So Saint Paddy’s Day Rolls Around

…and we were dreamin’ “corned beef”. (YUM!) Lemme show you what we did. But you have to start …[cue: mystery music]…two days before.

First, get yourself a flat corned beef brisket that fits the mouths you’ll be feedin’. (Having lost our Resident Raptor Ebola, we have thankfully downsized el slabbo de beefo.) Open package, discard spice pack, rinse thoroughly and settle in a pot big enough to cover it completely with ice cold water. Stick in fridge. Fuggedaboudit until 24 or so hours later.

After a day, drain and refill to cover by a good 4 inches or so. Add 2-3 tablespoons fresh pickling spices. Bring to a boil, cover leaving it cracked for steam to escape and then drop temp to a simmer. Bubble away for about the next two hours. (Check to make sure the water level stays above the beef. Add some as needed.) Turn burner off, uncover and let the heat bleed off for a while. Re-cover and pop in the fridge. Fuggedaboudit until 24 or so hours later.

Well, glory be! It’s Saint Paddy’s Day and time to fix the supper. Preheat the oven to 375°.
I had major dad schmoosh a schmear of garlic, parsely, thyme and some salt, while I peeled and cut some parsnips.

Then I added some olive oil to loosen it up and schmeared said parsnips…

…who then wound up on a greased cookie sheet on a bottom oven rack.

Pull our beefy friend from his cold storage. (He’ll look something unappetizing like this…

…but trust me. This is gonna work.) Spoon out the fat and DISCARD. (HAH!) Pick the corned beef up with a fork, let him drain, then set him on a rack in a prepared pan. Turn your attention to yet another schmear we need to make.

I’m a big…well, okay…WE’RE big fans of a little heat brightening your day, so we add some garlic chili paste to our honey mustard schmear. I use about 2-1 honey to mustard and let your acid reflux be your guide to the chili paste addition. (Horseradish would also be wonderful.) Combine thoroughly and paste the beef liberally with most of it. (Reserve some for basting whilst he roasts.)

I set him on a middle rack above the parsnips, being an earth friendly multitasker, as well as outfitted him with a constant read thermometer. You don’t have to ‘cook’ him. You want to get the glaze caramelized and the internal temp about 130° or so. (Keep an eye on the parsnips when you go in to baste the beef. If they’re browning too quickly, you can always pull them out for a spell and finish them off as the beef internal gets higher.)

Once he’s popped in the oven and on his way, I got a couple honkin’ big red potatoes cleaned up and halved. They went in the cleaned stock pot el beefo had been in. Cover with about 3 inches of water and start boiling. When they’re within 10 minutes of being done, being an earth friendly multi-tasker, I had half a head of cabbage cleaned and cut into wedges ready to drop in a collander. That fit into the top of the stock pot, the lid nestled right down above the cabbage and voila! A bitchin’ steamer and less pots to clean afterwards.

It’s all coming together nicely. El beefo is looking done…

…and lusciously juicy.

A wee bit o’ white wine vinegar for the cabbage, pat o’ butter for the spudly, salt sprinkle for the parsnips, beverage glasses are charged and “The Quiet Man” is waiting on the DVD.

Last one to the couch is an Orangeman!

Fess Parker, “King of the Wild Frontier”

…has died. What a cool dude he was.

And what a part of our youth. I can still see a 5 year old Mountain Man in his Davy Crockett/Daniel Boone coonskin cap. He lived in that freakin’ thing.

And I was twelve ways to pissed I didn’t have one.

Well, dang.

Oh, the Games People

…play.

House Budget Committee Ranking Republican Paul Ryan responds to an NRO query about the news this morning: “The Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that there is currently no official cost estimate…”

UPDATE: Now it’s out, but with quite the curious rhetorical bent…

…Although CBO completed a preliminary review of legislative language prior to its
release, the agency has not thoroughly examined the reconciliation proposal to verify its
consistency with the previous draft. This estimate is therefore preliminary, pending a
review of the language of the reconciliation proposal, as well as further review and
refinement of the budgetary projections.

…that seems to say they’re not sure that what they estimated is what needed an estimation, since they’re not sure it’s the same.

Got that?

Smart Power!

I sleep like a baby* every night, secure in the knowledge that Joe Biden is one heart beat away from the Presidency

WASHINGTON (AP)— Vice President Joe Biden asked for God’s blessing for the late mother of Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen during a White House celebration of St. Patrick’s Day — except the elderly lady is very much alive.

“God rest her soul,” Biden said Wednesday night as he introduced Cowen and President Barack Obama. He quickly caught himself and noted that it’s Cowen’s father who is no longer living. Of the prime minister’s mother, Biden said, “God bless her soul.”

Biden then cited the Irish proverb that “a silent mouth is sweet to hear” and yielded the podium to the president.

*by this of course I mean that I wake up screaming every two hours and reach for my bottle…

Imagine If Bush…

…Was on national TV and talked about that devastating earthquake in Hawaii

BAIER: So the Connecticut deal is still in?

OBAMA: So that’s not — that’s not going to be something that is going to be in this final package. I think the same is true on all of these provisions. I’ll give you some exceptions though.

Something that was called a special deal was for Louisiana. It was said that there were billions — millions of dollars going to Louisiana, this was a special deal. Well, in fact, that provision, which I think should remain in, said that if a state has been affected by a natural catastrophe, that has created a special health care emergency in that state, they should get help. Louisiana, obviously, went through Katrina, and they’re still trying to deal with the enormous challenges that were faced because of that.

(CROSS TALK)

OBAMA: That also — I’m giving you an example of one that I consider important. It also affects Hawaii, which went through an earthquake. So that’s not just a Louisiana provision. That is a provision that affects every state that is going through a natural catastrophe.

I’m sure this comes as rather unsettling news to the people of Hawaii (hell, it’s shocking news to all of us in all 57 states). I mean, just because they’re such insensitive morons that they didn’t feel the catastrophic earthquake that noted Constitutional Scholar Barack Obama said they had, well, that won’t stop them from applying for the billions in federal aid he just promised.

For the devastation and all.

As Cassy Fiano at Hot Air says

This moment, from Bret Baier’s interview on Fox News with Obama, might just be one of the biggest “WTF?!” moments from Obama’s presidency yet. Obama is either completely making things up, living in an alternate reality, or really, really confused.

Actually, my guess is that’s it’s probably a combination of all three.

But he’ll get a pass on it from the MSM and continue to vote “present.”

When Will Israel Learn?

The Left, be it in Europe or the US, ain’t your friend

The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, today demonstrated a new-found steeliness towards Israel by making it clear she was expecting it to back down in the row between the two countries and offer concessions needed for a resumption of Middle East peace talks.

…The rift began last week when the US vice-president, Joe Biden, visited Israel in the hope of getting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks under way. But Israel scuppered the talks with an announcement that it planned to build 1,600 new Jewish homes in East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians hope will one day be their capital. Hours before Clinton spoke Washington demonstrated its anger with the Israeli leader by abruptly cancelling a visit to Israel planned fortoday by the US special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell. Clinton has privately set out various demands for Israel, including the cancellation or freeze of planned Jewish homes in East Jerusalem, a promise to engage in talks with the Palestinians on matters of substance, and confidence-building measures such as the withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of the West Bank and release of Palestinian prisoners.

They never have been nor will they be a friend of Israel; they always take the side of the Palestinians.

It’s Kinda Like Soylent Green Veal, I Guess

Makes me wonder how great a job he did at the restaurant he worked at

(CNN) — A Kentucky man high on marijuana and drunk on whiskey put his 5-week-old son in the oven Sunday and left him there overnight, police said.

The oven door was slightly ajar, and the oven was not turned on.

After smoking marijuana at the restaurant where he works as a cook, Larry Long, 33, (whose name should be adopted by the fellow in the post below) returned home to share a fifth of whiskey with the baby’s mother, Brandy Hatton, McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden said in a statement.

Hatton had four or five shots and went to bed while Long finished the bottle, Hayden said.

At 5:30 the next morning, Hatton awoke to the sound of the baby’s cries coming from the oven. He had been in it for several hours, police said.

I’m thinking the oven is probably the safest place in that house for the kid.

I Like Crime Shows As Much As The Next Guy

…But I’m really not looking forward to the “dramatic re-creation” of this little caper

A man who assaulted a female police officer with his (naughty bits) has been fined.

Marium Varinauskas, 28, tried to strike the officer on the head with his penis when she was called out to his flat, but she got out of the way.

…Fiscal depute Elaine Lynch said: “The accused got to his feet and was standing over the police officer exposing his (naughty bits) and thrusting it in her face, forcing her to take evasive action to avoid getting struck.”

Do they have Special Evasive Techniques that they teach Constables for situations like this? And, er, it seems to me that the, um, range of this weapon is somewhat limited; I’m not quite sure how she got into the danger zone.

And I really don’t want to know.

For Fans Of Big Government In New Jersey The Fat Lady Man Is Singing

My goodness, if you get a chance do read the whole budget speech by Governor Christie; it’s great. Here are some choice tidbits

…Over fifteen years, $4.7 billion was stolen by both parties from the trust fund set up for unemployment insurance benefits and spent for other purposes. The result, without action, is a crippling tax increase that will kill more jobs in a state that already has the worst unemployment in the region.

…Even now, in the depths of a great economic crisis, local governments and school boards can’t hold back on the pressure that comes from the public sector unions. What is the proof? While New Jersey’s private sector lost 121,000 jobs just in 2009, New Jersey’s local governments added 11,300 new municipal and school employees. 11,300 new government employees paid for by your taxes just this last year. 11,300 new employees added while you are struggling to keep your job and pay the bills. We must give the voters the tools to stop the madness and stop it this year.

…The leaders of the union who represent these teachers, however, have used their political muscle to set up two classes of citizens in New Jersey: those who enjoy rich public benefits and those who pay for them. That has created a system that cannot be sustained – a system fueled by mandatory dues of more than $700 a year taken out of every one of the nearly 200,000 teachers’ paychecks.

Political muscle fueled by intimidation tactics, political bullying and smears of public officials who dare to disagree. This conduct has set up an unfair system. Is it fair to have any public employees getting 4-5% salary increases every year, even when inflation is zero %, paid for by citizens struggling to survive? It is fair to have New Jersey taxpayers foot the bill for 100% of the health insurance costs of teachers and their families from the day they are hired until the day they die? Is it fair that teachers have a better, richer health plan than even state workers and pay absolutely nothing for it?

Like I said, read the whole thing.

Of course there is already some crying about how “shocking” his tone was.

I think his tone and direct approach are fantastic, refreshing, and sorely needed. We simply can not continue down the path we were on.

We all are guilty to varying degrees of allowing it to get to this point, and we all need to feel some pain and tighten our belts; hell, we all deserve some pain for allowing it to get like this.

The Governor deserves our full support.

Erin Go Brothel!

Happy St. Pats!

And the Oscar For ‘Best Botox Expressionless in a Non-Speaker Part’ Goes To….

The beeyotch helmet head with the frozen face!

A warm Swill Salute to Temple of Mut.

“”But I Like It,” She Said”

POP quiz! Is this salacious quote:

A) an affirmation of results promised via a message subject line in my SPAM folder?

B) the noise Bingley makes while caressing his errant yet upright…Weber?

C) ths cooing while ogling photos of a youthful David Hasselhoff? [ths ed: It’s RESEARCH, people!]

D) Nancy Pelosi petting her sundry swamp creatures for not peeing on the House carpet?

You’re right. It’s “D” for five hundred, Alex.

Sigh.

Peter Graves, RIP

It Was Killing Me Too, Cullen

So I took today off to stand her up and burn a few chimneys through her to dry her out and clean her off.

Those pieces of splintered wood on the ground in the previous photo were the broken stays from the umbrella.

I’ll smoke a turkey breast tonight for dinner, and life will be good.

One Of My Favorite Commercials Evuh

Hehehehe

Exciting Scientific Discovery!

Knee-jerk consensus “Actions” have “Consequences”

Climate ‘fix’ could poison sea life

Fertilising the oceans with iron to absorb carbon dioxide could increase concentrations of a chemical that can kill marine mammals, a study has found.

Iron stimulates growth of marine algae that absorb CO2 from the air, and has been touted as a “climate fix”.

Now researchers have shown that the algae increase production of a nerve poison that can kill mammals and birds.

Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they say this raises “serious concern” over the idea.

Gee, ya think?

But remember, the science is clear

“We saw some literature going around with claims like ‘there is no indication of toxicity to sea life’ – well, if you don’t measure it, of course there’s no indication, and we have to keep that kind of legalese out of science,” he said.

Amen, Brother.

Sour Apple

Look, I’m as big an Apple Fan Boy as there is; we’ve had only Macs in the house since 1988, for gosh’ sakes.

But an extra $30 for the friggin’ power cord?

Get stuffed.

Update: Jim Barnes in the comments points out that my Mad Reading Skillz strike again, as this is for a second power cord. To err is Bingley.

Apres Le Deluge Moi

Or some such. I have to say the storm we had on Saturday was one of the strongest I’ve ever been in. What a mess we still have around here.

We lost power for, oh, about 9 hours all told; not a tragedy by any stretch of the imagination, of course, but the heavy, sustained winds we had were, well, rather frightening given the large amounts of trees that surround the house.

I blame Bush.

Bad Storm

Naughty naughty storm.

One Of The Better Comments Of The Year

…is found in this story

don’t drink the lemonade

Bwahahahahaha!

Oh, and total ick with regard to the story itself.

Virginia Won A Game?

How the heck did that happen?

Just When You Thought It Couldn’t Get Sillier

I have to admit, I must doff my cap to New York State. In moments of crisis, when states such as my beloved New Jersey or the Thugocracy of Illinois or even dysfunctional California seemed poised to assume the mantel of Most Inept State, New York has responded brilliantly and persuasively that she deserves to hold the crown. From Gov. Spitzer to the amusing farce of the Marie Antoinette Kennedy Senator Tour to Gov. Patterson New York has not once failed to entertain, and following on the heels of their very successful Legislative shutdown of last summer we now have this

MYFOXNY.COM – Some New York City chefs and restaurant owners are taking aim at a bill introduced in the New York Legislature that, if passed, would ban the use of salt in restaurant cooking.

Yes, you read that right. No salt in cooking. Let’s peruse this bill which seems to have emanated from the very lips of Solomon:

“No owner or operator of a restaurant in this state shall use salt in any form in the preparation of any food for consumption by customers of such restaurant, including food prepared to be consumed on the premises of such restaurant or off of such premises,” the bill, A. 10129 , states in part.

As they say, we’re in the very best of hands.

You know, I think cooking should be banned; we should eat everything raw. It would be so much better for the environment that way

Hey, That Junk Filter Works Pretty Darn Well

Please forgive my poor Photoschlock skillzzz

I have to admit I laughed when Mail put that as “junk”.

Not that I fault my computer’s logic or conclusion, mind you.

A Word Of Warning

Beware of “Jims” bearing gifts.

Be very, very afraid.

The Saddest Day Of The Year

Well, for me it is at any rate. Tonight Friends I will sleep the enervating sleep of the Damned for today, ah for today I had to do that task which gnaws at the very roots of my soul, that task which causes me most grievous anguish, that task which forces me to inflict untold pain, punishment, misery and suffering upon those who are most innocent, yea those whose very being these shaking, agonizing hands of mine brought into this cruel, heartless and ultimately pathetic world.

Yes, Friends, today I had to prune my vines.

Now, it may not look like I did much to them…and I didn’t. I just don’t have the fortitude to prune them to the degree that “the books” declare I must. Ah, those books! Can’t they hear the cries as each snip cruelly severs yet another limb from my beloved vines? Oh sure they claim it’s for the best, they say it makes them stronger.

Tell that to the discarded branches cast away on the brush pile, joyously bedecked in buds that will never get to becomes leaves or grape clusters because of some book’s “advice”.