April 5th, 2009

Quotes of the week

·        It is no advantage for a man in fever to change his bed. ~Proverb, (Latin)

·        In most cases, strengths and weaknesses are two sides of the same coin. A strength in one situation is a weakness in another, yet often the person can't switch gears. It's a very subtle thing to talk about strengths and weaknesses because almost always they're the same thing. ~Steve Jobs

·        The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not, and never persist in trying to set people right. ~Hannah Whitall Smith

 

Meditation of the week

Great ideals are the glory of man alone. No other creature can have them. Only man can get a vision and an inspiration that will lift him above the level of himself and send him forth against all opposition or any discouragement to do and to dare and to accomplish wonderful and great things for humanity...There can be no conquest to the man who dwells in the narrow and small environment of a groveling life, and there can be no vision to the man the horizon of whose vision is limited by the bounds of self. But the great things of the world, the great accomplishments of the world, have been achieved by men who had high ideals and who have received great visions. The path is not easy, the climbing is rugged and hard, but the glory at the end is worthwhile.

Matthew Henson

Poem of the Week

Lies My Mother Told Me

by Elizabeth Thomas

If you keep eating raw spaghetti
        you'll get pinworms,
        then I'll have to make
        a necklace of garlic for you to wear
        each night while you sleep,
        until they go away.
If you're mean to your younger brother, I'll know
        because I have a special eye
        that spies on you when I'm not home.
        You cannot hide from it,
        so don't try.
If you touch your "down there"
        any time other than when using the toilet,
        your hand will turn green and fall off.
If you keep crossing your eyes
        they will stay that way
        until the wind
        changes direction.
It is bad luck to kill a moth. Moths are
        the souls of our ancestors and it just
        might be Papa paying a visit.
If you kiss a boy on the mouth
        your lips will stick together
        and he'll use the opportunity
        to suck out your brains.
If you ever lie to me
        God will know
        and rat you out.
        And sometimes
        God exaggerates.
        Trust me —
        you don't want that
        to happen.

Good Idea of the week

You young whippersnappers better shape up

A new study shows that younger adults who negatively stereotype older people may become at–risk for certain health conditions later in life. Find out why, and change your views…

Video of the week

Websites of the week

"I think of you as a goon," Letterman point-blank told Bill O'Reilly.

WTF is this page?

There comes a time in life…

A whole bunch of interesting photographs

Your weekly address and much more is at http://www.whitehouse.gov/

The funniest show on TV is www.thedailyshow.com

And finally, the culmination of millennia of scientific endeavor

Foolproof Boiled Eggs
Boiling an egg seems easy. Just drop the egg into a pot of water and wait, right? Unfortunately that's not the case. More often than not the egg comes out overcooked, with a green ring around the yolk and an unpleasant sulfurous smell. After countless tests, we found it best to cover the eggs with an inch of cold water, bring to a boil, cover, and then remove the pot from the heat. After 10 minutes, drain the eggs and cool in ice water. The gentle heat perfectly cooks the eggs, leaving not a hint of a green tinge or unpleasant odor.

Peeling Hard-Cooked Eggs
If you plan on peeling your eggs immediately after cooking, drain the hot water from the pot used to cook the eggs and shake the pot back and forth to crack the shells. Then plunge them in enough ice water to cover the eggs until they cool down. The water seeps under the broken shells, allowing them to be slipped off without a struggle. If you want to leave the shells intact (perhaps for decorating), and wish to peel them later, the best way is to start to peel from the large end of the egg, which has an air pocket. This lets you get under the membrane without digging into the white.

Easy Classic Deviled Eggs

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise
¼ cup Light Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing
½ teaspoon dry ground mustard
½ teaspoon white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Paprika for garnish
Pop out (remove) the egg yolks to a small bowl and mash with a fork. Add mayonnaise, mustard powder, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Fill the empty egg white shells with the mixture and sprinkle lightly with paprika.
Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day before serving.