- Stealing the Dragon by Tim Maleeny (suspense intrigue thriller)
- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (sort of a historical memoir)
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (historical romantic time travel) My favorites in this series were the first and the second, Dragonfly in Amber
- A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin (fantasy) This entire series is not to be missed.
- The Other Bolelyn Girl by Philippa Gregory Don’t think history, think a really fine read.
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer Now if you DO like a little (history) mixed in with your (humor), try this book on for size. The entire book is written in letters. Sounds boring doesn’t it? Trust me, it’s not.
- If you love Renoir, then you will love Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland. (fictionalized biography) It’s not a book about his entire life, but instead covers the period during which he was painting the luncheon masterpiece, one of his most recognizable works.
- The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (thriller) You’ve never known a character like Lisbeth Salander.
- Bloodsworn: Bound by Magic by Kathy Lane (fantasy romance suspense) What more can I say?
- If you’ve never read a Janet Evanovich book, run to the nearest bookstore or tiptoe to Amazon.com and start off with One for the Money If you like human, colorful, (laugh out loud) characters, you’ll love her books. Easy reading, don’t be expecting Pride and Prejudice. These are just fun books in a series.
10 Recent Books I Have Read and Loved
Diet – 2012 New Tricks
The most popular New Year’s Resolution year after year? Try to lose weight.
Here’s the newest suggestion that has come down the pike for the year 2012 and I’m going to give it a whirl since it has to do with carbohydrates. And I love my carbs.
Eat your three meals, as usual, but don’t eat any carbohydrates with your dinner. That means you can eat a sandwich for lunch with actual bread and you can have a slice of toast for breakfast with an egg or two.
At dinner, fill up on proteins and veggies. If you start with a salad or a beef vegetable soup, for instance, you will feel quite full without potatoes, etc. with your main meal.
For your sweet tooth, later in the evening, raid the freezer and munch on a sugarless fudgesicle.
If it’s salt you crave, crank up the microwave and pop a single serving of popcorn. I know technically that is considered a carbohydrate, but what harm can an itty-bit of popcorn do if it assuages your hunger?
Of course, one of the other ways to lose weight that’s being touted loudly is to eat five or six small meals throughout the day. Maybe that works for some people, but personally, that means I’d have to think about food all day long. To tell you the truth, I get busy and forget to eat all those tiny meals, so that doesn’t work for me.
The bottom line–there’s no panacea. It’s still about eating less and exercising more, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try new ways of taking off the weight.
Footloose – Kevin Bacon vs Kenny Wormaid
No one could ever fill Kevin Bacon’s boots, but Kenny Wormaid gave it a royal, good try. The new Footloose is more athletic and possibly more energetic than the original 1984 flick, but again Kevin takes home the bacon. There is no way to remake an iconic film. Footloose is one of those.
The movie was entertaining, though. And cowboy hats off to Miles Teller (Willard). He added his own brand of humor. The scenes showing him trying to learn how to dance and then finally conquering the moves were so, so enjoyable.
Too bad they didn’t show more of the famous red boots. But the music was still phenomenal.
Project Runway
Is anyone else getting bored with Project Runway? The designers don’t seem to be as talented as they have been in past seasons. There definitely should have been more excitement for that challenge where they teamed up with a school art class. There was so much inspiration there from the young artists, but the same lackluster array of clothes was trotted out. Pitiful!
When I think of “Runway,” I think of glamor and extraordinary fashion. I want to see some gowns and cocktail dresses coming down the runway, not tailored pants and jackets constantly. What fun is there in that?
The avant-garde challenge should have been evening wear.
There should be a different red carpet challenge every season. Let’s see the difference between a Grammy Awards red carpet as opposed to what we might see on Oscar night.
With so many Hollywood-type events to choose from, the best they could come up with was the Nina Garcia challenge? I have never seen Nina wear anything electrifying, and why in the world would I want to see her in clothes she would wear to work?
And the challenges themselves are getting old and stale. Okay, making a garment from stuff you can buy in a pet store was fun the first couple of times, but come-on! And then to put one designer down for using umbrella material, while rewarding the designer using fleece wasn’t even a fair assessment of the project, especially when the guy who made a dress out of birdseed was the clear winner.
And by the way, the bully in the playroom should’ve been kicked off the show, not one of his victims. But, oops, I forgot–the ratings. Maybe people are looking forward to more hysterics and mood swings. I, for one, would like to see more “out of the box” design and less drama.
Tomato, Tomahto
Whichever way you say it, you haven’t eaten a really good tomato in a very long time–well, unless you are growing your own or buying from a farmers market. However, you are eating really, really pretty tomatoes: bright red, no blemishes, smooth skin, firm to the touch, perfect green stem. Too bad they’re red rocks with little or no juice inside.
Every year, it gets harder and harder to find an awful looking, ugly tomato–the ones that are grown to taste good, not look good.
If you find one, don’t expect it to be bright red. Sometimes they’re more orange. And don’t bother to look for a perfect stem sticking out of its misshapen body, because there probably isn’t one.
If you’ve ever bent over and picked a tomato direct from the plant, you’ll know the minute you hold this ugly baby in the palm of your hand that it’s been sun-drenched and grown outside and maybe it hasn’t even been sprayed with “who knows what.”
So, the next time you pass the tomatoes in your supermarket, try to figure out why you don’t see those hideous looking tomatoes in the store anymore. Are we so enamored of beauty that our food has to look gorgeous, while real taste suffers?
Oh, well. Pretty is “in.” So, I won’t even get started on our pretty, pretty red beef, or our pearly white eggs, or …
Harry Potter
80% of the time, Hollywood does a lousy job of translating a wonderful book to the screen, but Harry never disappointed. I read all the books. I’ve seen all the movies.
And The Deathly Hallows doesn‘t miss a beat. Action galore. Magic sublime.
Over 1,000 people showed up at our theater for Friday’s midnight show – over half dressed as one of the characters. For a small town, that must be some kind of record. Balloons and crepe paper festooned the lobby. Everyone partied like there was no tomorrow. And maybe there isn’t.
It’s quite a letdown to know that there will be no future books or movies to look forward to. The fantasy world of Harry, Hermione and Ron has reached its expiration date. What a bummer, but what a fantastic ride!
Rockets! Shuttles! They were glorious. They were exciting.
First manned flight. First man on the moon. Maybe some day first woman on Mars.
If you’re old enough, you’ll recall Sputnik, the first Russian satellite to be put into orbit back in 1957. Sputnik’s launch started the Space Age Race.
Sputnik
We’ve come a long way since ’57. Space was all the rage back then. I remember my prom’s theme was Starlight Melody. I was in charge of creating little sputniks, which we hung high from the ceiling surrounded by yards and yards of blue tulle. We danced under the stars, the skies, the moon and those tiny, glittering sputniks. Fun times.
Over–for now.
On to new heights!
Thomas Jefferson Said
Evidently, Tom knew what he was talking about!
“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered… I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies… The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.” – Thomas Jefferson
Chubby Checkers
Who would’ve guessed that out of all the shows I’ve seen in my lifetime, Chubby Checker’s concert would take first prize? I didn’t think anyone could possibly displace the double bill of the fantastic Tina Turner and the inimitable Joe Cocker, but there it is. Chubby Checker skyrocketed.
His show didn’t begin with an announcer’s usual warnings, “There will be no flash pictures allowed during the show” and “Turn off all cell phones.” Once the show started, I understood why. Because if a cell phone rang, no one would’ve heard it anyway.
Only one prior statement was made–”Chubby will be available in the lobby after the show to sign autographs and say hello.”
Then his band walked out, took their places and the sax player walked up to the mic and simply said, “Chubby Checker.”
Chubby walked out onto the stage and proceeded to sing non-stop for an hour and a half. He embraced the audience and they embraced him back.
By the mid-point of his concert, it became obvious he needed no back-up singers or performers, because his audience filled the bill. People were dancing in the aisles, standing at their seats dancing and those who couldn’t get out of their seats were dancing in their seats.
Whenever he sang a song that came complete with its own dance, he’d shout, “If you know how to do the Pony, come on up.” People of all ages went up to the stage and danced. At one point, he had over 20 women onstage teaching them how to do the Fly. Toward the end of the show, he had 20+ men on stage doing the Twist.
He encouraged people to sing and since everyone in that audience knew the lyrics, everyone in that audience sang. He didn’t just perform his own songs, he sang songs that were well-loved in the 60′s. Songs by Little Richard, Marvin Gaye, Bill Haley, and so many more I couldn’t keep track. He sang Blue Suede Shoes and he didn’t massacre it. He did Elvis proud.
At other concerts I’ve attended, when a recognizable song is about to begin, there is a hushed sort of “ahhh” that permeates the audience. At this concert, every time Chubby started to sing, people screamed their approval.
Senior teenagers! It was a night to reminisce, to do things we hadn’t done in many years. Some folks who climbed up on stage had to be helped up the steps. In one case, a man actually used a cane to get up on stage to join the rest of the guys.
Inhibitions be damned! Everyone was a kid again.
Many people stayed to talk to Chubby after the show and get his autograph. Some held old 33 1/3 record albums for him to autograph. Others just wanted to tell him what he meant to them when they were growing up.
I was there well over an hour and there were still people waiting to talk to him. They took pictures of him with their cell phones. He was gracious, never rushed anyone, and he signed every autograph requested.
It was a party!
Entitlements
What do you figure the word “Entitlements” stands for?
Maybe it means old people feel they are entitled to receive money from the government after they reach a certain age.
Or maybe it means after people work their entire lives and contribute money to Social Security and Medicare that they are entitled to receive some of their money back after they retire.
Either way, where do these old folks think all this moolah is coming from? Can the federal budget be balanced while these freeloaders siphon off tons of cash from the government?
Here are the facts. Read carefully so this sinks in.
Social Security is NOT part of the budget. It sits in a fund that was set up when Social Security was created. (That is unless the government hasn’t misappropriated the money to use for other purposes. I remain hopeful that hasn’t happened, but maybe I’m an optimist.)
According to Paul Owens writing in the Orlando Sentinel on May 6, 2011 … Congress has been raiding the Social Security trust fund for years… To read his entire article go to Orlando Opinionators.
Over the years, Social Security has collected more money than it has paid out. The surplus funds have been invested in U.S. Guaranteed Treasury Bonds. AARP states that in 2009, the trust fund had $2.5 trillion in bonds, earning 4.9 percent interest.
Perhaps the finger-pointing should be aimed at Congress — not at Entitlements.
Water For Elephants
If you’ve read Water for Elephants, you’ll probably be disappointed with the movie. Reese Witherspoon, a good actress, just went through the motions. Robert Pattinson did a good job of smiling–a lot. The movie would have been unbearable except Christoph Waltz was cast as the cruel Ringmaster and husband to Witherspoon. He was the whole show.
If you’re hoping to experience the joy, the pathos, and the horrors of the book, save your money. Again, I’ll have to qualify that. When Waltz beats the elephant, it’s horrifying. That’s probably the only time the moviegoer wakes up out of their stupor.
Royal Wedding
She would be so proud.
I wished throughout the entire regal wedding ceremony that Diana could have been there. It was hard not to think about her while watching her two handsome sons do her proud.
Kate was beautiful as she made her entrance and walked down the aisle. One can only hope that she and Prince William will enjoy many happy years together.
Diana, you did a fabulous job making your sons approachable, yet dignified and dedicated individuals. Your legacy lives on.
Flash Mobs
I love watching Flash Mob videos. They make me smile. Try it. I bet you find yourself smiling.
I dare you not to sing along with this one.
This one’s just plain crazy and fun.
Elizabeth Taylor
Okay, now that I come to think about it, I guess I overlooked Elizabeth Taylor as one of my favorite women. I’ll have to extend my list to eleven and include her. She has been a part of my life–well, all my life. At one time, hands down, she was the most beautiful woman in Hollywood.
Back in the 50′s, the nuns at school spoke about how sinful she was. She had so many marriages and love affairs. Luckily, I didn’t allow their propaganda to sway me. There was always something about Elizabeth Taylor that was magical.
Thank goodness some of it is captured on film.
10 Women I Like — A Lot
As with my list of men, I won’t be listing any American presidents–oops, we haven’t had any female presidents–no American politicians, or religious leaders. This is a random list, no ranking intended.
- Eleanor Roosevelt – Human Rights were her passion. She fought for the youth of America, for the poor, for black Americans and for women at home and abroad. She was a suffragette. (Yeah, Eleanor!) Her accomplishments are too vast to enumerate.
- Audrey Hepburn – For me she will always be My Fair Lady, but her glowing achievement was working as UNICEF’s Ambassador. She traveled the world, gave countless interviews and appeared before Congress, working tirelessly to make children’s lives better.
- Gloria Steinem – Where would women be today without Gloria and Bella Abzug?
- Lena Horne – I think she was probably born 50 years too soon for Hollywood. But in spite of some really Stormy Weather, she clung to her star status throughout her life. Her sultry voice caressed. Her music should be cherished.
- Margaret Thatcher – Britain’s first female Prime Minister. History will decide her successes and failures. All the same, I loved listening to her speak.
- Jackie Kennedy – She entered my life as the wife of a president and she enchanted me for the rest of her life.
- Ginger Rogers – For the many hours I spent at the movies and in front of the TV watching her dance effortlessly across the screen with Fred Astaire.
- Pauly Perrette – Plays Abby on NCIS. This seems like an unlikely choice, but what many don’t know about Pauley is she uses her celebrity to help children, animals and the homeless. She is active in so many foundations, it would make your head spin.
- Rosa Parks – Where does this type of courage come from?
- Sandra Day O’Conner – First female member of the Supreme Court. She was a ground-breaker from the minute she graduated from law school.
Ain’t women grand?
The Defenders
I’m thinking about my next list, which will be my ten favorite ladies, but in the meantime, let’s make room for a little fluff. I definitely needed something sort of fun and mindless to watch on Friday evening after viewing a week of CNN coverage from Egypt.
So, if you haven’t tuned in to The Defenders yet, you should give it a try. It’s not Shakespeare, but it hits the mark as lightweight, non-violent entertainment. Jerry O’Connell and James Belushi make terrific sidekicks. Besides that, Belushi pulls off wearing pink dress shirts with panache. His wardrobe is deliciously daring, different and delightful.
And by the way, order in the southern fried chicken ’cause Justified on FX is coming back on Wednesday at 10 p.m.
10 Men I Like — A Lot
I haven’t listed any American presidents, politicians or religious leaders. That’s an entirely different list. My list is random. Although the names are numbered, no ranking is intended.
- Prince William – He has done his mother proud.
- Anwar Sadat – His death was a tragic loss to his country.
- Joseph, Chief of the Nez Perce tribe – His ill-fated retreat of more than 1,000 miles from federal troops is legendary.
- Martin Luther King – He had a dream. We’re still working at it.
- George Carlin – He’s probably my all-time favorite comedian.
- Paul Newman – A good man.
- Danny Thomas – He was much more than met the eye. Visit the St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis to see what I mean.
- John J. Audubon – I’m a birder, so Audubon makes my list. He spent 50 years painting and describing the birds of America.
- Norman Rockwell - He shared the spirit of America through his paintings. I grew up enjoying his artistry on the covers of The Saturday Evening Post.
- Thomas Edison - Every time there is a power outage, I wonder what people did before the light bulb.
These are the first ten names that popped into my mind. I probably missed a few of your favorites.
Darvocet Is Off The Market!
Are you asking me to believe that it took the FDA over fifty years to decide Darvon and Darvocet should be taken off the market?!
It appears even the panel of experts couldn’t agree:
The pain medications Darvon and Darvocet should be pulled off the market, according to a recommendation approved on a 14-12 vote by a panel of medical experts assembled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
For those of us who suffer from chronic pain, this is a catastrophe. Anyone who uses Darvocet or its generic, propoxyphene, which is a mild drug, will attest to its effectiveness, and it doesn’t make you drowsy. In case you’re wondering how many people that is–in 2009, 10 million people depended upon propoxyphene to help make their life livable. Deaths linked to Darvocet annually – .0005%.
What I find so wrong about this is–I would like to be able to make my own choice. Give me the facts and let me decide whether the risk is worth the pain relief.
Here are some comments from Join Together. It appears a lot of people would like to make their own decisions.
According to an article on the link Darvocet should be banned.. 23 million prescriptions per year are issued, (for the last 50 years??) the article also mentions 2,100 deaths from 1981 to 1999 (18 years). This does not seem to be a high risk ratio to me. I can only conclude the people making these waves have never dealt with moderate to severe chronic pain.
Here’s another:
I hope that this medicine is NOT taken off the market. I am deathly allergic to ALL NSAIDS.
And another:
My wife had a stroke and none of the other drugs that she was given gave the relief for the nerve pain that she has. If it is taken off the market then what can she use? The other drugs are either more addictive or so strong that it causes her to sleep 24/7. What quality of life would she have without it? Darvocet seems to be the only drug that actually cuts down the pain to tolerable level.
I’m really, really tired of the government taking such good care of me.
Now, I’m in the process of trying out other drugs that might be able to take the place of Darvocet. If and when I find it, I can be sure it will cost a whole lot more than my 50-year-old medication.
I’m sure the pharmaceutical companies are happy with the FDA’s decision. They must be jumping up and down with joy.
Animal Lover
For years, I used to carry gardening gloves in the trunk of my car, in case I ever had to rescue an injured animal.
Don’t laugh too hard. I knew a fellow who carried a long, heavy rope in his trunk, in case he ever had to rescue someone from drowning.
See–my gardening gloves don’t seem so strange now, do they?
Anyway, as it happens, I have moved a turtle or two out of the middle of the road to safety wearing those gloves. But this is a story about a bird.
Many years ago, I was driving on a narrow two-lane street when a Mourning Dove swooped down and I hit it with my car. It lie limp in the road. I wasn’t sure if it was dead or not.
With tears pouring down my face, I pulled my gloves out of the trunk and had just slipped them on when a man, driving on the opposite side of the road, stopped his car.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“I ran into a bird.”
He laughed hysterically. When he looked at my gloved hands, he sneered, “Are you going to operate?”
Then he drove off.
I couldn’t stop crying. The idea of killing a bird horrified me. I walked over to it. I’m sure it was dead, although people have since informed me that birds go into shock and the dove may have been perfectly okay later. I didn’t believe them then and I don’t believe it now. At any rate, I carried the bird to the side of the road and placed it under a bush.
Over the years, I’ve actually saved a lot of birds who went into shock for one reason or another. They fly through badminton nets and into windows. Birds are simply not always equipped to handle human obstacles.
But no matter how many I’ve rehabilitated, I’ve never been able to forget that poor dove, or that guy’s repulsive, insensitive mocking.
The Good Wife
This is my question. If Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) won an Emmy last season for Best Supporting Actress, why have the powers-that-be given her “half” the screen time this season? Her character was beginning to shape up into a complex, fascinating personality. Getting a glimpse of her private life had kept me interested.
The new character she is sharing time with, Blake (Scott Porter), as another private investigator for the firm has, thus far, been unexciting.
Another thing that has the hour dragging is this sudden interest in the kids–boring.
Easy Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Last week I cooked a dish that called for broccoli florets. So there I was–stuck with the leftover stems. What to do. What to do. I chopped them up, threw them into a ziploc bag and put them in the frig.
Today I decided to make this soup. It turned out to be a good, delicious decision.
5 cups water
2 (14 oz) packages frozen, chopped broccoli
OR fresh broccoli, if you have it.
3 cups diced potatoes
¾ cup chopped onion
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cans cream of celery soup
6 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
6 oz Colby jack cheese, cubed
Cook the first 5 ingredients for 20 minutes (1/2 hour if using fresh broccoli).
Reduce heat and add soup and cheeses. Simmer until cheese is melted.
Stir often so cheese does not stick.
All My Children
Alright, All My Children is one of my guilty pleasures. I’ve become addicted. I tape every episode.
I was so happy to see Michael Nouri (Caleb) join the cast. He’s been a favorite of mine for years. I hope the writers keep him on for a long time.
And it will be interesting to see if Vincent Irizarry (David) can rise from the dead. (As I understand it, this type of thing happens all the time on the soaps.)
What I’ve noticed lately is the ladies on this soap opera are withering away. It’s like watching skeletons walk across the screen.
Susan Lucci has always been petite, but now there seems to be a lot of slimming down going on. Alicia Minshew, who plays Kendall, is tall and painfully thin. Rebecca Budig (Greenlee) (where did they come up with that name?) and Christina Bennett Lind (Bianca) aren’t far behind.
It was refreshing to see Jamie Luner’s character, Liza, in her underwear recently. She actually has a “real” woman’s body.
I hope the skeletal look doesn’t become a trend.
That said, here’s a little something on Scott Chandler’s character.
When Did Living in the USA Get So Scary?
I remember when the news was delivered on TV in an unbiased manner. You were free to interpret it whatever way you liked. What a surprise–we were intelligent enough to do that for ourselves.
Enter cable TV and Internet.
Now we have “pundits.” People who give opinions in an authoritative manner through mass media. (That definition is straight from the dictionary) These pundits pose as learned individuals. But it seems to me what they really do is stir up a lot of hate. It’s all about the ratings, folks.
And when did we turn the corner of humanity and find that public humiliation was a fun form of television entertainment?
When did bullying become deadly?
I mean, for Pete’s sake, this awful girl named Vera used to sit in the desk behind mine and pull my ponytail. She was a bully. So was Jesse. She always grabbed my scooter and wouldn’t give it back unless I begged. (which, for the record, I wouldn’t) What a bully she was!
Here’s a little something to ponder on cyber-bullying. And to think I was worried about Vera and Jessie.
When did we become reticent, if not scared, to engage in political talk with someone who held an opposing point of view?
Of course, there was no Internet or Reality TV or Pundits back then.
But right now, in this time and space, living in a country that is so filled with hatred is becoming burdensome and frightening.
NCIS and Castle Are Back!
Monday - ABC – “Castle” is back!
Tuesday - CBS – “NCIS” (my favorite) and “NCIS Los Angeles” have returned! And it looks like “NCIS Los Angeles” is giving us a double whammy. Make sure you stay tuned for not only the 9 P.M. slot, but for the 10 P.M., as well.
Thursday - ABC – “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice” are rumored to swing in with some exciting episodes. I hope so, because they were becoming predictable last season.
Thursday - Fox – Have you discovered “Fringe?” (9 P.M.)
Friday - CBS – I’m planning on giving “Blue Bloods” a try. The story line sounds blah to me, but how can you resist Tom Selleck? Perhaps he can pull this dreariness out of the doldrums.
As far as Saturday is concerned, if it weren’t for the PBS lineups and “Saturday Night Live,” we’d be lost.
I suppose I should mention the season premiere of “The Mentalist” on Thursday on CBS. But think about this–have you noticed the formula for “House”, “Lie To Me” and “The Mentalist” are all the same? The lead character is always right. Each of them treat their colleagues as if they are merely there to kowtow to them. And they each love themselves very much. In spite of that, I seem to have been hypnotized by the Mentalist, because I’ll probably end of watching it from time to time.
Oh, well, there’s lots of new shows. If you discover one you love, let me know.
A 9/11 Tear Drop
Did you know a Russian sculptor created a 40-foot steel teardrop, a 175 ton monument, which stands in Bayonne, New Jersey commemorating the deaths of those who lost their lives on 9/11? It’s a gift from the people of Russia. Along with the teardrop is a wall, similar to the Vietnam Wall in Washington D C, listing the names of the victims.
Russia cried for us. Who knew?
As with all things, there was controversy. To read more see the following links:
Rookie Blue
First let me say, I’m not into cop shows. They all tend to be the same story over and over again. So you will understand my reticence regarding a new cop show. But they’re rookies–what can you do? I gave them a shot. You should too, before they’re gone at the end of their summer season.
They make some newbie mistakes. Each character has their own distinct personality, different from one another. The show is well written. The plots take you inside the rookies’ lives and onto the streets, as well.
RefDesk.com
By now, I hope everyone has discovered RefDesk
It’s my home page. I think you can find just about anything you could ever dream of on this page. It’s chock full of trivia and what’s new in the news. Some of the daily things you will find on this page are:
Site of the Day – Today it introduces you to Free Ebooks and Texts Archive
Thought of the Day - It’s really a good one today, which is what prompted me to write about this site. “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.”
Abraham MaslowThis Day in History Today it’s about Narcotics Anonymous
Article of the Day Do you know what a Bonobo is? You will after reading this article.
Daily Diversions Games, Jokes, Stumble Upon, etc.
Today’s Potpourri Trivia, Science, Technology, Health
There are so many additional and varied resources, there is no possible way you could ever peruse every one of them. You’ll find all types of news, even “hold your hat now”–there’s even Positive, Good News. And expect the pictures from outer space to blow you away.
Don’t miss out on this site.
Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream – A Disappointment
I remember the days when I had no choice. If I wanted cherry vanilla ice cream, I’d pass all the other brands and head straight to the Breyers section. No question. Breyers has always been about $1.00 more than the other brands, but it was worth it. I always say, if you’re willing to swallow the calories, they should me A #1 calories.
Of course I’m talking about the days before Cherry Garcia. It seems while I wasn’t paying attention, the quality of all the Breyers ice creams were being cheaped-down, while Ben & Jerry were using top quality ingredients in their ice creams. This has become my dilemma.
Do I eat less ice cream, because Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is a whole lot more expensive? Or do I accept the fact that Breyers ice creams have become mediocre, but are still pretty good in comparison to other cheaper brands?
This certainly isn’t the most pressing dilemma in the world, but it’s one I at least have control over. What do you think?
Do You Poop Or Do You Poo?
When did the word poop change to poo?
When I was a small child and I had to poop, I told my mother I had to do a #2. That was really a poop, except my mother didn’t want me shouting poop in the middle of a store, so her code word for poop was #2.
Now I’ve been hearing the new-improved, shortened version of poop being used, which apparently is poo.
I don’t know about you, but I have poo-pooed an idea or a piece of advice from time to time, but I’ve never pooed on a toilet, as far as I know.
Shocking Police Reports – Small Town News
If you’ve never moved from a large city to a small town, you might find this amusing. I, myself, had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard.
I relocated recently and now receive an itty-bitty weekly town newspaper. One of the regular columns is Cops Corner (a report of crimes committed during the previous week). The following is a woman’s account “word for word” of her encounter with an intruder.
Suspicious Incident. A woman advised that her house is for sale and she has been showing it to prospective buyers. An elderly man came to see the house. They shook hands as he was leaving and he kissed the top of her hand. She said he then hugged her and kissed her on the neck. The man attempted to kiss the woman on the lips, but she pushed him away and asked him to leave. The man told her he would like to make love to her. She never felt threatened but did tell him to leave several times. The man left without further contact. She is not pressing charges.
Is that a hoot, or what?! Here’s another one for your reading pleasure. Same week, same paper. A real crime spree!
Larceny – Motor Vehicle. A man informed a deputy that someone had broken and removed the passenger window of his truck. The victim showed the deputy the broken side window and said that after breaking the window, the unknown person placed it in the grass next to the vehicle. The man stated the GPS, satellite radio and his safety equipment were all still in the vehicle. The only things taken were (WAIT FOR IT!) a soda from his cooler and two AA batteries. There are no suspects.
It seemed to be quite a week for odd car break-ins. A 19-year-old woman stated that an unknown person broke into her Jeep, too. Stolen? three $1 bills and $2 in change.
Don’t you just love small town America? Meanwhile, the oil is gushing into the Gulf of Mexico like there’s no tomorrow.
Pensacola Beach After the BP Oil Spill
How sad! And the oil is still gushing. It’s like the Exxon Valdez all over again–only this time on a daily basis.
A lot of people and politicians are asking why the well can’t be blown up.
From Rep. Phil Gingrey
“For the life of me, I can’t understand why BP couldn’t go into the ocean floor, maybe 10 feet lateral to the — around the periphery — drill a few holes and put a little ammonium nitrate, some dynamite, in those holes and detonate that dynamite and seal that leak. And seal it permanently,” Rep. Phil Gingrey (Ga.) said earlier this month.
Could it be BP is more worried about their bottom line? Do you think they care nothing about people or nature?
Oh, forget I wrote that. No one could be that greedy.
Typewriter, Dictaphone, Mimeograph, Email, Laptop
I bought my first laptop today.
It got me to thinking back to my first secretarial job. Back then the qualifications needed to land a job were a good typing score (on a typewriter) with a knowledge of shorthand, or the ability to transcribe from a dictaphone or ediphone.
If copies were ever needed, you used carbon paper. Suppose you needed fifty or sixty copies? Then you had to rev up the mimeograph machine, but first a stencil had to be typed. Lots of good fun there! See Boomer with a View.
I remember the first time I used Email. The system was installed into every employees’ computer in the company. Voila! I could actually send a message to someone on the third floor from the first floor. Believe it or not, it was only a test run at our company. The CEO didn’t see any future in it. When the test period ended, Email disappeared from my workplace. Wonder where that guy is working today?
Anyway, I wrote this post on my new laptop. Welcome to the 21st century.
Drop Dead Diva
It’s a lovely piece of fluff. Is there anything wrong with that?
The thing is, it’s different from anything else on the tube. In a nutshell -
- Beautiful model, Deb, dies in a car accident.
- As fate would have it, she comes back in the body of a plumpish female lawyer, Jane.
- Luckily, she is able to convince her closest friend that she is Deb, but in a mighty different body.
- She has a young male guardian angel.
- To complicate matters further, she now works with the hunk she was previously engaged to before she died.
Don’t expect high drama or suspense, but it certainly is worth checking out.
With a title like Drop Dead Diva, I expected it to be way too silly for me. But it wasn’t.
Dieting & Disco Dancing
How many times have you heard this? “If you want to lose weight, you must diet and exercise.” That sentence is at the top of my list of most hated things I want to hear.
I applaud all the people who love to jog, or love to go to the gym. I’m not one of them. However, I do like to listen to music, which brings me to disco dancing. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to sit and listen to disco music. That’s because it’s main appeal is it’s hard-to-ignore invitation to dance. The beat is perfect.
Therein lies the key that unlocks my exercise room. In my case, that’s my living room. I’ve been disco dancing (when no one is around). It’s fun. Finally! An exercise I can love.
You don’t need a partner, so let the gyrating begin.
Bowling – The Pin Boy
Well, it’s official. I’m really, really old! Yesterday I had to explain what a pin boy was. This “back in the day” knowledge of mine rushes in and sometimes startles me. I can’t believe how much the world has changed since I entered it.
Anyway, for those who lack my firsthand knowledge–The pin boy’s job was to set the bowling pins up after they’d been knocked down. Each boy covered four or five lanes and on a busy night, you sometimes had to wait for him to reset your lane. He was also in charge of clearing downed pins if they tipped over and stayed in the playing field.
There were no electric contraptions coming down to pick up and swish the pins backward. Everything was done by muscle. Oh, and the pin boy had to place the bowling ball in the chute to return it to the player, too.
It may not sound like it, but being a pin boy was a pretty good job. Several kids I knew held the job and loved it, except for the times they got hit in the ankle by a flying pin or bowling ball. But they had elevated steps to stand on located between the lanes, so an experienced pin boy hardly ever got hit unless he was caught off-guard moving from one lane to another. Then the players would hear him scream, “ouch.”
Jeez. Now that I think about it, I can remember when the guts of a computer took up an entire room…but that’s another “back in the day” story.
NCIS: Los Angeles
Why aren’t more people watching NCIS: Los Angeles? It’s lead-in, the original NCIS, is always one of the top ten programs, yet Los Angeles doesn’t rollover the entire audience. I wonder why?
I love both shows.
When NCIS: Los Angeles first came onboard, I thought it would never be as good as the original, but it easily holds its own. And it has a star power line-up.
If you’re not watching, you should be.
My Favorite Healthy Breakfast
Try this. It fills you up until it’s time for lunch.
Spread peanut butter on 2 lightly salted rice cakes. Slice a banana and lay the slices on top of the peanut butter. Quick! Easy! Nutritious! Superb!
Remember to eat slow and chew well. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain that says, “Good! My stomach is full. You can stop eating now.”
And as far as that message that announces your stomach is full? Try listening to it when you’re half-way through a meal–any meal. You sometimes find that you don’t really want to clean your plate. Save what you don’t eat for a snack later in the day (when the message you’re receiving says, “I’m hungry. I need food and I need it now!”)
Dr. Who – New Who – Who Knew?
Photo from telegraph.co.uk
Just thought I’d take a trip down memory lane. I’ve been watching “The Doctor” take off on new adventures in the Tardis since the 70’s. Back then Tom Baker was the Time Lord. His scarf was a bit off the wall, but it matched his personality.
For the last couple of years I enjoyed David Tennant, a totally different type of Doctor, but still endearing. Now he’s gone. He has regenerated into a new Dr. Who.
Meet the new Dr. Who – Matt Smith. Who knew a TV series could go on this long! Believe it or not, Matt’s the 11th Doctor. He brings something new to the role, but he’s still Dr. Who, the smartest Time Traveler in the Universe.
Dieting – I Miss Dessert
What to do? What to do? I miss my sweets.
I thought I’d be well over my need for sweets after trying to watch my diet for a few weeks. But the truth is, even if you stop eating cake and pie and cookies, etc., there’s so much sugar and sucrose and every other kind of sweetener in most of the other foods we eat that it’s impossible to stay away from sugar.
I used to be able to cut out sweets pretty easily. After a week or so, the craving disappears. No more. Sugar has invaded most everything we eat nowadays. This is my new solution.
After I eat dinner, I allow myself to eat a piece of hard candy. Sometimes I sit back and have a coffee flavored one. That’s almost as good as having a cup of coffee and a piece of cake.
Othertimes, I pop in a root beer barrel or some other taste treat I like. So far, it’s working.
Justified on FX
Photo from poptower
Is anyone looking at Justified? Normally I don’t go in for loads of violence, but this show gets a pass because the dialogue is so good, the writing is meaty and Timothy Olyphant, as the badass Marshal, is superb. His Kentucky accent is dreamy, yet tough. How does he do that?!
Don’t miss this one. It’s different. And it’s not too late to start watching. So far, very little back-story has been revealed.
Trust me on this one. It’s in my top five this season.
A Fabulous Diet Tip–Potato Chips
I love potato chips. However, whenever I pig out on them, I usually go on one of my guilt trips. Here’s a way to avoid some of the calories, and stop beating up on yourself.
Buy a large bag of potato chips. Buy a box of ziploc bags (sandwich size).
Empty the entire bag of chips onto your clean kitchen counter. Now read the potato chip bag. How many servings does the bag hold? My bag had 10 servings and each serving equaled 130 calories.
I wanted to keep my snacking to 100 calories. So, I separated the chips into 12 servings instead of 10 and put each serving into a ziploc bag. You’ll be surprised how many chips are in a 100 calorie serving–certainly enough to fill the salty pangs of hunger.
Carefully place the small bags of chips back into the large bag. You’re good to go.
Try it.
“Castle” Will Be Back!
A third season has been announced for ABC’s Castle.
This has become one of my favorite shows—-no thanks to the dumb title. I missed the entire first season because the title is so bland.
The chemistry between the two main characters is delicious, and the entire supporting cast is superb.
Once the reruns kick in, I hope to catch some of the episodes I missed.
For more about Castle see Tawny Weber and Jeff Hidek.
Late Night Diet Snack
I like to watch TV in the evening and snack. It’s a habit I’m trying to break. But I’m not always successful. That doesn’t mean I’m not watchful.
The trick is to eat something that will fill up the void and the time. One way to accomplish this is to eat something frozen. That way you’re forced to eat it slow or suffer a brain freeze.
This is my favorite–1/2 cup of frozen blueberries with a big dollop of ReddiWip whipped cream. It takes a while to eat the berries because they’re little, bitty pieces of sweet ice.
I’ll tell you my secret. I eat them right out of my measuring cup. And this tasty snack topped with whipped cream equals 55 calories.
If you’re still hungry after that, pop one of those 100 calorie mini bags of popcorn. That ought to do it. Nighty night.
FlashForward Is Back
Does the premise of FlashForward grab your attention? There’s nothing else like it on TV. I’m glad it returned for another season.
My hope is that it won’t take the same path that other extraordinary series have – like Lost and Heroes. I loved the first two seasons of both these series, but then the story lines became so convoluted that it became exasperating trying to keep up with all the twists and turns. I finally gave up on both of them.
I’m hoping that FlashForward doesn’t drift slowly off the grid. It has enough plot complications already. But it answered a lot of questions in its season premiere, “Revolation Zero.” So, if you’re not watching, tune in.
rob will review agrees. The show is worth a look-see. Mysteries remain, but crucial information has also been revealed.
If this show doesn’t try to get too cerebral, we could be in for quite a ride.
Dieting Is A Snap If You Have A Cell Phone
As I mentioned in a previous post, to stay healthy and, hopefully lose a few pounds, nothing works better for me than counting calories. So, what do I do when I’m at a party–grazing?
I fill my plate with my favorite foods, remembering moderation. Once my plate is full, I take out my cell phone and snap a picture of all my goodies. Later, when I’m trying to recall what I ate at the party, I look at the photo and calculate as closely as possible how many calories I consumed.
Nifty idea, huh?
Ordinarily, I tend to eat a lot of the same foods, i.e. a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, etc. After a while, I know how many calories I’m swallowing without having to look up the calorie content. As time goes by, counting calories become easier and easier, until finally, at the end of the day, I know whether I’ve stayed on track or gone over.
“New Tricks”- Is Anyone Watching?
New Tricks — Am I the only one who has discovered this BBC weekly series?
Photo from TV Page.com
Look for it on Monday nights. In my area, PBS airs back to back one-hour episodes starting at 8:00 p.m. (no commercials – hooray!)
TV.com writes a short summary.
New Tricks centres around Sandra Pullman who out of desperation to put her flagging police career back on track recruits three old veterans to lend a helping hand.
The show proves, conclusively, that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks!
On A Diet? 130 Calorie Breakfast
Okay, I’ve heard it hundreds of time–On or Off a diet, you need to eat a good breakfast. Personally, I’d rather skip it altogether, but all the studies indicate breakfast is the correct way to start the day.
Do you know what that means? Whole wheat toast, a banana and a cup of coffee–or something equally unappealing– is touted as a healthy breakfast. Like that’s really going to fill me up and get me through the morning?
So, here’s a solution. It works for me. And it’s actually filling.
Take a nice, big, juicy bagel. Slice it in half. (Sorry, you can only have half, but on the bright side, it’s not a slice of wheat toast that tastes like cardboard.)
Toast the bagel, if you like.
Spread on 1 tablespoon of “1/3 less fat cream cheese.” This is Neufchatel Cheese. It is prized in France, so don’t feel sorry for yourself. It’s a real delicacy.
I take my breakfast on the run with a cup of black coffee.
If you happen to be thinking, What? Only one tablespoon of the blasted cheese? Pull yourself together. It’s not the end of the world if you absolutely must slather on 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese.
Just keep in mind, 1 tablespoon of Neufchatel Cheese equals 56 calories–2 tablespoons equals 112. Therefore, you trade up from a 130 calorie breakfast to a 186 calorie breakfast. Still not bad.
Save the other half of the bagel for tomorrow’s breakfast.
Girl Power!
Hannah Kearney took the first Gold Medal at the 2010 Olympics for the U.S.
Mogul Gold – Photo from The Olympics Blog
Added Bonus–Shannon Bahrke took the Mogul Bronze Medal.
