2008 Election Results

Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early

Wheat Berry Salad

I made this last night, I had looked at some recipies, but ultimately made it up as I went along which is my standard method of cooking. This is good hot as a side dish, but more excellent cold the next day as lunch. In fact, it was so good that one of my lovely co-workers decided to sample some of it out of the break room fridge. I hope to god the rude bastard used a clean spoon.

1 cup wheat berries (found dried in bulk at the co-op, they come in two varieties red/hard or blonde/soft, I used the soft)

1/2 cup wild rice

3 1/2 cups water

Salt

Place these ingredients in your rice cooker and let it go or cook on the stove with at tight-fitting lid until the water is absorbed (about 45 minutes).

1 small onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup broccoli, chopped

1/2 cup flat leaf parsely, minced

1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

5 tablespoons raspberry vinagrette (I used an organic store bought version that has Omega-3s)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together with the grains. Eat. Excellent on a bed of arugula. Insanely good for you. Add or subtract whatever you like. Experiment and let me know what you come up with for variation :)

Copper Moon

From Nathan:

Take a look at the skies tonight (Wednesday) between 9pm and 10pm Central. That's 10PM Eastern and 7PM Pacific. You'll see a full lunar eclipse if your skies are clear. The cool thing about lunar eclipses is that everyone on the nighttime side of earth can see it. You just need a little luck with your cloud cover.

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/15357796.html

If you see it, send me a note with the color moon you see.

Have fun,
Nathan

To the woman who was seated in 26B on NW Flight 188, Wednesday 2/13/2008

My earplugs are rated to 33 decibels and still your shill and irritating voice filtered through. I was having a perfectly pleasant flight until the clowns inside your head decided to open up the door and spill out nonstop on to the unsuspecting, and way-too-nice, man in 26C. His uncomfortable shifting and dear-in-the-headlights look was too subtle for you to pick up on. The woman next to you in 26A hugged the window for dear life and pretended to be asleep so that you wouldn't try and engage her with your blathering. You talked incessantly and loudly about topics relavant only to yourself for the entire flight. A man in 28F asked the flight attendant to shut you up, but she didn't. Maybe she was afraid you'd kill her by boring her to death. Your grating laugh will haunt me for days to come.

Perhaps you are hard of hearing and did not realize that you were aggrevating people six rows in either direction from you. Maybe you have no self-awareness at all. Or, maybe, you are an evil turd of a human being sent by the devil and and NW airlines to make being packed into economy class that one step further towards the gates of hell. Your hair is red (and poorly styled) after-all. Maybe that wasn't bed-head, but horns being hidden in limp, un-washed, locks of red.

Oh, blasted woman of 26B, I wanted to kill you. Really. I wanted to stand up and bash you in the noodle with any available piece of luggage. I would have thought of stabbing you with a sharp implement, but thanks to TSA I only had a plastic spoon. It makes me think you are in cahoots with not only the devil and NWA, but with the TSA, as well. In fact, I think it is your fault that I still have to take my shoes off and wait cold-toed in security. It is you who bans my precious six ounces of Oil of Olay from travelling with me. It is you that makes me down my coffee before they take it away.

Damn you, woman in 26B, damn you.

On my wish list:
http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=qc3_headphones_index

KVSC Trivia 08 or What the Hell I Did All Weekend

My 13th year of Trivia came and went in it's usual blurry fashion. As a vetran volunteer and Hall of Famer (I was inducted last year), I play many roles throughout the weekend including on-air dj, volunteer supervisor, production monkey, awards writer, obsessive compulsive cleaning crew and band mom to the Shake a Hamster Band. SAHB is the Trivia in-house band that features Nathan, Muggsy and Jeff along with several of our other good friends a rotating cast of crazies. If you are curious about this whole thing, here is a news story on the weekend. You'll see me managing the phone bank.
http://wcco.com/video/?id=38201@wcco.dayport.com

Muggsy made a page on his website with all of the songs that the band recorded this weekend. To have listen, go here:
http://www.muggsylauer.com/sahb/sahb.html

Nathan and I also became trivia this year, when a question about our wedding appeared as a 60 point question in Hour 31!

FUN!

Endorsement Podcast

Still not sure who to support at the caucus tonight? Have a listen to this, to see how one of Minnesota's most vocal democrats feels about the canidates.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/CPJL

Then, tune into the MN Democratic senate debate at noon today on (the station that I work for) to decide who will be the best bet to face Coleman in the race. It will be archieved on the station website for you to listen to later if you miss it.

Caucus! Do it!
Cari

Super Tuesday

This year is going to be a big year of change for our nation. The disaster that has been the Bush administation is finally on its way out and as I heard Senator Obama say last week, I don't think history will judge Bush kindly. For the first time, I plan to attend a caucus tomorrow night. I have long been interested in politics and even have a minor in it from SCSU, yet I've somehow never participated in this part of the election cycle. I am very curious to find out how the caucus part of the process works. The state of MN has a great website for finding out how to go about participating in a caucus. Just click here and put in your zip code to find out where caucuses are held in your district. http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us/ Usually the Dems will meet in one place, the Republicans in another, etc. The Greens don't get together until March. You can only caucus for one party so you had better at least make your mind up about which party you want to support, even if you have yet to decide on a canidate. I plan to caucus for the DFL and I am leaning toward supporting Al Franken or Mike Ciresi for Senate and I'm still trying to decide if I'd rather support Hillary or Obama. I hope to have time to research them further today.

In my quest to learn more about the political system in which we live, I am also planning on being an election judge this year in my county. If you go to a caucus, you can sign up there to be an election judge. It pays by the hour for the primary in September and for the general election in November and you get to be an intergral part of what is likely to be a very historic election.

Overall, my point is this: You cannot complain about the government if you don't participate in it. I don't care what your leanings are or who you decide to support. I just hope you get yourself out there, learn about the process if you don't know already and participate. At the very least you have to vote, but I want to encourage you to do more than that this year. Figure out who you like and find ways to support them. Put a yard sign up, go to a caucus, learn about the issues and how they effect you and engage your friends in educated converstations.

For more resources, you can go to my employer's website where there are excellent resources for you to use that will help you find the canidate the most closely matches your values. You can also take a very close look at our legislature.

Now, go and be a good little citizen, you hear?