Author: David

Mark Steyn is on the right track, at least:

This isn’t a Republican vs Democrat thing; it’s about senior Democrats who are so over-invested in their hatred of a passing administration that they’ve signed on to the nuttiest slurs of the lunatic fringe. It would be heartening to think that Durbin will himself now be subjected to some serious torture. Not real torture, of course; I don’t mean using Pol Pot techniques and playing the Celine Dion Christmas album really loud to him. But he should at least be made a little uncomfortable over what he’s done — in a time of war, make an inflammatory libel against his country’s military that has no value whatsoever except to America’s enemies. Shame on him, and shame on those fellow senators and Democrats who by their refusal to condemn him endorse his slander.

The rest of the article makes a good case for a suggestion I made to one of my seantors in an email: that “Turban” Durbin be involuntarily committed for psychiatric evaluation. (After which one could hope for multiple shock treatments at ever-increasing power levels… )

h/t Kris of Anywhere But Here.

This week, what with “Turban” Durbin in the news and all, Sissy has chosen a particularly appropriate word: hejira.

‘hegira—
1590, the flight of Muhammed from Mecca to Medina (July 16, 622 C.E.), from which event the Islamic calendar reckons. From Ar. hijrah “departure,” from hajara “to depart.”

I am unworthy, but I gratefully accept the honor…

To all of you guys who’ve done so much to encourage others in their blogging—helping newbies get started, teaching them how to “ride a bike, drive a car and ‘do’ their ritual IRS sacrifice” (so to speak) in the blogosphere… You know who you are.

Thanks, blogfathers.

Happy Blogfathers Dayâ„¢

I am so livid, I am approaching the foaming-at-the-mouth stage…

BUMPED to top for this week

Have you selected your Blogfathers Dayâ„¢ eCard yet?

As y’all know, lots of folks who blog have people who mentored them in blogging and speak fondly of that person as their “Blogmother” or “Blogfather.” Well, Blogmothers Dayâ„¢ 2005 was a modest success, with some Blogmothers getting the thanks they so richly are due. I’d simply like to encourage those of you with a Blogfather (or someone who served as a significant blogfather figure) to send them an eCard and post a “Thanks, Blogfather!” post for Blogfathers Dayâ„¢, June 19, 2005.

Between now and then, consider doing what you can to spread the word: Blogfathers Dayâ„¢ 2005.

This has been a Public Service Announcement of the Blogfathers Dayâ„¢ Association (mostly me, myself and I)

Crossposted at Cathouse Chat.

UPDATE: Welcome to y’all dropping in from Hugh Hewitt‘s blog. Do spread the word—and if you have someone who mentored you as you started out blogging, send a special thanks to your blogfather (OK, if you missed Blogmothers Dayâ„¢ and your mentor’s a Blogmother, send her an eCard—but don’t miss Blogmothers Dayâ„¢ next year! 🙂

And Hugh, thanks for helping promote Blogfathers Dayâ„¢. I’m sure YOU will get tons of Blogfathers Dayâ„¢ thanks, and rightly so!

Since my blog-birth was—oh so miraculously!—an immaculate conception…

Oh, and folks, if you really want to thank Hugh and benefit yourselves at the same time, try reading Blog : Understanding the Information Reformation That’s Changing Your World.

At any rate, what I say and do here should not in any way be counted against either Carol Liebau or Hugh Hewitt. I’ve always been a problem child… 🙂

I’m just glad I don’t have to do this with Yacko, Wacko, and Dot…

The buffet table’s spread and there’s more food than a Baptist covered dish supper at Michelle’s place (Meanderings). Check out this week’s Carnival of the Recipes.Y’all come and get it while it’s hot!

And now, let the drooling begin:

A great start on a morning…

I had another good suggestion of what I ought to post this week, but then I recieved this in an email from an old friend (how old? Don’t ask 😉 and just recieved permission to post it. I have to go pick up some cranberries—now!

Kimberlee’s Cranberry Streusel Muffins

Baking time: ~ 40 minutes

Prep time: ~ 40 minutes

Notes:

If cooking giant muffins in ramekins, be sure to let them cool prior to turning out so they won’t fall apart.

If using dried cranberries, soak them in lemon juice to plump them up. (Microwaving for ~ 30 seconds helps speed up the plumping process) Provides a good tart flavor. If you prefer, you can substitute raspberries…

If you like hazelnuts, you can substitute them instead of pecans.

Yield: 14 regular or 8 giant muffins

Ingredients for muffins:

2 C all-purpose flour

1 C sugar

2 t baking powder

½ t baking soda

¼ t salt

1 large egg

½ C sour cream

½ C milk

1/3 C melted butter

1 ½ C cranberries

Ingredients for streusel:

1/3 C pecans or hazelnuts

¼ C sugar

3 T all-purpose flour

2 T butter

¼ t ground nutmeg

Preparation:

1. If using pecans, eliminate this step. If using hazelnuts, toast them: place them in an 8″-9″ baking pan; bake at 350 degrees until golden beneath skins, ~15 minutes. Rub in a towel to remove loose skins.

2. Chop nuts. In a bowl, combine streusel ingredients and mix with fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Set streusel aside.

3. In another bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a third bowl, whisk the egg, milk sour cream and 1/3 C melted butter until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir until evenly moistened.

4. Fold in cranberries. If using raspberries, do this step gently…

5. Spoon batter into lined muffin pan or into 8 buttered ramekins (about 1 C size). Top evenly with streusel; press slightly into batter. Bake in 400 degree oven until deep golden, about 25 minutes.

6. Loosen muffins from containers (if using ramekins, let cool completely) and turn out onto a rack.

Per regular muffin: 253 cal. (99 cal., 39% from fat); 3.6 g protein; 11 g fat (5.8 g sat.); 35 g carbs; 238 mg sodium; 29 mg cholesterol

Kimberlee W.

After this post, and this one, well, three in less than a 24-hour time period makes a theme, doesn’t it?

Just read Academic Boneyards, the current issue of Credenda Agenda.

“FoxNews Responsible for Global Warming

NEW YORK—New studies looking at warming oceans and melting Arctic ice find FoxNews broadcasts emit really hot television signals, Tim Moore of the Scripts Institution of Oceanography said.

Speaking at an annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Moore said, “I’m surprised people’s eyes haven’t melted inside their heads while watching FoxNews. Other network news programs emit waves that bring life and health and nutrition to the world’s ecosystems.” Moore said the pattern of evidence also suggests that FoxNews also contributes significantly to poverty, tsunamis, mad cow disease, low test scores, and the expansion of mean people…”