Today's Quote

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.

-Mark Twain

Good Riddance

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Website of the Day

Books for Future Presidents

Welcome to Berkeley. We’re sending you something that you don’t need to figure out, fill out, or even respond to. Every summer, we send new UC Berkeley freshmen a list of books suggested by various people on campus. This is not an “official” list, or even a list of required reading. It’s just for you to enjoy as you wish.


Borrowing from Professor Richard Muller’s popular course, “Physics for Future Presidents,” this year we have chosen the topic “Books for Future Presidents.” We have asked faculty from all over campus to recommend books that future leaders of any group—countries, cities, companies, organizations, community groups—should be sure to read. You’ll see that the suggestions range widely: history, poetry, fiction, hints for travelers, to name a few. There is surely a title on this list that you’ll enjoy reading. You may find them in bookstores, and all are available in the Berkeley campus libraries.

We hope you’ll choose one of these books to read this summer, as a reminder that UC Berkeley is a vital intellectual community that generates and debates fascinating and important ideas.

Why We Need Punctuation

- The burglar was about 30 years old, white, 5' 10," with wavy hair weighing about 150 pounds.

- The family lawyer will read the will tomorrow at the residence of Mr. Hannon, who died June 19 to accommodate his relatives.

- Mrs. Shirley Baxter, who went deer hunting with her husband, is very proud that she was able to shoot a fine buck as well as her husband.

- Organ donations from the living reached a record high last year, outnumbering donors who are dead for the first time.

- The dog was hungry and made the mistake of nipping a 2-year-old that was trying to force feed it in his ear.

- We spent most of our time sitting on the back porch watching the cows playing Scrabble and reading.

- Hunting can also be dangerous, as in the case of pygmies hunting elephants armed only with spears.

Louis Jordan - Jack, You're Dead

Lemon Buttermilk Cake

INGREDIENTS

Cake
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® lemon cake mix
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
Frosting and Garnish
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom and sides of 15x10x1-inch pan with baking spray with flour.

2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, buttermilk, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. In medium bowl, beat shortening, butter, grated lemon peel, lemon juice and powdered sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy; add more lemon juice if needed. Spread over cake.

Here's the joke...

Three contractors were visiting a tourist attraction on the same day. One was from New York, another from Texas, and the third from Florida.

At the end of the tour, the guard asked them what they did for a living. When they all replied that they were contractors, the guard said, "Hey, we need one of the rear fences redone. Why don't you guys take a look at it and give me a bid?" So, to the back fence they all went to check it out.

First to step up was the Florida contractor. He took out his tape measure and pencil, did some measuring and said, "Well I figure the job will run about $900. $400 for materials, $400 for my crew, and $100 profit for me."

Next was the Texas contractor. He also took out his tape measure and pencil, did some quick figuring and said, "Looks like I can do this job for $700. $300 for materials, $300 for my crew, and $100 profit for me."

Without so much as moving, the New York contractor said, "$2,700."

The guard, incredulous, looked at him and said, "You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?"

"Easy," he said. "$1,000 for me, $1,000 for you and we hire the guy from Texas."

Izzy & Jaz playing in back yard

Happy Birthday Medicare!

Fast Facts on Medicare

Tomorrow marks the 45th anniversary of the implementation of Medicare (July 1, 1966), following President Lyndon Johnson’s signing of the landmark health care program on July 30, 1965. Despite Medicare’s great run, House Republicans voted almost unanimously to end it in order to pay for tax more breaks for Big Oil, hedge fund billionaires, huge corporations, and corporate jet owners. And every single GOP presidential candidate also supports this disastrous plan to end Medicare. Here are some fast facts on the beloved program that the GOP has devoted itself to destroying:

47 MILLION…the number of Americans for whom Medicare provides comprehensive health care

51 PERCENT…the number of Americans 65 or older who did not have health care before Medicare was passed, while today virtually all elderly Americans have health care thanks to Medicare

30 PERCENT…the number of elderly Americans who lived in poverty before Medicare, a number now reduced to 7.5 PERCENT

72 PERCENT…the number of Americans in a recent poll who said that Medicare is “extremely” or “very” important to their retirement security

What Would the GOP Plan to End Medicare Mean?

The end to Medicare’s affordable package of guaranteed benefits

Immediate increase in prescription drug costs for seniors because the notorious “donut hole” would be re-opened

A massive shift of health care costs to seniors, more than doubling their out-of-pockets costs.

Penne with Tuna, Plum Tomatoes and Black Olives

Servings: Serves 1
Ingredients

* Salt
* 3 ounces penne (or fusilli or shell pasta)
* 1 Tbsp. olive oil
* 1 small onion or fat shallot , thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
* 1 clove garlic , peeled and thinly sliced
* 2 large, ripe plum tomatoes (about 7 ounces), cut into rough chunks
* 1 Tbsp. white wine
* 2 1/2 to 3 ounces canned tuna in olive oil
* 10 Italian or Greek black olives , pitted and quartered
* 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions
Bring a large pot of water with 1/2 tablespoon salt to a boil. Drop in pasta; stir it around.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat; sauté onion or shallot 3 to 4 minutes, until limp. Add garlic and tomatoes and sauté for another minute. Splash in wine and cook down, about 4 minutes. Break up tuna, dropping chunky flakes into the pan. Stir in olives. Add at least 1/4 cup pasta water to the sauce. When pasta is al dente (taste to be sure), use a big strainer-like spoon to transfer it to the pan. Stir to combine, and cook for a minute. Add salt to taste if needed and more pasta water if sauce is too dry. Spoon pasta with sauce into a bowl, and scatter parsley on top.

Today's Quote

“All wonders you seek are within yourself.”

– Sir Thomas Browne

Ooooops! I Did it Again - Richard Thompson

Arrogant

I was in the express lane at the store quietly fuming. Completely ignoring the sign, the woman ahead of me had slipped into the check-out line pushing a cart piled high with groceries. Imagine my delight when the cashier beckoned the woman to come forward looked into the cart and asked sweetly, 'So which six items would you like to buy?'

Wouldn't it be great if that happened more often?

Fire Truck Dog

A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children fell to discussing the dog's duties.

"They use him to keep crowds back," said one youngster.

"No," said another, "he's just for good luck."

A third child brought the argument to a close. "They use the dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrant."

A99 #OpESR RICO Class Action Lawsuit Against the Federal Reserve

Have Anonymous Operations against the Federal Reserve uncovered secret information? It appears so.

A99 OpESR has just released a new video seeking legal counsel pertaining to a RICO Class Action Lawsuit against the Federal Reserve and it’s shareholders.

A previous statement by Anonymous A99 released on June 15th, the day after OpESR launched, revealed:

“Phase 1 Cyber Operation Success (P1CO)

OpESR Cyber Operations have been successfully launched and are progressing as planned…. OpESR is designed to expose corruption and scandalous actions on the part of central bankers and their servants within government….” [read more]

After reading that, knowing Anonymous’ recent track record of obtaining secret information, (see: Anonymous Exposes a Sinister Cyber-Surveillance Scheme) and viewing this new video seeking legal counsel, you get the impression that the Federal Reserve may be in serious trouble.

Read more

Federal appeals court rules health care reform bill is constitutional

Sorry haters.....

The political and legal future of the sweeping health care reform bill received a big boost Wednesday after a federal appeals court in Cincinnati ruled in favor of the Obama administration and Congress, concluding a key provision in the landmark legislation was constitutional.

The "individual mandate" requiring nearly all Americans to purchase health insurance by 2014 or face financial penalties -- was challenged in federal courts by a large number of individuals and groups, who said people should not be forced to purchase a product like medical coverage. A partially divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit disagreed.

"We find that the minimum coverage provision is a valid exercise of legislative power by Congress under the Commerce Clause," said the three-judge panel on Wednesday, in a 64-page opinion.

Read more

Today's Quote

“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” 

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Washed Out - Feel it all around

‘Anonymous’ declares war on Orlando

The next target for the hacktivist group known as Anonymous may be the city of Orlando.

“This is a declaration of war,” the group wrote in a press release.

“Operation Orlando” will take down a different Orlando-related website every day with distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks. The first target appeared to be Orlando Florida Guide, which is not even owned by the city.

The attacks are reportedly retaliation for Orlando’s decision to arrest members of a non-profit group for feeding the homeless.

Read more/video

In a minute

A man was taking it easy, lying on the grass and looking up at the clouds. He was identifying shapes when he decided to talk to God.

"God," he said, "how long is a million years?"

God answered, "In my frame of reference, it's about a minute."

The man asked, "God, how much is a million dollars?"

God answered, "To me, it's a penny."

The man then asked, "God, can I have a penny?"

God answered, "In a minute."

Tonight on Frontline

When a child dies suddenly, or under suspicious circumstances, abuse is often suspected. But what if the medical examiners in these cases are getting it wrong?

In tonight's FRONTLINE, The Child Cases, a joint investigation with ProPublica and NPR, we uncover nearly two dozen child death cases in which people were jailed on medical evidence -- involving abuse, assault, and "shaken baby syndrome" -- that was later found unreliable, or flat-out wrong.

When a child dies, one prominent medical examiner tells us, it's often "homicide until proven otherwise." Medical examiners "get caught up in the anger, the emotion, the despair," he adds. "And you can't do that." New research also reveals a number of diseases and disorders that create symptoms in children -- bleeding and bruising -- which actually mimic the symptoms of child abuse.

‘Yoda’ Named World’s Ugliest Dog

When the owners of “Yoda,” a Chihuahua, found her in an alleyway 14 years ago, they thought at first that she was a rat. "I told her to put it down,” says Terry Devine Schumacher after her daughter brought the dog to her. Over the weekend, Yoda was named the “World’s Ugliest Dog.” Weighing just 1.8 pounds, her eyes are glassy and her tongue lolls out her mouth. She beat 28 other dogs to take the $1,000 prize.

Read more

Epidemic: Over 400,000 Traumatic Brain Injuries for Vets Coming from Iraq and Afghanistan

America faces a huge challenge in caring for the shocking number or traumatized war vets.

READ MORE

Eisenhower's Worst Fears Came True. We Invent Enemies To Buy the Bombs

By Simon Jenkins

There is no strategic defence justification for the US spending 5.5% of its gross domestic product on defense or Britain 2.5%, or for the Nato "target" of 2%

Read more

Today's Blissful Place

A Moron and His Lunch

Three guys are working in construction. They are working way on top of the scaffolding of a new skyscraper when lunchtime rolls around. They all get out their lunches and sit down together on a girder high above the city.

The first guy, Antonio says,'I'm so sick of eating meatballs for lunch! That's all my wife ever makes me! If I get any more meatballs for lunch tomorrow, I swear I'm going to jump off this roof and kill myself!'

The second guy, Patrick responds, 'Me too! My wife always gives me corn beef and cabbage, and I'm sick of it too. If I get the same thing tomorrow, I swear, I'll jump with you!'

The third guy, Stanley says, 'You know, I'm getting pretty sick of this kielbasa everyday too! If I get another kielbasa, I'm jumping too!

The next day all three men get the same thing for lunch and they all jump off the roof and kill themselves!

At the funeral, all three wives meet and start discussing their husbands.

Maria, Antonio's wife says, 'You know, I'm glad he is dead. He was no good. He use to beat me and cheat on me!'

Katey, Patrick's wife says, 'I'm glad too! My Patrick use to go out drinking, and stay out all night !

Sophie, Stanley's wife said, 'I'm going to miss my Stanley! He was such a good husband. He always remembered my birthday, he used to send me flowers. He was also a great father, when the kids were babies, he use to get up in the middle of the night for me, feed them and change their diapers. He was such a big help! My Stanley even made his own lunches!'

Baked Crusted Chicken Rice Casserole

This basic chicken rice casserole is superb. Make this quick and easy chicken and rice casserole in no time at all. Friends and family will love the flavor in this chicken rice casserole. Make this chicken and rice casserole recipe over and over again.

Serves: 8
Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 pounds deboned chicken meat, preferably thighs
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 3 sprigs thyme, chopped
* 3 tomatoes, diced
* 1 cup short grain rice
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 pinch saffron
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups chicken stock
* 8 eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pan and brown the chicken pieces with the onion and thyme for a few minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and stir in well. Add the rice, wine and saffron and season with the salt and pepper.

4. Bring the chicken stock to the boil, then pour over the rice mixture. Cover the pan and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.

5. Remove from the oven. Break the eggs into a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and whisk lightly. Uncovered the rice mixture and pour the eggs over.

6. Re-cover with foil and bake a further 10 minutes or until the egg mixture has set. Serve hot.

Today's Quote

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.”

-Robert Louis Stevenson

You may not end today having achieved all your goals, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t moving in the direction of your dreams. If you’ve done something proactive to be who you want to be, you’ve had a successful day.

Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding - Jesse Winchester

Lovely

Woman accused of spraying breast milk at deputies

From the "oh my freakin God" folder......

A woman was arrested early Saturday morning after spraying deputies with the Delaware County sheriff's office with breast milk.

Deputies responded to a domestic violence call at about 1 a.m. Saturday at Bridgewater Banquet Facility on Sawmill Parkway in Delaware County, according to a sheriff's office news release.

When they went there, deputies spoke to a man who informed them he and his wife, Stephanie Robinette, 30, of Westerville, were having an argument and that his wife struck him multiple times and then locked herself in the car. He told them she was intoxicated following a wedding they attended and started the dispute, according to the release.

When deputies approached the vehicle, Robinette began yelling profanities and refused to exit the vehicle, the sheriff's office reported.

"When deputies attempted to remove Robinette from the vehicle, she advised the deputies that she was a breast-feeding mother and proceeded to remove her right breast from her dress and began spraying deputies and the vehicle in her breast milk," Sheriff Walter L. Davis, III said in the news release.

Deputies removed Robinette from the vehicle and arrested her. She is currently being held in the Delaware County jail, facing charges of domestic violence, assault, obstructing official business, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

Original

Action Item: Petition - Shared Sacrifice: U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont)

Go HERE to sign petition

Dear Mr. President,

This is a pivotal moment in the history of our country. Decisions are being made about the national budget that will impact the lives of virtually every American for decades to come. As we address the issue of deficit reduction we must not ignore the painful economic reality of today - which is that the wealthiest people in our country and the largest corporations are doing phenomenally well while the middle class is collapsing and poverty is increasing. In fact, the United States today has, by far, the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major country on earth.

Everyone understands that over the long-term we have got to reduce the deficit - a deficit that was caused mainly by Wall Street greed, tax breaks for the rich, two wars, and a prescription drug program written by the drug and insurance companies. It is absolutely imperative, however, that as we go forward with deficit reduction we completely reject the Republican approach that demands savage cuts in desperately-needed programs for working families, the elderly, the sick, our children and the poor, while not asking the wealthiest among us to contribute one penny.

Mr. President, please listen to the overwhelming majority of the American people who believe that deficit reduction must be about shared sacrifice. The wealthiest Americans and the most profitable corporations in this country must pay their fair share. At least 50 percent of any deficit reduction package must come from revenue raised by ending tax breaks for the wealthy and eliminating tax loopholes that benefit large, profitable corporations and Wall Street financial institutions. A sensible deficit reduction package must also include significant cuts to unnecessary and wasteful Pentagon spending.

Please do not yield to outrageous Republican demands that would greatly increase suffering for the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society. Now is the time to stand with the tens of millions of Americans who are struggling to survive economically, not with the millionaires and billionaires who have never had it so good.

Respectfully,

Xavier at McDonald's aka 'The Evil Empire'

Today's Quote

"You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind."

Dale Carnegie

1888-1955, Speaker and Author

The Damned - Feel the Pain

Garden Week #3

Justice In America: A Tale Of Two Crimes

Read story HERE

In Memoriam

Elderly Couple Look To Care For 72nd Foster Child

Thomas and Ann Rose, a couple from Allentown, Pennsylvania, are well into retirement age: Thomas is in his 70s, and Ann is over 80. Yet, rather than relaxing by the beach, the couple is preparing to become parents. They’ve already done it more than 70 times.

No, they’re not an even more extreme version of the Duggars: The generous couple has been welcoming in foster children for the last 15 years, since their own biological children grew up and left home.

Read more

Pet Photo's

Deep Thoughts

The Gift of Forgiveness

Sugar-Crusted Pecan Shortcakes with Peaches and Raspberries

Servings: Serves 12

Ingredients

* 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 Tbsp. light brown sugar
* 2 Tbsp. sugar
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1/3 cup and 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
* 1/2 cup toasted pecans , coarsely chopped
* 2 Tbsp. sanding sugar or crystal sugar or raw sugar

* 3 to 4 large ripe yellow peaches , sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1/2 cup raspberries
* 3 Tbsp. sugar
* 2 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
* 1 cup heavy cream , cold
* 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
To make shortcakes: Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; swirl pan every few seconds to ensure even browning. Cook until fragrant and browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until solid, about 30 minutes.

Put flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add chilled browned butter and pulse until mixture looks like coarse meal. Add sour cream, 1/3 cup cream, and pecans; pulse until dough forms a ball. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and transfer dough to sheet. Press dough into a rough, 1-inch-thick circle. Cover top of dough with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°. Using a 2"-round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 8 shortcakes from dough. Press scraps together and cut 4 more. Brush top of shortcakes with remaining 2 tablespoons heavy cream and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Arrange cakes on baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, turning pan after 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To make filling: Toss together peaches, raspberries, and sugar; let sit 10 minutes. Whip cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.

To assemble: Using a serrated knife, split each shortcake in half horizontally. Spoon fruit mixture and juice onto bottom layer, followed by 3 tablespoons of whipped cream. Cover with top of shortcake and serve immediately.

Is it time to move on?

How to get unstuck


You're so absorbed in the moment that you don't realize it's passed. The meeting's over, the party's pooped, it's time to drop what you're doing and move on to the next thing. And yet you keep hanging on… Here's Martha Beck, in the nick of time, to explain how to get unstuck.

WWII Vet Marries for First Time, at 99

On June 6, at the age of 99, Gilbert Herrick took a bride. For the first time. "I never met the right woman until I met Virginia," he says.

Herrick, a World War II veteran and a retired postal worker, has been a resident at Monroe Community Hospital for 1½ years. Virginia Hartman-Herrick, 86, has been widowed for 25 years and moved to MCH about a year ago.

Gilbert and Virginia have a pretty simple, but very sane, philosophy — do the things that make you happy.

They met in the hall one day shortly after Virginia arrived.

"I said something about an exhibit of china painting downstairs (It was an exhibit of her work.). And he said, 'I'm going to go down and look at it.'"

Gilbert, who does oil paintings, liked what he saw. And the two of them soon became an item.

Read more

Today's Quote

“It is not only the most difficult thing to know oneself, but the most inconvenient one, too.”

– H.W. Shaw

CAN - Vitamin C

Weber Grill's Famous Sangria

Sangria is a type of wine punch common to the Iberian Peninsula, but it's very popular right here in the USA as well. This version copies the delicious sangria made at the Weber Grill, and it is just as tasty!

Ingredients

* 1 Granny Smith apple, diced
* 1 Red Delicious apple, diced
* 1 Bartlett pear, diced
* 1 orange, sliced
* 2 limes, sliced
* 1 cup simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water heated until sugar is dissolved)
* 3/4 pint orange juice
* 3/4 cup brandy
* 3/4 cup Triple Sec

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients and gently mix.

2. Place in a container and refrigerate.

3. Serve base with equal parts sparkling wine or Champagne.

Did Obama double the debt and commit every "bumble" he's accused of in a critical chain e-mail?

No. The debt hasn't doubled, and of the 24 claims only six are true. We found another seven to be partly true, and the rest to be false, misleading or exaggerated.

Clarence Thomas Must Go!

By William Rivers Pitt

Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.

- Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart

For the sake of full disclosure, I will tell you that I do not like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. In my opinion, he has no business sitting on the high court after the reprehensible treatment he forced Anita Hill to endure, and has been a disgrace to the bench lo these last twenty years. Anthony Weiner, one of Clarence Thomas' most ardent critics, was just run out of Washington DC on a rail for behavior far less offensive; Mr. Thomas is lucky there was no such thing as Twitter when he was sexually harassing Hill, or he'd be chasing ambulances outside of muni court like the hack he is. He sits up there like a lump, never speaking or offering questions to petitioners, and has not had an original thought since his shameful Senate approval.

But his vapid intellectual presence on the bench is only a small part of the story. Mr. Thomas has, by all appearances, turned his position on the court into a license to print money for himself, his family, and a few choice friends.

Conservative corruption is nothing new in Washington, but Mr. Thomas has taken the practice to bold new heights, and finally, people are beginning to sit up and take notice. Thomas has been playing fast and loose with judicial ethics for a long time now, and though Supreme Court Justices are not technically beholden to judicial rules of ethics, his behavior has become so egregious as to warrant deep attention, and in my opinion, removal from the high court.

Read more

NC woman sterilized because state deemed her ‘promiscuous’

The day that Elaine Riddick had her first and only child at the age of 14, the state of North Carolina had her sterilized on the orders of a court. Riddick had been raped but the state said she was promiscuous.

“They said that I was feeble-minded, they said that I was promiscuous,” Riddick, now 57, told CBS News. “I’ve always been able to take care of myself – I’ve never been promiscuous.”

“So how can people use these things to describe a child that had been abandoned? Or that had been raped by the neighbor and then again, raped by the state of North Carolina?”

North Carolina is the first state to consider a $20,000 payment to victims of sterilizations, but it is doubtful that the Republican-controlled legislature will set aside the necessary funds.

Read more

Lime- and Chili-Rubbed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
2 teaspoons olive or canola oil



1. Heat gas or charcoal grill. In small bowl, mix chili powder, brown sugar, lime peel, salt, garlic powder and ground red pepper. Rub both sides of chicken with oil, then with spice mixture.

2. Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 10 to 15 minutes, turning once or twice, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).

Actor Peter Falk Dies

Actor Peter Falk has died at the age of 83. Falk won four Emmys for his work on Columbo and he also received two Oscar nominations during his career. Although his family members did not provide a cause of death, the actor had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. In 2009, a judge placed the actor under a conservatorship.

Read more

Highlights from the Rebuild the Dream Launch - June 23 in NYC

The bell is beginning to toll for baby boomers' aging music idols

Months before he passed away, saxophonist Clarence Clemons told Rolling Stone magazine that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 2009 tour was pure hell for him physically.

But despite being 69 years old having his knees and hips replaced, Clemons spoke eagerly about getting back on the road with "The Boss" in 2012 and maybe touring with Lady Gaga, who he performed with on her "Born This Way" CD.

"As long as my mouth, hands and brains still work I'll be out there doing it," he told Rolling Stone in February. "I'm going to keep going 'till I'm not there anymore."

Clemons died Saturday in Florida from complications related to a stroke he suffered on June 12. Springsteen, E Street Band members, families and friends said their goodbyes to the massive, ebullient sax player known as the "Big Man" at a private funeral service Tuesday in Palm Beach, Fla.

Clemons' passing — along with a recent spate of deaths of other artists from the 1970s and '80s — is forcing some baby boomers to reconcile that the seemingly indestructible musical idols that provided the soundtrack of their lives are either dying or growing old and suffering from the same aches, pains and illnesses that they do.


Read more

Fastest Sea-Level Rise in 2,000 Years Linked to Increasing Global Temperatures

ScienceDaily (June 20, 2011) — The rate of sea level rise along the U.S. Atlantic coast is greater now than at any time in the past 2,000 years -- and has shown a consistent link between changes in global mean surface temperature and sea level.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Read more

Website of the Day

What a fabulous resource this must have been! In 1853 when the telegraph was the equivalent of e-mail they came up with this handy numerical way to shorten and even encrypt messages sent by telegram or through the mail. Just as users of Twitter today can communicate in a form of shorthand this guide allowed users to send fairly complex messages with just a few strings of numbers and key words. I doubt that it ever caught on but it was a brilliant idea at the time. Technology that was cutting edge in 1853; the telegraph, would have been greatly enhanced by this shorthand instant messaging guide. And some of the messages are hilarious.

Man robs bank so he can go to jail and get health care

Often, crimes are borne of desperation. However, most robberies aren't motivated by a desperate need for health care.

James Richard Verone, of Georgia, attempted to steal one dollar from a bank so that he would be arrested, taken to jail and — most importantly — provided with health care, the Gaston Gazette reported.

Verone worked for Coca-Cola for 17 years, but lost that job three years ago. Now 59 years old, Verone can't handle the physical demands of the part-time jobs, like working in a convenience store, that he has successfully been hired for. Hence, he has no health care.

Read more

Poor Man's Quick Sticky Buns

There's nothing quite like some really good, not to mention easy sticky buns. It's one of my favorite breakfast treats.  These are so easy, so cheap and so good!

Yields: 8
Ingredients

* 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
* 3 tablespoons light molasses or dark Karo syrup
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1/3 cup chopped nuts
* 10 ounces can refrigerated flaky biscuits

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, molasses and water. Heat until bubbly.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

3. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the hot syrup into each of 8 ungreased muffin cups. Sprinkle with nuts.

4. Separate biscuit dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Place 5 biscuit pieces in each prepared muffin cup.

5. Spoon remaining syrup o# ver biscuit pieces in cups. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until deep golden brown.

# Cool in cups for 3 minutes, then turn onto waxed paper.

Today's Quote

“Smile, breathe, and go slowly.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Life is now. It can be as simple or as complicated as you make it. Why not choose to enjoy it?

Tony Toni Tone - Til Last Summer

Website of the Day

Tildee is a nifty little Web tool that lets you create online tutorials, instantly, and share them with any number of friends.

Every tutorial gets its own URL, and Tildee lets you see how-to guides that other users have made. (Recipes, video-game guides, and technical walk-throughs are perennial favorites.) You can make your own sets of instructions as complicated as you’d like them to be and augment them with maps, images, and videos. But Tildee itself is incredibly simple, and totally idiotproof.

Today's Quote

"What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds."

— Dr. Wayne Dyer: Self-development author and speaker

Bernanke Plunders the US Economy Then Says He Doesn’t Know Why We Have a Weak Economy

Brutally honest, Bernanke admitted that he had no clue what was actually causing the current fragility in the U.S. economic recovery. While the FOMC statement assigned blame outside of the U.S., pointing at Japan along with rising food and oil prices, Bernanke was put on the spot by a reporter who noted the inconsistency behind that explanation and a lowering of long term forecasts. Bernanke took the hit, admitting only some of the factors were temporary and that he didn’t know exactly what was causing the slowdown, but that it would persist. “Growth,” said Bernanke, “will return into 2012.”

Specifically, Bernanke said today:

We don’t have a precise read on why this slower pace of growth is persisting.

Well, it is obvious to anyone who has been paying attention what’s causing the slow down, and if Mr. Bernanke doesn’t know, he should be fired.


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Democrats Explicitly Call Out GOP For Sabotaging The Economic Recovery

About damn time!

They've made it explicit. Democrats are accusing Republicans of trying to sabotage the recovery -- or at least stall it -- by blocking all short-term measures to boost the economy, even ones they previously supported.

In a Capitol press conference Wednesday, the Senate's top Democrats argued that Republicans don't want to pass measures like a temporary payroll tax holiday for employers because they'll improve President Obama's re-election chances.

"Our Republican colleagues in the House and Senate are driven by putting one man out of work: President Obama," said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).

The harshest denunciation came from Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the man who crafted the Dems' new "jobs first" message.

"We are also open to hiring incentives, perhaps in the form of a payroll tax cut for employers that was floated by the administration.... [T]hat might not be our first choice, that shows how willing we are to work with the Republicans to create jobs. It's pro-business, it's a tax cut, and many Republicans have been for it in the past. But now all of a sudden they're coming out against it," Schumer said.

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Today's Quote

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

― Anne Frank

The Wayback Juke Box - Mungo Jerry - In The Summertime

President Baby Whisperer

Climate of Denial

By Al Gore
June 22, 2011 7:45 AM ET

The first time I remember hearing the question "is it real?" was when I went as a young boy to see a traveling show put on by "professional wrestlers" one summer evening in the gym of the Forks River Elementary School in Elmwood, Tennessee.

The evidence that it was real was palpable: "They're really hurting each other! That's real blood! Look a'there! They can't fake that!" On the other hand, there was clearly a script (or in today's language, a "narrative"), with good guys to cheer and bad guys to boo.

But the most unusual and in some ways most interesting character in these dramas was the referee: Whenever the bad guy committed a gross and obvious violation of the "rules" — such as they were — like using a metal folding chair to smack the good guy in the head, the referee always seemed to be preoccupied with one of the cornermen, or looking the other way. Yet whenever the good guy — after absorbing more abuse and unfairness than any reasonable person could tolerate — committed the slightest infraction, the referee was all over him. The answer to the question "Is it real?" seemed connected to the question of whether the referee was somehow confused about his role: Was he too an entertainer?

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Dangerous Fungi in Most Dishwashers

Scientists have found a possibly harmful fungus that grows in dishwashers, surviving high temperatures, aggressive doses of detergents and rinsing salts and both acid and alkaline types of water.

A black yeast called Exophiala dermatitidis was found with a cousin fungus, E. phaeomuriformis, in samples taken from dishwashers in 189 homes in 101 cities in six continents.

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Insight

LOVE this.  I knew in my gut I was done with my last SO when he spent over an hour handling every watch displayed at a mall kiosk.  All that time to get a watch < $50 - was too much for me!!!  Everything is not that interesting.

Insight may come in a flash, but it's the result of accumulated noticing--whether you notice it or not.

The 'I just knew it' moments in life are often triggered by little things. Annoyances, nuances, subtle incidentals--soft inklings so seemingly flip that we're prone to discredit them. Poo poo on that intensely intense but fleeting emotion--lovely or harsh. Miff miff on that big vision that just cycled through your consciousness. Pshaw on that white flash of passion--the lusty-love kind and the flare-of-rage kind.

But those spins and flashes and pangs are being felt because you're ready to feel them--and they matter. The trick is to pay attention to them. Imagine sand streaming in an hour glass, each grain forming a pyramiding pile of sand. Until one grain punctuates the pile and the tall triangle collapses into a flatter triangle. It only takes one grain of awareness to shift everything.

Tipping point. Tipped.

Give credit to the small stuff you see and feel.
It might be a new possibility peeking through.
Assume meaning.

-Danielle LaPorte

Secrets of Lyme Disease Revealed

Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by several bacteria of the genus Borrelia. It is the most common tick-borne disease in the world, transmitted from deer ticks throughout the northern hemisphere. The disease was named after the town of Lyme, Connecticut where a number of cases were identified in 1975. A new study has now revealed that the deadly bacteria appears to hide within the lymph nodes. This finding may explain why some people suffer from repeat infections of Lyme disease.

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Whitney Elementary: The School for Homeless Children

After discovering that the majority of her students were homeless, Principal Sherrie Gahn went to great lengths to help her students stay in school.

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Why Does Europe Take Better Care of Its People Than America?

The world's wealthy democracies have somewhat different priorities, leading to some very different outcomes for their citizens.

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O's Summer Reading List Is Here!

Find your next great book—or your next 10—in our jam-packed annual rundown of terrific titles. (Or catch up with our 2010 list.)

Reading List

The marriage of Miss Bad Breath and Mr. Smelly Feet

A young couple, madly in love, decided to get married. But as the wedding day neared, both grew increasingly nervous over secret problems they had never shared with anyone. Privately, the groom-to-be approached his minister.

“I’m really concerned about this marriage,” the young man said.

“Don’t you love her?” the pastor asked in surprise.

“Of course,” the groom said. “But I have unbelievably smelly feet—and I’m afraid my fiancée won’t be able to stand them.”

“Oh, is that all?” the pastor replied. “Look, all you need to do is wash your feet twice a day and wear socks all the time.”

The groom thought it over and decided it just might work.

Meanwhile, the nervous bride had privately approached the minister’s wife. “I’m so worried,” she sobbed. “I have really bad breath when I wake up each day!”

“Oh, dear,” the pastor’s wife replied,” everyone has bad breath in the morning. Don’t worry about it.”

“No, you don’t understand,” the bride implored. “My morning breath is so awful, my fiancé won’t even want to be near me!”

“Well, I have an idea,” the pastor’s wife said soothingly. “Set your alarm just a few minutes before your husband wakes up. Run to the bathroom, brush your teeth, and gargle with mouthwash before he gets out of bed. The key is not to say anything until you’ve taken care of your breath.”

The bride thought it over and decided it just might work.

In time, a beautiful wedding was held and the bride and groom enjoyed the day without once worrying about their secret problems. For several months they managed to keep their issues to themselves.

They one morning, the husband awoke before dawn to find that one of his socks had come off in the night. Frantic, he searched the bed, afraid of what might happen if he didn’t find his sock soon. His bride woke with a start, and, without thinking, blurted out, “What in the world are you doing?”

“Oh, dear!” the young man wailed. “You swallowed my sock!

Beef Taco Bake

Prep Time: 10 min. Bake Time: 30 min

1 pound ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 ounces)  Condensed Tomato Soup
1 cup Picante Sauce
1/2 cup milk
6 flour tortillas (8-inch) or 8 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

1. Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.

2. Stir the soup, picante sauce, milk, tortillas and half the cheese in the skillet. Spoon the beef mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Cover the baking dish.

3. Bake at 400°F. for 30 minutes or until the beef mixture is hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Makes: 4 servings (about 1 1/2 cups each).

Serve the taco bake with a salad of crisp romaine ribbons tossed with drained, rinsed canned black beans, grape tomatoes, diced avocado and a zesty lime vinaigrette.

Today's Quote

Condemn and you are made a prisoner. Forgive and you are freed. Such is the law that rules perception. It is not a law that knowledge understands, for freedom is a part of knowledge."

— Excerpted from A Return to Love: Reflections on thePrinciples of A Course in Miracles,

written by Marianne Williamson

Struggling Single Mom Sells Obama Letter

By Liz Goodwin

A Michigan woman sold a letter from Obama in October for $7,000 to help pay for her cancer treatment.

Bush admin. asked CIA to discredit a liberal blogger: report

President George W. Bush's White House ordered the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to find information to "discredit" a liberal University of Michigan professor who was critical of the Iraq war, according to a recent report.

Former CIA officer Glenn Carle told The New York Times' James Risen that while he was working as a counterterrorism expert for the agency in 2005, the Bush White House asked intelligence officials to uncover sensitive information about Professor Juan Cole on at least two occasions.

Cole, an expert on the Middle East, writes a popular blog where he has often used Arabic news sources to counter the official U.S. Iraq war narrative.

Carle said that his supervisor at the National Intelligence Council, David Low, returned from the White House one afternoon in 2005 with instructions to gather information on Cole.

"What do you think we might know about him, or could find out that could discredit him?" Carle recalled Low asking.

Low was undeterred after being warned by Carle that such actions would be illegal.

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The Real Reasons Men Like Anthony Weiner Risk Their Careers For Sexting

Little pee pee's?

Anthony Weiner stepped down from Congress over his "sexting" scandal. But why do powerful men get caught up in risky behavior in the first place?

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The Wayback Juke Box - The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun

It's summertime!

Go the F—k to Sleep Tops Times' Bestsellers

The mock-children’s book sensation, Go The F--k to Sleep, will debut this week at number one on The New York Times’ bestseller list for advice books. It also sits on top of Amazon.com’s bestseller list. The picture book began as a joke by its author, Adam Mansbach, on Facebook; he turned it into a real book, with illustrations, after his friends’ loved the joke. Publishers were worried when a PDF of the book leaked online and went viral months ago, but it appears to have only increased the appetite for the actual thing. Samuel L. Jackson and Werner Herzog both held readings of the book at its launch event at the New York Public Library Tuesday.

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Go the F**k to Sleep - as read by Samuel L. Jackson

Five of the Nastiest Examples of Wal-Mart Evil

From worker mistreatment to putting local stores out of business, here's how Wal-Mart is still fighting for the wrong side.

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Smooth Sweet Tea

Original Recipe Yield 2 quarts

Ingredients

* 1 pinch baking soda
* 2 cups boiling water
* 6 tea bags
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 6 cups cool water

Directions

1. Sprinkle a pinch of baking soda into a 64-ounce, heat-proof, glass pitcher. Pour in boiling water, and add tea bags. Cover, and allow to steep for 15 minutes.
2. Remove tea bags, and discard; stir in sugar until dissolved. Pour in cool water, then refrigerate until cold.

Disbarred and Defrocked

If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn't it follow that electricians can be delighted, musicians denoted, cowboys deranged, models deposed, and dry cleaners depressed?
Laundry workers could decrease, eventually becoming depressed and depleted! Even more, bedmakers will be debunked, baseball players will be debased, bulldozer operators will be degraded, organ donors will be delivered, software engineers will be detested, the BVD company will be debriefed, and even musical composers will eventually decompose.

On a more positive note, though, perhaps we can hope politicians will be devoted.

Republicans are sex scandal hypocrites

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Simple Shepherd's Pie

It doesn't get simpler than this easy ground beef casserole, otherwise known as a Shepherd's pie. This classic favorite never gets old.  Make up some Simple Shepherd's Pie for a wonderful weeknight meal.

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 45 min
Ingredients

* 2 pounds ground beef
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* garlic powder and seasoning salt to taste
* 3/4 ounce package brown gravy mix
* 2 cans (10 3/4-ounce) cream of mushroom soup
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 1 1/2 cups frozen sliced carrots, thawed
* 10 ounces package frozen peas, thawed
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 1/2 to 3 cups potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed
* paprika to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Brown beef and onion in a skillet; season to taste with garlic powder and seasoning salt. Drain; pour into a large bowl.

3. Stir in gravy mix, soup, water, carrots and peas; mix well.

4. Spoon into a greased 9 inch deep-dish pie plate; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. Spread mashed potatoes over top; bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika.