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November 22, 2006

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What are you all doing for Thanksgiving?

Flying to Boston. Hopefully the rain around here will have stopped by then (and hopefully there won't be any paranoid, ignorant passengers on board.)

Brining the turkey, cooking the turkey, feeding the wife, kids and in-laws, watching some football whilst tilting back an Old Peculier or three, and then going in to work on Friday and possibly Sunday to finish some reports that are due before the money runs out.

I'm having Thanksgiving with friends here in Baltimore. Also, it occurs to me that I need to get it together and finally finish the Wall of Death, which I stalled on about ten days ago. It would be so nice if my shoes could go back where they belong, instead of hanging around my bedroom floor.

I'm flying to Denver to see my family and then flying back on Friday night to be in a volleyball tournament in San Diego.

Going to my parents' house (also in the Philly suburbs), bearing appetizers (pumpkin pecan bread and crudites with dips), while hoping that the feud between my brothers continues to stay below the surface.

When's Thanksgiving again? This Thursday?

Er... working. ;-)

Mom's coming up from Portland, as she and Dad used to do most Thanksgivings and Christmases. For our first holiday season after Dad's passing away, we've decided to dine out, at the Woodland Park Zoo dinner spread. I've done Thanksgiving at the zoo twice, once in Portland and once up here in Seattle, but Mom never has. If it's like past years, it'll be fun company, and good viewing for as we walk off digestive torpor.

Here's hoping for a good day for all of us, including you foreigners who so blatantly refuse to celebrate on our schedule and all of you Americans who so blatantly refuse to agree with me on everything the rest of the year. :)

Going to my parents' place. The Moms has invited, among many others, not one, but two men who have been wanted by the FBI (for wholly different reasons) over for dinner. There will not be traditional Thanksgiving fixings. There will be no stuffing. There will be dry bird and there will be red pepper in strange places.

I'm singing the Thanksgiving Blues.

Situation so bad that I'm looking forward to making the hours pass by proofreading someone's research proposal.

Unlike previous years, there will be one small Thanksgiving dinner. My mother is having a medical procedure on Friday and cancelled her 20+-person meal, holding an immediate-family only one last Sunday. This year there is no negotiation over who gets Thursday and who gets Friday, and my parents will come to my in-laws.

Friday is blissfully free in every way, and we will begin planning the holiday debaucheries.

Several months ago, my brother-in-law started a political discussion and I became uncharacteristically animated and mildly hostile. He joshed towards the end that I should get used to being a permanent minority party.

I doubt there will be political discussion at Thanksgiving.

Ummmm....eek

Bomb Iran
Diplomacy is doing nothing to stop the Iranian nuclear threat; a show of force is the only answer.
...
The reality is that we cannot live safely with a nuclear-armed Iran. One reason is terrorism, of which Iran has long been the world's premier state sponsor, through groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Now, according to a report last week in London's Daily Telegraph, Iran is trying to take over Al Qaeda by positioning its own man, Saif Adel, to become the successor to the ailing Osama bin Laden. How could we possibly trust Iran not to slip nuclear material to terrorists?

I'm convinced.

Bruce, I had no idea the Zoo hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner! What a great idea; I'll try to remember to do it next year.

This year? I'm eating dinner at my neighor's house. Otherwise, spending the weekend trying to rearrange my house and create a work area for all the crafts I've learned and never been able to do much with for lack of workspace.

Ugh: Don't American conservatives realize that if an Iranian newspaper carried editorials titled "Bomb America" then they would consider it a causus belli for Americans? Why doesn't the converse reasoning apply? They would be foaming at the mouth with talk of Islamofascist militarism and extremism. Why do we get to publish "Bomb X" editorials at will in major newspapers without ever being thought of as extremists?

Ummmm....eek

Always looking on the bright side of life, I note the return to relevance of at least two of Steve Dahl's hits from the late '70s.

Ok, I just Googled the Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb bomb Iran song and discovered that it was featured by Dr. Demento as performed by the Baritone Dwarfs. So, maybe only Ayatollah

Why do we get to publish "Bomb X" editorials at will in major newspapers without ever being thought of as extremists?

Because we are the source of all the sweetness and light in the world, especially when delivered with a JDAM.

If we're going to think about madness, I prefer to make it mad scientists of the old school. This video wonderfully combines Jonathan Coulton's great mad scientist lament "Skullcrusher Mountain" with footage from World of Warcraft.

Getting over a sinus infection and possibly going to a friend-of-the-family's house if I'm up to it. Otherwise, dissertatin', dissertatin', dissertatin', yo. Also gradin', but that's substantially less gangsta.

Slarti: Brining the turkey, cooking the turkey, feeding the wife, kids and in-laws, watching some football whilst tilting back an Old Peculier or three...

There's nothing in that sentence I don't like.

...and then going in to work on Friday and possibly Sunday to finish some reports that are due before the money runs out.

Spoke too soon.

ack! Except the bold!

Little help, Kitty? Drop a bold-close after "Slarti", I beseech thee!

Anarch: your wish is our command.

zmulls - hope the procedure goes well. And good luck not gloating - I'd find that hard.

Mrs. R. went along with the idea of just roasting a chicken this year, but I couldn't get her to agree to porcinis in the stuffing. Rilkekind may have some rice cereal for the first time - wonder if I can find basmati baby rice.

"Don't American conservatives realize that if an Iranian newspaper carried editorials titled "Bomb America" then they would consider it a causus belli for Americans? Why doesn't the converse reasoning apply?"

First, they do carry such editorials.

Second, you have to note that their state-controlled media carries such editorials. State-controlled vs. independent (not even official newspaper opinion) editorial is a huge difference.

Third, it isn't the rhetoric of the Iranian newspapers that scares me. It is the rhetoric of the actual leaders--Rafsanjani, Ahmadinejad, and (to a very slightly lesser extent) Khamenei.

We're watching paint dry at the moment -- on the kitchen ceiling -- now great (smallish great) room -- which is completely gutted except for a new wood floor.

Off to the sister-in-law's -- in town -- for turkey day. We're bringing pies and wine.

I'm reading Robert Graves' "Goodbye To All That" and synchronizing the watches for a walk and, later, some Jim Beam.

Next year, in the new kitchen, I have half a mind to prepare turdunken in the new kitchen. I'm hoping the other half of my mind will talk me out of it.

Turdunken = boned chicken inside a boned duck inside a boned turkey. I might sneak a sparrow in there and wrap the whole thing in cow.

Happy, happy to all far and wide.

I'll be spending tomorrow with Best Girlfriend Ever, first with friends of my family, and then with friends of ours. Should be a really good day. Hope y'all have a good one, also!

Will be kind of quiet. A brunch with our younger son and his fiance, then dinner with just me, spouse and mother-in-law.

Saturday will be the big day when all of the above drive three hours to see our older son (the Army guy) and daughter-in-law and grandkids. They just bought a house in a little town in western Illinois about 30 minutes from his new assignment.

Since his old unit is heading back to Iraq in January, we are specially thankful he got reassigned.

Anarch: your wish is our command.

I wish hilzoy would write my dissertation!

*waits patiently*

Turdunken = boned chicken inside a boned duck inside a boned turkey. I might sneak a sparrow in there and wrap the whole thing in cow.

That's "turducken". Not sure what "turdunken" would be -- perhaps a brined version of same? -- but that does remind me of one of my favorite culinary terms ever. I was reading a website on turducken a while back and they suggested a vegetarian alternative (basically tofurkey and other tofu-based meat substitutes) which they dubbed "turfucken".

Not sure what "turdunken" would be

Chicken inside a turkey that is then rammed through the hoop by Lebron.

John, it's "turducken", unless maybe you have in mind something abominable with a pot of coffee.

Also you might consider ortolans. Jim Beam might be an acceptable substitute for armagnac.

You silly Americans. Thanksgiving was more than a month ago. And the turkey was delish.

First, they do carry such editorials.

I would have thought that such an editorial's headline would read more like "Develop Nuclear Weapons, Develop an Intercontinental Delivery System, Then Bomb America".

Thanks, rilkefan

Anarch: Me? In math? As my favorite headline ever said, right after pinyin spelling was introduced: Xurely You Zest!

turkey: heritage. tried for the first time last year. yum! (no brining needed or appropriate.)

stuffing: never! dressing: mix of sourdough and cornbread with various wild mushrooms.

bread: popovers.

yams: steamed then tossed with bourbon and pecans.

wild rice, with walnuts.

french beans, with slivered almonds and sauteed in butter.

gravy: roasted giblet, combined with pan drippings.

wine: lots.

late nite snack: homemade onion soup.

guests: my mom and dad, wife's dad and lady friend, possibly neighbors.

Off to the kitchen soon, my far-flung friends! Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Cheers.


yams: steamed then tossed with bourbon and pecans.

We've started doing mashed sweet potatoes with bourbon and pecans, which is much the same and totally delicious.

We've started doing mashed sweet potatoes with bourbon and pecans

That sounds good except for the sweet potatoes and pecans. ;-)

Thanksgiving in Austria? There may be some dinners for ex-pats, but otherwise Vienna doesn't care about thanksgiving.

(I've never bothered to google up hilzoy's real name before, but the technorati link has her name and thus I finally have the picture to accompany the writing: here.)

Rilkefan:

"in mind something abominable with a pot of coffee"

For a guy who might feed his kid risotto (yeah, yeah, I know) flavored with porcini broth as a first cereal, you soitantly provide tasteful food for thought. ;)

Anarch: I was hunting for something in an early October Obwings post and learned that your father is Dr. Ngo. And your sister shows up, too.

That's pretty cool.

I discourage members of my family from perusing Obwings because, well, they think I'm the well-adjusted one in the family. Why ruin it for them?

I had a funny half feeling about my spelling of turducken. Thanks.


Bourbon + veg. Why didn't I think of that.

"That sounds good except for the sweet potatoes and pecans. ;-)"

Ok, my coworkers are wondering why I'm bwa-ha-ha-ing, obviously time to go home via the liquor store.

After my 15-miles-in-90-minutes commute this evening (thank you, Northern Virginia), my wife and I are settling in for a nice, quiet five-day weekend together which spans from Thanksgiving to my 37th birthday. Saturday, I'll be getting together with my dad up in Maryland for lunch also.

I might have mentioned it here before, but after the first of the year we're moving from Virginia back to Ohio. I got the news today from a mortgage lender with which I've been speaking that I'll be pre-approved -- like, serious pre-approval, as in, "Just sign here and it moves from pre-approval to actual approval" -- for the loan I want, so we can buy a house we want in the neighborhood we want.

This will be my first owned home. At age 37. I can hardly wait.

PS: A glass of Macallan 15 really takes the edge off that crappy commute. :)

Bourbon + veg. Why didn't I think of that.

I'm getting the unfortunate mental image of a celery stalk in my glass of bourbon.

This very moment I am watching the end of Ken Loach's Land and Freedom. So tomorrow I may try to read Homage to Catalonia

Not really into holidays or sports anymore. Drank whiskey on election night, first alcohol in twenty years;hated it; no more til I die.

The only dream I have left is violent class war.

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

Close family dinner.

Francis,

We will be using a heritage turkey for the first time. Glad to hear it's as good as advertised. Where did you get yours?

Phil,

Congratulations on the new home. The day I closed on my first I stayed up all night wondering what the h**l I had done and how I was going to pay for it and what if the floor caved in tomorrow.

You may do the same, but it will pass.

Bernard: Bristol Farms (more expensive than some alternatives but much closer to the house).

Phil: congrats. but I'm afraid that the fear of not be able to pay both the mortgage and the cost of repairs that KEEP springing up unexpectedly (*&* TERMITES *&^) actually doesn't pass.

Bernard and Francis, you shall not -- nay, CANNOT -- harsh my buzz, for I am slowly imbibing copious quantities of scotch this cold Virginia eve.

I'm getting the unfortunate mental image of a celery stalk in my glass of bourbon.

Bourbon Caesars. Now why didn't I think of that.

Seb: I know they carry such editorials. My only point is that reasons are general and ought to apply on both sides. If we make inferences about their extremism, why can't they make inferences about ours?

Are you arguing that there is no reason for an Iranian to be alarmed (because, after all, this isn't state-controlled media) (mind you, it is independent media, but mainstream media, certainly not fringe media)? Or are you arguing that it is preempted because what flies out of their mouths is worse?

"Bourbon Caesars"?

Did you drop an "alad"?

PS: A glass of Macallan 15 really takes the edge off that crappy commute.

Yeah, but drinking from a travel mug is no good. Plus, it's all too easy to spill when the person in front of you brakes suddenly.

Maybe I'm behind the times, but didn't hilzoy want to be anonymous? Did that change? Because what I presume is her real name on her Technocrati profile (given that the Wikipedia entry for said real name fits - how nifty to have a Wikipedia entry!) fits the profile of what hilzoy's described.

Of course, maybe she "came out" a la Atrios and I missed it, which is why I'm asking.

Phil: congrats! What Bernard said is true, at least it was for me: I found the experience of going from no debt to six figures unexpectedly terrifying. But it's fun.

otmar: ack.

PS: A glass of Macallan 15 really takes the edge off that crappy commute. :)

Hmmm...you've just inspired me to crack open that bottle of Laphroaig that's been gathering dust in the liquor cabinet. So, thanks!

Disclaimer: peat grows on you.

Once, when I was younger and more foolish, as well as sans children, I sprang for a glass of 25-year-old Macallan. I think I payed less for this bottle of Islay than I did for that glass. My wife wasn't happy with the bar bill, because I bought my brother one, too.

chdb: semi-anonymous, really. I was always pretty easy to find, but it was easier ro get from the blog to real me than vice versa, which was how I liked it.

Then I guest-blogged for Kevin Drum, and his rss feed sent everything out under my real name, including, oh, little things like me calling for Bush's impeachment. And it ended up on memeorandum, DeLong, etc, etc, etc.

Since then I still try, but on some level I think the cat is out of the bag. -- The main point, for me, has always been to make it harder for e.g. my students to find me. I have no problem with people finding what I say here and attributing it to real-life me, I just don't want it to be googlable.

That said, I've changed the technorati profile -- I never had one before, so it's all new, and it turns out you don't actually get to do much that's interesting with it, at least as far as I can tell.

Plus, if we must have pictures, why not this, which has the great advantage of not being pulled out of a video and making me look as though I'm being attacked by killer rabbits?

And Ara: too bad about the dry bird. I hope the wanted men are at least colorful and non-threatening.

I'm on the couch at my parents' house in Richmond, having taken the train down from DC last night. Not sure exactly who will be here tomorrow. Definitely me and Mom and Dad and their honorary son from Mozambique who's in grad school in Virginia and his friend from Zimbabwe. Probably my brother and sister, not sure about their spouses, who are both not feeling well.

It'll be a fairly traditional Thanksgiving dinner with some vegetarian options. I've had to abandon my short-lived tradition of making purple potatoes mashed with celeriac and garlic, since the farmers' market hasn't had the potatoes the last couple of years.

You know, drinking makes you realize weird stuff . . . like, I'm sitting here thinking about my upcoming vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner, and realized that "Tofurkey," while a perfectly accurate name, is also a Spoonerism for "faux turkey," which is also accurate.

Wow.

Slarti: When my wife and I celebrated our 15th anniversary in Maui this summer, I had a glass of 20 yr. Macallan with dessert, which I think cost as much as my entree. Said desert, btw, being something called the Road to Hana. Much like the 4077th and Adam's Ribs, I'm looking into having it flown out to me several times a year.

And now I'm fretting about the absence of confirmation e-mail following my booking of said honorary son's flight to Mozambique for Christmas (which would have been easier and cheaper to book a month ago, except that he wasn't intending to go back, and then his father died but he wasn't able to get back for the funeral, so obviously he needs to go back and see his family).

I have never gotten organized enough to have Thanksgiving here, though my wife has learned how to make red beans and rice, so that will be what we have. Strangely enough, the Japanese version of labor day (kinroukansho no hi) is on the Thursday, so this would have been the year to do it. Oh well, maybe in a decade or two. We were going mikan (tangerine) picking today, but the weather is crappy.

Working – but very happy. I have a lot to be thankful for this year.

I already did the Thanksgiving thing, because my sister was due with her fourth son this week, we did it last weekend. Great time, great food. She had the baby last night, all is well. It was scary for about 8 hours as she was leaking anionic fluid, and they finally decided to induce. All came out well.

At the same time, my step-dad who had a huge brain tumor removed over 10 years ago recently experienced a resurgence of related symptoms (loss of balance, vision problems, and intense headaches). They came down (to PA, we went up) for the dinner, the holiday, and the baby, but also to get him checked out at Geisinger (one of the best hospitals in PA). Several days of tests and they can’t explain the symptoms, but did confirm that the tumor is still in remission.

I’ve been a basket case for a few days, but now the load has been lifted. All is well with my family, and that is the most important thing.

Everyone have a great holiday and eat too much. It is your duty.

Now, according to a report last week in London's Daily Telegraph, Iran is trying to take over Al Qaeda by positioning its own man, Saif Adel, to become the successor to the ailing Osama bin Laden.

Can someone explain to me how the predominantly Shi'ite Iran credibly plans to "take over" a Sunni terrorist group?

Pundits who write things this deeply ignorant and irresponsible ought never be allowed to work again in print.

peat grows on you

only if you're irish and moving reaaaaally slowly.

only if you're irish and moving reaaaaally slowly.

But I repeat myself.

Can someone explain to me how the predominantly Shi'ite Iran credibly plans to "take over" a Sunni terrorist group?

Especially when the figure they propose to use is currently in Iranian detention.

But I repeat myself.

I have waited years in vain to use that line in real life. That must have been a happy quick scrabble at the keyboard, dr ngo.

But I repeat myself.

Come to think of it, I'll have another, too.

Other Things I Did For Thanksgiving:

Get yelled at and threatened for five blocks by an ex-con named Tommy who was vastly insulted when I (apparently? I missed this) refused to shake his hand and said I had to go. We had a close, intimate relationship too: we both went to the same all-night grocery tonight, me for sweet potatoes and pecans, him for a six-pack of eggs (because apparently that's the first thing you want after 18 years in the slammer). Afterwards he walked up to me and said that if I had two slices of bread *hoists his eggs here* then we could have a tasty sandwich. Yes, our 10 second relationship was beautiful; it's what made the next 20 minutes so heart-wrenchingly sad.

I have waited years in vain to use that line in real life. That must have been a happy quick scrabble at the keyboard, dr ngo.

Oy. Trying to stop him from using it, that's the hard part.

That must have been a happy quick scrabble at the keyboard, dr ngo.

Mmmmm ... happy quick scrabble! Must use that again.

And Slarti - have another on me. I'm personally on the Zinfandel (following up on the Amontillado), but I do not begrudge you the single malt. At least tonight.

Everyone should believe in something. I believe I'll have another drink.

gluttony. my wife and i are exploring gluttony. and beaujolais.

Tofurkey. Faux turkey.

Smallish Thanksgiving for us this year: due, unfortunately, to family illness, so it's just six for dinner. I found out that the Mrs. (and our other guests) don't really like turkey - even my splendid production - so I'm doing coq au vin instead. Even if the coq doesn't pan out, there's still plenty of vin in the cellar, so we'll be set!

Oh, and hilzoy: the next time you link to a blurb w/ picture, you might want to notate it "scroll down" or something: I followed your last link and spent a few unpleasant moments being glared at by Henry Luce before I realized it wasn't him I was supposed to be seeing! (Phew!)

I claimed by blog on Technorati in a mis-guided effort to pump up traffic to my blog and crow about my arbitrary ranking (which has not pumped up traffic to my blog and has actually fallen as of late thanks to the losers dropping off the Torture Awareness Blogroll.) To see you join it like this, merely for sport, makes a mockery of my desperate desires to build a popular blog. Please apologize.

Xanthippas: sorry. -- I can't figure out what on earth I would do with the little widgets that would in any way drive traffic. What am I missing? (Possibly I should add that I'm allergic to writing blurbs.)

We seem to be mired in the 4000 range, ourselves.

Hilzoy: They are indeed colorful. One even shares my first name. Fancy that. And non-threatening, if you consider fraudulence to be less threatening than violence. But Dante has fraud in rung eight, and violence in rung seven, if I remember right. So maybe there are other opinions.

We had our national elections on the 22d and definite results are in today - I might go for the whiskey tonight...
The anti-islam party got a big win, 9 seats in our 'house'. The party for animal rights (and not much else) got 2 seats. The biggest win is for the socialist extremists (radical left wing dogmatists but rather harsh on immigrants). 26 Seats and they are now bigger than our secular conservative party... (christian democrats tend to lean to the right and are still the biggest party with 41, our 'labour' lost but still has 32 seats).

We are in for interesting and VERY LOOOOOONG formation talks now.

Happy thanksgiving to all Americans.

The party for animal rights (and not much else) got 2 seats.

I pray that that is the actual name of this party. :)

I wish.... I like honesty :)

Whilst we still have an open thread going.. I'm having second thoughts about the chemistry practise set I bought my 8 yo for Sint Nicholas after reading this...

dutchmarbel,

Is this an unusually fragmented result? Do the socialist extremists and labour tend to form coalitions? What about the Christian Democrats and the anti-Islam party?

Nobody really gets on well with the anti-Islam party. The result is more fragmented than usual, because there basically are three factions; the 'left', the 'right' and the Christian Democrats (CDA). The latter prefers to govern with the 'free market' liberals but those lost pretty big. CDA does not get on well with the Socialist Party (the big winner of the elections). CDA could form a government with 'labour', but they need a third party to get a majority. They have to talk with the Socialist party first, but I don't think that will work because the programs of CDA and Socialists are too different. Other parties are not really big enough. They might try to get the Christian Union in the government; they are economically leftwing but do not score high on socially liberal points (euthanasia, gay marriage, abortion) and those are rather essential for 'labour'.

It is an interesting puzzle...

Oh, last government was CDA with our 'free market' liberals and our 'personal freedom' liberals, but all three parties lost seats. CDA still stays biggest party, which is why they can start trying to form a government.

Remind me of this when I yearn for more than 2 parties :)

But I voted for a party that had a program that I agreed 98% with OCSteve.... You have all the factions/groups too, but they all have to work within the same party and that is much more difficult I think.

The advantage is that we won't have radical changes. Things move slowly. Which is nice, because the biggest winner and number three party is really left-wing and I'd hate to have a party like that get power to change everything. They are well willing I'm sure (everyone who holds a party office gives his or her salary to the party and gets less than 3000 euro per month from the party) but for me they represent all the things I do NOT like about the left...

After the carnage report:

Menu:

Turkey
Breadcrumb stuffing with leek and roasted pecans
Rutabaga
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potatoes
That oddball sauerkraut dish that my mother-in-law absolutely has to have (cooked with the turkey neck and an apple)
Green beans
Seeduction rolls (from Whole Paycheck Market)

Turkey: Whole Paycheck Market all-natural, fresh bird cooked breast-side-down, trussed, and stuffed with leeks, onions, celery, parsley and fresh thyme. Absolutely the best way to cook a turkey, but, unfortunately, sadly lacking in the crispy skin department. Sorry if the description gave anyone ideas unrelated to cooking.

Oh, and umpty-dozen trips to the attic to retrieve carefully inventoried cartons of Christmas decorations. Tree's up, and partially decorated. But I got a nap during the Dallas/Tampa Bay game, which is a plus. I computed, by the way, that between now and mid-January I'll have made over 100 trips up and down the attic stairs.

Carcass already picked and boiled for stock. I'll have to dodge out for some fresh tarragon tomorrow, and some more leeks.

Which reminds me of the best. soup. ever; potato-leek. I'll post a recipe if anyone cares.

Hope all who are celebrating holidays had a good one.

This video wonderfully combines Jonathan Coulton's great mad scientist lament "Skullcrusher Mountain" with footage from World of Warcraft.

Thanks, Bruce. Not only did I love the song, but I've begun playing it repeatedly in my lair. Not that my lair is quite as plush as Skullcrusher Mountain, mind you, but I call it home.

Plus, my brother's response was priceless: "never heard that before".

Which, if you know my brother: never, ever happens. The guy can probably sing the entire Beatles anthology, in reverse chronological order, backwards. And then do the same with everything Tom Waits has ever done. Then Louis Prima.

For some reason yesterday I decided to catch up on reading Partially Clips, which I'd forgotten about for several months, and there I saw another reference to Skullcrusher Mountain, so after the second mention in a day I had to listen to it. Definitely entertaining.

I put a little too much nutmeg in the mashed potatoes, but they turned out okay. We had the usual turkey, rolls, cranberry sauce, corn, dressing, gravy. The green bit was unusual this year: collards, with garlic. I got to try to explain the first Thanksgiving to our Zimbabwean guest, and there was a fair amount of political discussion -- fortunately everyone in our family is on the right (that is, left) side, though my father had the audacity to claim that Biden was a reasonable presidential candidate.

OCSteve would be happy to know that I tried to restrain my brother-in-law from making too many comparisons between the Bush administration and various bad regimes around the world. It's a bit much to be complaining too much about our country's situation when there's someone at the table whose father was killed by a land mine in a civil war. While I think this administration has taken too many steps along a very bad road, I recognize that there's still quite a way to go along it. Of course that's why it's important to turn back as soon as possible, and why this election was very important.

Oh, yeah, I forgot about the cranberry relish. That.

potato-leek. I'll post a recipe if anyone cares.

i care.

leeks make the baby jesus smile.

Slarti: I smile in great satisfaction. Glad to have helped out. Jonathan Coulton has done a bunch of songs in roughly the same style; "Code Monkey" is perhaps his second biggest hit so far, after "Skullcrusher Mountain".

A favorite Plympton song/animation linked to here.

Slart is wise. My other half makes some of the best potato-leek soup on the planet, and it is a thing of majesty.

Hint: white truffle oil.

isn't potato-leek soup just warm vichysoisse?

(says the person who believes that the greatest single contribution by humanity to humanity is french cooking. reading? feh. let's eat.)

slart, catsy, whomever else.

potato-leek soup recipes, please!

Leeks. Potatoes. Nutmeg.

What more do you need?

Chard.

Bliss.

Josh Trevino's 1,356th new blog, "Pope and Patriarch".

Remember No End But Victory? It's still going strong, but the theme seems to have changed. Or maybe not.

If you share my burning desire to see the Mainstream Media go down in flames and be relegated to the ash pile for their acts of sedition, and crimes against the general population by usurping the first amendment to justify their propagandizement of the Liberal American agenda, pay attention.

What's funny about that, spartikus, is that if you click through, you read this inanity:

Maybe there MIGHT be a war going on? Perhaps there are several hundred thousand Soldiers out there somewhere that won’t be home for Thanksgiving? If we think long and hard, we may remember there are young men and women out there fighting the war of a generation; fighting in our stead and on our behalf.

It is worth reminding everyone that they are doing this so that we won’t have to face the bombs and suicide vests and sirens and screaming Mothers and Fathers and orphaned children wandering in squalor through the streets like they do in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, and so many other places around the world where such little value is placed on human life. It is worth remembering them, and honoring their service and sacrifice, and it is worth doing so each and every day. I find it pathetic to see so much media frenzy spent on cheap trash and psycho polygamists and so little on the heroes of our time, and you should too . . . We need to be ever-vigilant for THEM to the extent we can be, right here at home; vigilant against the incessant burning desire on the part of the MSM to have us only think of them negatively or not think of them at all.

Then, if one picks up the dreaded Emm Ess Emm organ, the Washington Post, one sees on the front page:
When war started in Iraq, a generation of U.S. women became involved as never before-- in a wider-than-ever array of jobs, for long deployments, in a conflict with daily bloodshed. More than 155,000 women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Among their ranks are more than 16,000 single mothers, according to the Pentagon, a number that military experts say is unprecedented.

How these women have coped and how their children are managing have gone little-noticed as the war stretches across a fourth year.

I have long believed that there is no floor of scumbaggery beneath which Redstate and its associated denizens will not sink. I am, once again, proven right.

Oh, that, and the "They Have Names" nonsense halfway down the page, when the Emm Ess Emm has been publishing names and photos of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since the beginning.

And what was the right-wing reaction when Frontline first displayed the names and photos?

"The Popeandpatriarch.com team is a diverse group of Catholic and Orthodox Christians who came together with a shared vision of rapprochement between the two great Churches."

... which apparently consists, at the moment, of criticizing Turkey. Um, yeah.

You mean Occupied Byzantium, methinks.

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