Places I've Visited- A Partial List

So, I have been traveling quite a bit as an adult, and here is a partial list-hope I can add to it in the next couple of years when Ray is done with school!

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Preserved Lemons

Meijer's had a surfeit of lemons last week, so I decided to use what I had left to make preserved lemons. It was surprisingly simple to do, considering how expensive it is to purchase them online. I will give updates as the process of preserving them continues...

FDA Peanut Recall

Here's a widget I picked up at the FDA website that list recalled peanut products-

My Omnivore 100 List-Comments and Explanations

1. Venison-I have had this as elk, deer (whitetail and mule), and antelope-elk is best, although a lot of the way venison tastes has to do with the way it is butchered and prepared (not overcooked)
2. Nettle tea-not sure if this is such a great thing taste-wise, from what I have read, but I would be interested in trying it, if it would help my hayfever...
3. Huevos rancheros-yummy
4. Steak tartare-not sure if I had this in the traditional sense, but I have had raw beef
5. Crocodile-alligator in this part of the world. As a matter of fact, I will most likely have some tomorrow night at one of my most favorite restaurants, Pearl's New Orleans Kitchen
6. Black pudding-or blood sausage? Not much to write home about
7. Cheese fondue-I have made this myself a few times, but never with kirsch, as I have a hard time finding it in the northwoods of Michigan
8. Carp-or some variation of-smoked sucker-pretty darn tasty
9. Borscht-I have made this several times, with varying degrees of success
10. Baba ghanoush-ditto
11. Calamari-hard to find a good plate of this, but Trattoria Stella does an admirable job when they have them on the menu
12. Pho-I think I actually may have had this at a Vietnamese restaurant in Grand Rapids where we were the only non-Asians
13. PB&J sandwich-I do like a PB&J with a big glass of milk once in a while
14. Aloo gobi-I have not had much Indian food, actually almost none. I really need to find an Indian restaurant the next time we go someplace out of the area
15. Hot dog from a street cart-a good hot dog is hard to beat. I love Koegel's
16. Epoisses-any kind of cheese is good-look forward to trying this one
17. Black truffle-I guess I never had enough to make a judgement
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes-Hot Rod Cherry from Peninsula Cellars is delicious
19. Steamed pork buns-my god I love these
20. Pistachio ice cream-my dad made me eat this when I was a little girl, even though I told him I didn't like it, and I immediately threw up
21. Heirloom tomatoes-fresh off the vine from your own garden-yum
22. Fresh wild berries-huckleberries and raspberries-and if you can find them, strawberries, all grow wild here
23. Foie gras-just had this for the first time last month at the Rattlesnake Club in Detroit. Heavenly!
24. Rice and beans-I have eaten a lot of these in my life, but my favorite remains blackbeans and yellow rice
25. Brawn, or head cheese-blech
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper-these are too hot by themselves for my taste, but Ray makes a great papaya pepper sauce with them
27. Dulce de leche-I made this by cooking a can of sweetened condensed milk. I also had some that Clair brought back from Argentina. It's caramel...
28. Oysters-any way but raw
29. Baklava-I just love it, wish I could get the real thing from a Greek bakery
30. Bagna cauda-have been wanting to make this for ages, might try it Sunday
31. Wasabi peas-these are a great snack
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl-eat this at the Renaissance Fair almost every year
33. Salted lassi-have not had this, but have had kefir, which is similar. Very good.
34. Sauerkraut-I really like sauerkraut, but my mom tried to make some once in the basement in a stoneware crock and it smelled so bad, and was too salty to eat
35. Root beer float-my favorite summer treat
36. Cognac with a fat cigar-had both of these, but not sure if I have had them at the same time
37. Clotted cream tea-I bought the ingredients for a cream tea from British Delights-what nice people!
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O-shots-Ah yes, the infamous jello shots...
39. Gumbo-probably will be having some of this at Pearl's
40. Oxtail-we had oxtail soup when I was a kid-it was supposed to be a cheap cut of meat, for a cheap meal. I don't even think you can buy it most places any more.
41. Curried goat-haven't had goat in any form-have heard it is tasty, though.
42. Whole insects-I ate these in biology class in high school
43. Phaal-more Indian food to try
44. Goat’s milk-not fond of this, but may be good in recipes. I love goats milk cheese, though.
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more-I bought a bottle of Glen Livet, but was not impressed. Anyone have any suggestions?
46. Fugu-hmmm not sure if I will ever make it to Japan to try this one
47. Chicken tikka masala-had this made by the mother of one of the boys friends, delicious
48. Eel-never had it all by itself, so hard to say if I like it or not
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut-OMG! I love these-If you can't get them hot off the line, warm in the microwave for 10 seconds. Delicious!
50. Sea urchin-definitely want to try this
51. Prickly pear-only had the canned stuff-not impressed. Would like to try some fresh
52. Umeboshi-I need to buy some of these, I have been wanting to eat them for years...
53. Abalone-I bet this is tasty
54. Paneer-I actually made some of this from a recipe I found a long time ago in an old vegetarian cookbook I had
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal-I do like a Mac Meal, but Ray's version of the Big Mac is way better
56. Spaetzle-yummy little dumplings of doughy goodness
57. Dirty gin martini-I will have one of these at Pearl's, too!
58. Beer above 8% ABV-mmmm beer
59. Poutine-chips n cheese
60. Carob chips-used to make healthy cookies with these in my hippie days
61. S’mores-another summertime treat
62. Sweetbreads-never had these, but would definitely like to try
63. Kaolin-who eats clay? Seriously, I used this in a cleansing routine once, and used it as a facial mask, but it has no taste and is very dry. Blech!
64. Currywurst-sounds good
65. Durian-as soon as heard about this stinky fruit that tastes amazing, I wanted to try it
66. Frogs’ legs-tastes like chicken. I have a hard time getting that image from biology class out of my head, though.
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake-it's all good
68. Haggis-I'm willing to try anything once, maybe with some good Scotch whiskey?
69. Fried plantain-I like them
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette-I have had them in menudo
71. Gazpacho-tastes like summer
72. Caviar and blini-I was surprised that I liked caviar
73. Louche absinthe-Ray got the real thing for Christmas a couple of years ago. I don't really care for it, because it has a very strong licorice taste.
74. Gjetost, or brunost-this cheese is delicious, with a kind of caramel flavor
75. Roadkill-I killed (haha) two birds with one stone- venison roadkill
76. Baijiu-I've had white lightning, so I guess I could probably handle Chinese firewater
77. Hostess Fruit Pie-these don't seem to have as much fruit as they had when I was a kid
78. Snail-I really like snails
79. Lapsang souchong-this is a good tea- I like the smokey flavor
80. Bellini-this is my go to cocktail since our trip to Italy last summer
81. Tom yum-yum yum
82. Eggs Benedict-my favorite way to eat eggs
83. Pocky-these are ok, but I can think of a lot of other sweets I like better
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant-a definite must at some point in my life
85. Kobe beef-I was looking into maybe raising some wagyu beef cattle-I think it could be a money maker
86. Hare-we have a friend who gives us lots of snowshoe hares every winter. I will definitely be eating more of them.
87. Goulash-I really like this
88. Flowers-pretty additions to a dish. I need to try the fried squash blossoms, though.
89. Horse-not sure if I could eat this, maybe if I didn't know beforehand....
90. Criollo chocolate-any chocolate sounds good to me
91. Spam-I had too much of this when I lived with my dad
92. Soft shell crab-I so want to try this
93. Rose harissa-I am really getting into Moroccan food and would like to get my hands on some of this
94. Catfish-looks gross, but tastes great
95. Mole poblano-I love poblano peppers
96. Bagel and lox-the first time I had this was in New Orleans, of all places!
97. Lobster Thermidor-lobster anything rocks!
98. Polenta-soft, creamy, delicious
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee-I can smell it now...
100. Snake-I heard it tastes like chicken

The Omnivore’s Hundred-My List

The Omnivore’s Hundred

Here’s a list that Jill at the blog "Very Good Taste" compiled of 100 things that she thinks every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but, according to her, a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognize everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers.

Here’s what I want you to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here and at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O shots
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Jon Stewart Annihilates Sarah Palin's Media Surrogates | Comedy Central Insider - The Comedy Blog for Comedy Fans

I love Jon Stewart, and this is him at his best-

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Sarah Palin Gender Card
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

MinnPost - AP photographer's last pre-arrest shot is a stunner

MinnPost - AP photographer's last pre-arrest shot is a stunner

"I heard an officer say, 'What are we supposed to do with him?' And the arresting officer say, 'What do we charge him with?' It seemed they knew I was press but no one knew what to do. I was getting passed around but no one was willing to do anything."

The arrest report indicates Rourke was charged with "Riot — gross misdemeanor."

Rourke's boss, AP Director of Photography Santiago Lyon, isn't on opinion lockdown. Via email, he states, "It is unacceptable for a working, credentialed photojournalist to be detained in the manner that AP Photographer Matt Rourke was on Sept 1, 2008 in St. Paul. Upon ascertaining his status as a journalist, police should have released him immediately."

Fascists in St. Paul

In an article by Amy Forlitti of the Associated Press, the police in St. Paul felt that it was necessary to use pepper spray on legal, peaceful demonstrators at the Republican convention-

"Pictures taken by Associated Press photographers showed officers using pepper spray on protesters who appeared to be trying to block streets.
"There are people who are committing violations of law and they're being arrested," Walsh said."

Transcript of Barack Obama - Plain Dealer Extra

Transcript of Barack Obama - Plain Dealer Extra

Transcript of Barack Obama

Posted by Plain Dealer staff August 28, 2008 22:49PM

Categories: Democrats

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama

"The American Promise"

Democratic Convention

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

Denver, Colorado

As Prepared for Delivery

To Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin; and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation; with profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.
Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest - a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours -- Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night. To the love of my life, our next First Lady, Michelle Obama, and to Sasha and Malia - I love you so much, and I'm so proud of all of you.

Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to. It is that promise that has always set this country apart - that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well. That's why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women - students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and
janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.

We meet at one of those defining moments - a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.

Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach.

These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure
to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and
the failed policies of George W. Bush.

America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.

This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work.

This country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he's worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to China, and then chokes up as he explains how he felt like a failure when he went home to tell his family the news.

We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes.

Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land - enough! This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: "Eight is enough."

Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.

But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.

The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives - on health care and education and the economy - Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisors - the man who wrote his economic plan - was talking about the
anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a "mental recession," and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners."

A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made. Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third or fourth or fifth tour of duty. These are not whiners. They work hard and give back and keep going without complaint. These are the Americans that I know.

Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know. Why else would he define middle-class as someone making under five million dollars a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations and oil companies but not one penny of tax relief to more than one hundred million Americans? How else could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people's benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement?

It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it.

For over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own.

Well it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America.

You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.

We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President - when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.

We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job - an economy that honors the dignity of work.

The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great - a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.

Because in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton's Army, and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.

In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree; who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships.

When I listen to another worker tell me that his factory has shut down, I remember all those men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I stood by and fought for two decades ago after the local steel plant closed.

And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle-management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman. She's the one who taught me about hard work. She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she's watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well.

I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities
lead, but this has been mine. These are my heroes. Theirs are the
stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win
this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United
States.

What is that promise?

It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.

It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us.
It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.

That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President.

Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote
it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.

Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.

I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.

And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.

Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.

As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs
that pay well and can't ever be outsourced.

America, now is not the time for small plans.

Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance. I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange,
I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. And we will keep our promise to every young American - if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.

Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves. And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those
companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care
the most.

Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent.

Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses; and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.

And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work,
because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons.

Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less - because we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy.

And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of rest even go to the cave where he lives.

And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush Administration, even after we learned that Iraq has a $79 billion surplus while we're wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war.

That's not the judgment we need. That won't keep America safe. We need a President who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.

You don't defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq. You don't protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can't truly stand up for Georgia when you've strained our oldest alliances. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice - but it is not the change we need.

We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don't tell me that Democrats won't defend this country. Don't tell me that Democrats won't keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans -- Democrats and Republicans - have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.

As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.

These are the policies I will pursue. And in the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain.

But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism.

The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of
America.

So I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.

America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices, and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past. For part of what has been lost these past eight years can't just be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits. What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose - our sense of higher purpose. And that's what we have to restore.

We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we
can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common
effort.

I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan Horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values. And that's to be expected. Because if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from.

You make a big election about small things.

And you know what - it's worked before. Because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know.

I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington.

But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you.

For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us - that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it - because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.

America, this is one of those moments.

I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming. Because I've seen it. Because I've lived it. I've seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work. I've seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands.

And I've seen it in this campaign. In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time. In the Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but did. I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.

This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.

Instead, it is that American spirit - that American promise - that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.

That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours - a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.

And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.

The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.

But what the people heard instead - people of every creed and color, from every walk of life - is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.

"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."

America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.

Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America.

John McCain Gets Owned on Meet The Press

Mr. Backpedal




Heard this argument before?

The Page - by Mark Halperin - TIME

The Page - by Mark Halperin - TIME

The Honorable Dennis Kucinich

Democratic National Convention

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

It’s Election Day 2008. We Democrats are giving America a wake-up call. Wake up, America. In 2001, the oil companies, the war contractors and the neo-con artists seized the economy and have added 4 trillion dollars of unproductive spending to the national debt. We now pay four times more for defense, three times more for gasoline and home heating oil and twice what we paid for health care.

Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, their homes, their health care, their pensions. Trillions of dollars for an unnecessary war paid with borrowed money. Tens of billions of dollars in cash and weapons disappeared into thin air, at the cost of the lives of our troops and innocent Iraqis, while all the president’s oilmen are maneuvering to grab Iraq’s oil.

Borrowed money to bomb bridges in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. No money to rebuild bridges in America. Money to start a hot war with Iran. Now we have another cold war with Russia, while the American economy has become a game of Russian roulette.

If there was an Olympics for misleading, mismanaging and misappropriating, this administration would take the gold. World records for violations of national and international laws. They want another four-year term to continue to alienate our allies, spend our children’s inheritance and hollow out our economy.

We can’t afford another Republican administration. Wake up, America. The insurance companies took over health care. Wake up, America. The pharmaceutical companies took over drug pricing.

Wake up, America. The speculators took over Wall Street. Wake up, America. They want to take your Social Security. Wake up, America. Multinational corporations took over our trade policies, factories are closing, good paying jobs lost.

Wake up, America. We went into Iraq for oil. The oil companies want more. War against Iran will mean $10-a-gallon gasoline. The oil administration wants to drill more, into your wallet. Wake up, America. Weapons contractors want more. An Iran war will cost 5 to 10 trillion dollars.

This administration can tap our phones. They can’t tap our creative spirit. They can open our mail. They can’t open economic opportunities. They can track our every move. They lost track of the economy while the cost of food, gasoline and electricity skyrockets. They skillfully played our post-9/11 fears and allowed the few to profit at the expense of the many. Every day we get the color orange, while the oil companies, the insurance companies, the speculators, the war contractors get the color green.

Wake up, America. This is not a call for you to take a new direction from right to left. This is call for you to go from down to up. Up with the rights of workers. Up with wages. Up with fair trade. Up with creating millions of good paying jobs, rebuilding our bridges, ports and water systems. Up with creating millions of sustainable energy jobs to lower the cost of energy, lower carbon emissions and protect the environment.

Up with health care for all. Up with education for all. Up with home ownership. Up with guaranteed retirement benefits. Up with peace. Up with prosperity. Up with the Democratic Party. Up with Obama-Biden.

Wake up, America. Wake up, America. Wake up, America.

Awesome John McCain videos

As you can tell from the video above, John McCain does not respect women, so did you hear about this incident?



John McCain wants to reinstate the draft!


And here is an older video where he says he does not support the draft in front of a group of veterans-


Hannity Excuses McCain's Affair: He Was a POW!

Barack Obama chooses Joe Biden

Barack Obama chooses Joe Biden as his VP pick.

Coronary Arterial Calcium Scans Help Detect Overall Death Risk In The Elderly

ScienceDaily (2008-07-05) -- Measuring calcium deposits in the heart's arteries can help predict overall death risk in American adults, even when they are elderly, according to a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Researchers studied 35,383 adults, aged 40 to 80, in Torrance, CA and Nashville, TN, for an average of 5.8 years after having a coronary artery calcium scan. Among these research volunteers, 3,570 were age 70 or older.

In total, 838 deaths were recorded, 320 in women and 518 in men. The study found the overall death risk was higher among those with higher coronary arterial calcium scores.

The Associated Press: NASA warming scientist: 'This is the last chance'

All I can say to Sen. James Inhofe's comment at the end of this article is this-
"As a rule we disbelieve all the facts and theories for which we have no use. - William James"
The Associated Press: NASA warming scientist: 'This is the last chance'

Grayling 4 Mile Road Forest Fire

At about 3:00pm on April 24, 2008, a forest fire started just south of the industrial park in Grayling, MI. Within an hour the fire was threatening the city of Grayling, burning to within a few feet of businesses on the I-75 Business Loop. Thanks to the amazing work of the firefighters, the inferno was halted within a few feet of a gas station and prevented major destruction to residential areas of Grayling. Thanks to rain overnight, the fire is 100% contained, with only a few hot spots still smoldering. The National Weather Service predicts heavy rains, thunderstorms, hail and even snow in the next 24 hours.

Coq Au Vin and Roasted White Vegetables

A few days ago I decided to clean out the vegetable bin and found some fennel and parsnips. I had heard a podcast on Good Food last fall about roasting root veggies and decided to combine the fennel and parsnips with some onions and potatoes to make a nice side dish to go with the Coq Au Vin I was making for dinner that night. The roasted veggies were super easy to make, just scrub them and peel or not, depending on your preference, drizzle with olive oil, add a generous grind of pepper and some kosher salt to taste, and roast at 400 degrees f. for about 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes or so. You can tell they are done when the hardest vegetable is fork tender.
We had a nice discussion during dinner about the recipes I used. David asked me how there can be so many different recipes for the same thing. He is planning on being a chef, so he has been doing a lot of cooking with us. I said that you can mix up the ingredients in just about any recipe to suit what you have on hand. I explained to him that recipes can vary not just from country to country, but from region to region and even city to city. Ray then said, "yeah, it's not like baking", meaning baking is more like chemistry, with exact measurements and specific ingredients that do a particular thing. Cooking is more like art, it is a creative endeavor. Anyway, the end result was good food and full bellies!

Man loses glasses and sanity in car wash

I know everybody else is already blogging about this, but it was just too funny to pass up. I question whether it was really an "old guy"-I mean really, if he's under the age of 65, he's not old!


If anyone has a link to the original news story or police report, I sure would like to read it.