Up Yours, News Cycle! 9/17/10

(These are not my scones. This is a photo of a pile of scones from Wikimedia Commons courtesy of OctopusHat. They look like my scones though.)

Following the advice of my editor, I'm going to work on my manuscript and get back into the kitchen for a while.

In fact rather than checking the news, I baked scones this morning.

Here's the recipe adapted from the Joy of Cooking:

Whisk together in a large bowl:

2 Cups all purpose flour
1/3 Cup granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder

Cut in 3/4 stick of butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add 1/2 cup heavy cream, a single egg and a few drops of pure almond extract.  (I also like to take a half cup of currants and soak them in Amaretto for an hour. Drain the currents and add them instead of the almond extract.)

Stir everything together with a rubber spatula until it comes together, then knead it a few times against the side of the bowl.  Shape the ball into a six to seven inch wide disc (about 3/4 of an inch thick) and cut into six pie-shaped wedges.

Arrange the wedges on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with melted butter.  Sprinkle a little granulated sugar on each top and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Let them cool on a rack for a few minutes before you pounce and devour the whole damn batch.  Great with butter, jam, clotted cream or just plain.

News 9/15/10

(Mr. T. and Nancy Reagan share a tender moment at the White House.

God I miss the 80's.)

• Christine O'Donnell who opposes gays and masturbation defeated Mike Castle in the Delaware GOP Senate primary. National Republican Senatorial Committee not interested in funding her general election fight against Democrat Chris Coons.

• Someone else who hates gays and masturbation, Pappa Ratzi XVI, visits the UK amid great annoyance over his international pedophilia ring. Via the Telegraph UK: “Saying sorry is easy, offensive and inadequate, what he needs to do is make amends.” 

• Senator Reid schedules vote on Defense Authorization Bill, assures everyone he doesn't take his marching orders from Lady Gaga.

• Billy Lucas's tragic suicide provides backdrop for discussion of how pervasive and destructive anti-gay bullying remains in schools.

• Sam Roberts over at the New York Times talks about increasing acceptance of gay families in American society. Inexplicably, Roberts quotes totally discredited, incompetent hatenozzle, David Blankenhorn.

News 9/14/10

("Good Penguin! Mommy's got a herring for you."

I grabbed this photo over at FFFFOUND! a great place to hunt for weird things. Check it out.)

• "Dude, you have no Koran." Amarillo skateboarder dude saves the Holy Koran from burning.

• Acting Governor of California does not file an appeal in the Prop 8 case as deadline passes.

• American hiker released from Iranian jail.

• Primary races in a bunch of places today.

• Castro set to fire half of all Cuban government employees and make the private sector less restrictive.

• US Federal Government takes incremental step towards extending some benefits to gay federal employees. This is a good thing and I'm very glad to see it. However, this represents only a fraction of the rights heterosexual families enjoy.

• Harry Reid schedules Senate vote on Defense Authorization Bill which contains language allowing consideration of possible repeal of DADT "some day." (Via Joe My God)

News 9/13/10

(Is my lipstick even?)

• Lady Gaga does some DADT related fierce advocacy at the MTV Music awards, wins eight of fifteen categories. Imagine what the President could do if he used his spotlight to highlight injustice? (Via Joe My God.)

• Meanwhile, ABC News wonders "if" DADT should be repealed, cites Obama's duty to defend existing law rather than his duty to defend the Constitution.

• NBC News Online has a summary sketch of upcoming races and primaries, including an interesting warning to Delaware Republican Mike Castle. The Tea Party is out for his blood.

• Bishop of Antwerp does not announce a new investigation into massive child sex abuse by priests. Belgian government taking the matter seriously, much to the chagrin of Pope Asshole XVI.

• Also, Pope Asshole XVI has gone out of his way to condemn equality for gays ahead of his visit to the UK. The man who enables pedophiles on a massive scale is simply furious that marriage rights for gays "cause confusion" about society's values. Wow. What an asshole.

• Gay Florida Governor Charlie Crist changes his tune on Gay rights. Now he supports ENDA, DADT repeal, UAFA, Civil Unions. He's still a scuzzy little closet case. (Via AmericaBlog Gay)

News 9/12/10

(17th Century Illustration of everyone's favorite extinct bird. The Dodo.)

• The New York Times highlights John Boehner's ties to big business ahead of midterms that could see him the next Speaker of the House.

• Turks vote to restructure their constitution, ostensibly to get out from under military rule. New Parliamentary power over judiciary causes some concern. The extremely close vote looks likely to increase the schism between secular and Islamic Turks.

• Japanese continue to detain Chinese captain, crew and vessel over tussle in disputed waters.

• Yvonne Addis has written a short and nifty letter to the editor over at the Mason City Globe Gazette about persecution of gays by the church. Says Addis: "ignorance from the pulpit is harming many of our young people by teaching them to hate themselves rather than to accept themselves for who they are." Thanks Yvonne, whoever you are.

• Lesbian couple from Vonroe, Tennessee have their house burned down with the word "Queer" spray painted on the side of their garage. Community rallies to provide safety, shelter and supplies to the women. Here's the PFLAG Marysville site where you can go to help the couple and their college age daughter.

• High ranking Saudi Diplomat seeks asylum in the US. He has criticized his government, is friends with a Jewish woman and he's gay.