Back when Funny was funny

I was channel surfing while waiting for someone, and stumbled across this scene from the old "I Love Lucy" show. Remember that? It takes me back to childhood when being home sick from school, or rainy vacation days, meant watching this and other shows like "The Andy Griffith Show", "Bonanza", "Gomer Pyle", "The Dick van Dyke Show", etc. (It also reminded me that I've always had a huge crush on William Holden.) And it made me sad, because I miss the days when comedy depended on humor, not today's easy way out of four letter words, crassness and sex, sex, sex.

Stop the Madness!

As the election year gears up, let’s clear up a few things. I’m already starting to get blitzed by well (and not so well)-meaning friends, relatives and acquaintances with “humorous”, serious, angry, pleading, cajoling, etc., political emails. In an attempt to spend less time hitting the delete button, let me clarify some points:

(a) I left the Republican party for good reason, I am not a fan of Ronald Reagan, and I think Dubya is not far short of being the anti-Christ. So if your political ponderings come from that direction, take me off your email list, as they will only be deleted, after reflexive eye-rolling.

(b) I’m not a Democrat. Nope. Just because you aren’t in one party doesn’t automatically mean you are a member of the other. And I’m not planning on becoming one any time soon, so any pleas, missives, or explanations as to why I should sign up will also be deleted and end up in my cyber trashcan.

(c) Nope, I won’t donate money to you and/or your campaign anyway.

(d) No, I won’t forward your email on to everyone in my address book, why would I do that to them?

(e) Over the past few years and during the last election, my dad and I traded amusing anti-Bush emails/websites with a small group of like-minded friends. You know who you are and are welcome to continue.

Vegetarian Turkey, Mock Turkey, Fake Turkey ...

Have been wanting to try making a vegetarian turkey, and today's potluck at work was a good excuse to do it. I made it up as I went along, and was glad to discover that it tasted pretty good. I wasn't gentle enough when I was moving it back and forth from the oven for basting, and it's little legs broke. Next time I think I'd either support them with some foil, or put a dowel in them, but I propped them back up after baking and it looked fine. If you want to give it a try, here's the recipe I came up with:

Vegetarian "Turkey"

1 16 oz bag stuffing mix (I used Pepperidge Farms Herb)
water/butter as called for on stuffing pkg.
Handful dried cranberries
4 lb roll of Worthington's frozen Smoked Turkey soyameat, thawed
1 red onion
3/4 lb or so, carrots (I just used the baby ones, already cleaned!)
2 small cans mushrooms, drained
generous splash soy sauce
Poultry seasoning or roasting rub
1 can dried breadcrumbs, unseasoned
Olive oil
Maple syrup
Paprika

Mix stuffing mix per directions on pkg, adding dried cranberries, set aside.

In food processor, grind up soy turkey, onion, carrots and mushrooms, place in large bowl. Add soy sauce, poultry seasoning to taste, and bread crumbs. Use hands to knead until throughly mixed.

Lightly oil large roasting pan and mound stuffing firming in middle, forming rounded oval. Gently cover stuffing with flattened handfuls of turkey mixture, until entire mound of stuffing is covered. Smooth firmly with hands. Keep adding turkey mixture, smoothing and shaping to form "turkey" shape. Make sure legs are supported by bottom of pan and extra foil if needed. Could also run a small dowel through legs for extra support if wanted.

Mix olive oil with small amount of poultry seasoning/herbs and paprika (to give turkey a deeper color) and gently baste. Place in 350 oven for about 90 minutes. Baste one more time with olive oil mixture, then again towards end and after removing from oven, with maple syrup mixed with some paprika. Enjoy.

My personality DNA

Better late than never

Finally joined the world of the mp3 player. I'm always a few steps behind when it comes to the latest techno toys. Just spent a couple hours downloading more music than I'll be able to listen to in ages....Franz Ferdinand, Big Brovaz, some soundtracks, Maroon 5, Sugababes, KT Tunstall, etc. So much more I want to add. What is it about music that has such power? I don't know, but I know I would be a sadder person without it.

What she said

I found it!

The picture below is one I grabbed from another website, but it shows an idea I'd seen somewhere and loved - using pretty teacups for scoops in clear glass sugar and flour canisters. I never realized how hard it was to find just the RIGHT canisters, though! As all my friends will attest to, I'm a pretty darn good googler, but I spent hours online and hadn't be able to find the ones that were exactly what I was looking for. Then where do they turn up? Down the road at IKEA! And, they were cheap too, even better! I won't start using them til we move, but that gives me time to find the perfect teacup/scoops.

A few clips only an Eastenders' fan would love...

These made me laugh and brought back some good memories of favorite episodes over the years -

I knew I wasn't imagining it!

I love YouTube, but sometimes it reminds me how old I am! I remembered an old sitcom I used to watch as kid, but no one I talked to remembered it. But it does exist, I found the opening credits on YouTube!

Why don't we have game shows like this?

The Japanese beat us hands down in coming up with dumb, yet entertaining TV game shows...

Intelligent words

Interesting letter by former head of the CIA Osama bin Laden task force: http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2007/05/22/fmr-chief-of-cia-osama-unit-why-t hey-attack-us/



Here is a list of Scheuer's main points:

1) Osama bin Laden (OBL) is neither an evil madman or just a criminal -- he is a highly competent, religiously motivated, charismatic leader who we had best take seriously.

2) Al Qaeda is not a terrorist organization, but is rather part of and attempting to lead a global Muslim insurgency.

3) OBL & Al Qaeda are not opposed to the U.S. because of "who we are," (ie, "we stand for freedom"), but because of what we do -- because of specific aspects of U.S. foreign policy.

4) The doctrine that informs OBL/Al Qaeda is that of DEFENSIVE JIHAD -- they see the Muslim world under attack by the U.S., and call upon scripture to support defensive military action by all faithful members of the "umma" (the universal body of Islam).

5) OBL has repeatedly stated five demands for changes in U.S. foreign policy: i) end all aid to Israel, ii) withdraw military forces from the Arabian Peninsula and all Muslim territory, iii) end all involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, iv) end U.S. support for the oppression of Muslims in China, Russia, India and elsewhere, and v) restore Muslim control of the Islamic world's energy resources for the benefit of Muslims. A sixth point is to replace U.S.-backed regimes in the Muslim world with Islamic regimes, but that is really a demand on the Muslim population.

6) The war in Afghanistan was a failure from the beginning, because OBL & the other leaders were allowed to escape at the beginning, and because the U.S. is just propping up Karzai in Kabul while the rest of the country is still in the hands of warlords and the Taliban.

7) The offensive invasion and occupation of Iraq was a huge gift to OBL -- it has just tied down more U.S. forces that otherwise could be fighting Al Qaeda, and it has become potent evidence for OBL's claim that the U.S. is aggressively targeting the Muslim world.

8) Scheuer concludes that at this point there is no choice but to resolve to fight a relentless war against the Al Qaeda-led insurgency. However, if the U.S. took action on the list of demands, it could undercut the insurgency dramatically. Scheuer argues that the U.S. should move to energy sufficiency, stop propping up corrupt regimes like Saudi Arabia, and remove itself as a target of the so far effective-because-largely-true propaganda campaign of the insurgents. There is no contradiction here, as some readers think. Changing political policies AND waging a more effective military campaign are both parts of an overall strategy, and only one-dimensional thinkers would imagine that it's an either/or choice.

Heaven & Hell

Horrible wildfires raging on Catalina Island. Such an awful sight in such a beautiful place. I remember so well visiting a few years back when Cyndy still lived in the LA area. One of her friends flew us in his private plane to Catalina where we landed at the "Airport in the Sky", drove down to the coast past the famous herds of buffalo, and then spent the day in the island's only town, the lovely Avalon. Prayers for Santa Catalina's people and wildlife.

Puhpeeze!

Is there anything cuter than puppies? If only they would stay this little and cute...

Otter BFF

If this doesn't make your heart melt a bit then there's something wrong with you. All together now..."Awwwwwweeeeee!!!"

Reality check...

I have alot of problems with John McCain....lack of honesty, willingness to compromise ethics to get where he wants to be, arrogance, etc., but this latest issue shows he's out of touch with reality as well...

My name is Sharon & I'm addicted to LUSH!

One of my favorite shops in the UK is LUSH....handmade, natural body products. I would think of them wistfully now and then and wish they had some shops here near me in Maryland. Sigh. Then a few weeks ago an online friend said, "But I thought they had a store in DC, in Georgetown?" Shiver. I looked it up on their webite and lo and behold, yes, there is a Santa Claus, Virginia! So last week I trekked down to M & Wisconsin and came home a poorer, but better smelling person. If you haven't ever tried any of their stuff, then go to their website, where you can order products by mail. I swear by their "Big Shampoo", and their massage bars are to die for. Happy, happy, happy :)