1st Ski of the Season

We are getting a late start to the waterski season this year. Last night we had our first outing, enjoying every second of it. I am really rusty! The weather was warm though there was more clouds than sunbreaks. Regardless it was a long overdue escape from our daily grind. July we will be taking our adventure to the Sacremento Delta for a 3 day weekend that I am really looking forward to.

One thing I need to work on before then is my belly size, unfortunately neoprene vests don't adjust for winter fat. Ither I need to drop a few inches around the gut or buy a bigger vest. That is just plain sad and I am not afraid to admit it! 

Left-Over Chicken

A followup to my baked chicken recipe, here is a tip to save you some bacon.

So you baked that chicken & rice and now have a carcus to contend with. Take a fork and salvage any good meat you can, dice up bigger bits, and put the good stuff in a zip-lock for later.

Now stick the whole batch of bird bits in a pot, add some onion, carrots, and celery, then boil that bad boy, take it down to a simmer, and let it sit stewing for 1/2 a day, adding water as it boils down.

Before bed, strain the water into a pot, SAVING the water/broth, but throwing all the other stuff in the trash. All the flavor is now in the broth, and the bland vegi's and bones can go bye bye.

Throw the broth in the fridge, and the next day, peel of the grease cap that will float to the surface like a frozen lake of cholestorol and pitch it in the trash or save it for emergency energy bars.

Use the broth to make a quick soup, by throwing in a bag of frozen mixed vegis, that zip-lock bag of chicken scraps, and some seasoning. In chicken soup, I like some curry powder, some celery salt, and some garlic and pepper, but you can season to your taste. Make it a chicken noodle, by adding some egg noodles and boil till they noodles are done. The great thing about the leftover chicken soup, is you can freeze it for later, or just graze on it from the fridge for a couple days of lunches.

New Post Idea... Ben's Recipes

In my past life, I worked in food service. Working with various cooks and menus gave me the short order experience to whip up some half-baked versions of various dishes at home. Now that my brother is getting all domesticated, with a wife and twins on the way, it is time to share some tips on quick and cheap meal preparation when feeding the fam.

Most of my recipe's don't use any real measuring, just a dash of this and that. Always measure if using a packaged sauce or when cooking rice so you have the right liquid content, but seasonings, I wing it! Another tip, keep the salt away until the table.

Here is one of my favorite fixin's:

Baked Chicken over Rice

Shop around for a good deal on whole chickens. Our local market often has weekend thawed whole young chickens on sale monday for as little as .49/pound, but usually .99/pound getting you a little clucker for under $6 bones.

Step up now since you saved on the chicken, and buy some Jasmine Rice, well worth paying twice the price for some good rice in my opinion.

1st get a roasting pan, or large cassrole dish big enough for the bird, then using the ratio of water/rice and based on how many your feeding, put the rice & water in the bottom of the dish.

Wash and season the whole bird, throwing away the extra bits. I use a sprinkle of savory, some minced garlic, and some fresh ground pepper. You can use a mix of spice of your choice, just please don't use season salt!

Place the bird on the rice & water, cover and bake @ 325 until the bird is done
(160 or hotter in the middle of the breast, should take about 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours depending on the birds weight), remove the cover, and brown the top of the bird, by setting the oven to broil and WATCH it until it is golden brown... DON'T leave, this is how you burn it.

You know it is perfect if the leg just pulls right off with little effort, and the rice should be done and full of chicken flavor.

Serve with a vegi of your choice, corn is my favorite with chicken.

Mind of a Terrorist

The mind of a former terrorist.Download Now (Be Patient)

Watch the video linked above, this is a chilling and awakening interview with Walid Shoebat, a former PLO terrorist who frankly explains the true threat of the radical islamic movement. Listening to a radio interveiw during my lunch break, I was fascinated by his story of the indoctrination that has been force fed to the youth of both Palistine, and the more radical islamic states around the world.

Media Bias of the Day

Have you heard about media bias? Air America, the left wing talk radio station would like you to believe it is biased to the right, but most American's know better.

A screaming example I found this evening when I wanted to read the facts on the recently declassifed report that indicated over 500 chemical munitions had been discovered in Iraq since 2003. Did you get that? Yes those would be those pesky WMD's apparently the news only remembers when they provide free publicity to the "Bush lied, people died" crowd.

This might be the first you have heard of this report because I couldn't find it on any of the major news portal websites, not on the AP webiste, not Reuters, not ABC, CBS, MSNBC, and of course not on CNN. If I was fair (Don't claim to be) I would link to the sites for you, but I would prefer you visit Fox News, because they are the only news source with enough integrity to tell the whole story. See in todays world there are severl kinds of truths: (a) partial truth (b) convienient truth and (c) the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Unfortunatley you won't find (c) from the typical media sources, that would be self defeating.

Enjoy these screenshots as my token of the whole truth, click to enlarge and see for yourself how the alphabet news stations would rather report on troops being charged with crimes and poor Sadam's hunger strike, than the tons of chemical weapons we found. Thankfully he didn't have a chance to dump more of them on the Kirdish people before we blew his ass off the throne. (Another quick note, notice how CBS puts the blame for the recent Iraqi violence on the US for killing the Zarqawi, we should have just left him alone on his beheadding spree I guess)

Beach Bums

We spend Father's Day at the Oregon Coast and the weather was just right. The place was Otter Rock, just inside the cove near Devil's Punchbowl. This is a well kept secret where you can go to escape much of the coastal winds while still enjoying the surf. Many surfers were also out, and we had staked our claim to much of the little cove. The kids played in the surf, and I flew my trick kite until the string broke. Even Daisy the dog got into the fun, chasing seagulls and fetching the frisbee. 

Left Lies on Illegals

"If you tell a lie often enough from a position of power it becomes accepted truth." Joseph Goebbels, was Adolf Hitler's Propaganda Minister, and the liberally biased media today is mastering his techniques of influencing the population, although this time, not against the Jewish People, but all people of conservative judeo-christian values, nationalistic views, and patriotism.

No better example is the current immigration debate. The media and our political leaders will continuously spout the untruths about our situation in an effort to convince you otherwise from your true intuitions. The following letter, posted on several blogs illustrates this better than I can.

by David J. Stoddard
U.S. Border Patrol
(RET) Hereford, Arizona
A very interesting letter sent to Senator Frist from a retired border patrol agent.

Dear Senator Frist: There is a huge amount of propaganda and myths circulating about "Illegal Aliens", particularly "Illegal Mexican, Salvadorian, Guatemalan and Honduran Aliens".

1. "Illegal Aliens" generally do NOT want U.S. citizenship. Americans are very vain thinking that everybody in the world wants to be a U.S. citizen. Mexicans, and other nationalities want to remain citizens of their home countries while obtaining the benefits offered by the United States such as employment, medical care, in-state tuition, government subsidized housing and free education for their offspring. Their main attraction is employment and their loyalty usually remains at home. They want benefits earned and subsidized by middle class Americans. What "Illegal Aliens" want are benefits of American residence without paying the price.

2. There are no jobs that Americans won't do. "Illegal Aliens" are doing jobs that Americans can't take and still support their families. "Illegal Aliens" take low wage jobs, live dozens in a single residence home, share expenses and send money to their home country. There are no jobs that Americans won't do for a decent wage.

3. Every person who illegally entered this nation left a home. They are NOT homeless and they are NOT Americans. Some left jobs in their home countries. They come to send money to their real home as evidenced by the more than 20 billion dollars sent out of the country each year by "Illegal Aliens". These "Illegal aliens" knowingly and willfully entered this nation in violation of the law and therefore assumed the risk of detection and deportation. Those who brought their alien children assumed the responsibility and risk on behalf of their children.

4. "Illegal Aliens" are NOT critical to the economy. "Illegal Aliens" constitute less than 5% of the workforce. However, they reduce wages and benefits for lawful U.S. residents.

5. This is NOT an immigrant nation. There are 280 million native born Americans. While it is true that this nation was settled and founded by immigrants (Legal Immigrants who were proud to be Americans and did not want to destroy it), it is also true that there is not a nation on this planet that was not settled by immigrants at one time or another.

6. The United States is welcoming to "Legal Immigrants. "Illegal Aliens" are NOT immigrants by definition. The U.S. accepts more lawful immigrants every year than the rest of the world combined.

7. There is no such thing as the "Hispanic Vote". Hispanics are white, brown, black and every shade in between. Hispanics are Republicans, Democrats, Anarchists, Communists, Marxists and Independents. The so-called "Hispanic Vote" is a myth. Pandering to "Illegal Aliens" to get the Hispanic Vote is a dead end.

8. Mexico is NOT a friend of the United States. Since 1848 Mexicans have resented the United States. a) During World War I Mexico allowed German Spies to operate freely in Mexico to spy on the U.S. b) During World War II Mexico allowed the Axis powers to spy on the U.S. from Mexico. c) During the Cold War Mexico allowed spies hostile to the U.S. to operate freely. d) The attack on the Twin Towers in 2001 was cheered and applauded all across Mexico. e) Today Mexican school children are taught that the U.S. stole California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. If you don't believe it, check out some Mexican textbooks written for their schoolchildren.

9. Although some "Illegal Aliens" enter this country for a better life, there are 6 billion people on this planet. At least 1 billion of those live on less than one dollar a day. If wanting a better life is a valid excuse to break the law and sneak into America, then let's allow those one billion to come to America and we'll turn the USA into a Third World nation overnight. Besides, there are 280 million native born Americans who want a better life. I'll bet Bill Gates and Donald Trump want a better life. When will the USA lifeboat be full? Since when is wanting a better life a good reason to trash another nation?

10. There is a labor shortage in this country: This is a lie. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American housewives, senior citizens, students, unemployed and underemployed who would gladly take jobs at a decent wage.

11. It is racist to want secure borders: a) What is racist about wanting secure borders and a secure America? b) What is racist about not wanting people to sneak into America and steal benefits we have set aside for legal aliens, senior citizens, children and other legal residents? c) What is it about race that entitles people to violate our laws, steal identities, and take the American Dream without paying the price?

For about four decades American politicians have refused to secure our borders and look after the welfare of middle class Americans. These politicians have been of both parties. A huge debt to American society has resulted. This debt will be satisfied and the interest will be high. There have already been riots in the streets by "Illegal Aliens" and their supporters.

There will be more. You, as a politician, have a choice to offend the "Illegal Aliens" who have stolen into this country and demanded the rights afforded to U.S. citizens or to offend those of us who are stakeholders in this country. The interest will be steep either way. There will be civil unrest. There will be a reckoning. Do you have the courage to do what is right for America? Or, will you bow to the wants and needs of those who don't even have the right to remain here? There will be a reckoning. It will come in November of this year, again in2008 and yet again in 2010. We will not allow America to be stolen by third world agitators and thieves.

This Ol Trailer

On a more educational note, enjoy this 4 minute episode of This Ol'Trailer, and get some great tips on how you can renovate your domicile.




See more at ThisOlTrailer.com, or jump directly to the next episode right here.

Iraqi Freedom

I post in frustration with the CNN's and the MSNBC's who continue to destroy the morality of our armed forces who have taken the fight to our enemy. Let's not forget, we took our own freedom by force to found this nation, we then have protected it and many thousands of lives have been lost to bring this freedom to all. We had our own civil war and lives lost to deliver freedom to the slaves and preserve our own union. Threatend by tyrany again we rose up and defeted the enemy in both world wars. Now a new threat has risen, more fanatical than ever, an enemy willing to sacrifice all for a belief. Be afraid, be very afraid. Walk tall and cary a big stick.



Thanks Ray for posting this on Google Video, one of many found on Grouchy Media.

Arbor Day

No it's not Arbor Day, I missed it. Not that I have ever observed it before, it just came to mind when I took this photo of a tree. Trees are good, I like trees. One of the things I like the best about trees is all the cool stuff you can build with wood. There are not too many things around as usefull as wood, well except for plastic, but plastic doesn't make for good photography. 

Gadget Thingy

My photos on this site are typically taken with my Canon PowerShot SD300 digital camera. The SD300, like many digital gadgets today uses a memory card to store the photos, and the type for my camera is a SD chip. SD chips seem to be the most common and affordable, one of the reasons I chose this camera, yet a common issue with digital cameras is getting the photos onto the computer. You can use the cable, but since there are a 1/2 dozen types a friends cord won't work on your camera if you leave yours behind and wanted to share your shots. To solve this I have a couple of card readers, one pocket size that only reads my SD chip so I can just slip the chip in the reader and plug it into my computer, if I keep the reader with me that is. Now SanDisk has a neato solution, a chip with a built-on USB tab that will plug into a USB port without the need for cable or adaptor! Though not world changing, this little chip can save my wife time checking my pockets before she washes my jeans. (BTW, I have washed & dried my USB/SD chip reader 3 times and it still works!)