I'm back, and just in time for the Monday recipe. I hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas. My lovely bride surprised me this year with something every good conservative should have but few do. A copy of Ronald Reagan's autobiography, signed by the Gipper himself. I just don't want to know what she paid for it or I'll be meeting him sooner than I had hoped. While rays of sunshine were beating down here in flyover country, my fantasy football team pulled off the improbable upset. Guided by misguided Coach Hargus "Pig" Hughes and a lovable cast of offbeat characters, my Bomber franchise scored our first ever fantasy football championship. While the title is nice, like any good capitalist, I can appreciate the financial gains as well. Not only do I win the lion's share of a $1200+ pot but I am hearing from various sporting concerns about endorsement deals....

I have of course been monitoring the political landscape and I see that the President has committed to appointing several judges to the Federal Bench who he had previously seen rejected by the Senate. I for one applaud the move. Of course my own Senator Harry "Pinkie" Reid has offered nothing but scorn and says the President isn't trying to appeal in a bi-partisan fashion. Pssst....Harry, er...I mean "Pinky", I've got news for you. We have expanded our majority in the Senate and hopefully we'll move aggressively to end these fraudulent "gentlemen's agreement" filibusters in the Senate. These nominees aren't extremists as Reid paints them. They simply don't conform to his litmus test question of abortion rights. Additionally of course, Reid and by extension the party of sedition, aka democrats despise any judge who believes that the Constitution should be interpreted as the Founding Fathers intended and not constructed by judicial fiat. Let's pray the Senate majority now moves to enact the President's judicial agenda.

In other news I thought that perhaps before I post the Monday recipe...I'd give you all a taste of Ann Coulter to end the year on a proper note. Now this picture is sure to be a hit with any believer in the Second Amendment...


Now then this week's recipe is macaroni and cheese and no, I'm not talking about the old bachelor standby of boxed mac and cheese. Come Christmas time as a kid, we often had baked macaroni and cheese to accompany our Christmas ham. Well I made it this year and truth to tell I kicked it up a bit with a lot of Spanish Manchego cheese. For those of you unfamiliar with Manchego, it is a robust white cheese that is sharp, but not quite as sharp as an English Blue.

Ingredients:

16 oz bag of elbow macaroni
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
grated cheddar, Manchego and Jack cheeses. About 1/2 cup of each or to your taste. (I used about a cup alone of Manchego for a sharper flavor.
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
breadcrumbs
1/2 cup extra grated cheddar for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Now then per instructions, cook up one 16 oz bag of elbow macaroni until al dente. Remove and drain. In a saucepan simmer together the milk, butter, slowly add in cheeses until they melt and the mixture thickens. Add the salt and pepper and combine. Now pour half the macaroni into a casserole and then spoon half the cheese mixture over it and toss. Top with the remaining macaroni and then pour the remainder of the mixture over that. Top the casserole off with another 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar and some breadcrumbs. Cover and bake for 35 minutes in the oven. After that time, uncover and bake uncovered for another 5-10 minutes to just lightly brown the top. Now serve this up proudly with your ham and I tellya, you'll never go back to Kraft again...good eatin' on ya!!!

Smilin' Paul Villa U.S. Senate 2004
cyber-Congressman, R-Reno
Proud Member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and 2 SUV Family

I know I've written this before but this really is the best time of the year. Sure it's Christmas and there are the parties, presents and feasting to look forward to but I always like to take a little time to appreciate the simple pleasures as well. I have always loved these short days of fall and early winter when I head off to work before light and come home after sunset. Yesterday was one of those perfect mornings, a frosty 16 degrees when I left my house, the sky a deep blue/black with the stars and moon providing a soft glow. There is a surreal beauty to the desert landscape on a cold morning when the sun is yet to come up but the ground is bathed in starlight. There is a slight rise, no more than 200 feet at most that I crest on my way into work and yesterday, at the top I had a brief view that was absolutely stunning. The first hint of cerulean was beginning to peek over the Spanish Range out to the east and the blue/black of the sky blended deeper black of the Truckee Meadows below me. Across the horizon, a wide slash of lights outlined the cities of Reno-Sparks and the bright orbs of multicolored lights were a beacon to downtown and the casinos. It was one of those gorgeous views that just sticks with you and reminds you, you never could have enjoyed a view like that with enviromentalists controlling regulations and design. They would have choked on the amount of fuel burnt to keep those lights burning.

After a start like that it would have been near impossible for a liberal to ruin my mood yesterday. Instead I took a little time to think about another year passing and to remind myself of the many blessings and things we have to be thankful for. First and foremost, I am thankful for the men and women of our military forces combatting our enemies all over the world. I am thankful for our nation re-electing a strong leader who believes in America and the traditional values that made this country great. I am thankful for my family and friends and of course for all you regulars that for some reason or other, pay attention to my frequent rants, occasional sense and make this blog worth the time I invest. In fact I'm feeling so benevolent right now, I'm going to sign off wishing you all a Merry Christmas and save the lib-bashing for another day. Besides, thats another thing I'm thankful for, people like Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Neal Boortz and of course big daddy Rush for picking up the slack on days like this where I'm giving the left a pass...

Smilin' Paul Villa U.S. Senate 2004
cyber-Congressman, R-Reno
Proud Member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and 2 SUV Family

Pozole, pozole, pozole...I've gotta concentrate on today's message that being a recipe for chicken pozole. Concentration is required because I am still reeling from a pair of insane off season trades made by my beloved Oakland A's. Potting soil....thats how I liken the trade of Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder for a bunch of no-names and prospects. In exchange we got a bag of potting soil....In other sporting news, the Battlin' Bay Bombers, my storied fantasy league football team has advanced to the championship game. Let's all pray that Coach Hargus "Pig" Hughes and the team have one more miracle in them.

Now on to matters of a political bent, (after all that is our bread and butter around here). I see where in New Jersey, a town has banned the singing of all Christmas Carols on public property. On a personal note, I am being assailed by well meaning clerks this year while doing my Christmas shopping. All of them uttering the same politically correct seasonal greeting of "Happy Holidays". I am sufficiently annoyed that especially with older clerks, who should know better, I am taking a moment to educate them about the nature of Christmas. I inform them that I am a good Catholic and take no offense to being provided a proper Christmas greeting. Often I am finding that they nod their heads knowingly and smile and then return the salutation. I for one am sick and damn tired of secularists, athiests and leftists trying to impose a religious ban on me and my country, a country founded on Judeo-Christian principles and with NO SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE IN THE CONSTITUTION! I wish for once that people would take some time out and actually read the Constitution before automatically accepting as gospel that the separation of church and state is expressly stated in the Constitution. That my friends is precisely what the left wants you to believe.

So next time you're out doing your duty for the economy this Christmas Season, and a clerk takes the time to issue you a generic, politically correct greeting remember to give them a big ol' sloppy Merry Christmas!!! right back at 'em.

Speaking of Christmas, it is a time of year when many of us might indulge in a bit of spiritous beverages. That being the case I am going to provide for you here a traditional Mexican hangover cure thats quick to make and will get you back on the dancefloor in no time. With no further adieu....this week's recipe: Chicken Pozole

Ingredients:

6 skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into quarters
2 tbsps olive oil
1 can (29 oz) white hominy
1 small can of roasted chili peppers
1/2 small can of chopped jalapenos (to taste, this may be too much heat for some)
1 quart reduced sodium chicken stock
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 small to medium yellow onion, chopped.
3 cloves of garlic, chopped.

In a skillet, heat the oil and then add the chicken. While browning the chicken, pour the stock into a pot and begin to warm over low heat. Now open the hominy and rinse it in a colander then add it directly to the stock. As the chicken browns, very lightly, remove it and throw it into the pot with the stock. Now quickly add the garlic and onions to the skillet and cook until translucent then add them to the pot. Now you can add the can of roasted chili pepper, black pepper and oregano and begin stirring. Leave this over low heat for at least an hour or hour and a half. Check to make sure it doesn't start to boil. Now once it is all nice and heated through, taste it, it may be hot enough for you or it may need some help. At this point you can start adding jalapeno to taste for additional heat. You can also experiment with herbs such as cilantro if you'd like. If you add jalapeno, allow it to simmer for another hour just to bring the whole batch together. Serve this up with cold beer, warm tortillas and some frijoles....hijo le mano!! y Feliz Navidad..

Smilin' Paul Villa U.S. Senate 2010
cyber-Congressman, R-Reno
Proud Member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and 2 SUV Family

To borrow a phrase from a well known democratic politician......

Yeeeeeeaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggggghhhh!!

Loosely translated that means that I have just completed my semester finals and once again can turn the impressive cerebral powers available to the staff here at WKWR to whats important! Politics, football and food and not necessarily in that order. Since politics is a year round game there is no off season so we have to squeeze in the food and sports talk where we can. I am pleased to report that my fantasy football franchise, the vaunted Bombers have made it to the playoffs thanks in large part to the gridiron brilliance of Coach Hargus "Pig" Hughes and a colorful cast of characters that somehow find their way into Bomber lore with each weeks press release.

While we're at it here, please don't think I been laying down on the job on the culinary front either. I just whipped up a batch of Chicken Pozole the other day that'll make you want to curl up with a bowl and bottle....Pozole being a traditional hangover cure, you might ought to eat it while you drink! That recipe will be coming soon. What I really wanted to jump in here and say is that I finally have about a month off where I can get back to bloggin' on the important topics of the day and I won't have school to blame! Hot damn...look out libbies...Smilin' Paul has just been unleashed..

Smilin' Paul Villa U.S. Senate 2004
cyber-Congressman, R-Reno
Proud Member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and 2 SUV Family

When you maintain such a diverse set of friends as I do sometimes you just never know what is going to come your way. Take yesterday for instance. Of course any real American realizes that yesterday was Pearl Harbor day. Of course that translated into a trip to In-N-Out Burger for a memorial lunch as our reasoning was that there is nothing more American than burgers and fries. Now that improved the day somewhat but what really made the day was my reception of the most unique Christmas card ever.

As some of you will recall, last year I posted a picture of the White House Christmas Card that I had received from the President and First Lady. This year I had planned on doing the same until I opened my mail yesterday. Reader Mick Daniels, Turlock Ca. absolutely floored me with this years Christmas Card, with apologies in advance to any of you PC types or any ethnic Japanese with no sense of humor and who can't appreciate history....

Of course Mick also weighed in with commentary on my column last week about the California Assembly considering a bill which would apportion California's presidential electors on a basis of vote percentage gained, here is his take....Pancho,Don't forget we also had a Dem attempt to lower the voting age to 14, in an effort to "increase voter enthusiasm"God's mercy on the Golden State. Don't forget the Central Valley, to include my county of Stanislaus, came through for Bush! A proud resident of Fly-Over Country, Mick

So don't despair you blue staters. In all probability you really live in a red area, it just happens to be surrounded by blue or dominated by a few blue enclaves...There's still hope even for you Californios....

Smilin' Paul Villa U.S. Senate 2004
cyber-Congressman, R-Reno
Proud Member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and 2 SUV Family

I don't know whats more amazing, this story of incredible heroism and the fact that America can instill this kind of devotion in people or that the Los Angeles Times would actually print the story.

A Hero's Courageous Sacrifice (TAPS and he died a hero)

I have also been doing some casting about of late. At a Christmas party the other night a reader asked me if it was hard to maintain interest in the blog since the election was now over. I confessed that it has been somewhat difficult. Then I paid a visit to our friends at Democratic Underground and was instantly reminded of why I do this. Those people are kooks. I know some of them might be well meaning but lordy, there are so many that are genuine tinfoil hat types, communists, social outcasts, anarchists and of course, those are the ones that can type semi-literately. Although to be fair, no thread at DU would be complete without a litany of the English language's more colorful curse words.

In any event, between the denizens of DU and my ongoing campaign to wean us off of China, I think that I should have ample ammunition to continue this concern of mine. Just pondering the economics of Chinese influence over our lives made me want to puke yesterday. Of course since everyone else in the house is sick and puking already with some kind of crud, I just assumed it was yet another Chinese import. Please folks, I know how hard it is to find items made in the USA anymore but don't indulge the Chinese. I know it costs a few more bucks but with electronics especially, always look for the manufacturer. I'd rather invest in a nominal ally in Thailand, Taiwan or Malaysia than send another red (pardon the pun) cent to the chicoms. Just my .02 cents...

Smilin' Paul Villa U.S. Senate 2010
Proud Member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and 2 SUV family

In the interests of my California readers I couldn't help but note that there is an Assembly Bill being put forth by two Republican California Assemblymen. I mention this because this bill if passed would adopt a Maine style electoral vote division for the Golden State's jackpot of 55 presidential electoral votes. In a Maine style system, the winner of the state is awarded 2 electoral votes, representing the Senators from that state. The remainder of the votes would be awarded on the basis of who won each congressional district. Under this plan, it is conceivable that President Bush in the last election could have peeled off as many as 2 dozen or so of California's electoral votes. It also would have forced the two presidential campaigns to pay more than token attention to the largest state in the union.

Sadly for most of my Bay bound friends, this bill would have absolutely no effect on you. Your congressional districts are so hopelessly left leaning that more accurately resemble foreign countries rather than bear any comparison to a typical American flyover community. Certainly diversity is a fine thing, but in the case of so many California congressional districts it has gone so far left that the districts have isolated themselves from the mainstream of American political life.

Of course the intriguing thing about this potential bill will be to see the reaction of democrats to it. A similar effort in Colorado was just defeated during the past election. Democrats in Colorado were wildly supportive of the effort when they thought it was going to be a close race and the thought of peeling presidential electors away from President Bush made them tingle. Watch how they howl in protest at the California effort now. Yet more hypocrisy from the party that knows how. However, before you get too excited out there on the left coast, remember that your Assembly and Senate are both dominated by democrats so this Republican sponsored bill has about as much chance of becoming law as a snowball in hell.

Smilin' Paul Villa U.S. Senate 2004
cyber-Congressman, R-Reno
Proud Member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and 2 SUV Family