So Much For Lobby Reform-First 100 Hours

Interesting...we'll keep track of this. See MSN Article below.

WASHINGTON — Democrats say they were returned to power in part because of corruption and ethical lapses of the Republican Congress. They promised to clean up the swamp and crack down on lobbyists.
But hours after changing House rules to reduce favors from lobbyists, it was back to business as usual in Washington.
Democrats threw a $1,000-a-person fundraising concert in Washington Thursday night, with Hollywood celebrities, big donors and those lobbyists writing checks to re-elect Democrats.
“Tonight we are having a celebration!” said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "Democrats are back!”
Congressional Republicans also had a pricey fundraiser with lobbyists after they assumed power 12 years ago.
But Democrats promised to be different.
“It sends a very mixed message to be on one hand saying that they're clamping down on lobbyists, but then raising money from those very same lobbyists that they say are part of the problem,” says David Donnelly, an ethics reform advocate with Public Action Campaign Fund.
In fact, under the new rules, lobbyists can still wine and dine members of Congress as long as it's a campaign fundraiser.
Some lobbyists say that politicians who trash lobbyists are hypocritical.
“If you want to bash me in the press, bash me in the press, but don't call me the next day and ask for money,” says Paul Miller, president of the American League of Lobbyists.
Speaker Pelosi's spokesperson says there were only about 200 lobbyists at Thursday night's fundraising concert, and that this still will be the most open, honest Congress

Back to Normal

Christmas has come and gone. 2006 is history. Back to the work today. School starts on Wednsday.
I guess we are back to normal. But I don't want to give up un-normal...I like having my kids around. I like having lots of excitement in the house. Life is more lively around when thing are not normal.
We get up, go to work, eat dinner, watch some TV and go to bed. Then we do it again. Not much game playing...(we must have played 2-3 games of Scrabble or Cribbage daily when the kids were here). The kids even went sliding down snow hills!
We are going to try to get some more life in our house!
I like lots of life in our house and I like my kids around! Nancy and I laugh more and it's just more fun!

Beer and Bread

We spent part of the day making a batch of English Pale Ale and Spent Grain Bread. Spent Grain Bread is made with the used grains from the beer. Randee and I made the beer and Nick made the spent grain bread. I'm sure the bread will be as good as the experimental soup!

Happy New Years

Here is the Expermental Soup Recipe

It tuned out Great! Try it you'll like it! (we did not use the olives)

Squash, Kale, & White Bean Soup
serves 6-7
1 yellow onion
1 large butternut squash (peeled & seeded chopped into 1" pieces)
1 red pepper(Chopped into 1" pieces)
4-6 cups of stock
1 large head kale (devined and chopped)
2 cups cooked white beans
1 cup kalamata olives
fresh sage



1. Saute chopped onion in olive oil. Use a heavy bottomed soup pot.
2. Add chopped butternut squash. Saute over medium heat 10-15 minutes.
3. Add chopped red bell pepper &/or whole fresh corn kernels. Saute 2
minutes.
4. Add enough stock to cover vegetables. Add more for thinner soup.
5. Cook until squash is done 30 minutes.
6. Add finely chopped kale. Add a lot, it will cook down.
7. Just before serving. Add cooked white beans. Add pitted & halfed
kalamata olives.
8. Sprinkle with parmesan or fresh goat cheese.