Mixmaster Monday

Welcome back to the second edition of Mixmaster Monday!

This week, I am featuring a dessert, Sticky Toffee Pudding.

I first came across Sticky Toffee Pudding while watching "Coronation Street". If any of you are from outside the British Commonwealth, then you might not be familiar with Coronation Street. It's an English daily drama set in the fictitious town of Weatherfield, near Manchester, England. This show has been running for over 50 years. It started mid-December, 1960, just a couple of weeks before I was born. I've been watching it now for approximately 10 years. My mother had watched it faithfully from back when I was a little girl. I remember, because the theme music hasn't changed a bit! My father, sister and I still watch it. It's on TV every evening, Monday to Friday for half an hour, but CBC replays it on Sunday mornings, all 2 1/2 hours. I record it when I'm away, and have a Coronation Street marathon when I get home.

But, as I was saying, Coronation St. is where I first encountered Sticky Toffee Pudding. One character in particular, Ashley Peacock, used to mention it from time to time. He hasn't mentioned it lately, though. They must have new writers who don't like it.

At first, I had no idea what it was. The name conjured up all kinds of decadent images that made me very happy! I did an Internet search for it, but all the recipes I came across were so complex that I felt I needed a chemistry set to make it.

Then one day, when I was working offshore Newfoundland, the day cook stopped by for a visit. We got talking, and fortunately, the topic of Sticky Toffee Pudding came up. He had formerly been the chef at a fine dining restaurant in St. John's, The Flake House in Quidi Vidi Village. It ended up closing because of union issues, and very sadly, has never reopened. However, this chef, Byron, had a recipe for Sticky Toffee Pudding that he promised me was authentic, and good, and he was willing to share! So, the following recipe is from Byron.

A couple of years ago, when I was commuting back and forth to Fort McMurray, Alberta, I went into Earl's restaurant there, and lo and behold, there was Sticky Toffee Pudding on their menu! Well of course, I had to have it! I was, however, colossally disappointed. It was basically a dark (spice?) cake with caramel sauce poured over it. I have no idea what it was, but it definitely was not Sticky Toffee Pudding. Not even close. So, if you've had it at Earl's, you haven't had it.

The measurements to the left of the ingredients are the ones Byron gave me, grams, etc. All the measurements to the right of each ingredient are my own conversions. I can't work with grams!! Use whatever works best for you.

So, without further ado, here is today's recipe!

Byron's Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

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100gm brown sugar (4 oz) (½ C)

175gm flour (6 oz) (¾ C)

2 tbsp baking powder

200gm dates, pitted & chopped (8 oz or 1 C)

Mix all together. Add:

125ml milk (1/2 C) 

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

50gm melted butter (2 oz) (4 tbsp or ¼ C)

Grease 13 x 8 x 2 pan. Spread dough in pan. On top of dough, sprinkle:

200gm brown sugar (8 oz or 1 C)

500ml boiling water (2 C)

25gm butter (1 oz) (2 tbsp)

Allow butter to melt in pan w/ boiling water.

Bake @ 375°F x 45 minutes. If center still wobbly, bake another 10 minutes.

***Oh, and stay tuned for next week's episode. No recipe next week, it will be a learning experience, instead!!***
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My first full-blown rant on body scanners, etc., but definitely NOT my last!

Just one short week ago, The Telegram’s Pam Frampton wrote a column, "Neutering the Truth" , that mirrored my opinion in every conceivable way concerning the banning of “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits. I linked to the article on Facebook, calling it the “best bit of journalism I’ve read in The Telegram in a long, long time.” I was committed to being Pam Frampton’s lifelong, most ardent fan.

Then I saw this weekend's edition of The Telegram, online. 

Pam, Pam, Pam. What happened? How could you get this so wrong? How could you go from one week, demanding the protection of our freedom of speech, to the next week, advocating the individual sacrifice his or her right to privacy? Are some rights more or less valuable than others? What a slippery slope, if true!

What she got wrong, and yes, with all due respect she is 100% wrong, is the issue of body scanners and enhanced screening in airports. You can read her column here.

I warn you: I do not know how to shut up on this issue, nor do I want to, so this is going to be a long one. You've been fairly warned, but if you want another side to this story, in which opinion I am not alone, then read on and think about it. Just think about it.

Taking the approach that any infringement on a person’s rights is justified in the name of ‘safety’ is a lazy, misguided, ineffective, dangerous, and did I say lazy approach to air travel security.

A lot of people will say with a very cavalier attitude, “Well, it’s more important to me to be safe on a plane than to worry about being groped or scanned.”

People, I’d be chanting that right along with you… IF IT HAD ANY BASIS IN FACT OR WAS EVEN REMOTELY LIKELY TO WORK!!!!

It's kind of like installing an alarm system and putting an ADT sign on the front of your house. If the bad guys know you're prepared for them, they'll move on somewhere else. In this case, the bad guys, read "terrorists", know that people are now being scanned and groped, so they're taking their time, of which they have lots, coming up with other ways around these 'precautions', and I use the term loosely.

The successful terrorists are surprisingly low-tech. Flying lessons and a couple of boxcutters took care of over 3000 souls. Even with the advent of all this touchy-feely scanning, people are still getting on planes with enough computer cables in their laptop bags to strangle 3 or 4 people, each. If I saw the guy next to me being strangled, I'd be pretty submissive, I believe. They wouldn't need some fancy-schmantzy elaborate scheme to get exactly where they got on the morning of September 11, 2001. So, from what, exactly, is this invasion of my privacy and my rights protecting me?

It is not making you or me safer. It's having no effect whatsoever. Anyone thinking that it is, is living in a fool’s paradise. Sorry, but that's the truth.

I traveled to and from the United States since this enhanced screening has been implemented. They’ve gotten so focused on the new pat downs and their new toy that they don’t even bother getting people to remove their footwear anymore.

On top of that, on both complete trips, from Newfoundland to the States and back again, not once did anyone question me about liquids in my carry-on luggage. I had them in a separate baggie, like you’re supposed to do, but I also had a bottle of computer screen cleaner in my laptop bag, which no one, not from St. John’s, Toronto, Washington DC, New Orleans, Atlanta, Toronto and St. John’s picked up on. Not one. I plan on running this test every time I fly in future.

They’re ignoring the basics in favor of technology. A dangerous proposition.

So, while 1 year olds are having their diapers examined, menstruating women are being questioned about their tampons, cancer survivors are being asked to remove their prosthetic breasts and people are just generally being assaulted, the terrorists can go back to the tried and almost true shoe bombs and liquid bombs, because – news flash! – no one’s looking there anymore.

When screeners made my 86 year old father remove his belt to be examined for chemical explosives in LaGuardia Airport in New York a few years back, I just chalked it up to being in the post-9/11 city, and frankly, I’d forgive anything that anyone in New York would want to do to me. THEY have the moral authority and post-9/11 wounds to do whatever they want to protect their city.

But... don’t EVER try to get me to go through a body scanner in Deer Lake, Newfoundland! Not a chance in hell. Will. Never. Ever. Ever. Happen. Never.

This article Ms. Frampton has written… she quotes somebody as saying there are no electronic records kept of any of the scanned images. For crying out loud, do they think we were born yesterday? What the hell is the point of obtaining these images, if they are not going to be available to review post-incident? To illustrate my point… do you seriously believe that if a flight going somewhere today explodes in mid-air (God forbid) due to a terrorist plot, do you really and honestly believe that they will not immediately access the scanning records of every passenger on that plane and in that airport who was scanned? OF COURSE THEY WILL! I would hold them in the deepest contempt if they did not!!!! And furthermore, the scan of the alleged terrorist will eventually be on the cover of Time magazine.

If they don't store the images, then where did this come from?? Not invasive? Think again and look again. I wouldn't want this to be my dad / brother / son / uncle / husband / boyfriend / colleague / stranger behind me at McDonald's.

Bleeding-heart-liberal political correctness madness is going to be the cause of more terrorist-related deaths than any body scanners or lack thereof.

I’ve said it a thousand times, and I’ll say it for the 1001^st time, happily – it is not the 75 year old grandma from Little Heart’s Ease that is planning terrorist activity, so WHY are they groping / searching / scanning her? I’ll tell you why, because the bleeding heart liberals say it’s not PC to racially profile. So, because of that, babies are being violated, as well as the others I mentioned before. But the women in their burqas, whose faces haven’t been seen or photographed since puberty, let’s just wave them through, guys! No risk there. But the nuns? Watch out!!

Racial profiling is not ideal, either, but at least it has some basis in logic, as much as it might hurt someone's feelings (boo-effin'-hoo). But, the ranks of ‘home-grown’ terrorists grow every day, so there have to be other methods used as well.

Explain to me why the rest of the world can not emulate the methods employed by El Al?

Who or what is El Al, you might ask? The fact that you might not know speaks volumes to the effectiveness of their methods. El Al is the national Israeli airline. You have the Jewish state of Israel surrounded by Muslim countries on every side, who have hate-hate-hated Israel for millenia, yet when was the last time you heard of a terrorist attack on an El Al aircraft? I believe it can be measured in decades.

Are they just really lucky? Uh, no.

Were they first with these new-fangled scanny-type toys? No.

What is their defence against terrorism? It’s very simple, and it’s apparently very effective. It does not require equipment that can fail. It does not infringe on anyone’s rights, or single out any one group.

It’s called – talking to people. Radical!!

Every person who wishes to board an El Al flight is spoken to, while they’re in line, by a university-educated screener, who asks about a person’s reasons for travel, where they’re going, where they’ve been, the time of day, whatever. Every single person is looked in the eye by people who are very well-trained in the art of interpreting body language. You can practice you’re storyline all you like, but until you come face to face with a member of Israel’s Defense Forces, you don’t know nuthin’ about a poker face. And, if you’ve got your skivvies packed with explosives, you’re gonna sweat under their scrutiny. Sweat big-time. I don't care who you are.

I met an American gentleman not too long ago who had the pleasure of one such screening. He had been visiting Israel for work, and was about to leave to return home. Something he did and / or said waved a red flag for the person who was speaking to him, and he was asked to leave the line and go for further interviewing. He was questioned for the next three hours by personnel who, he said, were perfectly polite throughout. Once they were satisfied, he was permitted to continue on his way.

The American TSA (Transportation Security Administration), a section of the Department of Homeland Security, has over 62,000 employees in 14,800 airports in the USA. They just got new shoulder patches for their uniforms:

It just strikes me that a few of those 62,000 TSA employees could be trained to do what has been proven to work, and proven to be acceptable by the public and decidedly unacceptable to terrorists. Instead of touching me in an intimate manner, which is probably no more fun for them than it is for me, why not talk to me? And the next person. And the next. You never know what you'll discover.

Anyone who says, “Well, if it will make the skies safer, however they want to invade my privacy or violate my rights is ok with me” needs to ask themselves the questions, “Where does it end?” At what point do you say no? Where do you draw the line? And, once you've given up those rights, do you seriously believe you'll ever get them back again? Or even be able to say 'no' when they cross your self-imposed line? So, like in the 1930’s and 1940’s, when Nazis would and could storm private homes searching for Jews… are you saying that it’s ok for police to search your house without a bloody good reason, and a warrant? No? Well, if you’re so against them searching your house for no reason, why on Earth would you support them searching your person for no reason? I’m a middle-aged white woman from Newfoundland who has never been to the Middle East, who has never studied political science or attended a radical mosque. I’ve never bought a gun, or bomb-making supplies. I’ve never posted on a pro-Muslim website, or been active in anti-Western causes. With technology as it is today, almost anyone who is only barely interested could find out these facts about me. So, why doesn’t the government utilize its resources for screening those who do meet those conditions?

So, until I get a chance to charm the pants off an Israeli-like screener in an airport, I will have to ‘content’ myself with the pat down, safe in the knowledge that I will refuse to fly rather than step inside a body scanner. I’ll put up with the momentary humiliation, versus the lifelong humiliation of knowing that somewhere, out there, is an image I would not like framed and hung over the mantel.

Look for the bomber, and you will find the bomb. Simple as that.

Now, for those of you who actually read through this whole diatribe (and believe me, this won’t be the last I write on this issue), here is a reward for your efforts, a little treat for you to click on!

TSA 2011 Calendar

Enjoy, and happy travelling!!

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Businesses are not in the business of raising your kids!

I haven’t, up to now, dipped my toe into the oceanful of rant-worthy Obama-isms, or, as I prefer to say, “Obama-nations”, that are there for the picking. My main reason being, where do I begin? But, as a genteel society that supports the notion of ‘ladies first’, let’s do that! I’ll start with ‘ladies first’ with the First Lady, and see what comes up.

How about this?

It seems that Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States, a.k.a FLOTUS, is asking businesses to give employees time off to serve as youth volunteers.

(In case you don't get the FLOTUS reference - It's actually been around for a long time. FLOTUS is married to POTUS, the President of the United States. Everytime this particular POTUS opens his mouth, he requires a TOTUS, the Teleprompter of the United States, as he is woefully unable to ad lib his way out of a wet paper bag. POTUS and TOTUS spend more time together than POTUS and FLOTUS. But I digress...)

When I first read this headline, the thing that struck me was the economic aspect. Let me emphasize right here and now that I am no economist. I can barely balance a cheque book. But even to me, this concept of time off to volunteer did not pass the smell test.

Businesses are in the business of paying people to do a full day’s work to make them money so the owners can make a profit and pay those who do the work. Businesses are most definitely not in the business of being social services entities. Some major corporations, that are large enough and can afford to do so, do provide daycare and such benefits, this is true, the purpose being to ensure a happy, productive, and committed workforce. They’re not doing it to be ‘good guys’ or because they have a particular fondness for children. It’s cost-effective. It’s all about the dollar. And, last I checked, we live in a capitalist society that supports your (and their) freedom to make a dollar, in whatever way you choose. Bravo to that!!

Paying your employees to take time off work to volunteer with youth sounds so nice, and caring and “it takes a village"-y. But it is bad for the economy. Large corporations might be able to swallow the cost, but small businesses certainly can’t. And, the last thing the business community needs is the government telling them how to spend their profits, on activities that are clearly not profitable. It hurts the top dog, but don't ever doubt it, it hurts the guy at the bottom of the totem pole even more.

So, that’s what ran through my mind when I read the headline. But, when I read the actual article, it took a totally different, though equally valid approach. 

The article I read, which was on a blog by columnist Doug Powers called "The Powers That Be", (thank you, Alice!) takes the approach that volunteering with youth and mentoring are activities that every single employee should be involved with already – with their own children. This following excerpt is from that blog. I couldn’t have said it better myself:

“Many people working at their jobs are already serving positive role models and “giving back” to kids. That’s what frickin’ work is! People work, they get a paycheck, their kids get to live in a house with heat and the family can afford clothing, food and education. Then their kids, having been raised with that role model, grow up and do the same for their kids — all without the need for people who are incapable of minding their own business butting in and doing nothing except creating more of the problem.

So how much time off for volunteering elsewhere do you suppose Michelle Obama gives her staff on any given workday? Just wondering.

You can see the rest of Michelle Obama’s comments on the next episode of “People who have never run as much as a lemonade stand say the darndest things.”

Wonderfully put!! Maybe it’s because I’m not a mommy that this angle didn't occur to me right off the bat, but it’s the absolute truth. And the part about Shelly-O'FLOTUS and the lemonade stand is equally true.

Charity begins at home. It’s a concept that’s been circulating since Biblical times. Its longevity is probably attributable to the fact that it makes sense!! That’s where the emphasis needs to lie, not in having me be a role model for your kids! What the heck are you doing while I'm doing that???

All I’m asking is this – when you read something, especially something from or about or by politicians, (and always when that politician is Obama or a relative thereof), take care to consider all angles before deciding right-off-the-bat that, oh! It’s about kids? It has to be good. No, it doesn’t have to be good. Not for the community, the economy, or your family.

Laura Bush was a great advocate for literacy; having been a librarian, it was an area around which she could speak with authority, and intelligence. Michelle Obama needs to stick to something she knows, and this is clearly not that!! Go back to the East Wing, honey, and play Farmville or something. The next 722 days will just fly by!!

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Louisiana politics - as murky and misty as the bayous

A large number of the guys on this ship I'm on are from Louisiana. You get talking over supper, and eventually, the subject of politics arises. When the topic of Louisiana politics in particular comes up, it’s the stuff of legends, notorious legends to be sure.

They have a very colorful history here, and you don’t have to go back very far to sample it. One of the guys suggested I look up Edwin Edwards, so I did. He was the 50^th governor of the state of Louisiana, a Roman Catholic Democrat.

On January 13^th, 2011, just over two weeks ago, Edwin Edwards was released from prison. He had been sentenced to 10 years for racketeering, money laundering, extortion, etc., etc., etc.

His reputation for being on the shady side of the law was nothing new to the voters of Louisiana. His promises were many. He is famously quoted as having said, “Yes, I’m a crook, but I’m your crook.”

Confidence was something this man did not lack. When running for his second term as governor, he said to reporters, “The only way I can lose this election is if I'm caught in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy". Can you magine the reaction in Newfoundland if Danny Williams had ever said anything like that?!?! But Edwards did, and could, and the voters loved him for it. He won.

In the 1991 campaign for his fourth term as governor, Edwards found himself running against David Duke, a white supremacist and former Ku Klux Klan leader. I remember hearing about this guy at the time. Republican President George H.W. Bush stated that Edwards, the Democrat, would be a better choice than Duke. Edwards, a notorious ladies’ man, won in a landslide, but not before stating of his opponent, "The only thing we have in common is that we both have been wizards beneath the sheets."

How can you not love this guy?

He may have been “their crook”, but when he left office in 1996, teacher’s pay and college and university funding was among the lowest in the United States, and high school dropout rate, teen pregnancies, welfare recipients and prison population were among the highest. I did point out that he was a Democrat. 'Nuff said.

He’s 83 years old now, divorced from but still friendly with his 44 year old former wife. Their divorce was evidently a ruse to protect assets, so I'm told. Shady to the end, this man. Enjoy your freedom and retirement, Gov. Edwards. And stay retired, please!!! Bobby Jindal's doing just fine!!!

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Doors - doesn't anyone knock anymore?

For years and years and years, I worked offshore Newfoundland, and never did I feel a need to lock my cabin door. And for all those years, never did anything occur to make me regret that choice.

Here, it's another matter. I'm beginning to believe that 'door etiquette' handouts are required for all new arrivals.

My cabin serves as my office, and when the door is open, all are welcome. I have even produced a little sign that is posted next to my door, with various onboard locations where I could be on the ship, and I place a magnet by said location so that people know where I am if I'm needed. All the locations even have a little graphic by them, in case English is not the person's first language. How much more friggin' obliging can I be?

The location on the very bottom of the list reads "Z-z-z-z-z-z", and has a clip-art thingy of a person in bed, asleep. When my day is done, the little magnet goes next to the "Z-z-z-z-z-z", and I close my door. I'm fairly certain that a sleeping image with z-z-z-z-zs next to it immediately adjacent to a closed door is pretty universal.

So why, why, why do people feel the need to come up to my door and barge right in without knocking? Twice in the past week this has happened. I do a little freak-out dance and tell them I will not even listen to them until they close the door and knock. I was sat here in my jammies one night, and the guy barged in, and I kept pointing to the door and saying "Out! Out!" and yet in he kept coming. I finally screamed "OUT!!!", and he seemed to get the message. His emergency was that he wanted to be assigned to a different cabin, with his friends. He's lucky I didn't heave him over the side.

Maybe it's a cultural thing. The two instances of which I speak involved gentlemen from some part of Asia. We have a large contingent on board from India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand and Singapore. It was two of these gentlemen who, apparently, don't know Western door etiquette.

That is NOT to say that those of us in the Western world can't be equally mindless when it comes to the closed door. I remember well one time, when I was probably 10 or 11, there were some kind of repairs or painting being done in our basement at home. The 'call of nature' arose, so I went into the little downstairs bathroom to take care of business. I didn't lock the door, because the Harris children, and adults, were well-versed in door etiquette. However, Painter Dude - not so much. You know where this is going. Nowhere that a 10 or 11 year old girl wanted it to go. I've been traumatized ever since.

I've lived alone for most of my adult life, and I confess there are still times I will unconsciously lock the bathroom door. Painter Dude's legacy, I guess.

Even if you know the room on the other side of the door is empty, what's the harm in knocking? This guy thought he knew, but he was wrong. You knock? One of two things will happen - 1) No one will answer. 2) Someone will answer. Either way, you get an answer!!

It's not all about the knocking, though. There's the additional aspect of 'door etiquette' - Knocking and waiting for an answer.

I've noticed over the past few days how people will go to someone else's cabin door, someone who they know is asleep, and knock very lightly. Almost immediately, without getting an answer, they will leave. I rolled my eyes at this when it happened to someone else, but was a heaving mass of rantingness when it happened to me this morning.

Person's asleep. Why knock at all if you're only going to lightly tap on the door? Either you want the person awake or not. If you do, knock like you mean it. If you don't, go away and don't knock in the first place. Why are you tapping gently... what, you don't want to wake him? Then don't knock at all, idiot!!!

However, if you are going to knock on the door of a sleeping person, give the bugger a fighting chance to wake up, realize they didn't dream the knock, and climb out over the sea-rails of the bunk to answer the damned door!

This is cabin fever at its worst, folks. I need to get home out of this!!!

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Pride & Prejudice - My two favourite scenes

This is, beyond any doubt, one of the two best scenes ever filmed.



And, coincidentally, the other of the two best scenes is also in "Pride & Prejudice", when Elizabeth is confronted by Lady Catherine de Bourgh in the "prettyish kind of little wilderness" at Longbourn.





The rich, vivid dialogue and eloquent use of the English language... it gives me chills!!!!!
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God's timeline is not to be trifled with

It was not her day to die, apparently.

A 33 year old woman walked into a restaurant at the top of a hotel in Buenos Aires, ordered a cup of coffee, set aside her purse and shoes then jumped out a window, falling 23 stories and landing on a taxi, bum first. She survived!

Yes, she's one lung, kidney and spleen lighter than she was the day before, but she did survive.

To see a photo of her on the taxi, click here . It's surprisingly not gory, so don't worry.

The taxi driver had been seated in the cab, until he saw a policeman looking up. He himself then looked up, and got the heck outta the car. Good thing, by the looks of it. He would have been crushed.

I guess it wasn't his day to die, either.
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Dilbert

This is the strip that was on my 2011 daily Dilbert calendar on Jan. 15th, and I'm laughing yet! Scott Adams, Dilbert's creator, is an inspired genius!

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Accident? Or suicide? I'm beginning to wonder...

Here we go again.

When in the name of Christ are people going to friggin’ WISE UP AND REALIZE THAT IF WE HAVEN’T HAD MONTHS OF SNOW OR FREEZING WEATHER, WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH ICE ON OUR PONDS TO SUPPORT A SNOWMOBILE OR AN ATV????

Seriously. I want to take this most recent dead person and shake the hell out of him. That stupid bastard (God rest his soul and all of that) has devastated a family, because he figured after 5 minutes of winter-like weather, it was ok to take an ATV out on water that was only caught over with ice.

And, it’s not like this doesn’t happen a lot. It happens almost weekly, year in, year out, year in, year out, and on, and on, and on.

If it’s not kids being killed on ATVs in the summer, it’s people being killed by snowmobiles on thin ice in the winter. This latest incident has the unique distinction of having the flavor of both – an ATV going through ice. Both seasons adequately represented.

Last week, it was a helmetless child on a banned 3-wheeled ATV who was seriously injured.

What does it take? WHAT???

It's not even like these things are in any way necessary modes of transportation. They are toys, nothing more. Big, expensive, fast toys. Cars, motorcycles, even Vespas, are primarily used for transportation. They get people to work, to school, for groceries... But ATVs and snowmobiles? Not one single morning of my life have I woken up feeling deprived because I didn't have one, nor did I ever feel the need to borrow one from a neighbor to get me somewhere. They are toys, and they are killing people.

No one would consider handing an 8 year old the keys to the Jeep Cherokee, but no one seems to see anything wrong with giving a kid keys to the ATV or snowmobile. I just don't get it.

These senseless deaths have been in the media ad nauseum. Almost every Newfoundlander knows someone who has been either directly or indirectly affected. It happens so often that this does not make for a surprising fact.

We regale ourselves with stories of winters when we were children, how the snow reached the telephone wires and so forth. I remember my mother saying people could walk on the harbour when she was young.

But winters now are not like winters then. It was warmer in St. John’s than it was in Havana, Cuba just a couple of weeks ago. So WHERE IN THE NAME OF GOD did this suicidal maniac (God rest his soul and all of that) think enough ice was coming from to support the weight of an ATV??

My heart breaks for the families left behind by these thoughtless, senseless people who think they know more than Mother Nature about the whims of ice formation on the ponds near where they grew up.

I am really starting to consider these incidents as suicides, not accidents. Anyone with an IQ in the double-digits knows the dangers, and knows it happens all the bloody time. Yet still, they will go on thin ice with a snowmobile, or let their children drive ATVs, with passengers and with no helmets on to boot. No more calling it an ‘accident’ in my world. If I'm told that jabbing a knife in my chest will kill me, yet I insist on jabbing a knife in my chest, can that really be called 'an accident'? I think not.

I've asked owners of these toys in the past why they go out on ice at all? Of course, it's the quickest way to get wherever they're going; someone's cabin for beer, into the woods to hunt, those essential activities of life. When I asked, "Why not just drive around the pond", well, that couldn't happen! It's not flat and smooth, and they can't 'open 'er up' in the woods like they can on the ice. Well, they 'open 'er up' all right. The hole in the ice is what they 'open up', not the speed that they were intending.

My face is blood red, and my hands are shaking as I type this. This was one of my most frequent and passionate rants when I worked offshore Newfoundland, with people who blamed these accidents on everything but the willful ignorance and arrogance of those who think it’ll happen to anyone but them, because they are so-o-o-o safe!!! Yup. Aren’t they all?!?!

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid way to die.

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What a real man does

From Kelly - thank you for a well-needed laugh today!!!

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A real man is a woman's best friend. He will never stand her up and never let her down.

He will reassure her when she feels insecure and comfort her after a bad day.

He will inspire her to do things she never thought she could do; to live without fear and forget regret.

He will enable her to express her deepest emotions and give in to her most intimate desires.

He will make sure she always feels as though she's the most beautiful woman in the room and will enable her to be the most confident, sexy, seductive, and invincible...

No wait... sorry... I'm thinking of wine.

That's what wine does...

Never mind...

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Mixmaster Monday

Today I begin a new feature called "Mixmaster Monday". Every Monday, I will be posting a new recipe or something culinary-related. I hope you enjoy it!

I chose the name "Mixmaster" because - quite unrelated to cooking - my dear mother always used to say that driving in a car with me was like driving in a Mixmaster, and it has been the stuff of mirthful family legend ever since. Not only that, we still have the original Hamilton Beach Mixmaster that my mother had before she was married 60 years ago. So, how could I not use such a memorable, meaningful word?

Here is an image of a mixer that is very, very similar  to the one at home. I'll post a photo of the real one when I get home.

So, now, on with Mixmaster Monday!! YAY!!

The first edition of MM will be featuring a recipe for a traditional Louisiana specialty, given to me by Perry, a born-and-raised Louisianan that I met here on my ship. Out of the blue, he asked me to print a copy of gumbo tips for him one day, which was just a list of ingredients and some shortcuts. I asked him about the amounts of ingredients, because they were not listed. He said they were all in his head, he just jotted down these notes for the cooks here on board to use. As a favor to me, he came back a few days later with three recipes; Gumbo, Oven Jambalaya and Crawfish Etouffee (pronounced ay-too-fay).

Today, then, I will be presenting Perry's Gumbo recipe. I can't wait to try it when I get home!

Perry's Genuine Louisiana Gumbo

• 1 large chicken
• 8 cups water
• 2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered
• 3 stalks celery, cut
• 5 or 6 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups chopped yellow onions
• 2 cups chopped green bell peppers
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic
• 2 lb sliced smoked sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley

Place chicken in pot with water, cut celery, quartered onions, 3 bay leaves, 1 tsp cayenne and 1 tbsp salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium boil until chicken is tender. Should be about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove the chicken and strain the broth. Save broth.

In a heavy duty pot about medium heat, combine flour and oil. Stir constantly until roux is dark (color of Hershey bar), about 25 - 30 minutes. Be very careful at this stage of making your roux, it is easy to burn and will have a very bitter taste. When you have your finished product ready to make your gumbo, take some roux out and set to the side. You can always add roux, but never take away.

Add your chopped onions, chopped celery and chopped garlic. Cook vegetables until very, very soft, about 15 - 20 minutes. Add sausage, remaining cayenne and remaining salt. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add broth and stir until roux mixture is combined. Bring liquid to boil and reduce to medium simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. Check your consistency every 30 minutes, it should not be as thick as a chowder, but thicker than a vegetable soup. You may need to add water if it's too thick.

While liquid is simmering, debone your chicken and throw away the bones. Roughly chop the chicken and add to pot and cook for additional 30 minutes. Add chopped green onions right before you serve. Best with white rice. Enjoy!!

Roux:
Remember, to save time and easier, just brown your flour (flour only) on a sheet pan in the oven, 350F. Keep a close eye on your flour!! And, you can brown a lot and save for future use.

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Angels of mercy????

The joke kind of goes like this... a man walks into a hospital, collapses in an elevator about 12 feet from a nurse's station, and the nurses call 911.

The seriously un-funny part of this is it's no joke. It happened at Peace Arch Hospital in White Rock, British Columbia.

Here is the link to the story, thanks to my sister yet again! (She's keeping me in rant-worthy fodder these days!!)

Based on my family's experiences with the "caring profession" recently, nothing is surprising me when it comes to this very sort of thing.

Dad was recently called to go in early for his day surgery procedure, with a warning to not drive too fast because it was slippery that morning, but to get there by 7 a.m. to get the procedure done early. Between the jigs and the reels, (a story unto itself), he was taken in at 1.30 p.m. My sister parked herself in the waiting room with a book. When the day surgery department was closing for the day, a nurse came out and asked my sister who she was waiting for, only to be told that Dad had been admitted two hours before. She nearly dropped where she stood, and to add insult to injury, the nurse was unable to tell her why he had been admitted following a day surgery procedure.

When she found her way to the floor where he was, she related this experience to an apparent male nurse. (One can never be sure who is a nurse and who isn't anymore.) His response - "Oh, you would have found him eventually." Wow.

My father was subsequently given a urinal that had dried blood smears on it that were not his own.

He was not given a meal because he was not on the patient list for supper. The same male nurse was going to make him some tea and toast, but later said he couldn't make toast, because the bread was frozen. When my sister pointed out that the bread would thaw in the toaster, he disappeared, never to reappear. Neither did the toast.

A drainage device disconnected in his bed, covering him with bloody drainage. They made no effort to wake him to clean him up. He was awake, but they thought he was asleep. 

He was hallucinating less than 4 hours before he was discharged. I would LOVE to see where that is documented on his record. NOT.

There were other things, but I've tried really hard to forget them.

I am, visit by visit, becoming more and more of the belief that the only hope a patient has these days is to have a very vocal advocate at the bedside, 24/7. When I was in nursing school, we were taught that we were supposed to be the patient's advocate. I guess they're not teaching that these days. Or, maybe they're teaching that we're only supposed to advocate for the person who is listed on our assignment sheet at the start of the shift. To hell with the guy who's lying a body-heap in the elevator, or shows up unexpectedly from day surgery. Not my problem. Gone to coffee!

Nurses - and nursing schools - have an awful lot to answer for. I can assure you of this... the next time I'm with my father, or anyone else, at a hospital, and this kind of negligent crap goes on, they'll be answering to me. Count on it.

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The 'religion of peace' strikes again, literally

A 28 year old Muslim man was sentenced to jail recently for assault on his sister. His sister, as it turns out, is Afshan Azad, the actress who played 'Padma Patil' in the Harry Potter movie series.

What got big brother's Islamic thong in a knot? Little sister was talking on the phone with her boyfriend, a Hindu lad.

For this egregious offense, little sister was subjected to a three-hour long assault by her brother, which, according to the New York Daily News, "also involved her mother and father."

"...she was punched, dragged around by her hair and strangled by her brother who threatened to kill her..."

Further to this, "...she was branded a "slag" (slut) and a "prostitute" and told: "Marry a Muslim or you die!" "

Yup, the 'religion of peace'. I'm buyin' it. Are you?

So, big brother ends up in court in Manchester, England, is found guilty and is sentenced to - wait for it - 6 months in jail. It's a good thing he didn't shoot a moose out of season.

And of course, by the time this got to court, little sister didn't want big brother to go to jail. Well, I suppose those overprotective parents of hers might have had a little influence on her feelings on the matter, y'think?

It's to appease these people that governments and businesses shy away from uttering the word "Christmas", so as not to offend their delicate sensibilities. It's fine to offend the rest of us, but not Muslims.

It's to appease these people that bleeding heart liberals think it's a fine idea to build a mosque not two blocks from Ground Zero in New York City.

It's to appease these people that the main stream media consistently fails to mention that it is Muslim youth who are behind such events as the massive riots and fires in Paris two or three years ago. They were always referred to as "French youth", not "Muslim thugs", as would have been more appropriate.

And, it's also to appease these people that every year when they mark the occasion the press fails to identify Marc Lepine, the man behind the massacre at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal that killed so many women, as the bastard Muslim he was.

'Religion of peace', my ass.

Back to the vicious big brother... so he got 6 months. Boo-effin-hoo. It's interesting to note that the British courts are no more apt to lay down sentences with teeth as are the Canadian courts these days.

And, if the parents and big brother were so friggin' offended by his sister's actions, why did they move to the UK in the first place? Why not go back where they came from, to a country whose laws and culture support such barbarism? But, I guess they enjoyed the lifestyle supported by little sister's fame and wealth. That's Muslim culture in a nutshell - having their cake and eating it, too. And the western world is bending over backwards to ensure that they can continue to do so. Scary, scary thought. .

Graphic from www.thereligionofpeace.com .

A decidedly NON-Muslim website.

Stupid is as stupid does

Need a good laugh?

Here's a little gone-viral-video that might work -




Thank you, sister dear, for sending this to me. Made my day!!

Y'know what's so great about this? Even when you know what's about to happen, it's still good for an "ohmygod" hysterical laughter moment!

Here are some follow-up facts to this story... 

This woman, who's from Pennsylvania, is suing the shopping mall, because the security guards didn't come to her aid for 20 minutes, and by the time they got there, she was gone. In all fairness, it probably took them that long to stop laughing! She was out of the water and gone in less than 20 seconds. What, exactly, were they supposed to do when they got there?

And lady... you MORON - Better that the security guards stayed exactly where they were, keeping an eye out for lost kiddies, instead of going to fish your dumb ass out of a fountain, a fountain, I might add, that you knew was there!!! Did I not already mention that she's an employee of this same mall?!?! No, I don't believe I did.

Someone as dumb as this would be challenged, I suspect, trying to walk and chew gum at the same time, let alone walk and text! I'll bet she has a driver's license, too. Scary thought.

Apparently, she's suing because she's mortified by the incident, and gets uncomfortable talking about it. So how is that the mall's fault?? Lady, you were a stupid idiot! You should be required to have a responsible adult with you when you go outdoors. I bet she'll probably reproduce at some point, too, if she hasn't already. A definite Darwin Awards winner-of-the-future. *shakin' my head*

UPDATE FROM NY DAILY NEWS...

"A woman who tripped and fell into a mall water fountain is crying foul and looking for someone to sue. But those plans may have to wait, since she's also facing felony charges for theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

Police said Cathy Cruz Marrero allegedly used the credit account of a women she knows to buy more than $4,000 worth of purchases, then another $1,000 of the same person's credit at Target.

Although she vowed to pay the money back between August 2007 and September 2009, court documents say she did not. Neither Marrero nor her attorney would comment about her legal troubles."

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! This woman gets stupider by the minute. If you're in a tenuous legal position at the start of your day, the last thing you should be doing is making it worse as the day goes on! Awesome.

Here's a photo of her with dry hair. She looks pretty much like I expected...

All that's missing is the drool.

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Dressing for the occasion

Another news story I've been watching with interest over the past few days concerns the female pharmacist who's been charged with an array of drug-related offenses.

The story itself is not that captivating. I guess what's really kinda surprising is that it doesn't happen more often. Two cases in one week, though, involving three pharmacists does seem to lead one to believe that they're getting away with it less.

But, again, it's not the story itself that has been of particular interest to me. What fascinated me were the photos and video of this pharmacist being taken into and out of court, wearing a bathrobe and slippers.

I LOVE watching the 'perp walks' on the news. NTV does a particularly good job of showing all the ne'er-do-well scalliwags on a daily basis. But, as straggly as this motley crew tends to be, seeing a woman going through the 'perp walk' wearing a bathrobe and slippers was a new one on me. I'm sure she owns a hoodie. It seems the best dressed ne'er-do-wells wouldn't be caught dead on TV without one. It's like it's part of the uniform. Maybe she didn't get the memo.

In truth, I was feeling a tad disgruntled with the RNC, for whom I usually have the greatest respect. Yes, the woman is accused of terrible things, and is probably as guilty as sin, but still!! She's innocent until proven guilty, and should have been allowed to present herself before a judge, and the television cameras, in clothing that was even just marginally suited for the event.

This morning, though, my disgruntlement was relieved, when I read a comment from Const. Suzanne FitzGerald (...who as capable and competent as she is, is not NEARLY as adorable in her uniform as the former spokescop-now-MHA, Paul Davis. *happy memory sigh*).

From thetelegram.com:

"Reporters also questioned FitzGerald on Burke’s appearance as she was led into court on Tuesday, asking why she was dressed in slippers and a robe.

“That individual had multiple opportunities to change into appropriate attire (before leaving her residence) … The investigating officers attempted to assist her in providing clothes ... ,” she said.

“An individual is free to make their own decisions as to how they would like to appear in court and that was her decision.” "

Well, now! That puts a whole new light on it, doesn't it? I guess she's starting as early as possible to lay the groundwork for her insanity defence.

GOD, I wish they'd been bunny slippers!

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Big box zone in CBS - dare I hope???

There was a story on cbc.ca recently about Conception Bay South developing it's own 'big box zone', along the lines of the Stavanger Drive area of St. John's and Pearlgate in Mt. Pearl. Good for them!!

I read the comments below the story, and one guy who calls himself "Spook!" essentially said he hopes they get a Costco there, to relieve the congestion of the one in St. John's. Some dame from CBS got her nose out of joint and responded back saying she hoped they did too, and it would keep Spook! out of CBS. It was all very silly.

Gotta say, I was thinking the exact same thing as Spook! was. When you go into Costco mid-week in May, (not even close to Christmas), and there's a line-up at the door at 10 a.m. waiting to get in, you know there's a need for a second store.

The last time I was in Costco was in November 2009, to buy Christmas wrapping paper. They have the honking big monster rolls that I love, so I braved the crowds. Costco used to be a regular place for me to shop, but I just can't face those suffocating crowds anymore. There isn't a single item in there that would entice me to go in again anytime soon. I bought 4 of those rolls of wrapping paper in 2009, and they will do me for the rest of time.

I have often thought that there needs to be another Costco in the Mt. Pearl area. But don't suggest that in the cbc.ca forums! You'll get your head taken off! "Mz Contrary-pants CBS" or whatever name she used in her comments must thrive on the crowds. I sure as hell don't. They've lost my very considerable business on the strength of it, and I don't imagine I'm the only one. I'd love to shop there, but when there are 20 people ahead of you in one of the three checkouts that they have open, who can stand that? My time is more valuable than anything they're selling.

So, hopefully Mayor Woody French is a Costco shopper, and sees the writing on the wall. Hopefully he can do something that will entice Costco to open another store in his quaint hamlet, and take the pressure off the one on Stavanger Drive. Maybe then, those like me will have the pleasure of being able to shop there again, without having to surge up and down the aisles, cheek to jowl with the heaving masses, getting groped worse than at the airport. I live in hope... (And, as my sainted mother used to say, "...and die in despair!")

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The I Quit Smoking Calculator

Food, glorious food!

On that one day a year when I find there's really nothing to rant and / or roar about, there's always food. Oh yeah!

Last night for supper, the choices were good. Nothing to get excited about, but good. But the dessert table? One glance, and I knew I was in big trouble. See for yourself:

See? That's just wrong. But if it's wrong, I don't wanna be right. There are spice cake thingys with a pastry cone and shaved dark chocolate in the foreground. There's fruit, nuts and bags of chips up top, and lemon cake and blueberry muffins way in the back. But the piece de resistance was the vanilla cupcakes. The pretty, not-so-little cupcakes with the cherries on top:

God bless me and save me! That's cream cheese icing. Thick, gooey, sweet, silky gobs of cream cheese icing, crowned with a cherry on top. I just wanted to stick my hands right in the middle of them and squeeze that cream cheese icing between my fingers, just like a three-year old. But, instead, I did the grown up thing and picked the biggest one of all, just for me!!

Come to mama! I took it upstairs to my cabin, closed the door, and photographed it from every angle. Then I tried to ignore it for a while, and let supper digest first. I caught up with my email, and just kept glancing at it. Finally, I could resist its charms no longer.

It was inevitable. And delish!!! And it will be a nice addition to my arse for the next 50 years...


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Reaction buttons

If you look at the bottom of this post, you will see a new feature that I've added, called "Reactions". I hope that you will choose to use it.

I realize that posting comments on a blog is not everyone's cup of tea. However, sometimes the writer of said blog, that would be me, is curious to know if people agree or disagree with what she's putting out there, or even if it's just being read!

So now, you have a choice. You can click whichever of the reactions reflects your opinion, but if that's not enough for you to adequately express your view, you can always comment. There is a third choice, of course - do neither, and continue to hover out there in the realm of the shadowy lurker. Whatever makes you happy!

The main thing is, please keep coming back, and I will continue to try to elicit your reaction, one way or another!!
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Newfoundland Tourism Ad II - 500 Years

I tried to post both ads in the one post, but couldn't figure out how to do it. Never mind. Here's the second one.  

Thank you - thank you - thank you to Alice for sending me the link from CBC:

http://www.cbc.ca/nl/blogs/whatodds/2011/01/new-tourism-ads-drenched-with-colour-history.html

They are both so wonderful!!! And I believe they may have inspired me to do something that I really hadn't been inclined to do... buy an HD TV.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Maybe I'm overly homesick or something, but these are just so great!

*happy sigh*