The Grand Panjandrum

Back to Wordpress

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:49:00 +0000

Rather than write up a long explanation, I just quickly say that I am going back to Wordpress and you can find the blog here.

Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory ...

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:24:00 +0000

"Suicide" At Gitmo

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:10:00 +0000

Read this horrifying account of three alleged suicides at Gitmo. Is this the smoking gun? Will this be the catalyst to finally move the administration to investigate the possible war crimes of the Bush/Cheney folks? One can only hope these crimes are investigated and prosecuted. It sickens me to think that the Obama administration would continue to look the other way.

Concerning Trolls

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:12:00 +0000

Andrew,

I read with great interest this reader email. If that letter is not the definition of concern trolling then none exists. To wit:

I'm with you in thinking that Obama is the best thing the Democrats have going for them right now. But I also think that in having the supermajority, they actually undercut him. They don't have to compromise and so they don't try to. Instead, what passes as legislation is a horrid mismash of corporate interests and traditional, not progressive, balms of the Democratic Party. I know this country can do much, much better. And I think Obama needs a less powerful Democratic party to make it happen, like Clinton did.

OK. The Democrats are corporate shills so Obama needs fewer corporate shills to get through his progressive agenda. I'm with on that. But, I would quibble that Obama isn't a progressive. He is a center-left pragmatist, but lets not get sidetracked by definitions here. (At least not yet!)

We all agree that the GOP is a mess.

I'm not sure who the author means by we, but I do agree that the GOP is a mess right now.

But we also all agree that we need a stronger GOP.

Um, no. We ALL don't agree. But I will concede that a saner GOP would be more helpful to the country as a hole. We had a strong GOP during the first six years of the Bush/Cheney regime and that didn't work out so well, did it?

And despite the rhetoric, I can't think of a better candidate to help than Scott Brown. He's not perfect, but if he thinks he can go along with the national GOP and keep the seat in the next election, he's going to be out of a job.

You can't think of a better candidate? Do the names Jim Leach and Lincoln Chafee ring a bell? Scott Brown is a malleable, half-bright opportunist who doesn't think that Red Cross volunteers working with the 9/11 recovery effort deserved financial assistance from the state of Massachusetts. This homophobic prick is the answer to the GOP's problem?

He touched off a political firestorm in 2001 when he disparaged Democratic state Senator Cheryl Jacques and her domestic partner, Jennifer Chrisler, for deciding to have children. In an interview with the Globe, Brown said it was "not normal" for two women to have a baby. He also dismissed Jacques's role in the relationship as her "alleged family responsibilities."

But this just boggles.

In voting for him, I hope he'll moderate that party.

So yeah, if that's the kind of person who has the character and political savvy to mitigate the Teabaggers and Christianists I understand the emailers logic in voting against Democrats who bow to the corporate oligarchy by replacing those Democrats with a ... Republican!

Kill. Me. Now. This country is fucked.

Sincerely,
TGP

RIP, Teddy Pendergrass

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:40:00 +0000

Classic footage of Teddy in a 1972 appearance with Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes on Soul Train singing their classic "If You Don't Know Me By Now." Unfortunately embedding is disabled on that video but do click through because the video and audio quality are excellent.

The Geithner Chronicles

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:06:00 +0000

I can think of no good reason Geithner should still be our Treasury Secretary. Here is a good case against him.

Game. Set. Match. Time for Geithner to go.

The Rielle World

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:53:00 +0000

Reading this excerpt from Halperin and Heileman's book 'Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime'. Right now I'm in the middle of the part about the early Edwards campaign and how he met Rielle Hunter. Of course I immediately find this:

There was nothing legit, however, about Hunter’s behavior. It was freaky, wildly inappropriate, and all too visible. She flirted outlandishly with every man she met. She spouted New Age babble, rambled on about astrology and reincarnation, and announced to people she had just met, “I’m a witch.” But mostly, she fixated on Edwards. She told him that he had “the power to change the world,” that “the people will follow you.” She told him that he could be as great a leader as Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. She told him, “You’re so real. You just need to get your staff out of your way.” She reinforced everything he already believed, told him everything he wanted to hear.

(My emphasis added.)

Yea, about getting that staff out of your way, John. You should have heeded her advice. You still wouldn't be president now, but you might have a shred of your reputation intact.

Tiger Woods Video Leaked! (NSFW)

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:31:00 +0000

EMBED-Leaked Tiger Woods Mistress Sex Tape - Watch more free videos

(via The Secrets of Vancouver)

A Thousand Words

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:03:00 +0000

A Thousand Words from Ted Chung on Vimeo.

Revenge Of The Intertubes: Wikipedia Edition

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:04:00 +0000

This is the screen capture of Mike Allen's Wikipedia entry. It has since been edited. Click on the image to get a better view and read it.

Favorite New Blog: 2009

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 01:57:00 +0000

Edible Geography, is my favorite new blog this year. You will find interesting stories from every aspect of one of my favorite topics: food. Nicola Twilley writes about how global warming affects the quality of Czech pilsners, the EU’s legal standards of beauty for produce, and the Subway sandwich shop being built atop a crane at the Freedom Tower construction site. She mines the web for inscrutable and intriguing facts that make the blog a must for any serious food lover.

New Year's Eve Movie Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:16:00 +0000

Tonight is when I stay home. Move marathon night for me. Tonight's theme is Movies I Can Watch Over and Over. This list is by no means exhaustive as many movies I watch again and again, but these are the ones I've chosen for this evening.

1. The Big Lebowski

2. Memento

4. The Man Who Would Be King

4. Sophie's Choice

Do you watch certain movies again and again? If so, which ones? If not, why?

Hammer Time

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:57:00 +0000

San Francisco 1958

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:28:00 +0000

San Francisco 1958 from Jeff Altman on Vimeo.

Best. Christmas. Story. Evah.

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 14:21:00 +0000

(via Emily Hauser)

Chrifsmas At My Place

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:41:00 +0000

It's almost Chrifsmas so let's get ready to GUMBOOOOOOOOOO! This is how we roll at our house.

(LOGISTICS NOTE: Gather all your ingredients first! Prep everything next. Then start by making the cornbread. Once you have the cornbread in the oven, start the gumbo. When the gumbo is down to the final stage of cooking go ahead and get your rice going. All of these items can be reheated in the microwave. They will also do well if packaged and frozen for later.)

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

1 whole large chicken (cut into 8 pieces)
1 1/2 pounds andouille sausage (or linguisa sausage)
2 large onions, chopped
5 tablespoons canola oil
6 tablespoons flour
1 medium or large red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, large dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock (water is OK, but you will not lose some depth of flavor)
1/2 teaspoons thyme, ground
3 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoons cloves, ground
1/8 teaspoons allspice
1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoons sweet basil, dried
1 tablespoon creole spice (i.e. Tony Chacheres Brand)
1/2 cup green onion, chopped

Fry chicken in oil until brown. Remove and add sausage. Fry sausage 4-5 minutes and remove. To the oil that is left in the pan, make a dark roux by adding the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 15-20 minutes. To the roux, add the onions, bell peppers, celery and the garlic and cook until the vegetables are limp.

Add the chicken stock, thyme, bay leaves, ground cloves, allspice, cayenne, basil, and Creole spice. Slowly simmer at least 40 minutes, then add the chicken and sausage. Cook until the chicken is tender (about 45 minutes). Remove from heat. Add the green onions. Serve in a bowl with steamed white rice (or dirty rice! Because it rocks with dirty rice.)

NOTE: Add more cayenne pepper to your gumbo for more heat. This recipe is equivalent to the heat of a very mild green chile.

Next up: Dirty Rice. Gumbo is traditionally served with steamed white rice. But I say to hell with tradition. I love dirty rice! So let’s get to work and make that dirty rice.

Cajun Dirty Rice

SEASONING
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons canola oil, (or chicken fat, for you intrepid few)
1/2 pound chopped chicken gizzards
1/4 pound ground pork
2 bay leaf
1/2 cup onion, small dice
1/2 cup celery, small dice
1/2 cup red bell pepper, small dice
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 pound chicken livers, chopped fine
3/4 cups rice

————————————————————————————————————————–

Seasoning: Combine cayenne, salt, pepper, mustard, cumin, thyme, and oregano. Set aside.

In a large skillet over high heat, add oil (or chicken fat if desired), gizzards, ground pork and cook until meat is browned, stirring occasionally (approximately 6 minutes).

Add the seasoning, then the onions, celery, bell pepper, along with the garlic. Stir, scraping the bottom well. Add the butter and stir to melt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 8 minutes, stirring constantly (or the mixture will stick).

Add the chicken broth, increasing the heat back to high. Cook 8 minutes, continuing to stir.

Stir in the chicken livers and cook 2 minutes.

Add the rice and stir thoroughly. Cover and cook until the rice is tender (20 minutes). Remove from heat. Allow to stand covered for additional 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve!

Last up, but not least, is the cornbread to sop up that last of that gravy from the gumbo. But its cornbread with an attitude. Traditional cornbread with corn, jalapenos and cheddar cheese for New Mexicans, or those who wished they lived there.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

1-8 oz. can corn, cream-style
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup oil
3 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
3 medium jalapeno peppers, minced
1 tablespoon butter (if baking in loaf size)

————————————————————————————————————————–
Adjust oven rack to center position; heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt Make sure dry ingredients are combined then make a well in the middle.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream-style corn, eggs, buttermilk, oil, 1/2-cup grated cheese, and jalapeno peppers. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients then stir until just combined.

Portion cornbread mixture into a 24 hole mini-muffin pan and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

Alternatively you can bake as a single loaf. Place loaf pan with butter in oven until pan is and butter is melted. Remove loaf pan from oven and pour cornbread mix into loaf pan. Bake approximately 45 minutes.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes then remove to wire cooling rack.

You are now ready for your day of festivities. Have at it you wild and crazy people! After you sober up from your lost night and your head returns to a steady-state send me a note and thank me for making the best meal you’ve had in a while.

Festivus, For The Rest Of Us.

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:06:00 +0000

Take the time to air your grievances and tell everyone how much they suck. But be quick about it, Festivus is almost over.

Happy Winter Solstice

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:16:00 +0000

(via TreeHugger)

Today forward the days will grow longer and soon enough we will have the return of all things green. But not too soon! We need some more snow to help us enjoy the winter. What is winter without snow?

Say Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:55:00 +0000

Cambodia Dreaming

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Found this interesting blog written by an expat living in Phnom Penh. Check his blogroll for more Cambodia related blogs.

How Lucky Do You Feel?

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:10:00 +0000

Josh Marshall wrote what might be the most sensible thing I've read from a non-scientist on the the subject of climate change that I've read in a long while.

I can't say that I really have any sophisticated understanding of the science of climate change. I don't think that most people I know who are pro-cap and trade do either. For me, the fact that the vast majority of people with specialized knowledge in the field think there's a problem is good enough for me

.

Not convinced? Fine. Then how about this:

For A Friend

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:21:00 +0000

I am not a believer but I do love music by people inspired by their deeply held convictions. Ralph Stanley, the author of this song, is one of my favorites. A friend out in the blogosphere is feeling some of the challenges life presents. This song is for her.

Let It Snow

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:08:00 +0000

We got a dusting of snow (1"-2") early Saturday morning. My girls jumped out of bed as soon as they heard the word snow, got dressed, put on their snow suits, boots, gloves, caps and were out the door, headed to the garage to get the sleds out, before you could say "Merry Christmas."

Early this morning it began snowing again and as of this writing we have about 4"-5" and it continues to come down. It's a light powdery snow. Perfect for sledding. School is cancelled because we are expecting about a foot of snow by lunch time, so they are keeping the kids at home.

I will post video of the great snow adventure later today. I've some work to do first.

Tigerlicious Slow-Jam Remix

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (The Grand Panjandrum) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:23:00 +0000

Bread will soon be baking in the oven. Then it's time to make some Cranberry-Chipotle Chutney and prep the root vegetable medley (sweet potatoes, rutabagas, carrots and onions) that will get popped into the already hot oven after being tossed in extra virgin olive oil, lightly salted, with fresh sage and rosemary. Later we'll take a short walk down the street for a great dinner at the home of our friends. They've slaughtered a handsome heritage breed turkey (Naragansett) for our meal and it too will soon be in the oven roasting.

Beer, you ask? What beer will we be drinking today? On the menu is Ska Brewing Company Nefarious Ten Pin, a very good Baltic Porter, along with Ommegang Brewery Three Philosophers, an excellent quadruppel that the Beer Advocate says is:

Drop dead in complexity, a sipping brew and certainly something you would want to pair with rather than drinking it alone.

Give them a try and tell me what you think.

Our girls are excited to wear fancy dresses and go visit our friends who have a daughter about the same age. They love Thanksgiving almost as much as I do. Thanksgiving turkey is always the best turkey.

Have a good'un.