Archive for February 21, 2012
CNN Touts Tables Not Podiums as New Debate Strategy
Just got a tweet from Sam Feist at CNN touting a “sneak peek at the set for tomorrow’s AZ #CNNDebate. Note table not podiums.”
Tables not podiums? Really?
Who’s the moderator? Will CNN let the candidates lie, or not? That’s what matters.
Want to Eat More Kale?
Are you trying to eat more kale? Me too. That said, I came across this recipe a few months ago:
Mixed-Greens and Sausage Soup with Cornmeal Dumplings
This soup is delicious but I think my version is better ;)
While the greens the recipe calls for are “turnip, mustard, and collard greens,” in my opinion, kale holds up much better. It doesn’t get mushy, especially if you tend not to use all of the soup at once and you think you’ll reheat some of it.
1) Forget the cornmeal dumplings. Replace those carbs with a hunk of warm baguette slathered with butter and minced garlic.
2) I add a “dash” of freshly grated nutmeg. (Grated nutmeg perks up just about any dish. I even use it in mac and cheese as a background flavor. It adds a freshness that’s imperceptible unless you overdo it.)
No Sleep For Me Tonight
I dread this:
A high wind warning will be in effect in Boulder and Broomfield counties starting at 11 p.m. Tuesday and continuing through 5 a.m. Thursday.
The National Weather Service forecast says winds will be strongest in the high country, east of the Continental Divide, but are expected to move into the foothills and plains. Gusts will reach 80 miles per hour, and the most wind-prone areas could see gusts near 100 miles per hour.
(My emphasis.)
Unfortunately, I live in probably the most wind-prone area so the mere thought of 36 hours of this is exhausting.
Our front window faces west (where the wind comes from) and I’m forever terrified it will blow out and then the wind will lift the roof off. Boulder is beautiful and I love living here but the winds? I hate them. So does almost everyone I know. The whole town seems drained and bedraggled after one of these “wind events.”
Shakey fingers crossed.
If I don’t post tomorrow that means I’m in somewhere in Kansas.
Virginia Republicans Run Up Against Reality
When you live in the wingnut bubble, i.e., the only people you talk to are fellow wingnuts and the only radio and/or television you listen to or watch are fellow wingnuts, you run into problems when the things you do affect those who live outside of that bubble. And that, my friends, is what’s happening to the crazies in Virginia:
In the face of widespread criticism, Republican state lawmakers delayed a vote again today on a bill that would require women to undergo an [invasive] ultrasound before having an abortion.
SB484, sponsored by Sen. Jill Vogel, R-Fauquier County, was one of the targets of two protest rallies on the State Capital grounds that drew nearly 1,000 women on Monday. Republican efforts to restrict insurance coverage of contraception and abortion rights have been lampooned by commentators, including a skit on Saturday Night Live.
Some legislators suggested on Tuesday that they may attempt to soften [the invasive]ultrasound legislation. Two legislators — one a conservative Republican — speaking on the condition of anonymity, said one idea officials have discussed is making the [invasive] ultrasound optional rather than mandatory.
If you’re unfamiliar with the GOP sanctioned “small” government rape-with-what-amounts-to-a-dildo-bill, go here for more.
So, people in Virginia are pissed and Republicans are caught off guard. Gosh. Imagine that.
UPDATE: I just saw Kaye Korey (D), a Delegate to the Virginia House of Delegates (the name for their state legislature) on PoliticsNation on MSNBC. She said this is a blatant act of “moral arrogance” but that Republicans aren’t really backing down. She said they’re just waiting for the “media to focus on something else” before they sign this bill into law.
So, one guess as to what I’m going to do.
Mitt Romney as Android
I had seen bits and pieces of this Mitt — “the trees are the right height” – Romney video but not the whole thing, until now.
The poor guy. I almost feel sorry for him. Thinking about why he is running (to best his dad?) is fascinating to me because he seems so thoroughly ill at ease doing it. Why in the world would someone who seems so out of his element, as if he’s itching in his own skin, put himself through what seems to be such an uncomfortable process? I don’t get it. Something is pushing him way beyond his comfort zone and I would love to know what it is.
I love this state. It seems right here. Trees are the right height. I like seeing the lakes. I love the lakes. There’s something very special here. The Great Lakes, but also all the little inland lakes that dot the parts of Michigan. I love cars. I grew up totally in love with cars. It used to be in the ’50s and ’60s that if you showed me one square foot of almost any part of a car I could tell you what brand it was, the model and so forth. Now with all the Japanese cars I’m not quite so good at it, but I still know the American cars pretty well, and drive a Mustang. I love cars. I love American cars. And long may they rule the world, let me tell you.
(Video via.)
Gourmetize Your Ramen Soup
When it comes to pinching pennies on your food bill, what’s one of the first things that comes to mind? Ramen noodles of course! So thanks to the folks over at Serious Eats for putting up a slide show featuring 30 ways to gourmetize everyday ramen. Check it out here.
These two are my favorites. This is one for when I want to be good:
Tom Kha Goong:
Spicy, sweet and sour, coconut-scented tom kha goong is a snap when you start with instant noodles. After boiling and draining the noodles, just add half the seasoning pack to a couple cups of coconut milk along with fish sauce, sugar, and Thai curry paste to taste (wanna make it even easier? Just use regular old sriracha in place of the curry paste). Serve it with cilantro and limes for squeezing. A few strips of chicken or peeled shrimp added to the noodles a few minutes before they’re done simmering makes for an instant upgrade.
And this is one for when I want to be bad:
Ramen Poutine:
Okay, before someone goes and calls the Mounties on me, yeah, I know real poutine is made with cheese curd, not shredded cheese like I’ve got here. But hey, this is a ramen hack, so deal with it. To get your ramen nice and crispy, just crunch them up in the bag, then empty it out into a skillet with a little oil. Toast over medium-high heat while tossing and stirring until everything is nice and golden brown. Top it all off with some gravy and cheese, and broil in the toaster oven until melty. Eat with a fork. And beer.
Again, check the others out at the link above. There’s something for everyone.
Something Fishy at Fox
What in the world is Fox up to when it comes to this: Inserting (@ :31) a graphic featuring the face of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas along with majestic music into the middle of a commercial break?
(Via.)
Call me crazy but I’ve spent hundreds of hours watching Fox (see “About” above) and I think it’s a way of building Thomas up in advance of this potential fight: Clarence Thomas Petitioned By 100,000 Progressives To Recuse Himself From Health Care Cases. Thomas after all, is a darling of the far right and to frame the issue of his recusal as one between Godly conservatives and hippie progressives is red meat on Fox.
