Whoopie Pie/Updated with history

Buy one here

Ana, from Gail's comments :

Whoopie Pie. Two very large chocolate cake muffin top thingies. About the size of large pancakes. The flat part of these are slathered with chocolate ganache. Sandwiched between these two discs of hell is a thick layer of heavily sugared whipped cream.

Ohmygod.

Ana ate so much of one of the above pictured treats, that she feels sick today. I'd never heard of 'em, but -bless the intertubes- now I have.

History from What's Cooking America:

Whoopie pies are considered a New England phenomenon and a Pennsylvania Amish tradition. They're one of Maine's best known and most loved comfort foods. Mainers will even claim that they were weaned on whoopie pies. In Maine, these treats are more like a cake than a pie or a cookie, as they are very generously sized (about hamburger size). they're so hug that you'll want to share one with a friend. A big glass of milk is almost mandatory when eating a whoopie pie.

A whoopie pie is like a sandwich, but made with two soft cookies with a fluffy white filling. Traditional whoopies pies are made with vegetable shortening, not butter. The original and most commonly made whoopie pie is chocolate. but cooks like to experiment, and today pumpkin whoopie pies are a favorite seasonal variation.

the recipe for whoopie pies has its origins with the Amish, and in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, it is not uncommon to find roadside farm stands offering these desserts. Amish cooking is about old recipes that have fed families for generations, with no trendy or cross-cultural fusions or mixtures. These cake-like whoopie pies were considered a special treat because they were originally made from leftover batter. According to Amish legend, when children would find these treats in their lunch bags, they would shout "Whoopie!"

Recipe is at the link as well.

Jihadists on YouTube

Rachel has a good post today. I spend a few minutes flagging videos. YouTube claims it removes offensive videos, but I guess they have less than straightforward view of what is "offensive."

I told you how it took them about an hour to delete my video of a squirrel getting MISSED by a rock and jumping into it, and running away unharmed, based on one flag by a viewer. I've personally spent a few hours flagging some of the Jihad videos over and over again, and the Smackdown participants have done the same, and yet many of the videos are still on there, unmolested, and without even an under-18 warning. This is BULLSHIT

So, a squirrel getting missed by a rock is offensive, but IEDs blowing up American soldiers isn't?

Michael Moore is an ass

If you've ever watched a Michael Moore movie, or ever argued for his point of view, you gotta watch this:



h/t: Hot Air.

Monday Report

Harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix, Ratatouille (yes, I saw TWO movies this weekend), party Sunday night across town, and a broken Mighty Mouse.

My scroll bar isn't working, and it's really pissing me off.

Act your age, hair edition

I can't really get a picture of it, since my 'puter is in the basement and the lighting is a tad too dark, but my old (fake) hair color is almost completely grown out. My hairdresser wants me to color it blond or something, but I think the silver streaks are kinda cool.

Guess a picture would really help with this?

Opinions?

Now, I've never claimed to be "current" - at least not for the last 18 years. Defiantly behind the curve, that's where I live. I see movies at least a year after everyone else; speaking of which, HEY, great new movie I just saw - "Little Miss Sunshine"", I highly recommend it. So, that is why I'm only now taking a look at this :



What I'd like is for someone to loan me Interpol's first album, so I can live with it for a bit and see if I like it.

River Rat WINS

His yard looks worse than mine.

Nuance

Sadly, No sadly sees no difference between an attack on Hillary Clinton's clothing choices, and one on John Edwards' $400 haircuts. Exactly the same, and apparently both equally irrelevant. Well, one is irrelevant. I have many reasons to not like Hillary, but her clothing choice isn't one of 'em.

But, honest to God, the following is reason enough for me why I'd never vote for John Edwards:



No man should ever care that much about his hair.

Now what?

Last night, sometime after midnight.

I guess it's back to Bleak House for me.

Racism, alive and well

I grew up in Detroit. So, I know how this goes.

For about a year, we've actually had kids on our block for my youngest three to play with. Two girls moved in a few doors down last summer, and then over the winter a couplamore kids arrived across the street.

They all hang out, and everything is peachy keen. Except, when it comes to going that extra step. Beyond hanging out on my front lawn, or my kids sharing their ice cream treats with them. The other girls just left to go skating, and my kids weren't invited. You should see their sad faces as the girls just left.

Of course, everyone else is black.

If you think that the color of our skin didn't have about 85% responsibility as to why my girls weren't invited- and that black racism isn't alive and well 40 years (to the day) after the Detroit race riots- then you're probably a liberal.

Thanks for That

This is what I get for reading Steve's blog:

— Doctors thought the strange, bleeding bumps on Aaron Dallas' head might be from gnat bites or shingles. Then the bumps started moving.

A doctor found five active bot fly larvae living beneath the skin atop Dallas' head.

"I'd put my hand back there and feel them moving. I thought it was blood coursing through my head," Dallas told the (Glenwood Springs) Post Independent.

"I could hear them. I actually thought I was going crazy."

Everyone all together now ... EWWWWW!

Thanks for that, Steve. Almost missed it.

Remember this tune?

Heard it yesterday while the kids were playing guitar hero.



I got nothing else this morning. Time to go read Harry Potter.

Worst. Movie. Eva.

Sphere with Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samule L. Jackson.

In my defense, I didn't rent it, or anything crazy like that. It was on the "Chiller" channel. But I did, and this is what really hurts, waste about two hours that could have been better spent reading the book that shall not be named;I'm on page 150.

Afterwards (and this will only be appreciated by those who have seen the flick) my husband, children, and I held hands and willed ourselves to forget the whole thing.

Which, obviously, must not have worked.

Shshshh

I'm reading.

My husband dragged me to the Selfridege Air Show nice and early, so I missed a good five hours of what could have been prime reading. Oh well.

In spite of it being an unplanned interruption, the airshow was really cool. But I think I embarrassed my family when I started singing "America, F#@% Yea" when the F-18 was in the air.

Current page-75

Peace Offering

Slayer is in no way a hair band. Yes they have "hair" (lots of it) and they tend to swing it around an awful lot, but they are no means a "hair band."



As penance for making this unforgivable error, I will force myself to watch Poison videos until I feel Michele has forgiven me.



I think I just threw up a little bit in my mouth. Have mercy, Michele.

And, in my defense, I think I was confusing "Slayer" with this band:



But, perhaps I'm just digging myself deeper into a hole?

Let's see

Who plans to wait in line tonight for a book? Who is pretending to get it for their kid, when it's really for you? Who is having it delivered tomorrow?

Who will have it read by Sunday?

I didn't order it, since I know I can probably pick it up early tomorrow morning. Borders. Costco. One of those joints.

Who is going to let their kid(s) read it first?

I'm lucky that way, because for some bizarre reason, none of my children have really read it. I think they were too young when it first came out; tried to read it before they were ready and got turned off; and now are just overwhelmed by all the hoopla that surrounds it. Really, it's a shame, but it does mean that I will have uninterrupted access to the book as soon as I get it.

New Music Friday

Michele answered my request for new music in a big way. She was the one who introduced QOTSA into my life, much to my children's consternation. What can I say? They have no taste.

In general, Michele's musical palate is a bit harder than mine; more punk and hair bands extreme metal. For me (ME!) punk was more about rebellion than the music. It was about dark, obnoxious clubs, where you didn't have to be able to dance, to dance. I seem to recall striding around in a circle while people slam-danced in the middle. And hair bands were was never my thing. speed metal isn't necessarily my first choice. [There, I fixed it.]

So, first up is Fu Manchu. It's not the music, it's the singer. I can't listen to him. BLATANT OVER-GENERALIZATION COMING. This is my problem with punk; they let just anyone sing. I can enjoy a song or two, but that's my limit. Unless I'm drunk and dancing (a combination that hasn't occurred in at least fifteen years), it's not my thing.

Next, Clutch. First reaction was tepid, but that's how I felt about QOTSA the first time. This song has a nice groove:



Turbonego- again, nice loud vibe. Then the singing. Perhaps I have limited vision, but I like a good singer. No, that's not it - I need a good singer. It's a deal-killer if I don't like the voice. Josh Homme is a really good singer.

Supersuckers and Hellacopters- traditional Rock and Roll. Not bad. No bad-singer infraction. Prolly great to hear live. I listen to a few Supersuckers songs, and it was kinda growing on me. Who knows where it may go.

New Bomb Turks and Rocket from the Crypt- punk rock singers. Feh.

So, I think of all the recommendations, Clutch might appeal to me the most.

Thanks Michele!

Ok, this isn't funny

I just found ANOTHER baby bunny in my house.

I'm in the basement, when lazyfat cat starts sneaking/stalking. GREAT, a rodent is in my house. Go get'em kitty.

Then I see the rodent, and I'm thankful that lazyfat cat isn't such a good hunter.

The baby has been caught, and as soon as all the neighborhood kids finish oogling him, he will be released.

Talking to myself

I want/need a new album. Cd. Whatever you call them now-a-days.

What should I get?

So Misunderstood

It's like, after all this time, iTunes doesn't even know me.

Tuesday, I got an email suggesting that I'd be interested in getting the new Susanne Vega release.

You know, I BOUGHT ONE Vega song; Small Blue Thing when I was feeling a bit nostalgic one night. Is iTunes going to hold that over my head forever? Isn't a gal allowed one small indiscretion without being reminded of it all the time?

I don't even one to go into what iTunes recommends for me in it's little "Just for You" section. Christina Aquilera? Not even on my worst day. Sam Roberts? Never heard of him. And I have no idea why iTunes thinks I would be interested in "Rihanna featuring Jay-Z."

Candy for me: QOTSA

Well, since no one is around anyway, I may as well start posting QOTSA vids.

This is one of my favorite songs they do:
(warning- they use the F-word around 3 minuets-in)

Bird in the basement: Day Three

The bird is STILL in my basement. My kids have taken to feeding it. They have only half-heartedly attempted to catch it, because (you see) the bird has a broken wing and certainly won't survive outside. But, here in our house (with two cats) we'll just keep feeding it, and it will be fine.

I think this course of action needs a bit more thought.

Anyway, the bird is looking at me right now from across the room. Occasionally, it hops across the floor with it's one wing crazily askew and I feel like I'm in some bizarre art-school film.

I'm thinking, though, of building some sort of ramp to the casement window. It can hop up about a foot.

Well, that's my plan, anyway. It's no wackier than the just-keep-feeding-it plan.

I think I'm scared of people

Rachel Lucus takes to task people she calls "COA's: Clusterfuck-Causing Oblivious Assholes." These are people who block-up the isles in stores. Yes, those people can be annoying. But then she focuses her aim at those who are inconsiderate enough to pay with a check instead of a debit card.
Seriously. What the hell? First of all, it's called a DEBIT CARD. Look into it.

Second, for the love of all that is made of atoms in the universe, if you must pretend this is 1985, AT LEAST FILL OUT YOUR FREAKING CHECK WHILE THE CASHIER DOES HER THING, INSTEAD OF STANDING THERE WITH YOUR THUMB IN YOUR BUTT.

See, now I'm beginning to think that these complainers are crazy. Like they are wound a bit too tight.

And then a commenter adds this:

Oh wait... no.. the scooter people. Oh man.. they drive me nuts. And they always shadow you, so you can't ever get what you want easily.

Obviously, shopping has turned into a timed race, and anyone or anything that gets in YOUR way, while YOU shop is an infringement upon your Constitutional Rights. See, all these other people are simply IN YOUR WAY. Who told them they could shop, or write a check, while YOU are shopping?

I was shopping, and encountered a gaggle of isle blockers. You know what? When I asked them (nicely) if I could get by, they very apologetically moved. I know you are amazed. How could that possibly work? But, it did. I swear.

The lines were very slow, and it was a bit tiresome, but the cause was not those confounded check-writers (BLAST THEM) but simply that people were buying a fricken TON of stuff. Yet, I think I had one of Rachel Lucus's readers behind me. My father was one of those scooter people (why can't he just hop along on his one leg? Or, better yet stay home?), and the cashier directed him to the end of the checkout, making it impossible for him to enter his PIN. PTL, he was at least paying by debit, and he didn't get branded as both a SCOOTER PERSON and a 1985-LIVING CHECK WRITER. I turned and entered his PIN for him (Costco puts the customer lines next to each other, so I didn't have to go anywhere to do this, just turn around) while the person ahead of me was still loading his cart to go. My items were loaded, and ready, but I was turned when the cashier needed my Costco card.

"Where is she," the Cashier asked.

"She LEFT," the obviously irritated guy behind me said.

Ok, so perhaps I'm over-reacting, but this pissed me RIGHT off. Look, it's not my fault this line is slow. The guy two people ahead of me bought enough stuff to fill a box truck. I'm sure the FIVE SECOND DELAY in my handing over my card, WHILE THE PERSON AHEAD OF ME still had his stuff on the checkout isn't gonna cost you too much of your all important PRECIOUS TIME.

Cripes. Life isn't ALL ABOUT YOU.

Honestly, I think people who can't stand normal human interaction without becoming an asshole should just stay home.

I hear Meijers is open all night. I'm sure the midnight shopping time-slot might suit you better. Or the internets. You can get a lot of stuff by the internets. And (bonus!), they usually don't take checks.

Thought Experiment

Do you think that if a cat caught a baby bunny and brought it into the house at- oh say- 10:30 at night, the sound of this hypothetical baby bunny might be, like, REALLY FRICKIN loud? Because, I'm saying yes.

Hypothetically, of course.

Yea, I know you don't care ... but

I hear that at Sarah Gore's wedding, they served Chilean sea base. Here's something ManBearPig may want to view (via Tim Blair. Kinda ironic given that the bride and groom met at a function for An Inconvenient Truth. It's awfully inconvenient when you live to excess, yet you lecture the plebes.

I wonder how many had to fly to the wedding?

NEWSFLASH

There is a bird stuck in my basement. I've been trying to ignore it until the boys wake up (who are my catchers of all things wild, dead or undead, which my cats have brought in) - so I think the bird has decided I'm harmless. When Greta came downstairs, the bird RAN over to my desk. As if I were going to offer it protection. Now, the bird is trying to hop up on my desk.

I'd better go wake up those boys.

Travel Log/ updated with LOON call

Well, I'm back. Where did I go? So glad you asked, we went to Clear Lake State Park. I brought back a few pictures.
This first picture isn't of the park, it's actually Ocqueoc Falls, which was about a half-an-hour away.

A really cool camper in the park with us.

A picture of the lake - Clear Lake that is. I was trying to get a picture of the loons, and took out our rowboat to get closer. As you can see, I couldn't get very close. You probably can't even make out the two little dots in the photo.

Matty, doing his imitation of a loon taking flight:

Our tired kitty, Iggie, upon our return. He was apparently really busy while we were gone, since there was a BIRD in our house. The thing must have pooped everywhere. There are huge piles of bird shit every where. Disgusting.


Update:

If I were cool, I would have taken this video. But I didn't.



This video is of the night call:

Since the NAACP is in town ...

I'd thought it would be the perfect time to leave, and spare myself from having to read Julian Bond quotes all week. Honestly, I'm afraid to even go pick the paper from the stoop.

So, I'm heading North. Beware, River Rat. Be back Sunday or Monday or so.

Riddle Me This/Now Update with TAX CODE!

Isn't the NAACP a non-profit? And, doesn't that mean you aren't supposed to delve into politics? I seem to remember people getting upset when (white) churches crossed the line between religion into politics (I say white churches, because up here in Detroit the black churches delve into politics all the time.)

Anyway, the NAACP is hosting a debate with the candidates here in Detroit later this week. With the Democratic candidates.

And, Julian Bond (spit)preaches political all the time.

Update:

NAACP is 501(C)(3), which tax codes states in relation to politics:

Organizations with this classification are prohibited from conducting political campaign activities to influence elections to public office. Public charities (but not private foundations) are permitted to conduct a limited amount of lobbying to influence legislation. Although the law states that "no substantial part" of a public charity's activities may be devoted to lobbying, charities with very large budgets may lawfully expend a million dollars (under the "expenditure" test) or more (under the "substantial part" test) per year on lobbying. [1]
All 501(c)(3) organizations are also permitted to educate individuals about issues, or fund research that supports their political position without overtly advocating for a position on a specific bill. Think tanks such as the Cato Institute, Center for American Progress, and Heritage Foundation and other 501(c)(3) organizations produce reports and recommendations on policy proposals that do not count as lobbying under the tax code.

So, what do they say to that flyer (and accompanying radio campaign) I received before the election which practically claimed Bush was personally responsible for the dragging death of a black man?

Not political, huh?

ManBearPig is an ass

""What, do you want to end up like those guys standing outside the door?"

What an elitist piece of shit. While I've threatened my children with a future in garbage disposal, who wants to be a garbage man? But, to characterize a secret service agent as some type of loser career?

I wonder what he'd think of police officers, or firemen, or teachers? Or soldiers.

Regardless, Al Jr is destined to have whatever job his father finds for him.

via Moral Authority who stole it from Allah.

Is it just me?

Or, does everyone seem to be more aware of Global Warming (TM) today than they did just two days ago?

Song Du Jour

Don't question, just listen.

Yes, but ..../Updated with Theme Song

Sure, Al Gore III was speeding (cough cough - I mean, he was going 100 mph - is that still simply speeding?) while in possession of marijuana, Xanax, Valium, and Vicodin but ...

"Al Gore's son is just like everyone else's," said Dr. Donald Misch, director of health services at Northewestern University in Evanston. "The only thing missing was the No.1 abused drug, which is alcohol."

HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING YOUR OWN SONS AND DAUGHTERS AREN'T DOING AS WELL! Matter of fact, your kids are worse, since they've probably been drinking alcohol to boot. That practically makes Al Gore III a model for our young people.

Personally, I was amazed that he could get a Prius to go that fast. I know the Masaerati, which his sister picked him up with, goes that fast. I wonder what kind of milage that gets?

Not so good.

Hypocrites. I wonder if Al Gore's daughter is going to drive it to the Green Concert this weekend?

QOTSA have a great theme song for Jr (not totally SFW):

Farmer ain't got jack

Farmer Jack is abandoning Detroit, and when it does, the city limits will be devoid of any national grocery store chains. Sure, there are smaller, independent grocers, but there are not exactly the kind of place you or I would go. Well, actually, I "have" gone, when desperate, but between the shaky security and limited options (and questionable freshness issues), I'd just rather drive elsewhere.

So, is it racism that has driven the national grocers (and the "big box" stores) from D-town? Umn, not really. More like the crime rate. It's a three-headed monster, actually. Theft by shoplifters, theft by employees, and the lack of security customers feel coming and going (and shopping) is the trifecta of failure.

But, you know, let's keeping talking about racism as the root of all social ills in society.

Because, I'm sure the black neighbor child from down the street called my daughter a "white bitch" because of the passed down oppression of slavery.

PSA

No, Internet, I'm not ignoring you. I'm painting.

Update: Now, I'm glazing a window.

PSA II: You're house will fall apart much faster than you can fix it.

Fess Up

If you plan on pre-ordering the Harry Potter book. Or, at least buying it when it's released. I checked out the Amazon page, and for seventeen bucks and some change (plus shipping, I assume), I can have it in my mailbox the day it's released.

It's not as if I even really like the books. They are OK. Certainly not the most engaging fiction, and not that well written (I say that as I reader, not a writer, so back off.) I suppose I just need to see how it all turns out.

But, it does make for an opportunity to discuss our favorite children's books.

My all-time favorite books as a child was Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising" series. Here's a blurb:

Joined by destiny, the lives of the Drew children, Will Stanton, and a boy named Bran weave together in an exquisite, sometimes terrifying tapestry of mystery and quests. In the five-title series of novels known as The Dark Is Rising Sequence, these children pit the power of good against the evil forces of Dark in a timeless and dangerous battle that includes crystal swords, golden grails, and a silver-eyed dog that can see the wind. Susan Cooper's highly acclaimed fantasy novels, steeped in Celtic and Welsh legends, have won numerous awards, including the Newbery Medal and the Newbery Honor.

Did Harry Potter get a Newbery? I don't think so.

Now,honestly I'm just to lazy to make up a whole list, so why doesn't everyone just add their favorite in the comments?

I stole this

From Mesablue, because I thought it went nicely with one of my posts from last week.

Parody?

Wickedpinto points to this article at Pandagon and wonders if it is satire:

Does anyone know of a good house/apartment rental resource that allows one to search for housing opportunities by elementary school?

When someone brings up the issue of Supreme Court decisions, and neighborhood schools, the author responds:

Call me crazy (or, as is perfectly possible, underinformed), but the recent court decision, as bad as it (quite obviously) was, doesn’t have anything to do with the drawing of school boundaries - in fact Justice Kennedy specifically said that school boundaries was an acceptable method of ensuring school diversity.

We’re not looking to transfer - the (limit on which is the) particular remedy invalidated by the Supreme Assholes - we’re looking to move into a new neighborhood, one which happens to be much more ethnically diverse than the one we live in now.

Just saying.

To which, someone asks:

huh. Most people who are willing to move to get their kid into a particular school do so as an exercise of privilege. which I assumed was your motive until I saw your comment about “more “diversity”". So now I’m puzzling over, does such a move for different reasons have the same implications? that is, if it’s messed up to do to get your kid into a “BETTER” school, which almosy always means more white, more economic privileges, is it ok to do for different reasons? And what will you do if the schools you find that are more “diverse” (a term which is meaningless without context) turns out to be problematic in other ways? Interesting.

See, now I think this is fun. For the most part, liberals are against "school choice." That is, for other people. They are perfectly happy moving to better school districts, or paying for private or religious schools. But, for those who can't afford such a choice, to abandon the public school system they've been assigned to is tantamount to sacrilege. Moving to a different school district is EXACTLY the same thing as those parents who advocate school choice, except without with moving boxes and a new address.

Regardless, I find it amusing that the author claims he/she is moving to a more "diverse" neighborhood. Diverse or not, I doubt they are moving to a problematic neighborhood, where schools of choice are an important issue.

Anyway, I doubt that it is parody.

Must Read

Michael Yon.

As we passed through the village, Captain Combs pointed out the nice houses, saying the people had been simple farmers with comfortable homes and lives.

Until al Qaeda came.
******
I told the Iraqi commander, Captain Baker, that it was important that Americans see this; he took me around the graves and showed more than I wanted to see. He said the people had been murdered by al Qaeda. I made video of him speaking, and of the horrible scene. The heat and stench were crushingly oppressive and broken only by the sounds of shovels as Iraqi soldiers kept digging.