i know, i know! this is an old song, but it's still on point, so whatever...

Maneater
Nelly Furtado

I’ve noticed a new buzz phrase finding its way into the media lately. I call it the “fill in the blank” excuse. The following example illustrates how it goes:

A highly-popular professional football player is arrested for his involvement in the illegal and cruel activity some call dog fighting. When asked how they felt about the matter, many members of the public and the player’s teammates offered the fill-in-the blank response.

“His job is to win football games.”
“Our job is to win football games.”

The subtext below these statements is simple: whatever he did is okay as long as he wins games.

I wondered when I heard these responses if it’s okay to (murder someone) (beat the hell out of your wife) (fry your kid in a microwave oven) (toss a dog out of a speeding car in heavy traffic) (all of these) (none of these) as long as he wins games.

Where do we draw the line when it comes to celebrities, sports figures, politicians? Does anything go as long as they do their jobs? It seems so. In Los Angeles and San Francisco it apparently doesn’t bother many people if their mayors run women through their offices like units on an assembly line.

It doesn’t seem to bother too many Republicans, either. Their hero of the moment in the presidential primaries, Rudy Giuliani, has had an extended run through three highly visible sex scandals during his tenure in public office.

Although the current emphasis on “doing their job” doesn’t surprise me, it is puzzling to say the least. It speaks directly to a collapse of morality, civility, and good order in society, not to mention the amount of public monies expended when government officials get caught with their pants down.

I am puzzled that the American public isn’t concerned that an elected official is admittedly guilty of lying, deceit, and betrayal. How can any individual with those tendencies “do his/her job?”

It’s your turn now to test my fill-in-the blank paradigm (love that word). Think about someone you know and make a statement like this about him/her: Yes, he/she is guilty of (fill in the blank), but it’s okay as long as he/she does the job.

See if you can think of an act beyond the bounds of acceptability, an act so egregious and disgusting that the act alone proves unfitness for the position held.

I’ll bet if the person is someone you like, you’ll find no boundaries. But if it’s someone you don’t like, no act will be permissible.

Apparently, it’s all about human nature, right? We’re all only human (I dispute that myth). What’s your take on permissiveness when it comes to the likes of Lohan, Hilton, Spears, Villagairosa, Newsom, Vick, and countless et al’s”

Have we become a nation of morally and ethically challenged but technically competent individuals?

Sunday philosophical presentation completed. Time for the serenity of the golf course.

In Loving Memory: We Shall Not Forget

Jesus Crisco: The Musical Rendition of "I Will Survive"

"Jesus Crisco: The Memorial Disco Musical Performance."  In loving memory, we shall not forget as we once again listen and watch with quiet awe and reverence to Jesus Crisco singing and performing the disco musical version of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," just prior to his surprising, unexpected and shocking demise.  It's very painful to remember, but we must.  Peace, Pax and Pox.

Technorati: Jesus Christ: The Musical, Jesus, Christ, Cristo, I Will Survive, Los Angeles, San Francisco, humor, entertainment, song, music, disco, image, photograph, photographs, photography, blog, blogs, blogger, blogging, photo-blog, video, music video, YouTube, personalities, celebrities, culture, cultural, social, social issues, society, religion

Be Social:

Photo of the Day: The Total Louis Vuitton Ensemble

Photography by: Yelena Lark

"Photo of the Day: The Total Louis Vuitton Ensemble." Just the outfit for the faux Hollywood celebrity socialite who just must have absolutely everything.  And now here's one of the silliest designer ensembles that you'll ever see (except, maybe, Victoria Beckham's hats).  Just look at this total goofiness!!

Technorati: Photo of the Day, Photograph of the Day, The Total Louis Vuitton Ensemble, Lous Vuitton, Vuitton, art, image, photo, photograph, photography, photographer, Yelena Lark, celebrities, personalities, culture, cultural, social, society, socialites, blog, blogs, blogger, blogging, photo-blog

Be Social:

Na quinta passada (26jul), saiu a primeira foto oficial das Spice Girls, reunidas após vários buzz sobre uma possível volta...

Leia nota completa e veja a foto aqui .

Mais sobre as SPICE GIRLS aqui.

It's unusual and very rare, but it's true. Eros International along with Anil Kapoor Films Company kept their first ever Press conference outside India for the promotion of their film Gandhi My Father in the Courthouse Hotel in Central London. The cast and the crowd who attended the conference included the director Mr Feroz Khan, the producer Anil Kapoor, actor Akshaye Khanna and Tushaar Gandhi, the great grandson of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The stage was set for the most shocking truth which was about to shock the International media present in the conference room.

Another crying episode also took place couple of weeks back in London's Soho screening rooms when few of the guests and media had moist eyes after the special screening of the film. Well, looks like Gandhi My Father is surely going to make its audiences go home with moist eyes but a warm feeling in heart of having watched a great cinema.

Well, I’m extremely pleased with it. Not only is it just what I wanted for a Rumtopf, it’s also just about the only one that the kids liked. I bought it from ebay Germany (there were only a handful on offer at ebay UK), and the poor thing had quite an adventurous journey before arriving here: By post to my brother’s place of work in Germany, by motorbike (in a rucksack) back to his house, by plane in my son’s hand luggage.

Rumtopf (rum pot) is the German and Austrian tradition of soaking seasonal fruit in high percentage rum and sugar, leaving the mixture to ferment in a cool place for at least a month (preferably three). Traditionally, this process would take several months, starting with strawberries in the spring, finishing with plums in the autumn, and the Rumtopf would be ready to be sampled on the first Sunday in Advent (which this year is Dec, 3rd, I believe). Emphasis is on ‘sample’, as it also seems to be tradition to drink the Rumtopf no earlier than Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Why am I telling you this when it’s already October? Hmm, because this is the time when we start thinking about what to have for Christmas, and also because it’s not too late yet if you want to start a little Rumtopf of your own. The good news is: there are only a few hard and fast rules. Yes, it’s probably nicest to use each type of fruit as it ripens and becomes seasonally available throughout the year and layer it in your pot (see calendar below), but if you missed a particular window, or if you start as late as this, you can use simply all the fruit you can lay your hands on in one go. I have seen strawberries in the shops only the other day and even raspberries. In fact, that was my last lot that went in today, after the plums and the pears! --I know, I know, we shouldn't buy out of season... Well, if it bothers you, you can always use frozen fruit (defrost completely, pat dry, don’t use any of the liquid). In fact, there are even Rumtopf versions in which I had to do that with the apricots, because I completely missed that window. It's just the last instalment of a long line of disappointments: my romantic ideas of filling my pot with fruit exclusively from pick-your-own-farms did not quite materialise. In the first instance, I settled for strawberries from Marks & Spencer’s. (Mind you, they humour middle class sentiments by not only telling you which variety of berry you’ve purchased but also in which county they were picked and by which farmer ... gosh, they do know their market segment, don’t they?) Other fruit were "gathered" from a variety of supermarkets. But what the heck! In the end, all that counts is whether I'll have yummy, tipsy Rum fruit for Christmas!!"br />Opinion is divided as to which fruit should go into the Rumtopf. There are 1000s of recipes on the net, and I have found a school of thought that excludes quite a few fruit for a variety of reasons:

black fruit: blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries (too hard, too soft, and making the mixture too dark)
gooseberries, rhubarb (too tart)
apples, pears (too hard)
raspberries (too soft)
cherries (too hard) [1 person]
pineapple (too wooden)

Most people do include raspberries. Likewise, there were legions of people who use some or all of the black fruit. My pot (and many others!) specifically shows apples and pears, so it seems to make little sense to leave them out. Cox Orange was recommended for the apples (I used Pink Lady) and a hard variety for the pears (I chose Conference pears). Gooseberries aren’t that abundant in this country but if you happen to have a large supply in your garden, choose the sweeter ones and prick them. Pineapple seems too exotic for a “classic�? Rumtopf in my opinion, but quite a few people use seedless grapes and/or raisins and sultanas. In the case of the latter, no further sugar is needed. Redcurrants can also be used, but according to some, sparingly. I’ve also seen melon mentioned. In a few recipes green walnuts are added after the plums, and mandarins (peeled, segmented, skinned) in December. Quinces weren’t mentioned anywhere but I read a recipe elsewhere for quinces in rum, so presumably they could be added (peel, quarter, pit, cut into 2 cm slices; mix with sugar and bake in the oven for 45 min at 175°C). Other exotic fruit, like mango, papaya and kiwi, have also found their way into up-dated versions, and some people like to experiment with vanilla pods or even cinnamon sticks.

As I said, there is no definitive recipe, just a few basic rules, and after that it’s a matter of taste, and like any good ‘house’recipe, it develops and matures over time into a secret formula. Below are those basic rules, some ideas of how to use your Rumtopf once it’s ready for consumption, how to create a Rumtopf from dried fruit, and a calendar if you want to do it ‘properly’.

Basic Rules

Equipment:
Obviously, a purpose-made Rumtopf would be nice but other large earthenware or porcelain pots (at least 3 l vol.) could be used, especially if they have a lid. If they haven’t then cellophane will do the trick. Glass jars do not seem to be favoured as the light affects the colour of the fruit. I have come across some actual Rumtopf containers made from glass though, so it must be otherwise okay, especially if you have a cellar where to keep it. If you haven’t, then keep your Rumtopf in some other dark, cool place where the temperature doesn’t fluctuate. Only use a silver or stainless steel spoon to avoid rust particles or bacteria interfering with the fermentation process. – Some people, however, discourage stirring altogether. You might also need a small dish which will fit into your pot – some people use this to ensure that the fruit is kept fully immersed in the rum.

Rum:
English recipes call for rum that is at least 80 Proof (40% alcohol by volume) but on the German/Austrian sites, the verdict was unanimous: it has to be 54%. Not more, not less (you will find advice on how to mix different volumes to achieve the right result, and everybody agrees that Austrian Strohrum, which has 80% is not suitable). This is a bit tricky though, I think. Maybe I haven’t looked hard enough but I haven’t seen rum of that strength in the UK except once at a deli, where the bottle cost nearly £30! I brought a few (inordinately cheaper) bottles back with me from Germany, but if I hadn’t been able to do that, I would have risked the 40% path and just hoped for the best. The worst that could happen is that your fruit starts fermenting too much – if you can see tiny bubbles appearing. The mixture can be salvaged by carefully removing any foam, then adding 96% pure alcohol (in Germany you can get this from a pharmacist’s, I’m not sure whether that’s possible in the UK); you need ¼ l for a 5 l pot.
In France, Bourbon is used instead of rum, and generally speaking, one could use any high percentage alcohol to preserve fruit. From vodka to grappa via slivovitz – anything goes.

Sugar:
Divided opinions again – recommendations range from caster, preserving and even icing sugar, all the way to brown sugar. Your run-of-the-mill granulated sugar should be okay. I’m pretty certain that even using different ones at different times (Zabeena’s ‘whatever-is-at-hand School of Thought’) shouldn’t pose a problem.

Ratio:
As a general rule, this seems to be 1 pound of fruit to ½ pound of sugar (or 500g/250g) plus 0.2 l of rum, except for the very first time when you need a whole 0.7 l bottle, and 4 weeks after your last fruit when you add another half bottle. The important thing is to keep your fruit well covered (2cm/1inch/thumb width) with rum. (Mind you - I don't seem to be able to achieve that, there's always some fruit floating on top...)

Procedure:
Wash and sterilize your container in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Fruit should be in perfect condition without any blemishes and just ripe. Don't use over ripe fruits. Clean and dry fruit, remove stalks, pit and cut into pieces as suggested (above and below). Sprinkle each pound of fruit with ½ pound of sugar, and let soak for one hour before placing in the Rumtopf. To avoid loss of aroma or the evaporation of the rum, place cellophane across the top, under the lid. Check occasionally that there is sufficient rum to keep the mixture covered; add more rum if necessary.

Longevity:
It will keep indefinitely as long as it is completely covered with the rum. Add rum if necessary, make sure fruit are still covered.

When:
Not everyone starts in Spring. I read about someone whose birthday is in September and who starts then, leaving it over the winter months, adding fruit in the spring and summer, so that each year, there is one ready to consume on his birthday.
The busy housewife might want to do the whole lot in one go by choosing a time when virtually all the necessary fruit are in the supermarket – for instance mid August.

Recipes:

Rumtopf can be enjoyed over ice cream/frozen yoghurt, plain yoghurt, cake, toasted waffles, lemon pound cake, vanilla or chocolate pudding etc., or by itself with a topping of fresh whipped cream. It’s also great as a topping for tartlets.

Or you might want to try it as an accompaniment to game dishes.

Rumtopf Cocktail

2 tsp Rumtopf per champagne glass, top with sparkling wine or champagne

Rumtopf Jelly

Heat 10 heaped tablespoons of Rumtopf, add a splash of Rum for good measure, add 3 sheets of gelatine, fill into glasses and leave to cool.

Making Rumtopf from dried fruit

1kg dried fruit (apricots, prunes, figs, dates)
1 l 54% rum
zest of 1 lemon
1 vanilla pod

Wash the fruit, dry for two hours in the oven and cut into pieces
Layer the fruit into the Rumtopf, interspersed with lemon zest and vanilla
Top with the rum (make sure your pot is only ¾ full – the fruit is still swelling up)
Needs at least a week of soaking

Calendar for a Classic Rumtopf
May + June
One pound of strawberries (hulled) + half a pound of sugar + one 0.7-l-bottle of rum.

June + July
One pound of cherries (with the stone) + half a pound of sugar + 0.2 l rum.

July + August
One pound of apricots or peaches (blanched, skinned, pitted and halved/quartered) + half a pound of sugar + 0.2 l rum.

August + September
Half a pound of greengages, damsons or mirabelles (pitted and halved) + half a pound of raspberries (hulled, cleaned but not washed) + half a pound of sugar + 0.2 l rum.

September + October
Half a pound of apples (peel, core and cut into slices - then drop them into a water and lemon juice bath to keep them from discolouring; some people even simmer them) or fresh pineapple (peeled, cut into pieces) + half a pound of blackberries (picked over) + half a pound of sugar + 0.2 l rum.

October + November
Half a pound of pears (see apples ) and half a pound of plums (pitted and halved) + half a pound of sugar + 0.2 l rum. Four weeks after the last fruit, add half a 0.7 l bottle of rum.

December
Enjoy the fruits of thy labour: sampling begins on the first Sunday in Advent.

Short formula:

3l (min) pot
· 2l (min) rum (54% if possible) [3bottles @ 0.7l]
· fruit – sugar ratio = 2:1
· leave fruit to soak up sugar for 1hour
· rum – per pound of fruit:
first time = 0.7l
subsequent times = 0.2l
last time = 0.35l
leave to ferment for 1 month (min) rule of thumb: fruit needs to be covered by at least a thumb’s breadth of rum

Daniel Radcliffe has just turned 18 years old and now has access to a 10 million dollar fortune but he says he will not fritter it away on fast cars and drink. He has his feet on the ground and say's his lifestyle will not change.To read more about this please click here.

Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades.Approximately 22 miles (35 km) in length, the famous boulevard passes through or near Echo Park, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills, Bel-Air, Brentwood, and Pacific Palisades. It also passes through the neighborhood of Little Armenia on the East side of Sunset Boulevard. Other than West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, which are independent incorporated cities, the places named above are all districts and neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles. In the Bel-Air district of Los Angeles, Sunset Boulevard runs along the northern boundary of the UCLA Westwood campus. Over much of its course, the boulevard runs through very rugged terrain and is very winding and treacherous. It is at least four lanes in width for all of its route. Car accidents are common due to its numerous hairpin curves and blind crests, and the lack of a center divider on most sections. Sunset (along with Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards) is frequently congested with traffic loads far beyond its design capacity. As a result, it is also notorious for cracks and potholes. Traffic on Sunset is often slow-moving, with bumper to bumper traffic not infrequent during rush hour in both directions. However, when traffic is mild or nonexistent, Sunset is an extremely fast thoroughfare as it encounters few (and short timed) traffic lights west of Doheny Drive. Even at rush hours, traffic generally flows well through the Holmby Hills and Bel Air, west of Whittier in Beverly Hills, as the lights are very well spaced and timed. Sunset Boulevard used to extend farther east, starting at Alameda Street near Union Station and beside Olvera Street in the historic section of Downtown, but the portion of Sunset Boulevard east of Figueroa on the north end of Downtown Los Angeles was renamed César E. Chávez Avenue, along with Macy Street and Brooklyn Avenue, in honor of the late Mexican-American union leader. In the 1970s the area between Gardner Street and La Brea Avenue, especially around Western Avenue, became a seedy red-light district afflicted with street prostitution. It was at the corner of Sunset and Courtney Avenue that actor Hugh Grant pulled over and picked up prostitute Divine Brown in the early morning of June 27, 1995. He then drove a few blocks east and parked at the corner of Curson and Hawthorn Avenues. Police arrested him and the prostitute for lewd conduct in a public place and he was later fined $1,200. Shortly after this police raids drove out the majority of prostitutes in this area and the majority of those turned to on-line escort services, thus diminishing the long held red-light district.Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood is also sometimes called "Guitar Row" due to the large number of guitar stores and music industry-related businesses, including the legendary recording studios Sunset Sound Studios and United Western Recorders. Also, many young, struggling actors, musicians, and other artists continue to live in the area. The best-known section of Sunset Boulevard is probably the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, which is a center for nightlife in the Los Angeles area. The portion of Sunset Boulevard from the western city limits of Beverly Hills to its eastern end was at one time named Beverly Boulevard.

Ok this is the second time I've seen yummy Chick Beyonce take a fall and totally playit off. She is a pro through and through and that is why she is my Yummy chick of the day! Check it... she even has the sense of humour to ask " Please dont put i on youtube"

 She also give a classy interview:

 and then she basically tore it up: