'I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.'

-- Ripley, Aliens, 1986

You Say It Best When You Say Nothing At All

"A man is in general better pleased when he has a good dinner upon his table, than when his wife talks Greek."

-- Samuel Johnson

Massive Oyster Die-Off in Upper Chesapeake Thought to be Storm Related

The recent hurricane and tropical storm caused more fresh water than the oysters can tolerate into the upper region of the once oyster-rich waterway.

Read about it here.

Welcome To Electiondome 2012!

Aunty Entity: "You know the law. Two men enter, one man leaves."

Morning Glorys Keep On Keepin' On

Cast Iron Butter Ball Bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cast Iron Butter Ball Bread

 

7     cups unbleached flour

3     cups water

4     T melted unsalted butter

1.5  T salt

2     T sugar

1.5  T yeast

Whisk and dissolve salt, sugar and yeast in the water in the bowl of an electric mixer.

Add the flour, mixing constantly.

Add the melted butter along the way.

Grease a 3 quart cast iron dutch oven with Crisco.

Pour in the dough and let rise, covered with a towel.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Slices best after it cools to room temperature.

A New Companion of My Retreat, All Grown Up Now

BudBud

Up Yours, Denmark, With This!

And just for that, I intend to eat more of it, not less:

Denmark has introduced what’s believed to be the world’s first fat food tax, applying a surcharge to foods with more than 2.3 percent saturated fats, in an effort to combat obesity and heart disease.

Danes hoarded food before the tax went into effect Saturday, emptying grocery store shelves. Some butter lovers may even resort to stocking up during trips abroad.

The new tax of 16 kroner ($2.90) per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of saturated fat in a product will be levied on foods like butter, milk, cheese, pizza, oils and meat.

The Arable

Lo, how the arable
with barley grain

Stands thick, o'ershadow'd;
these, as modern use

Ordains, infus'd, an auburne
drink compose, Wholesome,
of deathless fame.

-- Philips

You!

'Be Happy in Your Work'

Colonel Saito, The Bridge on the River Kwai, 1957

Because I used to love her . . .

. . .  but it's all over now:

(1964, here)

'What We've Got Here Is A Failure To Communicate'

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Brian Jones: Prolific Little Devil and Founder of the 27 Club

At his best in 1964 . . .

. . . and the founder of the 27 Club, despite what they say.

Brian Jones: It's Off The Hook, October 1964

Great licks at 3:57, showing why he was the leader.

Still missing you . . .

See it here.

Update: that link is busted. Try this one at about 1:15.

God Bless All The Green Berets, Living . . . and Dead

Ballad Of The Green Berets

As Written and Performed by SSgt Barry Sadler

Fighting soldiers from the sky

Fearless men who jump and die

Men who mean just what they say

The brave men of the Green Beret

Silver wings upon their chest

These are men, America's best

One hundred men we'll test today

But only three win the Green Beret

Trained to live, off nature's land

Trained in combat, hand to hand

Men who fight by night and day

Courage deep, from the Green Beret

Silver wings upon their chest

These are men, America's best

One hundred men we'll test today

But only three win the Green Beret

Back at home a young wife waits

Her Green Beret has met his fate

He has died for those oppressed

Leaving her this last request

Put silver wings on my son's chest

Make him one of America's best

He'll be a man they'll test one day

Have him win the Green Beret

(source)

You Can't Handle The Truth

Judge Randolph: Consider yourself in Contempt!

Kaffee: Colonel Jessep, did you order the Code Red?

Judge Randolph: You don't have to answer that question!

Col. Jessep: I'll answer the question!

Col. Jessep: You want answers?

Kaffee: I think I'm entitled.

Col. Jessep: You want answers?

Kaffee: I want the truth!

Col. Jessep: You can't handle the truth!

Col. Jessep: Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.

Kaffee: Did you order the Code Red?

Col. Jessep: I did the job I...

Kaffee: Did you order the Code Red?

Col. Jessep:You're Goddamn right I did!

A Few Good Men (1992)

The Patron Saint of Mediocrities Everywhere

Mozart: [about the royal composer's position he did not get] Whom did they choose?

Salieri: Herr Zummer.

Mozart: Herr Zummer? But the man's a fool, he's a total mediocrity!

Salieri: No, no, he has yet to achieve mediocrity. ...

Your... merciful God. He destroyed His own beloved [Mozart], rather than let a mediocrity share in the smallest part of His glory.

I will speak for you, Father. I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint.

Mediocrities everywhere... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you all.

Amadeus (1984)

See-gar Memories: Dannemann Cigars

Too Many Notes

Emperor Joseph II:

My dear young man, don't take it too hard.

Your work is ingenious. It's quality work.

And there are simply too many notes, that's all.

Just cut a few and it will be perfect.

Mozart:

Which few did you have in mind, Majesty?

Amadeus (1984)

Eat More Sardines, Herring and Anchovies

They're perhaps even healthier for you and in plentiful supply. At less than $2 a tin for nice sardines packed in water, you can easily lunch on them three times a week for less than $6. The salmon and the tuna will thank you in the long run by bouncing back, and so will the oceans:

The study by Villy Christensen of the University of British Columbia's Fisheries Centre confirmed some previous indications that populations of predator fish at the top of the food chain, such as cod, tuna and groupers, have suffered huge declines, shrinking by around two-thirds in the past 100 years. More than half that decline occurred in the past 40 years.

Christensen found that the total stock of "forage fish", such as sardines, anchovy and capelin, has more than doubled over the past century. These are fish that are normally eaten by the top predators. "You remove the predator, you get more prey fish," said Christensen. "That has not been demonstrated before because people don't measure the number, they don't go out and count them."

For the rest of this fascinating story at The UK Guardian, go here.

Eat Your Salmon! Fears Over Radioactive Contamination of Food Stoked by Internet Alarmists

Lots of irresponsible and loose talk about food tainted with radioactivity continues on the internet, which is where it belongs, I guess.

These zealots frequently complain that the news media and the government are conspiring to cover up the health dangers posed by the Fukushima accident.

So I was surprised to note this one at 'fair and balanced' Fox News here, from June 30th:

According to the U.S.-based group of medical doctors Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), no amount of man-made radiation in water and food is safe. “There is no safe level of radionuclide exposure, whether from food, water or other sources, period,” said Jeff Patterson, DO, immediate past president of PSR, in late March. “Exposure to radionuclides, such as iodine 131 and cesium 137, increases the incidence of cancer. For this reason, every effort must be taken to minimize the radionuclide content in food and water.”

Imagine that. 'Conservative' Fox News matter-of-factly giving a platform to a long-time anti-nuclear weapons group supported by the political left.

Hard numbers rarely enter into any of these presentations, just alarmism and extremism. Government and professional statements, such as here, here and here, rarely get the attention they deserve.

Or try this one on for size, from NHK World, here, on June 24th:

"Masanao Nakano, a senior engineer at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, says that in one year, the radiation concentration level will become so low that eating fish from even the most contaminated areas would pose little danger to health."

I remain convinced that there is no evidence whatsoever to stop eating wild Alaskan sockeye salmon, fresh or canned.

Japan Bans Green Tea Exports Due to Radioactive Cesium Contamination

You will find the full story here:

A swathe of Japan's tea making regions including parts of Tochigi, Chiba and Kanagawa prefecture as well as the whole of Ibaraki were included within the ban, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. ...

The authorities discovered around 570 becquerels of caesium per kilogram in leaves grown in the city of Minamiashigara – compared to the legal limit of 500 – and started a recall of tea products.

Don't Even Think About Dying For Your Country

"Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."

Patton (1970)

"I Sees The End What Were The Start"

This ain't one body's story.
It's the story of us all.
We got it mouth-to-mouth.
You got to listen it and 'member.
'Cause what you hears today
you got to tell the birthed tomorrow.

I'm looking behind us now. . .
. . .across the count of time. . .
 . . .down the long haul,
into history back.
I sees the end what were the start.
It's Pox-Eclipse, full of pain!
And out of it were birthed
crackling dust and fearsome time.
It were full-on winter. . .
. . .and Mr. Dead chasing them all.
But one he couldn't catch.
That were Captain Walker.
He gathers up a gang, takes to the air
and flies to the sky!
So they left their homes,
said bidey-bye to the high-scrapers. . .
. . .and what were left of the knowing,
they left behind.
Some say the wind just stoppered.
Others reckon it were a gang
called Turbulence.
And after the wreck. . .
. . .some had been jumped by Mr. Dead. . .
. . .but some had got the luck,
and it leads them here.
One look and they's got the hots for it.
They word it "Planet Earth. "
And they says, "We don't need
the knowing. We can live here. "
"We don't need the knowing.
We can live here. "
Time counts and keeps counting.
They gets missing what they had.
They get so lonely for the
high-scrapers and the video.
And they does the pictures so they'd
'member all the knowing that they lost.
'Member this?
Tomorrow-morrow Land!
'Member this?
The River of Light!
'Member this?
Skyraft!
'Member this?
Captain Walker!
'Member this?
Mrs. Walker!
Then Captain Walker picked them
of an age and good for a long haul.
They counted twenty, and that were them.
The great leaving.
"Rescue party departed
at first light. . .
. . .led by Flight Captain G.L. Walker. "
"May God have mercy on our souls. "
They said bidey-bye to them
what they'd birthed.
And from the nothing
they looked back. . .
. . .and Captain Walker hollered,
"Wait, one of us will come. "
"Wait, one of us will come. "
And somebody did come.
Walker!
We's heartful to you,
Captain Walker.
We's ready now. Take us home.
We kept it straight!
Everything marked, everything 'membered!

You kept it real good.
You ain't been slack.

-Why are we waiting?

-That ain't me.
-You got the wrong guy.

-Quit joshing!
-Catch the wind.
-We got to see Tomorrow-morrow Land!
Home! Tomorrow-morrow Land!
There were places like these.
Cities.
They were called cities.
They had lots of knowing.
They had skyscrapers. . .
. . .videos and they had the sonic.
Then this happened.
This Pox-Eclipse happened, and it's
finished. It isn't there anymore.

-- Mad Max 3

Lady Gaga's Getting Ripped Big Time

Here:

"Weird Al's Farts Have More Talent Than Lady Gaga"

(source)

Weird Al Parody of Lady Gaga: I'm Really Not Insane, I Just Perform This Way

Video here. Controversy here.

Weird Al's lyrics, perhaps the pinnacle of his career, expressing the Olympian height of his powers:

My mama told me when I was hatched
Act like a superstar
Save your allowance, buy a bubble dress
And someday you will go far

Now on red carpets, well, I'm hard to miss
The press follows everywhere I go
I'll poke your eye out with a dress like this . . .
Back off and enjoy the show!

I'm sure my critics will say it's a grotesque display
Well, they can bite me, baby, I perform this way
I might be wearin' Swiss cheese or maybe covered with bees
It doesn't mean I'm crazy - I perform this way

Ooh, my little monsters pay . . . lots 'cause I perform this way
Baby, I perform this way

Ooh, don't worry, I'm okay . . . Hey, I just perform this way
I'm not crazy, I perform this way

I'll be a troll or evil queen
I'll be a human jelly bean
'Cause every day is Halloween
For me . . .

I'm so completely original
My new look is all the rage
I'll wrap my small intestines 'round my neck
And set fire to myself on stage

I'll wear a porcupine on my head
On a W - H - I - M
And for no reason now I'll sing in French
Excusez-moi, Qui a pete?

Got my straight jacket today, it's made of gold lame
No, not because I'm crazy - I perform this way
I strap prime rib to my feet, cover myself with raw meat
I'll bet you've never seen a skirt steak worn this way

Don't be offended when you see
My latest pop monstrosity
I'm strange, weird, shocking, odd, bizarre
I'm Frankenstein, I'm Avatar
That's nothing too embarrassing
I'll honestly do anything
But wear white after Labor Day
'Cause baby, I perform this way!

Hope you won't think it's cliche if I go nude today
Don't call the cops now, baby - I perform this way
No reason I should regret all the attention I get
I'm not completely crazy, I perform this way, yeah

I perform this way - hey,
I perform this way - hey . . .
I'm always deviating from the norm this way - hey
I perform this way - hey,
I perform this way - hey . . .
I'm really not insane,
I just perform this way - hey

Video from the Grammy Awards.

Positive Waves!

"Kelly's Heroes"

"Crazy. I mean, so many positive waves,

maybe we can't lose. You're on."

-- Oddball

Today's Forecast: 81 Degrees in GR, and Uncle Kracker!

We made 84!

Videos here and here.

Catch That Crazy, Happy Disease!

With Uncle Kracker, here and here.

The Bedford Incident

Commodore Schrepke

This is insane!

Captain Finlander

Now don't worry, Commodore. The Bedford'll never fire first. But if he fires one, I'll fire one.

Ensign Ralston

Fire One! 

Analyze This

                                 VITTI
                   You know, Doc, I don't think I
                   ever thanked you properly for
                   curing me.

                                 BEN
                   We don't say 'cured.' We say you
                   had a 'corrective emotional
                   experience.'

                                 VITTI
                   You, you, you're very good.

                                  BEN
                           (pointing)
                   No.   You. You.

Radioactive Salmon?

The Vancouver Sun provides this discussion of the possible impact of the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster on Pacific Ocean salmon:

Radioactive water leaking from a reactor at Japan’s damaged nuclear plants isn’t likely to harm [British Columbia] salmon because they don’t travel as far as the coast of Japan, said Nancy Davis, deputy director of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission.

“They tend to go to Gulf of Alaska, the Bering Sea, or maybe as far as the central North Pacific, but they are not maturing off Japan and swimming all the way back here,” Davis said. “Immature and maturing salmon are in the deep ocean, they’re not on the Japanese shelf or near the nuclear plant.”

She said it’s possible that Japanese chum salmon might be in the waters near the damaged plant, but that they would not be returning to Japan for another three or four years. Japan mostly produces chum salmon, which Davis said is very unlikely to be imported into British Columbia.

Davis said it is important to consider what elements are involved and what their half-lifes are, and how the salmon would come into contact with the radioactive materials.

Another [Simon Fraser University] professor said he could not say what the effects on salmon would be.

“Given the limited information available, I cannot even speculate about the effects of radiation leaking into the ocean. It is far too early to say anything with any confidence,” said Randall Peterman, SFU professor and Canada research chair in fisheries risk assessment and management.

For the rest of the article, which also discusses radioactive contamination of seaweed, go here.

We eat a fair amount of wild Alaskan salmon in our house, and will continue to do so.

Sage Breakfast Sausage

When you feel like a heartier breakfast than usual, sage breakfast sausage patties fit the bill, served along with the customary Saturday morning griddle cakes and maple syrup. A delightful harmony of flavors!

The following dry mix recipe seasons 1.25 pounds of ground turkey, preferably Jennie-O brand:

Sage Breakfast Sausage Seasoning Mix

1 tsp. salt

.75 tsp. pepper

.5 tsp. dried ground sage

.5 tsp. dried thyme leaves

.125 tsp. dried rosemary (that's 1/8 tsp. for those of you in Rio Linda)

1.5 tsp. brown sugar

.25 tsp. ground nutmeg

.25 tsp. ground cayenne

.25 tsp. red pepper flakes

Pulse all ingredients in a coffee grinder until combined and ground, then stir into the ground meat using ye olde potato masher in a large mixing bowl.

Form into small patties using a form or by hand and fry in a cast iron skillet in a little canola oil, four minutes on a side.

Makes about six patties, which can easily be halved for twelve servings. Freeze the leftovers.

Ba da bing, ba da boom.

Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe

Homemade Glass Cleaner

5 oz. distilled or filtered water

5 oz. isopropyl alcohol (purity varies; I use 99 percent, but 70 percent works)

2 oz. clear ammonia

Mix in a sprayer bottle and use like "Windex." Comes in handy when the tomato sauce splatters the stove top.