...though the issue hasn't yet come up, it is worthwhile noting that habañeros and the like are chiles (with an 'e'); chili (with an 'i') is the dish you make with them.

Living in New Mexico makes me snobby about this sort of thing. :)

...we'll meet here next week, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel. And, hopefully, we can ignore that asinine attempt at a comic strip. See yah!

Let's elect H. Ross Perot instead. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Ralph Nader vs. Ron Paul in the Battle of the No-Hopers.

No meaning? The parallels to the Bush presidency and its handling of the Iraq quagmire are almost too obvious.

...Garry Owen will complain that Opus was sitting on the toilet again.

...what messages are crawling across the bottom of the screen?

...must be some sort of bot. No matter what anybody says here, he always comes right back to Obama.

Q. How's the weather today?

A. It's a beautiful day for Barack Obama.

Q. Do you think the cartoon is funny?

A. Why not ask Barack Obama; I'm sure he has a deeply felt opinion on this and other important issues.

Blah, blah, Obama, blah, blah...

OK, I call this meeting to order.

...that opened up in the broom closet of a Starbucks?

...when they publish a 27-page booklet on how to order their product, and sell to-go cups with little stickers you paste on them to indicate exactly what you drink. (I am not making this up.)

When Marie showed up at Kansas' cell, how would Kansas have known her? The one episode in which she appears (or at least the only one that I can recall), Kansas wasn't around (that we know of)-- it was *Beni* who was there.

...where will we meet? My vote is for Carol Lay's strip; it's not really political (so there is less possibility of long-winded flamefests), is well-drawn, and is often thought-provoking. Any opinions?

Beef Enchiladas

1 lb. of lean ground beef

8 oz. (approx. 2 cups) shredded "Mexican cheese blend" or similar (usually contains Cheddar, Monerey Jack, Colby, and Mozzerella or Asiago), preferably reduced-fat variety

1 can (usually 14 to 16 oz.) green enchilada sauce (Old El Paso makes this, among others; here in NM, we use "Hatch" brand, which is made from local chiles.) It can be mild, medium or hot-- your choice.

1/3 envelope of taco seasoning mix, preferably low-sodium

Flour tortillas, either white or whole wheat (The number of tortillas used will vary depending on whether you get small 6" diameter ones or larger 8"-10" inch 'burrito' size. Figure on using 6 to 8 of the larger ones, as many as 12 of the smaller ones.)

Brown the ground beef and drain off the liquid. Add the taco seasoning to the beef, plus half of the cheese and about 4 oz. of the enchilada sauce. Stir together until well blended and the cheese begins to melt. (If they are available to you, you might also consider adding a small 4 oz. can of chopped green chiles to provide some additional 'green-ness.')

Pour about 8 oz. of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9" x 12" Pyrex baking dish.

Spoon some of the beef mixture evenly across the equator of one of the tortillas, then roll it into a tube and place it carefully into the baking dish so that the 'flap' of the tube is on the bottom (so it won't unroll). Do this for all of the tortillas you can pack into the dish.

Once the dish is filled, spread the remaining enchilada sauce evenly across all the tubes, and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until the cheese on top is thoroughly melted.

Feeds anywhere from 2 to 4, maybe more if you add some sides and salad.

A better analogy: does Hillary Clinton wear cotton granny panties or a Brazilian butt-floss thong?

A missed opportunity: when Barack Obama was asked the briefs vs. boxers question, he should have responded: "Even if I go commando, I'm still against the war!"

Only you could use this as an excuse for a misogynist lament. I think your tinfoil Underoos are chafing you a bit too much today.

Depends.

I'll be here all week, ladies and gentlemen.

Q.: What did Shlomo say after having sex with KOF?

A.: "You know, I don't think I'm in Kansas any more."

See you next week!

...that I know exactly what I'm going to buy with my economic stimulus check: a big-ass refrigerator/freezer... and I'm going to live in the box it comes in.

...but all those turnip twaddlers that Opus bought are cheap Chinese knockoffs... so it's their economy we're stimulating.

...are metric, so they only work with metric turnips with a left-hand thread. And they're decorated with lead paint.

Next week the new Blu-Ray turnip twaddlers come out, rendering all previous models obsolete.

They are an advance on the refunds due to our grandchildren-- once they finish paying for the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, and whatever wars pop up in the interim.

(holds up right hand supported by left and waves wildly from the wrist like Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies)

Bye-bye, Toni! Bye-bye, Tom! Bye-bye, Tinky-Winky!

Coming next week: The Adventures of Alerto

...and I, for one, hope that Salon will be moved to explain why it took so long. I suppose I can forget about an apology.

Now we can get back to current affairs. They tell me that a black man and a woman are running for president this year-- has anybody else heard that rumor?