Thursday, March 31, 2011

Black Hole Bar

Wed. Morning:

I hate when I wake up in the morning feeling like shit and realise I've spent more money than I can account for.

Note Remnant from Tues Night:

Foursome

2012 Democratic Presidential Primary

[ ] Barack Obama

[X] Dennis Kucinich

[ ] Metallica

[ ] Rod Stewart

[ ] Mad Magazine


Wed. Afternoon:

Music on the Radio

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Helping Manager Charlie Manuel Fill Out the Phils' Batting Order



1) Shane Victorino - CF
2) Placido Polanco - 3B
3) Raul Ibanez - LF
4) Ryan Howard - 1B
5) Jimmy Rollins - SS
6) Ben Francisco - RF
7) Carlos Ruiz - C
8) Wilson Valdez - 2B
9) Pitcher

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Spaghetti & Meatball Gravy

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. ground beef
* 1/4 cup flavored dry bread crumbs
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
* 1 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 3 1/2 cups (28 oz. can) crushed tomatoes
* 1 cup water
* 2/3 cup (6 oz. can) tomato paste
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
* Salt to taste
* 1 package (1 lb.) San Giorgio Spaghetti, uncooked
* Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)


In large bowl, combine meat, bread crumbs, cheese, egg, parsley, garlic salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Shape into 2-inch balls. In large skillet over medium heat, heat oil; add meatballs. Cook until browned; drain. Add onion and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes, water, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt and remaining pepper; simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Serve hot pasta with sauce and meatballs; sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired. 6-8 servings.


Note: Recipe via San Giorgio Pasta Pkg

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Rejected I Love You/I Hate You Submission

Red Hair Kate

You were drinking with a few other people in Port Richmond a few weeks ago. You joked about showing up at my apartment if I left the door open for you. You should go to the Corner Bar again. I'll buy you a beer or drink so we can continue the conversation.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Letter to the Editor of the Philadelphia Daily News

Re: Letter To The Editor
Saturday, March 19, 2011 10:33 AM
From: (Name & E-mail redacted)
To: "dn.opinion"

Dear Sir,

Address:

(Number redacted) Richmond St.
Philadelphia, Pa 19134

I do not have a phone.

Thank you for considering my Letter To The Editor.

Sincerely,

(Name redacted)



--- On Fri, 3/18/11, dn.opinion wrote:

From: dn.opinion
Subject: RE: Letter To The Editor
To: (Name & E-mail redacted)
Date: Friday, March 18, 2011, 4:01 PM


We received your email and would like to consider it as a possible Letter to the Editor, but first we need the following information to verify it: street address and phone number.


Lorenzo



From: (Name & E-mail redacted)
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2011 2:02 PM
To: dn.opinion
Subject: Letter To The Editor

Lawyer/Columnist Christine Flowers

Re: "Birthrights - And Wrongs"

Ms. Flowers should have fully disclosed her employment as an "Immigration Attorney" in Friday's (March 18th) column.

Sincerely,

(Name redacted)
Philadelphia, Pa

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Spring Training Humor by David Boyer

Phillies injuries you likely missed

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. could not explain how the dangerous farm implement got onto the field at the Phillies' spring training complex in Clearwater, Fla. But he speculated that the grounds crew mistook it for a riding mower.

"We were able to save Carlos' arm, but a thresher injury needs time to heal," Amaro said. "Thank goodness it happened in spring training and not during the regular season - or during the autumn harvest, for that matter."

The setback for Ruiz, the only .300 hitter in the Phils' regular lineup last year, is the latest in a troubling string of injuries to strike the team. Due to tendinitis in his right knee, All-Star second baseman Chase Utley has been restricted to fielding while seated in a Barcalounger. The team is seeking a waiver of a major-league rule prohibiting furniture on the field of play.

Rightfielder Domonic Brown, meanwhile, broke a bone in his hand while swinging a bat. The mishap alarmed manager Charlie Manuel, who cautioned his players against swinging bats. But that proved to be a poor strategy for Phils batters.

Brown's injury was followed by bad news about relief pitcher Brad Lidge, whose bicep hurts when he throws a baseball. Throwing a baseball is considered integral to Lidge's game.

Lidge sought the advice of the team physician, saying, "It hurts when I do this." The doctor replied, "Then don't do that."

Then came an elbow injury for third baseman Placido Polanco, who apparently didn't get the memo about the risks of bat-swinging.

More inexplicable and bedeviling injuries were to come. First baseman Ryan Howard was put on the disabled list after he accidentally inhaled a sunflower seed in the dugout. And centerfielder Shane Victorino is out with persistent acid reflux.

But it was Ruiz's unexpected encounter with the thresher that really made the team wonder whether its promising season might be jinxed.

"Baseball players are superstitious," Utley explained. "Even saying it out loud makes me worry that something else might - ouch. Ouch!"


Published Friday, March 18th
Page A19
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Documentary PIX: Philadelphia, A Century of Change



Mummer Yelling by Zoe Strauss
I-95 Show
Color Photocopy 2009
FLP Photography Collection

"I'm a lesbian anarchist born and raised in Philadelphia, Pa. The Main Library was my neighborhood library from age 10 to age 16 and I love the Free Library of Philadelphia." -- Zoe Strauss

An FLP exhibition titled "Documentary PIX: Philadelphia, A Century of Change" is open in Parkway Central's West Gallery now through April 29 in conjunction with the Robert F. Looney Memorial Event. Curated by Stephen Perloff and Blaise Tobia, the exhibition features photographs and images of an ever-changing Philadelphia throughout the 20th century from several contemporary artists, including Jim Abbott, Noah Addis, Michael Bucher, John Dowell, Vincent Feldman, Harvey Finkle, Joseph Labolito, Karen Lightner, Daniel Lobdell, Laurence Salzmann, Sandy Sorlien, Jeffrey Stockbridge, Zoe Strauss, Daniel Traub, and John Woodin. While both photography and Philadelphia may look very different and rely on vastly different technologies than they did a century ago, the core of what they are about is essentially unchanged.


Note: Exhibition Info via the Free Library Blog

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Current Reading List

The Films Of Ingmar Bergman by Jorn Donner

The Beaufort Diaries by T Cooper with illustrations by Alex Petrowsky

Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home by Rupert Sheldrake

Four Fish by Paul Greenberg

Worth The Wait (Tales of the 2008 Phillies) by Jayson Stark

The Best American Nonrequired Reading (2006) edited by Dave Eggers

Stoner by John Williams

Money Makers by Ben Tarnoff

Children of Abraham (An Introduction To Islam For Jews) by Khalid Duran with Abdelwahab Hechiche

The Koran translated by N.J. Dawood (published by Penguin Classics 1956/1999)


Update: Senate Examines Accreditation Of For-Profit Colleges

Friday, March 11, 2011

HarperCollins Makes Changes To Library E-Book Sales And Lending

HarperCollins publisher announced a week ago that it was changing its sales restrictions to libraries that loan e-books. Previously, when we libraries purchased HarperCollins e-books, that e-copy could be checked out an unlimited number of times. As of today, that is changing: any HarperCollins e-book that we purchase may be checked out only 26 times before the license expires.

Additional copies will have to be purchased before they can be made available for library customers to check out, possibly at a lower price. This change has caused a considerable amount of commotion in the library world because of the potential impact on this popular service, particularly since many libraries are coping with reduced budgets. Recent HarperCollins bestsellers include Justin Halpern’s Sh*t My Dad Says and Sarah Palin’s America By Heart.

The Free Library of Philadelphia “owns” a number of HarperCollins e-books whose circulation numbers exceed 26 times. Other publishers are undoubtedly watching this situation unfold and debating whether or not to limit its e-book sales to libraries.

At the Free Library, on a temporary basis, we will not purchase new HarperCollins titles until we have more information on how HarperCollins and our vendor (OverDrive) will implement this change and until we know what the pricing structure will be for additional copies once the 26 number has been reached.

We are also joining discussions with HarperCollins to offer other possible options as we all attempt to figure out this new landscape. If you’d like additional information, this recent New York Times article is a brief summary of both perspectives.


Note: Quoted Info via FLP Blog

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Le Show (Mar. 6)

Podcast:

Naked Capitalism (Erroneous Economics) Explained For The Lay Person

Republican Bonus Round:



Related (Fwd) Email:

Dear Marc (PennACTION),

So Corbett is another Republican: REWARD THE RICH, PUNISH THE POOR, AND MAKE THE AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS PAY FOR IT ALL!

We have the best government that money can buy, and I assure you that it has been bought and paid for. Which is why none of the Wall Street frauds and swindlers that crashed the economy in 2008 will be indicted or spend a day in prison even though they stole Billions from the retirement funds of middle class Americans. The only reason Bernie Madoff went to prison was that he made the mistake of stealing from other rich people.

On March 6, 2011, Sixty Minutes reported that 25% of all children in America are now homeless!

To paraphrase a Greek historian, the measure of Justice in America is that the Rich do as they please and the Poor suffer as they must.

My new book will be called "How to Serve Your Republican Masters." For the record, I deny it is a cookbook.

Yours, Jim W.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Food



Roasted Vegetables With Tortellini

For a satisfying meal, use your favorite veggies in this pasta dish. Roasting vegetables with light butter helps to reduce the fat.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons stick Land O Lakes® Light Butter
6 cups fresh vegetables, cut into 1/2-inch strips or chunks (red, yellow and/or green peppers, onion, zucchini, yellow summer squash, green beans)
4 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
Salt, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 450°F. Place 2 tablespoons light butter in 13x9-inch baking pan; heat in oven until melted (1 to 2 minutes). Stir in vegetables, garlic and Italian seasoning. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until vegetables are crisply tender.

Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain; return to pan. Stir in remaining light butter and roasted vegetables. Salt to taste, if desired.

Prep Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 35 min.
6 (1 1/3-cup) servings


Bonus Round:

Chile-Roasted Shrimp Recipe

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Wednesday Jukebox

$2 - Two Songs:
Chavez - Unreal Is Here
Guided by Voices - Heavy Metal Country

$1 - Three Songs:
Frank Sinatra - Summerwind
The Eagles - Witchy Woman
Journey - Wheel In The Sky


Unrelated:

Twitter Love

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Haiku: CP Movie Shorts

The Grace Card

Lou Gossett Jr.
in his most spiritual
role since Jaws 3-D.


Big Momma's: Like Father, Like Son

Dear Martin Lawrence,
Uh. You know you can say no
once in a while, right?


The Heart Specialist

The IMDB
says this movie’s five years old.
Must be a winner.


Tangled

The timeless classic
Rapunzel - now rendered in
dead-eyed CGI!


Season Of The Witch

"I'm Nicolas Cage.
You're reading this in my voice.
You cannot help it."

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The Ethersphere: [X] Scam or [ ] Legit?

Important Message Regarding Your Gmail Account update To Avoid Closed‏

ACCOUNT@ UPDATE

Member Letter



Dear Account User,

This message is from our data base center to all Gmail account owners. We are currently upgrading our data base and e-mail account center. We are deleting all unused accounts to create more space for new accounts. To prevent your account from closing, you will have to update it below so we will know that it's a presently used account. To do this, You have to click on your reply button to reply back to this message and then you fill the information below.


* Name:
* Username:
* Password:
* Date of Birth:
* Country Or Territory:

Warning!!! Account owner that fails to verify his/her account after two weeks of receiving this warning will lose his or her account permanently.

AFTER VERIFICATION,A MESSAGE WILL BE SENT TO YOU AFTER WHICH YOU ARE ADVISED TO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD IMMEDIATELY.

Sincerely,
The Gmail Team.



Dick Craddock


Note: "Gmail Team" letter sent twice.

Quick Reply addresses:

joybd08@gmail.com
edgegrovegundogs@hotmail.co.uk