Nevada's caucuses are over and it looks like we -- what's the parliamentary term? -- screwed the pooch, procedurally speaking. One angered caucus-goer reports:

"Share your caucus experience: Simply awful! I have a lot of civic pride and was looking forward to being a part of this process, but felt like I was cast aside. Even the temporary caucus chairs seemed to have no idea what was going on, and when I tried to ask one a question, she turned away from me! I felt like my dignity was taken away. No wonder people abandon being part of the political process."

I've seen some in-print grousing that the Culinary Union frittered away its clout by waiting so long to weigh in with an endorsement. It certainly lost the perception war, as Sen. Hillary Clinton's six-point win in the popular vote will get more headlines than Sen. Barack Obama's tactical victory in the delegate count. But since the delegates are ultimately what counts, maybe the Culinary didn't completely blow it, after all.

Give Sen. Harry Reid props: He predicted 100K Nevadans would turn out and endured a great deal of scoffing (particularly from the blogosphere) for his prognostication. He got his 100,000 and 16,000 more, so he wins the Nostradamus Award this week.

Carrying water for Clinton: In a move of true desperation, the Clinton campaign is making an issue of the fact that Barack Obama -- gasp! -- plays poker. OK, it's more complicated than that but, as far as both candidates are concerned, I haven't seen this much waffling since the last time I ate at Blueberry Hill (a delicious habit that swelled my weight to 206 lbs., setting off an ongoing Battle of the Bulge).

The whole brouhaha raises an existential question for me: When gaming executives -- who also just happen to be prospective donors -- pipe up for their preferred candidate, who returns the favor by giving (not undeserved) props to the casino industry ... well, I think the term for that is "logrolling." So, who's the sock puppet and who's the puppeteer?

For the record, I don't support either candidate (or Ron Paul; see below). But it does give me warm fuzzies to know that Obama draws to the occasional inside straight. How can you not like the guy now? (Your mileage may vary.)

Ron Paul placed (an admittedly distant) second in the Nevada GOP caucuses. He's now cleaned the clocks of Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson more times than I can count. Is this translating into media coverage of Paul as a serious candidate? Hahahahahah! Don't make me laugh like that!

Can the MSM deal with anything that doesn't accord with the beloved Conventional Wisdom? Does the Pope live in Florida?

If you go to Detroit, you absolutely must eat (at least once, preferably twice) at Lafayette Coney Island. The hot dogs are justifiably celebrated but the custard pie almost made me weep with joy. It's delicate, flavorful and the crust alone is a work of art. I've not tasted custard so good since my Mom stopped making it. Even two meals at Wolfgang Puck Grille and a heavenly filet mignon at Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak couldn't overshadow this culinary epiphany.