Monday, November 29, 2010
The Morning After on Sunday, December 12th
Just an announcement to interested site visitors for my next scheduled WVUD DJ-ing gig on Sunday, Dec. the 12th. I had done the show this previous Sunday (play list is here) but had forgotten to post the date. For those who want some Christmas music a little off the beaten path along with some relatively calm music for your Sunday mornings, tune in two Sundays from now. The web link is here.
Labels: Morning After, WVUD 91.3
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
T-Day: 2 Days to Trencherman's Feast
I've been very late on this year's Thanksgiving Day menu listing.
After 20 years of slaving over a hot antiquated stove, the Ever-Loving Wife and I decided to stimulate the economy this year and we upgraded from a barely-detect-the-flame stove to a heat spitting model. Gas, for sure, but a 5 burner special that should serve us well for a while. T-Day will be the Testo Supremo & we'll see if Consumer's Reports was accurate in their high judgement of the cooking instrument.
Milling around circling the table munching foods:
1) Pick salami (since Gavrilovic is not available)
2) Cheeses
3) Nuts & Berries & other bear-ameanable hand foods.
The start of the meal commences with a shot of Slivovica (n.b. NSFW!!), as it is necessary to clear one's throat and one's mind before setting forth on a solid meal of food, drink, and friends.
Roots, the vegetables not the Band and other introductory platings:
1) Ginger Carrot Soup
2) Lemony Brussels Sprout Slaw
3) Mushrooms Berkeley - the old Traditional
4) Mashed Russet and Golden potatoes made with goat's milk, sweet butter and crème fraiche because...well, it's time for deep sleep. A olive oil-garlic "sauce" is sprinkled on for those in need of sprinkling.
5) A mystery vegetable to be determined on the last pre-cooking shopping day. Color seems to be the chief desired quality, at this point.
De-Feathered Fare:
1) (You cut the Toikey without me) Turkey Breast, brined to within a feather of its ability to absorb flavor in a rosemary-garlic clove-peppercorn bath for a full 18 hours. The local favored purveyor of all things flightless has changed his supplier this year, so we will be rolling the dice on the Turkey this year.
2) Fried chicken a la Panko, cuz we want to eat Fried & Healthy (all served with a dollop of Self Delusion Sauce). And...some of us still enjoy the cluck more than the gobble.
Associates Vying for Munching Attention:
1) The Ever-Loving Wife's Homemade Bread, slices of which disappear off the table in ever-increasing temerarious style even before seats have been taken.
2) Cranberry sauce form scratch- The Ever-Loving Wife's secret recipe of which she is the sole living keeper thereof.
3) Wild Rice, Almond & Mushroom Stuffing/Pilaf (Your choice of ending words.....). This will simply be a side dish hopefully satisfying on its own merits and will not be stuffing since there's not a bird to stuff, simply the Turkey Breast...and stuffing seems false to me.
4)
Justified Desserts:
A slight twist here. In previous years, this pecan pie was the beginning course. It was always well-received and I may be tarred and feathered for going with
1) this version of the Pecan Pie this year. But....how can you resist the adjective "Deep" when placed in front of "Pie". I, unfortunately, could not. So, we shall see and we shall taste.
2) Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie - The Ever-Loving Wife is keeping mum on which of these will be coming out of the oven.
3) Sorbets of the pallate-clearing sort.
4) Promised mystery desserts ferried in by dinner guests.... We will be checking papers.
In Vino give me that ol' Veritas:
With suggestions from the best wine store in the greater Philly-Wilmington area, IMHO, the following choices will be poured at various times.
1) Beaujolais-Villages Tracot Domaine Jean-Paul Dubost 2009
2) Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Rive del Ciliegie Francesco Vezzelli 2008
3) Rheinhessen Beerenauslese Pius Weingut Keller 2009
Beer choices from Delaware's own will be in the ice bucket.
Finishing off will be assorted teas, nibbly chocolates, and Turkish coffee (or Americano).
I'm leaving all of the interesting conversation to the incredibly interesting guests that day. Doing the cooking makes it very easy for me to beg off on the opinionating and the story-telling. Which is good, because the cast of performers that day is quite impressive in experience, in age,& in wisdom. Plus, there are fine voices in the folks that will be sitting around the table so singing will be welcomed & encouraged.
...and on the stereo, set way down low, will be some Grant Green, Ella (in Hollywood), and Brad Mehldau.
Thanksgiving Day. Almost probably my favorite day of the year. I lift a stamful of Slivovica to you my gentle readers and wish you all of the best at whatever gathering you find yourself at on Thursday!!
Labels: Domestic Burdens, Food Issues, Holidays
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sochi: Just 4 Years Away
..and I'm sure that an avalanche of stories will be provided. I'm been a tad lazy about following up on the happenings over in Russia as regards the Winter Olympic preparations. Back in July of this year, President Medvedev had launched an investigation on the bribery and criminal activity regarding the Sochi preparations. Seems that the announcement has had an effect.
"..the increased scrutiny of officialdom has caused the price of bribes to accelerate. Russia's Interior Ministry, which controls the police, announced this week that the average bribe in cases it investigates has grown tenfold in the past two years and doubled in the past six months alone to about $1,500". So, the police will be building larger dachas on the coastline thanks to President Medvedev's initiative.
The linked article goes on to state, "Basically, the number of bribes may have gone down but the sums of cash changing hands has gone up astronomically," says Masha Lipman, editor of the Moscow Carnegie Center's Pro et Contra journal. "It would make anyone in Russia laugh if you claimed Medvedev's anti-corruption drive has been successful. So, rather than claim success, what he can do is this one-off investigation into one of his own officials."
This is good to know, as far as Sochi's police force is concerned; they would not want too many of their colleagues living too close to them on the Sochi Riviera.
"..the increased scrutiny of officialdom has caused the price of bribes to accelerate. Russia's Interior Ministry, which controls the police, announced this week that the average bribe in cases it investigates has grown tenfold in the past two years and doubled in the past six months alone to about $1,500". So, the police will be building larger dachas on the coastline thanks to President Medvedev's initiative.
The linked article goes on to state, "Basically, the number of bribes may have gone down but the sums of cash changing hands has gone up astronomically," says Masha Lipman, editor of the Moscow Carnegie Center's Pro et Contra journal. "It would make anyone in Russia laugh if you claimed Medvedev's anti-corruption drive has been successful. So, rather than claim success, what he can do is this one-off investigation into one of his own officials."
This is good to know, as far as Sochi's police force is concerned; they would not want too many of their colleagues living too close to them on the Sochi Riviera.
Labels: 2014: So SO SOCHI
Each Morning I'm Closer to Thinking...
..that the terrorists have won.
Or, have we as a nation completely lost it as far as having a grip on common sense.
TOTH to Michael Wade over @ Execupundit for the link.
Next time I board a plane, I'll leave my nail clippers behind at home and pack this. I'll leave the bullets in check-in.
Or, have we as a nation completely lost it as far as having a grip on common sense.
TOTH to Michael Wade over @ Execupundit for the link.
Next time I board a plane, I'll leave my nail clippers behind at home and pack this. I'll leave the bullets in check-in.
Labels: 2010: Are We Recovering Yet?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Plugging the Rumpus
One of the sites I visit 2-3 times a week is Rumpus.net. It's a site run by Stephen Elliot, author of Adderall Diaries, among other things. If you subscribe to the site, he'll put you on his e-mail list and you'll be guaranteed a slanted look on things in his personal life at least 3-4 tiems a week. His e-mails are sometimes a tad depressing but they are never not interesting. I'm hoping to post a piece regarding one of his e-mails dealing with the importance (or not!) of books.
From Rumpus recently, here's Rick Moody with a (too short of an) interview with a shoe sales woman named Lauren. It made me search out my tattered falling apart copy of Studs Terkel's "Working". Great little interview by Mr. Moody; fabulous treat of a book by the late Mr. Terkel, one that is a constant reminder that work is the anchor for one's life.
...and the book's a refutation of John Prine's "How the hell can a person go to work in the morning, come home in the evening and have nothing to say."
While I'm on Rick Moody, here's a piece he wrote last week for the NYT. It's about his young daughter, Hazel, who's busy teaching him. That's what daughters do, they're busy being the child who's father to the man.
From Rumpus recently, here's Rick Moody with a (too short of an) interview with a shoe sales woman named Lauren. It made me search out my tattered falling apart copy of Studs Terkel's "Working". Great little interview by Mr. Moody; fabulous treat of a book by the late Mr. Terkel, one that is a constant reminder that work is the anchor for one's life.
...and the book's a refutation of John Prine's "How the hell can a person go to work in the morning, come home in the evening and have nothing to say."
While I'm on Rick Moody, here's a piece he wrote last week for the NYT. It's about his young daughter, Hazel, who's busy teaching him. That's what daughters do, they're busy being the child who's father to the man.
Labels: Blogs
Thursday, November 04, 2010
The Place to Be
So,
After being part of the Rally for Sanity And/Or Fear crew on Saturday, the day before Halloween, in front of 6 million people, where do you go next for your act?
Why, it seems Delaware & Punkin' Chunkin'. No word yet if the annual event will take up my modest proposal.
After being part of the Rally for Sanity And/Or Fear crew on Saturday, the day before Halloween, in front of 6 million people, where do you go next for your act?
Why, it seems Delaware & Punkin' Chunkin'. No word yet if the annual event will take up my modest proposal.
Labels: 2010: Are We Recovering Yet?
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Delaware Results: A Slight Bit of Analysis for...
...those folks unfamiliar with the way our dinky (and I mean that in a positive way...the degree of separation in Delaware rarely exceeds 2 people) state works.
Here's how the final numbers shook out,
Total votes cast: 305,076 which represents about a 48% turnout rate.
US Senate Race:
Democrat Chris Coons won with 172,590 votes or 56.6%
Republican/Tea Party Christine O'Donnell trailed with 122,237 votes or 40%.
There are three counties in Delaware. The northern county, New Castle, borders New Jersey (the state that gave us O'Donnell) and Pennsylvania. The middle county, Kent, and the southern county, Sussex, border Maryland. Total votes cast in each county and for the 2 major candidates were:
Total Votes Cast Coons O'Donnell
New Castle 184,755 122,259 56,833
71% 31%
Kent 49,437 22,312 25,059
45% 51%
Sussex 70,844 28,019 40,345
40% 57%
So...you get the idea. Up in the northern part of the state, heavy Coons support. As you slip or drive south, Coons loses support and O'Donnell gains. In my district, Coons received 89% of the votes cast while O'Donnell received less than 9%.
In the southern-most district in Delaware, District #38, where O'Donnell received the most votes, 6,752, of any other district that had votes for her, she carried with 58% of total votes cast.
A canal splits Delaware in two. The C & D Canal served as the dividing point for political party favorites for a long time in Delaware. Above the canal, mainly Democratic. Below the canal, mainly Republican. With folks from other states, retirees (mostly) from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, that distinction has changed over the years. In this election, 6 districts of the 17 districts below the canal ended up favoring Coons. This creeping Democratic party tendency is starting to worry folks here in the First State as it is a major, albeit a slow, change to the way things have always been.
But then again, what with the effect of the Tea Party in this year's national elections, change is certainly not just a Delaware phenomenon. Was it just a lot of noise? In Delaware, it seems so as both Tea Party candidates of national office lost, both by at least 17%. Otrher states were not so lucky. The next year or so will not be boring.
A tip of the hat to WP for inspiring this post as he commented, with apprehensive surprise, here as regards O'Donnell's grab of 40% of Delaware's votes cast. I'm hoping that by looking at the numbers and the distribution of the numbers a better understanding of how the 40% came about could be had.
Here's how the final numbers shook out,
Total votes cast: 305,076 which represents about a 48% turnout rate.
US Senate Race:
Democrat Chris Coons won with 172,590 votes or 56.6%
Republican/Tea Party Christine O'Donnell trailed with 122,237 votes or 40%.
There are three counties in Delaware. The northern county, New Castle, borders New Jersey (the state that gave us O'Donnell) and Pennsylvania. The middle county, Kent, and the southern county, Sussex, border Maryland. Total votes cast in each county and for the 2 major candidates were:
Total Votes Cast Coons O'Donnell
New Castle 184,755 122,259 56,833
71% 31%
Kent 49,437 22,312 25,059
45% 51%
Sussex 70,844 28,019 40,345
40% 57%
So...you get the idea. Up in the northern part of the state, heavy Coons support. As you slip or drive south, Coons loses support and O'Donnell gains. In my district, Coons received 89% of the votes cast while O'Donnell received less than 9%.
In the southern-most district in Delaware, District #38, where O'Donnell received the most votes, 6,752, of any other district that had votes for her, she carried with 58% of total votes cast.
A canal splits Delaware in two. The C & D Canal served as the dividing point for political party favorites for a long time in Delaware. Above the canal, mainly Democratic. Below the canal, mainly Republican. With folks from other states, retirees (mostly) from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, that distinction has changed over the years. In this election, 6 districts of the 17 districts below the canal ended up favoring Coons. This creeping Democratic party tendency is starting to worry folks here in the First State as it is a major, albeit a slow, change to the way things have always been.
But then again, what with the effect of the Tea Party in this year's national elections, change is certainly not just a Delaware phenomenon. Was it just a lot of noise? In Delaware, it seems so as both Tea Party candidates of national office lost, both by at least 17%. Otrher states were not so lucky. The next year or so will not be boring.
A tip of the hat to WP for inspiring this post as he commented, with apprehensive surprise, here as regards O'Donnell's grab of 40% of Delaware's votes cast. I'm hoping that by looking at the numbers and the distribution of the numbers a better understanding of how the 40% came about could be had.
Labels: 2010: Are We Recovering Yet?
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
I'm Not Dead Yet...
....she says.
9:00 PM Tuesday night.
67% of the Delaware districts have reported results.
Coons is in the lead for the U.S. Senate position in question with 56.7% of the votes.
O'Donnell is trailing with 39.8% of the votes.
Reporters at the O'Donnell campaign celebration site in Dover are saying that the O'Donnell campaign is NOT conceding. The folks at that "celebration" are watching a video of their candidate. The video, professionally done, was never aired and the staff is suggesting a conspiracy with the local media as to why it wasn't shown. This train wreck of a political campaign is still chugging along, regardless of the fact that there is no track left.
The way her campaign's been managed, expect to hear tomorrow that there was a general conspiracy by the voters in Delaware who didn't vote for her as regards her campaign's failure. So, if you live in Delaware there's a possibility that 31,898 (a this point in time) of us will be served legal papers. hope they're serving Dogfish Head IPA at the courthouse.....
9:00 PM Tuesday night.
67% of the Delaware districts have reported results.
Coons is in the lead for the U.S. Senate position in question with 56.7% of the votes.
O'Donnell is trailing with 39.8% of the votes.
Reporters at the O'Donnell campaign celebration site in Dover are saying that the O'Donnell campaign is NOT conceding. The folks at that "celebration" are watching a video of their candidate. The video, professionally done, was never aired and the staff is suggesting a conspiracy with the local media as to why it wasn't shown. This train wreck of a political campaign is still chugging along, regardless of the fact that there is no track left.
The way her campaign's been managed, expect to hear tomorrow that there was a general conspiracy by the voters in Delaware who didn't vote for her as regards her campaign's failure. So, if you live in Delaware there's a possibility that 31,898 (a this point in time) of us will be served legal papers. hope they're serving Dogfish Head IPA at the courthouse.....
Labels: 2010: Are We Recovering Yet?
Hopefully, After Today This Will Be The Last Time...
... that I ever have to mention her name.
From FactCheck.org, this post today:
From FactCheck.org, this post today:
Monty Python Award for Illogical Witch finding
To: Christine O’Donnell, running for Senate in Delaware
Hoping to stem the flood of mockery resulting from footage of her claiming to have dabbled in witchcraft, GOP candidate O’Donnell went public with what may become the most enduring campaign slogan since "read my lips": "I'm not a witch … I’m you." As if mere denials ever got someone off the hook for witchery! Perhaps we need to break out the scales and the duck.
O'Donnell's ad steps into a logical minefield even more absurd than the classic Monty Python "if she weighs the same as a duck, she’s made of wood" argument (which, incidentally, we analyzed here). The 2001 American Religious Identification Survey found that 134,000 people in the United States identified as Wiccans — that was a fifteen fold increase over the 1990 survey, and by now may be much larger if the trend has continued. Even using 2001 numbers, if we assume a relatively consistent spread of Wiccans over the United States, there would be 400 people in Delaware who consider themselves witches. If Christine O'Donnell is them, then she is a witch, but she’s not a witch, she’s them, but they're witches, so she is a witch, and so on until your head explodes.
My take on the Delaware Senate Elections, with no slight intended toward Chris Coons:
1) Republican friends thought Mike Castle was too liberal.
2) Democratic friends thought Mike Castle was too Republican.
3) I thought Mike Castle was on the conservative side of Moderate
4) There was general agreement that Mike Castle was willing to work with the Other party.
5) There was general agreement that Mike Castle was a person willing to listen to opposing lines of thought.
6) Everyone agreed that Mike Castle was a fine governor.
Therefore, my preference and the person I would have voted for had I the opportunity in the Delaware U.S. Senatorial contest was Mike Castle, the unfortunate loser in the Republican primary here. It was a shame and an insult to a person who had provided years of responsible duty to this state. For Mr. Castle to lose to such a shallow and irresponsible person as O'Donnell was beyond logical comprehension. It was simply, IMHO, an embarrassment for the state of Delaware.
Hopefully, this embarrassment will be partially negated by Mr. Coon's victory tonight. It's time to send these unqualified, self-involved, clueless pretenders to power a clear message.
To: Christine O’Donnell, running for Senate in Delaware
Hoping to stem the flood of mockery resulting from footage of her claiming to have dabbled in witchcraft, GOP candidate O’Donnell went public with what may become the most enduring campaign slogan since "read my lips": "I'm not a witch … I’m you." As if mere denials ever got someone off the hook for witchery! Perhaps we need to break out the scales and the duck.
O'Donnell's ad steps into a logical minefield even more absurd than the classic Monty Python "if she weighs the same as a duck, she’s made of wood" argument (which, incidentally, we analyzed here). The 2001 American Religious Identification Survey found that 134,000 people in the United States identified as Wiccans — that was a fifteen fold increase over the 1990 survey, and by now may be much larger if the trend has continued. Even using 2001 numbers, if we assume a relatively consistent spread of Wiccans over the United States, there would be 400 people in Delaware who consider themselves witches. If Christine O'Donnell is them, then she is a witch, but she’s not a witch, she’s them, but they're witches, so she is a witch, and so on until your head explodes.
My take on the Delaware Senate Elections, with no slight intended toward Chris Coons:
1) Republican friends thought Mike Castle was too liberal.
2) Democratic friends thought Mike Castle was too Republican.
3) I thought Mike Castle was on the conservative side of Moderate
4) There was general agreement that Mike Castle was willing to work with the Other party.
5) There was general agreement that Mike Castle was a person willing to listen to opposing lines of thought.
6) Everyone agreed that Mike Castle was a fine governor.
Therefore, my preference and the person I would have voted for had I the opportunity in the Delaware U.S. Senatorial contest was Mike Castle, the unfortunate loser in the Republican primary here. It was a shame and an insult to a person who had provided years of responsible duty to this state. For Mr. Castle to lose to such a shallow and irresponsible person as O'Donnell was beyond logical comprehension. It was simply, IMHO, an embarrassment for the state of Delaware.
Hopefully, this embarrassment will be partially negated by Mr. Coon's victory tonight. It's time to send these unqualified, self-involved, clueless pretenders to power a clear message.
Labels: 2010: Are We Recovering Yet?
Monday, November 01, 2010
The Morning After, Sunday October 31, 2010 Halloween!!
The play list for yesterday's The Morning After has been posted for your reading pleasure. Aside from the many splendoured thing that was the Rally for Sanity, this past weekend also saw a live broadcast form St. Georges Cafe at the Country Store of WVUD's "Red, Hot & Blue" 33 1/3 celebration. I will be posting pix and some commentary about that great local event shortly...so check on back soon.
Labels: WVUD 91.3
