Another Glorious Day

We have another beautiful day to enjoy before the hammer falls. No political, moral or ethical lectures from me today! : ) Just get out, vote and enjoy the beautiful day and the life you have.

Quote of the Day

"One act of beneficence, one act of real usefulness, is worth all the abstract sentiment in the world. Sentiment is a disgrace, instead of an ornament, unless it lead us to good actions."

Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, 1764

Ashley's Pasta

OK readers, I made a pasta dish Ashley has on her cooking website. Penne Pasta with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. I changed it slightly by adding garlic, but that was all. Mr. Meat Eater loved it, so it was a success!

Mark has had two dinners in a row without meat. Saturday's dinner had almost no meat, so it counts for him! Tomorrow's Election Night Dinner will be braised short ribs, polenta and gravy. The man needs his fortification to get through the nail-biter of an evening.

I think the future starts tomorrow.

Third Party

There is a debate going on at an internet forum which I read but don't post on, but I wish I did. It's about third party candidates and whether voting for one is a wasted vote.

First, a little history. The framers set up a two party system for a reason; if the vote is split more then two ways there will be a leader elected by a less then 50% margin, which ultimately leads to divisiveness. Our system of governance is dependent upon the population accepting the results in the end.

As to whether a vote for a third party candidate is a wasted vote, I guess it comes down to opinion, although historically third parties have had little to no chance of winning, especially on the national level. So, looking at it that way, I would say it is a wasted vote. It comes down to being a protest vote and nothing else. Other than it makes the voter feel they have done their civic duty. 

It would seem to me to be more effective if disgruntled citizens worked within the system to effect change in the party that more closely represents their philosophy rather than attempting to effect change through a candidate that won't be able to do anything to further the cause. I, for example, see much in the Green Party that I agree with, therefore I will work to get more people elected at the grassroots level that share that same agenda within the party I identify with. It starts from the local level and works its way up. But, it also starts with our applying pressure when we put someone in office, as with presidential elections, for them to do the right thing. FDR was not a liberal when he got into office, but the ground swell of suffering and the pressure placed upon him to do something transformed who he was.

Anyway, I have been reading the disagreement and needed to say something somewhere, so I said it here. Gotta love my self-indulgent blog!

Beautiful Day In Minnesota

November 3rd and a predicted high of 72 degrees, oh my. We have had a string of gorgeous days, which will sadly end by Friday, but this is November in MN, so we expect it to end and we will enjoy the good days while they last. I have been leaving the horses out longer then usual on these lovely days because they should enjoy it while they can as well!

Tomorrow will be nice as well, so there will no excuse to not get out and vote. One more day.

Quote of the Day

"If you treat people right they will treat you right - ninety percent of the time.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 - 1945)

Quote of the Day

"I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph."

Shirley Temple (1928 - )

PIZZA

Last evening I made a pizza using Ashley's crust and sauce recipe. This is a very good crust and the sauce is wonderfully flavorful and light. I used pancetta, calamata olives, roma tomatoes and fresh basil for toppings. I sauteed some baby bellas and put those on half of the pizza (I don't like mushrooms, but Mark does) and I used fresh mozzarella. Ashley, this pizza was incredible and the sauce had a lot to do with it! I used a 50% mix of whole wheat and white flour for the crust and that was really good. This is well worth the little bit of time it took to make. Next time I would use regular bacon as opposed to pancetta. It was a waste of the pancetta, as the flavor was basically lost to the burst of flavor from the sauce.

Quote of the Day

"I wouldn't call it fascism exactly, but a political system nominally controlled by an irresponsible, dumbed down electorate who are manipulated by dishonest, cynical, controlled mass media that dispense the propaganda of a corrupt political establishment can hardly be described as democracy either."

Edward Zehr (1938 - 2001) Conservative Columnist/Washington Weekly

Quote of the Day

"Everyone in the world was programmed by the place they were born, hemmed in by their beliefs, but you had to at least try to grow your own brain."

Scott Westerfield