Friday Recipe & Friday Morning Potluck

You're all in for a treat today. I've got SO much on my mind that I'm going to forego my usual Recipe posting only and steal copy June Cleaver Nirvana's Monday Morning Potluck. We're hosting a Friday edition.

To start, and because I KNOW you guys rely on my Friday recipe's, I'll direct your attention to this:

Looks down right YUMM-O-LICIOUS, doesn't it?

That, my friends, is Santa Maria Tri-Tip. You can find a recipe and tips on how to find it in your area (it's not known as tri-tip throughout the country, just in our little corner of the world) here. And btw, I don't smoke mine. Don't tell anyone around here, because that's TOTALLY ILLEGAL (kinda) but we just BBQ it on our good ole Gas Grill. Santa Maria is GASPING! Shhh...it'll be okay. So there's your recipe.

Now onto a fashion question, which may or may not ignite STRONG debate. And, if I had the time to wait for next week, I'd totally ask Tootsie Farklepants for her advice, but I don't have that kind of time. I need to know NOW. What are your feelings on Crocs?

A certain family member (who reads this blog, comments, and shall remain nameless) who is currently visiting, was SHOCKED yesterday when my stepmom their spouse and I informed him them that Crocs, while comfortable, are not, necessarily, uh, fashionable. At all. But, that's just our opinion. What are your feelings? Please leave a comment, or, at the very least, vote in the poll to your right. Your individual poll choice will remain secret, much to my chagrin, as I have NO WAY of figuring out who voted what. Damn. Gracias, amigos/amigas.

Next...please leave the above fashion question at the door. Or, as they would say in Court, strike that from the record, when you begin this next section. Cleared your mind? Okay good...continue on.

Dylan recieved his first Birthday present yesterday from my Dad and Stepmon who are currently visiting. It's this:

And it's AWESOME. He's been busy taking all kinds of pictures, which, after we finally got him to point the camera in the right direction (see self portrait below) he's starting to master. See for yourself.

DJ did not take this photo, but it was declared his "favorite." I think it's my favorite, too. The girls look pretty good. Even considering the use of a massive white nursing bra.

Plus, this means he'll keep his grubby little paws off my camera. Which may even be used to convince DJ to agree to the purchase of a new camera. Specifically this one:

I'm going to need a lot of luck with that. A LOT.

And finally, Sweetney had this video posted on her site. Cracks me up. I thought about saving it for Make Me Laugh Monday next week, but couldn't keep it to myself that long. It's funny. And sad. Scary, really. Kinda brings me back to this post that I wrote a few weeks ago.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, that tiny little frivolous number? The number of US Troops killed in Iraq? It's 3,973 now. And also, in case you're wondering, and I know I'm going to hear from "Anonymous" or someone else about it. I DO NOT support the immediate withdrawal of US Troops, although it does sound mighty wonderful. We went in there and got them into this mess, we need to clean it up. I just hope we can figure out a way, rather quickly, to get most of our people out of there and still be able to get things settled down. Saddam Hussein was an asshole who did very bad things to people living in his country. And because I don't want to discount the loss of innocent Iraqi life, since January 2006 approximately 38,817 Iraqi civilians & Iraqi Security Forces have been killed.

Moving on to something that really is FUNNY and highly inappropriate....one last YouTube Video. This was a submission for Make Me Laugh Monday a few weeks ago and it cracked me up. It was submitted by AFRo.

Happy Leap Day!

How Stupid Do You Think I Am?

Or, more importantly, how effing stupid are people who actually buy into this bullshit?

An email I've received* recently, which you may have too, in some form or another.

Regarding Barack Hussein Obama (I've inserted numbers where I will be making remarks at the end of the email)

"Very interesting and something that should be considered in your choice.

If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to all your contacts...this is very scary to think of what lies ahead of us here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about it and share it.

We checked this out on " snopes.com". It is factual. Check for yourself. (1)

Who is Barack Obama?

Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii , to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel , Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHIEST from Wichita, Kansas . Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii. (2)When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. (3) His father returned to Kenya . His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia . When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocated to Indonesia . Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta . He also spent two years in a Catholic school. (4) Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school." Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that that he is not a radical. Obama's introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education. Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta . Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major public office in the United States , Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt! to downplay his Muslim background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran. (5) Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegience nor will he show any reverence for our flag. (6) While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches. (7) Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candidacy. The Muslims (8) have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest level - through thePresident of the United States , one of their own!!!! Please forward to everyone you know. Would you want this man leading our country?...... NOT ME!!!"

Holy Shit, people. I don't even know where to start. Oh, yes I do because I've conveniently numbered it for my reading pleasure.

1) Snopes.com (is AWESOME if you don't know that already) refutes this entire email. See for yourself. Really, they do. But whoever masterminded this email banked on the fact that you'd be too stupid to check for yourself.
2) Oh crap, his parents were college educated. This CAN NOT be good.
3) Divorced parents? Where is this world headed?
4) No shit, he's Catholic? I really MAY have to re-think my voting choice now.
5) That was another black Senator. But that's an easy mistake because I know it's hard to tell the difference when all African American men look alike. Right?
6)


Oh yeah, and this too

7) Maybe he just needs a good Chiropractor? (That's just too ridiculous to even comment on)
8) "The Muslims". Really, ALL of them? Wow.

*It was sent to me by someone who was like "What the F*CK? This is ridiculous!" That someone will remained nameless, unless they'd like to claim their identity.

Also, this:

The audacity of the radical Muslim/Islamic Militant Presidential hopeful to be respectful of the culture of the country in which he is a visitor. Mind you, this is most likely being circulated (because I don't buy into the whole Hilary Clinton "anonymous" staffer thing), as a BAD thing, by the very same people who strongly believe that if you come to America you should speak English. Period. Hypocritical much?

And let's end with this.

Let Me Rub Your Head For Good Luck

Okay, so I SWORE (to myself) that I'd leave it alone for a while. You'd heard enough, I'd written enough, and we all have other, more interesting things to think about. Like, what WILL my sister do with her baby-naming dilemma (see post below b/c I'm too lazy to link that right now)?

Then, two things happened.

1) Greeblemonkey wrote this post. And let's face it, "10 Reasons to Barack the Vote" is an awesome name for a post.
2) Mrs. Flinger wrote this post about, a) What the hell is a caucus? and b) The virtues of choosing a presidential candidate based on the prettiness of their hair.

So, my thoughts on the whole hair thing, as I outlined in my comment to her post are this:

"If I went with the whole hair thing, I’d have to go for Guiliani or Obama on the mere fact that they would spend the LEAST amount of time “primping” and the most amount of time “Commanding.” Edwards & Romney? Too pretty. No man, in my opinion, should use more hairspray than me. And I don’t use any hairspray. McCain? I CAN NOT condone the “comb over” no matter how inconspicuous it is. Hillary? The closer she gets to the White House, the more her hair starts looking like a “Helmet Head”, which, again, is something I can’t condone. I guess that means my actual vote correlated with my version of your hair thing. Maybe you’re on to something! Go Obama!"

If you were going to pick a Presidential Candidate based on their hair, who would you pick? For a cheat, be sure to check out Mrs. Flinger's post where she has a great array of Candidate Head Shots.

Romney's Out!

Do a little dance...A Dance of Joy

Super Tuesday...Really, It's SUPER

*Disclaimer: You may not like what you read below. For that I don't apologize. You are more than welcome to disagree with me, that's what makes our country great. It's going to be long. It's going to be intense. It's going to be my therapy session for the next few months. It might take you that long to read it.

***

Okay, so I promised you it was coming. It's been brewing for weeks, months, YEARS, even. Frustration, sadness, anger, disbelief. CRAZY amounts of disbelief. And then some more disbelief thrown on top for good measure.

I'm the first to admit that Bill Clinton made some, shall we say questionable, choices. All right, let's be honest. He made some downright stupid, selfish, testosterone fueled choices. Though, most testosterone fueled choices are stupid, if you really think about it, aren't they? He made it even worse when he lied about it under oath. That was just plain stupid, and probably not at all testosterone fueled. But let's get back to the ORIGINAL sin, as it were. He did some inappropriate sexually related misdeeds, in the Oval Office no less, with that woman.

But, who did he hurt? His wife? YES. His daughter? YES. But the rest of us? We lost some faith in him, maybe. I certainly wanted to slap him upside the head and say "HELLO? What in the hell were you thinking you MORON?" (For those of you who watched "Reba" hear "moron" like she used to say it. "MOE-ron" ish)

But it didn't change my life. It didn't have any bearing on the daily goings-on of the American people. It didn't change the course of America. It didn't cause the deaths of 3,949 (as of today) US Service Men & Women. It did, however, lead to his impeachment. Say What? He lied about who he had "sexual relations" with and what type of "sexual relations" they were and he was IMPEACHED, however our current Commander In Chief LIED about finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, which led to our subsequent invasion of Iraq, which has subsequently led to the DEATHS of 3,949 Americans. Yet, we're okay with THAT? They're in the military, "we" say. That's what they sign up for, "we" say. They're defending America against terror, "we" say. Excuse me, but isn't Osama bin Laden, US terror threat #1, hiding somewhere in Pakistan? I believe, and I'm no Geography whiz (Hi Quart!), that Iraq is separated from Pakistan by the entire country of Iran and a tiny little body of water called The Persian Gulf. But, I may be wrong. Oh wait, no I'm not. So, why are the vast majority of deployed US Troops in Iraq and not in Pakistan or Afganistan where TERRORISTS are ACTUALLY operating? Because, light bulb moment here, it's not about terrorism. Well, maybe it is a little bit, but it's NOT REALLY ABOUT TERRORISTS! It's about OIL. It's about Saddam Hussein. It's about making up for his father's "Eff" up from years before. It's turned into being about cleaning up the huge mess we've created. 3,949 Americans killed. 3,949 sons, daughters, husbands, wives, mommies and daddies. BUT, Bill Clinton did get a blow job from Monica Lewinsky. Let's focus on what's really important here people.

"Substitute Bill Clinton for Bush over the past six months. What would TV talking heads be saying today? William Kristol, Sean Hannity and the others would be demanding Clinton's impeachment. They would be screaming that there were no weapons of mass destruction and Clinton knew it. He lied to the U.N., to the American people, and he deliberately and unnecessarily placed American troops in harm's way."

Ed Garvey, The Capital Times(Madison, WI), May 13, 2003

This is the bumper sticker I want for my car. This is what I want to proclaim to the world. THIS is what I feel:

I am proud to be an American. But I'm not proud of what our country stands for right now. I'm not proud of the stance we've taken and I'm not proud of the way the rest of the world views us. I am proud of our troops. For putting themselves in harms way regardless of their mission. For standing up for what America is SUPPOSED to be, regardless of what it has become. For continuing to fight a fight with no end in sight.

****

Okay, moving on from THAT topic. This all came about and was inspired by this post from Motherscribe. It got me riled up, in a good way, because it got me thinking. I voted for Obama. I didn't vote for Hillary and I'm not sure why. I'm someone who thinks, regardless of his personal mistakes, that Bill Clinton left this country in better shape then when he found it. (See here and here) His wife, then, someone who worked by his side during his Presidency, would potentially offer the same benefits, no? When I take those quizzes that tell me who "my" candidate is, she inevitably ends up on top. So, why then, did I vote for Obama? Why not her? Why not stick with the whole "woman power" thing I was so proud of in college? Because this gives me hope. It inspires me. It makes me believe that YES, WE CAN make things better. We can move this country in a new direction. As he says, "YES WE CAN heal this nation. YES WE CAN repair this world." And I believe him. I hadn't seen this video when I voted. If I had, I wouldn't have hesitated the half second that I did, before I put my mark next to his name.

Having said that, I still support Hillary. If Obama doesn't make it, you can bet your ass I'll be on the "Go Hillary" bandwagon (with my fingers crossed that Obama will somehow make it into her Cabinet). And, no JCK, I don't think Wolf Blizter would have asked a male candidate if he thought he'd been naive. I think, unfortunately, that it's another sad example of the "Good Ole Boys Club" being alive and well. She's a woman, Obama's black. Neither of them have anything in common with "Good Ole" GWB. And, as far as I'm concerned, that's what makes them exciting.

***

In other news, and because if I keep typing my brain might actually explode, I'm going to leave you with a few brief thoughts and some links. Oh, and if you don't agree with me and your already annoyed, your blood is really going to start boiling if you keep reading. Just so you know.

1. It irks me that Conservatives bitch & moan about Liberals wanting to "tell us how to live our lives" while they do their best to outlaw a woman's right to CHOOSE to have an abortion, and feel the need to tell two people of the same sex that they are somehow less capable of entering into a loving, committed relationship. How is THAT something that will cheapen my marriage? And I'm sorry, but I've been around a LOT of gay couples who are a lot more committed and well adjusted than some straight couples I know. I'm just saying.
2. This both makes me laugh, due to it's absurdity, and makes me want to cry, due to the fact that, well...it's just makes me want to cry. There go those damn Liberals again, shoving sex down our throats and turning women into sex objects. Oh, wait. Is that Fox News? Sorry. Jeez. *This, in no way, serves as an endorsement for Keith Olbermann, who, I admit, is a bit of a douche. But not nearly as big of a douche as Bill O'Reilly.
3. I can't remember what else I was going to write. Two kids are screaming in my ear and I've been sitting here typing for, let's just say a LONG time.

I'll leave you with this:

"The real differences around the world today are not between Jews and Arabs;Protestants and Catholics; Muslims, Croats, and Serbs. The real differences arebetween those who embrace peace and those who would destroy it; betweenthose who look to the future and those who cling to the past; betweenthose who open their arms and those who are determined to clench their fists."

Who said that? Oh, right. It was Bill Clinton.

And if you're still talking to me, I'll have more, not at all politically motivated, riveting things to say later. This time it will be about babies & poop. Hmmm...kinda like what this post has been about if you think about it.

Super Tuesday...TEASE

Hi All! It's me, your politically charged internet friend. I'm here, on the internet! I'm charged! I've seen 3,476 political commercials and it's only 7:51am. I have a lot on my mind today, which I'm sure you're VERY excited to hear about.

You're going to have to wait.

I have an UNKNOWN number of babies coming over today for playgroup. Babies & playgroup? you ask. Well, don't. It's really an excuse for the moms to get together and gossip. About celebrities, about one another, about our husbands. Fun, right? You're welcome to attend.

If you can't make it, but would still like to hear what I have to say about SUPER TUESDAY check back later. I promise you'll love it. Or hate it. I promise you'll have strong feelings about it either way.

Seriously? I've Had Too Much Wine

I admit I have a problem. NO, not that kind of problem, although I have had a few glasses of wine tonight. I use the word "seriously" too much. It's almost like I'm a regular cast member of Grey's Anatomy (seriously, how awesome would that be?). I realized it today when I was commenting on this post. I used the word 327 times. I did. Seriously.

I'm not sure why, but I use it a lot. It might have something to do with my, gasp!, sarcastic nature. As if I need to qualify my statments with "the" word so that people know I'm being "serioius" and not just sarcastic. Wow, that's deep. How much wine have I had tonight?

Why, you ask, have I had excessive amounts of wine? It MAY have something to do with this post. I seriously agreed with her and, in solidarity, poured myself ANOTHER glass of wine while watching the moron President speak. I needed it. The JerkHole Republican DJ and I argued the entire time. Shocking, I know. Anyway, less than one year left. I have my new counter (scroll down...keep going...yeah, there it is!) keeping track. I am planning a party. You're all invited to that one, too. Even if it's another Republican, it will be better than what we've got going on now. I'm just saying. The Simpsons said it perfectly last night. If I can find the clip online somewhere I'll share it with you. Seriously, I will.

Okay. That's enough. It's time for bed, ish.