For all My Dick Heads!

"Dick Heads" is a Dale fan club name, natch!

Question o' the day

Is there any fast food drive thru (note the proper spelling!) that still gives away sporks with the grub? Or is that an idea whose time has come and gone?

I ain't ferget ya!

Sorry I haven't posted, even while getting my 2nd "Annsta-launche" of the week, I've been reading and writing all day long!

What are you reading lately? If you don't like a book while you're reading it, do you bail or slog on in hope? What was the last book you read you really didn't like, ultimately?

You go, Clyde!

So, today, over at Althouse, there was a post about a woman who fashioned a "hair dog" on the top of her head!

Well, my friend Clyde saw the post, saw her profile picture...and let's just say he dares to dream the big dream!

Let's have a nice lunch, shall we?

Yes, it's a bit late for lunch...and yes, I will post some soup recipes, but let's have ...

A nice Bloody Mary to start with....

And then...
A wonderful Caprese Salad! Let's dig in...and then take a nap.

A Fluffy Mary

2 oz of Pepper Stoli
3 oz of V8
squeeze of lemon juice
Shot of Worcestershire sauce
sprinkling of celery salt
and a celery stalk for garnish


Caprese Salad

Sliced Tomatoes, Basil, and Mozzerella disks with some olive oil...

This is dependent more on the quality of your ingredients than any particular technique...but nice arranging on the plate is a bonus!

Hey, where's my mimosa?

I know on some other blogs the misinformed thought that Darcy and I had a meet up more like this,

than the one picture of the real event implied.

But, for the record,
1.) Darcy and I are just good friends, and
2.) I don't read The Wall Street Journal.

The Fluffy Kitchen

Inspired by Trooper York's food polls, I think I will be putting some of the Ol' Ron fav recipes up here, maybe even around a theme or two...Is there any type of thing you want to see in particular?
leave it in the comment section.

There's a skunk in my yard!

No, this is not a literary device, or a reference to any Althouse commenters...there's a skunk doing his skunk thang in my yard.

At first I was going to say this a downer for what is a great day on the history of this blog, with the smell and all, but...I realize that the skunks foreshadow spring better than any groundhog! They wouldn't be out there making a stink [!] if they didn't get it in their heads that warmer weather was coming! So we have that to look forward to. Skunks=shorter winter! Think about that one...


Ah, it's all good here, today!

Meet Up!

Throughout all these years of blogging, I've yet to actually met someone whom I've shared commenting space with; talked to a number of you on the phone, (yeah, this means you Cynnie!) but not met with a one of you...until today!

I met Darcy on Althouse, but really she's the Holly Golightly of commenters,

Darcy

showing up all over the place; I can't keep up! But not only did she agree to meet up with me for breakfast, it was her treat, as a belated birthday gift. So, natch, since she hadn't been there we went to Zingerman's for latkes and bacon. So I look up and see Darcy -- fantastic! And I look at the plate and...

Latkes

(sorry forgot to get a pic of the bacon, but trust me, that pig did not die in vain!)

A good time was had by us both; she's a mighty cool person, and Trooper, you treat her well!

Some bum who forgot to shave.
Darcy, again, minus the tiara and the cig holder for purposes of the photo.

He's Dead Jim!

from Tombstone Generator

Amigos

Part of the birthday group in front of Amadeus; Linda, Rebecca, Ray, and myself (with coffee, a Camie present)

More?

yeah, I found this Holly post and I put it up because...it's from Holly on the Ed Sullivan show, only 5 days before this here blogger was brought into the world...




Thanks, JAC.

Here's the Quarrymen in January 1958...George's cousin far right.

It was Yesterday...

That the Psygovia of PsychoBilly has left this sorry ball of mud for a more Rockin' place.

Lux Interior of the Cramps, il est mort, at 62.

It was 50 years ago today....

That Buddy Holly's plane went down...let's not grieve, but remember what art he gave us...

The Birthday Cupcake!

from sweet Camie!

Tres, tres bon!

It was a wonderful birthday party...people came, it was fun, then we repaired back to the House of Fun to all watch Reservoir Dogs, Apocalypse Now!, and even parts of Triumph of The Will (don't ask!) all while carrying great discussion. What better birthday could one have? I boldly made the promise that if I ever get serious green, I'll move the party to NYC one year! Don't think I'll do it? I will.

The Family Cam appeared, but alas, couldn't stay, as poor Beanie got sick, for the first time ever!
We love them all, Camie with special fondness... Here we soupcan her image...enjoy!

The first half century is done...now what?

Tomorrow is the Fluffy Birthday...51, he turns! I let you decide what I should do!

What should I do to celebrate my birthday?
	Something wacky
	Something traditional
	Nothing
pollcode.com free polls

Coffee with Lorelai? Anytime, baby...

Cream? Sugar? Both, please!

Lauren Graham at Sundance

Michigan? No, Michegos!

So it snows. The University, in its wisdom, says, 'Hey let's load up our shoveled snow, put it in dump trucks (a vehicle know for its quiet subtlety) and put it in front of Ron's house, all night long, with a tractor to move the huge mountains of snow, so we can have room for even more!' My floorboards rattle from the plow shoving it around, and when they back up? That utterly charming toot toot toot noise is just perfect for sleeping! The tank rumblings bring about a kind of Stalingrad vibe, just perfect for winter...

Mountain 1.

Mountain 2.

Der Wolverpanzer!

hmmm...

Encouraged by Amba, I decided I would indeed like to have some kind of birthday party two weeks from Saturday. Not so much for myself, but it's turned into a kind of mid winter excuse for people to get together and have lunch, when normally people hole up. I've holed up more than most years for several reasons, and frankly, cabin fever has set in.

Now here it looks like Fred and Ginger are walking across the RKO lot in '38 to shoot a scene from Carefree, but really they're coming from 71 years in the past to join the birthday festivities, in spirit at the very least! So don't be a slug, let's go back for Hungarian/Polish food as we have done many times before...

Take 2

Let's see...the throat is a little better, but now I'm feverish and can't sleep for beans. Beans have been all I've been eating. The battery to the car is still dead, as the Vog that was to bring the battery charger, brought her two chillin's instead, and I forgot which one is positive and which one is ground. Yes, there's too much snow, but the cold is the real bee0ch!

So, I'm livin' online to convince myself the world has not gone away.

Fulmigations!

Winter is here in Ann Arbor...in spades! My car's battery is dead, and it is covered with snow and more snow is coming tonight, and the next night, a lot of snow, and I'm running out of food! Mother Macree! I am mastering cabin fever...

BatCave Saturday

Just hangin' out...You?

One Year in 40 seconds.

Cool video shot in Norway.

Nostalgia!

I just found my old Christmas video...sorry for the lateness, but it's still cool with Camie and I...

Inspired for Christmas?

Feeding my Web Spiders!

For Interweb reasons, I get a lot of hits on this blog from people looking for pics of Scarlett Johannson, so let's make them happy, shall we?

The other night on Leno, she blew her nose into a tissue...and well, they're selling it on Ebay, where it's up to $4K!

SnotRag+Lipstick!

If I only had $4K....I admit, I still wouldn't buy this! Even though it is for charity!

UPDATE: Final Price $5,300! Who says we're broke!

Floating back in my head...

Although it's never left my thoughts, more ideas for my novel emerged last night as I was drifting off. This is a good sign as the most writing for the novel has occurred out of that dreaming state... Darcy asked about the other day, and more writing will take place this week I think...

Just letting you know, I ain't dead yet.

In The Green Oasis

This one is with mucho love for Camie. Enjoy, M'dear!

Bettie Page

Ah, Bettie Page has just passed away at the age of 85. I hadn't gotten around to it yet, but is she a Saint of the House of Fun? Of course. Thanks, Bettie, for being cool...

Bonus: Bettie in Teaserama!

What tha?!? Austerlitz day?

"Dude, I so got over that Nappy thing! Give it a rest! We're all dead and gone, and hell, even France doesn't care about him anymore."

Celebrate me instead!

Happy Austerlitz Day!

Hey! What's this pic of Astaire doing here? Well...it is Austerlitz Day here at The Stuffin', and that is Mr. Astaire's real last name....
Nappy looks on, unamused! May the Grande Armee of your life prevail for you as they did 203 years ago for L'Emperor!

Cool Vid 4 -- ever been divorced?

TCM. Cake.

Cool Vid 3

Muse. TCM.

Cool Vid 2

Beck. TCM. Enjoy!

Cool Vid of the Day

This one is for Cynnie! Is this she and I doing the Cha-Cha? "All Signs Point To Yes"



And Cha-Cha all the way to Cha-ChaVille!

Representin' For My Althousian Bruthas!

You're it!

Got a mortgage?

I'll take a swing at this!

"And if some dimbulb should say,
We were in love in some way,
Kick all his teeth in for me,
And if you feel like keeping on kicking,
Feel free." -- Magnetic Fields

My fellow blogger, the charming Cynnie is now giving advice based on her scant but wizened years on this globe to what questions matter to you. I will now return the favor, and post the questions and answers right here for the world to read.

Fred in my head

If you're not reading AmbivaBlog you should! Honest, intelligent, human, warm and inquisitive -- what more do you want? Her post about dancing the other day naturally brings forth the very charming "My Shining Hour" from 1942's "The Sky's the Limit" with the then 17-year old Joan Leslie:



Do yourself a favor. Go find a light fantastic and trip it, will ya?

The Fluffy Mobile needs work...

and we have much anxiety about this...but not this much work!

New York!

It's been awhile since the Stuffin has been on a trip... but we went to NYC last week for a brief visit, thanks to my friend "Pete" Kadur and his Sig Oth + Childrens! So we had to go back to Carmine's. Here's to you PVK:

What do you think, the new FS picture?

Here we are in the same shot. Isn't Pete handsome? or just cute? or looking like he's trying to sell me something?


There's more to life than alcohol abuse. Not much more, but there is eating! Thus, a menu!


All of New York was worried about their stock portfolios that week so I, too, had to pretend I cared. Note the gravitas -- or perhaps merely heartburn!


Alas, that's all I got (well, maybe more later :) ) as my camera came back from being fixed two days late for me to take it! Ah, well, next trip!

Some girl I know watched the debates...

How ugly a girl must I be as a voter when the two guys plying me with drinks, trying to seal the deal, do so with less enthusiasm as an octogenarian on a cruise?

One swore that he would pull out early and who believes that!?
Besides, I think he thought that that was what I wanted to hear, but how much of a difference would that make anyway? His delivery wasn't as smooth as the bankers and hippies hanging around him, and not as sincere. His grinning friend with the hair plugs didn't make him any sexier.

The other swore that even though the last guy from his office broke my heart and made me cry, he was different, and that "Change was coming", which, as a pick up line, is...uninspiring.
He swore I'd take home more money when he was through, but a 10% discount coupon for boat insurance from AIG and a partial ownership in a timeshare in Reykjavik is not what I would call "more."

His cute-as-a-bug daughter? --granddaughter?-- might wink at me and have me throw him a pity pout, but only once, and not again, even four years from now.

The only Change that is coming in this girls life is my pension, which I'll find between the cushions of the sofa, I think.

Sincerely,

Fluffette

Wake up!

more animals

and Dad can freak out too!

Some dad's first reactions on M3 Turbo

again from Autoblog.

Should I take the spouse for a drive or not?

F1 driver Riccardo Patrese takes his wife out for a lap(in a Civic Type-R!)...with hilarious results in Italian!

from Autoblog.

Fluffy Road Trip?

Few people realize how good The Chrysler Building is at playing hide-and-seek. No, really, it's true! It would constantly surprise me, especially in Zabar's...

So we seem to be going back, very soon, to renew our rivalry...

and we may go here...
or here...
If Camie were with me, we'd go here...right?

and soon...reports!

Sadly....

Saint of the House of Fun, Don LaFontaine, has passed away at 68. Thanks for the trailers, Don!

"When you die, the voice you hear in heaven is not Don's. It's God, trying to sound like Don. I wish he'd quit his day job..." -- Ashton Smith

Here's is my older post about Don.

She's not your father's Spiro Agnew!

Is this really the VP candidate? Oh. My.

from usemycomputer

Surrounded by the right people!

See that woman with the fur collar, and the red, white, blue, and uh...purple corsage? Front center, between Mr White Fur Viking and Ms Wonder Woman colors steel bra?

Why, that's now John McCain's pick for vice president, Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin!
How could you not want to vote for the new Algonquin Society?

Plus....she'll supply America with venison...
and fish!


UPDATE:

This is Sarah Palin as Miss Wasilla!


This is Dawn Wells of Gilligan's Island fame, where it was a much warmer place than Alaska...
Still, the resemblance

Yow! Did she catch this bear? How 'bout that crab? What's next, rail splitting? Chopping of cherry trees? Clearly, a legend in the making!

Some candidates visit Cannes...some bring the baby to the market because they're out of... all kinds of stuff, and it's good to grouse with someone else in the same boat! Who ate all the Pringles? That spouse o' mine... At least her friend clearly could make some burgers, or "loose hamburgers" in those hot dog buns...some onions, a little chili sauce...some extra moose meat for flavor...so life is good.

most extra pics from HuffPo!

A Fluffy Poll!

Do you blog or read blogs in your underpants?
	Yes
	No
	Wouldn't you like to know!
	Yes, but not my genders underpants
	Do small woodland animals count?
pollcode.com free polls

A hat tip...

For regular Althouse readers, it's long been known that commenters extraordinare Trooper York and Victoria have deserved their own shot at Bloggingheads...and I hereby give it to them!

Those Fabulous Astaires

So Fred Astaire is lovingly looking at his sister Adele here, but Adele...she's looking at us! I wonder what she's thinking...

Double Blimpage .... and phone pole!

So you race outside when you see that there are TWO blimps around town at the same time, just to get their picture, and what's in the middle? The phone pole! Ah, well...

August?

Holy moley, August is already a week old! These are truly the dog days in Ann Arbor, bounded by two events; the end of Art Fair in July, and the beginning of Football Season, towards the end of this month. It's easy to get parking! Things are relatively quiet! Alas, soon to be over...

Despite the emptiness of the fridge, I blundered into a way to make a good pot of beef stew, so that was done, and I've been eatin' on that one for a couple of days...

Things are quiet in blog land, Camie has been very busy with small children, and some of the noble corps have moved on...but I find new blogs, have fun with those, and bring back to this one little bit of spiritual nourishment, and let it cook slowly, like my stew...

Happy Birthday Victoria! After a long disappearance, she's back, but now on Euro-holiday...

Amba, you've become a favorite in a very short time! I check in every day.

It's all good!

Troublemaker...or Genius?

This young man needs your support; I could talk him up to beat the band, but, I'll let his mother do it. Go here and let Camie explain it. We at the Stuffin think the world of The Little Man and want him to exceed all our expectations! If you love Fluffy, give it up for The Little Man!

Hey Fluffy, what's in the fridge?

A bottle and a half of ketchup, 2 things of lemon juice, a good salsa, an old salsa that needs to go away, some pickle relish, some grated cheese, some mayo, and some mustard. That's it!

Bar Friends

Here's Camie and friend Cher outside at a bar sharing a beer with ol' Fluffy...being Ann Arbor, this is during the "EcoFair", where they're trying to get you to buy an Electric Lada, or compost your dead relatives or something. My English friends (and Cynnie too!) could be also enjoy beer with us, but alas...

Nothin' to do?

So what do the women of the Aircraft Carrier Ronald Reagan (I believe) do on their off days?

Shoot a video of course!

Fireworks for idiots!

These morons start shooting their fireworks at each other and....



I admit I laughed myself senseless...

Yes, I think we need blogger medals also

The USAF is proposing this badge for their Internet whiz-bangs...formal recognition and all. Shouldn't there be medals for bloggers also? Let's imagine some...

Blog-we!

I know I haven't been writin' as much as I should. Camie and I both have been expending energies on things that are gnawing our heads, not leaving much room for good thoughts to blog about. But Cynnie has been inspiring, and I love how her blog is so much her. That's why I like it as much as I do, even though I simply couldn't blog like that if I wanted to. But her blogging has got me back on the horse here. Plus, the writing of Amba has been amazing.

It's taken me awhile to figure out how much I have to write out of me. I simply can't blather on about things in the paper, or current events, or even about my hobbies per se. Nor do I want to just talk about me; I want you to take something for yourself, to make you happier, smarter, better, however you define it, from my writing. But it's funny to think how much the idea of that makes me happier, gives me a bit more focus.

I'll try to write more out of the depths of myself, just to make sure I'm doin' it right. Stay tuned.

Fireworks!

Last night Detroit had its big fireworks display in the Detroit river alongside Windsor, Ontario...

Here's just a bit of the finale; there is panning between the three main explosion areas, but the sense of the energy of the finale is there....

Cyd Charisse

Farewell Cyd... gone at 86, with the longest current Hollywood marriage (I believe) at 60 years to Tony Martin...

This is my favorite number of Astaire's, outside the pictures with Ginger, Dancing in the Dark:

It's the 793rd anniversary of the Magna Carta today!

I got this sweet Tagging idea from Amba, so let's let her rip! (rule 1 done!)

My Factoids:

1.) No Green Peppers please! Red and Yellow Peppers are fine.

2.) Size 91/2 EEEE feet. Only brand of sneakers (New Balance) will fit.

3.) Haven't spoken to either of my two sisters in many years. Have no idea where my father is buried.

4.) One of the two greatest "Cat Battlers" [fighting by throwing stuffed felines at each other] in America. Camie knows the other one.

5.) Longs to go back to Carmines near Times Square in a way sometimes that is irrational just because I've always had a good time AND something interesting has happened when I've been there. Will accept invites.

6.) Has never been to Europe, due to astonishing lack of money.

7.) Has asked Nietzsche for advice in my head, and usually heeded the advice I've gotten back.

I tag: Camie, Cynnie, Manic Street Preacher, Sippican, Victoria,AckNak, and Cappy.

So here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. Present an image of martial discord from whatever period or situation you’d like.

I cheat a bit on rule 5, just cause it's Magna Carta day!

Fluffy's White Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 lb dry White Beans (also called cannelloni beans) or 2 16oz cans.

1 red onion

2 cans tuna

1 can minced tomatoes

1 cucumber

dry parsley flakes

1 can black olives, whole, pitted, small size

olive oil and lemon juice (for vinaigrette)

salt and pepper to taste.

if beans are dry: soak beans overnight. Next day, drain beans and with fresh water cover and boil on a simmer for 90 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and let cool.

Cut onion and make quarters, then dice those quarters.

Cut fairly thick slices of cucumber, then quarter those slices.

Cut olives in half lengthwise.

Combine beans, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, tuna, olives, salt, pepper and parsley. Stir together.

Make vinaigrette whisking lemon juice into olive oil. Add over salad.