Day: June 18, 2005

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Soliciting your views.

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

…concerning the slanderous, vile, contemptible things Dick Durban has been quoted as saying just this week about the treatment of the “detainees” at Camp X-ray in Guantanamo. He now calls it a “misunderstanding.” Yeh, right. “Misunderstanding” my patootie. I’d like to know how he thinks he can get away with that. Slime. I don’t “misunderstand” his comparison of Gitmo to the physical torture and murder of millions of people in the Soviet gulags. it was quite clear: he equated the two. I don’t “misunderstand” his comparison of Gitmo to the Nazi torture and murder of millions of “undesireables” during World War II: he equated the two.
Cutting it off right there. I already edited the statement above, removing things that should be said about such a worm as Durbin but… dele again.
I am very glad I’m not in the same room as this (another dele). I won’t allow myself to be anywhere near this person or his ilk. Just don’t want my family to have to deal with the results…
More deles…
Let me just ask you: what is a just and effective manner of dealing with Durbin and his ilk? OK, now, what’s a just and effective and legal manner of dealing with this person and his ilk? (Need to keep it legal, folks. Dr. Tarr and Mr. Fether can NOT be invited tio attend to them… *sigh* unfortunately… Keep it legal, OK?)
Well, at least someone sees humor in this. Here’s some metaphorical pie in the face for Turbin Durbin:
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Blogfathers Dayâ„¢ is fast approaching

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!

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Thank you, Blog-grandpa! (well, sorta, kinda, almost in-my-dreams blog-grandpa… :-)

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

…(I have only a blogmommie, no blogfather), I want to take the occasion that tomorrow, Blogfathers Dayâ„¢, presents to thank Hugh Hewitt for influencing/encouraging my blogmother to begin blogging. I guess that sorta, halfway, kinda, almost makes him my unintentional Bloggrandfather… of sorts. (And no, I’m not asking him for a pony for my birthday. 🙂
Actually, Hugh’s blog is the first one I read with any regularity, and I read his blog regularly still. It was on his blog that I saw a link to Carol Platt Liebau‘s blog, and wanting to comment on some of her posts led to a blogger account. The rest, complete with a couple of early encouraging emails from Carol Liebau, is, as they say, history.
So, Hugh, Happy Blogfathers Dayâ„¢. I hope all those you directly inspired and encouraged and helped to begin blogging are as thankful as I am for your inspiration and counsel.
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… 🙂

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Do ya wanna take a survey?

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

OK, raise your hands, now. How many of y’all have taught one of your children how to drive a manual transmission car? I’m both fortunate… and not. My daughter’s been driving for most of eight or nine years now, but until now, all on automatic transmission cars.
Good, beause she’s a good driver and comfortable behind a steering wheel.
Bad, because all her habits are auto-transmission oriented.
Her car broke down yesterday (to the tune of enough more than the car’s worth to write it off—s’all right: we have another of that model, so it’ll make a great “parts car” until I’m ready to send the carcass to the salvage yard :-). The only one we could get into her hands—quickly!—for her to take off a couple of hundred miles for her first job after grad school is a five-speed stick shift. (And before you ask, no. Wonder Woman needs the other car that’s automatic transmission for physical reasons.)
Soooo… afternoon driving lessons. The first with Dad for… over eight years.
Fun!
The eight years+ maturity factor is a BIG plus. *whew!* Picking it up quickly, so we’ll feel pretty good when she takes off for the Great Adventure Monday or Tuesday. (Still have to get the car tagged, etc.)
But, it’s a lil strange getting back in a car as a driving coach with her. Confession? It’s kinda nice to be there, again.
UPDATE: She’s ready. Readier than I was with my first car, a column-shift 3-speed 1953 Chevy, when my dad set me loose on unsuspecting Texas motorists…
She’ll have a 200+ mile shake-down strip to her new job/residence Thursday (was supposed to start Monday, got that pushed back so i could do work on the “new” car and she could get some driving in on it). Been nice having her around. Longest visit for several years, now.
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A Guest Chef’s “Cranberry Streusel Muffins”

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.