Quick 'n' Easy Sweet 'n' Sour Chicken

Once again I was scrounging around the house last night looking for something to cook for dinner that also would provide leftovers. Had odds 'n' ends of this 'n' that, so here's what I came up with... Gotta say, when my son eats the leftovers today and says "Damn Mom, that's good!" I figure I did something right (considering his restaurant cooking experience). Here's what I did, along with commentary...

- 1 1/3 Cup brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup soy sauce (light or low sodium is fine)
- 1/4 Cup diced onion (I used red onion, any old onion will work the same)
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 Cup cider vinegar
- 1 big can of crushed pineapple (15 ounce?)
- 1 little can of water chestnuts (6 ounce?)
- 1 pint jar of home canned sliced carrots (try to avoid store-bought canned carrots, better off to use some frozen ones if you don't have fresh. If you have fresh, slice them and boil them for awhile first, 'til they start to get soft)
- 7 flash frozen chicken breast pieces (Safeway sells a huge resealable package of these for about $9.99, about 15 to a pack)
- A handful of Craisins
- Some cornstarch and some ketchup (I'll explain this later)

Much like the bbq chicken recipe earlier on, rub the chicken all over with a real light coating of mayo. I started out with frozen chicken, this worked fine. Sprinkle a bit of pepper, onion salt, garlic powder, and chili powder over both sides of the chicken, and put it in the oven on 300. Then you can go do whatever for half an hour or so. Drain the liquid from the chicken, then slice it into 1/4" strips, leaving it in the baking dish.

Drain the pineapple while the chicken is cooking. Put the juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, vinegar and Craisins into a kettle and heat to a boil. While this is heating, dice the onion and the water chestnuts. Once the liquid mixture comes to a boil, mix up about 4 heaping teaspoons of corn starch with about half a cup of ketchup and add to the boiling mixture. Stir it in good, then add the pineapple, drained carrots, onion and water chestnuts. Bring to a boil again while stirring, and if this mixture isn't thickening like you think it should, mix a bit more cornstarch in some cold water and add it in. Once the mixture is sort of thick, pour it over the sliced chicken, cover with tin foil and return to the oven. This can bake now at 325 for awhile, I think I did about 40 minutes but unsure 'cuz I got busy with other things. Take the dish out of the oven to "rest" while you make some rice.

Serve the sweet 'n' sour over the rice and enjoy :)

The ingredients I would have added to this if I'd had them include diced green peppers, diced celery and a bit of shredded cabbage. Feel free to use whatever veggies you like to have in a sweet 'n' sour, just stay true to the ratios of vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice and ketchup. Make as much or as little as you want. Don't worry if some of the ingredients don't "seem" to go together... they really do complement and enhance one another once combined. I didn't add any extra salt to the mixture, not even to the rice water. None needed.

Get It Now!! Only $3035.16 Per Month on Your Walmart Card!

So... hmmm... I was browsing walmart.com tonight just trying to get some basic price estimates for auxiliary heating...

How's this for a nice little space heater? It's only $36,499... pocket change, right?

I'm wondering just which of the People of Walmart.com folks will be making this purchase? Maybe they'll use the Bill Me Later financing option. Only $3035.16 per month on their Walmart card for the first year... hmmmm....

Seriously... who out there who's "in the business" will be web browsing at walmart.com deliberately looking something like this to buy from Walmart of all places? Or this even?

I've gotta say, these things really pegged my WTF meter.

It's Venison Season!

It's the time of year to start dreaming of the meals you'll be making with all that fresh venison in your freezer. You spent the money on license and tags, you spent your time hunting and were gloriously successful, you spent more time and effort cutting and wrapping... now it's time to relax and savor the fruits of your labor :)

A lot of people won't bother with cutting roasts, just making steaks or hamburger instead, because they just don't quite know how to cook a venison roast to their liking. Let me throw in an idea for your hamburger while I'm here, a nice change from the usual mixtures of meat people use for their ground venison... Rather than using beef or pork to add the flavor and fat to the ground venison, try using 1/3 bacon instead. A 2 lb. package of bacon ends and pieces ground up with 5 lbs. of venison will provide all the fat needed to hold it all together and will give a fantastic flavor to the burgers :)

But back to venison roasts. I think of venison as being a "pure" meat. Unlike beef, it's not marbled with layers of fat, and hasn't been fed a ton of unknown antibiotics and growth hormones. This lack of marbling, however, can be a detriment in the roasts. While the fat and other connective tissues give the meat the "gamey" taste that causes many people to dislike venison, which is why we trim it off when we butcher, these two things also help provide the tenderness found in beef and pork.

Venison roasts do best when roasted with moist heat. While a beef roast is great to just stick in a pan and bake for awhile, your venison roast will be dry and tough using this method. There's no fat in it to help create the moisture needed for tenderness, so you'll have to add water to the pan. While I love a dry-roasted beef chuck, about all a dry-roasted venison roast is good for, in my opinion, is to grind into a sandwich meat. Pretty good that way, with mayo, relish, onions, etc. My preferred method of cooking a venison roast is in the slow cooker. The following recipe can be adapted to oven use if you don't have a slow cooker, simply by maintaining a temp of about 225 and ensuring your roasting pan has a good lid, and checking on it a bit more often.

You'll need:

A slow cooker
Some butcher string
A venison roast

1 onion
1 apple
1-2 cups Craisins or 1-2 cups dried blueberries
1-2 stalks celery, or 1 tsp. celery seed, or 2 tbs. celery flakes
1 can mushroom stems & pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 C. cherry wine

Dice the onion, apple, celery and mushrooms into small pieces. Plump the Craisins in some warm water, just enough to cover. Saute all these and the spices in a bit of olive oil. Save the Craisin water.

While these things are cooking, lay the roast out. Make a cut down the middle, to about an inch from going all the way through. Spread it out like a butterfly, and make several 1" deep horizontal slits in each side. When the saute is complete, spread the ingredients into the roast and fill the slits. Tie all this back together with the butcher string, and place into the slow cooker. Gather up all the filling that spilled out and put it over the top of the roast. Now go back to your sautee pan, heat it up again and put in the cherry wine and 1/3 cup of the reserved Craisin water. Bring this to a boil, scraping up all the pan stickings in the process, and drizzle it over the roast. Start out the slow cooker temp on high, then after an hour or so turn it down to low. If the liquid steams off, just add a bit of water, you'll want to check on it now and then so it doesn't dry out. If you have the roast in the cooker by 10am, you'll be sitting down to the finest gourmet melt-in-your-mouth venison dinner by 6pm. Since I'm a bit on the lazy side, I generally just put in a few carrots, potatoes and some cabbage around 4pm or so and do a one-dish pot roast meal. This would be great with some garlic mashed potatoes and some home-canned green beans on the side, though, maybe with some buttermilk biscuits too :)

Recipe adapts well to pork or beef roasts also. Use your imagination and let me know :)

And SW Was Wrong Why?

Southwest apologizes to mom on Calif. flight
Fri Oct 30, 10:39 pm ET

SAN JOSE, Calif. – A spokesman for Southwest Airlines says the carrier has apologized to a mother who was kicked off a plane along with her unruly 2-year-old earlier this week.

Spokesman Chris Mainz said the airline called Pamela Root on Friday to apologize. He says Root also will receive a refund and a $300 travel voucher.

The crew bounced Root and her son Adam off the San Jose-bound flight because passengers could not hear preflight safety announcements.

Root says she was confident Adam's screams of "Go! Plane! Go!" and "I want Daddy!" would subside after the plane took off Monday in Amarillo, Texas.

The 38-year-old mom said she hoped to be compensated for the portable crib and diapers she had to buy for the extra night away from home.

-------------------------------------------------

Hmmm. They're in Amarillo, TX. So where'd they stay the night before they boarded? They didn't need a portable crib for that night, so why for this night? Most hotels can provide this amenity anyway. Nice excuse to get a new baby accessory for free. Reimbursed for diapers? Wouldn't she have had to spend money on diapers anyway, at some point in time? I say big KUDOS to SouthWest Airlines for having the cajones to do what most of us wish was done more often. Control your child or get off the plane, lady. Or off the bus or out of the store.

Let's Do Some Math With Obama's Stimulus Plan

Oh boy. My sarcasm is on full boil right now. Just read a news article that stated Obama's stimulus plan of 787 billion dollars has "saved or created" about 650,000 jobs and is on track to meet its goal of saving or creating 3.5 million jobs by next year. OK, that's awesome that jobs are being created and/or saved. But hmmmm... who's got a calculator handy? My calculator says that it will cost $225,000 for each job that's saved or created. Forget the costs of saving all those CEOs' multi-million-dollar-a-year jobs, that's not part of the equation. So who has the demographics handy for the United States and can provide the number of people who currently have jobs, so we can do a breakdown of what it's going to cost us in taxes to pay for these new jobs?

Also I'd like to see a breakdown of whether this will ultimately cost us more to have this many people working, or if it would have been cheaper to keep them on welfare or unemployment? My initial calculations suggest that, based on a family of 4 receiving welfare and food stamps to the tune of about $1200 a month, that same family could live for 15 years for the same cost of creating one job ($225,000) that very possibly won't exist in another 15 years. Assuming the worker in the family remains gainfully employed in that job. Remember, a minimum wage job (let's assume minimum wage is $8 per hour) only pays $16,640 per year before taxes and insurance withholdings. Less take-home than the $1200 per month from welfare and food stamps. Hmmmm... what's wrong with this picture?

I'm thinking, here in my world where my house payment is 40% of my take-home income and I'm STILL getting all my bills paid, having been gainfully employed steadily for the last 12 years and being responsible... I'm thinking that this over-hyped stimulus plan is really designed to create and foster an even wider gap between the lower classes and the upper classes at the cost of those of us in the middle.

Not to mention everyone who isn't going to get a cost of living increase this next year as a result of all this so-called stimulus... Social Security recipients, VA benefits recipients, most Government workers, military, etc. Gas prices have gone up, electricity prices have gone up, food prices have gone up. So what if housing prices have gone down? How does that help people who already have mortgages or rent payments? It only helps those who already have the money to buy a house. Shrug... doesn't seem to be much of an all-inclusive stimulus plan to me, just seems like it's going to benefit the people who already are doing OK. Hmmmmmm... Thoughts, anyone?

Science Meets Art

Or, Swiss Steak ala Kathy. Well. OK, yup, I'm gonna bore you with another recipe. So I like to cook :) Had a pair of huge chuck steaks I didn't know what to do with. No propane for the bbq, and while they're really, really good cooked ala restaurant-style "roasting," I also didn't feel inspired to come up with something else new to use all the leftover steak there'd be later on. So I looked around the house only to find just a few of my favorite ingredients and barely a smattering of stand-bys. Hmmmm.

So here's what you can do when you've got meat, flour, spices, an onion, a couple cans of mushrooms, a couple cans of tomato paste and a stray can of golden mushroom soup:

Thaw the meat. Lay it out on a plate and spice it up, rubbing in the spices on both sides. I used onion salt, pepper, garlic powder and just a wee bit of chili powder. Then dredge the meat in flour. Put some oil (maybe a little more than just covering the bottom) in your heavy duty frying pan (or whatever heavy kettle you have) and heat it to where it's not quite smoking. My frying pan of choice is, of course, an old cast iron workhorse. If little water drops will sprizzle and spurt when you flick 'em into the oil, it's just right. Turn on your exhaust fan ;) Put the steaks in and sear them until nicely browned on both sides. Turn down the heat to mid-way, put the steaks in your oven roaster and set aside. Turn the oven on to 350 or thereabouts. While the meat is searing, drain the mushrooms, and slice the onion. Put these prepared ingredients into the frying pan, covering with a lid. Let them saute awhile, stirring occasionally, 'til the onions are soft-ish. Then pour this mixture over the meat. If there's any oil in this mixture, drain it off first. There shouldn't be any oil, tho.

Get out a bowl and put the golden mushroom soup and a can of water in it. Then add the 2 cans of tomato paste. Mix it up then taste it. Think awhile about what flavor you're looking for. It is on the sweet side, as is. I added beef bullion powder, onion salt, garlic powder, some chives, a bit of basil, a bit of chili powder and some pepper. Since I don't measure much of anything, all I can say is "some" means a little to start, stir it up and taste it, and adjust accordingly :) Too many years of cooking to taste rather than following recipes, I guess :) I did use what looked like about maybe two tablespoons of beef bullion powder. This will be a bit thick, so add some water... maybe equivalent to half a soup can's worth. Pour this over the steaks, cover and bake for an hour. You can bake it for two hours if you want, just turn down the heat a bit and watch it for getting too thick and sticking during the second hour. Clean and foil-wrap a couple nice potatoes and throw them in the oven beside the roaster if you want. Another win with the big appetites sharing the meal :) Does this ol' gal's heart good to know I still have the touch. I'd guesstimate this could serve at least 4 really hungry people, these steaks were each about 8" x 8" and an inch thick. Chucks are fairly tender cuts anyway, so this meal melts in your mouth. People generally cook round steaks in a similar manner to this, because that tough cut will turn out tender. But I want to find something slightly different to do with the rounds I have in the freezer, so chucks it was for tonight.

Leftovers can be frozen for later :) Please pardon my vagueness regarding temperatures and times... my stove doesn't do what the knobs say it's supposed to do, so what might be "hi" for you is probably "medium" for me. I've ruined a few cakes in the process of getting to know my stove, needless to say. My recipes are the place where science meets art... one discipline can step in to balance out a deficit in the other. *grin*

Pretty Darned Good Baked BBQ Chicken

Been super busy lately, but finally did take some time to cook a meal for a change. Came out pretty good, so thought I'd share a recipe that should be a hit with those who like bbq chicken. I like making up recipes and usually they turn out palatable, but this one was a hit with everybody.

Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts

Pat dry 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts or 6 thighs or however many of whichever you want. Rub them down all over with a light coat of mayo, then sprinkle them on both sides with the following:

A bit of salt and pepper
Some garlic powder
Some oregano, some basil and a few crushed pepper flakes.

Place them in whatever baking pan they'll fit in, and bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.

While they're baking, take a cup of whatever cheap boring BBQ sauce you have, Safeway store brand 2-for-a-buck works just fine, and pour into a flat container. Add a pinch of dry mustard, a few red pepper flakes, a pinch of chili powder, a bit of garlic powder and some pepper and mix up. When the chicken has cooked 20-25 minutes, remove it from the oven and coat it in the BBQ sauce. Place back in the baking pan and bake for another 20-25 minutes. The BBQ sauce will be nice and sticky and the meat will be moist and flavorful.

The application of the mayo helps make a glaze on the chicken so the moisture stays in, and it allows the spices to stick and actually flavor the meat rather than falling off and just flavoring the pan drippings. Don't be afraid of using the basil and oregano with the BBQ sauce, it really does work nicely. The layer of mayo is also a great trick for halibut steaks, stuffed sole and baked salmon - keeps the moisture in and helps make a nice glaze. Don't overdo it, just coat it lightly with your hands.

Alas, time to get ready for work. Stay tuned for my return to regular posting :) And... have a GREAT DAY!!!!

The World's Most Popular Political Quiz

Here's a little something to play around with :)


The World's Most Popular Political Quiz

How the World's Smallest Political Quiz redefined politics, took over the Internet, impressed the experts, and made politics fun for more than 3 million people

After taking the World's Smallest Political Quiz, the famous online test that instantly pinpoints your political ideology, no two people have exactly the same reaction. Click on the post title to take the quiz yourself and see.

Consider Courtney, a self-described "young Republican." She took the Quiz and was surprised by the result. "I [scored] libertarian centrist," she said. "I really think I lean to the right, but apparently some aspect of my social liberalism has centered me. Interesting."

For blogger Jessy, the Quiz confirmed what she already knew. The avowed liberal landed smack-dab in the liberal quadrant and said, "I could not agree more."

Then there's Krzysztof -- nicknamed "Critto" -- from Poland. For him, the Quiz was exciting. "I am a libertarian, after taking the Quiz!" he said enthusiastically. "I love the World's Smallest Political Quiz, for it is cute, small, and very useful."

Cute? Well, OK; let's not argue with a guy named Critto. Small? You bet. It takes less than two minutes to zip through. Useful? Absolutely, if the surge of people taking the Quiz is any proof.

Every day, more than 4,000 people flock to the Web site of the Advocates for Self- Government (www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html) to take the Quiz. That's 166 people an hour, 24 hours a day. In fact, since 1996, when the Advocates started tracking results, more than 3.6 million people have clicked, moused, and surfed their way to the Quiz.

Why the enormous popularity -- especially when so many other political quizzes clutter up the Internet?

Sharon Harris, president of the Advocates, has a theory. "The Quiz offers a more diverse way of looking at politics," she said. "It gives people a fast, accurate way of determining who agrees with them most."

That "more diverse" insight is the key. Before the Quiz came along, politics was a two- way street. You were either liberal or conservative, and that was that.

Enter David Nolan, an MIT political-science graduate. In 1969, Nolan realized that traditional political definitions didn't make sense. He observed that liberals usually supported personal liberty (they defended free speech), but opposed economic liberty (they liked high taxes and strict regulation of business). Conservatives were the opposite. They supported economic liberty (low taxes and minimal regulations), but opposed personal liberty (they applauded laws against pornography).

So far, so good. But what about people who supported both personal and economic liberty? They didn't fit. Nether did people who opposed both personal and economic liberty.

Nolan finally resolved the paradox. "I began to doodle around with the idea of trying to reduce the political universe to a graphical depiction," he told The Liberator magazine in 1996. "I thought, 'Maybe we can delineate this on some kind of map, using a two-axis graph.' "

That was the breakthrough. Instead of looking at politics as a two-way line, Nolan designed a political chart that went in four directions -- high or low on economic issues, and high or low on personal issues.

Conservatives and liberals fit in this new political spectrum. So did libertarians and statists, who Nolan added to the mix. Libertarians scored high/high on liberty issues; statists scored low/low. Later, centrists were added in the middle -- and the Nolan Chart, a new way of looking at politics, was born.

In 1985, Marshall Fritz, founder of the Advocates for Self-Government, added 10 questions to the chart. He squeezed it all onto a business card-size handout, dubbed it the World's Smallest Political Quiz, and took it to a local print shop.

The rest is history. Over the years, the nonpartisan Advocates distributed 7 million printed copies of the Quiz to help spread the word about libertarianism. In 1995, the Quiz made the jump to cyberspace where it immediately became the Internet's most popular political quiz, with 13,400 Web sites linked to it today.

But is it accurate? After all, the Advocates is a libertarian organization. Did they rig the Quiz so everyone would score libertarian?

No, says an expert. Cynthia Carter, professor of History and Political Science at Florida Community College at Jacksonville, said, "Although this quiz is provided by a Libertarian organization, it does not lead you to answer in any particular way."

That may be why instructors around the USA use the Quiz in their classrooms. If you peeked into classrooms at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, Carnegie Mellon University, or Texas A&M University (to name just a few) over the past few years, you'd find find students answering the Quiz's questions.

Even cynical reporters -- always eager to expose a phony -- have been impressed by the Quiz's insight and honesty. For example, the Washington Post reported, "The Quiz has gained respect as a valid measure of a person's political leanings."

But don't let the scholarly recommendations fool you. The Quiz isn't a boring political science project -- it's fun. In fact, that is the one reaction that just about everybody who takes the Quiz does have in common.

Professional astrologer Adze Mixxe said it best. No matter what your political identity is, he told people, "You will get 100 percent enjoyment from the World's Smallest Political Quiz." And isn't that a political score everyone can agree on?

The People Speak

Here's an interesting read :) Call it an unplanned follow-up on my earlier poll regarding the media. One of our local news stations put out the question to the public, regarding our trust of the media. Click the title of this post to read hundreds of the public's answers, or click here: http://www.kxly.com/Global/story.asp?S=11128895

Sound Off: Do you still trust news reports?

Posted: Sep 14, 2009 2:25 PM PDT Updated: Sep 15, 2009 12:10 PM PDT

The number of Americans who don't trust news reporters is at an all time high. A new Pew Research Study shows that 63% believe news stories are inaccurate. An overwhelming majority- 74%- say stories favor one side or the other. For the first time, a majority of Democrats have joined Republicans and Independents in saying news reports are biased. Study authors say the internet makes finding mistakes and biases much easier. What do you think? Do you still trust news reports? Email us: soundoff@kxly.com

Too Many Zukes? Overwhelmed? Try Baked Zucchini Slices

Here's something different to do with your over-abundance of zucchini. And it's even relatively healthy! Shhhhh... don't tell anyone ;)

2 medium zucchini (or one big one) cut into 1/4" slices
1 cup plain or seasoned bread crumbs
Ground black pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
Onion powder to taste
A dash or so of chili powder, to taste
1 tbs. beef bullion powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the kind in the can)
2 whole eggs (can use just the whites, or even egg beaters if desired)

Preheat oven to 475 F

In one small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and other dry ingredients. Taste for flavor, adjust as needed.

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini slices into the egg (I like to put the beaten egg into a zip lock bag and shake all the zucchini slices in it all at once). Then dip the slices in the bread mixture, and place on a greased baking sheet.

Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn over and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until browned and crispy.

Serve with marinara sauce or ranch dressing. Makes a couple baking sheets full.

Actually, these baked slices can be used as a base for a nice zucchini parmigiana, as well. A bit different result than the usual parmigiana, but well worth the extra few minutes needed to follow the above recipe. Great addition to a veggie lasagna too, use as one of the layers.

You can also freeze these for later casserole-type use. After you remove them from the oven, let them cool on the baking sheets, then put the entire pan into the freezer. Once the slices are frozen, bag 'em up and return them to the freezer. Using them later, the texture won't suffer and the flavors will be great, so rest comfortable knowing they'll be a fine addition to a future recipe.

Erosion of 4th Amendment Rights in Washington

From the Seattle PI today. Daily it appears our Constitutional Rights are being eroded. Here goes the 4th Amendment down the tube. Not that drunk drivers should be allowed to skate free, quite the opposite. My personal feeling is that one's driving privileges should be removed for life on the FIRST DUI accident conviction, period. I also believe that impairment, for DUI purposes, should be demonstrated by more than a mere .08 BAC. People can have .08 and have no impairment whatsoever. I do however believe that forcing a blood test (for anything) is an infringement on one's rights against unreasonable search and siezure. That's my thought for the day.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Police can force blood tests on suspected drunken drivers, high court rules

By LEVI PULKKINEN
SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

In a divided decision, the state Supreme Court on Thursday upheld rules allowing law officers obtain search warrants to force blood tests from suspected drunken drivers.

Following a challenge by a motorcyclist who was forced to submit to a blood after a crash in Seattle, a 7-2 majority of justices found that officers acted correctly in drawing the man's blood after securing a search warrant. A Seattle Municipal Court judge initially held that the blood evidence could not be used against motorcyclist Robert St. John; a King County Superior Court judge reversed that decision and St. John appealed.

At issue, according to the majority opinion authored by Justice Susan Owens, was a provision in the state's "implied consent" law, which generally holds that drivers agree to submit to a blood alcohol-level tests under reasonable grounds. Drivers may refuse -- and often do, primarily to deny authorities evidence against them -- but in doing so usually lose driving privileges.

The majority found that state law allowing drivers to refuse such tests does not prohibit law enforcement from conducting a blood draw pursuant to a search warrant.

"The implied consent statute explicitly allows a police officer to obtain a blood alcohol test pursuant to a warrant," Owens wrote, "even after a driver refuses a voluntary blood alcohol test."

Writing in dissent, Justice Richard Sanders argued that the majority had misinterpreted a 2004 addition to the implied consent law, which notes that the law does not preclude "a police officer from obtaining a search warrant for a person's breath or blood." The dissenting justices held that phrase was meant to apply in instances where blood had already been drawn, not to compel a test.

Sanders also lauded Seattle Municipal Court Judge Judith Hightower's original finding that the law does not "authorize additional evidence gathering" after a suspected drunken driver refuses a blood alcohol test

"Obtaining a blood sample from St. John by search warrant plainly violated the express prohibition of (statute) since St. John withdrew his consent and no exception under the statute applied," Sanders wrote in the dissent. "If we accept the majority's reasoning, a driver's refusal to consent … would be meaningless."

Owens was joined in the majority by Chief Justice Gerry Alexander, as well as justices Charles Johnson, Barbara Madsen, Tom Chambers, Mary Fairhurst and Debra Stephens. Justice James Johnson joined Sanders in the dissent.

Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com.

You Have a Voice! Use It!!

TODAY: Call your Representative that sits on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and ask that they vote in favor of H.R. 1881, for TSA Collective Bargaining Rights! You can find your representatives by entering your zip code in the section to the right of this text.

A list is also available at this location: Click Here.


* Ask your members of congress to support the House-passed unused FERS sick leave package of provisions in the House-Senate DOD Authorization Conference! Click Here.

* Ask your Representatives to support HR 1507, the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009! Click Here.

* Support for Pay Parity! Click Here.

* Oppose the Boehner/Cantor proposals to change retirement rules for federal employees! Click Here.

* Ask your representative to cosponsor H.R. 2978! H.R.2978 can lift the cap of age 22 for eligibility for coverage as a dependent under FEHBP! Click Here.

* Support Equal Treatment in Benefits for Federal Employees! Ask your Senators and Representatives to support S. 1102 in the Senate and H.R. 2517 in the House, for the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligation Act! Click Here.

* Ask your Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 2736 to make the federal contracting process fairer to federal employees and more accountable to taxpayers! Click Here.

* Ask your Senator to co-sponsor S.924, to make the federal contracting process fairer to federal employees and more accountable to taxpayers! Click Here.

* Ask your Senators and Representatives to co-sponsor S.707 and H.R. 1722 for Telework! Click Here.

* Ask your Senator to co-sponsor S.354 for Paid Parental Leave today! Click Here.

* Ask your Representative to co-sponsor HR235, The Windfall Elimination Provision! Click Here.

* Ask your Senator to cosponsor S. 469, to support retirement annuities for future CSRS retirees! Click Here.

* Ask your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 1203, the Premium Conversion Bill! Click Here.

* Ask your Senator to cosponsor S.491, the Premium Conversion Bill! Click Here.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Are you overwhelmed with excess tomatoes from your garden this fall? Here's the answer! Much easier than making and canning salsa, tomato juice or sauce or paste, and much more versatile! There is absolutely nothing like roasting tomatoes to bring out the best tomato flavor and in my book, there is virtually no other way to freeze tomatoes that will result in as fine a product as this.

While Roma tomatoes are the best for this recipe, as they're drier, any tomato will do nicely. I used Romas this year, and made salsa from the Ruetger's and the Early Girls - those that didn't get eaten as BLTs or tomato sandwiches, that is!

Slice your Romas in half, and remove the seeds and juice. Lay them out on however many cookie sheets you think you might need. The bottom of a broiler pan works great too. I can only do two pans at a time, due to oven size. You can crowd them together on the pan, because they shrink quite a bit while roasting.

Get out a big mixing bowl, and put about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of olive oil in it. Add some sea salt, some pepper, some celery flakes, some parsley flakes, some rosemary and some basil. Measurements? Well, I used probably half a teaspoon of celery flakes, salt and pepper, and maybe a teaspoon and a half or so of the others. Add about a tablespoon of minced garlic and some of the oil from the jar too. When I use fresh garlic, I use probably 4 cloves, pressed. Mix it all up, then dump all the tomatoes in. Mix them up real good with your hands, then lay them back out onto the pans. Any leftover oil mixture, just put over the top of the tomatoes.

Put them in the oven at about 250, and let 'em roast. I like them a bit more done than not, so I figure about 5 hours, or when they're dried and starting to carmelize but still somewhat soft. In about an hour's time, your house will smell fabulous!

These can be frozen, or stored in the refrigerator. To freeze, let them cool then place the pans in the freezer so the tomatoes will freeze individually. Then put them into zip lock bags or plastic containers and return them to the freezer. To store them in the refrigerator, I prefer to put them into pint jars then fill the jars with olive oil. Figure about 2-3 weeks this way... only 4-5 days without the olive oil. Use the excess oil when the tomatoes are gone for sauteeing or as dip for bread. I don't recommend canning these because the oil will cause the lids to not seal properly.

You can remove the skins after they're roasted, if you prefer.

These are fantastic on toasted breads as an appetizer, or to add to your Italian red sauces, or cut up in pasta salads. They go nicely in soups and stews, too. Quite a few of these get eaten plain here, by themselves, before they ever even get to the freezer!

If you're using tomatoes other than Romas, cut them into wedges and be sure to remove the seeds and juices. They may take a bit longer to roast, because the flesh is juicier, but they'll taste just as good.

Feel free to experiment with any herbs that you might prefer, toward recipes you might like to use them in.

Enjoy!

Burning Man '09

Burning Man '09 is happening all this week. For a live 24-hour video feed, go to http://www.burningman.com/web_window.html . You'll have to copy and paste due to this system's apparant inconsistency in creating useable links. Could be user error, but whatever on that. *grin* The more interesting video takes place after dark. The title here links to their homepage, a wonderfully eclectic community of musicians, artists, and plain ol' folk who just enjoy keepin' it real. Enjoy!!

Researched - H.R.45 - Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009

I received this email today, and did a bit of research on it. Unfortunately, I did so after forwarding it, but the majority of the information is true and I felt it was worth posting here. Click on the above title for an easy path to the text of the bill.

*********************** The email:

It has started.

Very important for you to be aware of a new bill HR 45 introduced into the House. This is the Blair Holt Firearm Licensing & Record of Sale Act of 2009.

Even gun shop owners didn't know about this because it is flying under the radar.

To find out about this - go to any government website and type in HR 45 or Google HR 45 Blair Holt Firearm Licensing & Record of Sales Act of 2009. You will get all the information.

Sponsor: Rep Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] (introduced 1/6/2009)
Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 2/9/2009 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ and fill in the above information in the search option.

Basically this would make it illegal to own a firearm - any rifle with a clip or ANY pistol unless:

It is registered

You are fingerprinted

You supply a current Driver's License

You supply your Social Security #

Each update - change or ownership through private or public sale must be reported and costs $25 - Failure to do so you automatically lose the right to own a firearm and are subject up to a year in jail.

There is a child provision clause on page 16 section 305 stating a child-access provision. Gun must be locked and inaccessible to any child under 18.

They would have the right to come and inspect that you are storing your gun safely away from accessibility to children and fine is punishable for up to 5 yrs. in prison.

If you think this is a joke - go to the websites and take your pick of many options to read this. It is long and lengthy. But, more and more people are becoming aware of this. Pass the word along. Any hunters in your family - pass this along.

This is just a "termite" approach to complete confiscation of guns and disarming of our society to the point we have no defense - chip away a little here and there until the goal is accomplished before anyone realizes it.

This is one to act on whether you own a gun or not.

*********************** The Facts:

In a nutshell, the Blair Holt bill would:

* Prohibit possession of any handguns or any semiautomatic firearms that can accept detachable ammunition-feeding devices (excluding antiques) by anyone who has not been issued a firearm license.

* Require all sales of those types of firearms to go through licensed dealers.

* Direct the Attorney General to establish and run a federal record-of-sale system.

* Require the possessors of firearms to secure them (by secure gun storage or safety devices) when they are kept in locales where children might be capable of gaining access to those firearms.

In order to be issued a firearm license under the provisions of the Blair Holt legislation, applicants would be required to submit the following information to the Attorney General:

1. A current, passport-sized photograph of the applicant that provides a clear, accurate likeness of the applicant

2. The name, address, and date and place of birth of the applicant

3. Any other name that the applicant has ever used or by which the applicant has ever been known

4. A clear thumb print of the applicant, which shall be made when, and in the presence of the entity to whom, the application is submitted

5. With respect to each category of person prohibited by Federal law, or by the law of the State of residence of the applicant, from obtaining a firearm, a statement that the individual is not a person prohibited from obtaining a firearm

6. A certification by the applicant that the applicant will keep any firearm owned by the applicant safely stored and out of the possession of persons who have not attained 18 years of age

7. A certificate attesting to the completion at the time of application of a written firearms examination, which shall test the knowledge and ability of the applicant regarding:

* the safe storage of firearms, particularly in the vicinity of persons who have not attained 18 years of age

* the safe handling of firearms

* the use of firearms in the home and the risks associated with such use

* the legal responsibilities of firearms owners, including Federal, State, and local laws relating to requirements for the possession and storage of firearms, and relating to reporting requirements with respect to firearms

* any other subjects, as the Attorney General determines to be appropriate

8. An authorization by the applicant to release to the Attorney General or an authorized representative of the Attorney General any mental health records pertaining to the applicant

9. The date on which the application was submitted

10. The signature of the applicant

There is a link to the right here by which you may contact your legislators. Use it.

Finally Back!

Wow! What a whirlwind couple of weeks it's been! I had the privilege of traveling to Potomac, MD for some training for my work, and it appears that I've finally recuperated. It was a great class, held at an established facility and attended by many wonderful people. The best part? The food, of course!! How can anyone turn down real Maryland crab cakes and all-you-can-eat steamed snow crab? *grin* But the best part of all? Wheeeee!!!! I got to spend the weekend with my brother and his family at their new home in south Jersey! I am truly blessed.

It looks as if work will be starting soon on my house, I'm excited to get that new covered front porch so I can spend the autumn days out front enjoying the neighborhood from my rocking chair. All that will be missing is the white picket fence, which isn't on the list of things to be done. I have to sacrifice that in favor of a new garage roof, and finishing the interior of the garage. Sometime this winter the bathroom will undergo a total renovation, as well. If I hadn't wanted this house so badly (because it was otherwise perfect), the condition of the bathroom might have been a deal-breaker.

The big news on this side of the world is that Washington state is beginning a new program through which prisoners eligible for early release are being "paroled" and given housing vouchers worth 3 months' rent. The savings to the taxpayers with this program is estimated to be several million, and as long as they're being selective in their choices about who should be released, I'm all for it. Not everyone who is in prison is a high risk to reoffend, and if it opens up prison beds for those who absolutely should be there, it's a good thing. I hope those released under this program are able to receive and benefit from outside support to help them reintegrate as productive citizens.

The other big news is that Idaho has now approved controlled wolf hunts, due to the dangerous increase in population of the Canadian Gray Wolf that was introduced awhile back as an attempt to prevent wolves from going extinct. The current problem is that previously Idaho forests were populated by the smaller Timber Wolf, and the Canadian Grays (while both being wolves) are much larger and considerably more aggressive. The Timber wolves generally weigh around 50-75 lbs, and the Canadian Grays are weighing in at between 130-170 lbs. Some research on my part led me to the understanding that while these are the same species, the differences in sizes are related to the areas where they're from. The problems in Idaho and eastern Washington are that the wolves are becoming more aggressive, less wary of humans, and are preying at the outskirts of towns. See the following links:

http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-may1508-wolf_attack.10298c47a.html

http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-feb2308-wolf_attack.202c7783.html

http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/idaho/stories/NW_030209IDN-AP-wolf-attack-LJ.1bcf8b45.html

http://www.citizenreviewonline.org/nov_2006/28/wolves.html

Now... I DO NOT hate wolves. My issue is that once again, "man" has decided to play God with our environment and our ecosystems, making decisions about what animals "should" live where and assuming that their studies and assumptions are the best answers to the problems caused by "man." I support population reduction, not population elimination, and I also support that sometimes nature should be allowed to take its course without US jumping in and trying to make it be what we think it should be. What next... will "man" decide that we should reintroduce the mammoth too, just because pretty soon we'll be able to create one from the DNA remains of fossils?

At any rate, those are the big news pieces from this side of the Continental Divide. Any comments agreeing or disagreeing are of course always welcome :)

Whew! Gardening!

Well, the garden tally thus far from my five 32 sq. ft. garden plots is as follows:

Freezer, approximately 1 pint each package:

1 - spinach (we ate the rest fresh!)
4 - green beans
2 - baby carrots
10 - beet greens
3 - ground zucchini for bread later

Jars, 1 pint each:

18 - beets
15 - green beans
5 - salsa
10 - bread and butter pickles
10 - zucchini relish
12 - half pints zucchini jam, strawberry flavor

Yet to be harvested:

Corn, more carrots, acorn squash, broccoli, more tomatoes, more cukes, more hot peppers, more onions. more zucchini, more green beans and the rest of the sugar snap peas. In my hurried count of acorn squash babies, I tallied 31. I counted approximately 35 corn stalks taller than me and a dozen or so short ones, with an average of 3 ears of corn on each that will probably be ready in about 10 days... So far I've found takers for the excess zucchini, and I'll have repeat barterers for acorn squash this fall as well. Think I'll try canning some of that later on, too, just to see how it comes out. Beets are all done... finally!!! They're the most work to preserve out of all the veggies except corn, I think. Also netted a couple pints of dried chives and a couple nice volunteer garlics from last year, and should net about a pint of dried sage. The radishes were a bust, next year I'll plant them where there's more sun :)

I'd have more space available if spearmint, cornflowers, sunflowers, hollyhocks and this other interesting flower/weed thing weren't there, but I'm cultivating them to attract more honeybees for good pollination, and because certain veggies appreciate growing next to them. Of course, these are all technically "weeds," and I'm going to have to do some good thinning this fall when I mulch the beds with the pile of maple leaves and other assorted green stuff that I've been letting work since last fall. Got a lot of good stuff going on there. Needless to say, the acorns and zucchinis take up one whole bed, and the tomatoes, peppers and onions use a whole one, as well. I'll have to do some research over the winter to find out which veggies will grow best in the beds that other ones were in this year, for good crop rotation. Will be my third garden here so I want to be aware of soil nutrients next summer.

I thought about putting my flower beds into veggies this year, but I'm glad I didn't. Not enough time in a day to work full time and put up that many veggies (and still have a life!), and no point in having any waste. Not like I'm trying to grow for a farmer's market here!! Just enough to be self-sufficient and have better quality food than what comes in a can from the store, and enough to barter for great things like fresh farm eggs and venison, and some to just share with folks who enjoy the home-canned stuff.

Made a quart of tzatziki sauce with some of the cukes, onions and garlic... was a huge hit and needless to say, it was Greek food for awhile :) Lots of tomato sandwiches and BLTs, too... best summertime snack there is. Anyway, that's the gardening news for awhile, and it's past time to get the rest of the laundry done and get some well-earned sleep. Ta-ta :)

Red Lobster, Spokane, WA

OK, OK.... I know. A restaurant review?? C'mon, bear with me here :)

Yesterday was my Friday, and after surviving a day of giving and writing statements regarding a day-long incident from the previous day, I put my foot down and said to myself "Self, you're coming on a date with me tonight. So let's get dressed up and I'll take us anywhere you want to go." Truly, what single gal can turn down an offer like that??

Oh, what to wear... What shall I wear on this most special evening? Got it! Best jeans, best t-shirt, and favorite sneaks should do the trick. Never know what adventures I might take myself on after dinner, y'know.

So we piled into the car, me, myself and I (me just had to tag along, nosy broad that she is) and we motored on up to Red Lobster, which has just recently opened. We decided to venture there right at dinnertime, just to experience the crowds and see how the joint handled the dinner rush. The parking lot was full except for one space which appeared to have been reserved just for us. We joined the line filing into the restaurant and overheard others being told to expect a 45 minute wait. Ah, but we knew that we would never have to wait that long!! When it was our turn, we approached the podium and smiling, asked the pretty lady "What's the good news tonight?" She flashed her bright white smile at us and asked "How many?" When we responded "Just the three of us here, me, myself and I" she winked and said "I have a table for you right now." I turned to the couple behind me, grinned and winked and followed another pretty lady right to what is always my favorite table in a nice restaurant. In the bar, next to the kitchen, private and isolated from the rest of the restaurant :) This is the table normally reserved for the staff to use, therefore more out of sight. Why do I prefer this seating? I don't get ignored by the waitstaff, the food is hotter and fresher and the entertainment is priceless!

After being seated and receiving the menus, a handsome waiter named Kevin approached and asked if I'd like a drink. "Of course we would like a drink," I said. "Top shelf margarita, please, rocks." This smart man caught on quickly, as he grinned and asked if we would like one straw or three, and winked. "Just one, we'll share, thank you." As he turned away, I spread open all the menus on the table so we could look at all our options. When Kevin returned with our drink he commented that he'd never seen anyone spread all the menus out at once and he chuckled when I told him "How better to see and choose?" He placed the prettiest margarita I've ever seen on the table and we ordered an appetizer - a tasty and beautifully presented combination of fried calamari, red peppers and broccoli. The margarita had a sidecar of Grand Marnier, the perfect companion to Sauza Gold tequila, and we sipped with delight while considering our many delicious entree options.

Shortly Kevin returned with our appetizer and asked if we had agreed on a menu choice yet. I told him that while I would prefer the broiled whole Maine lobster with a side of King crab, the wood-grilled lobster, shrimp and scallops would please me more, and well, myself personally would prefer the Ultimate Feast, a Maine lobster tail, steamed snow crab legs and 2 preparations of shrimp... so we compromised and had decided that we would order the Maine Lobster and Crab Bake, with garlic-roasted Maine lobster, jumbo shrimp, scallops and a half pound of snow crab legs. He complimented us on our compromise and pointed out that this meal also comes with corn on the cob, steamed broccoli and baby red potatoes as well as a Caesar salad.

The Caesar salad was nicely presented with fresh parmesan and romano cheeses atop, and the greens weren't too cold or too warm. The dressing was authentic and not too vinegary-tasting and the included biscuits were light and freshly-baked. We did rather miss the added flourish of being offered freshly-ground pepper for the salad, but the table did have sea salt and pepper grinders available.

Our meal arrived on a hot platter and was beautifully presented. I ordered another drink and proceeded to explore the offerings one by one. Scallops aren't generally my preference, but I did enjoy the opportunity to taste one that I almost liked, then another just to make sure whether or not I did or didn't like it. The baby lobster tails were heavenly, the shrimp was tender and tasty, and the snow crab was divine. We took some leftovers home, needless to say, as the portions of both the appetizer and the entree were quite large. No lobster or crab leftovers, though!!

As we walked from the restaurant, very satisfied but not over-stuffed, I knew that we'd made the right choice and I thanked myself for the wonderful date. Driving home, I realized that the stresses of the day were gone and that the weekend was upon us... YAY!!! Needless to say, we slept well and awoke refreshed and eager to meet the new day.

Alas, 'tis now time to peruse the garden for more harvest, and begin the tasks of prep and preserve. I think today it's going to be canning beets, and freezing carrots and beet greens. It will be interesting to see just how much produce fills my shelves and freezer this year, from the small garden spaces I've developed. Catch y'all later :)

Bullying More Damaging Than Sexual Harrassment

Excerpts from an article posted on Management-Stress.com:

Divide and rule, generating conflict to create a more competitive environment, pushing people hard to help them fulfil their potential – there has always been a fine line between challenging, motivational management and bullying.

But according to new research, managers who step over that line do more harm than if they were sexually harassing their team.

A study by Canadian academics has concluded that a bullying culture of belittling comments, persistent criticism and withholding of resources can inflict more damage on employees than even sexual harassment.

Bullying, it argued, included persistently criticising employees' work, yelling, repeatedly reminding employees of mistakes, spreading gossip or lies, ignoring or excluding workers and insulting employees' habits, attitudes or private life. Other bullying behaviours included hostility, verbal aggression and angry exchanges.

While both bullying and sexual harassment clearly created negative work environments and had unhealthy consequences for employees, the researchers found workplace aggression had the more severe consequences.

Employees who experienced bullying, incivility or interpersonal conflict were more likely to quit their jobs, it found. They also had lower well-being, were less satisfied with their jobs and had less satisfying relations with their bosses than employees who were sexually harassed. Furthermore, bullied employees reported more job stress, lower job commitment and higher levels of anger and anxiety.

"As sexual harassment becomes less acceptable in society, organizations may be more attuned to helping victims, who may therefore find it easier to cope," said lead author M Sandy Hershcovis, of the University of Manitoba.

"In contrast, non-violent forms of workplace aggression such as incivility and bullying are not illegal, leaving victims to fend for themselves," she added.

"Bullying is often more subtle, and may include behaviours that do not appear obvious to others," said Hershcovis.

Click on the post title to review the entire article and access other areas of the site.

-------------------------

If you believe yourself to be the target of workplace bullying, there are some things you absolutely must do.

• The first and most important thing you must do is DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT. Write down every incident that occurs. It is vital that your record the date, time, place, and what was said or done by whom. If you have to begin a journal to accomplish this, do so. If you can keep the record on a notepad in your hip pocket, do so. However you can best achieve this record keeping is up to you, but you must do it or there will be no record of what's been happening when you try to end the bullying behavior.
• After you've documented the instances of bullying or abuse, there are some steps you can take to address the problem. One step is to confront the boss in person. Only you would know if this is an option for you, but I've known some bosses who, when confronted with their own negative behavior, were shocked and apologetic, not realizing they were even conducting themselves this way. They worked hard on changing their ways, after the big slap-in-the-face a-ha moment. Ask for a meeting, and bring a witness if you feel you need to.
  
• Another step you might take is to access programs that are available in the workplace. Many workplaces have conflict resolution programs that may or may not be confidential. Look into it however, before you decide not to use this avenue. You might be able to have a facilitator sit in with you when you meet with your boss.
• If you feel that the above options aren't options for you, you can take your documentation up the chain. Not many managers will be excited to learn that one of their direct reports is engaging in the behaviors you've logged, and most managers will aggressively take action to extinguish negative behaviors in their lower ranks, realizing that low employee morale affects the bottom line. Not all will, however; yours might not.
• Your Union Rep is also an avenue.
• Your family physician also is a resource you can use to document any ill physiological and/or psychological effects of the bullying and harrassment.
  

Whatever route you choose, however, unless you've documented the actions adequately and in a timely manner, there may be no recourse. Anybody who is going to try to help resolve this issue will need facts. Remember, too, that you are undoubtedly angry and you may want to "feel" the satisfaction of knowing your boss has been punished. It's likely that you'll never know what happens to the boss, due to The Privacy Act and how it mandates that personnel actions be disclosed on a need-to-know-basis only. Be satisfied if the bullying behavior ceases, and realize it might take you awhile to trust that it's ended. But every day that goes by without the bullying is a better day than before, and you may eventually discover that you like your job again.

DISCLAIMER

It is a common misconception that bullying, discrimination, and harassment are already actionable (worthy of civil litigation) under present law. Only racial or sexual discrimination are against the law. Status-blind bullying is legal when targets are not bullied due to their membership in a protected class under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Amendment (race, color, sex, religion, or national origin). In addition, present whistleblower laws are marginally effective.

The TSA Blog: Can I Take my Hand Grenade on the Plane?

The TSA Blog: Can I Take my Hand Grenade on the Plane?

Cat-Walking

My cat is desperately imploring me to take him outside. He's a humane-society rescue, we've been together now for 2 1/2 years. When I got him, I decided that he'd be an indoor cat because I lived in the woods and wasn't keen on him being eaten by eagles or coyotes - both of which were regular visitors to my backyard. It wasn't fair for him to never go outdoors, though, so I leash-trained him. Now he loves going outside for walks. Quite a sight to see a cat going for a walk through the neighborhood here in our new city, we've gotten a lot of stares from passersby and more than a few people have stopped to inquire and chat awhile. Note - a cat on a leash is quite a conversation-magnet!!

It was interesting training him. Pretty much a mutual training, I think. Should you ever be interested in leash-training your cat, the first and most important element is establishing trust. He/she absolutely must trust you. Affectionate cats are better candidates than their aloof relatives. Get a harness that fits correctly. Attach it to a leash. Then let this setup become an interactive play-toy. Get him to chase it, play with it, hunt and capture it, chew on it, whatever he likes. After awhile of playing with it like that, he'll be comfortable with it. Then you can put the harness on. Just put it on, be lovey when you do it, then praise him for putting up with your fumbling. Let him wear it around the house for awhile (even if he doesn't like it), then take it off, toss it on the floor and ignore it. Praise him for his patience with your wierdness, give him a treat, then go on about life. Do this a bunch of times. Pretty soon he'll resign himself to the fact that his human does strange things, but they don't hurt and aren't scary anymore. Then one day, after you've put on the harness, attach the leash. Just let it go loose and see what he does. If he's mellow, you can try walking him in the house. If he's frisky, go along with it and play. He'll probably like chasing the end of the leash. Lots of luvins, and if he likes treats, those too. Do this a few times for short periods of time, until he trusts that he's going to be rewarded for his efforts.

He's an indoor cat, he's probably going to want to go outdoors. Put his leash and harness on, give him some luvins or a treat, then open your door. Keep ahold of the leash :) He WILL want to explore this new territory! Here's where he trains you... just go wherever he wants to go, and you do the work of keeping him untangled from things. If he gets spooked about something, don't yell at him. Do what it takes for him to understand that you can be trusted to keep him safe. If he wants to go back in, that's OK. He might want to find hidey-spots... just be gentle, pick him up and carry him to somewhere else to explore. Take him outdoors like this for as long as it takes for him to be confident. After while, he'll be familiar and then you can start asking him to do things that you want him to do. Take a few steps the way you want to go, and if he follows that's great and if he lays down, just stop. Here's where you get to outlast him. Just stop. He'll eventually get up and want to go somewhere. Keep trying to get him to go your way, and when he does, reward him. Won't be long before he'll have the idea and he'll go "your way, not his way." Find the words you want him to learn and use them frequently - like "This way," or "Come" or whatever. Gentle, consistant voice.

This process took me 2 weeks. Cats are independent and want to believe that everything they do is their idea. The more they trust you, the more they'll "tolerate" your ideas. Pretty soon they'll realize that your ideas can be fun too. The more you do things together, the more willing they'll be to try new things and the better they'll get. My guy loves to trot down the sidewalk for about 50 feet, then veer off toward the street or into someone's yard. I just stop, and don't let him go there. The words he understands are "This way." I say that, with gentle pressure on the leash, until he refocuses and we get back to walking on the sidewalk. I let him explore wherever he wants though, within leash range.

A couple weeks ago, it was hot out... was my weekend so I was staying up late. He asked to go out, and I decided that sounded pretty good. So I rigged him up, grabbed another beer and we took off. Was about midnight. It didn't occur to me until after the fact that it probably wasn't a great idea to be walking around town with an open container, but it was a blast walking the neighborhood at midnight with a cold beer and my li'l buddy :) Glad I didn't have to try to explain my open container to the party wagon!!!

LOL... !!!! Can you tell I don't have an exciting social life? :) That's OK, though... not looking for one. Like I said in my profile... been there, done that. It's not so bad to focus closer to home and enjoy some of the simpler joys of life. Wish I'd understood this better a few years back.

Challenge for the day: Identify someone with whom you'd like to build a safe and trusting rapport, and find a way to communicate your sincerity to them.

"Legalize Marijuana" Text Message Ploy

I got several text messages from my friends stating "Vote to legalize marijuana. This is for real. CNN today, Obama will consider w/ 1 million votes. Call 973-409-3274."

So I web-searched, and made the following discovery: http://current.com/items/90233922_marijuana-phone-poll-not-a-scam.htm .

"This number is one of many numbers created by the novelty-number company Humor Hotlines. Unlike other numbers from HH, Jeff Goldblatt (President and Founder of RHBrands.com) claims this is a legitimate poll being conducted which he plans to compile and give to various contacts within the government in hopes that it will be presented to Congress and President Barack Obama. This number is completely free and has apparently no known risks/fees associated with it outside of normal cell phone charges/minutes used/etc. If the number reaches a certain amount of votes (1,000,000), HH has every intention to follow through and send the compiled petition to the government."

That's nice. It's also not what the text said. So it's not honest. Now why would anybody want to just randomly dial a phone number to vote on something without even knowing if it's true or not, and without knowing whether or not the phone number is even legit? Everybody who has dialed that phone number has left a legitimate, traceable record of their own phone number, and this Jeff Goldblatt person now has a humongous list of people he knows are "probably" herb-friendly. Why, people.... why? It only takes a minute to research things out, y'know? A few minutes spent discerning what's true and what isn't can go a long, long way toward the betterment of our lives and toward the prevention of opening ourselves up to things we really might not want in our lives.

Here's another link for you: http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/drugpoll.asp . You'll have to copy and paste these, because I haven't yet learned how to make things into working links on this blog page.

C'mon people... Don't be sheeple :) Think before you act and don't assume everything you read or hear in the media (including text messages) is true!!! Remember what happens when we assume? We make an ASS of U and ME. I for one prefer to not follow the lemmings over the cliff.

Feed Your Brain

From The Spokesman Review:

Saturday turned out to be a record day for temperatures across the Inland Northwest. It hit 101 degrees at the Spokane International Airport, tying the record set in 1971. Lewiston, Idaho also tied a record at 106 degrees.

Other high temperatures on Saturday include Wenatchee at 107 degrees. Moses Lake and Ephrata topped out at 105 and Coeur d’Alene reached just 99 degrees. None of those cities tied or broke records.

-------------

Yup, it's hot. I have a small window A/C that keeps the house at about 82, provided I keep bathroom and bedroom doors shut. I can live with that. So this week while I was canning green beans, beets and zucchini relish, I was thinking about how things were for people "back in the day" when there wasn't A/C or even electric stoves. Grandma would be in the kitchen doing these things on her wood cook stove. Putting up everything that couldn't be immediately used, for future use... making bread, cooking meals for the crews working in the fields, and taking care of all the rest of the household work. How much fun would it NOT be to have a wood stove fired up all day long with temps outside at a hundred degrees?? I certainly can respect the satisfaction she had to have felt looking in the pantry seeing jars of veggies, fruits and meats lined up on her shelves from floor to ceiling! I'd be willing to bet that back in the day there were very few people who suffered from insomnia, too. Come bedtime they would have been too exhausted to lay awake thinking about things, I'm sure.

I think we take an awful lot for granted in our lives. I know I do, and the more I've deliberately stepped back from the hectic, fast-paced style of living that we're stuck in today, the more I realize how out-of-control the world is. Scary stuff. Alas, a soapbox for another time, since it's now time to go to work.

Challenge of the day: Do something today that isn't wholly dependent upon someone else having done all the work for your convenience.

Wheee!

So now that I've traversed the first rugged steps of creating a blog, what's next? I guess I'm supposed to start talking about something. What do you want me to talk about? Perhaps the question would be... What do I want to talk about? Gawd. Everything. Stay tuned for discussion on topics ranging from our STUPID government, gun control, sex, parenting, dog and cat training, gardening, food preservation, being broke, home improvement and renovation, and anything else that comes along in our busy lives!!