From the Shad Plank, the blog for Virginia Politics we get the hero of the day . State Senator Janet Howell, D-Fairfax "offered an amendment Monday to a bill requiring women to receive an ultrasound before having an abortion, that would require men with erectile dysfunction to have a rectal exam. In protesting what she see's as an unecessary procedure for women to have to undergo before having an abortion.
"We should just have a little gender equity here," Howell said. "
The amendment ultimately failed to pass on a nearly party line vote of 19-21.
The Senate is expected to vote on the ultrasound measure Tuesday.
The other day Freta sent me a link to a website that she thought I would enjoy, I clicked on it for a second, then filed it away for future reference. Only this morning did I get back to it .........
What!, you mean there is more to food in Athens than
Poss' and The Varsity
Let's start this off with saying that I am not an envious person, at all. The concept is just foreign to me, worlds happiest man - but, I NEED TO BE BEST FRIENDS WITH ALL OF THESE PEOPLE!!!
Just cut and pasted from their website, I sat here trying to condense it, re- work it, but this is close to perfect :
Damien and Randolph met in Athens, GA at the University of Georgia years ago and though they studied design, they always shared the common interests of food and wine. Through their conversations on these topics, the original idea of The FourCoursemen was created: a cooking show somehow involving young professional types, quick meals to impress a significant other, basic knowledge on food, wine pairings, entertaining… it was a long time ago; the details are fuzzy. But it was essentially the stuff they wanted to learn themselves. But at that time, The FourCoursemen idea was ultimately something the two put on the back burner. Damien moved to New York where he started his web design studio while Randy bounced between Atlanta and Athens doing freelance web developing. Years later, Damien and Randy found themselves reconnecting back in Athens with a wealth of knowledge and ideas they had each acquired. Meanwhile, Damien built a house with an awesome kitchen and dining room which the two utilized as they began cooking together like they had years ago.
In fall 2005, they met Patrick, who was cooking at the Grit* (a popular vegetarian restaurant), and invited him to cook dinner with them one Saturday night. We remember something involving vermouth steamed oysters with roasted tomatoes and black truffle oil… The next time the three got together, Eddie, who was the pastry chef at Five &Ten at the time, came over to make dessert. Next, Matt, the head chef at Farm 255, joined in. And last but certainly not least, Nancy joined them to pair wines with the food. And the rest of the history grew from right then and there. Over glasses of wine and amazing food they agreed these dinners should continue and called it The FourCoursemen. Over the next couple years, they invited friends and met each Saturday night at Damien’s house and experimented with food (and different types of Schnapps)…
In 2007, one of our good friends suggested a move. We had become strong advocates of quality, local and sustainable food, and how to make that more accessible to our friends. We wanted to show people in our community that this type of cooking was (is?) something they could do themselves. So in Spring 2008 (five months after coercing our friends into helping us decorate, build tables, etc), we decided to open these dinners to the public and host them in a beautiful shotgun house with two big tables, one big stove, and one small dishwasher. We’ve acquired a hostess (Erin) and a dishwasher (Noah) but everything else is pretty much the same. We’re a group of close friends who use sustainable ingredients to create meals with paired wines because we are passionate about food, wine, challenging ourselves and our community, and want others to share that passion. We host these five course dinners twice a month for 28 guests and, thanks to ya’ll, word has spread so we have the support to maintain this experiment of ours. So after all these years, we’re still going strong and can’t wait to see where this takes us…
What all that wonderfulness boils down too is : THE BEST FOOD PORN, EVER !!!
They do the MOST amazing dinners and take fantastic photos of them doing it. To say I am in love is a way, way understatement.
AND : reading farther, its also .. A TV SHOW ON THE COOKING CHANNEL ??!?
It will take you some time to get through this, it's not a quick look-see website. but SUCH fun. Im just horrified that I am coming to this party late and that they will stop or something...
* The GRIT has been there forever, one of these days remind me to tell you the story about THE GRIT, Me, Paul , the mescaline, the soup and our very short careers as performance artists
Yes, I again, have been tres' slack in my commenting on/ covering the Florida GOP primary. If you go back to the last primary season, I am wall to wall, rip snortin' nothing but politics ( with some fashion and food thrown in ) . This year is just this awful race to the bottom of the Republican gene pool that just turns my stomach.
Let's see what happens tomorrow, if Mitt's Millions can overcome the all white anger of the panhandle..... We will pick it up there.
So, when Downton Abbey started last night, there was no snow, by the time it was over and we went out for our pre bedtime pee, there was lots! I didn't even know it was snowing. Still here this morning - but looking like it wont last long.
as watching the hard core right wing of the GOP eat it's own ? Birthday, Christmas and 4th of July all at the same time. I may live blog the debate tonight from the red neck capital of the US, Jacksonville... We will just have to see where we are at the time. I know it is all the dull for you to read in non real time, but it is very healthy for my husband and dog for me to have a non verbal, or .... less verbal place to vent. If I do , it will just be under this heading.
per Rolling Stone via Tom Wofford : " ABBA have announced plans to reissue their final album, The Visitors, with a previously unreleased song on April 23rd. "From a Twinkling Star to a Passing Angel," a demo recorded around the time The Visitors was released in 1981, will be the first new ABBA recording released since the box set Thank You for the Music was issued in 1994.
The new version of The Visitors will also include six previously released bonus tracks and a DVD featuring rare and unreleased footage from the Swedish pop band's archives, including their last-ever live performance on the BBC's Late Late Breakfast Show in December of 1982."
(This may be all disjointed , I wrote it quickly while angry, just let me vent. BUT, it is very important that you know all of these things that are slipping under the radar, news wise )
So much, so much... info over load.
I have been working this over and over in my head for the last week + or so. Pretty much ever since Newt went all atomic on Juan WIilliams the other night, causing him to win the South Carolina Primary. We all know that only African Americans use food stamps! ( and really how dare those lazy ass folks want to feed their children...).
There is also this nut case birther of a judge in Georgia, Michael Malihi - who is demanding that President Barack Obama appear before him to prove that he was born in the United States or else he will not appear on the Georgia ballet this November , seriously, January of 2012, and the GOP in Georgia is still proudly running with the birther thing. What are you people thinking??!? ( huffpo story )
update : per the AJC :This waste of time case was heard today, no ruling
There is a movement in Tennessee to " whitewash " all of American history . The founding fathers did own slaves and all, but way to much is made of that and killing Indians and all.. really, all they were about was lowering taxes on the rich, that is where our focus should be. ( huffpo story )
The darling of all the college age GOP set these days, Ron Paul, standing in front of the stars and bars and droning on and on about how , well, I heard that the darkies should have just been happy as slaves. I'm sure he said something different, but I can only deal with what comes into my head. ( watch the video )
Pulling it all together, getting the one thread that could get me to print, and then, this morning, Governor Chris Christie, talking about the gays, not the blacks said this. A grown-up, I am going to assume educated man - the Governor of the 11th most populated state in the union said: [ a little more background before we get to the jaw dropping quote. The New Jersey Legislature is just about to pass full out same sex marriage, and the Governor has said ( duh, he is a Republican ) that he will veto it, and that is should be on the ballot. The elected officals came back to him with no Americans civil rights should be put to the vote, the same argument that we always use , " what if African American civil rights had been put on the ballot in 1965" ,now you are mostly caught up )
"The fact of the matter is, I think people would have been happy to have a referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets in the South. It was our political institutions that were holding things back. I don't think there's anything necessarily so special about this particular issue that it must be handled by a legislature. Why would that be? I don't understand how anybody could argue with letting the people decide this issue. Let's stop hiding behind this 'we don't put civil rights on the ballot' thing. Ya know, please. These folks would put anything on the ballot if they thought they could win." - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. ( per The Philadelphia Inquirer via JMG )
Why oh why did the good benevolent folks of Mississippi/ Alabama / Georgia /South Carolina et el, just line up and LET THE PEOPLE VOTE on Separate but equal, Jim Crow and voting rights. OH, wait.. .voting rights are in there you *&#$%!! dumb as a sack of hammers pos. He is my age, how can anyone who has been alive for as long as we have been NOT know their own history ??? This man wants to be President of Vice President ??? Yeah, I'm guessing they would have all been happy to vote and not go through this:
The Republican party has become nothing more than the Neo-Confederate party of the United States.
Something you will rarely hear /read me thinking, but hats off to Speaker Boehner for keeping it together during this , I was a big old puddle of tears - and I am no where near as emotional as he is.
( sort of one of those, "if you have to ask" moments ...)
Could just kick myself for missing this, but evendently it has happened before and could again. On January 12th WHIT STILLMAN hosted an online viewing of METROPOLITAN on something called Constellation.tv. It cost 3.99 and there was a q&a with Mr. Stillman, as well as a preview of his upcoming film
Damsels In Distress.
WIll just have to keep a cyber eye out!
The First Lady was wearing a brilliant cobalt blue, twill cap sleeved dress from Los Angeles based designer Barbara Tfank's Spring '12 resort collection
I like it. Simple, tailored, what Mrs.Obama looks her best in. The boat neck framing her face, shoulders and famous arms. Love the jewel tone.
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS - My favorite movie of the year. We saw it so long ago, and have seen so many in the last couple of weeks, that I need to go and rent it again. It is in the faux Redbox across the street. But, come on, it had Scott and Zelda. Red meat to us here at the k+b. ( 148 million world wide )
THE ARTIST- I just loved it, and it was a very close decision as to which would be at #1. The tagline for the movie is " It's what you go to the movies for " and it so is. Yes, a silent film can be seen as gimmicky, but I didn't think so. Happy ending with cute dog.... ( 33 million world wide, but just went into wide release )
MONEYBALL - Brad v George this year, and Brad just ever so slimly eeked out the win. Baseball v rich folk family drama. ( 106 million world wide )
THE DESCENDANTS _ OK, you have to have the willing suspension of belief that a woman would bed hop with George Clooney at home. Very good supporting cast. I enjoyed this movie. ( 61 million world wide )
THE HELP- Somehow I avoided this bandwagon, I just did not like this movie as so so much as the rest of my facebook world did. Too shallow, too cartoony ( 205 million world wide,only 35 million of that foreign ).
THE TREE OF LIFE- " well yes, but is it art ? ". The big bang , some dinosaurs and life in baby boomer Texas. Then Sean Penn walks on a rocky beach... drugs would really help this one. ( 54 million world wide, only 13 million domestic )
HUGO - sigh. We just saw this today, as it got the most nominations this morning. Wow, what a HUGE disappointment. Like I do with every movie, I come home and dive into Rottentomatoes and read tons about a movie, the reverse of most folks, and I just had to wonder were we seeing the same movie ? I love film more than most. TMC is in my top five on the tv dial, and this supposed homage to .... true vintage cinema ? fell so flat with me. Listen, I teared up at some goofy preview of these whales stuck in some ice in Alaska, I am an emotional movie goer, and was just never brought into it. The 3-d was a waste... the kids got on my nerves and it was sooo to long , the first hour lost me completely. Just sort of a mess that the critics just LOVE to pieces. I really did not like The Tree of Life, but ranked it above Hugo, because it could have, and I wanted it to be SO much better. ( 83 million world wide )
WAR HORSE - you know I am afraid an animal gets hurt in this one.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - wait to rent it.
This was taken a little after Five this afternoon, true dusk, and you can see how warm it has been over the last couple of days. All that white has turned to green, with little dots of snow slowly falling.
This years crop-o-actresses is not really full of your cutting edge types but we can hope for the best.
Best Actress
The trends have been all over this year on the RC's. Explosions of color or as always black. What award show was it last year when EVERYONE wore red??
All pretty safe here.
I loved Glen Close in this Armani , some didn't but I thought the structure really suited her.
Viola Davis was one of my best dressed, for over all look as much as dress.
Rooney Mara in Nina Ricci is a special case. She has totally knocked it out of the park at some of the red carpets for GWTGT, but toned it down some for the Golden Globes.[ LOOK at this TLo post of her in a red Valentino. It is shockingly beautiful ] She is rocking that crazy chick fringe and hopefully will just let her hair down for the big night. Her family is worth like all the money, they own all the sports teams in Pittsburg ( or did ) and I think.. and this could be very wrong, own the Super Bowl bound NY GIANTS. Big rich.. which does effect the way they dress....
It's Meryl Streep, and if she wants to wear an Alessandra Rich cowboy shirt and big comfy skirt with pockets she gets too. Are you the most acclaimed actress of possibly all time? Then sit down.
Was not crazy about Michelle in this blue/purple... seemed to weigh her down.
A little " fuck art let's dance " and "Oh, why bother Reagan is just going to kill us all anyway ? " - good times for sure... and as long gone as Linda Evans shoulder pads! Replaced with:
( hat tip to the OH so NOT jaded Dr. Tinkler )
No, the irony of posting this on a blog is not lost on me.... I'm just too fearful, self loathing and bored with it all to care. Now, where is my flock of seagulls wig... Love plus one.
Ok, I had some sort of major brain fart and doubled this. This is only about a half of it .I told the people there to take some of this home - no one did, It's a Yankee thing. So, I gave a very large tupperware bowl of it to the non verbal contractor, and there is still A LOT of it left in the refrigerator. As I posted on the facebook, unless you are feeding like 300 8th grade boys, do not double this.
CHICKEN SPAGHETTI
• 1 stick ( a quarter cup) Butter • 1 LARGE GREEN PEPPER ( CHOPPED ) • 1 LARGE ONION ( CHOPPED) • 3 CUPS CHOPPED COOKED CHICKEN • 2 ( 10 OZ) CANS DICED TOMATOES WITH GREEN CHILIES –DRAINED
( I USE ROTEL) • 2 (4.5 OZ) JARS SLICED MUSHROOMS -DRAINED • 1 (15 OZ) CAN ENGLISH PEAS -DRAINED ( I really like the peas in this, and do not see why you could not use two cans...) • 1 (15 OZ) CAN CHICKEN BROTH • 1 (10.75 OZ) CAN CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP • 1 (10.75 OZ) CAN CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP • 1 ( 3.8 OZ) CAN SLICED BLACK OLIVES (DRAINED) • 1 TEASPOON SALT • 1 TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER • 2 (8 OZ) PACKAGES SHREDDED SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE • 2 ( 7 OZ) PACKAGES VERMICELLI BROKEN INTO 2 INCH PIECES COOKED AND DRAINED ( I dont really know what this means, .. because a box of vermicelli is not 7oz... I just two regular boxes) PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES
LIGHTLY GREASE A 4 QT BAKING DISH IN A LARGE DUTCH OVEN, OVER MEDIUM HEAT,MELT BUTTER – ADD PEPPER AND ONION AND COOK APPROX 5 MINUTES OR UNTIL TENDER. STIR IN CHICKEN, TOMATOES ,MUSHROOMS, PEAS,BROTH,SOUP,OLIVES,SALT AND PEPPER UNTIL COMBINED. ADD CHEESE, STIRRING UNTIL MELTED. ADD VERMICELLI, TOSS GENTLY T0 COMBINE. SPOON INTO PREPARED DISH- BAKE FOR 30 MINUTES OR UNTIL HOT AND BUBBLY.
