"From ghoulish and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!" - Scottish prayer
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Friday, October 30, 2015
Thursday, October 29, 2015
The Thought For Today
"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." - H. P. Lovecraft
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
The Thought For Today
"'Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out Contagion to this world." - William Shakespeare
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Bore Me - the best of your inbox - funny movies, funny pictures, games and jokes
Bore Me - the best of your inbox - funny movies, funny pictures, games and jokes
A small Site but fun. Check out the "Tom Cruise Kills Oprah" video. Gee, I wonder why the studio dropped him?
A small Site but fun. Check out the "Tom Cruise Kills Oprah" video. Gee, I wonder why the studio dropped him?
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Rec: Crockpot Black Bean Soup
1/2 pound dry black beans (can substitute canned)
3 cups water
1/2 carrot, chopped
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons dry lentils
1/2 (28 oz) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup uncooked white rice
Skip this if using canned: In a large pot over
MEDIUM-HIGH heat, place the beans in three
times their volume of water. Bring to a boil, and let
boil 10 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and let
stand 1 hour. Drain, and rinse. In a crockpot,
combine soaked beans and 3/4 quarts fresh water.
Cover, and cook for 3 hours on HIGH (1 hour if using canned).
Stir in carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper,
lentils, and tomatoes. Season with chili powder,
cumin, oregano, black pepper, red wine vinegar, and
salt. Cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours. Stir the rice into
the crockpot in the last 20 minutes of cooking. Puree
about half of the soup with a blender or food
processor (if you like a chunkey soup, skip) , then pour
back into the pot before serving.
Serves 3 to 5
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave
3 cups water
1/2 carrot, chopped
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons dry lentils
1/2 (28 oz) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup uncooked white rice
Skip this if using canned: In a large pot over
MEDIUM-HIGH heat, place the beans in three
times their volume of water. Bring to a boil, and let
boil 10 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and let
stand 1 hour. Drain, and rinse. In a crockpot,
combine soaked beans and 3/4 quarts fresh water.
Cover, and cook for 3 hours on HIGH (1 hour if using canned).
Stir in carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper,
lentils, and tomatoes. Season with chili powder,
cumin, oregano, black pepper, red wine vinegar, and
salt. Cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours. Stir the rice into
the crockpot in the last 20 minutes of cooking. Puree
about half of the soup with a blender or food
processor (if you like a chunkey soup, skip) , then pour
back into the pot before serving.
Serves 3 to 5
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave
Rec: Microwave Potato Soup
2 cups potatoes, cubes peeled and raw
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (we sometimes use the
dehydrated minced onion)
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 slices favorite cheese, thin slices (optional)
bacon or chives (to garnish)
Microwave potatoes, onion and water on HIGH 8 to 10 minutes
until potatoes are tender. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Mash
potatoes with a fork into large pieces. This does help thicken
the soup. Add remaining ingredients except cheese and cook
on HIGH 5 to 8 minutes to serving temperature. Garnish with
cheese and bacon or chives.
Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (we sometimes use the
dehydrated minced onion)
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 slices favorite cheese, thin slices (optional)
bacon or chives (to garnish)
Microwave potatoes, onion and water on HIGH 8 to 10 minutes
until potatoes are tender. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Mash
potatoes with a fork into large pieces. This does help thicken
the soup. Add remaining ingredients except cheese and cook
on HIGH 5 to 8 minutes to serving temperature. Garnish with
cheese and bacon or chives.
Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave
Rec: Microwave Cheesy Corn Soup
1/3 cup chopped red or green bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 pkg. (8 oz.) light cream cheese, cubed
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 cup very hot water
1 can (8 oz.) cream-style corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Place pepper and onion in microwave casserole. Cover
and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on HIGH until vegetables
soften. Add cream cheese and milk. Heat on MEDIUM
for 3 to 6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until cheese
is melted and mixture is smooth. Dissolve bouillon
granules in hot water. Stir into cream cheese mixture.
Add remaining ingredients and continue to heat on
MEDIUM, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or
until soup is very hot. Goes very well with garlic bread.
Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 pkg. (8 oz.) light cream cheese, cubed
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 cup very hot water
1 can (8 oz.) cream-style corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Place pepper and onion in microwave casserole. Cover
and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on HIGH until vegetables
soften. Add cream cheese and milk. Heat on MEDIUM
for 3 to 6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until cheese
is melted and mixture is smooth. Dissolve bouillon
granules in hot water. Stir into cream cheese mixture.
Add remaining ingredients and continue to heat on
MEDIUM, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes or
until soup is very hot. Goes very well with garlic bread.
Serves 2 to 4
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave
Rec: Microwave Creamy Asparagus Soup
1 lb fresh green asparagus
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped (I use Vidalia sweet)
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chives
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Cut off the tough bottom ends of the asparagus and discard.
Cut off the tips of the asparagus and set into a bowl; set aside
a few of them for garnishing later. Chop the stalks of the
asparagus into small, bite sized pieces and add to the bowl
of asparagus tips. Place butter in a heavy, deep round
microwaveable dish (such as a white Corningware casserole)
and let it melt on HIGH for approximately 1 minute, or until
melted. Add the onion and aspargus tips& spears to the
butter, cover, and cook on HIGH for about 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the flour, mixing well. Next, pour in the broth and
add the chives, stir, recover, and cook on HIGH for 10
minutes, stirring 3 times during this process. Asparagus
should be very tender- if not, return for 2 more minutes,
stir, test again, repeat if needed. Remove from microwave
(wear oven mits) and puree using a wand blender (or use
your regular blender). Add cream, lemon juice, and
seasonings to taste. Get the asparagus tips you set aside
for the garnish and put them into the microwave, in a
microwave safe dish, for just about 2 minutes or so-
just enough to blanch them so they aren't so raw tasting.
Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with an
asparagus tip before serving. NOTE: Since microwaves
vary greatly, there may be some variations in the cooking
times depending upon your microwave.
Serves 4 to 6
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped (I use Vidalia sweet)
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chives
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Cut off the tough bottom ends of the asparagus and discard.
Cut off the tips of the asparagus and set into a bowl; set aside
a few of them for garnishing later. Chop the stalks of the
asparagus into small, bite sized pieces and add to the bowl
of asparagus tips. Place butter in a heavy, deep round
microwaveable dish (such as a white Corningware casserole)
and let it melt on HIGH for approximately 1 minute, or until
melted. Add the onion and aspargus tips& spears to the
butter, cover, and cook on HIGH for about 4-5 minutes.
Stir in the flour, mixing well. Next, pour in the broth and
add the chives, stir, recover, and cook on HIGH for 10
minutes, stirring 3 times during this process. Asparagus
should be very tender- if not, return for 2 more minutes,
stir, test again, repeat if needed. Remove from microwave
(wear oven mits) and puree using a wand blender (or use
your regular blender). Add cream, lemon juice, and
seasonings to taste. Get the asparagus tips you set aside
for the garnish and put them into the microwave, in a
microwave safe dish, for just about 2 minutes or so-
just enough to blanch them so they aren't so raw tasting.
Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with an
asparagus tip before serving. NOTE: Since microwaves
vary greatly, there may be some variations in the cooking
times depending upon your microwave.
Serves 4 to 6
Refrigerate remainder
Can be reheated in microwave
Rec: Microwave Cabbage Soup
4 cups green cabbage, chopped or shredded finely
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
2 onions, chopped (I use Vidalia sweet onions)
1 bunch scallion, chopped (green & white parts,
reserving some of the green for garnish)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 (16 ounce) cans chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup skim milk, warmed
1 cup shredded carrot (approx 2 carrots)
You will need a deep, heavy microwave safe cooking dish-
such as a round Corningware casserole (no lid). Put butter
in casserole and heat for 40 seconds on HIGH heat (or until
melted). Add cabbage, onions, scallions, salt, pepper, and
sugar. Cook on HIGH 4 to 6 minutes. Add the broth and
cook on HIGH another 15 minutes. Add the warm milk
(I remove the soup from the microwave and heat up the
milk for 1 minute or so in a glass measure). Stir in the
carrots and return to the microwave to heat on HIGH
3 to 4 minutes. Test for seasonings- add more salt, pepper,
or sugar if needed to suit your tastes. You may need to
adjust cooking times for your microwave- if cabbage is
not tender enough yet, keep microwaving in 3 to 4
minute intervals on HIGH, stirring, until veggies are
cooked to your liking.
Serves 4 to 6
Refrigerate remainder
Reheats in the microwave
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
2 onions, chopped (I use Vidalia sweet onions)
1 bunch scallion, chopped (green & white parts,
reserving some of the green for garnish)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 (16 ounce) cans chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup skim milk, warmed
1 cup shredded carrot (approx 2 carrots)
You will need a deep, heavy microwave safe cooking dish-
such as a round Corningware casserole (no lid). Put butter
in casserole and heat for 40 seconds on HIGH heat (or until
melted). Add cabbage, onions, scallions, salt, pepper, and
sugar. Cook on HIGH 4 to 6 minutes. Add the broth and
cook on HIGH another 15 minutes. Add the warm milk
(I remove the soup from the microwave and heat up the
milk for 1 minute or so in a glass measure). Stir in the
carrots and return to the microwave to heat on HIGH
3 to 4 minutes. Test for seasonings- add more salt, pepper,
or sugar if needed to suit your tastes. You may need to
adjust cooking times for your microwave- if cabbage is
not tender enough yet, keep microwaving in 3 to 4
minute intervals on HIGH, stirring, until veggies are
cooked to your liking.
Serves 4 to 6
Refrigerate remainder
Reheats in the microwave
Saturday, October 17, 2015
The Hard Truth From Orlando
I'm over this Tamir Rice silliness. Yes, he was 12 years old. Yes, it wasn't a "real" gun -- just a pellet gun or air gun or whatever. I don't know what the laws concerning supervision of children with pellet guns or BB guns or whatever "toy" guns are in Cleveland. Florida is pretty lenient, but you still have to be 16 years old or be supervised by a responsible adult when you're out with a pellet or BB gun. And the endless litany of any parent with a child, toy gun or not, should be, DON'T point it at anyone, DON'T point it at anyone. I guess Tamir Rice's parents were out on a smoke break when that part of their parenting class was going on.
And I'm pretty sure that at 12 years old, he should have known better than to have a realistic-looking usually nonlethal "toy" firearm in a public park, waving it around, pointing it at people and acting like a thug. Someone called him in. Someone who didn't know he was 12 years old and it wasn't a "real" gun called 911 about a guy in a public park pointing a gun at people. The police came, and because this unsupervised little dumb-butt came flailing toward them instead of dropping the gun and freezing in place, he got killed -- because the police are NOT omniscient. They are not bulletproof. And they can't tell how old someone is in a glance, nor can they tell from a distance if the firearm is a toy or not. And when someone comes towards you, waving what appears to be a firearm around, you don't wait to be shot to find out if it's a lethal weapon or not.
Tamir Rice's death is a tragedy. But if the parents want to know who to blame for their son's behavior that day when he was killed, they can just look in the mirror. But it isn't really about the loss of their unsupervised, untrained 12 year old son. It's about the payday the parents hope to glean from his death. Maybe if the police and city counter-sued these parents, and so many others just like them, for their failure to supervise when their kids get arrested or killed, we'd see a whole lot more parenting going on and a whole lot fewer irrational lawsuits and dead children.
Florida Cracker
And I'm pretty sure that at 12 years old, he should have known better than to have a realistic-looking usually nonlethal "toy" firearm in a public park, waving it around, pointing it at people and acting like a thug. Someone called him in. Someone who didn't know he was 12 years old and it wasn't a "real" gun called 911 about a guy in a public park pointing a gun at people. The police came, and because this unsupervised little dumb-butt came flailing toward them instead of dropping the gun and freezing in place, he got killed -- because the police are NOT omniscient. They are not bulletproof. And they can't tell how old someone is in a glance, nor can they tell from a distance if the firearm is a toy or not. And when someone comes towards you, waving what appears to be a firearm around, you don't wait to be shot to find out if it's a lethal weapon or not.
Tamir Rice's death is a tragedy. But if the parents want to know who to blame for their son's behavior that day when he was killed, they can just look in the mirror. But it isn't really about the loss of their unsupervised, untrained 12 year old son. It's about the payday the parents hope to glean from his death. Maybe if the police and city counter-sued these parents, and so many others just like them, for their failure to supervise when their kids get arrested or killed, we'd see a whole lot more parenting going on and a whole lot fewer irrational lawsuits and dead children.
Florida Cracker
Monday, October 12, 2015
The Thought For Today
"Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." - Thomas Paine
Wednesday, October 07, 2015
The Hard Truth From Orlando
It's like gun control legislation. All the NRA and like-minded idjits are terrified Big Brother is going to come into their houses and take their guns away. Not so. But it's about time we start getting on top of what constitutes LEGAL acquisition and RESPONSIBLE gun ownership. Like it should be illegal to leave a firearm in your personal vehicle unless the vehicle has an attached, secured lockbox designed for storage of a firearm. If you don't have a concealed firearm permit that lets you carry it on your person or you are in an area where all firearms are prohibited, then leave the darned thing at home in a lock box, not in your car. An estimated 232,400 firearms are stolen each year -- 172,000 stolen during burglaries and another 60,300 stolen during other property crimes. The stats don't differentiate between car burglaries and residential/business burglaries. But I can tell you, Orlando's gun thefts are primarily from car burglaries because the gun owners don't have the license to carry but they keep one in their cars "for protection." 80 percent of these firearms are not recovered up to six months after being stolen. But when they do turn up, they've been used in a crime by the same bad guys who use them like trading cards in the community to commit other illegal acts.
If I buy a gun, it's with a "carry permit" and I'll wear the thing all the time when it isn't physically locked in a hidden compartment in my vehicle or my residence. It'll be as much a part of me as my glasses because I see no other reason to have a firearm for "protection" unless it's with me and I have the legal authority to carry it.
Mental health is not added to the data bases for background checks and to prevent purchase of ammunition or firearms. If you've been Baker Acted (and many of our mentally-ill shooters HAVE been at one time or another), it means you've been involuntarily committed for treatment because you present a threat to yourself or others. That's the bottom line; you have been identified at some time as having presented a threat to yourself or others. A Baker Act is a LEGAL proceeding, a kind of arrest/incarceration, and therefore it SHOULD be included in all background checks. But varying states have varying requirements and most of the time, it doesn't reflect at all in local police records or on the NCIC. If you've been Baker Acted, you shouldn't be allowed to have or acquire a firearm without additional medical certification that you are no longer a threat to yourself or others. Will it be 100%? Nothing is. But it will stop a lot of these mass-shooters from easy acquisition.
Internet sales of firearms and ammunition to individuals who are not licensed gun dealers should be prohibited. You have a license, you have to have certain qualifications to keep that license -- as well as the insurance to cover you if you screw up and sell to the wrong person.
These are realistic things that gun lobbyists are ignoring. These are realistic options that gun manufacturers don't want anyone to look at because it affects their bottom line. And it doesn't impact the sacrosanct 2nd Amendment in any material form whatever. But as long as money drives the gun train, we're not going to see any improvements -- any more than we will in the pharmaceutical monopoly.
Florida Cracker
If I buy a gun, it's with a "carry permit" and I'll wear the thing all the time when it isn't physically locked in a hidden compartment in my vehicle or my residence. It'll be as much a part of me as my glasses because I see no other reason to have a firearm for "protection" unless it's with me and I have the legal authority to carry it.
Mental health is not added to the data bases for background checks and to prevent purchase of ammunition or firearms. If you've been Baker Acted (and many of our mentally-ill shooters HAVE been at one time or another), it means you've been involuntarily committed for treatment because you present a threat to yourself or others. That's the bottom line; you have been identified at some time as having presented a threat to yourself or others. A Baker Act is a LEGAL proceeding, a kind of arrest/incarceration, and therefore it SHOULD be included in all background checks. But varying states have varying requirements and most of the time, it doesn't reflect at all in local police records or on the NCIC. If you've been Baker Acted, you shouldn't be allowed to have or acquire a firearm without additional medical certification that you are no longer a threat to yourself or others. Will it be 100%? Nothing is. But it will stop a lot of these mass-shooters from easy acquisition.
Internet sales of firearms and ammunition to individuals who are not licensed gun dealers should be prohibited. You have a license, you have to have certain qualifications to keep that license -- as well as the insurance to cover you if you screw up and sell to the wrong person.
These are realistic things that gun lobbyists are ignoring. These are realistic options that gun manufacturers don't want anyone to look at because it affects their bottom line. And it doesn't impact the sacrosanct 2nd Amendment in any material form whatever. But as long as money drives the gun train, we're not going to see any improvements -- any more than we will in the pharmaceutical monopoly.
Florida Cracker
Tuesday, October 06, 2015
The Thought For Today
"Food is like sex: when you abstain, even the worst stuff begins to look good." - Beth McCollister
Monday, October 05, 2015
The Thought For Today
“I like persons better than principles, and I like persons with no principles better than anything else in the world.” - Oscar Wilde
Friday, October 02, 2015
The Thought For Today
"Someone once told me that there is more to life than golf. I think it was my ex-wife" .- Bruce Lansky
Thursday, October 01, 2015
The Thought For Today
"If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky." - Turkish Proverb
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