The Squirrel Can Cook – White Chili

I recently noticed that I’ve got multiple bags of dried beans in the pantry, so I’ve been trying to find recipes that make use of them. A few weeks ago, I used some of them when I treated you to the Squirrel’s Cajun pork and beans. This week, I’ll use up some more as we make a savory batch of white chili. White chili is, in many ways, “Italian chili.” I do not know if the origin of the dish is actually Italian or not, but it definitely has an Italian flair.

Our ingredients are:

3 cups of dried white beans, cooked and drained
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 large white onion, chopped
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of Basiks Italian Table Blend
1 “box” of low-sodium chicken broth

First, the beans – Measure out 3 cups of dried beans, sort through them, picking out in any rocks or stones, and rinse them well. Put the beans in a large bowl with 6 cups of water, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours. (I usually do this the night before.)

Drain the beans and put them in a stockpot. Fill the stock pot with water to a level about 2 inches above the top of the beans, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Drain well.

Next, the chicken – Put the chicken breasts in your pressure cooker with 1 cup of water. Seal, bring to pressure, and cook for 8 minutes. Let the pressure cooker cool and return to normal pressure on its own. Remove the chicken breasts and shred.


Place two or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of your stock pot over medium-low heat, and sauté the onions until translucent, add the minced garlic and sauté for another minute.

Then deglaze the pan with the chicken stock, making sure to get all the bits of onion and garlic unstuck from the bottom of the pan. (Burned bits made for bad chili.) Now add the chicken & spices. Add enough water to cover the contents to a depth of 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.


Serve with garlic bread. Serves 4 to 6, enjoy!

The Squirrel shall not live by bread NUTS alone!

The Squirrel's Nut Cache - 8/26/2010

The Nut Cache - a collection of recent things I found interesting, or amusing, or nutworthy.

I've always been a fan of creative parenting. There's nothing like a little imagination to get a point to sink in. For example, I have a friend who, when her son locked himself in his bedroom and would not let her in, took the doorknob off of his bedroom door. Classic. Now, out of Texas comes a story of a Dad fed up with his 16-year-old daughter's failing to respect the curfew set for her. His creative punishment? Taking out a full-paged ad in the newspaper offering his daughter's babysitting services free of charge. 30 hours of "community service" babysitting is the punishment her dad has "sentenced" her to. On the one hand, I do like Dad's creativity, on the other hand, as one friend said to me, "Nothing says 'quality child care' like 'reluctant teenager.'" Well, there is that, too...

The Scriptures say "Thou shalt not steal" (Exodus 20:15,) and so, of course, I in no way endorse theft of any kind. But we all understand it, don't we? Things are valuable because people want them, right? If nobody wanted big flat-panel televisions, they wouldn't cost hundreds of dollars each. Therefore, thieves steal valuable things that people want. That's why this theft makes perfect sense to me.. I mean, who wouldn't want to steal a huge truckload of peanuts? (It's a squirrel thing...)

From one thief story to another: security cameras and such have always been, since their invention, an obstacle for thieves. When a professional thief “cases” a “job,” one of the first things he does is look for all the cameras, because you know there are gonna be cameras. The petty thieves, it seems, are not really professionals; they’re just opportunists. They work the crowds and wait and watch until somebody said something down and turns away, then they pounce. But that didn’t work out so well for a thief in Madison, Wisconsin. It seems a family had stopped to take some photographs, and the father had set the family’s tote bag down next to the steps. Seeing an opportunity, a thief snagged the bag and fled the scene. The family turned around after taking their picture to find that the bag was gone. Just a few years ago, they would’ve had to wait days until the film was developed, but not in this digital age! Note to thieves: when stealing from a family of photographers, it is a good idea to make sure you are not in the shot!

Well, we just have to do one more stupid thief story. You would think the restore full of police officers would be pretty safe from shoplifters… You would think that, wouldn’t you? Yeah, me to. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that the employees of a Portland Fred Meyer store were not really expecting shoplifters during the annual "Shop With a Cop" back-to-school event, where cops help children shop for their back-to-school supplies. But, let’s face it, thieves do not tend to be the brightest bulbs on the tree. Sure enough, two “enterprising” young hooligans thought it would be a great time to help themselves to some “free” merchandise. They were wrong… (You know, cops have to love guys like these! Dumb thieves have got to make work that much easier.)

A few weeks ago I wrote about the story of the little girl whose lemonade stand was shut down by the Oregon department of health for failing to have the proper restaurant licenses, here’s a story from the other coast that also details how government intrusion is hurting business. It seems the New York State has a tax on prepared foods but not on groceries. If you buy a bagel from a bakery it is considered groceries… except if they cut it for you. If they cut it for you, it is now a “prepared food” and subject to an 8% sales tax. One bagel shop, Bruegger’s, just got stuck for fines and back taxes because employees did not realize that a sliced plain bagel was a prepared food, and subject to the tax, while an unsliced plain bagel was untaxed groceries. It is simple economics, folks. Taxes kill economies!

It is a Nutty world, might as well laugh...

Double Your Predestination, Double Your Fun!

Whenever Calvinists talk about God’s Sovereign Election of sinners to salvation, non-Calvinists always object to the implication of “double predestination.” [Insert ominous music here] “Double predestination,” simply put, is the belief that God has predestination all those going to heaven as well as all those going to hell.

Just this past weekend, I came across this clear rejection of God’s sovereign election and the basis of the rejection is clearly “double predestination”:

What I know about calvinists – pretty basic concept – only the “elect” get to heaven, and you can’t choose to be the “elect” – you are pre-chosen for heaven, and pre-chosen for hell. Um – no.

“Double predestination” is largely a derogatory term, and it leads to misconceptions of the Calvinist position. The term is usually meant to imply some sort of “equal ultimacy”; the idea God is as active in the reprobation of those people on their way to hell, as He is active in the sanctification of those people on their way to heaven.

Except for Open Theists, (An Open Theist is someone who would deny God’s sovereignty and do not accept that God can know the future with any absolute certainty.) all Christians accept that God knows perfectly and precisely all future events, including who exactly is destined for both Heaven and Hell.

This is one of those things they can keep you awake nights and/or give you headaches. If God knows perfectly the future, for instance what I’m going to have for lunch today, am I a free to eat something else? If God’s perfect knowledge of the future is that today I will eat a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, can I have a chicken salad sandwich instead? Just how free am I? Unless you embrace Open Theism you will have to say that I’m not free, but that I am predestination to eat that ham and cheese sandwich.

Now here is where the question gets really sticky, just how does God know that I will eat that ham and cheese sandwich for lunch? Given that God knows the future perfectly, there are only two options as to how He knows the future: 1) He knows the future because He has the ability to look across time and see what is going to occur in the future; or 2) He has decreed all things that will occur by His sovereign will and all things will occur as He has decreed.

In the first option, God is a passive observer, who sees what is coming, but has very little control over it. God has little or nothing to do with whether or not I choose ham and cheese over chicken salad. But in the second option, God is the sovereign ruler over His creation and He is an absolute control of every detail, including my choice of ham and cheese over chicken salad. Furthermore, God has a purpose in decreeing that I choose ham and cheese over chicken salad. Which of these options best represents the God of the Bible?

I would contend that the Bible plainly teaches that God is sovereign. Isaiah 46:8-10 says, "Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'.” If that is not a clear declaration of the sovereignty of God, then what is it?

And Isaiah 46:8-10 does not stand alone, there are other scriptures that trumpet God’s sovereignty; He is sovereign over the governments of men (Daniel 4:17, 35; Proverbs 21:1.) He is sovereign over the destinies of both birds and men (Matthew 10:29-31.) And He is sovereign over salvation (Acts 13:48; Romans 9:11; Ephesians 1:11.)

John MacArthur has said, regarding any discussion of the ramifications that flow from the Doctrine of God’s Sovereign Election, “Before you start debating all of the fall-out, you need to affirm that the Bible teaches election and predestination… Because before we start, ‘Well, what about this? What about this? What about this?’ I think people are into the ‘What about this?’ before they've ever established the doctrine… Then on the other side, you have to also establish that the Scripture holds the sinner completely accountable and culpable for his sin. That's clear, too. I think before you start messing around in the middle, you need to establish those two things very, very clearly.”

Do the scriptures teach election?

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, (Ephesians 1:4-5)

[See also 1 Peter 1:1-5; Romans 9:10-13; and 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14]

Since the Bible clearly teaches that God elects and predestines some for salvation, it is equally clear that he passes over others. The destiny of those not elected by God is determined just as much as the destiny of those who are elect (cf. 1 Peter 2:8; Jude 4; Romans 9:22.) But, remember, the Bible teaches that everyone has a sinner, and that we are all responsible for our own sin. It's our own fault that we face God’s judgment. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and therefore, everyone is under the just condemnation of God’s judgment; Romans 1:18-20, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

“Without excuse.” As Paul, in Romans 2, tells us, we know that everybody knows that lying is wrong, because everybody gets mad if somebody lies to them. We know that everybody knows that stealing is wrong, because everybody gets mad if someone steals from them. And so on and so forth. Romans 1 covers the first 4 commandments, and Romans 2 covers the rest. No one, faced with their own works on judgment day, will be able to say that they did these things unknowingly. Romans 2:1-3 “Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?”

We shouldn’t think of God picking through a box of neutral people while saying, “Heaven; Hell; Hell; Hell; Heaven; Heaven: Hell…” and so on. People are not neutral; we are all in sin and rebellion and are judged already. John 3:18-20 – “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

Instead of starting with a neutral pool of people and saying “This one goes to hell, this one goes to heaven” God is looking at a waterfall of people plummeting full speed towards hell, and He saves some, for His glory & His purposes, & not because those saved merit salvation in any way. Unless God saves us, there is no salvation for us!

Basically, the Calvinist position is this:

1. All mankind are sinners are in rebellion against God and justly bound for hell (Romans 3:23)


2. God in His grace & mercy has elected to save some (Ephesians 1:3-12; 1 Peter 1:1-5)


3. God’s elect will come to Jesus Christ by faith and be saved (John 6:37)


4. The rest (i.e. those “passed over” by God) continue on their way to the just punishment for their sin and rebellion.

I must say that it seems to me that all of the objections I have seen and heard to the Doctrine of God’s Sovereign Election have been based in emotionalism, sentimentality, and human pride and not on sound exegesis of the scriptures.

The Squirrel Can Cook – Not Quite Almost Semi-Homemade Pizza

There are two things that I am very much aware of.

The first is that not everyone who reads A Squirrel in Babylon is a foodie. Regular readers are aware that I enjoy cooking, and I’ve been known to spend hours poring over a cookbook. Not everyone shares this passion, I told, but everybody has got to eat, right? Guess what? Cooking doesn’t have to be difficult or time consuming. Not everyone has the time and inclination to make everything from scratch. Well, you don’t have to be a radical foodie to enjoy radically good food!

The second thing I understand is that money is tight for most people right now. We’re all on more limited budgets than we were a few years ago. One really good way that most families can save a few pennies is by cooking food themselves. Buying prepared foods is costly and eating meals out even more so.

Today, we’re going to make pizza. Not totally homemade… not even semi-homemade… but Not Quite Almost Semi-Homemade Pizza! And we’re making if for about the price of a frozen pizza: somewhere around $5.


Our ingredients are:

1 Boboli pizza crust
1 link of Italian sausage, cut into ½- inch pieces, browned and drained
1 slice of sandwich ham, cut into ½-inch pieces
6 or 7 black olives, sliced
Some pasta sauce (yes “some” – I didn’t measure it)
Some mozzarella cheese (yes “some” – see above)

Preheat your oven to 450°. Unwrap your pizza crust and place on a lightly-oiled pizza pan. Spread a light layer of cheese directly on the crust, then spoon your sauce onto the pizza and spread it around. I don’t measure it out; I just keep spooning on sauce until it looks about right. (Use as much or as little as you like. We like a lot of sauce.)


Next, add your toppings. As you can clearly see from the picture, this is very much a “his and her” pizza, with Mrs. Squirrel’s half getting ham and olives, while my half gets the Italian sausage. Have fun! Go wild! “Anything but the kitchen sink,” right?


Then top it with cheese. Again, I don’t measure it out; I just add cheese until it looks about right. (If you’re making a pepperoni pizza, you know the pepperoni goes on top of the cheese, right? Good.)


Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Enjoy. (Oh, and I’ve been told that the leftovers reheat very nicely… I wouldn’t know…)

The Squirrel shall not live by bread NUTS alone!

The Squirrel's Nut Cache - 8/19/2010

The Nut Cache - a collection of recent things I found interesting, or amusing, or nutworthy.

It is true that, in my youth, I was the recipient of a few speeding tickets. Well, actually, they were tickets for not conserving fuel. When the Carter administration forced the 55 mile-per-hour speed limit down the throats of the states, the Montana State Legislature passed a law that anyone violating the 55 MPH rule would be ticketed $5 for not conserving fuel. There were other rules in place to take care of truly excessive & unsafe speeds. This recent speeder in Switzerland wouldn't have gotten away with a $5 ticket, I assure you. In fact, he's just been hit with the largest speeding fine in Swiss history; 650,000 euros! Well, 180 MPH ("We have no record of anyone being caught travelling faster in the country," said a police spokesman.) is a bit on the excessive side... maybe... just a little...

I've never understood folks protesting the names of team mascots. Some folks are offended because they see a team's name as racially or culturally stereotypical. Well, mostly, they are, but that doesn't mean they're insulting. You don't see Scotsmen protesting the Highlanders, or Norwegians protesting the Vikings, do you? I mean, really, who would choose to be offended at what is, in fact, a complement. Than there's the other end of the spectrum, names that are offensive in and of themselves. I could see getting upset if someone wanted to name their team "The Nazis" for instance. But honestly, I don't think the folks who picked the mascot of Warner Robins High School really had diabolical intentions in the name "Demons." It seems Pastor Donald Crosby, of God’s Kingdom Builders Church of Jesus Christ, in Macon, GA, sees a problem with the name. Really, Brother Donald, don't you have anything better to do with your time? (Seems Pastor Crosby has given up the fight...)

It's been almost 9 years since the attacks on September 11, 2001, and we've all gotten way too used to the level of intrusiveness and lack of liberty that the current security measures have brought us. A couple of years ago, I made my first post-9/11 trip to New York City, and I had to remove my belt and shoes to go through security not only at the airport, but to ride the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty, and also to enter the observation deck of the Empire State Building. (I wish I'd known about the security at the Statue of Liberty ahead of time, as I had to throw my favorite pocket knife, that I'd carried for years, into the trash, as there were no lockers or any place to put such items.) Paul Boston of Brooksville, Florida, knows these same frustrations. It seems that he doesn't like the hassle of having to remove his belt while undergoing security screening at the Hernando County Government Center. He doesn't like it so much that he showed up at a recent county commissioners' meeting to complain. While speaking to the commission, he removed his belt. His pants fell down. I think he made his point...

I've not written about the Prop 8 thing at all. It isn't because I don't have any opinion on the matter, it's just that Al Mohler and James White have already said just about everything I'd want to say, and said it much better than I could. However, if gay 'marriage' does become legal, did you know that you could have your wedding done by the Go-Go's rhythm guitarist? No, really, it seems that Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's is an 'ordained' 'pastorette' who does weddings. And she's ready, willing and able to do gay 'weddings' just as soon as the law in California allows. Oh, joy. I can't even begin to catalog just how wrong all that is...

And the Nuttiness goes on and on...

The Squirrel Can Cook - Squirrel's Cajun Pork and Beans

Pork & Beans are one of those “comfort foods” that just always hits the spot. Whether it’s at a picnic on a hot summer day or on a cold winter day, Pork & Beans is always good. Sure, a can of “Beanee Weenees” is tasty, but home-made is so very much better. This recipe is easy, but does take some time; about 3 hours total, and is great for family dinners, and it also works well for pot lucks.

Most of the time when you cook with dried beans; you have to soak the beans for 8 to 10 hours. But, by using the pressure cooker, we don’t have to do that. The

Our ingredients are:

1 pound of pork cut into ¾-inch pieces
½ large white onion, sliced thin
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 cups of low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups of hot water
1 cup of tomato sauce
1 6oz can of tomato paste
2 cups of dried pinto beans, cleaned and rinsed
2Tablespoons of olive oil
2-4 Tablespoons of Squirrel’s Low-Sodium Cajun Spice Blend
2 Tablespoons of yellow mustard
2 Tablespoons of maple syrup
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of black pepper

Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Coat the pork with a liberal amount of Squirrel’s Low-sodium Cajun Spice, and add the pork to the pressure cooker and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the pork from the cooker and set it aside.


Now add the onions to the cooker and sauté until tender and translucent. Next, deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker, making sure all the ‘bits’ are loose, and nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pressure cooker. (The flavor of ‘burnt bits’ really detracts from the overall tastiness of the dish.)


Add the beans and the two cups of hot water and lock the pressure cooker lid in place. Bring to pressure & cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cooker to return to normal pressure on its own. Remove the lid, being careful of the hot steam. [Note: There is a lot of liquid in the cooker, so it will take a long time to cool. Be patient, but plan for a total cooking time of 2 to 2 ½ hours.]


Now add in the pork, the tomato sauce, tomato paste, yellow mustard, maple syrup, and chili powder & stir well. Lock the pressure cooker’s lid in place, bring the cooker back up to pressure, and cook another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and once again allow the pressure to return to normal naturally. Unlock and remove the lid.

Bring to a simmer and add the black pepper. Simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve. Serves six. Enjoy!


The Squirrel shall not live by bread NUTS alone!

(Recipe modified from "Pressure Cooker Pork & Beans" from the cookbook New New Orleans Cooking, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.)

The Squirrel's Nut Cache - 8/12/2010

The Nut Cache - a collection of recent things I found interesting, or amusing, or nutworthy.

Economic conservatives have long trumpeted that "Big Government Stifles Small Business." Well, 7-year-old Julie Murphy has learned that truth the hard way. It seems that county health inspectors shut down little Julie's lemonade stand and threated a $500 fine for operating without the required health and business licenses. Yeah, that's right, a 7-year-old's lemonade stand! "When you go to a public event and set up shop, you're suddenly engaging in commerce," said Eric Pippert, the food-borne illness prevention program manager for the state's public health division. "The fact that you're small-scale I don't think is relevant." This used to be a free country. (You know, dealing with excessive regulations is what caused liberal entertainer Sonny Bono to enter politics at as a conservative Republican.)

Facebook is great. It lets friends and family stay in touch and find out what is going on in each other's lives. Why, Lynn France even found out on Facebook that her husband had gotten married. Not her ex-husband, but her husband! Turns out that the business he was taking care of on his business trips was monkey business. Say what you like about the internet, but it sure has made duplicity more difficult... and that's a good thing.

A man beating a woman in a parking lot. A passerby, seeing the altercation, calls the police. The man is arrested and goes to court. His defense? We were dancing. No, really, that's the defense. The court was told that the man and his wife were celebrating an unusually profitable lunch business at their kabob shop by "performing a traditional Turkish dance, called kolbasti," which includes "mimicry of fighting and wrestling moves such as hitting, kicking and headlocks." Um... the jury's still out on this one...

And the Nuttiness goes on and on...

The Squirrel Can Cook - Squirrel's Low-sodium Cajun Spice Blend

I’m a really big fan of Cajun cuisine. Give me something with big, bold, spicy flavor, and I’m a happy arboreal rodent! There are many Cajun spice mixes available at stores and markets, and some are better than others. (I’m very partial to Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Cajun Magic spice blends, myself.)

The trouble with many commercially available spice blends is that they are often very high in sodium. Many Americans, me included, are on low-sodium diets for health reasons. While there are some low-sodium and salt-free blends available (Paul Prudhomme has a salt-free Magic blend, but I’ve not tried it,) they’re often a bit on the pricey side. Making your own seasoning blend is really an easy and cost-effective alternative.

After much research and effort (I Googled “salt-free Cajon seasoning recipes” and found several) I have developed my own low-sodium Cajun seasoning blend.

Our ingredients are:

2 Tablespoons of Paprika
2 Tablespoons of Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons of Italian Seasoning Blend (or 1 Tablespoon each of dried oregano & dried thyme)
1 Tablespoon of Cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon of Black pepper
1 Tablespoon of Onion powder
1 Teaspoon of salt (Omit salt entirely if on a strict “no salt” diet)

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place. (What? You thought this was hard?) I use a jar that originally contained black pepper. It has a nice shaker top, which works well with the Cajun spices.


The Squirrel’s Low-sodium Cajun Spice Blend is good for “Cajun blackened” recipes and is great on burgers. Go ahead and make up a batch, since we’ll be using it in next week’s culinary adventure!

The Squirrel shall not live by bread NUTS alone!

The Squirrel's Nut Cache - 8/5/2010

The Nut Cache - a collection of recent things I found interesting, or amusing, or nutworthy.

I'm sure that Social Security and retirement pension fraud is much more common than we'd like to admit. An elderly person dies, but the family doesn't report the death and keeps collecting the retirement benefits. Seems like a pretty sweet deal, in the beginning, I'm sure. But there's a big problem. The deceased person keeps getting, officially, "older." After a certain age, "old" becomes newsworthy. Take the case of Japan's oldest living person, Sogen Kato, who was about to turn 111 years old (an age of Hobbitual significance.) Government officials wanted to honor the eleventy-one year old, but family members wouldn't let them in to see him. After repeated attempts, the government officials got very suspicious and got a warrant, or the Japanese equivalent thereof, and entered the home. Sure enough, they found Sogen Kato's mummified remains, dressed in pajamas, hidden under a blanket on a bed in an unused bedroom. It is estimated that he's been dead for about 30 years, and that the family collected more than $100,000 in benefits since he died. Charges of fraud are pending... (h.t. Phil Johnson)

I have friends who are police officers. I have had them tell me that one of the things that raises suspicion in their minds is when they see a driver who is trying too hard to obey traffic laws. It seems that, when someone is doing something illegal, they tend to be ultra-careful in trying not to get pulled over. And, sometimes, when that fails, and the police do try to pull them over, they take off at high speed and end up staring on "Most Shocking Police Chases." Note the sequence: obey traffic laws until the cops try to pull you over, and then make a run for it. Well, This motorist didn't get the memo: 78 mph in a 55 mph zone until the cops tried to pull her over, then, without stopping for police, she drove home, obeying the speed limit and all stop signs and such. Weird.

I understand that the grey squirrel is not native to the British Isles and is becoming a pest and pushing out the native Red Squirrels. I understand that something needs to be done, and I understand that sometimes what needs to be done results in the demise of grey squirrels. My head understands, but my heart... Anyway, I understand all that, but this is just wrong!!. Wrong, I say! Squirrel's are friends, not food! Even pest squirrels...

We've all had complaints at fast food restaurants. I've had to go back because of messed-up orders, I've even called to talk to the manager once or twice. But, mostly, I try to be understanding and cut them a break, as we've all screwed up a work a time or two. But I'm sure the manager of this Atlanta-area Wendy's didn't quite know what to do about the complaints he was getting. You see, his restaurant had been robbed, and that was the source of the complaints. The robber was calling to say that he hadn't gotten enough money when he robbed the place. Sad to put so much effort into taking something that isn't yours only to be disappointed with how little there was to steal. Maybe next time, he should just call ahead. I'm sure they'd be glad to have more money, and a few police officers, waiting by the time he got there...

And the Nuttiness goes on and on...