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Arts & Life
Tracing Latino Roots Via Sound
Eric Pearce Chavez
Eric Pearse Chavez
Hide captionJulian Gonzalez playing his tuba in Santa Maria Tavehua.Carmen Vidal
1 of 3View slideshow i
Sonic Trace is a multimedia project that follows Latinos living in Los Angeles travelling back to their families' native lands. Led by radio producer Anyansi Diaz-Cortes, it examines the link between what some Latinos consider home – before and after they or their families came to the U.S.
Diaz-Cortes told NPR host Michel Martin, that she was always interested in international reporting – even on a local level. "To cover any American city in the year 2013 or in this decade you really have to go beyond U.S. borders."
There's another aspect to Sonic Trace, too. It's called La Burbuja, or, the bubble. It's a portable recording studio where they invite people in to talk about their reflections on home – why did they leave, stay, or return from their home country.
Sonic Trace was produced by KCRW and Localore, a national initiative by AIR, the Association of Independents in Radio and Zeega. Sonic Trace is one of several interactive public media stories that NPR's Tell Me More will be highlighting in the coming months.
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We are a thriving community located on the Kenai River, the most popular sport fishing destination in Alaska. These glacier blue waters are home to some of the best runs of King, Sockeye, and Coho salmon, as well as trophy sized Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden. The Kenai is also home to other wildlife; including moose, brown and black bears, caribou and multiple species of birds.
Contact or stop by the Soldotna Visitor Information Center for information on visiting and relocating to our beautiful city. You can find information on Where to Stay, What to Do and more at our visitor kiosk. We offer Free Wi-Fi and smartphone charging stations for your convenience!
As you take in the beauty of The Kenai, Alaska's Playground, make Soldotna your home base and experience the best Alaska has to offer right at your doorstep. The Kenai Peninsula is nicknamed "Alaska's Playground" for a reason! The list of activities you can enjoy during your trip is endless. Wildlife viewing, fishing, bear viewing, bird watching, canoe and hiking trips, shopping, fine dining and more await you in Soldotna!
Stop by the Soldotna Visitor Center to view a variety of animal exhibits on display, including the world record King Salmon, caught by Les Anderson in 1985 or take a walk along the Kenai River on our elevated public boardwalks.

subset: commoncrawl


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Recipes continued...
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 51, Protein 2g, Fat 1g, Percent Calories From Fat 19%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 10g, Fiber 4g, Sodium 450mg.
Roasted Squash With Potatoes & Garlic
Makes 8 servings
Each serving equals one and one-half Five A Day servings
Source: Wegmans
1 unpeeled acorn squash (about 1 to 1½ lbs), washed, halved, seeded and cut into 12 equal pieces
4-5 medium (about 2 lbs) butter potatoes, unpeeled, washed and quartered,
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large sprig rosemary
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Combine squash, potatoes and garlic in 9 x 13-inch shallow baking pan. Drizzle with oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with rosemary sprig. Bake 45-50 minutes, turning once after vegetables are browned on one side.
Option: Squash may be peeled if desired.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 176, Protein 3g, Fat 5g, Percent Calories From Fat 27%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 30g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 13mg.
Vegetarian Stir Fry With Edamame
Makes 4 Servings
Each serving equals two and one-half 5 A Day servings
Source: Wegmans
½ white onion (5 oz), diced small
1 lb eggplant, peeled and diced into ¾-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper (½ lb), seeded and medium diced
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small clove garlic, peeled and chopped
½ tsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 pkg (14½ oz) extra firm tofu, diced medium
½ cup sesame garlic sauce
½ pkg (5 oz) edamame (soybeans), pods removed
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp (about 2) scallions, washed and cut on bias
Blanch onion, eggplant, and red pepper in boiling water, until crisp tender about 2-3 minutes, drain and set aside. Heat nonstick wok or large nonstick skillet on high, about 2 minutes. Add vegetable oil; swirl to coat pan (oil should smoke lightly).
Add garlic, ginger, and tofu (tofu breaks up slightly); stir fry 1 minute. Add in vegetables and stir fry 2 minutes. Add garlic sauce; stir fry 3 minutes. Add edamame; stir fry 2 minutes.
Add chopped cilantro, remove from pan, garnish with scallions.
Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 180, Protein 13g, Fat 6g, Percent Calories From Fat 30%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 17g, Fiber 2g, Sodium 85mg.


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Im running the latest WP with the latest TimeMachine. Php5. WinXp desktop.
Im backng up to Dropbox.
It appears to work and the wpTimeMachine-content-files.zip files are about 45 meg.
However - when I try go into the zipped folders they all appear empty
and when I try to extract them the error message says
the archive is corrupted.
Any ideas??


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The Good Night
|R (for language and some sexual content)
|Comedy, Drama, Romance
|Release Date:
|October 5, 2007
|Running time:
|90 minutes
|Keith Allen, Skye Bennett, Franco Bulaon, Penelope Cruz, Danny DeVito
|Jake Paltrow
|Oliver Hengst
|Jake Paltrow
|Yari Film Group
Description: Gary, a once successful musician, struggles with his career and an inert relationship with his girlfriend Dora. As his work as a commercial jingle writer spirals into ever more degrading depths, his best friend and former band mate Paul seems to find success at every turn. Gary is depressed and dejected until he meets Anna. She is everything Gary wants sexually, artistically and intellectually--she is the girl of his dreams, literally. But Gary can only be with Anna in sleep which consequently sends him on a quest for more frequent slumber. With the help of a new age guru named Mel, Gary shuns reality for the comfort of his dreams even as the troubles of his waking life increase.
Movie summaries and listings powered by Cinema-Source


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Then saw it closed at 1.98 this is the best day ever. Mae 185K Today Shorting a boat load more this will hit $1.50 by next week might hit a buck before earnings. And De List by Early Sept. Longs have sold 5 Million shares since Last Friday and stock has lost 30%. This stock is finished. I will Guarantee you this stock is down tomorrow 100% DOWN!
With the VP Quitting today and 8/22 earnings call coming. Looking worse everyday for longs. Especially since they can not get through the Berlin Wall of 2.30, and never 2.50 Cement Block. BUmp down tomorrow probably closes the week back under 2. Not enough volume today, means it was a trap gap.
HAHAHA :D 2.20-2.30 tomorrow ;)
And you need your meds, you can not get through 2.40 yet again 3.00. Take your meds please.
If you still stand by this 100% guarantee, you have two hours left to make it happen. Judging from the last few trading days, that's certainly very possible. Let's see what happens!
I'm wrong about today, but also look at the volume down from the last 4 days of selling. Enjoy today, I will enjoy earnings call after hours on 8/22 when this drops down 50%. Congrats you guys are still down 3% this week.


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Dark Blue
- Studio: United Artists
- Release Date: Feb 21, 2003
Critic Reviews
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
Sensitively directed by Ron Shelton and helped by what just might be the best performance of Kurt Russell's career, Dark Blue is as interesting and successful as it can be within its limits, but those limits make this a more generic film than its makers intended.
Shelton has directed Dark Blue in a jacked-up urban thriller style that simply does not play to his gifts. He's a sidewinder, the sort of writer-director who tells his stories through loopy character details and anecdotes.
Unfortunately, the rest of the movie does not live up to Mr. Russell's performance.
If this brutal tale of crime and corruption within the upper ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department feels like an updated retelling of "L.A. Confidential," there's good reason. Both stories spring from the dark mind of American crime writer James Ellroy.
So what will happen? Sadly, some overacting and a bad "And Justice For All"-style speech at the end.
In the wake of TV's powerhouse "The Shield," Dark Blue comes off as something of a retread, with little of "The Shield's" electric fury, edgy camera work or deft characterizations.
However misjudged and evidently cobbled together in the editing room, Dark Blue does have the nerve to drive right through the riots with Russell's saber-toothed bigot, implicitly linking the two phenomena and not being shy about the suffering on either side of the combat.
Through it all, though, Kurt Russell gives Dark Blue a bleak integrity -- funny word, given the circumstances -- that almost serves as its redemption.
In short, Dark Blue suffers from a problem that, however niggling, is likely to hobble any thriller: no thrills. [17 & 24 February 2003, p.204]
My own view is that, like me, the LAPD was defeated by the movie's incestuously proliferating plots. I've seen Dark Blue twice, and I still don't have a handle on all its comings and goings.
We have heard this song before, know it by heart (sadly, as film still can't keep pace with real-life headlines about fake drug busts and a shady LAPD), and still filmmakers can't resist its rhythms.
Ultimately, Dark Blue feels roughly a decade too late with its back story of the Los Angeles riots. Gates' department had its share of dirty blues, to be sure, but that hasn't been notable since the smoke cleared back in 1992.
There are no user reviews yet.


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How to control music and video on the Web with a wave of your hand
December 28, 2012 by Amara D. Angelica
"We are so excited and pleased to release a new version [of Flutter] that allows you to control music & videos in Google Chrome using gestures — just in time for the holiday season. Flutter now supports YouTube, Pandora, Grooveshark & Netflix. We will be updating AppStore version in early 2013. For now direct download the new version."… read more


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- Dermatologist Recommended
- Fragrance-Free Skin Protection
Dry Sensitive Skin Formula. Effectively Heals & Moisturizes.
A highly effective skin protectant with a non-irritating formula that absorbs quickly to leave skin feeling smooth and soft. Clinically proven to relieve dry sensitive skin and designed not to clog pores. Free of lanolins, fragrances, and parabens that can sensitize or irritate skin.


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Obama Pledges To End Torture To Help 'Regain America's Moral Stature In The World'
In recent weeks, there has been rampant media speculation that President Barack Obama would back off his campaign pledges to end torture.
The Wall Street Journal recently wrote, "President-elect Barack Obama is unlikely to radically overhaul controversial Bush administration intelligence policies." In addition, some in the blogosphere have raised concerns about the fact that a key intelligence adviser to Obama has supported the Bush administration's enhanced interrogation techniques.
Tonight, in his interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, Obama bluntly and directly clarified his incoming administration's position:
CBS: There are a number of different things you can do early on pertaining to executive orders.
OBAMA: Right.
CBS: One of them is to shut down Guantanamo Bay. Another is to change interrogation methods that are used by U.S. troops. Are those things that you plan to take early action on?
OBAMA: Yes. I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that. I have said repeatedly that America doesn't torture, and I'm going to make sure that we don't torture. Those are part and parcel of an effort to regain America's moral stature in the world.
Watch it:
Obama also emphasized that "capturing or killing" Osama bin Laden is a critical aspect of his national security strategy of stamping out al Qaeda. "He is not just a symbol, he is also the operational leader of an organization that is planning attacks against U.S. targets," Obama said of bin Laden.


text: BSI Financial ("BSI") is the premier special servicer handling all types of loans from non-performing/sub-performing ?distressed assets and early payment defaults to performing agency portfolios. As an independent mortgage servicer, BSI provides clients with customized solutions to maximize the return on their investment by generating highest value on their loans, lowering costs and reducing turnaround time. BSI is an approved servicer with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, VA, Federal Home Loan Bank and several private investors. SERVICES WE OFFER:


text:
Read more
The National Children's Bureau is a leading charity that for 50 years has been improving the lives of children and young people,
especially the most vulnerable. We work with children and for children, to influence government policy, be a strong voice for young
people and practitioners, and provide creative solutions on a range of social issues.
Charities often talk about
empowering the people they represent to participate, but they must be re...
Niklas McKerrell (17), one of NCB's
young research advisors, gives his take on the EU referendum.
Policy makers still have work to do to improve
children's rights in the UK, argues Zoe Renton.
As part of the Children's Policy Research Unit's 'Growing Up Happy' conference, Young NCB members reflect on essential elements in creating happiness and wellbeing.
Video production by J motion
In response to the Ofsted report released today: Unknown children- destined for disadvantage?
"This report underlines yet again that the health needs of children in care are not being met and that the health providers that serve them do not always properly value children's views and experiences..."
© National Children's Bureau - Registered charity No. 258825.
Registered in England and Wales No. 952717
Registered office: 8 Wakley Street, London, EC1V 7QE. A Company
Limited by Guarantee.


text:
$util.date("MMMM d, yyyy",$topLevel.timeZone)
1 box Butter Recipe Chocolate cake mix1 box instant chocolate pudding2 8oz. jars raspberry preserves1 stick of butter1/2 a jigger (about 1 teaspoon) orange liqueur (optional)
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.


text:
Chrome plated zinc alloy with black plastic splash guard. Removable 30 mesh stainless steel wire screen flame arrestor. Hose size: 5/8". Max hull thickness: 3/4"
I am confused where this vent breathes with the black plastic splash guard, can you explain?
There is a slight gap between vent and the black splash guard.
What size hole does this require?
No manufacturer information on hole size. Hose size is 5/8".
Will this fit on a 1996 Key West 1720 Sportsman CC?
We do not have original information to match it up by boat. You will need to confirm some specs. This is for a 5/8 inch hose size with a maximum hull thickness of 3/4 inch.
This product ships in 1 business day.
Add to Cart and enter your Postal Code to determine the shipping charges and estimated delivery date.
Most products and orders leave our warehouse in 1 business day. However, select items may take more processing time. Alaska and Hawaii orders please add 1 additional warehouse processing day.
Standard Shipping Policies


text:
Each spring, the National Wild Turkey Federation's wildlife biologists hear the fears of concerned hunters who don't understand that prescribed burns in March and April -- months generally known as wild turkey nesting months -- are far more beneficial than harmful to wild turkey populations. However, the NWTF's wildlife biologists have research showing the years of improved nesting and brood habitat created by a growing season prescribed fire is far more important to the turkey population than the loss of a few nests.
Wild turkeys have excellent vision during the day but don't see as well at night. They are also very mobile. Turkeys can run at speeds up to 25 mph, and they can fly up to 55 mph - NWTF Website


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Oh, Hey!
14 comments:
Ooh love this look! I wish I could wear this color more... pales me right out! You however look lovely!ReplyDelete
Love your hat and jeans! Gorgeous picturesReplyDelete
Love love love your jeans! They look so comfy!ReplyDelete
Few words, no problem! Your outfit is amazing, so no worries there.ReplyDelete
I totally know that feeling. When I have writers block, I often wait on posting, but maybe less is more.
xo jackie
Something About That
Oh my, I really love your distressed jeans! They just look perfect along with the whole outfit <3ReplyDelete
New Post: Two Tone Skinny
xx, Claire from Vancouver, Canada
Super cool relaxed outfit! And I never have anything to say on my blog either!ReplyDelete
Jeans and a Teacup
nice jeans.ReplyDelete
Super cute outfit lovely lady :) I love your jeans!!!ReplyDelete
I totally get it. Sometimes I don't have much to say either. Love your easy, neutral outfit. I'm a neutral person myself.ReplyDelete
xo, Amy Ann
The Real Arnolds
at least you have pictures!! i feel like i'd rather be sleeping than posting-- particularly when nothing is going on bahahaReplyDelete
xx Corinne
This is super inspirational!ReplyDelete
Totally modern and fabulous! LOVE!ReplyDelete
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text:
Police say they've arrested suspects in two separate crimes that both occurred on the same day at a single store.
Police were called to J's Liquor Store on 31 E. Fillmore St. twice on Monday, December 26. The first time was around 6:07 p.m. when Ron Mullens, 36, tried to shoplift several bottles of liquor but fought with employees until officers arrived.
When an officer did arrive, Mullens tried to run away. The officer used a stun gun and arrested him for robbery and resisting arrest.
Later, just before 8:00 p.m., a second crook hit the same liquor store. He jumped over the counter, hit the clerk near his left eye and took an unknown amount of cash from the register.
Detectives now say they believe that man was Mark Burdine, 27.
Burdine was arrested in the 3500 block of N. Cascade Ave. Thursday afternoon. He is charged with robbery, a felony.
Police say that the two crimes at J's Liquor Store were not related.
A mug shot of Burdine is not being released at this time. Police say that they have yet to photo line-ups and that releasing the photo could compromise their investigation.


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Smitty's Automatic Trans Services
This shop is not RepairPal Certified. Learn more
80 North Plains Industrial Road
Wallingford, CT 06492 USA
Wallingford, CT 06492 USA
(203) 265-2318
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When taking your car to this shop, we recommend you take the time to:
- Ask if their technicians are ASE-certified.
- Request written estimates from multiple shops and compare them with the RepairPal estimator.
- Verify that the shop you select is willing and able to clearly explain the work being performed.
- Ask whether they warranty their repairs (and for how long).
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Center For Human Development Inc
Rating: 0 stars 0 0 review 39
1100 K Ave La Grande OR 97850 USA
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Shelter From The Storm
user6547 wrote:
Needing services from a dv agency is a personal thing. My story is too personal to tell on here but if you need help... I would... more »
- Location:
- La Grande, OR


text:
Ok this is fun! Work has given me a MacBook Pro that is the model before this new Retina model but many other peers are given the new model just randomly based on what they had available at that time . But I don't want this crap I want the new one too. So what can I do to damage it in a non obvious way so I they have to say oh ok let's replace your laptop ? I was thinking like never turning it off and installing the program that let's me always turn on the fans and like keeping it at nights in a humid area like refrigerator maybe ?
closed as not a real question by Nathan Greenstein Jan 20 '13 at 3:05
It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, visit the help center.If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
Intentionally damaging a computer is irresponsible, and in this case, it's also dishonest. There are better ways to get what you want.
First, simply ask your manager (or the person distributing the laptops) if you could trade it in for a new one. Make your case that A) you deserve the Retina by seniority, and B) you could be more productive with a faster machine. Also, be honest about how it bugs you to go from Retina at home to low-res at work.
If that doesn't work, try to get permission to use your own laptop for work. Talk to IT and find out if it's possible, then bring it up with your manager and relay what IT told you.
In any case, you don't want to sound like a complainer when you bring this up, so try to come up with objective points to present in your favor. Faster performance, more screen detail — whatever you can come up with that's fact-based and honest.
P.S. — In the interest of actually answering your question, you should know that most people (especially the IT folks who'll inspect the company's laptop) can tell the difference between accidental and intentional damage to a computer. Also, internal damage is rarely accidental. We're talking about a MacBook Pro. They don't usually break on their own.
Seriously Man?? Go talk to your employers. Be open about it. You'll go further in life by speaking your mind than being a sneaky snake.


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On a decorating budget, or limited for space in your home, dorm room or apartment? For affordable, space-saving decorations, there's nothing better than posters. You'll find everything you want in the wide selection of posters at Amazon.com, whether you want a touch of classic art to refresh your eyes, or something to express your unique personality and individuality.
At Amazon.com, you can find posters of works by classic masters such as Dali, Van Gogh, Renoir, and more. We have everything from a timeless classic like Van Gogh's "Starry Night" to posters of the work of Ralph Steadman, whose iconic illustrations from the book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas helped create a lasting aesthetic. Many of our posters are eligible for Free Shipping, so you don't have to worry about added delivery costs.
We also carry posters of your favorite movies, TV shows, sports heroes, and actors. You can find posters of iconic movie stars like James Dean and Marilyn Monroe or movie posters for just about any movie you can think of, from Star Wars, The Big Lebowski, and James Bond, to Indiana Jones and The Walking Dead.
If music is a big part of your life, you can find all the posters with the musicians and bands that influenced you and made you who you are musically. Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain, Bob Dylan, and Bob Marley can help you express your style and taste and start conversations. Now you can filter your search by price to see the most affordable items first. It could save you time and money.
Whether you're trying to add a little atmosphere to your home or dorm room, or want to express your own unique style, the posters at Amazon.com could be the perfect solution.


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Aug 24
This is a multi artist show, doors open at 6pm. Contact me for advance tickets.
Sounds Like: Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Damien Rice, Nick Drake
Bio: Lian grew up in upstate NY where he spent his happiest times wandering in the the woods and singing with the trees. His love of all music comes from the influence of his music loving family. While his father taught him to appreciate artists like Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane and The Band his mom ...See Full Bio


text:
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June 5, 2016 marked the 35th anniversary of a case study released by The Centers for Disease Control in 1981 which outlined the first documented cases of HIV/AIDS. Though treatment and education has come a long way since those early days, the disease once classified as the "gay cancer" continues to spread.
Bob The Drag Queen, Todrick Hall, Davey Wavey, Amber's Closet, Catrific and Zackary Drucker teamed up for #HIVBEATS– an upbeat and engaging music video series from YouTube. Each popular personality discusses various topics regarding HIV/AIDS included PreP, ways you can't contact the virus and other informative tidbits, but done in a humorous fashion. Watch the fun clips below.
Naturally being of Asian descent, I've experienced some racism in my life. From subtle digs to a full-on physical altercation, I've seen my share of discrimination due to the color of my skin. For the most part, I don't let racial slurs and comments, and for that matter, homophobic labels, bother me too much. I have pretty thick skin and let them roll off my back.
With the gay community already a minority, you'd think gay-on-gay hate wouldn't exist, especially towards another minority. But it does and certainly when it comes to dating. It's one thing to have a sexual preference, but there are ways to go about it without marginalizing an entire ethnic group. Even though I'm not on any dating apps, I've also seen racist behavior in this respect due to being part of an interracial couple. Everyone always naturally assumes, I'm the bottom. Not true, just in case you're wondering 😉
Davey Wavey enlisted Todrick Hall, Ryan James Yezak and other online personalities to react to several racist profile messages. I often sometimes laugh and use humor to navigate through awkward situations. That's probably the case in a couple of these instances in the clip below.
I hate to admit, I laughed at the comment, "I block more Asians than the Great Wall of China." At least he's being creative unlike that blatantly ignorant "Is there a block all black button?"
Check out the clip below and weigh in if you think if specifying race is simply dating preference of full-out racism.
The thirst is real folks. Just look at Davey Wavey practically salivating at the fact he's about to see Steve Grand shirtless up close and personal. I don't blame him. The openly-gay singer is one hot piece of beef. Though, he'd like people to see him more than that. Good luck 😉
Grand appears in this tongue-in-cheek video where the YouTube personality apologizes for the way gay media has exploited and sexualized him. As an aside, don't you find it rich when hot people complain about that.
The clip is a fun approach for Steve to take to promote his debut album, All-American Boy, which is available now. Sex sells for sure. Check it out below and try not to get too jealous of Davey Wavey when he's rubbing oil all over Steve's man tits.
Oh straight guys, so easy to influence. Everyone's favorite shirtless vlogger Davey Wavey uses some fancy wordplay to trick straight guys into admitting they're a little gay. It's like taking candy from a baby. For instance, is it gay to suck a dick? What if it's your own dick. How about getting a handjob? What if it's your own penis? Watch these boys squirm below as they realize they've been manipulated.
In the vein of So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol, Andrew Christian holds auditions of his own. The lucky ones to advance get a ticket to Las Vegas for the MATINÉE Festival over Memorial Day weekend. It's four days of fun that includes eight parties, 20 DJs and lots of hot boys.
In charge of handing out the coveted tickets are Pandora Boxx, Davey Wavey, Todrick Hall and Andrew Christian himself. Watch them as they drool, manhandle and rate the sexy studs paraded in front of them. Note to future hopefuls: Flirt with Pandora. From the looks of it, she's your best bet to advance. Also making appearances in the promo video are Drag Race alums Raja and Manila Luzon.
While it's not as racy as their other videos, it does showcase a lot of jiggling bare booties and salacious behavior, ergo me saving it til Saturday to post the NSFW clip. Enjoy and if you're in Vegas, have fun and be on the look out for the AC boys.
Today you're getting a twofer. I'm combining the latest clips from two of our favorite YouTube channels for your viewing pleasure.
First up are the towel-wearing studs of Steam Room Stories. They've discussed everything from funky spunk to being butt drunk in the past and everything in between. This time around they chat about online pirating, specifically porn. They come to the conclusion that if they pay for porn, the models will be hotter. Agree with that train of thought?
The second clip features Davey Wavey questioning senior citizens about gay sex. For all you Davey haters, he doesn't appear in the clip. The golden gays are the stars here. Though not as entertaining as Davey Wavey quizzing Bel Ami models, this one has a lot of charm. The best moment is when one of the ladies says her favorite is the "cum, cum, cum, cum, cum" part. She then reveals when she was young she chased around all the "little dykes." Check out both clips below.
Whether you love or hate Davey Wavey, you gotta give the guy credit. The shirtless vlogger has amassed a huge following. At last count, his videos have been viewed more than 90 million times. That's a whole lot of nipple views 😉 His appeal transcends online as well. Spartacus International picked him as their cover boy for their 2013-2014 travel gay guide. Now he's hanging out with the cute boys of Bel Ami. Lucky, right?
Davey Wavey got close and personal with Bel Ami's Kinky Angels. He quizzes them on common sexual terms. Since most of the guys hail from the Czech Republic, they aren't familiar with a couple of them, most notably "blue balls." With exception to one, they all think it has to do with someone hitting you in the nuts. LOL. Those Czechs are adorable. Watch Gino Mosca (cute), Andre Boleyn, Jack Harrer, Kevin Warhol and Adam Archuleta (super cute) take the sex quiz. See who gets a passing grade.
A while back, Davey Wavey released a video titled What Gay Men Think About Vaginas. It was actually quite funny to see what people said. Well, now he's done it again… except for just the opposite.
In the following video, Davey Wavey asks several lesbians (one-on-one) what they think about vaginas. Their initial reactions range from wishing that they had one to explaining that lesbians actually don't have a problem with penises… just what they are attached to. He then asks them to describe a penis in one word and some of their responses include: Pointy, transformer, squishy-stick, and of course many others. He also had them talk about how penises smell and also to make a face as if they were a penis. LOL.
Another random funny aspect to the video is that there's one girl that's all confused because it turns out she's not a lesbian… well, she admits to being 10% lesbian. Enjoy the video below!


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Riley County police said more businesses have reported receiving worthless checks in exchange for goods and services.
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Killer!! 48,000+ views on YouTube!
The animation department did this about 10 years ago at uni to get natural video reference of people's movements.
So it does make a good point and is an interesting way of advertising, putting the benefit of the product right in front of the public, but it's an old joke done in an uninteresting way.
There should have been a spree of these all over the city. On walls, roofs of bus shelters, side of parking meters, different sized coins.
Basically good effort but try harder.
Doin' it for the points


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Today Eakins Oval and all drives on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will remain closed through the Party on the Parkway (4-7 p.m.) and the evening's Philly 4th of July Jam & Grand Finale Fireworks.
At 4 p.m. additional roads will close including Fairmount at Corinthian, and Spring Garden at Broad Street. Closures will extend beyond the Parkway, stretching to Arch Street at the peak of the event, according to police. Closures for cleanups could also happen Thursday.
For more street closures due to these celebrations and others in surrounding areas go to http://tinyurl.com/76m5rrw.
SOURCE: Peter Mucha, Inquirer Staff Writer via www.philly.com
Also On Praise 103.9:
Inspiring Quotes by Women Who Inspire
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At COCHON555, we promote "heritage breed pigs", a yearly campaign that develops a demand in our communities to support local farmers. At HERITAGE BBQ, we are promoting "a decision to support local" – a message that we hope will educate today's influencers and ultimately travel to our youth – who are yet to make decisions on their own about food. If adult peers are making the right decision, making it fun and tasty, then the youth (soon to be buyers) will have reason to support local food. There is a master plan in play, I have been at this for 6 years, but one thing I know – it all starts with flavor, great people and a vision that our society will have a new set of needs and decisions to make over the next 20 years. For me, I want to provide my kids a fork in the road, where they can make a decision to buy safe, honest food and most importantly know where to get it.
This is the new Q! For the first time, a BBQ event that gives chefs the opportunity to celebrate hundreds of grilling traditions from around the world. We are on a mission to redefine BBQ as social eating, the act of gathering around fire, making friends and eating responsibly-raised animals. Together we preserve timeless family traditions from all over the globe. We look forward to promoting influences such as Hibachi (Japan), Braai (S. Africa), Asado (Argentina), Char Siu (China), Satay (SE Asia), Mangal (Central Asia), Luau (Islands), Regional American (Kansas City, Lexington to Louisiana), Lechonera (Puerto Rico) and Barbacoa (Mexico) in a nationally celebrated event.
IF YOU ARE A CHEF AND WANT TO JUMP ON BOARD, THERE IS A PROMOTIONAL VALUE TO YOUR BEING FEATURED ON COLLATERAL: BBQ Traditions will feature Char Siu with Chef Stephen of ABC Restaurant. Chef name and restaurant and Tradition will be included in all media alerts and websites. Additionally, we will have great sponsors who are paired up with specific styles and regions for an extra special tasting. If you are interested, please email us.
Food for thought: We as Americans see BBQ as english speaking cuisine and we couldn't be more wrong, or untrue. We in America, are lucky enough to be caretakers to a special extension of BBQ (one we have capitalized on), but what we decide to do with it is ours. Some existing BBQ restaurants decided to start to support local responsible, some decided not to. If we are going to preserve our heritage, then we need to find a genuine connection with our local food roots, its prerequisite to building a tradition. Preserving our Heritage comes one whole animal at a time, its reinforced with a handshake from a local farmer, and becomes reality when a smile on the guest shines on the kitchen crew because the diner knows how much we do as caretakers in the good food movement.
The bottom line, through word-of-mouth, the events develop interest in existing BBQ restaurants to join the conversation of local food and heritage pigs, thus creating long-term growth, jobs on farms and better food choices for the future. Here is your chance to step in the action on the ground floor.
The information below is copyrighted, author – Brady Lowe. Please ask before using.
"Char siu" literally means "fork burn/roast". In ancient times, wild boar was skewered and cooked over an open fire or in an oven. More commonly, a shoulder cut of pork is preferred, seasoned with a mixture of honey, five-spice powder, fermented red bean curd, dark soy and hoisin.
Originally, a Brazilian rustic BBQ consisting of sausages, beef, pork, and chicken cooked over a hole in the ground filled with coals. Meats were skewered on metal spits, seasoned with coarse salt and grilled, then a gaúcho would cut meat from skewers using his churrasco knife. Now widely adapted across many Latin America cultures.
"Gogigui" literally means "meat + roasting" and is the method of roasting marinated or non-marinated beef, pork, or chicken over charcoal grills typically built into the center of the diner's table. Popular dishes like Bulgogi (beef sirloin) and Galbi (short rib) are seasoned with soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, pepper and "gochujang" (Korean chili powder).
Believed to have originated in Barbados, derived from "Los Barbadoes", the bearded fig trees discovered on the island. Natives called their style "barabicu," which included spiced meats grilled over a "sacred fire pit" filled with fig wood. The style of was eventually taken to Mexico where slow-roasted meats over an open fire were called Barbacoa.
South Africans love to "Braai", which includes grilling, hanging out and drinking. Braaivleis translates to "grilled meat" and refers to staple grilled dishes like Boerewors (a pork and beef sausage flavored with coriander and garlic) and Sosaties (marinated chicken kebabs) in addition to steak and lamb chops.
Asado can be claimed by many South American countries, but best known in Argentina. The seasoning and cooking techniques are simple; whole animals or larger muscles are seasoned with olive oil and salt, perched on metal crosses over a wood fire that has been burned down to coals.
The hibachi "fire bowl" is a traditional Japanese, cylindrical, open-topped container lined with a heatproof material that holds burning charcoal. Popular in public parks in Japanese culture during summer months, parkgoers enjoy roasted meats, veggies and noodles where grill masters fan charcoals with long disposable fans called uchiwa.
The Middle Eastern name for barbecue in a social context. Mangal refers to friends, and the hospitality towards a gathering while the meal consists of grilled vegetables, shish kebabs, various köfte (meatballs), chicken, and offal seasoned with curry, chiles, yogurt, cardamom, cumin and pepper.
Kā-lua translates to "the hole" and is a cooking method that utilizes an "imu", a type of underground oven and mesquite wood. Rocks are heated, the hole is lined with banana leaves, the meat is salted, covered first with wet burlap, then with a layer of sand and presented at large parties.
Whole pigs are seasoned with mixtures of chiles, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, and turmeric, then roasted over a wood fire on hand-turned log rotisserie spits. Cooked pigs are carried across the street to an open-air restaurant where women wielding cleavers dole out servings of the crispy, spice-scented meat with fragrant rice and spicy long bean salad.
In central Texas, the brisket, handmade sausage, and pork ribs are seasoned, smoked over oak coals, and served market-style. In Eastern Texas, pork shoulders, sausage, brisket, and pork ribs are slowly cooked to fall off the bone, smoked and served with a sweet, tomato sauce.
The Santa Maria style, born in California's central coast, is part of the state's Spanish heritage. Prepared mainly in the forms of tri-tip and top sirloin steak, Santa Maria barbecue is seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic and grilled over hot wood coals. Over the years this style has shifted from pit cooking to grilling.
Nướng translates to "grilled dish" from a culture known for balancing the 5 senses, freshness, and fish sauce. A variety of meats are seasoned with salt, chiles, garlic, and sugar, and typically served by street vendors on rice papers (bánh tráng), rice noodles (bún), or wrapped in charred leaves.
Dominated by wood-smoked pork shoulder, either sliced or finely chopped. Lexington-style refers to a vinegar-based "red" sauce of ketchup, vinegar, and pepper. The sauce is mixed with finely minced cabbage (instead of mayo) to make a barbecue slaw that is tangy, spicy and sweet.
Groups gather to celebrate harvest by drinking lots of cava and starting a roaring fire to cook Calçots – a large, mild scallions charred on the outside and then steamed until tender in newspapers. No utensils, everyone removes the burnt outer layer, dips them in romesco and eat them whole, along with botifarra (a Catalan pork sausage).
In the 1800's, gem stone prospectors brought this technique back from the South American Gouchos. "Spiess" translates to spit or skewer, beef or pork are marinated with raw onions, salt and pepper the day before they are spit roasted slowly over beach wood coals.
Originating in Java, Indonesia but popular in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, and Thailand. A variety of meats are seasoned, skewered, and grilled over thin elongated grills. Depending on the region, island or country, the sauce, color and flavor will most definitely change although not the cooking method.
Translated it means the "Chinese Box", fabricated of wood and sheets of metal, the box was made popular by a Cuban man living in Miami named Roberto Guerra. Most often used during the Holiday season, pigs are brined or seasoned with sour orange, garlic, oregano, cumin, and sugar before roasting.
Hey Everyone Get'yer #BBQTRADITIONS @HERITAGEBBQ by the folks @COCHON555 http://j.mp/555-BBQ-TOUR
Heritage BBQ is the first Global BBQ Fair celebrating and educating consumers on all styles of BBQ. The main event, similar to COCHON555 is a specific theme called Heritage BBQ that features five chefs cooking five whole pigs in competition. What is new about the event? What is the addition of #BBQTraditions mean to me as a ticket buyer?
Different the COCHON555 event, there is no consumer voting. We still announce a winner at the end of the event, we still have 20 judges who find a winner, and the event is still a progressive tasting of beverages and pop-up experiences. The big difference between eating @COCHON555 and @HERITAGEBBQ is the total amount of extra chefs cooking [1] dish that will offer guests a peak into timeless BBQ cultures from around the world. If we kept consumer voting intact, there would be confusion for the competitors and the extra chefs who are providing more food options – which is this new edible education model. The more food we can buy, the more food we need to grow, it's a great trade-off for sure. Instead of only five chefs cooking whole pig, we could have upwards of 15 chefs also cooking styles from all over the world for guests to try (see list below).


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Articles by Author
Perfect Parisian Croques: Where To Find These Rare Treasures
by: L. John Harris
in: Parisian Culture
You can judge a Parisian cafe by its croque. If a cafe can't get these simple ham and cheese sandwiches right, what hope is there for their more complex fare? After tasting a dozen croques this summer, I must insist that France place Monsieur and Madame Croque (and the traditional cafe) on the endangered species list.
More from Zester Daily:
» Hommage to the scary garcon de café
» Coffee and coquettes from Paris with love
» Bread, pain and chocolate rabbits
Fortunately, the few delicious versions I tasted prove all is not lost. Monsieur Croque is, of course, a grilled or toasted ham and cheese sandwich on sweet white bread — pain de mie — that's dressed (ideally) with either creamy béchamel or cheesy Mornay sauce. Grated cheese, either Gruyère or Emmental, is layered inside (over the ham) and on top of the sandwich, and then browned top and bottom (with butter) until the melted cheese (with or without added sauce) starts to drip down the sides.
Madame Croque is exactly the same, but she sports a fried egg "hat" on her saucy head. This ever-popular culinary couple celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2001, according to most culinary historians.
The word croque comes from the French verb, croquer, "to bite," or in some circles, "to crunch." Hence the awkward translation, "Crunchy Mister." Here then are the croques I crunched during my recent summer sejour (stay) in Paris — the good, the bad and the ugly. I've grouped them by price because with the Parisian croque, you generally get what you pay for.
Croques less than 8 euros
Le Duc d'Albret, rue Danielle-Casanova, 6 euros
La Fontaine, rue Cuvier, 7.5 euros
When I came across Le Duc d'Albret, a hole-in-the-wall cafe near avenue de l'Opéra, and saw croques on the menu starting at 6 euros (add 1 or 2 euros for the madame version and Poilâne bread, Paris' popular upscale artisanal loaf), I assumed it would be a disappointment. Au contraire, it was excellent, toasted (top and bottom) by the owner in a commercial toaster oven while I watched. This croque even had béchamel in the center, giving it a creamy texture. Funky as the setup was, this was a made-to-order croque. As the owner, Madame Madeira, explained to me, "You cannot make a croque in advance."
At La Fontaine, a friend's favorite morning mom-and-pop cafe near the lovely Jardins des Plantes in the 5th arrondissement, their somewhat pricier croque set the stage for a string of similar disappointments — most notably croques preassembled (sometimes off premises or frozen), untoasted bottoms and with little if any béchamel sauce to help moisten an otherwise dry sandwich.
What good are Monsieur and Madame Croque without toasty bottoms and gooey interiors and tops? It can be done without the sauce, which was not part of the recipe for the original croques 100 years ago, but sauceless croques need lots of cheese and some butter in the toasting to produce a juicy croque.
Croques from 8 to 10 euros
Le Ponthieu Café, ave. Franklin Roosevelt, 10 euros
Café Dada, ave. des Ternes, 8 euros
Café Les Deux Palais, blvd. du Palais, 9.5 euros
Café Les Mouettes, rue de Bac, 9 euros
Café La Palette, rue de Seine, 10.5 euros
At this higher price point, you'd expect croques at least as good as Le Duc d'Albret's, but that was not the case this summer. At upscale Le Ponthieu, the Poilâne croque was not toasted on the bottom and there was no sign of béchamel. Too dry!
At hip Café Dada, I boldly sent back the half-toasted béchamel-free Poilâne croque and it came back a bit warmer but far from toasted. A double homicide! At elegant Les Deux Palais, things got even worse — untoasted bottom, commercial sandwich bread, no béchamel and minimal ham. Utterly inedible!
The croque madame at Les Mouettes on charming rue de Bac was decently made, but the fried egg was overcooked. Madame Croque without her runny yolk? Sacre bleu!
At La Palette, in the heart of the artsy 6th arrondissement, the open-faced croque was made on Poilâne's rustic sourdough bread. It was nicely toasted, but I don't think sourdough bread is right for a croque (Poilâine's pain de mie is perfect). The slight sweetness of pain de mie complements the dark nutty flavor of the Gruyère cheese, which may be one of the secrets of the croque's enduring international success.
Croques from 12 to 16 euros
Café Select, blvd. du Montparnasse, 16.5 euros
Les Deux Magots, Place St. Germain, 12.5 euros
La Closerie des Lilas, blvd. du Montparnasse, gratis at bar
These three celebrated artist cafes on the left-bank, though no longer the center of the avant garde in Paris, are all producing very good croques. The well-made and tasty Croque Select at Café Select is, in fact, a croque madame — there is no choice on the menu.
At Les Deux Magots, the open-faced croque had the distinction of being the only one I had this summer with a béchamel sauce tasting of nutmeg, the favored spice for this creamy white sauce. A pleasant croque.
Hemingway's haunt, La Closerie des Lilas, did not have croques on the menu, but the night I had dinner there, tiny tooth-picked croque squares, buttery and properly toasted, were served at the bar as hors d'oeuvres. Delicious.
Croques over 20 euros
Café de la Paix, Place de l'Opéra, 20 euros
Café Fouquet's, ave. des Champs-Élysées, 28 euros
For 20 euros and above, a croque should be everything a croque can be, and much, much more. This was indeed the case at Café de la Paix, a fashionable cafe/restaurant with Belle Epoch interiors and a rich literary history dating back to the 19th century.
The Paix croque tasted like rich pastry; the moist interior, adequate béchamel and a well-toasted top and bottom provided an explosion of flavor and texture. The pain de mie was sliced thinner than with most croques I sampled, to the sandwich's crispy advantage, and the ham a bit thicker, which gave added flavor and texture. The presentation was impressive: The center was cut out of the croque body and served as a separate "croquette." Green salad was stuffed into the body's circular void. Excellent pommes frites came in a separate basket.
This was now my benchmark for a great croque. Although ridiculously expensive, the Paix croque was 8 euros less and more satisfying than the double-decker monster croque at the elite watering hole, Café Fouquet's, on the Champs-Élysées. Sure, the Fouquet's croque was enough for four and came with salad, excellent frites and several miniature financier dessert cakes at the end. But the sandwich itself, again on the dry side, does not sit as high in my pantheon of Parisian croques as Café de la Paix's tour de force.
Will the Parisian croque croak?
Something has to be done to save the Parisian croque! Especially at a moderate 8 to 10 euros. If a good croque cannot be made profitably at that price, it should not be on the cafe's menu.
There have been stories of late about the official Parisian tourism office's efforts to boost the sagging fortunes of traditional Parisian cafes by transforming the often arrogant and unfriendly garçon de café into a nicer tourist-friendly fellow.
I suggest, instead, that the grand panjandrums at the Parisian tourism office apply their resources to improving Monsieur Croque, not Monsieur Garcon, who is just fine the way he is. Why not create AOC (Appelation d'Origine Contrôlée)-style guidelines for the croque monsieur, as for wine, cheese, eggs and other products?
For a sandwich to be labeled on a Parisian menu as a croque monsieur or madame, it must be:
- Assembled on the premises
- Cooked to order
- Made with imported Gruyère or Emmental
- Butter used in the toasting or grilling process
- Toasted top and bottom
- Contain either béchamel or Mornay sauce
These simple standards would help elevate the moribund Parisian croque (and cafe) to its former glory and help restore France's reputation as the gastronomic capital of Europe — one croque at a time.
Main photo: Stacked in a Parisian shop display case, these inexpensive croques can be taken home and reheated as snacks or light meals. Note the translation on the sales tag, "Toasted Ham," directed, no doubt, at hungry Anglophone tourists. Credit: Copyright 2015 L. John Harris
La Vie en Rose: Paris is known as the City of Light. But it's also the city of waiters, and neither the Eiffel Tower nor the Arc of Triumph nor Notre Dame Cathedral — and its gaggle of roofline gargoyles — is more identified with Paris than the garçon de café.
La Vie en Rose
One in a series of graphic explorations of French language, food and culture
» 'Café French' Lesson 1: Liver, Faith and Time — Foie, Foi and Fois
» 'Café French' Lesson 2: Fish, Poison and James Beard's Fork
» 'Café French' Lesson 3: Palate, Palette & Picasso's Ghostly Palace
» 'Café French' Lesson 4: Bouillon Meets Bullion in a Soup Pot
» 'Café French' Lesson 5: The Cafe Is Dead - Long Live the Cafe
» 'Café French' Lesson 6: Uncle Wiggily, Voltaire and a Taste of Paris
» 'Café French' Lesson 7: Of Brooms and Ennui on Île Saint-Louis
» 'Café French' Lesson 8: Bread, Pain and Chocolate Rabbits
» 'Café French' Lesson 9: Coffee and Coquettes From Paris With Love
This black-and-white terror serves croque-monsieur, a coupe de champagne, café crème and a whole lot of attitude on almost every street corner in the city.
But he may be at his most formidable at the classy corner cafe, Les Deux Magots, on Boulevard Saint-Germain in the sixth arrondissement. With its dramatic terrace view of L'Église Saint-Germain, this go-to cafe is the perfect spot from which to muse on this often-misunderstood Parisian serveur (waiter) and his unique contribution to French culture.
Can the garçon be arrogant? Yes! Even nasty? Mais oui. Nevertheless, in all his guises through three centuries of French cafe history, this fellow is always efficient, knowledgeable and never boring. He is often as satisfying as the food and beverage he serves (or more so).
But, le garçon, or at least his persona, is in jeopardy. As reported on Feb. 19, 2015, in the Wall Street Journal, the City of Light's official tourism office is bent on making this paragon of professionalism "nicer." To what end? To please tourists, bien sûr (of course).
Garçon lite
If the garçon is destined for an attitudinal makeover, it will be, it seems to me, a more fraught transformation of Paris than Baron Haussmann's demolitions and reconstructions in the mid-19th century under Napoleon III. With Haussmann in charge, Paris lost, tragically, much of its medieval heritage and charm, but gained much more, I believe, in the way of hygiene (a new sewer system) and urban splendor — the grand boulevards, broad sidewalks, parks and the elegant stone apartment blocks we know and love today.
With the proposed sweetening of the garçon, the traditional Parisian cafe may gain tourist lucre, but at the risk of losing its Gallic sizzle, in no small part the gift of the garçon's trademark sass.
When the dandy meets the butler
The cafe garçon is, after all, intentionally monstrous. A clever, almost Frankensteinian construct, he combines the self-absorbed fastidiousness of the Parisian dandy and the haughty solicitousness of the British butler. The garçon's costume is no accident.
It was designed in the early 19th century to both function and impress. His many-pocketed black vest holds money, les additions (cafe checks), pens and service accessories such as corkscrews and crumb scoopers. The still-popular bow tie adds a touch of fin de siècle panache. With his spotless white apron (less common today), the garçon appears simultaneously hygienic and striking, even sexy, like a chef de cuisine in his crisp whites.
The mastery of this well-trained professional — of his body, of his trays piled high and of his affect — impresses and, yes, intimidates, but at the same time, seduces. He is better dressed and knows more than his customers about classic French food and wine, and he knows it.
The gargling gargoyle
Is there not, in fact, something about the cafe garçon that evokes that other fearsome Paris "gar," the gargoyle (gargouille in French, pronounced "gar-GOO-ya") Think about it: Both are "in service," one to the secular cafe and one to the sacred church. Both guard their respective terrains jealously. And like the garçon, the gargoyle is a construct, a combination of hoary Gothic chimera and drainage technology — the first deflecting the devil, the second the rain.
Both the French and English words — gargouille and gargoyle — derive from the Old French gargole, which means gutter or waterspout and throat. Which is how gargoyles function at the roofline of large, usually religious, structures: Water from the roof flows through gargoyle's body, exits the throat and is dumped on the ground several feet away from the structure's foundations. This protects a church's mortared stone walls and spiritual purity from the ill effects of "dirty" water.
Rabelais' literary giant, Gargantua
There is no direct etymological connection between garçon and gargouille. "Garçon" appears in French sometime between 1100 and 1300 — as the Old French garçun, from a proto-Germanic word — and refers to a boy of low class or a young servant. The lowly garçon becomes a waiter in the late 18th century with the rise of the Parisian cafe and restaurant.
The "gar" of gargoyle is from the Latin root and means chatter, or the sounds that come from the throat or gutter. This gives us "gutteral" and "gargle." And, of course, Gargantua, the young giant in Rabelais' 16th-century novel. At birth Gargantua cries out for "drink, drink, drink." His father, Lord Grangousier, noting his son's huge anatomical features, exclaims . . .
Que GRAND TU AS & souple le gousier;" that is to say, "How great and nimble a throat thou hast." — "The Works of Rabelais" (Bibliophilist Society, 1950)
And so he becomes Gar-gan-tu-a, and the basis of our English word, "gargantuan." It takes the milk from 17,913 cows to satisfy the giant baby's thirst.
When Rabelais' epic satire takes the growing giant to Paris, Gargantua is irritated by the swarms of people gathered around him as he leans up against Notre Dame Cathedral. The young giant proceeds to relieve himself and drowns 260,418 Parisians. Protective gargoyles notwithstanding, Gargantua then steals the bells of Notre Dame, which he uses for a necklace around the neck of his giant horse before returning them.
Hommage au garçon
If after 500 years we are still amused by the outrageous exploits of Rabelais' trouble-making Gargantua, why can't we embrace, after 300 years of evolving French cafe culture, the classic, snooty garçon de café as he is? Instead of softening the garçon, let's cast him in hard, eternal bronze.
Sitting on the terrace at Les Deux Magots, sipping on a coupe or nursing a crème, one can imagine a statue of the garcon de café, a gargantuan vertical gargoyle, spouting water into a broad pond located in the place just outside the entrance to L'Église Saint-Germain. Vive le garçon! Vive le café! Vive la France!
Main illustration: The garçon de café and the gargouille d'Église. Credit: Copyright 2015 L. John Harris
La Vie en Rose: Our Café French™ lesson today takes us from the luxe cafes of the Belle Epoch (1871-1914) to the louche cafes of its shadowy underbelly, the demi-monde, or "half-world" of bohemian poets, avant-garde artists, students, prostitutes and hustlers of every stripe. These cafe styles straddled the cultural divide between bourgeois respectability and decadent debauchery in fin-de-siècle Paris.
From the late 17th century onward, perhaps in response to Francesco Procopio's invention of Café Procope (1676) as a showcase for Parisian glamor, fashion and style, the more subversive functions of the cafe as a public forum for radical political, philosophical and artistic thinking found caffeinated expression, even scandal and revolution, in Paris' growing inventory of cafes.
Coffee as aphrodisiac
In pre-Procope Paris, coffee was primarily an exotic Oriental beverage with powerfully stimulating properties, mostly served in private homes. Doctors of the period even prescribed coffee as an aphrodisiac. Thus, the first cafes to emerge served as platforms for amorous as well as artistic and political liaisons.
By the 19th century, the entry of elegant women from the finest Parisian salons into cafe society proved to be one of the most profound social advances credited to Parisian cafe culture. Women, respectable or not and everything in between, entered at both ends of the spectrum, from high to low. From the chic cafes lining Baron Haussmann's Grands Boulevards to the seedier cafes filled with artists and poets on both banks of the Seine, Paris' internationally notorious filles de joie plied their trade to a hungry clientele.
Voulez vous poulet avec moi ce soir?
In French, the terminology we generalize in English as prostitutes (hookers, whores, call girls, street walkers and tramps) is far more nuanced and hierarchical, from the lowest pute, poule (chicken), morue (cod) and grue (crane) to the top of the line courtisane, whose many virtues are brilliantly portrayed in Susan Griffin's "The Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues" (2001).
Veritable celebrities, les courtisanes were also known as cocottes, grandes horizontales and demi-mondaines. Slightly lower in status, perhaps, were the poules de luxe (expensive chickens) and the belles de jour ("afternoon delight"), though I claim no authority in these saucy parsings.
The overlap between sexual and physical hunger is quite literal in French. A cocotte is both a courtesan and a shallow baking dish. Though not to be confused with a coquette, a flirtatious girly-girl decked out seductively in fashionable accessories, both cocotte and coquette derive from "cock" (coq in French), a chicken and a seducer.
Gourmandise and Gourmandine
Perhaps the least known conflation in French of nutrition and procreation — life and more life — are two related words, gourmandise and the more obscure gourmandine.
Gourmandise in English and French is derived from gourmand, which can mean gluttony (greediness) or an appreciation of refined food (delicacies). Older than "gourmet" (early 19th century), "gourmand" (late 15th century) shares etymological links to the Old French gloton.
Note that gluttony is one of Catholicism's seven deadly sins. The meaning is nicely explicated by Saint Thomas Aquinas in his list of variations: eating too soon, too expensively, too much, too eagerly, too daintily, too wildly. I haven't seen a better definition of our contemporary term in English for excessive gastronomical enthusiasm: foodie.
Gourmandine, a corruption of gourgandine, is yet another quasi-gastronomic synonym for prostitute, mostly found in French literature. In her book on the birth of Paris as the luxe capital of the world ("The Essence of Style," 2005), Joan DeJean points out that "gourmandine" was also the name of a new (early 17th century) bodice that revealed a woman's undergarments (lingerie). Her book cleverly connects the birth of haute couture in the court of Louis XIV to the evolving function of the cafe as a showcase for coquettish (if not "cocottish") women and their seductive à la mode fashions.
Couture, Coco and Colette
The word "couture" is interesting in this context. It means "stitched together" (seam), and contains the root "co" which, as we saw in our previous Café French lesson, indicates in Latin, "with."
Ironic that arguably the two greatest French women of the arts to emerge in the Belle Epoch period were both "cos": Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883-1971) and Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954). Never mind that they are co-Gabrielles, too. Their celebrated lives (and romances) bridged that same cultural divide we began our lesson with — the moral depths of Paris' demi-monde and the dizzy heights of bourgeois Parisan luxe.
Ironic also that couturier Chanel, whose dessins modernes liberated women from their gourmandines, earned a double "coco" (child slang for little chicken) as a nickname. Was this a reference to a lyric from the popular song she notoriously sang as a young cabaret singer, or her experience as a young cocotte (her first marriage was one of convenience, as English would have it), or her early years as an industrious seamstress?
Like Coco, our second French "co," the proto-feminist Colette, spent her early years as a performer. Colette's most popular novels in English are "Gigi" and "Chéri," both centered on the lives of cocottes or ex-cocottes. By the end of her life, Colette was living in a glamorous Palais-Royal apartment overlooking Paris (next door to Jean Cocteau!) where kings and queens had lived centuries earlier.
Of course, semantic analysis can't always explain the fickle and often funny trajectories of history's ironic narratives; nor why words, like memories, are created, vanish and, on occasion, return. Hard not to conclude, while nursing a grand crème at Café de la Mairie on Place Saint-Sulpice, where world cinema's "Belle de Jour," Catherine Deneuve, often strolls past, that the spectacle we call history is merely our vain attempt at explaining a vast unfolding of incomprehensible coincidence.
Main illustration: Café French: La Cocotte, La Coquette, Coco And Colette. Credit: Copyright 2015 L. John Harris
La Vie en Rose: Bread and pain. The staff of life and the pain of life. One could hardly imagine more disparate phenomena, n'est-ce pas? Nevertheless, the French word for bread is le pain. Given no etymological connection whatsoever between the French "pain" and the English "pain," it would appear that this is a random frisson de langue. With a common alphabet of only 26 letters there are bound to be odd bedfellows in English and French. Oui?
Well, let's explore our little frisson a bit further. Our Café French™ lesson today brings us again to the vibrant Rockridge district of Oakland, Calif., and Oliveto restaurant and cafe, where I am joined for breakfast by Lisa Taylor, a Paris-born linguist, who can shed light on our subject.
Oliveto's menu, of course, leans toward Italian, but its upscale cafe is one of the few in the East Bay that hints at the spirit of "cabal," that 19th-century socialist philosopher Charles Fourier believed to be the essence of French cafe society. Where better to conspire over the linguistic nuances of bread and pain?
Breaking bread is a pain
Taylor, who now lives and teaches in Oakland, arrives in an outfit that screams "Paris" — skin-tight pants, a beautiful floral blouse, a skimpy leather jacket and, of course, a perfectly arranged scarf. Evidently, you can take the linguist out of Paris but you can't take the Paris out of the linguist.
After settling in and ordering — poached eggs and a latte for me; smoked salmon, cream cheese, toast and tea for our linguist — I present Taylor with my understanding, admittedly meager, of a symbolic link between le pain and pain in Christian doctrine.
When one "breaks bread," le pain (pronounced "pan" with a soft "n") does not feel the pain (la peine, pronounced "pen"). Yes, but when scripture speaks of Jesus Christ as "the bread of life" and then, on the cross, as "broken bread," well, that's another story. The agony of the cross is, ergo, the agony of the bread. Now fast forward through Christ's resurrection and the birth of the church to the liturgy of Holy Communion where the body (bread) and blood (wine) of Christ are symbolically ingested.
Here Taylor, a lapsed Catholic, stops me short. "French Catholics believe that the body and blood of Christ are literally, not symbolically, present in the bread and wine." She then translates the French saying, Nul pain sans peine — No bread without pain. "We take our bread and our pain very seriously!" Taylor clarifies one more minor point. "The cultured French would never break bread with their hands," she says. "They cut bread with a knife, and usually on a diagonal."
Our server delivers our beverages and while we sip, I take notes as Taylor, fluent in five languages, ventures into etymology. The French word "le pain" has its roots in Sanskrit and Latin. The Sanskrit pa (long) and nis (to feed or nourish) evolved into Latin as panis. And when we break bread with another, we are copains — friends. The co is from the Latin cum, meaning "with" — with bread. In English, the word "companion" literally means bread mate.
How you say it matters
My perfect poached eggs arrive along with Taylor's silky smoked salmon and thick Philly cream cheese. Taylor takes a piece of Oliveto's levain toast and holds it up. "The word 'levain' is pronounced with that same nasally vowel sound as 'pain,' " she says. "It sounds the way a French baby cries, ouin, ouin. English and American babies go whaa, whaa."
Taylor emphasizes the importance of correct pronunciation. "If you don't pronounce zee words correctly," she says charmingly while spreading the cheese on her slice of toast and layering it with salmon and cucumber slices, "your server may not understand what you are ordering and express dédain."
French words like le dédain (disdain), le lapin (rabbit), vingt (20), and of course, le pain, are all words that contain versions (ain, in, ing, etc.) of the 40 ways to write the ouin, ouin sound in French. Taylor also advises getting the French articles and genders right. "Order la pain instead of le pain and you could end up with a plate of lapin."
Speaking of rabbits
All this talk of pain, le pain and le lapin stimulates Taylor's childhood memories of the little chocolate rabbits she consumed during Easter services. Aha! More links. Broken bread is resurrected as chocolate lapins. Easter's rituals were associated by early Christians with the pagan celebration of spring, and rabbits are symbols of both fecundity and resurrection. The female rabbit's prodigious procreative capacities are evident in her ability to get pregnant twice in the same season, carrying two litters simultaneously.
Finishing off my délicieux repas, I'm feeling rather pregnant myself. I announce in my best French: "Je suis vraiment plein" — I am really full. (It's the ouin, ouin sound again.) Taylor, laughing, corrects me. "Plein is not used for human fullness. Rabbits can be plein, but not people. Your pockets can be full of money (pleines de monnaie) but you are repu — Je suis repu."
"Oh," I respond. "So if I eat too many chocolate rabbits it will be Je suis repu de lapins en chocolat. But if I buy a box of chocolate rabbits, it will be Une boîte pleine de lapins en chocolat."
"C'est ca!" Taylor responds.
And with that, our poly-lingual fashionista rises, kisses me on both cheeks and strides off. Alone again at the table, I order another latte and scan my notes. I feel the relief that always follows the intensity, and vague humiliation, of my Cafe French™ sessions with Lisa Taylor. My brain is full — Mon cerveau est plein.
Main illustration: "Bread, Friends, Rabbit and Pain." Credit: L. John Harris
Yes, meatballs are here again, those eternally returning spheres of gastronomic delight. Not high on anyone's culinary sophistication list, meatballs have an earthy attraction that seems to come and go through the years. Now they are back big time with Michele Anna Jordan's collection of meatball marvels, "More Than Meatballs" (Skyhorse, 2014).
"More Than Meatballs"
"From Arancini to Zucchini Fritters and Everything in Between"
By Michele Anna Jordan, Skyhorse, 2014, 176 pages
» Click here to buy this book
The more-than-ness of the book puts the traditional meatball in a broad culinary context, as the subtitle —"From Arancini to Zucchini Fritters and Everything in Between" — suggests. There are more than 75 recipes, plus variations, so you can imagine just how far Jordan has ventured.
Yet the soul of the book remains the traditional meatball — named thus for good reason: Try making a meatcube, meatpyramid or meatcone. Even those words look horribly wrong! No, the meatball is a culinary merger of form and function no less perfect than its mechanical relative, the wheel.
The only other cooked product of man's hungry genius that rivals the meatball for salutary simplicity and earthy economy is, I believe, the omelet. Curiously though, the omelet works inversely to the meatball: Omelets begin life round (the egg) and leave it flat. The meatball starts life flat (chopped meat, poultry, fish, etc.) and ends round.
Of course there are flat-sided meatballs: sausage and hamburger patties and the monolithic American classic — meatloaf. These more-than-meatball entities are what one observant aficionado of this class of foods, the eminent European artist, writer and restaurateur, Daniel Spoerri, has labeled "the premasticated" — chopped animal-based foods. The ancient Persian word for meatball — kufteh — means, according to my sources, "chopped" or "ground."
Context is everything
It was actually Spoerri who introduced me to meatball-ogy. After absorbing his postmodern deconstruction of the meatball in "A Dissertation on Keftedes" (keftedes, a Greek variation on the Persian kufteh) in the 1970s, I reprinted the work in a collection of Spoerri's food-related texts, published as "Mythology and Meatballs: A Greek Island Diary Cookbook" (Aris Books, 1982). The dissertation is full of learned and charmingly funky discourse on the social history and symbolism of the meatball in the context of world gastronomy.
But Spoerri's material (Newsweek called it "a Dadaist sampler of culinary oddments") seems a bit beside the point when we are truly hungry and a well-made bowl of sauced or souped meatballs, steaming hot and redolent with spice, is placed in front of us. For example, there's Jordan's meatball and pasta dish of Spanish descent, Sopa de Albondigas y Fideo, from the chapter titled with meatball-in-cheek irony, "Context Is Everything." It's a perfect dish to warm the soul on a cold winter's night.
Out of context, served "neat" as Jordan puts it, the book's mother of all meatballs is, logically enough, The Meatball (see recipe below), an "Americanized Italian immigrant," writes Jordan. It is made from ground pork and beef and mixed with grated cheese, egg, onion, red pepper flakes, nutmeg and clove. Jordan adds that this meatball, as good as it is on its own, lends itself to almost any context: in classic spaghetti and meatballs with marinara sauce; in lasagna; in soups; or as part of sandwiches and sliders.
Optionally, these balls can be wrapped in caul fat — readily available now at trendy butcher shops — for added richness and succulence. Jordan's introduction of caul fat — the stomach lining of pigs used as a casing for the traditional flat sausage patty in France known as the crépinette— makes for a perfect "coverup" for The Meatball and many other versions in the book. The very good step-by-step photographs of caul-wrapping technique are helpful to the novice caul wrapper.
Using caul connects Jordan's creations to the ancient "minces" wrapped in pork omentum (caul) one finds in meatball compilations dating to ancient Rome, including the classic cookbook attributed to the gourmet, Apicius — De Re Coquinaria ("on the subject of cooking").
Karma goes around, too
After decades in and around the food world, it's starting to dawn on me that I have a karmic relationship with the meatball. First with Spoerri's Dissertation, which inspired one of my first Foodoodle cartoons, "The Global Meatball" (see illustration). And now with Jordan's "More Than Meatballs."
I first met and worked with Michele Anna Jordan when she approached me in 1988 with her groundbreaking manuscript for "A Cook's Tour of Sonoma" (Aris, 1990), the first of her many fine cookbooks, many of which are coming back into print. Spiraling forward through the decades, I was delighted by the opportunity to connect with her again, this time providing the foreword (without compensation, I should add) to "More Than Meatballs." How could I resist my meatball karma?
Although I didn't know it when I took on the task, it appears the humble, global, historical meatball is, as Jordan explains in the book's introduction, back in fashion, and apparently for some time. And not just on restaurant menus and kitchen tables. There are now meatball-themed food shops and food trucks popping up across urban America and a new Guinness World Record for a meatball at more than 1,100 pounds.
"More Than Meatballs" is just the latest, and surely one of the best, examples of the meatball's enduring power to please and sustain. Jordan puts it better than I could: "Yes, meatballs are on a roll, a rock 'n' roll. Let's dance! Let's have a ball!"
The Meatball
Prep time: 25 minutes (45 minutes if you are grinding your own meat)
Cook time: 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size
Total time: 35 to 65 minutes
Yield: About 32 small or 16 large meatballs
1 cup torn white bread, from sturdy hearth bread, preferably sourdough
3/4 cup milk or white wine
1 pound grass-fed beef, ground twice
1 pound pastured pork, ground twice
1 small yellow onion, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Dry Jack, or similar cheese
Kosher salt
Black pepper in a mill
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
Whole nutmeg
2 large pastured eggs, beaten
1 cup fresh bread crumbs, or 6 ounces caul fat
Olive oil
1. Put the bread and milk or wine into a mixing bowl and use a fork to crush the bread and blend it into the liquid. Set aside for about 15 minutes.
2. Add the beef, pork, onion, garlic, Italian parsley and cheese to the bowl and mix well. Season generously with salt, several turns of black pepper, red pepper flakes, and several gratings of nutmeg and mix again. Add the eggs, mix well, and then knead for a minute or two until very well blended.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or as long as overnight.
4. To finish, cover a sheet pan with wax paper.
5. Use a 1-ounce ice cream scoop to form small meatballs or a 2-ounce scoop to make larger meatballs; set each ball on the wax paper.
— If using bread crumbs, put them into a mixing bowl, add a meatball, and agitate the bowl to coat the meatball well. Set it on a baking sheet and continue until all are coated.
— If using caul fat, spread the fat on a clean work surface and wrap each ball.
6. To cook, pour a thin film of olive oil on a heavy skillet set over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add several meatballs, being certain not to crowd them. Cook for about
45 seconds and then agitate the pan so the balls roll. Continue cooking until the balls are evenly browned and have begun to firm up, about 5 to 7 minutes, depending on their size. Set the cooked balls on absorbent paper and continue until all have been cooked.
7. To serve neat, return the meatballs to the pan, reduce the heat to very low, cover, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes for small meatballs and about 12 minutes for large ones, until the meatballs are just cooked through. Transfer to a platter and serve hot.
Main photo: Fresh Herb Meatballs are among the recipes featured in Michele Anna Jordan's book. Credit: Liza Gershman
La Vie en Rose: Île Saint-Louis, one of two small islands floating in the middle of the River Seine and hyped in travel literature as "a peaceful oasis of calm" in the heart of busy Paris, is anything but. A tourist mecca, bien sûr (of course), filled with snazzy shops and restaurants — and home to the legendary Berthillon ice cream — the scene is more Coney Island fun park than Parisian island oasis.
Our Café French lesson today takes us to the island's trendiest cafe, Café Saint-Régis on Rue Jean du Bellay. Just across — via the Pont Saint-Louis bridge — from Paris' other natural island, Île de la Cité, where Notre Dame resides in all its gloomy Gothic glamor. The Café Saint-Régis is what I would call faux belle, refurbished to evoke the gaudy Art Nouveau atmosphere of Belle Epoque Paris, with gaudy prices to match. It can be, like the island itself, cloying.
Living in a Parisian broom closet
Whatever joie de vivre Parisian cafes provide their devotees — like me — I'm just not buying it today at the Saint-Régis. Lest we forget, cafes have their dark side: Revolutions and assassinations have been plotted, even launched in Parisian cafes throughout history, and the despair-laden philosophy, Existentialism, was hatched in Jean-Paul Sartre's favorite cafes after World War II.
My dark mood today is more ennui — that perfect French word for melancholy — than despair. I've been staying in a very small apartment on the island — much smaller than the rental agency photos indicated. So I vegetate (call it work) in the island's cafes to escape domestic claustrophobia, something apartment-dwelling Parisians have been doing for centuries.
The only joie of note at the Saint-Régis today is triggered by my waiter waltzing (literally) around the cafe with his broom — a push broom, a smaller version of the broom type we use in the U.S. for exterior cleanups. I could write a whole treatise on France's bizarre broom methodology: In short, the French push, they don't sweep!
A broom ballet on Rue Jean du Bellay
Googling broom history and etymology — in both French and English — I come across our lesson's homophones, le ballet (the dance) and le balai (broom), identically pronounced — bal-ai.
Aha! My waiter, dressed in formal cafe black and white, is executing un ballet de balai — a broom ballet. Ennui morphs into bonheur (happiness).
But back at the apartment, my mood darkens again. The sight of the kitchen push broom leaning against the wall triggers gloom, not cafe joie. Maybe this is just a case of generic Island Fever (la fièvre de l'île), or the oppressive weight of French history that floats over the island like a giant bejeweled crown.
A whole lot-a Louis going on
Everywhere you go on Île Saint-Louis there are references to King Louis IX, the island's beloved Saint Louis. Bridges, streets, hotels, churches and cafes carry the name or variants. Even the word régis in Café Saint-Régis, means "of the king." My corner cafe/brasserie where I go for my morning petit déjeuner is Le Louis IX. It was Louis XIII in the 17th century, dubbed "the Just," who developed the island's urban plan — it had been a cow pasture — and named it in honor of Saint Louis.
À propos royal sobriquets, several of the 18 Frenchmen who have served as King Louis have earned less-flattering nicknames. In the ninth century there was "the Stammerer" (Louis II), in the 10th "the Lazy" (Louis V) and in the 12th, "the Fat" (Louis VI). You could say that the French have had a love/hate relationship with their mostly House of Bourbon Louises.
Honestly, I'm surprised there was never a "Shrimp Louis." The likely candidate would be King Louis XVII, son of guillotined King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Never attaining the throne after the revolution, the Dauphin died in prison at age 10. He didn't live long enough to earn a snappy moniker.
Speaking of salads
If I thought my one-bedroom apartment was small, I was corrected at a dinner in the chambre de bonne (maid's quarters) of Paris guidebook author Annabel Simms, an English expat. Her book, "An Hour From Paris," is a perennial seller in Paris and is designed to take tourists out of crowded Paris for memorable day trips.
The fifth floor studio walk-up on the island's main drag, Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île (of course), is equipped with a tiny wall-mounted kitchenette — two burners, under counter fridge and sink. "And," Simms boasts, "no microwave!" Simms, who is currently working on a cookbook geared to simple French apartment cooking, serves me her version of Elizabeth David's "Salade Parisienne," from "French Provincial Cooking" (1962), composed of fresh vegetables, hard-boiled egg and slices of room-temperature roast beef, dressed with a vibrant vinaigrette. Simple, delicious and perfect for a warm summer night.
The conversation drifts toward my host's mixed reviews of her island oasis lifestyle. She's been living frugally and productively on the pricey Île Saint-Louis for more than 20 years and avoids the expensive touristy spots like Café Saint-Régis. "I love their baby Spanish sardines served in the tin with the lid rolled up," she admits, "but I'd rather go to the cheaper Café Lutèce next door with its terrace facing north towards the Seine and the quieter right bank."
The next day, back for a farewell crème at Café Saint-Régis before heading back to the States, I ponder Simms' somewhat cloistered life on Île Saint-Louis. It's telling that over the course of decades on the island, Simms has built her career as a writer in Paris based on a book that encourages tourists to get out of Paris. After only three weeks here, I'm ready to get out, too. Or is that just my Île Saint-Louis ennui speaking?
Main illustration: "Broom Ballet." Credit: L. John Harris


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Big Ten Geeks: Bringing the Payne
Michigan State welcomed back Adreian Payne in a blowout of Penn State. The big man played very well in 18 minutes off the bench, and the Spartans performed much better than the final margin suggests. Penn State made a big run in garbage time to turn a 25-point deficit into a 15-point loss, but it was done entirely on a lineup that included guys like Colby Wollenman, Keenan Wetzel, and Dan Chapman.