Turkey Pardon Open Thread
25 November 2009 10:04 am by Taylor Marsh
http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
I love this one. The actual pardon will be @ 11:30 a.m. and you can watch it live at the link above, which is, by the way, a good link to keep on hand. Even last night’s State festivities were accessible through it.
This is get away day for some. Getting ready for Thanksgiving for others, including shopping.
Consider this a free for all. What are you serving tomorrow?
This post was submitted by Taylor Marsh.
No tags for this post.
In the morning it’s olive bread, a little special cheese, maybe some prosciutto (?), kalamata olives, and likely my hubby’s signature Bloody Mary’s. Seriously, they’re killer.
I’m fixing duck for Mark for dinner, his favorite. Today I pick up a pear-cranberry tart from Firehook bakery. Au gratins will also be served, as usual, along with a delicious main course salad for moi. Oh, and don’t forget the Scotch, Cabernet and champagne (of course).
One of my favorite recipes is a salad dressing, though it’s hardly light fare… Warning, I’m not a measurement centric cook, unless I’m baking.
garlic (to your taste); celery (several stalks); scallions; 2 ounce can of anchovies, though I prefer same in paste; 3 eggs; black pepper; a couple of tsp. mustard; T lemon juice.
Put garlic, celery, onion, anchovies, mustard, lemon juice and everything else, MINUS EGGS, into a food processor of blender. Churn those up. Add eggs, then blend again.
Then slowly add 2 cups or so of extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup at a time, blending between each, with a final spin when it’s all in.
This will keep fresh for a couple of weeks. It’s always better the second day.
I usually serve it over arugula, my fave, but any hearty green will do, butter lettuce not so much, with spinach another possibility.
You can also make a 24-hour salad, a special treat. Layer in a pan lettuce, or spinach, though again, I prefer arugula or a blend with it. Then add celery, green peppers, scallions, cheese of choice (Gorgonzola is my favorite), then *frozen* peas; pepper to taste, salt if you must. Layer again. On the very top pour your choice of *hearty* dressing, something like ranch or the dressing I suggest above. Cracked pepper over it. Cover tightly, then serve the next day.
DO NOT mix the dressing and the salad! It must stay layered until the next day. Of course, there are many variations re: ingredients on the above. Oh, and it will NOT be soggy. At least it won’t if you’re greens & chosen veggies are dry.
Mullah Omar released his pre-Eid message today. He called on the people of Afghanistan to not support the “stooge administration” of Karzai or the “colonialist objectives” of the US and its allies. He went on to say that “America and its allies have been hammering out plans overtly and covertly to destabilize the Islamic world and provoke differences in the Islamic countries.” He finished up by saying “Ground realities in our beloved country indicate that the invaders are about to escape.” Obama, and those who support what Obama is about to do by escalting this war, will bring misery to their children and their children’s children. The Taliban lives in Afghanistan and they will be there long after the last American soldier leaves. Whether that takes 1 year or 10 years or a thousand years. Peace
I happen to agree with you imhotep.
kris, I knew that you would. For those who do not let’s talk a bit about Liberalism. I’ll begin by saying that war is the most illiberal of concepts. John Locke, the philosophical father of modern Liberalism, said “no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, and possessions.” How does war not rob those killed by it of life, health, liberty, and possessions? John N. Gray, a recent Liberal thinker, said “human rights can be respected in a variety of regimes, Liberal and otherwise.” Who appointed the Liberal’s the task of deciding which regime is worthy and which is not worthy of existence? The war in Afghanistan is a turkey and any Liberal(?) who supports it might rethink just what it means to be a Liberal. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Peace
Sorry, imhotep – your attempt to hang the war on Obama is just plain silly. I doubt you could find many ‘liberals’ who want war – and Obama was *elected* because of his stance (as opposed to Hillary and others) on the Iraq war.
Obama is simply trying to mop up a house filled with shit (left to him by those ‘conservatives’) so that – hopefully – the house won’t stink until the end of time. You can disagree with HOW he’s trying to bring it to an end – but I think he has a little more info about it than you and I. LOL
Repeated from an older thread:
Taylor, I probably told you this already – but I wonder how imhotep feels about “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” ? I often have to point out to conservatives this country wasn’t founded on strict conservative values – it was founded on Liberty and religious Freedom. Strict religious ‘rules’ were the reason the original pilgrims LEFT their country to found a new one.
If I can get them to just admit that, I then point out that ‘Liberty’ and ‘Liberal’ are actually the same word.
Happy Turkey Day everyone.
“WASHINGTON – In a hopeful sign for the economy, the number of newly laid-off workers filing claims for unemployment benefits fell below 500,000 last week for the first time since January.
Consumer spending picked up in October, new-home sales hit their highest point in more than a year and shoppers’ outlook brightened a bit ahead of the crucial holiday shopping season.
Combined, the news suggested that the economy should be able to sustain at least a modest rebound.”
djjl, I work for wholesale nursery ‘growers’ and much like the cement trucks, they’re a pretty good indication of the economy (at least, here in CA). A year ago there was near panic. Today – even in November – there is a lot of optimism and they’re smiling again.
That’s great pmichael.
To answer Taylor’s initial question about what’s for dinner, I had intended to try some new recipes. But my daughter and her little family are having their first Thanksgiving in their new home and she’s decided she wants truly traditional dinner. Her fil and husbands grandmother are coming along with us – Mom and Dad. We are sharing preparation of her chosen dishes.
She and her 6 year old are making cranberry relish and sweet potato casserole. She stuffing the turkey and making 24 hour fruit salad. I’m making gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and a cheesecake. Her wonderful new fil is bring appetizers and deviled eggs.
Needless to say, I think she’ll be having a lot of leftovers for a while.
I won’t dwell on this, but perhaps it will give ya another thing to be ‘thankful’ for. I detest ‘food’ with a passion, so these conversations aren’t my favorite. *L* I envy all of you very much, but when they take away your tummy and every bite of solid food means nothing but pain (they give me painkillers so I’ll eat) – life is a little different. I even have trouble watching TV because the food commercials drive me crazy.
Sos when y’all sit down to that grand dinner tomorrow – be sure to give thanks for the healthy tummy that allows you to enjoy it.
And now I’ll drop it. Wouldn’t want to be a downer.
You aren’t a downer pmichael. You are a reminder of one more thank most have to be thankful for. The reminders are all around us. Thank you for sharing.
thing
djjl, oddly enough it’s the focal point of the novel I’m working on. There IS a ‘Magic word’ and it isn’t ‘abracadabra’. The magic word is: “perspective” – which we lose all too easily. Forgetting the magic word means having a fit because your feet hurt. *L* There are dozens of ‘old sayings’ which reflect this (complained about no shoes, then saw a man with no feet etc.) – but we still forget.
It’s the simplest little things we should all remember to be very thankful for – and the older you get, the more that word ‘health’ pops up.
Imhotep says:
25 November 2009 at 12:34 pm
Afghanistan human rights means nothing if women and girls are being subjugated, exploited, and driven underground for fear of their lives. Remembering that no country can survive and be stable without women as a fundamental part of society. Afghanistan was further destroyed when Bush-Cheney started warlordism, something that is new to Afghanistan, but also destroyed the tribal forces that kept Afghan society thriving, including jirgas.
You’ll *never* hear me say we must “defeat the Taliban,” which has never been possible, imhotep, so on that we actually *finally* agree.
This started under Reagan and Bill Casey, through the mujahadeen, which led to the Taliban today. We will never “win,” because it’s not our country for which to fight. But regional stability is a goal in which Afghanistan plays a role.
Civilian aid groups and their corruption is as big a problem as Karzai’s gov.
Anyway, IF 34,000 troops is indeed the number, I don’t think it will matter, plus I question why 34,000 and not 40,000? All experts point to troops not being the answer, but our allies & NATO need this commitment.
But what I really wanted to say here is THANK YOU ALL….
This has been one hell of a year for me, which has brought amazing strides, with the best to come. Thanks for being around for all of it, as the move to Washington, D.C. was a huge leap of faith that’s landed me hip deep in a field of clover, with much more to manifest in the future.
Blessings for a wonderful Thanksgiving. …and you’re not kidding, pmichael.
Oh, and if you’re eating, don’t forget to take a walk or something similar. We’ll be going to the gym tomorrow.
Well, just had my foot carved up so the walking is right OUT!
Comfortably numb for the time being and have no qualms whatsoever about using the happy pills the Dr. prescribed.
Main bummer it looks like I WON’T be striding around the kitchen tommorow!! But my sweet, sweet Susan is a great cook in her own light so it will still be feasting extrodinare!!
Happy manga!
You will never get regional stability while 100,000 US troops are occupying Afghanistan. Ever. And stability will never happen in that region as long as both India and Pakistan want an unstable Afghanistan and instability in the area of Kashmir for their own self-interested reasons. (Bringing India and Pakistan together doesn’t require a state visit by the Indian PM or 100,000 troops in Afghanistan.) Counter-insurgency requires a roughly 37 to 1 ratio of troops to population. That means that the USA would need to send another 800,000 soldiers into the country to create a stable situation. Obama is playing political games with the lives of the 21,000 troops he has already sent and the 30,000 that he intends to send. Playing politics with the lives of good men and women for no valid reason is an unforgivable sin. Obama should be condemned in the strongest possible terms for his callous and criminal behavior. Hope his f***ing turkey burns to a g-d crisp tomorrow. Peace
Just made Sec’s Cranberry Sauce — WOW — What a kick! Good…. Think it will be a hit tomorrow! Thanks Sec
whitepaw says:
25 November 2009 at 9:09 pm
DaNada!
Have a great recipe for Beef Empanadas I’ll post later.
Sec
What happened to your foot?
WHO’S THERE?
AP: 575 White House Visits By Health Care Special Interests
Huffington Post
Guess everyone is beginning prep for their Thanksgiving dinner. I am too.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, ogenec,Betsy,GeoT and anyone else I may have overlooked. Especially those from a while ago – Gilda, wmcb,ginaswo,FNelson,grey, gosh so many others that I can’t recall at this time of night.
Happy Thanksgiving Taylor, djjl, whitepaw,lynette, pmichael, ja, ll, ogenec, geot, betsy (what the hell happened to the Broncos), joyce arnold, imhotep, texan4hillary and everyone else I may have not remembered.
IMHOTEP – you know I share your feelings about Afghanistan. I don’t share your feeling about the burned turkey
For one day relax and enjoy the good things in your life and the people who mean the most. That is what I intend to do tomorrow. Then I will be back at it.
And please be thankful that you live in a country where you can say what you want, vote as you want, be involved as you want or just flat out be a lazy ass on the couch with a beer. It’s the beauty of America, flaws, warts, and all.
Thank you Taylor Marsh for your site, your guts and determination and wishing you all the best in your endeavors for the rest of this year and the year to come.
All the best to the regulars, and not so regulars, at this site. Have a terrific Thanksgiving and remember to tell those in your lives how much they mean to you. There are no better moments in life than those.
happy thanksgiving all. try and relax. next week will define obama;s presidency and his relationship witht he base and his dem caucus on the hill. pelosi, kerry and levin oppose any escalation in afghan war. yikes.
President vs. party on troop increase
Caucus wouldn’t back a costly expansion of Afghan war
By Michael D. Shear and Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 26, 2009
President Obama will reveal his new Afghanistan war strategy in a speech Tuesday evening to cadets at West Point, but his most skeptical audience is likely to be the powerful Democrats on Capitol Hill who oppose a troop buildup.
Top Democrats have made it clear to Obama that he will not receive a friendly reception should he announce what is considered the leading option: sending 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The legislators have indicated that a request for more money to finance a beefed-up war effort will be met with frustration and, perhaps, a demand to raise taxes.
Even so, Obama appears ready to come close to accepting the recommendation of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, to add 40,000 more troops to the war effort. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday that several NATO countries will send an additional 5,000 troops to Afghanistan. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday that Obama had not yet informed members of his war council of his decision.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) described what she called “serious unrest” in her caucus over the prospect of another vote to finance billions of dollars for an expanded war. It is, she said, the most difficult vote she can ask of the members of her party. “We need to know what the mission is, how this is further protecting the American people and is this the best way to do that, especially at a time when there’s such serious economic issues here at home,” she told bloggers on a Tuesday conference call.
Pelosi met with Obama at the White House on Tuesday and later sat next to him at the state dinner he held that evening. Both sides declined to comment Wednesday about the substance of the roughly hour-long discussion.
In June, Pelosi strong-armed anti-war Democrats into voting for a $100 billion measure to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. During an interview in July, she recounted her appeal to the lawmakers: “Will you change your mind and one more time vote for war funding?” She also promised not to ask again. “This is the very last time,” she told them.
Now, barely five months later, Pelosi and Obama will soon have to go back to the war well, even as they seek difficult votes from the same Democrats on health-care reform, climate change legislation and regulation of the financial industry.
Those domestic policy efforts are far from settled, but Pelosi has described them only as “heavy lifts” that were “nothing” compared with the war votes of the past three years. “You have to go to somebody who is totally, completely, entirely opposed to war funding, and you need to have them vote on it. And you don’t even want to vote on it yourself,” she said in the July interview.
Obama plans to brief lawmakers at the White House just hours before he leaves for West Point to deliver his speech. The House Foreign Affairs Committee scheduled a hearing on the president’s Afghanistan strategy for Dec. 2, the day after the speech. Among those asked to testify: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
McChrystal and the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl W. Eikenberry, also are expected to testify next week.
Senior aides said the president’s first task will be to seek the understanding of an uneasy nation for his new approach to a war that began eight years ago. Among the reassurances he will offer, they said, is a promise that an end is in sight.
“We are in year nine of our efforts in Afghanistan. We’re not going to be there another eight or nine years,” Gibbs said.
But members of the party’s most liberal wing, such as Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), have expressed serious doubts about the overall direction of the president’s strategy.
“Devoting billions more dollars and tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan is not likely to significantly improve conditions in that country, and it will not help — and could even hurt — our efforts to dismantle al-Qaeda’s global network with safe havens in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, North Africa and elsewhere,” Feingold said.
Even the Democratic Party’s more hawkish lawmakers, such as Sen. Carl M. Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, have said they have deep reservations about the wisdom of a troop buildup.
Kerry has said he is “very wary of it because of past experience and because of some of the challenges that I see.” Levin has insisted that more be done to train Afghan troops before sending more Americans.
“Before we commit to additional combat forces, which has a distinct negative, not only for our overstretched troops but also the footprint argument, I believe we must do these other things that are the best way to succeed,” Levin said in September.
Senior Democratic aides said no decision will be made on how or when to fund the expected troop request until Obama spells out his plan. One option would be a supplemental spending bill that could be considered early next year. Another would be to add the funding to one of the appropriation bills lawmakers are trying to pass by the end of the year to fund most of the federal government for fiscal 2010.
Such a vote would require much Republican support for passage, because dozens of the most liberal Democrats might oppose the measure. Obama has so far shown little ability to court GOP votes on major legislation, although Republicans have supported almost every war-funding bill since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Because Obama has not formally announced his Afghanistan plan, Republican lawmakers have remained muted in their support for it. The GOP approach has largely been to demand that Obama accept his generals’ requests.
Several key GOP lawmakers are using the Thanksgiving holiday to visit Kabul, where they are expected to talk to McChrystal in meetings that could serve as bellwethers of Republican thinking on the plan.
Research editor Alice Crites contributed to this report
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/25/AR2009112500284_pf.html
ack- admin better remove this whole article. oops i meant to put in one paragraph.
djjl,
My big toe was crushed back when I was employed by the Government and wearing fashionable OD everything. Lost the nail for a LOOOOOONG time.
When it slowley(much to my surprise and then consternation)grew back in a somewhat more creative shape then the one it replaced I sortta knew it was going to be a problem.
Well 37(WOW! has it been THAT long? Seems like yesterday!)years later and I finaly got tired of the constant pain and infections and such.
Had some meat removed and the entire nail along with chemically burning the nail bed to prevent that sucker from growing back in an even MORE imaginative way.
Pleasantly surprised it hasn’t NEARLY lived up to(down to?) the Drs. predictions about discomfort. Haven’t even taken a happy pill yet today and think I’ll try to do without.
I WILL BE IN THE KITCHEN along with my sweety.
Getting ready to start the stuffing, made the cornbread a couple of days ago so it’s nice and rock hard…I LOVES me some stale cornbread and EarlGrey tea for Breakfast!!!
kris says:
25 November 2009 at 11:52 pm
Thank you Kris. You have a Happy Turkey Day, too. And that goes for everyone else here – Sec, pmichael, djjl, whitepaw, lake lady, jane austen,t4h,imhotep, angels81, Taylor. (and anyone who I may have neglected to mention) Enjoy your day.
Israel, under Netanyahu, had the opportunity to honor the agreement that it signed in 2002 under the “road map” for a “total freeze in settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.” That (signed) agreement specifically ruled out even limited construction for “natural growth.” But, as usual, any agreement or treaty that Israel signs onto isn’t worth the paper that its written on. Instead of carrying out its obligation under the “road map” to freeze all settlement activity, Netanyahu imposed a 10-month moratorium of “new home” construction. The moratorium allows Israel to finish construction of the nearly 3000 homes already authorized, schools, synagogues, other public buildings and anything Israel wants to construct in East Jerusalem. Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and special Middle East envoy George Mitchell called Netanyahu’s decision a “step forward” in efforts to end decades of conflict. (What rubbish.) The Palestinian’s called the moratorium, and US reaction to it, “just more of the same” smoke and mirrors on Israel’s part and doublespeak by the United States. Israel’s word is not its bond, proving once again that it can not be trusted. And, as usual, the USA (Obama) has caved into the Israeli lobby even when that means abrogating existing agreements. ——–Happy Thanksgiving to all of my new friends here at TM.com and all the rest of you as well. Peace
Happy Thanksgiving Day to All (and we can’t forget Jane Auston)
In addition to the blessings we all will be grateful for today within our own individual famlies, I think I can speak for the online family of Taylor March regulars when I say…Taylor thanks for taking us all on your awesome adventure! We are all going to be enriched by your proximity to the action and thanks to your great husband for being such a feminist.
It is so important in this age of misinformation to have a voice we don’t always agree with but know we can trust.
Just one more thought before I start cooking…..
I have c-span on as I’m working around the house this morning (I know…I know) and I caught Bill Clinton giving the Libery Metal Award to Steven Speilberg.
The entertainment for the ceremony was Richie Havens, the great Woodstock icon, he sang Freedom. What a great song! It instantly took me back for a few moments to the young women I was, hearing him sing that song in the late 60’s. It got me thinking about what that word…freedom …. meant to me then and what it means to me now.
Maybe we can all discuss it later tonight when we are in a cozy food,drink and family induced haze.
Later~
Lake Lady says:
26 November 2009 at 11:51 am
LL, I was watching it, too, this a.m. I remember going to see the movie “Woodstock” when it came out – with my mother and 3 friends. It was rated “r” at the time for some nudity or whatever, and I was only 13 or 14 – so an adult had to accompany us and guess whose mother was chosen – mine! Was I ever embarrassed. But I remember Richie Havens singing in the movie, among other stars. It takes me way back, too – ah youth. Anyway, I was thinking the same thoughts you were. Funny, huh? Have a good one. God Bless.
Happy Thanksgiving Day to everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gotta get back to cooking.
Happy Turkey Day to everyone. Enjoy and be safe.
To all the women and men serving in the armed services…..THANK YOU.
Richie Havens and Freedom…wow, what a flood of memories. He did that as an improv when the next act was late getting to the stage.
There would seem alot of parralels between that time and now. A seemingly forever war, HUGH amounts of hope in the air…and ugly political reality just on the horizon.
I dug out my old Woodstock Casset tapes and listened to them. I also liked– I had a dream last night, what a lovely dream it was…I dreamed that everything was alright, happy in the land because…all of the players were playing together, all of the heaveies were light as a feather. All of the people were loving each other….
Nice dream, fat chance.
Can’t help but notice no one has commented on the PETA ad. For me, it was low class to put it out there on Thanksgiving Day. However – had they done this two weeks ago I couldn’t disagree with the message. TOMORROW, check this out ___
http://humanefood.ca/pdf%20links/Turkeyfact%20sheet.pdf
What PETA add? High class, low class what’s the dif? If your aim is to make as annoying a statement as possible they have apparently. The plain fact is people are so removed from the reality of where the food they eat comes from, what the animals go through…I think they are whistling in the wind. But it’s still a free country…sort of.
The ad that got pulled, sec. A) They used a little girl praying (low class) – and B) like I said – if they really wanted to make a diff, they should have done it long before today.
This was the little girl’s prayer, sec __
“Dear God. Thank you for the turkey we’re about to eat. And for the turkey farms where they pack them into dark, tiny little sheds for their whole lives. Thank you for when they burn their feathers off when they’re still alive and for when turkey gets kicked around like a football and killed by people who think it’s fun to stomp on their little turkey heads. And special thanks for all the chemicals and dirt and poop that’s in the turkey we’re about to eat. Oh, and thank you for rainbows.”
I LOVE IT!!! Did they intersperce underground footage of those things actually happening to Turkeys while she was praying!? The rainbow bit was inspired!!!
You can see it here, sec – if ya want ___
http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-peta-ad-controversy,0,1246534.story
Oops. I take that back. I guess PETA madem take it down. *L
Here ya go __
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjKRxa7ZyMs
Will this work, Taylor?
Guess not. I tried the ‘embed’ coding and it just dropped off.
If the above doesn’t work I’ll know once and for all, Taylor is the only one who can ‘embed’ a video in this area (I swiped the source from another thread
.
Just saw the add. Pretty tame really. I think the world should give a sigh of relief that I never persued a carreer in advertising or political consulting.
The day of gorging is done. The stripped carcass is in a stock pot giving up it’s last bit of essense and FLAva. Back to work in the glass studio. Have to get some new pics of the new work. Dark, but funny…sometimes. Unless you take your sacred cows to seriously. Then it’s jest soooo Ofensive! Like me…Walter indeed!
Stopped in a day late to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I and the little redhead have been on the road the last couple weeks visiting old friends and for me taking care of some club stuff. Nice to be back home, and have missed being here. Have fun everybody, and thanks Taylor for making this possible.
Hey all. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.
Time for a new thread. What will it be and who will put it up????