[ Tuesday, August 19, 2008 ]

Our first twofer primary

Our primary system gets another fresh start today.  For the last four or five years, we’ve been trying new and improved (not to mention court mandated) primaries, seeking a system that makes the various parities happy and gets the best candidate elected.  I’ve written about it a few times… if you’re interested just follow that link back and back and back.

Today’s new flavor primary will select the top two vote collecting candidates for each position and then plop them on the general election ballot.  The top two candidates won’t be aligned to any political party which means that, for example, if two democrats win the number one and number two slots, it’s their names that will be there competing for the job in November.  I personally think this new setup has taken all the fun out of picking the opponent...but it does lend itself well to casting a vote for the local lunatic.  Who says politics can’t be fun for the ordinary citizen like me?

There is much grumbling about this new system but I’m particularly intrigued about the dynamics this will establish in our elections.  And it has me more worried than ever not only about the outside money that this will bring to our elections but also about the potential to cause big rifts within party lines.  Of course my concern is only for my own party.  I’m looking forward to the elephants bashing and smashing each other.  That’s our favorite spectator sport in the Flummel household.

Anyway, we filled in our mail-in ballots and today my assigned duty is to deliver them to one of the ballot boxes scattered hither and thither thoughout Olympia.  The prognosticators expect a bigger than ever turnout for this primary.  If I’m a measure of interest, I think not so much. 

I’ll report tomorrow.

[ Monday, August 18, 2008 ]

Not in my mouth

I like to imagine that I have a very diverse palate...that I am willing to try all sorts of exotic foods, afterall, I work for a cooking school.  It’s all self-delusion because really the truth is that I am not willing to try many things, especially things that may have crawled or hopped at one point in their lives or things that are slimey or non-liquid things that have been long aged.  Oh and most organ meats.  And things that might kill me.  Nope.  Pretty much most of the stuff that those crazy guys on the Travel Channel eat for money. 

That said, and in proof, here’s a new meme from Ali who got it from Clotilde who got it from Very Good Taste.

The rules:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here, linking to your results.

5) I’m adding this one...* things I would eat again.

(I provided links for the goodies I didn’t know)

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros*
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue*
8. Carp
9. Borscht*
10. Baba ghanoush*
11. Calamari*
12. Pho*
13. PB&J sandwich*
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart*
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes*
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream*
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries*
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans*
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche*
28. Oysters
29. Baklava*
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl*
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut*
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo*
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut*
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear*
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone*
54. Paneer*
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle*
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores**
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin ?
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake*
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain*
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho*
72. Caviar and blini*
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost*
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum*
82. Eggs Benedict*
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef*
86. Hare
87. Goulash*
88. Flowers*
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano*
96. Bagel and lox*
97. Lobster Thermidor*
98. Polenta*
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Now if you notice, there are many things I have tried and won’t again...and the truth is that if I’m starving, I’ll try anything...but if I have the choice of biting into a churro or a crocodile, well, the churro gets it while the beast walks free.  I also hate peas and bananas.

[ Sunday, August 17, 2008 ]

Hullo Oz?

We have some weatherifying going to happen here in Western Washington...pay special attention to the Lower Chehalis Valley Area (Washington) report about half way down the page...that’s where I live.  Now if I remember correctly when a cold front collides with a moist warm front we got us some ultra special weather potential. 

Now just where did I leave those ruby reds?

Just two lunatics and one other guy remain

Today as I was updating The Flummel Store, I also took the chance to update a long ago blog entry...not really so long ago by calendar measure, but it does feel like it was ages ago when I first wrote it.  Anyway, the list of candidate books has grown significantly shorter, as has the list of candidates.

[ Friday, August 15, 2008 ]

Come play with me and be my friend

The (in)famous zeFrank provides this handy dandy time sink for all to enjoy:  Draw Toy vs Byokal.  Have fun!

Breaking news from Georgia…

...proof that inbreeding is alive and well.