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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

News The Morning News

Posted by Erica C. Barnett on Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 8:43 AM

Plunging: Stock markets hit 11-year lows.

Plummeting: US home prices fell at record pace in December.

Citywide Hiring Freeze Proposed: Because that worked so well the last time.

Under Pressure: Banks, insurers and automakers want US to add billions in bailout money.

Crazy AND Anti-Choice: Octuplets' mom said she "had" to carry all eight embryos to term, because otherwise she'd have had to destroy some.

False Alarm: Microsoft says workers can keep excess severance pay.

Bernanke: Recession may last until 2010.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: It's Mardi Gras!

Approved: Sixty-eight percent like Obama's job performance so far.

States Refusing Stimulus Money: Hope prayers will work.

As Promised: Cap and trade included in Obama's budget.

Not Worth It: Would-be beauty queen dies on stage after radical weight-loss regime.

Faith Crisis: Billy Graham to lay off 10 percent of staff.

While You're Waiting for This Week's LOST: Check out The Ack Attack's hilarious recaps.

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Recipe of the Day: Quick Chipotle Tortilla Soup (Recipe and Photo via Pithy and Cleaver)

Quick Chipotle Tortilla Soup
serves four

2 small onions, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
dash red pepper flakes (optional)
1 qt low-salt stock or broth
3 chipotle chiles in adobo (about half a can), chopped
2 14-oz or 1 28-oz cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, including liquid
1/4 cup water (I just add this to the empty tomato cans to clean out the remains)
1 can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
10 oz frozen corn kernels (one package)
3 tomatillos, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
juice of two small limes
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

for serving:
1 avocado
handful cilantro, chopped
several handfuls tortilla chips
queso fresco (if unavailable, use mild feta or jack cheese)
lime wedges

In a large dutch oven or heavy soup pot, saute chopped onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, chili powder, oregano, and pepper flakes if using. Stir and saute until fragrant, about one minute. Add stock, chipotles, tomatoes, water, and beans. Simmer ten minutes to let flavor mingle. Add corn, tomatillos, red pepper, and lime juice, simmer an additional 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro and taste. Go light on the salt, since the tortilla chips will add a bunch. Slice avocado and divide between bowls, saving a little for a garnish. Put a handful of crumbled tortilla chips in each bowl. Ladle soup on top, and top with additional cilantro, avocado, chips, and crumbled queso fresco. Serve with lime wedges.

Comments (37) RSS

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I agree that octo-mom is nuts. But not wanting to have an abortion or reduction isn't the same as being anti-choice. Pro-choice doesn't mean you think everyone should have an abortion. Or, I mean... does it?

Posted by Marv on February 24, 2009 at 8:53 AM

Nice to have Erica back doing the news with recipes.

Posted by Chip Chipmunk on February 24, 2009 at 8:54 AM

Erica C. Barnett is the finest journalist of her generation, as fine a journalist as Thomas Jefferson was a president. Nevertheless...

THOMAS JEFFERSON WILL NOT BE PRESIDENT AT ALL THIS MONTH!

And no, I don't feel like letting it go.

Posted by The Incredible Sulk on February 24, 2009 at 8:56 AM

1
Unless you are willing to slaughter your own kids don't dare call yourself pro-choice. It's a blood pact. It's like the Crips and you have to kill a baby to get in.

Posted by Bloodlust on February 24, 2009 at 9:02 AM

i think that's funny that you think anti-choice means choosing to keep your babies, erica. it might help you to take a deep breath and step back from your assumptions occasionally. you might see that they don't always make sense.

Posted by ellarosa on February 24, 2009 at 9:07 AM

@5 Do they ever make sense? I mean, really.

Posted by TheMisanthrope on February 24, 2009 at 9:11 AM

"States Refusing Stimulus Money: Hope prayers will work."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

Posted by Urgutha Forka on February 24, 2009 at 9:11 AM

Everyone knows life begins when egg cells are surgically extracted from a woman's body, mixed in a test tube chemical bath with random donated sperm cells, and then frozen in a biohazard industrial freezer. It's right there in the bible.

Posted by lizzie on February 24, 2009 at 9:15 AM

Whatev. I am pro-choice but wouldn't have an abortion.

Posted by subwlf on February 24, 2009 at 9:15 AM

Obama has been in a month and the economy has steepened it's decline.
The 'Magic Negro' seems to be defective.
Can we get a refund?

Posted by I voted for Hillary on February 24, 2009 at 9:16 AM

The term "Octo-Mom" really grosses me out.

Posted by snargent pepper on February 24, 2009 at 9:16 AM

@8 I don't know about the Bible but that is when my children's lives began. I have pictures of them as 4 and 8 cell clusters. Now they are beautiful teenage girls.

Posted by a mother on February 24, 2009 at 9:19 AM

@1, 4, 5: Her choice to have those embryos implanted all at once put all 8 of them at risk. Actually, make that 9, since the mother's life was also at risk.

And then there's the small matter of her OTHER SIX CHILDREN who still need a mother. I'm not saying she should be forced have a selective termination; but not doing so amounts to neglect and reckless child endangerment. There is no reason those embryos had to go to waste--I'm sure somebody else (somebody who could actually be a decent parent, even) could have made use of them, had this crazy bitch had anyone's best interests in mind.

If the fertility doctor had followed the established guidelines, however, this wouldn't even be an issue. He deserves jail for life.

Posted by lily on February 24, 2009 at 9:21 AM

Yeah, I've got to agree with Marv. I mean, she is psycho and I don't think she made a good decision, but in the end she made her own choice for her own body. I don't see anything "anti-choice" about that. You can't call yourself pro-choice if you're only willing to respect the choices you personally agree with.

Posted by Hernandez on February 24, 2009 at 9:21 AM

to I voted for Hillary. Are you serious? This black hole opened up by the Bush administration wasn't going to be fixed in a month. We'll be lucky if damage control can be done in 8 years. Give me a fucking break!!! it took us years to get into this mess it's going to take us years to get out - and things are going to get MUCH WORSE before they get better - and that would be true no matter who was president. it's people like you that make me want to bash people's faces in out of frustration anger and hatred. go back into the hole you crawled out of!

Posted by xina on February 24, 2009 at 9:22 AM

to 14: Yeah, she's a loon. No, she can't take care of 14 kids. Yeah, the doctor who performed the procedure is a criminal.

But that doesn't make the crazy lady anti-choice. It makes her someone who didn't have an abortion. There's a difference.

Posted by Marv on February 24, 2009 at 9:25 AM

Pro-choice, anti-choice, pro-life, anti-life... remember, those are all stupid platitudes people.

In reality, it's either pro-abortion or anti-abortion. Octo-mom is clearly anti-abortion.

Pro-choice/anti-choice is meaningless.

Posted by Urgutha Forka on February 24, 2009 at 9:27 AM

Uh oh, I just saw octo-mom had 6 frozen embryos inserted 5 times for each of her 6 previous children, but only 6 of them implanted and developed until birth. That means she killed a total of 24 embryo-babies-humans!! MURDER?!

Oh, and then there's the over 50% of naturally conceived embryos that are naturally aborted spontaneously - chances are that every woman who has ever had a child has had at least one spontaneously aborted embryo that failed to implant into the uterus properly. Jesus is killing billions of embryo-baby-humans, we have to stop him!!

Posted by lizzie on February 24, 2009 at 9:30 AM

@18: the attrition-rate math of the 1st SIX pregnancies what immediately came to mind also. her narcissism no doubt allowed her to rationalize those "deaths" as "god's will".

take away the fertility doctor's license. today.

Posted by Jesus Fucking Christ on February 24, 2009 at 9:41 AM

Hey snargent pepper at 11-

it could be worse, and in fact it is - over at TMZ they call her OCTOPUSSY.

Posted by mr. herriman on February 24, 2009 at 9:42 AM

octo mom might not be anti-choice but ereca barnet is for sure anti-family

Posted by Go away! 'Batin'! on February 24, 2009 at 9:50 AM

I for one, thought the Lost recap was some of the funniest shit I've read in a long while. Thanks!

Posted by thecatnextdoor on February 24, 2009 at 10:04 AM

I'm thinking the idiot doctor that did this should have to pay big time for the children's health and well being. This would have the benefit of making others a lot more cautious about what they do. I also do not believe she is a capable parent mentally.

Posted by Vince on February 24, 2009 at 10:05 AM

Shouldn't she really be "quadradecamom?"

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty on February 24, 2009 at 10:08 AM

15
Yes, I'm serious.

What has Obama done to indicate that he has a clue how to end the meltdown?

Obama groupies howled CHANGE! like it was a Hare Krishna mantra, never pausing to think that, as bad as things were THEY COULD ALWAYS GET WORSE.
Change is only good if you change to something better.
In a month Obama has shit away $800 borrowed billions down the crapper that won't help the economy one bit and the markets are in free fall.
The meltdown won't be fixed in a month but in a month Obama could have given the nation a hint that he has a clue.

Bash your own face if you want to work off some steam. If you voted for Obama you deserve it.

Posted by I hear Canada is nice this time of year on February 24, 2009 at 10:12 AM

I hope the dead beauty queen won the contest. Then it would be totally worth it.

Posted by Heath Ledger on February 24, 2009 at 10:12 AM

Um, guys, last time I checked this morning, the market was UP between 1.5 and 2 percent ... it was the Euro markets that dived.

Keep up.

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 24, 2009 at 10:40 AM

oh, and that Ack Attack stuff is bangin.

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 24, 2009 at 10:50 AM

Maybe if we illegalized day trading or made people hang on to stocks for at least 24 hours before reselling, the market would not be so volatile.

Posted by elswinger on February 24, 2009 at 10:53 AM

27

HALLELULJA !!!

Obama has saved the economy!

Posted by I'm going to buy a car and townhouse then go look for a job on February 24, 2009 at 10:54 AM

@17, no, there's a big difference between anti-choice and anti-abortion. Anti-choice people believe abortion should be illegal; anti-abortion people can be either for or against abortion rights. Many pro-choice people are anti-abortion.

I agree with those above who said that it's wrong to call her anti-choice. Based on that article, we don't really know if she is.

Posted by julia on February 24, 2009 at 11:20 AM

30, won't you feel like a douche if he does? there's still almost 4 years to determine what a failure he is. sit back and relax in your certain knowledge that he will blow it so much worse than mccain would have.

Posted by ellarosa on February 24, 2009 at 11:24 AM

@32
#25, 30, etc, is slogs latest idiot troll who does have the balls to stay with a single screen name. Don't feed the troll.

Posted by Sad Comment on February 24, 2009 at 11:48 AM

@31
Either one is in favor of legal abortion (pro-abortion) or one is not in favor of legal abortion (anti-abortion).
The words pro-choice and anti-choice are silly (as are pro-life and anti-life). They were only invented to make each side feel great about themselves while vilifying the other side.

Posted by Urgutha Forka on February 24, 2009 at 12:07 PM

The octomom stated earlier that her doctor wanted her to "kill" her babies, i.e. selectively reduce them. Anyone who phrases a doctor's desire to preserve the health and lives of the mother and children that way is most certainly antichoice.

Posted by keshmeshi on February 24, 2009 at 12:49 PM

Well I'm blushing :D

Posted by ack on February 24, 2009 at 2:58 PM

35: Or is she someone for whom the idea of abortion is unthinkable? You can find abortion unthinkable and also be pro-choice. Seriously, is it that hard to understand? Abortion is something I would never do (well, I imagine), but I don't think the government should prevent people from making that choice.

Posted by Marv on February 24, 2009 at 3:45 PM