Remind Me Never To Step Foot In Minnesota
July 1st, 2009
… Good on you Minnesota. Say hello to your new representative:
Truly, you must be proud of yourselves.
Foodie Weight Blogging
July 1st, 2009
One of the difficult things about working out, getting in shape, and still eating the foods you like is that it’s hard to eat the foods you like. One of my constant struggles is with the temptation of, “Hey … I had a GREAT workout today, I can splurge a little.”
No … no I can’t.
Not all the time at least.
I’m a serious amateur cook, and one of my favorite edibles is the simple, most awesome crepe.
How do you make a crepe? It’s easy. You make a batter from milk, egg, flour, and a touch of sugar (I’ll use a heavy tablespoon). Something like 2-3 eggs, a cup of milk, maybe a quarter cup of light cream, and enough flour to get the consistency of the thing to loose motor oil. I like my crepes thin and eggy, personally - everyone’s different. The batter takes all of 5-10 minutes to whisk up. I let it sit in the fridge for about an hour (if I can stand it), to let the bubbles out. Makes for better crepes.
There’s also a secret ingredient … you can use vanilla extract (a few drops will do the trick). I happen to have a secret stash of pear extract obtained from a different country. It makes all the difference. But you’ll never taste it’s awesomeness. Sorry.
Anyway … here’s how it goes …
The setup. One small hot pan (medium-high). Some Pam (I spray some before each one), the batter, a measuring cup (quarter cup, for pouring), and a plate to put the cooked crepes on.
Real easy. Pour out a quarter cup of batter, swirl it around into a circle. When the edges start to get a teeny bit crusty, flip it with your finger and a fork. Don’t burn yourself. It cooks for all of about a minute+ on one side, 30 seconds on the other. THAT’S IT! Otherwise it burns and gets nasty.
Time to fill! I use a small tub of ricotta cheese mixed with enough Nestle Quik to turn it brown. Let me tell you, that concoction is dangerous. Here’s the set up. Spread it. Roll it. Put it on the “finished” plate. Repeat.
Don’t use too much. I usually use a big ol spoonful. We don’t want it oozing out the sides or anything. This isn’t a cannoli.
Aaaaahhhh. Isn’t she beautiful? Come here, my love, so I may EAT YOU!
This batch made about 15 or so. With two adults and two kids, it lasted all of ten minutes.
Yummo!
Now off to get a workout …
On MJ …
June 26th, 2009
Okay, it’s hard not to comment on Jackson’s passing without mentioning a few things …
First, yeah, pretty much as creepy as you can get. If MY adult neighbor said, “Hey, can your son come over and stay the night? We’ll play with my chimpanzee and sleep in the same bed!” I’d punch them in the face. Hard. No verbal response to that question necessary.
Second, deranged. No sane human covers their baby in a veil and dangles them from a balcony.
Thirdly, the dude had more issues than an ‘82 Yugo and was surgically altered to nearly identical quality standards. Normal people don’t want plastic noses. Plastic noses are for Mr. Potato Head.
All that being said, I’ve loved his music for years. It can be tough separating the art from the artist, so to speak. Particularly with politically-charged musicians. Another example - Pearl Jam. I hate the bastards, love their music. And when I’m getting ready for a workout I’ll crank up Rage Against The Machine. But they magically turn into a bunch of clowns when the instruments drop from their hands.
I don’t believe MJ was evil or a malicious pedophile. I think he was completely deranged, batsh!t crazy, and a danger to himself and others as a result, not full of malice and evil in the same way a serial killer is. People with major issues AND lots of money end up doing a lot of damage to everyone. George Soros, Al Gore, George Lucas (were YOU able to sit through Phantom Menace without vomiting or wanting to rip apart the screen any time Jar-Jar appeared? I remain forever scarred …).
At any rate, The Jackson 5 produced some of my all-time favorite music. Funky, feel-good stuff. As a solo artist he was hit or miss in my opinion, but there’s plenty of performances to love.
The man had other-world talent, and there ain’t nothin’ wrong with enjoying his performances…
… or some of the things his undeniable influence helped create …
Iran. Iran, So Far Away.
June 22nd, 2009
Okay, okay, so you either get the title reference or you don’t and if you do and you’re thinking, “Hey, people getting slaughtered is no laughing matter,” well you’re absolutely right but I, as an American not living under a thuggish Islamic dictatorship can in turn make jokes and be a general happy person because I don’t have to deal with religious oppression as a way of life.
If you haven’t yet … do take a look …
There is some serious stuff going down over there.
People being shot and killed for protesting the supreme mullah overlords. Shutting down communication with the outside world, etc. etc. Iran will never be a free Democratic country like the United States. No amount of twittering is going to save a small amount of their population from that iron-fisted grip. But it’s important to see what’s going on while you can. Why? Because you won’t see this stuff on ABC. All you’ll see there is a huge special promo for why we need to spend a quadrabazillion dollars on health care.
Oh … OH STOP … Oh .. HEEHEE … Sides … HURT!
June 20th, 2009
U.S. Senators Push for U.S. Support of Arms Trade Treaty
A bipartisan group comprised of eight senators is urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a strong proponent of an international Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the interstate transfer of conventional weapons.
…
The Senators who issued the letter include:
Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii)
Richard Durbin (D-Ill.)
Russ Feingold (D-Wis.)
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
Carl Levin (D-Mich.)
Jack Reed (D-R.I.)
BIPARTISAN! BBBBWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!
Yeah! And maybe I’m a Chinese jet pilot!
Your Government Explained
June 18th, 2009
LITCHFIELD, N.H. — Four short stories are being pulled from a class at Campbell High School in Litchfield after some parents complained about questionable content.
The stories were part of an elective course for juniors and seniors. A parent told school officials that the stories dealt with issues such as sex, drug use, abortion and homosexuality and were filled with profanity.
…
Principal Bob Manseau reviewed the stories and agreed that they were not appropriate for high school reading. The stories were removed from the reading list and were taken out of the curriculum.
“It wasn’t so much the issues that were being addressed, it’s the use of language,” Manseau said. “It was gratuitous, explicit, vulgar.”
…
School officials said that choosing the stories was a well-meaning attempt to get students interested in reading with issue-driven content, but it simply went too far.
As “well-meaning attempts” often do.
Humble Hometown Parade Season
June 17th, 2009
One of the many things I love about New Hampshire (apart from getting a conceal carry permit in two days for a meager $10 application fee) is the small-town feel. These are communities. Not in the “organizer” sense of the word, but in a way where neighbors really do make an effort to help neighbors and everyone seems to enjoy the tight-knit atmosphere. We’ll organize ourselves, thankyouverymuch, that way nothing gets screwed up.
And with that … PARADE SEASON!
For whatever reason, there’s a dozen or so parades through the spring, summer, and fall here. There’s a firetruck parade (where … yes … 20 or so firetrucks from different towns crawl down Main Street all with sirens blaring). July 4th parade. Memorial Day. Labor Day. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my favorite …
… the “Summer Parade for No Reason” parade!
I don’t know why they do this, but it’s great fun for kids and adults alike. I’ve snapped a few pictures so you can see what small-town America looks like on these still-cool summer days where a bunch of people from the town get together on the weekend to watch a parade stroll by.
An “Antique Bicycle Brigade!” I forgot the name of this group of fine folk. Their passion is … riding antique bicycles. Sounds a little weird, but let me tell you, from the early 1900s dress to those giant-wheeled monsters, these people were quite cool. Dapper, indeed. I don’t know how they balanced on those things.
A good shot of one of the riders. While everyone was passing in front of us a local radio host was announcing who they were on some PA speakers from a balcony of the hotel across the street. This is a serious small-town parade.
Floats! That’s the Old Man of the Mountain, right there. One of the coolest natural glacial formations you’ve ever heard of and a symbol of New Hampshire’s that unfortunately crumbled to his death a few years back.
Holy crap, what are THEY doing nearly 500 miles from home? It’s the MUMMERS! Philadelphia institution! They come up here pretty much every summer for the parade and let me tell you, as a Philly transplant these guys are a real treat every year. If you’ve never heard of the Mummers, well, you should have. They’re old-time string bands. Banjos, accordians, horns, and made of awesome.
Here’s a vid to get a feel for what they’re like:
Four Leaf! The “Mummer’s All Stars” we saw at the parade played this song. This is usually the type of tune you hear from them. Roll Out the Barrel, etc. etc. It’s just super-awesome old-timey music played by excellent musicians who dress up in ridiculously colorful costumes and march around playing instruments for nothing but the entertainment of those watching!
“I’m lookin’ over” …. anyway …
Getting closer! They paused and gave us a little show here before walking on past. I was so glad my kids were able to see something I grew up seeing.
What parade isn’t complete without an old and quite stylish Buick Riviera? Apparently, this one.
Hey look! It’s Lightning McQueen! Or … is it a poorly painted Dodge Neon? Being towed through a parade? Sometimes, small-town parades don’t make all that much sense.
Anyway, thought I’d share the scene from last weekend’s festivities and give you a glimpse into small-town entertainment. Now to go look for some Mummers CDs! Bring on the HAPPY music!
Kim Jong Il’s Nuke War
June 14th, 2009
Seeing how the Obama administration is handling North Korea is just … just sad. For instance, have a look at the answer to the simple question of how doing nothing buys time for the Norks:
Was that even in English?
No substance. In a few years when we’re all carrying around video-capable e-readers chock full of every book ever made, you’ll see that video under the phrase, “Wishy Washy”. Even Sarkozy looked bored.
Now we see Biden let out of his bad doggie pen and saying … what exactly?
“We are going to enforce the UN Resolution. The UN Resolution is probably the most unifying thing that’s been done,” Biden told NBC television in his home state of Delaware.
“Look, North Korea is a very destabilizing element in east Asia, everyone realizes that — the Chinese realize it, the Russians realize it. They’ve gone further than they’ve ever gone in joining us on real sanctions against North Korea. And it is important that we make sure those sanctions stick,” Biden stressed.
If you’ve never seen Team America: World Police, watch it. Here’s a clip. It pretty much sums up exactly how toothless and dangerously ignorant our response to the Norks is:
Last Week …
June 13th, 2009
… could not have ended fast enough.
Here’s the short of it:
Jeep fails inspection. I must journey into the deepest, darkest cavern of rotor and brake pad replacement. It’s a work in progress.
Side thought on that. Why, oh why doesn’t some car company make a car where EVERY bolt on the friggin’ thing is 3/8 inch. That way you can buy the car, they can hand you ONE wrench and say, “use this if you ever need to fix anything.”
No. Can’t do that. In order to take the top off and change the breaks I need no less than four tools. That’s just stupid.
Next, Cub Scouts is over, mercifully. I love the pack and all but for crying out loud it’s a busy time of year. Next year mah boy’s a WOLF!
Baseball is almost over. Again, mercifully. 7 year-olds on a field for an hour and a half participating in a sport that requires patience has fail written all over it. By the 2nd inning they’ve all been picking dandelions and building rock pyramids in the outfield. Baseball? Who cares. They can throw gloves at each other.
Lastly, I find that yours truly has a brown belt test coming up in about two weeks. That’s not a lot of time to get my kung-fu juju going.
Hopefully, next week is a little more along the calm side of things. I’m thinking an afternoon with a Pina Colada poolside, a trip to the range, a BBQ … you know … important stuff.