Only 4 more days till the I.S.J.D.E.'s December bingo game, and have I got something planned for the blackout prize!
What am I donating? A special gift basket I'm putting together myself. It will contain some of my fabulous fudge (guys just love to pack my fudge away), some of my Wesley Toll House cookies, some of my quickly becoming famous applesauce cake (got the recipe from my great-grandmother Julia), a 1 quart jar of homemade cherry pie oatmeal mix, and a 1 quart jar of my specially blended trail mix with dates and raisins.
I like to have the goodies I bake or make as fresh as possible when I give them away, so I started making them today with the fabulous fudge. It's cooling and solidifying even as I type this, and should be ready by Thursday's bingo game. I could put it in the refrigerator and it would be solidified sooner, but that tends to cause it to cool to quickly and get all grainy. No, the slow way is the best way.
Tomorrow (12/1/08) I will be making my "Wesley Toll House" cookies, and Tuesday (12/2/08) the applesauce cake.
I'm really hoping this gets more people out to our December bingo so we can raise as much money as possible for the I.S.J.D.E.'s "From The Heart" this year.
Not much else to talk about at the moment, but if anything else comes up, I'll keep you all informed.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Fucking, Austria
Believe it or not, there is such a place. Don't believe me? Check it out on Wikipedia and on an episode of The Graham Norton Show with Rosanne as the guest.
A little warning though, don't eat or drink anything while watching the YouTube clip. You'll either choke on it or laugh it out your nose. You have been warned.
A little warning though, don't eat or drink anything while watching the YouTube clip. You'll either choke on it or laugh it out your nose. You have been warned.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Bush's Last Days: The Lamest Duck
We have "only one President at a time," Barack Obama said in his debut press conference as President-elect. Normally, that would be a safe assumption - but we're learning not to assume anything as the charcoal-dreary economic winter approaches. By mid-November, with the financial crisis growing worse by the day, it had become obvious that one President was no longer enough (at least not the President we had). So, in the days before Thanksgiving, Obama began to move - if not to take charge outright, then at least to preview what things will be like when he does take over in January. He became a more public presence, taking questions from the press three days in a row. He named his economic team. He promised an enormous stimulus package that would somehow create 2.5 million new jobs, and began to maneuver the new Congress toward having the bill ready for him to sign - in a dramatic ceremony, no doubt - as soon as he assumes office.
That we have slightly more than one President for the moment is mostly a consequence of the extraordinary economic times. Even if George Washington were the incumbent, the markets would want to know what John Adams was planning to do after his Inauguration. And yet this final humiliation seems particularly appropriate for George W. Bush. At the end of a presidency of stupefying ineptitude, he has become the lamest of all possible ducks.
It is in the nature of mainstream journalism to attempt to be kind to Presidents when they are coming and going but to be fiercely skeptical in between. I've been feeling sorry for Bush lately, a feeling partly induced by recent fictional depictions of the President as an amiable lunkhead in Oliver Stone's W. and in Curtis Sittenfeld's terrific novel American Wife. There was a photo in the New York Times that seemed to sum up his current circumstance: Bush in Peru, dressed in an alpaca poncho, standing alone just after the photo op at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, with various Asian leaders departing the stage, none of them making eye contact with him. Bush has that forlorn what-the-hell-happened? expression on his face, the one that has marked his presidency at difficult times. You never want to see the President of the United States looking like that.
So I've been searching for valedictory encomiums. His position on immigration was admirable and courageous; he was right about the Dubai Ports deal and about free trade in general. He spoke well, in the abstract, about the importance of freedom. He is an impeccable classicist when it comes to baseball. And that just about does it for me. I'd add the bracing moment of Bush with the bullhorn in the ruins of the World Trade Center, but that was neutered in my memory by his ridiculous, preening appearance in a flight suit on the deck of the aircraft carrier beneath the "Mission Accomplished" sign. The flight-suit image is one of the two defining moments of the Bush failure. The other is the photo of Bush staring out the window of Air Force One, helplessly viewing the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. This is a presidency that has wobbled between those two poles - overweening arrogance and paralytic incompetence.
The latter has held sway these past few months as the economy has crumbled. It is too early to rate the performance of Bush's economic team, but we have more than enough evidence to say, definitively, that at a moment when there was a vast national need for reassurance, the President himself was a cipher. Yes, he's a lame duck with an Antarctic approval rating - but can you imagine Bill Clinton going so gently into the night? There are substantive gestures available to a President that do not involve the use of force or photo ops. For example, Bush could have boosted the public spirit - and the auto industry - by announcing that he was scrapping the entire federal automotive fleet, including the presidential limousine, and replacing it with hybrids made in Detroit. He could have jump-started - and he still could - the Obama Plan by releasing funds for a green-jobs program to insulate public buildings. He could start funding the transit projects already approved by Congress.
In the end, though, it will not be the creative paralysis that defines Bush. It will be his intellectual laziness, at home and abroad. Bush never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and regulation that was necessary to make markets work. He never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and equity that was necessary to maintain the strong middle class required for both prosperity and democracy. He never considered the complexities of the cultures he was invading. He never understood that faith, unaccompanied by rigorous skepticism, is a recipe for myopia and foolishness. He is less than President now, and that is appropriate. He was never very much of one.
That we have slightly more than one President for the moment is mostly a consequence of the extraordinary economic times. Even if George Washington were the incumbent, the markets would want to know what John Adams was planning to do after his Inauguration. And yet this final humiliation seems particularly appropriate for George W. Bush. At the end of a presidency of stupefying ineptitude, he has become the lamest of all possible ducks.
It is in the nature of mainstream journalism to attempt to be kind to Presidents when they are coming and going but to be fiercely skeptical in between. I've been feeling sorry for Bush lately, a feeling partly induced by recent fictional depictions of the President as an amiable lunkhead in Oliver Stone's W. and in Curtis Sittenfeld's terrific novel American Wife. There was a photo in the New York Times that seemed to sum up his current circumstance: Bush in Peru, dressed in an alpaca poncho, standing alone just after the photo op at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, with various Asian leaders departing the stage, none of them making eye contact with him. Bush has that forlorn what-the-hell-happened? expression on his face, the one that has marked his presidency at difficult times. You never want to see the President of the United States looking like that.
So I've been searching for valedictory encomiums. His position on immigration was admirable and courageous; he was right about the Dubai Ports deal and about free trade in general. He spoke well, in the abstract, about the importance of freedom. He is an impeccable classicist when it comes to baseball. And that just about does it for me. I'd add the bracing moment of Bush with the bullhorn in the ruins of the World Trade Center, but that was neutered in my memory by his ridiculous, preening appearance in a flight suit on the deck of the aircraft carrier beneath the "Mission Accomplished" sign. The flight-suit image is one of the two defining moments of the Bush failure. The other is the photo of Bush staring out the window of Air Force One, helplessly viewing the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. This is a presidency that has wobbled between those two poles - overweening arrogance and paralytic incompetence.
The latter has held sway these past few months as the economy has crumbled. It is too early to rate the performance of Bush's economic team, but we have more than enough evidence to say, definitively, that at a moment when there was a vast national need for reassurance, the President himself was a cipher. Yes, he's a lame duck with an Antarctic approval rating - but can you imagine Bill Clinton going so gently into the night? There are substantive gestures available to a President that do not involve the use of force or photo ops. For example, Bush could have boosted the public spirit - and the auto industry - by announcing that he was scrapping the entire federal automotive fleet, including the presidential limousine, and replacing it with hybrids made in Detroit. He could have jump-started - and he still could - the Obama Plan by releasing funds for a green-jobs program to insulate public buildings. He could start funding the transit projects already approved by Congress.
In the end, though, it will not be the creative paralysis that defines Bush. It will be his intellectual laziness, at home and abroad. Bush never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and regulation that was necessary to make markets work. He never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and equity that was necessary to maintain the strong middle class required for both prosperity and democracy. He never considered the complexities of the cultures he was invading. He never understood that faith, unaccompanied by rigorous skepticism, is a recipe for myopia and foolishness. He is less than President now, and that is appropriate. He was never very much of one.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
WOW! It's hard to believe it's been nine days since my last post, but there it is. Today is November 25th, and my last post was November 16th.
I guess I've been concentrating more on my playing of the "CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge" contest. I'm doing well enough I suppose. Of the 5 portfolios I'm running, my best performing is up 6.2% since November 17th.
I've taken advantage of Friday and Monday's HUGE upswing to lock in some profits and am now sitting on a butt load of virtual cash. Given the market volatility, I think it wise to have a large cash reserve to take advantage of market momentum.
To any of you who read my blog, only 11 days left to take part in my latest survey and decide what kind of recipe will be posted on my next "Recipe of the Month" on December 7th.
My next survey will relate to a secret fantasy of mine. I wonder how many will vote in that one.
I guess I've been concentrating more on my playing of the "CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge" contest. I'm doing well enough I suppose. Of the 5 portfolios I'm running, my best performing is up 6.2% since November 17th.
I've taken advantage of Friday and Monday's HUGE upswing to lock in some profits and am now sitting on a butt load of virtual cash. Given the market volatility, I think it wise to have a large cash reserve to take advantage of market momentum.
To any of you who read my blog, only 11 days left to take part in my latest survey and decide what kind of recipe will be posted on my next "Recipe of the Month" on December 7th.
My next survey will relate to a secret fantasy of mine. I wonder how many will vote in that one.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge
Tomorrow begins the next CNBC Million Dollar Portfolio Challenge, and I'm getting my strategies ready. If you're interested in playing yourselves, follow the link and sign up. It's a fun game, and if you win, 1st prize is $500,000 plus the use of a private jet for one year.
I'm following a very basic strategy for the five portfolios I'm allowed to play for the duration of the 10 week game. My first portfolio will be an investment in the 5 worst performing stocks invested in my real world portfolio. The second is a selection of contrarian stocks I picked using the Yahoo! stock screener. The others are, large cap ($500million or more) momentum stocks, the five lowest priced stocks that have a "buy" rating from the majority of stock investors, and the fifth and final portfolio will be invested in the stocks of regional banks.
I know all of that must sound like so much gobbledygook to most of you, but that's ok. Not everyone is as fascinated by the concept of stock market investing as I am.
I've always been interested in investing. Ever since I was about 16 years old or so and I wanted to invest some of the money I had saved from my paper route in MTV. It was going public, and I thought it was a great opportunity. My mother thought differently though, and since I was under 18, I needed her permission to open a brokerage account. She said no. She told me that MTV was a fad, and if I invested in it, I would lose all my hard earned $500 when it went bankrupt! MTV bankrupt? If she were alive today, I'd ask her if the only reason it didn't go bankrupt was because I didn't invest.
I know the real reason she didn't want me to invest though. If I put my money into the stock market, she would not have ready access to be able to "borrow" it. I often wonder why I just didn't hand her my paper rout money every month, since she was going to end up with it every way. Oh, well.
By the way, I've been following MTV ever since it went public (It's part of VIACOM now). If I had been allowed to invest my $500 back in the early 1980s, what with stock splits, price appreciation, and the huge run up when they got taken over by VIACOM, my $500 would be worth $5,108.98 today. But, am I bitter? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm following a very basic strategy for the five portfolios I'm allowed to play for the duration of the 10 week game. My first portfolio will be an investment in the 5 worst performing stocks invested in my real world portfolio. The second is a selection of contrarian stocks I picked using the Yahoo! stock screener. The others are, large cap ($500million or more) momentum stocks, the five lowest priced stocks that have a "buy" rating from the majority of stock investors, and the fifth and final portfolio will be invested in the stocks of regional banks.
I know all of that must sound like so much gobbledygook to most of you, but that's ok. Not everyone is as fascinated by the concept of stock market investing as I am.
I've always been interested in investing. Ever since I was about 16 years old or so and I wanted to invest some of the money I had saved from my paper route in MTV. It was going public, and I thought it was a great opportunity. My mother thought differently though, and since I was under 18, I needed her permission to open a brokerage account. She said no. She told me that MTV was a fad, and if I invested in it, I would lose all my hard earned $500 when it went bankrupt! MTV bankrupt? If she were alive today, I'd ask her if the only reason it didn't go bankrupt was because I didn't invest.
I know the real reason she didn't want me to invest though. If I put my money into the stock market, she would not have ready access to be able to "borrow" it. I often wonder why I just didn't hand her my paper rout money every month, since she was going to end up with it every way. Oh, well.
By the way, I've been following MTV ever since it went public (It's part of VIACOM now). If I had been allowed to invest my $500 back in the early 1980s, what with stock splits, price appreciation, and the huge run up when they got taken over by VIACOM, my $500 would be worth $5,108.98 today. But, am I bitter? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, November 14, 2008
I Just Got a Phone Call
I won't say who it was from, or any details of the conversation, except to say it was basically like every other phone call I've gotten for the last two years. Someone wanted something from me.
Those are the only kinds of phone calls I get any more. If the phone rings, I know someone wants something from me. Either something I have that they want to borrow, or some service they need me to perform.
No one ever calls because they want to do something for me. An invitation to dinner? Come see a new DVD? Go with to see a movie downtown? Nothing purely social, or even just to talk. No one comes over to visit for a game of chess or a cup of tea. Hell, I even keep some bottled beer in my refrigerator for those who want something stronger. Still, nothing.
Those are the only kinds of phone calls I get any more. If the phone rings, I know someone wants something from me. Either something I have that they want to borrow, or some service they need me to perform.
No one ever calls because they want to do something for me. An invitation to dinner? Come see a new DVD? Go with to see a movie downtown? Nothing purely social, or even just to talk. No one comes over to visit for a game of chess or a cup of tea. Hell, I even keep some bottled beer in my refrigerator for those who want something stronger. Still, nothing.
Monday, November 10, 2008
This Was Disgusting
I just heard this on the news, and I found it totally disgusting. Someone in San Jose is wanted for torturing cats. One poor little cat had to be euthanized because it was in such bad shape after having rubber bands tied around it's paws, tail, and neck.
According to the news report, an award for information leading to the capture and arrest of the sicko responsible has been building up, and is now at $7,000.00. If if found the person responsible, I would ask that the money be donated to the A.S.P.C.A. and the Humane Society. For something like this, it would be wrong to keep the money.
It may not sound like such a big deal to some, I can hear a few people (none of my readers though, I'm sure) saying, "Hey, it's only cats." Well my friend, aside from the cruelty shown to a defenseless animal, serial killers like Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacey, and Jeffrey Dahlmer got started by torturing animals, and if the Tao Te Ching teaches us anything, "It is easier to uproot a tree while it's still a sapling rather than fully grown."
I'm sorry if I sound like I'm ranting, but I am a cat person, and think the person who's been torturing those cats in San Jose has a special place in Hell reserved for them. If their is justice in the afterlife (and I think there is), Bastet will be his/her (but statistically more likely to be a "he") personal tormentor for the rest of Eternity, and if he re-incarnates, he'll come back as a cat.
According to the news report, an award for information leading to the capture and arrest of the sicko responsible has been building up, and is now at $7,000.00. If if found the person responsible, I would ask that the money be donated to the A.S.P.C.A. and the Humane Society. For something like this, it would be wrong to keep the money.
It may not sound like such a big deal to some, I can hear a few people (none of my readers though, I'm sure) saying, "Hey, it's only cats." Well my friend, aside from the cruelty shown to a defenseless animal, serial killers like Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacey, and Jeffrey Dahlmer got started by torturing animals, and if the Tao Te Ching teaches us anything, "It is easier to uproot a tree while it's still a sapling rather than fully grown."
I'm sorry if I sound like I'm ranting, but I am a cat person, and think the person who's been torturing those cats in San Jose has a special place in Hell reserved for them. If their is justice in the afterlife (and I think there is), Bastet will be his/her (but statistically more likely to be a "he") personal tormentor for the rest of Eternity, and if he re-incarnates, he'll come back as a cat.
My First Survey
Well, my first survey is over, and it was overwhelming. My readers are overwhelmingly "Trekkers"! I am no longer alone in my nerdisms.
Now for my next survey. I want to hear from my readers what kind of recipe they (you) want for my next "Recipe of the Month". Do you want an "Appetizing Appetizer" (that category includes soups), a "Meaty Main Dish", a "Veggie Vittles", or a "Delicious Desert"? Let me know and that will be my recipe for December.
In other news, well, their is no other news right now, but if something comes up, I'll keep you informed.
Now for my next survey. I want to hear from my readers what kind of recipe they (you) want for my next "Recipe of the Month". Do you want an "Appetizing Appetizer" (that category includes soups), a "Meaty Main Dish", a "Veggie Vittles", or a "Delicious Desert"? Let me know and that will be my recipe for December.
In other news, well, their is no other news right now, but if something comes up, I'll keep you informed.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Stop Preaching to the Choir
This is my response to the people who voted against us here in California with Prop 8 (aka Proposition Hate). Hit them where it hurts the most! Hit them in their bank accounts!
While I do believe we should patronize companies and businesses that support our right to marry whom we choose, that's just preaching to the choir. We should let the companies and businesses that don't that we will NOT buy their goods and services, and why we won't.
To find companies that support our rights, I began with the Human Rights Campaign's "Buying For Equality 2008". I will only patronize those companies that score in the green range, send letters of encouragement to those that scored yellow letting them know they are almost worthy of my business, and those that score RED that I won't patronize them, why I won't patronize them, and why my friends won't patronize them.
That's the first step of my response. My second step is to encourage all of you to invest in and buy the stock of the yellow and red companies. Why? The green companies already know what side their bread is buttered on. But if the GLBT community, who's 2008 buying power was estimated at $723BILLION were to acquire 50% plus 1 share of a red company like Cracker Barrel Restaurant's, we can change their corporate policy.
The hard part for many will be the upcoming holiday season. Wall-Mart is a red company, and I will no longer, for any reason, set foot into one of their stores, let alone spend any of my money in one (or even post a link to their web-site). So, with the upcoming Christmas gift buying of the Imperial San Joaquin Delta Empire for the annual From The Heart project, which buys toys, clothes and other gifts for children who are either infected or otherwise affected by HIV/AIDS, I will be suggesting we spend the money we raise in Target. This is one of my favorite parts about being in the imperial court, but I can no longer allow with a clear conscience the money we've raised to be spent in a company that does not support us or our rights. That is why I will suggest we spend our money in Target which is rated green by the HRC.
Anyway, that's my response. If they don't want us to have the right to marry, I don't want them to have my (or your) money.
I'll keep you informed by they way if any of the letters I send to red companies respond with a pledge to become green.
Addendum-This person said it even better than I did with a YouTube Video. GAYS ON STIRKE!
While I do believe we should patronize companies and businesses that support our right to marry whom we choose, that's just preaching to the choir. We should let the companies and businesses that don't that we will NOT buy their goods and services, and why we won't.
To find companies that support our rights, I began with the Human Rights Campaign's "Buying For Equality 2008". I will only patronize those companies that score in the green range, send letters of encouragement to those that scored yellow letting them know they are almost worthy of my business, and those that score RED that I won't patronize them, why I won't patronize them, and why my friends won't patronize them.
That's the first step of my response. My second step is to encourage all of you to invest in and buy the stock of the yellow and red companies. Why? The green companies already know what side their bread is buttered on. But if the GLBT community, who's 2008 buying power was estimated at $723BILLION were to acquire 50% plus 1 share of a red company like Cracker Barrel Restaurant's, we can change their corporate policy.
The hard part for many will be the upcoming holiday season. Wall-Mart is a red company, and I will no longer, for any reason, set foot into one of their stores, let alone spend any of my money in one (or even post a link to their web-site). So, with the upcoming Christmas gift buying of the Imperial San Joaquin Delta Empire for the annual From The Heart project, which buys toys, clothes and other gifts for children who are either infected or otherwise affected by HIV/AIDS, I will be suggesting we spend the money we raise in Target. This is one of my favorite parts about being in the imperial court, but I can no longer allow with a clear conscience the money we've raised to be spent in a company that does not support us or our rights. That is why I will suggest we spend our money in Target which is rated green by the HRC.
Anyway, that's my response. If they don't want us to have the right to marry, I don't want them to have my (or your) money.
I'll keep you informed by they way if any of the letters I send to red companies respond with a pledge to become green.
Addendum-This person said it even better than I did with a YouTube Video. GAYS ON STIRKE!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
It's Not Over Yet
Well, so far the supporters of "Proposition Hate" have won, and people like me who would like to get married one day, and all the other thousands of gays and lesbians who have already gotten married, are once again show by our so called "superiors" have show us what they think of us.
I've been hearing of court challenges being prepared to deal with the fact that the proposition should not have been allowed on the ballot after being thrown out by the state supreme court. I guess we'll have to wait and see. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'd like to stay in the USA, and more specifically, California, but if I have to, I'll move to Canada or the United Kingdom, since these countries allow gay marriage, and I speak the language.
I have a plan for what we can do in the event that "Proposition Hate" actually does become a part of the constitution, but I'm still working on the details. When I have it all ready, I'll send out an "Extra! Extra!" for everyone.
I've been hearing of court challenges being prepared to deal with the fact that the proposition should not have been allowed on the ballot after being thrown out by the state supreme court. I guess we'll have to wait and see. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'd like to stay in the USA, and more specifically, California, but if I have to, I'll move to Canada or the United Kingdom, since these countries allow gay marriage, and I speak the language.
I have a plan for what we can do in the event that "Proposition Hate" actually does become a part of the constitution, but I'm still working on the details. When I have it all ready, I'll send out an "Extra! Extra!" for everyone.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Will It Pass or Be Defeated?
I just got back from voting, and the only two items on the ballot I can remember how I voted on are Obama for POTUS, and NO on Proposition 8.
I'm pretty confident that Obama will win, but Prop 8 is just to close to call. I'm hoping it will be defeated though.
Not much else to talk about at the moment, except I hope you'll vote in the poll I'm taking to see if my readers prefer "Star Trek" or "Star Wars" more. Please, vote.
Addendum-It's about 9:15 PM, election night. As I sit here typing this, the hated proposition 8 is winning by a ratio of 55% to 45%, with about 9% of all precincts reporting. I would love to sit up all night to wait for the final results, but I've go to go to bed. Please God(des), if you hear the prayers of gays and lesbians, don't let proposition 8 pass. Please, let me wake up tomorrow to learn that "No On 8" won, and that love defeated proposition hate.
Supplemental Entry-It is now 5:30 AM, 11/5/08, and still no definite word, one way or another on the outcome of proposition hate. I'm still hoping of course that the "No On 8" side wins, but I hate being left hanging like this!
I'm pretty confident that Obama will win, but Prop 8 is just to close to call. I'm hoping it will be defeated though.
Not much else to talk about at the moment, except I hope you'll vote in the poll I'm taking to see if my readers prefer "Star Trek" or "Star Wars" more. Please, vote.
Addendum-It's about 9:15 PM, election night. As I sit here typing this, the hated proposition 8 is winning by a ratio of 55% to 45%, with about 9% of all precincts reporting. I would love to sit up all night to wait for the final results, but I've go to go to bed. Please God(des), if you hear the prayers of gays and lesbians, don't let proposition 8 pass. Please, let me wake up tomorrow to learn that "No On 8" won, and that love defeated proposition hate.
Supplemental Entry-It is now 5:30 AM, 11/5/08, and still no definite word, one way or another on the outcome of proposition hate. I'm still hoping of course that the "No On 8" side wins, but I hate being left hanging like this!
Monday, November 3, 2008
My Condolences to Barak Obama
I would like to extend my condolences to Barack Obama. I have just heard that his grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham, 86, passed away after a battle with cancer.
Speaking as someone who lost a beloved grandmother, I know the pain of losing someone loved so deeply, and who played such a big part in forming you into the person you become. It hurts, it hurts a lot.
The day after the election, I plan to send Mr. Obama, who (god willing) will be President Elect on November 5th, a formal letter of condolence to him at his new address of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington D.C.. Maybe some of you will as well.
Speaking as someone who lost a beloved grandmother, I know the pain of losing someone loved so deeply, and who played such a big part in forming you into the person you become. It hurts, it hurts a lot.
The day after the election, I plan to send Mr. Obama, who (god willing) will be President Elect on November 5th, a formal letter of condolence to him at his new address of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington D.C.. Maybe some of you will as well.
My Blog; A Guilty Pleasure
I have finally come to accept the fact that none of the apparently many, many people who read my blog will never post a comment, because my blog is a guilty pleasure. Something they enjoy reading, but will not admit to anyone else that they read.
How have I come to this conclusion? Well, I'm seem to always have people coming up to me, or sending an e-mail, telling me how much they enjoy one post or another. If they posted a comment, anyone else reading my blog would know who they were, so they confine themselves to face to face and e-mail comments.
Oh well, at least they're reading me.
How have I come to this conclusion? Well, I'm seem to always have people coming up to me, or sending an e-mail, telling me how much they enjoy one post or another. If they posted a comment, anyone else reading my blog would know who they were, so they confine themselves to face to face and e-mail comments.
Oh well, at least they're reading me.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Orange-Spiced Sweet Potatoes
With the first major food holiday of the season, Thanksgiving, I thought a holiday themed recipe was called for.
I first made this dish for my contribution to a Thanksgiving I was invited to at a friends house last year, and unlike many of my recipes, my beloved grandmother did not have this in her collection. I got this one from one of the many (and I do mean many) cookbooks I've been adding to my collection. It makes a great side dish for any meal, but of course The Holidays is when it really shines.
I first made this dish for my contribution to a Thanksgiving I was invited to at a friends house last year, and unlike many of my recipes, my beloved grandmother did not have this in her collection. I got this one from one of the many (and I do mean many) cookbooks I've been adding to my collection. It makes a great side dish for any meal, but of course The Holidays is when it really shines.
Orange-Spiced Sweet Potatoes
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes (or yams), peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick), cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
- Juice from 1 medium orange
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)
- Place sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, orange juice, salt and vanilla in your crock-pot. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours, or until potatoes are tender.
- Sprinkle with pecans before serving, if desired.
- For an interesting variation, mash the potatoes, add 1/4 cup milk and sprinkle with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon before sprinkling with the chopped toasted pecans if desired.
I hope any of you who decided to try this dish, rather than the somewhat more traditional candied yams, find it as tasty as my friends and I did.
As always, eat and enjoy.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
I Feel Like I'm Letting My Friends Down
I was supposed to help with an I.S.J.D.E. court function today at Club Paradise, but was feeling to sick to do much of anything, and I feel guilty about it, like I'm letting all my friends down. I know none of them feel that way about me, and I don't want them or anyone to think I do think that, it's just something about me. Call it Irish Catholic Guilt if you want.
The sore throat started late Wednesday, and I began taking Theraflu, Traditional Medicinals herbal tea (echinacea), and other hot teas and beverages. My stomach is fine, but I've got a little phlegm, an annoying cough, and sneezing my nose off.
I could deal with all of that, it's not being able to help with the court function tonight that really makes me feel bad. I did do what I could to help though. I normally make the macaroni salad from scratch (a recipe my grandmother clipped out of a magazine from the 1950s), but considering I'm probably covered in flu germs, I got store bought instead. It's a really good macaroni & cheddar cheese salad I got from the deli section of the local grocery store. I hope everyone likes it.
I'm also going to be donating some money toward tonight's function total. I'll be giving Uneke (our ICP and board treasurer) the check at the next court/board meeting.
I should be well enough by next weekend to go to Modesto's Imperial Coronation. Emperor 34, Matthew Cantrell-Lucci and Empress 34 Tequila St. James have worked very hard and their step-down should be fantabulous!
I would like to suggest a new name by the way for Tequila to add to the long (you have no idea) list of names she uses. I think it would be fun to add Mockingbird to the end of the list, that way she would be Tequila Mockingbird ("To Kill A Mockingbird", get it?). What do all of you think?
The sore throat started late Wednesday, and I began taking Theraflu, Traditional Medicinals herbal tea (echinacea), and other hot teas and beverages. My stomach is fine, but I've got a little phlegm, an annoying cough, and sneezing my nose off.
I could deal with all of that, it's not being able to help with the court function tonight that really makes me feel bad. I did do what I could to help though. I normally make the macaroni salad from scratch (a recipe my grandmother clipped out of a magazine from the 1950s), but considering I'm probably covered in flu germs, I got store bought instead. It's a really good macaroni & cheddar cheese salad I got from the deli section of the local grocery store. I hope everyone likes it.
I'm also going to be donating some money toward tonight's function total. I'll be giving Uneke (our ICP and board treasurer) the check at the next court/board meeting.
I should be well enough by next weekend to go to Modesto's Imperial Coronation. Emperor 34, Matthew Cantrell-Lucci and Empress 34 Tequila St. James have worked very hard and their step-down should be fantabulous!
I would like to suggest a new name by the way for Tequila to add to the long (you have no idea) list of names she uses. I think it would be fun to add Mockingbird to the end of the list, that way she would be Tequila Mockingbird ("To Kill A Mockingbird", get it?). What do all of you think?
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