Translate

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Yah. Good Plan USA

John McCain
Unabashed Iraq war supporter and war criminal
Husband of a druggin' Stepford wife who is also a convicted criminal
Thief in the Keating savings and loan scandal
Scary dude

For those in th e US who believe there couldn't be a worse 'president' than the current monkey, yes, there sure could be.

John McCain.


Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Y'know what really bugs me?

When dairy producers and grocery stores collude to rip me off!

A quick check of the dairly aisle revealed that a pound of butter is near the $5 mark! That is outrageous!

1 litre of 35% milkfat cream is $2.79. Guess what!?

I make my own butter people.

Get that cream, put it in a 2 litre pitcher that you can seal off properly - something with a wide mouth. I use a juice pitcher with a tight fitting lid and I put a sheet of saran wrap over the top before I put the lid on. The Tupperware version at right here is a great choice but anything that is similar will do. It just has to be a bigger volume than the 1 litre, so anything 1.5 litres up to 2 litres will do just fine.

Hold on tight and shake the cream for about 10 minutes. First, it will get all thick - basically whipped cream. Then it will separate and you'll get a pound of butter and two cups of buttermilk. If the cream is close to room temp, this works faster.

Drain the buttermilk back into the original carton (and relable it so you don't forget what it is. Then, give the butter a good nashing with a fork to get out the remaining buttermilk. Add a 1/2 tsp or so of salt and a good pinch of sugar.

The buttermilk can go to making really excellent bread or really awesome overnight bran muffins or pancakes. My mom drinks the stuff but I find it a bit sour.

Anyway, for$2.79 CDN you get what you'd otherwise pay over $7.00 and all it will cost you extra is the ten minutes it takes to shake the butter out and wash the jug.

This is my personal shopping anarchy.

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Steven Harper: Alive or Cyborg?

Today, I went looking for Canadian news - Digg being so very devoid of it - and started with a search for "Steven Haper," our wooden, stiff PM.

I have not been impressed with this PM. He avoids the media as he would the plague, to use a cliche; he's a cold as a Toronto parking meter in the dead of winter and he seems to have great difficulty smiling or being human - reference his hand shake with his then 10 year old son as the latter trotted off to school.

My search lead me to a goldmine. There are, of course, pages and pages of links to Mr. Harper; however, on page one of my search, I found this: What is Steven Haper Reading. I was instantly curious (to know whether he reads anything than policy, and cursorily at that), so clicked the link to what is a blog by none other than the brilliant, thoughtful, Canadian writer, Yann Martel.

If you don't know this name, shame on you. Seriously! Yann Martel's novel The Life of Pi is brilliant work. Except that I wish you to read this post to the end, I should send you immediately to a chair with a copy of that book and order you to sit there until you have read it. Take that as an assigment for later today. (photo right is copyright, Daniele Schaub)

What is Steven Harper Reading is the eighth wonder of the world. Yann Martel, who is exceptionally well read, well educated and well travelled, has been sending Mr. Harper, every two weeks, an inscribed copy of a book, specifically chosen by Martel.

Can you imagine? Mr. Harper, that cold, cold fish of a PM is the direct beneficiary of gifts from Yann Martel's luminous mind.

Harper - his office, rather - has responded only once to these gifts and has since made absolutely no comment as to whether he appreciates the letters Mr. Martel writes or that fact that Mr. Martel blesses him bi-weekly with wonderful literature.

I wonder whether Mr. Harper realises how fortunate his is not only to be the beficiary of such lovely letters - some hand written - by Yann Martel, but to also have his reading list personally chosen by such a brilliant Canadian.

Yes, I'm jealous, but, as Harper seems disinclined, will be taking full advantage of Yann Martel's reading list.

If this bugs you too, you can send letters directly to the PM's office at:
The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa ON K1A 0A2