Saturday, October 31, 2009

Cauliflower-Cheese Soup

Another inspiration from the GPA cafe at Pueblo Community College

Had another great lunch at the GPA yesterday. Four courses around an entre of fillet mignon. The dessert being a pumpkin torte. At any rate, the soup was this cauliflower-cheese. And it was delicious. So I had to try to ‘hack’ it. Here’s what I came up with….

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Friday, October 30, 2009

Your Federal Government at ‘Work’ — 091030

If ONLY they’d come up to the third millennium.

So, yesterday, the latest version of Congress’ House of Representatives bill for health care reform hit the proverbial ‘floor’. All 1990 pages of it.

And yet, the Government Printing Office and the Library of Congress, the fine people who are supposed to provide information on what a bill looks like STILL don’t have it available for US folk here in the ‘fly-over country’.

The text of H.R.3962 has not yet been received from GPO.

This is, in my honestly held opinion, ‘stupid’. This is the 21st Century people. One HOUR after the bill hit the floor of the House of Representatives, the Library of Congress should have had it available to the Government Printing Office for the rest of US to see. And I have to wonder if these people are still using manual typewriters.

Also, for those wondering WHY I think this an issue for Pueblo….

....look around you at all the retirees living here. Myself included.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

As I Was Saying….

....about those mail-in ballots…..

....I wonder if we’ll see see this sort of thing right here in River City…..

This year, New Jersey’s registered voters can request a mail-in ballot for any reason. (Before 2005, voters needed to provide a reason for why they needed an absentee ballot.) The state received about 150,000 absentee-ballot applications this year.

On about 2,300 of those applications so far, the signature on the request form does not match the signature on the voter’s registration forms with the state.

That’s Better

The County Clerk does it better….

....than he had in the earlier instance.

I’m glad to see that ‘Bo’ has established several drop-off points where people who want to gather as much information as possible can WAIT before casting their ballots this coming Tuesday.

As I said earlier here, it’s his place to facilitate the voters. Not the other way around.

Personally, I think this ‘mail-in’ form of voting is rife with opportunities for voting fraud. There are just SO MANY WAYS one can do it using the mail. We’ve witnessed how soldiers serving outside of their registered state of residence have THEIR mail-in ballots ‘lost’ or fouled-up in some manner as to be disenfranchised. The same is true with what can happen right here in Pueblo County. And don’t get me started on the fiasco the THEN county clerk facilitated during the 2006 election. There is no legitimate reason why valid election judges and/or observers should not be allowed into counting facilities because of their political party….which is what I understand happened.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Keeping Things ‘Wild’

Is it REALLY so ‘smart’?

There’s an editorial in the Chieftain today about how our Congressperson….who wouldn’t show up for a discussion of healthcare reform last August….was doing something to expand ‘wilderness areas’ in Colorado.

I’ve been pondering this ‘wilderness area’ business for a year or so now and I’m not convinced that it is, in fact, what should be considered ‘best practices’.

There are three aspects of research that I’d like to see the ‘research’ that was done in establishing such areas.

• What is the impact on public access to areas that are declared to be ‘wilderness’?
• What is the impact on safety in such areas and the areas in the immediate vicinity?
• What is the use of ‘Wilderness Area’ designation doing in terms of budgetary considerations?

What are my potential ‘points’ in this?

Well….to put it frankly….

....I’m concerned that the use of ‘wilderness area’ designation is being used as a quick ‘out’ so that the government is no longer responsible for the ‘management’ of large tracts of land. As a result, trails the federal government WAS responsible for managing, to facilitate access to these rocky ‘cathedrals’ we call the mountains are no longer being maintained. Hence, public access is being reduced. Even to the point that no one goes there anymore.

Then, there’s the aspect of wild fire. If deadfall is not managed, wild fire could take hold and destroy much more than the wilderness area, by spreading to neighboring properties. Look at California.

Those are just two aspects. And there are many others. Not to forget the proliferation of predatory wildlife that would expand its range to areas outside of the designated ‘wilderness areas’. As someone recently commented to me, “I don’t think the mountain lions and bears have read the regs on wilderness areas.”

So we’ve got coyotes in Highlands Ranch? And bears eating little old ladies in Ouray?

HEY!!!! Wait a minute!!!!

Isn’t this Ouray place where the bears eat little old ladies in the vicinity of where our Congressperson wants to establish a NEW ‘wilderness area’???!?!??!

WHAT has our Congressperson got against ‘little old ladies’? Let alone ‘women’?

Dining with the ‘Kids’

A great lunch and maybe a lot more.

The distaff invited me to dine with her over lunch yesterday. A place called GPA.

Not your usual diner in Pueblo. Rather, a place where people who are SERIOUS about cooking go to learn and practice the craft. Or maybe it is better described as an ‘art form’.

Good food has been a passion of mine since I came out of that ‘spa’ the Army operates, a.k.a., the Ranger Course. Nowadays, after that particular ‘diet plan’, I pay close attention to food. Maybe TOO ‘close’. But I do appreciate a great dish. And I have to tell you that these people at the Pueblo Community College Culinary program are learning a LOT of great things. Indeed, after the Steel City Diner shut down….much to my dismay….these people are close contenders for the best dining experience in town. AND THEY’RE JUST LEARNING!!!

Look at this for lunch….

And THAT’S just ‘looking’. The flavor was EXCELLENT!

And THEN….

...there was desert as well.

And that for only $5 per place setting.

Tom Rose….

....does an excellent job instructing these aspiring chefs in how to make the best impression.

I highly recommend anyone wanting a top-quality lunch to consider going to the GPA to enjoy themselves and give these students an opportunity to refine their skills in pleasing their customers.

UPDATE: GPA is open for lunch, T-F, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm and for dinner on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm, during Spring and Fall semesters. Reservations recommended for dinner. 549-3326 for reservations.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Shut Up and ‘Soldier’

The Pueblo County Clerk is whining about his job.

The ballots have been mailed to voters . . . and Pueblo County Clerk Gilbert “Bo” Ortiz is encouraging voters to mail them back, or hand deliver them earlier than Election Day on Nov. 3.—Chieftain Article

It’s not Gilbert’s place to whine about doing his job. His place is to DO his job.

If he doesn’t like the fact that smart people hold out on voting until they’ve had all the possible information they need to make a good decision, he should drop this mail-in ballot garbage, instead of whining about the situation he established.

As one First Sergeant put it to some whining troop….

Shut up and soldier.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Recycling In Pueblo

An interesting ‘engagement’.

Yesterday, I had an interesting exchange with a lady, I’ll refer to as M———. It was over the matter of recycling in Pueblo. It may well have boiled down to a matter of misunderstanding—something all too common amongst speakers of the English language. However, it may also be something more insidious in nature. It’s hard to say….

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