text: WASHINGTON – Well, at least we're starting to get the procedure right. Washington has rediscovered the beauty of the boring. It's called "regular order," using the normal, routine, constitutional process to arrive at, for example, a budget.Normal had disappeared during the Obama years. Republicans duly submitted annual budgets, which the president then used for target practice, most famously demagoguing Paul Ryan's 2011 budget as un-American. Meanwhile, the Democratic-controlled Senate simply stopped producing budgets for four years. And the ones the White House put out were so preposterous that, for example, the 2011 version was rejected by the Senate 97-0.What little progress that was made came by way of crisis backroom deals orchestrated by Gangs of This or That. One gave us a sequester that everyone purports to deplore. Another gave us the naked tax hike of the "fiscal cliff."console.log("2390 BODY2. CatId is:"+catID);if(catID==120){	console.log("2390 BODY. YES for anyclip script");	var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://player.anyclip.com/anyclip-widget/lre-widget/prod/v1/src/lre.js'; script.setAttribute('pubname','jpostcom'); script.setAttribute('widgetname','0011r00001lcD1i_12258'); document.getElementsByClassName('divAnyClip')[0].appendChild(script);			}else if(catID !== 151) {	let widgetid = "60fd6becf6393400049e6535";	if(catID === 69){		widgetid = "65c3a2148772803523c6f41b";	}else if(catID === 161){		widgetid = "65c3a224fb10822a0a7db2dd";	}		console.log("2390 BODY. YES for vidazoo script"); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://static.vidazoo.com/basev/vwpt.js'; script.setAttribute('data-widget-id', widgetid); document.getElementsByClassName('divVidazoo')[0].appendChild(script);} And none produced a written record of actual, written offers that could serve as the basis for serious, open negotiations.Ad hoc, person-to-person negotiations generally require a high level of trust. The great virtue of regular order is that procedure can substitute for trust. And now we see its first fruit: Each side has finally had to show its cards.Now the bad news. The cards laid down by the White House are quite unimpressive. The 2014 budget is tax-and-spend as usual. The actual deficit reduction over a decade is a minuscule $0.6 trillion – out of a total spending of $46.5 trillion. And every penny of this tiny reduction comes from tax hikes.Nothing from spending cuts, which all end up getting spent elsewhere. Moreover, where's the compromise? The Obama budget calls for not only more spending than the GOP's, but more than the Democratic Senate's as well. For just FY 2014, it even contains $160 billion more spending, and $128 billion more deficit, than if the budget – that Obama purports to be cutting – were left untouched! True, President Obama has finally put on the table, in writing, an entitlement reform. This is good. But the spin, mindlessly echoed in the mainstream media, that this is some cosmic breakthrough is comical.First, the proposal – "chained CPI," a change in the way inflation is measured – is very small. It reduces Social Security by a quarter of a penny on the dollar – a $2,000 check reduced by a five dollar bill.Second, the change is merely technical.The White House itself admits that the result is simply a more accurate measure of inflation.It's not really cutting anything. It merely eliminates an unintended overpayment.Finally, the president made it clear that he doesn't like this reform at all. It's merely a gift to Republicans. This is odd. Why should a technical correction be a political favor to anyone? Is getting things right not a favor to the nation? What the budget is crying out for is some entitlement reform that goes beyond the bare-minimum CPI revision that just about every deficit commission of the last 15 years has recommended as an obvious gimme. The other obvious reform is to raise the retirement/ eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare to match longevity. These programs were meant to protect the elderly from destitution, not to subsidize almost one-third the adult life of every baby boomer.Given the president's distaste for even chained CPI, it's hard to see him ever agreeing to a major reform on the retirement age.Nonetheless, the proposition deserves testing – through a major GOP concession on revenue. By way of tax reform. The landmark 1986 Reagan-Tip O'Neill tax reform was revenue neutral. It closed tax loopholes and devoted the money to reduce tax rates. As I suggested last month, the GOP should offer Obama a major concession: a 50 percent solution in which only half the loophole money goes to reduce tax rates. The rest goes to the Treasury, to be spent or saved as Congress decides.This seems to me the only plausible route to a grand compromise that restores the budget to fiscal health. Its chances are remote. But they are mildly improved by a return to a regular order in which these kinds of compromises could be worked out over time, in debate, in committee, in Congress.Can the Democrats, now gagging on just chained CPI, agree to a major entitlement reform like an adjusted retirement age? And are there enough Republicans who, for their part, are prepared to offer a 50-50 split of loophole revenues? Game on. By regular order.Charles Krauthammer's email address is email@example.com. (c) 2013, The Washington Post Writers Group.


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
What Is NFL SimMatchup?
SimMatchup Football is where those age old debates get answered: The 1985 Chicago Bears or the 1972 Miami Dolphins -- who wins? Peyton Manning with Walter Payton & Jerry Rice -- could they be beat?
Quick Tips
Choose each team, press "Set Away/Home", then "Play Game" and our free fantasy football simulation will crank out the results.


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Cedar Summit Panorama Playset from Costco
It is a kit - so I'd be putting it together myself, but I'm up for that challenge. The real issue is getting it home. I'm going to head back to Costco to take a look to see if it will fit in Nat's car with the back seats folded down. If not, it seems like I'll be renting a truck from Home Depot.
Yes, the Babe is likely too small for a lot of this, but certainly NOT the swings. We take her to the park on a regular basis and she gets a kick out of the swings. The whole fort thing - yes - that will take some growing to use.
My sister bought her set from Costco and is happy with it. Anyone else bought from Costco? Want to warn me before I pull the trigger?


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And not just because Parisiens can be a bit tart at times...
This guy is appropriately dressed for the poste...
But they do have these stamps called, Bloc Le Chocolat, that smell exactly like a tablette of chocolat! Pas mal non?
ooh what a pretty color! I recognized that la poste even before reading the caption, being a Rue Cler fan myself - I too get really nervous before talking to the postal workers, although they have mostly been very nice :-) Wish I had seen those red Paris envelopes - I would have bought some of those :-)
ReplyDeleteBonjour! I also recently entered a Poste for the first time in France. Fortunately I had my daughter who is living in France this year guide me. We just needed stamps and were happily able to bypass the lines/number system by going to the little stamp machines (where one is to weigh the letter too). I noted rather cute Poste messenger bags on sale at the Poste also! Someday I will have to try to do business in the Poste by myself! ha!
ReplyDeleteWhat an enjoyable read every day. It puts a smile on my face daily. I am always struck by the wide array of different types of motorcycles and cycles I see in Paris and well as all those different tiny looking cars some of which appear to be antiques.
Thank you for allowing us all to smile and enjoy your work.
What is it with postal people? In our little village, the post mistress is the only sour puss we've met. I'd wear yellow today but I have nothing in yellow which was my grandmother Lierman's favorite color. She loved Jordan almonds that were yellow. Just ate some of those from Harrods. VVV good.
Hi Carol!
When I saw the picture I thought "Hey - that's MY poste office!" I went to the boutique side on two separate occasions (just to be sure) and I'm sorry to say - the poste mistress was quite sharp with me and did not appear to speak English. Happily, the two other locations I went to were staffed with friendly people!
Thanks for the memory! Victoria
La Poste certainly has changed:) It was nothing like this when I lived in France (different city but a beautiful one)...you cracked me up. And on a ridiculous-on-so-many-levels day in DC, I bow & thank you, madame for the memories & for humor.
PS: Do you paint cats who go to Paris? I assume so, just checking. ciao-meow on behalf of la Julie
Hi Carol,
I thought you might be interested to know the prevalence of the citron yellow gilets or vests throughout Paris. We were quite surprised to see them popping up in our le marché in Chatou late last year, until it was explained to us that is now manditory for all car owners to have one in the vehicle and must wear them if they have a break down.


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DAVID CRARY,Associated Press NOMAAN MERCHANT,Associated Press
GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America threw open its ranks Thursday to gay Scouts but not gay Scout leaders — a fiercely contested compromise that some warned could fracture the organization and lead to mass defections of members and donors.
Of the roughly 1,400 voting members of the BSA's National Council who cast ballots, 61 percent supported the proposal drafted by the governing Executive Committee. The policy change takes effect Jan. 1.
"This has been a challenging chapter in our history," the BSA chief executive, Wayne Brock, said after the vote. "While people have differing opinions on this policy, kids are better off when they're in Scouting."
However, the outcome will not end the bitter debate over the Scouts' membership policy.
Liberal Scout leaders — while supporting the proposal to accept gay youth — have made clear they want the ban on gay adults lifted as well.
In contrast, conservatives with the Scouts — including some churches that sponsor Scout units — wanted to continue excluding gay youths, in some cases threatening to defect if the ban were lifted.
"We are deeply saddened," said Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee after learning of the result. "Homosexual behavior is incompatible with the principles enshrined in the Scout oath and Scout law."
The Assemblies of God, another conservative denomination, said the policy change "will lead to a mass exodus from the Boy Scout program." It also warned that the change would make the BSA vulnerable to lawsuits seeking to end the ban on gay adults.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry also expressed dismay.
"While I will always cherish my time as a Scout and the life lessons I learned, I am greatly disappointed with this decision," he said.
The result was welcomed by many liberal members of the Scouting community and by gay-rights activists, though most of the praise was coupled with calls for ending the ban on gay adults.
"I'm so proud of how far we've come, but until there's a place for everyone in Scouting, my work will continue," said Jennifer Tyrrell, whose ouster as a Cub Scout den leader in Ohio because she is lesbian launched a national protest movement.
Pascal Tessier, a 16-year-old Boy Scout from Maryland, was elated by the outcome.
Tessier, who is openly gay, is on track to earn his Eagle Scout award and was concerned that his goal would be thwarted if the proposed change had been rejected.
"I was thinking that today could be my last day as a Boy Scout," Tessier said. "Obviously, for gay Scouts like me, this vote is life-changing."
The vote followed what the BSA described as "the most comprehensive listening exercise in Scouting's history" to gauge opinions.
Back in January, the BSA executive committee had suggested a plan to give sponsors of local Scout units the option of admitting gays as both youth members and adult leaders or continuing to exclude them. However, the plan won little praise, and the BSA changed course after assessing responses to surveys sent out starting in February to members of the Scouting community.
Of the more than 200,000 leaders, parents and youth members who responded, 61 percent supported the current policy of excluding gays, while 34 percent opposed it. Most parents of young Scouts, as well as youth members themselves, opposed the ban.
The proposal approved Thursday was seen as a compromise, and the Scouts stressed that they would not condone sexual conduct by any Scout — gay or straight.
"The Boy Scouts of America will not sacrifice its mission, or the youth served by the movement, by allowing the organization to be consumed by a single, divisive and unresolved societal issue," the BSA said in a statement.
Since the executive committee just completed a lengthy review process, there were "no plans for further review on this matter," the group added, indicating it would not be revisiting the ban on gay adults anytime soon.
Among those voting for the proposal to accept openly gay youth was Thomas Roberts, of Dawsonville, Ga., who serves on the board of a Scout council in northeast Georgia.
"It was a very hard decision for this organization," he said. "I think ultimately it will be viewed as the right thing."
The BSA's overall "traditional youth membership" — Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Venturers — is now about 2.6 million, compared with more than 4 million in peak years of the past. It also has about 1 million adult leaders and volunteers.
Of the more than 100,000 Scouting units in the U.S., 70 percent are chartered by religious institutions.
Those include liberal churches opposed to any ban on gays, but some of the largest sponsors are relatively conservative denominations that have previously supported the broad ban — notably the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Southern Baptist churches.
While the Southern Baptists were clearly upset by the vote to accept openly gay youth, the Mormon church reacted positively.
"We trust that BSA will implement and administer the approved policy in an appropriate and effective manner," an official LDS statement said.
The National Catholic Committee on Scouting responded cautiously, saying it would assess the possible impact of the change on Catholic-sponsored Scout units.
The BSA, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010, has long excluded both gays and atheists.
Protests over the no-gays policy gained momentum in 2000, when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the BSA's right to exclude gays. Scout units lost sponsorships by public schools and other entities that adhered to nondiscrimination policies, and several local Scout councils made public their displeasure with the policy.
Crary reported from New York.
BSA Membership Standards Resolution: http://bit.ly/185yyXk


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After 10 p.m., I passed the Brush Mountain Outpost. I lingered a moment, envying its comfort and warmth, before continuing up the road. I was about 100 feet past when a woman called out my name. "You hungry?" she asked.
Inside the warm building, she told me she was a fan of the race. She had been tracking everyone and inviting them in for meals and beds. She made mw a quesedilla and fresh fruit. She told me about the things that were going on in the world. She asked if I thought i was doing well in the race. "Well," I said, "If your goal is simply to finish the race, I believe it's 20 percent perseverance and 80 percent luck. So far, I've been pretty lucky."
This morning I left my warm outpost bed to greet the rainy, cold morning. Fog moved in and the showers picked up in intensity as I climbed the Watershed Divide. The descent was rocky, severly muddy and becoming muddier. Patchwork repairs in Rawlins had left me with new front brake pads, terribly worn back brake pads and no spares. I knew my brake situation was sketchy, but I feared the wheel-sucking mud and I wanted to get off that mountain. What I didn't know was that my new front brake pads were rapidly disintigrating to black goo. I didn't find out until a particularly steep, rocky slope. I pressed down on the brake levers and nothing happened.
I panicked and leaned toward the trail, bashing my left knee on a rock amid a geyser of mud and screeching metal. Sharp pain was followed by blunt anger. That was an unlucky thing to have happen.
I adjusted my back brake enough to get it working again. The front was pretty much metal on metal. The rational side of me wanted to walk down, but a deepset fear of mud drove me to ride the back brake all the way to Clark, where I arrived cold, stiff and completely frustrated.
I spent and hour icing my knee, warming my body, and trying to motivate to make the run to Steamboat Spring. I knew I needed to get there quickly to get my bike repaired, but I struggled to find the courage to get back on my bike. My knee was swollen and stiff, and I was in full-on hate mode. Eventually I toughed up, walked around for a while to loosen my knee, hosed myself down and started a slow but painful pedal into town.
My first stop in Steamboat was the bike shop, and despite the late hour of 4 pm, they were amazingly helpful. They put everything aside to refurbish my rear hub, install new brake pads and a new front rotar and caliper, new chainrings, chain and cassette, and sell me a couple spare brake pads. My bike was finally running again, but my knee felt like crap.
While the guys at Orange Peel were working on my bike, I tried to work up the courage to head down the trail tonight. But the stiffness and persistant swelling in my knee combined with more gathering storm clouds convinced me to stay in town, ice the knee, dry my gear and continue searching for courage.
I think my knee injury is just a bruise. So I plan to continue on in the morning. Wish me luck.
Sent on the go from my Peek


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Two People Shot at California's Taft Union High School
Two people have reportedly been shot at Taft Union High School in Taft, California.
The incident took place Thursday morning around 9 a.m. before the suspected gunman, who is a student, was taken into custody about 20 minutes later. A spokesman for the Kern County Sheriff's Department said, "We have a suspect in custody." That suspect is a 16-year-old student who walked into a classroom looking for two targets to shoot.
One person -- a student -- was shot and airlifted to a hospital, while the second, believed to be a teacher, did not seek any medical attention due to only having suffered minor injuries. There are reports those injuries may not even be affiliated with the shooting.
According to Sheriff Donny Youngblood, the suspect shot a classmate, who is in critical condition. The gunman tried to shoot another student, but missed and hit a teacher in the head, instead, somehow only resulting in a minor wound. That teacher reportedly distracted the shooter, allowing the other students to escape.
Authorities could not elaborate about rumors the media had heard from parents of students, claiming the suspect was suspended last year for having a list of classmates he intended to hurt in some manner.
Taft is located about 30 minutes outside of Bakersfield.


text:
84th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, House Bill 114, Chapter 991
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legislative document as a primary source within our collections. Researchers, educators, and students may find this document useful in their work.
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84th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, House Bill 114, Chapter 991, legislative document, June 19, 2015; [Austin, Texas]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth705270/: accessed June 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.


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Watch These People Being Surprised With Puppies — Daily Distraction
[onescreen item="5029213"]
It's the kind of present you never forget seeing the first time.
And it works on folks of all ages—especially kids, sure, but really, anyone who gets a puppy for a present seems to fall to pieces. We can understand the urge to film these reactions: this is the very start of a very long, very meaningful relationship.
The Daily Distraction is your Internet break from reality. Whether you're eating lunch at your desk or avoiding high school exes on Facebook, you might just laugh, say "aaahhh" or not believe what you just watched.


text:
PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland officials are once again preparing to flush millions of gallons of treated water because someone urinated in a city reservoir.
Water Bureau Administrator David Shaff said 38 million gallons will be discarded after a 19-year-old was videotaped in the act Wednesday.
Three years ago, the city drained a 7.5-million-gallon reservoir at the same Mount Tabor location in southeast Portland.
The open reservoirs hold water that's already been treated and goes directly into mains for distribution to customers.
The urine poses little risk — animals routinely deposit waste without creating a public health crisis — but Shaff said he doesn't want to serve water that was deliberately tainted.
"There is at least a perceived difference from my perspective," Shaff said. "I could be wrong on that, but the reality is our customers don't anticipate drinking water that's been contaminated by some yahoo who decided to pee into a reservoir."
Water quality test samples have been taken from the reservoir, with results due Thursday. The water will be drained into the sewage system that eventually dumps into the Columbia River.
In the meantime, Shaff said the city has plenty of water to meet demand.
"It's easy to replace those 38 million gallons of water," Shaff said. "We're not in the arid Southwest; we're not in drought-stricken parts of Texas or Oklahoma."
The incident occurred shortly after 1 a.m., when Water Bureau security personnel noticed three men on camera at Mount Tabor Reservoir No. 5. One was seen on video urinating through an iron fence, officials said. Minutes later, two other young men attempted to scale the fence.
The three men, whose names have not been released, were cited for trespassing and excluded from Mount Tabor Park. A 19-year-old was cited for public urination.
The kidney-shaped reservoir built in 1911 is drained for cleaning each spring and fall. The spring draining was done about three weeks ago, the Water Bureau said.
The reservoir is one of five the city is in the process of replacing with underground storage to comply with federal regulations.
Floy Jones, co-founder of the group Friends of the Reservoirs, criticized the decision to drain the reservoir, saying there's no evidence any urine reached the water and it wouldn't harm anyone if it did.
"It's extremely wasteful," she said.
The man who urinated into Portland's water supply in June 2011 eventually pleaded guilty to misuse of a reservoir and was sentenced to community service.


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List of alien species
By the year 3000, it is not only humans who roam the Earth, or for that matter, the universe, there are several thousands other species out there. Most are united under the Democratic Order of Planets, while others wage war upon the others.
List of Intelligent Species
- See Amazonians.
The Amazonians are giant man-hating women who live on Planet Amazonia. With Amazonian men being extinct for hundreds of years,it is unknown how exactly they keep their reproduction. The Amazonians have been known to wear very revealing clothing and have a rather primitive civilization. The females also seem to have some Earth-like traditions, such as basketball.
Melllvar's Species
- See Mellvar's Species.
Mellvar's Species edit in process
Borax People
- See Borax People.
The Borax people are an unknown race with only one known member, The Borax Kid. The Borax Kid is an alien made completely of borax. This race, like the Rock aliens have mental powers that can change gender for all we know.
- See Amphibiosans.
Amphibiosans are from Amphibios 9 and strangely have no bones. However they are supported by a system of fluid filled bladders. Their bodies are very flexible and they aren't very strong. They can also change the color of their skin, similar to chameleons. Male Amphibiosans can become pregnant whilst they're in love with just the touch of a person's hand. When a Male mates with the soulmate, they go into a so-called:Receptive State,their skins then become Semi-Permiable membranes allowing the passage of genetic material. When its time..., the young come out from the males ... in the form of one big, lumpy puddle of what looks like frog or fish eggs, the offspring then emerge with the big-eyed head of an adult Amphibiosan and must survive to the swamp, where they will then go through a frog-like cycle at the end of which,they become land walking children.
Brain Slugs
- See Brain Slugs.
The Brain Slugs are gelatinous parasites from the Brain Slug Planet. They attach themselves to the heads of sentient beings, hijacking their hosts' cognizance in the process, and try to trick other sentients into likewise acquiring brain slugs. They even have their own political party on Earth. Fry contracted a brain slug in "Raging Bender", but it starved and died as Fry's intelligence was insufficient to sustain it; this could also imply that the brain slugs feed off of the Delta brainwave, which all intelligent beings, save for Fry, are said to have.
Brain Spawn
- See Brain Spawn.
The Brain Spawn existed from a few seconds after the Universe was created. They are arch-enemies of the Nibblonians and want to know and understand the Universe. They also want to destroy all things in the Universe. Only Fry is impervious to them as he lacks a "delta brainwave".
- See Blobs.
The Blobs are a species of jellyfish-like aliens of unknown origin who have settled on Earth, Venus and the rings of a nearby planet. All known Blobs are easily angered. They seem to have no internal organs, such as a brain, but they may have a network of electronic pulses that run through their gelatinous bodies.
- See Cygnoids.
The Cygnoids are from the planet Cygnus 5. They don't have a great knowledge of human food or culture. They are cockroach resembling life-forms that seem to act as immigrants and are mostly Italian. The have huge, bulky muscles, antennae, and various shades of red/orange skin.
- See Decapodians.
The Decapodians are lobster like creatures from the Planet Decapod 10. The Decapodians once invaded Earth and enslaved Humanity. There are many famous Decapodians like Harold Zoid a famous actor and his nephew Dr. John Zoidberg who ate the Earth Flag and then saved the Earth.
- See Encyclopods.
Over millions of years, an ancient race of either frogs or snakes evolved into a mighty species known as the Encyclopods. They resemble gigantic manta rays, with an atmosphere-like dome and eggs that have the appearance of Violet Dwarf Stars. They apparently have the power to communicate with their minds. They harvest DNA of every endangered species. For years they have battled the Dark Ones, in the Arms Race of Evolution but finally won in 3009.
Grunka Lunkas
- See Grunka Lunkas.
The Grunka Lunkas are small orange men who inhabit the planet Wormulon. They are employed by the Slurm Worms to work in the fake Slurm factory. They sing a warning song about the Secret Ingredient of Slurm. They were a parody of Oompa-Loompas.
The Maggotians are a species similar in appearance to an earthworm or maggot. In the Time Bender Trilogy, they are depicted as fighting alongside Earth in the alternate-reality "Worlds War 1", both because they feel the attack is unjust, and there will be lots of corpses for them to feed on.
Morbo's species
- See Morbo's species.
Morbo's species are green alien creatures. Very little is known about the species; we know not their name or their home planet, and the only known creatures are Morbo and Fawn. We know from what Morbo has said however that his species has a large society, and it seems they are planning an attack on Earth.
Native Martians
- See Martians.
The Native Martians are the original inhabitants of Mars. They sold their land to the Wong family for a giant diamond, which they thought was worthless, as they had no concept of ownership. They left Mars, bought a planet with the diamond, and abandoned the Martian caves. These caves would later be used by the Legion of Mad Fellows.
- See Neptunians.
Neptunians are a humanoid species from Neptune which shares many characteristics of humans. There are a few differences though: Neptunians have pig-like noses, purple skin and four arms, and their hair is almost always black.
Neutral People
- See Neutral People.
The Neutrals are humanoids of average height and build. They are hairless, their skin is a dull grey, and their faces are not capable of displaying emotions. In fact, it's not entirely clear if they have emotions at all. They have a very detached outlook on life.
- See Nibblonians.
Nibblonians stand about one foot tall, hairless, and have two large eyes as well as a third eye on an antenna in the center of their foreheads. They are black in color, with pale yellow circles on their bellies and around their mouths. They are widely considered to be the cutest race ever to exist, though this is something the Nibblonians resent, even though they exploit it.
- See Omicronians.
The Omicronians are a violent, aggressive race from Omicron Persei 8. Omicronians stand around eight feet tall, and have characteristics of reptiles. Their skin can have various colours, ranging from a greenish-yellow to dark brown, their eyes are yellow with oval pupils.
- See Osirians.
The Osirians are the rulers of Osiris 4. They use captured slaves to build giant buildings and tombs for their cities. There are four known species living on their world: A species that resembles humanoid brown/orange-skinned birds, jackal creatures, human-like people,and much more superior human-likes. It is unknown which (if any or if not all) are native.
- See Parameciums.
The Parameciums are an alien species that have one goal. To wipe out the human race.
Rock aliens
- See Rock aliens.
Rock aliens are a species from the planet Neutopia.
Slurm Worms
- See Slurm Worms.
This species is best known for producing and selling the soft drink Slurm. All the galaxy's Slurm is produced in a factory on their home planet. However, this factory is a front, as the true secret of Slurm is that it is actually a fluid produced by the Slurm Queen.
Space Bee
- See Space Bee.
The Space Bees live in giant space honey combs. They are ruled by a giant Bee Queen who produces royal jelly. They communicate through dance, make space honey and can't drink Slurm. They also were responsible for the death of the previous Planet Express crew.
- See Spheroids.
The Spheroids are giant balls that inhabited Spheron 1 until they were driven out by DOOP forces. According to Zapp Brannigan, humans "know nothing about their language [or] their history". Spheroids are ruled by the "Brain Balls" and had to surrender to DOOP when it threatened to blow up their planet.
- See Spiderians.
The Spiderians are giant spiders that once lost a war with Earth. The Spiderians weaved a picture of Zapp killing them while he was actually killing them. Though they are similar in appearance to spiders they are more closely related to Earth's elephants. It is unknown exactly how many of them Zapp killed, where he could have killed all of them.
- See Thubanians.
The Thubanians are talking cats from the ninth planet of the star Thuban.
- See Trisolians.
The Trisolians are a species whose bodies are made from liquid-matter. At night they glow as part of their nocturnal phase.
- See Venusians.
The Venusians are mentioned throughout the show in many forms. The painting Venus de Venus shows a female blob so Blobs may actually be Venusians.
- See Vincians.
The Vincians come from Planet Vinci, and resemble humans, but apparantly live of very old age; In 3010 da Vinci still looks the same as 1500 years earlier, and even then he looked fairly old. They are also extremely intelligent as a standard, though this may be cultural and not biological.
Yarn People
- See Yarn People.
The Yarn People come from the planet Nylar 4. Leela was accused of trying to assassinate the ambassators of Nylar 4 with a pair of scissors by Zapp Brannigan at the reception.
List of Alien Creatures
- See Buggalo.
Buggalo are giant beetles with cowskin-colored shells that can be milked like present-day cows (extinct in the 31st century). They even moo like cows, and are kept on farms.
Bone vampire
- See Bone vampire.
The bone vampire is a near-extinct species that feeds on skeletons by sucking them out, leaving a puddle of flesh. The creature also reproduces asexually.
Four-dimensional space whale
A fourth-dimensional vacuum creature that feeds on obsession, it enters the three-dimensional universe to hunt and fill its lungs with vacuum.
Four-legged mimic
- See Four-legged mimic.
An animal that inhabited Vergon 6. It has an amazing ability to mimic the appearence of anything or anyone. It may now be extinct as the planet imploded, but should have been preserved by the Encyclopods.
- See Galaxians.
Arachnids with yellow eyes, a red body, and purple legs, from the 1979 Namco arcade game Galaxian.
An animal that inhabited Vergon 6. It may now be extinct as the planet imploded. It resembles a flamingo with two heads.
Lovey Bears
- See Lovey Bears.
The Lovey Bears are genetically grown by Lovecorp who then kill them, stuff them with fluff and sell them at affordable prices.
Martian spiders
Martian spiders are used for transportation (as horses) at the Wong Ranch on Mars.
- See also
Moon worm
- See Moon worm.
The moon worm is an alien that Al Gore's head claimed in 3003 that he had ridden (4ACV08).
Prairie elephants
- See Prairie elephants.
There are some prairie elephants on exhibit at the zoo on the planet of the primates, Simian 7.
Purple fruit snake
- See Purple fruit snake.
The purple fruit snake is a native to the planet Vergon 6. This is one of the species the Planet Express crew needed to save from extinction. Unfortunately Nibbler ate the Snake along with the other animals. However it was most likely saved by the Encyclopod.
Space alligators
- See Space alligators.
Space alligators live on the moon. They dwell within the moon's many valleys, require oxygen masks to survive and, like alligators on Earth, are very territorial. It is unknown how they got to the moon, though they were probably placed there by moon colonists.
Windy shrimp
- See Windy shrimp.
The windy shrimp was an animal that inhabited Vergon 6. The race could apparently blow at extreme forces. It may now be extinct as the planet imploded. But, like the purple fruit snake, it might have been saved by the Encyclopod.
Other Vergonian Creatures
- Chilean space bass.
- Excommunicated cardinal.
- Gretchen mole.
- Molotov cockatoo.
- Parasitic puppy.
- Sharktopus.
- Vampire slug.
- Duck-billed turtle.
- Swinosaur.
- Purple land fish.
- Brain-pus.
- Blue butterfly-slug.
- Vicious land-nute.
- Shaggy lizard-bull.
- Hairy elephant-squid.
- Big-bellied leg-worm.
- Saber-toothed octopus.
- Two-snouthed camelsoarus.
- Slumpy-backed weasel.
- Giant red cubble-worm.
- Blue tuddle-bird.
- Potted-slug.
- Arachna-koala


text:
In a dose of bad news yesterday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposed to settle a lawsuit brought by the American Public Gas Association (APGA) that seeks to roll back gas furnace efficiency standards. As a result, the new standards, completed in 2011 and slated to take effect this May, would be eliminated in favor of yet another round of DOE hearings and studies. The losers: consumers and the environment. The bill: more than $10 billion in lost savings and an extra 80 to 130 million metric tons of completely unnecessary global warming emissions, according to DOE's analysis.
With new evidence piling up confirming that we need to be seriously ramping up efforts to stave off the worst effects of climate change, now is a lousy time to go backwards on simple steps like improved home heating energy efficiency. Space heating remains the single largest home energy use. The standards would have required that gas furnaces installed in the northern half of the country reach 90% or better efficiency. Today's basic furnaces have an efficiency of just 80%, so the standards would have yielded about 11% savings for consumers.
DOE based the new standards on a compromise struck between efficiency supporters (including consumer groups and environmental advocates) and furnace manufacturers. Some gas utilities, especially in the northernmost states, supported the standards, while others were less enthralled. The nation's investor-owned gas utilities, represented by the American Gas Association (AGA), were concerned that some consumers might face high incremental costs to install 90% or better furnaces. Together, AGA, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, the Alliance to Save Energy, and others developed a proposal to allow exemptions in those rare cases where a consumer might face extraordinary costs to install a high-efficiency furnace compared to an 80% efficient unit. This proposal satisfied AGA, which decided it could live with the new standards.
But APGA could not be satisfied. They argued that consumers would flock to electric resistance furnaces rather than install high-efficiency gas furnaces. However, electric resistance furnaces have a smidgen of current market share (about 5% according to the Energy Information Administration) and given the huge (and improving) operating cost advantage for gas over electric furnaces, no homeowner or landlord in their right mind would install an electric furnace to replace gas heating.
The proposed DOE-APGA settlement document does not provide any clues as to why DOE caved. DOE had built a strong record supporting the new standards, finding them to be solidly cost-effective for consumers and had refuted claims about exorbitant incremental costs and fuel-switching risks. The standard's main vulnerability concerned the process by which DOE adopted the final rule rather than its substance. The 2007 energy law created a new process allowing for "direct final rules" when diverse parties provide a consensus recommendation. Unfortunately, APGA's vocal objections to the "consensus" may have spooked DOE, raising concerns that a court would overturn the rule.
A new furnace rulemaking would be the latest chapter in a tortuous history. By law, the revised furnace standard was due in 1994 and should have taken effect in 2002. But DOE botched its first attempt for a new standard in 2007, and now with this proposed settlement, it looks unlikely that new furnace standards will take effect until sometime after 2020, almost twenty years late. That's no way to make saving energy a priority.
Harvey Sachs of ACEEE and Joanna Mauer and Marianne DiMascio of ASAP contributed to this blog.


text:
And this is why the Regional Transport Authority should always spell out their name:
There's a fitness center in Dallas with the tag line, "Redefining the Fitness Experience." Something tells me the baker they hired for their anniversary cake didn't quite agree with that assessment, though:
Hey, uh...guys? Has anyone checked with Justine about this?
Ryan W., Gilbert, Kelsey C., & Karen B., may your Labor Day weekend be as labor-free as possible. (Unless you're having a baby. [Which would be weird, in Ryan or Gilbert's case. (Unless it's their respective female counterparts who are in labor. [Which would be cool.])])


text:
"My first thought was I need to go catch him."
Ryan Ballard, a student at Lone Star College in Cypress, Texas, tells the Houston Chronicle about the chaotic scene at the school Tuesday when as many as 14 people were injured, at least two critically, by an attacker who used a sharp blade to stab victims in the face and neck.
According to the Chronicle, Ballard says he had just arrived at the school's Health Science building when other students, some crying and bleeding, started running in various directions. He heard someone shout, "Stop that guy!" The newspaper picks up the story:
"Another group of students was running toward the man. One finally reached him near the parking lot, grabbing the assailant in a bear hug. Ballard, a former offensive lineman at Langham Creek High School, also closed in. That's when he noticed the attacker squirming to get his hand into his back pocket.
"Instinctively, Ballard knocked both of them to the ground.
" 'I didn't want to wait until it was too late to make a move,' he said."
Authorities arrested 20-year-old Dylan Quick at the scene.
A statement from the Harris County Sheriff's department says:
"[Quick] is charged with 3 counts of Aggravated Assault. The instrument used by Quick to stab and cut the victims was a razor-type knife.
"There were pieces of blade in at least one victim, broken blade pieces in the area where the cutting occurred, and the handle to a razor-type knife was found in a backpack that Quick was carrying when he was arrested.
"According to the statement the suspect voluntarily gave investigators, he has had fantasies of stabbing people to death since he was in elementary school. He also indicated that he has been planning this incident for some time.
"In all, 14 victims were injured in today's incident."
The Associated Press adds that "two people remained in critical condition late Tuesday."
As for what it was like at the school during the attack, accounts vary. The Chronicle writes that the attacker stabbed each victim "with a small knife as he walked by before quickly moving on, almost unnoticed, to another." But KHOU-TV reports that "witnesses said a suspect ran down a hallway randomly stabbing students in the Health and Science Center."
Quick, according to the Chronicle, was "born deaf [and] received a cochlear implant as a child." People in the neighborhood where Quick lives with his parents described him as a "once-shy kid who remained a bit of a loner."
Update at 12:55 p.m. ET. More About The Suspect And The Weapons:
Quick is to be held without bail and will undergo psychiatric tests, the Chronicle now reports. The newspaper says that prosecutor Caroline Dozier told a judge Wednesday that "in a videotaped confession, [Quick] admitted he stabbed the complainants with an Exacto knife and a scalpel because of his fantasy to kill people."
KHOU-TV has posted a video clip from Wednesday's court hearing, in which the prosecutor can be heard telling the judge that there are more than three "complainants," but that at this point "we've only filed [charges related] to three."
KHOU-TV also says that "at an afternoon press conference Wednesday, Sheriff Adrian Garcia said investigators were looking into the possibility that Quick may have discussed his plans in an online chatroom."
KUHF has been posting updates from Garcia's news conference here.
The Chronicle also points to an April 1 post about Quick in a blog for teens making the transition from high school to college. In the Chronicle's words, the post "described how Quick began coming to the Harris County Public Library's on-campus branch as a 12-year-old for activities that helped him transform from a withdrawn preteen to an outgoing college student. ... After rarely speaking during his first two years, 'Dylan became loquacious, sharing his analyses of literature and socializing with his book club comrades,' the post said, adding that his involvement increased his hearing and communication skills. ... The profile said that he planned to finish his associate's degree, transfer to the University of Houston, then pursue an accounting career."
That blog post appears to have now been removed from the Web,
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
We have been celebrating Father's Day with a get together/lunch at my house ever since I got married, in 2005. I love it - besides my father, who is the star of the day, my brother and sister come too and they are both great people to have around (of course I'm biased. And I don't care). :)
Since I didn't want to make the same old desserts again (the sweetened condensed milk custard is my usual choice), I called my dad and asked what he wanted for dessert - he's not into sweets and not into chocolate, so I had to ask him.
His answer was a big surprise: "I'd like to have that banana pie your mother used to make for me. The one with the "dough snakes" on top".
"Ok, of course, I'll make it".
The thing is...
…I don't have the original recipe. I remembered my mother's banana pie, even in a detailed sort of way, but that was all. No recipe!!!! I started to panic.
My salvation: a recipe for pie crust found in Bon Appetit (July issue) + remembering a pie filling I used to make as a teenager for fruit pies + memories of the caramel banana topping.
My father loved the pie and told me it was exactly like my mom's. Even though I know he said that not to hurt my feelings, there's a smile on my face every time I think of his words. :D
Caramel banana pie
2 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1.25cm (½-inch) cubes
½ cup chilled lard or frozen nonhydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, cut 1.25cm (½-inch) cubes – I used regular vegetable shortening
5 tablespoons (or more) ice water – I needed 6
2 cups (480ml) + 3 tablespoons milk
5 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons corn starch
1 egg yolk - I forgot to add but I liked the result anyway
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 small bananas, sliced - approx. 2 1/2 cups
1 ½ cups sugar
Start making the crust: Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor. Add butter and lard; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. If making by hand (which I did): pinch and rub flour and fat between your thumb and fingertips (this works well if you have cook hands).
Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add 5 tablespoons ice water and mix with fork until dough begins to clump together, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough together. Divide dough – I used ¾ of the dough for the crust and ¼ for the "snakes"; flatten each part into disk. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Dough can be made 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. If necessary, soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/355ºF.
Roll out dough from the center out, lifting and rotating it frequently, clockwise and counterclockwise – I kept the dough wrapped in plastic while rolling it out.
Using the rolling pin, transfer the dough from countertop to pan (22cm/8.5in) and unfold it. Press it gently on the pan and cut off excess.
Blind bake until the crust starts to get golden; remove from the oven.
For the filling: pour 2 cups milk into a medium saucepan. Add sugar and mix well.
In a cup or small bowl, mix the 3 tablespoons milk and the corn starch until well dissolved. Add to saucepan and mix well.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cream thickens.
Remove from heat, add vanilla and mix well. Set aside to cool, stirring every now and then to keep it free of lumps.
Make the topping: Place sugar in a large saucepan and cook it over low heat until caramels forms. Add the bananas, being careful not to get burned. Stir every once in a while and cook over low heat until the bananas soften and melt a little.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble the pie: Pour the filling over crust and top it with the banana caramel mixture.
Make "snakes" with the remaining chilled dough and place them on the top of the pie, forming a sort of lattice effect.
Bake again, in a 200ºC/390ºF oven, this time for 25-30 minutes, until the "snakes" are baked.
Set aside to cool and refrigerate before serving.
Serves 8.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Caramel banana pie (and a trip down memory lane)
64 comments:
Do you know that I have never seen a pie like this one... very unusual and interesting. I will save the recipe for teh future.
Ciao. - August 16, 2007
Even if it's not the original recipe it certainly looks delicious! And I'm sure your dad thought so too :) I love feeding my family and am horribly biased about them as well ;)
- August 16, 2007
Ohh, this looks fantastic...! Sort of like a backwards banoffee pie (where there's caramel or dulce de leche on the bottom and bananas on top.) Brilliant interpretation!
- August 16, 2007
- Haalo said...
Oh my Patricia that is delicious - can we swap a piece?
- August 16, 2007
- Deborah said...
This looks delicious - especially the topping!!
- August 16, 2007
Patricia, when will I ever learn to not visit your blog this close to lunch? This sounds fabulous! And even better is the story of how your recipe came together. Your family is very lucky that you're part of it, my friend.
- August 16, 2007
Your pie looks so tasty! I love your dad's description of the "dough snakes." Congratulations on recreating a memorable pie without the recipe!
- August 16, 2007
- Susan from Food Blogga said...
Oh, Patricia, your dad sounds like a dear. And that pie is out of this world! Love your "dough snakes." ;)
- August 16, 2007
- Amy said...
Aw that's so sweet, parents are always full of surprises. :) The pie looks delish!
- August 16, 2007
- eatme_delicious said...
yum looks good. :)
- August 16, 2007
- Manggy said...
Aw, that's sweet of your dad..
Looks yummy. Must file this under recipes to try, thanks! - August 16, 2007
- Susan said...
Great, great pie, Patricia. I love all the variations on caramel desserts. Thank goodness for melted sugar!
- August 16, 2007
- Unknown said...
"Dough snakes" that's so cute! That pie looks delicious - your dad is ver lucky!
- August 16, 2007
- Meeta K. Wolff said...
Oh this is awesome. I want to crawl in there and eat my way out!!
- August 16, 2007
- Pat said...
Ohhhhhhh that looks soooooooo yummy!!! I am putting on calories just looking at it!!!! YUM!!!
- August 16, 2007
- Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...
And now you've created your own special recipe that you can make for your father again next year. Yum.
- August 16, 2007
It's so nice that you put all of that effort into replicating your mother's recipe for your father. I imagine that had to have felt good too. The internet is amazing now with all these food blogs and recipe sites - they're such useful tools for times like this!
- August 16, 2007
- test it comm said...
This looks and sounds great. I really like baking with bananas!
- August 16, 2007
- Anh said...
I am touched by your story, Pat! One of my quests is to bake the perfect Rusian black bread for my dad, but i havent figured out the recipe as yet.
And your banana tart looks wonderful. I am not a big fan of banana, but they are so good in baking! - August 16, 2007
- Karlz + Ma said...
Mm, sounds a little like a banoffee pie :)! A cardiac arrest and yumminess on a plate, well done!
- August 16, 2007
Patricia--I'm sure your dad really meant what he said. This looks beautiful.
- August 16, 2007
- Elle said...
Such a gorgeous pie...I can imagine the taste combination of the vanilla, bannanas and caramel, plus crunch crust...your dad was probably not just humoring you.
- August 16, 2007
- Big Boys Oven said...
Looks so yummy.... love caramel and banana.. well captured and great craft.
- August 17, 2007
- ayseyaman said...
Hi Patricia
you made your father the luckiest father. :) You are very kind!
Banana pie is so delicious and looks diffirent. I have never tried it before. Also your chocolate chip cookies are yummy..:)
Thanks for sharing your recipes.. - August 17, 2007
- thecoffeesnob said...
"Dough snakes" Haha, too cute.
Mmm this pie looks delish! I could sure use a slice of it on this slow lazy Friday i'm having. - August 17, 2007
- Nora B. said...
Patricia, that's such a wonderful pie that you made for your dad. My dad passed away almost 10 years ago now, but he is always in my memory. He loves choc and desserts but he was more into local desserts that my mom makes (& I don't have much expertise making them), so I never got to make any for him. I like to think of my past conversations with my dad and I smile too :-)
- August 17, 2007
- KJ said...
That's such a a sweet story. Dad's are terrific.
- August 17, 2007
- Dharm said...
That looks lovely!!
You've been tagged by me at my blog... pls visit to see the rules...!
http://dad-baker.blogspot.com/2007/08/tagged-again.html - August 17, 2007
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Orchidea, I'm glad you find it interesting! :)
Joey, I love cooking for them, too, and having them around is so great!
Hannah, I should try the banoffee pie too, it sounds delicious!
Haalo, we sure can! I'd love to try some of your delicious food. :)
Deborah, I love the topping, too. :)
Terry, I'm so glad you like the pie, my friend! And I'm proud of being related to them, too. :)
Lynn, I tried hard to succeed! :)
Susan, he's a dear and also very funny. Although we used to argue a lot when I was single, we love each other very much.
Amy, thank you!
Hey, sweetie, I'm glad you like it!
Manggy, I'd love to see your take on it!
Susan, me too! Caramel is one of my weaknesses. The word alone makes my mouth water. :)
Anita, thank you!
Meeta, have some, sweetie! :)
Pat, this is really rich and decadent. :)
Lydia, and I hope that I can make this pie for my kids when I have them. :)
Hillary, it did feel really good, special. Thank you for your kind words.
Kevin, me too!
Anh, maybe in the future you'll be able to make the bread, you are such a wonderful - and Daring - baker, my dear! :)
Pinkeagle, a huge amount of calories. :)
Sarah, thank you!
Elle, he had a huge slice and then took the rest of the pie home with him! :)
Big Boys, thank you!
Ayseyaman, thank you! I'm glad you like my recipes and also to have you as one of my readers.
Sweetie, I'm already a fan of Fridays, but with something sweet they get even better. :)
Nora, I feel the same way about my mom (she passed away 21 years ago). I wish we could have shared more time together, special moments of our lives. But I try to keep her proud of me wherever she is now. Even though I miss her very, very much, I always smile when I think of her. :)
KJ, I agree!
Dharm, I'll check that out later, tks! - August 17, 2007
- Truffle said...
What a beautiful post! Your father is so lucky to have a fabulous cook like you for a daughter. This looks heavenly. I'd love a forkful right now!
- August 17, 2007
omg, Patricia, you are killing me!
- August 17, 2007
- Karin W. said...
So, in Brazil you are celebrating Father´s day in August? The Nordic countries: Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have their Father`s Day set on the second Sunday of November.
I have to save this Banana pie. I´m temptated. My banana Pie Recipe is very good, but it is a really simple recipe.
I put 4 sliced bananas into an ovenproof dish,
crumble 1.5 dl flour, 1.5 dl oatflakes (rolled oats?), 1 dl sugar, och 1 tablespoon potato starch with 125 g butter or margarine,
I sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top of the pie and bake at 225 degrees C for ab. 20 minutes.
It goes with a scoop of ice cream or vanilla custard. What do you call it? A Crumble Pie? - August 17, 2007
- Nic said...
This is wonderful!
Bananas and caramel are a winning combination for sure! - August 17, 2007
- sunita said...
The pie looks gorgeous, Patricia...your dad must have really enjoyed it..and of course, they must have tasted extra special with that dose of love for your dad that went into it...
- August 17, 2007
- Mallow said...
I can see why your dad made that request. It looks fabulous!
- August 17, 2007
Patricia, I saw your caramel banana pie on Tastespotting and intended to click through, but was reading your comment on my blog and when I clicked through there, ta dah, the pie was yours. Soooooo gorgeous! I can only imagine how wonderful the custard filling goes with the caramel banana topping. I think it was a great departure from the sweetened milk custard, and I'm sure was gobbled up in a heartbeat. I love the elegance and rusticness of the pie.
- August 17, 2007
- Warda said...
My dear Patricia, this pie looks delicious. I don't think your father told you so just to be nice. I think it is because it really rocks. My grandma used to make a pie like this with apricot jam and my siblings and I used to call it windows pie because of the pattern. We still call it this way.. We gave funny name to our food.
- August 17, 2007
- Julie said...
This looks delicious Patricia, a nice change from the usual banana cream pies we've all come to know. This one almost reminds me of bananas foster done in a pie crust.
- August 17, 2007
- MyKitchenInHalfCups said...
Most unusual Patricia and looks like it would be fabulous. Really a beautiful memory and great pie. Pretty nice Dad too I'd say! Well, and a really grand daughter.
- August 17, 2007
Great story, Patricia and the pie looks scrumptious too!
- August 17, 2007
- Jacqueline Meldrum said...
That is so great Patricia! And I can taste it,just by looking at it! Unfortunately, I can only look on and drool as I am trying to lose weight! I slipped tonight and had a glass of wine, I now want a slice of that pie!
- August 17, 2007
Some how I can see why so many others, like myself have made comments here!
D r o o o l. - August 17, 2007
- Pat said...
Patricia I wanted to let you know I have tagged you with the Fantastic Four Meme.
- August 18, 2007
- Kelly-Jane said...
Oh my, that looks absolutely wonderful, just my kind of dessert!
- August 18, 2007
You're father's not into sweets. Whatever he doesn't want, please send to me.
But his compliment - that it was just like your mother's - that's pretty darn sweet.
This recipe and the previous one look amazing! - August 18, 2007
- Belinda said...
I bet your Dad was thrilled with his Caramel Banana Pie, and even if it didn't end up an exact duplicate of your Mom's, I can tell from the photos that it was a slice of heaven on a plate...it looks amazing! :-)
- August 18, 2007
- Cynthia said...
Yeah! Dad was happy and enjoyed the pie!
- August 18, 2007
- Stella said...
What a gorgeous banana pie, Pat:)
I love banana pies too except that mine's filling is banana & just banana:)
You're dad's lucky to have a daughter like you! - August 19, 2007
I bet your mom was smiling too :) What a delicious pie. Those photos are gorgeous.
- August 19, 2007
- Peabody said...
Looks fantastic and I can only assume tastes just as fantastic.
- August 20, 2007
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Truffle, thank you!
I used to cook for my father everyday - he lost weight after I got married. :)
Celine, thank you, sweetie! You should know that I feel the same way when I visit your blog. :)
Karin, that recipe sounds so good and quick to put together! Great for unexpected visitors. I think it's a crumble, but I really don't think there's a name for it in Portuguese - we'd call it a pie anyway.
Nicisme, thank you! I agree!
Sunita, I really wanted him to like it. :)
Mallow, thank you!
Bri, that's some nice coincidence! I'm glad you stopped by!
The custard is not too sweet, so it balances well the caramel + banana topping.
Rose, I like that name! It really looks like a window!
Julie, thank you for visiting, sweetie!
Tanna, thank you for your kind words, my dear friend.
Anonymous, thank you!
Holler, thank you for stopping by! I need to lose a few pounds, too, so I was glad when my father asked if he could take the remaining pie home. :)
Dayna, thank you for the visit!
Pat, I'll check that out later, sweetie.
Kelly-Jane, thanks!
Mari, you are back, my dear! I'm glad you liked my posts.
Belinda, thank you for stopping by - you are far too kind! :)
Cynthia, he did!
Valentina, you are so sweet, my friend, thank you!
Kristen, I'm so moved by your comment! Thank you.
Peabody, I'm glad you liked it, my friend. - August 20, 2007
- Jannett said...
This pie looks so good. I am putting it on my list to try.
:) - August 20, 2007
- SteamyKitchen said...
Do you how cool this would be as an ice cream flavor!?!? With crust crumbles as topping???
- August 20, 2007
ooohhh...this looks so good. I love anything to do with bananas.
- August 20, 2007
- ilingc said...
Patricia, this looks gorgeous, even to a non avid banana fan like me. :)
- August 21, 2007
- Everything4sweets said...
I have to try your banana pie,looks so delicious......
- August 21, 2007
What a wonderful pie! Cooking under pressure always results in great food. I have to agree with everybody else here, that your dad wasn't just being polite it was a great pie. Daddy's don't lie, now do they?
- August 21, 2007
- Lia said...
iam sure ur banana pie is delicious, really its wonderful look!
- August 22, 2007
- christine said...
Now that's what separate the bakers from the great bakers! Well done, Patricia. And your dad sounds like a sweet man. :)
- August 23, 2007
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Hendria, thank you! Let me know if you try it.
Jaden, that is a fabulous idea!
Cooking Ninja, me too!
Ilingc, I'm glad you like it, even not liking bananas!
Everything 4 sweets, I'd love to hear your opinion about it.
Butta Buns, thank you! I don't think they do! :)
Lia, thank you, sweetie!
Christine, tks for visiting! And for your kind words, too. - August 23, 2007
- rhid said...
This pie looks stunning! What was the texture like? Soft? or chewy?
- August 28, 2007
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Hi, Rhid! Tks for the visit!
The filling is kind of silky and and topping is soft. - August 30, 2007
Hello..am gonna try this recipe soon bt need to ask u some things before..
firstly do u use US cup or metric cup for ur measurement? i usually measure in grams
and can i omit the lard / vegetable shortening completely? will it be fine
and also about how much time did u blind bake the crust.. abt 10 mins like that?? - March 09, 2010
- Patricia Scarpin said...
Naailah, I do use American cups for my measurements, but I prefer to use my scale.
I'm not sure about omitting the shortening, it might affect the texture of your crust (less flaky, probably).
You have to blind bake it until golden, the time will depend on your oven.
Good luck! - March 10, 2010


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It is really getting old to hear liberal politicians and pundits complaining about conservative media as being destructive, as if the country would be better off returning to the halcyon days of the monolithic liberal media.
That seems to be the view of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who complained about "the right-wing control of the American media, particularly starting with Fox News." During a discussion on HuffPost Live, Kennedy said, "Ninety-five percent of talk radio in our country is right-wing … so a whole section of our country that's what they're hearing."
"Twenty-two percent of Americans," continued Kennedy, "say their primary news source is Fox News. It's divided our country in a way that we haven't been divided probably since the Civil War, and it's empowered these large corporations to get certain kinds of politicians and ideologues who are in the United States Congress elected — the tea party ideologues who control the Republican Party."
Admittedly, many conservatives complain about the liberal media, but that's because they hold themselves out as unbiased journalists when their reporting is flagrantly slanted in favor of Democrats.
Their bias is obvious in their selection of news stories, in their presentation of those stories, and in the contrasting treatment they accord politicians and policies of the respective political parties.
Conservative radio talkers generally don't hold themselves out as unbiased journalists but as commentators, and they have every right to voice their opinions.
Fox News portrays itself as "fair and balanced," and while many of its hosts are conservative, a fair number are liberal, and even on their commentary shows, they almost always have liberal representatives present the left's position on issues they're debating. Often, this is not the case with liberal networks.
But Kennedy's worst error isn't in painting conservative talk radio and Fox News as unfairly biased while ignoring their far guiltier counterparts on the left. It's in scapegoating conservative media for the divisiveness in this nation.
The nation is divided because half the country subscribes to one worldview and the other half to an opposite one. Perhaps it seems more divided than it used to because the liberal media no longer have a monopoly and the emergence of a robust alternative media has given conservatives a consistent public voice. It's understandable that after enjoying decades of free rein, liberals are frustrated at having their views challenged daily on the public airways, but it's healthy for the republic that leftist politicians are now scrutinized, as well.
Astonishingly, however, Kennedy probably believes what he's saying. Like many myopic liberals, he is blind to liberal media bias and intolerant of the opposing viewpoint. As a result of their arrogance and the cloistered echo-chambered environments they inhabit, most liberals don't believe liberal journalists slant their reporting, but present the only reasonable take on the issues.
To them, it is not biased to denigrate the conservative viewpoint, because to them that viewpoint is aberrational. To them, for example, there aren't two sides to manmade global warming; there is just the fact-based community and the deniers. To them, science-based intelligent design is, oddly, anti-science, whereas macroevolution, which can't begin to explain the formation of matter from nothing, much less life from non-life, is an incontrovertible fact. To them, a $161 billion deficit under George W. Bush is catastrophic, but a $1.3 trillion Obama deficit under Obama represents modest fiscal progress. To them, there are not two credible positions on certain macroeconomics questions. There is the Keynesian "truth" that government spending is required to stimulate economic growth versus the illiterate heresy that free enterprise causes growth and leads to greater prosperity for more people than any other system.
Indeed, many liberals are so certain that only their views are legitimate and that contrary ones are dangerous (they often lead to violence) that they flirt with the notion that vocal opposition ought to be muzzled — as witnessed by campus speech codes, their crusades against so-called hate speech and the Fairness Doctrine.
America's problem is not divided opinion and rigorous debate, which have always existed and are integral to our system. (If it is divisiveness to which liberals object, they need look no further than President Obama, who is constantly pitting Americans against each other on the basis of race, income and gender.)
The problem is journalists who once acted as watchdogs against abuses of power and who now function as co-conspirators in those abuses by liberal politicians. If they choose to abandon any pretense toward objective journalism, that is their prerogative, but it is ours to shine a spotlight on their fraudulent abdication.
At least conservatives, both in the media and in public service, are more honest with themselves and others about their own beliefs and biases, and thus represent much less danger to the republic than liberal politicians and media masquerading as neutral, unbiased, objective or bipartisan. Even so, conservatives would never advocate chilling or suppressing liberal speech in any way.
What we need are not fewer conservative media outlets, but more. And we need liberal journalists and politicians to be more forthcoming about their biases.


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Jay Leno's Last 'Tonight Show' Set for February Finish
Well, there's no stopping the train now, knock on wood. It will be some months until reigning late night king Jay Leno abdicates the 'Tonight Show' throne to Jimmy Fallon, changing the title to 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' in the process, but at long last, Leno finally has his official February exit date.
According to Deadline, Leno will host his last 'Tonight Show' on February 6, 2014, though lucky for the them, the 170+ staff of the show will remain paid through Leno's contract in September. Meanwhile, Fallon will officially begin his tenure at 'The Tonight Show' during the 2014 Winter Olympics, in the second week of the Sochi games on Monday, February 24th, when ratings are at their highest.
Immediately following Fallon's debut, Seth Meyers will file down the line beginning his run as host of 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' at 12:30 AM, both shows shooting in New York for the first time in decades. Of course, Leno may yet find himself a new NBC gig in the future, as NBC president Bob Greenblatt told reporters last month "Nothing would make us happier for Jay, a la Bob Hope, to have presence at the network, we're really hoping to do that, post February."
Well, what say you? Will you tune in for Jay Leno's last show on February 6? What about Jimmy Fallon as host of the latest incarnation?


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Perhaps this is best tagged under "Navel-gazing," but the official announcement went out a little earlier this morning:
TeamWorks Media, a fantastic up-and-coming production company based in
(So for all you sports-bloggers/writers looking for that novelty Final Four angle after a long week of wearing out the usual game storylines, there's your hook. Hey, in a Final Four devoid of Cinderella stories, this might look tempting.)
I couldn't be more thrilled to be working with TeamWorks on this, and I sincerely appreciate the confidence (and sketchy judgment!) they have shown in partnering with me on the project. (Here's the full release.)
Hey, maybe "sports blogger sells screenplay" is the new "sports blogger gets book deal." It may be a little while before you're sitting at the multiplex watching, but it's one step closer.