WTF???? Rhymes with Geoduck!

Now you know why this piece has the title it does. I have never heard of this bad boy. I've lived in southern cali, and even in Seattle for awhile. Dug for clams in both places, now I see this and yeah, WTF?

I found the article posted on FOXNEWS.COM and had to share it.
It’s not a duck, but it sure is gooey.

"The poorly-spelled geoduck, which is pronounced “gooey duck,” is a large, burrowing clam that is native to the coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest. With a six-inch shell and up to a three-foot long siphon sticking out of it, it’s an odd duck, to say the least.

Burrowing deep within the soil below the salty waters, the mollusk has been known to live up to 150 years thanks to a paucity of predators for the strange-looking creature. But, of course, we number among them.

Not a common site on American tables outside of Washington and Oregon, the geoduck is close to common fare in its natural habitat, where its scallop-like texture is found to be appealing to many shellfish fans. Available for less than $10 a pop in local spots like Seattle's Pike Place Market, your best bet for buying it outside of the region is from online outlets like Marx Foods or Taylor Shellfish Farms, but it can cost $25 per pound or more.

Perhaps not surprisingly, it is also a prized delicacy in East Asia, where it is considered by some to be an aphrodisiac. A passing glance at its shape probably explains why.

Over there it’s eaten every which way – with spicy chilies, wasabi, and even raw – but geoduckrecipes.com suggests trying it in a white wine risotto with parmesan cheese, which sounds pretty tasty, but would you eat it?".

Would you? As a working chef, I can promise you I would give it a try and I have aready been thinking about all the cool things you could do with it.

Currently working on a piece for my soap box, a little ranting and raving. We been so busy trying to get the new place open that I have actually been able to sleep like a normal person. Go figure. Anyway I hope you believers out there are praying for Japan, as am I. I know the timing is never right for such a devestating event to occur. I'm just looking for a "silver lining" for lack of a better term. I was talking to some friends, as well as co workers, even my mother about the radiation exposure. What struck me as awesome was that each of us had thought on own, that maybe this was God saying "whoa, you need to rethink this nuclear bomb and nuclear war threats. Look what POSITIVE nuclear use is capable of, stay away". I'm hoping all living people are thinking the same thing as well. Nuclear weapons and radiation death is the gift that keeps on giving.
Please pray and give what you have to offer the Japanese. I cannot imagine the horrors and fear that must be rampant in that beautiful country.
From Texas

Something to Think about.

An earthquake, tsunami, death, destruction and and crippled nuclear plants. And how's your week been? Very bad for Japan. What concerns me the most is watching helicopters deliver water to the damaged nuclear plants. When I think of Japan, I don't think of Pearl Harbor, like my grandparents did, I think about Godzilla and Honda and booming technology. The cheap ass monster movies that used to terrify me until I actually saw the monster on screen, lets face it, Japan was very smart in switching to anime. Like a lot of Kung Fu movies, the English overdubbing was pretty erratic as well.

Now seeing news clips of helicopters carrying water in these huge buckets, well it was like something out of one of those terrible Japanese monster movies. It's like this seems so FAKE, how in the HELL do you battle radiation with large buckets of water? It just don't seem to correlate. OK, I know they are trying to cool the reactors down but you have to admit it seems a bit far fetched. Forest fires, sure, helicopters are used with regularity. My nuclear image, is of an Asian techno-scientist in a lab coat and a sterile environment, or at least using hazmat suits and the like with some kind of mystery end all to battle the radiation. Nobody gets dirty and eventually they find the right button to push or valve to close and it's all over. The movie ends and we go home.

Maybe I have seemed callous in writing this, however it is NOT the case. I can't imagine the stress that must be rampant all over Japan. I went through hurricane Ike and was with out power, gas and water for 18 days. That was no picnic, but to see a country virtually obliterated, I can only pray for them.

The point I am making is this, and think about it, Iran with a nuclear plant.

IRAN WITH A NUCLEAR PLANT!

What are your thoughts? The Japanese and the Iranians are not on the same scale. Education is at the forefront for the Japanese kids while the Iranians, er...... the boys are reading the Koran and learning about jihad and martyrdom. You just don't go from cave dweller to nuclear energy provider over a few years. True, there are many highly trained and skilled Iranian doctors and engineers. However, with the history of graft, war, poverty and Islamic rule, I am betting the a fore mentioned doctors and engineers are working in the USA and other modern countries. Think about it. Japanese culture is one of pride, perfection and honor and look at their history. OK and Iran? It is what it is people. I bet the Iranian plant has more engineering and construction faults than we can imagine. Throw in the stuxnet worm and who knows what the hell is gonna happen.

The Japanese, with highly skilled people, could not build a nuclear plant with all the necessary checks and balances to provide for a totally safe nuclear environment, maybe that's an oxymoron huh? Then we have Iranians, where truth depends on who is speaking, and where you protect your family honor by killing your daughter because she spoke to a male outside of the family. Sleep safe tonight.
From Texas