Month: December 2004

Posted on

“When a stupid man does something he knows is wrong… “

“When a stupid man does something he knows is wrong, he always insists that it is his duty.”—the Centurion in Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra.

Ample evidence of this can be found nearly every time a “public school” administrator opens its mouth (yes, I said “its”).

“Take the recent case of Chloe Smith, 14, an eighth-grader in Mustang kicked out of school after drugs were found in her locker.

Smith wasn’t in possession of marijuana or cocaine, but prescription hormones she takes for a chronic condition, polycystic ovarian disease.”

That’s the lede in a story in The Enid News about the magisterial idiots (apologies to common idiots everywhere) running amok in the Mustang, OK “public school” (AKA “prison for kids”) system. No further information needed. No thinking person (or person capable of thought) need even consider that the school “has a policy” that makes having a prescription medication requisite for a person’s ongoing health and well-being punishable by expulsion. Some administrator with lower intelligence than a rock made the stupid rule and another administrator, no doubt with even less intelligence, decided to enforce it.

To call such persons idiots is an insult to idiocy.

The girls’ parents ought to sue the pants off ’em (and each and every scholl board member, no matter what shield laws there may be) for endangering the girl’s health.

And afterwards, their rotting corpses should be hung from poles outside the school as a reminder to future administrators to either get a clue or a productive job. (Oh, you noticed I left out the part about angry mob, pitchforks, torches, etc? Yeh. Didn’t want to offend the sensibilities—such as they might be—of thesupremely idiotic nannies that comprise the population of busybody administrators tasked with making “public education” a complete and abject failure… as education, that is. As indoctrination against learning, it’s a remarkable success.)

(Thx to James Taranto for the link to the story that spurred this mini-rant.)

Posted on

Building woes

Or rather, re-habbing woes. A simple lil job turned into an engineering-on-the-fly exercise in frustration, head-whacking and, finally, semi-triumph. Easy job: take the bathroom medicine cabinet that’s been attached to the wall since forever and place it in the wall. Simple, really.

I really think I ought to turn the use of my electronic studfinder over to my wife, though. It seems to go haywire when I use it (too much stud for it? [heh]) Marked out position between two studs, foolishly based on sudfinder’s report, and went to town with my drywall knife.

[sigh]

Oh. Well. Took the mirrored door off existing medicine chest. Cut up some 1×4 to make framing, shelves, etc. Other scrap lumber, some screws, and one saw-dusty, drywall-dusty bathroom later, a nearly finished (except for a lil trim), a functional, moderately attractive (well, what was there befoere was plain flat ugly) medicine chest (mostly) flush with the wall, ready to paint, etc.

But that darned studfinder. All those false positives whenever I let it get too close to me…

Now, back to the real finish job. As Granddaddy always said, the job’s not done til you clean up the mess.

Next, of course, finish re-finishing the walls, etc.

Blogging? I ain’t got time for no stinking blogging…

Posted on

A Failing Grade–well, duh.

Walter Williams has an easy job. He’s busy dishing dirt on American “education” in his two most recent columns.

Here’s a sample from the latest:

…Recently released findings of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) ranked U.S. high school students 24th out of 29 countries. American 15-year-olds demonstrate less math proficiency than their counterparts in Hungary and the Slovak Republic. With those findings, we shouldn’t be surprised by a recent U.S. Department of Education study finding that nearly half of all college students must take remedial courses in math and reading. According to National Center for Education Statistics, in 2000 close to 80 percent of colleges offered remedial services…

.Gee. It’s almost like stealing pencils from a blind man’s tin cup. In the land of the half wit (American “Public Education” or, as I prefer to call it, Prison for Kids), any wit at all is an unfair advantage…

Keep in mind that the lowest common denominator in government schools is the administrators, who regularly rank below the teachers they supervise in intellectual achievement (heck, in intelligence) and such measures as GRE test scores. No wonder administrators place roadblock after roadblock in teachers’ way: they are just plain flat too stupid (as a class) to be able to do anything else. The only people who have strong influence upon what is taught who are demonstrably more stupid than administrators are politicians and Mass Media Podpeople.

Posted on

Online Shopping for Gifts

Michelle Malkin issues this warning to rhose considering Amazon.com for their Christmas shopping. Glenn Reynolds comments on another not-so-wonderful gift-giving “opportunity.” I’ll include the link for the truly sick among my readers (well, “reader,” more like :-), but I’ll describe the object and comment as well, so you don’t absolutely have to click on the link to the “gift”.

YEP, as my column yesterday suggests, you can take care of all your holiday, um, needs online. I don’t think that the “used or refurbished” model should sell very well, though. . . . Eew.

Yeh, it’s a “personal” vibrator… right. That kind. The truly troubling thing about the article wasn’t the link on the Amazon.com page to “two used or refurbished” examples of the article (as Glenn said, Eew!) but the link that reads, “Add to Wedding Registry.”

No further comment needed.

[Update: added the Michelle Malkin link referred to but forgotten when originally posted. 12/20/04]

Posted on

Opposing Views

OK, it’s time I dealt with a serious issue, for once.

Alchohol consumption. Preferably beer. On one side we have (the fictional) Dean Woermer saying in “Animal House” (1978), “Fat drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.”

OTOH, Cliff (a slightly less fictional character [heh] ) outlined the Buffalo Theory of Alchohol Consumption” on a “Cheer’s” episode pretty much thusly:

“Well you see, Norm, it’s like this… A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo and when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive drinking of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.” (Thx to DNW for the Buffalo Theory.)

Well, there you have it. The arguments for and against alchohol consumption. Diametrically opposed, neither one seems compelling. I fear the controversy is with us forever, given the chasm that gapes between these two intellectual giants’ positions and the near inmpossibility that we lesser mortals can reconcile the stances of these two great authorities on the effects of booze, glorious booze, hot sausage and mustard, While we’re in the mood…

Sorry. That’s another story.

Posted on

Christmas Tips #2

This parody is simply a comment on the complete nonsense that any idea of teaching one single solitary thing to the scatterbrained inmates of our government-run Prisons for Kids(TM) at this time of year is folly indeed. Based on a secular Christmas song you know well, It’s The Sap-Sappiest Time of the Year is a fair characterization of the “inmates running the prison” situation that mostly prevails in our government-run Prisons for Kids(TM).as Christmas vacation approaches.

Posted on

Christmas Tips, etc. #1

This, via email, from DNW:

Holiday Eating tips

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it’s rare. In fact, it’s even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can’t find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:

“Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!”

A link to a commiseration with folks who work as guards at our nations’ Prisons for Kids (government schools, also disingenuously known as “Public Schools”) who suffer enormopusly at this time of year will follow, Real. Soon. Now.

Posted on

Oh, Puke

Where do they come from, these talking heads, these MMPs? Arrrgh!

I have avoided commenting on the Scott Peterson trial. Oh! How I have avoided it! But now, the verdict is in. The jury’s penalty decision has been rendered. I can now dispense with passive voice construction.

He’s a murderer, for heaven’s sake! What in the world do these talking heads mean babbling about, “Is he the kind of man who should not be allowed to live?” as they deconstruct the jurors’ deliberation and decision? It’s not about “what kind of man” Scott Peterson is. It’s about what Scott Peterson has done. The only civilized thing to do with murderers is to execute them. Any and all of them. Life in prison is not civilized. Only removing them from the genepool, from any possibility of further “infecting” society with their evil permanently, completely and absolutely is civilized.

[sheesh!]

He’s a murderer. For heaven’s sake, get his worthless carcass off this planet!

(OK, expect a rant in future about our “criminal” justice system in general sometime Real. Soon, Now.)

Posted on

Classic Red Enchilladas—with a twist…

I’ve been threatening the voices in my head with posting a few recipes for lazy cooks who nevertheless like to eat well.

OK, time to make good on that threat. here’s number one:

Classic Red Enchiladas—with a twist

Ok, so not-so-classic. The ingredients are authentic, but the preparation is strictly “fast food” utilitarian. The biggest change? No rolled enchiladas in this puppy. Here’s how it goes…

Red Enchilada Sauce
(Makes 16 oz.—give or take)
8-10 dried Anaheim peppers (actually, I tend to use more). Clean the seeds out for merely “sorta-hot”. Leave the seeds in for “Yeh, I can feel that” spiciness. Tear the peppers up into pieces and then either

a.) Use an electric coffee grinder to powder the chiles to a fine powder and add boiling water to make 2 cups liquid. Blend in blender. Set aside and let it come together for a little bit. (My preferred “quick sauce” method)

OR

b.) Place the pepper pieces in a sauce pan and cover with boiling water. Place a saucer (or whatever works) on top of the peppers to hold them submerged under the water and then leave them all day soaking. Remove the peppers from the water, place them in a blender with enough water to make 2 cups and blend.

If you absolutely NEED a thicker and/or milder sauce, use a little corn flour in the blending stage to thicken/whimp out the sauce. Try to keep the corn meal down to less than 1/4 C for each 2 C water, otherwise it’ll really begin to taste “corny”. (Only have corn meal? Put a little in your coffe grinder and make corn flour out of it. Don’t have a coffee grinder? Get one! 🙂

OK, that is all there is to real Red Enchilada Sauce. Here’s the rest of the dish:

Preparation
In a 9×12 baking dish, LAYER (in the following order—tortillas, sauce, etc.)
24-30 corn tortillas
Red Enchilada Sauce (Yeh, make your own. The stuff in cans stinks.)
2 C shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Jack/Cheddar mix.
One YELLOW onion, chopped. (Need milder onion? Chop it the day before and store it in a plastic bag in the fridge to “sweeten”)

The top layer should be covered in sauce and cheese only—no onion.

Bake at 325 F for about 45 minutes. Check it at 30 minutes. Different timing/oven temps result in different textures. Play with that a lil to suit yourself.

I generally use 6 tortillas per layer in an overlapping 2X2X2 pattern and fill in the edges with torn tortillas so that I end up with 4 layers. Play with it. Find a layer/sauce/cheese mix that suits you.

I like to serve squares cut from the result topped with sour cream and shredded lettuce. Add a few sliced black olives for flavor and color or some salsa for a little more pep. A side of “Spanish” rice and one of refried beans make for a pretty well-rounded meal. If you want meat, hash something together, but DON’T put meat in these enchilladas!

Easy “Spanish” rice:

Easiest? Just substitute your favorite salsa for part of the water when making a pan of rice. (Another time, I’ll post my fav fast salsa recipes.)

Easy—and fast— Refried beans:

OK, use canned refried beans. Go ahead. But at least add some,—no, not some: a lot!—cumin to them while they are warming up. 🙂 Better? Here’s where you can add some meat to the menu: add some chorizo to the beans. Great cumin flavor and a lil meat all at once.