I don't mean to brag, but . . .

. . . I'm really good at tennis on Wii Sports.

I thought my score would be capped at 2000. Turns out, it's not.

Full Metal Chocolate Chili Ice Cream

I bought an ice cream maker a couple months ago, and since then I've been looking for new and interesting ice cream recipes. I ran across several recipes for chocolate chili ice cream, which sounded kind of strange but promising. I devised my own simple recipe based on proportions I found in other recipes, mixed it up and froze it right before I came here to write this--and it's delicious.

Ingredients

- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (baking cocoa)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons chili powder

Instructions

Very simple: put all the ingredients in the ice cream mixer, whisk them together thoroughly and freeze according manufacturer's directions.

Yield: About 1 Quart

I know it sounds like a lot of chili powder, but trust me on this one.

Happy 1st Birthday . . .

. . . to my son, Link!

I've scheduled this post to show up at the same time he was born, but I think this blog's clock is set to the wrong time zone.

Happy Mother's Day!

To my mom, my wife, my mother-in-law, and my grandmother.

More Journalistic Impropriety

You should read the article first.

I think this is absolutely disgusting. First of all, this is hardly a big enough deal to write a story about. Secondly, it's one of the most obvious cases of a journalist losing impartiality that I've ever seen outside of local news outlets' treatment of local sporting events (with local teams playing out-of-towners).

But recent accounts of the episode have omitted key details that suggest there was more truth in the essence of Clinton's tale than her critics, and even her presidential campaign, have acknowledged.

I really think it's inappropriate for a journalist to be speaking about how much "truth" (which is obviously used metaphorically here) is in "the essence" of something. I read and re-read this section to determine whether or not they were quoting a Clinton campaign spokesperson. They weren't.

And again at the close of the article:

But according to Casto's account, Bachtel's medical tragedy began with circumstances very close to the essence of Clinton's now-abandoned account: the lack of insurance created a $100 barrier to needed medical attention close to home.

Again, the writer is talking about "the essence" of the story. And of course the writer decides what the essence of it is. The writer decided that "the essence" of the story is not that the woman was turned away from a hospital where she had never been before (presumably or impliedly at the ER) because she wouldn't pay up front. And that she tried again and was turned away again. No, of course not.

It's this kind of bullshit that makes me understand why we need Fox News.

Happy Birthday . . .

. . . to my beautiful wife, Laura!

Kosovo's Independence

News Story Here

PRISTINA, Kosovo - The U.S. and major European powers recognized Kosovo on Monday, a day after the province's ethnic Albanian leaders declared independence from Serbia. Giddy Kosovars danced in the streets when they heard of the endorsements.

Kosovo's leaders sent letters to 192 countries seeking formal recognition and Britain, France, Germany and U.S. were among the countries that backed the request. But other European Union nations were opposed, including Spain which has battled a violent Basque separatist movement for decades.

. . .

Russian President Vladimir Putin has argued that independence without U.N. approval would set a dangerous precedent for "frozen conflicts" across the former Soviet Union, where separatists in Chechnya and Georgia are agitating for independence.

My immediate thought was this: why don't we recognize the Confederate States of America? This is the exact same thing that the American Civil War was fought over, no matter how much everyone's dumbed-down American history classes tried to make it about the injustices of slavery. I don't see how we can justify recognizing Kosovo as an independent nation unless we simultaneously say that fighting our own Civil War was a mistake.

I'm not entirely on the side of Spain and Russia here when they say that this is a matter that should be taken up by the U.N, and they can't simply unilaterally state that they are a separate country. The article doesn't mention China, but I imagine that their fight with Taiwan puts them on the same side.

It might be that the Kosovars do have a right to be a separate country. I'm not familiar enough with the situation. But I don't believe that their methodology is correct, and it is apparently causing a lot of international tension.

Winning Is Good

I just found out that I won my first trial. Just thought the universe might like to know.