ES!

ES Happy TGIF!

Digg it right here!

nahant!

Eureka!

Good evening

Hail, muse ES!

newton!

Dugg your Digg Neuro!!
Oh and left ya a comment!

A.G. Jerry Brown’s awakening and action is very much on my mind this evening – thanks to the California constitution

what did Jerry do?

thanks!

Dugg!

glad we got our Digg straight tonite!

Yes. Our ballot initiative process has always combined the sexy frisson of direct Democracy with the dodgy odor of potential mob rule. It will be good to see that line drawn clearly — in the right place of course, or so I hope. As I said way below, my contempt for Ken Starr knows no bounds. (h/t Dear Leader Jane)

To bad he can’t pull of another round as Governor.

Is what Brown did important, in the sense of what is his probabilty of prevailing legally?

Jerry did this.

His argument is considered strong legally. Starr on the other hand is a shiny Federalist object, and some of the CA Supremes might be a wee bit suggestible to that.

Hiya ES and all my fellow pups here. I’m cheered by Jerry Brown taking action. I’m only checking in here this late and have not read anything at FDL since 4:00 or so, so forgive me.
I have been packing the car for the trip east. All my parents and sibs are in PA and children joining us from NYC and Denver. My fruitcake has been doused in Scotch for three weeks, the presents are wrapped (mostly all books and prints). Ice storm here today, and hopefully just rain and clouds in PA mountains tomorrow.
How is everyone tonight?

It has been a long, tedious week:
* Calls for prosecution of BushCo officials, even from NYT.
* American auto bailout bullshit, un-be-fucking-lieveable!
* Obama’s mindless selection of Rick Warren, and what it says about Obama.
* The whole meltdown fiasco, including Elizabeth Warren’s ongoing revalations that these fuckers have no clue.

What is the composition of the court that will hear it, in the sense of R appts vs. Ds ones, or whatever context it makes sense to talk about the issue?

thanks

Does is strike you that a more persuasive argument would be that amending the state Constitution can’t happen without some legislative participation, or perhaps a super-majority vote? I mean the change the Constitution because of 50% plus 1? The burden seems somehow low.

6″ of fresh snow in mid-Hudson, 23 degrees, all is silent night.

You’re a good man, Jerry Brown.

Yes. Our ballot initiative process has always combined the sexy frisson of direct Democracy with the dodgy odor of potential mob rule.

And Ian has had some very harsh things to say about have we’ve use that power: http://firedoglake.com/2008/12…..et-crisis/

Unless of course they know exactly what they’re doing. Evidently low oil prices are killing Russia at the moment. And some folks who understand economics far better than I do are worrying that the banks are going to dump all of the TARP money onto the market all at the same time, triggering runaway inflation ala your basic banana republic. I don’t know enough to know whether to lend that scenario any credence or not.

Hey eCHAN,
Ms. CE off to Nutcracker tonight in 5″ snow (predicted) in Midtown. She is thrilled. Very silent here in old snowy Cleveland.

Excellent question. No idea — sorry, my impression of that is rather vague at best. Maybe the LA Times has some good analysis on that?

I froze my avacados off last night. Today warmer. Jerry Brown is doing the politically costly and legally excellent action. He is supporting rights over public opinion. That is what should be happening with the Bushco legal actions for torture, executives orders and other unconstitutional mandates. A legacy that he can be proud off.

I hope Ms CE enjoys Nutcracker. I have seen it enough times to have very fond memories.

I thought there had been voters’ remorse post-Prop H8. If so, what Brown is doing would be politically popular.

I was worried you were without power. Glad to hear you’re going to see family. Have fun!

From a very naive first-principles approach, it would seem that Prop 8 is now part of the California Constitution, which is absolute law as far as the Calif. Supreme Court is concerned. To declare Prop 8 unconstitutional, one would have to go to the U.S. Supreme Court, which the U.S. Constitution empowers to over-rule ammendments to the CA Constitution.

It will be her first experience in New York. Cleveland used to have a fair ballet, but long gone now.

Hi Christine.. I don’t think I have ever had a fruit cake with scotch in it.. Always thought it had to be Rum.

Enjoying a brief reprieve from winter today, but, sadly the super chill returns tomorrow night.

If the post-election polls are any indication, he may not be running afoul of public opinion, either. Folks seem to have awoken and found what they did reprehensible.

Well, I buy the argument that stripping a class of citizens of a fundamental right is a significant revision of the California Constitution that should be subject to the ordinary process already defined for doing that. Ballot initiatives, by contrast, are limited to ‘amendments’ of the CC which are not permitted to make changes of that magnitude. Prop. H8 tried to go that second route, and the lawsuit is about calling bullshit on that.

Hey Margot! Is this message for me?

Greetings, pups, from Wasilla.

18 degrees F, calm, mostly overcast. Thinking of walking out on the lake with the dog and starting a fire….

magnitude

Eye of the beholder, I guess.

LOL

What happens if you start a fire on a frozen lake? Just asking?

Hey ES,
Here is the history of this recipe at the Edmonson household:
Year 1: light rum — ok
Year 2: dark rum –not so ok (kinda sticky)
Year 3: my old Dad’s leftover cheap, cheap scotch. –GREAT!
Year 4: hopefully repeat of Year 3 (yesssssssssssssssssss so far so good)

ET meets the fish close-up.

Actually even though I have benefitted personally from Prop 13, I agree with Ian that it was unwise, has denied citizens equal protection by favoring incumbent property owners, and has absolutely trashed our once-great state, especially with regard to public education. I’m not in favor of throwing grannies out on the street, of course, but that’s always been a red herring.

Geeez, ET, that sounds kind of warm for AK… Hope the ice is thick enough. Do you haul the wood out on a snowmobile?

some folks who understand economics far better than I do are worrying that the banks are going to dump all of the TARP money onto the market all at the same time, triggering runaway inflation ala your basic banana republic. I don’t know enough to know whether to lend that scenario any credence or not.

Wow! An interesting possibility that I’d never considered.

We are currently in a deflation, but there are a few reasons why those who pull the strings might like inflations:
– It diminishes our national dept.
– It diminishes corporate debt to retirees, e.g., GM.
But it fucks everyone on fixed income, e.g., those GM retirees.

I find it interesting that both Katrina and torture are more and more on the minds of folks.
If McCain had won I think we would be talking about the new war in Iran instead.

Calm — the key word. Lovely to see you.

22 degrees in NE KS, but 4!!! degrees predicted for Sunday morning.

I could be totally wrong about this, but I think the argument is that because Prop 8 is contested in the first instance, it has not yet resulted in any actual change to the CC, so proper venue for that challenge remains the California SC.

Al Haig as SoS.

From Daily Kos -BREAKING: Jerry Brown asks State Supreme Court to invalidate Prop 8
by shayera
Fri Dec 19, 2008 at 05:43:29 PM PST

I have absolutely no more information than the headline states.
According to breaking news banners on both the Los Angeles Times and abc7 news in Los Angeles, State Attorney General Jerry Brown is asking the California State Supreme Court to invalidate Proposition 8.

* shayera’s diary :: ::
*

This is an amazing move on his part. And definitely is good news in light of the move by Proposition 8 supporters to invalidate 18,000 gay marriages performed in California.
Eugene’s diary Ken Starr Is Coming After Your Marriage documents that move.

Here’s some info from the LA Times news blog:

Jerry Brown: Gay-marriage ban should be invalidated

It is the attorney general’s duty to defend the state’s laws, and after gay rights activists filed legal challenges to Proposition 8, which amended the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, Brown said he planned to defend the proposition as enacted by the people of California.

But after studying the matter, he came to the conclusion that gay rights activists were correct in arguing that the proposition amounted to a constitutional revision, instead of a more limited amendment. “Proposition 8 must be invalidated because the amendment process cannot be used to extinguish fundamental constitutional rights without compelling justification,” Brown said in a statement.

update: The AP is fleshing out the story a bit more. The three briefs filed today are: Strauss v. Horton, S168047; City and County of San Francisco v. Horton, S168078; and Tyler v. State of California, S168066.

Calif. AG urges court to void gay marriage ban

With many thanks to Cany, here’s the link to the press release from the Attorney General’s office: Attorney General Brown Urges California Supreme Court to Review Constitutionality of Proposition 8

Not entirely comfortable with this yet, but think graduated income tax is the only way to go. Property taxes are much a function of things out of control of the taxpayer. For example, in my mid-Hudson area, property “values” have risen dramatically, but anyone who has lived here all their lives cannot afford the RE taxes.

I’ll take your word for it.. though it does sound like the best way to consume Dads cheap scotch. (*memories*)

Chris,
Yes, for you.;)

I understand there is a body of law and learned opinion as to 1) how big a change is allowed, and 2) whether removal of a right from a protected class of citizens is permitted via ‘amendment’ vs. ‘revision’.

Inflation NOT a problem. All the monetary stimulus going into a black hole. Plenty of time to counteract inflation in the future in the unlikely event that become a problem.

What happens if you start a fire on a frozen lake?

A lot depends on how thick the ice is or how big a fire you make, or if the dog starts jumping up and down.

I think the ice is about nine inches thick, so I’d probably have to cart at least two railroad ties down there to sink us.

My friend Dennis moved into Anchorage this week. He and his wife brought over some kindling they can’t use. It’s scraps from a cabinet place and will make a nice little fire. I might wait until tomorrow night, when ETette gets back for the holidays.

I promise to take some pics.

of the lake, dog and fire.

I agree with Ian that it was unwise, has denied citizens equal protection by favoring incumbent property owners,

Fuck you! I bought my house over 30 year ago, and I deserve …

and has absolutely trashed our once-great state, especially with regard to public education.

Oops! Yes! Well, ummmm! Yes! That is how I paid my mortgage.

Okay, you win.

Totally shocked that Dad’s cheap scotch won the rum battle. None but he drinks it…

And another interesting and flexible phrase in Brown’s statement – “compelling justification.”
The compelling justification would be to protect all the straight marriages in the world. What could be more deserving than those?

Starr’s arguments will be both infuriating and fascinating.

Hey Margot,
Will be leaving tomorrow, and should be in bed right now…eight hour drive tomorrow.

today…

Jeebus. That takes me back.

Remember when Haig was the “sane” voice in the room during the reagun years.

be safe chris

I’ve never had one. I tried them when I first came up here. Entered one race in 1977. Jeez!!!

We’re not motorheads. The only motorized recreation we do is with our skiff.

I cannot believe that Brown would take that legal position if he did not feel it had some merit, particularly in light of the presumption that as AG he would support new laws.

Best wishes to California Prop 8 opponents.

LOL!

In the end, it’s like they say, if you want low taxes you’ll get low services. California is becoming like frickin’ Texas that way. I miss being a world intellectual center.

Very much looking forward to the pics.

Not cold enough to do ice stuff in mid-Hudson. Many years ago I witnessed ice breakup on Wallkill River (my property borders the river for about 300′) in March, which was really spectacular, but hasn’t been cold enough since to have another similar experience.

I do indeed.
I was about to ramble on about other McCain fantasy cabinet picks, but i have eaten recently, and I have a new keyboard.

The mormons, the fundies and the catlicks are going to be whining mightly if Brown wins his argument. It will surely mean that Lucifer has won again.

Probably not even in the CA SC. I totally agree with Ian: the CA voters have got to get a clue.

All of this bullshit is Reagan legacy. And the real problem with everything is that the progressives have not yet run against Reagan and defeated him, even posthumously.

We need to discredit Reagan’s Randian lassaiez-faire capitalism (aka libertarianism). Until we convince voters that big government is a good return on value, we’re pissing into the wind.

Snow arch.
Unbelievable.

Elizabeth Warren’s financial meltdown view:
“If the answer is that banks do not have money to lend, it would make sense to push capital into their hands, as the Treasury has been doing over the last two months, she continued. But if the answer is that their potential borrowers are getting less creditworthy with each passing day, “pouring money into banks isn’t going to fix that problem,” she said.”
In which case Bushco is throwing money to his cronys while the middle class sucks it up as future debt obligations or FDOs. (To coin a term).

Thanks, Newt!
I’ll write from the road, especially when we get to the fancy hotel near Chadds Ford.

not so sane when Reagan got shot and Haig rushed before the TV cameras and asserted “I am in control!”….

“The compelling justification would be to protect all the straight marriages in the world.”

Protection from… well, from what exactly? There is no threat. None at all. No pending potential loss whatsoever. Redefinition of the word does not create any injury to any other party. So when you think about it, the H8ers shouldn’t even have frickin’ standing in any court case on the subject.

Cool!

Sanity during Raygun is relative. We lived through his Awesome California Experience.
Mary & Me – seen the bad old days of Ronnie, and his Preznincy was predictable.

When we lived in Whittier, almost 30 years ago (!!!), we’d go to where that snow arch is in the picture, to watch Peregrine falcons dive bomb from atop thermals. They did it for fun, not to catch something at the bottom of the dive. One of the best places in the world to watch that. Not many know it. Now you do.

Yes he can! Term limits don’t apply to Jerry Brown, as his two previous terms were before the limits went into affect. He’s in the lead among Democrats, actually, unless DiFi “clears the field.”

I know a man who argues that he did too make a conscious choice to be straight.
Talk about an uncomfortable silence.
What do I say? “So…does your wife know that you’re…um, that you made this ‘choice’?”

Symbolically, GWB’s first appointment was an attempt to impose by edict a repeal of the advances of the 60’s. And Obama’s election was symbolically a rejection of that repeal, i.e. an renewed embrace of the advances of the 60’s.

more power to the advances of the 60s.

nite, all.

Sweet dreams, neuro.

Please NO DiFi for Gov!! I would hate to think what would happen to California under that person who is BIG business BFF!

I’m afraid we may have lost our best chance at a progressive governor when Hilda Solis goes to Obama’s Cabinet. Interesting that the best woman progressive opponent to Feinstein got a job with Barack, isn’t it?

Would be nice. *sigh*

I always voted for him… Met him a couple of times.

Are you saying that Obama is sidelining Solis, especially since Labor Secy is not part of Obama’s economics team?

You and I are definitely on the same page regarding Prop 8 and its malignant effect.

Really, but at least we got a good progressive on Obama’s Team(:>)) But I do hate DiFi I will work against her election! Hopefully I won’t have to I sure don’t want to support a Rethug! Nah I just would’nt vote for her and just write in Santa Clas or something… maybe I would Vote for Tucker!

Nahant!! Santa Claus YES, Tucker, fucker, no.

So, guess fucking whom Obama picked to head the Commodity Futures Trading Commission?

[Gary] Gensler was a top negotiator for the White House in discussions with Congress in support of the now-controversial Commodity Modernization Futures Act of 2000. The law largely prevented the SEC and the CFTC from regulating credit default swaps and other complex instruments that would later wreak havoc with financial markets. Gensler also played a prominent role in batting down an effort by the CFTC to regulate these derivatives. More recently, Gensler has led Obama’s SEC transition team.

Un-be-fucking-lieveable!!!

Hey, late nighters.

Grades are in, students are protesting (don’t ask, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa) said grades.

And I had some demons to work out after reading Rev Clyde’s Oxdown post called Heavenly Nuggets. So I wrote Aristotelean Nuggets. Basically, I’m telling Clyde that we can’t have an intelligent discussion as long he insists on having a right to retreat to an inerrant Bible. I use Euclidean and Noneuclidean geometries as an example. I’m sure it will be entirely lost on him, but I did get the demon exorcised. Or maybe it’s just exercised. Whatever.

Fox, meet henhouse.

Hens, meet Mr. Fox. He’s in charge of looking after you all while I’m off doing that voodoo that I do so well.

Blerrgh.

You have to understand. The “final” grade is a “first” offer. Everything’s negotiable!

You went Richard Feynman on his ass!
Wandering over there to have a look-see!

Just bizarre.. We may need more shoes!

Good work!

We may need more shoes!

SPEW!! That cost me half a glass of some pretty good shit.

That is apparently what my students believe.

Doctor BC, is there anything I can do to raise my grade? If I don’t get at least a __ (Pick A, B, C) __ (Pick, “+”, ” “, “-”) one (or more) of the following will happen:

A. The sun will not come up tomorrow.
B. I will lose my scholarship.
C. My significant other won’t give me oral pleasure until I graduate.
D. The sun will go nova.
E. I won’t get into _______ (Pick one: “Med School”, “Law School”, “Grad School”, “the Army/Navy/Air Force”).
F. My parents will kill me.
G. I’ll scream here outside your office until I turn blue in the face and your colleagues process the grade change for you to shut me up.

und so weiter.

Yeah, bad form to reply to my own comment, but it just occurred to me. I’ve never had a student come in and ask me to change their grade to “D”.

So here’s an open offer to any student who can figure out who I am. Come see me and ask me to change your grade to “D”, and I’ll do it just for the sheer novelty of it, and to honor someone with enough chutzpah to be the next Bill Clinton.

I recommend giving unannounced quizzes and throwing out the lowest two, in case both of their grandmothers die during the term. ;-)

But there are campuses where D’s can be retaken for a new grade, but C- cannot.

I caught a few moments of Charlie Rose tonight. Malcolm Gladwell was on, discussing his new book. Anyway, he had some very interesting observations about intelligence, IQ, achievement and so forth.

One thing he said.. He thought the reason Chinese culture studied better than say northern Europeans had to do with Agriculture. Rice farmers work 3,000 hours a year, wheat farmers about a 1,000. Thought this was directly culturally related to work ethic and so on.

Accidental plane crash? Michael Connell was threatened in regards to his testifying about the 2004 election fraud. He was thought to have covered up Rove’s involvement.

http://www.democraticundergrou…..15;3653385

http://www.sourcewatch.org/ind…..ke_Connell

http://www.velvetrevolution.us…..Connel.pdf

The DU link doesn’t work.

IMHO, Gladwell is a bit of a nutcase. He was on Rachel Maddow a month or so ago, and insisted that experience is far more important than intelligence, thereby validating Obama’s choices of people who drove the nation into the ditch. IMHO, tracked and documented experience is a trackrecord, and trackrecords carry a lot of weight in my mind. E.g., the sun has a very good track record for coming up in the east.

Hope I don’t phreak anyone, but Ra Ra Riot, whom I’ve never heard of, are way kewl.

Reminds me of an underground version of Railroad Earth and Crooked Still in their FIRST incarnation with Rashad Eggleston on cello (pure whackaloon genius).

Nice stuff ES. Thanks.

Like most DU links it seems, that one is dead.

Apparently my determining exam dates is hazardous to the health of parents and grandparents.

I once had a student (back when I was giving my survey course monthly exams and a final) who had three grandmothers die. She never took an exam as scheduled. When the third one happened, I told her I wanted to see both the obit mentioning her as a surviving descendent and the order of service for the funeral.

Apparently that time her grandma really did die, because she did produce the documentation.

The Helio Sequence – Portland Holla !

I caught part of the Rachel interview.. and his short explanations sure don’t come across well. Such as… What kind of experience, Malcolm? That matters a whole lot on the DC one party of fail forward.

On our campus, any lower division course can be repeated and only the higher grade counts in GPA computation, though both (all?) attempts show on the transcript. That doesn’t hold for upper division courses.

Yup. It’s hard to tell fact from fiction. So I throw out two quizzes but give no make-ups. You’ve only got two grandmothers, and I give lots of quizzes — it’s the only time I’m pretty sure to have the student’s attention.

Seems like Portland is the place to be for the music scene this year.

http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/36482529.html
Try this link to the original..

Damn. You were paying much better attention than I was. I tuned him out rather quickly. IMHO, innate cluefulness counts for a hell of a lot. That’s not the same thing as IQ; there’s some element of wisdom factored in. But I’ll take smart over simply experienced (especially experienced with a weak track record) any day.

Ok, second view/listen.

I’m ga ga over this.

That’s some tight stuff. You’d think with the violin, cello, the bass player would be forced low and have to stay there, but he’s ripping hi neck licks off that fit right in.

The energy of the song and the band is insanely grand.

The violin and cello players broke my heart with their loooks, energy and music, and they are SO good musically it’s scary what they do with fills. Obviously, some classical training they both have had . . . and the ability to step away from that and just pick and jam . . . . not all classical trained musicians can do that. Or so I hear for decades.

The vocals are fine, the stix are on it start to finish and despite a HEAVY rhythm section of 3 pieces, STILL manage to drive and set the pace.

Wow.

I wanna try and get them to http://www.strawberrymusic.org fest . . . . can anyone put me in touch with them about coming out west? Are they still a band? I see that was 4 years ago . . . sigh.

That’s some FINE fine music . . . thanks again ES.

“The Left Wing Media” is owned by the Right Wing Corporations…so how can it be liberal. Careful Big Brother is watching you.

Bah.

Farmers aren’t intellectuals, and I don’t mean any insult to farmers in saying that. What matters is having a calorie production system that produces enough surplus to feed knuckleheads like me. Wheat produces more calories per man-hour than rice does. Rice produces way more calories per man (okay, woman) hour than being a hunter-gatherer does.

The interesting thing is that in terms of leisure time for individuals, hunter-gatherers in productive environments (e.g., Southeast U.S., the Caribbean islands, Hawaii, Pacific Northwest) have more leisure time than agrarian societies. The problem for intellectuals is that everybody has to work on food production. That cuts into the time available for cogitating.

I had some classical training (not fiddle or cello, trombone). Improvisation isn’t taught, although it really ought to be. You can’t learn to be a genius, but you can learn to play competently in the harmonic/melodic structure.

My time in Portland was pretty good. Went to PSU. Slaved in a fertilizer warehouse. Enjoyed the planned city with pedestrian center. And the progressive politics including anti corporatist marches. The genre was tolerated as well. Good schools and restuarants. I like Portland with their fast rail. Rains a little too much.

Do you use the clicker technology?

I’d rather talk with them, but I had a section this term that … well, they were so tight-lipped that I think they used Superglue as a lunch condiment.

They’ve made me reconsider the clicker stuff.

ah, well. When I’m not working, I’m such a home body these days. Admittedly, I can’t say what is ‘now’ in Portland, but I know about The Helio Sequence and like the song up top.

Click on their blue name below the YouTube. You can definitely contact them directly… And tell them where you discovered them! *g*

He discussed some of the factors you mentioned as well. Such as the Asians (rice farmers) didn’t have entire down months… nor did they have the time to drink, most every day.

I used to drive up there from SF, for business buying trips.. Always wanted to dash back to Ashland for any short bit of R&R.. if time for R&R was at all possible.

And it’s tough to make beer without something to convert starches in rice/wheat/barley/corn/rye into simple sugars the yeasts can deal with.

Barley has oodles of those enzymes. Rice has almost none. So it was easier for the Europeans to make beer than it was for the Chinese.

The Connell thing is not good. He was a potential key to finding out the details of R electoral fuckery. It’s claimed Rove threatened him.

That would depend on the part of Asia you’re talking about. The northern part of China used wheat as its staple rather than rice. It’s reflected in their cuisine — dumplings and noodles rather than rice.

Brad Blog is on it.

It’s bad on so many levels… hard to keep my tin foil hat in place these days.

True. Although there are rice wines and rice noodles.

Oregon is geologically diverse in an interesting way bordered on the north by the Columbia River Gorge and all its navigation and fishing. The Volcanoes and the Basalt Cascade Mountains all make great exploration and camping. Eastern Oregon part of the Great Basin has powder skiing and great wheat farms and orchards. The Willamette Valley with it’s smaller cities and watershed from whence comes the River where the Salmon run. All the great timber country and the fertile valleys below make Oregon a great AG state with their 70 of rain.
Oregon has a diverse plethora of native plants with unending beauty. The Weat to the Coastal range and the rivers that drain it to the Rugged Pacific coastline and great ocean fishing. It is a magnificent state and remains pretty pristine. Good public education system and lots of other good stuff.

Time to send some more scratch to Brad. Dude keeps on ticking.

Sure. Just tougher to make is all.

Making beer out of barley is dead simple. If fact, if you want to eat it the problem is keeping it from malting and becoming beer. Making rice wine is not so simple, although everybody’s been able to figure out how to make alcohol from locally available materials..

Stumptown is home for me. I took this pic one morning just the other week. The fog at the bottom is where the Willamette River passes through:

Sunrise

Right now, we’ve got light fluffy snow on the ground with more to come tonight and tomorrow. Not the normal socked in overcast and rain typical at this time of year.

I just hope Connell left a nice juicy pile of evidence. In a safe place with a trustable person.

Nice! reminds me of a New Mexico sky..

Well this hillbilly is about to turn in.

Good night fabulous firedogs.

No.

Not good!

I had a TA who’s a bit like a Master Sargent. And, damn, I got respect! And so did he.

nite eureka
bailing out here too

Sueños.

G’nite Newt.

I gotta go too. Nite all!

I think Tucker would get my vote! He’s awfully cute!

g’night folks.

Good night ES good host as usual. Muzzy your right in the center of things. I like the museum and art galleries as well as the Art school near PSU. I worked hard and studued hard in PSU and U of O. Pulled green chain. unloaded boxcars of fertilizer and skied the moguls of Mt Bachelor. Great state. Lewis and Clark knew what they were doing.

Tap, tap, tap…is this thing on? Morning, folks, it’s 16 degrees in Upstate New York. We had another 1/2 inch of snow last night on top of the 6″ or so we got yesterday. I’m hunkered down with my nice hot tea,while the DH is doing his duty this morning with clean up shoveling in the driveway.

Morning all,
11 degrees here, supposed to climb all the way up to 16. What snow melted yesterday is now ice.

We’re supposed to get another 3-6 inches tonight. I think we’ve got ourselves some winter for sure now.

We had 5″ earlier in the week. It is still here and flurries in forcast not much expected. Two years ago we had 34″ one week and 30″ the next.

My benchmark for ‘disgust’ is Watertown, NY which a couple of years ago got 72″ within four (that is 4) days because a storm stalled out at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. People were climbing out their second floor windows onto the snowbanks to clear their roofs that winter.

Thank goodness can’t touch that.

Good morning, pups. It’s Bob Herbert solo in the NYT today. Gail Collins is off. Mr. Herbert finds “Hope Amid the Gloom,” and says even as Americans by the thousands sign up for jobless benefits, or line up to declare bankruptcy, or stand aside as their homes are foreclosed upon, there are some slender reasons to hope.

Here he is.

The coffee, tea and hot chocolate are ready, and I’ve got French toast with a bit of cinnamon, with warmed Vermont maple syrup. I’m off to get another cup of tea and start pondering what I’d like to serve next to the roast goose on Christmas. Maybe acorn squash filled with peas? Have a great day.

I obviously NEED that second cup of tea.

Here’s the linky for Bob Herbert.

I’s a doofus….

I’d go with spiced applesauce, Marion, with goose. Something a little bit tart to handle the richness of the goose.

There’s always applesauce (I’ll probably make my own this year, to control the sweetness), and a potato/onion/sage stuffing. A vegetable that’s not “too too” can be hard to find, though.

Hmmmm, mashed “Swedes”? (that’s what we call the big yellow turnips that come waxed in the store)

Or…here’s something my family likes that is a little unusual: Brussels Sprouts with walnuts.

Morning everyone. We’ve got lots of snow here too. But, hey, I went to college in Oswego which sits right on Lake Ontario. This ain’t nothing.

Mornin’, pups -

Toby -

Checked your dog trainer friend’s site; Greenville is an easy place-marker for location. Had the impression from something you said that she helps train rescue dogs to make them more adoptable but didn’t get that from the web site. Maybe you meant in the sense that she trains *owners* of adoptees?

I love Brussels sprouts, but Mr. Marion in Savannah has extremely strong feelings about them, having been at boarding school and in the army… (And I actually was exposed to what his mother did with them once. I don’t blame him for loathing them…) Even when they’re prepared well, and he’ll admit that they taste good, it’s more the “idea” of Brussels sprouts than the “fact” of sprouts!

Waccamaw – you were seeing her business site – her business is to train dogs(and to a certain extent, their owners). As a voluntary thing locally, she has done some training at the ASPCA to help their dogs become more adoptable..but that is something she has talked to me about personally. She also works with local vets who have dogs that have issues.

She’s also part of a team that has done work with dogs that have been rescued from ‘fighting dog’ breeding places – evaluating and so on.

Brussels sprouts are a favorite in this household. So, for thanksgiving I thought I’d get creative and I roasted them with bacon and tossed them with some wine vinegar (can’t remember the exact recipe). Not a big hit. It disguised the flavor of the sprouts too much. My family likes them boiled then tossed with some olive oil, garlic salt and pepper. Period.

You’re right — if you’re going to eat sprouts you want to taste sprouts. Now I’m drooling, and I just might do sprouts for me and have a salad or green beans or something else simple for Mr. Marion in Savannah.

Good Morning! I’m drooling just thinking about the X-mas goodies. I have friends coming over X-mas eve and will probably prepare a ham. X-mas in my house will be a roast.

Good morning. I seen we’re already talking about food.

I like brussel sprouts, slightly buttered, but some garlic works well.

I’ve got a devil’s food layer cake that I made from a mix yesterday. The guy who repairs ovens recommends cake mix to test how your oven is working, as they are much more scientific than the cheap thermometers you can buy. Well, it turns out the less expensive repair he did wasn’t the problem and he’ll have to order a new thermostat for me.

eCAHN, I’m making Dundee Cake, my mom’s fav Xmas cake.
http://www.boston.com/yourlife…..nd_recipe/

And….it’s that time again for….Pull Up a chair…starring Miss Christy Hardin Smith…upstairs..