On Politics
With current topics as Benghazi, the IRS, and the AP, our elected officials continue to demonstrate their preference for diversions over finding solutions to primary problems.
The IRS story has activated a burr. I’ve been writing on it other the past several days for this post, but eventually exceeding a short, so it will an upcoming post.
Here’s a good one for Gov. Steve Breshear (D-KY) responding to state Republicans avoiding expanding Medicare at the state level in response to Obamacare: “I say get over it. This law was passed by Congress and it was upheld by the Supreme Court. This is not a political decision, it’s a policy decision.”
On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion
Seedless watermelon coming to grips with facts it will never have kids
New crispy cracker to ease crushing pain from modern life
Man demands to know how many siblings co-worker has
Sea World to discontinue Great White Shark ride
Elf finger found in box of Keebler cookies
Interesting Reads
A conservative economist’s support for Keynes
The Bible is not a science book
Top 10 blown umpire calls
Fred Flintstone’s feet as breaks
Wyatt Earp’s Fourth Wife
How curling stones curl?
A slideshow of Cincinnati’s mosaic murals
On Potpourri
The recent news about Angelina Jolle’s choice of a preventative double mastectomy surprised many. Interestingly, the morning of the Jolle’s news, CNN’s Zoraida Sambolin stepped up to publicize her decision for a double mastectomy after her recent breast cancer diagnosis three weeks ago.
Just finished reading Oracles of Science: Celebrity Scientists versus God and Religion by Karl Giberson and Mariano Artigas (2007). Very interesting profiling six leading scientists who also publish: Richard Dawkins, Stephen Jay Gould, Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan, Steven Weinberg, and Edward O. Wilson. I’ll review it later, but a thumbs up. PS: Debra, I haven’t forgot!
I haven’t cooked this recipe in a while, so we just did for a friend. Still, a big thumbs up to Cranberry-Sausage Spaghetti.
Several weeks ago, I mentioned the Cincinnati Ballet doing a production with Peter Frampton to his music. Here’s a review.
Sorry – no Saturday Morning Cartoon feature this weekend.
As my Chocolate and Wine week ends, below are a few short videos fitting for the occasion. Have a good weekend! In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.
Chocolate Covered Bacon
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Chocolate Covered Jalapenos
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Chocolate in Wine (Rosenblum Desiree)
A Frank Angle 
Bacon? Great! Chocolate? Great! Bacon + chocolate? Sorry, pass.
Ya got me all excited. I saw the name Wilson among your scientists above, thought it was the great physicist and architect of my alma mater, Fermilab. Right idea, wrong Wilson. Suh-wing and a miss, strike one! 😀
Betcha they closed the Great White Ride because too many parents were feeding their rambunctious kids to the poor critter. Poor shark’s probably morbidly obese by now! 😉
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John,
As you saw, EO Wilson is a biologist, and also a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. Meanwhile, I WANT to try chocolate bacon!!!! The obese shark reasoning sounds about right.
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Thank you for continuing to focus on your reading list, Frank. I will look forward to your review! 🙂 Not too interested in chocolate bacon, but I would love to try the jalapeños. I’ll be interested to see where you take us with this week’s multiple political hot potatoes. Maybe I’d prefer just to think about Onion headlines. I’ll choose: Elf finger found in box of Keebler cookies. I’ll read your suggested articles over the weekend. I always enjoy your choices. Enjoy your weekend!
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Debra,
Glad to see you picked up my note! No Chocolate Jalapenos for me … but I want that bacon! It seems the Congressional hearing on the IRS starts today, and I guess PT Barnum would be proud.
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Loved the Fred Flintstone link, Frank – reminded me of a “myth busters” episode! As for spicy chocolate, apparently the Mayans treated hot chocolate as a spicy drink rather than a sweet one. We love the peppery chocolate candy now available – a great combo of spice and velvet. And I would love to taste that chocolately wine in the video – yum!
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Lynn,
Interesting about the Mayans. Thanks. Do you know this chocolate brand? See the store locator near the top. http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/category/exotic_candy_bars
Desiree is a wonderful port and one that should be available in your area!!! When looking, Trentadue also makes a good chocolate infused port. Both would probably be found with the ports. Enjoy!
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That’s a dangerous link, Frank 🙂
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I am a great lover of the chocolate and chilie combination, yum! Read 4 of the articles, wonder if you can guess which ones this time! They were all good, one hint one was actually a picture show, makes me want to come visit.
I got nothing on the Onion this time.
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Val,
I know chocolate and peppers go well, although I wouldn’t like that particular combo. My guesses: the economist, the Bible and science, Wyatt Earp’s wife, & mosaic tiles slideshow
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You are dead on in your guesses. They were very interesting, all of them.
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Hooray for my guesses … but bigger cheers to you reading them!
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Ooh Frank, that recipe sounds great.
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Elyse,
It’s easy to make, and unquestionably unique. Enjoy!
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Having just returned from a three day golf outing where the waking hour discussion centered on how (why?!) to putt greens that resembled those of your favorite municipal golf course in Sycamore Township, I’m curious to know your opinion of the statement in the book you just read – Oracles of Science: Celebrity Scientists versus God and Religion – that “Science is mainly about origins, and most scientists are working on some aspect of either cosmic or biological evolutions.”
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Tim,
The key to putting those greens lies in the prior shot … in other words, get close.
In terms of the statement you provided, that’s a broad statement summarizing one of the collective thoughts of the 6 oracles featured in the book.
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Chocolate covered bacon…wow. Have a great weekend, Frank!
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Kayjai,
Oh how I wait to find that treat!
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Let me know when you do…I’ll live vicariously through you.
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We’ve talked about making it ourselves … but then again, there’s something about buying at a festival!
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Chocolate covered everything! Good for Breshear. Yes, dudes, get over it.
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SDS,
The governor’s comment was a last-minute addition to this post, so hooray for someone enjoying it! BTW – I hope you return for yesterday’s post.
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Your right about the value of good golf approach shots, in that they make it easier to hit the clown mouths and avoid the windmills vanes (properly called “sails”).
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Oracles of Science, sounds like something that’d be really interesting on reading.
As for the chocolate covered bacon, well, those are my lest favorite things, together, I’ll pass.
Have a great weekend Frank.
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Doggy,
It was a good read. Each of the 6 oracles range from atheist to agnostic, but have similarities and differences. Meanwhile, it’s OK not to embrace chocolate covered bacon.
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Some interesting reads in that lot, but I can’t do the chocolate bacon thing, that’s just unnatural 😦
I can recommend a couple of watchable movies on the Wyatt Earp theme, one called guess what Wyatt Earp and the other Toombstone.
Last word has to be for the poor watermelon though – how sad!
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Fasab,
I can say two things about chocolate covered bacon – I haven’t tried it, and yet! Meanwhile, we know learn that you are a Wyatt Earp movie enthusiast.
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Yes, I’ll happily admit to that one – movie enthusiast in general, but I do like westerns a lot and Wyatt Earp’s life story is very interesting.
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🙂
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Have you ever tried chocolate red wine? We’ve got a family reunion coming up and were considering bringing a bottle to share, but I haven’t actually sampled it myself yet…
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Twixt,
There are more than just a few chocolate wines on the market at the moment. I’ve tasted a few, and they didn’t win me over. A friend, a chocolate fanatic who appreciates wine, said the same thing. The other hand, if you can find Cocobon, a big yes! It’s website has a FIND feature. http://www.cocobonwines.com/
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Mexican hot chocolate is very different from European/ American hot chocolate. But make sure you get someone who learned how to make it from the old tradition. And don’t expect it to taste the same. It’s good.
(Chocolate cover bacon…someone is bound to be figuring out how to batter and fry that up!)
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Mouse,
Thanks for the scoop on Mexican hot chocolate, which I didn’t know about. In terms of the bacon, I don’t believe it is battered, that is dipped in chocolate after cooking. Sounds yummy to me. Meanwhile, this chocolate company makes some interesting combinations. http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/category/exotic_candy_bars
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I find the idea of chocolate covered bacon slightly more appealing than chocolate covered cotton balls. To me, Frank, there is too much of a good thing and that is definitely it.
No cartoon post for now two weeks in a row and you’re around! Well, I should not protest too much. I will likely be out almost all day tomorrow I have plans to see “The Great Gatsby” with a martini quaffing pal. I’ll probably be signing my name with a thumb print by day’s end.
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Lame,
hmmmm … chocolate covered cotton balls. I’m having a difficult time finding a place selling them … but I do see that some are willing to waste chocolate on them!
Time has been a bit of a crunch on the research and writing end, so the cartoons have taken the biggest hit. 😦 I’ll be interested on reading your thoughts about The Great Gatsby.
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Wait.. who said chocolatw covered bacon? I’m ALL over that one. Now I’m hungry lol. This aticle “Fred Flintstone’s feet as breaks” was interesting to read. Love the title… reminds me of my childhood.
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Kay,
Yippee … cheers to another desiring to try chocolate covered bacon! Meanwhile, given that you are all about class and good stuff, I hope you saw this post (https://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/on-graeter-the-greatest/) … the one before this one. It’s a must-read for you.
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This:
“Elf finger found in box of Keebler cookies”
Made me laugh out loud. I must be sick in the head. lol!
I’m unable to watch videos anymore. 😦 But I am off to find out about Fred’s feet as brakes. I always wondered about that… 🙂
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Robin,
The elf finger may be my favorite in this list, but because I haven’t bought Keebler cookies in some time, I haven’t found one.
Bummer on no videos, but to help cushion the blow, I hope you saw this post: https://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/on-graeter-the-greatest/ …. On the other hand, I know you are a good at watching what you eat.
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Oh, that poor watermelon. I hope it has a therapist. 🙂 I love the sound of that chocolate dessert wine, as long as it’s not too sweet. You can keep the jalapenos, but gimme some of that chocolate-covered bacon please. 😀
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Paradise,
There’s growing sympathy for the watermelon. Meanwhile, as we make more chocolate jalapenos available for others, we’re part of the competition for the chocolate covered bacon. … chocolate port is sweet … then again, sweet is relative, so I can say that I don’t find it too sweet.
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I’ll race you for that last piece of bacon, Frank. 😀
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The only organization more adept at diverting attention away from the important stuff is the Chicago Cubs. They haven’t sniffed a World Series title in more than a century, and they’re still packing them in.
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It’s not the organisation, Cayman, it’s us Chicagoans. TRUE Chicagoans are a bunch of masochists – steamy summers, snowy winters, teams that could teach the Japanese things about origami (being experts at folding in the clinch), and one of the few governments in the world where a criminal record isn’t a disqualification, it’s a requirement!
Have I mentioned how much I miss my Windy City lately?
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John, Having spent a fair amount of time in Chitown, I feel where you’re coming from. I have to say though, Chicago is a great summer town. Problem is, it feels ten minutes long, after which its three feet of snow and wait for May. It does seem that the Cubs get the kind of pass the other teams do not enjoy. I don’t think they would know what to do if the Cubs actually made it to the World Series. And, you didn’t have to say anything, I could tell how much you missed the place.
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What would Chicagoans do if the Cubs won? Well, they’d be awful busy, pawning pretty much everything they own. After all, I understand that a pair of ice skates for Satan would be BLOODY expensive….. 😉
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Cayman,
Some organizations just don’t now how to git r done.
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The Cubs are in a rebuilding mode, that’s all. Of course, the rebuild is magnified considering as how Truman was in office when it started….
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Frank …. I think I will stick to my chocolate covered strawberries – but I love her blue hair: Wired and wonderful = US!!!! The bacon I don’t even want to think about. Wine and chocolate are good for us – but I don’t know if I would have them together – but there are wines that have hints of chocolate – very good with game dishes. I hope you weekend will be sunny and pleasant. Get the dancing shoes on.
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Viveka,
Chocolate covered strawberries are a winner. Meanwhile, I’ve had chocolate containing bacon bits – and it’s real, real good!
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I’m not sure I could stomach bacon covered in chocolate – I keep those two ingredients very separate in my fridge xx
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Spiced,
Ah come on …. you are daring in the kitchen, so why not spring it on some friends?
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Sea World’s insurers are too cautious Frank!
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GFB,
That’s it … it’s all about the insurance!
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seedless watermelon.
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Rich,
Such agony!
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