True Love

From the Washington Post:

Which was more astonishing about Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston's big announcement on Wednesday:

That the most famous teenage parents in America were engaged again, after a year of scorched-earth public bitterness?

Or that Sarah Palin reportedly only learned about it from Us Weekly?

The high school sweethearts, who broke up a few months after the December 2008 birth of their son, Tripp, were interviewed by Us on Saturday in Anchorage, where Bristol Palin now lives. They said they bonded anew when they met three months ago to work out a custody plan.

"I really thought we were over," Johnston told the magazine. But feelings changed when they went for a walk with their son. Nothing romantic happened then, she told Us -- but later, he texted her saying that he missed her and wanted her back. "I was in shock," she says.

The 19-year-old mom said that her own mother -- who traded insults with her grandson's father in the national media over the past year, as he posed for Playgirl and dished dirt about the family -- didn't yet know they were planning a wedding: "It is intimidating and scary just to think about what her reaction is going to be."

But if Sarah Palin was truly left in the dark about this ... why? Melanie Bromley, the Us reporter who interviewed the couple, speculates that Bristol Palin wanted "to be in control" of the story. "I got the impression that Sarah had laid down the rules for Bristol -- that if she's back together with Levi, [Sarah] wants him to finish his education, and get a job. But she wants to be with Levi now."

By telling her story "in her own words," as Bromley put it, "she's forcing her mother to hear her side of the story without interruption."

Well, zing! Some other things about that story:

Bromley would not say whether the couple was paid for the interview (conducted at a private home rented for the occasion). A reporter from rival People magazine, Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, spent the following day with Bristol and Tripp in Anchorage, for a story in this week's issue. In her interview, which Westfall says was unpaid, Palin did not reveal that she was engaged -- and Johnston declined to participate. Rex Butler, Johnston's attorney, did not return our calls.

Biggest Dork In the World Marrying Lucky Lady #4

I'm sure that this time, it'll be awesome!! I'm glad you finally met the right girl. Good luck, El Dorko!:

Will the fourth time be the charm for Rush Limbaugh?

Limbaugh, 59, is set to marry 33-year-old girlfriend Kathryn Rogers on Saturday at the talk radio star's palatial Florida beachfront property.

Although Limbaugh never seems at a loss for words, he's been uncharacteristically quiet about the pending nuptials. Fill-in hosts have taken over the show, with his website simply noting that "El Rushbo will be out until Tuesday, June 15th."

Once Again, Bill Clinton Proves He Is Awesome

One can only imagine how incredibly psyched Laura must have been to suddenly see Bill Clinton's face after five months in a North Korean prison. So it makes sense she'd name her kid after him. I'm just a tiny bit disappointed that it's "Jefferson" and not "Clintonia" or "Billie" or "Clint."

Sidenote: A different article (on the same subject) had this weird headline: Laura Ling names new baby for her sister, Bill Clinton. I understand what the writer meant--and I know that using commas in that way is standard procedure for headline writing--but in this case, the oddly placed comma unfortunately seems to assert that Laura Ling's sister is Bill Clinton.

Anyway, getting back to Bubba's awesomeness:

Reporter Laura Ling names baby after Bill Clinton

Nearly a year after the former president negotiated the release of two Current TV reporters in North Korea, one of them, Laura Ling, has honored Clinton by naming her new baby after him.

According to People's Cynthia Wang, Ling gave birth to a girl, Li Jefferson Clayton, on Wednesday night in Burbank, Calif. (The father is Ling's husband, financial analyst Iain Clayton.) The baby's first name, Li, is a nod to Ling's sister Lisa, a former co-host of "The View," and Jefferson is Clinton's middle name.

Ling, along with her colleague Euna Lee, was detained for five months last year after the North Korean military arrested them as they were reporting along the country's border with China. Accused of spying and illegally crossing the border, the women were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in a government detention camp, but last August, Clinton negotiated their release.

Ling is still tight with the former prez, telling People that Clinton had followed up with her. "He has checked in on me several times to see how I'm doing and has been so concerned and caring, " Ling said. "He's such a wonderful human being."

Polish Gothic

Poland has been experiencing extreme and weird political dramas lately. First, the President and his wife died in a freak plane crash (along with 94 other people). Now there is talk of the President's twin brother running to replace him. It reminds me of The Man In the Iron Mask...Polish style!

Late Poland president's twin runs to replace him

MONIKA SCISLOWSKA, Associated Press Writer Monika Scislowska

WARSAW, Poland – Polish opposition party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said Monday he will run in summer elections to replace his twin brother, the incumbent president who was killed in a plane crash.

Law and Justice party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 60, said he will run to continue the mission of his brother and others killed in the crash.

"The good of Poland is a common duty that requires an ability to overcome personal suffering, to undertake the task despite a personal tragedy," Kaczynski said in a written statement.

"This is why I have taken the decision to run for the president of Poland. I have the family's support in this decision," said Kaczynski, who served as prime minister in 2006-2007.

The elections were moved up to June 20 after President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria and 94 others - including top civilian and military leaders - were killed April 10 in Smolensk, Russia, en route to World War II observances. They were to pay respect to some 22,000 Polish officers killed in 1940 by the Soviet secret security in the Katyn forest and in other places.

The president's term was to expire in December and elections had been planned in the fall.

The incumbent had been expected to seek a second five-year term.

The brothers were in the past both members of anti-communist opposition and served as advisers to the Solidarity freedom movement in the 1980s.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski is not married. His closest family are his mother, Jadwiga, 83, and niece Marta, 30, the daughter of the late president.

Another candidate, Parliamentary Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski, is now acting president after automatically taking over the duties following the incumbent's death. He is with the governing Civic Platform party and is currently the front-runner in the polls.

The third major figure in the race is Grzegorz Napieralski of the Democratic Left Alliance, who is running in the stead of Jerzy Szmajdzinski, who was killed in the same plane crash as Kaczynski.

If no candidate musters more then 50 percent of vote, a runoff will be held July 4.

Mr. Balls and Lord Sugar

Other countries have laws prohibiting workplace harassment, but strangely, it's totally legal here in America. The law only protects you against sexual harassment and against certain types of discrimination (age, disability, race). This really cool organization, the Workplace Bullying Institute, is trying to change that:

"The Workplace Bullying Institute's original web presence started in the early 1990's. Drs. Gary and Ruth Namie had established unique, pro-employee advice at the Work Doctor website. At the time, the married couple had 30-years combined professional experiences culled from counseling, educating, training and coaching people in the workplace.

"In 1995-96, Dr. Ruth experienced bullying firsthand. It was at the hands of a female tyrant backed by all the institutional power of a large HMO. The Namies did not go looking for the phenomenon. As every target can testify, bullying came uninvited.

"The Namies authored their first book, BullyProof Yourself At Work! in 1998. Year 2000 was a landmark year. The Namies' second book, The Bully At Work, is published by Sourcebooks, with a second edition released in June 2009.

"In 2002, the Campaign became the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) to better reflect the research contribution made to the international fight against workplace bullying. WBI remains sole North American nonprofit organization dedicated to the eradication of Workplace Bullying through education and research."

Meanwhile, in news that is making headlines today in England, the Prime Minister's office is in hot water due to claims that a number of Downing Street employees called a National Bullying Helpline to report abuse. In other words, the Prime Minister is a big a-hole, apparently. Also, he's being defended by someone named "Balls"--which , I imagine, is even funnier if you're English--and also by some reality TV star named "Lord Sugar":

Brown very 'upset' by bully claims, says Ed Balls

Gordon Brown has been "very upset" by allegations about his behaviour towards staff, his ally Ed Balls told the BBC. The schools secretary said it had affected the PM personally because there was "no truth" in the claims.

It follows claims that cabinet secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell had a stern "pep talk" with the PM after his temper frightened Downing Street staff. The row began with the publication of journalist Andrew Rawnsley's book, which detailed incidents where it is alleged Mr Brown grabbed staff by the lapels, shoved them aside and shouted at them.

Then on Sunday the head of the National Bullying Helpline, Christine Pratt, said the charity had received calls from the prime minister's office - although she said they were not about Mr Brown personally.

The Tories and Lib Dems have called for the situation to be cleared up. But on Monday, Sir Gus said there was no need for an inquiry and a Downing Street spokesman said: "The cabinet secretary would like to make clear that he has never raised concerns with the prime minister about him acting in a bullying or intimidatory manner in relation to Number 10 staff, let alone giving him any sort of verbal warning."

Mr Balls told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Rawnsley's book had been incorrect on every allegation and said he had known Mr Brown for years and "at no point has it ever occurred to me that Gordon Brown is, or would ever be, a bully".

"It is something which personally he feels very upset about because he knows there is no truth to these allegations," said Mr Balls. "I don't think it damages him, it hurts him personally."

He said Mr Brown had "a strength of character and drive" adding: "That's what you want in a prime minister, you want people who are tough and can drive things forward."

His comments were echoed by Lord Sugar, star of The Apprentice and the government's enterprise champion, who told GMTV: "Do you want some docile type of person who is just not going to have any spirit about them or do you want someone who has got a bit of fire in their belly, who will react, who will get a bit emotional sometimes? That is not bullying as far as I am concerned."

And Mrs Brown told GMTV "what you see is what you get" with her husband adding: "Gordon's the man that I know and the man that I love.

Mr Rawnsley is sticking by his book, saying his source for the claim that Sir Gus had been moved to speak to the prime minister about his behaviour towards Downing Street staff was "24 carat".

He said the statement issued on Monday by Sir Gus had been a "careful choice of words" which "still doesn't preclude the cabinet secretary going to the prime minister and warning him about his behaviour".

"Come On, Dad."

After my last post, I got curious about Kal Penn's YouTube videos, so I took a look at some of them. They're not super clever or creative or anything (at least not the ones I looked at), they are just straightforward and direct appeals to the kids...but from an actor who is familiar and likeable to young people.

Good job, Kumar! Your conservative Indian father should finally be proud of you now, even though you didn't become a doctor like he wanted.

Huge Oversight

All I could think after watching this movie last Friday was, "Why did I wait so long to see that??" I didn't know it was the same director as Dude, Where's My Car? At least I made the right choice with that movie and saw it in the theater.

It is totally inexcusable that it took me six years to finally get around to watching Harold & Kumar. If anyone reading this has made the same unforgivable mistake, it's not too late to do the right thing and watch it immediately.

One thing that's fun about this movie is that the main characters are both intelligent (not that this stops them from doing a lot of dumb things). And both actors are awesome. John Cho, who played Harold, went on to do a kick-ass portrayal of Sulu in the Star Trek movie, while Kal Penn (Kumar) now works for the White House! I love the fact that we now have a President who is happy to hire an actor best known for playing a pot-smoking slacker:

"Actor Kal Penn is trading Hollywood for politics, taking a job with the White House doing outreach to Asian-Americans and the arts community.

"The Indian-American, whose given name is Kalpenn Modi, said Tuesday he would be joining President Obama's administration and will not take any acting gigs while he holds the full-time position.

"Mr. Penn is best known for playing Kumar in the comedy “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” and its sequel, “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.”

"But Mr. Penn, 31, also was one of the most reliable surrogates for the Obama campaign since the beginning.

"Campaign aides said in 2007 the actor called them to offer his unsolicited help for Mr. Obama's then long-shot candidacy. Some were hesitant at first because Mr. Penn's best-known role was playing a marijuana-loving burnout, but he surpassed their best expectations and attracted young voters across the nation.

"He was instrumental in the Obama strategy of getting students as young as 17 to participate in the Iowa caucus, the Democrat's first victory. Mr. Penn starred in at least 14 campaign videos on YouTube and appeared at multiple events on the candidate's behalf.

"He will serve as an associate director in the Office of Public Liaison, coordinating outreach to Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, along with the arts community. He described the office to Entertainment Weekly as “the front door to the White House.” The office was responsible for the recent celebrations in honor of St. Patrick's Day and Greek Independence Day.

"Among the little known facts about the actor: He was a guest lecturer teaching Asian-American studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 2008, and he is doing an online program to earn a graduate degree in international studies from Stanford University.

"He also acknowledged it will result in a large pay cut: “There's not a lot of financial reward in these jobs. But, obviously, the opportunity to serve in a capacity like this is an incredible honor.”

Weirdly Appropos

Strangely, soon after my shockingly limited knowledge of Lincoln's assasination was revealed on this very blog, we get this piece of timely news: Bill O'Reilly is writing a book about it!*

*About Lincoln's assasination, not my poor grasp of American history.

Obviously, Papa Bear has been reading my blog, and felt inspired to help a buddy out. I think I might actually have to read this:

Latest Abe Lincoln biographer? Bill O’Reilly
History book will take readers into mind of assassin John Wilkes Booth

The Fox News host and best-selling author is working on "Killing Lincoln," a history book that will take readers "into Ford's Theater and into the mind of Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, and on the manhunt to find and bring to justice the killer of one our greatest presidents," according to a statement issued Thursday by Henry Holt and Company.

"Killing Lincoln" is scheduled to come out in the fall of 2011 and will be co-written by Martin Dugard, whose previous works include "The Training Ground," an account of the Mexican War and such future Civil War generals as Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee.

In a recent interview, O'Reilly said he got the idea after [reading a blog called Beebo] learning about Lafayette C. Baker, a 19th-century detective and spy who led the investigation into Lincoln's murder and helped track down Booth. Baker claimed later that he had possession of Booth's diary and that someone had "cut out eighteen leaves." Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, to whom Baker had turned over the diary, was accused of taking out the pages and was suspected of being involved in the assassination plot.

"The more I heard the more exciting and more interesting it became, and I said, 'Look, I can do a good book on this,'" said O'Reilly, who added that "Killing Lincoln" will also provide lessons "for today, for contemporary America, [and for Beebo and her history-impaired friends]" but declined to be more specific.

"I want to keep that as a surprise," he said. [He so is writing it for me.]

Many of O'Reilly's books, including "Culture Warrior" and "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity" were published by the Random House Inc. imprint Broadway Books. But after his publisher at Broadway, Stephen Rubin, left to run Holt, a division of Macmillan, O'Reilly decided to work with Holt on the Lincoln biography.

"I know Steve will be able to publish this book in a very effective manner," said O'Reilly, who added that he had not made a long-term commitment to Holt or to any publisher.

Note: I found the illustration at a website about vintage dustjackets: "Yo maté a Lincoln a las 10:13 (Reus, 1964): The inevitable illustration for I Killed Lincoln at 10:13! shows the assassinated president right after Booth's fatal shot. Courtesy of Art Scott."

"Oinkies"

As mentioned in a previous post, I'm reading a really interesting book right now called The Family That Couldn't Sleep by D.T. Max. It's about an Italian family that is prone to an extremely rare neurological illness--rare for the general population, that is, but not for them. About one person in 6 million gets fatal familial insomnia, but in this family, it's more like one in two.

It's a fascinating book that covers all sorts of ground, everything from Italian culture and history to the personalities of brilliant, egotistical scientists, and the mad cow scare in England in the 1990s.

I'm up to that last part (mad cow) right now, and I've been learning some really interesting facts about BSE or "bovine spongiform encephalopathy." I remember in the 90s, the common belief about mad cow disease was that if you happened to eat infected meat just once in your life, you could end up developing mad cow disease 50 years later. That's no longer really believed to be true (although, who knows?):

"It can be estimated, based on a European Union scientific committee's work, that the English ate as many as 640 billion doses of BSE during the crisis as a whole [1980s-1990s]. As it happens, BSE crosses from cow to human only with difficulty, but this fact wasn't anything the British government knew. They underestimated the initial threat, ignored the unique nature of the disease agent, and allowed bureaucracy and cattle industry profits to trump speed and openness. When in doubt, they formed a committee. The one thing they had on their side was luck. Fortunately, prions aren't as infectious as, say, the flu. If they were, only long-time vegetarians would be alive in England today."

In other words, the good news is, it's not that easy for humans to get mad cow disease. The bad news is, the English government didn't actually know that during the 10 year lag between realizing there was a problem and actually doing something about it. It's only dumb luck that kept millions of people from dying of mad cow, instead of the 160 or so people (mostly teenagers, for some reason) that actually did.

Anyway, getting back to that decade-long lag during which the British government pretended they were protecting the public and that they had it all under control when, in reality, they totally did not...Here's a morbidly funny anecdote from the book about that:

"British beef and its promoters fought back. The agriculture minister, John Gummer, fed his daughter a hamburger at a TV photo-op. (But four-year-old Cordelia made a face that suggested she'd rather be eating anything else--it was later reported that she found the hamburger too hot--and the moment registered in the British mind as only a failed photo-op can. The phrase 'doing a Gummer' remains in British political lexicon for such moments.) Officials went on tour to try to persuade English schools to put beef back on the menu. The Meat and Livestock Commission, a government-funded organization that helped promote British farm products, sponsored a contest to find 'the tastiest and most innovative children's novelty meat product.' The winner was 'Oinkies,' a combination of sausage meat and cheddar balls."

Mmmm, Oinkies. I have to admit, that actually sounds delicious to me. But it also reminds me of this Kids In the Hall skit about "Poreef," the disgusting pork-beef hybrid that featured "low price" as its only convincing selling point:

A Sad Day for Turdblossom

Karl Rove's 24-year-long (second) marriage has come to an end. Hey, Darby: if you can't make it work with Mr. Wonderful, who is gonna make you happy? Just saying. There's no pleasing some people!

Meanwhile, in seemingly unrelated news, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins have ended their 23-year-long relationship. If only they had tied the knot, it might have lasted that magical extra one year longer.

Make your move fast, Karl, before Susan gets bogged down in another decades long relationship. And Darby: I hear Sean Penn is now single too. Double date?:

(CNN) - Karl Rove - the former top aide to President George W. Bush - and his wife, Darby, were granted a divorce last week, family friend Dana Perino confirmed to CNN.

"The couple came to the decision mutually and amicably, and they maintain a close relationship and a strong friendship. There will be no further comment and the family requests that its privacy be respected," Perino said in an e-mail to CNN.

The two were married in 1986 and have one son.

Sales Skyrocket for Statuette Used to Hit Berlusconi

This is kind of poignant, but I can see the temptation--I'd probably be tempted to buy one of these myself. Poor Silvio. What makes it worse is that you know he is vain, so having his face bloodied was probably extra traumatic to him. Stop the violence, people! It's Christmas, for God's sake!:

MILAN (Reuters) – Souvenir vendors reported brisk business on Tuesday in statuettes of Milan's cathedral like the one hurled at Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in an attack at the weekend.

"Sales have definitely gone up," stall owner Mario said in the cathedral square where the attack took place on Sunday.

"People are definitely buying it as a souvenir of the event, it seems to be one of the most popular Christmas gifts."

A spiky replica of the gothic Duomo was used by an Italian man with a history of mental illness to strike 73-year-old Berlusconi in the face, breaking his nose, two of his teeth and gashing his lip.

The Italian conservative leader, who was hit while signing autographs after a political rally, will be released from hospital on Wednesday. Doctors say he will need two weeks' rest and was badly shaken by the assault.

While there was an outpouring of sympathy for Berlusconi, tourists were taking a macabre interest in the statuettes like the one used to attack him.

"I had to get a souvenir, it will be a Christmas gift," said Brazilian tourist Manuel Magalhaes.
The souvenirs come in different materials, with the heavier marble model costing about 10 euros and the lighter resin model 5-6 euros. It was not clear which one was used by Berlusconi's assailant, 42-year-old Massimo Tartaglia.

"People keep passing by and picking it up to see how heavy it is, to see if the weight of the object could really have caused all that physical damage to Berlusconi," said Mantuzzi.

Obama-Shaped Ecstasy

Disappointing. Why couldn't you people just get a natural high from President Obama's program for positive change in America?:

"There is now a line of Ecstasy pills made in the image of the 44th president of the United States, according to Texas police who have snatched a batch off the streets.

"Ecstasy is known for a sense of elation, diminished feelings of fear and anxiety, and ability to induce a sense of intimacy with others. A stash of the brightly colored tablets was found Monday during a south Texas traffic stop. Police in Palmview detained a driver after finding black tar heroin, cocaine, marijuana and several Ecstasy pills in the back of his car. The drugs look like a "vitamin for kids," police spokesman Lenny Sanchez said.

"Police say that other Ecstasy pills they found were made to look like the cartoon characters Homer Simpson and the Smurfs."

Merry Christmas

Yes, Christmas has come early for those of us who love watching weird, uncomfortable moments on TV because, as Guy pointed out, Carrie Prejean is the gift that keeps on giving.

Not only is she a little crazy--and clearly a huge bitch--but she is also truly, deeply dumb. She actually makes Sarah Palin look smart, which is a little scary. The only celebrity I can think of who is dumber is Britney Spears, because poor Britney is literally dumber than a sack of rocks. But at least Brits is sweet. Carrie lacks Britney's I'm-dumb-but-sweet charm.

I find this clip interesting because Carrie is too bone stupid to think of anything to say but, "Larry, you are being inappropriate" and no matter how many different ways Larry explains why his question is actually reasonable, she can't vary from the script. All she can do is nod at him condescendingly and repeat that he is being inappropriate, again and again, in exactly the same words, like a malfunctioning femme-bot. And then she strangely "storms off," sort of, except that she apparently has nowhere to storm off to, so she just sits with her mic off, smiling angrily. It is truly enjoyable television.

Obama Cake

This cake was originally posted on Cake Wrecks due to the slightly dubious placement of the ersatz Obama's hand...But I think it's a pretty amazing cake nevertheless!

Mmm, the delicious taste of national healthcare.

More Fun With Imaginary Titles

Professional moron Carrie Prejean has a new book out. In bookstores now--ask for it by name!


Meanwhile, this little news item from last Friday made me giggle:

"A legal standoff between Carrie Prejean and Miss California USA officials reportedly ended when a pageant lawyer played his trump card: a sex tape far more hard-core than the nude pictures which had previously scandalized her -- and in which she had the starring role. After being shown the hardcore home video -- in which she apparently engages in a solo sex act -- Prejean dropped her million-dollar-plus demands, TMZ.com reports, and bolted from the negotiating table."

Flat Reading

Are you looking for something engrossing to read? Do you like flat reading material so that you can easily eat lunch and read simultaneously?

Then I have some fun news for you. If you haven't already read the series of articles recently published in Vanity Fair entitled "The Madoff Chronicles," I highly recommend that you check it out. Vanity Fair helpfully provides links to each article--with all the photos included--here:

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/madoff

I was afraid they'd try to make it "subscription only" but they were cool and didn't do that. You don't even have to register for a free subscription. The articles are very long but fascinating.

This series of articles was originally recommended to me by my dental hygenist, Debbie, at my last appointment. While cleaning my teeth, Debbie told me she was hooked on the series and couldn't wait for her next issue of Vanity Fair to arrive every month so that she could read the latest installment. "Who knew? Did the wife know? Did the kids know? Did the secretary know?? I have to find out!" said Debbie.

She was also addictively reading the Twilight series. She giggled when she accidentally revealed to me her hardcover copy of New Moon stashed away like contraband (she was looking for floss). Clearly, Debbie likes a good suspense story.

Photo of Eleanor Squillari, Bernie Madoff's longtime secretary.

King Ranch Casserole

King Ranch Casserole is a classic Texas dish made famous by Lady Bird Johnson. She used to serve this at the ranch, where it was one of Lyndon's most-requested meals. This recipe by Cook's Country is really good. I've made it a couple of times. It's easy and delicious! You can leave out the jalapenos (or use less) to adjust the spiciness if desired.

The Ro-Tel tomatoes are also a fun little piece of American history:

Carl Roettele opened a small canning plant in Elsa, Texas, in the early 1940s. By the 1950s, his blend of tomatoes, green chiles, and spices had become popular throughout the state and beyond. His spicy, tangy tomatoes are used in countless local recipes, including King Ranch casserole and a mixture of Velveeta and Ro-Tel tomatoes known locally as Ro-Tel dip (chili con queso, to the rest of the country).

If you can't find Ro-Tel tomatoes, substitute one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes and one 4-ounce can chopped green chiles. Cojack is a creamy blend of Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses. We like its tangy flavor, but milder Jack cheese can be used in its place.

* 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 2 medium onions , chopped fine
* 2 jalapeño chiles , minced
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 2 (10-ounce) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes (see note)
* 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
* 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
* 4 cups Cojack cheese (see note)
* Salt and pepper
* 2 1/4 cups Fritos,crushed

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Lay tortillas on two baking sheets, lightly coat both sides with cooking spray, and bake until slightly crisp and browned, about 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then break into bite-sized pieces. Using potholders, adjust top oven rack to middle position.
2. Heat butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onions, chiles, and cumin until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until most of liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add cream and broth, bring to simmer, and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Off heat, add cilantro and cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Scatter half of tortilla pieces in 13 by 9-inch baking dish set over rimmed baking sheet. Spoon half of filling evenly over tortillas. Scatter remaining tortillas over filling, then top with remaining filling.
4. Bake until filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle Fritos evenly over top and bake until Fritos are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool casserole 10 minutes. Serve.

Make Ahead: The casserole can be assembled through step 3 and refrigerated for up to 1 day. When ready to serve, cover casserole with foil and bake until filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove foil, top with Fritos, and proceed with rest of step 4 as directed.

Recipe from Cook's Country

Hubby Hubby

Starting today in Vermont, same-sex couples have the legal right to marry. Proving once again that they are awesome, Ben & Jerry released this press statement:

In partnership with Freedom to Marry we are gathered here to celebrate Vermont and all the other great states where loving couples of all kinds are free to marry legally. We have ceremoniously dubbed our iconic flavor, Chubby Hubby to Hubby Hubby in support, and to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality. Check out our press release.

If you live in Vermont, or visiting, you’re invited to celebrate the pride-filled occasion with an all naturally fabulous union of Peanut Butter Cookie Dough ice cream, fudge and pretzels. Enjoy our Hubby Hubby Sundae for the month of September in participating Vermont Scoop Shops!

Equality is delicious!

Multitaskers Bad at Multitasking

Whoa!! That is surprising! That's almost as mysterious and unexplainable as when Hillary Clinton got slightly cranky 'cause that one guy in the audience asked her what her husband thought about something during her Q&A. What was that all about?

But this is even more shocking. You mean that that girl I saw that one time who was walking her dog and smoking and holding a cup of coffee and talking on the phone all at the same time didn't necessarily have her act together?

I say: further studies are needed!

Study: Multitaskers Bad at Multitasking

Stanford Study Shows that People Who Do More Are More Easily Distracted

(AP News) That is the surprising conclusion of researchers at Stanford University, who found multitaskers are more easily distracted and less able to ignore irrelevant information than people who do less multitasking. "The huge finding is, the more media people use the worse they are at using any media. We were totally shocked," Clifford Nass, a professor at Stanford's communications department, said in a telephone interview. ..

In a society that seems to encourage more and more multitasking, the findings have social implications, Nass observed. Multitasking is already blamed for car crashes as several states restrict the use of cell phones while driving. Lawyers or advertisers can try to use irrelevant information to distract and refocus people to influence their decisions.

In the study, the researchers first had to figure out who are the heavy and light multitaskers...Then they tested the abilities of students in the various groups. For example, ability to ignore irrelevant information was tested by showing them a group of red and blue rectangles, blanking them out, and then showing them again and asking if any of the red ones had moved. The test required ignoring the blue rectangles.

The researchers thought people who do a lot of multitasking would be better at it. "But they're not. They're worse. They're much worse," said Nass. The high media multitaskers couldn't ignore the blue rectangles. "They couldn't ignore stuff that doesn't matter. They love stuff that doesn't matter," he said.

Perhaps the multitaskers can take in the information and organize it better? Nope. "They are worse at that, too," Nass said. "So then we thought, OK, maybe they have bigger memories. They don't. They were equal" with the low multitaskers, he added...

"They couldn't help thinking about the task they weren't doing," lead author Eyal Ophir said. "The high multitaskers are always drawing from all the information in front of them. They can't keep things separate in their minds."

Obama's Secret Reading List

The big story on the Internets today is President Obama's summer vacation reading list.

I'm reproducing the list here mostly because I needed an excuse to post the same illustration that Slate.com used for their story on it.

Look at him reading! So cute!

This is the list:

1. The Way Home by George Pelecanos, a crime thriller based in Washington, D.C.

2. Lush Life by Richard Price, a story of race and class set in New York's Lower East Side

3. Tom Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded, on the benefits to America of an environmental revolution

4. John Adams by David McCullough

5. Plainsong by Kent Haruf, a drama about the life of eight different characters living in a Colorado prairie community.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Sounds like a snoozefest, doesn't it?

Now, I have it on good authority that these are the 5 books he is really reading (but this information has not been released for security reasons):

1. Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4) by Stephenie Meyer

2. Passport to Peril (Hard Case Crime) by Robert B. Parker

3. 30 Years of Laughs & Lasagna: The Life & Times of a Fat, Furry Legend! (Garfield) by Jim Davis

4. Real Life: Preparing for the 7 Most Challenging Days of Your Life by Dr. Phil McGraw

5. They Have a Word for It: A Lighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words and Phrases (The Writer's Studio) by Howard Rheingold

Now that's a reading list!

...But don't worry, Mr. President! Your secret's safe with me!

(Guy just reminded me of the additional book that he and the President are both reading. Of course, it's The Fall of Eagles: The Death Of The Great European Dynasties by C.L. Sulzberger. I can't believe I forgot that title, because I overhear them on the phone together all the time, talking about it. History nerds!)

Adorable Illustration by Mark Alan Stamaty