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Dealing With a Health Condition
Article Translations: (Spanish)
Living with a long-lasting health condition (also called a chronic illness) can be challenging. Learning how to handle that is a process — it doesn't happen right away.
But understanding more about your condition, and doing your part to manage it, can help you take health challenges in stride. Many people find that taking an active part in the care of a chronic health condition can help them feel stronger and better able to deal with lots of life's hurdles.
What Are Chronic Illnesses?
There are two types of illnesses: acute and chronic. Acute illnesses (like a cold or the flu) are usually over relatively quickly. Chronic illnesses, though, are long-lasting health conditions (the word "chronic" comes from the Greek word chronos, meaning time).
Having a chronic condition doesn't necessarily mean an illness is critical or dangerous — although some chronic illnesses, such as cancer and AIDS, can be life-threatening. But chronic illnesses can also include conditions like asthma, arthritis, ADHD, and diabetes.
Each health condition has its own symptoms, treatment, and course. Aside from the fact that they are all relatively long lasting, chronic illnesses aren't necessarily alike in other ways. Most people who have a chronic illness don't think of themselves as "having a chronic illness." They think of themselves as having a specific condition — such as asthma, or arthritis, or diabetes, or lupus, or sickle cell disease, or hemophilia, or leukemia, or whatever ongoing health condition they have.
If you're living with a chronic illness, you might feel affected not just physically, but also emotionally, socially, and sometimes even financially. The way a person might be affected by a chronic illness depends on the particular illness and how it affects the body, how severe it is, and the kinds of treatments that might be involved.
It takes time to adjust to and accept the realities of a long-term illness, but teens who are willing to learn, get support from others, and take part in the care of their bodies usually get through the coping process.
The Coping Process
Most people go through stages in learning to cope with a chronic illness. Someone who has just been diagnosed with a particular health condition might feel many things. Some people feel vulnerable, confused, and worried about their health and the future. Others feel sad or disappointed in their bodies. For some, the situation seems unfair, causing them to feel angry at themselves and those they love. These feelings are the start of the coping process. Everyone's reaction is different, but they're all completely normal.
The next stage in the coping process is learning. Most people living with a long-term illness find that knowledge is power: The more they find out about their condition, the more they feel in control and the less frightening it is.
The third stage in coping with a chronic illness is all about taking it in stride. At this stage, people feel comfortable with their treatments and with the tools (like inhalers or shots) they need to use to live a normal life.
So somebody with diabetes, for example, may feel a range of emotions when the condition is first diagnosed. The person may believe he or she will never be able to go through the skin prick tests or injections that may be necessary to manage the condition. But after working with doctors and understanding more about the condition, that person will grow to be more practiced at monitoring and managing insulin levels — and it will stop feeling like such a big deal. Over time, managing diabetes will become second nature and the steps involved will seem like just another way to care for one's body, in much the same way that daily teeth brushing or showering help people stay healthy.
There's no definite time limit on the coping process. Everybody's process of coming to terms with and accepting a chronic illness is different. In fact, most people will find that emotions surface at all stages in the process. Even if treatments go well, it's natural to feel sad or worried from time to time. Recognizing and being aware of these emotions as they surface is all part of the coping process.
Taking Control
People living with chronic illnesses often find that the following actions can help them take control and work through the coping process:
Acknowledge Feelings
Emotions may not be easy to identify. For example, sleeping or crying a lot or grouchiness may be signs of sadness or depression. It's also very common for teens with chronic illnesses to feel stress as they balance the realities of dealing with a health condition and coping with schoolwork, social events, and other aspects of everyday life.
Many people living with chronic illnesses find that it helps to line up sources of support to deal with the stress and emotions. Some choose to talk to a therapist or join a support group specifically for people with their condition. It's also important to confide in those you trust, like close friends and family members.
The most important factor when seeking help isn't necessarily finding someone who knows a lot about your illness, but finding someone who is willing to listen when you're depressed, angry, frustrated — or even just plain old happy. Noticing the emotions you have, accepting them as a natural part of what you're going through, and expressing or sharing your emotions in a way that feels comfortable can help you feel better about things.
Understand Other People's Reactions
You might not be the only one who feels emotional about your illness. Parents often struggle with seeing their kids sick because they want to prevent anything bad from happening to them. Some parents feel guilty or think they've failed their child, others may get mad about how unfair it seems.
Everyone else's emotions can seem like an extra burden on people who are sick, when of course it's not their fault. Sometimes it helps to explain to a parent that, when you express anger or fear, you're simply asking for their support — not for them to cure you. Tell your parents you don't expect them to have all the answers, but that it helps if they just listen to how you feel and let you know they understand.
Because the teen years are all about fitting in, it can be hard to feel different around friends and classmates. Many people with chronic illnesses are tempted to try to keep their condition secret. Sometimes, though, trying to hide a condition can cause its own troubles as Melissa, who has Crohn's disease, discovered. Some of Melissa's medications made her look puffy, and her classmates started teasing her about gaining weight. When she explained her condition, she was surprised at how accepting her classmates were.
When talking to friends about your health condition, it can sometimes help to explain that everyone is made differently. For the same reason some people have blue eyes and others brown, some of us are more vulnerable to certain conditions than others.
Depending on the severity of your illness, you may find yourself constantly surrounded by well-meaning adults. Teachers, coaches, and school counselors may all try to help you — perhaps causing you to feel dependent, frustrated, or angry. Talk to these people and explain how you feel.
Educating and explaining the facts of your condition can help them understand what you're capable of and allow them to see you as a student or an athlete — not a patient.
Keep Things in Perspective
It's easy for a health condition to become the main focus of someone's life — especially as that person first learns about and starts dealing with the condition. Many people find that reminding themselves that their condition is only a part of who they are can help put things back in perspective. Keeping up with friends, favorite activities, and everyday things helps a lot.
Play an Active Role in Your Health Care
The best way to learn about your condition and put yourself in control is to ask questions. There's usually a lot of information to absorb when visiting a doctor. You may need to go over specifics more than once or ask a doctor or nurse to repeat things to be sure you understand everything.
This may sound basic, but lots of people hesitate to say, "Hey, can you say that again?" because they don't want to sound stupid. But it takes doctors years of medical school and practice to learn the information they're passing on to you in one office visit!
If you've just been diagnosed with a particular condition, you might want to write down some questions to ask your doctor. For example, some of the things you might want to know are:
- How will this condition affect me?
- What kind of treatment is involved?
- Will it be painful?
- How many treatments will I get?
- Will I miss any school?
- Will I be able to play sports, play a musical instrument, try out for the school play, or participate in other activities I love?
- What can I expect — will my condition be cured? Will my symptoms go away?
- What are the side effects of the treatments and how long will they last?
- Will these treatments make me sleepy, grumpy, or weak?
- What happens if I miss a treatment or forget to take my medicine?
- What if the treatments don't work?
Even though your doctor can't exactly predict how you'll respond to treatment because it varies greatly from one person to the next, knowing how some people react may help you prepare yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically.
The more you learn about your illness, the more you'll understand about your treatments, your emotions, and the best ways to create a healthy lifestyle based on your individual needs.
Living With a Health Condition
There's no doubt the teen years can be a more challenging time to deal with a health condition. In addition to the social pressures to fit in, it's a time of learning about and understanding our bodies. At a time when it's natural to be concerned with body image, it can seem hard to feel different. It's understandable that people can feel just plain sick and tired of dealing with a chronic illness once in a while.
Even teens who have lived with an illness since childhood can feel the pull of wanting to lead a "normal" life in which they don't need medicine, have any limitations, or have to care for themselves in any special way. This is a perfectly natural reaction.
Sometimes teens who have learned to manage their illness feel so healthy and strong that they wonder whether they need to keep following their disease management program. A person with diabetes, for example, may consider skipping a meal when at the mall or checking his or her blood sugar after the game instead of before.
Unfortunately, easing up on taking care of yourself can have disastrous results. The best approach is to tell your doctor how you feel. Talk about what you'd like to be doing and can't. See if there's anything you can work out. This is all part of taking more control and becoming a player in your own medical care.
When you're living with a chronic health condition, it can feel hard at times to love your body. But you don't have to have a perfect body to have a great body image. Body image can improve when you care for your body, appreciate its capabilities, and accept its limitations — a fact that's true for everyone, whether they're living with a chronic condition or not.
Voicing any frustration or sadness to an understanding ear can help when someone feels sick of being sick. At times like this it's important to think of ways others could help and ask for what you'd like. Some people find they can ease their own sense of loss by reaching out and offering to help someone in need. Lending a hand to someone else can help one's own troubles seem easier to manage.
Adjusting to living with a chronic illness takes a little time, patience, support — and willingness to learn and participate. People who deal with unexpected challenges often find an inner resilience they might not have known was there before. Many say that they learn more about themselves through dealing with these challenges and feel they grow to be stronger and more self-aware than they would if they'd never faced their particular challenge.
People living with chronic illnesses find that when they take an active role in taking care of their body, they grow to understand and appreciate their strengths — and adapt to their weaknesses — as never before.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
© 1995-2024 KidsHealth ® All rights reserved. Images provided by iStock, Getty Images, Corbis, Veer, Science Photo Library, Science Source Images, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com


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No, the United States isn't trying to build a military force of centenarians.
It just seems that way after the Selective Service System mistakenly sent notices to more than 14,000 Pennsylvania men born between 1893 and 1897, ordering them to register for the nation's military draft and warning that failure to do so is "punishable by a fine and imprisonment."
The agency realized the error when it began receiving calls from bewildered relatives last week.
Chuck Huey, 73, of Kingston, said he got a notice addressed to his late grandfather Bert Huey, a World War I veteran who was born in 1894 and died in 1995 at age 100.
"I said, 'Geez, what the hell is this about?' It said he was subject to heavy fines and imprisonment if he didn't sign up for the draft board," he said. "We were just totally dumbfounded."
Huey said he tried calling the Selective Service but couldn't get a live person on the line. That frustrated him even more because he wanted to make sure the agency knew there had been a mistake.
"You just never know. You don't want to mess around with the federal government," he said.
The glitch, it turns out, originated with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation during a transfer of nearly 400,000 records to the Selective Service. A clerk working with the state's database failed to select the century, producing records for males born between 1993 and 1997 — and for those born a century earlier, PennDOT spokeswoman Jan McKnight said Thursday.
"We made a mistake, a quite serious selection error," McNight said.
The Selective Service didn't initially catch it because the state used a two-digit code to indicate year of birth, spokesman Pat Schuback said. The federal agency identified 27,218 records of men born in the 1800s, began mailing notices to them on June 30, and began receiving calls from family members on July 3. By that time, it had sent 14,250 notices in error.
"It's never happened before," Schuback said.
The men are almost certainly all dead, given that the youngest would be turning 117 this year. Families of those men who received the notices can simply ignore them, he said. Their files will be deactivated and they shouldn't receive additional communications from the Selective Service. The agency also posted a notice and an apology on its website Thursday.
The state Transportation Department, meanwhile, said it had taken steps to ensure its mistake won't be repeated.
"We're really sorry," McNight said. "We apologize."
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


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California Historical Resources
California's historical resources represent the contributions and collective human experiences of a diversified population spanning 10,000-12,000 years of occupancy in California. This rich heritage is embodied in the cultural and historical landscapes of California as evidenced by archaeological remains, historic buildings, traditional customs, tangible artifacts, historical documents, and public records extant in California. All these evidences of the past contribute to the sum total of California's history. Such historical resources provide continuity with our past and enhance our quality of life.


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Butter stewed potatoes, are whole new potatoes or small, cut up red potatoes, steam cooked in butter and often sprinkled with herbs, such as parsley.
Butter Steamed New Potatoes
No secret here that I love potatoes I suppose. Seriously, set a pot of stewed potatoes in front of me and I'm perfectly happy to enjoy them as my meal.Truth is, potatoes have long been a large part of the southern diet because with commonly large families, they filled a lot of bellies rather cheaply. Just like there is no one single way to make a southern fried chicken and there's no such single magic mashed potato recipe, there are a multitude of other ways to fix the spud.
Speaking of that, I wonder... do you peel your potatoes with a kitchen knife? Or with a vegetable peeler - better known at least in my house growing up, as a potato peeler? I have always used a vegetable peeler, and I can whip through a bowl of potatoes in no time with that simple tool, but I struggle with trying to do the same thing with a knife. Our primary duty as kids was to play, so Mama didn't employ us to chores or kitchen duty much, but that is the instrument she used, the one I grew up using, and frankly, the tool I still use today.
Of course I use a paring knife for other things, and I even have my own personal, and unforgettable, experience using a knife on potatoes, and it's something I've never forgotten. One of my favorite quotes is by Maya Angelou, who once said "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." It really is true, and this story will certainly demonstrate just that.
When I was in upper grade school, one day I went to the house of one of my friends from the neighborhood, who lived a few blocks up from our house, to see if she could come out and play. When she asked her mother, she was told that she could, once the bowl of potatoes in the kitchen was peeled. Her mother armed us both with a kitchen knife, a fairly foreign object to this youngster, parked us in front of the sink on Coke crates, and set off about the house tending to her chores, while we went to work on those potatoes. I looked at this curious instrument and asked my friend "don't y'all have a potato peeler?" She gave me the oddest look and said "potato peeler? What's that?" So I got a very brief demonstration on how to use a knife to peel potatoes and we set out to tackle the project.
We were having the best time, talking and giggling and making a fun time of the kitchen duty, when her mama popped back in. She picked up the peels from the potatoes I had pared, scowled at me with this horribly angry face and promptly began belittling me for the apparently terrible job I was doing. Then she ran me out of her house. I could feel the heat rising up in my cheeks as fast as I could see the horror and embarrassment on my friend's face. I was devastated, and I've never forgotten it to this day. Needless to say we didn't get to play. My friend was embarrassed, I was hurt, and truth is... we never played together again after that.
Something to think about isn't it?
The process of steaming potatoes in butter is very old school, and is what sets these apart from simply boiled potatoes tossed in butter. Try not to freak out too much about the butter in the recipe - I know it's a lot. While the potatoes do get infused with some of the butter while steaming, much of it will be pooled in the bottom of the serving dish, so you won't actually be consuming every ounce of it. Well, unless you wanted to that is.
New potatoes are so tiny, and the skins are delicate and edible, and they really are the best potato for this. I do recommend cutting away a strip around the center so that the butter can infuse right into the meat of the potatoes. You can also prepare this with the smaller red potatoes, but for all other types of potatoes, peel and chop those into bite sized chunks. The peeled, buttered potatoes are especially decadent, because they will absorb a lot more of the butter while they cook.
Many of our mom's probably made these buttered potatoes in some form when we were growing up, I'm guessing primarily because they were easy, filling and delicious. Mama almost always made them tossed with parsley, what we called parslied potatoes, and using whole, peeled and cut up russets like this.
Since big bags of russets are the most economical, those are what I keep on hand much more often and I tend to make them like those pictured above... though I tend to take it a little lighter on the butter myself these days.
Here's how to make them.
Recipe: Butter Steamed New Potatoes
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 10 min |Cook time: 30 min | Yield: About 4 to 6 servings
- 2 pounds of new or very small red potatoes
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley, loosely packed
Add the butter, water, salt and pepper to a medium saucepan and melt butter over low heat. Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes and peel a strip away from the center of each potato. Add to the saucepan, cover, and cook over low for 25 to 30 minutes. Roll potatoes around in the pan occasionally as they cook, but do not remove cover.
Sprinkle the potatoes with the parsley, toss and transfer to a serving bowl, drizzling the remaining butter from the saucepan over the top. Serve immediately.
New Potatoes in Cream Sauce: Prepare potatoes as above. In a separate saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, then slowly whisk in 1-1/2 cups of milk, half and half or a combination. Cook over medium until mixture is bubbly and thickened. Pour over potatoes and serve.
Cook's Notes: New potatoes are tiny, with very thin, delicate skins and are the best potato for this dish. If using larger red potatoes you must cut them into quarters, or they will take too long to cook. May also substitute any other baking potatoes, but peel and cut those into bite sized chunks. Adjust cooking times as needed. Cut potatoes will also absorb more of the butter. May also substitute other herbs at the end; try chives, fresh sage, rosemary, thyme or basil, or use a dried herbes de Provence.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
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Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.


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Armory Stats - Legendary Quest Line Achievements
Today we are taking a look at the legendary quest achievement completion rate of players. Now that achievements are account wide, we can group characters by account and get an idea of what percentage of players (not characters) have completed an achievement.
In this case, the final achievement requires you to obtain a legendary cloak, kill Garrosh, and finally complete a quest. This means that the number of players who have the legendary cloak is slightly higher than the number who have the final achievement, as some players have killed Garrosh, have the cloak, but never did the quest.
The data used today is a sample of 5.7 million characters from 2 million accounts, with at least one character on the account that was active after Nov 15. The sample is slightly biased, as players who are not in a guild are much less likely to appear in our sample. You can leave suggestions for future stat posts in the comments!
Armory Stats - Legendary Weapon Feat of Strength Achievements
Someone in the comments asked about the number of people with legendary weapons, so here is some bonus data from the same sample as above. Keep in mind this is just a snapshot of who has the Feat of Strength Achievements and was active on at least one character after Nov 15.
Blue Tweets
We have finally gone through all of the tweets made by Ghostcrawler while he was still a developer. Now he is off on a beach somewhere, but still offering his opinion on Twitter.
If you want to follow or contact the developers on Twitter, take a look at Celestalon (PvE), Holinka (PvP), Chris Robinson (Art), Dave Kosak (Story), Dave Maldonado (Game Design).
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Icy Veins Christmas Contest Voting
The 20 finalists in the Icy Veins Christmas Contest have been selected and are now being voted on!


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Now, you've probably noticed this. Political drama is not confined to just the news on TV these days. We are in an era that is seeing a proliferation of politically themed television and other forms of streaming. And maybe you've also noticed shows like "Veep."
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS: (as Vice President Selina Meyer) I'm the vice president of the United States, you stupid little (bleep).
DONVAN: And "Alpha House."
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (unintelligible) why somebody prepared to apply (bleep) national committee.
DONVAN: ...and "House of Cards."
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: You know what? I don't have a (bleep) shred of real influence. I'm trotted around like a (bleep) mascot, and this is my home state.
DONVAN: Wow. Saltier language and darker themes make it clear that those tame, "West Wing" days are over. In an age of endless campaigning and protracted stalemate in real-life Washington, it seems that a new crop of political shows is reflecting - or perhaps shaping - the way that we see and understand our elected officials. Now, we would particularly like to hear from you among our listeners who actually hold office today, and we want to know, as you watch these things, is there something in particular from these new shows that rings true to you, or do you have some objections? Our number is 800-989-8255. Our email address is firstname.lastname@example.com. And you can also join the conversation at our website. Go to npr.org and click on TALK OF THE NATION.
Now, we are joined by Jonathan Alter. He is a reporter and a columnist and a TV analyst. He is also the executive producer of the new Amazon original, "Alpha House," which tells the story of four Republican senators who live together in a rented House in Washington, D.C. Jonathan joins us now from our New York bureau. John, welcome to TALK OF THE NATION.
JONATHAN ALTER: Thanks, John.
DONVAN: So in terms of reflecting reality, surely our elected officials don't talk in language that needs to be bleeped in real life (unintelligible).
ALTER: Well, you know, it's funny. I - first of all, I didn't write the script for "Alpha House." One of my co-executive producers, Garry Trudeau of "Doonesbury" fame, it's his creation. And it does have a fair measure of profanity in it, as anybody who goes to the Amazon site - which is the only place it's available - can see with free download of the pilot.
But I do think that that reflects the reality. Certainly when I was - I've just completed my second book about Obama and the political climate in Washington, and I have to say that there's a lot of the f-word in both "The Promise" - which was the first book I wrote on this - and "The Center Holds," which is coming out in June. Many, if you did a search, you would find many of - many such f-words, and that's because that's the way they talk. And if you're a reporter or if you are writing a comedy, if you're Garry Trudeau, you want to reflect the way these politicians actually talk, not the way they talked on sort of sanitized network television where you can't use the f-word.
DONVAN: Right. And what's interesting is about the shows that we just - the excerpted bleeps from. None of them are regular network shows. "Veep" is on HBO. An interesting thing happened with Netflix and "House of Cards," in which the entire series was created just to appear on Netflix, which you stream. And then your show has the most interesting new configuration. You have alluded to it a little bit, but what's the game you're in with "Alpha House" in terms of distribution to the public?
ALTER: So, this is a brave new world, I think the exciting new world of online television. And people are now familiar with Netflix and "House of Cards." So the next - for those who like politics, you know, the next one of these online is "Alpha House," if it gets picked up. But the Amazon model is different than the Netflix "House of Cards" model. Their business model released 13 episodes at once, so people could binge on "House of Cards." The Amazon model was to release, last week, eight pilots on different topics. Some of them are - were for kids. "Alpha House" is the only political one, and people are now voting at the Amazon site after they watched the free download. It's 25 minutes long. It's a pilot. So far, so good. But like a politician, I want to ask for everybody's vote. If you go...
DONVAN: Wow. That is...
ALTER: If you go to the Amazon site and go to "Alpha House," that's the name of the show, many...
DONVAN: It puts ratings in a whole new set.
ALTER: Yes, it does. It - well, it being crowd-sourced. Now that's not the only factor that Amazon will use when they're determining whether to pick it up and let us shoot another 12 episodes this year. But the number of people who watch it, and especially the number of people who watched all 25 minutes of it is very important. Right now, it's free. If we shoot - if we go to series and we shoot 13 episodes, then at the end of the year, when they all come out, you'll need to subscribe to Amazon Prime, which gives you free shipping on Amazon and the rest. But right now, it's free.
DONVAN: Let's hear a little bit of - from that pilot episode, "Alpha House." Here's a character, Senator Robert Bettencourt. He's played by Clark Johnson. And he's approaching Senator Andy Guzman, who is played by Mark Consuelos. And he's pitching him on moving into the house that this group of congressmen and senators share after Guzman had some rather amorous activities in a Capitol cloakroom.
CLARK JOHNSON: (as Senator Robert Bettencourt) Hey, Andy. You got a minute, there?
MARK CONSUELOS: (as Senator Andy Guzman) Hey, Robert. What do you think I should read: the Bill of Rights, or emails from the ex-wife's boyfriend?
JOHNSON: (as Senator Robert Bettencourt) We've probably going to talk for both. Listen, are you still looking for a place to live?
CONSUELOS: (as Senator Andy Guzman) I am, I am. Why?
JOHNSON: (as Senator Robert Bettencourt) Well, because Louis and Gil John and I are looking for a roommate, and you seem like someone who could really use a room.
CONSUELOS: (as Senator Andy Guzman) You've got that right. It's hard to have a date.
JOHNSON: (as Senator Robert Bettencourt) Yeah, I know. I heard you dating this morning. Woke me up, in fact.
CONSUELOS: (as Senator Andy Guzman) Sorry. That's just between the three of us, right?
JOHNSON: (as Senator Robert Bettencourt) Too late. It's high school. So what do you think?
CONSUELOS: (as Senator Andy Guzman) It's possible. I'd like to check out the house. It's not a dump, is it?
JOHNSON: (as Senator Robert Bettencourt) Are you kidding me? It's Louis' place. We have to use coasters. Won't you come by and take a look?
DONVAN: So, Jonathan Alter, this idea of members of Congress sharing a house together, can you tell us about the idea behind that storyline?
ALTER: Yeah. Some of your listeners may have read in The New York Times about a house that's owned by Congressman George Miller, and where Chuck Schumer, a senator from New York, and Richard Durbin, a senator from Illinois and Congressman Bill Delahunt from Massachusetts, they live in this house during the week, and have for many years. It goes back to the '70s. I heard about it about 20 years ago. And, you know, there are cereal bowls around the house on the hill.
And - so Gary read about this and talked to people like me who, you know, knew about it, and he wrote this pilot about this house. And it starts with a cameo from Bill Murray. Bill Murray is a senator who is asleep, and John Goodman, who's our star, will be in all of the episodes, comes into his room in this house and says, Vern - that's the senator who's sleeping, Bill Murray. Were you by, in any chance, suppose to turn yourself in to the DOJ this morning? And it turns out that Senator Smith, Bill Murray, is suppose to go to jail, and he goes on this profane tirade about being carted off to jail. That creates a vacancy in the House, which is filled by our Cuban-American senator from Florida, Senator Andy Guzman, he's called, played by Mark Consuelos.
DONVAN: Let's - you know, we're asking our listeners who actually hold office to reflect upon the current crop of television programs that portray their careers fictionally and whether they think is ring though enough. So we have Lana(ph) from Hocking County, Ohio. Hi, Lana. You're on TALK OF THE NATION.
LANA: Hi.
DONVAN: Hi.
LANA: Well, I actually - I was telling your screeners that I don't watch a lot of political TV because I hold local office. So what we view is a lot different than the people who are the policymakers. I do, occasionally, catch the beginning of "Scandal," because it's on after a show that I watch, and I - it seems very ridiculous to me.
LANA: I don't go around knocking people off so that I can hold my position. I think that's probably a little...
DONVAN: Well, of course, you can say that, Lana.
LANA: I know, right? I'm not going to admit on national radio that I - yeah, that I threw someone in a lake, or whatever. But, frankly, and I think you're talking about salty language, and I may have been known from time to time to use that myself. But I think a lot of the shows that you're discussing are about men. And there's definitely a different perspective. People like - one, on the local level, I'm on display all the time. I mean, there's no - it's, oh, I'm in Washington, and so I'm just one of many, and no one really notices what it is that I'm doing.
I live here amongst my constituents, 24/7. I can't go to the grocery store in my pajamas. I can't - you know, that's - well, and behave badly, because then they'd notice. And I think that they also expect, because I'm a woman, that I should maybe not use as salty of language as maybe men get by with, you know.
DONVAN: But Jonathan Alter, I almost think that what Lana's saying is sort of does actually confirm that the people who live these lives and not living ordinary lives, and therefore, it is a little bit of a freak show, the life of a politician.
LANA: Absolutely.
ALTER: Yeah. I mean, it is, but part of what, I think, Garry Trudeau is trying to in "Alpha House" is to show that in some ways, they are just like, you know, other people. They're living in a man-cave, you know, bunking together during the week. Many people in state legislatures do this when the legislature is in session. They don't go all the way, you know, upstate or downstate to their families during the week when the legislature is in session.
So this is a - you know, some critic said that it wasn't real-life situation. It is. It's obviously - it's a satire. So we take a lot of liberties, and at a certain point, it becomes, you know, meta, as they say.
So at the end, for instance, of "Alpha House," our fake senator goes on "The Colbert Report" with a fake anchor, Stephen Colbert, in front of a real audience, "The Colbert Report" audience. But, you know, when we were taping it, I just - the kind of absurdity of it - we had an actor, Matt Malloy, playing the senator. We had Stephen Colbert playing his character, and it got a little confusing, but it was hilarious, especially when they ended up wrestling on the floor of the studio at the end of the interview.
So, you know, we try to take some - a kernel of something real that's familiar to people, and then make it absurd. So, no, people are not having sex in cloakroom of the U.S. Senate. But if we move back into an era of what they call a talking filibuster, like Rand Paul conducted a few weeks ago, you know, you'll see a return to an older tradition where they bring cats into the Senate and they stay there all night with these all-night filibusters. And we may now be on a threshold of a new era of such filibuster. So that's something real that we're making ridiculous and funny - we hope.
DONVAN: You're listening to TALK OF THE NATION, on NPR News.
We have an email from Johnny, who writes one line: As much as I love the dark political dramas, day-to-day government is a lot more like "Parks and Rec" than "House of Cards."
ALTER: That's a good point.
DONVAN: Yeah. So what do you think, Jonathan, is going on with - I do think that there's a much more intense collection of shows focusing on Washington right now than there have ever been, some comic and some serious. You know, we could reel off four or five. What's happening with that?
ALTER: Well, I think there are two factors. One, I would call "The West Wing" effect. So, for many years "The West Wing," in primetime, you know, in the heart of the television empire, did extremely well. And that broke new ground because it had been thought in the past that politics was kind of a turn off. You could do a doctor show, a courtroom show, a police show, but that you really couldn't make it in primetime with politics. And Aaron Sorkin proved that to be wrong. So it spawned a whole generation of things.
But the other thing that I think is an even a bigger factor is that the monopoly on television that the networks had has been broken. And this, to me, this era that we're now, it's only just starting in the last few months with Netflix and now Amazon jumping in, and a lot of other content providers about to jump in.
It's the end of an era and the beginning of a very exciting new era, where viewers are going to have a lot more content choices, and you can do more niche broadcasting. You don't have to worry about the people who aren't interested in politics, because if you get enough of those who are and want to laugh and, you know, maybe they've love John Goodman or they read "Doonesbury," you're going to, you know, get enough people in the tent to make money and subsidize more such television.
DONVAN: So you're sort of saying they've always been out there. There just maybe weren't enough of them to justify doing a program on a network that was supposed to hit 30 million viewers.
ALTER: Right. Exactly. So this is - to me, it's like being in television in the early days when, you know, radio was kind of giving way to television in the early '50s, or the dawn of cable television in the early '80s. Online television is knocking at the door, and it's going to provide a lot more options for people, a lot more experimentation.
And the other thing that's highly unusual about the Amazon model is instead of leaving it up to a bunch of suits, you know, with the help of focus groups, it's crowd-sourced. Amazon calls it You Call the Shots, you know, the - and the public really has a role to play in deciding which pilots are gong to go series.
DONVAN: Jonathan, it's a new game for you. You do journalism. You've just talked about in your - all of your books have been, you know, documentary, in effect. They're meant to reflect reality, be reality. And now you're making a show with made-up people. What's that about? For you, what's that about?
ALTER: It's just a fun thing to do that, honestly, I fell into a little bit by accident. But I like - and I've always liked working in different media, you know. So I'm on MSNBC, and I write books and I was at Newsweek for many years. So I've been in magazines and television. And it just keeps my professional life more interesting for me to mix it up this way.
DONVAN: But at heart, there's something very different between you get to make the guys up, and you have to report what they actually said. It's a different game.
ALTER: Yes, yes. And I'm just, you know, finishing - I just finished a lot of the fact-checking on "The Center Holds," which is the first book out about the campaign. And, you know, I'm fanatic about factual accuracy in that, because when you go to as much trouble as reporters do to find out the truth, you really want it to be right. And in some ways, it's kind of liberating to work, you know, in another part of my life, in fiction and satire, where you don't have to worry about that. Although, one of my jobs on "Alpha House'" is to provide some verisimilitude about the way things work in Washington. So things...
DONVAN: It's still got to be real.
ALTER: It's got to be real. And if it sounds fake, I think that the viewers notice that real quickly.
DONVAN: Right. Jonathan Alter is the executive producer of the new Amazon original "Alpha House." He is author most recently of "The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies," and joined us today from our bureau in New York. Thanks very much, Jonathan.
ALTER: Thanks, John.
DONVAN: Tomorrow, a high-tech edition of our series, looking ahead. We'll take with tech columnist Farhad Manjoo. This is TALK OF THE NATION, from NPR News. I'm John Donvan, in Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Pasta is such a convenient food and it's made in a million ways all over the planet. Accordingly, it will taste everything from boring, to vibrant, from disgusting to heavenly. Don't believe anybody who tells you they don't like pasta. Most likely they have not tasted the real thing.
Sorry to be smug, but the real thing is made and cooked like Italians do. We do so few things really well in this crazy country. Pasta is one.
However, even if you don't have it in the genes, you can make magic with our national starch.
Let's see, did you buy good quality, durum-wheat, bronze-drawn spaghetti? Even better, did you just make some fantastic noodles or ravioli? Did you make some sauce?
Fine. Now you need a really large pan, better a tall stockpot, water and salt. You also need a shallow pan to assemble sauce and pasta. For this purpose, I prefer to use a wok-like pan which in Italy is called saltapasta.
The key to a perfect pasta is to keep it at a high temperature throughout cooking, saucing and serving.
Here are the rules:
- Use lots of water, typically 1 lt per 100 gr (1 quart per 3 oz) of dry pasta. Only start cooking the pasta when the water is on a rolling boil. You need to keep it at a high temperature so it cooks as fast as possible. As a result the pasta will keep its shape and texture (al dente).
- Use lots of salt, about 1 teaspoon of salt per lt (quart). Pasta cooked in unsalted water will be bland no matter how much salt you add to the sauce. I know it looks like a lot of salt, please just try and taste the difference.
- Keep the starch. During cooking pasta releases starch in the water which will provide a creamy texture and help the sauce clinging to the pasta. To retain the precious starchy film, don't rinse the pasta after draining. On the contrary, you need to reserve some of the pasta water for the finishing (see below).
Here is the method:
While your pasta is cooking keep the sauce warm in the saltapasta or similar pan. Fresh pasta will cook in 1 to 3 minutes, dry pasta will cook in 6 to 12 minutes depending on package instructions. If you don't overcook the pasta, there is no need to add oil to the water.
As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain and transfer to the sauce pan. You actually need to drain it a good half a minute before is cooked as you will finish it while saucing. Increase the heat and stir the pasta into the sauce. Add the pasta water – up to one tablespoon per person – and grated cheese, if using. Stir some more until the excess liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil. Serve on warm plates at once.
And please remember, no swimming!


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Where's the Guide to Chocoholic-Proofing Your Marriage?
I ask you, is pilfering and sampling of one's Valentine's gift by one's spouse (the giver) a good reason to get pissy with said spouse?
A Valentine's heart, pillaged and scavenged, left with only the half-bitten carcasses of unwanted fondant. A clear case of marital (and confectionary) delinquency - but one warranting punishment?
(In my defense, the heart was left, untouched, for two days. Two days. And it was the only source of chocolate in the house. I did not receive chocolate. I deserve, I think, a medal for my restraint.)
Been to the Basement lately? There's been some interesting discussion of late: issues with pregnancy, issues with activism (!), and, currently, issues with certain manifestations of depression. Those visitors would love to hear from you.
Labels: Being Bad, The Husband


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The first time I saw an INKnBURN shirt, it was on the back of the super fast Jon Clark flying up the Harding Truck Trail on his way to a first to the top cash prize at the Harding Hustle 30k. The skull and flames design fit the shaved head and tattooed arms and shoulders, and it was a look that I didn't think I could pull off. Most of the people I see at races sporting INKnBURN gear are pretty fast, so I always wondered if their clothing had some super magical cool powers that bestowed an extra boost of speed to the wearer.
I tend to wear the same shade of black shirts and black shorts over and over again, much to the dismay of those surrounding me and of the lady that stood in line behind me at the coffee shop. If I'm feeling extra crazy I'll don a light shade of grey shorts, but still dark enough to camouflage any bladder mishaps, and if I really want to mix it up I'll break out the darkish green wool party shirt.
I was a little apprehensive when Keira Henninger emailed and asked me to try out some INKnBURN gear. For one, I'm not cool enough to pull off an outfit, and for two, I'm not fast enough to wear skulls/flames. But I really couldn't say no to Keira. I ran with her for a short time at my first 50K a few years ago, and while she probably doesn't remember it, I thought she was pretty nice. If you read her blog, you know she is relentlessly positive. Seriously, if you are ever in a bad mood, go check out her blog (and then ask her to sell you some of her happy pills). I also wanted to see if the INKnBURN juju would rub off on me, so I told her sure, I'd love to try out some INKnBURN gear.
I picked out a relatively subtle black and white koi sexy asian woman pattern called "Lust" and when it arrived I was really impressed with the design. I tried it on and I immediately felt different, my beard and hair started to grow, my muscles and veins started to tighten and dare I say...bulge. I looked in the mirror and...
When Alexander Bell invented the telephone he had 3 missed calls from Chuck Norris (joke courtesy 2005) |
Not really, but the shorts are super comfortable and light. They have that crepe paper feel and I imagine they will be awesome for hot summer runs. They run a little small...I usually wear a large, but the INKnBURN XL fits me perfectly.
The true test was when I walked downstairs before my morning run and my ten year old daughter said "nice shorts" (instead of the slight left eye twitch she usually gets when she sees me wearing my old running clothes). My five year old also got in on the action:
"I like the fish on your shorts."
"Thanks Kaya."
"Where did you get them?"
"The mail."
"Who sent them to you?"
"A company that makes running clothes."
"What company?"
And thus began a ten minute circular question and answer session that ended, inevitably, with "because that's what God commanded."
Bottom line is the shorts are stylish, super comfortable, light, and the design looks cool and appeals to the kids. The shirt is great as well. It's a lightweight running shirt and the design is sublimated (which means it's part of the fabric and doesn't feel like a thick layer of plastic that will melt into your skin on a hot day) and I like the design. It's nice to mix it up once in awhile, and while everyone says not to try anything new on race day, I like to break that rule once in awhile because sometimes a new shirt or new shorts can make you feel good and when you feel good you run faster. So yes, it's a scientific fact that INKnBURN gear can make you run faster.
Now for the free stuff. Check out their cool arm sleeves, 4Arms. Want some? This is what you need to do:
- Go to their Facebook page and press "Like." And if your significant other walks in on you checking out pictures of their models, just tell them you're doing "research" for a "blog post."
- Leave a comment below and let me know that you did number one (and like I tell my kids, if you did number two, I don't really want to hear about it).


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This has to be one of my favourite times of the year with all of the fresh field ripened tomatoes around and my favourite way to enjoy them has to be in a BLT or a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. BLT sandwiches never get boring and I like to experiment with them adding different things. Two of the best ways to go are with a BLT with basil mayo or a BLT with avocado or guacamole and so when I made the pesto guacamole I knew that I would have to use it in a BLT! You just cannot go wrong combining fresh rip tomatoes, basil pesto and avocados with bacon in a sandwich! I will definitely be enjoying a lot of theses pesto guacamole sandwiches over the next few days!
Pesto Guacamole BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato) Sandwich
A bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich with a summer-y fresh basil pesto guacamole.
- 2-4 strips bacon
- 2 slices bread
- 1 large ripe tomato
- 1 leaf lettuce
- 2 tablespoons pesto guacamole
- Cook the bacon until crispy and set on paper towels to drain.
- Meanwhile slice the tomato and optionally toast the bread.
- Assemble Sandwich and enjoy!


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Over the last while I have slowly been trying to free up some space in my freezer and I recently came across some pizza sauce that I had left over after making a pizza a while back. As soon as I stumbled upon it I remembered thinking that I had wanted to use it to make a hot cheesy pizza dip when I put it in the freezer. Once I had that thought there was no turning back and I was already dreaming up recipes for the dip.
At first I was just going to follow my standard hot cheese dip template where I just mix everything up, pour it into a dish and bake it until the cheese is melted, golden brown and bubbling but then I had another idea. I wanted to top the dip with slices of pepperoni but my normal dip baking dish is small and it would only allow for about three slices of pepperoni to go on top so I needed something bigger, like a pie plate. Now we were talking about something that is looking more and more like a pizza so why not make it more like a pizza with a cheese layer on the bottom that is covered with a layer of pizza sauce that is topped just like a regular pizza?
Since this pizza dip is in the form of a pizza, you could top it with any of your favourite pizza toppings. For my first pizza dip I decided to go with some classics in the form of pepperoni, green pepper and olives. I had also planned on some sauteed sliced mushrooms but I completely forgot to pick them up when I went grocery shopping. Even without the mushrooms, this pizza dip was so addictively good and it disappeared far too quickly! I served the hot cheesy pizza dip with toasted, garlic rubbed baguette slices which made perfect beds for large spoonfuls of melted, gooey, cheesy pizza goodness. I can't wait to experiment with other versions of this dip using other pizza topping combinations!
Pizza Dip
A layered, hot cheesy dip with all of the flavours of pizza including pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, olives and green peppers.
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), grated
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), grated
- 2 ounces pepperoni, sliced
- 2 tablespoons green pepper, sliced
- 2 tablespoons black olives, sliced
- Mix the cream cheese, sour cream mayonnaise, mozzarella and parmesan and spread it across the bottom of a pie plate.
- Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle on the cheese, pepperoni, green pepper and olives.
- Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until the sides are bubbling and the cheese cheese has melted and turned golden brown on top, about 20-30 minutes.
Bacon Double Cheese Burger Dip
Taco Dip
Jalapeno Popper Dip
Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Pepperoni Pizza Casserole
Lasagna Dip
Pizza Poppers
Chicken Enchilada Dip
Pepperoni Pizza Cauliflower Casserole
No Crust Pepperoni Pizza
Roast Beef Philly Cheese Steak Dip
Cheesy Margherita Pizza Hummus with Pesto Pita Chips
Stuffed Crust Pizza Dip
Meatball Parmesan Dip
Pizza Stuffed Chicken
Chicken Parmesan Dip
Crispy Tortilla Skillet Pizza
Cajun Chicken Alfredo Dip
Pepperoni Pizza Parmesan Crisps
Cajun Shrimp and Andouille Cheese Dip
Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese
Sicilian Pizza
Deep Dish Pizza
Buffalo Chicken French Bread
Pepperoni Pizza Spaghetti Squash
BBQ Chicken Dip


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Creating Virtual Value
By integrating business channels, consolidating customer histories and beefing up security, banks are improving their online offerings to provide customers with all the conveniences of branch banking in the comfort of their own homes.
In today's mobile society, consumers increasingly equate a bank's value to the services it provides online. With the growing number of Web users, many banks, eager to remain competitive, hope to attract and retain customers with enhanced online offerings. By integrating their business channels and customer views, expanding self-service functionality and improving Web site security, financial institutions are creating a seamless online banking experience.
More than 22 million consumers logged into their accounts online at the nation's top 10 banks in the first quarter of 2004 - a 29 percent increase compared to 2003 - according to comScore Networks, a Reston, Va.-based consultancy that analyzes consumer behavior. But enabling consumers to log into their accounts is the easy part for banks. Consumers are demanding more functionality online and many will choose a bank based on an institution's online offering.
"Online banking is a critical component of any bank's business," says Andre den Haan, CIO and senior vice president of product strategy at Atlanta-based Seagull Software, which specializes in software that integrates legacy systems with Web-based architectures. "This is a competitive weapon for financial institutions," he says. "If banks do not provide services online, ultimately they will lose customers."
Web users want to conduct the same transactions online that they are used to doing at a bank branch, call center or ATM. To ensure this transparency, banks must integrate their business channels to synchronize transactions and deliver results in real-time.
"Banks promote their Web services as a component of their multichannel strategy. By integrating channels, information is pulled from one bucket of data, which eliminates errors and duplicated information," says Ross McKay, VP of product management for S1, an Atlanta-based provider of enterprise software that presents a single view of each customer.
For example, Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America ($1.2 trillion in total assets) has spent the past nine months integrating capabilities such as brokerage and mortgage information into its online banking experience. "There is tremendous customer service surrounding this," says Chris Musto, vice president of research for Watchfire, a Waltham, Mass.-based firm that provides enterprise software and services to manage online privacy, security, quality and compliance risks. "Banks that can truly make the banking experience transparent as customers move between channels are more attractive," he adds.
Aggregated View
The next stage of synchronization requires banks to deliver an aggregated view of the customer's existing banking portfolio. "If a company wants to be a leader in online banking, it needs to offer integrated information delivery," Musto continues. Consolidated views of accounts not only help consumers manage their personal or household net worth, they build the value of a bank's brand, he explains.
"If a bank can provide a secure access point to view and manipulate accounts both internally and with outside banks and brokerage firms, they are creating a huge opportunity," says Bill Calpin, president and CEO of Atlanta-based Digital Envoy, a provider of Internet protocol (IP) intelligence solutions. "If customers are willing to rely on your site to view their accounts, they will gain the trust to access you for additional financial needs."
Bank of America recognizes this opportunity. "Customers want an integrated view of their banking relationships as well as tools to help them budget, plan and manage their accounts online," says Gayle Wellborn, the bank's online services executive. "We responded to this demand by offering inter- and intra-bank transactions."
Through aggregation technology from Redwood City, Calif.-based Yodlee, Bank of America provides customers with an aggregated view of their account portfolios. "We enable customers to transfer funds between Bank of America accounts and those held at other financial institutions," Wellborn explains.
One up-and-coming aggregation service being leveraged by banks is online bill payment. "Banking customers tell us that a large percentage of their customer service calls are consumers who want to check on whether their recent payments posted to their checking accounts," explains Jeff Weikert, consumer service provider channel executive, CheckFree, ( Norcross, Ga). "By adding electronic bill payment service to their online offering, banks can post information on more than one-third of their payments," he adds. "Then consumers can view their account activity" online.
Online bank bill payment services grew by 37 percent in the first quarter of 2004 compared to 2003, according to comScore. More than 4.6 million consumers, or about 20 percent of the online banking population, actively used online bill payment services offered by the top 10 banks. More important, "Electronic bill payments are actually a big driver that pushes consumers to use online services," Weikert says.
Sovereign Bancorp, the parent company of Sovereign Bank ($58 billion in total assets), attracts and retains customers with its online bill payment service. With the help of CheckFree, Sovereign provides its customers with an aggregation tool through which they can receive and pay their bills online.
Utilizing the newest version of CheckFree Web, Sovereign's electronic billing and payment service offers a single-point bill management center, fast payment processing, integration with online banking and the availability of payment posting information, according to Marianne Doran-Collins, director of online and affinity banking for the Philadelphia-based bank. Since introducing online billpay in 2004, Sovereign's customer enrollment has increased by 216 percent, she notes. "The number of bills being [paid online] each month by our customers has grown by 126 percent within a year," Doran-Collins adds.
By automating the check payment process, banks are not just providing a higher level of customer service and convenience for their users. Perhaps more important, the services give banks opportunities to connect with users.
For example, according to comScore, the average banking customers log on to their banks' Web sites between nine and 10 times a month. However, bill payment customers visited banking sites an average of 14 times a month during the first quarter of 2004. And the total value of bills paid by consumers online through the top 10 banks during this time frame was nearly $17 billion.
"Some companies may regard billpay as a commodity," says Doran-Collins. But, "By offering electronic billpay, we are one of the most competitive players in the marketplace."
Another way banks are seeking to be competitive is by offering self-service tools online. By empowering customers to conduct business online, banks can reduce operating costs, increase customer bases and positively impact the overall banking experience. However, banks need to be mindful of the applications they choose to offer over the Web.


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*~+++MARS is showing
29, San Francisco, www.mars-1.com
An ongoing and evolving attempt at externalizing the visualization /exploration of fuzzy logic and Ontology.
In a drunken stupor.
Because Fecal Face is the shit!
In a drunken stupor
The birth of a bouncing baby boy in mid September!
Hammock power nap.
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We normally think of the leaves as the edible part of this plant, but ruby chard's deep red stems cook up as a tender, delicious little vegetable all on their own. This recipe celebrates it all! You remove the stems from the leaves and cook everything separately (enabling the stems to retain their glorious color), then recombine all the components, for a visually stunning side dish.
Chard can carry a lot of silt—and then retain a lot of water on its craggy leaves—so wash and dry it thoroughly before you begin.
Ruby Chard Decorated with Itself
- 1 pound ruby chard, washed in several changes of water and thoroughly dried
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup minced red onion
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup lightly toasted pine nuts (optional)
- Use a very sharp knife to remove the stems from the chard leaves. Coarsely chop the leaves and set them aside. Trim and discard the very tips of the stems (as well as any dinged up edges), and mince the rest.
- Place a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add about 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, and swirl to coat the pan. Toss in the chard stems and the onion, turn the heat up to medium-high, and stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired, then transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl, and set aside.
- Without cleaning it, return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Pour in the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to very low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour this slightly reduced vinegar over the stem–onion mixture in the bowl.
- Return the still-uncleaned pan to the stove over medium heat, wait another minute, then add the remaining olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Turn up the heat to medium-high, and toss in the chard leaves. Cook quickly, turning with tongs as you go, until the leaves are wilted. This will only take a couple of minutes. You can salt the leaves lightly while they cook if you wish.
- When the leaves are done to your liking, transfer them to a serving plate or bowl, and taste to adjust salt. Add black pepper to taste, then spoon the stem mixture over the top, being sure to include all the juices. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, topped with pine nuts, if desired.
Nutrition facts:
Per 1/4 of recipe, including pine nuts 200 calories 4 grams of protein 10 grams of carbohydrates 3 grams of fiber 280 milligrams of sodium 16 grams of fat ( 2 grams of saturated fat 8 grams of monounsaturated fat 6 grams of polyunsaturated fat )Terms of Use
The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The Nutrition Source does not recommend or endorse any products.


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Let's look at your recent attempt at logic.
"Tobold mentioned several times that his wife found leveling in WoW too easy/fast. He also writes that 'if somebody applies the typical hardcore effort on a task not requiring that sort of effort, the task becomes trivial'. It doesn't take a genius to combine the two: if leveling is too easy for his wife, she must apply hardcore effort to leveling, so she is a no-lifer."
This assumes that the task required a hardcore level of effort to become trivial, as opposed to being trivial in the first place.
"When you see someone with no gems at all in his several sockets, you see a moron and slacker, someone who was too lazy to ask anyone "what is this socket thing" and too unintelligent to figure it out alone. Alternatively he can lack basic human skills like literacy so unable to read the above clues."
You can only prove moron or slacker (within game context), not both. A slacker could know exactly what to do but be too lazy. A moron could be too stupid to figure it out or get help. Both conditions are not required and so the conditions cannot be simultaneously proven by this one attempt at proof.
"The sad fact is (what Tobold refuses to accept) is that many fellow human beings are too stupid (or illiterate) for a video game. However the fact is that as IQ has the mean of 100 and normally distributed, the amount of 90 IQ people is equal to the 110 ones. The amount of 80 IQ is equal to the amount of 120 ones. The amount of 130 IQ people is equal to IQ 70 ones. And IQ 70 people are officially retards."
The point of a game is fun. If they are having fun, then they have the required intelligence. But if such people cause you a great deal of anguish, perhaps you're the one with the problem.
"On the top of that, we have functional illiterates, kids who strongly believe that studying and thinking is lame while brute force is cool, people who can't understand the servers language and others who lack such basic skills. While they are not medically retards, they are just as hopeless."
Kids are dumb; it's part of being a kid. What's next, mocking babies for being illiterate morons who cannot even shit outside their clothes?
One last note: Not caring is not the same as being lazy or stupid. Why am I not currently curing cancer? Because I don't care. I could make contributions toward the cause with a bit of education and effort in the field, but I don't care enough. I care about other things, such as the rotten state of politics and the tax code. Big surprise, I'm starting a master's program in public affairs.
Similarly, someone can enjoy a game, such as World of Warcraft, without caring a whole lot about it. In fact, for them it might be stupid to care more or to put in more effort. If they are having fun and would not gain much fun through more effort, why should they? It would be self-defeating to do so. Perhaps they care about something else and apply effort toward that instead. We don't know and it would be stupid to assume one way or another, though perhaps it would be human to give the benefit of the doubt.
Okay one more last note, maybe the problem is that they are all being just as anti-social as you wish you were. They are having fun and don't give a damn about the effect they have on others. Sounds rather anti-social to me. Maybe it's been backward all this time: they aren't social so they do whatever they want, while you are social and get very angry over what other people do, then you lash out with baseless attacks in hopes of gathering followers to reinforce your views, all of them equally ignorant of facts or logic.
P.S. Azuriel is a pretty cool person on the internet, he says "For as much as you talk about science, you seem to leap to illogical, unproven conclusions at the drop of a hat" and doesn't afraid of anything.


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AP Source: Israel Won't Warn U.S. Before Iran Strike
Israeli officials say they won't warn the U.S. if they decide to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, according to one U.S. intelligence official familiar with the discussions. The pronouncement, delivered in a series of private, top-level conversations, sets a tense tone ahead of meetings in the coming days at the White House and Capitol Hill.
Israeli officials said that if they eventually decide a strike is necessary, they would keep the Americans in the dark to decrease the likelihood that the U.S. would be held responsible for failing to stop Israel's potential attack. The U.S. has been working with the Israelis for months to convince them that an attack would be only a temporary setback to Iran's nuclear program.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak delivered the message to a series of high-level U.S. visitors to the country, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the White House national security adviser, the director of national intelligence and top U.S. lawmakers, all trying to close the trust gap between Israel and the U.S. over how to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Netanyahu delivered the same message to all the Americans who have traveled to Israel for talks, the U.S. official said.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive strategic negotiations.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment. The Pentagon and Office of Director of National Intelligence declined to comment, as did the Israeli Embassy.
Iran claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but the International Atomic Energy Agency has raised alarms that its uranium enrichment program might be a precursor to building nuclear weapons. The U.S. has said it does not know whether the government has decided to weaponize its nuclear material and put it on a missile or other delivery device.
The secret warning is likely to worry U.S. officials and begin the high-level meetings with Israel and the U.S. far apart on how to handle Iran.
But the apparent decision to keep the U.S. in the dark also stems from Israel's frustration with the White House. After a visit by National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, they became convinced the Americans would neither take military action, nor go along with unilateral action by Israel against Iran. The Israelis concluded they would have to conduct a strike unilaterally — a point they are likely to hammer home in a series of meetings over the next two weeks in Washington, the official said.
Barak will meet with top administration and congressional officials during his visit. Netanyahu arrives in Washington for meetings with President Barack Obama next week.
The behind-the-scenes warning belies the publicly united front the two sides have attempted to craft with the shuttle diplomacy to each other's capitals.
"It's unprecedented outreach to Israel to make sure we are working together to develop the plan to deter Iran from developing a nuclear weapon," and to keep Iran from exporting terrorism, said Maryland Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee.
He traveled there with the intelligence committee chairman, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., to meet Israel's prime minister and defense minister, along with other officials.
"We talked about the fact that sanctions are working and they are going to get a lot more aggressive," Ruppersberger added.
They also discussed talked about presenting a unified front to Iran, to counter the media reports that the two countries are at odds over how and when to attack Iran.
"We have to learn from North Korea. All those (peace) talks and stalling and they developed a nuclear weapon," he said. "We are going to send a message, enough is enough, the stalling is over. ... All options are on the table."
Rogers told CNN on Monday: "I got the sense that Israel is incredibly serious about a strike on their nuclear weapons program. It's their calculus that the administration ... is not serious about a real military consequence to Iran moving forward.
"They believe they're going to have to make a decision on their own, given the current posture of the United States," he added.
U.S. intelligence and special operations officials have tried to keep a dialogue going with Israel despite the high-level impasse, offering options such as allowing Israel to use U.S. bases in the region to launch such a strike, as a way to make sure the Israelis give the Americans a heads-up, according to the U.S. official and a former U.S. official with knowledge of the communications.
Cooperation has improved on sharing of intelligence in the region, according to one current and one former U.S. official. Israel is providing key information on Syria, for instance, now that the U.S. has closed its embassy and pulled out its diplomats and intelligence officials stationed there, the U.S. official said.
This program aired on February 28, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.


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Saturday Mornings are a time of great trepidation for me. Here there are whole 48 hours given to me by God or the Government or whoever, to be used as I wish and that puts a lot of pressure on me. I mean if it was only "I" or even the husband and I, I wouldn't have any fears, I would have just slept and read and done nothing in those 48 hours.
But it is not that, there are important little people in the family, towards whom I feel I have a responsibility, to give them the best Saturdays & Sundays of their life every week, to make up for the time somewhat lost during the week. I think they should have what olde English books claimed to be "a jolly good time", though they might not really care for it.
With such lofty ideas in mind I go to bed late on Friday. Long after the kids have slept, I just while away browsing the TV or laptop, justifying the "me time". Naturally I am not shining bright and happy when Saturday dawns.
I get up late and then I hyperventilate. I draw up lists, in my generosity I draw one for the hub too, dividing up the chores to be finished so that we can finally have the "jolly good time" which eventually means I can take a nap. Depending on whether I am having PMS or BMW, my list includes stuff like "Take a long shower" while his says "Feed the kids". He doesn't like his list and a lot of time is spent arguing over & rewriting them.
By the time the little one is fed breakfast, entertained and we have had tea, it is 10 and nothing has been accomplished. No breakfast has been made, the older one has been fed only milk and crackers and the house looks like a scene of volcanic eruption. In between all arguments BS has switched on the TV and trying to watch something, she wouldn't be usually allowed to. I am thinking, maybe she is having a "jolly good time".
Breakfast is out of picture now, my dream to serve a nice breakfast of pancakes, bacon and omlette to rosy cheeked children and a smiling husband is up in the air like ashes from the volcano. Ok, who am I kidding, that wasn't even my dream, but anyway if you noticed me mentioning volcanic eruptions very frequently, ignore it.
Brunch might be a good idea I am thinking. I am trying to think, something that might please the kids and the adults alike and will not take up whole of my remaining Saturday, leaving time for park, grocery and everything else.
I think Dim er Parota, Egg Paratha, savory crepes if you prefer English. But that alone might not suffice to describe "jolly good time", BS might not look back at a Saturday of her childhood and say happily "Oh, my Saturdays were so good, We had brunch of Egg paratha while people all over the world were stranded in airports with nothing but a dry bagel due to a volcano erupting in Iceland".
What if I throw in a Keema Matar ? That kicks up the happiness by several notches for sure. "Oh, my kiddie Saturdays were so good, we would have brunch of Egg paratha stuffed with Keema matar", definitely sounds like weekends of "jolly good time".
And then she might add, "On many a such Saturdays, after such yummy brunch, my Mom would take us to New York and show us how to do cartwheels, right there at Times Square. She was so cool. We had a jolly good time". Ok, now for sure I am kidding :-)
What is your Saturday Story ?
Dim er Parota or Egg Paratha is nothing but savory crepes which I had blogged about earlier. They are really delicious on their own and do not need anything else. But a stuffing just makes it better. Keema Koraishuti or Ground Meat with Peas is nothing but the very popular Keema Matar. Only my Mom would say Keema Koraishuti and it was such a regular at our home, that I thought it was as Bengali as Macher Jhol. Apparently it is not.
The recipe here is from Madhur Jaffrey's book Climbing the Mango Trees. Incidentally this is exactly how my Ma used to make it and I made it all these years, only thing is Jaffrey has a measurement which we never cared to take. I have increases the spice levels by a few notches from her original recipe and made some alterations as I will note here.
Read more...
Serves about 4-5 adults. I had 2 lb of ground chicken. Ground lamb is a tastier option.I would also suggest that instead of getting the supermarket version of ground chicken get it from your local butcher, that tastes way better.
Put 1/2 cup of thick yogurt in a bowl and whisk until thick and creamy.
To it add
2 tsp of Roasted Coriander Powder
1 tsp of Roasted Cumin Powder
1 tsp of Paprika or Kashmiri Mirch
5 fat cloves of garlic minced
2 green chilies chopped
Mix until well blended. Note: Instead of Kashmiri Mirch add about 2 tsp of Red chili Powder if you want hot. I add Red chili powder only towards the end after saving a non-spicy portion for my daughter.
Put about 2lb of ground chicken/lamb in a big bowl. Add the yogurt mix to it and mix thoroughly with hand or if you prefer a spatula. Set aside for 30 mins.
Heat Oil in a deep saute pan.
Temper the Oil with 4 Cardamom/Elaichi, 1 Bay Leaf/TejPatta, 1" stick of cinnamon,
Add 1 big onion finely chopped and fry the onion till it turns golden brown.
Add 1/2 cup of Tomato Puree. I add half of canned tomato along with 3-4 tbsp of their juice. Also add 1 tbsp of tomato ketchup. Fry till you see oil separating from the masala and the tomatoes are nicely mushed up.
Add about 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen peas and fry for 2-3 minutes. I added frozen peas and carrots.
Add the meat to above. Stir to break any lumps and cook till the meat is not raw. The ground meat will release some water and you have to keep stirring till the water has totally dried up. If you are cooking goat meat keema, there will be lot of fat and oil released from the meat, you can discard that if you wish. Ground chicken will be lean and there will be almost no fat, so add a little oil once the water has all dried up.
Next sprinkle 1 tsp Turmeric powder and mix. Add about 1/2 cup of warm water, salt and sugar to taste and let it come to a boil.
If I am cooking goat meat keema, I do it in the pressure cooker and at this point I will close the pressure cooker lid and cook for about 4-5 minutes at full pressure.
Once the keema is cooked we will do this step. If you have not added Red Chili Powder before add about 2 tsp now. Add about 2 tsp of Biryani Masala or Garam Masala, adjust for seasonings and cook the meat for about 5 more minutes drying off excess water. That indicates the dish is now done.
Garnish with fresh chopped corriander and little lime juice. You can serve this the traditional way with Roti or Rice. Instead stuff the Dim er Parota or Egg Paratha we will make next, with this. Also use this stuffing for sandwiches.
Makes about 15 crepes
Mix together
1&1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour/Maida,
2/3 eggs
3 cups of 1%Milk
to make a batter. You might need to add 1 cup of water gradually to get the right consistency batter.
Stir till smooth. The thickness of the batter should be same as that needed for a pancake or say to make utthapam.
Add finely chopped onions and chillies, and salt to this batter and mix well.
Grease your frying pan with Olive Oil.
Pour a scoop of this batter in the frying pan and spread it out (same as for cooking pancake)
Cook until golden in color and then flip and cook till golden on the other side too.
You can go ahead and eat it at this point, it's yummy. Else stuff with the yummy keema matar.
Vegetarians do not despair. Substitute Soy granules for the ground meat or make a soy stuffing like here.


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Basic Swirl - Royal Blue - by Laurel Birch for Clothworks. 100% cotton.
Fabric is sold by the 1/4 yard and cut from bolt. Multiple quantities ordered will be cut continuously.
All of our fabric is high quality quilting material purchased from the most respected manufacturers in the sewing and quilting industry. Fabric is stored in a pet free and smoke free studio.
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Boxing decision: Abbr. is a crossword clue for which we have 1 possible answer. This crossword clue was last seen on April 30 2022 in the Daily Themed Crossword puzzle. The solution we have for Boxing decision: Abbr. has a total of 3 letters.
We have found 16 other crossword clues with the same answer.
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I believe that middle names are an invaluable resource for finding clues to family relationships. Strangely I have seen very little written about their use as research pointers in any of the literature, nor have I seen this issue discussed much on the mailing lists. I have not seen any middle name indexes or search tools available anywhere either. BUT - often a person's middle name is the same as the maiden name of their mother or a grandmother or reflects some other familial connection (maybe the name of a patron or benefactor). It may also be the father's surname for births occurring out of wedlock. It seems obvious to me, therefore, that they have significant value in genealogical and family history research.
One of the most extensive online searchable databases is the International Genealogical Index (the "IGI") which The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often referred to as the LDS) has made available on the internet at http://www.familysearch.org. Unfortunately the IGI does not have a middle name index and so does not provide the ability to search for them. So, to overcome this limitation, I first of all created a middle name index to the online IGI for all of Devon (where this naming pattern seems very noticeable). This proved so successful, with numerous people writing to me to tell me that they had broken down brick walls as a result, that I am now extending it to Scotland. Indeed, on more than one occasion I have found that Middle Names have been the clinching piece of evidence that I needed to tie things together in my own research and, in fact, it was my curiosity about my grandfather's comparatively unusual middle name (VOSPER) that was part of what got me started on this research in the first place.
I have found nearly 39,000 different middle names (some of which are obvious transcription errors for each other) appearing in over 780,000 of the christening/birth/adult baptism and marriage records on the IGI for this region. This is out of a total of over 6 million christening/birth/adult baptism and nearly 4 million marriage records (representing half that number of marriages, of course, since there are two records in the IGI for each marriage) for these churches/chapels. This is all of the entries in the IGI for Scotland that have been extracted as part of the controlled extraction program.
I have restricted my search to the batches that are part of this controlled extraction program - these are typically those batches beginning with the letters C, J, K, P (for Christenings etc.) and M or E (for Marriages). A complete list of batches for this region may be found at my IGI Batch number site. I have done my best to eliminate the most obvious entries that are clearly Christian names (such as Willm., Ann, etc.) but I'm sure I didn't catch them all - and some (like Andrew/Andrews) could be either. So, this is a potentially huge untapped source of information and there is a good chance that one of your families' surnames is amongst the middle names I have found!! Who knows - it might even provide that missing link or clue to knocking down that brick wall.
As always a warning about using the IGI is necessary. It is ONLY an index and is full of transcription errors. However it has been a mammoth undertaking on the part of the LDS and is an invaluable aid to research. Nevertheless, it bears repeating that there is no substitute for viewing the original records (or at least fiche or film of them). The IGI does assist you in locating those records and so narrowing down your area of search.
To access the index click below on the first letter of the name in which you are interested and a list of middle names starting with that letter will display in a new browser window. Then click on the name of interest and you will obtain more detail including links to the detailed records on the LDS site at familysearch.org.
Select the county first and then the initial letter of your name of interest:
Click here to go to my main index page with links to my Middle Name Indexes for English counties and other useful pages.
Do you have any constructive comments, helpful suggestions etc.? If so please e-mail me.
This page was last updated 8th August, 2002
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