A Website For The Rest Of Us

It being the current state of our global economy. Banks, bailouts, asset-back securities, golden parachutes, balancing my checkbook, more numbers than I can imagine... all these things leave me spinning. To help walk us through the myriad of acronyms and press conferences, the Treasury Department today launched a new website to help answer some of those questions, FinancialStability.gov.

The website includes:
* An argument for the administration's plan to strengthen the economy
* A glossary of terms called the "decoder"
* State-by-state map of banks and financial institutions that are part of the voluntary program to use federal funds to encourage banks to lend to businesses and consumers
* Database of contracts and agreements
* Latest news by major news outlets, such as the Wall Street Journal, Atlanta Journal Constitution, and the New York Times.

Graphic: More New Math by Craig Damrauer
This is math I can get my head around - no numbers!!

Recipe: Bulgur and Chickpea Salad With Mint and Parsley

Occasionally I will prepare something healthy. Yes, really. This lemon-flavored, high fiber, low fat salad offers complementary proteins especially important for vegans in need of more complete protein in their diets and for those of us who could use less meat intake. I have used a finer bulgur here. I chose this because I had all the ingredients in the pantry except the herbs.
Assessment: Easy, tasty, healthy

Ingredients

1 cup medium or coarse bulgur

2 cups water

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup diced cucumber

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

1 15-ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 bunch scallions or 2 spring onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced or chopped, soaked for five minutes in cold water and drained

Small romaine leaves for serving

Directions

1. For coarse bulgur: Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the bulgur and salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat, and allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.

For medium bulgur: Place the bulgur in a bowl with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pour on 2 cups hot or boiling water. Allow to sit for 20 to 25 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed. Drain and squeeze out the water.

2. Meanwhile, mix together the lemon juice and cinnamon, and salt to taste. Whisk in the olive oil. Toss with the bulgur in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, toss together, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with small leaves from the heart of a romaine lettuce. Use the leaves as scoops.

Yield: Serves six

Advance preparation: The bulgur will keep for four or five days in the refrigerator and can be frozen.

Variation: If you want some color, add a diced medium red bell pepper to the mix.

Recipe by Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times, Recipes for Health.


And, then I topped it off with something absolutely decadent: Brioche and Berry Bread Pudding with Lemon Fondant. I found this recipe at the blog, sidewalk shoes. I could not find brioche so substituted challah and I thought it tasted great. Enjoy!

Matsuri in the Mall

The Tuscaloosa Sister Cities Commission has produced the Sakura Festival, along with UA’s Capstone International Center for the past 23 years. Narashino is a city in Chiba, Japan and is Tuscaloosa’s sister city.
In Japan, the blooming of cherry trees is celebrated as the arrival of spring and new life. The Japanese call the bright pink cherry blossoms Sakura. Matsuri in the Mall is Tuscaloosa's celebration of the Sakura Festival.

The 2009 Sakura Art Contest exhibited art work by children from Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa City Schools and Narashino, Japan. The theme was "Your Path to Peace". Here are some of my personal favorites.





I like the use of mixed materials here and the idea of bringing many every day items together to make something beautiful.








I can see Claude Monet's influence in the second photo and like the idea of a bridge being a path to peace.










I'm equally impressed with how much George Rodrigue has influenced the painter of this blue dog. Art as a path to peace?









Very colorful and interesting (see comment above)









I love penguins second only to cats. How could I not include this one?







It is difficult to tell in this photo but this is quite lovely in its use of color and detail. It appears very methodical, yet graceful.





This was by far the most poignant painting I saw. If unable to tell, the child in the painting is putting flowers beside the tree root which appears to have been uprooted by a military tank. I prefer to see this as the tree destroying the tank so as to again provide life.


My apologies to the young artists whose art I have displayed here as I do not have their names to give credit. If anyone knows, please post in the comment section.

Sunday Reflections II: Water Surrounds Me

The Black Warrior River

Lake Tuscaloosa / Spillway

Northwood Lake

Publix Supermarket

Photos taken five miles or less from where I live.

Sunday Reflections

The journey of water as it flows upon the earth can be a mirror of our own paths through life. Water begins its residence on earth as it falls from the sky or melts from ice and streams down a mountain into a tributary or stream. In the same way, we come into the world and begin our lives on earth. Like a river that flows within the confines of its banks, we are born with certain defining characteristics that govern our identity. We are born in a specific time and place, within a specific family, and with certain gifts and challenges. Within these parameters, we move through life, encountering many twists, turns, and obstacles along the way just as a river flows.

Water is a great teacher that shows us how to move through the world with grace, ease, determination, and humility. When a river breaks at a waterfall, it gains energy and moves on, as we encounter our own waterfalls, we may fall hard but we always keep moving on. Water can inspire us to not become rigid with fear or cling to what’s familiar. Water is brave and does not waste time clinging to its past, but flows onward without looking back. At the same time, when there is a hole to be filled, water does not run away from it in fear of the dark; instead, water humbly and bravely fills the empty space. In the same way, we can face the dark moments of our life rather than run away from them.

Eventually, a river will empty into the sea. Water does not hold back from joining with a larger body, nor does it fear a loss of identity or control. It gracefully and humbly tumbles into the vastness by contributing its energy and merging without resistance. Each time we move beyond our individual egos to become part of something bigger, we can try our best to follow the lead of the river.

~Reprinted from DailyOM- Inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy and fulfilling day. Register for free at DailyOM.
~Photograph compliments of FreeFoto.com.

Weekend Cat Blogging #199

What? I have no idea how the produce sticker that you put in the garbage can got stuck on my mouth! Vincent did it. ~ Jules

This week's Weekend Cat Blogging is hosted by Turkey Cats. Birthday wishes to Abby, Batman, Reggie, and Riley.

Feel Good Friday

"Blues Around the Block" - Food and music block party will be held on Monday, March 30th, 5 p.m - 8 p.m. 300 Main Street, Downtown, Columbus, Mississippi.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Dippers

Leave it to me to find a recipe that takes a nutritious, low calorie vegetable and increases the calories by adding fat. Even so, it is never a bad idea to offer this vegetable as an appetizer, snack, or side item.

Ingredients

1-1/4 sweet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Dip:

3 oz. fat-free cream cheese

3 Tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream

2 tsp. finely chopped green onion

2 tsp. finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper

Garnish (optional):

Additional finely chopped green onion

Directions

1. Cut potatoes into 1/8-in. slices. Place in large bowl.
Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat.

2. Arrange in a single layer in two ungreased 15-in. x
10-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until
golden brown, turning once.

3. In a small bowl, beat dip ingredients. Serve with
potatoes. Garnish with additional onion, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings; Prep: 10 min.; Bake: 25 min.

I put my own spin to this recipe and, despite that, it was still very good. This recipe was provided by Cheryl Maczko from Arthurdale, West Virginia, as seen in Taste of Home magazine.

nyuk-nyuk- nyuk

Never a big fan of slapstick or physical comedy, the announcement of a Three Stooges remake by MGM and the Farrelly brothers still caught my eye. The Three Stooges in the hands of Peter and Bobby Farrelly would be cerebral, as well as funny.

Sean Penn has signed on to play Larry. Who knew? Casting will be perfect if Benicio del Toro is cast as Moe and Jim Carrey signs on as Curly. Sean Penn needs a break from his run of more serious roles of which we love. He needs some laughs.

Lilly Ledbetter at Samford University

Over the Mountain Democrats is proud to present an American Hero, Lilly Ledbetter, and an Alabama hero, Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb. This event is free and open to the public.

WHO: Lilly Ledbetter, pioneer for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb
WHAT: Telling their stories and taking questions from the audience
WHEN: 6:15 pm Thursday, March 26th
WHERE: Reid Chapel, Samford University
HOW: FREE and open to the public

We also expect (probable candidate for governor) Jim Folsom, Terry Sewell (candidate to replace Artur Davis), Priscilla Dunn (candidate to replace E. B. McClain) and others to be there.

Information and video about the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act can be found at my original post.

Caption This

I love this photograph and, oddly, it makes me happy. Not surprisingly, the ad is for a trucking insurance, "Because they're out there...", suggesting caution and insult.
Photo by Mark Gooch Commercial Photography, Inc.
Birmingham, Alabama

Possible captions:
"When I ask for the raise, I can't forget to use my serious voice."
"I'm going to be late for my tanning bed appointment!"
"I can't believe I left my bag of tricks at the office."
"I should have listened to my mother when she told me to stop acting like a clown."
"Don't worry, be happy, don't worry be happy now.... (singing with the radio)."

Baby Boston Cream Pies

I hold blogger Christy Jordan from The Southern Plate: Recipes From Below The Mason-Dixon Line at www.al.com responsible for the additional five pounds I will now gain from eating this easy, amazingly delicious dessert! I have avoided preparing desserts because of the exact measurements necessary to achieve a decent result; however, nothing could be easier than this recipe. For anyone needing a fast and, I must admit, somewhat impressive and delicious dessert, I would highly recommend it.

Ingredients

1 can biscuits (five or ten count, NOT the flaky layers type)

Vegetable Oil

Sugar free french vanilla pudding (small box)

1 1/2 Cups fat free or low fat milk

8 ounces Fat free or light whipped topping

1 can chocolate frosting

Directions

1. Pour oil in skillet to depth of 1/2 inch. Place on medium heat and let heat up for about five minutes to make sure the oil is good and hot. Place biscuits in hot oil, turn as soon as they become brown and let brown on both sides. Remove to paper towel lined plates.

2. To make filling, mix pudding and milk together in mixing bowl, blend well. Add whipped topping and mix until well blended. Stir with spatula from the bottom a few times to continue mixing. Place in icing bag with tip or oral syringe and pipe into doughnuts from the side.

3. Heat chocolate frosting in microwave for about thirty seconds, until it is of glaze consistency. Pour into small bowl. Dip the top of each creme pie into icing and place on plate to serve.

Immediately share the remainder with other people. If you don't, call 911.

Just a couple of comments ...
1. No matter how many oral syringes your pharmacist will give you for free, please invest in a pastry bag with tip if you are serious about getting the recommended amount of pudding inside the doughnut (recommended: a little less than a tablespoon).

2. Even though you use sugar free pudding, 'lite' whipped topping, and skim milk, you are still eating fried dough. (Sorry to spoil the fun -- professional hazard.) Acknowledge and move on.

You may order The Southern Plate: Recipes From Below The Mason-Dixon Line here.

Vote Earth - March 28, 2009

A global event created to symbolize that each one of us, working together, can make a positive impact on climate change

On Saturday night, March 28, 2,400 cities in 82 countries will celebrate Earth Hour by turning off lights for one hour starting at 8:30 p.m. local time. Around the globe, dozens of landmarks will go dark for the hour to raise awareness of climate change.

Going dark will be, but not limited to:
Sydney Opera House
Bangkok’s Wat Arun Buddhist temple
The Coliseum in Rome
Stockholm’s Royal Castle
London’s City Hall
New York’s Empire State Building
Sears Tower in Chicago
Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
Cola-Cola’s famous billboard in Times Square
Google homepage

I will Vote Earth on Saturday.

Obama Op-Ed: "A Time for Global Action"

President Obama's Op-Ed appears in 30 newspapers around the world.

WASHINGTON: We are living through a time of global economic challenges that cannot be met by half measures or the isolated efforts of any nation. Now, the leaders of the Group of 20 have a responsibility to take bold, comprehensive and coordinated action that not only jump-starts recovery, but also launches a new era of economic engagement to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again.

No one can deny the urgency of action. A crisis in credit and confidence has swept across borders, with consequences for every corner of the world. For the first time in a generation, the global economy is contracting and trade is shrinking.

Trillions of dollars have been lost, banks have stopped lending, and tens of millions will lose their jobs across the globe. The prosperity of every nation has been endangered, along with the stability of governments and the survival of people in the most vulnerable parts of the world.

Once and for all, we have learned that the success of the American economy is inextricably linked to the global economy. There is no line between action that restores growth within our borders and action that supports it beyond.

If people in other countries cannot spend, markets dry up -- already we've seen the biggest drop in American exports in nearly four decades, which has led directly to American job losses. And if we continue to let financial institutions around the world act recklessly and irresponsibly, we will remain trapped in a cycle of bubble and bust. That is why the upcoming London Summit is directly relevant to our recovery at home.

Continue reading here.

Steal This Car - Please!

One becomes quite accustomed to identifying and enduring numerous noises when living in a tech gadgets' world, but especially so when living in an apartment complex. After 3 p.m., children on bicycles and dogs on their evening walks can result in a symphony of sounds from the parking lot.

Since I must endure them, I'd have to say my favorite car alarm so far is the one that reminds me of the shower scene music in the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock film, Psycho. You're having a pleasant evening then all of a sudden, "screeech! screeech! screeech! screeech! screeech! screeech!", and you start to fantasize about taking a knife and reenacting the scene on someone's automobile just as soon as your heart rate returns to normal.

My cat, Vincent, has a similar reaction. If he has visions of pulling a Norman Bates on the automobile, it does not show... he just slips under the bed until the horror of it all is over.

Woody Allen on Bernie Madoff

Say what you must about Woody Allen's personal life, but his writing still makes me laugh. I've read almost everything he has published and seen the majority of his films. He introduced me to New York through his eyes and I have romanticized the city ever since. Here's his revenge story on Bernie Madoff as published in The New Yorker:

Two weeks ago, Abe Moscowitz dropped dead of a heart attack and was reincarnated as a lobster. Trapped off the coast of Maine, he was shipped to Manhattan and dumped into a tank at a posh Upper East Side seafood restaurant. In the tank there were several other lobsters, one of whom recognized him. "Abe, is that you?" the creature asked, his antennae perking up.

"Who's that? Who's talking to me?" Moscowitz said, still dazed by the mystical slam-bang postmortem that had transmogrified him into a crustacean.

"It's me, Moe Silverman," the other lobster said.

"O.M.G.!" Moscowitz piped, recognizing the voice of an old gin-rummy colleague. "What's going on?"

"We're reborn," Moe explained. "As a couple of two-pounders."

"Lobsters? This is how I wind up after leading a just life? In a tank on Third Avenue?"

Continuing reading here: The New Yorker

Red State Update

Warning: The language isn't bad; however, the Dunlap images may haunt you.

Scenic Sunday: Friendship Cemetery

Friendship Cemetery is situated on a bluff overlooking the Tombigbee River in the city of my birth, Columbus, Mississippi. It is now the resting home of both my parents and many of my relatives. It is also a historic burial ground founded May 30, 1849. One can spend days there reading markers and enjoying the Magnolia trees.

In 1980 Friendship Cemetery was named to the National Register of Historic Places.




Buried in Friendship Cemetery are veterans of the American Revolution, The War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

An early memorial ceremony honoring the Civil War soldiers buried in Friendship Cemetery has been credited as the forerunner of the modern Memorial Day.

Weekend Cat Blogging #197

While I no longer explore the outdoors, I remain busy hunting those furry creatures Judi brings home in the big bags. I am an expert at sneaking up on frogs, chipmunks, or plastic containers that show up on the patio. I do leave any visiting cats and dogs to the patio for my brother, Jules. After all, I'm not stupid. ~ Vincent

This week's Weekend Cat Blogging is hosted by Samantha Black and Mr. Tigger at Life From a Cat's Perspective.

Feel Good Friday

Iraq War: Sixth Anniversary

March 15, 2003 - I attended my first of two antiwar rallies in Washington, DC.
March 19, 2003 - Bush launches invasion of Iraq.
A Timeline of the Iraq War by Think Progress from March 19, 2003 until present.

So far this month:
MARCH 8, 2009. 30 killed by bomb near Baghdad police academy. A suicide bomber driving a motorcycle laden with explosives blew himself up in the busy early morning hours on Sunday near the police academy, killing 28 people, including 5 police officers, and wounding 57, some of them seriously, according to Iraq’s interior minister. [New York Times, 3/8/09]

MARCH 9, 2009. 12,000 U.S. Troops to Leave Iraq. The U.S. military announced Sunday that 12,000 American soldiers would withdraw from Iraq by September, marking the first step in the Obama administration’s plan to pull U.S. combat forces out of the country by August 2010. [Washington Post, 3/9/09]

MARCH 10, 2009. Dozens Killed in Suicide Attack. A suicide bomber struck tribal leaders touring a market in a Sunni area west of Baghdad, killing as many as 33 people in the second major attack in the capital area in two days. The bomber detonated an explosives belt as the tribal leaders were walking through the market in the town of Abu Ghraib, accompanied by security officials and journalists, according to the Iraqi military. [Associated Press, 3/10/09]

COSTOFWAR.COM - The Cost of War
Posted using ShareThis

Picture by Yellowstonemagic

"Daniel Webster Didn't Know All The Words"

As a child, I had a very bad habit of not using the dictionary and not wearing a watch because at some time, somewhere, somebody enabled that habit by continuing to answer my questions, "how do you spell....?" and "what time is it?". As a young adult, I found this impossible to continue plus someone finally had the nerve to suggest I wear a watch. And, I did. For awhile. Today, the time is available to me everywhere I look and the dictionary is available at my fingertips. And, I love, love, love how I only have to click the word in question when reading The New York Times and a dictionary entry opens in a separate window.

True story. A friend of mine questioned her boyfriend once on a word he had used. He responded with great conviction, "Daniel Webster didn't know all the words". Great response, don't you think? Just because that had not occurred to us at the time didn't make him wrong. EXCEPT.... It was NOAH Webster, not Daniel.

Today, I'm finding said friend's boyfriend prophetic. I search a medical dictionary routinely and a Spanish dictionary occasionally. While indeed much easier to access, I need two dictionaries to get through my daily reads: Wiktionary and Urban Dictionary.

The Urban Dictionary became useful to me in an effort to translate teenager-speak and when trying to decipher dialogue in movies I sometimes found myself watching. Now the lexicon has drifted into my daily reads. This morning I had to look up "eighty-six", as in: "Michael Steele is here to stay. Plenty of conservatives want to eighty-six him." Context suggests the definition, but who can pass up the chance to read the given definition(s) and try to determine why this particular word is used.

1) Eighty-six - There were seven definitions given meaning basically the same thing, although the origin was debated. I chose number five here: To remove or eliminate.
Michael Steel is here to stay. Plenty of conservatives want to 'remove' him.

2) Cewebrity - Urban Dictionary's Word of the Day meaning an Internet personality that has attained celebrity.
Have you read Jo at Majority of Two? Since receiving Blog of Note, she has become a cewebrity.

While one can discover which behaviors suggest douchebaggery and other things I would never share here, I limit my visits to a 'need to know' basis. Of note, TIME magazine did name Urban Dictionary one of the 2008 Best Websites. I can't say it's a best, but it is certainly useful at times. This list, of course, was probably devised by someone under 30. I bring this up because I have updated an old saying: Never trust anyone under 30. Sound vaguely familiar?

Update 3/20/2009
Actually, I am only kidding about the 'Never trust anyone under 30'. I think we should turn everything over to younger minds and talents.

Sacha Baron Cohen Hearts Alabama

From Huffington Post: The actor best known as "Borat" tricked the Alabama National Guard into allowing him onto a post, giving him a military uniform and briefly letting him train _ all, supposedly, for a German TV documentary.

The ruse, which included comedian Sacha Baron Cohen exposing his thong underwear while changing clothes, was going well until a young cadet recognized Cohen and notified older officers who weren't familiar with the actor.

Continue reading....

(AP photo/Philip Kramer/file)

He interviewed UA football players and fans as his character, Bruno, and captured etiquette lessons in his film, Borat. He keeps coming back. Can you say easy targets? While incredibly funny, there are lessons to be learned if we pay attention.

Recipe: Calypso Cookies

One Sunday a few weeks back, I received an impromptu cook-out invitation for steak and all the accompanying trimmings. I was charged with "picking up" dessert. While I browsed the grocery store bakery, everything seemed too heavy to enjoy after steak plus. So, I chose a variety of store baked cookies.



The Calypso cookie seen here was by far the most popular. I discovered these arrive frozen to Publix Super Market and are baked on-site. Because of requests for a recipe, I found this recreated recipe online:

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cup quick cooking oats, crushed in a blender
1 cup self rising flour
6 oz. dried pineapple (or may use canned crushed pineapple, strained through cheesecloth, and patted dry with paper towel)
7 oz. coconut
1/2 cup slivered almonds (Publix uses chopped walnuts)

Directions

Mix margarine, sugars, vanilla, and almond extract, set aside.

Process oats in blender until a fine powder then add flour and oats to margarine mixture. Beat well. Add pineapple, coconut, and nuts to the mix.

Make into balls (a little smaller than a golf ball) and flatten with fork on a greased and floured cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Variations

Add one egg is mixture is too dry. Substitute cranraisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries (less trouble than the pineapple).

Weekend Cat Blogging #197

Late afternoon ritual ~ Butch

This week's Weekend Cat Blogging is hosted by Breadchick and LB at The Sour Dough.

Feel Good Friday

My Wordless Wednesday

Reclining Figure
Stainless Steel, 46" x 80" x 45" Sculpture
Brad Morton, Artist
Lumina Gallery - Taos, New Mexico

Virtual Vacation

"I have a cold in my nose." Avice Crichton
Being Julia



I indeed woke up with a cold 'in my nose' Sunday morning so I was grateful I had no particular place to go. In between finding some level of comfort, I caught up on Season One of "Breaking Bad", AMC's cutting edge TV show, to prepare myself for the premiere of Season Two Sunday night. (Side note: Except for sports, is network television relevant anymore?) It is easy to understand why Bryan Cranston won the 2008 Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. And, yes, that's Seinfeld's Dentist Tim Whatley, who Jerry suspected had converted to Judaism for the jokes leading Kramer to accuse Jerry of being an anti-dentite.

My web surfing (is it still called that?) led me to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Miami website and photo gallery. While they have hotels all over the world, I never made it past Miami. It was my own attempt at Eastern medicine/health care crisis/echinacea self-medication.

Contemporary Family ~ Brad Morton, sculptor
Bronze sculpture, Commissioned for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Miami
Brad Morton Studio
Birmingham, Alabama
Additional work by Morton can be seen here and here.