Easy grilling tips for a tasty cookout
Whether you use charcoal or gas won't matter as much as how you prepare the grate.
Also: 
Saturday, April 24, 2010
The Haggis beast that roams Scotland
Photo: Roland Tanglao.
According to a survey in the UK, one in five Britons believes that haggis, a traditional Scottish meal made from all the sheep bits the English didn't steal, is in fact "an animal that roams the highlands."
From Reuters:
Another 15 percent said it is a Scottish musical instrument while 4 percent admitted to thinking it was a character from Harry Potter.
Thus proving that not only are Americans ignorant of what is and what is not within their own country.
Tough immigration measure sparks outrage
Tough immigration measure sparks outrage
A legal battle brews even as Arizona's governor promises the law won't support racial profiling.
Also:
You may also note the sign in the boy's hand - the words on it are spelled correctly ... something that can not be said for signs that those who like this abomination of law and pushed for it's passage like to wave around.
Controversial immigration bill signed
Controversial immigration bill signed
The U.S.'s toughest immigration law gives police powers that Obama says may violate civil rights.
Also: May violate Civil Rights?! There is no 'may' about it. The law in and of itself is a violation of our Civil Rights!
Arizona will identify illegal aliens by their shoes
Seriously folks ...Well, we have finally discovered what 'planet' the wingnut crazies come from it's called Arizona
How much home can $300K buy?
How much home can $300K buy?
At this price, you can purchase a mini- mansion, a lakefront chalet, or a 450 sq. ft. studio.
Also: SEC porn scandal: Political payback for fraud suit against Goldman Sachs?
The reemergence of a Securities and Exchange Commission porn scandal may be political payback for the agency's fraud suit against Goldman Sachs, some officials suspect.News of salacious Internet sex surfing by dozens of SEC supervisors actually broke months ago, but it got new life after the commission's April 16 vote to act against the financial powerhouse.
Repugican lawmakers have loudly slammed the decision, government sources noted.
Asked whether there was any connection between the lawsuit and the recently leaked inspector general's report on downloading porn, SEC spokesman John Nester declined to comment.
But he said the agency has been explaining since February that it looked into every report of "inappropriate" behavior. The report named 33 officials. "Each of the offending employees has been disciplined," Nester said. "Some have already been suspended or dismissed."
A week of wrangling with sea creatures
A week of wrangling with sea creatures
An octopus snatches a scuba diver's camera, while a shark chomps on a surfboard.
Also: Buddy to the rescue
Determined dog leads troopers to fire
Buddy helps Alaskan police with a malfunctioning GPS find his burning home.
Also: Actor Files $50M Lawsuit Against Academy of Motion Pictures For False Imprisonment
Sometimes watching the interminable Oscars can make you feel like you're being unfairly punished. But one actor says attending this year's Academy Awards was like being locked up - literally!
Actor Michael Avmen filed a $50 million lawsuit against The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for illegal false imprisonment and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, Pop Tarts has learned exclusively.
The suit was filed in Central District Superior Court in California on Thursday. It stemmed from an incident that took place at this year’s Academy Awards. According to the suit, several days prior to the awards show, Avmen and his wife were informed that their tickets were “tentatively confirmed,” but despite several attempts by Avmen and his publicist, they were unable to locate the tickets. On the day of the event were led to believe that their tickets, like many others, including those of Robert Downey Jr., were possibly being held inside.
On the afternoon of March 7th, the actor and his wife dressed up for the Oscars and an usher for the event transported them from where they were staying at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to a “resolution desk” where an Academy employee they had been communicating with was working.
Avmen alleges that despite repeated requests to be able to return to the Roosevelt, he and his wife were “held against their will” for six hours in the Academy’s “detention center,” interrogated about how they were able to get onto the red carpet without tickets, and accused of lying and trespassing.
At around 10pm, uniformed Los Angeles police officers arrived and took them to the station, but no charges were filed and Avmen claims that the officer apologized profusely for how they were treated by Academy officials.
As a result of the acts, Avmen and his wife allege that they were “injured in health, strength and activity” and “sustained injury to his and her body and shock and injury to their nervous system” and have since suffered with “humiliation, mental anguish and emotional and physical distress.”
“If I or some ‘REGULAR’ individual acted as The Academy did, we would be in prison right now. I want, and I will show that these people aren’t above the law,” Avmen said in a statement. “Security is one thing, but this was outside the realm of excessive. My wife and I have suffered, and there has been a great injustice enforced.”
The Academy was not immediately available for comment.
Avmen is preparing for the release of the films "Straw Dogs," and "Battle: Los Angeles," in which he has minor roles.
Actor Michael Avmen filed a $50 million lawsuit against The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for illegal false imprisonment and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, Pop Tarts has learned exclusively. The suit was filed in Central District Superior Court in California on Thursday. It stemmed from an incident that took place at this year’s Academy Awards. According to the suit, several days prior to the awards show, Avmen and his wife were informed that their tickets were “tentatively confirmed,” but despite several attempts by Avmen and his publicist, they were unable to locate the tickets. On the day of the event were led to believe that their tickets, like many others, including those of Robert Downey Jr., were possibly being held inside.
On the afternoon of March 7th, the actor and his wife dressed up for the Oscars and an usher for the event transported them from where they were staying at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to a “resolution desk” where an Academy employee they had been communicating with was working.
Avmen alleges that despite repeated requests to be able to return to the Roosevelt, he and his wife were “held against their will” for six hours in the Academy’s “detention center,” interrogated about how they were able to get onto the red carpet without tickets, and accused of lying and trespassing.
At around 10pm, uniformed Los Angeles police officers arrived and took them to the station, but no charges were filed and Avmen claims that the officer apologized profusely for how they were treated by Academy officials.
As a result of the acts, Avmen and his wife allege that they were “injured in health, strength and activity” and “sustained injury to his and her body and shock and injury to their nervous system” and have since suffered with “humiliation, mental anguish and emotional and physical distress.”
“If I or some ‘REGULAR’ individual acted as The Academy did, we would be in prison right now. I want, and I will show that these people aren’t above the law,” Avmen said in a statement. “Security is one thing, but this was outside the realm of excessive. My wife and I have suffered, and there has been a great injustice enforced.”
The Academy was not immediately available for comment.
Avmen is preparing for the release of the films "Straw Dogs," and "Battle: Los Angeles," in which he has minor roles.
Odds and Sods
Odds and Sods
In Cop News
Six men say that 20 Chicago cops assaulted, Tasered and maced them in a private home, with a helicopter hovering overhead, because the men had shouted that "the kids were OK" as cops patted down a group of 10- and 11-year-old kids on the street
Second Tulsa cop is placed on paid leave as feds' investigation of fabricated drug buy continues
Florida deputy gets probation for armed standoff
Fired New York police chief pleads guilty in assault case
Seattle police withheld evidence in low-level arrest, civil rights activist learns
Second candidate for sheriff in West Virginia is arrested
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:It might feel to you that things are going so well that they couldn't possibly be get better.
Yet as of today, and for the next month, too, things are going to get better.
You've got nothing but helpful energy circulating within and around you, and you should be able to bring exactly what and whom you need, exactly when you need it.
Enjoy the great energy!
Some of our readers today have been in:
Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia
Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Bari, Puglia, Italy
Galway, Galway, Ireland
Malmo, Skane Lan, Sweden
Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
Annecy, Rhone-Alpes, France
Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Prague, Hlavni Mesto Praha, Czech Republic
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Dundalk, Louth, Ireland
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
as well as Colombia, Scotland, Paraguay, and the United States in such cities such as Marinette, Decatur, Muscle Shoals, Hackensack, Milton and more
Today is Friday, April 23, the 113th day of 2010.
There are 252 days left in the year.
On April 23, 1910, former President Theodore Roosevelt delivered his famous "Man in the Arena" speech at the Sorbonne in Paris. In it, Roosevelt declared, "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena."
As The World Turns
As The World Turns
North Korea to Seize South Korean Property
North Korea announced Friday that it plans to seize five South Korean-owned properties at a mountain resort as tensions mount between the two nations
North's - human torpedoes' sank South Korea's ship
Top drug dealer caught near Mexico City
The State Of The Nation
The State Of The Nation
Local Hospitality
Local Hospitality
Obama Coming To NC For Weekend Vacation
Obama and his family were to leave the White House at midday Friday and fly to Asheville.
More disturbing details about the woman charged with trying to steal an infant from Duke University Hospital on Tuesday.
Democrats to offer bill to blunt Citizens United decision
Good move.
Check out the third and fourth paragraphs. Sounds like something the repugicans would do - and I mean that in a good way.
Check out the third and fourth paragraphs. Sounds like something the repugicans would do - and I mean that in a good way.
Democrats plan to introduce legislation next week that would sharply limit the ability of foreign-connected companies to participate in U.S. politics and require greater transparency from corporations, unions and nonprofit groups that pay for political advertising, according to a confidential summary of the bill.
The proposal, spearheaded by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), is aimed at blunting the effect of a Supreme Court ruling in January that permits companies and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money for or against political candidates. President Obama has sharply attacked the ruling, and many Democrats feel it will unleash a flood of corporate spending that is likely to favor repugicans.
According to the summary, obtained by The Washington Post, the legislation would require corporate chief executives or group leaders to publicly attach their names to ads, much like political candidates are required to do. It would also mandate disclosure of major donors whose money is used for "campaign-related activity."
The latter measure would require powerful trade groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for the first time to identify the companies that fund its political-related spending.
SEC Officials Surfed Porn While Economy Crashed
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
Hospital says it performed world's first full face transplant
It takes 18 chickens to get a mammogram
John Aravosis had this to say:
You may recall that the GOP Senate candidate running against Harry Reid recently said that health care in America is affordable because you can always use chickens, and other livestock, to pay your doctors for medical procedures. Then she defended the statement by giving other examples of medical barter, such as hay, yard work, and horse shoeing.
Well, some folks have created a Web site to facilitate this medical barter. The site lets you know how many chickens you'll need for each medical procedure. Priceless.
Well, some folks have created a Web site to facilitate this medical barter. The site lets you know how many chickens you'll need for each medical procedure. Priceless.
A turn of a phrase
Lackadaisical
Meaning: In a listless, languid manner; without interest. .
Origin:
Lackadaisical may now be a single word but, in its original form, it derived from a phrase, albeit by a circuitous route. The phrase in question is 'alack a day' or 'alack the day'. It was used first by Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet, 1592, on Romeo's mistaken belief that Juliet had died:Shee's dead, deceast, shee's dead: alacke the day!
Alack itself can be broken down into the exclamation 'Ah' and 'lack', which then meant failure or shame. Alack-a-day was a recognition of woe or regret at some unfortunate occurrence.
'Alack-a-day' migrated into 'lack-a-day', by a process known as aphesis. This is defined by the OED as - the gradual and unintentional loss of a short unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word; as in squire for esquire.
It was used by John Eachard in The Grounds & Occasions of the Contempt of the Clergy and Religion Enquired, 1685. At that date the 'lack' spelling wasn't yet fully accepted and this citation proceeded the phrases by a hyphen, indicating the missing 'A'.
'Lack a day. how easie a matter is it for old folks to dote and slaver, and for young ones to. be deceived.
Having been shortened 'lack-a-day' now became extended to become the rather fanciful 'lack-a-daisy'. This ornamentation may have been influenced by the existence of the term 'ups-a-daisy', a version of which was in use by 1711.
Tobias Smollett, recorded this piece of street slang in the satirical novel The adventures of Roderick Random, 1748:
Finding the sheets cold, [she] exclaimed, "Good lack-a-daisy! the rogue is fled!"
The novelist Laurence Sterne formed the adjectival form of 'lack-a-daisy', in A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy, 1768:
Would to Heaven! my dear Eugenius, thou hadst passed by, and beheld me sitting in my black coat, and in my lack-adaysical manner.
Lackadaisical may be a single word but it displays an almost Germanic effort to encapsulate an entire paragraph's worth of meaning. To translate from the constituent parts that it is built from, it means 'in the manner of someone who, for all of the day, exhibits a sense of languid dissatisfaction of some failure or fault'.
Lunatic Fringe
Lunatic Fringe
First there was wingnut hate speech radio.
Now there is a new cable television network planned that will bring wingnut hate speech programming to the TV screen.
It's called the rightnetwork, and actor kelsey grammer is the spokesperson for the new ultra-wingnut channel. Full Story
So Faux News is too Liberal, eh?
Book ban infuriates Cult of Scientology
Like we care what this cult thinks?!
Book ban infuriates Cult of Scientology
Russia's government bans L. Ron Hubbard's books, calling them "extremist."
Also: Family guilty of lagoon body murder
Five members of a family have been convicted over the death of a man whose headless corpse was found in a lake.
Michael Gilbert, 26, was kept as a slave and tortured before being killed and decapitated then dumped in the Blue Lagoon in Arlesey, Bedfordshire, last year.
News of jailed hikers alarms parents
News of jailed hikers alarms parents
Two of the three Americans held in Iran have fallen ill, Swiss diplomats reveal.
Also: Bank robber changed from black to white
When Ohio police put out an A.P.B. for a black male who had robbed five banks, they were puzzled as to why they could never catch the guy. He always seemed to slip away, despite cops locking down the area around the target banks.
That's probably because the real suspect was a white guy from Florida disguised as an African-American. Blame this one on the magic of Hollywood. Conrad Zdzierak, a former Seminole resident, was arrested earlier this month accused of robbing four banks and a CVS pharmacy in a three hour span.
Police said he eluded police by wearing a mask known as "The Player," which transformed the very white, spike-haired Zdzierak into a very dark, bald black guy. Zdzierak, 30, also wore shades to cover his blue eyes.
The suspect seen in the surveillance photographs and that we were looking for, we believed to be an African American male," Springdale Police Lieutenant Michael Mathis said. "The suspect was actually a male, white, who was wearing an elaborate disguise." Between robberies, Zdzierak would take off the mask and drive by police as they searched for the black suspect.
That's probably because the real suspect was a white guy from Florida disguised as an African-American. Blame this one on the magic of Hollywood. Conrad Zdzierak, a former Seminole resident, was arrested earlier this month accused of robbing four banks and a CVS pharmacy in a three hour span.
Police said he eluded police by wearing a mask known as "The Player," which transformed the very white, spike-haired Zdzierak into a very dark, bald black guy. Zdzierak, 30, also wore shades to cover his blue eyes.
The suspect seen in the surveillance photographs and that we were looking for, we believed to be an African American male," Springdale Police Lieutenant Michael Mathis said. "The suspect was actually a male, white, who was wearing an elaborate disguise." Between robberies, Zdzierak would take off the mask and drive by police as they searched for the black suspect.
In Matters Of Health
In Matters Of Health
Nearly 4 million face health care penalty
Many mostly middle-class Americans will be fined after the health care law kicks in.
Also: Deadly Airborne Fungus is Killing People in Oregon
The new strain known as VGIIc of the fungus Cryptococcus gattii not only targets humans but has also proven capable of infecting dogs, cats, alpacas, sheep and elk. Other strains have even infected porpoises.
Although it can spread to mammals, it does not jump from animal to animal. Instead, people and other animals get it from inhaling spores released by samples of the fungus that infect trees.
Exceptions to five common health rules
Eating lots of leafy veggies and getting exercise by swimming are great choices for most people.
Also: It's The Economy Stupid
It's The Economy Stupid
Biggest money losers of the Fortune 500
The worst-performing companies had such massive losses that they needed Uncle Sam to prop them up.
Also:
Oil rig disaster poses environmental peril
Oil rig disaster poses environmental peril
The collapsed platform could pump more than 300,000 gallons of crude a day into the Gulf of Mexico.
Also: Scientific Minds Want To Know
Scientific Minds Want To Know
Photo: Teske Lab
'Spaghetti'-like megabacteria
One of the largest collaborations to investigate marine biodiversity has uncovered something on a mind-boggling scale: a giant mat of string-like bacteria - the size of Uruguay or the U.S. state of Alabama - has been discovered deep in the ocean depths off the coasts of Chile and Peru. Uncovered as part of the Census of Marine Life - a global, decade-long effort to systematically identify and study oceanic organisms - scientists are now speculating whether this huge mat of mega-bacteria may somehow contribute to thriving fisheries found in these waters.
Article continues: Gigantic Nation-Sized Mat of Bacteria Found Off South American Coast
Prehistoric fish defies the odds
Prehistoric fish defies the odds
A species that outlived the dinosaurs is making a major comeback in a pocket of Wisconsin.
Also: Exotic new animals discovered in Borneo
Exotic new animals discovered in Borneo
A lungless frog and a slug that shoots "love darts" are among the new species found since 2007.
Also: Lemon balm
Lemon balm vinaigrette
Mix the following ingredients in a small bowl: 1 tbsp minced shallots, 2 tbsp minced lemon balm, 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 4 tbsp white wine vinegar, and 1 tsp brown sugar. Slowly blend in up to 8 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
It's a herb related to mint, and it smells a lot like lemon. Lemon balm is believed to have a stress-reducing effect, and if you rub the leaf and take a whiff of the scent, you'll immediately know why — it's such a peaceful, happy smell, a bit more cozy than lemongrass but not as pungent as lemon verbena. Lemon balm is native to Europe in the Middle Ages, and even back then it was thought to be a calming agent. The leaves can also act as a mosquito repellent and are antibacterial. Lemon balm is great in tea or as a garnish to meat or a salad.
Mix the following ingredients in a small bowl: 1 tbsp minced shallots, 2 tbsp minced lemon balm, 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 4 tbsp white wine vinegar, and 1 tsp brown sugar. Slowly blend in up to 8 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil.
Wise Quotes
Or wise-ass ... depending ...
The IQ and the life expectancy of the average American recently passed each other going in the opposite direction.
~ George Carlin
- Though I am not naturally honest, I am so sometimes by chance.
and
- Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.
- ~ William Shakespeare
- When you play, play hard; when you work, don't play at all.
and
It is both foolish and wicked to teach the average man who is not well off that some wrong or injustice has been done him, and that he should hope for redress elsewhere than in his own industry, honesty, and intelligence.
~ Theodore Roosevelt
What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
- If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith.
- ~ Albert Einstein
Be thankful we`re not getting all the government we`re paying for.
~ Will Rogers
Interesting In General
Interesting In General
Photos via Metro
Well, Earth Day is officially over. Which means we can officially forget about that irksome business of saving the planet for another 364 days, and get back to doing what's really important -- which is looking at zany animal pictures, of course. Like, check out this bizarre two-headed bobtail lizard that was discovered in Australia! Also, it turns out that the heads hate each other, and the larger one keeps attacking the smaller one. More photos after the fold: Article continues: Two-Headed Lizard Whose Heads Hate Each Other Discovered in Australia
Article continues: Diver Mike Rutzen Hypnotizes Sharks to Show They're Friendly (Video)
Pup on the roof ...
Mike Kai thought one of his surfing buddies was thumping around on his rooftop deck, but it turned out to be a wayward sea lion pup, enjoying the view of Newport Beach at sunrise. Kai said he couldn't imagine how the pup made it up the stairs and onto the roof early Thursday.
The sea lion was taken to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, where volunteers named him Fiddler, after the Broadway musical "Fiddler on the Roof."
Staff there say he is underweight, probably because he was recently weaned and having trouble finding food on his own.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:Some of your coworkers and friends seem to be kind of stumbling through the day, looking as if they can't quite figure out what to do to make things right.
Try your very best to be sympathetic, but don't go overboard.
In your world, things don't look too shabby -- and by tomorrow, they should be even better.
The least you can do is help them out with some advice and the benefit of your experience.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
London, England, United Kingdom
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Doncaster, England, United Kingdom
Milano, Lombardia, Italy
Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Tranbjerg, Arhus, Denmark
as well as Scotland, and the United States in such cities such as Honolulu, Warrens, Summit, Phoenix, Sapupla and more
Today is Thursday, April 22, the 112th day of 2010.
There are 253 days left in the year.
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