the clergy and still sound polite.
Rest in peace Mr. Bradley, you will be sorely missed. At least you were able to stay and see America start on the long road back to freedom and democracy.
The end of the year is always a death watch. Then we get to cry all over again when they do the year end retrospectives and the Oscars and Emmys will remind us of those who have gone before us. I'd better stock up on the Kleenex.
Rest in peace Mr. Bradley, you will be sorely missed. At least you were able to stay and see America start on the long road back to freedom and democracy.
The end of the year is always a death watch. Then we get to cry all over again when they do the year end retrospectives and the Oscars and Emmys will remind us of those who have gone before us. I'd better stock up on the Kleenex.
This N' That Thursday
Well, that didn't last long. Here we go again, two more years of campaigning, we barely had twenty four hours of peace. Sheesh.
Sixteen female Senators. Wow, nine more and we'll be equals. Oh well, better late than never.
Modo was in fine form (TimeSelect is free this week) today. Come to daddy, what a riot.
Somehow I find it hard to feel sorry for these guys, they should have saved their money and prepared for the future. At least that's what they told me when I was put in the same position. I had skills to fall back on, what do they have? Bullying people will only go so far in the real world.
Pat Tillman is back in the news and it isn't pretty. The more we find out about his death, the worse the command structure looks. In the final analysis nobody will ever be punished and the really sad part is how many times has this type of friendly fire happened since the cover up started? How many of our troops paid the ultimate price because we were too stupid to do the job right? The motto used to be "we do more before 9am than most people do all day" but we couldn't do it for months at a time without food, rest and working equipment. Who was it that said an army marches on its stomach? Both Hitler and Napoleon discovered that long supply lines are detrimental to the cause. But, I guess you lose the war with the army you abuse. What a waste of our national treasure.
I'll never win because I don't eat there but this line is really funny.
What to do, what to do and why didn't they think of it before it took off?
.
Sixteen female Senators. Wow, nine more and we'll be equals. Oh well, better late than never.
Modo was in fine form (TimeSelect is free this week) today. Come to daddy, what a riot.
In a scene that might be called “Murder on the Oval Express,” Rummy turned up dead with so many knives in him that it’s impossible to say who actually finished off the man billed as Washington’s most skilled infighter. (Poppy? Scowcroft? Baker? Laura? Condi? The Silver Fox? Retired generals? Serving generals? Future generals? Troops returning to Iraq for the umpteenth time without a decent strategy? Democrats? Republicans? Joe Lieberman?)Priceless.
The defense chief got hung out to dry before Saddam got hung. The president and Karl Rove, underestimating the public’s hunger for change or overestimating the loyalty of a fed-up base, did not ice Rummy in time to save the Senate from teetering Democratic. But once Sonny managed to heedlessly dynamite the Republican majority — as well as the Middle East, the Atlantic alliance and the U.S. Army — then Bush Inc., the family firm that snatched the presidency for W. in 2000, had to step in. Two trusted members of the Bush 41 war council, Mr. Baker and Robert Gates, have been dispatched to discipline the delinquent juvenile and extricate him from the mother of all messes.
Mr. Gates, already on Mr. Baker’s “How Do We Get Sonny Out of Deep Doo Doo in Iraq?” study group, left his job protecting 41’s papers at Texas A&M to return to Washington and pry the fingers of Poppy’s old nemesis, Rummy, off the Pentagon. In a scene that might be called “Murder on the Oval Express,” Rummy turned up dead with so many knives in him that it’s impossible to say who actually finished off the man billed as Washington’s most skilled infighter. (Poppy? Scowcroft? Baker? Laura? Condi? The Silver Fox? Retired generals? Serving generals? Future generals? Troops returning to Iraq for the umpteenth time without a decent strategy? Democrats? Republicans? Joe Lieberman?)
The defense chief got hung out to dry before Saddam got hung. The president and Karl Rove, underestimating the public’s hunger for change or overestimating the loyalty of a fed-up base, did not ice Rummy in time to save the Senate from teetering Democratic. But once Sonny managed to heedlessly dynamite the Republican majority — as well as the Middle East, the Atlantic alliance and the U.S. Army — then Bush Inc., the family firm that snatched the presidency for W. in 2000, had to step in. Two trusted members of the Bush 41 war council, Mr. Baker and Robert Gates, have been dispatched to discipline the delinquent juvenile and extricate him from the mother of all messes.
Mr. Gates, already on Mr. Baker’s “How Do We Get Sonny Out of Deep Doo Doo in Iraq?” study group, left his job protecting 41’s papers at Texas A&M to return to Washington and pry the fingers of Poppy’s old nemesis, Rummy, off the Pentagon.
Somehow I find it hard to feel sorry for these guys, they should have saved their money and prepared for the future. At least that's what they told me when I was put in the same position. I had skills to fall back on, what do they have? Bullying people will only go so far in the real world.
Pat Tillman is back in the news and it isn't pretty. The more we find out about his death, the worse the command structure looks. In the final analysis nobody will ever be punished and the really sad part is how many times has this type of friendly fire happened since the cover up started? How many of our troops paid the ultimate price because we were too stupid to do the job right? The motto used to be "we do more before 9am than most people do all day" but we couldn't do it for months at a time without food, rest and working equipment. Who was it that said an army marches on its stomach? Both Hitler and Napoleon discovered that long supply lines are detrimental to the cause. But, I guess you lose the war with the army you abuse. What a waste of our national treasure.
I'll never win because I don't eat there but this line is really funny.
"In other words, you have a better chance of getting struck by lightning while on your way home from purchasing a winning Lotto ticket with your wife, Jessica Alba, the first lady of the United States," Richard Roeper wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times.Somebody was watching Numb3rs and decided to embellish. Whatever, I have as much of a chance of landing on the moon tonight than I do of winning the Lotto. Plus, I'd have to purchase a ticket.
What to do, what to do and why didn't they think of it before it took off?
.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Thank Goodness That's Over
At least I hope it is. I can honestly say that I didn't vote a straight Democratic ticket, I deviated on a couple of people. What interested me the most was how many of the candidates have been on the ballot for most of my voting life. They just seem to run for another office when their current term is up. Have they ever had regular jobs?
I haven't done a real food post in a while but after having my life threatened by the racist neighbor next door I feel in the need for some comfort food and since it is going to rain, I might make stew or pot roast.
Last Sunday I made a variation (I have one of those barbecue things so I don't need an actual beer can) of Beer Can Chicken, but with Calvados (apple brandy) as the base. I flavored it with mesquite seasoning and cooked it over coals with Jack Daniels wood chips. The skin was nice, brown and crispy and it tasted like...bacon. The house smelled like bacon for two days.
One of my neighbors brought me a bag of fresh picked jalapenos and I fire-roasted those. They were so good that I ate five of them and then made a rough pico de gallo with parsley and tomatoes from my garden for dinner the next night. It rocked the taste buds.
It doesn't look like the rest of the tomatoes are going to ripen on the vine so I think I'll make Fried Green Tomatoes tomorrow.
As I've stated before, I have a fondness for yams and sweet potatoes. One Thanksgiving I went to a potluck and ate twenty seven different sweet potato dishes, some twice. I was in heaven except that I couldn't stand up and wasn't hungry (don't forget the dessert!) for almost twenty four hours.
For years I have been saying that cooking and chemistry are the same, except one you can eat the results and the other can be explosive if not careful. Almost the same math and you can even substitute some of the mechanical apparatus. Glad to see I'm not the only one.
I haven't done a real food post in a while but after having my life threatened by the racist neighbor next door I feel in the need for some comfort food and since it is going to rain, I might make stew or pot roast.
Last Sunday I made a variation (I have one of those barbecue things so I don't need an actual beer can) of Beer Can Chicken, but with Calvados (apple brandy) as the base. I flavored it with mesquite seasoning and cooked it over coals with Jack Daniels wood chips. The skin was nice, brown and crispy and it tasted like...bacon. The house smelled like bacon for two days.
One of my neighbors brought me a bag of fresh picked jalapenos and I fire-roasted those. They were so good that I ate five of them and then made a rough pico de gallo with parsley and tomatoes from my garden for dinner the next night. It rocked the taste buds.
It doesn't look like the rest of the tomatoes are going to ripen on the vine so I think I'll make Fried Green Tomatoes tomorrow.
As I've stated before, I have a fondness for yams and sweet potatoes. One Thanksgiving I went to a potluck and ate twenty seven different sweet potato dishes, some twice. I was in heaven except that I couldn't stand up and wasn't hungry (don't forget the dessert!) for almost twenty four hours.
For years I have been saying that cooking and chemistry are the same, except one you can eat the results and the other can be explosive if not careful. Almost the same math and you can even substitute some of the mechanical apparatus. Glad to see I'm not the only one.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Escape From Reality Tuesday
Food cravings and some advice for handling them. I eat chocolate occasionally but if I have a craving it is for something like sushi or Mexican food. I definitely trend toward the salty side of the equation and I find that a fresh tomato or cucumber with salt helps to reduce the madness. Around the holidays I indulge in my love of yams and sweet potatoes, til I burst.
Ninety days stretches into more than three years. Interesting how we now know more about certain areas of Mars than we do about manholes where the remains are still being found at the World Trade Center, five years later and at least 36 million miles closer.
This looks like the only way I am ever going to get into space, none of that Earth return nonsense. I wonder if I can lock in the rate by paying ahead?
I wonder if Ernestine can get her old job back? She had the right attitude for the entity that she was skewering.
Favorite line (paraphrased) on Heroes last night. "So I can fly, I don't know karate, don't have a badge or a gun, what am I going to do when I get there?" Nathan is all about himself, he's probably going to be part of the dark side. Little brothers can be a pain or a help. Peter's a good guy (thinks quickly on his seat) and Claire's brother was swayed from his terror by love of his sister. Save the cheerleader, save the world. Or NBC's season, whichever comes first.
Ninety days stretches into more than three years. Interesting how we now know more about certain areas of Mars than we do about manholes where the remains are still being found at the World Trade Center, five years later and at least 36 million miles closer.
This looks like the only way I am ever going to get into space, none of that Earth return nonsense. I wonder if I can lock in the rate by paying ahead?
I wonder if Ernestine can get her old job back? She had the right attitude for the entity that she was skewering.
Favorite line (paraphrased) on Heroes last night. "So I can fly, I don't know karate, don't have a badge or a gun, what am I going to do when I get there?" Nathan is all about himself, he's probably going to be part of the dark side. Little brothers can be a pain or a help. Peter's a good guy (thinks quickly on his seat) and Claire's brother was swayed from his terror by love of his sister. Save the cheerleader, save the world. Or NBC's season, whichever comes first.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Things That Might Be Needed For The Election Results
Do they deliver to California? Or is it a different company out here in the west? It sure is colorful.
I think I'll ignore the advice on how not to get drunk and have a few martinis made from my favorite potato vodka.
I know Trader Joe's has the vodka but do you think a spoonful of sugar will make the medicine go down? Or will praying help?
The pink thing is supposed to help with the stench, but the whole country is probably going to need one.
I think I'll ignore the advice on how not to get drunk and have a few martinis made from my favorite potato vodka.
I know Trader Joe's has the vodka but do you think a spoonful of sugar will make the medicine go down? Or will praying help?
The pink thing is supposed to help with the stench, but the whole country is probably going to need one.
Laying The Groundwork
Karl Rove's mysterious polling data is surfacing, just in time to justify the attempt to steal the election. Of course the Republicans are going to "win", there is no other option. It doesn't matter that people are angrier than a wet hen, that the Republican party hasn't had a piece of good news in months, that the Iraq war isn't working out, that the economy is dying or that every core ideal of the Religious Right has been violated, the sun will be out tomorrow.
This has a twofold effect. One, it covers their ass and two it depresses voter turnout of people who would vote against them. The party of fairness and equality. What bothers me the most is that the sheeples will let them get away with it and in a month will have accepted that American freedoms are no more and that it is in our best interests to be told what to do, when and where we can do it and that why, how and who are no longer valid questions.
Please prove me wrong. Please.
Please.
This has a twofold effect. One, it covers their ass and two it depresses voter turnout of people who would vote against them. The party of fairness and equality. What bothers me the most is that the sheeples will let them get away with it and in a month will have accepted that American freedoms are no more and that it is in our best interests to be told what to do, when and where we can do it and that why, how and who are no longer valid questions.
Please prove me wrong. Please.
Please.
Sheer Force Of Will
And anti-gravity boots brings new meaning to climbing the ladder of success.
Random Flickr blogging explained here.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
A Little Bit Of Racism
Is racism on the upswing? Having lived in several countries and several states I have had experience with many types of people and have been extremely fortunate to have had very few confrontations based on my race, until last night.
We had some neighbors here in the complex who were evicted for bad behavior. For some reason that I fail to understand, I am being blamed for their eviction and since I have nothing to do with the management of this place and have been pretty much confined to a chair or bed for the last six weeks and haven't spoken with the parties in question, I remain confused. Well, their next door neighbor, who also happens to be mine, has taken up the battle of harassment.
Last night, while mom and I were enjoying the peace and quiet for the first time in months, I noticed that my bathroom was awfully bright. Mom had remarked that one of the reasons she was happy that the neighbors were gone was because we wouldn't have spotlights shining into our yard. Guess why my bathroom was so bright. Yup, the neighbor got one of the spotlights and was shining it directly into my place. He also has a camera and microphone aimed at my property. Twice someone has repeated something that I said in the privacy of my own home. I'm not scared of Big Brother, his little brother lives next door.
One of my neighbors asked him why he was picking on me and the words escalated. I'm still in my backyard, haven't said a word to the neighbor and I hear "who cares what that nigger thinks anyway?" My friend (6'3) went off on the neighbor (5'5) and threats started flying between the two. I ended the discussion quickly after I piped up with "don't pay any attention to him, he has little man's disease. Little body, little dick, little brain."
Little does this man realize how much I don't care about his opinion of me. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones and I can see right through his. I have been called worse by littler people than him. I was trained to ignore epithets by my brothers and the cruel kids of the 4th, 5th and 6th grades. He has a long way to go, generic labels very rarely apply to me, half-breed that I am.
Meanwhile, he owes my mother an apology. She thought he was a friend of hers and was devastated to hear him call me a name out of thin air. I feel sorry for her, she thought those times had passed long ago and to find it in her own back yard was not pleasant.
Yes, I think a big apology from the little man would be appropriate, don't you?
We had some neighbors here in the complex who were evicted for bad behavior. For some reason that I fail to understand, I am being blamed for their eviction and since I have nothing to do with the management of this place and have been pretty much confined to a chair or bed for the last six weeks and haven't spoken with the parties in question, I remain confused. Well, their next door neighbor, who also happens to be mine, has taken up the battle of harassment.
Last night, while mom and I were enjoying the peace and quiet for the first time in months, I noticed that my bathroom was awfully bright. Mom had remarked that one of the reasons she was happy that the neighbors were gone was because we wouldn't have spotlights shining into our yard. Guess why my bathroom was so bright. Yup, the neighbor got one of the spotlights and was shining it directly into my place. He also has a camera and microphone aimed at my property. Twice someone has repeated something that I said in the privacy of my own home. I'm not scared of Big Brother, his little brother lives next door.
One of my neighbors asked him why he was picking on me and the words escalated. I'm still in my backyard, haven't said a word to the neighbor and I hear "who cares what that nigger thinks anyway?" My friend (6'3) went off on the neighbor (5'5) and threats started flying between the two. I ended the discussion quickly after I piped up with "don't pay any attention to him, he has little man's disease. Little body, little dick, little brain."
Little does this man realize how much I don't care about his opinion of me. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones and I can see right through his. I have been called worse by littler people than him. I was trained to ignore epithets by my brothers and the cruel kids of the 4th, 5th and 6th grades. He has a long way to go, generic labels very rarely apply to me, half-breed that I am.
Meanwhile, he owes my mother an apology. She thought he was a friend of hers and was devastated to hear him call me a name out of thin air. I feel sorry for her, she thought those times had passed long ago and to find it in her own back yard was not pleasant.
Yes, I think a big apology from the little man would be appropriate, don't you?
Keeping It Simple
Please tell me that no one is surprised by the verdict in the Hussein trial? This has been a foregone conclusion since day one, carefully orchestrated to give Bush and the gay old party something to crow about before the elections. They still have two days to pull Osama bin Forgotten out of their nether regions.
Revenge and retribution won't be immediate but the Iraqis and the world will know it when it comes. We have consistently underestimated the terrorists in the past and I don't see that changing anytime soon. They are innovative and we are reactionary. We've been playing a bad game of catch-up for the last five years and we are so far behind we are about to get lapped. Again.
Fingerprinting elementary school students. Ostensibly it is to save time and paperwork but you know it will be used for tracking. Train them young, mark them forever and control is so much easier in the future.
Unusual advertising, they must have been stoned when this came up as an idea. Brilliant and accurate, something the White House has yet to show the nation.
I agree. When I first moved to the Bay area I couldn't find a decent sushi restaurant and I still compromise. Some of the reasons I like to eat sushi are the freshness of the ingredients, the beauty of presentation and the ability to introduce me to different flavors. A good sushi chef can do this but once again capitalism has taken over and now most places expect you to pick your sushi from plates that travel around in a moat, with other people having access before it gets to you. Gross. And I don't even want to think of how much Benihana's has changed, it is now bland and the traditional Japanese chefs are no more. Now it's an assembly line.
How to drink and not get drunk, the Russian way. I think I would like to go to one of their parties.
Witch on a broomstick was more appropriate than this kid knew. I think the "w" can be safely swapped out for a "b". Once again no child left behind, does.
Revenge and retribution won't be immediate but the Iraqis and the world will know it when it comes. We have consistently underestimated the terrorists in the past and I don't see that changing anytime soon. They are innovative and we are reactionary. We've been playing a bad game of catch-up for the last five years and we are so far behind we are about to get lapped. Again.
Fingerprinting elementary school students. Ostensibly it is to save time and paperwork but you know it will be used for tracking. Train them young, mark them forever and control is so much easier in the future.
Unusual advertising, they must have been stoned when this came up as an idea. Brilliant and accurate, something the White House has yet to show the nation.
I agree. When I first moved to the Bay area I couldn't find a decent sushi restaurant and I still compromise. Some of the reasons I like to eat sushi are the freshness of the ingredients, the beauty of presentation and the ability to introduce me to different flavors. A good sushi chef can do this but once again capitalism has taken over and now most places expect you to pick your sushi from plates that travel around in a moat, with other people having access before it gets to you. Gross. And I don't even want to think of how much Benihana's has changed, it is now bland and the traditional Japanese chefs are no more. Now it's an assembly line.
How to drink and not get drunk, the Russian way. I think I would like to go to one of their parties.
Witch on a broomstick was more appropriate than this kid knew. I think the "w" can be safely swapped out for a "b". Once again no child left behind, does.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Random Links
This is a very interesting site. A tag cloud of US Presidential speeches for the last two hundred years. Move the slider around to check out the different presidents and their favorite words and phrases.
Man, would I like to have seen that. A concealed weapon on a naked man. Masturbating. What will they think of next?
How about settling a dispute while naked in the Waffle House? Drugs and stupidity, never a good combination.
Umm, yeah. One of the reasons why tofu has some effect on hot flashes is because it is considered a cold food whereas meat is hot. That's one of the reasons why stew and roasts feel so good during the winter and not the summer. Chili doesn't fall into this category because spicy food causes people to sweat which cools you off.
Man, would I like to have seen that. A concealed weapon on a naked man. Masturbating. What will they think of next?
How about settling a dispute while naked in the Waffle House? Drugs and stupidity, never a good combination.
Umm, yeah. One of the reasons why tofu has some effect on hot flashes is because it is considered a cold food whereas meat is hot. That's one of the reasons why stew and roasts feel so good during the winter and not the summer. Chili doesn't fall into this category because spicy food causes people to sweat which cools you off.
Ahead Of The Curve
Again. When I first put my feelings about the upcoming election in print, I wondered about being labeled part of the tinfoil hat community. I had been thinking the worst for the previous two months and had kept it to myself, knowing that it was too outrageous to be believed by the average American.
I no longer care about labels and hope desperately that I am so far off base that I've run in to the outfield without a mitt. Lately it has been looking like I'm not the only one who is expecting negative results on November 8th. Maybe there are others.
Vote, document and hope that the National Guard and local police refuse to follow orders. You have to admire the speed with which this administration dismantled the Constitution, encouraged needless paranoia and didn't make the country any safer. For that you have to give them a job well done.
At least from their point of view.
Update: When I wrote this last night, I thought about including the line "and get out of the country while you still can" but thought it was even more over the top than my original theory. Well, look what Liberal Candy dug up. Now, that's what I call an interesting PDF.
Marvin Gaye springs to mind, makes me wanna holler and throw up both my hands.
I no longer care about labels and hope desperately that I am so far off base that I've run in to the outfield without a mitt. Lately it has been looking like I'm not the only one who is expecting negative results on November 8th. Maybe there are others.
Vote, document and hope that the National Guard and local police refuse to follow orders. You have to admire the speed with which this administration dismantled the Constitution, encouraged needless paranoia and didn't make the country any safer. For that you have to give them a job well done.
At least from their point of view.
Update: When I wrote this last night, I thought about including the line "and get out of the country while you still can" but thought it was even more over the top than my original theory. Well, look what Liberal Candy dug up. Now, that's what I call an interesting PDF.
Marvin Gaye springs to mind, makes me wanna holler and throw up both my hands.
Joke of the Day 11/4/06
Sent to me by a reader and I thought it was high time we had a joke around here...
Subject: Never be Late
A priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish. A leading local politician and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner. He was delayed, so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited.
"I got my first impression of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person who entered my confessional told me he had stolen a television set and, when questioned by the police, was able to lie his way out of it. He had stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his employer, had an affair with his boss's wife, taken illegal drugs, and gave VD to his sister. I was appalled. But as the days went on I knew that my people were not all like that and I had, indeed, come to a fine parish full of good and loving people."...
Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and gave his talk.
"I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived," said the politician. "In fact, I had the honor of being the first person to go to him for confession."
Moral: Never, Never, Never Be Late
Subject: Never be Late
A priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish. A leading local politician and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner. He was delayed, so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited.
"I got my first impression of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person who entered my confessional told me he had stolen a television set and, when questioned by the police, was able to lie his way out of it. He had stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his employer, had an affair with his boss's wife, taken illegal drugs, and gave VD to his sister. I was appalled. But as the days went on I knew that my people were not all like that and I had, indeed, come to a fine parish full of good and loving people."...
Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and gave his talk.
"I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived," said the politician. "In fact, I had the honor of being the first person to go to him for confession."
Moral: Never, Never, Never Be Late
Friday, November 03, 2006
Silencing The Messenger
The party of smaller government and fiscal responsibility has decided to make certain parts of the government smaller without being responsible fiscally. It is a sad day when lawmakers don't know how this provision got into the final bill. And people think the White House is going to play fair on the election. Anybody need some swampland?
Speaking of swampland, the Dutch were able to pull together a tremendous rescue effort to rescue about a hundred horses from drowning. The horses were stranded on a knoll for three days by unexpected storm surges. Once again I wonder why the response to the people of New Orleans during Katrina was so lacking.
Another study that points out the obvious. Doctors don't make house calls anymore and their after hours availability is good if you're at the nineteenth hole. Medicine is now a job and not a calling, which helps to explain why health care is not a real priority.
Borat. If the movie is half as funny as he was on SNL this weekend, it should be hysterical. The US needs some humor, I will probably see it on Wednesday, November 8 so I can hide from the fallout.
It's raining and comfort food sounds really good right now. This Fireside Lamb Stew rocks the mouth with tasty flavors.
Speaking of swampland, the Dutch were able to pull together a tremendous rescue effort to rescue about a hundred horses from drowning. The horses were stranded on a knoll for three days by unexpected storm surges. Once again I wonder why the response to the people of New Orleans during Katrina was so lacking.
Another study that points out the obvious. Doctors don't make house calls anymore and their after hours availability is good if you're at the nineteenth hole. Medicine is now a job and not a calling, which helps to explain why health care is not a real priority.
Borat. If the movie is half as funny as he was on SNL this weekend, it should be hysterical. The US needs some humor, I will probably see it on Wednesday, November 8 so I can hide from the fallout.
It's raining and comfort food sounds really good right now. This Fireside Lamb Stew rocks the mouth with tasty flavors.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Verizon Sucks Part 2
They canceled my internet access for watching YouTube, that's a no no. They don't consider it to be internet browsing. So, the public library is my friend.
Will be back later.
Update: Well, it isn't YouTubes fault, it seems that when Apple changed iTunes to compensate for the movies (HDTV) that it sucked up way too much bandwidth. I was fine until they changed the format, then I went too far over the unlimited usage. I promised I wouldn't do it again and they let me start my two years all over. Wasn't that nice of them?
Will be back later.
Update: Well, it isn't YouTubes fault, it seems that when Apple changed iTunes to compensate for the movies (HDTV) that it sucked up way too much bandwidth. I was fine until they changed the format, then I went too far over the unlimited usage. I promised I wouldn't do it again and they let me start my two years all over. Wasn't that nice of them?
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Questions, Questions
I occasionally post over at the Big Brass Blog along with a few other people. In the last two weeks, there have been a few posts written by my fellow bloggers that have really hit home, positing the questions of what we as Americans and human beings stand for at our core.
It started innocently enough with a post by Konagod. He was writing about growing up with the Star Trek dream, how much he had looked forward to the future and wondering what the heck had happened to it. It was like reading my own mind.
Logic dictates that if we were on the moon in 1969, almost forty years later we should be further in space than we are now, but we aren't. Mankind is an aggressive species and for the last five hundred years had been focusing that aggression outward in conquering and settling the earth. It isn't that man has been peaceful, far from it, but there was always the goal of achieving more, of seeing new places and exploring new environments.
For the last twenty years it has been about contraction. Holding on to the past because of fear of the future. It isn't just an American problem because there isn't much difference between the Taliban and the religious fundamentalists determined to foist their way of life on the majority here at home while whining about being persecuted.
We talk about freedom and democracy but do nothing as our civil rights disappear because we can still watch American Idol and buy lattes on almost every corner. That isn't freedom, that's complacency.
Why is just getting through the day a goal? Is that all anyone wants their life to be? You get up, rush around to go to work at a job you hate, race out of work to sit in traffic before you pick up food from who knows where so you can sit in front of the tv before you go to bed. Repeat for four consecutive days, laze around for two and do it again for the rest of the year.
Where is the hope? Where is the excitement? Where is the accomplishment and satisfaction of a job well done? Where is the pleasure of celebrating the quiet moments with friends and family? Where is the feeling that you have improved the world for your children instead of holding steady or sliding backward?
Do you know your neighbors? Do you spend recreational time with them? Can you trust them to watch your children in an emergency? Why not?
We can't go backward but we can go forward. Every day make an effort to smile and talk with your neighbors, you will find that they are people just like you even if they don't sound or look like it.
Who would believe that Ronald Reagan said it best? We really would change our priorities if an alien race suddenly appeared. Vulcan or Centauri, I don't care which as long as they get here soon so we can live up to our potential, not disappear in a flaming ball of fire.
Were there enough questions in this post?
It started innocently enough with a post by Konagod. He was writing about growing up with the Star Trek dream, how much he had looked forward to the future and wondering what the heck had happened to it. It was like reading my own mind.
Logic dictates that if we were on the moon in 1969, almost forty years later we should be further in space than we are now, but we aren't. Mankind is an aggressive species and for the last five hundred years had been focusing that aggression outward in conquering and settling the earth. It isn't that man has been peaceful, far from it, but there was always the goal of achieving more, of seeing new places and exploring new environments.
For the last twenty years it has been about contraction. Holding on to the past because of fear of the future. It isn't just an American problem because there isn't much difference between the Taliban and the religious fundamentalists determined to foist their way of life on the majority here at home while whining about being persecuted.
We talk about freedom and democracy but do nothing as our civil rights disappear because we can still watch American Idol and buy lattes on almost every corner. That isn't freedom, that's complacency.
Why is just getting through the day a goal? Is that all anyone wants their life to be? You get up, rush around to go to work at a job you hate, race out of work to sit in traffic before you pick up food from who knows where so you can sit in front of the tv before you go to bed. Repeat for four consecutive days, laze around for two and do it again for the rest of the year.
Where is the hope? Where is the excitement? Where is the accomplishment and satisfaction of a job well done? Where is the pleasure of celebrating the quiet moments with friends and family? Where is the feeling that you have improved the world for your children instead of holding steady or sliding backward?
Do you know your neighbors? Do you spend recreational time with them? Can you trust them to watch your children in an emergency? Why not?
We can't go backward but we can go forward. Every day make an effort to smile and talk with your neighbors, you will find that they are people just like you even if they don't sound or look like it.
Who would believe that Ronald Reagan said it best? We really would change our priorities if an alien race suddenly appeared. Vulcan or Centauri, I don't care which as long as they get here soon so we can live up to our potential, not disappear in a flaming ball of fire.
Were there enough questions in this post?
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