Saturday, May 31, 2014

Gemstone of the Day ...

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Chrysoprase helps to make conscious what was unconscious. It strengthens the workings of insight


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IbDlvFSRc4


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Strange Clouds Video of the Day ....

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Strange Clouds


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JgvEdcwpf0&list=PLpcmfuCdOz2aIPTcGmRsqpBOWeAnrGFal


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Recipe of the Day ....

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Peas and Mushrooms -

Ingredients:
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 cup green peas
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon shredded ginger...
2 tablespoon chopped fenugreek leaves or dry fenugreek leaves (also known as kastoori mathi)
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
2 teaspoons coriander powder (dhaniya)
1 teaspoon red pepper (adjust to taste)
3/4 teaspoons salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
1 finally chopped green chili (optional)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weeSy4mfjJo


Love watching this woman cook!
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Amazing Facts About Your Brain Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmcHH4wPpMU


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Music of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MKgxSx2NhA


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Relaxation of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukBpc0ENrTQ




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Quote of the Day .....

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Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and  speculation at a standstill.
~  Barbara Tuchman


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Friday, May 30, 2014

Home Remedy of the Day ...

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Garlic cure for foot fungus, shows close up of foot with fungus so don't look if that would make you squeamish.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i987-4FHzgA


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Recipe of the Day ....

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Simple Cabbage Soup


3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 quarts water
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (or vegetarian bullion cubes are good too)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/2 head cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, drained and diced - I avoid things in cans so I suggest tomatoes in glass containers or fresh plum tomatoes run through the food processor.


Note - Soup can be enhanced with leftover cooked beans, cooked meat, cooked pasta, Italian herbs, or leftover cooked brown rice. Throw those in at the end to avoid making them mushy. I also like a squeeze of fresh lemon on soup to heighten all the flavors.


Directions
In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic; cook until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in water, bouillon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then stir in cabbage. Simmer until cabbage wilts, about 10 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes. Return to a boil, then simmer 15 to 30 minutes, stirring often.


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Bad writing of the day ...

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Bad writing of the Day - Another "winner" in the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing contest:


As he finished off the last of his bourbon, Sidney realized that he was in for another evening of dancing rodents and flying elephants; God, how he hated working the night shift at Disney Studios.


James Dainis, Manhasset, NY


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Gemstone of the Day ...

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Garnets were worn to bring luck, wealth and blessings, and were often set into shields and the hilt of swords to protect warriors against harm. It is still considered to be the crisis stone, and engenders a feeling of community in difficult times. It promotes self-confidence and eliminates unnecessary inhibitions, and encourages a balanced approach to sexuality.




It also helps with forgiving yourself:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMtf006wSzA


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Quote of the Day ....

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"Night falls. Or has fallen. Why is it that night falls, instead of rising, like the dawn? Yet if you look east, at sunset, you can see night rising, not falling; darkness lifting into the sky, up from the horizon, like a black sun behind cloud cover. Like smoke from an unseen fire, a line of fire just below the horizon, brushfire or a burning city. Maybe night falls because it’s heavy, a thick curtain pulled up over the eyes. Wool blanket."
— Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale)



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Thursday, May 29, 2014

Dizzy Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhqjeHvEV7Q


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Geeky Joke of the Day ...

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Programmers are tools for converting caffeine into code.


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Music Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGQLXRTl3Z0


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Bizarre Plant Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTfB7FWipWk


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Librarian Quote of the Day ...

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"Librarians consider free access to information the foundation of democracy."
— Marilyn Johnson (This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All)



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Quote of the Day ....

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"Some regard private enterprise as if it were a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look upon it as a cow that they can milk. Only a handful see it for what it really is--the strong horse that pulls the whole cart."
— Winston Churchill


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Aromatherapy Tip of the Day ...

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Hyacinth helps with easing grief, the fragrance of the hyacinth is soothing, calming, centering and sensual.

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Bad Writing of the Day ....

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Bad writing of the Day - Another "winner" in the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing contest:

With a curvaceous figure that Venus would have envied, a tanned unblemished oval face framed with lustrous thick brown hair, deep azure-blue eyes fringed with long black lashes, perfect teeth that vied for competition, and a small straight nose, Marilee had a beauty that defied description.

Alice A. Hall, Ft. Wayne, IN

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Recipe of the Day ...

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World Famous Chicken Soup Recipe

One whole chicken
1 gallon water (enough to cover chicken)
1 onion cut in quarters
3 garlic cloves
1 inch of ginger root shredded
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound new potatoes
4 large carrots cut in one inch slices
2 stalks celery cut in one inch slices
1 can baby corn

1. Combine chicken, water, onion, garlic, ginger, and salt in a large
stock pot and bring to a boil.  (Crock pot can be used but times are longer)
2. Simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour skimming off oil and fat as needed.
3. Test chicken with a fork to determine when it is tender and fully cooked.
3. Remove the chicken and shred it, removing bones, fat, skin, and gristle.
4. Strain chicken broth.
5. Add vegetables and chicken to chicken broth and bring to a boil,
reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are done. Serve hot.

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Home Remedy of the Day ...

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Gin-Soaked Raisins for Arthritis: What is the Recipe?

Although there are several versions and variations of the gin-soaked raisin remedy, the general recipe seems to go something like this:
# take a box of golden raisins. (note: they must be the golden variety, sometimes called white raisins, not ordinary black raisins).
# place the raisins in a shallow container.
# cover the raisins with gin.
# let the raisins soak in the gin for a few weeks until the gin evaporates.
# you then eat nine of these drunken raisins a day to help your arthritis. (note: nine a day is the number you see most often, but you'll find many variations of the number).

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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Silly Joke of the Day ....

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Why was the broom late this morning?


Because it over swept.


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Recipe of the Day .....

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Pasta Salad with Artichoke Hearts (or asparagus) & Cranberries


2 cups  organic spiral whole wheat pasta
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
1 3/4 cup artichoke hearts, water packed, drained - (I don't like canned foods so I would probably skip this  and use chopped fresh asparagus stir fried in a little olive oil and garlic)
1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup organic tofu mayonnaise or any healthy oil mayo
2 Tbsp organic dried cranberries
1 ripe avocado, cubed right before serving so  it doesn't turn brown


Directions


Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse, drain and set aside in a serving bowl. Steam the broccoli and cauliflower for 2 minutes and cool. (Or throw the diced veggies into the boiling pasta water a few minutes before draining the pasta and drain them all together.) 


Slice the artichoke hearts into bite size pieces or use the stir fried asparagus. Add all ingredients, except avocado, to the pasta and mix with mayonnaise. Chill. Before serving throw in avocado chunks and garnish with cranberries. You could throw in a handful of chopped walnuts too.


Nutritional Information without walnuts
Per serving: 205 calories, 7g fat (32% calories from fat), 7g protein, 28g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 234mg sodium

Bad Writing of the Day ....

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Bad writing of the Day - Another "winner" in the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing contest:


The hands of the little white porcelain clock, which had sat at her bedside since she was twelve years old and wildly in love with Baxton Heathley and which had been given to her by her aunt Martha who had since died of a mysterious ailment in Peru while reportedly seeking information on the whereabouts of the famed black diamond which had belonged to her mother and her mother before her and so on down the line until it had disappeared during a hailstorm in Kansas where she was attending a convention of Astrologers Anonymous, crept slowly.


Dorey Hollin-Lowe, Salinas, CA


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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Cloud Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEZZNseGb9I


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Music Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoFEDfuxShY&list=PLZuQgph8utVtcezLI3amUmUcJ6toZ1r3J


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Crystals for Depression Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeGgLue3WTk


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Crystal Bruise Healing ....


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Crystal Healing of a bad bruise - video actually shows the bruise so don't look if the sight of a dark bruise would be disturbing to you .....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw8BuDHyClc


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Recipe of the Day ...

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Roasted Cauliflower with Red Pepper Coulis


Red pepper coulis:
2 red bell peppers (I try to use organic produce)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced


Cauliflower:
1 head organic cauliflower, cut into florets
Olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper


First - To make the red pepper coulis, preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Line a baking pan with foil and place the whole bell peppers on the baking sheet. Roast until the skin is browned and bubbling, about 15-20 minutes, turning at least a few times during cooking to brown all sides.


Then - Once the peppers are evenly browned, remove them to a plate or bowl and cover with foil (I reused the foil from the baking pan). Let stand about 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 450˚ F.


 Next - Remove the peppers from the plate and transfer to a cutting board. (If they are too hot to handle, let them cool for a few minutes.) Peel the skin from the outside of the peppers and discard – it should come away easily thanks to the roast/rest technique. Seed and coarsely chop the peppers. Place the roasted peppers in the bowl of a food processor along with the olive oil, vinegar, and garlic. Process until totally smooth.


Finally -  Place the cauliflower pieces on a baking sheet in an even layer. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Roast, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately with the red pepper coulis.


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Silly Joke of the Day ...

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What's orange and sounds like a parrot?


A carrot.


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Monday, May 26, 2014

Recipe of the Day ....

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Spiral Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Peanuts

12 ounces pasta spirals
2 pounds broccoli, about 2 heads
3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup organic brown rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup organic creamy peanut butter...
1 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup organic dry roasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
 
Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Drain, rinse and set aside.
Meanwhile, trim the stem end of the broccoli stalks. Thinly slice broccoli stems. Separate florets into bite-size pieces.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add pepper flakes, broccoli and 3/4 cup water.
Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes until tender but still bright green. Uncover and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Whisk together remaining oil and water, vinegar, peanut butter and soy sauce in a medium bowl until smooth.
Add pasta, broccoli, scallions and peanuts. Toss. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled.
 
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 283 calories, 19g fat (57% calories from fat), 12g protein, 20g carbohydrate, 8g fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 429mg sodium
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Recipe Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm24mxa6juA


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Aromatherapy Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWSAFMylrmA


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Aura Cleansing Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ENzn8umWQ


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Silly Joke of the Day ...

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What was the camel with no hump named?


Humphrey.


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Sunday, May 25, 2014

Second Joke of the Day ...

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What did the tie say to the hat?

You go on ahead, I'll hang around.



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Joke of the Day ...

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How much does a pirate pay to get his ears pierced?


A buccaneer.
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Recipe of the Day ....

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Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry ( Tofu can be substituted for chicken)
 
1/4 cup Organic Low Sodium Broth
3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp honey or agave syrup
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 pound Chicken Tenderloins or cut firm tofu cut into bite size pieces
salt and pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced...
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced on an angle
4 cups cooked brown rice
 

1. In a small bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, honey and cornstarch. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved, then set aside.
2. Season chicken or tofu with salt and pepper.
3. In a large, heavy skillet, heat peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Add chicken or tofu to skillet and stir-fry until the chicken pieces turn white or tofu is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
5. Add broccoli, bell pepper and green onion and stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F with an instant read thermometer, about 4 minutes.
6. Add broth mixture and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Serve mixture over brown rice.

Nutrition Facts if chicken is used:
Calories 398
Total Fat 12 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 60 mg,
Sodium 480 mg
Carbohydrates 43 g
Fiber 4 g
Protein 33 g

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Dance Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17Ak4MGYMvw


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Poem of the Day ...

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"Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Foeffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.
Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
Pronunciation (think of Psyche!)
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won’t it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It’s a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.
Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!"
— Gerard Nolst Trenité (Drop your Foreign Accent)


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Music Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWTjjm-Gg3c


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Library Quote of the Day ...

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"Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life. Libraries change lives for the better."
— Sidney Sheldon


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Bad Writing of the Day ....

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Bad writing of the Day - Another "winner" in the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing contest:


The most interesting feature about the Reverend Erin F.X. Nagabods, besides the swollen, bulbous nose planted pinkly between ruddy cheeks, above a tightly drawn mouth, and below dark, deep-set eyes, was his name.


Gregory J. Budzien, Wauwatosa, WI


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Saturday, May 24, 2014

Piano Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfjD-DQ5REk


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Music Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY-YirJeox8


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Massage Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4ttVP2cyK4


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Make up Talent of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ankYieiDkZM


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Librarian Quote of the Day ...

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"One can never have too many librarian friends."
— Jennifer Chiaverini (The Wedding Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #18))


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Quote of the Day ....

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"I guess that’s all forever is...Just one long trail of nows. And I guess all you can do is try and live one now at a time without getting too worked up about the last now or the next now."
— Nicholas Evans (The Horse Whisperer)


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Doctor Doctor Joke of the Day ...

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Doctor, Doctor will this ointment clear up my spots?

I never make rash promises!


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Silly Joke of the Day .....

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Who do you call when your chair breaks?


Call a chairman.


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Bad Writing of the Day ....

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Bad writing of the Day - Another "winner" in the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing contest:


I watched in helpless horror as the monster clawed its way up the TV tower and wondered what could be in the mutated genes of these Alaska king crabs which caused them to snatch only Canadian aircraft from the sky.


Walter J. Murphy, Staten Island, NY


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Recipe of the Day .....

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Walnut Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Makes 5 to 6 Servings

5 to 6  Portobello mushrooms, stemmed

3 teaspoons tamari

4 slices whole grain bread

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 teaspoons Italian herbs

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons dried basil or 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, optional

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with un-bleached parchment paper.

Rinse the portobello mushrooms briefly and pat dry with a clean dish towel, taking care not to break them. Place the mushrooms upside down on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle each mushroom with ½ teaspoon tamari.

Place the bread, walnut, Italian herbs, olive oil, garlic powder and walnuts onto a blender or food processor. Process until the mixture resembles course crumbs.

Fill each mushroom with 1/6 of the walnut mixture, patting it down firmly.

Tent the mushrooms with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes longer, until the topping is crisp and the mushrooms are tender.

Serve immediately.

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Friday, May 23, 2014

Awesome Nature Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VnnU7Ks8G4&index=21&list=LLh0_F5kJyIxrHZOjm69KYig


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Music Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7giOrKYIwpQ


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Shakespeare Quote of the Day ....

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"I wish my horse had the speed of your tongue."
— William Shakespeare (Much Ado About Nothing)


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Geeky Joke of the Day ...

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Some things we were never meant to know. For everything else, there’s Google.


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Librarian Quote of the Day ...

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"I don't need no Smith and Wesson, man, I got Merriam and Webster."


— Avi Steinberg (Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian)


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Bonus Quote of the Day .......

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"Finding the center of strength within ourselves is in the long run the best contribution we can make to others. ... People with indigenous inner strength exercise a great calming effect on panic among the people around them. This is what our society needs — not new ideas and inventions; important as these are, and not geniuses and super heroes, but persons who can "be", that is, persons who have a center of strength within themselves."
— Rollo May


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Quote of the Day ......

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Never believe generalizations.

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Bad Writing of the Day ....

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Bad writing of the Day - Another "winner" in the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing contest:


Let me tell you how luck, hard work, blind ambition and the love of a good woman brought Rock Sledge from obscurity to the job of chief salesperson in Peoria's third-largest shoe store.


Marion & Larry Gregg, Riverton, IL


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Thursday, May 22, 2014

Crystal Video of the Day ...

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Indian has a few magical crystals... see what one of them looks like, when he holds a camera close to it, and then aims it at the sun.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9128xEiI70


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Aura Cleansing of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6gUkJI7hIY



Awesome Nature Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEHm-XUHwNw


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Music Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3KjDpvmtwU


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Shakespeare Quote of the Day ...

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"Do you see yonder cloud that’s almost in shape of a camel?
Polonius: By the mass, and ‘tis like a camel, indeed.
Hamlet: Methinks it is like a weasel.
Polonius: It is backed like a weasel.
Hamlet: Or like a whale?
Polonius: Very like a whale."
— William Shakespeare (Hamlet)



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Movie Recommendation of the Day ...

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 Museum Hours (2012)
107 min  -  Drama  -  6 September 2013 (UK)

When a Vienna museum guard befriends an enigmatic visitor, the grand Kunsthistorisches Art Museum becomes a mysterious crossroads which sparks explorations of their lives, the city, and the ways artworks reflect and shape the world.

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Jokes of the Day ...

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--------------------------------------
Q -  What kind of doctor treats ducks?
A - A quack!
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How many balls of string would it take to reach the moon?
Just one if it's long enough!
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 Why did the child study in the airplane?
He wanted a higher education!
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 Why does a flamingo lift up one leg?
Because if he lifted up both legs it would fall over!
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Why do birds fly south in the winter?
Because it's too far to walk!
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Recipe of the Day ....

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Kale Soup

Boil a bunch of chopped fresh kale, six to eight cloves of garlic, and three to five slivers of ginger, and a goodly shake of black pepper in chicken broth or vegetable broth until kale is just barely cooked.

Add a couple of heaping teaspoons of flour and blenderize soup using hand held immersible blender.

Reheat soup to just a boil, turn off heat.

Serve hot with squeeze of fresh lemon.


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Bad Writing of the Day ....

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Another "winner" in the Bulwer-Lytton bad sentence writing contest:

Once upon a time, a very very very long time ago (ever so long ago), a teeny tiny weeny furry bear (smaller than most) named Norbert Smythe lived with a great many other teeny tiny weeny fury bears in a cozy cave lined with cupboards filled with gooey treats fixed by Norbert's mummy (who loved him just as much as ...your mummy loves you and always tucked him into his teeny tiny weeny furry bed each night and dressed him each morning in little blue coveralls and a red and white stripped jersey and a cunning little sailor hat) in the middle, the absolute center, of a great big huge enormous forest and lots of bunnies and squirrels and mice and ducks and quite a few lambs and puppies and just a few kittens lived just around the corner so Norbert had ever so many exciting adventures and all-round fun times; this is the story of just one of those all-round fun times and if you like this story, you can ask mummy and daddy to buy you all the rest of the forty-seven books in this series.

Gail Cain, San Francisco, CA
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Quote of the Day ....

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Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.

  
 Groucho Marx

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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Literary Passage of the Day ....

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“The day succeeding this remarkable Midsummer night, proved no common day. I do not mean that it brought signs in heaven above, or portents on the earth beneath; nor do I allude to meteorological phenomena, to storm, flood, or whirlwind. On the contrary: the sun rose jocund, with a July face. Morning decked her beauty with rubies, and so filled her lap with roses, that they fell from her in showers, making her path blush: the Hours woke fresh as nymphs, and emptying on the early hills their dew-vials, they stepped out dismantled of vapour: shadowless, azure, and glorious, they led the sun’s steeds on a burning and unclouded course.”
― Charlotte Bronte, Villette


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Awesome Nature Video of the Day ...

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Wowie!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLKc4yKgZTk


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Silly Joke of the Day ....

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What did the buffalo say to her son as he was leaving for college?


Bye son.


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Physics Lesson of the Day ...

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"Feline Physics"
Part II

Law of Cat Elongation
A cat can make her body long enough to reach
just about any counter top that has anything
remotely interesting on it.

Law of Cat Obstruction
A cat must lay on the floor in such a position
to obstruct the maximum amount of human
foot traffic.

Law of Cat Acceleration
A cat will accelerate at a constant rate, until
he gets good and ready to stop.

Law of Dinner Table Attendance
Cats must attend all meals when anything
good is served.

Law of Rug Configuration
No rug may remain in its naturally flat state
for very long.

Law of Obedience Resistance
A cat's resistance varies in proportion to a
human's desire for her to do something.

First Law of Energy Conservation
Cats know that energy can neither be created
nor destroyed and will, therefore, use as little
energy as possible.


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Nerdy Joke of the Day .....

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"I" before "E" except after "C" .... weird!


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Geeky Joke of the Day ...

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The Internet: where men are men, women are men, and children are FBI agents.


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Recipe of the Day ....

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Stuffed Collard Greens

10 medium sized collard leaves- steamed
1 1/2 cups cooked wild grain rice
1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans
1 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup chopped zucchini
3 T tomato paste...
1 T fresh oregano
1 T fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups tomato sauce
grated parmesan cheese

Steam the collard leaves and set aside to cool. Sauté pepper, onion, garlic, zucchini and herbs in about 2-3 T of water. Once they are translucent, turn off heat and add tomato paste. Mix in well with the rice and beans. Divide the mixture evenly into each of the collards, folding the leaf over the mixture and placing in a casserole dish. Once all 10 pieces are in the dish, pour sauce over the stuffed collards and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with grated cheese and enjoy!

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Dance Video of the Day .....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrGLNtZ0rEg


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Relaxing Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP2ZWolm4Zg


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Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Poem of the Day ....

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"I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line...
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils."
— William Wordsworth (I Wander'd Lonely as a Cloud)

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Recipe of the Day ...

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Broccoli with Creamy Parmesan Sauce



Ingredients
1 pound broccoli
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup nonfat milk , divided ...
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground white pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)



Directions



Preparation
Trim 1/2 inch off broccoli stalks; remove the tough outer layer with a vegetable peeler. Cut the broccoli lengthwise so the florets attached to the long stalks are 1 to 2 inches wide. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a Dutch oven fitted with a steamer basket. Steam the broccoli until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.



Meanwhile, whisk flour and 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl until smooth. Heat the remaining 3/4 cup milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming. Whisk in the flour mixture; cook, whisking, until thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; add cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg (if using).


Drizzle over the broccoli. Serve warm.


Nutrition Facts
Per serving
95 calories;
3 g fat(2 g sat,1 g mono);
10 mg cholesterol;
8 g protein;
2 g fiber;
10 g carbohydrates;
347 mg sodium;
329 mg potassium;
0 g added sugars;
Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2
Vitamin C (103% daily value), Calcium (22% dv). ;
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat


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Remote Energy Healing of the day...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUK2YA-wbWc


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Tap Dance Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOd3p3wxrv4


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Obstacle Removing Dance Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZaLxl8Eg74


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Interesting Cover of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAHmBMS8IEc


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Flower Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXzQIik-QRQ


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Silly Joke of the Day ...

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What did the navy bean say to the kidney bean?

How you bean?


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Bad writing of the day ....

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Bad writing of the day - another "winner" of the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing contest:


I was rookie in the game of love, dropping a fly at the wrong time, mishandling the high, long ones, striking out at the plate, you see, my gentle word traveler, I couldn't tell if fair was foul or foul was fair.


Thomas O'Toole, Knoxville, TN


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Geeky Joke of the Day ...

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If you give someone a program, you will frustrate them for a day; if you teach them how to program, you will frustrate them for a lifetime.


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Monday, May 19, 2014

Surfing Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlrqyHIE4wc


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Poem of the Day ...

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"SEA-FEVER

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is... a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trek's over"
— John Masefield (Sea Fever: Selected Poems)

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Blessing of the Day ...

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"This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson



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Recipe of the Day ...

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CABBAGE SOUP   

1 onion, minced
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 head Savoy or green cabbage
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups brown stock
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Pork spare ribs (optional)
1/2 cup long grain rice, rinsed

Lightly sauté the onion in olive oil and butter in a saucepan until translucent.

Shred the cabbage and stir in. Add minced garlic.

Make the brown stock and bring briefly to a boil.

Add stock, soy sauce and spare ribs (if using).

Simmer the soup at low heat setting for about 30 minutes or until ribs are tender, adding rinsed uncooked rice during last 12-14 minutes of cooking.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.

Variations: Escarole, Kale, Bok Choy or Napa Chinese Cabbage may be substituted for cabbage. Minor's Pork base may be used in place of brown stock. Onions can be sautéed at start with a slice of chopped pancetta instead of using butter.

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Bad Writing of the Day ....

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Bad writing of the day - another "winner" of the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing contest:

Bunny Berryman belied his name; he was a sour cop with a sour disposition and a face like two-week-old milk forgotten on the back porch step, and he knew it -- he also knew his mother had given him a better name than Bunny, but he'd been called Bunny for so long he'd forgotten exactly what it was.

J. Thompson, Rochester, NH

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Obscure Word of the Day ...

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Grutched - In a seventeenth-century letter from Sir Isaac Newton to Robert Hooke:

“I have long grutched the time spent ...”.

Grutched has a wonderful sound to it and that it should be more commonly used. In Newton’s time it was still employed in the sense of being reluctant to give or allow something, to begrudge, but it seems to have gone out of mainstream English currency around 1700.

It lasted long enough in a few local dialects for it to be included in the English Dialect Dictionary at the very end of the nineteenth century and to be resurrected, temporarily, by Rudyard Kipling in his Barrack-Room Ballads (“I paid my price for findin’ out, / Nor never grutched the price I paid”). Its origin is the Old French word groucier, to murmur or grumble. Our modern grudge is an altered form of it.

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Historical Joke of the Day ...

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Q: How was Louis the XIV feeling after completing the Palace of Versailles?

A: Baroque

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Sunday, May 18, 2014

Word of the Day ...

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Hippodrome -

To conduct races, equestrian, pedestrian, or aquatic, or other contests, in which the result is prearranged by collusion between the managers and the contestants, in order to make gain through betting.
The Century Dictionary, Volume 4, 1895.

Much interest was manifested in the races on Saturday, as it was expected that they would be real genuine contests of speed, instead of what they proved, some very poor hippodroming. ... The fraud was so palpable and barefaced that the only wonder was that the judges didn’t send them all to the stable, declare the pools off, and teach these fellows a lesson that would last them for some time.
Daily Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 18. Sep. 1878.

The original hippodromes were chariot-racing circuits of classical Greece (the term is from hippos, horse, plus dromos, a race or course). The term was imported from France to Britain in the early nineteenth century for a related spectacle and was later applied in Britain to a theater that offered a varied bill. Hippodromes, these days conventional theaters, survive in some British cities, notably London, Bristol and Birmingham.

Bonus word: Plasticarian

This word — it means a person who tries to avoid plastics — suddenly appeared from nowhere  in a British newspaper and has since been widely picked up by news outlets worldwide.

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Silly Joke of the Day ..

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What do vegetarian zombies eat?
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GRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAINS!



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70's Poster Philosophy of the Day ...

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"Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love – for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment is it perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you from misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. 


With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world."

— Max Ehrmann (Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life)

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Recipe of the Day ....

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Cucumber Raita

 1 medium cucumber
 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
 2 cups plain, whole-milk yogurt
 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
 2 tablespoons fresh coriander or mint leaves, chopped
 cayenne or paprika to garnish

Peel cucumber. Cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips, then into thin slices crosswise. Blot off moisture with paper towels. Toast cumin seeds for a few seconds in a small, heavy frying pan over high heat. In a bowl, stir yogurt until it is smooth. Mix it with the cumin, garlic and coriander or mint leaves. Combine mixture with cucumber slivers, sprinkle with cayenne or paprika, and chill before serving.


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Joke of the Day ...

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A duck and a chicken were standing by the side of the road. The duck started to cross the road but the chicken stopped him.
 

"Don't do it," the chicken said, "You'll never hear the end of it."


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Saturday, May 17, 2014

Best Joke of the Day ....

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Mama mouse and baby mouse are walking by a barn at twilight. The baby mouse looks up and sees a bat darting overhead. "Look, Momma!" the baby mouse says, "An angel!"


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Geeky Joke of the Day ...

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Why did the boy take his phone to the dentist?
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Because the phone had bluetooth!


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Silly Joke of the Day ....

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Why was the frog waiting for the bus?


His car got toad.


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Great Joke of the Day ...

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What does a nosey pepper do?


Be jalapeño business.


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Physics Lesson of the Day ....

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"Feline Physics"



Part I


Law of Cat Inertia
A cat at rest will tend to remain at rest, unless...
acted upon by some outside force, such as
the opening of cat food or a nearby scurrying
mouse.



Law of Cat Motion
A cat will move in a straight line, unless there
is a really good reason to change direction.


Law of Cat Magnetism
All blue blazers and black sweaters attract
cat hair in direct proportion to the darkness
of the fabric.


Law of Cat Thermodynamics
Heat flows from a warmer to a cooler body,
except in the case of a cat, in which case all
heat flows to the cat.


Law of Cat Stretching
A cat will stretch to a distance proportional
to the length of the nap just taken.


Law of Cat Sleeping
All cats must sleep with people whenever
possible, in a position as uncomfortable for
the people involved, and as comfortable as
possible for the cat.
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Bad Writing of the Day ....

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Nanook struggled out of the frigid arctic waters onto the ice floe and realized, with the clarity only hindsight gives, that putting the hibachi in his boat had been a mistake; … he couldn't have his kayak and heat it. too.


(Eddie Lawhorn)


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Seasonal Poem of the Day ....

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Tis the season of diamonds once more.
Not jewels--they're a bit of a bore;
But the kind that you run 'round
And have lots of fun 'round
While you count batters' balls...often four!
(Cynthia MacGregor)



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Nerdy Joke of the Day .....

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Helium walks into a bar and orders a beer, the bartender says, "Sorry, we don’t serve noble gases here."

Helium doesn’t react.

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Friday, May 16, 2014

Nerdy Joke of the Day ...

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What's a laptop falling off a boat?

A Dell rolling in the deep.

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Interesting thought of the Day ..

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Accidentalism -
    

The philosophic doctrine that claims that events can or do occur without cause.


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Goofy Joke of the Day ...

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What do they call a REALLY old cow?

A legend-DAIRY cow


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Silly Joke of the Day ....

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What do you call a fish with no eyes?

...FSH


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Bad Writing of the Day ...

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The camel died quite suddenly on the second day, and Selena fretted sulkilyand, buffing her already impeccable nails -- not for the first time since the journey began -- pondered snidely if this would dissolve into a vignette of minor inconveniences like all the other holidays spent with Basil.




Gail Cain, San Francisco, CA




Another "winner" of the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing Contest


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Thursday, May 15, 2014

Free Healing of the Day ...

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No side effects ....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u5tEN-FKok


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News Story of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5pkDB7zEeo


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Music Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srn0xkXTSgs


Too true!


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I Liked Ike Quote of the Day ...

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"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron."
— Dwight D. Eisenhower



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Quote of the Day ....

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"Books don't offer real escape, but they can stop a mind scratching itself raw."
— David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas)


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Doctor Joke of the Day ...

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Doctor, I feel like a pack of cards.
 

I'll deal with you later.


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Silly Joke of the Day ....

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What do you get if you cross a chicken with a cement mixer?



A brick layer!


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Bad Writing of the Day ...

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Another "winner" of the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing Contest:


The time tunnel was closing rapidly as Betsy Mae frantically dragged her toaster through the opening; morning in the twenty-third century would be a nightmare without Pop Tarts.


Carol Babst, San Jose, CA


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Recipe of the day ...

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Lentil Soup

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 6 servings

1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped ...
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups dry lentils
8 cups water
1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vinegar
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Silly Joke of the Day ...

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What do you do when your chair breaks?



Call a chairman.


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Awesome Nature Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXyBGKYh-c0


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Music of the Day .....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO_CuYy2ZZg


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Jewish Joke of the Day ....

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During a Sabbath service a rabbi is seized by a sudden wave of guilt, prostrates himself and cries out, “God, before you I am nothing!”


The cantor is so moved by this demonstration of piety that he throws himself to the floor beside the rabbi and cries, “God, before you I am nothing!”


Watching this scene unfold from his seat in the first row, the chairman of the synagogue’s trustees jumps up, flops down in the aisle and cries, “God, before you I am nothing!”


The rabbi nudges the cantor and whispers, “So look who thinks he’s nothing!”


(This ancient yarn is known to Talmudic scholars as Jewish Joke No. 73 )


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Nerdy Joke of the Day ...

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Whatever you do always give 100% .. unless you're donating blood.


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Quote of the Day ....

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"No matter how honest scientists think they are, they are still influenced by various unconscious assumptions that prevent them from attaining true objectivity. Expressed in a sentence, Fort's principle goes something like this: People with a psychological need to believe in marvels are no more prejudiced and gullible than people with a psychological need not to believe in marvels."
— Colin Wilson (Mysteries)



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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Spring Cleaning Tip of the Day ...

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A simple equal part vinegar and water mixture with a few drops of lemon oil makes your home smell and fresh and clean as any of those commercial mixtures.


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Silly Joke of the Day ...

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How do you prevent a Summer cold?



Catch it in the Winter!


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Strange word of the day ....

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Hoity-toity derives from the long-obsolete verb hoit, meaning to “indulge in riotous and noisy mirth” (have you hoited recently? it’s supposed to be very good for you) or to “romp inelegantly” (again from the OED; is it even possible to romp elegantly?).

Where hoit comes from is uncertain, although an early form suggests a link with hoyden, which is now an unfashionable way to describe a noisy or energetic girl but which at the time could also mean an ignorant or clownish man. This is probably from the Middle Dutch heiden, a heath, hence a yokel; if so, hoyden is a close relative of heathen.

The shift to our current sense probably came about through a variation, highty-tighty, that was current between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. The first part may have evoked the idea of height and so led to assumptions of superiority, although no such link ever actually existed.

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Nerdy Joke of the Day ...

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Two lumps of coal were talking at work.


"I hear Fred's become a diamond."


"Yeah, he's been under a lot of pressure."


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Bad Writing of the day ...

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''It was the third day of the Iditarod sled race, and a frigid wind blew ice crystals into Preston's grizzled, wind burned face as he urged his dogs on: 'Mush! Let's go, Jason, Jennifer, Jeremy! Move it out, Chelsea, Brian! Come on, Buffy, Muffy, mush!' ''


(Michael J. Saxton, Davis, Calif.)


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Great Actress of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU33k_nhA8Y


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Recipe of the Day ....

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Beans and Greens Soup

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cup water
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 whole bay leaf
4 whole peppercorns
3 whole cloves
15 ounces white beans, cooked, with some of the juice 

1/4 cup celery, diced
1 medium organic potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 medium carrot, sliced into thin rounds
1/2 cup leeks, cleaned well, chopped using green and white parts
1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 cup kale, chopped
spinach, chard, or arugula
1/2 tsp lemon zest (grated peel)
1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Directions
Heat the oil in a medium soup pot and sauté the garlic for 1 minute. Add the water. Tie the parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns and cloves up in a piece of clean cotton cheesecloth and place in the pot. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the her filled sack.

Place the beans, potatoes, onion, celery, carrots, leek and sea salt in the pot. Cover and simmer 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Reduce the flame to low , add the kale and black pepper. Simmer 1 to 2 minute. Turn off the flame and mix in the grated lemon zest and lemon juice. Serve.
 
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 218 calories, 6g fat (23% calories from fat), 8g protein, 37g carbohydrate, 10g fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 300mg sodium

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Epic Music Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usHC-O1BPCM


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Dance Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fa2wZEsRWM


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Monday, May 12, 2014

Recipe of the Day ...

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Kale with Peanut Mustard Dressing
Ingredients
2 cups water, for blanching kale
1 medium bunch of kale, chopped
1/2 cup water, for the dressing
2 tsp  Brown Mustard
1/4 cup organic unsalted peanut butter
2 tsp  Soy Sauce

Directions...
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and blanch the kale for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove and rinse quickly under cold water to set the color. Drain and place in a bowl. Place 1/2 cup water, mustard, peanut butter and shoyu in a blender and puree until creamy. Serve over the kale.


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Obscure Word of the Day .....

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Palpebrous

It’s so rare you might never have heard it used :

Don’s deep voice, his palpebrous, leonine features, his evident learning, his almost BBC-like diction, his entire bearing, might seem so grand as to be intimidating to a young student.
Geographical Review, July 2009.

A member of the medical profession will assume it has something to do with my eyes, since a palpebra is an eyelid, a te...rm taken from classical Latin and so having palpebrae as its plural. Zoologists may recognise it as a relative of the second half of the scientific name Paleosuchus palpebrosus for Cuvier’s dwarf caiman (it means to have prominent eyelids). It also appears in Zosterops palpebrosus, the formal term for the oriental white-eye, a little bird so named because it has a prominent white ring around its eye. A scientific relative, now wholly defunct, is palpebrate, having eyelids.

We’re in the right area, but palpebrous came about through a misapprehension by Benjamin Smart, a nineteenth-century elocutionist and grammarian. In the second edition of A New Critical Pronouncing Dictionary of the English Language, he defined palpebrous to mean a person with prominent eyebrows.

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Reiki Healing of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1ydvtAy8Hc


I put a crystal in front of the screen to soak up any good vibes from this video then carry the crystal with me during the day ... couldn't hurt!


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Music Video of the Day .....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnoDb0bMQuk


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Dance Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im9XuJJXylw


C'mon ... you know you want to get up and dance!


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Bad Writing of the Day ....

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Jordan Kaderli - winner of the Bulwer-Lytton bad writing contest -

On reflection, Angela perceived that her relationship with Tom had always been rocky, not quite a roller-coaster ride but more like when the toilet-paper roll gets a little squashed so it hangs crooked and every time you pull some off you can hear the rest going bumpity-bumpity in its holder until you go nuts and push it back into shape, a degree of annoyance that Angela had now almost attained.



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Silly Joke of the Day ....

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What do you call the best butter on the farm?



A goat.


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Geeky Joke of the Day ....

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Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots.


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Sunday, May 11, 2014

New Word of the Day ...

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Banausic
 
The source is classical Greek banausikos, relating to artisans (from baunos, a forge), though in English its meaning has been influenced by classical Greek attitudes as much as its etymology. Something banausic is mundane or functional. It might seem to be a relative of banal, but that’s from an Old French word of Germanic origin relating to compulsory feudal service.
 
Greeks of the ancient world lived in a stratified society, with a relatively small population of male citizens being supported by the labour of women, slaves and foreigners. For citizens, intellectual pursuits — including logic, rhetoric and philosophy — were key to an active part in public life as well as being satisfying in their own right. Activities that involved physical labour, such as making things to earn a living, were looked on as degrading banausic necessities. Even learning to play a musical instrument was thought by Aristotle to be a banausic occupation.
 
It has never quite lost its snobbish undertones, but it has shifted sense slightly to refer to the utilitarian or materialistic aspects of everyday life.
 
Aristocratic disdain for “trade” is a commonplace of literature, the latter regarded as tainted by the low and banausic nature of what it involves.
Ideas That Matter, by A C Grayling, 2009.

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Quote of the Day ....

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"Who are we, who is each one of us, if not a combination of experiences, information, books we have read, things imagined? Each life is an encyclopedia, a library, an inventory of objects, a series of styles, and everything can be constantly shuffled and reordered in every way conceivable."
— Italo Calvino



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Crystal Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6drrYFj91Ko


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Mineral Friend of the Day ...

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Selenite
The name selenite comes from the Greek word Selene, meaning moon. It has been used for window panes, such as those in Santa Sabina in Rome. The giant crystals in the Naica Cave of Crystals are Selenite Gypsum.
Selenite is a stone of mental clarity. This clarity enhances mental flexibility and enables strong decision making abilities. It can affect every day life as full mental clarity into play to lesson confusion and mental disorientation.
Selenite is also a stone of truth and honesty. This promotes good business practices as well as honesty in other types of relationships.



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Geeky Joke of the Day ...

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Latest survey shows that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the world’s population.


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Nerdy Joke of the Day ....

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The biologist told his girlfriend, "You're sweeter than a bee's vomit."


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Recipe of the Day ....

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Eggplant Puree with Walnuts

2 large eggplants
2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)...

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Wash the eggplants and pat dry. Puncture the skin in several places with a fork. Place on an ungreased pan and bake for about 25 minutes, turning, until the skin is blistered and shriveled. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes, until easy to handle.

2. While the eggplants are roasting, pulse the garlic, walnuts, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil together in a food processor until ground and paste like.

3. Cut off the stem and cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape out the pulp, discarding as many of the seeds as possible. Add the eggplant, a little at a time, to the bowl of the food processor and pulse on and off. Add the lemon juice, vinegar, and remaining olive oil and pulse until well combined. The eggplant puree does not have to be perfectly smooth. Season with salt and add a bit of sugar if necessary, as eggplants sometimes impart a trace of bitterness.

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ASMR Video of the day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTFgVTztNeA


Best heard with earphones or earbuds .....


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Hot Video of the Day ...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrHowF3HRLY


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Music Video of the Day ....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCr4TtJezjg


Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!


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Saturday, May 10, 2014

Recipe of the Day ...

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Easy Lemon and Garlic Broccoli

Original recipe makes 4 servings

1 pound broccoli, separated into florets
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch salt ...
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place broccoli florets in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir 2 teaspoons lemon juice into water in a small bowl and pour the mixture into the skillet. Cover and steam until broccoli is bright green and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. While broccoli is steaming, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in garlic and salt; turn heat to low and let the garlic gently fry until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Drain water from cooked broccoli and return to skillet; sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons lemon juice and the butter and garlic mixture. Sprinkle broccoli with black pepper, toss to combine, and season with a bit more pepper if desired.

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Word Origin of the Day ...

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Origin of piggy bank.


The name originated from the word “pygg”, which referred to an orange clay used to form all sorts of pottery items, including jars to hold loose change, which were named after the material itself. In the eighteenth century a clever potter decided to make a pig-shaped “pygg bank” as a novelty item and that soon became the piggy bank of today.


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