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).

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…

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

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...

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/

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!!!!

Happy New Year!!!