New Blog Launched!

I've been writing pages for Mahalo for just about 2 years now, and am fairly proud of the most of the thousands of pages I've produced. The How To pages have been a way to archive my knowledge on everything from How to Write a Living Will to How to Can Tomatoes. I'm starting a new blog that will showcase that work, starting today with the group of pages I did on pancakes. Now, you may view pancakes as a fairly ordinary topic...but if you've ever wanted to know how to make sure that yours were light fluffy, that your blueberries didn't bleed, or that your chocolate didn't burn, you'll want to check out Good to Know's first post on Perfect Pancake Recipes.

Michael Jackson's Death: Overdose, Suicide, or Just a Tragedy?

After the media got over the initial shock of Michael Jackson's death, the spinners began spinning theories trying to make sense of his sudden death. The autopsy was inconclusive, so inquiring minds will need to wait for their answers until further tests come back. The man lived a unique life, his success and money making it possible for him to indulge his peculiarities in the way ordinary working folk never get a chance to. In the weeks to come the press will examine and dissect every detail.

There are three children, involved, however-- and is the public's need to indulge in reading salacious details worth the consequences that having all these details rehashed will have on them? At what point can a public death be allowed to remain a private tragedy?

Why not just focus on his art?

How to Moonwalk

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What's Your Favorite Cupcake Recipe?

I'm managing a page devoted to cupcakes over at Mahalo, and am wondering if your favorite cupcake variety is included? Check the page out and let me know!

Cupcakes

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How to Decorate Cupcakes

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16 year old Bryce Harper

Bryce Harper, the catcher for the Las Vegas High School Wildcats is featured on the cover of ''Sports Illustrated'' tomorrow. He's a 16 year old who has reported hit a 570 foot home run, and has been watched by scouts since his freshman year. His parents are reportedly working with agent Scott Boras on a plan to circumvent the MLB's requirement that he needs to have exhausted his high school eligibility before the draft by having him get a GED this summer, and enroll in a community college in the fall. This would have him eligible for the draft in 2010 instead of 2011.

Bryce Harper

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DI Global Finals 2009

Jenny and Andrew leading the Massachusetts Delegation

The Changeling Killer - Gordon Stewart Northcutt and Walter Collins

Gordon Stewart Northcutt was a serial killer who has been credited with the murder of Walter Collins, the boy whose disappearance prompted the movie ''Changeling'', which tells the story of his mother, Christine Collins, and her struggle to find out the truth about what happened to him. These videos, by James Jeffrey Paul, the author of a biography of Northcutt, provide a chilling look into the life of a serial killer.

Wineville Chicken Murders

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Robo-Calls

I had my fill of robo-calls last election. So imagine my horror this week when they started again. I live in a small town of about 8,000 people, with maybe 4,000 registered voters. One selectman seat is up for grabs. One candidate has made 3 robo-calls to me, the last an hour ago, urging me to the polls. (I already voted). The other has also reached out to me 3 times - but each call has been a personal call, made by someone I know, who was ready to engage me in a discussion of the issues and answer any questions.

Guess which candidate I voted for?

The Shadow of 1918

I grew up under the shadow of the 1918 flu pandemic. My grandmother was orphaned at age 7 when her mother, Amelia Yurkewich, died on October 14, 1918 at the age of 33. Gram was shuttled off to live with relatives, and with money scarce, was considered to be lucky to have a roof over her head. Her mother's death was a defining moment in her life--and the shadow followed my mother, as well. It was rarely spoken of, as the deepest family tragedies are usually dealt with - always there, but never discussed. The shadow was passed on to me...and whenever I hear the word "influenza", I think of Amelia, and that horrendous flu pandemic that killed 50 million young adults.

So, when I hear the reports from Mexico, and hear that this flu is affecting primarily young adults, I feel the shadow of 1918.

Patriot's Day Reflections

Patriot's Day, for the uninitiated, is the anniversary of the day the day the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord. Although it's celebrated on the third day in April, the actual event occurred on April 19, 1775...234 years ago today.

I sit here in my kitchen, 16 miles west of Lexington Green, enjoying the freedoms that were purchased when the farmers and townspeople of Littleton, Acton, Bedford, Lexington, Concord, and all the other small towns in the area, marched to meet the British on the April morning. Their goal was simple, to be able to live their lives in peace, free from government making decisions for them. The consequences of their outrage have affected almost every citizen of the plant over the last two centuries. That's not what they were thinking of that morning, however...it wasn't about a grand dream, or building a world super power...it was about being left alone to live their lives in peace and, hopefully, prosperity.

Individuals coming together because they worried about their families and their future, standing their ground, and taking courageous actions - changed the world.

So for me, the "take away" from Patriot's Day this year is this: Courage.

2009 Worcester City Meet : Women's Discus

Katie MacDowell crushes it at the Worcester City Meet.

The images say it all. Three years after last touching a discus, she's still got it!

The Absolute Best Corned Beef and Cabbage

While corned beef and cabbage, also known as NEBD, or New England Boiled Dinner, is a St. Patrick's Day staple, I generally make it several times a year. While contemplating the hash I'm going to make from the leftovers tomorrow, I thought I'd share my fool proof method for corned beef and cabbage.

*What You Need:
*4-5 pounds of flat cut ( more expensive but much leaner and easier to carve than point cut) corned beef brisket
*6 onions
*2 large celery ribs, with leaves, sliced into 2 inch chunks
*16 cloves
*1 bay leaf
*6 peppercorns
*Several springs of parsley
*1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, or a sprig of fresh
*2 large garlic cloves, peeled
*8 potatoes
*6 carrots
*1 medium head of cabbage

*Step 1: Cook the beef with seasonings
1.Remove the meet from the package and rinse.
2.Discard the seasoning packet the manufacturer included.
3.Place the meat in a large pot.
4.Take 2 of the onions, peel them, and cut into quarters. Stud each onion quarter with 4 cloves, and add to the pot. Do not worry if they fall apart.
5.Add the celery, bay leave, peppercorns, parsley, rosemary and garlic to the pot.
6.Cover all with water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.
7.Remove the meat to a second large pot. Strain the liquid over the meat, and discard the vegetables and seasonings.
8.You can stop and refrigerate the meat over night at this point, or continue.


*Step 2: Add the vegetables
1. Peel the remaining 4 onions and the potatoes and add them to the pot.
2. Bring everything back to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Peel the carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks, and add them to the pot. Adjust the heat if needed to keep it simmering.
4. Cook for 30 minutes.
5. Core and quarter the cabbage, and add it to the pot.
6.Bring everything back to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes more, or until everything is tender.

*Step 3: Serve and enjoy
1.Slice the meat across the grain and place on a platter, surrounded by the vegetables.
2.Serve with brown mustard, Irish Soda bread, fresh butter, and plenty of Guinness.
3.Any leftovers should be stored in the broth, and reheated in the liquid.

Home Affordable Refinance and Modification -Not!

I think that home ownership is a good thing. I think that helping people avoid foreclosure is a good thing. I realize that sometimes life throws you curveballs, and we all should be prepared to help people out.

However, after spending several days going through the provisions of the Home Affordable Refinance and Modification Plans, I am concerned about several provisions. I am not supportive of using my tax dollars to lower interest rates to 2%. I am not in favor of forgiving debt for mortgages that are underwater.

I would have thought a better situation would be to lower rates to market, and then to extend the length of the loan to lower the payments to reach the 31% threshold that the plan seems to consider bearable. While in some cases this might produce very long term mortgages, I think its a more equitable solution in the long run. It allows people who are having trouble stay in there homes and allows people who can't refinance at lower rates because they are underwater to refinance. It does not reward people who assumed excessive amounts of debt by letting them out of their obligations.

How to Become a Mystery Shopper

Are you looking for factual, non-spammy, accurate information on how to get started in Mystery Shopping? This How To guide from Mahalo lays out the basics. You could be filling your car with free gas, getting paid to test drive a luxury car, or eating a free lunch...as early as tomorrow !

How to Become an Architect

How to Become an Architect

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Here's another how to I've written for Mahalo! How to Become an Architect walks you through the process of what you need to do to become an RA.

Watchmen - Creating Dr. Manhattan

I was invited to ''Watchmen'' tonight by my son--as he needed an adult escort. We both thought that the movie didn't live up to the hype. Although the movie left me flat, the special effects used to create Dr. Manhattan were pretty amazing.

Posted via web from susan's posterous

Cute Photo of the Morning: Red Panda in Memphis, Tennessee

via flickr.com

"Gentle, friendly, and shy, the red panda looks like a cross between a small bear and a raccoon, although it isn't actually either. Red pandas belong to their own family called Ailuridae. They live in the cool high altitude regions of southeastern Asia and survive on a main course of bamboo leaves with an occasional flower, berry or acorn on the side..." (source:
http://www.mahalo.com/Red_Panda)

Posted via web from susan's posterous

Easiest Beef Pot Roast (aka Crock Pot, part two)

Back in the day...(before kids)I would whip up complicated gourmet meals with expensive ingredients. Dinners consisted of multiple courses paired with matching wines. Working from home, as a corporate refugee, with college tuitions, a mortgage, and no bailout in sight, my culinary endeavors are simpler these days.

While not quite as simple as the chicken recipe I posted a few days ago, this is the simplest beef recipe I know. It is also a favorite of the two teens that still live at home--who are not known as adventurous eaters. When you make it the first time, don't be tempted to play with it by adding anything else--its amazingly good with just these three ingredients.

What's Needed
*2 1/2 - 3 lb. beef pot roast (chuck or bottom round both work well)
*1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
*1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
*Crockpot

1. Place beef in crockpot
2. Open soups, and pour over beef
3. Cover the crockpot, and cook on low 8-10 hours, or on high 4-5 hours

Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes, with whatever vegetables you have around.

Back in my gourmet days, I would have sworn that I would never have made a recipe that required canned soup--let alone two cans. But given that Campbell's is one of the companies that's doing well in this wretched economy, I suspect I'm not alone.

Easy Crock-Pot Chicken, with Bonus!

This is so simple, it probably doesn't even count as a recipe. Its the simplest meal I know, and guarantees moist flavorful chicken.

What's Needed
*Whole chicken
*Two lemons
*Seasonings of choice- I use garlic pepper and tarragon, but you can just use salt and pepper if you like--or let your imagination go wild.
*Crockpot
*Fork

1.Poke the lemons with a fork a few times.
2.Pull the giblets out of the chicken and discard.
3.Place the lemons inside the chicken.
4.Place the chicken in the crockpot.
5.Sprinkle the seasonings on the chicken.
6.Cover the crockpot, and cook on low 8-10 hours, or on high 4-5 hours.

That's it! Now for the bonus.

*When you take the chicken out, there will be juices left in the pot. You may spoon some over the chicken when serving, but there will probably be excess. Leave whatever you don't use in the pot. After you've carved the chicken for serving, put the carcass back in the crockpot. Add 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, 2 onions, and 2 bay leaves. Don't worry about peeling the vegetables, just wash them and chop them coarsely. fill the pot with water to cover the carcass, and turn it back on to low. Allow it to simmer from 4-12 hours. Strain and discard the carcass and vegetables, and you have a flavorful stock ready to freeze or use for soup.

If you have any left-over chicken, you can use it to make a great chicken pot pie.

White House Uses Taxpayer Funds to Get Stimulus Passed

Consider this: The United States is in a grip of a raging crisis. George W. Bush is at the helm, and is positive that he knows how to fix it. The Senate and Congress, both with Republican majorities, have crafted a bill that accomplishes his goals. The problem? He's one vote short. A strong advocate of the bill is out of town dealing will a personal tragedy. President Bush sends a government plane, at taxpayer expense, to bring the senator back to cast the crucial vote. The bill passes, and the government pays to return the senator back home.

Pretty outrageous, don't you think? The party in power uses taxpayer money to further their agenda, because, in their opinion, its important--and after all, they know what's best. When asked, they won't tell how much the plane cost. Arrogant. Outrageous. Abuse of Power. Those are the headlines you'd be reading.

Well, that exact situation happened this week, with a twist. The White House sent a plane to Ohio to bring Senator Sherrod Brown back to cast the deciding vote for a very partisan stimulus bill, in a rush to get it passed before anyone could read it.

It is not appropriate for the party in power to spend everyone's money to further their agenda.

Beverly Eckert, September 11 Widow

I grew up in Rockville Centre, New York, a commuter town outside of New York City, that lost more than 20 people on September 11. Two of my classmates from Cornell died in the Twin Towers, as well. The day was a black hole for me, and for a long time after it, hearing the words 'September 11", brought back powerful feelings of loss and horror.

Over the past several years, with the phrase "September 11" being tossed around like a political football, the words have lost their impact. It all came rushing back to me this morning, though, when I awakened to hear that Beverly Eckert, widow of Sean Rooney, was killed in a plane crash on her way to announce a scholarship in his name at a high school in Canisius, New York.



Her death has brought out the conspiracy theorists in the blogosphere, as Ms. Eckert had refused the settlement offered to families of 9-11 victims, electing to sue. She stated:

"I've chosen to go to court rather than accept a payoff from the 9/11 victims compensation fund. Instead, I want to know what went so wrong with our intelligence and security systems that a band of religious fanatics was able to turn four U.S passenger jets into an enemy force, attack our cities and kill 3,000 civilians with terrifying ease. I want to know why two 110-story skyscrapers collapsed in less than two hours and why escape and rescue options were so limited.

I am suing because unlike other investigative avenues, including congressional hearings and the 9/11 commission, my lawsuit requires all testimony be given under oath and fully uses powers to compel evidence."

She was a brave woman, who picked herself up after a tragic loss, and used that loss to work for good in the world. She used her the past eight years to work for a cause she believed in. And now, on her way to honor her husband's 50th birthday by setting up a scholarship, she perishes, as he did, in a fiery plane crash. Is there a deeper meaning here? A conspiracy? A government plot?

In my opinion it was just a tragedy--a horrible senseless tragedy--for all the passengers on Continental Flight 3407, and the loved ones that are left behind.

Life is short.

Use each second wisely.