Today's Quote

“There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.”

― Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes

We Hardly Knew Ye - Those We Lost in December 2010

31st
Onie Ponder, 112, American supercentenarian

30th
Nick Santo, 69, American doo-wop singer (The Capris), cancer.
Paul Calle, 82, American artist, postage stamp designer, melanoma.

28th
Agathe von Trapp, 97, Austrian-born American singer, member of the Trapp family (The Sound of Music).

27th
Billy Maddox, 54, American drummer, shot.
Grant McCune, 67, American Academy Award-winning visual effects artist (Star Wars), pancreatic cancer.

26th
Geraldine Doyle, 86, American metal presser, inspiration for Rosie the Riveter.
Albert Ghiorso, 95, American nuclear scientist, co-discovered twelve chemical elements.
Teena Marie, 54, American singer.
Bernard Wilson, 64, American singer (Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes), stroke and heart attack.

25th
Bud Greenspan, 84, American Olympic filmmaker, Parkinson's disease.

24th
Elisabeth Beresford, 84, British children's author, creator of The Wombles.
Myrna Smith, 69, American singer and songwriter (Sweet Inspirations), kidney failure.

23rd
Janine Pommy Vega, 68, American Beat Generation poet.

22nd
Fred Foy, 89, American radio and television announcer (The Lone Ranger), natural causes.

20th
Steve Landesberg, 74, American actor (Barney Miller, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), colorectal cancer.
Magnolia Shorty, 28, American rapper, shot.
Patricia Thompson, 63, American television producer, Emmy Award-winning documentary director, cerebral hemorrhage.

19th
Trudy Pitts, 78, American jazz organist, pianist and vocalist, pancreatic cancer.
Mark A. Smith, 45, British-born American professor of pathology, traffic accident.

17th
Captain Beefheart, 69, American musician and artist, complications from multiple sclerosis.
Eugene Goldwasser, 88, American scientist, first to purify EPO extracts, cancer.

16th
Frank Baldino, Jr., 57, American founder of the pharmaceutical firm Cephalon, leukemia.
Melvin E. Biddle, 87, American Medal of Honor recipient.
John David Duty, 58, American murderer, first death row inmate executed by pentobarbital, execution by lethal injection.

15th
Blake Edwards, 88, American film director, producer and screenwriter (The Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany's), pneumonia.
Bob Feller, 92, American baseball player (Cleveland Indians), member of Baseball Hall of Fame, leukemia.
Eugene Victor Wolfenstein, 70, American social theorist and psychoanalyst, professor of political science (UCLA), cancer.

14th
Neva Patterson, 90, American actress (An Affair to Remember, All the President's Men), complications from a broken hip.


13th
Maynard W. Glitman, 77, American diplomat, negotiator of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, complications from dementia.
Richard Holbrooke, 69, American diplomat, Ambassador to Germany (1993–1994) and United Nations (1999–2001), complications from aortic dissection.
Woolly Wolstenholme, 63, British progressive rock musician (Barclay James Harvest), suicide.

11th
Mark Madoff, 46, American businessman, son of Bernard Madoff, suicide by hanging.
MacKenzie Miller, 89, American racehorse trainer, owner and breeder, Hall of Famer, complications of a stroke.

10th
John Bennett Fenn, 93, American chemist and Nobel laureate.
J. Michael Hagopian, 97, Turkish-born American documentary filmmaker.
Scott Lang, 41, American basketball coach (La Roche College), youngest NCAA basketball coach.
George Pickow, 88, American photographer, filmmaker und music producer.
Dick Turpin, 91, Turkish-born American newspaper editor (Los Angeles Times), Pulitzer-Prize winner, after long illness.

9th
John du Pont, 72, American millionaire and murderer.
Chuck Jordan, 83, American automobile designer (General Motors).
James Moody, 85, American jazz saxophonist and flautist, pancreatic cancer. Nazario Moreno González, 40, Mexican drug lord (La Familia Michoacana), shot. Tony Schilder, 73, South African jazz pianist, bandleader and composer.

8th
Marian Gibbons, 89, American philanthropist, co-founder of the Hollywood Heritage Museum, lung cancer.
Walter Haeussermann, 96, German-born American rocket scientist, complications from a fall.
Christopher Hibler, 68, American television director (Diagnosis: Murder, Matlock).

7th
Elizabeth Edwards, 61, American author, lawyer and political activist, breast cancer.
John A. Ferraro, 64, American television actor and director, colon cancer.


6th
Richard Abruzzo, 47, American balloonist. (body found on this date)
Carol Rymer Davis, 65, American balloonist. (body found on this date)
James Thomas Lynn, 83, American politician, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1973–1975), complications from a stroke.
Art Quimby, 77, American college basketball player (UConn).
Martin Russ, 79, American author and former United States Marine.
Ellen Ugland, 57, Norwegian billionaire.

5th
Alan Armer, 88, American Emmy Award-winning television producer (The Fugitive), colon cancer.
John Leslie, 65, American pornographic film actor, heart attack.
Don Meredith, 72, American football player (Dallas Cowboys) and commentator (Monday Night Football), brain hemorrhage.

3rd
Elaine Kaufman, 81, American restaurateur, founder of Elaine's, emphysema and pulmonary hypertension.

2nd
Chane't Johnson, 34, American actress, heart attack.
Ron Santo, 70, American baseball player and broadcaster (Chicago Cubs), complications from diabetes and bladder cancer.

1st
Helen Boatwright, 94, American soprano, complications from a fall.
Hillard Elkins, 81, American talent manager and film producer (Alice's Restaurant, Richard Pryor: Live in Concert), heart attack.
Reeta Jones, 112, American supercentenarian, oldest person in Tennessee, stroke.
Charles N. Millican, 94, American academic, founding president of the University of Central Florida.

The Wayback Juke Box - Billy Idol - Eyes Without A Face

One in five Britons to live to 100

More than 10 million people living in Britain today, almost a fifth of the population, will reach their 100th birthday, the Department for Work and Pensions said on Thursday.

Read more

Britain BTW has a national heatlh care system. The U.S. ranks 49th on the list of life expectancy behind Japan, Canada, France, Spain, Sweden, Italy and Ireland. Remember that the next time you hear a Republican tout we have the best health care in the world.

Springtime in December

New Zealand Welcomes New Year

The new year is already underway in some parts of the world: New Zealand became the first country to usher in 2011, celebrating while most Americans were still sleeping.

Sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott Released from Prison on Kidney Transplant Condition

The Scott sisters' life sentence for robbery has been overturned, with the condition that Gladys Scott must give a kidney to her sister Jamie.

In 1994, two African-American sisters, Jamie and Gladys Scott, were accused of masterminding a roadside robbery. The amount of money stolen was reportedly just $11—but incredibly, the sisters were given life in prison.

“The incident itself was not racial in any way, but the way it was handled had a racial prism to it,” their lawyer, Chokwe Lumumba, told ABC News. “Two white girls would have no way gotten two life sentences.”

There’s always been wide skepticism about whether the sisters were even guilty in the first place, and the ACLU has called their imprisonment a “grave miscarriage of justice.”

Read more/video

My new favorite thing

No leaks to clean up. No lids to open. No need to carry a wallet because the spill- and leak-proof Autoseal Kangaroo Water Bottle has a secret pop-open compartment that’s perfect for stashing keys, credit cards, change, and more. Available in five colors.

Only $13 here.

5 Books Everyone Should Read At Least Once

The wisest poetry the most extraordinary prose: five top-shelf books that will blow open your understanding of the world.

Today's Quote

Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have.

- Dale Carnegie

The Wayback Juke Box - Al Green - So Tired Of Being Alone

Is a 2011 Electric Car Right For You?

Much anticipated electric cars are hitting showrooms this year, from the Nissan Leaf to the Chevy Volt, Coda, Think, Fisker Karma and more.

Read more

Funeral webcasts bringing families together

People bank online, shop online and keep in touch online. Now, they can attend wakes and funerals online, as well.

Read more

Another Blonde Joke

An office technician got a call from a blonde computer user. The
user told the tech that her computer was not working. She
described the problem and the tech concluded that her com-
puter needed to be brought in and serviced.

He told her, "Unplug the power cord and bring it up here
and I'll fix it for you."

About ten minutes later she showed up at his door... with
the electrical cord in her right hand.

Arizona Bans Ethnic Studies and, Along With it, Reason and Justice

By Randall Amster J.D., Ph.D

"While much condemnation has rightly been expressed toward Arizona's anti-immigrant law, SB 1070, a less-reported and potentially more sinister measure is set to take effect on January 1, 2011. This new law, which was passed by the conservative state legislature at the behest of then-School Superintendent (and now Attorney General-elect) Tom Horne, is designated HB 2281 and is colloquially referred to as a measure to ban ethnic studies programs in the state. As with SB 1070, the implications of this law are problematic, wide-ranging and decidedly hate filled."

Read more

CityVille Beats FarmVille

Millions of Facebook users have flocked to CityVille, making the game more popular in every category than FarmVille, also produced by Zynga. In less than a month, CityVille amassed 16.8 million daily active users, compared with FarmVille’s 16.4 million, and CityVille had 61.7 million total users compared with FarmVille’s 56.8 million. Four of the five most popular apps are produced by Zynga.

Read more

Today's Quote

I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.

- Martha Washington

Panda Therapy

10 New Year's Re-Solutions For Non-violent Rebellion

As the United States edges closer to becoming a third world country; anger, frustration, and cynicism continue to mount in the minds of the American population. In fact, a recent Pew Research poll showed that 80% of baby boomers are pessimistic about America's future. This pessimism seems warranted as authentic political solutions appear to be in short supply in our corporate state.

The democratic political system is now clearly run by crony cartelism. The multinational banks have hijacked the economy and are openly looting the public. Mounting and impossible-to-pay off debt is crippling local governments. The entire spectrum of our rights continues to degrade. Crimes that would land regular citizens in jail are now openly being committed by the elite and their organizations with no justice. And perhaps most telling, the power structure is establishing a control grid to eliminate due process for the Internet and beyond to stifle any dissent.


Given the current situation, it can seem impossible to affect real change. However, the exact opposite is the case. The only reason the system is maintained is because the majority still acquiesce to it. However, change won't come by electing new establishment politicians, because no matter how noble they may be they still must play the corrupt game. Change won't come through violent protests or offensive cyber hacktivism, as that only invites and justifies the creeping police state. We must stop accepting and supporting the system, individually, in order to change it.

Because our representative democracy has become a fraud, and the media and courts are clearly shills for the oligarchs, our only action appears to be non-violent rebellion; one person and community at a time. We can expose the crimes and immorality of the corporate state through civil disobedience and conscientious objection. We can punish multinational companies who commit flagrant fouls on humanity and the environment by boycotting them. Additionally, we can peacefully regain our liberty by becoming less dependent on the system for our basic needs.

Here are ten solutions through non-violent activism:

1. Buy Local Food: One of the most powerful cartels that has their tentacles into government is the food cartel. Their agenda has been to control the basic resources of food (corn, wheat, soy, rice). The best way to conquer this cartel is by eating local; produce your own food, join and contribute to local cooperatives, and engage your neighbors and community for more local food solutions. Local co-ops are also a great place to trade locally crafted goods and even services. Obviously, do your best to avoid GMO food and eat organically when you can. Finally, be vocal and active in your opposition to GMO foods and the cartel control of the FDA.

Read more

Eight Homeless Youth Die in Fire What Does it Say About the U.S.?

By Bill Quigley

Will we look into our abandoned buildings and look into the eyes of our abandoned daughters and sons and sisters and brothers?

Read more

Christmas Carols For the Psychiatrically Challenged

Schizophrenia: Do You Hear What I Hear?

Narcissism: Hark the Herald Sing (About Me)

Senile Dementia: Walking in a Winter Wonderland Miles from My House in My Slippers and Robe

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,Jingle Bells,Jingle Bells,Jingle Bells,Jingle Bells.....

Amnesia: I Think I'll Be Home for Christmas but I've Forgotten

Paranoia: Santa Claus is Coming to Get Me

The Wayback Juke Box - Wreckless Eric - Whole Wide World (1977)

Fmr. Shell president ‘predicting’ $5-a-gallon gas in 2012

The former president of Shell Oil said he believes Americans could be paying $5 for a gallon a gas by 2012.

"I'm predicting actually the worst outcome over the next two years which takes us to 2012 with higher gasoline prices," John Hofmeister said in a recent interview with Platts Energy Week television.

Read more

Snowblower danger

Though snowblowers offer welcome winter help, their blades pose hazards and send thousands to the ER each year.

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No Bake Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Cookies

These no bake cookies are the perfect blend of sweet and salty, combining the marshmallows with the peanut butter.

Yields: 36

Preparation Time: 15 min

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
* 1/2 cup coconut

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine marshmallows, peanut butter and butter; heat and stir over medium heat until marshmallows melt.

2. Remove from heat and stir in oats and coconut.

3. Quickly drop by rounded teaspoons onto waxed paper.

4. Cool. Cover and store in refrigerator.

Another top ten

From Spadoman at Round Circle blog:

The boss of a Madison Avenue advertising agency called a spontaneous staff meeting in the middle of a particularly stressful week. (This is one pretty sharp boss!) When everyone gathered, the boss, who understood the benefits of having fun, told the burnt out staff the purpose of the meeting was to have a quick contest. The theme: Viagra advertising slogans.

The only rule was they had to use past ad slogans, originally written for other products that captured the essence of Viagra. Slight variations were acceptable.

About 7 minutes later, they turned in their suggestions and created a Top 10 List.. With all the laughter and camaraderie, the rest of the week went very well for everyone! The top 10 were:

10. Viagra, Whaazzzz up!

9. Viagra, The quicker pecker picker upper.

8. Viagra, like a rock !

7. Viagra, When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.

6. Viagra , Be all that you can be.

5. Viagra, Reach out and touch someone.

4. Viagra, Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.

3. Viagra, Home of the whopper!

2. Viagra, We bring good things to Life!

And the unanimous number one slogan:

1. This is your peepee... This is your peepee on drugs

Woooooo Hooooooo

I just scored 5 tickets for the Columbus performance on 1/26!!!!! I saw them a couple of years ago when they were in town and you would swear you were at a Beatle's concert.

Alphabet for the aged

A is for apple, and B is for boat,
That used to be right, but now it won't float!
Age before beauty is what we once said,
But let's be a bit more realistic instead.

Now
The Alphabet:

A's for arthritis;
B's the bad back,
C's the chest pains,
Perhaps car-d-iac?

D is for dental decay and decline,
E is for eyesight, can't read that top line!
F is for fissures and fluid retention
G is for gas which I'd rather not mention.

H High blood pressure--I'd rather it low
I For incisions with scars you can show.
J is for joints, out of socket, won't mend,
K is for knees that crack when they bend.
L for libido, what happened to sex?
M is for memory, I forget what comes next.
N is neuralgia, in nerves way down low
O is for osteo, bones that don't grow!

P for prescriptions, I have quite a few,
Just give me a pill, I'll be good as new!
Q is for queasy, is it fatal or flu?
R is for reflux, one meal turns to two.


S is for sleepless nights, counting my fears,
T is for Tintinitus, bells in my ears!
U is for urinary, troubles with flow;
V for vertigo, that's 'dizzy', you know.

W for worry, NOW what's going 'round?
X is for X ray, and what might be found.
Y for another year I'm left here behind,
Z is for zest I still have-- in my mind.

We Hardly Knew Ye - Those We Lost in November 2010

30th
Daya Mata, 96, American spiritual leader, Self-Realization Fellowship president (1955–2010).
Jim Kelley, 61, American sportswriter and television journalist (Sports Illustrated), pancreatic cancer.
Ted Sorel, 74, American actor (Guiding Light, Law & Order), complications from Lyme disease.

29th
John Gerrish, 100, American composer.
Richard Goldman, 90, American philanthropist, founder of the Goldman Environmental Prize.
Alfred Masini, 80, American television producer, creator of Entertainment Tonight, Solid Gold and Star Search, melanoma.
Steven Posner, 67, American corporate raider, boat collision.

28th
Samuel T. Cohen, 89, American physicist, inventor of the neutron bomb, cancer. Leslie Nielsen, 84, Canadian-born American actor (Airplane!, The Naked Gun), pneumonia.
Gene Polito, 92, American cinematographer (Futureworld, Up in Smoke, Lost in Space), esophageal cancer.

27th
Irvin Kershner, 87, American film director (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back), lung cancer.

23rd
Joyce Howard, 88, British actress (The Night Has Eyes, They Met in the Dark), natural causes.
Ingrid Pitt, 73, Polish-born British actress (The Vampire Lovers, Countess Dracula, The House That Dripped Blood, Where Eagles Dare), heart failure.

21st
Rosaura Andreu, 92, American actress.
Willis Burks II, 75, American actor (King of California, CSI, Law & Order).
Norris Church Mailer, 61, American author and model, gastrointestinal cancer.
David Nolan, 66, American political activist, Libertarian Party founder, stroke. Prince Chunk, 10, American obese cat, heart disease.
Margaret Taylor-Burroughs, 95, American museum founder (DuSable Museum of African American History).

20th
Laurie Bembenek, 52, American convicted murderer, liver and kidney failure.
Chalmers Johnson, 79, American scholar and author.
Rob Lytle, 56, American football player (Michigan Wolverines, Denver Broncos), heart attack.
Little Smokey Smothers, 71, American blues guitarist and singer, natural causes.

16th
Ronni Chasen, 64, American publicist (Hans Zimmer, Michael Douglas), shot.
Donald Nyrop, 98, American CEO of Northwest Airlines (1954–1976), Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.

15th
Larry Evans, 78, American chess grandmaster and author, complications following gallbladder operation.
W. Howard Lester, 75, American businessman, former CEO of Williams-Sonoma, cancer.
Hugh Prather, 72, American self-help author, apparent heart attack.
William Self, 89, American actor and television production manager (Batman, Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea), heart attack.

12th
William Hohri, 83, American activist, source behind Civil Liberties Act of 1988, Alzheimer's disease.

11th
Baby Marie Osborne, 99, American silent movie actress.

10th
Dino De Laurentiis, 91, Italian film producer.

8th
Philip Carlo, 61, American crime author, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Quintin Dailey, 49, American basketball player (Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics), cardiovascular disease.
Addison Powell, 89, American actor (Dark Shadows, The Thomas Crown Affair, Three Days of the Condor).

6th
Walter Isard, 91, American economist, founder of regional science.
Robert Lipshutz, 88, American politician, White House Counsel (1977–1979).
Michael Seifert, 86, Soviet-born Nazi war criminal, complications from a fall.

5th
Martin Baum, 86, American talent agent (Creative Artists Agency), President of ABC Pictures (1968–1971).
Antonio Cárdenas Guillén, 48, Mexican drug lord, shot.
Jill Clayburgh, 66, American actress (An Unmarried Woman, Ally McBeal, Dirty Sexy Money), chronic leukemia.
Midge the Sea Lion, 25, American sea lion (Oklahoma City Zoo), euthanized.
Randy Miller, 39, American drummer (The Myriad), bone cancer.

4th
Sparky Anderson, 76, American baseball player and manager (Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers), member of Baseball Hall of Fame, complications from dementia.
Eugénie Blanchard, 114, French supercentenarian, world's oldest person.
Michelle Nicastro, 50, American singer, actress (When Harry Met Sally...) and voice actress (The Swan Princess), lung cancer.
Charles Reynolds, 78, American magician, liver cancer.
Noel Taylor, 97, American Emmy Award-winning costume designer.

3rd
Jerry Bock, 81, American musical theater composer (Fiddler on the Roof, Fiorello!), heart failure.
Kenneth Brown, 77, American academic, chairman of first undergraduate peace studies program in the United States (1980–2005).

2nd
Andy Irons, 32, American professional surfer.
Jule Sugarman, 83, American educator, creator and director of the Head Start Program, cancer.

1st
Monica Johnson, 64, American novelist and screenwriter (Lost in America, Modern Romance), esophageal cancer.
Charlie O'Donnell, 78, American announcer (Wheel of Fortune), heart failure.
Shannon Tavarez, 11, American actress (The Lion King), leukemia.

Today's Quote

"We can't fear the past. Fear is a future thing. And since the future's all in our heads, fear must be a head thing."

Tom Payne

Career Development Expert

2011: A Brave New Dystopia

By Chris Hedges

The two greatest visions of a future dystopia were George Orwell’s “1984” and Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World.” The debate, between those who watched our descent towards corporate totalitarianism, was who was right. Would we be, as Orwell wrote, dominated by a repressive surveillance and security state that used crude and violent forms of control? Or would we be, as Huxley envisioned, entranced by entertainment and spectacle, captivated by technology and seduced by profligate consumption to embrace our own oppression? It turns out Orwell and Huxley were both right. Huxley saw the first stage of our enslavement. Orwell saw the second.

We have been gradually disempowered by a corporate state that, as Huxley foresaw, seduced and manipulated us through sensual gratification, cheap mass-produced goods, boundless credit, political theater and amusement. While we were entertained, the regulations that once kept predatory corporate power in check were dismantled, the laws that once protected us were rewritten and we were impoverished. Now that credit is drying up, good jobs for the working class are gone forever and mass-produced goods are unaffordable, we find ourselves transported from “Brave New World” to “1984.” The state, crippled by massive deficits, endless war and corporate malfeasance, is sliding toward bankruptcy. It is time for Big Brother to take over from Huxley’s feelies, the orgy-porgy and the centrifugal bumble-puppy. We are moving from a society where we are skillfully manipulated by lies and illusions to one where we are overtly controlled.

Orwell warned of a world where books were banned. Huxley warned of a world where no one wanted to read books. Orwell warned of a state of permanent war and fear. Huxley warned of a culture diverted by mindless pleasure. Orwell warned of a state where every conversation and thought was monitored and dissent was brutally punished. Huxley warned of a state where a population, preoccupied by trivia and gossip, no longer cared about truth or information. Orwell saw us frightened into submission. Huxley saw us seduced into submission. But Huxley, we are discovering, was merely the prelude to Orwell. Huxley understood the process by which we would be complicit in our own enslavement. Orwell understood the enslavement. Now that the corporate coup is over, we stand naked and defenseless. We are beginning to understand, as Karl Marx knew, that unfettered and unregulated capitalism is a brutal and revolutionary force that exploits human beings and the natural world until exhaustion or collapse.

Read more

Golden Rules for Living

Author Unknown

1.If you open it, close it.
2.If you turn it on, turn it off.
3.If you unlock it, lock it up.
4.If you break it, admit it.
5.If you can't fix it, call in someone who can.
6.If you borrow it, return it.
7.If you value it, take care of it.
8.If you make a mess, clean it up.
9.If you move it, put it back.
10.If it belongs to someone else, get permission to use it.
11.If you don't know how to operate it, leave it alone.
12.If it's none of your business, don't ask questions.

The Wayback Juke Box - The Outfield - Your Love

Library of Congress Picks Registry Films

It’s awards season at the Library of Congress, too. Airplane!, All the President’s Men, and The Empire Strikes Back were among the 25 films chosen for the National Film Registry, which now contains 550 movies. To be chosen, a film must be over 10 years old and have some sort of theatrical release. Though when you get to nineteenth century experimental films like Newark Athlete, “there’s a pretty broad definition of theatrical release,” says Patrick Loughney of the Library of Congress. Film nominations were given to the Librarian of Congress James H. Billington by creative film guilds and archivists, as well as by the public via the library’s website.

Read more

The Most and Least Popular TV Shows of the Year

Everyone claims to watch Modern Family and Glee, but they're more likely tuning into Two and a Half Men and NCIS.

Read more

5 Things You Didn't Know About the Death Penalty

Some of the more surprising, and unknown, facts about the death penalty that shed light on the country's shifting attitudes toward capital punishment.

READ MORE

3 Step Cheesecake

This is a basic 3 Step Cheesecake and it isn't even plain! This cheesecake has fresh strawberries on top and it is still so simple to make. It will impress all of your guests and taste delicious.

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 40 min
Ingredients

* 2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 eggs
* 9 inch ready to use graham cracker crust
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 3 cups whole strawberries, stems removed
* 2 tablespoons strawberry jam, warmed

Instructions

1. Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended.

2. Pour into crust Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until center is almost set.

3. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Spread sour cream over cheesecake. Top with strawberries, Stem side down. Drizzle with jam.

Velveeta Baked Macaroni and Cheese

If you love the taste of Velveeta cheese then this recipe is right up your alley. This Velveeta baked macaroni and cheese recipe is fun, easy, and of course delicious too! Your whole family will adore it. Say hello to macaroni and cheese night!

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 40 min
Ingredients

* 1 pound Velveeta Cheese, cut into chunks
* 1/2 cup milk
* Couple dashes of cayenne pepper
* 3/4 pound Elbow Macaroni, cooked and drained
* 1/4 cup bread crumbs tossed with one tablespoon melted butter or marg.

Instructions

1. Place the Velveeta in a microwavable bowl, along with the milk.

2. Heat on high for 2 minutes, stir with a wooden spoon. Heat for another minute, stirring again - continue until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.

3. Stir in cayenne. Mix the cheese sauce and macaroni and pour into a 2 quart baking dish that's been sprayed with Pam.

4. Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs over the top, add a dash of paprika if desired.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Crispy Chicken Nuggets

One of the best quick and easy chicken recipes you can find, it's kid tested and mother approved! Make up some tasty Crispy Chicken Nuggets for dinner tonight.

Yields: 48

Cooking Time: 5 min
Ingredients

* Vegetable oil for frying
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1/2 oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
* 2 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, skinless boneless, cut into 1 inch pieces

Instructions

1. In a large frying pan or deep fat fryer, heat 1 inch of oil to 350 degrees F.

2. Meanwhile, put milk in a bowl. In a paper bag, mix together flour, parmesan cheese, paprika, oregano, and mustard.

3. First dip chicken pieces in milk, then place about a dozen pieces of chicken at a time in a gab and shake to coat.

4. Fry chicken in hot oil in batches without crowding, turning occasionally for about 5 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.

5. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Rich French Onion Soup

Serves 8
Hands-On Time: 2hr 00m
Total Time: 2hr 00m

Ingredients

* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 4 pounds onions (about 6 medium), thinly sliced
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
* 8 1/2-inch-thick slices country bread, halved crosswise if necessary to fit serving bowls
* 2 cups grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves



Directions

1. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes.

2. Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and 6 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat broiler. Place the bread on a broilerproof baking sheet and broil until golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle with the cheese and broil until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Divide the soup among bowls, top with the toasts, and sprinkle with the thyme.

A Hundred Dollar Story

A tourist walks into a curio shop in San Francisco. Looking around at the exotica, he notices a very lifelike, life-sized bronze statue of a rat. It has no price tag, but is so striking he decides he must have it.

He took it to the owner: "How much for the bronze rat?"

"Twelve dollars for the rat, one hundred dollars for the story," said the owner.

The tourist gave the man twelve dollars. "I'll just take the rat, you can keep the story."

As he walked down the street carrying his bronze rat, he noticed that a few real rats had crawled out of the alleys and sewers and began following him down the street. This was disconcerting; he began walking faster. But within a couple blocks, the herd of rats behind him had grown to hundreds, and they began squealing.

He began to trot toward the Bay, looking around to see that the rats now numbered in the MILLIONS, and were squealing and coming toward him faster and faster.

Concerned, even scared, he ran to the edge of the Bay and threw the bronze rat as far out into the Bay as he could. Amazingly, the millions of rats all jumped into the Bay after it, and were all drowned.

The man walked back to the curio shop.

"Ah ha," said the owner, "You have come back for the story?"

"No," said the man, "I came back to see if you have a bronze politician!"

Today's Blissful Place

The Holiday Marathon: Decompression

The holiday season draws to a close this week, as we prepare to greet a new year. While you may still be making the schlep to work, make sure to take some time to relax, breathe and enter the New Year refreshed. Try a few of these stress-busters.

Find Your Center. Identify all of your good traits, and write them down; this gives you a visual of how fortunate you are and how much "right" there is with your life. Anytime you're down, revisit your list of traits and bring back your positive power so you can greet the day with a smile on your face and a spring in your step.

Rest Up. Getting enough of sleep, typically eight hours, can carry you a long way. If your body is rested, the stressors of life won't seem as challenging, allowing you to function at a higher level. Just because you have a lot to accomplish doesn't mean you should skimp on sleep; your exhaustion will ultimately be the catalyst of you becoming unraveled. Set a specific bedtime and stick to it.

Me Time. Focusing on what "makes you happy" can bring more life, joy, energy and a better sense of well-being. This requires taking care of YOU. It could be as simple as doing a few stretches on the living room floor, having a cup of tea, going for a 10 minute walk or sitting outside after work to enjoy the fresh air.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. In the aftermath of the hubbub and busyness, don't forget to truly enjoy the last of the Holiday Season. Appreciate and be thankful for your friends, family, home, pets, job, etc. Place yourself in a state of gratitude and love.



Visit www.feedthepig.org for more money-saving tips.

RIP Teena Marie

RIP Teena. Man that girl could sing!  Here are my favorite Teena songs.

I'm Still Lovin You


If I were a Bell


Fire & Desire with Rick James

Former GOP congressman predicts new Sedition Act

Desire to stop secrets outlet WikiLeaks from disclosing more US documents could lead to a new Sedition Act, according to former Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA).

Try as they might, US officials will not be able to convict WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under current laws and will resort to passing new draconian measures, Barr explained in recent column.

Signed into law in 1798 by President John Adams, the Sedition Act made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government.

Of the 25 people charged with violating the Sedition Act, most were newspaper editors. The law expired in 1801 and those convicted were pardoned by President Thomas Jefferson.

"Jefferson was, of course, right in his view of this law (which expired before its constitutionality could be determined by the Supreme Court)," Barr wrote. "His wisdom is well-needed today to quell the blood thirst of those clamoring for Assange’s head because of WikiLeaks’ release of cables and e-mails critical of and embarrassing to, the government."

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Old Fashioned Lima Bean Soup

This old fashioned lima bean soup is one of my favorite leftover ham recipes.

Serves: 12

Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

* 1 pound dried lima beans
* 1 ham bone
* 2 cans (13.5-ounce) chicken broth
* 1 can (16-ounce) tomatoes
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
* 3 cups water
* 2 cups finely chopped celery
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup snipped parsley
* 1 cup cubed leftover cooked ham

Instructions

1. Soak beans in water to cover overnight.

2. Drain beans, then turn into large soup kettle.

3. Add ham bone, chicken broth, tomatoes, paprika, cayenne and the 3 cups water.

4. Bring to boil over high gas flame; reduce flame and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.

5. Stir in celery and onion.

6. Simmer 1 hour longer, or until beans are soft but not mushy.

7. Remove ham bone and cut ham left on bone into small pieces; return pieces to kettle along with parsley and ham cubes.

8. Reheat slowly until thoroughly hot. Makes about 12 servings.

My new favorite thing

The Pajamas Warming Pouch.

This is the heated pouch that warms pajamas for cozy comfort. The pouch has integrated heating elements that reach 118º F and a thermal satin interior that retains heat, resulting in toasty warm pajamas in 10 minutes. The heating elements automatically maintain the temperature regardless of what's inside and the unit only draws 50 watts--less than most light bulbs. The 19" x 15 1/2" pouch also accommodates towels, hats, or gloves and it folds to half its size for convenient storage or travel. With a plush fleece exterior. Plugs into AC. 20" L x 16" W x 2" D. (5 oz.)

Year End Tax Tips

You have only got a few days left to make some money moves to save on taxes or take advantage of the tax laws. Here are some last minute tips. And here are 12 more tips.

How to wrap a cat for Christmas

Media Ignore Shocking Details of Right-Wing Domestic Terror Case

Marion County jurors on Wednesday condemned Woodburn bank bombers Bruce and Joshua Turnidge to die by lethal injection for the 2008 murders of two police officers. The decision will send father and son to nearby Oregon State Penitentiary, the only cop killers on death row.

That's where they belong, said Police Chief Scott Russell, who lost a leg in the explosion that ripped through the interior of a West Coast Bank branch in the town he's sworn to protect.

[...]

More than 100 witnesses testified at the trials, which stretched from the first days of fall to the beginning of winter. Jurors heard a tale of two sad, dispirited men who were vocal in their contempt of government and police and thought the Obama administration would put increased restrictions on their right to bear arms.

The Turnidges were perpetually strapped for cash, facing yet another business failure as their biodiesel company bled money.

[...]

Prosecutors argued that the two men would pose a continuing threat to society -- even in prison. Their crimes give them instant status in prison, they said, and other inmates might try to put their bomb-making knowledge to use once they were on the outside.

The state said the Turnidges' views -- described as racist, anti-government and anti-authority -- were reasons to sentence the men to death. And they described the bombing as Bruce Turnidge's "Timothy McVeigh moment."

I hadn't heard about this one. But you can add it to the growing list of domestic terrorists that nobody wants to acknowledge. But that's just because they only hate black people and the government so it's not like they're "foreigners" or Muslims or anything scary.

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Scrambled Pasta

Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 15m
Total Time: 15m

Ingredients

* 1/4 of a 1-pound box of spaghetti (about 2 cups cooked)
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 green Italian frying pepper or 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
* 4 whole scallions, thinly sliced
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
* 4 large eggs
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
* crusty bread for serving


Directions

1. Cook spaghetti according to the package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the green pepper, scallions, and crushed red pepper (if desired) until tender but not brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the Parmesan and salt; add them to the skillet with the spaghetti and basil. Toss gently over heat until eggs are set.

4. Serve with grated Parmesan and crusty bread.

We Hardly Knew Ye - Those We Lost in October 2010

31st
Maurice Lucas, 58, American basketball player (Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers), bladder cancer.
Ted Sorensen, 82, American lawyer, White House counsel (1961–1964), stroke.
Artie Wilson, 90, American baseball player (New York Giants, Birmingham Black Barons), Alzheimer's disease.

30th
Douglas Argent, 89, British television producer and director (Fawlty Towers).
Arthur Bernard Lewis, 84, American television producer and writer (Dallas), complications from pneumonia.

29th
Takeshi Shudo, 61, Japanese writer, creator of Pokémon, subarachnoid hemorrhage.

28th
Isabella Abbott, 91, American ethnobotanist, first native Hawaiian to receive a doctorate in science.
James MacArthur, 72, American actor (Hawaii Five-O, Swiss Family Robinson), natural causes.
Walter Payton, 68, American jazz bassist and sousaphonist, complications from a stroke.
John Sekula, 41, American guitarist (Mushroomhead).

27th
Mary Emma Allison, 93, American co-creator of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.
Denise Borino-Quinn, 46, American actress (The Sopranos), liver cancer.
Paul Kolton, 87, American chairman of the American Stock Exchange (1972–1977), lymphoma.
Hall Thompson, 87, American developer of a country club that did not admit black members. [61]
James Wall, 92, American actor (Captain Kangaroo) and stage manager, after short illness.

26th
Glen Little, 84, American circus performer (Frosty the Clown).
James Phelps, 78, American gospel and R&B singer, complications of diabetes.

25th
Lisa Blount, 53, American actress (An Officer and a Gentleman) and Academy Award-winning film producer (The Accountant).

24th
Lamont Johnson, 88, American actor and television director (The Twilight Zone, The Execution of Private Slovik), heart failure.
Philibert Parnasse, 109, French centenarian, oldest man in France and Guadeloupe.
Joseph Stein, 98, American playwright (Fiddler on the Roof, Zorba).

22nd
Alex Anderson, 90, American cartoonist, created characters for The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show and Crusader Rabbit.

21st
James F. Neal, 81, American jurist, prosecuted Watergate figures, cancer.

20th
Bob Guccione, 79, American publisher, founder of Penthouse, lung cancer.

19th
Tom Bosley, 83, American actor (Happy Days, Father Dowling Mysteries), heart failure.

18th
Margaret Gwenver, American actress (Guiding Light).
Yertward Mazamanian, 85, American hippie.

17th
Michael Tabor, 63, American Black Panther Party member, complications from a stroke.

16th
Barbara Billingsley, 94, American actress (Leave It to Beaver).
Chao-Li Chi, 83, Chinese-born American actor (Falcon Crest).
Eyedea, 28, American rapper and musician (Eyedea & Abilities).
Betty S. Murphy, 77, American lawyer, first woman to chair the National Labor Relations Board, pneumonia.

15th
Mildred Fay Jefferson, 84, American pro-life activist, first black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School. [187].
N. Paul Kenworthy, 85, American cinematographer (The Living Desert, The Vanishing Prairie), thyroid cancer.
Georges Mathé, 88, French oncologist and immunologist, bone marrow transplant pioneer.
Johnny Sheffield, 79, American actor (Tarzan Finds a Son!, Bomba, the Jungle Boy, Knute Rockne All American), heart attack.

14th
Simon MacCorkindale, 58, British actor (Falcon Crest, Death on the Nile, Manimal, Casualty), bowel cancer.


13th
General Johnson, 69, American musician and record producer (Chairmen of the Board), complications of lung cancer.

12th
Michael Galloway, 85, American actor (The Blue Angels).
Michel Hugo, 79, French-born American cinematographer (Dynasty, Melrose Place, Mission: Impossible), lung cancer.
Belva Plain, 95, American novelist (Evergreen).

11th
Janet MacLachlan, 77, American actress (Archie Bunker's Place, Sounder), cardiovascular complications.
Richard Morefield, 81, American embassy worker, hostage during Iran Hostage Crisis.
Georges Rutaganda, 51, Rwandan Hutu paramilitary leader, convicted war criminal, after long illness.

10th
Louis F. Bantle, 81, American chairman of U.S. Tobacco Company, lung cancer and emphysema.
Solomon Burke, 70, American R&B singer-songwriter ("Everybody Needs Somebody to Love"), natural causes.
David H. McNerney, 79, American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient, lung cancer.

8th
Frank Bourgholtzer, 90, American television reporter, first full-time NBC News White House correspondent.
Maurice Neligan, 73, Irish surgeon, performed Ireland's first heart transplant.
Pleasant Tap, 23, American thoroughbred racehorse, euthanized due to laminitis.
Albertina Walker, 81, American gospel music singer (The Caravans), respiratory failure.

6th
Mary Leona Gage, 71, American beauty queen (1957 Miss America) and actress, stripped of title for being married.

5th
Roy Axe, 73, British car designer (Talbot Horizon, Rover 800), cancer.Roy Ward Baker, 93, British film director (A Night To Remember).

2nd
David M. Bailey, 44, American singer-songwriter, glioblastoma.
Robert Goodnough, 92, American abstract expressionist painter, pneumonia.
Art Jarvinen, 54, American composer, teacher and musician (The California EAR Unit).

1st
Marshall Flaum, 85, American Emmy Award-winning director (The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau), complications from hip surgery.
Kilian Hennessy, 103, Irish patriarch of the Hennessy cognac company.
William W. Norton, 85, American screenwriter (Gator, Brannigan), heart attack.
William C. Patrick III, 84, American scientist, expert on germs, bladder cancer.
Phillips Talbot, 95, American diplomat, Ambassador to Greece (1965–1969), President of the Asia Society (1970–1981).

How is Norma?

A sweet grandmother telephoned St. Joseph 's Hospital. She timidly asked,

"Is it possible to speak to someone who can tell me how a patient is doing?"

The operator said, "I'll be glad to help, dear. What's the name and room number of the patient?"

The grandmother in her weak, tremulous voice said, "Norma Findlay, Room 302."

The operator replied, "Let me put you on hold while I check with the nurse's station for that room."

After a few minutes, the operator returned to the phone and said,"I have good news. Her nurse just told me that Norma is doing well. Her blood pressure is fine; her blood work just came back normal and her physician, Dr.Cohen, has scheduled her to be discharged tomorrow."

The grandmother said, "Thank you. That's wonderful. I was so worried. God bless you for the good news."

The operator replied, "You're more than welcome. Is Norma your daughter?"

The grandmother said, "No, I'm Norma Findlay in Room 302. No one tells me anything."

True STORY!

Pet Photo's

Today's Quote

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

American writer and activist

Website of the Day - Still life: Bent objects

Wires transform these objects from inanimate to hilarious works of art.

See more

In Memoriam

This Week with Christiane Amanpour marks the passings of radio and TV announcer Fred Foy, Italian finance minister and Euro currency proponent Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, former SC congressman James R Mann and actor Steve Landesberg. In addition, the Pentagon released the names of four service members killed in Afghanistan.

US Marines Cpl Sean A Osterman, 21, Princeton, MN
US Marines Cpl Eric M Torbert Jr., 25, Lancaster, PA
US Army PFC Conrado D Javier Jr., 19, Marina, CA
US Marines LCpl William H Crouse IV, 22, Woodruff, SC

The Wayback Juke Box - Brenton Wood - Oogum Boogum

Today's Blissful Place

Chocolate better cure for common cold than echinacea

PEOPLE who buy echinacea to stave off a common cold are wasting their money and should buy chocolate instead, two separate scientific studies have claimed.

Echinacea, which is believed to minimise the impact of a common cold, was studied by scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.

They found the over-the-counter herbal treatment only slightly delayed cold symptoms

In tests of 719 people, aged between 12 and 80, volunteers were randomly given either no pill, a pill they knew contained echinacea, or a pill that could have been echinacea or a placebo.


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How a dog in class can make reading a pet subject

Children who don’t like books are being helped to read – by a friendly dog called Breeze who visits their school.

The youngsters sit with a book reading to the dog, and the improvement in their literary skills has astonished teachers.

One little boy who hadn’t spoken in school for two years has been happily sitting down reading aloud to the pet.


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My new favorite thing

Now THIS is cool.

DJ Mixer

Mix things up with this home mixer that lets you combine music from 2 iPods or mp3 players, or one of each. AC adapter; spin option; 2 effects programs with reverb, flange and filter and cross-fade slider; recording option and speaker system connection with a stereo audio cable with in-line jack;. Charges your iPod while it plays; compatible with a microphone. Folding headphones included. Imported. Wipe clean.

Get yours here.

Andy Rooney's - Tips for Handling Telemarketers

From Spadoman at Round Circle blog


(1) The three little words are: ‘Hold On, Please...’
Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off (instead of hanging-up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much more time-consuming that boiler room sales would grind to a halt.

Then when you eventually hear the phone company’s ‘beep-beep-beep’ tone, you know it’s time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task.

These three little words will help eliminate telephone soliciting.

(2) Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one on the other end?

This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone.

This technique is used to determine the best time of day for a ‘real’ sales person to call back and get someone at home.

What you can do after answering, if you notice there is no one there, is to immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7 times, as quickly as possible This confuses the machine that dialed the call and it kicks your number out of their system.

Gosh, what a shame not to have your name in their system any longer !!!

Junk Mail Help:

When you get ‘ads’ enclosed with your phone or utility bill, return these ‘ads’ with your payment. Let the sending companies throw their own junk mail away.

When you get those ‘pre-approved’ letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw away the return envelope.
Most of these come with postage-paid return envelopes, right? It costs them more than the regular 41 cents postage ‘IF’ and when they receive them back.

It costs them nothing if you throw them away! The postage was 39 cents before the last increase and it is according to the weight. In that case, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little, postage-paid return envelopes.

One of Andy Rooney’s (60 minutes) ideas.

Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express. Send a pizza coupon to Citibank. If you didn’t get anything else that day, then just send them their blank application back!

If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn’t on anything you send them.

You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to just to keep them guessing! It still costs them 41 cents.

The banks and credit card companies are currently getting a lot of their own junk back in the mail, but folks, we need to OVERWHELM them. Let’s let them know what it’s like to get lots of junk mail, and best of all they’re paying for it...Twice!
Let’s help keep our postal service busy since they are saying that e-mail is cutting into their business profits , and that’s why they need to increase postage costs again. You get the idea!

Why US exceptionalism is not exceptional

By Michael Goldfarb

"Americans believe with all their hearts, the vast majority of them, that the United States of America is simply the single greatest nation in all of human history." So said Florida's new Republican Senator Marco Rubio in his acceptance speech following last month's mid-term elections.

Many of his fellow Republicans alluded to the same view as they celebrated their "shellacking" of rival Democrats.

All the talk has turned into a polling fact. In a survey published this week a USA Today/Gallup poll suggests 80% of Americans believe their country has a unique character and unrivalled standing in the world.

Read more

Panda Therapy

Cheese Pecan Pie

This pecan pie recipe uses cream cheese to create a cheesecake-like consistency. Cheese Pecan Pie is great if you're tired of the same old pecan pie every holiday.

Serves: 8
Ingredients

* 1 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust (from 15-oz. pkg.)
* 1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 egg
* 3 eggs
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 cup corn syrup
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Prepare pie crust as directed on package for one-crust filled pie using 9-inch pie pan. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In small bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 egg; beat at low speed until smooth and well blended. Set aside.

2. In another small bowl, beat 3 eggs. Add 1/4 cup sugar, corn syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla; blend well. Spread cream cheese mixture in bottom of crust-lined pan. Sprinkle with pecans. Gently pour corn syrup mixture over pecans. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 35 to 45 minutes or until center is set. If necessary, cover edge of pie crust with foil after 15 to 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Cool 2 hours or until completely cooled. Store in refrigerator.

Cracker Barrel Style Old Country Store Meatloaf

Ingredients

* 10 pounds ground beef
* 30 ounces onion, chopped 1/4-inch square
* 1 pound diced green bell peppers
* 10 eggs
* 5 tablespoons salt
* 1 1/2 tablespoons pepper
* 1 1/2 quarts diced canned tomatoes
* 2 1/4 cups grated biscuit crumbs
*
*
*
*
*

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Place all in large bowl, mix completely with gloved hand.

3. Place in 3 loaf pans. press down with spoon.

4. Bake at 300 degrees F in convection oven for 60 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and invert each loaf over 8-inch wire rack to drain grease and juice.

6. Spread 1/2 cup of catsup over each loaf.

7. Cut into portions 5 to 6 ounces each and keep warm. Makes 42 five ounce servings.

Baked Potatoes in Slow Cooker

Why wait until you get home from work to start preparing baked potatoes? There's no need to wait an hour for dinner. Make these super-easy baked potatoes in slow cooker and they'll be ready when you walk in the door. So easy, and so tasty!

Serves: 10

Cooking Time: 10 hr
Ingredients

* 10 to 12 potatoes

Instructions

1. Prick potatoes several times each with a fork and wrap in foil.

2. Fill slow cooker with potatoes. Do not add water!

3. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or on high for 2¼ to 4 hours.

John F. Kennedy Jr. got a ride from his his uncle Ted Kennedy on the slopes in Stowe, Vermont, in 1964.

Freakin Jingle Bells

Freakin Jingle Bells!!! from Mark Pfeffer (work of 2007) on Vimeo.

The Government's One-way Mirror

By Glenn Greenwald

One of the hallmarks of an authoritarian government is its fixation on hiding everything it does behind a wall of secrecy while simultaneously monitoring, invading and collecting files on everything its citizenry does. Based on the Francis Bacon aphorism that "knowledge is power," this is the extreme imbalance that renders the ruling class omnipotent and citizens powerless.

Read more

Balmy weather

Choral 'flash mob' forces evacuation at California mall

Two months after the Westfield Galleria in Roseville, Calif., closed from a devastating fire, shoppers were again forced to evacuate Monday. This time, choral singers are to blame. The Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra and several area congregations had prearranged a "flash mob" singing of the "Hallelujah Chorus" in the mall's food court. But with thousands of people crowding the second-floor food court, the "random act of musical kindness" never got off the ground.

Read more

Fox Bungles Game Show Answer

I'm thinking Fox needs to just give them the grand prize.

Fox bungled the very first episode of its new game show "Million Dollar Money Drop" when contestants lost $800,000 on a question that they answered correctly but the television network said was wrong. The contestants bet $800,000 that Post-It Notes were created before the Walkman. And it was, even if the show's researchers got the answer wrong themselves. To make amends, "Million Dollar Money Drop" will have the pair back on the show again.

Read more 

Today's Quote

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."

Norman Vincent Peale

1898-1993, Pastor, Speaker and Author

Today's Blissful Place

"Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside."

"Nearly all mankind is more or less unhappy because nearly all do not know the true Self. Real happiness abides in Self-knowledge alone. All else is fleeting. To know one's Self is to be blissful always."

" Bliss is not something to be got. On the other hand you are always Bliss. This desire [for Bliss] is born of the sense of incompleteness. To whom is this sense of incompleteness? Enquire. In deep sleep you were blissful. Now you are not so. What has interposed between that Bliss and this non-bliss? It is the ego. Seek its source and find you are Bliss."

"Nobody doubts that he exists, though he may doubt the existence of God. If he finds out the truth about himself and discovers his own source, this is all that is required."

"That inner Self, as the primeval Spirit, Eternal, ever effulgent, full and infinite Bliss, Single, indivisible, whole and living, Shines in everyone as the witnessing awareness. That self in its splendour, shining in the cavity of the heart This self is neither born nor dies, Neither grows nor decays, Nor does it suffer any change. When a pot is broken, the space within it is not, And similarly, when the body dies the Self in it remains eternal."

"Reality is simply the loss of ego. Destroy the ego by seeking its identity. Because the ego is no entity it will automatically vanish and reality will shine forth by itself."

"God dwells in you, as you, and you don't have to 'do' anything to be God-realized or Self-realized, it is already your true and natural state." Just drop all seeking, turn your attention inward, and sacrifice your mind to the One Self radiating in the Heart of your very being. For this to be your own presently lived experience, Self-Inquiry is the one direct and immediate way."

"Heart" is merely another name for the Supreme Spirit, because He is in all hearts. The entire Universe is condensed in the body, and the entire body in the Heart. Thus the Heart is the nucleus of the whole Universe."

"Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world. "

- Ramana Maharshi

"A mind that is fast is sick. A mind that is slow is sound. A mind that is still is divine."

"Love is essentially self-communicative: those who do not have it catch it from those who have it.... No amount of rites, rituals, ceremonies, worship, meditation, penance and remembrance can produce love in themselves. None of these is necessarily a sign of love. On the contrary, those who sigh loudly and weep and wail have yet to experience love. Love sets on fire the one who finds it. At the same time it seals his lips so that no smoke comes out.

"Love can attain what the intellect cannot fathom."

"Don't worry. Be happy."

-Meher Baba

"Everything in this world is transient. It has no reality. True reality is to proceed on the path of truth, to keep the company of saintly people, and to render service to men."

"There is no saint without a past, and no sinner without a future."

"You all think devotion is fun. Some day you will have to jump without fear of life or death; then you will be able to make progress. When the time comes, you will have to walk through fire and water."

"You should become pioneers of this age and search for truth. You have to become adventurous and awaken truth within you. This is real yoga."

"Courage is the most important thing...Wake up yourselves and others. Control your mind and have firm determination... Be firm like a rock, deep and serious like the sea. Think of the earth as a mother. Have great courage and patience - and be not afraid of water, fire or great storms - face them bravely. Face the fire and it will turn to ice. This requires control of mind and a firm determination."

"Awake! Arise! And be exalted! Make your life a success!."

-Haidakhan Babaji

"It is love alone that gives worth to all things."

"Accustom yourself continually to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul."

"Do not dismayed, at the number of things which you have to consider
before setting out on this divine journey,
which is the royal road to heaven.
By taking this road we gain such precious treasures
that it is no wonder if the cost seems to us a high one.
The time will come when we shall realize that all we have paid
has been nothing at all by comparison with the greatness of our prizes."

"Each of us has a soul, but we forget to value it.
We don't remember that we are creatures made in the image of God.
We don't understand the great secrets hidden inside of us."

"Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God."

- Teresa of Avila

"Nothing else is demanded of you but to be in harmony with the entire Universe."

"Peacemakers are living in the Divine Fire.
Peacemaking is the Divine beam,
which comes from the depth of the human soul.
The peacemakers are the Sons of God.
Peacemaking is a Divine Light and it comes from the flame that has created it."

"The greater the sacrifice one makes, the bigger one becomes.
The more sacrifices one makes, the wiser one becomes,
the stronger one becomes, and the better one becomes.
Good people have sacrificed themselves, that is why they are strong."

"Open your hearts to the Divine and do not think about what will happen to you.
Open your minds to the sublime and bright thoughts and do not worry about tomorrow."

"Joy should accompany you. Your mind cannot grow without joy.
Your mind cannot be strong if you have no peace."

"Love is the only force that acts without any bias.
It opens your eyes instead of clouding them.
When you love, you can see clearly.
Only through love can you know people."

"Love is the basis, the foundation of everything,
for it is a virtue that is blind to human mistakes, and is never offended.
Even in in the worst mistakes it only sees something positive."

"I teach a great love, an active love, a love of kisses but also meaningful,
a love of feelings but also intense and noble, a love of power but of a light-giving power,
so that there may be love wherever we go!"

"Until now, man was living for himself. But from now on Mother Love,
as an impulse within the consciousness of humanity,
is urging an improvement for everyone without exception.
Therefore, all people must act together for the well-being and happiness of the whole of humanity".

"Unconditional Mother Love is the door through which man can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Christ also pointed out to us that Love is the only path for salvation of the human soul."

"Your Mother is coming."

- Peter Deunov