Video - Light & Dark Drawing

Redux

Food Stuff Consumption

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

2 cups of black coffee
1 hash brown bar
small amount of M&Ms
2 cans of Yeungling Premium (16 fl. oz. apiece)
1 Spicy Fiesta Turkey Wrap (Turkey pieces, salsa, jalapeno ranch dressing with romaine lettuce on Lavosh bread)
1 Buffalo Blue Wrap (Grilled Chicken strips, romaine lettuce, Buffalo Blue sauce on Lavosh bread)
med amount of iced tea

Reprise - Recipe

Chicken Bog With Middlins Risotto


For the Chicken:

1 pound (about 3 medium) tomatoes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 chicken legs, skin removed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound andouille sausage, diced

1 cup diced onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

Half of a red pepper, diced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 cup red wine

2 cups chicken broth or water

4 tablespoons butter


For the Risotto:

3 1/2 cups chicken broth or water

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup diced leeks

1 cup Anson Mills Carolina Gold Rice Grits or arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup Parmesan

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut a small X in the bottom of each tomato. Boil for 1 minute, then transfer to an ice-water bath to cool. Peel, seed and dice the tomatoes, setting aside 1 cup.

2. In a heavy saucepan fitted with a lid, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Remove from the pan. Add the sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the red pepper, tomatoes, thyme and bay leaves. Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce until the pan is nearly dry. Add the chicken broth or water and bring to a boil. Tuck the chicken into the liquid and simmer, covered, until the chicken is tender and pulls easily from the bone, about 40 minutes.

3. Set the chicken aside to cool and discard the bay leaves. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat from the bone and return it to the pot. Reduce the broth until slightly thickened. Whisk in the butter and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

4. Prepare the risotto: in a small pot, heat the chicken broth or water until warmed through. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. When it starts to foam, add the leeks and stir until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes to toast the grains. Stir in the wine and cook until absorbed. Begin adding the warmed broth, about a half-cup at a time, and cook at a faint simmer, adding more broth as it is absorbed, stirring all the while. Cook until the rice grits are softened through and creamy. Stir in the Parmesan and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt.

Serves 4. Recipe By Christine Muhlke, Adapted from Chuck Ramsey of Five & Ten Restaurant in Athens, Ga.

Published: June 7, 2009

The New York Times Magazine
page 44


Related NY Times Article by Christine Muhlke:

Field Report: American Pastoral

A couple trade the suburbs for a grass-fed menagerie.

Ol' Blue Eyes

New Live Release Info:

Frank Sinatra: New York

If the Big Apple had a voice, it would no doubt be the voice of Sinatra. Only Ol' Blues Eyes could match the city in vivacity, sophistication and above all else, universal appeal. This 5-disc collection of never-before-released live recordings finds the singer doing what he did best, performing, in the city that he loved best!

• 4 CD / 1 DVD
• Over 70 unreleased songs
• 45-page booklet

Weighing in at 71 tracks, SINATRA: NEW YORK chronicles the very finest of his legendary shows, from 1955 all the way to 1984, at world famous venues and New York City landmarks such as Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and even the United Nations.

The 4CD/1DVD set delivers knock-out live versions of classic tunes such as “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “I Get A Kick Out Of You,” “I've Got You Under My Skin,” “My Kind Of Town,” “The Lady Is A Tramp,” and much, much more.

The 45-page booklet, complete with never-before-seen photos, contains an insiders look at the singer, the actor and the man himself as recounted by Frank Sinatra, Jr., columnist Nat Hentoff, sound engineer Tom Young, photographer George Kalinsky, Joe & Sal Scognamillo of Patsy’s, directors William Friedkin and Martin Scorsese, baseball great Yogi Berra, and choreographer Twyla Tharp.


TRACKLIST

Disc 1:
Manhattan Center, 1955
1. I’ll Never Smile Again
2. Oh! Look At Me Now
3. This Love Of Mine
United Nations, 1963
4. Too Marvelous For Words
5. They Can’t Take That Away From Me
6. I Have Dreamed
7. A Foggy Day
8. My Heart Stood Still
9. I Get A Kick Out Of You

Disc 2:
Carnegie Hall, April 8, 1974
1. Overture
2. Come Fly With Me
3. I Get A Kick Out Of You
4. Don’t Worry About Me
5. If
6. Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
7. Medley:
i. Last Night When We Were Young
ii. Violets For Your Furs
iii. Here’s That Rainy Day
8. Bows – “You Will Be My Music”
9. Monologue
10. My Way
11. You Will Be My Music
12. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
13. Send In The Clowns
14. That’s Life
15. Bows – “My Way”
16. There Used To Be A Ballpark
17. My Kind Of Town
18. Bows – “My Way”

Disc 3:
Madison Square Garden, October 12, 1974
1. Overture
2. The Lady Is A tramp
3. I Get A Kick Out Of You
4. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?
5. Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
6. Let Me Try Again (Laisse Moi le Temps)
7. Send In The Clowns
8. My Kind Of Town
9. Monologue
10. Autumn In New York
11. If
12. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
13. Angel Eyes
14. The House I Live In
15. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
16. My Way
17. Bows – “My Way”

Disc 4:
Carnegie Hall, June 1984
1. Fly Me To The Moon
2. Luck Be A Lady
3. This Is All I Ask
4. Come Rain Or Come Shine
5. Monologue
6. My Way
7. Teach Me Tonight
8. Pennies From Heaven
Radio City Music Hall, June 1990
9. For Once In My Life
10. Stranger In The Night
11. Monologue
12. Mack The Knife
13. Summer Wind
14. Theme From New York, New York
15. Bows ‘Good-Bye’

DVD:
Carnegie Hall, 1980
1. I’ve Got The World On A String
2. The Best Is yet To Come
3. The Lady Is A Tramp
4. When Your Lover has Gone
5. This Is All I Ask
6. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
7. Summer Me, Winter Me
8. Street Of Dreams
9. The Gal That Got Away/It Never Entered My Mind (Medley)
10. I Can’t Get Started
11. Send In The Clowns
12. Come Fly With Me
13. Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
14. You And Me (We Wanted It All)
15. The Song Is You
16. Theme From New York, New York


My Sinatra Moment:

Back in the early-late '90s, I was a plant technician in NYC... You know, the guy who waters and services the plants in your office or home. One of my clients was General Electric CEO Jack Welch & then wife Jane (Beasley).

I visited their residence at the Waldorf Towers in midtown Manhattan off Park Avenue twice a week for a couple of years. Would take the service elevator to the 20-something floor and knock on the door waiting for the housekeeper to let me in.

While waiting to be let in one day, I spied a large man sitting on a chair outside another apartment down the hall. Before I could knock again, the 325 lb. no-neck approached me asking "What are you doing here?"

Turning around, I looked up at him and replied "Huh? Oh, watering the plants at the Welch residence."

After a slight pause, he spoke again. "Mr. Sinatra is resting right now. I think it would be better if you came back some other time. Mr. Sinatra needs his peace and quiet."

"Oh, Okay," I said quickly agreeing with his assessment...

And just as quickly, I left for my next account at another location.

Fin.


Favorite Sinatra Tune:

Summer Wind

Last Act for the Bluefin

The international commission that sets fishing limits for tuna and other large migratory fish is meeting in Brazil. The commission faces a depressing reality: the bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean is headed toward commercial extinction.

From time to time, the commission has marginally reduced the allowable catch, but never by as much as its scientists have recommended, and never by enough to reverse the fish’s plunge toward extinction. The only quota that will make a difference is zero. The tuna fishery in the Mediterranean, where most of the fish spawn, should be shut down, pure and simple, until scientists say the fish have reached sustainable levels.

The United States delegation to the talks should settle for nothing less. If the talks produce only a reduced quota — given the makeup of the commission, that could happen — then the United States should join Monaco and other nations that have been pressing to put tuna on the international list of endangered species. Such a listing would allow fishermen to sell bluefin domestically but would make the high-volume international trade illegal, finally giving tuna a chance to recover.

Scientists say that overharvesting (much of it illegal) has caused a 72 percent decline among adult bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean over the last 50 years. The smaller western Atlantic stocks have shown similar declines but have now stabilized, partly because of rigorous compliance by the United States.

Click Here For Complete New York Times Editorial

Veteran's Day

On their day, think of them.

Also, Happy Birthday to my Mother & Brother.

Has it really been 5-6 years since I spoke to either of you?

Federal Money Working Hard

After U.S. rescue, AIG profitable

American International Group Inc. posted its second straight quarterly profit as its core insurance operations continued to stabilize after the company's $182 billion bailout by the government last year. A recovery in those operations is considered vital to AIG's repaying the government, which now owns 80 percent of the company. AIG's results were helped by the increasing value of investments it still holds that soured last year and helped drive it to the brink of collapse. In the quarter ended Sept. 30, AIG had a profit of $92 million compared with a loss of $24.5 million in last year's period. - AP


Math:

$92,000,000 x 4 = $368,000,000 (profit per year)

2 1/2 years at said profit rate = $1 Billion (*)

If the profit is plowed, Bailout could be paid in full after 455 years

note: this does not include interest amount due

(*) Using Wall Street Math, Yearly Profit Amount is rounded up to $400 million


Related: Dow surges to 52-week high

Soft dollar after G-20 meeting, boosts gold to a new record... Investors maintain upbeat sentiment, eye developments on potential mergers.

For The Record

The Richmond Library, of the Free Library System of Philadelphia, was closed Friday, November 6th, due to the lack of support staff.

Damn! Phillies Lose Game Six of Series. Fail to Repeat as World Champions.

Baseball Year 2009 A Success Though, As Philadelphia Captured 2nd Straight National League Pennant



New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Game 6, 11/04: PHI 3 at NYY 7
Game 5, 11/02: NYY 6 at PHI 8
Game 4, 11/01: NYY 7 at PHI 4
Game 3, 10/31: NYY 8 at PHI 5
Game 2, 10/29: PHI 1 at NYY 3
Game 1, 10/28: PHI 6 at NYY 1

Note: Yankees win their 27th World Series Championship and First World Series in the new Yankee Stadium

More: Nothing But Pride Today - Thank You, 2009 Phillies

BASEBALL

Phillies Hope To End 364-Day World Series Drought



PHILADELPHIA— The last time the Philadelphia Phillies brought a World Series title back to the City of Brotherly Love, the nation's financial sector was in complete ruin, the cost of a gallon of milk was only $2.74, fans watched the Fall Classic while huddled around their slightly-less-streamlined high-definition television sets, and Philadelphia slugger Ryan Howard was just 28 years old.

This week Howard, 29, hopes to lead the Phillies to their first World Series championship in more than 360 long days and end a title drought that has been punctuated by several embarrassing losses, including a 2009 opening-day defeat by the Atlanta Braves and a June loss to the Atlanta Braves. During its infamous dry spell, the team has also come up short twice, winning both an NLDS and an NLCS title but having absolutely no World Series ring to show for it.

To put into perspective just how long the Phillies have gone without a championship, the earth has almost made one full orbit of the sun since the franchise last paraded through downtown Philadelphia holding the famed Commissioner's Trophy.

"We have a good group of guys this year, and if we block out all the stuff about how we haven't won a World Series in more than 5,000 waking hours, we'll be fine." Howard said. "Frankly, I'm tired of all that talk. Yes, I know Michael Jackson was still alive the last time we won, and I know Boston Legal was gearing up for its final episode. But look, when the umpire says 'Play ball,' none of that matters."

"After 364 days of constantly coming up short, I think this is finally our year," Howard added.

According to Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, if his players get wrapped up in the fact that they haven't raised a World Series banner since April 5, 2009, they'll never be able to play to the maximum of their ability against the New York Yankees. The veteran manager admitted, however, that going nearly 52 straight weeks without a championship is bound to shake any team's confidence.

"The bottom line is we're a pretty inexperienced team, and for many of these young players, this will be the first time they've been to the World Series in a year." Manuel said. "A lot has changed in that time. If you would have told me last October that this country would elect a black president before the Philadelphia Phillies made it back to the World Series, I would have laughed in your face."

While Philadelphia players admitted the 11-month championship-winless streak has been difficult for them personally, most agreed that it's the fans who've suffered most, enduring more than 500,000 minutes without a World Series victory.

"Our fans are incredible," said left fielder Raul Ibanez, who was brought to the Phillies during the offseason in the hopes that he could help Philadelphia finally get back on the winning track. "If I were them, I would have given up on us weeks ago, after we lost our 69th game and failed to win the National League East by more than 10 [games]. But they stuck with us."

Though the Philly faithful are understandably disappointed with their team's title drought, many believe this will be the season when the team breaks the so-called Curse of 1981—the year in which the Phillies failed to follow up their 1980 championship season with a World Series victory.

"I guess part of me feels like the long wait will make a title all the more special," season-ticket holder Mike Oliver said. "And even though I don't like to compare teams, this Philly squad feels similar to the one who beat the Rays back in the day. They had guys like Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer—guys who could really play the game and knew how to win; not like today's players."

"Man, whatever happened to Jamie Moyer?" Oliver added. "He's got to be dead by now."

"Truthfully, I never thought I would live to see the Phillies get to another World Series," longtime fan David Oswald said. "When I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last November, the doctor only gave me eight months."


published October 29, 2009
The Onion Sports