Sweet Pickles are SATAN!!!!!

Deep Fried Pickles Recipe

24 dill pickle spears, chilled
Egg wash, recipe follows
Breading, recipe follows
Canola oil, for frying
Ranch dressing, recipe follows

Using only very cold dill pickle spears, dip pickle into egg wash and then coat with breading. Repeat until no pickles remain, and arrange dipped pickles on a sheet pan lined with waxed paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
In a deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees F. Alternatively, heat oil in a large, heavy pot suitable for deep-frying. Carefully add chilled pickle spears, in batches, to the hot oil and fry for about 3 1/2 minutes or until golden. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve with Ranch Dressing.

Egg Wash:
2 cups milk
2 eggs
Pinch lemon pepper
Pinch dill weed
Pickle juice
Breading:
2 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup lemon pepper
1/2 cup dill weed
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic salt
Pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste

For egg wash: In a baking dish, whisk all ingredients together, except pickle juice. Add pickle juice, to taste, and whisk to combine.

For breading: Combine all ingredients in a baking dish.

Ranch Dressing:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons minced parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 garlic clove, minced
Mayonnaise

In a large mixing bowl, stir all ingredients together, except mayonnaise. Add mayonnaise, as needed, to thicken. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Gherkins of Info.....

NYT

December 30, 2006
U.S. Official Overseeing Oil Program Faces Inquiry
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 — The Justice Department is investigating whether the director of a multibillion-dollar oil-trading program at the Interior Department has been paid as a consultant for oil companies hoping for contracts.

The director of the program and three subordinates, all based in Denver, have been transferred to different jobs and have been ordered to cease all contacts with the oil industry until the investigation is completed some time next spring, according to officials involved.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation had not been announced publicly, said investigators were worried that senior government officials had been steering huge oil-trading contracts to favored companies.

South Bend Tribune

December 30. 2006 6:59AM

County pares staff by 19 jobs
Thin budget, hard decisions behind housekeeper layoffs.


JOSEPH DITS
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- On the Thursday before Christmas, 19 workers who clean offices for the county learned they're losing their part-time jobs as of Jan. 1.
It will leave the county with 11 people to do housekeeping.

Wilma Mathes is among those who've lost their jobs.
"Everyone is bothered by it," she says of her co-workers. "This is the only job for some of them."
She says she's found another job. But it pays $1 less than her $7.07 hourly wage with the county, and it doesn't offer the health insurance she had through the county, Mathes says.

This, county officials say, is one of the prices of a budget that needed to be balanced. So, too, is the fact that some office workers will have to sweep up after themselves.

"We cannot sustain our spending level anymore," says county Auditor Michael Eby. "We're being asked to do more and more with less and less."

He says the St. Joseph County Council adopted the 2007 budget -- and a reduced housekeeping budget -- in September.

Among the many reasons for the thin budget, officials have cited the rising costs of fuel, utilities and housing juveniles in state correctional facilities.

This is a total shame!! The county is paying these people $7 an hour, and they can't afford it?!? The real money buster here (hidden in the article) is the health insurance. Over and over we're told that health insurance costs are unduly burdening small businesses, but what about the burden on government groups like this? I'm sure the health insurance costs for these people was a large percentage of whatever measly income they brought home. Now who will pay for their health care costs?
You guessed it, still us, but at a higher amount. Catch-22 kids.

You knew it was gonna happen....

December deadliest month for U.S. in Iraq in 2 yrs
30 Dec 2006 15:15:12 GMT

BAGHDAD, Dec 30 (Reuters) - December became the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Iraq in two years after the U.S. military reported six more combat deaths, leaving the tally just two short of the emotive 3,000 mark.

Three U.S. marines died on Thursday from wounds suffered in combat in Iraq's western Anbar province. One soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in northwest Baghdad and another soldier was killed in Anbar on Friday, the military said on Saturday.

Another statement announced the death of a U.S. soldier killed by a roadside bomb in southwest Baghdad on Friday.

The latest deaths take the number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq since the invasion of March 2003 to 2,998, according to icasualties.org, a Web site that tracks U.S. deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The number who died in December is now 109, three more than the previous high this year in October, and the highest since November 2004 when 137 U.S. servicemen and women died.

Interesting New Group

Got chatting with Ron McBride about his new group

Inspired by the presidential campaign of Howard Dean, and his Democracy for America, WeDemocrats was founded in October 2006 as a political action committee and coalition of progressive groups, dedicated to supporting fiscally responsible, socially progressive candidates at all levels of government—from school board to the presidency. WeDemocrats.org fights against the influence of the far right-wing and their radical, divisive policies and the selfish special interests that for too long have dominated our politics.

"Our goal is to establish coordinators at all county and state levels, for the purpose of providing support to help local grassroots chapters coordinate with Democratic leaders, in other words we will be the coordinators for grassroots in the field, while we continue with our stated educational path. I know that local groups, at present may stay in contact with state organizations but in most cases there is no coordination in efforts to elect more than a local candidate, we will fill this void. In addition there are well over 3,000 counties in the US. We will fill this void." said Ron McBride, publisher of We! The People.

"WeDemocrats.org joins with PDA, Grassroots for America, the Progressive Principles Project and DFA in their long-term goals to rebuild the Democratic Party from the bottom up—it will take time, but we must start building a base now for the future," he said.

With a current membership of over 1,708 democrats in the first eleven weeks , WeDemocrats is growing daily as concerned progressives band together to contribute to redirecting the American political train. The organization has three sites on the Internet where this valuable work is moving forward. The home page of WeDemocrats, a blog site, and now, a magazine where the members can make their voices heard, not just to other members but to the people of the United States.

We! Opens its first issue with more than ten timely topical articles written by progressives from all walks of life. The concerns of the progressive democrats of America will be presented in every issue.

"We! Will go out to every politician with a computer and every democrat who has an interest in taking the reins of control in hand. The hands of the Party of the People. It is our voice. The issues that concern us will fill its pages." Antinoro said. "We! will join Progressive Democrats of America, Democracy for America and other progressives in bringing about positive change from the bottom up."

We Democrats

Finishing Up A Few Things This AM

Shouldn't take long......

George W Bush Monument Fundraising Letter

Just got in my email.

Dear Friend,
I have the distinguished honor of being named to the committee to raise $5,000,000 for a monument to George W. Bush. I am contacting you in hopes you will be willing to contribute to this noble cause. But first, a little about what the committee has been doing to date.

We originally wanted to put him on Mount Rushmore, until we discovered that there was not enough room for two more faces. We then decided to erect a statue of George in the Washington, DC Hall of Fame. We were in a quandary as to where the statue should be placed. It was not proper to place it beside the statue of George Washington, who never told a lie, or beside Richard Nixon, who never told the truth, since George could never tell the difference.

We finally decided to place it beside Christopher Columbus, the greatest Republican of all. He left not knowing where he was going, and when he got there he did not know where he was. He returned not knowing where he had been, decimated the well-being of the majority of the population while he was there, and did it all on someone else's money.

Thank you.
Donald H Rumsfeld Sean Hannity
George W. Bush Monument Committee

P. S. The Committee has raised $1.35 so far. So please be generous.

Friday Night Ska

Weird day. Never hurts to ska yourself into the weekend....



More, more and more.....

Pawn Indiana Inc

From My Friend D Honig

Mendacious Mitchs' Indiana For Sale

One of the major points behind NOT privatizing social services for Americas' citizens is oversight. (did that sound calm? good.) That's all the calm you get.

First, I outlined some of the problems and bs that ensued with Mr Daniels conversion of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to be run by a private company here.

Sounds pretty crappy, eh? Problems on top of problems.
Did he learn his lesson? What do you think?

Mitch Daniels Outlines Plans to Privatize Lottery
By kpaul
Posted on Thu Dec 14, 2006 at 09:17:23 PM EST

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Governor Mitch Daniels today proposed to transform higher education in Indiana by creating a new scholarship for top Hoosier students who remain in-state after graduation, as well as a fund that will enhance the state's key knowledge-based industries by bringing world-class researchers and scholars to Indiana's public universities. (snip)

The governor proposed franchising the Hoosier Lottery for a fixed term to a contractor, which would operate the Lottery while continuing current payment levels to the state. The state would license and regulate the operator, as it does today with casinos and horse tracks that are run by private companies.

(snip)
According to other news reports, the proposal has caught some people by surprise.

Dan Parker, Indiana Democratic Party Chair, was quoted in Inside Indiana Business as saying, "We don't know for how long he wants to lease the Lottery or whether he'd allow a private company to expand gambling in our state to make a higher profit. All we know is that he's decided he wants to sell off a profit-generating agency to a private company."

Okay, stupid but not crazy, right?

Daniels clears welfare privatization
Critics worry about outsourcing $1.16 billion in services for needy.

MIKE SMITH
Associated Press Writer

INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mitch Daniels on Wednesday signed a controversial $1.16 billion contract to pay a team led by IBM Corp. to help run programs for food stamps, Medicaid and other assistance for the needy.

The contract calls for the state to pay the team the money over 10 years to help process applications for the programs and lend technical support to the state's Family and Social Services Administration, which now handles the work.

The decision to move forward with the plan comes after months of discussions and review and strong criticism by some Democrats, caseworkers, union representatives and advocates for the needy.


"For taxpayers, a billion dollars of savings," Daniels said in a news release. "For recipients, better service and a better chance to escape welfare for the world of work and self-reliance. No decision we've made is more clearly in the public interest."

Critics have said the state should not outsource services for the needy to a for-profit company.

They worry that Indiana might encounter some of the same problems as other states that opted for private vendors. That includes Texas, where some applicant benefits have been delayed.

So, how did the Texas, version turn out?

John Young: Texas's privatization disaster

Sunday, May 14, 2006

AUSTIN — It’s one of Texas’ biggest stories in years. Too bad few Texans know about it.

It’s the great Texas Push-Button Bureaucracy-Eliminating Paper-Pusher Massacre (TPBBEPPM). I made that name up but not the debacle that state policymakers now face. It’s a mess they’re hoping will slide right past your nose.

It was part of a massive privatized effort to change how Texas grants food stamps, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Texans were told in 2003 that privatization of social services not only would save taxpayers money but serve more needy people.

This came under a massive restructuring of social services and a creature called TIERS — Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System.

The concept dates back to the ’90s and George Bush’s time in the governor’s mansion. The objective: to hand state services en masse to private contractors. They would use computers and distant call centers to do the jobs that a community-based state workforce has done in eligibility centers around Texas.

TIERS was derailed for a while in part by the Clinton administration, which was skeptical that it would get the job done. Most of these are federal benefits after all.

In 2003, no such obstacle remained. Bush was where Clinton had been. And the GOP controlled Texas government. Promising big savings to taxpayers, lawmakers went whole hog on privatization.

The big winner from all of this was Bermuda-based Accenture LLP.

Having won contracts elsewhere, including a voter-purge list in Florida used in the 2000 presidential elections, Accenture led a consortium which won an $899 million contract to replace Texas’ system of determining eligibility for state services.

Last week, after massive backlogs and interminable waits for people needing help at pilot sites in Travis and Hays counties, state Health and Human Service Commissioner Albert Hawkins told Accenture to clean up its act. Meanwhile, affected eligibility centers were returning to pre-Accenture procedures. Under privatization, applications routed through a clearinghouse in Midland were backing things up like hair down a drain.

The state advised 2,000 state eligibility workers that their jobs either were going away or they would need to reapply, in many cases requiring them to relocate.

Now, with all the delays, and with some applications that appeared to vanish after reaching Midland, the state has said “Not so fast” to at least 1,000 of the previously unneeded employees.

We all like to deride paper pushers and bureaucracy, but when it comes to administering state services, paper-pushing is what it takes — or at least sufficient numbers of human hands to keep things straight.
(snip)

In some ways, this mess has the look of another rush-into-the-fray, go-with-your-gut, on-the-cheap endeavor: like Operation Iraqi Freedom.

How appealing it is to put our trust in a hunch and think that government can do something massive and fundamental with minimal investment, particularly of the human kind.

Governing — whether administering food stamps in Texas or remaking a war-shattered country — is a lot more complicated than awarding bids.

I'm aware this is not new, the "privatizing of the government", but right now, right here in Indiana you have a stunningly clear case of it happening as we watch it. In my section of Indiana, people are not happy about this, most vocally calling for the privatization of the Governors' office (heh).

The Republicans and Business Neo-Cons think they are going to get away with this and dismantle the interior workings of the system so totally that no Democrat can put the pieces back together.

We all know exactly what it is they want.




And how good is Mitch at predicting costs?

Not So Much.

MITCH DANIELS

Role In Going To War: Mitch Daniels was the director of the Office of Management and Budget from January 2001 through June of 2003. In this capacity, he was responsible for releasing the initial budget estimates for the Iraq War which he pegged at $50 to $60 billion. The estimated cost of the war, including the full economic ramifications, is approaching $1 trillion. [MSNBC, 3/17/06]

Where He Is Now: In 2004, Daniels was elected Governor of Indiana. [USA Today, 11/3/04]

Key Quote: Mitch Daniels had said the war would be an “affordable endeavor” and rejected an estimate by the chief White House economic adviser that the war would cost between $100 billion and $200 billion as “very, very high.” [Christian Science Monitor, 1/10/06]

Cross posted at Daily Kos

June thru Dec 2006 Bushisms

"This business about graceful exit just simply has no realism to it at all."-responding to speculation that American forces could be called back from Iraq, Amman, Jordan, Nov. 30, 2006

"No doubt in my mind, with your help, Dave Lamberti will be the next United States congressman."-speaking at a campaign rally for Jeff Lamberti, Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 26, 2006.

"You know, when I campaigned here in 2000, I said, I want to be a war President. No President wants to be a war President, but I am one."-Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 26, 2006

"This morning my administration released the budget numbers for fiscal 2006. These budget numbers are not just estimates; these are the actual results for the fiscal year that ended February the 30th."-referring to the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2006.


"One has a stronger hand when there's more people playing your same cards."-Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2006

"You're one of the outstanding leaders in a very important part of the world. I want to thank you for strategizing our discussions."-Meeting with the prime minister of Malaysia, New York, Sept. 18, 2006

"The goals of this country is to enhance prosperity and peace."-Speaking at the White House Conference on Global Literacy, New York, Sept. 18, 2006
.

"You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror."-Interview with CBS News, Washington D.C., Sept. 6, 2006


"And I suspect that what you'll see, Toby, is there will be a momentum, momentum will be gathered. Houses will begat jobs, jobs will begat houses." -Speaking with reporters along the Gulf Coast, Gulfport, Miss., Aug. 28, 2006

"And the question is, are we going to be facile enough to change with-will we be nimble enough; will we be able to deal with the circumstances on the ground? And the answer is, yes, we will."-Washington, D.C., July 25, 2006


"One thing is clear, is relations between America and Russia are good, and they're important that they be good."-Strelna, Russia, July 15, 2006

"We shouldn't fear a world that is more interacted."-Washington, D.C., June 27, 2006.

"I've reminded the prime minister-the American people, Mr. Prime Minister, over the past months that it was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship."-Washington, D.C., June 29, 2006

"I tell people, let's don't fear the future, let's shape it."-Omaha, Neb., June 7, 2006

.
"I think-tide turning-see, as I remember-I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of-it's easy to see a tide turn-did I say those words?"-Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

President Bush: Peter. Are you going to ask that question with shades on?
Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times: I can take them off.
Bush: I'm interested in the shade look, seriously.
Wallsten: All right, I'll keep it, then.
Bush: For the viewers, there's no sun.
Wallsten: I guess it depends on your perspective.
Bush: Touché.
-Exchange with legally blind reporter Peter Wallsten, to whom Bush later apologized, Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

'Cause You Were Dying To Know.....

Bush family exchanges Christmas presents

President gives first lady earrings, receives biking shoes


Updated: 7:11 p.m. ET Dec 26, 2006
CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush gave his wife citrine earrings for Christmas to match the triple-strand, amber-colored necklace he presented her last month for her birthday, a White House spokesman said Tuesday.

First lady Laura Bush gave her husband, who is an avid mountain biker, biking shoes, a blue suit and the new Sam Moore CD "Overnight Sensational," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.


Each year the Bush family draws names to give gifts to other members, and this year the first couple drew the president's parents, former President George Bush and his wife, Barbara.

They donated mosquito bed nets through malarianomore.org in the former president's name, Stanzel said.

Two quick observations-
Isn't it kinda tacky to give the First Lady of the US a semi-precious stone, let
alone one of the low-tier semi-precious ones? I mean, c'mon!!! Citrine?
Not enough time to pick out a nice emerald or some sparkley diamonds? And the
earrings to match the necklace he gave her last month? Isn't that like giving her
one shoe of a pair, then SUPRISE giving her the other?

Second, I thought people picked names to gift in large families mostly for time
and money contraints. Not enough staff in the Bush dynasty to toss off a nice
sofa throw to Jeb and his wife? No new Ipod (money green) to the twins? Sad.

***********************************************************************************
Update

Malaria No More

But of course, it's run by Bushites......

John Bridgeland, CEO
- Biography
John Bridgeland is also President & CEO of Civic Enterprises. He was a Teaching Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he offered a class on Presidential Decision Making. Most recently, Mr. Bridgeland served as Assistant to the President of the United States and the first Director of the USA Freedom Corps. In that role, he coordinated more than $1 billion in domestic and international service initiatives and worked with non-profits, corporations and schools to foster a culture of service in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. Prior to that, Bridgeland served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House. Bridgeland graduated with honors in government from Harvard University and received his J.D. at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Conservatives may resign from board if DeLay hired as lobbyist;

Oh my jeebus, this is sweet....



Say Buh Bye....


Novak: Conservatives may resign from board if DeLay hired as lobbyist; Obama running in 2008

Ron Brynaert
Published: Monday December 25, 2006 .

In a Christmas Eve column for the Chicago Sun-Times, conservative columnist Robert Novak claims he has heard of potential resignations of board members at the American Conservative Union, should former GOP Texas Congressman Tom DeLay, who was indicted on state campaign finance charges, be hired as a lobbyist for the organization.

"Buckle Up Boys, It's Gonna Be A Bumpy Night (year)."

Bumpy Night Indeed.


Bush is bracing for new scrutiny
White House hiring lawyers in expectation of Democratic probes
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis

Originally published December 26, 2006
WASHINGTON //
President Bush is bracing for what could be an onslaught of investigations by the new Democratic-led Congress by hiring lawyers to fill key White House posts and preparing to play defense on countless document requests and possible subpoenas.
Bush is moving quickly to fill vacancies within his stable of lawyers, though White House officials say there are no plans to drastically expand the legal staff to deal with a flood of oversight.



Still, in the days after the elections, the White House announced that Bush had hired two replacements to plug holes in his counsel's office, including one lawyer, Christopher G. Oprison, who is a specialist in handling white-collar investigations. A third hire was securities law specialist Paul R. Eckert, whose duties include dealing with the Office of the Special Counsel. Bush is in the process of hiring a fourth associate counsel, said Emily A. Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman.


Republicans close to Bush say any such moves would not come until the White House sees how aggressive Democrats are in trying to pry the lid off the inner workings of the administration.

"They just think it's inevitable that there will be some investigations that will tie up some time and attention," said Charles Black, a strategist with close ties to the White House. But there's no panic in the ranks of Bush's team, he added. "They don't think they have anything to hide."

Bush still must do what he can now -- before Democrats take over the majority in Congress next month -- to prepare, legal specialists say.

"At a time like this, the experienced people in the White House view themselves as in a race they hope to win, of organizing and coordinating their defenses to have them in place in time to slow down or resist oversight before the oversight can get organized," said Charles Tiefer of the University of Baltimore Law School, a former House counsel and veteran of congressional investigations.

Democrats' stated intention to conduct more rigorous oversight of the Bush administration "simply will mean that [White House officials] need a few more people to manage the paper flow," Brown said.

Corallo and Barbara Comstock, another Republican public-relations executive with broad experience in Hill investigations, are launching a crisis-communications firm to serve officials and corporations who, Corallo said, could end up as "drive-by victims" in a new round of probes.

Democrats are reluctant to reveal their investigative plans, but they have made it plain that they want to conduct more oversight of the Bush administration.

Yule Log

Merry Christmas!!

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemi sphere.

Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting these greetings, you are accepting the aforementioned terms as stated. This greeting is not subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the
wishes for herself/himself/others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent
holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

For My Non-Politician Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Reason For The Season

From Jesus' Generals' site