Yes. I know. I said I was going to skip this week's VBC.
I lied.
It's so good to have my laptop back (they even replaced the rubber feet on the bottom!!!), that I cannot resist using it and catching up on my blogging. Plus, there have been a couple excellent posts I'd like to highlight. However, that still does NOT get you out of going over to damnum absque injuria (one of these days I'll remember what that means...) for Xrlq's round-up from last week. Go on. Shoo! I'll be right here.
Back? Good! All right, here we go...
Jon Henke, bless his heart, is back to "regular" blogging after serving with Sen. Allen's campaign, and he graciously responded to my bleg for more entries to the VBC this week. He's submitted "Time to Pick Out Our Bastard in Iraq."
At this point, all we can really do is to minimize our own exposure while we negotiate with the various interests, both internal and external to Iraq, to ensure that the best possible (i.e., least bad) bastard ends up in power...and that we have some leverage with that eventual regime. Neither "stay the course" nor "cut our losses and figure out how we're going to get our folks out" push us towards the optimal ends of the spectrum of possible outcomes.
He's got some interesting things to say, and he may piss you off... But Jon is a realist, and I must confess that something certainly needs to be done so our troops can finish the job and come home...
One of Jon's co-bloggers at Q and O, McQ, has posted a lovely little rebuttal to Charlie Rangel's idiocy. McQ didn't submit this to the VBC, but it's certainly worth reading... And since it's Jon's blog and Jon's a Virginian (I don't know if McQ is...)... Well, I'm the host this week, and I'm including McQ post. Here's a taste:
Charlie Rangel and his ilk can continue to disparage them and their choice in an effort persuade the public the draft is necessary. But the fact remains that no matter how hard he tries to play the radical egalitarian card, the draft isn't going to happen. The brightest and best continue to freely choose the "military option" despite the best efforts of those like Rangel to characterize them as losers and victims of an unfair system with no other real choices.
These two posts were worth it, just so I could quote them for the Carnival. If you don't have Q and O blogrolled, and if you aren't checking them out regularly, you're missing quite a bit!
Now, let's go on over to visit two of my mostest-favoroitist blog-brothers ever: Kilo and Alton.
Kilo, sports lover that he is, posts some gorgeous pictures from a Region D football game. Now, I'm no football aficionado (sp?), but what I *DO* know is that it's time to celebrate when your home team wins... Um, Kilo, UVA Wise is your home team, right?
And then Alton talks about Thanksgiving... Alton, luv, I *know* you're "Not Emeril," but you certainly talk about food with the same level of temptation for your readers! I love beef just about any way I can get it, and that tenderloin looks sinful... And Anne looks like she's having fun, too.
My readers ought to go over and read Alton's other Thanksgiving posts (I am *SO* using Alton's recipe for the rub - I've used my gift from the Red Queen all up!) for some fun and LOTS of yummies!
Oh, and Alton? I'm:
| You Are Mashed Potatoes |
 You're the glue that holds everyone together. |
Heh. Yeah, I am, kinda sorta... *snicker*
Oh, and a little bleg, I suppose. I'm going to send my sister a link to my favorite meal plan foundation for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. She's asking for a little help with the basics, and I thought this would be a good place to start. I never make it exactly like this, but there's the basic process for roasting the turkey and making gravy and so on, with extra and "wow!" flavors. I'm going to add so commentary in the e-mail I send her ("you can add this, forget that, and if you want to do this it'll work, too" type stuff) so she won't get lost. She's good in the kitchen, but holiday meals are something she has only a little experience with.
If y'all want to make suggestions (and give links) for good, flavorful "basic" stuff (stuffing, gravy how-to's, etc.) I'll be sure to forward them. Er... the poor love is still on dial up, so try to keep it low bandwidth (yeah, I know I ignored that...)...
So that's all for this week's Virginia Blog Carnival. It looks like I'm hosting for the next few weeks (unless someone would like to volunteer? *hint, hint!*), and I want FUN stuff! I want recipes, pictures, stories, traditions, and family fun to out weigh the politics, OK? Just for the season... we all need a break!
