I've Been Cooking on the Railroad

UPDATE:
03/20/06:
Welcome to all the Carnival of the Recipes readers. I've altered the recipe a bit based on the results of the stew I made friday. Half of a head of cabbage and 1 leek is sufficient, and the slurry is unnecessary, but it's best to add a full pint of beef broth.

Somewhere between the original solemn holiday and the modern excuse to get drunk, Saint Patrick's day is still, for many Irish Americans, a day to celebrate our heritage. While my family has been in America for so long that my exact ethnic makeup is unclear, we do know for certain that it includes Scots Irish. So I'm excited about this coming Friday.

In preparation for it, I plan to make an Irish meal, and have decided to give it the same treatment I've given other dishes -- give them an Oregon/Western US twist, to express my pride in THAT part of my heritage. But how to do that without rendering it no longer Irish?

It was The Feared Redhead who provided me with the inspiration. We were watching Food Nation with Bobby Flay, and she commented that an Irish Stew he was highlighting looked delicious, but she doesn't like lamb, so she wondered if we could make it using our favorite red meat, buffalo.

Eureka!

Along with the Chinese, the Irish comprised the majority of the laborers who built the transcontinental railroad. We Irish Americans are proud of the significant amount of this country that was built on our backs. And while they were building the railroad, I have to surmise that they were fed buffalo, since it was so plentiful. And while the railroads would eventually lead to the decline of the bison population, I think that it's a fitting meat to use to combine both my Irish and Western heritages.

Irish American Railroad Builder Stew

2 lbs buffalo skirt steak
4 oz. bacon (Irish or American)
1 small yellow onion
1 leek
1 lb carrots
1/2 cup Jameson's Irish Whisky
1 bottle beer (I know, it's usually Guinness these days, but here's where I add an Oregon twist: I'm using a 22 oz. bottle of Rogue Brewery's Kells Irish Style Lager -- TFR hates Guinness)
1 pint beef broth
1 bunch celery
1/2 head cabbage
4 large russet potatos
1 lb carrots
salt
pepper


Wash leeks, cut to separate the white bulbs from the green stalks. Cop the leek bulbs, the onion, and the bacon. Cut the buffalo into 1-inch cubes. Cut the carrots into 1-inch long pieces. Cut the cabbage head into quarters, slice each quarter into 1-inch wide strips. Cut the potatos into 1-inch cubes, DO NOT PEEL. Chop the parsley fine.

Place the bacon into a cast iron Dutch oven and heat over medium hih heat. when the bacon is beginning to brown, add the onion and leek bulbs. Sautee intil the onions are clear, add the buffalo cubes, salt and pepper lightly and brown. Degalze with Jameson's and light to burn off the alcohol. Pour in the beer and broth, add the leek stalks, cabbage, carrots, potatos, and parsley. Salt and pepper lightly, bring to a boild. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Stir in the slurry, bring the stew back to a boil, then remove from heat and serve with Irish soda bread or American Baking Powder Biscuits.

The Worst Cuts Are The Cheapest

Last night I made my Beef Oregon, A variation on Boef Bourgognon that highlights the ingredients of my home state. As usual with my recipes, I modified it a bit -- honestly, I usually just go with what I know about a dish in my head, I only commint them to paper/electrons so that I can share them. I left out the rosemary, added parsley, and used a water/flour slurry instead of the butter/flower mix (not quite a roux since it isn't heated) in order to make it leaner, but it still came out really damned good.

One of the things I LOVE about this dish is that it can take the toughest cut of meat, and after cooking it for several hours in an acidic wine-base broth, it will be as tender and succulent as possible -- oh, yes, very tender indeed.

Last night was the first time I made it since The Lad started eating solid foods (and will probably be the last batch until fall -- it's a cool weather dish in my book). He went nuts for it, especially the meat.

The Feared Redhead jokes that our son will have the most discriminating palate of any child around. She teasingly postulated the following conversation:

Other Little Kid: My sandwich is a Peanut Butter and Jelly with the crust cut off! What's yours?
The Lad: Grill-Seared Flank Steak with crimini mushrooms, blue cheese, baby greens, and a mustard vinaigrette on rustic Ciabatta.
Other Little Kid: ........ Want to trade?

Rewind My Spring!

Yesterday I blogged on the signs of Spring I've been seeing.

Today, those budding trees, daffodils, and I awoke to this:



Yes, that's snow on top of my car. Big, heavy, wet, snow. Only an inch, and it melted with the sunrise, but snow nonetheless.

In Oregon, March may come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, but in the interim, it reels about like a drunken mental patient.

Tiny Monkey Wrenches

I just got off the phone with the two childcare centers at the local Community College. At one, the minimum age they accept is 2 1/2, at the other, it's 3. At the first, I'll have to wait until this time next year, then apply to have The Lad cared for there for my last year of the culinary program. For the first year, I'm on my own.

Pray we can find affordable daycare, without it, I can forget about school.

Feeling Crabby

Well, I made the crab ravioli last night, and it was delicious. There were only a couple of kinks in the whole thing, but try as they might, they didn't ruin the meal. The first was that I made the ravioli a day ahead of time to save me some time last night. TFR has the Lad with her until 5:30 or later on monday nights, and last night I took over childcare duties at 3:30, so it was a good idea -- in theory. The problem was that the ravioli stuck together, and about a third of them tore apart when I tried to separate them. I refuse to let that good crab meat go to waste, so tonight I'll probably make some sort of crab dumpling soup. So let that be a warning to you -- make the raviolis and IMMEDIATELY cook them. The second bit of advice is to make sure you roll the ravioli dough as thin as humanly possible -- use a pasta press if you have one. My dough was a wee bit thick, and that made for very doughy ravioli. But the filling and the pesto were both excellent. The wine was disappointing -- we had the Eversham Wood 2004 Blanc du Puits Sec. It was too acidic, and strong -- there was no complexity to it, no subtelty. It was VERY disappointing. The salad went over well. I started with fresh baby greens, and added cucumber, heirloom tomatos, and watermelon radishes.

So while the dinner was a bit disappointing because of some of the goof-ups, I'd have to say the recipe itself was a success. The romano held the crab together well without stealing the show -- you really tasted the dingeness. and the pesto was the perfect complement to it -- fresh but subtle. So without further ado, the recipe:

Dungeness Crab Ravioli with Filbert Pesto

Ingredients:

Pasta Dough
1 1/2 cups semolina
1/2 tbsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cold water

Crab Filling
1 packed cup (approximately 1/2 lb.) chopped Dungeness crab meat
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 1/2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan Reggiano cheese
1 cup grated fresh Romano cheese
1 pinch salt

Filbert Pesto
2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed, dried and lightly packed
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup filberts, roasted and with skins removed
1/2 cup hazelnut oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparing the pasta:
In a small glass bowl, mix the salt and semolina. Stir in the eggs, oil, and water. Remove from bowl onto a lightly floured (with semolina) board and knead until elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. While dough is resting, prepare filling and pesto.

Preparing the filling:
In a bowl, combine the crab, cheese, and parsley (the finer the parsley is chopped the better). Add just a pinch of salt, and mix thoroughly.

Preparing the pesto:
Place the basil, garlic, and hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse 3-5 times to start the chopping process. Turn the machine on and drizzle in the olive oil in a thin stream. Season with salt and pepper.

Making the ravioli:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the dough on a lightly floured flat surface, and roll flat, as thin as possible. It should be thin enough that you can see through it if the surface beneath is highly contrasted. Use a medium ravioli press to cut out your raviolis. Using a spoon, scoop out 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of crab filling, press together, and place one scoop each on half of the ravioli cutouts. Place the other cutouts on top, pinch together, and roll the sides. Once all ravioli are assembled, drop into the boiling water. Cook until the ravioli float, about 5-10 minutes. Pasta should be al dente. Strain the ravioli in a colander, move them to a bowl, and stir in the pesto. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil.

Makes about 20 ravioli, serves 2.

Passion and Necessity

Today I downloaded and completed the application for the Culinary Arts program at Lane Community College. I'm taking the first steps towards making the best of the situation I'm in. I noticed that part of the application process is an interview. In anticipation of the kinds of things they may ask me if I make it to the interview stage, I have been pondering my love of cooking and cuisine, and the path I took to reach apoint where I knew it was something I'd want to pursue as a career.

I've known how to cook almost my whole life. Both of my parents were (and my mother still is) excellent cooks, and they not only allowed my sister and I to help in the kitchen, they encouraged it. They taught us the basics -- safety, cleaning up, measuring, controlling temperature, how different ingredients and different methods of cooking effected the outcome of the dish. I think that's why I'm such a huge Alton Brown fan -- his show is about HOW to cook, not just WHAT to cook.

But for a very long time, cooking was, shall we say, a pleasant necessity. You have to eat, you might as well eat something that tastes good. Sure, I enjoyed it, took pride in having a couple of dishes that were pretty good (I was once threatened with bodily harm if I showed up at a particular event WITHOUT my homemade Butterscotch Skor Bar Crunch ice cream), and enjoyed contributing to cookouts for friends, etc. But it was still just food.

I remember the day I was awakened to the idea that there was more to food than just eating. Well, I don't remember the exact date, but I remember the evening. I was living in San Diego, California, and had several circles of friends with whom I associated. One of these was a group of gaming geeks (guilty as charged). Among our various activities, we often hung out at a place called Gelato Vero, on the corner of Washington Avenue and India Street. We would usually smoke our pipes on the outdoor patio, drink coffee, eat gelato, and play Hearts. Often we would be joined by a young man named Davide and his girlfriend (wife?). Davide was a pleasant young man, and best of all, he owned a restaurant, All' Italiana in La Mesa. So when I wanted to go out to eat with my friend Shawn and his wife (from another circle of friends), I decided to go give Davide our business.

I don't know if he's moved since then, but back in those days, Davide's place was tiny. Ten tables rops. Davide was the chef, he had one sous chef, his girlfriend bussed/did dishes, and his sister was the waitress. The place was decorated with your stereotypical Italian Restaurant theme -- posters of Italy, candles, roped chanti bottles. At least the linen was white, not checkered. But what it lacked in originality, it more than made up for in warmth and intimacy.

And the food! Davide learned to cook at his family's resort restyaurant on Italy's adriatic coast, and he learned well. We started with his Tomato Basil Soup. I've never tasted its equal. Then I had his linguini with clams in red sauce (yes, RED sauce!). In those days my wine palate was sweeter than now, so I had a glass (or two) of Lambrusco Amabile. We spent the evening talking and laughing and eating. And for the first time, as the meal ended, I realized that not only had it made me full, it had made me happy. My mood was visibly improved by the meal, and by the experience surrounding the meal. I'm sure I'd had many such evenings before, but this was the first time I'd become consciously aware of the power of cuisine -- not just food, but cuisine -- to affect people on a level beyond just sating hunger. This was the moment I fell in love with cuisine. Eventually I honored Davide by choosing his restaurant as the place where I proposed to The Feared Redhead.

But while I was waking up to the enjoyment of cuisine, and dabbled a bit in making it myself, I still was nowhere near the place where I had a desire or the skills to pursue it as a career, or even a serious hobby, for that matter. Several events had to transpire before that would become a reality.

The first was my marriage to The Feared Redhead. This helped in several ways. First, it got me out of my parents' house. I was one of those twenty-somethings that had moved back in with my parents. And while I contributed to the household, my parents did a significant portion of the cooking. Second, it gave me an audience. Even during the times when I had moved out on my own as a single adult, I didn't often do much serious cooking, because I was the only one who would be eating it. I call this the bachelor syndrome -- the only reason to go to the trouble of cooking seriously was to entertain friends or impress women. Surprisingly, even after marriage, the "impress women" motivation stuck -- I wanted TFR to be impressed, to be pleased by what I cooked for her, to lust after me for my culinary skills. Sadly, I did not always succeed as dazzlingly as I desired. But this led to the third benefit that marriage provided for my cooking skills -- a resident food critic. The Feared Redhead is not feared without good reason, and as a typical redhead, she is not averse to expressing her opinion. When she likes my food, she will praise me. But when she doesn't, she'll communicate that as well, and in detail -- not just "ick", but "too salty", "too sweet", "too dry", etc. Her candor regarding my efforts has taught me how to take constructive criticism, and has provided the additional benefit of refining both my skills and my recipes. I can list several recipes that left her far less than impressed the first time I tried them, but that are among her favorites now.

The second event was our return to Oregon. As previous posts have made apparent, I am fiercely proud of this state. It is the only place I've ever felt at home, and I have embraced everything about it I can. Part of my development as a cook has been specifically to develop recipes that highlight as many Oregon ingredients as possible.

And the third major event was when I took up blogging. This blog has afforded me an outlet for the expression of my passion beyond cooking for TFR and occasionally for friends. Here I can share my recipes, here I can read the praise of gracious readers, and here I pick up tips and insightes that further hone my skills.

That's how I find myself where I am. By sharing with others -- those I love, those I respect, those I admire -- and my receiving in return love, admiration, and respect, and by developing a sense of what I like, and what fires my passions, I have realized that this is what I want to do with my life. I've taken what was at first a "pleasant necessity", that then progressed into a passion, and am ready to turn it into a passionate necessity. I must work to provide a living for myself and my family. I might as well make a living by working at my passion.

Just So You Know....

From my last post, some of you may have gathered that I'm a bit of what I call a regionalist. That is to say, I try to give preference to Oregon wineries and food producers in my cooking and eating. It also means that when I visit other places, I try to sample the local offerings there. When in Rome, and all that.

In the past few years, Oregon has started to develop a culture of good food and wine. The 45th Parallel runs through Oregon, placing us at roughly the same latitude as Bordeaux and Burgundy. Oregon is only the 5th largest wine producing state in the US, and there are indivisual wineries in California that outproduce our entire state, but what we lack in volume we make up for in quality. Our dominant grapes are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but you'll find many different varietals here. We have the strictest wine labelling laws in the country. One of theones I find most interesting and admirable is the ban on using foreign regional wine names -- you'll never see an Oregon Bordeaux or Burgundy or Champagne. Oregon wines are named either for their varietal, their color (Girardet's Grand Rouge is a highly drinkable blended table red -- not memorable, but agreeable), or any other fanciful naming convention the weinery desires, but NOT for somewhere outside of Oregon. If it's labelled a varietal, such as Pinot Noir, the rules are stricter. A varietal label must include the appelation (growing region within Oregon) from which it comes, and except in the case of Cabernet Sauvignon, must contain at least 90% of the stated varietal.

Along with the wine, we make excellent beers, and our mild climate and fertile soild makes this an ideal place to grow produce, fruits, and berries, and we have recently become renowned for our (non-hallucinogenic) mushrooms. Rogue Creamery, in Southern Oregon, has over the past few years won several international competitions for Best Blue Cheese in the world.

I recently watched an episode of $40 Dollars a Day in which Rachel visited Salem, our capital. While I was pleased with the comparisons she made between Oregon and Tuscany, Napa Valley, California, has adopted for itself the name "America's Tuscany", and perhaps rightly so. I'd actually compare us more to, say, Provence, or even more like Alsace. The lifestyle here is more laid back, there's a mix of old west rural and hippy which, while politically causes me frustration at times, makes for a friendly, relaxed, warm attitude. The old "Welcome to Oregon, now leave" reputation we cultivated for years has faded, and was a front to begin with -- Oregonians are actually quite hospitable.

Not That Anyone Cares

A couple of years ago, before TFR got pregnant, before I even blogged, I found something I'd been wanting for some time at a flea market -- a nice wine rack. It dodn't LOOK nice at the time -- it was water stained and the varnish was cracked and chipped -- but it has a solid teak tray top, and holds 16 bottles. I bought it for $4, took it home, and restored it. I used a simple oil for the finish: no varnish, urethane, etc. My goal was to eventually stock it with wines from Oregon wineries we've visited. Pregnancy and parenthood intervened, and our winery touring has been scaled back.

But I have managed to stock it with Oregon wines, and while only one bottle was purchased at a winery, several bottles are from wineries we've been to. It took me time, since I can't afford 16 bottles of wine all at once, and has required some persistence, but I've got it stocked. And while it is dominate (like Oregon's wine industry) by Pinots, there are some other wines in it that are quite nice as well. I don't exclusively drink Oregon wines, but I do exclusively stock the rack with Oregon wines, and we do drink mostly such.

So I thought I'd share with you my collection. Not being a wine expert, but having my own esthetics in mind, I decided to stock 4 white wines, 4 blushes, 4 reds, and 4 dessert wines. I also have 1 semi-sparkling sitting on top of the tray, next to the decanter and rabbit.

Wineries we've actually visited are in italics.

Whites
Fries Family Cellars 2004 Duck Pond Pinot Gris
Eversham Wood 2004 Blanc du Puits Sec (a gewurtzstraminer/Pinot Gris blend)
Saginaw Vineyards 2003 Estate Grown Pinot Gris
St. Josefs 2000 Pinot Gris

Blushes
High Pass Winery 2004 Pinot Noir Rose
Girardet 2003 Whit Zinfandel
Saginaw Vineyards 2002 Pinot Noir Blanc
Chateau Lorane 2003 Gamay Noir Rose

Reds
Girardet 2001 Barrel Select Pinot Noir (our favorite)
King Estate 2002 Pinot Noir
Abacella 2003 Tempranillo
Amity 2004 Gamay Noir

Dessert
Montinore Estates 2003 Late Harvest Riesling
Made in Oregon Cellars Nog (a blended sweet red intended for mulling at the holidays)
Chateau Lorane Life Force Raspberry Mead
Honeywood Blackberry Wine

Semi-Sparkling
Silvan Ridge 2004 Early Muscat

Good News!

They moved my brother-in-law out of the ICU this weekend into a regular hospital bed. They may release him as early as this week. The doctors have been amazed by his progress. Thank you all for your support.

Weekend Update

I took some pictures yesterday using my camera phone. They're a bit fuzzy (I really need to get a digital camera), but I hope you enjoy anyway.

'Twas a busy weekend indeed, but ofr once, a fairly enjoyable one. Saturday started out as normal -- I dropped The Feared Redhead off at her work, then stopped at Dutch Brothers on my way home for my traditional Saturday Morning Latte'. The Lad, the Laundry, the Dishes, and the Vacuuming kept me busy the rest of the day -- no time to go shopping for dinner. So my idea was to stop at the Fish Merchant (our local fishmongers) to pick up something for dinner after picking up TFR. I ficured I could grab some shrimp or fish to cook. Fate was to intervene, this time on our behalf. When we pulled up to the shop, we saw that the giant stainless steel gas-fired kettle out front was steaming away. This time of year in the Pacific Northwest, that means only one thing -- Dungeness! That night, crab sat happily in our tummies that had just that very day met their maker. I also picked up some pre-shelled meat, and later this week plan to try my hand at Dungeness Ravioli with a Filbert Pesto.

Sunday Morning, while TFR and the lad slept in, I got the grocery shopping done for the rest of the week. Then, we headed out for a day in the country. We live only a couple of miles from one of the most scenic roads in America -- Highway 126. To the west of Eugene, it makes its way over the Coast Range to the Oregon Coast at Florence. To the east, it heads up into the Cascades along the McKenzie River:







This time of year is a great time to see the small waterfalls along the way. We stopped at one to take the above pictures and some of the waterfall itself:



after running under the road it fed into the river:



On the way home, we saw some beautiful views of Mt. Washington and Three-Fingered Jack, but the clouds didn't provide enough of a contrast to get a good shot. The most beautiful view of the day was of a smaller mountain we past as the sun was setting. We, most of that mountain, and the other mountains around it were in shadow. But one snow-covered, bare, rocky slope faced to the west, and the setting sun lit the high points of the slope, painting them with a fiery golden color that was just gorgeous. The following picture doesn't do it justice:



Soon after that, we decided to stop to grap a pop. This is where the story gets weird, but in a cool way. We pulled off the road in Blue River, a small town just off the highway that is about 3 blocks long by 2 blocks wide. We pulled into the gas station about 10 minutes before it closed (at 6 PM), and parked in front of an old school bus (a 1950 White) that I call "That's Far Enough" (Kudos to anyone who gets why that's appropriate for the Eugene area):



The gas station's selection of beverages was quite limited, and it took me several treks to the car to figure out what TFR wanted to drink. It took longer when I had to use the restroom. In the meantime, TFR let Little Big Dog out to potty. When I returned to the car, TFR was standing out in the street, and said to me, in an excited voice, "Brian, come here, you have to see this!" I went to see what she was talking about. There, on the side of the bus:



Were the words "Lorane School District 36". Lorane is a small town SW of Eugene where my father spent his teenage years. In those days, it had its own high school, but nowadays kids in Lorane go to High School in Crow.

When we got back into town and cell coverage, we called my mom, then my uncle. It turns out that Lorane HS had three(!) buses, and the bus we saw in Blue River was the very bus my father and uncle rode to school every day during their high school years. The sense of connection was really neat, and a little eery.

VP of Death

Thanks for the Memory to Vulture Six.

Guns don't kill people, Dick Cheney kills people.

BS, PHD (BullSh**, Piled Higher and Deeper)

Thanks for the Memory to GroovyVic at Fiddle Dee Dee and to Vic (just Vic) at Darth Apathy.

If you still require proof that in this day and age, receiving an advanced degree does not necessarily guarantee that one will in the course of that education increase ones native intelligence, read no further than this article by Michelle Malkin.

This is why I'm going to home school The Lad.

I shall be forthright and acknowledge up front that I (quite obviously to those who know me) disagree strongly with this man's politics. Be that as it may, there are concerns raised by the transcript of this little "episode" that go much deeper than honest disagreement over politics.

To begin with, I find it disturbing that an individual who is tasked with shaping young minds would display such a lack of command of both critical thinking and the English language. Education is, or at least should be, teaching a child as much about how to think as what to think, as much about how to learn as what to know. Yes, the subject material taught is important, and it is good for children to learn the facts. But if you give a child the skills and encourage in a child the inclinations necessary for learning -- curiosity, thesis and synthesis, critical thinking and logic, research skills, and a love of that sudden bright burst of amazement when you make a discovery -- then they WILL learn the the facts. Train a child to investigate, and the evidence is there waiting for them.

And that is how I intend to educate The Lad. Yes, admittedly, I will teach him certain subjects with a slant that is biased by my own world view. But if in the process, I teach him how to think for himself, and the day comes when he disagrees with me on a given subject, if he can present to me a rational, intelligent reason for his dissention, I will have done him a service, and he will have "done me proud".

But it is obvious that Mr. Bennish is either unable to or uninterested in accomplishing this goal. His entire screed is intended only to vent his personal opinions and hatreds, and to indoctrinate his class in them. Takes your notes, children, write them down. Did you get that? It's spelled H-i-t-l-e-r. And when the student who recorded the episode did speak up, he was not asked to or given the chance to explain his position, he was simply talked down to by this teacher.

Furthermore, while I myself am unable to listen to the recording, and can only read the transcript, I have been told that the teacher's tone and volume display a significant amount of, shall we say, Sturm und Drang. If that is true, that disturbs me as well. Such antics may be effective tools of televangelists to gain donations, but fire and brimstone is a bit out of place in the classroom, except perhaps to address unruly pupils. The implication I've gathered from several (albeit biased) sources is that the man sounds not just angry, but unhinged.

I have to ask myself if this is the kind of individual I want in close contact with children, especially my own. And I find I am ready with an answer to myself: an emphatic no.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

Thanks for the Memory to Vulture Six.

Oh my. From Drudge:

NBC White House correspondent David Gregory, who apologized last week for calling White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan a "jerk," called into MSNBC's IMUS Thursday morning -- apparently drunk!

I really have nothing to add. This one speaks for itself Apparently, they're drinking more than the KoolAde in the MSM these days.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

I've Been Tagged!

GroovyVic over at Fiddle Dee Dee has tagged me. Hmmm... seven songs I'm listening to, huh?

Well, lately in the car I've been playing one Johnny Cash CD over and over, but the songs on it I especially listen to are:

1. Folsom Prison Blues
2. A Boy Named Sue
3. Sunday Morning Coming Down
4. John Henry's Hammer
5. One Piece at a Time
6. Ring of Fire
7. The other songs don't really rate such a list, but I'll add one more song I've been listening to INVOLUNTARILY. It comes from one of The Lad's toys and goes:

I'm Mack the Truck and my wheels go round.
I lift my load both up and down.
Honk honk, beep beep, oh look at me,
trucks are busy as can be.

Not as Bas as It Could Have Been

I found out yesterday that my job is one of the jobs slated to be eliminated in the last round of layoffs, so I'll be employed until July 1. So that's going to help.

Java Jones

I love coffee, but (oddly enough for a Pacific Northwesterner), Im not as deadly serious about it as I am about Scotch or beer. I approach it more like wine, only moreso: As long as it's not bad, I'll drink it, even if it's not excellent, and when I do have time and/or money for the really good stuff, I count my blessings. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Americano, but I'll drink the stuff they provide us for free here at work.

Which is why today sucks. The coffee maker at work is not, well, WORKING, and I didn't have tome to stop at Dutch Brothers (a local drive-thru coffee stand chain where their idea of "Just a cup of coffee" is Americano -- they have no percolators or drip coffee makers, just espresso machines), because it was out of the way, so I'm left drinking tea.

I'm not complaining about the tea -- it's Stash's White Tea & Green Tea fusion, a very delicate yet flavorful blend that is one of the few teas I enjoy without sugar, but its tea. Which means that it has all the caffeine I usually get in my first sip of morning coffee.

Not a pretty way to start the morning.

Pun Fun

If a jazz singer weaves the telling of a joke into the impromptu vocals of a song, is that a form of "scat"ological humor?

Third Times Really Can Be The Charm

A while back I mentioned that I was working on but hadn't yet perfected a pork medallion recipe with a Northwest twist. Well, this weekend I kept an old cliche alive. The trick was switching from a white wine to a red for the reduction.

This dish goes well with the rice dish I shared in the post I link above. Also, it has a long prep time, so if you start following the recipe below about the time you put the broth for the rice recipe on the stove, they'll come out about the same time.

Pair the dish with a soft red like a pinot noir. If you can, use the same wine for the recipe as you serve with it.

You will need a meat tenderizing hammer, kitchen twine for tying the pork, a large metal-handled skillet that can go from stovetop to oven, and a food processor, as well as your cutting board, knife, measuring cup, turning tongs, and a spoon for stirring.

Ingredients:
4 medium-sized pork chops, trimmed of fat
2 peeled & cored grannysmith apples
One quarter of a sweet yellow onion
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup raw filberts (hazelnuts)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup red wine
salt
pepper

Using a meat tenderizer, pount the pork chops out until they are flat and about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and let the chops rest in the refrigeratior for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a food processor with the chopping blade, combine the onion, apples, filberts, and rosemary. Pulse until the ingredients form a slightly chunky paste.

Lay the pork chops flat. spread the paste ofer one side of each chop, roll the chop into a roll and tie with the kitchen twine, using several loops along the length of each roll. salt and pepper the outside of the roll generously.

In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the pork in the skillet, searing all sides. After the last sides have seared, place the skillet in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven and return it to the stovetop over medium heat. Remove the pork rolls to a cutting board and allow them to rest. There will be a lot of liquid left over from them in the skillet -- that is a good thing. To the skillet add the dried cranberries and the wine, let it come to a boil and reduce by half, then remove from the heat.

Carefully slice the pork into approximately 1 inch medallions. For the best results, cut at the inentations left by the string loops. Plate 3-4 medallions on each plate, spoon sauce over the medallions, and garnish with sprigs of rosemary.

Serves about 4.

Last night I paired this with a nice soft red recommended by the wine steward at our local market, my wild rice recipe, and a salad made with baby greens and other veggies. For dessert we had strawberries with dark chocolate frosting (yes, frosting. Trust me). Very yummy.

And Oddly, No Mosques Were Burned

Thanks for the Memory toVodkapundit via The LlamaButchers.

Apparently the pro-Danish demonstrations went well. More from those on the scene.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

Bad news never seems to travel alone, and suddenly my job situation doesn't seem like such a big deal:

My brother in law in Portland has been hospitalized with a life-threatening illness. Yesterday, he was delirious and tried to leave the hospital after pulling out his IV's. They're having to restrain him, the nurses told my sister in law that he MIGHT have lived for two hours away from the hospital. He cannot take even water orally, he must be sustained with IV's for now.

Meanwhile, one of our best friends in California (with whose baby daughter we plan to arrange a marriage for the Lad) went in for a biopsy on a lump she found on her chest. We'll hear from her with results in a few days.

And to top it all off, my mom has given me an update: They have my grandmother on hospice care, which means they expect her to live 6 months at the most.

At least I have my health, if not my job or my sanity for long.

A Big Day

I received the following picture from my friend David A. Reed:



It's a picture of President Bush during his visit to Bethel College, where David is a professor.

Blogburst Announcement

Thanks for the Memory to Hyscience at Blogfather Rusty's Jawa Report.



Freedom's Zone has called for and I am participating in a blogburst regarding Christopher Hitchens' call for a demonstration in support of Denmark in front of the Danish Embassy in New York this Friday:

Please be outside the Embassy of Denmark, 3200 Whitehaven Street (off Massachusetts Avenue) between noon and 1 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 24. Quietness and calm are the necessities, plus cheerful conversation. Danish flags are good, or posters reading "Stand By Denmark" and any variation on this theme (such as "Buy Carlsberg/ Havarti/ Lego") The response has been astonishing and I know that the Danes are appreciative. But they are an embassy and thus do not of course endorse or comment on any demonstration. Let us hope, however, to set a precedent for other cities and countries. Please pass on this message to friends and colleagues.

Please also post that for those who cannot attend the demonstration, they are encouraged to call and email the Danish embassy, and offer their support and appreciation for their standing up to freedom and the right of free speech that is so much a part of our Western culture:

Embassy of Denmark
3200 Whitehaven St., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel: +1 (202) 234-4300
Fax: +1 (202) 328-1470

Email: wasamb@um.dk

After the date of the event, bloggers are encouraged to post on at least 3 "free speech" issues a week, and also encourage their readers to continue voicing their concern and support for free speech by emailing their friends to help keep the emails of support (to the Danish embassy) going for the Dane's stand on freedom over sharia.

Go thou and do likewise.

Breaking News: School Shooting

There's been a school shooting in Roseburg, Oregon, the town where I was born. Local news stations are reporting it, but no details yet and no national coverage I can find. I'll link to more news when it's available.

UPDATE:

It looks like no one was killed, thank God.

Small Victories

Got a cool phone call night before last.

As most of you know, my son, The Lad, was born about 5 weeks premature. This isn't too bad these days, but it still means he had a little growing to do. The doctors and nurses told us that he would probably be a little behind the curve developmentally until around his second birthday.

Well, during his visit to the doctor for his first year Well Baby checkup, the doctor gave The Feared Redhead a screening questionnaire to fill out. It's for a program through the University of Oregon that assesses your babvy's development.

Based on the results of the survey, The Lad is up to speed for his age in all areas except Gross Motor Skills (Crawling, Standing, Walking), and there he's just barely behind.

Normally, the words "Barely Behind" aren't cause for bragging, but when you have a preemie, you take what you can get. This kid is frighteningly smart for his age.

Ch Ch Ch Changes....

I work in a tech support call center for a software company. Yesterday at 2:30 PM (just before my shift ends anyway), they shut down our phone queues and called an impromptu meeting to let us all know we're being laid off. Our jobs are being outsourced to India (except for the Customer Service jobs, they're being consolidated in Atlanta). For some of us our last day will be May 1, for others, July 1. I haven't been told which group I'm in, but I'm betting on the May group based on my position.

This was not a complete surprise -- we've been suspecting it was in the works for some time -- but the timing is a bit sooner that expected.

In a way, it's a blessing in disguise for me, though for others this is far more stress-inducing. I had been wanting to apply for the culinary program at the local community college (it has a good reputation, and I want to be a chef), but was worried that the classes would conflict with work. Now I can start looking for a job, even a part-time one, that will fit around my school schedule. TFR already brings home more than I do, even though I work 40 hours and she only works 26 at the spa. She plans to talk to the psa and add some hours, so financially, the hit shouldn't be too hard, and it may actually make for saner schedules.

There's only one catch. While TFR may be the chief provider of disposable income, my job provides the health insurance. We can't afford COBRA, and we sure as hell can't afford to go without insurance, not with a baby in the house.

So keep me in prayer or good thoughts or whatever positive regard my readers of different world views ascribe to. I'll be needing it over the next few months.

Weird Food Pairings

Is it just me or do red wine and dark chocolate taste really good together?

Calimarinara

Tried a new recipe last might, it was good, but could have been better.

I started with calimari -- I have had a craving for it for about a week now. In a small pot I made some extra thick red sauce, while heating some Olive Oil and butter in a skillet. I tossed some onions and garlic into the hot oil, and cooked them until clear, then added the calamari. Once it was ready, I added the red sauce, letting the calamari juice thin it out. In the meantime, I was cooking some shell pasta to put it over.

So far, so good. The red sauce was one of the best I've ever made, and the calamari was perfect (which is a challenge -- too underdone and it's slimy, too overcooked and it's rubber). But here's where I made my mistake. Or rather, the culmination of my mistake. TFR had mentioned wanting mushrooms with dinner. I'm not a big fan of the fungi, but, you do what you can to please the wife, ya know? So I figured I'd try some oyster mushrooms -- the only kind I've ever tried and liked. Except the store was out of them, so I settled for Chanterelles. Near the end of cooking the red sauce (Calimarinara, I'm calling it), I added the mushrooms.

Unfortunately, Chanterelles don't maintain their texture as well as oyster mushrooms, so they went soft right away. I didn't like them. TFR thought they were good, but could have been better.

Other than that, the sauce was a hit. We had sauteed green beans, ciabatta garlic bread, and a very nice Pinot Noir (a 2003 from Saginaw Vineyards, just south of Eugene) with it. I also picked up some good Parmesan Reggiano to grate over the bread and the pasta.

So here, minus the mushrooms, is the recipe:

Calimarinara
1 lb calimari rings
1 15 oz can diced tomatos
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
1 tspn parsley
1 pinch thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
salt
pepper
2 cups shell pasta (medium)
Parmesan Reggiano

Chop onion and mince garlic. Rinse the calamari in a colander.

In a pot, begin to bring 1 quart of salted water to a boil. When water reaches a boil, add shell pasta. Let the water come back to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until pasta is al dente, strain pasta.

While water is heating, combine the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 cloves of garlic, the herbs, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

In a skillet, combine the olive oil and butter and heat over medium high heat. Once the oil and butter are hot, add the onion and the rest of the garlic. When the onions are clear, add the calimari. stir frequrntly, cook for approximately 3-5 minutes or until calimari rings become firm. Add red sauce to the skillet, stirr thoroughly. Serve over shell pasta, cover with grated parmesan reggiano, garnish with chopped fresh oregano. Serves 4-6.

Soft Bigotry's Hard Edge

During his first presidential campaign in 2000, President Bush decried what he called the "Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations". It was a phrase that struck a chord with me, because it highlighted one of the main reasons I consider myself a conservative. You see, despite the brush with which many of our opponents try to paint conservatives, I care very deeply about those who are less fortunate than I. Where I part ways with liberals is when it comes to the question of how best to help such people. I am firmly of the belief that such assistance is best rendered voluntarily, and that government involvement is best kept to a minimum. I have both ethical and practical reasons for this belief. It is commonly held by those on the left of the political spectrum that on the contrary, it is the right and duty of the government to provide that assistance, and to tax its citizenry in order to pay for such assistance. And a subset of that belief system is the "Soft Bigotry" to which the President alluded -- the unspoken, and often (to be charitable) subconscious attitude that the poor or suffering or oppressed are in the condition they are in because thay are incapable of helping themselves, and that the only hope they have of a better life is to let the government take care of them. It is an insidious kind of bigotry, because it masks itself as charity -- but the message, while well hidden under layers of concern, is there -- you are inferior, you are a child, here, let nanny do that for you.

While an entire blog entry, indeed, an entire blog and more, could be devoted to that particular debate, that is not the point I would like to address today. There is a hard edge to that "Soft Bigotry", and that is what concerns me today. That hard edge, in American political terms, is the expectation of liberals, and in particular the Democratic Party, that certain demographics of our population should out of hand be aligned with the Left, simply because the Left is "looking out for them". This expectation is particularly true when the demographic groups in question are ethnic groups -- especially African Americans. There's a paternalism to this attitude, even if it isn't spoken outright. The implication is that Blacks can't and needn't think for themselves, because the Democratic Party will take care of them. I can't speak for African Americans, because I am not one, but if I were, I would be insulted by this.

And there's an even more sinister side to this -- the treatment received by Blacks and members of other ethnic minorities who are politically conservative, especially, those who openly declare themselves so. Just ask Michelle Malkin or LaShawn Barber in the blogging community. I commend to you an excellent piece written last weekend by Pittsburgh Live columnist Salena Zito on the topic. It exposes just how ugly things can get when the Left takes aim at Black conservatives. And it belies not only the "Soft Bigotry" of the Left, but the ugly, hard, blatant racism they are willing to employ to further their cause.

As Geek as It Gets

Take the quiz at dicepool.com

The Force is Strong With This One

You learn the coolest things about your blog by checking the Sitemeter.

Apparently, on Yahoo! Search, I'm the #1 result if you look up the phrase Obi wan has taught you well.

And now, witness the power of this fully operational blog site!

UW Students say Bah! to Honoring Blacksheep

Thanks for the Memory to AndrewsDad via Ace of Spades HQ.

The University of Washington Student Senate has rejected a memorial to USMC Major Gergory "Pappy" Boyington, a hero of the Pacific Campaign in WWII, and a UW Alumni.

I'm so angry, I am finding it difficult to express my outrage. This man is one of my heros. He was a bit of a troublemaker and misfit, but he took care of his men, and he fought bravely for his country.

Among the comments that have (justifiably) drawn the most ire are these two snippets from the minutes:

"Jill Edwards didn't believe a member of the Marine Corps was an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce"

Honor, Courage, and Commitment. No, you're right, Jill, those ARE NOT what I think of when I think of the UW. Those Values are, however, what I think of when I think of the Marines.

and

"Ashley Miller commented that many monuments at UW already commemorate rich white men."

It may come as some shock to Ashley (and pardon me for displaying a bias, but that sure sounds like a very white name to me. Are mommy and daddy paying your tuition, princess?) to learn that Major Boyington is 1/4 Sioux, that he worked his way through college, and that he was not a wealthy individual.

In a way, I'm glad the measure failed. A man like Pappy deserves better than a classless, honorless, unpatriotic, stinking hole in the ground like UW. Go ahead and reject him -- the rest of us have plenty of room for him in our honor, our memory, and in our hearts.

UPDATE:
jmchez, a reader at Ace of Spades sent an email to the Student Senate:

Subject:
"Pappy" Boyington Not Fit For Memorial?

"Jill Edwards didn't believe a member of the Marine Corps was an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce" and "Ashley Miller commented that many monuments at UW already commemorate rich white men."

The bizarre psychopathy that those comments exhibit, the ingratitude, the blindness, the lack of historical memory or perspective, the selfishness, the pettiness, the condescension, the downright inanity. I am so nauseated by all of that, that I really don’t even know how to react. I will only say that a great and courageous man suffered and struggled so that imbecilic miscreants today could have the right to denigrate him.

No, I do not ask for anyone to be silenced but I will speak freely myself to bare witness at the stupidity that is going on in your institution.

Shame on you, shame on you all.

N.B.

Boyington was a quarter Sioux

He received a reply:

Subject:
RE: "Pappy" Boyington Not Fit For Memorial?

The blog news and the draft minutes that were posted are inaccurate. First, Ashley Miller's statements were highlighting, as a point of information, that the majority of our statues are white males, which was an issue previously addressed last year, this is not in any way meant to go against Colonel Boyington. It was noted by the sponsor, Andrew Everett, about Boyington's heritage later. Jill Edwards made here statements as an individual, and it should not be assumed she speaks for all students. Karl Smith wanted to honor his service as a whole (he risked his life, endured 20 months in a POW Camp) in an effort to bring more support from a number of students who do not morally agree with war. These statements are in public discourse that has been and will always be at the University of Washington to educate on the questions and issues of our society.

I would also like to remind you that as ASUW President I cosponsored this bill to create a memorial, it failed by one vote, and a good majority of those who voted against it wanted more inclusion of other alumni who were combat veterans who earned the Medal of Honor. This week a new resolution to that effect is being drafted and introduced. In the meantime the ASUW supports veterans in other ways, currently we are supporting state legislation that will hopefully pass and guarantee veterans tuition waivers. In the end, the buck stops here, I would appreciate further comments to be made to me. Please do not participate or condone the hate-filled comments and phone calls made toward individuals in our student government. It has been appalling to see what is being said to people. I too am nauseated.

Thank you for you statements.
Sincerely,
Lee Dunbar

If accurate, this changes my opinion of the Senate vote, and I have to give Dunbar credit for owning up to the issue. This in no way changes my opinion of ungrateful, ignorant. spoiled little children like mesdames Miller and Edwards.

Democrats Show Reporters How to Act

Or, Maybe Not.

Thanks for the Memory to Drudge Via Vulture Six.

It was bad enough when the Media was being childish. But apparently, they're just following the example of the politicians:

DEMS UNVEIL '08 MESSAGE: 'YOU'RE FAT!'
Tue Feb 14 2006 08:28:55 ET

**Exclusive**

THE DRUDGE REPORT has obtained an email sent Monday evening by Democratic National Committee (DNC) research director Devorah Adler that contains ten opposition research packets on potential 2008 GOP presidential contenders.

In one packet titled “Newt Gingrich: 08 Watch February 2006” a picture of the former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-GA) appears with --- him holding two full plates of food!

The quote underneath the Gingrich photo reads “In His Own Words: Gingrich’s Solution To Childhood Obesity: ‘Turn off the TV, cut the fatty diet and get exercise.’ [AP, 2/8/06]”

The ten Republicans picked by the Democrat Party include: Sen. George Allen (R-VA), Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN), Gingrich, Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY), Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Gov. George Pataki (R-NY) and Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA).

One Republican strategist who had seen the opposition research packets said: 'We should expect nothing less than name-calling and referring to one’s political opponents as ‘fat’ from Howard Dean’s Democrat Party.'

Developing...

Because, you know, the reason the Democrats did so poorly in the last election was because they didn't communicate their message to the voters. Except apparently, their message is, "Vote for us because the Republicans are big fat doodie-heads!"

I guess that's easier to communicate than offering new ideas.

David Gregory Threatens to Take His Ball and Go Home

Thanks for the Memory to Drudge via Vulture Six.

Just remind yourself that journalists are neutral reporters of the truth, unbiased professionals, as you read this:

NBC REPORTER TO WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: 'DON'T BE A JERK'
Tue Feb 14 2006 08:54:18 ET

NBCNEWS chief White House correspondent David Gregory warned President Bush's spokesman on Monday not to be a "jerk!"

The heated exchange came during a press gathering at the White House.

Gregory asked White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan about the Cheney hunting accident.

'David, hold on, the cameras aren't on right now,' McClellan replied. 'You can do this later.'

'Don't accuse me of trying to pose to the cameras,' Gregory said, voice rising. 'Don't be a jerk to me personally when I'm asking you a serious question.'

'You don't have to yell,' McClellan said.

'I will yell,'' said Gregory, pointing a finger at McCellan at his dais. 'If you want to use that podium to try to take shots at me personally, which I don't appreciate, then I will raise my voice, because that's wrong.'

'Calm down, Dave, calm down,' said McClellan.

'I'll calm down when I feel like calming down,' Gregory said. 'You answer the question.'

'I have answered the question,' said McClellan, who had maintained that the vice president's office was in charge of getting the information out and worked with the ranch owner to do that. 'I'm sorry you're getting all riled up about.'

'I am riled up,' Gregory said, 'because you're not answering the question.'"

END

Two words for Gregory:

GROW UP!

The media is really starting to come unravelled. From Rather's "Fake but accurate", to the "Pajamas" attack on bloggers, to the Eason Jordan scandal, to the hyperventillatingly inaccurate Katrina coverage, their credibility has taken a beating, and they're understandably defensive. So it's no surprise that they reacted so over-the-top to a story that really isn't that big a deal to anyone except the MSM and the hard left, and particularly that they would take such offense to being left "out of the loop". Their identity as the all-powerful heralds of all that is news was offended -- they took it personally. They were upset because they weren't told about the story for the most part because they weren't told, not because it was such an important story that it must be told, So they're throwing a hissy.

But this isn't how grownups react, especially not in the White House. The press, and especially Gregory, are acting like spoiled brats who are holding their breath till they get their way. And they should stop. Just grow up, already.

UPDATE:
The readers commenting over at Blogfather Rusty's make some excellent points.

Jeff Medcalf of Caerdroia says:

just because the press claims a (disputable) public right to know anything about political or public figures even if it is unrelated to their job performance and just because the press claims (with obvious falsity) to represent the public, that does not create a positive duty on the part of people of interest to the media to immediately inform the media of every event in their lives.

Pat writes:

I was struck by the fact that the press corps wants all their questions answered for them by McClellan. Reporters do not expect to do any footwork anymore. They were even expecting McClellan to advise them on fine legal points concerning Texas laws. They seem to be very slothful and whiny, just like my 15 year old.

Plan C

I believe that I've mentioned before that The Feared Redhead works at a salon and spa. Well, this year, her job played a part in putting a cramp on plans for any sort of romantic Valentines Day, it contributed to alterate plans that would have made up for it, it put a monkey wrench in THOSE plans, AND it helped me come up with the alternative that finally worked.

About a month or so ago, TFR informed me that the company that supplies her spa with its care products (Aveda) was having a training session in Portland, and the spa would like her to attend. The training sessions were scheduled for February 13th and 14 (this Monday and Tuesday, obviously). Her plan was to drive up on Sunday, spend the day with her sister, then attend the classes, leaving The Lad with our nephew's nanny. She was to drive back tomorrow.

This was a problem. I knew it meant she'd be away on Valentine's Day, but I kept my mouth shut and encouraged her to go, because the training will help her job and means a lot to her. After she'd already made the arrangements, it dawned on her, but I alrady had a plan B. I requested tomorrow off from work, and the plan was for me to drive her up on Sunday, come home, work yesterday and today, then drive up this afternoon, take her out, and then come home tomorrow.

It wasn't to be.

This past Friday, she received word that the spa had made a mistake -- the training is in Salem, not Portland. That's an hour south of Portland. There was no way she could leave the Lad with me, and if she stayed in Portland, she'd have to keep the car with her, and commute to Salem. Plus, since she'd need the car (no relying on Portland Metro), I'd have had to stay home and take the bus or train to PDX today. That, coupled with her cold, led her to decide to cancel attending the training. All well and good, she's home for Valentines Day.

But here's the problem: all of my plans for a romantic Valentine's Day were based on being in Portland. We were going to leave The Lad with the nanny while we went out, and I was going to take advantage of being alone on Monday to go pick a nice present for her. With her home, that all went out the Window.

Then it dawned on me Yesterday that I could use her work to my advantage. One of my readers has suggested a Spa Day for TFR for Mothers Day. My response was that she could trade for spa services any time. But I realized, if I pay for it, it would be more special. So yesterday, I arranged it with her spa. I couldn't afford a whole spa day, but I arranged for a 1 hour Hot Stone Massage for her. They suggested it be scheduled for yesterday, since it's best on a day when she doesn't have to work later, and today is all booked up. So I called TFR, and informed her to be ready to go as soon as I got home from work. I watched the Lad, and she went and got her massage.

It was really good to see her so relaxed and happy last night.

Yesterday I blogged on how nice the weather was (and how Sunday was gorgeous).

Today it's snowing.

Which just goes to show.

More Than Meets the Eye

Thanks for the Memory to Ace of Spades HQ.

Let's face it. Boys like toys that are loud and mechanical and make lots of noise -- or at least give us an excuse to make noise. We like toy cars and trucks and tanks and planes. And we LOVE giant robots. As a young man, one of the RPG/Wargames I was seriously into was Battletech. I remember as a kid the whole Transformers/GoBots craze. That one to me seemed the least plausible -- the whole robots that can transform into vehicles concept.

I stand corrected. OK, so it's barely bigger than a toy. It IS a toy, probably. But it's proof-of-concept. That's pretty cool.

I'm still not sure what the real world applications would be, even if they can build a working full-sized vehicle. The military applications are iffy -- the taller the vehicle, the easier to hit. But if someone can find a way to make it useful, whatever the application, I'd love to hear it.

The Madness of Queen Ann

Thanks for the Memory to Ace of Spades HQ.

Apparently, during the recent CPAC, Ann Coulter is reported as being heard to make the comment,

I think our motto should be post-9-11, "raghead talks tough, raghead faces consequences."

Now, aside from Sean Hackbarth, no one else is confirming that they heard it. But if she did say it, it disturbs me deeply, and for three reasons:

The first reason is both obvious and obviously the most important: It's just wrong. I know that the context was the GWOT, but the term "raghead" is a generalization of all Arabs, not specifically the terrorists and their apologists. It's racist. I would have had no problem with "Jihadist" or "Tango" or "Islamicist", but "raghead" paints too broad a brush.

Secondly, it disturbs me that someone who is accepted as a leading spokesperson for the side of the political spectrum to which I belong would so cavalierly toss around such a phrase. It does not reflect the real sentiments of myself or most conservatives I know, and it does us a disservice.

Finally, while I don't read her columns or watch her being interviewed, I've read two of Ann's books, Treason and Slander. And while I'm not as quick as Ann to ascribe certain motives descrived in the books to all Liberals, I thought they made some excellent points, and were well-documented and interesting. Furthermore, the only responses I have ever seen from Liberals to either book was to question her motives, inpugn her character, and excoriate her as a waspish, hateful right-wing harridan (ironically enough, this reinforces the point of Slander). I've yet to see a comment from a single Liberal or Leftsist who will cop to having read either book and offer any refutation of the facts and sources Ann offers in support of her assertions. And the more strident and comabtive and intentionally offensive Ann becomes, the easier it becomes for her detractors to employ this Ad Hominem technique. Nothing Ann ever writes or ever has written will be given a fair consideration, because it will be considered tainted by her reputation. "Oh, Coulter wrote it? Well, it must be false". And that's too bad, because sometimes she makes a good point.

Don't shoot the message just because of the messenger.

Ice Station Llama

The Llama Butchers blogged over the weekend on the big snowstorm that hit the east coast, and apparently they got quite a bit of snow. In the meantime, it was in the 50's here and sunny yesterday, so I took the opportunity to fire up the smoker and barbecue some ribs.

Before you get too jealous, East Coasters, just remember, we get our nastiest weather here in March, and February is usually our "flase spring". So this was a fluke. In fact, we're expecting a weather front later this week, with rain and winds, and the snow level is expected to drop to 3,000 feet. I'm only at 500, but I could drive to the 3,000 foot level in half an hour.

The thing is, down at sea level, we don't get it that cold usually here -- we sit right next to the world's largest thermostat (aka the Pacific Ocean), which prevents it from getting too cold in winter or too hot in summer. Now, my friends in SoCal or Texas will tell me that weather in the 30's is indeed cold, but my response to them is: Go visit Minnesota in February. 'Nuff said.

But we do get a whole lot of wet. And up in the Cacades, the weather gets colder, and all that wet turns to snow. So while even our mountains aren't as cold as the upper midwest, they're just as snowy or snowier. In fact, Crater Lake, Oregon averages 44 feet of snow per year. The road to the lake, as well as several other highways in the Cascades, get closed every winter, and some don't open till the snow clears in July.

I just hope the weather holds long enough to do a little grilling, too.

A Limerick

Said a father named Brian, in jest,
"While I know that I really am blessed
with a sweet baby boy
who brings me such joy,
what I'd really like now is some rest."

Epicurian Immigration

To answer the reader who found my blog by Googling the question, "have other regions been influenced by new england cuisine", the answer is yes, yes we have.

As I've mentioned before, Oregon Cuisine has been influenced by a great many regions of the US throught the natives of those regions who immigrated here -- just as other regions are influenced by the foreign countries whose natives immigrated THERE.

And, unsurprisingly, many immigrants chose to settle in regions of this state that reminded them of home. So it should come as no shock that New Englanders were well-represented among the settlers of the Oregon coast. Let's take a look.

New England


Oregon


And given the importance of fishing to the two regions, it should also be easy to surmise that the recipes those New Englanders brought with them also worked well here. Oregonians consider New England Style the only real way to make clam chowder, and we're no slouches when it comes to the stuff. We don't have lobster, but the dungeness crab's flavor comes closer to lobster than any other crab I've ever tasted. We have Tuna, Salmon, several species of white fish, and the Geoduck (pronounced Gooeyduck), a monster of a clam:



So while the specifics of which fish are used changes a bit, and there are other maritime influences (the south in particular), yes, our cuisine is influenced by New England.

Daddy Blogging at One Year Plus Some

The Lad's birthday party was a success, a good time was had by all and the birthday boy gave himself a cake frosting facial masque. A week later, we observed Homecoming day -- I wonder how many other parents of preemies/NICU babies do the same thing, celebrating the anniversary of the day the babyb came home as well as their birthday.

He's developed past the Larval stage and is a fully formed Rug Rat -- he can scoot around now with a speed that reminds me of the movie Alien when the recently hatched monster skitters through the duct system. He has a funny way of crawling -- one leg in front, one leg in back pushing. He recently discovered ana dvantage this affords him -- he only needs to keep one hand on the floor to maintain mobility, so he can carry things with him as he scoot. I call him my Paladin. No, not this kind of paladin:



THIS kind of paladin:



Why? Because like the M-109, he is self-propelled, and he's definitely an area-effect weapon.

Normally he sleeps through the night, and is a good boy about napping and going to bed, but the last couple of days he's been sick with a cough, runny/stuffy nose and a low grade fever. It got high enough for us to be concerned last night (102), but the nurse told us to keep watching him for now, no need to bring him in yet. The poor guy was already asleep when I got home at 3:30 PM yesterday and didn't wake up until 6:50, then was asleep again by 7:30. The downside was, by 12:00 AM he was awake and at 2:30 woke up again and wanted to play. The Feared Redhead was exhausted from the fussies he'd had earlier, so I took over, trying to comfoprt him with a new diaper, a bottle, etc. In the end he just didn't want to be asleep, but play wasn't an option so I just had to let him cry himself back to sleep. Five AM came too damned early.

I'm really looking forward to taking him camping this summer. Between TFR's hyperemesis in 2004 and caring for an infant in 2005, we haven't had a real summer in a few years now, so we plan on making the most of this one.

I'm also trying to decide what to get TFR from The Lad for Mother's Day this year. Last year it was a matched pendant and earrings with his birthstone. Any ideas would be appreciated, but to warn you -- don't bother suggesting "Cook a meal", since I'm already the chief cook and bottle washer in the house.

Central Unintelligence Agency

Oh Good grief. Thanks for the Memory to Ace of Spades HQ.

Porter Goss, director of the CIA, is launching an investigation into recent leaks of classified and other secret information from within the CIA.

How do we know this?

His email regarding the investigation has been leaked.

How much more evidence do we need that the CIA is rife with partisan bureaucrats more interested in playing power games and forwarding their own political agendas that actually, you know, spying on America's enemies and defending National Security?

They Asked For It

Thanks for... nothing to the LlamaButchers.

Every time I hear that song, I think of an episode of MST 3K where the 'Bots sing it as Hercules rides around on ah orse, replacing the "Valderi Valdera" with "Hercules, Hercula..."

But as I said, borrowing from Heretic in the comments at Mr. Priapus:

I shall not shrink from this challenge. Meet them in battle I shall.

Rupert, get my Veggie Tales CD's. We are at war.

I Love Living In Oregon

Reason # 365:

Sunrise
This picture was taken with my camera phone from the parking lot outside my work. We have the most gorgeous sunrises and sunsets here -- and the Oregon coast's sunsets are even more spectacular. The colors are so vivid and varied, it almost hurts (your eyes and your heart).

Final Thoughts Before I Stop Blogging for the Weekend

GO SEAHAWKS!!!!!

Whither Poland?

A while back I was a regular reader and commenter at a blog run by a politically conservative resident of Portland who was originally from Poland. He liked to blog on photography and wineries as wellas politics. If he's still out there, and he or someone who knows him is reading this, can you leave me a note reminding me of his name and blog URL?

Thanks.

Friday Fun

Thanks for the Memory to Dave in Texas over at Ace of Spades Headquarters.

As a guest blogger filling on for Ace while he's moving, Dave posted a tongue-in-cheek "Fun Facts about Texas". So I decided to do the same here about Oregon.

But I'm going to do it a little differently. First, I'm going to reprint a few REAL facts about Oregon, gleaned from different sources. Then I'll share a few "Fake but Accurate" fun facts that Oregonians like to use to tease themselves.

Real Fun Facts About Oregon:

* Sea Lion Cave, north of Florence, Oregon, is the largest sea cave in the world.
* Oregon was the destination of the largest land migration in history, the Oregon Trail.
* Oregon has no sales, Restaurant, or liquor tax.
* Crater Lake, Oregon is the deepest lake in America, it is 1949 feet deep at its deepest point.
* Oregon is reported to have more ghost towns than any other state in the Union.
* It is illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon.
* The Oregon Dunes are the largest coastal sand dunes in North America.
* Hells Canyon, along the Oregon/Idaho border, is the deepest canyon in America at 8,000 feet.
* Astoria, Oregon is the oldest permanent White settlement west of the Rockies.
* The World's tallest barber shop pole is in Forest Grove, Oregon.
* Heceta Head Lighthouse, north of Florence, is the nation's most photographed lighthouse.
* The D River in Lincoln City, Oregon, is the shortest river in the world (42 feet).
* The Oregon state flag is the only state flag to carry two designs -- the state seal on one side, and an image of the state animal (the Beaver) on the other.

Fake-But-Accurate Fun Facts About Oregon:

* Oregonians don't tan -- they rust.
* *The State flower is mold.
*Everything is green in Oregon -- even the rocks (actually, this one I don't make up. Moss grows EVERYWHERE here).
* Oregon actually does have a summer. It is a beautiful time of year, sunny and warm. Last year it was on a Thursday.
* In 2005, 23 people fell off their bicycles in Oregon. and drowned.
* Oregonians of all political stripes hold to the following beliefs:

* Anything with less that 5% alcohol by volume is not beer.
*Oregonians do not recognize the "North/South" distinction. Anywhere that you can watch the sun SET while facing the Rocky Mountains is BACK EAST.
*Oregonians support the construction of a fence and the posting of armed troops at the border. The OREGON/CALIFORNIA border, that is.
*It's not rain, it's liquid sunshine.
*If it doesn't have snow on top in July, it's not a mountain.
* If you don't have to lean back to see its top, it's not a tree.
* If it doesn't produce enough standing water to float a canoe, It's not rain.

The Blush is Off the Rose

Jason Atkinson, the candidate I am supporting for Governor of Oregon, was interviewed on the Lars Larson Show today. During the interview, it appears he came out in support of President Bush's Guest Worker Program, a program that would grant amnesty to thousands of illegal immigrants. The interview is causing huge ripples in the Conservative community here in Oregon, to the point where many of his supporters, especially in the blogosphere, are considering withdrawing their support.

I'm disappointed in Jason's stand on this, and disagree with him. But while this is a very important issue, I don't think it's time for me to jump ship yet.

First of all, from what I'm hearing, it's possible that Jason's position is misunderstood. The interview was live, and apparently Jason got a little flustered when his initial comments were jumped on. That's regrettable, but it isn't the lasdt word on the subject. I have it on good authority that he does not support amnesty for illegals already here, but rather supports programs that would make it easier for worthy applicants to gain LEGAL entry into the country. If that's the case, I'm 100% in agreement with him. So I believe it's important for Oregon conservatives to hold their fire until Jason clarifies his stand on the issue.

Secondly, even if he wasn't misunderstood, and does support amnesty, it's possible that we can convice Jason to rethink his position on this issue. And we need to remember, that while the opinion of a governor is important, the power to grant amnesty from deportation to illegals lies with the federal government, not with the State of Oregon. Even if we can't convince Jason to rethink his position, if we can sway the President and Congress, we'll still have won. And given Jason's stand regarding repsecting the rule of law, as demonstrated in his commitment to uphold by try to repeal Oregon's Right to Die law, I suspect that he'll abide by the law, even if he disagrees with it. That's an important point.

Finally, while this is an important issue, perhaps the most important issue facing Oregon, it's not the ONLY important issue, and in the overall scheme of things, I agree with Jason and disagree with his opponents on so many other points, that as much as this disappoints me, it doesn't outweigh the other issues.

So I have to conclude that while this TEMPERS my support, it does not cause Jason to lose it. I would encourage Jason to reconsider his position, or if we misunderstood it, to restate it.

C'mon, Jason, let's see how good you are with tarnish remover.

UPDATE:

Last night I, as well as several other bloggers, including Coyote at NW Republican, received an email response from Matt Evans, Jason's campaign manager. Here's what he said:

I think it’s important that the truth lead any discussion of this or any issue. Here’s the truth: Despite what some have said, the President’s plan does not provide amnesty for illegals currently in the country. In fact, it is Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) (who is not carrying the President’s plan), who wants to allow illegals currently in the country to apply as a guestworker. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) has a plan that would force illegals to return to their home countries before applying as a guestworker. The President is trying to broker a compromise between these competing plans but has said that he will not support a final plan that includes any kind of amnesty for individuals currently in this country illegally.

Let’s be clear on another point, if somehow the final federal plan does include the ability for a person currently in this nation illegally to stay here for any reason, as a guestworker or otherwise, Jason Atkinson will oppose that plan, and do so vocally. There should be no rewards for breaking the law.

If a federal plan similar to Sen. Chambliss’ can be implemented, and Jason Atkinson is elected Governor of Oregon, the results would be:

1) The borders would be closed and the flow of illegal aliens would slow dramatically and maybe entirely.

2) Federal and state agents would check employers to ensure that all their employees are legally in the country. They would either have to have proof of citizenship or proof of guestworker status or have other legal immigration status.

3) Illegal workers currently in Oregon would lose their jobs as their employers would face heavy penalties and stepped-up federal and state enforcement.

4) Illegal aliens would lose their ability to gain state-funded benefits (unemployment, health care, welfare, etc).

5) Illegal aliens would lose their ability to obtain an Oregon Driver’s license.

6) Illegal aliens would lose their ability to vote.

7) Illegal aliens would have little choice but to return to their home country as they would be unemployable and could not receive any government assistance.

I trust this clears the decks on this issue. We would appreciate everyone clarifying this for their audience, in particular noting the truth that neither the President nor Jason Atkinson supports amnesty for those currently in this country illegally.

Matt Evans

Campaign Manager

That clarifies things nicely for me, thanks, Matt.

Let me make one thing clear: I am not against immigration. I am against ILLEGAL immigration. I believe that there should be a method for people who are willing to abide by the laws of this country to seek to come here LEGALLY. As long as any "Guest Worker" program does not extend amnesty to people currently here illegally, but requires that they apply from within their own country, and as long as it requires that they pay taxes just like any American would, I have no problem with it. And if Jason stays true to what Matt just said, he still has my support.

TICK TOCK

Time passes too quickly.

about an hour ago I received a phone call from my sister letting me know that my maternal grandmother has been hospitalized. The doctors aren't sure if she's had a stroke, or if the symptoms is the result of her Alzheimer's, so they're running some tests. My mother and aunts had been concerned about her behavior for several days. They were trying to avoid hospitalization, I'm told because Alzheimer's patients dont respond well to the disorientation of being in a strange place, but she hasn't had any fluids in days, and dehydration was an issue. Either way, It doesn't look like she'll be with us much longer.

In a way, it may be a blessing if God takes her home now. She's suffering -- she can;t take care of her own hygeine, she's often confused and angry and frightened. My mother lives with her and cares for her, but her and my grandfather's estate is dwindling, and once it runs out, she'll have to be put in a home, and one that government assistance will pay for.

But I don't want her to go, and will miss her. She's quite a lady. She came to California as a young woman, a dustbowl Okie a la Grapes of Wrath. She ran off to Arizona to elope with my grandfather the weekend before the Navy shipped him to the pacific to fight the Japanese. She raised five beautiful daughters. She was a devoted and doting grandmother -- when I was a child, she'd play with my Tootsietoy cars with me, or follow me on forced marches around the block, shaking, at my insistence, a tin can full of gravel that was our drum line. She and my grandfather fought like cats and dogs, loved each other seeply, and to his dying day, they still couldn't agree on whether Doak Walker or Ambrose Schindler was a better football player.

And I am sad that The Lad will never meet her. She was the only great grandparent alive when he was born, and her husband inspired The Lad's middle name. We were hoping to go on vacation later this year to San Diego to introduce them, even if only to get one picture of the two of them together, but noe I fear, that may never happen.

Time passes too quickly.

TICK TOCK

UPDATE:

Just got another call from my sister. It was a stroke, and the prognosis isn't good. It could be hours, it could be days.