Dodd Redux

Pay attention to the excerpted paragraph -- which is what is happening.
I am reposting this from  2/4.   Link in that post has gone postal...
Cenk Uygur
Host of The Young Turk
Posted: February 2, 2010 11:12 How Bipartisanship Hurts the Country

Excerpt from end of his article:                                               

"The problem is selling out to corporate America in the guise of settling political differences. And here it comes again in financial reform. Here is what a staffer at Senator Dodd's office said recently according to the Financial Times (see correction below):

"Chris is retiring so he wants to end his career with an important regulatory reform bill and he wants to make the bill bipartisan. He is not going to risk bipartisan support to make the White House happy."

Translation:

"Chris is retiring and would like to get a high paying job on K Street, and hence, he will pretend to be bipartisan and reach convenient compromises with the Republicans in his committee to gut this bill and protect the corporate interests he will soon be serving."

And guess what, it turns out that compromises that Sen. Dodd (D) and Sen. Shelby (R) have been working on wind up reducing consumer protection, allowing the banks to take more risks and make more money at taxpayer expense. Who could have seen that coming? I guess that's another lucky break for corporate America! How can a small group of people keep getting so lucky?

Political bipartisanship is a fraud. It's meant to cover up bipartisan crime. The media and the Democrats aren't telling you the truth. The only thing they're compromising away is your interests. The people who sell out the most are the ones that are revered the most as centrists and moderates. It's all a sham. They're not centrists, they're corporatists. Don't believe the hype. Bipartisanship doesn't help you, it helps the lobbyists.

Correction: Senator Dodd's office reached out to me to say that the Financial Times quote was not an official statement from his office. That is true. I should have attributed it to a staffer as I have corrected now. Here is the statement from Kirstin Brost, the Communications Director in Dodd's office:

"Dodd strongly supports the Volcker rule. I don't know who Deal Reporter spoke to, but I speak for Chairman Dodd and Dodd is going to fight for the strongest bill he can get. He is giving the Volcker proposal careful consideration. We are having two major hearings this week with Chairman Volker and the Treasury Department to do just that."

I don't want people to misunderstand my correction. The only thing being corrected is the source of the quote. I do not believe the official statement from Dodd's office. Every report I have read indicates that they are not going to push strongly for the Volcker Rule. I hope they prove all those reports wrong, but I highly doubt it.

One more thing that should be noted, I had very high praise for the initial reform package that Senator Dodd introduced a couple of months ago. I explained on our show how it was stronger than the House or White House version and that it was a real reform package. Furthermore, I supported Chris Dodd in the 2008 presidential primaries over Barack Obama. So, I have absolutely nothing against Senator Dodd or his original proposal for reform. What I have a problem with is selling out that proposal to get a so-called bipartisan deal with the Republicans and to make corporate lobbyists happy, and in the process, making financial reform much, much weaker.

I will be the first one to give Senator Dodd tremendous credit if he does not do this and sticks to his original strong reform proposal. We'll be watching to see who was right after all."

Live streaming of HCR conference showing amount of contributions to speakers by major industries -- as they are speaking.

Hope they took their Do-Doz

Harry Reid speaking at the Health Summit.  Only Obama is pretending to be awake -- and he's faking it.

My newest addiction...

Also, perhaps the world's messiest food.
Recipe and Text from The Recovering Vegetarian
/http://therecoveringvegetarian.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/sriracha-lime-boiled-peanuts/


Sriracha-Lime Boiled Peanuts

• 1lb raw peanuts, in shells
• 8oz soy sauce
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup sriracha chili sauce (Feel free to increase this as much as you like)
• 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• handful of fresh cilantro leaves
• 2Tbsp rice vinegar

As far as recipes go, this one is pretty darn simple. Grab the biggest pot you’ve got on hand and toss in your peanuts. Fill with water, add all your other ingredients. Bring to a boil, then turn it down to a gentle simmer. Keep an eye on your water level and periodically pop out a peanut, unshell and taste. Adjust the seasonings to suit your taste, enjoy the smell as you come to check on it. These are definitely the most fragrant peanuts I’ve ever made. You’ll know yours are done when the shells are pliable and the nuts inside are soft and flavorful. (Mine took about six hours?)
When they’re done, place a generous serving in a bowl and toss with red pepper flakes and another small handful of cilantro leaves. If you have any left over, some people drain theirs and store them in the refrigerator that way, I prefer to store them in some of the cooking liquid. They taste even better the next day that way!

Press the Meat

(email to Carol 2/14):
I didn't know that Rachel Maddow needed to be toned down.  I watched some of the show you referred to and frankly if I were her I would need to be toned down if I had to put up with these three right wing clowns on the show.  There was some congressman (R-IL?) who just mouthed a bunch of cliches,  David Brooks who does the same but with a "concerned" and "sincere" tone (for our own good, mind you) and that idiot Ford who sez he is a Dem (and sez he lives in NY) while being a total right winger who lives in Tenn for tax purposes --and still can't win an election.  It would be nice if Mr. Gregory asked questions that did not assume there was any legitimacy to this outrage over a civilian trial for KSM in NY rather than what it is -- a successfully orchestrated attack worthy of Rove-Cheney (hey -- it probably IS Rove-Cheney).  Even Bloomberg (Sp?) was fine with it until someone got to him.  (Schumer is a whore for Israel, so I won't even go there.  Although he does have some good qualities.)*  Rachel Maddow was very calm and -- fact based.  Yikes!  What a concept. Far more interesting was C Amanpour with Jane Mayer on her (C's) CNN show this morning in which she brought up the success of this backlash thing.  Mayer** said that Obama's team didn't immediately and/or effectively counter it and that part of this was that Rahm Emmanuel was not for civilian trials, party due to a deal he cut with Lindsay Graham, some quid pro quo thing.  

Sorry.  But I LIKE getting all worked up! -- kg

*OK, I know that sounds awful.  But I really think that pretty much all politicians are whores, it is just a matter of who they are whoring for and how pretty they are...

** "The Dark Side"   This book, along with Suskind's "One % Doctrine" contained a lot of information regarding interrogation techniques and the results before the MSM found itself unable to them ignore any longer. 

I guess I just need to remind myself that it is called "Meet the Press" -- not "Meet the Experts" or "Meet People Who Have Brains."  Although Cheney made appearances with Tim Russert (Cheney wouldn't go on the other shows back then).  So maybe Tim was the Press and Cheney was meeting him.  It is all so confusing!

I did catch Cheney on This Week with some guy named Karl doing the hosting.  I never heard of this Karl guy.  Have heard of Cheney, but thought he was in prison. 

From Ezra Klein -- WAPO

Primary sources

A reader got his hands on the note that Richard Shelby delivered to Harry Reid informing him of the blanket hold. You can read it here. Shocking stuff.

A pair of Canadian Honkers in the pasture this morning.

(These three were swimming online.  My old fashioned phone does not have a camera.)

Bipartisanship as cover for corporate giveaways....

How Bipartisanship Hurts the Country
by Cenk Uygur | February 3, 2010 - 12:16pm | permalink 

Excerpt:  

"Every one of these so-called compromises wound up helping corporate America. There was never a compromise that was against corporate interests and there never will be. You can use this as a measuring stick from now on. Whenever there is a bipartisan agreement in Congress from now on, look to see who benefits from it -- I guarantee you that ninety-nine out of one hundred times it will be corporate America.
And the Democrats are perfectly happy to do this because they take the same, if not more, amount of money from those same corporate lobbyists. Except they have the meddlesome problem of pretending to be for the people. Republicans are not burdened with this; everyone expects them to help the rich and the powerful. But the Democrats need cover, and they have the perfect excuse in the mantle of bipartisanship. What could they do, the Republicans made them do it! And aren't they so reasonable for compromising?"

Note the last paragraphs re: Chris Dodd and financial reform.

Howard Zinn

                                           August 24, 1922 – January 27, 2010

Ok, I know I'm supposed to think this guy is a nut, but I sure agree with him on this one..

Ron Paul last weekend at a Libertarian conference:
"There's been a coup, have you heard? It's the CIA coup. The CIA runs everything, they run the military. They're the ones who are over there lobbing missiles and bombs on countries. ... And of course the CIA is every bit as secretive as the Federal Reserve. ... And yet think of the harm they have done since they were established [after] World War II. They are a government unto themselves. They're in businesses, in drug businesses, they take out dictators ... We need to take out the CIA."

A Saturday Outing

If you think going to the movies from Stinson is an all day event, try it from Happy Camp.

 Saturday George, Casey & I went to Medford to see Avatar.  The noon show was sold out so we bought tickets for the 3:30 and repaired to the RoxyAnn winery for wine* tasting and cheese plate, then to Barnes and Noble. Barnes & Noble had a buy 2 get one free on paperbacks and I went away with a volume of Portrait of The Artist as an etc etc and The Dubliners in one volume; a collection of Emily Dickinson and a Willa Cather novel "My Antonia".  I've never read any Willa Cather so I considered that my free mystery book**.  And I have wanted the Joyce books.  Cool.   Great afternoon!  I liked Avatar, but did not love it.  WAAAY too long for a cliched and predictable plot.  But I loved the visuals and liked the way the 3-D was used to enhance rather than scream boo like the 3d movies we saw as kids. It is, as Casey's friend said, an "archetypical" story line (which amused my sister and me). You might want to see it as I don't think it is going to be worth so much on the small screen (you know, the one in your house).  Had a very nice dinner in Ashland.

* Our favorite was a Red Lily Tempranillo.  (The winery makes its own Tempranillo but it was sold out.  They didn't make very much.)  I'd never heard of this Spanish varietal have you?  

**But am now slogging my way through Claire Messud's "The Emperor's Children" --Have you read any of her novels?  I read an article (of hers) in the NY Review of Books on an Iranian woman activist who had been imprisoned; it was a good article.  But this book of fiction --I find her sentence structure exhausting -- precise (I think) , not convoluted, but certainly more complex than her (self absorbed rescue-seeking) characters deserve.

The Importance of Being Not-Bush

Among the Obama apologists, there are two (among other) pillars that are so not working for me at this point (if they ever did).  First is the he-did-not-really-promise-that argument, implying that what I see as failure to perform is really a matter of conflating his ideas with a conception that he might act upon any of them.  Closing Guantanamo, for example, was an idea; chiding him for not actually doing it is being naïve and – well – petulant. Since Obama did not actually say he would be a rabid crusader for Universal Health Care, it would be unfair to be disappointed that he (and his pit bull Rahm) instead orchestrated a giveaway to the insurance and pharmaceutical companies.  He didn’t say he would do the former and he didn’t promise not to do the latter. 

Second – well, at least he isn’t Bush.  The technical argument to that should be that Not-Being- Bush is setting the bar so low that a snake could crawl over it.  Unfortunately, the argument is now more like  - in what way is he Not-Bush?

My apologies to residents of halfway houses.

I think the FBI does their recruiting out of halfway houses.

FBI’s ‘cutting edge’ photo of

 bin Laden doctored from Spain

 lawmaker’s portrait

I didn't know that was an option...

Have finally gotten around to reading Nick Paumgarten's piece on Whole Foods CEO John Mackey (The New Yorker, Jan. 4 2010) and found this particularly telling:

"Before his [Mackey's] senior year, he was cut from the varsity basketball team, and he persuaded his parents to move so that he could switch schools and play."  

Are atheists supposed to hope there really IS a hell?

I'm not much on joining up, but couldn't resist this one.


Dear God: If you really exist please tell Pat Robertson to SHUT THE F**K UP

I hope the US is as efficient at getting aid to Haiti as it has been about overthrowing their governments. Oh and by the way Obama — New Orleans still needs help. Comments like this probably make JC at Balloon Juice tar me “FDL.” That would be an honor, John.

Mortgage meltdown.  Financial Collapse.  As I recall, the Savings and Loan Scandal in the late '80s was called just that -- a scandal.  Prison terms were served.  Complicit lawmakers were investigated and exposed.  Were those the good old days, or are these?  Depends on whether you are the screwer or the screwee.

My new label is certainly coming in handy.

Foul/Fail

Watching Mark McGwire trying to 'splain himself and doing a Glenn Beck sobbing routine.  Guess I need a new label for my blog.

How Bushian!

From WAPO:
John E. McLaughlin, a former deputy CIA director, will lead a review of missteps by U.S. intelligence agencies and assess proposals for correcting weaknesses in a system that did not respond to warnings about terrorism suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, said Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair


Goodman's take (from truthout)
President Obama, the CIA and the Master of the Cover-Up

Saturday 11 December 2010

by: Melvin A. Goodman, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed

(excerpt)

In addition to being one of the ideological drivers for the CIA's policies of torture and abuse, secret prisons and extraordinary renditions, McLaughlin demonstrated early in his career that he was a company man willing to do what was necessary to advance his career. In the 1980s, when CIA Director William Casey and his Deputy Robert Gates were "cooking the books" on intelligence dealing with the Soviet Union, Central America and Southwest Asia, McLaughlin offered no dissent.

Saturday Rock & Roll Edition

I was surprised to feel an earthquake in Happy Camp -- and meant to ask if this was unusual but by the time I got to the Big House I had forgotten and didn't even think about it til I came back and saw the info crawling around on my tv screen.  (I googled it at the time, but there was nothing that early.)  Later I saw it was felt in Medford and Shasta.  How about you???

Crusty Nautilus at a cool new-to-me Website

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/

More stuff Obama will not bother to consider....

Counterterrorism in Shambles; Why?

Tuesday 05 January 2010

by: Ray McGovern and Coleen Rowley, t r u t h o u t | Op-Ed

Excerpt:

2 – Has the new intelligence bureaucracy created 
after the Sept. 11th attacks functioned correctly?
 How could it be improved, or was it a good idea
 to create it?

The creation of the post of Director of National Intelligence, the 
National Counterterrorism Center, and the 170,000-person 
Department of Homeland Security was the mother of 
all misguided panaceas.

Bear in mind that the general election of 2004 was just
 months away when the 9/11 report was published, and
 lawmakers and administration functionaries desperately 
needed to be seen to be DOING SOMETHING. And, as is 
almost always the case in such circumstances, they made things 
considerably worse.

The 9/11 Commissioners had been fretting over the 
fact that, in their words, “No one was in charge of
coordination among intelligence agencies.” That was
 true, but only because George Tenet preferred to 
cavort with foreign potentates and thugs, than to do 
the job of Director of Central Intelligence (DCI).

A balmy forty degrees so I walked down to the pond and was pleased to see a Hooded Merganser (yes, I did have to look it up).

The man with the power. What power?

Although I enjoyed yesterday’s snow, a very large branch on a tree between the cabins did not and decided to bolt at 4 this morning, taking a power line with it. Thus knocking out all power at the Diamond D as well as at the water treatment plant below.   The power company was on site by 9 am; backup trucks and personnel by 12:30 and power was back on about 2:00 pm.  Those of you in Stinson Beach know that such a situation there– involving power lines in downed trees on sloped, brushy and blackberry-infested  terrain – could easily take a couple of days.  And these guys did it in the snow.  Hurray for macho men!  

Must reads. This means YOU.

Ray McGovern:  Are Presidents Afraid of the CIA?  

From truthout/Op-Ed 
Tuesday 29 December 2009
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49833

                           ***********************

Gareth Porter:  Iran Nuke Document was Forged 

Rawstory

Tuesday 29 December 2009
Iran nuke document was forged

I have no idea what prompted this post, but found it funny.  This site also has a simple recipe for Split Pea soup in case you can't find any Siberian Tigers.

http://soupbelly.com/2009/11/04/endangered-soup-come-n-get-it-before-its-too-late/

 My wish for the New Year-  that Abdulmutallab's 15 hours of fame be up soon.  Richard Reid is still way ahead of him in the Inept Terrorist Contest.

Which of these makes no sense?

• Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize
• Bernanke named Times Man of the Year
• Joe Lieberman named Mr. Congeniality by Senate Dems

Bottom Line on HCR from Bill of Portland Maine, Daily Kos

????? to healthcare reform bombshells.  Here's what we know about last night's big development: ????? said ????? about ?????, which means ????? is still on or off the table depending on whether or not ????? was ????? behind closed doors.  Later today we'll likely hear from ?????, who will let us know whether ????? was ????? or ?????.  Exciting!

Dylan Ratigan

I've made a conscious effort not to look for any reason to like or dislike this guy; he seems a pleasant enough fellow.  Then just moments ago he opines that  "the truth is usually somewhere in between."  This is one of the most bonehead phrases ever, regardless of the topic.  But maybe that's just the coffee speaking...

Twitter from Atrios:

Atrios: " haven't always agreed with obama, first time i didn't think he believed his own spiel"

There is a wild conspiracy theory that upon taking office, every POTUS is treated by the DOD and CIA to a portion of film that was not included in the Zapruder tape.  


Just saying. 

Take this fiber and shove it...

No I didn’t listen to the speech, but I must admit it was on in the background. Thus I was treated to hearing Obama refer to “every fiber of my being."  God I hate that phrase, whether it is from John “Mr. Sincere” Rothman or our current POTUS.   What the hell does it mean anyway?  What kind of fiber is one’s being made of?  How many fibers make up one being? Is a being a physical body or more like a spiritual thing – in which case why would fiber be involved?  Maybe the fiber reference is a metaphor; if so, for what? Being full of shit? Or the means by which to rid oneself of same? Now this is starting to make sense…

The Contortionist

Think I'll skip Obama's speech tomorrow.  Listening to him talking  high road while walking the decidedly low one has become increasingly disgusting.  This is what I expect, always, of Harry Reid, the original rubber man, but with Obama it evokes a certain amount of shame -- as in "We've Been Punked."  I stopped doing coke when it got so bad it just made me sick.  I feel the same about the Democratic Party.

Ice & Fire

I love it when the pasture is all frosty in the morning and covered with a low lying icy mist. Now  the sun has come out and is ruining -- hey the sun is coming out!  Another beautiful day I guess...

Thanksgiving etc.

November 28, 2009

Chris was telling me that the ranch occasionally raises turkeys and that one year they killed, plucked and prepared one only to find that it wouldn’t fit in the oven. We had no such problem with the game hens I made last night and it was all good except the potatoes au gratin which is the only thing I thought I really knew how to make. It kind of turned into a cheesy buttery mess. I loved it of course. Best was my wild rice stuffing which I made with leeks, onions and lots of fresh sage, thyme & rosemary and did NOT overcook the rice.

Sometime in the night a four-pointer somehow injured itself trying to jump the pasture fence (they always jump this fence, and easily – C thinks it could have injured itself on some metal pipes and irrigation heads next to same). Poor thing finally stopped breathing about 1:00 pm. Yellow Dog Zoe meanwhile was tormenting and chewing on a field mouse; hiked up to the dump where C was berating Beatrix for eating a frog (the foam around her mouth was a dead giveaway, so to speak).  I’m glad I don’t believe in omens.

Give us this day...

I’ve had a good success record making Challah – though it is time consuming it looks and tastes great.  But I really don’t need four loaves of Challah; sometimes I just want one loaf of plain old bread.  Yesterday I tried a very simple recipe for one loaf of white bread; it was a disaster.  Perhaps it was the ratio of ingredients (too little yeast, too much flour) but basically it was my lack of skill.  This week I’ll try a different recipe – one that uses the sponge method which I recall from my Tassajara days and seemed to work all of the time.

 Meanwhile, yesterday’s loaf will come in handy when I make the stuffing for Thanksgiving.  And Matt will be here in December.  Right? 

Going Rogue at a discount

Going Rogue: An American Life (Hardcover) -- List Price $28.99

Amazon:  $14.50

Barnes and Noble:  $17.39

Walmart:  $14.50

Broders:  $15.65

Compass Books at SF Airport:  $28.99

Weatherbug puts the temp here yesterday at 29.5, but I don’t believe it. Various weather sites show a 20 degree difference at times and a projected high temp that is lower than the the so-called current. In Stinson it was easy – cold would mean low 60’s, warm low seventies and anything above or below was really cold or just hot. I actually do need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. Does it matter? Nope.

Mary Matalin and James Carville on State of the Union.  So Retro.

Reich on the "Public Option" Farce

Robert Reich's Blog

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009

Harry Reid, and What Happened to the Public Option

First there was Medicare for all 300 million of us. But that was a non-starter because private insurers and Big Pharma wouldn't hear of it, and Republicans and "centrists" thought it was too much like what they have up in Canada -- which, by the way, cost Canadians only 10 percent of their GDP and covers every Canadian. (Our current system of private for-profit insurers costs 16 percent of GDP and leaves out 45 million people.)
(click to read entire post)

Harry and the Order of the Valium

Listening to Harry Reid re: Health Care Bill.  Or at least I'm trying to -- the man is incredibly boring.  No mention of Public Option.  No mention of Stupak.  But he does say women should be able to get a mammogram before they are fifty.  ??!!!?? Is this man a complete idiot? Why, yes, I think so!

Maybe it's the wine talking, but watching Sherrod Brown on Rachel Maddow -- he looks like a younger and not quite so ugly Arlen Specter. But I hope he is right about Reid not including the Stupak Amendment. Knowing Reid, he will compromise by including something worse. Arghh!

   Pileated Woodpecker

                                         Yellow Bellied Sapsucker

 

Four Pointers

Outside my living room window this morning (which is practically right in my lap) a four pointer with his wife and teenage kid; in the chestnut tree a yellow bellied sapsucker. Woodpeckers seem to like the chestnut tree -- in the last week, the sapsucker, a flicker and the impressive Pileated Woodpecker, which gets capitalized. It is nice to see the horses running across the pasture; true, the cattle sometimes run but they are not what you would call graceful. I would say they run like pelicans dive, sort of galumphully.

I was not happy this morning to find a large pile of  strange poo on the path. I'm no expert on scat but know most of the more benign types and was concerned it might be cougar crap.  Chris of course immediately recognized it as bear.  George further refined this to "apple eating bear."  And while I was glad this was not ferocious beast poop, I was sorry I did not see the apple-eating bear.

Oilver would like some more please...

I am NOT a fan of McChrystal. Guy scares the hell out of me in fact. But now that Oliver is behind him I guess I'll have to reconsider.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28808.html

On the other hand, the above appeared on the Politico website and I'm not a fan of Politico either. I once heard a newscaster introduce a speaker from "the left-wing Politico" but have never found any evidence that it is left of anything.

And while I'm at it -- I have heard my entire life that military professionals are the ones who least want war because they know how horrible it is blah blah blah. This is complete garbage. kg

The past is not dead. In fact, it’s not even past – William Faulkner

Happy Camp 101

A donkey is an animal in its own right; when mated with a horse one gets a mule. The American Chestnut was almost wiped out in a blight in the early 1900s, so the one in front of my house might be the Colossal variety of the European Chestnut. Maybe. It is not illegal to travel to Cuba, it is only illegal to spend money there without a license from the U.S. Govt. Hindus were not vegetarians until the Buddhists shamed them into it. Not all Buddhists are vegetarian; in fact they don't have to be vegetarian. They only have to smile and look smug. Wood Ducks are the only ducks that live in trees and when they get sick of their young they kick them out -- but they fall into the pond under the tree and so survive. Perhaps. An ox is an old steer. Steers with tags on their ears are soon to be sent to death camps though if they are owned by George he might put it off for a year or so.


These are the things it is useful to know if you live in Happy Camp. When to wear white shoes? Not so much....KG

Chestnutphobia -- From the Blogosphere

From  "The Sheila Variations" 2003:
THE CHESTNUT ARMY

Last night, with a sky that looked like impending doom, and a wind that literally blew me down the street, I went and got groceries. And struggled my way, against the wind, up the hill home. It actually was kind of fun. There was no rain. But the wind was a formidable opponent.

The only really dangerous thing I had to deal with, in terms of Hurricane Isabel, was being dive-bombed from above by falling chestnuts.

One of them hit me on the noggin. I thought it was a bolt from the blue, I thought it was an invisible lightning strike, I shrieked as though I had been electrocuted. Then I saw the shiny hard chestnut rolling on the sidewalk. Like an idiot, I stood and contemplated it for a moment. I love chestnuts. And in that moment, 5 more came hurtling down from the tree and pummeled me about the head and neck.
___________________
From honigmaeulchen on Dailybooth.com --

2) Autumn is my favourite season, I even like it if it's grey and misty all day. But this time of the year I always develop a totally irrational fear of being hit by a chestnut falling out of a tree. I mean: Look at the spikes on that shell! It's like a RL minesweeper-bomb coming out of nowhere to kill you! (If you are laughing about me right now, I want to point out to you that there are people out there who are afraid of being hit by the remainings of a New Year rocket falling from the sky. THAT's stupid!) –

______________________

Japanese Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology(2005)

Two cases of corneal injury by chestnut burs

Abstract;We observed two cases of corneal injury hit by falling chestnut burs. One was a 31-year old woman and the other was a 65-year-old man. Both were collecting chestnuts. The burs had penetrated the corneal stroma with their tips protruding into the anterior chamber. Removal under the microscope was difficult due to fragility of burs and presence of splinters. Additional keratotomy was needed in one case. Cure was obtained in both cases leaving corneal opacity. Chestnut burs contain a toxin saponin, which will induce inflammation when left in situ. We advocate early removal of chestnut burs taking their structural features into consideration. (author abst.)

Nuts that Kill

Nice weather here. Even when rain is forecast, there is very little (if any). I had dinner last night at Christopher's and we sat outside even unto 7 o'clock, watching the bats go by. He's a good cook. I roasted some chestnuts and he served them mixed with  mole sauce. Yum. Tonight we are having dinner at the Manor House as it is his b'day.  I'm going to (try to) make a pound cake.

The chestnut tree is right in front of my house and though I walk past it several times a day it is smart to give it a wide berth. The burrs are now constantly falling from the tree and being hit on the head by a heavy spiked tennis ball cannot be fun. Most of the ones I gather are going in the freezer at the big house but I'm keeping some; Lydia B was making pasta with a chestnut sauce once and I have her recipe. In her cookbook. She never just sends them to me. But Nicki (George's sister in law) is sending me her mother's chestnut stuffing recipe.  So to hell with you, Lydia.
My computer desk faces my living room window (just as I wanted!) which looks out onto: the Chestnut tree, then the greenhouse, and then the pasture. Summer, the pasture is mainly populated by deer (starting at dusk); then in fall with the cows (steers, heifers, their children etc) and now they have been joined by 3 horses and a donkey. Or a Mule. Nature's screensaver.

Woolly Bear Caterpillar

Like most of my rare finds, this caterpillar is common in North America.

 It becomes the Isia Isabella Moth, which is nowhere near as dramatic.

Who knew Yeats was such a fox?

On Barack and the Nobel

Matt Taibbi nails it again.

So who Knew? Via Courtney on Facebook

Courtney Chambers:  Hey Roberta, in north America we consider zucchini, pattypans, and crooknecks summer squash (which wikipedia tells me are harvested before they get too mature) and bigger squashes/gourds such as pumpkins, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and Hubbard are known as winter squash.

You can read about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_%28plant%29

So who knew, Walnut Edition

I love walnuts, so when I was told the location of the English Walnut Tree at the Diamond D I merrily set forth with my bucket and nutcracker, envisioning an hour of sitting in the warm October sun, stuffing my face with walnuts.

Whoa!

Walnuts have HULLS. Thick green hulls which are messy and difficult to remove until they turn brown and crack. At which point one risks the squirrels making off with the good ones (like they did with the hazelnuts). So in the spirit of Save the Walnuts (especially save them for ME) I picked the ones I could reach and proceeded to remove the hulls. This involved a hammer, nutcracker and not a little perseverance. But sitting outside and watching the Spotted Towhees while pounding walnut hulls is not at all an unpleasant way to spend an hour or so. Then George showed me The Other English Walnut Tree. The one where the hulls had cracked and practically fell from the nut. But I’m sure the ones I sweated over will taste so much better.

When hulling walnuts, wear gloves. ”The indelible dye from the husk stains hands, clothes, tools and work surfaces”

When gloves develop holes, put on new ones. My thumb looks like I have just voted in Afghanistan. The rest of my fingers merely look like a hygiene problem.

So who knew, part two...

The term atavism (derived from the Latin atavus, a great-grandfather's grandfather; more generally, an ancestor) denotes the tendency to revert to ancestral type. An atavism is an evolutionary throwback, such as traits reappearing which had disappeared generations ago.[2] Atavisms occur because genes for previously existing phenotypical features are often preserved in DNA, even though the genes are not expressed in some or most of the organisms possessing them. (from Wikipedia). My brother Chris threw this word at us. I’m still not sure what he meant.

So who knew?

Western Gray Squirrel

Ground Squirrel

Fox Squirrel

OK.  So.  The Gray Squirrel is the one most often seen scampering around and chatting chatting chatting.  G tells me the Fox Squirrel -- I think -- is even chattier and pretty much hangs around the tree tops.  The Ground Squirrel stays on the ground.  This is all I know about squirrels, but is more than I knew yesterday  morning.
                               Redneck Squirrel Fry
                                           Thanks to Justin for sending in this recipe.

~ squirrel legs, amount depends on how many you have or how hungry you are.
~ 2 eggs
~ 1 tbsp ketchup
~ salt and pepper
~ 1 can beer
~ Drakes batter
~ butter

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ketchup. Salt and pepper to taste
Add 1/2 can of beer and drink the rest. (you don’t want to waste it!) Mix well.
Put some of the Drakes batter in a shallow dish.
Melt several tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.
Dip the squirrel into the egg mixture and then roll in the Drakes. Repeat for thicker coating.
Add to the skillet and cook until golden brown. Turn as needed.
Serve with mashed potatoes and cream corn.
Enjoy.

"It is to die for!" - Justin 
(especially if you're the squirrel...)

Department of Tag Lines I Couldn't Pass Up

"An agnostic not because I don't know if there's a God, but because I don't care"

by filmgeek83 from today's DailyKos

Tom Lehrer: "Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Prize.”

I have no idea why Obama was awarded the Nobel Prize, though after 8 years of warmongering neocons merely not threatening to nuke Switzerland would make him look like a saint. Nevertheless, I am pleased and in spite of my disappointment in the new President it is certainly a plus that U.S. citizens traveling abroad no long have to pretend they are Canadian.

Obama says he will accept this award as a call to action. Hopefully he will consider this as he decides whether or not to unleash more predators on the people of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, it will be fun to see how the Ugly Americans spin this as a negative.

Compare and Contrast:

Erick Erickson of Red State (blog): It looks like it is the Nobel committee throwing its lot with the terrorists and those who sympathize with them.

Former President Jimmy Carter says the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to President Barack Obama is a 'bold statement of international support for his vision and commitment.'"

Malia Obama: "Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday."

Life at the camp...

Too lazy to post, so here is my latest email to Carol:

First of all, my sincere condolences regarding the ouster of The Hammer from Dancing with the Stars. I know how much you enjoyed watching him strut his banty stuff. And that beltless bling-studded costume Jack LaLanne would have killed for...

So. Saturday Night was Open Mic Night at the Pizza House (every first Saturday of the Month -- but of course you knew that). MC'd by my Bro; Dee (who was at the Garrett Diamond D Open Mic Night) sang and played her geetar and Barry (who literally needs a hand) played what I used to call a harmonica but now is some sort of Harp or, if you aren't squeamish, a "mouth organ." A Trio came in and that was good that there were new people and the music was ok, though I couldn't understand a word the singer said (sang). One of the guitarists also needed a hand. I wonder -- is there some sort of secret repository here where teeth and hands go to their final rest? So I drank a lot of wine and ate a lot of pizza. Did I mention that the Pizza House has very good pizza?

The temperature fell and it was drizzly for a while. Got the fireplace working in the cabin and yesterday Chris lit the pilot in the heater. Now it is clear and beautiful -- coldish at night and especially in the morning but warm in the afternoon (if you are in the sun) and a warm wind reminiscent of Santa Anas (or Santanas if you wish).

Went to Oregon on Monday with the Bro on the County/Forest Service Road which closes during the snowy season (elevation up to about 4000). Even now there were icy patches and there was some snow on the tree branches and shady sides of the road. Made me look forward to Winter. Also the leaves are turning (dying actually). Casey has her Halloween decorations up. From Cave Junction we went to Grants Pass where Chris looked at a guitar and I went to a thrift store and found a warm winter jacket and a cotton hoodie, dark green, that I LOVE. It was half price day so I spend a total of $8. This makes a total of $110 I have spent on clothing this year. Do you think that's too much?

Had a late lunch at Sesame Asian Kitchen in Ashland which is opposite Lithia Park; it was warm enough to sit outside with the dogs and the food was terrific. Went shopping at Market of Choice in Ashland, where I had been before. This is a great market -- lots of bulk stuff and a good wine selection.

And this is all the excitement I can take. -- KG

It takes a village to screw this one up, and Harry Reid is the Village Idiot. Harry, you dolt: "Die Quickly" is the CURRENT Public Option...

"I favor a public option. We're going to do our very best to have a public option. But remember, a public option is a relative term," Reid, D-Nev., said Thursday.