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Thursday Night Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 07:50:39 PM EST
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It's dinner night with the TL kid. I'm cooking red chili made with buffalo instead of ground beef, and cornbread. Paired with an arugula and strawberry salad and guacamole and pita chips. I should have thought of making margaritas, but I didn't, so it's gin and tonics. Does anyone else drink Hendricks gin? When I was the TL kid's age, Beefeater's just was fine. Somehow he found Hendrick's and I have to agree, it tastes better. (Can't do Bombay Saphire-- I start sneezing within five minutes, maybe it has too much juniper, which I'm allergic to?)

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Thursday Night Open Thread | 84 comments (84 topical)

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    Waiting for the monster snow storm (5.00 / 2) (#12)
    by Anne on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:41:12 PM EST
    zeroing in on Maryland, due to start mid-morning Friday; projected to get from 16-24 inches, blizzard conditions...and another storm moving in for Tuesday.

    Went to the store tonight - since Saturday is my usual shopping day, figured to get that out of the way tonight.  Shoot, the store looked like people were getting ready for Armageddon: no mushrooms, no kaiser rolls, three onions, no avocados, yogurt section looked like a bomb had gone off in it.  Meat section depleted.  Am planning some slow cooker meals - something about cooking while the snow is falling just feels cozy.

    People were in a generally good mood, kind of excited about the coming adventure; I'm just hoping that high winds don't end up taking out the power.  We have plenty of firewood, but no electricity will mean no water, since we are on a well.

    Am seriously hoping my firm does the smart thing and either delays opening or closes altogether.  This early in the year, everyone has plenty of vacation time, so I expect the place will be a ghost town tomorrow.

    This is more winter than we've had in quite some time; I'd like to say we're getting used to it, but getting the snow in feet instead of inches makes that a little more problematic!

    Good luck! (5.00 / 1) (#16)
    by addy on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:47:02 PM EST
    We were without power for 9 days a couple of years ago. And before we bought our generator were heating water outside in the bar-b-que to sponge bathe in the shower. Forget cooking except outside in the snow. At one point it got to 24 degrees in the house. Thank goodness the wine was okay!
     Quite the experience.

    Parent
    Ow!! (5.00 / 1) (#48)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:41:40 PM EST
    24 in the house?  Holy moly!  I have a woodstove now, and nearby friends with generators, thank goodness.

    24 in the house???  Didn't all your pipes burst?

    Honestly, I can't even imagine it.

    Parent

    We were lucky (none / 0) (#76)
    by addy on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 09:47:33 AM EST
    They were well insulated. But the fish in the tank didn't make it and we finally went to a hotel. They were all so booked we had to camp in the front hallway waiting for a room. It was bad all over. Then we used their free wifi to find one of the few generators left to buy, they'd come in and be sold out in minutes. I am very very fond of that generator.

    Parent
    Thanks, Anne for posting (none / 0) (#25)
    by BackFromOhio on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:03:08 PM EST
    I had no idea storm was brewing; in NYC area, 4 to 9 inches forecast.

    Parent
    But they really don't seem to be sure (none / 0) (#53)
    by nycstray on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 12:00:25 AM EST
    on the NYC forecast. Not one weather guy I listened to today felt confident, so I kept hearing anything from min 1" to a big deal. I'm actually kinda laughing at them at this point. Last Sunday the forecast was a week of sun and no storms . .  . this would be #2 with another following, lol!~ and they are confused about it . . .  :P

    Parent
    My sympathies (none / 0) (#47)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:40:02 PM EST
    Here in the usually snowy north, we've been watching big storm after big storm passing south of us and not touching us at all.  It's a little eerie, actually.

    I well remember the frantic crowds at the supermarket and the half-empty shelves every time there was more than a few inches forecast when I lived back around Boston.  Here in VT, people pretty much yawn unless there's multiple feet of snow predicted, and even then it's a much milder deal than the stock-up-with-canned goods! frenzy we got in Boston.

    Parent

    here on rhe west coast (5.00 / 3) (#54)
    by cpresley on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 12:19:38 AM EST
    It just started raining again about 7 p.m. and we already have trees and wires down. I knew I should have started dinner early. This could be a long night here. Thank god we are not on the east coast with snow. Hang in there, spring is only 6 weeks away.

    Parent
    I love Hendrix (5.00 / 1) (#41)
    by CST on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:25:28 PM EST
    It's definitely my hard liquor vice.

    goes well with mint or cucumber.

    Broker's Gin (5.00 / 1) (#79)
    by ytterby on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 09:59:27 AM EST
    I usually make mine with Broker's. Not too expensive, scored well with Food and Wine magazine, and the bottle comes with a cute little bowler hat

    I'll try some Hendricks next time (none / 0) (#1)
    by ruffian on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 08:35:16 PM EST
    I like Sapphire - but then I'm not allergic to it. My brother turned me on to Leyden's, which he prefers, but I like Sapphire better.

    I sound like some kind of big gin swiller....not really.

    Embarrassed to admit (5.00 / 1) (#38)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:19:40 PM EST
    I like cheap gin in my G&Ts, Gilbey's.

    But the main thing is to match the gin to the tonic.   Tonics range all over the map from super-sweet Canada Dry non-diet to very astringent Schweppes.  Put Tanqueray with Canada Dry and it's a horrible clash.  So is a sweeter gin like Gilbey's with Schweppes.  For my taste, Gilbey's and Canada Dry diet, when I can get it, are the perfect match.

    I adore a good G&T, but not as a regular drink.  So I save it for the few really hot afternoon/early evenings in summer as a special treat to compensate for the uncomfortable weather and it's an almost ecstatic experience.

    I also save root beer/vanilla ice cream floats and crab salad for those hot days.  Gives me a reason to actually look forward to them instead of being bummed out by them.

    But I have far fewer excuses to indulge now that I live in VT than I did when I lived near Boston.

    Parent

    yea but it's kind of weird (none / 0) (#43)
    by CST on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:29:33 PM EST
    the further north you go the better/ more prevalent the ice cream gets.  It's astonishing how prevalent homemade ice cream is in the northeast considering how cold it is most of the year.

    I'll still eat it in the winter.  Were you in VT for Ben and Jerry's factory seconds?  They used to sell them only in VT, basically ice cream that was a little bit "off" such as cookies and cream with either too many cookies or not quite enough, and you could get it at about half price.  I think it's gone now though.

    Parent

    Nope, that was (5.00 / 1) (#56)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 12:36:57 AM EST
    before my time.

    Ben and Jerry's is ubiquitous here, as you can imagine (positively saints in the Nation of Vermont) and unfortunately, I really don't like it much.  It's just oversweetened for my taste, even the plain flavors like vanilla or chocolate.  But it's the only brand of premium ice cream you can get in pretty much any general store in the state.  The supermarket (which does carry some of the Haagen Dazs I very much prefer) is a good 17 miles away, too far for safe transport of ice cream except if it's the dead of winter and I'm coming straight back home, which isn't often.

    With so much fresh fruit available from my own garden and locally, it's a real shame.  I do freeze containers of strawberry sauce from my own strawberries, which is a truly glorious and morale-boosting thing to have in the depths of February!

    If I didn't have so many other year-round chores to do, I might invest in an ice-cream machine and make my own.  Maybe I will anyway...  I do adore good ice cream, but take no pleasure in it if it's less than fabulous.  Good for my waistline, but less fun!

    Parent

    Btw, you're so, so right (5.00 / 1) (#57)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 12:38:14 AM EST
    about the northern addiction to ice cream.  Russia is mad for it, and I read somewhere they have a higher per capita consumption than any other place in the world. It's one of those "go figure" things.

    Parent
    It's Bombay Sapphire for me, (none / 0) (#13)
    by caseyOR on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:43:21 PM EST
    thankfully I'm not allergic. Some friends of mine prefer Tanqueray 10.

    Parent
    Need an easy margarita recipe? (none / 0) (#2)
    by McKinless on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 08:53:29 PM EST
    Add to a blender

    1 can of frozen lime juice
    1 can of tequila
    1/2 can of Triple Sec
    dash of grenadine if you like

    Fill it with ice cubes and grind away.

    Thanks! (none / 0) (#58)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 12:38:34 AM EST


    Parent
    roasting a chicken a la Julia Child (none / 0) (#3)
    by addy on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 08:53:37 PM EST
    I don't know how to truss a chicken and have to flip it around every 5 minutes. The poor thing is being poked, twisted and sworn at as I use tongs to move it around. Not easy with an untrussed, unruly chicken. The dogs are happy though, they smell the giblets I'm braising for them.

    Julia just rolled over (5.00 / 1) (#40)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:22:10 PM EST
    in her grave.

    Parent
    No, you're right (none / 0) (#83)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 10:47:31 AM EST
    she didn't.  But she did draw the line at things like onion powder and garlic granules.

    Doesn't matter.  Eat what you like and enjoy, whether Julia's rolling or not.

    Parent

    DA, the thread was ABOUT Julia (none / 0) (#94)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 03:08:14 PM EST
    recipes.  That's the only reason I commented she'd be rolling in her grave when you piped up with the convenience ingredients.

    Relax, will ya?  Eat whatever you're used to and find comfortable.  That's certainly what Julia did.

    Parent

    Oh thanks! (none / 0) (#5)
    by addy on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:27:39 PM EST
    I do have it on an elevated roasting pan, so it's not touching the pan itself.
    Crap, the directions are so convoluted (it's not Child herself but a second hand recipe) that I'm sure it's all wrong and the chicken will chastise me once it's finally out. I'm on the second 25 minutes and I'm sure the two glasses of wine are not helping. It's like one of those algebra train word problems.
    I'm going with your recipe next time.

    Parent
    if you don't have a rack (none / 0) (#14)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:43:27 PM EST
    you can lay it on long celery stalks. That's what I do when I roast one in a clay oven. Keeps it off the bottom just fine.

    Parent
    Good idea (none / 0) (#17)
    by addy on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:48:29 PM EST
    Do you eat the celery after cooking?

    Parent
    no, I toss it (none / 0) (#20)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:57:56 PM EST


    Parent
    Rock salt? (none / 0) (#28)
    by addy on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:08:54 PM EST
    Really? That is intriguing. Why rock salt?

    Parent
    Onions (none / 0) (#31)
    by caseyOR on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:17:57 PM EST
    I've used thick slices of onion as a rack for chicken. Adds a nice flavor to the sauce.

    Parent
    The chicken came out perfect. (none / 0) (#36)
    by addy on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:36:05 PM EST
    Crispy outside, tender inside. I may even be able to get the husband to eat it. Hes funny about roast chicken.

    Parent
    You can also use (none / 0) (#33)
    by nycstray on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:27:11 PM EST
    a variety of things depending on how you want your flavor. I've lined roasting pans with citrus, apples, pears, onions, root veggies etc in various combos. And I stuff a few in the cavity also. Root veggies can be eaten after, I usually toss the fruit or let the Dot have things like the apples ;) Makes for great pan drippings to add to the carcass for stock making ...

    Parent
    Great roast chicken recipe from (none / 0) (#6)
    by BackFromOhio on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:28:22 PM EST
    my mom -- quick, easy and tasty:

    Pour 12oz can of apricot nectar over whole chicken, making sure to coat all exposed parts; sprinkle with poultry seasoning and paprika (salt & pepper, optional).  Dice several onions and sprinkle them all over chicken and inside cavity.

    Chicken comes out golden brown and moist; takes no time to prepare; sauce can be used to flavor rice -- my preference to complement the sweetness of the apricot nectar is a combo of brown and wild rice.  


    Parent

    What temperature and time do you use? (none / 0) (#7)
    by addy on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:31:42 PM EST
    I can cook a mean spaghetti and chicken picatta, but roasting a chicken....not my forte.

    Parent
    Try 375 degrees (none / 0) (#19)
    by BackFromOhio on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:57:52 PM EST
    -- how long you cook chicken for depends on size of chicken.  I can sorta tell by looking when the thing is done.  But when in doubt, go to the old Settlement Cookbook; the edition I have (admittedly ancient) has roasting times for various meats and poultry.  A small chicken can take as little as an hour; so much also depends on whether you use gas or electric oven - in my experience, electric is faster.  After 2/3 total cooking time is up, turn chicken over, making sure the "top" has lots of apricot juice on it.  This recipe is really kinda fool proof.  If you're not sure if chicken is done, slice a piece & taste, making sure the chicken meat is not pink.
    By the way, you can try peach nectar instead of apricot.  

    Parent
    Juices should run clear. (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by caseyOR on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:05:20 PM EST
    If the legs are loose and easy to move and the juices run clear, the chicken is done. To check the juices insert a paring knife between the leg and the thigh. Juices will run out of the pierced skin. If there is any color, pink or red, the chicken is not ready. Pop it back in the oven.

    I've used this method for decades. It has never failed me. It also works with a turkey.

    Parent

    Even a lousy (none / 0) (#42)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:27:28 PM EST
    roast chicken is glorious, and it's hard to end up with lousy unless you just totally forgot you put it in the oven.

    Perfect roast chicken, with moist breast meat and fully cooked legs and a crispy skin is hard to do, for sure, but an ordinarily nifty one is one of the easiest things you'll ever cook.

    One trick I learned from the "Cook's Illustrated" folks is to ice down the breast with bags of ice cubes or a couple bags of frozen peas you don't mind sacrificing to the cause for 20 minutes before putting it in the oven.  That retards the cooking of the breast meat so it comes out done when the dark meat is done.

    Parent

    Trussing made easy (none / 0) (#8)
    by caseyOR on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:34:29 PM EST
    Good old Julia, back in the day, used a giant needle to truss her chickens, but you don't have to. We've simplified trussing quite a bit since then. You can forget the giant needle. All you need is butcher twine. I get mine at my grocery store, by the butcher department.

    Here is a link to very easy trussing directions, complete with photos. Anybody can master the art of chicken trussing.

    Parent

    Bookmarked (none / 0) (#10)
    by addy on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:36:43 PM EST
    Thanks!

    Parent
    I have to admit (none / 0) (#21)
    by BackFromOhio on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:59:35 PM EST
    I've never trussed a chicken, even from the butcher, and I always buy kosher or organic.  Don't most of them come oven ready -- or am I clueless?  

    Parent
    Nope (5.00 / 2) (#44)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:32:30 PM EST
    They're not trussed (supermarket turkeys usually have a metal band that holds the legs together at the ankles, but not chickens), and they've got a paper bag of random stuff in the cavity-- a neck if you're lucky, a liver if you're lucky, a heart or two, giblets, whatever handful the processor happened to grab out of the bin.  You will not be happy if you don't take that out first! (Chickens should be washed well inside and out with cold water, then dried with paper towels before roasting anyway.)

    But I confess I never bother trussing chickens for roasting.  So they flop around.  Who cares?  At most, I might use some twine to tie the ankles together, but I usually don't even bother with that. It's really only necessary if you're stuffing the bird, and I rarely do.

    Parent

    I always remove (none / 0) (#75)
    by BackFromOhio on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 09:39:31 AM EST
    gizzed and wash out cavity -- but didn't know those things are part of what you call "trussing"!

    Parent
    They aren't (none / 0) (#82)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 10:43:29 AM EST
    called "trussing."  That's why I used the little word "and." :-)

    You said you thought they came "oven-ready," so I was just pointing out the ways in which they're not.

    Parent

    How do you all (none / 0) (#9)
    by ruffian on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:34:33 PM EST
    get nice crispy skin on a roast chicken but still keep the meat moist? I've been using a stoneware covered roaster and the meat comes out great, but even if I uncover it for the last part of the roasting the skin is all mushy.

    I roast a lot of chicken so I'm loving all this advice!

    Parent

    Dry the chicken (none / 0) (#11)
    by caseyOR on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:40:57 PM EST
    prior to roasting. I have found that drying the outside of the chicken, really drying it, using paper towel, makes all the difference when it comes to crispy skin.

    After I dry it, I rub the chicken, inside and out, with a mix of kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fennel seeds. Often I will stuff some sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme into the cavity as well.

    Also, I don't cover the chicken at any point during the roasting.

    Parent

    Wow, I never would have thought of drying it! (none / 0) (#18)
    by ruffian on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:54:31 PM EST
    The rub sounds great too.

    Thank you!

    Parent

    Throw an onion (none / 0) (#45)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:34:09 PM EST
    in the cavity, too, for a nice fragrant meat.  You don't taste onion per se, just a perfumey kind of quality. I think it adds a bit of moisture to the breast meat, too.

    (Um, a peeled onion, of course...)

    Parent

    If I had chickens to spare (none / 0) (#22)
    by andgarden on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:00:16 PM EST
    I'd think about cooking part way in the microwave, and the blasting in the broiler at the end.

    Parent
    You wouldn't get even cooking (none / 0) (#46)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:36:17 PM EST
    that way, Andgarden.  Microwaves don't do well with something as structurally complicated as a whole chicken.  And the broiler would singe the very top bit of skin over the bone and leave the rest of it untouched.  Fugeddaboudit.

    It only takes about 90 minutes in the oven, so it's really not worth the fuss your way.

    Parent

    Like I said, it would be an experiment (none / 0) (#73)
    by andgarden on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 09:32:02 AM EST
    I also wonder if a braise/blast cycle might work.

    Parent
    I rub the entire outside of the chx (none / 0) (#60)
    by shoephone on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 01:01:28 AM EST
    with warm, room temperature butter. Then season with kosher salt, black pepper, dried oregano, rosemary and thyme. I stuff the cavity with cut lemon, garlic cloves and fresh rosemary. Pour a little white wine or vermouth and chicken stock in the bottom of the pan, for basting.

    Roast at 450 degrees for one hour (or up to one hour 15 minutes, depending on your oven). Baste every 20 minutes. Yup. Comes out moist, and with the crispiest skin! Based on the recipe from Judy Geise's New Northwest Kitchen, which came out in the early 1990's -- so isn't so new anymore.

    Parent

    Paprika has some property/ies (none / 0) (#77)
    by BackFromOhio on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 09:54:14 AM EST
    in it that result in crispy skin

    Parent
    Instead of tongs (none / 0) (#39)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:21:15 PM EST
    sacrifice a couple of pot holders to use to flip the chicken, or wads of paper towels work fine, too.

    Parent
    I have silicon and other types of pot holders (none / 0) (#52)
    by nycstray on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:54:09 PM EST
    no sacrifice when flippin' da bird ;) You can just wash them in hot sudsy water when you're doing your dishes. I also have the oven mitts out of the same materials.  One of my fav finds for the kitchen. The pot holders have enough grip to work as jar openers also. The best part is just turning on the hot water and rinsing them off. Add a squirt of soap for some things. They're always ready to go.

    Parent
    Great tip (none / 0) (#55)
    by gyrfalcon on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 12:26:57 AM EST
    I hadn't realized they made silicon potholders.  Thanks!

    Parent
    I have silicon and another type (5.00 / 1) (#62)
    by nycstray on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 01:28:00 AM EST
    I did a quick search on Amazon but couldn't find the other ones I have. They are a bit more fabric like (rubbery?) and I also have the mitts out of them. Saved me lots of burn damage ;) I just love being able to rinse them off etc and not worrying about running them through the laundry. No staining etc either. and I think they work better than the fabric style ones. And they don't tend to catch on fire as easily when you leave them too close to the gas burner. {grin}

    Parent
    Jeralyn, about that chili recipe-- (none / 0) (#15)
    by caseyOR on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 09:46:31 PM EST
    I'm looking for a good chili recipe. Would you share yours?

    sure, it's the one (none / 0) (#24)
    by Jeralyn on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:02:48 PM EST
    from Alice's Restaurant Cookbook. It's available here. The only change I make is I don't use green peppers since they "repeat", I use red, orange and yellow. Also, instead of red kidney beans I use a can of organic black beans. I only use 2TB of the chile powder, and as I did tonight, you can substitute ground buffalo for the ground beef and it's healthier. And don't forget the 1TB of sugar.

    (now had you asked for my green chile recipe, since I made that one up and it's the best one I've tasted, I'd have to think hard!)

    Parent

    Thanks, J. Looks good. (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by caseyOR on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:15:21 PM EST
    I just received my order of heirloom Mexican red beans from Rancho Gordo, the fabulous dried heirloom bean company. I got a some Sangre del Toro beans that I think I'll use in this recipe.

    If you are eating more beans to add fiber to your diet or to cut down on animal protein or just because you like beans, check out Rancho Gordo. They have the most amazing selection of dried beans. They are located in Napa, CA. Oh, and they are just the nicest people.

    Parent

    They are soon to be my local bean supply :) (none / 0) (#35)
    by nycstray on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:35:56 PM EST
    I turned my sister on to them a couple years ago. I will soon be close enough to call them local, so I'm very excited and can't wait to start buying from them.

    Ahhh . . .  the joys of CA agriculture. Year round CSAs ta boot! I was researching heirloom seeds today as I can start planting when I arrive. Things like beans though, I'll leave to the experts :)

    Parent

    Wow, those beans (none / 0) (#51)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:50:09 PM EST
    look good!  Thanks very much for the link.

    I'm going to try growing some of my own beans to dry this summer, if the darn weather will cooperate.

    Parent

    Beans? (none / 0) (#34)
    by McKinless on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:30:59 PM EST
    You know, of course, that real chili never includes beans. . . .

    Parent
    In American cooking (none / 0) (#50)
    by gyrfalcon on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:47:53 PM EST
    chili is with beans, dammit!  Don't care whether it's authentic or not.

    My favorite recipe couldn't be simpler. A mess of onions softened in the pan with oil, a pound of ground meat (I prefer turkey these days) cooked up in the oil, a couple cans of Stewart's red beans, a quart of tomatoes, 3 TBS or more of really good fresh chili powder, S&P, and cook over slow heat an hour or so.  Yowza!

    Parent

    What does it contain then? (none / 0) (#65)
    by jbindc on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 06:03:48 AM EST
    "Chili con carne" means "peppers with meat".  If you have no beans, and just "chili", I guess that means you have "pepper stew"?

    Parent
    Coming to Milwaukee (none / 0) (#37)
    by Politalkix on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 10:53:36 PM EST
    Link

    90%+ say Taylor Swift was off-key ... (none / 0) (#49)
    by cymro on Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 11:45:24 PM EST
    Poll: Was Taylor Swift Singing Out Of Key At The Grammys?

    Scott Borchetta of her record label tried to come to her defense with clumsy excuses and rationalizations, including this:

    This is not American Idol. This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It's not about that technically perfect performance.

    Not surprisingly, this upset other musicians like former Idol champion Kelly Clarkson, who actually can sing. Here's her response. Also, Borchetta's attempts to paper over the problem of Taylor Swift's habitually poor singing are not helping.

    [For anyone who didn't have the misfortune to hear this the first time, here is Taylor Swift Performing Live with Stevie Nicks on 52nd Grammy Awards.]

    Sounds like one of the good guys Don... (none / 0) (#66)
    by kdog on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 07:50:59 AM EST
    a dying breed of public servant.

    NYC has suffered a loss as well...NYC B-Ball legend Dick McGuire passed at age 84 this week.  I'll leave the eulogy to a pro, Mike Lupica.

    Find the open man on that playground in the sky Dick.

    His brother Al (none / 0) (#80)
    by jondee on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 10:12:16 AM EST
    will always be my all-time favorite college basketball analyst. One half John Wooden and one half ex-Dead Rabbit (old NYC Irish st gang).

    Those guys were quite a crew.

    Parent

    Yes they were... (none / 0) (#81)
    by kdog on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 10:28:31 AM EST
    To be on those Rockaway courts back in the day with the McGuire boys!

    I only know them through stories from my great uncle, who was an all-city high school player himself back in the 40's with scholarship offers to Notre Dame and others.  But he turned him down to join the priesthood...the old "give one son to the church" thang for Irish Catholic families back in the day.  Glad that tradition died:)

    Parent

    Child Abuse in NYC... (none / 0) (#67)
    by kdog on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 08:40:33 AM EST
    slapping chains on little kids is approaching epidemic status...here is the latest case involving a 12 year old girl.

    Gotta love that zero-tolerance dontcha?...wtf is wrong with us?  At least the little kid with the Legos wasn't chained...only mildly traumatized compared to some of the other young victims of our systems.

    O.M.G. (5.00 / 1) (#70)
    by nycstray on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 09:07:34 AM EST
    They would have been detaining me right and left for "Desk Doodling". I woulda had one heck of a rap sheet by the time I graduated :P

    I can't believe they took her to the police station. And it was erasable ink?!

    Parent

    Sad but true stray... (5.00 / 1) (#72)
    by kdog on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 09:31:39 AM EST
    that makes two of us...we used to carve 'em up with a compass too...today that is a probably a possesion of a deadly weapon charge as well as defacing school property.  Juvie time.

    But jb says pay no mind...she'll get over it...there are drunk drivers on the loose!

    Parent

    And on the flip side (none / 0) (#68)
    by jbindc on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 08:55:00 AM EST
    We have yet another case of "Why wasn't this clown in jail a long time ago serving a long sentence"?

    Man arrested for 10th DUI

    A Warren man who was recently arrested and arraigned for a 10th time on operating a vehicle under the influence is back on the streets after posting bond.

    43-year-old Chad Kumaus was arrested in Chesterfield Township after an ex-girlfriend said he wouldn't leave her home. Kumaus had been arrested nine times before across Macomb County and Lansing, with charges dating back to 1986.

    Fraser Police Lt. Dan Kulke tells Fox 2 that he remembers arresting Kumaus 19 years ago. "This person's very dangerous. He's been charged with felonies numerous times for the multiple drunk drivings and he hasn't learned from it. It's not enough punishment for him," he said.

    Although Kumaus -- who also has a suspended license -- must wear an electronic tether that monitors his alcohol use, there's no stopping him from driving.



    Parent
    Lets see... (5.00 / 1) (#69)
    by kdog on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 09:00:28 AM EST
    chains on a 12 year old...one arsehole among many "on the loose"....chains on a 12 year old.

    I know what I think the greater crime is...and who should be held to a higher standard...random loser or NYPD/NYC Board of ED.

    Parent

    yours is bad (none / 0) (#71)
    by jbindc on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 09:10:03 AM EST
    But my story is about someone who is a danger to the public.  My parents don't live far from this guy - he shouldn't be on the road with them.

    Sorry - the 12 year old wil lget over it and get on Oprah for this.  The guy in my story needs to be behind bars.

    Parent

    So is mine... (5.00 / 1) (#74)
    by kdog on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 09:34:17 AM EST
    the school officials and cops are a danger to the public as well, with the added bonus of the public paying their salaries. Specifically a danger to healthy child development.

    I'm sure he's not the only idiot near your parents, or near you or I...it's a dangerous world full of idiots, what can I tell ya pal...it need not be so authoritarian and dangerous.

    Parent

    Actually (none / 0) (#85)
    by jbindc on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 11:09:13 AM EST
    If she were mine, I'd go after the city, but the 12 year old would then be punished for writing on the desk.  The police overstepped their bounds, but the sad part is she probably won't learn the lesson from this that she doesn't have the right to vandalize other people's property.

    Parent
    "Vandalizing other people's property" (5.00 / 2) (#89)
    by jondee on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 11:24:43 AM EST
    is just a tad melodramatic a way to characterize a twelve year old doodling on a desk with erasable marker, dont you think, jb?

    You sound like the state going for the maximum penalty allowed under the law.

    Parent

    Thats our jb!... (none / 0) (#91)
    by kdog on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 11:29:10 AM EST
    I love her but she's freakin' nuts sometimes:)

    Parent
    Jeezus (none / 0) (#92)
    by jondee on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 11:33:40 AM EST
    If they handled things that way when I was a kid, I might be in the system still for some of the things I wrote on desks.

    Whats the message here that they're trying to send to these kids: might as well get your feet wet now and prepare for all those future incarcerations you'll most assuredly experience?

    This is case of effing child abuse - terrorization that SHOULD warrant an adult or two in cuffs, imo.

    Parent

    I'd settle for some pink slips... (none / 0) (#93)
    by kdog on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 11:39:17 AM EST
    just get 'em off the dole and out of a position of authority and I'm happy, hold the chains, we've got enough of 'em.

    Parent
    Read the link... (none / 0) (#87)
    by kdog on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 11:15:28 AM EST
    she says she learned her lesson about erasable markers on desks...I think she musta learned at least two...don't write on desks and the police is farked up.

    Parent
    Well (none / 0) (#86)
    by jbindc on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 11:11:16 AM EST
    Since he has absolutely no right to drive, and I will bet the farm he has driven more than 10 times while under the influence, and has proven to be unwilling or unable to adhere to law of 1)not doing a DUI, and 2) not driving on a suspended license, I think in this case, it's time to throw the book at him and HARD.

    He is a complete menace to society and a public safety hazard.

    Parent

    I'd bet the farm too... (none / 0) (#88)
    by kdog on Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 11:20:43 AM EST
    bet the farm that he drives drunk like I smoke reefer...but I don't see what can really be done about it, and still call it a free country that is.

    That being said, I'd be ok with a 6 month sentence for a guy like that and see if that does the trick...but no more than that without someone injured by his drunk driving.  When a drunk driver injures or kills, I'm fine with treating that just like assault or manslaughter...no addiction-based excuses when there is a victim.

    Parent

    We don't know (none / 0) (#96)
    by jbindc on Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 10:56:57 AM EST
    If this is "addiction based" or the guy is just an a%%hole.

    And as you may well guess, I don't think we should adopt your attitude of "Well, there's nothing we can do about it anyway, so we may as well let everyone go free."

    6 months won't do anything for this guy.  He needs to be off the roads until he's too old to drive.

    Parent

    How do you... (none / 0) (#97)
    by kdog on Mon Feb 08, 2010 at 11:23:58 AM EST
    keep him off the roads without getting too tyrannical or setting up a system that is too ripe for overpunishment and abuse?

    Thats the million dollar question....I don't think it is possible.

    Parent

    Thursday Night Open Thread | 84 comments (84 topical)

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