Friday, December 31, 2010

Michele and I Wish You a Happy 2011!

_________________________________________________________

Another original poem by me:

Time does not know it passes.
It does not know how to measure itself.
But we know time...

We see it in the sun and the moon.
We see it in the stars.
We see it in the seasons.
We see it in layers of earth, rings of trees.
We see it in our faces.

We have devised measures of time.
We have seconds, minutes, hours, days...
When a year ends, we make a lot of noise!!!!


GOODBYE TO THE OLD YEAR, HELLO TO THE NEW!


Friday, December 3, 2010

Plum Pudding - an Underrated Treat


Where's the "pud" ????


Okay, you missed "Stir It Up" Sunday, but there's still time to make your Christmas pudding! Of course, maybe you made it last year, for consumption this year, but probably you didn't, and maybe, just maybe, that's too long to keep it.

Christmas pudding (a.k.a. plum pudding) is an ancient but much maligned delicacy. Its origins go back to the 15th century and perhaps even to Roman times. In times gone by, to preserve animal feed (which you might want to eat yourself), excess cattle were slaughtered in the fall. Meats not immediately consumed were cooked with fruits into pies for preservation (i.e., mincemeat), at least into the beginning of winter. This resulted in LOTS of pies, just in time for Christmas. Prunes were incorporated into the mixture, hence the notion of plum pudding. At some point there was a divergence of the savory and the sweet. Mince pies were still made, but new techniques were more frequently used to preserve meats. At the same time, the sweet pudding got sweeter, and the plum pudding we now know eventually took shape in Victorian England.

I have a theory or two about why it has a bad reputation. First, it should be taken in small doses, not the larger portions we are accustomed to for dessert. A little goes a VERY long way. Second, it traditionally relies upon suet as the shortening used. This doubtless, and very reasonably, resulted from its meat pie origin.

"What," some might ask, "is suet?" Most of us were told about suet, for some strange reason, in grammar school. (I think it had something to do with explaining "pemmican." We all know what pemmican is, LOL.) Anyway, suet is raw beef or mutton fat - hard fat found around the loin and kidneys. For many, this is not appetizing. Nevertheless, it can be obtained easily from butchers. Those who wish to eat it are advised to tell the butcher it will be used in cooking, not to feed birds :=P

My advice is: USE BUTTER!!! And I don't mean margarine. Some would say this makes it an Irish plum pudding. To them I say, yeah!!!

Ingredients

* Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
* Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
* 1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
* 1 cup sultanas
* 1 cup raisins
* 1 heaped tablespoon chopped almonds
* 1 heaped tablespoon chopped glacé cherries
* 1 tablespoon chopped mixed glacé peel
* ½ cup soft, dark brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons mixed spice (equal parts cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg,
and ginger - maybe some allspice)
* 3 tablespoons brandy

* 1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
* 1 cup flour
* 1¼ teaspoons baking powder (added to flour)
* pinch salt (added to flour)
* 2 eggs, beaten together
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 4 oz (1 stick) butter

Preparation

If you ever enjoyed a plum pudding from Marshall Field's (a now defunct Chicago institution), you doubtless have one or more lovely madder or blue ceramic pudding bowls. If not, any pudding bowl will do. A tight lid is desirable if available. You will grease the bowl with butter before adding the pudding.

Mix together the first 11 ingredients, including the brandy, in a large bowl. Cover and leave for several hours or overnight.

Combine the breadcrumbs with the fruit mix. Blend the flour, eggs, salt and butter together, add it to the fruit mix and stir well. If the mixture seems dry add a teaspoon or two of milk.

Put the mixture into the pudding bowl and cover tightly using the lid or several layers of wax paper held in place with string. Place the bowl in a saucepan large enough to accommodate it, and add water to about two thirds up the side of the pudding bowl. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Cover the saucepan. Simmer like this for about 6 hours. You will probably need to add water.

The cooked pudding will keep indefinitely. When it is needed, steam it for about 2 hours in the bowl. Flambé with brandy, and serve with hard sauce.

You can buy hard sauce in a jar, or you can make your own::

* ¼ teaspoon vanilla
* 1 tablespoon half-and-half
* 2 tablespoon brandy
* ¼ cup unsalted butter
* ⅔ cup confectioners' sugar

Beat the butter until it is light and fluffy and has turned pale in color, about 5 minutes.

Add the sugar a little at a time, stirring continuously, until incorporated.

Add the brandy, half-and-half and vanilla, stirring continuously until well blended (the sauce should be smooth).

Cover and refrigerate until needed. Serve at room temperature.

To flambé, warm a small amount of brandy slightly, then light it and pour it over the pudding when you bring it out. This is done to create an impressive visual presentation and introduce drama into the finale of the meal. But not too much. Unless you're a terrorist or otherwise want to blow your home to smithereens, DO NOT use that 150 proof rum. Never use overproof liquors of any kind in cooking or near an open flame. And don't drink them undiluted as they can be harmful to the human body.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Mad* Trite, and VERY Annoying

*Meaning similar to wicked or hella (neither of which have become trite yet, I don't think).


I could almost scream!!!!

These are the 12 most annoying expressions I hear almost every day, not in order of their frequency or anything else:

too much on my plate -Too busy (lazy) to take on more responsibility; only thinks about eating and is prolly full of whatever is on her plate.

on the same page - To look at an issue from the same perspective. (If it's the same book :=P )

no problem - What's no problem? Being nice? Doing your job? Are you too haughty to say "you're welcome"?

that's just wrong - Egregiously (or impossibly), but often just humorously, wrong... But sometimes it isn't wrong at all, just wrong. (I sorta like this one. It could have a permanent place in our idiomatic lexicon).

don't go there - When this is said, you are usually already on the subject to be avoided... Otherwise, self explanatory.

think outside the box - Hackneyed, but this one will stay with us. (Do the "Nine Dots Puzzle," a.k.a. the "Christopher Columbus Egg Puzzle." The solution lies outside the square.)

my bad - Baby talk... I did it, but don't hold me responsible. Use of an adjective instead of the noun "mistake" is intended to be cute, I guess.

go for it - Do I need your permission?

you go, girl - A portable Feminine Urination Device (FUD) http://www.go-girl.com/what-is-gogirl.asp. Allows a woman to pee anywhere, but provides no privacy. (Available in pink or camouflage.)

too much information - Usually not too much, just something you don't want to see, hear, etc., because it is distasteful, or like the You Go Girl FUD, just shouldn't be discussed in normal conversation.

I am not going to lie to you - Huh? I thought you were. (If you need to state that what you tell me next is not going to be a lie, you must have serious credibility problems.)

at the end of the day - Means when everything has been taken into consideration, this is the important thing... It took you a whole day? Or will it be an evening affair?


~~~


Though I have a very full plate, at the end of the day, it was no problem to think outside the box and devise a twelve-step program to limit your use of such expressions:


- Recognize that you have a problem habit (if you do).

- Pay Attention to when you use these phrases and how they sound.

- What is your reason for using the particular phrase?.

- Know that you want to stop to improve your presentation of self.

- Make a commitment.

- Learn to express yourself more effectively... not easy.

- Accept responsibility - only you can do this.

- Enlist support.

- Find suitable phrases for reflex situations.

- Punish yourself.

- Reward yourself.

- Persevere.

I’m not gonna lie to you. It’s difficult to change one’s habits. But that's all folks! I’m leaving the hard stuff up to you. Go for it! LOL.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Götterdämmerung

A lot of you have asked me about my name (pronounced Gutrune, gʊd'rūn'), and I usually point out that I named myself after a favorite actress, the lovely Gudrun Landgrebe (not well known in the U.S.). The original Gudrun, however, was a major figure in Norse mythology. She was really a very sweet person, but sometimes bad things happen to nice people. I hope this summary of the legend isn't too boring.

Gudrun (Guðrún Gjúkadóttir) had two brothers and a half brother: Gunnar, Hogni, and Gotthorm.

In the tale, Gudrun, who is without husband, falls in love with Sigurd. Sigurd himself is in love with the valkyrie Brynhilde, and pays no attention to Gudrun. Gudrun's brother Gunnar, however, wishes to marry Brynhilde, and this is impossible because Brynhilde has sworn to marry only a man who can defeat her in combat. Only Sigurd can do this. **SIGH**

Gudrun's ever-helpful mother provides a potion to make Sigurd forget his love for Brynhilde and recognize Gudrun's beauty and passion for him. However, Gunnar, exrecising his authority as Gudrun's brother, will allow Sigurd to marry Gudrun only under the condition that Sigurd also win Brynhilde for him. **DOUBLE SIGH**

Sigurd does this. Disguised as Gunnar, he passes Brynhilde's test, and an astonished Brynhilde accepts him as a suitor. The two queens, Gudrun and Brynhilde, are married on the same day.

Later, Brynhild and Gudrun are bathing together in the Rhine River (apparently comparing racks). Brynhilde comments that the water washing Gudrun will soon wash a greater beauty (herself?). Gudrun, more than a little annoyed at the remark, clues Brynhilde in. When Brynhilde learns that she had been tricked into marrying Gunnar, she plots revenge and (ashamedly) tells Gunnar that Sigurd had overstepped the bounds of propriety with her. Naturally, Gunnar gets very angry, and he has Sigurd killed (by Gotthorm). The vengeful Brynhilde goes on to kill Sigurd's three-year-old son, and wills her own self to die. When Sigurd's funeral pyre is aflame, Brynhilde throws herself upon it – thus passing on together into the realm of Hel.

Poor Gudrun is completely overwhelmed. Wracked with sorrow and delirious with grief, she predicts the death of her brother Gunnar. Out of her wits, she goes to live in the forest.

Meanwhile, King Atli's (Attila the Hun's) Hunnic Empire continues to grow. Although Atli had overthrown the Goths and seized many treasures, legends of gold and the beauty of Gudrun (YES!!!!) catch his interest. Atli wants both, and his Huns hasten westward.

Though not looking, our poor widowed queen has found another king to marry. Urged on by her mother, she marries Atli. Foremost in Atli's mind, however, is the rumored gold. Atli and Gudrun go to live in Hunland.

Eventually, obsessed by the idea of the gold, and thinking he can somehow get his hands on it , Atli summons Gunnar and his brother Hogni to Hunland. His herald claims that the King of the Huns wishes only for their assistance. He is growing old and wants his sons by Gudrun, Erp and Eitill, to have strong protectors after his death. He implies that Gunnar and Hogni might one day rule the Hunnic Empire in their names. Although Gunnar suspects a trap, he and Hogni make the trip.

When Gunnar and Hogni reach Hunland, the real reason for the invitation becomes apparent. At first Atli demands gold as the price for their lives. His huns burst out and rush them from their mead hall, but the brothers beat back the attack.

Seeing that the brothers are powerful fighters, he shifts tack to the idea that, since Gudrun is now his wife, they owe him the gold in compensation for Sigurd's death. Gunnar and Hogni know this is not Gudrun's idea, and besides the battle has already begun. They call upon their Goth allies amongst the huns, and carnage ensues in a battle for the mead hall. They capture Atli. Gudrun, however, pleads for his life. Mocking him as an unfit warrior, they let him go.

Atli then goes throughout the countryside rallying his warriors who return to beseige the mead hall. Finally they burn it forcing out the defenders and taking Gunnar and Hogni into captivity. Gudrun pleads for them, but Hogni is killed and Gunnar is cast into a pit of adders. Gudrun sends Gunnar a harp, and the music stills the snakes, except one, which bites him... Gudrun hears him cry out as he dies. Gudrun is once again heartbroken and furious.

There are Viking funerals for Gunnar, Hogni, and the fallen Huns, and a funeral feast is readied in the remains of Atli's mead hall and palace.

NOW FOR THE GOOD PART:

Finally appearing at the feast, Gudrun presents two goblets to her husband, toasting his health.

As he drinks deep from the goblets, Atli feels regret over the loss of the gold. However, he also feels satisfaction that Gunnar is dead. Gudrun then announces that, in vengeance for her brothers, she has slain their sons Erp and Eitil. The goblets were made from their skulls and had been filled with a mixture of their blood and honey. The remnants of their bodies have been fed to Atli's hounds. As the mead hall explodes in horror and anguish, Atli turns pale and falls into a swoon. He is carried to his bed, as sick though he had been poisoned.

Gudrun is not yet done. She enters his bedroom, wakes him, and drives a knife into his breast. She then sets fire to the hall.

Full of sadness and remorse and detesting her life, she tries to drown herself by jumping into the sea with an armful of stones. The waves find her revenge fitting, however, and instead of drowning her, carry her to Sweden, where she marries another king, Jónakr.
______________________________________________
N.B. ~ "It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings" is a reference to Brynhilde's famous death on the pyre in the opera Götterdämmerung. It means we should not assume the outcome of an activity. It plays upon an American working class perception of Grand Opera with overweight sopranos singing Brynhilde's final arias.

Various name spellings:

Atli = Attila
Brynhilde = Brynhildr, Brünhild, Brunhilde, Brunnhilda
Gudrun = Gutrune
Gunnar = Gunther
Hogni = Hagen
Sigurd = Siegfried


SOURCE: Various Wikipedia articles

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Another Lucid Dream

For any of you who are interested in a short erotic tale, you can find one here:

http://dreamaware.blogspot.com/

N.B. ~ As for the blog title, "Lucid Dreams" (or dreams you know you're having)... I personally have never had any problem daydreaming. For those of you who do (that is, those of you who want to daydream more, but don't know how), my blog links a "how-to" site on lucid dreaming. This blog promises that its techniques will allow you to control your dreams and make your dreams what you want when you want. LOL.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Gagapalooza, August 6-8, Chicago

A few years ago (2007) Lady Gaga was a side-stage act at Lollapalooza. Today she joins the other top billings - Soundgarden, Green Day, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, and Phoenix - headlining 100+ other groups and artists including Devo, Spoon, MGMT, The Black keys, Neon Trees, Empire of the Sun, et al.


Lollapalooza fans attending the festival will find it larger this year. Thirty five more acres of Grant Park will provide breathing space and boost attendance. (For the last two years attendance has been about 75,000 per day, pretty much what the existing space could handle.)


I'm pretty sure those of you that planned to go have already bought your discounted passes and made up your custom line-ups, LOL. Nevertheless, the tickets still available are $90 per day or $215 for a 3-day pass.


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Una Bella Gnocca

Summertime. Fun in the sun. Bikinis, daisy dukes, playsuits... My GF Michele insists that I have the best derriere in SL. For my part, I think hers is far better.

The highly subjective and judgmental issue of what constitutes a nice female posterior is an extremely frequent subject of conversation. But then, I believe that discussion of the female form constitutes one of the most important subjects of discourse in Western culture — the appreciation of the beauty of the booty, its sexuality, and its place in the tradition of the nude in art. This is not a new thing. For example, the adjective callipygian is hundreds of years old and is based upon an ancient statue of Aphrodite narcissistically admiring her own butt reflected in water, originally in the Sanctuary of Aphrodite in Syracuse (Sicily, not New York, Michele - Yes, I know it’s your alma mater).

callipygian–adjective - having well-shaped buttocks. Also, callipygous. Origin: 1640–50; Gk kallipýg ( os ) with beautiful buttocks; referring to a statue of Aphrodite ( kalli- calli + pyg ( ḗ ) rump + -os adj. suffix) + ian

There are those who insist that there is a GOLD STANDARD of female derriere today, and that it's known as the APPLE BOTTOM, formerly the HEART SHAPE. What?? This makes very little sense. The only apples I have ever seen shaped like bums, good or bad, are misshapen freaks. Maybe an apple upside down... or tomato. Or maybe a pear. (This, of course, is not to be confused with overall body type. A woman's bust, waist, and hips are her physical inflection points, and the ratios of their circumferences are used to define her basic shape. These are sometimes described as banana, pear, apple or hourglass shapes. A banana is straight, a pear hippy, an apple wide-shouldered, and an hourglass, well, you know. The banana and apple shapes are considered somewhat androgynous - sorry girls. An hourglass, on the other hand, points us in the right direction.)

I don't think the perfect feminine derriere is shaped like a fruit of any kind. The perfect posterior simply has excellent symmetry, form, and structure. It is full, round, and shapely, while also being taut, firm, and compact. Above all, it must simply be aesthetically appealing, nicely curved and sleek, with beautiful contours. A pert, shapely, well-rounded derriere is a good derriere, round and full buttocks being the key, with shapely curves and feminine voluptuousness.

In all fairness, in researching this blog, I ran across more than a few shapely male bottoms. Not to be negative though, they lack a certain something... that softness and voluptuousness that is present in even a very taut and firm female derriere. Butt let’s not go off on a tangent.

So the combinations and permutations of the features that make up a fine female derriere may be too numerous to elaborate. In any case, there are a huge number of variations on good booty out there, and I will not attempt to categorize them all. I will give mention, however, to the latest attempt to quantify bootyliciousnes by an English psychologist named David Holmes:

In this procedure, a woman assesses her assets on a scale from 1 to 20 (20 being best) in the following categories: S = overall shape, C = circularity, B = bounciness (less is preferred), F = firmness, and T = skin texture. She then calculates this: V = the ratio of hips to waist. (Interestingly, despite wide differences in preferences for body type, scientists have discovered that the waist-hip ratio is strongly correlated to the perception of attractiveness across all cultures.) And plugs it all into this formula: (S+C) x (B+F) / (T-V)

The closer she is to 80, the better. But once again, this attempt at measurement is based upon extreme subjectivity.

There is one specific feature, however, that is left out, and that I think truly enhances the female posterior's ability to make a singular impression... This is whether or not it SMILES. If you've got one that does, hunny, you are IN LIKE FLYNN!!! (Flynn? Well, Samantha maybe...) And if you don't have one, or have one that FROWNS, you know that too :(

So we’re back where we started. Like female baboons whose enflamed scarlet backsides ensnare their mates, so the human female's buttocks will beguile the male. We will continue to be influenced by the myth of the two Syracusian sisters, farmer's daughters, whose impeccably shapely hindquarters won them wealthy husbands. And, rightly or wrongly, we will continue to see all of life’s little wins and losses in terms of our booties. *SIGH*

By the way, Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Alba have vastly different posterior types, BUT THEY BOTH SMILE!

“Now there's a broad with a future behind her.”
Actress Constance Bennett, remarking upon Marilyn Monroe's derriere

Friday, July 2, 2010

Why Do Guys Think Nutshots Are Funny?

I left work and wuz picked up by my spouse yesterday evening in the midst of the Taste of Chicago mayhem across the street. Behold a group of teens (prolly students at my university) wuz trying to raise cash to go to Taste. One wuz wearing a huge blue animal head (Sonic the Hedgehog?) to attract attention.

For those of you who don't know, The Taste of Chicago is the world's largest food festival, held annually the 10 days leading up to the 4th (this year June 25th-July 4th). More than 50 restaurants attract literally millions to the Grant Park to enjoy a variety of food from popular restaurants serving ethnic and Chicago-style specialties. Events include live music by well-known artists on multiple stages, nightly film performances, and fireworks. The festival culminates in 4th of July fireworks at three locations along the City's 26-mile lakefront. All performances are free, but food tickets sold at the entrance are not.

So this group of kids wuz tryin to raise money for food tickets: $2.00 for a nutshot! :=P Needless to say, the car in front us of stopped (traffic wuz already standing still), and the young driver got out, paid his money, and gave it a shot. OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Needless to say, age notwithstanding, spouse thought it hilarious.

This led me to ponder the popularity of nutshots, and WHY they seem funny, mainly to men... as a form of entertainment, or as a means of raising money? All I can say is that, going by this, it seems there are plenty of entertaining things at Taste BESIDES the acts. However, I wouldn't laugh if a girl got hit between her legs. I would feel bad for her. You would think that guys would feel another guy's pain, especially if the kick or the hit was hard enough to cause damage to the goods. Why do guys laugh?

I guess it's like slapstick really... comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which exceed the boundaries of common sense. Some part of a guy's brain harkens back to the days when he used to watch cartoons as a kid. It's the humor of when somebody steps on a rake and gets slapped in the face by the pole, often found in children's cartoons and light film comedies aimed at younger audiences, I think it makes men laugh the most. It's more of a guy thing. A lot of girls will say the Three Stooges are the stupidest thing they've ever seen.

On the other hand, I'm sure that not all guys react to a nutshot with laughter. Some guys will grab their nuts, exclaim "OOOH~" and proceed to shudder uncontrollably. Personality probably has a lot to do with it. Or the circumstances of the nutshot itself.

Speaking of slapstick, some argue that this form of humor goes back to Church liturgical dramas in the Middle Ages, of all things, and some argue it was present in Greek and Roman theater as well. Beating the devil off stage was a stock comedic device in otherwise serious religious plays. But of course you couldn't kill him, whatever you did to him, LOL .

If I obtain added info on nutshots, I'll let you know :=P

Saturday, May 22, 2010

BBQ Tips - Your opinion isn't in my recipe, LOL!

These tips are not necessarily intended to all be used together. Also, my favorite stores and foods may not be yours. Don’t be judgmental… we’re all entitled to our opinions, LOL.

You already know how to grill stuff (zones, indirect, etc.), so I won't go into that, but I will say get a grill with a good ash-catcher so you don't burn down your deck. And always…

Choose the correct method of cooking for what you’re trying to prepare.

Rinse your meat (yes, it’s dirty). Rinse your vegetables too.

WATCH YOUR MEAT CLOSELY even if it seems to be taking a long time and you think you can relax with a cocktail. You can’t, LOL.

Unlike the center of a steak, the center of a burger can harbor germs. Cook ground beef to 155°F.

Marinate your chicken in bottled Italian dressing.

Marinate your steaks in bottled Italian dressing.

Coat your veggies with bottled Italian dressing.

Marinate your boneless pork loin in bottled Italian dressing. (Use several tablespoons, and wrap it in saran with sliced onions and minced rosemary and thyme overnight. If extra garlic is desired, pierce meat and insert slivers. Grill indirect for a little over an hour.)

If you want to, make your own Italian dressing, LOL.

If you wish to use to subsequently use your marinade as a sauce (rather than waste it), boil it.

Try white barbeque sauce on chicken, seafood, and pork. (1 qt. mayonnaise, 3/4 qt. apple cider vinegar, 1/2 c. corn syrup, 1/4 tbsp. cayenne pepper, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, salt and freshly ground black pepper) Use it in cole slaw and potato salad.

Buy good fresh sausage, Italian (Dominick’s is okay, hot and/or mild) or Polish (Andy’s in Chicago for all your Polish sausage needs, http://www.andysdeli.com/). Most ppl in Chicago eat Vienna hot dogs. If you live in upstate New York, like Michele, you prolly favor Zweigle's white hots over Vienna for hot dogs. Zweigle's ships these and a variety of other fresh and pre-cooked sausages nationwide (http://www.zweigles.com/order_online.asp).

Stuff your hamburgers with blue cheese (spread about a tablespoon of a mixture of equal parts blue and cream cheese with some parsley and onion powder between two 2 oz. patties and press together sealing the edge). These can also be marinated in red wine.

Slit your hot dogs and stuff them with cheddar cheese, then wrap them in bacon to hold it in. Also use some water soaked tooth picks. (This used to be called a "Francheezie" and was once a staple at every greasy spoon in Chicago. What ever happened?)

(Many things can be served with added strips of bacon, a la Razzie.)

Since these are barbeque tips, something needs to be said about pork ribs and especially tips. Spareribs are large but have the least actual meat. (There's a lot of fat and gristle on each rib. The fat can make the ribs more tender than baby back ribs.) Baby back ribs are smaller and less fatty than spareribs, but have more meat. St. Louis Cut ribs are spare ribs with the breastbone ”rib tips” removed. St. Louis cut rib racks are almost rectangular in shape and therefore cook evenly. (Find out how to trim spareribs St. Louis style here - http://www.bbq-book.com/news2006/html/october_2006.html).

Yes, barbeque tips. Many barbeque connoisseurs will argue that rib tips, bony and more heavily marbled, are the most flavorful of rib meats. They are also cheap. You do them pretty much as you would any ribs. Sprinkle with a dry rub (for example - 2 tbsp. paprika, 2 tbsp. light brown sugar, 2 tbsp. salt, 1 tbsp. ground red cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. dry mustard, 1 ground bay leaf), cook them on the grill 2-3 hours at about 300°F (relax, these DO take a long time), cut into 1” cross-cut strips, and serve with your favorite sauce.

If you barbeque anything, serve it with Wonder Bread.

Husk your corn and wrap it with butter, salt, and paprika in a double layer of foil. (With a double layer of foil, it won't burn. Removing the husk removes the risk of bugs, and rinsing it removes insecticides... cleaner, seasoned, and tastier though less picturesque).

☆☆☆☆☆ FIVE STAR recipe special: Gudrun’s Secret Simplified Rumaki appetizer (or meal even - see this blog’s posting for July 14, 2008).

Thursday, April 29, 2010

RUH-ROH!

Dancing near Lacie Deere and her hunny Razor Summers at Hotlanta, both of whom are very up on contemporary lingo, I hear it all the time. But it wasn't until I saw an episode in which House said it with a Scooby-Doo accent that I realized how thoroughly this meme had permeated our means of communication in 21st century America. Where did it come from? And what does it mean?

First of all, it is NOT "rut-roh." Rut-roh means something totally different. Rut-roh implies something truly heinous. In the words of the Urban Dictionary, in the context of hooking-up, rut-roh is "a pre-meditated and fully thought out MISTAKE": for example, a disgusting choice of mate material. If enough rut-roh's come in a series, the perp generally establishes the reputation as a skank or a man-whore.

Where it came from is also not so obvious. Astro was a canine character in the Hanna-Barbera cartoon show, The Jetsons (see Wikipedia), and was designed by Iwao Takamoto. Astro was more advanced than present-day dogs, in that he had a rudimentary grasp of the English language. However, being of Japanese origin and a gR-R-owling dog as well, he placed r's in many places they shouldn't be, or in place of other letters such as "l." For example, "I love you, George" would be "I ruv roo, Reorge." Astro's signature expression was "Ruh-roh!" (or "Ruh-roh, Reorge!"), supposedly the canine variant of "Uh-oh!" (an expression of dismay or perhaps some other emotion). Scooby Doo's signature expression was "Ruh Roh Raggy!" (Uh Oh Shaggy!) - He was also designed by Iwao Takamoto, but later.

So Scooby Doo was the more recent but not the original progenitor of the expression. The widespread usage of ruh-roh is real, however, and it remains mysterious. Scientists and social theorists have not quite figured out just why young adults, boomers, and even older individuals feel the need to utter the phrase at the first hint of a humorous mishap. It's not as if anyone even watches the show Scooby-Doo anymore.

Slang’s primary reason for existence is to establish a sense of community among its speakers. When slang is used, there is a postulated unit of cultural ideas or practices which are transmitted from one mind to another through writing or speech. Those ideas evoke membership in the same “tribe.” Because belonging is so important, slang is used as a powerful manifestation of identity.

So probably, use of the term is symbolic of belonging to an age cohort. And perhaps because parents also watch cartoons, and perhaps because of reruns on the cartoon channel and late night TV, probably more than one. Scooby's name itself was based upon the "doo-be-doo-be-doo" of a Frank Sinatra song ("Strangers in the Night"). So that explains that part too, LOL.

Michele, btw, LUVS to do her gardening in a bikini…



Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Harem

There's a new fun group in Second Life. The group is called "Harry's Harem." Members can expect to have a really good time and learn all about SL club dancing from one of its leading practitioners and experts. Requirements are that you be out for fun and friendship, and that you be able to dance the night away while staying out of trouble. Prospective members can apply to Harry Bailey. (You had better drop him a notecard as his IMs may be capped.)

So it's a harem? In modern colloquial (and humorous) English, "harem" may denote a number of (usually) female followers of another person, and this probably applies to Harry's Harem. (see Wikipedia) But in the backs of our minds is the fantastical mystery of the harems of our imaginations, fueled by the exotic luxury of places like the Topkapi palace, the legend of Ishtar and exotic dancers such as Salome, and the romance and cachet of words like serraglio. Myths abound. Now is a good time to bust them. Let's look at what a harem really is, the behaviors associated with it, and the myths that came about.


Myth: A harem is a sexually charged orgy room guarded by eunuchs.

Truth: The harem is simply the women's quarters of a Muslim household, be it in a palace or whatever, as opposed to the men's quarters (the selamlik). It's where the where the women carry out their everyday business.

The word harem comes about because female seclusion is emphasized in Islam, and any intrusion is haram or "forbidden." A harem can be a few women, a few dozen women, or as many as the quarters will accommodate.

A Muslim harem does not necessarily consist solely of the head of household's wives and concubines, but also their young offspring of either sex, female servants, and any variety of other female relatives, In a sense, it's the private living quarters of the Sultan and his family within a palace complex which also contains men's quarters and administrative areas. Though the harem is rapidly disappearing in the 21st century, some still exist in the more remote areas of the Muslim world.


Myth: Harem girls use belly dancing to get their way with the Sultan.

Truth: This dance form is traditional in the Middle East and is not a dance of seduction. Though done in harems by the women of the harem, it is mostly for their own entertainment, to celebrate special occasions, or simply pass the time of day. Music and dance are very much a part of everyday life. Little girls learn the shimmy dance as soon as they can walk, and doing it as a response to jubilant music is almost automatic. It has little sexual connotation. (This does not mean that the Sultan never comes by to watch.)

At both the Paris Exposition in 1889 and the even better Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, the "Streets of Cairo" was featured. This themed area included a dancer called "Little Egypt." The term "belly dance" was coined by American promoters who wouldn't have known or cared what the dance was called in its native land. Their only interest was attracting crowds to ogle the exotic dancers.


Myth: Salome did a traditional seductive dance called the "Dance of the Seven Veils" for her horny stepfather Herod. As a reward for her performance, she requested John the Baptist's head on a platter. This was because she was in love with John and couldn't have him any other way.

This is partly true, but that Salome was the dancer is traditional, not Biblically explicit. (The traditional name Salome is based on the accounts of Flavius Josephus, the Roman-Jewish historian.) In addition, it was her mom her who instructed her to do the nasty. And the "Dance of Seven Veils" was a theatrical creation, though based upon a mythic reality.

Salome was the daughter of Herodias and the stepdaughter of Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee. John had condemned the marriage of Herodias and Herod because Herodias was the daughter of Herod's brother Aristobulus and also the divorced wife of his half-brother Philip. John's public disapproval angered Herod and Herodias, and Herod imprisoned John but was afraid to have him killed because of his reputation and popularity. This was not enough for Herodias, however, who contrived to get even. She pressed her daughter Salome to seduce her stepfather Herod with a dance and make him promise to give her whatever she wished. At her mother's behest, Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Somewhat unwillingly, Herod did her bidding and had John decapitated.

Salome as seductress and femme fatale was popularized by Oscar Wilde who put the Biblical story on stage and made John's execution a crime of passion. Wilde's play subsequently inspired the Richard Strauss one-act opera. In the opera, Herod's lust for Salome is emphasized. Salome, in turn, desires John the Baptist — a not entirely new idea at the time — but John rejects her, and the only way Salome may have any part of him is to demand his head be given to her. Salome fulfills her passion by kissing the dead lips of John's decapitated head. (Eeeeeeeeeewww!)

This more familiar version of Salome depicts her as the seductress of her stepfather and the murderer of a saint, thereby making her the symbol of the erotic and dangerous woman, the femme fatale. In the play and a later movie, Salome was played by a true femme fatale, the beautiful Maud Allan. And it was only Strauss's opera in which Salome stripped her veils for King Herod. The Dance of the Seven Veils is not a traditional dance based upon Ishtar's descent into the underworld. It was a Broadway and then a Hollywood gimmick, and it wound up making both the dance and Salome household words.

In the play, Herod becomes fearful and has Salome killed as well. In actuality, according to Josephus, Salome was long-lived, married twice, and raised several children. (Also note that this Salome was distinct from Salome, the follower of Jesus, who was present at the Crucifixion.)


Myth: Belly piercings were a seductive tool for harem girls.

Truth: Speaking of Hollywood gimmickry, this one is pure tinsel. A series of scandals rocked the movie industry in the 1920s: Fatty Arbuckle involved in the death of Virginia Rappe at a wild party, the murder of William Desmond Taylor amidst revelations of his bisexuality, the drug-related death of Wallace Reid, and host of other incidents. In the resulting backlash, a production code was devised to ensure morality in the movies (the Hays Code, 1930). Among other things, costuming rules became very strict: Actresses were not allowed to show their navel or wear two piece costumes.

During the filming of the 1903 movie, "The Vision Of Salome," a censor stopped the filming because of the costume the actress Maud Allan was wearing. Maud was sent to wardrobe where they quickly fixed the problem in a somewhat mischievous fashion. An elaborate costume necklace was ripped apart and used to join the top and bottom of the two piece costume, finishing it off by draping the remains around the belly. A fake jewel was then glued into Maud's navel.

They weren't worn in the harem, but belly dancers would forevermore wear belly chains and navel jewelry. :=P

Sunday, March 7, 2010

What 12 Levels?

For whatever reason, Michele, bless her little heart, decided that I needed a Second Life tag that says "Thinks on 12 levels." I really like this tag, in that it is simultaneously intelligent-sounding and enigmatic. In fact, it's my favorite. But the more I wore it, and the more ppl asked me what it meant, the more I thought it might actually reflect a reality.

I kept wearing it. The organism evolved. I eventually began consciously thinking on 12 levels. Ppl still asked me what 12 levels I was thinking on, and I tried to summarize, but I found it diificult to do so. Eventually I began to feel that my 12 levels required codification. Hence, Gudrun's 12-Level Paradigm of Awareness and Thought:

Level 1 - Thoughtless reaction to external forces. (Like being pushed in SL... even a prim has this.)

Level 2 - Reflex and instinctive action, which also requires no awareness or thinking. Human beings share this behavior with plants and animals.

Level 3 - Learned behavior. We learn what is advantageous or disadvantageous to us, and this creates conditioned reflexes. This is also shared with animals.

Level 4 - Next we have verbal thinking - the indirect exchange of experiences through words. Animals do this to whatever extent a species can communicate feelings. People also communicate ideas.

Level 5 - Abstract concepts are then created by identifying essences and common elements. These are then manipulated to form systems of science, art, and technology. We begin to identfy causes, effects, forces, and processes that go beyond personal need or emotion.

Level 6 - We reify abstractions such as the family, society, God, and nations. (An individual then perceives their own self as part of these abstractions - unless they're completely alienated):

Level 7 - What do I have (material and abstract non-material - part of self-worth).

Level 8 - What do others have (material and abstract non-material).

Level 9 - What do others think of me (how does the world valuate me - another part of self-worth).

Level 10 - Are they right or wrong? How has it impacted my behavior?

Level 11 - What do they think I think of them (how do they see me and my probable actions in relation to themselves and their interests).

Level 12 - Are they right or wrong, and does it make a difference? Do all or some of them think it makes a difference, and if so, how many (differences and/or ppl)? (The real question: If an election were held tomorrow, would I win?)

So that's how I think on 12 levels. Obviously I have WAY to much time on my hands...

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Vancouver Winter Olympics

As the countdown to the 2010 Winter Olympics nears its finish, the enthusiasm of fans and athletes cranks way, way up. It's one of those times when people who normally DO sports with all the verve of champion amateurs and top ranking professionals take the role of SPECTATOR just to see how they stack up. My Sweetie Pie, Michele, is no exception. (Of course, her ability to assume the role of a mere watcher of speed and figure skating is severely hampered by her consummate lust to compete in and/or judge those sports - She easily becomes overwhelmed by a craving for the smell and feel of metal on ice and for the music of the rink. She then quickly heads for the nearest ice patch and leaves me alone to contemplate my sedentary nature or maybe take a nap. :=P )

Starting Friday, over seventeen days, 2,500 athletes from 80 countries will compete in 86 medal events.

ICE events:

Bobsled
Curling
Figure Skating
Hockey
Luge
Short Track Speed Skating
Skeleton
Speed Skating

SNOW events:

Alpine Skiing
Biathlon
Cross-Country
Freestyle
Moguls
Nordic Combined
Jumping
Snowboarding

The schedule is here: http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-schedule-results/

Want to follow Team USA in the 2010 Olympics? Link to http: //teamusanews.org/ where you can regsister for the latest info and updates. (Thanks to Liza Peiffer at Team USA News for providing us with the link!)

N.B. ~ The pixxies were taken at our ice rink which will be open to the public until St. Patrick's Day, the official start of spring (for some ppl) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Malvern/180/240/91/

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

I Can Haz Cheezburger!!!!

Dis be boutz teh song, "Cowz wif Gunz."

Cowz iz F-A-T, S-T-U-P-I-D, D-U-M-B hurd anjimalz. Dey iz not kittiz!!! Dere mindz reflekt upon nuthin. Dey cannot organize cept to mill aboutz.

So dey iz razed to be eeted by other anjimalz, namely youz adn me. Dey makz gud burgerz.

Teh song sez a leader cow emergicated mongst dem name of Cow Tse Tongue. Smarter den most, he hided in teh forest, readed books on revolooshun. He speeked boutz justice, but nobuddy paid no a10shun at allz.

But wen he mooed "We must fite adn escape or be dedz!" they paid a10shun. Dis cow wuz den took away by teh thoriteez. Nobuddy spected he hadded an Uzi. He broked loos adn setted teh killing floor on fire yelling, "Run cowz run!"

He picked up teh horn of a bull adn jumped up on teh hay, adn gotz teh cowz singing:

"We fitez for free cowz
And holdz hi our larj hedz
We gon run freely wif teh Buffalo, or bee ded
Cowz wif gunz."

Dey crashed teh gate, tipped a truck, and setted fire to teh feed. When po-lice ppls came, dey throwed cowpies. Dey setted fire to lunch stands. All teh while dey sang:

"We fitez for free cowz
And holdz hi our larj hedz
We gon run freely wif teh Buffalo, or bee ded
Cowz wif gunz!"

Teh President wuz tired of teh bullshit. teh cowz wuz surrounded by 10,000 copperz and - OH, NOES!!!! - teh cowz wuz outsmarted (adn outgunned).

Teh cowz waited and prayed. dey mooed dere last moos, dey chewed dere last hay. TRUST ME, LOL, NO CHICKENZ CAME TO DERE RESCUE!!!!

Dis is why I can haz cheezburger!!!!