August 23, 2004
Well THAT'S Good News
What with all the attention on the Swiftvets and the Vets Against the War, it's good to see another famous group of Vietnam vets finally receiving justice from the government.
But, good lord, that must have been one reeking van by now....
Sawdust and Drop Cloths, Part CXII
Quick survey: do you see the right column with the blogroll and assorted Tasty Bits, or do you have to scroll to the bottom?
If this is an issue, the answer would be to figure out how to narrow and then center both columns.
Any other suggestions or ideas, please leave some Yips or drop as a line in the Mail Sack.
Is Janet Jackson's Boob A Karl Rove, Uh, Implant?
Drudge reports. You decide. Oh how I wish I could photoshop!
YIPS from Steve: Dude, shouldn't that be, "Drudge reports. You decide. I think I'm going to wretch." ?
The Adventures of Justice Boy
Just checking in - After spending a great deal of time this morning dithering about, I was duly sworn to uphold and protect the United States Constitution from all enemies, foreign or domestic. Got my O-fficial DOJ Badge and Credentials too. (Think of me now as a combo of Joe Friday and Atticus Finch.)
Now that I am back on-line, I can begin to pick up the ravelled threads of whatever it was I was talking about a few weeks back. And I can finally find out what is happening in the world. Starting tomorrow, when I get a chance to hit my usual round of sites, I ought to be able to get back into the swing of things.
In the meantime, I see that Steve-O has been dishing up some of his X-tra Chunky Political Analysis, much to the detriment of fools and naives everywhere. Remember - the only other way you can get this kind of material is to blow $30K a year to send your kid to his school.
One other thing - I believe (at least I hope) that we are working on a way to get this opus back to a two or three column production. I really don't like having all the supplimental goodies way down at the bottom of the page. Also, as I have often promised before, I still have some very worthy sites to get on the blogroll. Paaaaatience, my Preciousssss. More haste, less speed!
Finally, I don't think I've properly thanked everyone for sticking with us during our move. From what I see, traffic barely blinked. Thanks so much for your continued support and encouragement. Yip! Yip! Yip!
I'm Outta here
I'm out to do a bunch of long-ago scheduled appointments---eye doctor, dentist, etc., which was convenient in that it is getting me out of yet another useless meeting at work. Good planning on my part last January when I set up the dentist appointment, if I do say so my self! After that, I have to do the last of my back-to school shopping---new shoes, socks, some pants, etc. Maybe I'll get all jiggy and by a new tie (rep striped, of course). Later, I have to put my head down and finish the damn conference paper, so I'll be in silent runnings mode for awhile. Until then!
527s and the Myth of Campaign Finance Reform
One of the central myths of campaign finance reform is the relative disadvantage the Democrats have financially because they are the tribunes of the working class and the greedy Republicans have all the money.
Here's a list of the fifty largest 527s--the organizations so named because of the provision in the tax code--that are free to raise and use money in campaigns because the parties cannot be trusted with "soft money," the type of money used on general advertising and party building.
Ten of the top eleven are leftist groups who've raised a combined $155.4 million dollars so far.
Gee, thanks McCain/Feingold!
BTW, you won't find the SwiftVets in the top fifty--they've only raised $158,700.
You wonder if George Soros is questioning the return on his investment...
"THE NATION" on Bob Dole's Purple Hearts, 1996
The truth about Dole's war record is considerably less than awe-inspiring. Yet the myth endures, and with the candidate running on the contrast between his and Clinton's military record, his campaign isn't eager to give a more accurate account. Dole, at the behest of his handlers, is less reticent about his service than in the past, but he mainly speaks about his wound and rehabilitation. He has passed up several opportunities to correct the exaggerated versions in biographies, and in the case of his self-wounding has even approved a sanitized account in which his maladroitly hurled grenade goes unnoted. Journalists continue to portray him as a hero, winner of two Bronze Stars. Joe Klein, for example, writes in Newsweek that Dole knows "what guns do. He also knows what politicians do, which is rarely anything quite so dramatic as leading an army into battle." Such attempts to make political capital out of Dole's war service go beyond the respect due him for the role he played as a soldier with the 10th Mountain Division.HT to Glenn
UPDATE: Here's Sid Blumenthal viciously trashing George H. Bush's war record in 1992 in the The New Republic.
Oh, THAT liberal media.
The Commissar's Back!
and there's gonna be some trouble
hey now, my commissar's back!
Welcome back from two weeks of reeducation at the Adirondack Gulag. We hope you don't mind our including you amongst the "Dogs Playing Poker" bloggers! And congrats to our old pal Rusty for doing a great job as special guest Politburo member.
From the Llama Recipe File
Synergy--that's what the Llamas have to offer! Rob's the erudite, witty one: I'm the Jack Falstaff on airplane glue one (or, as INDC Bill put it in an email, "Steve, never forget: Rob's the meat, you're just the parsley!")
Anyhoo, here's my addition to the new Llama Recipe Category: Llamabutcher Crabcakes.
These crabcakes are fabulous, if you don't mind me saying so. They are also not-fried, but rather grilled, and are that much better.
What you need:
16 oz Fresh lump crabmeat ---if you can, get it fresh rather than frozen. They're usually sold in 8 oz containers, so get two---life's too short not to eat plenty of crabcakes
3 eggs
1 tsp butter, melted
1 tbsp mayo (add some horseradish to it if you like)
1 sleeve of Saltines, mashed
1 cup of Goldfish crackers, mashed (we used the special red and blue 4th of July ones which worked very well--very festive)
Chesapeake seasoning, pinch
1 squirt of Tobasco (optional)
Half an onion, finely diced
Half a bell pepper, finely diced (preferably red or yellow, for the sweetness and the color)
Here's how you make it:
Mix the eggs, butter, and mayo in a large mixing bowl; this is the binding to keep the cakes together, and there's nothing worse than having them crumble apart while cooking.
Add the saltines (I hand mash them, but that's just me, Mr. Vegas) and the goldfish; these also are part of the binding. Mush it all together by hand.
Add the pepper and onion pieces.
Fold in the crabmeat, mixing it by hand (mushing it is more like it)
Sprinkle the spices, mush together some more.
When it's ready, form into cake patties about the size of your palm and about as thick as the first joint of your index finger---you don't want them to be too thick to insure that they cook evenly. The above recipe should make about 10-12, depending on the size of your palm.
Cook them on the grill outdoors--make sure you are cooking on a surface like tin foil and not directly on the grill. The grill should be medium to hot (I crank the grill all the way to hot, get it good and warm, and then let it cool off a bit, but then again I am a propane Philistine). They'll take a good while to cook, and you want them to be very firm on all sides (break open one with a fork if necessary to test). Depending on the heat, it should take 20-30 minutes. Flip them mid way through, of course.
Serve them with a tartar sauce (we prefer a mayo with horseradish and red relish), lemon, or whatever suits your fancy. They go perfectly with sweet corn and coleslaw.
Let us know if you try it!