88 Lines about 44 Presidents!

Saw this article over at Crooks and Liars, and I was reminded of the song 88 Lines About 44 Woman, by the Nails (I will post audio if I can find it), and thought, how funny it would be to make a song to the same beat about the 44 Presidents. I even have the last line down...

Barack Obama, punch my fist, we chose you to end this list.

Feel free to add a lyric, just make sure your favorite president matches up to the right part of the song!

Oh, and almost forgot, special shout out to Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein....Thanks for the Thanksgiving postcard...what a pleasant surprise that was.

FOUND IT!!!

Wow, is it Friends Thanksgiving already???!!?? How the time does fly!

Yep, you all might remember last year, around this very same weekend, me and a group of friends meet up and have 'Friends Thanksgiving', it's like real Thanksgiving, only without the fighting siblings and shreiking mother.

I have the turkey in the oven (last year I barbecued the turkey, and it rocked, but it's pouring rain outside, so no 'cue for me), and have made so much stuffing I could pack 4 birds. All's left for me to handle is the gravy, as we do this thing pot luck style.

Fortunately for me, we are doing this on a Saturday this year, as last years Sunday debacle went on entirely too late, with whiskey being shot to the wee morning ours and a very bleary eyed, and mostly drunk DeviledHam staggering into work on Monday morning smelling like a turkey on a 3 week bender.

Wish me luck this year, and maybe I'll snap some photos of the festivities!!!

Happy Friends Thanksgiving to everyone!!!! And lay off the whiskey this year, or wife's gonna leave you!

Oh, how thoughtfull of me....

I baked you some bread! Pardon the crappy cell phone picture. I have recently started baking bread, it's a blast, and damn it makes the house smell good.

I can't believe it, we went from this.....



To this....



I'm as surprised as you kid, I thought they would try and steal this one too....but Obama's campaign, and his message were too good. I am over the moon with happiness right now....words don't encompass the emotions.

I'm moving on UP!!!!

Well, it happened. I worked hard all year, and really turned up the juice these last 3 months. I am now officially Lower Management. That's not upper management or even middle management. Lower.

Just kidding (about the self deprecating tone), I am thrilled that I got this promotion. My vacation time has just doubled from 2 weeks a year to 4, and I get an added $5000 to my yearly salary....quite the trick in this economy.

I have been promised more work (that' to be expected), but that's cool too....I'm the sort of guy who thrives on lots of work and more responsibility. So hurray for me my friends!!!!

Wow, now if Obama wins (and really, how could he not) on Tuesday, this could turn out to be quite the banner year for the Devilham family.

Woot.

I for one will NOT welcome our alien overlords

Cindy McCain Claims She’s ‘Just Like Any Other Female Human’

John McCain? What the fuck??!?!!

Tee hee!

Aww hell......

Well, I spoke too soon. First, some backround story.

Last monday I came in to work (as you'll remember, I've been super busy rolling out laptops for a host of new hires starting this next Tuesday) and was told that one of our partners had her laptop stolen. Crap, right in the middle of all this business, I have to drop everything and build out a new machine for this idiot who left it in her car overnight...hell I would of stole it if I saw it out there.

That's not the half of it though, turns out lately my firm has been (and rightfully so, IT has been on these guys about this for years)freaking out about security. State law has changed since some high profile identity theft cases have emerged in the New England area, and when a machine is stolen, full disclosure must be given to our clients, and their credit has to be insured at our expense. This is big money folks.

Long story short, in order to insure that all client data is to be removed from all portable devices, I have to image (wipe the hard drive, and then overwrite it with a new operating system and software) and then rebuild every, single, motherfucking laptop in the firm. That's 125 odd devices. Please just shoot me now.

Oh, did I mention I have to have it done by the 31st of October?

I start on Wednsday, and am expected (the people have already been scheduled, I have no choice in the matter) to build out 10 machines a day. I average one and half normally. This is gonna be awesome.

Ah well, I better get that promotion, for reals.

I been working hard, but it looks like it's about to pay off

As some of you have noticed (the two people left who check this blog out), I have been very busy with work, and posting has been light. I have been in the center of a big push to expand our company, and as the sole IT person, or at least IT grunt, there's management still, I have taken on a great deal of extra work and responsibility. It looks like this might work in my favor though, as first, today I finished the largest part of this project, and am ready to roll out all the new machines on tuesday...a huge burden off of my workload. Secondly, my supervisor has been very pleased with my work, and the way I've handled our department being shorthanded (not freaking out, just pressing on and making it happen, like I used to do when we got in the weeds when I was a cook....you can't panic, you just have to do it). There is talk of a promotion....I am not the 'climb the corporate ladder type' mind you, but this would entail two extra weeks of vacation a year, and a cut down on the amount of six day work weeks in the winter.....and that my friends, is worth the price of admission. It's been a tough couple of months, but I'm almost through it, and it looks like I'm gonna get rewarded.

Hell, even if I don't get the promotion, I can still expect a raise, and since I'll have been there for 5 years now, that means one extra week of vacation, and that counts for something!

This is PERFECT!!!!

Found this on Dependable Renegade's site.....too awesome not to put up here

Breaking up is hard to do.

Via John Cole from Balloon Juice.

God damn. Richard Cohen files for divorce, and he wants the kids, the house, the car, and the dog. He is pissed

Actually, he can keep the dog, I here it's a cross dressing pitbull....deeply weird animal.

I am fast developing a crush on this lady......and I am not talking about Ann Althouse

It just doesn't get any better than this....

You really couldn't make this stuff up. Idiocracy doesn't hold a candle to real life!

Foodie Meme!!!!!!

Saw this meme over at SamuraiFrog's joint, and it looked kind of interesting....and it's a post!

1. Venison: Oh, hell yeah, I loves me some Bambi
2. Nettle tea: No, not a big tea bagger (snicker)
3. Huevos rancheros: So. Freakin'. Good.
4. Steak tartare: Yes, if you love steak, you would love this.
5. Crocodile: No, but I have had alligator....it was overcooked sadly, so kind of tough.
6. Black pudding: Mmmmmmm. Love it with my Irish breakfast
7. Cheese fondue: Haven't had it in a long time, but what's better than melted cheese and bread?
8. Carp: Yeah, it's ok, not a favorite, but I ate it.
9. Borscht: A wondorful soup with an unfortunate name....the color is unbeleivable
10. Baba ghanoush: Yeah, but not a giant fan
11. Calamari: I love this stuff, I love to cook it, I love to eat it..my favorite is Rhode Island style, with jalapeno peppers and a spicy aoli to dip it in.
12. Pho: Ain't nothing finer than a giant bowl of Pho, so simple, so nice
13. PB&J sandwich: Was always just a straight up peanut butter man myself, I have always had a lack of a sweet tooth.
14. Aloo gobi: Never had this particular dish, unfortunately
15. Hot dog from a street cart: I love just about anything from a street cart.
16. Epoisses: I am at a loss, I have no idea what this is.
17. Black truffle: Oh yes, was a popular ingredient at the last real cooking job I had (the pub does not count, that was just pub grub)
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes: No. I'm more about beer, wine is for cooking
19. Steamed pork buns: My wife bought scads of these recently...the kind she bought are too sweet for my taste, but I did try them...I much prefer a pot sticker instead.
20. Pistachio ice cream: No, no sweet tooth
21. Heirloom tomatoes: Absolutely, one of the nicest things you can eat, really.
22. Fresh wild berries: Blueberries, but they were small and very tart where I grew up.
23. Foie gras: Sure, when I worked in haute cuisine I would have it, pretty nice stuff but it's about as healthy as eating a stick of butter (and maybe even worse than that)
24. Rice and beans: I make a mean Arroz con Frijoles, with home made saffrito and green olives (seriously, try it, you'll like it!)
25. Brawn, or head cheese: If you ever saw the first part of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you would not be able to touch this stuff....besides, it's icky.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper: Yup, me and the other cooks got into a pepper eating contest....I puked it got so bad.
27. Dulce de leche: No, but it's sweet, so I was never interested
28. Oysters: Like eating a bite of the ocean itself....in a good way.
29. Baklava: Again with the sweetness......now spanakopata (spelling?), that I love.
30. Bagna cauda: Yup, but not since my Grandma died.
31. Wasabi peas: Sure, wasabi is the best.
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl: Maybe not in a sourdough bowl, but in a bread bowl....I am from Boston, so the chowder flows like wine here.....and I wouldn't have it any other way.
33. Salted lassi: Here's another one I don't recognize....I am such a bad foodie.
34. Sauerkraut: Sauted with seared keilbasa, or served warm on a yummy ass reuban....I love the stuff.
35. Root beer float: While I have tried it, it's not to my taste.
36. Cognac with a fat cigar: I have had cognac, I have had cigars...never at the same time.
37. Clotted cream tea: No, and it doesn't sound like something I would like.
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O: Sure, I was young once too you know
39. Gumbo: Sure have.
40. Oxtail: Is their nothing better than an oxtail stew, all sticky and thick with marrow??? Answer: No, no their isn't.
41. Curried goat: If I go out for Indian food, I will almost ALWAYS order some sort of curried goat.
42. Whole insects: Not intentionally. (answer stolen from SamuraiFrog, sorry dude, it's a good answer)
43. Phaal: Nope, dont' recognize it.
44. Goat's milk: I don't drink cow's milk, why on earth would I drink a goats?
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$130 or more: Oh yes......yes indeed.
46. Fugu: This is blowfish correct? If so, than count me down as scared of it....probably wouldn't try it and probably couldn't afford it if I wanted to.
47. Chicken tikka masala: Yessiree bob, it's a great dish.
48. Eel: No, but only because I haven't seen a dish that appeals to me yet....I would if the dish is right.
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut: No.
50. Sea urchin: Yes, again, we prepared these at a resteraunt I used to work at, and served the meats in the hollowed out spiky shells, very dramatic presentation.
51. Prickly pear: Yes, tricky to use (flavor wise that is) but not unpleasent.
52. Umeboshi: Don't know what this is.
53. Abalone: No, but would love to try it....It's pretty expensive these days though.
54. Paneer: Is this a bread? I don't know what it is.
55. McDonald's Big Mac Meal: Yes, absolutely....me likey special sauce.....try making your own big macs from scratch...it's awesome!!!
56. Spaetzle: Nice fluffy lumps of soft buttery dough....like little gnochi, I love em.
57. Dirty gin martini: No. Doesn't this have olive juice? That doesn't sound too good.
58. Beer above 8% ABV: Sure, in Canada they have this, and some specialty brews here in America.
59. Poutine: No, but I am DIEING to...cheese+gravy+frenchfries??? That sounds like what heaven is going to be like.
60. Carob chips: Nope
61. S'mores: No way.
62. Sweetbreads: Sure, surprisingly, very good.
63. Kaolin: Yet another unknown food item for me.
64. Currywurst: This does not sound like a sausage that I would want to eat.
65. Durian: Again, nope, don't know that one.
66. Frogs' legs: Yes, I liked them fine.
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake: Naw, not my style.
68. Haggis: I would try it.
69. Fried plantain: Delicous, yes, I have had them.
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette: Don't believe so, are these like cracklings?
71. Gazpacho: Hells yeah, my old co-worker Alonzo made the best, it was positively addictive.
72. Caviar and blini: Yeah, but I am not a fan
73. Louche absinthe: Not yet.
74. Gjetost, or brunost: Don't know either of these things.
75. Roadkill: Umm....no.
76. Baijiu: Yikes, another food I don't recognize, how embarassing.
77. Hostess Fruit Pie: I have had them as a kid, but it's just too sugary for me.
78. Snail: I freaking LOVE escargot, it's really just a butter and garlic delivery system.
79. Lapsang souchong: This is chinese sausage no? If so then I have had it.
80. Bellini: Yes, but not my favorite
81. Tom yum: Maybe.
82. Eggs Benedict: As a breakfast chef to the tune of six years, I make slamming eggs benny, my hollandaise is strong.
83. Pocky: ????
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant: No, but would love to (if I could afford it)
85. Kobe beef: Sooooooooooooooo good.
86. Hare: I love rabbit, and want to pick some up real soon.
87. Goulash: Yeah, it's pretty good. Their's a great Hungarian/French resteraunt in Boston that I love, and makes really nice goulash.
88. Flowers: Sure, edible flowers are a very popular garnishs, and crab stuffed squash blossoms are the bomb-diggidy.
89. Horse: No. And I wouldn't ever, horses are for riding, not eating.
90. Criollo chocolate: Nope
91. Spam: Absolutely.
92. Soft shell crab: One of my favorite things to eat, period. Prepping the little buggers is kind of sick, they are alive, and you have to cut off their faces and rip out their lungs.....prepping a crate provides a sick mantra of "cut of the face, rip out the lungs, cut off the face, rip out the lungs".
93. Rose harissa: I don't know what this is, either.
94. Catfish: Love's me some catfish.
95. Mole poblano: I love making Mole sauces, poblano, verde, etc. And they freeze wondorfully.
96. Bagel and lox: Certainly. Lox is great, but I prefer smoked salmon over it, it's like fish bacon.
97. Lobster Thermidor: Eh. I have had it, but don't see what all the hubbub is about.
98. Polenta: Polenta is amazing. I love it formed into cakes and then pan seared, served with butter and syrup like a pancake....or in it's loose form with butter, along side a nicely cooked piece of chicken, with a good sauce to stir into it. All around a great side dish.
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee: No.
100. Snake: Nope.
111. Elk: No. But I would try it in a heartbeat.
112. Ostrich: Very good meat, like steakbirds.
113. Moose: No. But again, would do it in a heartbeat.
114. Whole hog BBQ: One of my favorite kind of events. I just love it.
115. Wine @ >$400/bottle: No way, that's way too much money for a drink I don't particularly care for.
116. Home made bacon/sausage: No to bacon, yes to sausage. I was the chief sausage maker at the Boston Harbor Hotel for several years.
117. Chocolate and chilis: Nope.
118. Chittlins: Yes.
119. Moonshine: No, but I would try it.
120. Quail eggs: Yes, so elegant!
121. Monkfish liver: No, and it doesn't sound that appealing. Monkfish, however, is lovely.
122. Live scallop: No, but I would give it a shot.
123. Fried chicken giblets: Oh sure, but I prefer just regular fried chicken.
124. Duck cracklings: There are precious few parts of a duck I wouldn't eat, and this is one of my favorites.
125. Grappa: Nope, can't say that I have

Well, that list was a little longer than I had thought it was, but now you can get a better idea of what my culinary tastes and experience entails.

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth.

Hiya folks, Devilham here with a brief update on why posts have been few and far between as of late.

A few months back my department was running on a skeleton crew, me being the only skeleton on that crew besides the IT director. It was acknowledged (finally) by the higher ups that we needed help, so they set out on the long and arduous process of hiring by committee of another IT person to take over some of my responsibilities and lend a hand around the office.

After a few more months, they finally picked their candidate, Felicity, and you know what? She was great. She's smart, helpful, and hard working, we got along instantly, and for the first time in a long time, it seemed like work was getting done, and not me being done in by work. But there is a twist.

Felicity was pregnant. Now that isn't the issue per se, she could perform her job just fine, and I was happy to jump in and do any heavy lifting for her (again, I like her very much, and the level of cooperation between the two of us is excellent, SOOO much better than her predecessor it's unbelievable), the issue is she knew she was preggars when she got hired (and again, I have no issues with this, it should be a non-issue), and our management is backwards and draconian when it comes to this sort of thing, which sucks.

Felicity was due in late October, three weeks ago she was taken off the job and put on bed rest due to high blood pressure. Last week she had her baby ....only two pounds and premature (obviously).

Mother and daughter are doing as well as can be expected, and I predict a full recovery for the little one, so no worries there (and that is the most important thing in my opinion). But work has suddenly become all encompassing. Sadly this event took place at a time when we are upgrading more than half the firms computers...this involves building out approximately 47 computers, a big job for two people (me and Felicity), and now it's just me. I come home from work wiped out, and while I read all my favorite blogs, and sometimes commment, I am having a hard time having the strength to post. I hope you understand.

Felicity's baby should be in the hospital for a few months, and I suspect that she will arrange something with our HR department so that she can come back to work for a few weeks while her daughter is in the hospital, and then take her maternity leave once the little one gets home, but can't say for sure.

Here's hoping that first and foremost that the little one makes it through this, secondly that my friend and co-worker does as well, and thirdly, and sadly lastly, that I get some help in the meantime.....I'm getting buried out here!!!!

How cool is this?

It's a slow motion video of a lightning strike, very cool

Ask, and ye shall recieve...

WhiskeyMarie was curious as to what I did with all that farmey goodness, and I am going to tell you. First, that corn was unbeleivable, it's that hyper white super sweet corn that only seems to grow here in New England, it was delicous, and I made two compound butters to go with them, one was rosemary and garlic, and the other was chipotle and cilantro....yums.

You can see that eggplant back there, and I am going to admit, I am not a fan of the vegetable, but my wife loves it, and damn if it didn't look so buetiful all white and purple....I had to buy it. The eggplant I paired with the tomatoes you see there (they are award winning tomatoes fyi, and they. are. awesome.), some fresh basil, and buffalo mozzearella, kind of a sauceless eggplant parm al fresco...very nice and not to soggy since I used tomato slices instead of sauce.

The cauliflower I did one of my favorite preperations....Cauliflower Au Gratin, seriously, douse anything in cream and cheese and I am in. I got this recipe from a book by Julia Childs and Jacque Pepin (spelling?), and it's a doozy. It takes an amazingly buetiful cauliflower like the one pictured below and takes it to the next level. It was all so good, it's too bad summer doesn't last forever.

That being said, I am sick of sweating, the end.

Wholesome goodness

Hit the farmers market this morning with the little guy, observe natures bounty

I am never going to get tired of variations of this video

http://view.break.com/542113 - Watch more free videos

Seriously, it's like a fountain of funny that never runs dry.

I can't say it enough...this man must be stopped

It turns out Dr. James Dobson is setting up to endorse McSame (surprise surprise), and as Darksyde notes on DailyKos, the real danger of a McSame presidency would be the supreme court choices our next president will make. Here's a quote from his post that I think sums up the danger.

On the wild chance that anyone really needed more or better reasons to vote for Obama, there you go. If McCain wins, odds are the next set of Supreme Court Justices will be chosen by an ultra-conservative American cleric leading a Neo-Reconstructionist movement in which public schools are blasphemous, and over zealous followers pray their hearts out for the violent end of the world every day -- just what every nuclear superpower needs. Forget about reproductive choices, science education, or equal rights. Ignorance and illiteracy breeds true. A decade or two under the purview of neo-clown winger judges groomed by the likes of Robert Bork or Roy Moore, and many of tomorrow's young women could end up in prearranged sexual servitude alternating between serial pregnancies and being locked in a menstrual shed

It's a legitimate fear, if you love your wife, your sister, your daughter, your female friends, you cannot in good conscience vote for that jackass.

And as usual, if I care about something, comments are broke...

Typical, if I find something I am truly shocked and dismayed about and blog on it...you can bet that blogger will disable comments on it....please feel free to comment on the last post here, if of course, it's allowed.

You have got to be shitting me

This video, made by a fellow named Jed, from The Jed Report, I don't have time...none of us have time now, this has to be spread NOW.



Oh my fucking god...I posted this half way through viewing it, I thought it was that relavent, but now ...after watching it all, well shit, it's, I, um, I don't even know what to say..I'm overwhelmed.

Please, we cannot let this happen, we cannot let four more years of this kind of mendacity, PUMA people, wake up! What the fuck, this guy is evil.

What little (and it was small) respect I had for this man a decade (or more, who's counting?) ago has now been OBLITERATED, he has no shame, he has no platform, he has nothing... he has NOTHING.

I am at a loss for words at this point.

Cooking with Devilham, the man, not the pork product

Here's what I made my wife and I for dinner (at her request) the other night, Fish Tacos, Nachos, and homemade Margaritas.


Fish tacos are dead easy, I used tilapia for the fish, cut it in strips and lightly floured it, then deep fried it. In a cast iron skillet on medium low I softened my corn tortillas by lightly brushing them with olive oil and searing them for a few seconds then covered them with a bowl and put them aside.

I made a lovely sauce with half mayonnaise, half sour cream and a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (that's a smoked jalapeno in a tomato garlic sauce) blended in to both, and a salsa verde by roasting some tomatillas, jalapenos, onion, garlic, and a serrano chili under the broiler, then tossing them all into the blender with some lime juice and cilantro. Served up with some shredded cabbage and some cheese, it was a lovely meal.

As I said, you should see the other baby

Here's the little guy taking a picture of his injuries (not really, but it looks like he is doesn't it?)



Poor little scamp fell off the couch and bonked his eye on the coffee table, but he shook it off like a champ, he's tough like that.

Ack, been MIA, sorry!

Sorry people, I went MIA for a bit, then went through a "would it be weird if I blogged?" phase, shook that off, then kind of had bloggers block (is that a word?? It should be!), and now I, well, I just felt to ashamed not to post.

Had some vacation last week, mind you it was hot, Africa hot, so it pretty much kept me and Nate (the wife worked) trapped in the house most of the week, but we had fun anyways. Last friday I took the wee man to the New England Aquarium, you should have seen him, he was screaming at the fish he was so excited. Good times.

I have some pictures that I would like to put up here, sadly one of them is the little guy with his wee baby black eye, he hit his head on the corner of the coffee table. Whenever anyone asks me what happened, I just say, you should see the other baby, that usually shuts them up.

That's all for now, apologies for the time away, lets not fight like this again hmm?

So, what did you do this weekend??

Summer BBQ, originally uploaded by devilham13.

Myself, I fired up the old BBQ. Despite a breif thundershower, it went swimmingly as well. Hope you all had some beer, maybe a touch of whiskey (just a little! I swear!!!) and some good home cooking.

Killroy, and friend, was here.

Winter Spring 08 085, originally uploaded by devilham13.

Is anyone else kind of terrified of this picture?

She looks like a space vampire or something.

Odd Blogspot behavior

Strange, comments are not showing up in my last post, oh well, if you intended to comment on it, try on this post.

I couldn't agree more

For those of us who have children, this video rings especially true. The idea of anyone taking my boy, and putting him in harms way puts me in instant protect mode. I don't care if you are angry about Hillary losing, I don't care if you think Obama is soft on terror (and he isn't jackass, he's SMART on terror, much better), if you think I'm going to let them draft my son and send him to fight your bullshit war, hell, I'll revolt. And not the 'switch parties' kind of revolt, more the 'line them up against the wall' kind, know what I mean?



You cannot have my son, I'll have your head first.

It's a series of tubes!

Here's a funny little JPEG I saw on Daily Kos, created it seems by a commenter named Canuckoo.



Too funny, I can't beleive this guy went ahead and told a national audience that he didn't know how to use a computer. That's pathetic.

Woot! Obama takes the nomination!!!

Fantastic news (fyi, woot is video game jargon for Wicked gOOd looT), and now it looks like even Hillary is coming around.

I had hoped that she would have done the right thing yesterday, but I suppose that's like hoping that the sun won't rise, it is in her nature, might as well ask the birds to stop singing.

If you browse the intertubes you might have come accross some comparisons to Obama's victory speach last night, and John McSame's train wreck of a spoiler speech...it just makes me itch to see the debates that those two are going to have...it's patently unfair really, and I love it!

And Now, a Post From the Little Guy

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And after that insightful commentary on politics, food, and pop culture, it's time to enjoy a binkie, or three!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend my Homies!

Hi erstwhile readers, sorry for the lite posting as of late, but parenting and work have kept me hella busy for the last few weeks, and I've had trouble finding spare time to oblige.

That being said, they let us out of work at 4 today to get an early start to the weekend and start it I have. Just picked up a six pack of Guinness, and two racks of St. Louis cut pork ribs for bbq'ing on sunday (six pack is for now, yah!), so I am ready to start the weekend right!

Tomorrow I will upload some photo's to the blog of The Little Guy for your viewing pleasure, and also to make room on my camera for the festivities on Sunday (nothing big, just a few freinds over for ribs, beer, and playing Nintendo Wii, my latest video game obsession). Do you have plans? If not, stop by the attic and enjoy a slow smoked rib or two, and I'll even spot you a beer, cuz I'm cool like that!

Qua, Plah! Motherfuckers!

Lt.Worf Endorses Barack Obama. It doesn't get more badass than that!

Hey, this community, you guys, it's pretty cool

I was just surfing around the blogospher, checking on my favorites (and sadly some of those are not in my blogroll yet, it's because I'm lazy, and not because I don't love you) and looking at my favorite blogs, and I was overcome with the need to say thanks. Thanks guys for linking me, thanks for posting the great posts you do on your blogs, it's made me think, it's made me look into practicing art again (I was an art school dropout, and really don't exercise my talent anymore), and flex my B.S. muscle (i.e. my questionable writing skills), and just generally THINK more, and see that others are also thinking, and I want to thank you for that.

***Shakes his head and sighs***

Dear lord, please tell me this is a photoshopped image, and not another "moran", thank you.

Understatement of the century

From Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary Jay Cohen

"There’s no idea so asinine that this administration won’t give it serious consideration"

Or even just go ahead and do.
Hat tip to Sadly, No! for the quote, check out the site if you haven't, it's always good for a laugh (while weeping on the inside of course).

Wow! What a day!

What a buetiful day we are having here in Boston (please, never call it beantown, no one who lives here calls it that, and no resteraunt serves baked beans), the sun is out, it's about 68 degrees and there's just a light breeze to keep what little clouds in the sky moving. The little guy crossed a couple of milestones today, and I must say he usually does those on the days that I am home, so this whole working 6 days a week thing was stunting his developement, it needed to end! First, last week, when my wife was away for the weekend, I got him to use and then MASTER, his sippy-cup. Now this week, not only did he hold my hand (something he wouldn't do previously) and walk calmly up and down my street, but then when we got back in the house for lunch, my big boy grabbed his spoon himself and was feeding himself with utensils. I am very proud today people, very proud. And to my wife? IN YOUR FACE!!! Just kidding, but it does seem I get all the cool milestones!

Don't wait up for me

Tonight is my first friday night off in four months, so don't keep the light on for me, I am going to the pub. Already called up some of my boys and we'll be hitting the Jeannie Jonston (a pub I used to cook for) in Jamaica Plain for beers and shots of whiskey. Please ignore any incoherent ravings if posted later on this evening.

My long dark personal nightmare is over!

Yes! It's my last Saturday that I have to work, these six day weeks have been brutal, and I am very excited to be done with them. My wife is going away for this weekend so it's just me and the little guy, it's just to bad that the weather is not going to cooperate for us, or else we would do something fun. The Franklin Park Zoo (the metro Boston area's largest, and maybe only, zoo) is actually within walking distance of our house, well, a long walk, but totally doable if the weather is nice, and I plan on taking Nate there at least once this year, if not more. My work also provides free tickets to The New England Aquarium (also very accessible via public transportation) and the Children's Museum, so I am looking very forward to some Little Guy time over the next few months. And speaking of museums, coincidentally enough, the day care providers who watch my little friend when I work on Saturdays just called me AS I TYPED THIS POST. They asked if they could take the kids (there are only three of them in my works day care facility today) to the Science Museum, which is literally right around the corner from my firm. I tell you, that little scamp is going to be cultured like a pearl by the end of the summer.

Here's The Little Guy showing his liberal street cred

Watch how the Little Man reacts to The Daily Show's intro.

Good lord, the pizza is right!!!

Wow, except for the conservative comment, this pizza seems to know me!

What Your Pizza Reveals

Your appetite is pretty average. You don't go overboard - but you don't deprive yourself either. You are a very picky pizza eater. Not any pizza will do. You fit in best in the Northeast part of the US. You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods. You are dependable, loyal, and conservative with your choices. You are definitely unique and artistically inclined. You should consider traveling to Prague. The stereotype that best fits you is stoner. You're a little wacky in the head, even if you don't touch drugs.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

HOUNDSTOOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can feel free to blame the following 3 bloggers: Samurai Frog; ISplotchy; and Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein. Now claim your pattern!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best. Campaign video. EVAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Little known Devilham fact: In the 90's I was in a (it was tounge and cheek mind you, satire) Twisted Sister themed band. We did Twisted Sister covers and other bad 80's hair metal, enjoy this video. Lead guitarist for TS, J.J. French is a staunch democrat, who's mother was deeply involved in the party, and his stock has risen in my opinion even higher than it already was.

Signs of our impending spring!!!

Today on the walk home, I saw a daffodil peeking through the soil in my neighbors yard. Then, I saw kids playing baseball at the local field. I don't want to jinx it...but spring appears to be sproinging.

Not a moment to soon if you ask me.

Yeah, I didn't have to take the test to tell you that

But you know I secretly wanted to be a Malcolm Reynolds, oh well

Your results:
You are Wash (Ship Pilot)

Wash (Ship Pilot) 95% Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command) 80% Malcolm Reynolds (Captain) 65% Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic) 65% River (Stowaway) 65% Jayne Cobb (Mercenary) 55% Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic) 50% Inara Serra (Companion) 40% Derrial Book (Shepherd) 35% Alliance 35% A Reaver (Cannibal) 25%

You are a pilot with a good if not silly sense of humor. You take pride in your collection of toys. You love your significant other.

Click here to take the Serenity Firefly Personality Test

A little brain teaser for you folks today

Perception test: Try and see if you can count how many passes the white team makes


http://view.break.com/470052 - Watch more free videos

Tagged with the middle name Meme

I don't usually do these, but Dr. Zaius said he would perform experimental brain surgery on my after the Apepocalypse if I didn't comply, so here goes.

N- I enjoy being negative but more for humors sake, than a negative outlook on life
A- My favorite insult to hurl at other people? You Asshole
T- I stabbed a wino when I was ten (not really, but I think it's a funny thing to say when your pretending to be tough)
H- I have worn many hats throughout my working career, including but not just, caddy, dishwasher, bike courier, sales assistant, technical support specialist, short order cook, haute cuisine cook, busboy, pizza boy, and vintage clothe shop manager.
A- I love to antagonize tailgaters when they are behind me on the road. You start to ride my bumper, I will slow down an extra few MPH and do everything I can to not let you pass...I am a small and petty man
N- I almost never take my shirt off in public (or private for that matter), who wants to see my fat ass stomach anyways? And I bet the glare of the sun off my pale skin would blind a normal person.

Well, that's the done! I tag Sassylil'lady who also happens to be my wife, maybe it'll get her to post something on her blog that she never touches!!

And down goes his dignity!! DOWN GOES HIS DIGNITY!!!!

the title should be shouted like your saying "down goes Frasier!"

Another crazy week, but that's life

Howdy all, sorry for the sporadic posting, work has kept me busy, and now we are hip deep in tax season. This month, and half of next, then I am done, whew!

I have been meaning to post some videos and pictures (and I will), but the video is from our attic, my wife has recently redesigned the upstairs...and I love it.

At first I was resistant to have a "play room" area up there, as it was my place, where I would work on my computers, and do my business, but the reality is this, it was too big a space for that, I was hogging it.

I have a clearly defined office area, which was all I was using anyway, my wife has the same, and ditto on what she was using, and the bulk of it has been replaced with a tv with dvd for Mr. Little Guy, and a toy rollercoaster, and assorted play things. It's wonderful, I can access my machines AND watch the wee man at the same time, so kudos to my wife for seeing past my shortsightedness.

A shout out to the excellent blog of SamuraiFrog

Saw this video and thought about your blog, excellent blog man,in particular your essays about vintage cartoons. These are the cartoons I grew up with, and am dead fascinated about the backround stories.

Oh. My. God.

Wonder how many applications he's gotten?

Go and wish him well

Dr. Monkey von Monkerstein, one of my absolute favorite bloggers, is going into the hospital for some heart surgery. Most who stop by this blog are already on his blogroll, and visit him regularly, but in case you didn't know, stop by this thread and wish him well, as I'm sure it would lift his spirits and speed along his recovery to know all his blogging pals are thinking of him.

Good luck Dr. Monkey!!! As I said in the thread, I sure hope it wasn't my cheesesteak post, I couldn't live with the guilt!

The Awesome

Dinner guests tonight!

Couple of my friends are coming over tonight, and we are going to make home made Philly cheesesteaks!!! We've done this in the past when I used to work at the pub at the end of my street (actually, it was shortly after I left the pub, but was still drinking there and advising the new cook),after I had returned from a road trip through Philadelphia, and enjoyed the fare at the famous Pat's King of Steaks, the owner of the pub let me cook in the kitchen one last time (with the ingredients I brought) and I served up some cheesesteaks to my friends, and a couple of lucky bar patrons.

There are a couple of unique things about the Pat's steak that I feel are worth mentioning. First, the onions are diced, this is huge. At most places the onions are julienned, creating long wet, hot strands that drag grease and chease onto your chin, and not in your mouth where grease and cheese should go. Secondly the cheese of choice is Cheese Whiz! Now don't get your knickers in a twist over this, I love real cheese, all cheeses, but in this instance you cannot beat the dayglow orange goodness that is cheese whiz. The cheese sauce mixes with the meat juice and forms a flavor sauce that seeps into the bread (in a good way, not soggy) and is just unbelievable...you will just have to trust me on this one.

It's good fun to create home made versions of well loved fast foods. Someday I will blog on my home made Big Macs...there awesome!!! The secret is shredding your lettuce!

Too funny, makes me almost want to go out and get this game

This is what someone did with the game Rollercoaster Tycoon. I normally hate tycoon games, but this video is certainly intriguing.

How to Abuse Rollercoaster Tycoon 3: Massacre
Watch more DIY videos on 5min.com

Shake it off, kid!

Sooo, I've shaken off the funk I was having on monday, and am back in the mix. You may have noticed I provided an altered photo of mine very own BBQ, and a giant Guinness. I discovered a free software that does most of what photoshop does (I have an old pirated copy of photoshop, but I would rather practice fair use, thank you very much), called GIMP2. While I am no Dr. Zaius (a photoshop genius if you ask me), I want to expand on my skills in this medium and add a little extra flavor to the ol' attic, after all, it's a little known fact, I dropped out of art school, and the need to create still ...burns, no....smolders? a smidge?? I don't know, but here I am trying it again. In my day we didn't have your fancy "computers", whith their "photoshops", and their "file types", ...we made art by hand, covered in paint and mud! AND WE LIKED IT!!!!!.....no we didn't...I dropped out, I hated just about everyone in my school. Bring me the sanatized anonymous world of digital media friends...I can't stand the filthy humans.

Longing for warmer months

I called in sick today, I just feel very blah, and with the rain coming down torrentially, I just didn't have it in my heart to get out of bed and go to work. I wish the winter was over, so I could drag out the old BBQ smoke up some ribs and tilt back some beers. Ah well, as my Nana used to say "if wishes were horses, the beggars would ride".

So stick your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye

Holy crap, the gang who couldn't shoot straight are actually planning to shoot down a stray spy satelite from an Aegis missile destroyer. Am I the only one who is a little leary of King Shit Midas tackling this particular issue? Duck and cover my friends, this is going to get worse before it gets better.


And while we're on the subject, doesn't this smack of a P.R. stunt? It's the kind of militaristic showmanship that the Bush crowd loves, puff out your chest, shout "Hoo-Wah!" and blow that satelite outta the sky! Talk about over compensating, sheesh! I'm just very concerned that like usual, these guys are going to cause more harm than good, children his age should not be allowed to play with these toys.

Update: Oh good, apparently we're just rattling our sabres at a tiny little country, that's no threat to us whatsoever....like, for example CHINA!!!!! When oh when will these jackasses be out of office!!!! Yesterday is to late if you ask me!!!

Update II: Well let's look on the bright side, this little expedition is only going to cost SIXTY MILLION DOLLARS!!!!!!! How on earth can these people refer to themselves as conservative, and/or fiscally responsible. That's outrageous!!

Update III: You know, I normally think thing like Aegis missile systems, and exploding satelites falls smack dab in the middle of awesome. Why does everything this administration touches turn shitty? I swear to god if they fuck with my precious giant robots, I will kill myself (I am a huge fan of giant robots, BushCo. would probably make the lamest giant robot in the history of anything).

Far away lands..

I got this new widget for my blog, you might have noticed it on the right, above 'Blogs I like'. It shows the location of peeps who have viewed my blog, kind of neat. And neater still, it looks as though someone in Iran has checked out the Old Attic!!! Well, I say welcome my international friend, please feel free to post a comment, be you a displaced American, or an Iranian national, I would love to hear from you and your take on the world today. Let it be known that not all Americans are war mongering jack asses looking to bring on the end of the world, we are not all idiots, I swear.

Update: And now I see someone from Australia...I am now an international superstar. Woot!

White Bean Soup, with Smoked Shoulder and Kale

Okay, so on sunday I made the wife and I a smoked shoulder (it's like a ham, but cheaper, and more difficult to carve), it was good, albeit a bit salty...but my true intentions were for the the BONE!

Shoulders come with a big honking bone, with clingy meat on it that is perfect for making soup. My wife and I decided that a white bean and kale soup would fit the bill perfectly for an application of the bone (kinda sounds dirty, don't it!).

Kale has been my veggie of choice lately, it stays firm and turgid (agian with the dirt, perverts) despite the most intense cooking conditions, it has the 'green' flavor that my body craves, and I like how it holds it's shape (unlike spinach) when used in dishes, as you can count on it's curly edges to provide tension to a composition.

I sauteed celery, carots and onion until soft, adding bay leaf and red pepper flake (while cooking the beans on the side with a rough chopped clump of the same), added garlic then deglazed with white wine. Then added the shoulder bone (extra meat removed), plus a secret ingredient, leftover Parmesan rinds...this adds such a nutty flavor to soup...try it and come back to me, and simmered for about 2 hours. Lastly added the meat and some fresh parsley to finish. It's a solid soup friends. Here's some video of the process

I am not sure the Giuliani Gambit is the way to go on this one

From the Politico

Did Mitt dodge a bullet, or was he told about the gun?

I have seen this written elsewhere, and the more I think about it, the more it makes a sort of sense. The Democrats will win the presidency, of that I am sure, are the republicans banking on this? Is this a Bob Dole situation where they are throwing what they believe to be an undesirable a bone, not letting said undesirable know that an even bigger dog is going to chew up both said bone and undesirable (of course biding their time for future battles)? I believe that this IS the case, Mitt was made aware of the dynamics and bowed out to fight agian in 2012, they have picked thier champion.

How Mitt became the standard bearer of the right I will never know, but it does seem he is on the inside track on this one.

It seems to me that on these larger issues it becomes more and more difficult to hide your hand, watch the news and pay heed to the propoganda, it's telling.

Update: Another argument that I think bolsters my original point, the fix is in.

So here is why they are sabotaging McCain- they want him to lose, or at the very least are hedging their bets. They want and need to paint him as not conservative, not pure enough to really represent the wildly successful (in their minds) conservatism that makes up the Bush dead-enders. That way, when they are blown out of the water in 2008, they don’t have to do any reflection, they don’t have to assess, re-prioritize, or re-think their policies. They can simply pin it all on McCain, claim he lost because he didn’t offer the voters a “real” conservative alternative, and get back to championing the end of the “death tax” and other important issues without skipping a beat.

In other words, McCain is the fall guy, and they are just distancing themselves from him.

And as things fell apart, nobody paid much attention

I regret not purchasing more Talking Heads albums back in the day, ah well. I love this song.

OOooOOOooohh! Check it out!

A quick caveat, Nate loves rough housing, this is not child abuse!!!!

Drat!

Well, I had hoped to post some video of my own Little Guy (TM), only sadly, the software on our new video camera doesn't seem to play nice on my main PC.....someone should call an IT person (oh...wait..), ah well, I will figure it out soon enough, and I suspect I know what the issue is as it stands. I think I might bring the camera to work with me tomorrow and post the video then...freaking saturdays....it's a goddamn crime that I gotta work em'.

Mitt Romney is out!

Good news from the campiagn trail, as Massachusetts own sleazy, citizen hating flip flopper has dropped out (nay, suspended) his run for the republican ticket to the white house. Anyone who has lived in Mass knows that America has just dodged a bullet. This guy was a slimey snake oil salesman, who used our state as a stepping stone for his own ambitions, and then turned around on the national stage and bashed on us relentlessly, for the crime of being liberal. Jackass. I am proud of this states liberal stance on gay marriage, and a woman's right to choose, I would like to see us be even more liberal on these issues truth be told, but I am proud of the steps my state has taken, and the leadership we have shown other states. Go back to Michigan, or Utah, or France Mittens, your kind are not needed around here, I'm just baffled he was our govenor in the first place.

Oh, and it seems Blogger's spellcheck isn't working....so pardon any misspelling for the time being, I am normally an excellent speller, but a terrible typist, it's my cross to bear *sniff*

Exciting!!!

Went out and voted yesterday, as Massachusetts moved it's primary date up to super tuesday. I am actually very pleased about it, as it makes my vote feel more important, like I am actually an agent of change in this election cycle. I am just going to throw it out there, I voted for Obama. I am a sucker for good propoganda I guess, as that video of his New Hampshire speech that has been all over these glorious internet tubes really moved me in his direction.

And now it looks as though we are in a dead heat on the Democratic side, a real nail biter. I am at work checking my blogs and news sites for all the latest updates, I don't recall an election season I have been more energized and excited about (and I said that same thing in 2006), and I want to thank the blogosphere for that. Prior to discovering blogs I was somewhat politically apathetic, but as the Bush administration wore on, and political activism grew out here in blogcountry, I started to feel like we the people could actually make a difference. That's an amazing feeling, and I thank you all for that.

Well, back to work, I am sure someone is doing something stupid to their computer that I will have to resolve.

Oh, and by the way, I am making a pledge to myself to post at least once every two days going forward, no more once a week/week and half bullshit....it's time I got serious, so hopefully you'll be seeing alot more of me around. Woot.

Ack! It's Monday already???!!??

Man do these one day weekends fly by, let me tell you.

Not a very busy Sunday as I have a firm policy in place during tax season that I do absolutely NOTHING on Sundays and only entertain people who understand that this policy is set in stone. You come over on Sunday, be prepared to sit on the couch in your PJ's and drink beer...and maybe I'll cook something nice, as that's pleasurable for me, so it doesn't count as 'doing something'.

Like what, you say? Why I'm glad you asked, as I made a pretty damn good dinner last night if I do say so myself, and I'm a gonna tell you all about it right now.

First, you should know that last week my wife bought a package of figs. I haven't used figs much, but told her I would come up with something, but to be honest, I hadn't up to yesterday afternoon thought of anything, until my wife came back from the grocery store (hey! Don't call me a cad, refer to the policy mentioned earlier in the post!) with something I could definitely work with. Two beautiful long island duck breasts!

A menu started to form in my mind from all the stuff we have had in the fridge...I had a bunch of brussell sprouts from the previous week that needed to be used up...some bacon in the freezer...half a block of muenster cheese left over from a casserole I made a ways back, and some shredded cheddar....yeah, yeah! This is shaping up nice!

Let me tell you, nothing gets me off like using up old stuff from other meals (well, not old, just in the fridge and not purposefully bought for this meal), I think all cooks love to do this, as it's frugality at it's best.

SOOOO, I sliced up some baker potatoes on me trusty mandolin, nice and thin, and float them in water so they don't discolor. Meanwhile I have a bechamel sauce going on the stove, that I thicken even further with about half of the shredded cheese. You see where I'm going with this don't you? Potatoes Au Gratin.....I could eat nothing but variations on this dish from now til the day I day. Which would probably be about two years down the road, this shit is rich.

The brussell sprouts I cut in half and blanched in boiling salted water, then shocked them in ice when they reached the correct color and tenderness. These I would pan sear with bacon (I rendered the bacon first, about one slice worth, at low heat to the point that is was cooked, but not crispy, yet, then I turn up the heat to full and add the sprouts, this crisps the bacon, and adds a nice caramelized sear to the flat parts of the sprouts...remember, they were halved).

The duck I kept simple, scoring the skin in a criss cross pattern, seasoned with just salt and pepper. I pan seared it on medium low in a cast iron skillet (I fucking love my cast iron pans, they rock when it comes time to sear something), rendering the fat out of the skin and making it dark golden brown and delicious. I flipped the breasts over and bumped them in the oven to finish cooking. Many chefs like to cook their duck rare to medium rare, I prefer it somewhere between medium and medium rare myself. There is still juices, still a blush of red, and it's still tender and good, but you don't have that raw meat texture that can be kind of a turn off in large quantities. It's nice to know you don't have to worry about salmonella with ducks, as they do not carry this food borne illness.

Lastly I prepared the sauce, I cut up the figs my wife had procured, and sauteed them with a minced shallot and some garlic for a minute or two. I then deglazed the sauce pan with some red wine, and added some chicken stock (I always have home made stock on hand, it's one of the things that I love to do for myself, and when you make it, it makes your whole house smell like awesome chicken soup, best thing in the world on a cold winters day), and after tasting, decided a splash of soy sauce was also needed. I reduced this down to a syrupy consistency and then strained out the solids with a fine sieve.

When it was ready to plate, I put a nice cut of the gratin in the center of the plate (at this point I had let it rest to allow the sauce and cheese to set up some, also the duck had been resting as well, best thing for a duck if you ask me), then scattered the sprouts around the nice square cut of gratin. Then I sliced the duck nice and thin on the bias, giving me nice thin slices with a crispy outer skin, and fanned that on top of the gratin. Lastly I drizzled the syrupy fig sauce on the duck and around the plate, it looked great, and as my old chef used to tell me, if the food looks good, it tastes good before it gets in your mouth.

It tasted awesome, the smooth creaminess of the gratin was nicely balanced by the tart sweetness of the fig sauce, and brussell sprouts and bacon are two of my favorite things, and they go awesome together. All in all, not a very healthy meal, but it was delicious. I wish I had pictures for you folks, but alas, I was too lazy to take them. I hope I painted a good enough picture with my words.

Why don't you make something interesting to eat this week and post about it?

Could I get change for a dollar?

Check this video out my friends, I promise you a chuckle.

I for one welcome our ape overlords!

Well, as Dr. Zaius said in the comments of my last post "it's time for a new post already", and when he's right, he's right. The lack of posting is a simple matter of time management.
You see, I work for an accounting firm, and for the next four months we go through our 'busy season', tax time for you laymen. This means long hours and six day work weeks for your humble poster, which, while I resent the time away from my little friend (the little guy), it does pay me overtime...I am one of the few employees in the firm that gets overtime, since I am not an accountant, I am in more of an administrative role.
I take the boy with me to work on Saturdays now as the firm provides free day care on the extra workday for employees with families, very nice perk that, it's just too bad the wee tyke hates it so much. A co-workers daughter who is a little over 3 years old, and in that precocious 'truth telling' phase of development, said it best (or worst, depends on who heard it), when I asked her how my son was doing down there and if she played with him...."Yeah, he cries so much", "Aww, why was he crying?", her mother asked, "He cries because he misses his daddy". I almost started crying myself, right there in the office.
It's not all bad though, I can go down to the day care room and see him at any point during the day, and I even grab him sometimes and we walk around the office doing my rounds...he likes that. We have lunch together, though it's hard to get him to eat in that hectic environment, it's always nice to spend time with him.
So there you have it, that's what I have been up to, hope you folks aren't going into any busy season yourselves, and remember to file your taxes early for prompt payment of your refund!


Now get off my back you damn dirty ape!!!

Just kidding of course, I DO welcome our ape overlords, damn site better than the current overlords, that's for sure!

A member in good standing

Saw this here, and there's some other funny pics as well

Quote of the Day

Via Brad, at Sadly, No!

Call me a cynic if you must, but Obama is a politician. I’m not looking for politicians to be my friends, or to make me into a better person, or to give my life meaning. Hell, I’ve got beer for all three of those things.

My sentiments exactly!

Check out this trailer!!! I can't wait for new episodes!!!

I couldn't resist posting this picture, look at that little guy!

Bad Santa

Okay, Dr.Zaius and Dr. Monkey von Monkerstein hosted a secret Santa over the holidays, and due to a technical snafu, I found out who my victim was post holiday. Turns out my prey was the esteemable Mathman, of the noble profession of math teacher, a subject that has always baffled the young Deviled Ham, however, I suspect that the proper teacher would have been the key to opening that particular door of knowledge...and so I bring to Mathman my gift...A group of students to teach that actually are EXCITED to learn math (as opposed to the young Devilham, who, admittedly, was kind of a jerk to math teachers ...I'm sorry! I was immature!), and are full of exciting and insightful questions that will challenge and entertain the entire class. Enjoy these bright young minds Mr. Mathman, and sorry for my tardiness, please don't tell the headmaster I was late!!!!