I am often asked where thoughts come from for writing my column. It’s just that: Whatever Comes To Mind.
I was planning to cook "deviled" eggs. I went to the refrigerator wondering how long some of the eggs had been in there, and the subject for this week's "Whatever comes to mind" hit me: eggs and politicians have many similarities.
How do you determine if an egg is good? How do you determine if a politician is good? Can even good eggs be in the refrigerator (office) too long? Should I simply throw them out?
Eggs are easy to check. If you're old enough, you will recall the process of "candling eggs."
Each egg was hand held and inspected by holding it up to the light to see if had become rotten, or had blood spots. They were scrutinized to see what quality they were.
Similarly, we should regularly hold laws and politicians up to the light to check their quality. The merchant that was buying eggs wouldn't put up with inferior eggs, and we shouldn't put up with inferior politicians, either.
Our reputations depend on quality; it is too much to risk on a bad egg. We need to constantly monitor both eggs and politicians.
We may not be able to candle eggs at home, but I did come up with a way to see if they are fresh. Fill a container up with warm water.
The reason for using warm water is that eggs are porous. If you put an egg in cold water, it will contract and draw any bacteria that is on the outside of the shell in through the pores.
This is not good. So, if you use warm water, the egg will expand, and you will notice that little air bubbles form on the shell.
Put your eggs into the warm water, and look at them. A very fresh egg will sink to the bottom and lay on its side.
Week-old eggs will rest on the bottom but the fat end of the egg will rise up slightly. Three week old eggs will be balanced on the pointy end with the fat end sticking up.
Old eggs will be floating, bobbing along the surface of the water. These floaters should be tossed as they are no longer any good to eat.
Similarly, politicians are like eggs. They start out good but pick up "bacteria" (not so good habits) picked up from others in Washington. When subjected to careful heat (from their constituents) they remain good and clean, but when subjected to too much heat they may become hard boiled — able to last a long time, but aren't so wholesome anymore.
Eggs are found in a lot of places and in a lot of conditions. Eggs are sometimes found in hidden places; imported from who knows where.
Some eggs have blown out shells. They look O.K., but there is nothing there but an empty shell.
Politicians are like eggs, not always what they're cracked up to be. Some crack under the slightest pressure.
Put all your eggs in one basket? I don't think so.
Better to look at each individual egg, the quality, the color, and the potential of whether the benefits will be high protein energy or just a stinking rotten egg.
Like politicians, eggs come as brown eggs or white eggs, but without the shell, both are pretty much the same. Some situations call for beating the egg whites or yolks separately to use their best qualities.
If blended, they may lose their creative goodness, but if handled separately and then put back together (like my deviled eggs that I started this story with), they become something special.
Enjoy your eggs, and our government, but hold both up to the light to examine them regularly or you may end up with a "scramble" (or worse yet, poached!) As for me, I like my eggs (and my politicians) sunny side up!
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Birthdays and Anniversaries:
• Thursday, November 29th: Connie Smith, Dean Peterson, Emily Butler, La Vonna Ruhl, Christy & Tim Berry, Pastor Carrie & Dan McElfres.
• Friday, November 30th: Dan Mrotz, Lindsey Hagen, Lindsey Schlaak, Sophia Jepson, Eric Knudson, Norell Wood, Kellen Utpadel, David & Lizell Swearingen, Arnold & Dorothy Lund, Andy & Emily Butler.
• Saturday, December 1st: Ethan Elliot Marzoff, Kyle Anthony Neidermeier, Jim Cornelius, Brian Waage, Laurie Ellis, Teri Horan Finke, Barbara Wangsness.
• Sunday, December 2nd: Maryalice Hanson, Leah Wayne, Allura Danon Johnson, Paige Sorenson, Lyle Paulson, Jean Richards Worrell, Helen Sawyer, Heidi Wangsness, Heather Peterson, Dale Schewe.
• Monday, December 3rd: Eric Degan, Ethan Fletcher Cornelius, Brian Van Ravenhorst.
• Tuesday, December 4th: Sue Mattson, Jessica Shultz, Sandy Larson Russo, Sue Brown Asplund, Shawn Vangen Steffen, Jeff Kasper, Skylar Larson, Holly Pichner, Max Jensen, Casey & Jon Homuth.
• Wednesday, December 5th: Bodie Laxon Newgard, his third; Phyllis Hanson, Rick Aaseth, Rosalyn Johnson, Kathy Lee, Christian Conroy, Shannon Jensen, Kelsey Loverink, Ron Farner, Larry & Mary Richards.
May you find joy and pleasure all around you on your special day.
