 
Café Bizou. We'd been meaning to get to this place for ages, and finally made it last night. Who knew that local Zagaters called it "the most popular restaurant in Los Angeles" for the last four years? After we had a look at the very appealing California-French menu and then finishing our meal, I wasn't surprised. First impression -- nice, comfortable, friendly place, with comfortable-looking booths (we weren't able to get one) and an extremely helpful staff (we were indecisive as to what to order, and got quick and quite decisive advice from our server). Service was fast, too -- the kitchen's efficiency was impressive, although they weren't full yet. First, a test of their full bar -- Wes ordered an Old Fashioned, and I, a Manhattan "with a healthy dose of bitters"). Both passed muster -- the Old Fashioned contained an orange slice and a cherry that wasn't muddled to death into a cloudy paste as is the usual method, and my Manhattan was well-balanced (although it could have used several more seconds of shaking). Our starters of gazpacho arrived soon afterward. Zesty, tangy, well-seasoned, with some texture, which I like in a gazpacho (I prefer them not to be completely puréed). Refreshing, delicious and only three bucks. I'm likin' this place already.
When the entrées arrived, we were
Wes got salmon too, another of at least three different
Dick Cheney's America. If you wanted to see Vice-President Dick Cheney's speech in Albuquerque this weekend, you'd be required to sign a loyalty oath, pledging your public support for the reelection of Bush/Cheney and providing your ID and driver's license number, before being given tickets. I understand that the same goes for Shrub's speech in Ohio this weekend (via Atrios).
State Rep. Dan Foley, R-Roswell, speaking on behalf of the Republican Party, said Thursday that a "known Democrat operative group" was intending to try to crash Saturday's campaign rally at Rio Rancho Mid-High School. He added that some people were providing false names and addresses and added that tickets for the limited-seating event should go to loyal Bush backers.Neither John Kerry nor John Edwards require any attendeed at their speeches to sign pledges to publicly endorse them. The endorsement form reads as follows:
I, (full name) ... do herby (sic) endorse George W. Bush for reelection of the United States." It later adds that, "In signing the above endorsement you are consenting to use and release of your name by Bush-Cheney as an endorser of President Bush.Apparently DickShrub's minions are not only McCarthyesque, but wouldn't be able to define or spell "McCarthyesque" if pressed to do so. This is America?
Quotes of the day. I know, I'm a couple of days late with this (it's been an extremely busy week), but here are a few quotes from Kerry's acceptance speech that lead me to think that Dubya should just start buying moving boxes now:
Now I know there are those who criticize me for seeing complexities and I do because some issues just aren't all that simple. Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn't make it so. Saying we can fight a war on the cheap doesn't make it so. And proclaiming mission accomplished certainly doesn't make it so.Dubya has almost nothing to run on, other than your fear. I'm not afraid. Don't you be either.
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*dazzle* Okay, I'm sure it's not just me ... but I had to stay in my car and finish listening to Barack Obama's keynote address last night, because it was so good -- and he was so good -- that my scalp was tingling.
John Kerry believes in America.Amen. Absolutely goddamn right. Holy crap. That's one of the best political speeches I've ever heard. (I hope Kerry's is as good tomorrow -- it won't do to upstage the nominee now, will it?) Howard Dean's speech, on the other hand ... well, it wasn't bad, but lackluster was the first word that popped into my head. I know they've been telling speakers to "tone it down", but his was not the most memorable speech of the evening, by far. Man, when does Obama get to be president? (Well, after eight years of Kerry/Edwards, and then perhaps eight years of Edwards/Obama ... 2020?)
If I lie about a Communist, will anyone care? In a recent speech, George W. Bush lied (What? I don't believe it!) about something he claimed Cuban President Fidel Castro said. As it turns out, Bush's liewriters plagiarized it from an undergraduate Dartmouth student's paper, posted on the Internet, and didn't even get the quote right.
Speaking to Florida law enforcement officials on July 16, Bush claimed the Cuban leader shamelessly promotes sex tourism.Not only do they lie, they're not even good at it.
Quote of the day. Nicked from a comment thread at Kos:
Hey Lois, look! The two symbols of the Republican party. An elephant and a big fat white guy who's threatened by change. [ Link to today's entries ]
Tweak tweak. I've done a bit more "design" tweaking. I enclose the word design in quotation marks because very little of what I do on this website constitutes anything approaching real design, but in any case, I thought that whatever it was needed a little work. Hence the headline quotation goes to the sidebar, and we've got a few little festive pictures up there at the top, which will rotate as I take them or find something better. Thoughts? Ideas? Feedback? Yes? No? Anyone? Bueller?
New Orleans Box from Shout! Factory Captures City's Sounds, Tastes, Scents, Culture, History. I got this strange press release in my email yesterday. I wonder what this is all about...
Doctors, Professors, Kings & Queens: The Big Ol' Box of New OrleansJesus. Does this mean that I'm finally finished?
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Cocktail of the day. Normally we tend to think of long drinks, or gin-based drinks like a Gin and Tonic or Tom Collins as a refreshing summer drink, and not necessarily one made with rye whiskey. This is an exception, with a nice balance of sweet and tart, a brilliant red color and a lovely flavor as well. Paul Harrington describes this drink thusly: "This whiskey cocktail used to be as bad as it sounds." Back during the dark days of Prohibition, it was made with Canadian whiskey, often of rotgut quality, that flowed over the border for all the American scofflaws to drink. I find Canadian whiskey to be inferior to just about any other kind that doesn't come in a big ceramic jug with "XXX" on the side (the vilest example of which is that Canadian Mist stuff that comes in a 1.75 liter plastic jug; never drink whiskey that comes in a plastic container), so if you want this to be a nice drink instead of a bad drink use real, proper rye whiskey. Canadian whiskey is a lot of grain neutral spirits blended with whiskey, some of which is rye, and by law can contain up to 9% of "additives", including prune juice. (Oy.) Avoid.
We recommend Old Overholt rye with this one.
What's wrong with Italian cooking in America? Too much garlic, too little salt and much of what's on the menu at Olive Garden, says Marcella Hazan. "Do you know what happens in that restaurant every night? RAPE! RAPE! The rape of cuisine!" Tell 'em, Primo. Despite what our beloved Marcella says, though, I love a good plate of spaghetti and meatballs, even if they're never found in Italy. Ain't nothin' like a good Creole-Italian red gravy.
Uh-oh, Spaghetti-O, eh Dick? It could be that the robot who talks out of the side of his mouth might be in a wee spot of trouble.
A Halliburton controversy erupted Tuesday, fueled by a grand jury investigation into whether the oil services giant violated federal sanctions by operating in Iran while Vice President Dick Cheney was running the company.Three of my favorite words -- "grand jury investigation." Let's hope we hear them far more often in the coming months.
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"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Happy 35th anniversary, Tranquility Base (amazing QuickTime VR). I was a childhood space nut, and I still remember watching the moon landing; my parents let me stay up extra-late. I was seven. (Now here I am at thirty-twelve, and where's our feckin' wheel-shaped space station, I ask you?) Here's a little extra treat for really big fans of The Moon.
Quote of the day. Via Byron:
Life ain't worth the dime without a little cholesterol.Only a little now, dawlin'. :-)
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The Fat Pack rules for John John!! The Silverlake Bake Back the White House sale was a smashing success -- we raised $9,400 for the Kerry/Edwards campaign ... and a whopping $705 of that came from the Fat Pack Cookie Krewe table! The organizers apparently said that our table was "by far" the most successful in terms of receipts, and they said they loved our energy and our songs! We were interviewed by CNN and the LA Weekly (although the guy from People magazine didn't come by our table, hmph), and Dave's slogan "Fahrenheit 375: the temperature at which cookies bake!" was quickly adopted as the unofficial slogan for the event. (Nettie pointed out that it's more like 350, but for some reason we all agreed that 375 sounded funnier.) The spread was amazing -- Wes' "Oatmeal, Butterscotch and Chocolate Chunk Bogus Administration Buster Cookies" sold out, as did most of our cookies (including my Chocolate Soufflé Cookies, Orange-Date-Fig Bars with Lemon Icing and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Brownies), the Full Disclosure Pumpkin Breads (with full list of ingredients on the bottom of the tin), Bunnies Against Bush (made of all the yellow cake Saddam didn't buy!), Axis of Evil Cookies (made from four deliciously evil ingredients), Rick's fabulous and unbelievably gooey Bush Economic Policy Brownies (one for $2, two for $5, 3 for $10 ... which doesn't make sense, but then again neither does the Bush economic policy), Maggie's very popular cool and tangy Lemon Bars, and lots more. We had very little left at the end of the day, which we gave away to fellow bakers, stragglers and a few assorted cheapskates (actually, there were only one or two of those; people were trying to give us money for almost everything they took). It was a whole lot of fun, despite it being a blisteringly hot day, and we met lots of wonderful, super-nice people. Entertainment (besides our off-key singing at our table) was provided by a number of local bands, including OK Go, who were quite good and who provided PAs and amps for the entire event. Many thanks to Mary, Steve, Rick, Nettie, Dave, LeeAnn, Bianca, Lisa and Maggie for baking and hawking wares, and additionally to Rick, Dave and Steve for their lyrics and compositions of politically satirical songs, which we sang for an extra donation. Oh, and the Silverbake folks were kind enough to put up a rather decent picture of meself (wearing my "A Few Bad Apples" t-shirt by Tom Tomorrow) in their photo album of the event, which is a good thing, 'cause I forgot my feckin' camera again. This'll be the last bake sale in our area for Kerry/Edwards, as the financing deadline kicks in at the end of the month. Next month it'll probably be a Move On fundraiser, and we'll be there again if we can. I didn't have time to make Madeleines ("They're French, George! French French French!") and my "A Few Bad Apples Apple Upside Down Cake with Calvados Caramel Sauce", so maybe next time. It was really gratifying and exciting to get involved with the campaign in such a fun and positive way. Wes and I were talking about events of this kind and the pros and cons thereof, with regards to holding events like a bake sale as opposed to just writing a check. "Of course we can just write a check, and we often do," he said, "but there's no way to quantify the immaterial benefits of 'pressing the flesh', being in community, sharing some excitement, getting people riled up, and even (if this isn't too grandiose) giving them some hope. The money and cookies are all well and good, but the whole goal is to turn the money, cookies, frustration, excitement, energy and all into VOTES in November. Writing a check doesn't do necessarily do that, but getting out there on the street with others of like mind might just do it." Yeah you rite.
Hmmm ... July 19th. Why does this day strike me as important? I'll check the calendar. Let's see, July 19th ... Galway liberated from Indians ... Marathon becomes Snickers ... Ice Age ends ... no, none of that. What could it be? Oh God ... it's not ... IT'S NOT TIME FOR JACK'S BATH, IS IT?! No no, wait ... we gave him his bath right before last Christmas ... whew. Holiday? (Right, there'll be no feckin' holiday for me anytime soon.) Maybe I'll just have a nice cup of tea. Sure, didn't Our Lord Himself on the cross pause for a nice cup of tea before giving himself up for the world ... what? Didn't He? Oh well, whatever equivalent they had for tea in those days ... cake or whatever.
Bye bye, enetation. The comments system I've been using hosed me for the last time this weekend. I got hammered by several dozen comment spams, but when I logged in as administrator to delete them, no comments were visible on any thread. Once I logged out I could see them again, but of course being logged out I couldn't delete them. Catch-22. I've had numerous reports that the commenting system has been unstable in the past, so today enetation becomes our secondary/backup system until their problems are solved, and now say hello to HaloScan. I seem to have greater control over administrative functions there, and it seems a bit more stable, so let's give it a whirl. As always, play nice, and trolls will be vaporised.
Quote of the day. Via Atrios:
We all need some therapy, because somebody came along and said "liberal" means soft on crime, soft on drugs, soft on Communism, soft on defense, and we're gonna tax you back to the Stone Age because people shouldn't have to go to work if they don't want to. And instead of saying "Well, excuse me, you right-wing, reactionary, xenophobic, homophobic, anti-education, anti-choice, pro-gun, 'Leave it to Beaver' trip back to the Fifties," we cowered in the corner and said "Please, don't hurt me." No more.I'm proud to be liberal and progressive. It's not an epithet. "Don't hurt me"? Nuh-uh, bra. Don't fuck with me.
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Silverlake bakes back the White House! Several of my friends (most of whom are collectively known as "The Fat Pack") and myself will be participating in tomorrow's Silverbake.org Bake Back the White House bake sale and fundraiser for John Kerry and John Edwards. It'll be the last bake sale before the federal funding guidelines kick in, so we need a big turnout. I'm not sure what-all we'll be bringing, but so far it's lookin' really good -- Wes made oatmeal cookies with chocolate and butterscotch chunks (as yet unnamed); I'm bringing "A Few Bad Apples" and Walnut Upside-Down Cake with Calvados Caramel Sauce, and probably some cookies or brownies as well. Look for the table with the sign that says "Kerry's Cookie Krewe" -- we'll also probably be singing songs from our soon-to-be Broadway smash (or not), entitled "Iraq! The Musical!". I can't guarantee we won't have Max Bialystock looking at us for the worst musical ever, but the songs that Rick, Steve and Dave have come up with sure are funny so far. Come see us, and all the other baking folk, and shell out some dough for some dough, refined sugar and butterfat. The location is 4326 Sunset Boulevard, in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles, just east of Fountain Ave., in the Malo Restaurant parking lot, 10am to 5pm tomorrow.
Remain calm. AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!! A hilarious (and so-true-it's-scary) animation from political cartoonist Mark Fiore entitled "Minister of Fear", all the better to brighten your Friday, my dears. (Via Kos) Best line: "We might have to disrupt the democratic process because the terrorists want to disrupt the democratic process."
Food Network, we hardly knew ye. There was a time when I had the Food Network on almost constantly; those days are gone. I get the TiVO to record a few things here and there -- Mario Batali, always (he's my hero), Alton Brown, Tony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver, Iron Chef (of course) -- but that's about it. Thing is, a lot of the proramming these days is crap. Robert in New Orleans recognizes this as well, with an open letter to the Network:
More and more, however, I'm finding that during the times I'm home watching TV, I have no interest in what's showing on that channel. Let me give you an example. Tonight when I got home, and started to cook, I watched a bit of Alton Brown's show, "Good Eats". I like Alton Brown, even though the show tends towards the silly. Right after Brown's show, however, is an exercise in advertising called, "Unwrapped."(Heh.)
Instead of educating myself on the nuances of mass-produced cookies, I was watching Discovery TV, which was airing a couple of episodes of Great Chefs, the venerable tv show that started on PBS, and which focuses on three or more chefs from all over the world on each show. The food is always beautiful, with minimal interference from the narrator. It's one of the first food shows I remember really getting into, and it remains one of my favorites. I'm just glad it's still out there among the Emerils, Bobby Flays, and Rachel "Gatemouth" Ray.He's right. God, I miss "Great Chefs", and I had completely forgotten about it 'cause I almost never flip to Discovery anymore (I never flip, in fact; I have TiVo). I'll have to get a season pass for that one (and see if I ever have time to watch it). "Great Chefs" started out at Robert's and my hometown PBS station, the great WYES, and unless I'm mistaken they still produce it or at least have a hand in producing it, and unless I'm mistaken again it's still narrated by the comforting voices of Mary Lou Conroy and Andres Calandria. It's always been a brilliant show, and I'm glad we still have the opportunity to see it. Let's get serious with the programming, FoodTV. We want great chefs, good cooks and solid cooking technique, not advertising for commercial prepared food and junk food conglomerates.
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"It was just a coat hanger, and ... it didn't hurt any more than a cigarette burn." Garry Trudeau (whose writing and drawing I've been following religiously since I was in eighth grade) tells some very telling tales:
Cartoonist Garry Trudeau, who has skewered politicians for decades in his comic strip "Doonesbury," tells Rolling Stone magazine he remembers Yale classmate George W. Bush as "just another sarcastic preppy who gave people nicknames and arranged for keg deliveries."I'm very much looking forward to the entire interview, some of which is excerpted here. The interview begins with an interesting anecdote:
In 1971, a year after he graduated from Yale, Garry Trudeau went on the game show To Tell the Truth. He had just launched a crudely drawn comic strip called "Doonesbury," but nobody knew who he was: Only one celebrity panelist correctly guessed his identity. "I don't remember which one picked me," Trudeau says with a laugh. "Orson Bean?"I remember that. I used to watch "To Tell The Truth" when I was a kid, and for some reason I disctinctly remember Trudeau's appearance. I was nine. Go figure.
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Joyeux Jour de la Bastille! Happy Bastille Day! For today's lunch, I recommend a crusty baguette, some Camembert and/or Roquefort and a half-bottle of red Bordeaux (or the Frenchiest thing you can find). Today's Los Angeles Times Food Section is all about French food, especially as it is to be found in La Cité des Anges. Chef Alain Giraud offers us a summery French picnic menu that starts with cherry tomatoes, sausage from Lyon and pistachios, plus Pan-bagnat, a fabulous sandwich on focaccia bread with fennel, artichokes, tuna, quail eggs, radish-onion relish, black olive tapenade and anchovies. (Mon dieu!) Best of all, though, is an article about the wonderfully civilized French custom of an apéritif before a meal, a slow and lingering start of a meal to be savoured, and a way to wake up one's taste buds. Your choices are legion -- you could start with Champagne, or a fraise Royale (a house-made Champagne cocktail made with fresh strawberry coulis and/or strawberry liqueur); an apéro wine such as Pineau des Charentes, Lillet, dry vermouth or sweet vermouth; pastis or absinthe; or a bitters such as Campari or the very, very French Suze (an extremely bitter but very nice liqueur made from gentian root). Tonight, the Versinthe our friends brought us back from Paris, I think, plus a Champagne cocktail with a touch of gin and Liqueur de la Violette ...
Apéritifs du jour. For starters today, let's do a little repeat from about two-and-a-half years ago, when I posted about three lovely French apéritifs I'd read about, tried and really loved ... The excellent book Aperitif, by Georgeanne Brennan, has introduced me to three variations on classic pastis which she learned about from neighbors while living in Provence. They all have an ounce of pastis and 4 - 5 ounces of cold water in common, but are all flavored with different sweetened syrups -- almond, grenadine and mint. This produces vibrant colors in these drinks as well, and their names, particularly "The Tomato" and "The Parrot", refer to their color rather than anything having to do with their flavor. (I'm not sure I'd want a parrot-flavored cocktail anyway.) My favorite so far is La Mauresque, although I have yet to try Le Perroquet. These are all very common in Provence, so if you ever go there you can order these at the village café and sound like you know what you're talking about, instead of sounding like a dumb foreigner.
La MauresqueBuvez, et répétez après moi: "Mes amis français, nous sommes désolés que notre président soit un idiot. Nous n'avons pas voté pour lui."
Cocktail of the day. Well, if you're not in the mood for an apéro and want to try a cocktail to celebrate Bastille Day, here's one I love -- lovely, easy and very French. It's a takeoff on the very old classic 1:1 Martini, with a touch of a classic ingredient.
ParisianVive la France! Vive la vie! Vive l'amour!
Le oops. I'd say this counts as a pretty big feckin' mistake, because when you get down to it, for a big corporation and their stockholders, it's all about the money.
Michael Moore's headline grabbing documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," which Disney declined to distribute, grossed more than $80 million in its first three weeks of release, more than any Disney film this year and any documentary ever.Eisner will have to answer to the stockholders. Again.
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New Orleans food critic vs. dietician. Talk about an occupational hazard ... I remember reading that during his tenure as New Orleans' first real food critic, Richard Collin, also known as "The New Orleans Underground Gourmet", gained over 75 pounds in about five years. (Gawd.) Food writer Tom Fitzmorris tries to keep his girth in check by eating only half of what's on his plate when he goes out, and although he is not a skinny man he doesn't have an event horizon. (Yet.) Brett Anderson is the current food critic of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and has a few talks with his doctor and a dietician about how he might "push back the date his liver turns to pâté".
You are how you eat. Giuliano Hazan isn't about fad low-carb diets, he's all about daily eating that's healthy, and in reasonably sized portions -- as the Italians do.
In Italy, cooking and eating are not chores, they are one of life's gifts that nourish the soul as well as the body.Ah, civilization. (Something I do not see in a McDonald's.)
He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees a link between Saddam and al Qaeda. (Ehh, so it's not so much of a tongue twister, although it's quite the brain twister, isn't it?) This man is the poster child for cognitive dissonance. Actually, how can one admit he's made a mistake, that he's wrong, when he's been appointed to his position by God and such an admission would deny his infallibility?
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Aww, looka what I forgot. Busy as the last four days have been, I plumb forgot -- exactly five years (and four days ago), this weblog was born (scroll down to the bottom for the messy birth). Okay, everybody sing (to the tune of "The William Tell Overture") along with Fred, Barney and the cops ...
(Okay, that's enough of that.) I accept this party's nomination for another term as your weblogger. Five more years! Five more years!
Cocktail of the day. I'd been meaning to write this one up for a while. It's one of the classics from the long out-of-print Café Royal Cocktail Book, compiled by W. J. Tarling and published in Britain in 1937. Café Royal was at the time one of the finest restaurants in London (and is now a meetings and events venue owned by Le Meridien, containing other restaraunts and nightclubs). Back then, however, British and expat American bartenders crafted some of the finest drinks to be had anywhere. This drink, which we like not only for its lovely flavor but for the fact that it's got the same name as Wes' sister, also provides a great alternative use for the passion fruit juice or nectar you may have around for making proper Hurricanes. It was created by G. W. Parker.
Absolutely lovely, and a rare classic. I'll bet your guests will love this one. This is another of those drinks that might just cure a gin-hater.
Dîner chez nous. It had been a while since I did a nice blowout dinner, and it was about time. We had some friends from church over the other night, one of whom is a trained chef, so I kinda wanted to strut my stuff. "He likes to show off," Wes would say. A return visit to some old favorites, plus a couple of new things and last-minute ideas managed to come together into a really wonderful meal with no kitchen disasters! That means not only any food screw-ups, but perfect timing, no cuts and no burns. The chef is completely intact this time, for a change. (Back when I was in the culinary program at UCLA Extension, a typical scenario would have me gushing blood into the utility sink after having ripped my knuckle open on the jagged cutting teeth of the big roll of plastic wrap, whereupon Chef would walk by, look at me disapprovingly and say, "What is it with you, anyway?") I also worked really hard on the wines (well, four out of five of them). I had never done a dinner party where I served a different wine for each course, and it came off really well. It was particularly fun to hear guests who weren't big wine drinkers (i.e., "all wine tastes more or less the same to me") enjoy all the wines, and really notice their flavors and distinctiveness. (Hey, those couple of wine classes I took a few years back are starting to pay off.) Here's what we had, with as many recipes and links as I can muster:
CocktailsOkay, nothing but nibbles of lettuce for me for the rest of the week ... this meal, plus the cocktails, wines and Sunday leftovers cost me a pound (fat, not Sterling).
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Looka! now has an RSS feed! (Um, sorta.) A few days ago I read an entry at BoingBoing about a guy in Munich named Carlo who's offering to scrape and host RSS feeds for weblogs that don't have a way to easily generate their own, all for a measly €2 per year. Such a deal, and what the hell ... I gave it a try. Carlo had a look at my dinosaurian hand-code and said it could be done. US$2.54 later ... http://bootleg-rss.g-blog.net/d.gumbopages_com_looka-9ET86780SU455154C.php is here, updated hourly. Thing is ... due to my stone knives and bearskins method of hand-coding this thing, the feed does provide headlines and the first 50 or so words of each post, but the links in the feed don't actually work. They don't take you to the individual post, but they do at least take you to the top of the weblog, where you'll see the headlines in question and shouldn't have to scroll down more than a screen or two. Ehh, it'll have to do for the moment, and it's better than nothing; at least you can use your RSS reader to see if I've updated. Also, that URL for the feed is really unwieldy; I've got a TinyURL version -- http://tinyurl.com/2cdqa -- or you can just get it from the ugly little RSS 1.0 icon at the bottom of the first box in the right-hand sidebar. Hope this helps. Thanks, Carlo!
Oops, I did it again. This post comes directly from Kos, who says, "So convenient." Isn't it, though?
Military records that could help establish President Bush's whereabouts during his disputed service in the Texas Air National Guard more than 30 years ago have been inadvertently destroyed, according to the Pentagon."So were all his records destroyed?" asks Kos. "Turns out that no. Only the three months that would determine if he hadn't gone AWOL."
The destroyed records cover three months of a period in 1972 and 1973 when Mr. Bush's claims of service in Alabama are in question."Huh," says Kos. "What a coincidence. And how convenient. And how, um, new."
There was no mention of the loss, for example, when White House officials released hundreds of pages of the President's military records last February in an effort to stem Democratic accusations that he was "AWOL" for a time during his commitment to fly at home in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.Kos continues, "Bush isn't going to go anywhere near the press for a long, long while, what with their questions about his service record, his best friend Kenny Boy, and John Edwards/Dick Cheney comparisons. "Nope, best to rely on conveniently timed 'terror alerts' and negative attack ads."
Quote of the day. How apropos, still.
"I don't give a shit what happens. I want you to stonewall it, let them plead the Fifth Amendment, cover it up or anything else, if it'll save it, save this plan." A brown man with a camera. Welcome to Bush's America, where lots of non-brown tourists can take picture of the Ballard Locks at Puget Sound in Seattle, a popular public attraction, but one o' them there swarthy-lookin' guys apparently can't. Let's hope and pray that the brownshirts' days are numbered (195 days exactly).
Now look, Col. Bat Guano, if that really is your name ... Via NTK, something that leads me to think that whoever in the Pentagon press office has the job of talking to the British news media is having an awfully good time.
The US military's contest to get the most unusual name into a news story continues, with early lead from Rear Admiral Stufflebeam, now threatened by Lt. Commander Flex Plexico, and of course Guantanamo Bay's very own "Lt Mike Kafka".Okay, give me a break ... these names are like something right out of a Monty Python sketch. "Umm, I think it's a joke name, sir ... like, uh, 'Sillius Soddus,' or 'Biggus Dickus.'" What's so ... funny about "Biggus Dickus"? I have a vewy gweat fwiend in Wome called Biggus Dickus ...
Heeb-y jeebies. (Okay, I must confess that I didn't think of the header, Steve did, and sent the link.) From the magazine Heeb: The New Jew Review, for which our friend Tim is a columnist, a bit of fun and wackiness. Let's play ... "Kosher or Treyf?" (E.g., Jack Black = kosher, Jack White = treyf. Might not be entirely safe for work.) Shtupp the madness! (Credit where it's due; that's one of Dave's.)
The decline of reading. Here's a depressing article from the New York Times: "Fewer Noses Stuck in Books in America, Survey Finds".
[A] new survey to be released today by the National Endowment for the Arts ... describes a precipitous downward trend in book consumption by Americans and a particular decline in the reading of fiction, poetry and drama.This decline has been happening for a while, with myriad factors affecting it, from the ever-increasing encroachment of television to the anti-intellectualism that began in the Reagan era and continues in the Bushboy era, and it's depressing. Wes and I went to a reading and talk by writer David Leavitt, whose new novel The Body of Jonah Boyd was released recently. He's been teaching creative writing at the University of Florida, and told us that his students -- especially the undergraduates -- come into his class without having read anything. As in, almost nothing outside of the few novels required in their high school classes. All they know is television and video games. Before they even start writing exercises he makes them read Flannery O'Connor and Grace Paley, among others, because they have practically no literary background ... and in order to be a writer you have to be a reader. Sigh. Take special note of the last sentence of the Times article:
The one category of book to rise markedly was that of religious texts, with total sales of $337.9 million, 36.8 percent over the previous year.I can't help but wonder if in "religious texts" they're including those stupid, God-awful "Left Behind" apocalyptica books (I hesitate to elevate their worth by calling them "novels"). They sell very, very well, apparently to people who can't recognize extremely bad writing when they read it.
[ Link to today's entries ]
The long and cool of it. The Los Angeles Times Food Section yesterday featured an article on cocktails, which is always welcome. The author is in Vegas (thanks to the Petrossian Bar, one of my favorite places to drink) and was rightfully appalled by the recommendation of one of those Bourbon Street-style "daiquiri bars", i.e. artificially flavored alcoholic Slurpees. The emphasis on the use of fresh juices and not bottled crapola is appreciated, as are the numerous cocktail recipes given out, but ... well, some of them are a little strange. Negronis and Sidecars on the rocks? Bite your tongue. Hey, if you like 'em that way, that's great -- but the default method for serving those drinks should be straight up (bartenders, please ask). There's also an interesting Pimm's Cup recipe, but it seems to have far too much sweet and sour (Five ounces? Good Lord. At least they call for fresh-made). Still an interesting read.
Ardent cocktailians. Gary and Mardee have been busy, and today we get both a new Ardent Spirits newsletter as well as a visit from the Professor. The current issue talks about Dubonnet cocktails, Glenmorangie Scots whisky (N.B. -- it rhymes with "Orange-y") and the most beautiful (and expensive) muddlers I've ever seen. I want one anyway. Meanwhile, one of the Professor's customers convinces him that maple syrup isn't just for pancakes anymore ... try mixing it with Calvados. (Although, yeesh ... that recipe is big enough for TWO cocktails. Two BIG ones.)
Surprising new evidence of the existence of God! Arrest and perp walk of former Enron chief heartens theologians.
(Text nicked from an old LA Weekly caption beneath Charles Keating's mug shot.)
Arrrrroooooooooooooo! The Secretary of Homeland Security huffs and puffs, but fails to change the "Terror Alert Level":
(Nicked from Atrios)
Waves, particles and the "liberal media." Tom Tomorrow's "This Modern World" is particularly brilliant this week.
Email of the day. I can't imagine it's anything but a leg-puller, but ... well, you'd think it'd be funnier.
From: Ella B_______Umm ... Ella, me darlin', I couldn't say. However, keep asking around, and enjoy your flogging!
Quote of the day. My favorite moment during the reading of this morning's paper:
"He was right that Dick Cheney was ready to take over on day one, and he did and he has been ever since, and that's what we got to change."Hey! How do you know when the president is lying? Someone is pulling the little string that makes his lips move.
BushCo to Pakistan: Catch Osama during convention. Administration officials are pressuring Pakistan to catch or kill Osama bin Laden and high-ranking Taliban fugitives, according to an article in The New Republic entitled "July Surprise?" Of course, there's a catch ...
This public pressure would be appropriate, even laudable, had it not been accompanied by an unseemly private insistence that the Pakistanis deliver these high-value targets (HVTs) before Americans go to the polls in November. The Bush administration denies it has geared the war on terrorism to the electoral calendar ... But The New Republic has learned that Pakistani security officials have been told they must produce HVTs by the election.It isn't "Catch him because he killed 3,000 of our fellow Americans"; in fact, Bush has often been quoted as saying that (incredibly) he isn't concerned about bin Laden's whereabouts. It's "Catch him because otherwise I'll lose the election." In January 2002 Bush told congressional leaders, "I have no ambition whatsoever to use this [September 11 and the war on terror] as a political issue." Well, it's obvious that he's just a fucking liar, isn't it? I'm unable to summon the words to express my contempt at the moment.
[ Link to today's entries ]
Holiday recovery. I put on nearly three pounds. Yeesh. Well, it was worth it -- on the Big Day we dined on a brisket that had been smoking for fifteen hours (goodgodchristalmighty, that was so unbelievablyfeckingood; I was so intoxicated by the first nibble that I forgot about my plans to photograph it for the weblog and just began devouring it), Pork 'n Pork 'n Pork 'n Beans, a light and crispy and very dilly cole slaw, roasted corn with Irish butter, roasted onions and garlic, and some fresh-made tortilla chips with an incendiary red chile salsa and some milder cactus salsa, plus copious amounts of beer, exotic sodas, Absinthe Suisesses and some unnamed cocktail made of watermelon juice, triple sec, Bacardi Limón and Schweppes Bitter Lemon. (Dang, no wonder I put on weight.) We then proceeded to watch the fireworks show emanating from our friends' neighbor's backyard in Highland Park; I'm not entirely sure, but I think that this man had enough rocket power to send the entire neighborhood into circumlunar orbit. (Someone set of an M-100 nearby, and for a minute I thought all my clothes had been blown off.) Woohoo, happy Fourth of July ...
A man who appreciates good barbecue. As you've probably heard, it's Edwards. Good. I voted for him in the California primary, and I'll vote for him again when I vote Kerry-Edwards in November. It's kind of exciting ... never in my life has someone I voted for in the primary made it onto the ticket. Let's see, what can the Repub attack dogs unleash about Edwards? He's wealthy. (He worked his way up from poverty into being a millionaire by hard work and his own merits, unlike some whose family money and connections were handed to him on a silver platter since birth.) He's a lawyer. (Oh, that's easy, everybody hates lawyers, right? Let's start counting Republicans with J.D.s, shall we?) He's inexperienced. (Six years as a senator, versus four years as a largely ceremonial governor. Sounds better to me. Hey, wasn't Jack Kennedy a one-term senator when he was elected?) Bring 'em on.
Dewey defeats Truman! Faire le oops.
America: Land of the free, home of the brave. Except when you're not free (First Amendment? What First Amendment?) and the so-called president of your country is a coward. At a Fourth of July rally in West Virginia at which Shrub spoke,
Two Bush opponents, taken out of the crowd in restraints by police, said they were told they couldn't be there because they were wearing shirts that said they opposed the president.Conservatives, what do you think of a man who won't let his political opponents air their views in a civil, nonviolent manner, in accordance with their right to freedom of speech? I think such a man could only be described as a despot.
Activist: E-voting to be a "train wreck". Hold onto your hats, kiddies. We apparently ain't seen nothin' yet.
Ambushing registrars and tracking down executives at their homes and offices, a literary publicist has uncovered conflicts of interests and security flaws inside the companies that make electronic ballot machines.The revolution will be televised. On Fox.
Quotes of the day. In light of the new DNC ad:
"I believe my party has gone astray ... I think the Democratic Party is a fine party, and I have no problems with it, in their views and their philosophy ... You can't fly on an aircraft carrier and declare victory and have the deaths continue ... you can't do that. I do not believe that [Sen. Kerry] is necessarily weak on defense."Or even vice-president!
[ Link to today's entries ]
Hey baby, it's the Fourth of July. If for some god-knows-why reason you're reading this weblog instead of barbecueing and drinking and shooting off fireworks, here's something to think about. Peter Dreier, professor of political science at Occidental College right here in our beloved Eagle Rock, writes in the LA Weekly about reclaiming love for country from the right wing in "Give Us Back Our Damn Flag: The leftist case for patriotism", which among many other things points out the origins behind a lot of the flag-wavers' favorites:
"Take Back Our Country", a line used by Pat Buchanan when he declared a cultural war at the 1992 Republican Convention, has now become a rallying cry for liberals. John Kerry has been appropriating the key line from Langston Hughes' Depression-era poem "Let America Be America Again" as a campaign slogan.Sentiments like "you're either with us or you're against us" and "you're either with us or with the terrorists" are about as anti-American as I can imagine.
Sing. C'mon. Everyone knows this one. Although ... I'll bet you don't know all the words. Learn 'em, and think about what they mean. (And remember that this song was written as an angry response to the blind patriotism of "God Bless America".)
THIS LAND IS YOUR LANDThank you, Woody.
Quotes of the day. Some of which were nicked from Lyn:
"The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home." [ Link to today's entries ]
Freeze me! Sara Dickerman writes in Slate about why food snobs shouldn't turn a cold shoulder to frozen food.
[E]conomy and convenience are no way to win over the foodies. Epicures are looking for a) greater flavor or b) greater status (and not necessarily in that order). A story in the New York Times this spring suggested that frozen sushi might offer both. Julia Moskin's article surprised almost every food-loving person I know. Its gist: Most of the fresh fish we eat raw in sushi bars has been frozen at some point, and the USDA even stipulates that most fish destined to be eaten raw must be frozen to inhibit food-borne parasites. Moskin's article quotes chefs at some of the New York region's most celebrated sushi restaurants; some chefs revealed that they rely on medical-quality super-freezers that reach -70 F and are intended for organ storage. No food seems to celebrate freshness and unadulterated materials more than sushi, but it turns out that freshness is a function of how well the fish has been handled by the sushi master, not whether it comes straight from the ocean.Bread is particularly good after being frozen. Last time I made Irish brown bread I only kept enough to eat before going stale; the rest was sliced into half-loaves and frozen. Once thawed, it's just as good as fresh. Make sure, though, that if you're freezing stuff at home that you label it; just because it's in the freezer doesn't mean it'll last forever. Make sure it's well-wrapped with heavy freezer-quality plastic wrap and/or foil, to avoid freezer burn (ick).
June Looka! entries have been permanently archived.
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We decided not to go with dessert, given
that we were headed over to Lucky Baldwin's Pub down the street to
help celebrate our friend Gregg's birthday with a 9-liter (!) bottle of
Happy Anniversary!
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