Thanksy Main

Vegan Meatloaf

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 cups cremini mushrooms, diced
• 1 cup dry brown lentils, (about 2 1/2 cups cooked)
• 2 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 3 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste

Maple Tomato Glaze

• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, allowing extra to hang over each side. ​
2. Fill a large soup pot with water and add the lentils. Place over medium heat and cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. Strain through a colander when lentils are cooked all the way through.
3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and sauté, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until onions are translucent and fragrant. Add garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes until vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Remove from heat.
4. In a food processor combine sautéed vegetables, lentils, and the remaining ingredients for the vegan meatloaf. Pulse until well combined. Some texture should remain. Once about half your ingredients are well blended, transfer them to a bowl and mash the rest together with a potato masher or your hands.
5. Transfer the meatloaf to the prepared loaf pan, cover in tin foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the tomato maple glaze in a small bowl. When the loaf is ready, pull it out, remove tin foil, and evenly cover the top with the glaze. Return to oven, uncovered, and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.
7. When the tomato glaze starts to brown at the edges and the lentil loaf is firm, remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes before slicing. This allows the meatloaf to firm up as it cools.

Notes

Serving and Storing–Let the loaf cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing up and serving with your favorite sides. Tightly wrap leftover meatloaf and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze the meatloaf for up to 3 months. To reheat, gently rewarm up the meatloaf in the oven or microwave.

Recipe Tips–Be careful not to over-mix the ingredients in the food processor. Process until about half your mixture is well blended before transferring meatloaf to a bowl to continue mixing by hand. If you over-mix, the meatloaf will become gummy and mushy.

More Thanksy Ideas

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1 (10 ounce) package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
• 3/4 cup vegan parmesan + more to sprinkle on top
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Drain all the excess water out of the thawed spinach and place in a large bowl with the vegan sour cream, artichoke hearts, and garlic. Stir to combine.
3. Add vegan cream cheese, 3/4 cup vegan parmesan, and pepper. Stir again until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
4. Transfer the dip into an 8" cast iron skillet or similar sized baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes until light brown and bubbling slightly underneath.
5. Turn oven to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes to get the top a slightly darker brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately with a toasted baguette or crackers.

Serving and Storing: Serve it warm with fresh baguette, crackers, or vegetables. Store leftover spinach dip in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can be eaten cold or gently warmed up in the oven or microwave.

Make in Advance: You can prepare the dip the night before. Before baking it, cover it and place it in the refrigerator. Pull it out to bake the next day.

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Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
• 2 tablespoons grated orange rind
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Rinse cranberries and add to a large saucepan.
2. Add sugar, orange juice, orange rind and water.
3. Bring to low boil for 3-4 minutes. Lower heat to a simmer. The key here is to cook down the cranberries.
4. Add amaretto and continue to simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened.

Cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

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Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes

• 6 cups cubed sweet potatoes, about 3 large potatoes
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, I used soy
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt

Pecan Topping

• 3/4 cup pecans
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. While water is heating up, peel and chop the sweet potatoes into 1/2" inch cubes. Place in boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.
3. Drain the water from the cooked sweet potatoes and let cool 10 minutes. Mash potatoes with a masher or large fork. Add the remaining sweet potato ingredients and blend together with an immersion blender or a wooden spoon. Transfer to a 2-quart casserole dish and spread evenly.
4. To make the pecan topping, place pecans, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Once pecans have broken into uniform pieces, add the melted butter while the motor still running. Pulse a few more times until the crust is fully hydrated. The pecan topping should stick together when pressed between your fingers. If it is too dry, add one additional tablespoon of melted butter.
5. Spread the pecan topping evenly over the sweet potato puree and bake for 20-30 minutes until topping is golden brown. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Thanksgiving Ideas

Derby Pie

Makes 1 9-inch pie

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter, melted, cooled to room temperature
• 3/4 cup white corn syrup
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 deep-dish 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place sugar and eggs in mixing bowl and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to slow and gradually add butter and corn syrup, scraping down bowl as needed. Remove bowl from mixer, stir in bourbon, chocolate and pecans.

Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until pie is set, but not firm. It should be brown with a slight jiggle when removed from oven.

Allow to cool completely on wire rack before cutting.

Serve as is or with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

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Spinach Madeline

Makes about 8 servings

• 2 packages frozen chopped spinach
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped onions
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable liquid
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• Salt to taste
• 1 6-ounce roll of jalapeno cheese, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Cayenne to taste
• Buttered bread crumbs (optional)

Cook the spinach according to package directions. Drain and reserve the liquid from the pot. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring until blended and smooth, but not brown. Add the onions and cook until soft but not brown. Add the milk and one-half cup of the reserved liquid from the spinach pot. Stir constantly to avoid any lumps. Cook, stirring, until smooth and thick. Add the seasonings and cheese and stir until the cheese is completely melted.

Pour into a casserole and top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.

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Collard Greens

Serve 4 to 6

• 3 pounds collards, rinsed, stemmed, chiffonade (sliced into long, thin strips)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar

In large pot bring water and 1 tablespoon of salt to boil, blanch collards for 5 minutes, drain and press out water, let drain in a colander.

In large skillet over medium heat, heat oil and butter, stir in onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic, stir until fragrant. Add collards, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder and vinegar.

Cook for 3-5 minutes, adjust seasoning. Transfer to platter and serve.

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Loaded Butternut Squash Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) butternut squash
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions, plus more for garnish
• 10 ounces diced smoked ham
• 6 ounces Gruyere cheese, diced
• 2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Slowly and carefully cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, starting at the stem end. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice off about 1/8 inch from the bottom of each half to ensure they lay flat while baking. Transfer onto the prepared baking sheet.
3. Place in the center of the preheated oven and roast until tender but not falling apart, 60 to 90 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Increase oven temperature to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
4. Use a spoon to scoop squash into a bowl, leaving about 1/2 inch attached to the skin so it won't collapse and fall apart later.
5. Add salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and egg to squash. Mix and mash with a spoon until smooth, or leave it a bit chunky, if desired. Stir in 1/4 cup green onions, ham, and diced Gruyere cheese; mix until combined.
6. Scoop mixture back into the squash shells, distributing as evenly as possible and top with grated Gruyere.
7. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until cheese is browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and top with green onions. Slice and serve.

Choose a butternut squash with a bottom and top that are about the same size. This will give you more squash and fewer seeds.

Although Gruyere is the classic cheese used in Cordon Bleu, a nice sharp white Cheddar would work out beautifully.

This could also work very nicely as a holiday side dish -- just switch out the ham for some caramelized mushrooms.

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Skordalia (Greek Garlic Potato Dip)

Ingredients

• 1.25 pounds russet potatoes
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 drizzle olive oil, or to taste
• 1 pinch minced fresh oregano

Directions

1. Peel and quarter the potatoes and add to a saucepan with enough cold salted water to cover by 1 inch. Place over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and continue to simmer until potatoes are tender, but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. While potatoes are cooking, add garlic and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to a mortar and pestle. Crush into a fine paste and reserve.
3. Drain potatoes, reserving some of the cooking water to thin the dip out with later if desired. Let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the potatoes to a mixing bowl. Mash with a potato masher or potato ricer until smooth and lump free. Stir in garlic paste. Add lemon juice and vinegar and stir in with the masher.
5. Whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil in 3 or 4 additions. Add cayenne and more salt if needed. Pass dip through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Serve at room temperature, garnished with olive oil and oregano.

You can make this with whatever kind of potato you want, but I highly recommend using a russet.

You can add fresh herbs to this if you like, such as parsley, chives, or dried oregano.

I prefer using a milder, fruity olive oil for this. Dip may be thinned with potato cooking water if needed, depending on the desired thickness; just reserve before draining.

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Roasted Roman-Style Romanesco

Ingredients

• 2 drizzles olive oil, divided, or as needed
• 2 heads Romanesco, leaves and stems removed
• 3 oil-packed anchovy fillets
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (Optional)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• ¼ cup plain dry bread crumbs
• ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Drizzle olive oil into a roasting pan or baking dish.
2. Cut Romanesco into quarters, being sure to cut directly through the thick center core, so that they stay together when roasted. Set aside until needed.
3. Add anchovies and 3 tablespoons olive oil to a large mixing bowl and use the back of a fork to mash the anchovies into a paste. Add red pepper flakes and lemon juice and stir with a fork to combine.
4. Toss Romanesco in the dressing until the pieces are thoroughly coated. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and 1/2 of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and toss until evenly coated.
5. Transfer Romanesco into the prepared pan, cut side-down. Scrape all cheese and crumbs from the mixing bowl and scatter over the top. Grate the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano to cover the tops and lightly drizzle with olive oil.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is browned and the Romanesco is tender, as tested with the tip of a knife in the cores, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges.

Mash the anchovy filets down to your desired consistency.

Finely crushed garlic can be added to the anchovy and lemon mixture if so desired.

Hunters still rock post-nerf

So after the nerf, I switched from BM to SV.

Here’s a 25-man Vault chart:

The Jowly Lump

I like how Toles draws McCain:

Ride The Tiger!

Anchovy has been level 70 on the Staghelm realm for some time now. Recently, I got the reputation to buy a Swift Winterspring Frostsaber, and here she is hanging out in Ironforge.

From the “I could have told them that” department ....

This is from page 24 of the June 6, 2008, edition of The Inquisitor:

Adam Bryan Giblin, W/M,
DOB: 4/25/67, of
4611 Tibbs St.,
Shreveport, was
arrested by Officer
R. Christian on a
charge of theft and
on an outstanding
Caddo bench warrant
for proper equipment required
on vehicle. Over the last
year, the suspect allegedly took
from his place of employment
compact discs valued from
$5,000 to $15,000 and then sold
them to a local store to cash
them in.

Adam is the former program director at Red River Radio, the referenced place of employment.

I can’t be the only one who worked there who knew what was going on. Five to 15 grand is a lot of CDs! Or maybe something else went down, too. I also know of one occasion when he charged a local organization money to promote an event on the air with a fake “live remote.”

Vote Republican!

Torture & NPR

A couple of things about torture.

First, waterboarding is torture, no ifs, ands or buts. If my word isn’t good enough, consider former P.O.W. John McCain’s:

“All I can say is that it was used in the Spanish Inquisition, it was used in Pol Pot’s genocide in Cambodia, and there are reports that it is being used against Buddhist monks today,” Mr. McCain, who spent more than five years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, said in a telephone interview.

Of presidential candidates like Mr. Giuliani, who say that they are unsure whether waterboarding is torture, Mr. McCain said: “They should know what it is. It is not a complicated procedure. It is torture.”

Therefore, it’s distressing that a potential U.S. Attorney General won’t take a firm stand against waterboarding.

We must do better as a nation.

Second, NPR’s Steve Inskeep and Anne Garrels collaborated on a story that used sources who had been tortured. Instead of focusing on the torture, they focused on the resultant unsurprising confessions. It caused a firestorm of response, and FAIR issued an action alert. Garrels lamely defended herself, and it came off contrived.

We must do better as a nation.

Marshall Fannin Blog Gone Again

Here's what I know about it: bupkus.

Anyone know anything?

IT appears to me that Marshall changed his domain hosting. That means it might be back soon. Or it might not be. The domain wasn't set to expire until next year, so I don't think it's a claim jumper. This is just speculation.

World Vegan Day

War Criminal Escapes Justice

Dammit, he got away!

“Former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld fled France today fearing arrest over charges of ‘ordering and authorizing’ torture of detainees at both the American-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the US military’s detainment facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, unconfirmed reports coming from Paris suggest.”

Philosophy Talk visits KSCL this weekend

Philosophy Talk, the radio show that questions everything except your intelligence, visits KSCL 91.3 FM and Centenary College this weekend.

Saturday, Stanford philosophers Ken Taylor and John Perry will tape a show from 5:00 to 6:30 pm in Anderson Auditorium on the Centenary College campus. They'll be exploring the concept of work with their guest, Al Gini.

Why work? Some argue that work is an unfortunate necessity; others that our jobs add to our lives. Work can make us into better people, teaching discipline, creativity, resourcefulness and other good habits. Some jobs might be degrading, but some kind of meaningful work is necessary for a meaningful life. Do Americans work too much? Do we identify too strongly with work at the expense of family, friends and health? What role should work play in a well-lived life?

Sunday at noon, Taylor and Perry broadcast from the KSCL studios. Beforehand, they'll discuss philosophy, their effort to bring philosophy to the airwaves, and their take on work.

KSCL airs Philosophy Talk at 10:00 am Wednesdays and Sundays.

Missed an episode? You can listen to past shows here.

Diminished Expectations Still Go Unmet at Red River Radio

It’s fundraising time at Red River Radio. Here’s my two cents.

First, they’ve made their goal the lowest I’ve seen in years: $200,000. And they’re still not meeting it.

Let’s do the math. With $200,000 to be raised over a pledge drive of 14 days, Red River Radio needs to get $14,285.71 in donations each day. After nine days, they had only raised $114,210, according to their website. That’s $12,690 a day. At that rate, and barring any large donations being held back for a contrived big finish, Red River Radio’s drive will end with around $177,660, about $22,340 short.

The past several pledge drives have also fallen short -- distressing news for the network which is undergoing digital modernization yet still needs massive infrastructure redevelopment. They need lots of money and they aren’t getting it.

What’s the cause? Simply put, people don’t listen as much as they once did and the general focus is shifting from reliance on public donations to corporate contributions.

Consider these quotes from publications by David Giovannoni’s Audience Research Analysis organization:

Reinvigorating Public Radio’s Public Service & Public Support: INTERIM REPORT 1 APPROACH.

Americans are listening less to public radio today than two years ago. Not coincidentally, their financial support of our industry shows signs of softening.

Reinvigorating Public Radio’s Public Service & Public Support: INTERIM REPORT 6 LOSING OUR GRIP.

Public radio is losing its grip on its own listeners.

Stations that generate almost half of all public radio listening have lost loyalty in the last year. MORNING EDITION, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, and other programs generating 80 percent of all listening have lost their forward momentum or fallen back.

It doesn’t matter whether public radio has gotten weaker or commercial radio has gotten stronger. Either way, our listeners are listening less to us and more to them.

Reinvigorating Public Radio’s Public Service & Public Support: INTERIM REPORT 4 AN HISTORIC LOSS OF MOMENTUM.

After a 30 year run of virtually uninterrupted audience growth, public radio is no longer increasing its reach into American society or claiming larger shares of radio listening.

It’s not lost listening that portends ill for public radio. It’s the loss of upward momentum – the absence of growth on which we have traditionally relied – that threatens to ripple through our public service economy.

Public radio’s revenues have grown in lockstep with its audience for decades. Station managers could budget on the assumption of financial growth because their assumptions of audience growth typically proved true.

We can no longer assume we’ll have more resources tomorrow than we have today. At many stations, listener-sensitive revenues are poised to level or even decline; the projected gap between expectation and reality will approach or exceed the size of their Community Service Grants.

What’s the solution?

Red River Radio needs to change it’s programming to both increase ratings and boost audience loyalty. The program director should carefully analyze Arbitron data. Programs that perform well in similar markets should air here, replacing poorly performing ones here. That might mean grinding the sacred cows of opera, classical, Hearts Of Space and other programs into hamburger, but the network should find the courage to do it.

Christmas is the traditional time for “format change.” That gives them about two months to complete the analysis and make the changes, and it’s plenty of time. Bumped programming could go onto the digital channels.

Increasing productivity from the sales side would also help, but I can’t knowledgeably comment on how to do that. I do know about ratings and programming, though; I studied it for my degree and professionally.

Finally, I still think LSUS should pony up a sizable sum to rebuild the network. I’ve written about it before, so I won’t go over it again here. Dr. Vincent Marsala should personally champion the network in the legislature to secure increased funding, something he seems loathe to do.

Here’s an excerpt from email Dr. Marsala sent me:

“ ... we have been concerned about the needs of the radio station and for the past two years have included a radio station project in our capital outlay plans. However, it is unlikely that the state will fund such a project without substantial contributions from the public, if at all. Regardless, the project will stay on our capital outlay plan.”

As I said, the network needs a champion in the legislature to get that capital outlay funding. It might take a while, but trying is better than doing nothing.

Rock Fight Update

Hello,

I figured I'd post saying why I haven't been updating ROCK FIGHT! playlists recently.

The KSCL studios have been renovated. The equipment is much more professional and works a whole lot better. As a result, I can do the show better by choosing CDs from the station's massive library. In the past, I burned my own CdS so I had one less worry about what could go wrong. That meant I knew what I was going to play beforehand and I could post the list. Now, the only accurate list is the one that's finished when the show is done.

However, the KSCL control board now has a decent MP3 player input, so in the future I will be playing a few songs from my iPod on ROCK FIGHT! I'll post those, but it will be a far shorter list than what I have been posting.

You really should see KSCL's library. It covers all the walls in two rooms including the studio. There's so much good stuff in it that it would make you weep with music-lover joy. The biggest challenge each week is choosing just 30 or so songs from among several hundred thousand.

ROCK FIGHT! is tonight from 6 to 8 on KSCL 91.3 FM. Tune in if you can! No word yet on streaming.

More pot smokers arrested than violent criminals

Some crazy bad news from NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, made Democracy Now! headlines:

29,000 Arrested in U.S. in 2006 for Marijuana Violations

New government statistics show police arrested a record 829,000 people for marijuana violations last year. According to the group NORML a pot-smoker is now arrested every 38 seconds in the country. The total number of marijuana arrests in the U.S. far exceeded the total number of arrests in the U.S. for all violent crimes combined, including murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Do we really need to be filling our jails with pot smokers? It’s way past time to decriminalize cannabis.

ROCK FIGHT! 09/21/2007 KSCL 91.3 FM 6 to 8

Hello again! A fine Fall Friday it is, so, time for ROCK FIGHT! on KSCL 91.3 FM.

Lots of new music this week. You’ll hear the electronic ecstasy of Ernesto Gonzales, the freak pop of Travis Morrison Hellfighters and garage psych from Wooden Shjips. There’s also songs from Interpol’s and M.I.A.’s new albums. Plenty of other groovy shitake, too.

Here’s the playlist:

Song                                    Artist
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Same Old Drag                           The Apples In Stereo
China My China                          Brian Eno
Listen                                  The Clash
Cool As Kim Deal                        The Dandy Warhols
Shivering King                          Dead Meadow
I'm Sixteen                             Dengue Fever
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction           Devo
Reminisce                               Ernest Gonzales
Cheeseburger                            Gang Of Four
Last Living Souls                       Gorillaz
Purple Haze                             Groove Armada
Not Even Jail (Kessler Remix)           Interpol
No I In Threesome                       Interpol
Paper Planes                            M.I.A.
Hotel California                        The Moog Cookbook
The Needle Has Landed                   Neko Case
Brand New Colony                        The Postal Service
Store Bought Bones                      The Raconteurs
Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll           The Ramones
Nothing Means Nothing Anymore           River City Tanlines
No Feelings                             Sex Pistols
Giant Kitty                             Shonen Knife
Well Well Well                          Sondre Lerche
The World Looks Red                     Sonic Youth
I Wanna Be Your Dog                     The Stooges
Thank You For Sending Me An Angel       Talking Heads
You Make Me Feel Like A Freak           Travis Morrison Hellfighters
Kiss Off                                Violent Femmes
Always After You                        The Walkmen
We Ask You To Ride                      Wooden Shjips
The World's A Mess, It's In My Kiss     X
Speed Dial No. 2                        Zero 7

ROCK FIGHT! 09/14/2007 KSCL 91.3 FM 6 to 8

Hello again, modern mangoes.

Friday is upon us! Time for another edition of ROCK FIGHT! from 6 to 8 on KSCL 91.3 FM.

Revolutionary exuberance awaits with tracks by M.I.A. and Actitud Maria Marta, along with a new song from Alec Holland’s latest project, Yamones. Who would have thought the boy who hates everything had a love song in him? Plenty of other chills and spills, too, so check it out!

Here’s the playlist:

Song                                Artist
-------------------------------------------------------------
La Base Milagrosa                   Actitud Maria Marta
Love Your Shotgun                   Be Your Own Pet
Luno                                Bloc Party
Dum Dum                             Butthole Surfers
Televised                           Calla
Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away      Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
Smoke It                            The Dandy Warhols
Sex Me Up                           Datarock
Everything's Goin' On               Dead Meadow
Wrong Time Capsule                  Deerhoof
No Christmas For John Quays         The Fall
Pioneer To The Falls                Interpol
Fortune Of Fame                     The Jacobites
The Sky Is A Landfill               Jeff Buckley
Bamboo Banga                        M.I.A.
Lake Of Fire                        Meat Puppets
Shield Your Eyes....                Melt-Banana
Stranded In The Jungle              The New York Dolls
Mystereality                        OMD
Life & Illusion                     Phaser
Down With Moonlight                 The Rakes
I Can't Make It On Time             The Ramones
Twist Barbie                        Shonen Knife
Angst In My Pants                   Sparks
Nubile Days                         Swan Lake
Into Everything                     Télépopmusik
I Was A Lover                       TV On The Radio
Drive My Car                        Two Gallants
Wide Boys                           Ultravox
Promise                             Violent Femmes
We've Been Had                      The Walkmen
Motto Motto Motto!                  Yamones

The Petraeus Report

General David Petraeus testified to Congress today giving his much anticpated report on "progress" in Iraq. There were no surprises in what it contained.

Once again, John Andrew Prime of The Times asked me to comment on the Iraq issue, specifically Petraeus' testimony.

Here's what I said:

General Petraeus' recommendations are sneaky. His plan would only reduce current post-surge troop levels in Iraq to their pre-surge level within about a year. It's akin to the shameful business practice of raising prices to then have a sale. Further decisions on troop reductions would be deferred at least six months.

The American people don't want that. Poll after poll shows we have lost patience with the war, with the horrible suffering on both sides. Most Americans want out, and we want it to happen starting now. In one CBS/New York Times poll, a majority believe the surge has either had no impact or made matters worse.

I grant that Iraq withdrawal is a challenge. We must find a plan that will disengage us from the Iraq debacle while maximizing chances for an end to violence there and a stable government that can keep the strategically vital oil flowing. Long term, we need a better oil plan for the country that reduces our dependence substantially. And we need to change our focus in the War on Terror from large-scale military engagement of whole countries to smaller, more-focused attacks against only those who truly threaten the country.

We need principled representatives willing to take political risks to resolve this issue. Who will step up to lead? I am not confident in our current leadership to do so.

Ambassador Crocker also testified, but I consider his report the least reliable. While Petraeus I think, despite his slanted statistics, had some independence, Crocker was just carrying Bush's water. There was nothing from him that wasn't standard administration propaganda.

The whole affair is mostly portrayed as a partisan battle. But both parties are ignoring what most people want -- to get out of Iraq now. Instead, Democrats are trying to craft a position that will allow the U.S. to stay in Iraq permanently while somehow "ending the war." Of course, that can't be successful, so it's ridiculous to think of the Democrat party as any real help, despite the admirable positions of a few loners within the party.

Many comments I'm reading are savvy to that. Some urge voting Green or Libertarian to elect people who will end the war. Both of those parties oppose it on principle. It's looking good for alternative parties this year. I know I'll be voting Green.

Oh, oh, I love it so....

Best clip ever ....