Video Provided by DatPiff.com
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Been working on graphics....
Some may know I've been PhotoShop crazy all weekend.... haven't been tweetin or anything, but here's what i have so far.... FEEL FREE TO COMMENT!!!!
Video: Hillary Clinton Verbally Scours Pakistani Govt, Nukes at Stake if Pakistan Loses Control
From Denny: Hillary's bluntness was not exactly the hallmark of former quality diplomacy in diplomatic circles where they are accustomed to getting their egos massaged for doing nothing. The motto of "preening and not doing" is not the way of the new administration's State Department in America. Times have changed from the idiot Bush years and it was important to shock Pakistan into realizing how dire is their situation. The truth stings our egos. Better to get stung and live than hide, thinking we will survive this battle for the country.
While it is understandable the Pakistani people are shocked at such public bluntness and gave America some serious blowback in the press, they might want to consider another perspective. Pakistan and America have had eight years to get this problem of terrorists handled; both have failed miserably.
Pakistan fell into the same ego trap and made the same mistake America and every other country does at some point in their history: back some group because they too hate the group they are fighting. Then that foolish act turns around and bites them. In Pakistan's case, the very militants they backed against America have now turned on Pakistan. Why? They want those nuclear weapons and will not stop until they get them. Now, Pakistan is in for the fight of their lives to destroy the monster they created. Welcome to Big Boy Countries 101. It's imperative that Pakistan take back all control and cede not one inch of land or government control to the terrorists. Give them an inch and they will shoot you in your sleep; count on it.
For now, it's more important to the safety of the Pakistani people to protect themselves and for America and the rest of the world to help support them in their endeavor. Quit worrying about egos and the anger Pakistan had at Bush spilling over onto Obama. Obama is not Bush.
While in the Middle East memories are centuries long over this or that slight or major catastrophe, it's important to work with what we know right now and with the people we know. We must begin anew and build quality relationships of trust. It's time to quit the centuries long squabbling, America included, and get serious about learning how to live in Peace with each other. No one said we had to like each other, approve of each other or adopt each other's cultures. What we can do is be respectful that we all deserve to share the same planet.
Here she frankly discusses the past relationship of Pakistan and America as not always to the benefit of the Pakistani people. There is a real "trust deficit" on the part of Pakistan with America. She is working on repairing the relationship mess from past American administrations. It's like a wayward husband who is a serial cheater, saying, "But, baby, trust me one more time." The wife grows weary of getting her heart trounced. If there is anyone who understands how truly difficult it is to trust someone who has hurt you, it's Hillary Clinton whose husband, Bill Clinton, was publicly impeached over an affair. Pakistan's reticience is understandable. They will need to start spending some time to get to know the new America and then make their judgment about trust:
The first part of this video is similar to the above one but keep listening as Hillary offers more and they discuss Afghanistan too:
What Hillary is trying to impress upon Pakistan is the dire need to save their country. If the government is too weak to protect the nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of the terrorists, count on it that whomever feels the most threatened in the region of those nukes falling into the wrong hands will enter the battle, transforming both the terrorists and Pakistan into a footnote in history.
While it is understandable the Pakistani people are shocked at such public bluntness and gave America some serious blowback in the press, they might want to consider another perspective. Pakistan and America have had eight years to get this problem of terrorists handled; both have failed miserably.
Pakistan fell into the same ego trap and made the same mistake America and every other country does at some point in their history: back some group because they too hate the group they are fighting. Then that foolish act turns around and bites them. In Pakistan's case, the very militants they backed against America have now turned on Pakistan. Why? They want those nuclear weapons and will not stop until they get them. Now, Pakistan is in for the fight of their lives to destroy the monster they created. Welcome to Big Boy Countries 101. It's imperative that Pakistan take back all control and cede not one inch of land or government control to the terrorists. Give them an inch and they will shoot you in your sleep; count on it.
For now, it's more important to the safety of the Pakistani people to protect themselves and for America and the rest of the world to help support them in their endeavor. Quit worrying about egos and the anger Pakistan had at Bush spilling over onto Obama. Obama is not Bush.
While in the Middle East memories are centuries long over this or that slight or major catastrophe, it's important to work with what we know right now and with the people we know. We must begin anew and build quality relationships of trust. It's time to quit the centuries long squabbling, America included, and get serious about learning how to live in Peace with each other. No one said we had to like each other, approve of each other or adopt each other's cultures. What we can do is be respectful that we all deserve to share the same planet.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Here she frankly discusses the past relationship of Pakistan and America as not always to the benefit of the Pakistani people. There is a real "trust deficit" on the part of Pakistan with America. She is working on repairing the relationship mess from past American administrations. It's like a wayward husband who is a serial cheater, saying, "But, baby, trust me one more time." The wife grows weary of getting her heart trounced. If there is anyone who understands how truly difficult it is to trust someone who has hurt you, it's Hillary Clinton whose husband, Bill Clinton, was publicly impeached over an affair. Pakistan's reticience is understandable. They will need to start spending some time to get to know the new America and then make their judgment about trust:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
The first part of this video is similar to the above one but keep listening as Hillary offers more and they discuss Afghanistan too:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
What Hillary is trying to impress upon Pakistan is the dire need to save their country. If the government is too weak to protect the nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of the terrorists, count on it that whomever feels the most threatened in the region of those nukes falling into the wrong hands will enter the battle, transforming both the terrorists and Pakistan into a footnote in history.
Review Policy
To publishers/publicists/authors:
Are you looking for someone to review your book(s)? Congratulations! You're at the right place! We'd be happy to help you promoting your book(s) by writing honest reviews to express our opinions concerning your book(s)! If you want to sponsor a book giveaway on our blog, please send us an e-mail, and we'll reply you as soon as possible (within 2 days).
If you want to specifically ask one of us to write a review for your book, here's our personal e-mail address:
Aik : aikychien at yahoo dot com
Koey : koeyleeyee at hotmail dot com
Genres that we'd love to review:
Genres that we don't review:
1) If you're interested, please contact us at the.bookaholics(at)hotmail(dot)com with the title ''Book Review".
2) Please note that we ONLY accept professionally bound, paperback or hardback editions for book reviews.
3) We will not be responsible for the shipping and handling fees. Books sent to us for reviews will not be returned and we have the rights to reject books that we think is not suitable for us.
4) Our intention of writing book reviews is to let enthusiastic readers all around the world know more about the books we personally love and to help authors to promote their books.
5) Reviews are free of charge.
6) We will write honest reviews for the books we've received. So, not all review will be positive. However, we will try our best to find the good points in the book.
7) All books will be rated at the end of the review.
8) A review may take 2 -4 weeks to complete and publish.
*Please contact us at the.bookaholics(at)hotmail(dot)com if you would like us to review your book(s). All inquiries are welcome and we look forward to hearing from you.*
Are you looking for someone to review your book(s)? Congratulations! You're at the right place! We'd be happy to help you promoting your book(s) by writing honest reviews to express our opinions concerning your book(s)! If you want to sponsor a book giveaway on our blog, please send us an e-mail, and we'll reply you as soon as possible (within 2 days).
If you want to specifically ask one of us to write a review for your book, here's our personal e-mail address:
Aik : aikychien at yahoo dot com
Koey : koeyleeyee at hotmail dot com
Genres that we'd love to review:
- Art
- Beauty Tips and Advice
- Chemistry
- Children’s Fiction and Non-Fiction
- Cookbooks
- Crime-solving
- Fantasy (some only)
- Fiction (some only)
- Historical Fiction
- Historical Romance
- History
- Mathematics
- Medical
- Memoirs
- Mystery (some only)
- Non-Fiction
- Photography
- Reference
- Science and Nature
- Science Fiction
- Teen Fiction and Non-Fiction
- Travel
- True Stories/Events
- Vampire Stories
Genres that we don't review:
- Erotica
- Poetry
- Psychology
- Religious
- Business and Finance
1) If you're interested, please contact us at the.bookaholics(at)hotmail(dot)com with the title ''Book Review".
2) Please note that we ONLY accept professionally bound, paperback or hardback editions for book reviews.
3) We will not be responsible for the shipping and handling fees. Books sent to us for reviews will not be returned and we have the rights to reject books that we think is not suitable for us.
4) Our intention of writing book reviews is to let enthusiastic readers all around the world know more about the books we personally love and to help authors to promote their books.
5) Reviews are free of charge.
6) We will write honest reviews for the books we've received. So, not all review will be positive. However, we will try our best to find the good points in the book.
7) All books will be rated at the end of the review.
8) A review may take 2 -4 weeks to complete and publish.
*Please contact us at the.bookaholics(at)hotmail(dot)com if you would like us to review your book(s). All inquiries are welcome and we look forward to hearing from you.*
Friday, October 30, 2009
Speculoos smoothie, veganmofo 2009
When I was a child, once a year my mother used to buy ginger snap cookies in an rustle-y orange paper sack. These cookies were only available in October. They were large and flat and crackled on top.
They seemed very hard and crunchy on the outside but when I started chewing them, they got tacky, and stuck to my teeth. My mother and I loved these spicy cookies, looked forward to them every year and lamented the fact that we couldn't buy them whenever we wanted.
I would open the bag and inhale their spiciness. The fragrance was so strong I could almost taste the cookies before they touched my lips.
Today I added speculoos spice blend and a small amount of agave nectar to my almond milk-banana-mango smoothie, and when I took my first mouthful, I heard the rustle of that orange paper sack, smelled the gingersnaps, and saw my mother's smile.
Beanie Sigel interview....
Yo this shit is really heavy not a lot for me to say.... Sigel airs it out! Listen up.....
Beanie Sigel goes in on Jay!
"My Momma Said"
.... so my mom told me she had a really good book and me and the misses should read it, I
haven't started yet but I'm kinda looking forward to it, believe it or not.
If you've read it already feel free to let me know what you thought of it...
Game Gucci Mane Timbaland - Krazy
If this a weird colab for that ass i don't know what is! The track is aight thought....
The Middle Three at Home
Major League Baseball decides the World Series and both League Championship Series with best-of-7 game series that utilize a 2-3-2 home game format. This means that one team is at home for two games, then the other has the middle three at home, and finally the first team hosts the final two games.
Often, and the results of this decade prove it out, any team which opens with two games on the road, manages to win at least one of those road games, and then comes home for the next three has a serious advantage. That is the position that the Phillies now find themslves in after splitting two games at the Yankees home ballpark.
Since the year 2000, counting all World Series, NLCS, and ALCS matchups, there have been 30 different series played. In 16 of those series a team opened by either gaining a split or actually getting a sweep of the first two games on the road, returning home for the next three games at least tied. Of the 16 teams doing so, 11 went on to win their series.
Most of the instances where a team split on the road only to eventually lose the series happened in the American League, where it happened four times. The '00Mariners split but lost to the Yankees in 6 games. Each of the '03 Red Sox,'07 Indians, and '08 Red Sox gained road splits only to eventually lose in 7 games.
Three times a team opened on the road and won both games: the '00 Mets in the NLCS, '01 Yankees in the ALCS, and '02 Giants in the NLCS. As you might imagine, all went on to win their series. Only twice has a team managed a split, gone home for three, and been swept out at home: the '01 Braves in the NLCS by Arizona, and the '05 Angels in the ALCS by the White Sox.
In the World Series played over the past decade, no team has been able to gain a sweep on the road in the first two games, as the Phillies tried to accomplish last night. But there have been four series that featured a team gaining a split to open on the road, including last year when the Phils split the first two games in Tampa.
Only the 2002 San Francisco Giants, who gained a split with the Angels, went on to lose the series. In fact, those Giants even came home and won 2 of 3 to go up by three games to two. The Angels rallied to win that epic California series in 7 games, including a dramatic late-game rally in Game Six, dashing Barry Bonds only hope of winning a World Series.
In 2003, the Florida Marlins split against the Yanks in New York and went on to win the series in 6 games. In 2006 it was the Saint Louis Cardinals gaining a split in Detroit, going on to win the series in 5 by sweeping at home. The Phillies then did their part, splitting in Tampa in 2008 before coming home to win in 5 games by also sweeping at home.
What you have done by managing to at least gain a split of the first two games on the road in a series is that you have stolen away the 'home field advantage' from your host. The Yankees were scheduled originally to host 4 games of a 7 game series. With those first two split, the series effectively starts over again in Philly, and the Phillies will be home at Citizens Bank park for 3 of the 5 games left.
All the Yankees need to do is win one game here in Philadelphia, and they regain their home field advantage. They also would ensure that even in a worse-case scenario where the Phils win the other two, they will get to return to Yankee Stadium for at least one more game. But the Yankees will find that win difficult to come by, with the home crowd and field conditions helping the Phils to an 11-1 record in their last 12 home playoff games.
The Phillies on the other hand did what they had to do, they got that split in New York. The now return home with the knowledge that, if they win their home games, they will not have to go back to New York at all. At the very least, the odds of them getting knocked out at home are very long. Again, only 2 of the 16 teams to gain a road split have been subsequently swept at home. In fact, 10 of the 16 teams went on to win at least 2 of their 3 home games.
The odds are in the Phillies favor to take 2 of 3 and move within a game of a repeat title. By actually winning all three of the middle three games at home, the Phillies will repeat as World Series champions in front of a delirious home crowd. It is that very home crowd that they are hoping helps provide the difference in these games.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Breads and speculoos / veganmofo 2009
I want to say upfront that I haven't been sent a review copy of the cookbook I'm about to mention (darn - I'd love to review it). It's just that the authors have developed a bread baking style that fits perfectly with the theme of this blog. Following their method couldn't be easier, and I've been playing with their recipes since their first cookbook, "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" was published. I used their technique, but made the recipes healthier by using whole grains, less salt, etc. Now they've come up with a new book called, "Healthy Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day," and of course I watched their video, and made bread. I haven't actually seen the new book yet, but I know it has recipes using whole grains, fruits and veggies, plus a chapter on gluten-free baking. It's not a vegan cookbook, but probably easy for a vegan cook to adapt the recipes.
The bread pictured above was made from the basic recipe. I didn't have any unbleached flour on hand so I subbed semolina flour. For the topping I used a mix of sesame seeds, caraway seeds, dill seeds and crushed red pepper. The bread was delicious with the kind of springy texture I love, and it looked very pretty.
The dough - a rather wet dough - is mixed and stored in a container in the refrigerator, and taken out in blobs whenever a bread is needed.
Tonight I needed to make a bread with the speculoos spice mix I got from Mihl's blog. (Are you reading this, Mihl?) I grabbed a blob of dough and rolled it into a rectangle. I mixed one tablespoon of speculoos spice mix, one tablespoon of cocoa, three tablespoons of evaporated cane juice and about 1/2 cup of raisins, and spread it onto the dough. The dough was then rolled up and the edges sealed. You can see from the photo I didn't do a very even job - perhaps I was rushing - but the taste is delicious.
The authors will be in Seattle Monday night to do a reading and book signing and I hope to be there. I doubt they'll be talking about speculoos!
Jay Z was in B-more on the 28th....
If you missed it like I did here's a few flick's and a dope review...
Few rappers can make an entrance like Jay-Z.
He didn't just take the stage -- he set a timer first.
Before his sold-out show began last night at 1st Mariner Arena, the THX sound effect boomed through the speakers and digital clocks displayed on the big screens started counting down from 10 minutes. When time ran out, the curtain was pulled back, revealing Jay-Z's tight 10-piece band and a screen shaped like the New York City skyline.
He didn't just walk onto the stage, either. He rose from the floorboards, wearing black shades, black pants, a black shirt and a black leather jacket.
Now that's an entrance.
The rest of the show was everything you'd expect from one of hip-hop's superstars: Swaggering, bragging and furious verses. Jay-Z dominated the mike, and the audience loved nearly every minute of it ...
When Jay-Z told them to bounce, they bounced. When he told them to make some noise, they made some noise, chanting "HOVA" and making his trademark diamond-shaped hand sign. Here is a link to a photo gallery from the show.
Jay-Z's performance was a 90-minute hit parade that toured through "The Black Album," "Vol. 2 ... Hard Knock Life" and the rapper's latest No. 1 album (his 11th to debut at No. 1, which surpasses Elvis' record, he reminded us last night), "The Blueprint 3."
Longtime collaborator Memphis Bleek joined Jay-Z for much of the show, J. Cole guested on "Every Day A Star Is Born" and singer Bridget Kelly easily held down Alicia Key's parts on "Empire State of Mind."
The highlights: "Jigga What, Jigga Who" was just dirty; Jay-Z nailed it. "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" had an easygoing groove. And Pharrell joined Jay-Z for a solid performance of the brass heavy, high-stepping "So Ambitious."Jay-Z had the band fade out at the end of several songs so he could deliver the last verse and chorus a capella, which gave the words even more weight.
The show's only stumble was the long, rambling finish. Jay-Z might know how to get a performance rolling, but he had trouble wrapping things up last night.
During the encore, he took about 15 minutes to give shout outs to strangers in the crowd, identifying them by what they were wearing. If you weren't up front, it was incredibly boring, and unsurprisingly, people started leaving early.
Finally, Jay-Z closed out the show with a so-so rendition of "Forever Young" and saluted the crowd while being lowered back down below the stage. Endings aside, last night's show was definitely one for the books.
The opening acts weren't too shabby, either. Washington's own Wale, who looks to be the most promising rapper to come out of the District, warmed up the audience with some heavy-hitting hip-hop (and even a little go-go). During his last song, Wale strode out into the crowd, shaking hands and greeting folks. When his debut "Attention: Deficit" drops Nov. 10, he might not need to introduce himself anymore.
N.E.R.D. hit the stage after Wale, delivering an intense set of rap/funk/hip-hop. Their songs, which seemed too progressive for the crowd, changed tempos more than Madonna changes outfits. The only track that really brought down the house was their closer, Pharrell's "Drop it Like It's Hot."
Shout out to the Baltimore sun on this one
"Blown Away"- 50 Cent
Haven't got to put my ear to it yet but i'm really not pressed..... I feel like his best work is behind him.
Tracklist
01. Intro
02. Hip Hop
03. If Dead Men Can Talk
04. Illest
05. Gangster Music
06. Move
07. Follow Me
08. 300 Shots
09. Aint Rich, Stop Lying
10. Just F’cking Around
11. Smoke this
12. 50 Shot Ya
13. Pee Wee Herman
14. Crazy
15. London London
16. What You Know
17. Tipsy
18. Give It To Me
01. Intro
02. Hip Hop
03. If Dead Men Can Talk
04. Illest
05. Gangster Music
06. Move
07. Follow Me
08. 300 Shots
09. Aint Rich, Stop Lying
10. Just F’cking Around
11. Smoke this
12. 50 Shot Ya
13. Pee Wee Herman
14. Crazy
15. London London
16. What You Know
17. Tipsy
18. Give It To Me
Shot out to the Hommie Ryan Leslie!
New R. Les! you gotta love it!
Tracklist
01. Never Gonna Break Up
02. Something That I Like (ft Pusha T)
03. Zodiac
04. Is It Real Love
05. Sunday Night
06. You’re Not My Girl
07. To The Top
08. Nothing
09. Guardian Angel
10. All My Love
11. I Choose You
12. When We Dance (Bonus)
13. Promise Not 2 Call (Bonus)
01. Never Gonna Break Up
02. Something That I Like (ft Pusha T)
03. Zodiac
04. Is It Real Love
05. Sunday Night
06. You’re Not My Girl
07. To The Top
08. Nothing
09. Guardian Angel
10. All My Love
11. I Choose You
12. When We Dance (Bonus)
13. Promise Not 2 Call (Bonus)
14. Rescue U (Bonus)
K-x Does Snow
We had our first major snow storm in Colorado the last two days. Here are two quick shots of my patio chairs taken with the K-x and FA 31mm Limited. As always, I shot in RAW and used ACR to convert the images into jpeg's for uploading to Blogger. Click on the thumbnails for a larger file.
Video: Prez Obama Takes Away Big Business 25 Year Wallet Candy
From Denny: If ever there was a wallet abyss the F-22 Raptor jet program was it. From the President Reagan era to the Bush-Cheney period it became nothing but a rewards program to Big Business donors that would not stop giving no matter how loud the howling of the American public. Well, finally, someone put a stop to any new planes being built: President Obama. It only took 25 years for a politician to be brave enough to deny the greedy monsters their wallet candy. They will finish up those planes in process; wonder how much that is still going to cost us. Now if Obama would just sign all lobbyists out of existence this country could jump out of debt in seconds...
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
1-0 Means A Little; 2-0 Means A Lot
The Fightin' Phils received a magnificent performance from Cliff Lee, who has been superb throughout these 2009 playoffs, and a "you ARE the man" 2-homerun show from Chase Utley to lead the way to a big 6-1 victory and a one game to none lead in last night's Game One of the World Series.
For the Phillies that means an awful lot. Much has already been written and spoken in other venues this morning relating to the fact that the last 6 teams to win Game One went on to win the World Series. Some have even pointed out that, even more ominously for that loser of the opener, 11 of the last 12 teams to win that first game have gone on to win the Series.
The one time in the past dozen years that the team winning the opener did not ultimately win was in the epic 2002 all-California World Series between the Barry Bonds-led San Francisco Giants and the Anaheim Angels. The GMen took the opener that year, lost the next two, then won games four and five to take a 3-2 series lead back to Anaheim. There they took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the 8th before the Angels rallied to win, then won the 7th game and the franchise' only-ever World Series.
But tonight when Pedro Martinez takes the mound at the new Yankee Stadium he will be trying to tie an even tighter knot in the collar around the Yankee necks. The World Series began in 1903 and has been held every year with the exceptions of 1904 and 1994, making this the 104th Fall Classic. Only 11 times has a team fallen behind by 2 games to none and gone on to rally and win the World Series. Do the math - that's an 11% success rate.
So if the Phillies can somehow, in any way, fight their way to another victory tonight in the Bronx and take that 2-0 lead in the series, they odds tilt enormously in their favor with an 89% probability that they will win the World Series. Those numbers would actually likely be even a bit higher considering that the next three games will move to their home field at Citizens Bank Park.
This is the position that the club has put itself in by winning the opener last night. But nothing is guaranteed in tonight's 2nd game, and their own recent playoff history should remind these Phillies of that fact. In last season's run to the World Series championship, the Phils took the first game of each of their series' against Milwaukee, Los Angeles, and Tampa. Only in the Milwaukee series did they win Game Two.
This year they won the openers vs. Colorado in the NLDS and LA in the NLCS, but lost Game Two. That makes them 1-4 over the past two seasons in 2nd games of series. Go back to their sweep at the hands of the Rockies in the 2007 NLDS and the Phils are 1-5 in Game Two of their recent playoff series. There is usually a reason for these things when they happen, and there may be for this club as well.
These Phillies seem to thrive on being the underdogs, and on having their backs against the wall. Like the fictional hometown boxer Rocky Balboa, they relish in rising from the canvas to knock out their seemingly unbeatable opponents, especially with their home crowd roaring them on in support. These Phillies have proven much over the past couple of seasons, now they must prove that they have learned how to step on an opponent's neck once they have them down.
Perhaps more than at any other time in their recent playoff runs, they may have the right man in the right place at the right time. When Pedro Martinez takes the mound for them tonight there is absolutely no chance that the Yankee Stadium crowd or any of the other distractions of a World Series will shake him up. The future Hall of Famer is unflappable. The only two questions will be whether he has his good stuff, and whether the Phils bring their big bats to the contest.
The Phillies are one more good night, likely one hard-fought night, away from stepping on the Yankees necks and demanding the respect that they deserve as champions but have not yet been given by the national media and the odds-makers. One good night from Pedro, or the Phillies bats, or both, and Citizens Bank Park should again become the scene of a major World Series victory party this weekend.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Buffy / random food / veganmofo 2009
Buffy got groomed today and she looked so cute I had to give her some blog space. Buffy is at least 16 years old and holding her own quite well. She's still sweet and playful. I found her at the Humane Society when she was three, and she's been with us ever since. She was adopted to be our beloved Starr's sister so he would have company during the day, and they had a lot of good years together. Now Buffy lives only with humans but she doesn't seem to mind. In fact, at this stage of her life she's not that into other dogs anymore, though she still gets excited to see a cat. Lucky for her, two of her human brothers have cats, and sometimes she gets to visit them.
Buffy reclining regally (and hoping I'll go away and stop taking her picture).
At the secondhand store yesterday I found two really nice little white CorningWare dishes. They're rounded rectangles about 5 inches by 7 inches, and the perfect size for heating up and serving a single portion of lunch. I was envisioning them as handy little serving dishes for spreads or olives at a party. They were only fifty cents! Here you see one filled with leftover quinoa pasta (my favorite) and stir-fry from the previous night's dinner.
My son has been making himself humongous burritos with different fillings. I wanted today's potato-carrot-pea-chipotle-tofu filling but not the tortilla so I made a salad and put the filling on top for a burrito salad. It was great. Below you can see one of the burritos.
Video: American Soldier a Global Humanitarian Even in Death Thru Global Water Projects
From Denny: This American soldier, Army Captain Ben Sklaver, had been stationed in Uganda during their civil war. He decided to help the refugees and revive the local culture and economy by helping create fresh water projects. This success spilled over into creating more fresh water projects globally, even after his untimely death in this war. This is a truly heart-warming story!
His parents discuss in detail what drove their son to become a humanitarian:
More specifics about how he created his new dot org organization:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
His parents discuss in detail what drove their son to become a humanitarian:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
More specifics about how he created his new dot org organization:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
I Don't Hate New York
Like the vast majority of folks here in Philly, I grew up with a certain intense dislike for New York sports teams, even though the vast majority of the time they were not the biggest rivals of our local Philadelphia pro teams. One thing that I can tell you for sure, World Series against the Yankees or whatever, I don't hate New York.
The Phillies became regular contenders during my pre-teen and teenage years, but the Mets were rarely a good team in those days. The main rivals for the Phillies were the Pittsburgh Pirates, who played in the NL East division at that time. It seemed as if the Phils and Bucs were battling every year between 1975 and 1980 for the supremacy of the division.
The Yankees, once baseball's glorious dynasty, had fallen on hard times as of the mid-70's, but they began to emerge again as contenders at the same time as the Phillies. Though the Phils and Yanks made the playoffs in both 1977 and 1978, the Phils and Yanks would never meet. The Phils lost in the NL playoffs to the Dodgers despite being favored both seasons, and there was no Inter-League play during the regular season in those days.
Over the next couple of decades, baseball changed it's divisional format, and the Pirates moved away to the new Central Division, effectively killing the once-great intra-state rivalry with the Phils. But the Phillies and Mets still did not develop much of a rivalry because the two teams were almost never good in the same seasons. That truly ended in 2007 and 2008 when the Phils ran down the favored Mets from behind to take the NL East crown both years, winning the World Series a year ago.
In other sports there have been more bitter rivalries. As the 'Broad Street Bullies' version of the Flyers developed into Stanley Cup contenders in the 1970's, the Rangers and Islanders each turned out to be frequent playoff opponents. In football, the Giants and Eagles have had a spirited rivalry, highlighted by the Birds "Miracle in the Meadowlands" victory.
Again though, those rivalries have not been the primary focus of Eagles or Flyers fans. There is no hiding the glee that Birds fans take at beating the Dallas Cowboys, even in seasons when the Eagles may not be contenders, which has not been often over the past decade. And right now the Flyers simply do not have a primary heated rivalry going. The Devils and Penguins have filled the role, but it seems to change with each season on the ice.
New York's other sports teams have never been true rivals of the Philly teams, or at least not for a long time. Even when the Sixers and Knicks were both good, it always was the Sixers-Celtics rivalry that was far more prominent. The Jets and Nets? Forget about it. Even these Yankees have never been Philly rivals, despite the teams having met in one World Series previously.
That previous World Series meeting was in 1950, between Philly's lovable "Whiz Kids" bunch led by Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts and the Yankee dynasty of the day which was led in that incarnation by Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford. The Yanks swept those Phils, winning each of the first three games by just one run. But while the Yanks continued their dynasty, those Phils never returned to the Series.
So with all of this, it has been hard for me personally to work up much of a sports hatred for New York, outside of those 1970's Rangers and the recent year Mets rivalry. Some say that Philly has an inferiority complex about New York due to the Big Apple's population size and it's financial, cultural, and artistic importance combined with being so close in proximity to The City of Brotherly Love, but I never got that feeling.
After the attacks of September 11th, 2001, I promised myself that I would never again "hate" New York, and would never express hatred towards the city or it's people in a sports context or any other. My genuine feeling is that New York City is completely representative of everything that makes America great, and I will not allow some sports rivalry to change that feeling. But that's me. I know and accept that every Philly fan is not going to be quite so magnanimous.
None of this is to say that I'm going so far as to slap on an "I Love NY" button. I hope that the Phils sweep the Yanks, and in fact am now picking the Phillies to win the World Series in five games. But I am glad that it is the Yanks we are facing, not because it's New York, but because their team was the best in the AL this season, just as Tampa was the best in the AL last season. You always want to beat the best in order to be called the best.
The Yankees play the game similar to the way our Phillies play it: hard for 9 innings with a no-quit attitude. You may not like Alex Rodriguez, but you must acknowledge that he is one of the three best baseball players of the past decade. In Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, C.C. Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, and A.J. Burnett they have some of the most talented players in the game.
To me, this World Series is only about the Yankees insofar as they make for a more interesting opponent. It is more about rooting on an extremely exciting, talented, and lovable band of Phillies players. Chase, Chooch, JRoll, JayDub, Lights-Out, Rauuuuul, the Flyin Hawaiian, the Big Piece, Hollywood and the rest have legitimately won the hearts of this sports-crazed city. This is about rooting them on and cheering their exploits, not rooting against anyone else. It really doesn't matter who is lined up across the diamond, the story is on our side.
So I am rooting hard against the New York Yankees this week, and rooting for my own beloved Philadelphia Phillies to bring home their 2nd consecutive World Series championship. But I'll leave it to the idiots at the New York Post and the crazies in the Yankee Stadium stands the next two nights to do the hating. My belief is that when the Series returns to Philly for the weekend, there is gonna be a whole lot more love for the Fightin' Phils expressed than hatred for any New York team.
Dennis and Nasty on Fuel's Daily Habit Show
Dennis check's in..."I went to LA early this morning to do the Daily Habit show. Me, Hucker Mike, Keith Mulligan, Nasty, and Darryl Tocco all went to talk about the new ride video called Range Of Motion which should be out pretty soon. I saw the whole video last Friday night at the premiere and it's awesome. I recommend getting a copy. Here's a picture of me and Nasty bout to go on."
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A Vegan Table / win $25,000 / veganmofo 2009
I got a new cookbook for my birthday — "The Vegan Table" by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau — and we've started giving it a try. My husband found the can of artichoke hearts I bought to make a Turkish dish, and he made red lentil artichoke stew from Colleen's cookbook, instead. It wasn't the Middle Eastern dish I had intended, but it was delicious. I'm sure we'll want to make this again. I have a real weakness for artichoke hearts.
To go with the lentils he made cauliflower with spicy vinaigrette. This was an extremely easy dish of steamed cauliflower with a piquant dressing, proving once again that a dish doesn't have to be complicated or take hours, to be terrific. This dish might end up on our Thanksgiving table.
.........................................................................
Cooking contest
Are you feeling creative and in the mood to enter a cooking contest with a $25,000 grand prize? I received an email from French's Mustard representative Danielle Nuxxo who wrote:
"I came across your Easy Vegan Cooking blog...and wanted to send you some info on a new cooking contest from French’s Food, where you can win a trip to NYC for a cook-off and get a chance at the $25,000 grand prize. Since mustard is naturally low in sugar, fat and calories, I thought your vegan readers would enjoy the challenge of coming up with a naturally delicious recipe that fits well into the gluten-free and vegan lifestyle.
Here are the details on how to enter the contest. Time is running out, since all entries need to be entered by Saturday, Oct. 31. Each recipe must:
• Be original, unpublished, and created by you
• Include at least one French's product
• Include no more than 8 ingredients (with the exception of salt, pepper and water…those are freebies)
• Be prepared and ready to serve in under 60 minutes (Parents are busy, we all know that!)
• For recipe inspiration and giveaways, check out the French’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Frenchs/129122660682?ref=ts
Recipes will be evaluated on appearance, creativity and overall deliciousness and must be submitted by Saturday, October 31, 2009 online at: http://frenchs.com/Login.php?redirect=/Contest/SubmitRecipe.php. Five finalists, determined by online voting and a judging panel, will compete in a LIVE Cook-Off event to be held in New York City for a chance to win the Grand Prize of $25,000!"
I know it's a tight deadline but my fellow bloggers are so creative!
Video: Iran Opens Up Nuke Site
From Denny: OK, everyone, all together now... who really believes that Iran didn't already move house long before they opened the site to inspections? These guys think everyone is stupid but them. They are playing a very dangerous game with the world community.
They have a lot more than America and Europe to worry about harming them. The opposition party has finally figured out they will have to start assassinating the Iran leaders since the regime has proven they are willing to kill off the opposition so ruthlessly. Evidence of this new attitude was seen with the bombing of the security guards to the Guardian Council recently.
They have a lot more than America and Europe to worry about harming them. The opposition party has finally figured out they will have to start assassinating the Iran leaders since the regime has proven they are willing to kill off the opposition so ruthlessly. Evidence of this new attitude was seen with the bombing of the security guards to the Guardian Council recently.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Three Aces Are Keys to Phils Series Success
Pedro Martinez. Cliff Lee. Cole Hamels. One righthander and a pair of lefties. Three different levels of experience. All have filled the role of a true 'Ace' for their respective baseball organizations in the past. And now together, these three aces represent the absolute keys to the Phillies repeating as World Series champions.
There is much being said and written about the two team's offenses in this matchup. The top offense in the National League featuring Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino, and Raul Ibanez. The top offense in the American League featuring Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Jorge Posada, and Hideki Matsui.
There is talk about the importance of the bullpens, especially the Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, possibly the best at his craft in baseball history and the Phillies closer Brad Lidge, last year's hero turned this year's goat, but now apparently born again hard. And pitchers such as Phil Hughes and Ryan Madson will certainly play a big role in at least a couple of games.
It says here that no matter who the Yankees run out to their mound, from starters C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte to Rivera, this Phillies offense will find a way to get to them. The Phils will score enough runs to win four games in this series. The key will be keeping the Yanks' offense from outscoring them. That will fall largely on the shoulders of Martinez, Lee, and Hamels.
When the Fightin' Phils charge out on to the field in the bottom of the first inning at new Yankee Stadium for tomorrow night's Game One of the 2009 World Series against the New York Yankees, it will be Lee who will be taking the hill. As far as age and experience go, Lee is the middle man of the three. But in reality he fills that 'Ace' roll on this current team, and his start will set the tone.
Cliff Lee is 31 years old, and this year he pitched in his 6th full season with the Cleveland Indians, his 8th overall in the big leagues, before coming to the Phillies in a trade deadline deal for a package of prospects. He was not the pitcher that Phillies fans wanted. That object of affection was Toronto's Roy Halladay. But Lee was the pitcher that the Phillies team needed.
Starting for the first time on July 31st, Lee twirled a complete game 4-hitter to beat the San Francisco Giants and their ace Tim Lincecum. It was a statement game for a Phillies team that appeared only to be lacking a true ace to go up against the opposition's top starter. Lee would not only go 7-4 for the club after being acquired, but would star in the NL playoffs, helping the club to the World Series for the 2nd straight season.
Pedro Martinez is one of the greatest pitchers of his era and a likely Hall of Famer. Martinez starred mostly for the Boston Red Sox earlier this decade, helping that club win two World Series titles. Now apparently in the twilight of that great career, Martinez was signed by the Phils when no one else wanted to take a shot on the now 38-year old. All he did was go 5-1 for the Phils after making his debut on August 12th, then spin a tremendous game in a losing cause in the NLSC vs. the Dodgers.
Manager Charlie Manuel has not yet announced what his starting rotation will be in the series beyond Lee's first game start. But if it were me, and Charlie and I have been seeing eye to eye on most things this season, it would be Pedro taking the hill for Game Two. The combination of his career experience and the excellence with which he has been pitching make him my logical choice. And there is no way that the crowd and atmosphere in New York will intimidate him.
Cole Hamels has been as much of an enigma as the older veterans have been a revelation. The 25-year old seemed to blossom into a superstar a year ago, winning both the NLCS MVP and World Series MVP Awards while leading the Phils to their first title in 28 years. But he never seemed to get untracked as this season began, first due to a combination of injuries and bad weather, and later possibly to fatigue. In the playoffs, the tall lefty became a dad for the first time, and has continued his inconsistency on the mound.
Slotting Hamels in to the #3 slot behind Lee and Martinez allows him to take the mound in front of the more friendly crowd at Citizens Bank Park. In my opinion the young once and future Phillies ace is more likely to experience success in that atmosphere in his first start of this year's World Series. He is familiar with the surroundings, and the home crowd is likely to be strongly supportive to Hamels. If he gets it going his track record is that he will feed off their energy.
A key question then becomes whether the Phils should utilize a 4th starter, or opt for a giving three starts to Lee and two apiece to Martinez and Hamels. Personally, I have never been a fan of starting pitchers on short rest. I have seen it fail far more frequently these days than succeed. The Phillies have two good options in Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ to take the ball in a 4th game, depending on their usage out of the bullpen earlier in the series.
I would go with Lee, Martinez, and Hamels in that order, then would likely come back with Blanton in the 4th game, allowing Happ to continue providing a strong lefty relief option for the enirety of the series. I would then like to see the Phils come back with Lee in Game 5, and Martinez in a big Game 6 back at Yankee Stadium. That would leave a deciding Game 7 assignment for Hamels. I see the kid focusing and stepping up in the ultimate game, if necessary.
Together this trio represents the Philadelphia Phillies best chance to repeat as world champions. If the club receives 3-4 strong starts from these three, then it says here that they will beat the Yankees and win the World Series once again. If these three struggle, the Phils will be forced to try to out-slug New York in order to repeat. They have that capability, but strong starting efforts from Cliff, Cole, and Pedro is far more likely to be a recipe for success.
Allan Cooke Retires?
After Allan's Prelim run in park at the final stop of Dew Tour in Orlando,
Florida on the weekend, the announcer let everybody know that Allan had
finished his run and will be retiring from competition. A weird twist was
Allan's preliminary run was good enough to get the last spot for the finals
the next day so his retirement was on hold for 24 hrs.
I wanted to hit up Allan to find out more about the retirement and his plans
for the future.
So what's going on, nobody knew about this move?
Well I wouldn't call it a retirement, I'm just not going to compete in the
Dew Tour anymore. I have been going to every contest I could get to for the
last 12 years and I want to spend my last good years on my bike going
something different, I will always ride but there will come a day where I
will stop pushing myself and I want to see what I can do riding without the
time and effort it takes to do a full year of competition.
Ok fair enough, So you've been in the Dew Tour since the start in 2005, 5
years of battles, does it get boring?
Man It's never been boring, I have been lucky enough to be in the majority
of the finals at the Dew events and when the lights in the stadium go off
and the crowds are cheering, it's an exciting feeling to be able to put
everything you have into the next two minutes of BMX on that stage. Even
though we are all out there competing against each other, I can remember so
many times where the guys would be cheering me on from the deck in the
middle of my run. I remember being so stoked on other guys runs, it was
just so much fun to be a part of all that good BMX.
Have you gotten many injuries from doing the Dew?
I knocked some teeth out two separate times. I don't really remember
getting injured much at the Dew Tours but I do remember riding some of the
events with injuries, I can't tell you how much the Dew medical staff has
helped me over the last 5 years. Stitches, Ice, put teeth back in, taped
sprains, drained knee several times, made a custom little brace for a broken
foot, and infinity I.B. Profen pills. They did it all this because I wanted
to ride, I didn't have to I just wanted to and that was enough for them even
though they knew that it wasn't always the best idea.
Do you think BMX needs the Dew Tour?
I think so, I don't think it's the most important thing but it plays an
important role. Look at how many dudes that have never made a final and
have little support have been able to come out to a Dew event and go home
with a fairly easy $1000. That money buys a lot of Ramen Noodles, and that
goes a long way for a BMXer.
Any memorable stops for you?
Yeah man there's so many stories, I would have to write a book to put them
all down.
Your only 27 years old and it seems you are riding well, and obviously still
able to make a final, what's going on from here?
Managing Haro BMX, being a good Dad to My Daughter Elle and a good Husband to my wife Mary are my main focuses these days. As far as riding goes, since I took my brakes off, got a free coaster I have been having so much fun and I can only imagine how fun
it's going to be without it being my main source of income. I want to film
a lot of things, things that have been buzzing around in my head for the
last couple years but never got around to because of all the contests. I
would really like to put all my effort into a full part in a video, anyone
have an open spot, Haahaa. I'm still going to do X-Games Mega Ramp, I want
to go to the worlds and other fun comps overseas next year. I jokingly tell
people that I'm more of a soul rider these days, hahaha. I guess it's sort
of the truth though.
Thanks...
My parents, brother, and wife. No telling where I would be without those
people in my life. All of my sponsors over the last 12 years, all the guys
I competed with and anyone who has ever helped me out over the years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)