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My gripes with Windows 8: Why it is likely going to suck!

Trying Windows 8 for a few minutes made me realize a few things:

  1. Since when did creating an account on a computer become like signing up for a sleazy online forum!? Why am I being asked to verify that I am a human!? Are robots interested in buying a computer and installing Windows on it? If a robot does buy a computer and wanna install Windows on it, does this offend it and will it be construed as discrimination???? o_O
  2. At first I was skeptical about the whole Metro thingy. But now I must admit, it is not so bad. Using the Metro apps is a fresh take on how apps and the UI should look on Windows and in fact any OS.

There is just 1 problem… which leads to #3:

  1.  Windows 8 is a jarring juxtaposition of Windows 7’s usual layout and the new Metro look. It is outrageous! So I am doing some stuff on Metro and suddenly I am taken to the usual desktop. Which begs the question: Why the Metro stuff in the first place? What, may I ask, was sooo wrong with the Start Menu that they had to do this!? I know it is meant for the Tablets, but I believe Windows should be clever enough to realize that the hardware I am running it on is not a tablet and hence should resort to the more mouse friendly Start Menu.

It is not the lack of Start Menu that is upsetting, rather it is the jarring nature of intermingling the two distinct and totally opposite UI’s together. I mean there is nothing common between the two!

  1. Right clicking in the classic desktop gives a context menu. Right clicking on the Metro UI pops up a smart phone-esque menu bar of sorts.
  2. There is no apparent way to close a Metro UI app. I looked all over and found no button to close it. On a tablet it may be okay, since you will probably have a hardware back button as in Android. But on the Desktop? Sheesh!
  3. Given that this is a brand new UI, I expected MS to litter the OS with tips, popping up whenever the OS feels that you are stuck. Say you are randomly moving the mouse or clicking on the keyboard or tapping at the touchscreen? Windows should prompt a helpful reminder saying, are you stuck? Then proceed to teach you basic tasks like opening and closing apps, creating a new file, browsing the web, etc.
  4.  I am trying to imagine my parents using this UI. I think they will freak out.

This is one of those rare occasions when using Linux is probably going to be a lot easier for our parents than using Windows 8!!! o_O :O

Given that Windows relies on its existent customer base to upgrade to Windows 8, Microsoft really should have taken a baby step in this direction than a Marathon leap!!! Granted doing so may have delayed their attempt to jumping into the tablet arena, but they could have made the feature set of the “Tablet version” of Windows 8 different from the “Desktop version”. They could have easily waited till Windows 9 for streamlining the two OSes.

In the meantime, MS should have capitalized on the tablets to teach and acclimatize its users to the Metro UI. They could have added a touch of Metro UI on Windows 8 Desktop Edition and slowly weaned its users to it. Granted we mostly complain that MS never really took a bold step and always made its OSes mediocre, without having anything special. Well, for the first time MS did something radical to its OS and I must say, there is no other OS on the market quite as radical as Windows 8 currently. But, may be we were wrong! Familiarity helps and the alien nature of the Metro UI may scare more people away than MS had hoped.

Whatever it is, I am a 100% sure that Windows 8 is a half-baked product. It is out too early, ahead of its time. The UI is no where close to seamless. No one can use Windows 8 and say with a straight face that the UI is great!

Don’t get me wrong. Both Metro UI and the “legacy UI” as MS is putting it, are great on their own accord. It is the jarring juxtaposition of this two totally opposite GUIs that makes Windows 8 almost bipolar! I am not gonna lie here, I am sure we are going to here more than a few “multiple personality” references for Windows 8!

MS should have streamlined the UI. They should have made it a bit more seamless. But right now, it simply feels like they stuck the Desktop OS onto a Mobile OS. And that is NOT a great recipe.

May be Windows 9 will be great! Which makes me think.

Win 3.1——- Okay-Good
Win 95——- Crap
Win 98——- Good
Win 2000—- Sucked (hard)
Win XP——- Good
Win Vista—- Crap
Win 7——— Good…
Win 8——— …Crap?

Seeing a pattern? Read more regarding this pattern here:

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Walmart: The evil Giant and the high cost of low prices!

Oh my god (psst: get ready for another rant!)

I cannot believe the thick-headedness of god damn Wal-Mart. (Oh, I’ve seen a new documentary again… sigh). I guess it is an open secret that they pay their employees, miniscule salaries, mistreat and abuse them. What amazes me is how they don’t care about anything at all.

They have a highly unaffordable health benefit plan and encourage employees to take welfare, food stamps and Medicaid!

Racism and other discriminations are rampant. A black guy may be called a n#gg@r (there is an interview with one who has been called that) and even if he complains no action is taken, in fact the opposite happened. They bugged the hell outta him until he couldn’t bear it anymore and he quit his job! :O

They are given huge sums of money as subsidies by the government to set up shop in a community. Obviously, local businesses aren’t given that privilege. To add insult to injury, most of the local businesses go bust in a year after Wal-Mart enters.

As a token of appreciation (yeah, this is sarcasm) they plunder the community that graciously subsidized them and give hardly anything back. In one case, 3 schools were closed soon after Wal-Mart entered because of lack of funding. Oh, Wal-Mart took the money. In another town, the local government struck a deal with Wal-Mart to get 100% sales tax revenues from Wal-Mart after a period of time. Those cheeky bastards left the town, when the time expired, but not by much! The Wal-Mart store moved 2.2 miles, just so that they get out of the city limits and hence they no longer need to honor the deal they made earlier! Jackasses.

In one case, they were storing pesticides in the parking lot, close to a rain water drain, which leads to a nearby river that feeds the local water supply. If it rains, the harmful, potentially lethal pesticides get into the system and, well, you know the rest. What was disturbing is, no matter how hard local “waterkeepers” tried, Wal-Mart didn’t give a f#ck, even when they tried legal recourse. With much effort, they were able to deal with the situation.

And what pisses me off is that Wal-Mart has official commercials claiming all sorts of things about Wal-Mart and its practices, like:

> Wal-Mart keeps environment as one of its top priorities (they don’t even have a department that looks into those issues)

> Wal-Mart cares for its employees and that they have great financial, educational etc. opportunities (if you show this commercial to Wal-Mart employees they will laugh their asses off and club you with a Medieval spiked club!)

> They give $5 every second to the community (pure bullshit, and a commercial actually claimed that!)

It sickens me to no end! F#cking disgusting! Ugh! What a bunch of mofos!

I will never, ever buy from Wal-Mart, ever again!

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The Calm before a Storm

The Washington Monument, closed due to earthquakes

It has been a little over two weeks since I came to Maryland and what a fortnight it has been! New people to meet and new stuff to do. New responsibilities, new hopes and new aspirations to fulfill. Wonderful places to see and a wonderful climate to experience. And to top it off, earthquakes and hurricanes greeted me to my new life at Maryland.

It has been an eventful experience so far. And it is has only just begun.

I had a wonderful outing in Washington D.C. The weather was not the most benevolent, but may be that was part of the reason why I found the trip so fun! In particular, I had a fun time visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

T-rex at the National History Museum

A dead T-rex almost tried to eat some of my friends. It was brilliant. There were other amazing dinos over ther, and all of them were in skeletal form. I believe that is scarier then their flesh and blood form they used several millenia ago.

Hope diamond - Can I Haz it?

Another beautiful object at this Museum is the blue Hope diamond from India. It is a gorgeous necklace with a 45.52 carat blue colored diamond. Man oh man did we try to grab it.

The Blue Hope Diamond - Doesn't look too blue, isn't it?

I went to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. I asked if I could sit in Apollo 11, but I wasn’t allowed

It was inside a glass chamber and I couldn’t break the glass either! I went to the Lincoln memorial, the National World War II memorial and yada, yada, yada.

And then there was swing dancing, which I sort of learnt in at a Welcome event organized by the university.

So far, it had been a very hectic week, with loads of events and formalities that I needed to complete. Not to mention, there was a 5.8 Richter scale earthquake close to my location. And as if all this hungama wasn’t already surreal, now there is a storm coming. A hurricane to be precise. It feels as if I am in a movie. I have never experienced these many events in such a short time span.

The conditions outside my apartment a few hours ago was windy and rainy with a capital W.

Parking Lot at my apartment

I’m in the process of uploading a video. Usually, it shouldn’t take this long to upload, but today isn’t a usual day. I think internet service has been affected as well thanks to the storm. I seriously hope net speeds up by tomorrow. In the mean time, enjoy this photo of a guy taking a group photo:

Update: Here is the Youtube video showcasing the effect of Hurricane Irene at my place

And here is a slideshow of the images in this post and some more!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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The Financial Times – What a Crysis!

New York Stock Exchange - Image From WikimediaFirstly, geeks will notice that “Crysis” is an intentional misspelling of Crisis – it is a game, nay, an awesome game. And so is the Financial situation. It is epic. The world was plunged into a financial crisis in 2008 thanks to some Clowns at Wall Street. But the things that drove the crisis started way back in 2001-2003. And the things that motivated the changes in the 2001-2003 period was in turn motivated by things happening during the 1990’s.

What a wonderful story, isn’t it? Our world economy is in the hands of Clowns who hardly know what they are doing. That is a brilliant idea! The more clowns, the more happy we will be.

Continue reading

Posted in My thoughts | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Multitasking mediocrity

In this age of hi-speed internet, phones with multiple cores processing information and a rampant penetration of hi-tech gadgets into our everyday life, it has become increasingly easy for us to do a variety of tasks in a variety of circumstances. We can check our email at the dinner table while we eat, check up on our social networks and tweet, text or watch YouTube videos anywhere and almost anytime via smartphones, tablets and other such gadgets. Granted this is a bit of old news and so is multitasking. If you’ve been awake for at least a day in the past few years, then you would know about all this already.

However, what most of us don’t know and realize is the delusion of multitasking. Our attention span is dwindling as the generations go by. Due to the breakneck speed at which we are carrying out our daily duties, thanks to advances in technology, we are slowly losing our ability to concentrate on a task for a prolonged period. Instead, we get distracted and do something else. This is a very common situation. You may be refreshing your Facebook page one minute and the next minute, you are playing a game on your mobile phone or flash game on the PC. And we give this a fancy name called multitasking.

The term multitasking is coined with respect to Computers. Originally, when there was only 1 core in the CPU, a computer performed multiple tasks by focusing on one task at a time in a round-robin fashion and switching tasks very quickly. It was able to do this transparently since the CPU runs at several MHz, and nowadays at several GHz. Of course, with the advent of multiple core processors and other advances, computers can now do actual multitasking, though they still rely on switching rapidly between several tasks, in many occasions. Many people argue that there is a similarity between a human brain and a CPU and that we, too, do multitasking.

To a certain degree, there is a similarity between the brain and a CPU. However, there are significant differences. Firstly, we can only concentrate on a few (perhaps a maximum of 3) tasks at a time. This has to do with the fact that we have a limited working memory and we need to keep the goals of the various tasks in mind while we juggle them around. Secondly, we take a significantly longer time to jump from one task to another than a computer, and this process of jumping also comes with its own set of problems. We usually take some time to get into the mindset needed to do a task, which affects our productivity. Simple tasks like cleaning clothes, throwing the garbage, etc. will probably not need a significant effort to jump into. But more complicated tasks such as analytical thinking, etc. need a lot more effort to dive into. And this brings me to the first difference between a computer and a human mind.

Computers mostly perform algorithms, such as sequential tasks. These tasks are procedural and all that needs to be done is to follow the instructions “mechanically”. Also, when computers switch a task, they switch a task, immediately. They don’t continue to “think” about the previous task. They also have a quantifiable amount of memory (that is functionally similar to our working memory) and can immediately recall all the relevant information about the task. On the other hand, our tasks often involve thinking and cognition. We need to analyze and interpret information in non-trivial ways. For example, a scientist or a researcher may need to solve a problem, for which no solution or procedure is readily available. He/she has to come up with the solution. This requires our concentrated effort. And when we switch from one task to another, we are disrupting our flow of thought and, consequently, need some time to refocus on the new task. Unlike computers, we cannot (at least not efficiently) store the state of our thought process and resume it once we get back to the task. We need to spend some time getting focused. Research has shown that we take as much as 20 minutes or even more to get into the flow of a task when we switch from another, and this leads to significant loss of productivity.

Moreover, we tend to linger over the previous tasks even when we are supposed to be thinking of the new task at hand. This amounts to distraction, and the more we try to “multitask” the more fickle our mind becomes. This is visibly apparent as restlessness and one can see tell-tale signs in our body language. Typical signs are twiddling of our thumbs or a pen in our hands, or the restless motion of our legs. I have personally done this, while trying to multitask while studying.

Sometimes we multitask because we are bored or we dislike the activity we are doing. For example, you have to cram for a particularly boring exam, say History. You find reading the textbook boring and end up watching T.V. while reading to make it feel less arduous. However, you are doing yourself a disservice because you will take a longer time to read the textbook, you read it less effectively and you don’t manage to enjoy the show. On the other hand, if you simply focused on studying, you would finish reading quicker, you remember the material better and you can relax more effectively later. You get a sense of satisfaction.

All of what I said so far is mainly my opinion that I have built from both personal experiences and experiences of others. Nevertheless, some research into this issue suggests to me that the point I’m trying to make is logically sound and is in fact supported by scientific evidence.

In summary, we are not good at multitasking. We struggle to handle even a couple of tasks without losing out on productivity and if we pile on further tasks, we slump into mediocrity.

The following are some interesting posts on this subject (References):

Posted in My thoughts | Tagged | 4 Comments


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Library Internet Filtering and the Courts

In the news this past week, there was a short report about a library that had settled a lawsuit with the ACLU over the use of internet filters to block “occult” materials. The short version (from both the news story and the court’s consent order) is that an adult had asked the library to unblock websites that related to searches regarding Native American spiritual practices and traditions. At the time, the library had opted to filter out websites that fell into the category of “occult” and “criminal skills” (whatever that means) as well as the usual suspects of “adult image”, “pornography”, “proxy anonymizer”, and “viruses”. (Not sure who gets to decide what fits into those categories, but I digress.)

After the time she was brushed off by library management and before she filed the lawsuit, the filtering software provider contacted the library and informed them that some of the blocking was overly broad (shocking, I know) and that other organizations had raised concerns about their inclusion.  At this time, the library was offered a chance to revise the categories they wanted blocked; they choose to drop “occult” and “criminal skills” from their filtering software. The purpose of the lawsuit was to seek a permanent injunction against filtering those categories as well as damages and fees. In arriving at a consent order (a voluntary agreement between both parties), the library is prohibited by a federal court to expand filtering beyond the categories it currently blocks unless required by state or federal law. The suit is over and the file is closed.

This should all seem straightforward, right? A library made a mistake in the way they filtered their internet, they were taken to court, and now things are as they should be (or as best as they can be, considering they are under the thumb of mandated filtering policies), and this person now has access to Constitutionally protected speech. But for me, the story doesn’t quite end there.

A couple thousand miles away in the state of Washington, Bradburn v. North Central Regional Library District had wound its way to a federal court last year. Some might remember this case from its Washington Supreme Court ruling which held that its library internet content filtering (includes refusing to unblock Constitutionally protected speech for adults) policies do not violate the free speech protections contained within the Washington state constitution. In shifting to the federal level, the ACLU plaintiffs were pressing the case as a violation of their First Amendment rights. Last April, a federal court granted a motion for summary judgment in favor of the library on the grounds that the content filtering policy and the refusal to unfilter computers for adults was not a violation of the First Amendment. The ACLU declined to appeal the judgment and so the ruling stands.

So, as I see it, what we have here is one federal court that has ruled that an expansive filtering policy is not an undue burden while another federal court has expressly prohibited the expansion of filtering policies beyond those required by the law. My question (or more wonder, I should say) is why the Missouri library didn’t use the Bradburn v. North Central Regional Library District ruling as a cornerstone for a defense against the case. In terms of timelines, Bradburn’s state ruling was on May 2010 and their federal ruling was on April 2012; the lawsuit was filed in January 2012 and the settlement was March 2013. In looking at the timeline, this means that there was a ruling in place that the library attorneys could have used as part of their case.

Now, I will freely admit that I’m not a lawyer; I did attend law school for a year but that hardly qualifies me for in-depth legal analysis. But from what I did learn is that in arguing a case you look for other identical or similar cases to bolster your side by showing legal precedent. Here, Bradburn would have been an excellent similar case where a District Court (the same venue as the Missouri case) made a decision in favor of library filtering policies. Coupled with the majority opinion from the Washington Supreme Court, to me it would seem like it would provide a lot of ammunition in favor of library filtering policies. But, instead, the library opted to settle and consented to a court order against discretionary expansion of filtering. But why?

Perhaps the time and cost of a lawsuit was enough to induce a settlement. Maybe the removal of the filters in question made a trial moot. While I’ve been able to track down the original complaint and some of the other documents, I’m probably missing some other information (as well as legal training) that would make this picture make sense. But, right now, I’m left wondering how future courts will riddle out library filtering practices when two similar federal courts have differing outcomes.

another chip away at the Patriot Act

Four members of the House of Representatives have introduced legislation to reign in the power granted by the Patriot Act to the investigative tool known as the National Security Letter (NSL). The National Security Letters Reform Act of 2009 would return the issuing requirements of NSLs to pre-9/11 requirements. This has been hailed by the ACLU at the same time as they have launched their own website calling for reform of the Patriot Act.

For those who might not recall, libraries and library systems have been long wary of the enhanced powers of NSLs. It came to a full conflict in the case of Library Connection v Gonzales in which a library consortium challenged both the gag order and the records sought. It ended with the government withdrawing the NSL and lifting the gag order. You can read more about it here.

I wasn’t a librarian in 2001 when the original Patriot Act was passed. I do remember talking about the chilling effect that it had on the average library record in my graduate courses. (I recall reading about some library systems in California shredding every type of record that they didn’t need to run the system, but I can’t find that article for linking.) I remember thinking that it was a real shame to put the library in an untenable position of trying to remain in compliance with the law and protecting the privacy of the patrons. While most will see themselves as defenders of academic freedom and intellectual inquiry (and embrace the radical militant librarian moniker), I would argue that we should have never allowed ourselves to get to that point in the first place. (Perhaps the political activism of today will ensure any such future endeavors.)  However, hindsight being what it is, I certainly commend my fellow librarians for their steps to preserve some of the freedoms that make this country great.

(Cross posted to LISNews)

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Tag Archives: contest

This is most likely more awesome than anything you will do today.

Thanks to Farcebook, these two articles about Finnish band Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät came on to my radar:

Besides being awesome new (to me) enjoyable punk rock, I feel like it served as some sort of cosmic reminder, warning, or inspiration.  Not only to me, but to everyone who happens to read this.

Not feeling a bunch of paragraphs today, so I will hit you with a bulleted list.

  • Don’t ever let anyone tell you “no.”  Don’t let anyone else set your limits.  You can do whatever you set your mind to, and tell them to shove it.
  • Don’t let anyone put you in a category.  If you feel like you’re different because of your gender, race, orientation, religion, or a disability… own it, don’t let it own you.
  • A little railing against convention, society, or any set standard is good for everybody.  Punk rock can be all about a healthy expression of primal aggression.
  • Learning about the lives of others who have things differently than you is incredibly enlightening.
  • Someone with special needs like Down Syndrome or Autism with different abilities ought not be an object of derision.  They have thoughts, feelings, and aspirations just like you.  They get pissed off just like you.  They rock just like yo
  • Shattering expectations is the most badass thing you can do.

I’m sure there’s more, but you get my point.  Notice little things like this in life.  Be thankful for your insight.  Be thankful that there are others out there reminding you to put forth your best effort.  Learn something or learn about something often.  Make some noise that gets heard.

Check out these videos.

…and more.

I need to get my hands on some music & get a peep at this documentary.  Anyone already have these cats on their radar?  Tell me more!

Chick-fil-A-Go-Go! 🎸🎤🎧🎵🎶

OK, so it’s been a while since I’ve been productively making music & actively writing songs.  Apparently the bug never goes away.  I have been thinking about doing punk rock-ish kids songs for a while.  (The Sablowskis beat me to it!)

Yeah, there is the AiXeLsyD reunion gig coming up… whenever that is, and it doesn’t seem like Ernie and the Berts was all that long ago.

I saw a contest online last week and it sparked me to get my ass quickly in gear. Music Go Round in Monroeville is holding a guitar giveaway, and I have been mentally drooling all over Eastwood Guitars online for quite some time. The Side Jack is pretty awesome!

It would be really cool if you could help me win this axe by clicking “like” on this post: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=698216686929723&permPage=1

It may help to follow or like the Music Go Round Monroeville, PA Facebook page too.  It has to be on that post on their page, no “likes” here or on my link(s) to it on my Facebook profile count.  Voting is only open this week, they pick a winner on the 27th!

As far as the song goes, I threw it together in under an hour with a downloaded app for the tablet, using crappy headphones, the built-in mic on the tablet, and my acoustic guitar down in the basement.  I think it shows.  But, I still think it’s a hooky tune with some potential.  I may have to recruit a few of the usual suspects or even some unusual ones to help me complete the process.

Molly is absolutely terrified of the Chick-fil-A cow.  My guess is that other kids are too. Seems like we can find a whole lot more to relate to with some feet-tapping tunes!

NOT a fan of the cow.

A photo posted by Eric Carroll (@aixelsyd13) on

We have a Winner! Bronco Berry Ball Sauce

Bronco Berry Poll

#Bronco13 Contest

Trista’s Bronco Berry Ball Sauce wins!  Thanks to all 3 of your for submitting recipes, thanks to all 13 of you who voted.  (Or less people, multiple times…)

I thought I had set up the poll to close automatically after a week… but it seems to have kept going.  So, I froze it in time with the screen capture to the right.

I’ll contact Trista to let her know she won, and get the 13 packets of Bronco Berry goodness on their way to her!

If you have no idea what this is all about, where have you been?  You may follow the adventures of Bronco Jalapeño in these posts:

Perhaps Trista will give us an acceptance speech, or a photo of her Bronco Berry Ball Sauce!

Fun with virtual guitar builders…

This is why I don't design guitars.

This is why I don’t design guitars.

Screenshot of the 1986 IBM PC versionThis is my new Tetris (Thankfully I’ve never had a phone cool enough to play Angry Birds.)  Online guitar builders are popping up like mad, and now there’s a contest for making the ugliest one over at Joe Gore’s Tone Fiend blog:

Go try your luck at making the worst!  There is some serious competition over there.  Sadly, I like some of the “bad” color schemes.  I guess I do like goofy guitars after all.  (You may remember the mutant beauty pageant.)

I even used one of the guitar builders to help plan out my Turner’s Iced Tea guitar idea.

Poorly Thrown Together Iced Tea Guitars

Poorly Thrown Together Iced Tea Guitars

Matt at Guitar WTF has also posted a great list of virtual guitar builders in the past.  Some are great, some are not so great.  They all seem to have some bugs as well as some great qualities.

I’ll list the ones I know about:

Are there any glaring omissions?

I’m fully expecting one of these to pop upon the Guitarz blog one day.  None are as crazy as the Tom Bingham stuff or Bertram’s, though.

NES Guitar 15

I still haven’t seen a virtual guitar builder that can do this though. I did a Google image search for ‘Tetris Guitar’ and came up short. This was the next best thing. It would be cool if it still worked to play video games.  Really though, $190 is a very reasonable price.  If I had $200 to spare, I’d get one of these.

We have three #Bronco13 contest entries! Vote for your favorite.

So, about 2 weeks ago, I started a contest.  Due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to delay the voting portion for a week.  We shall commence forthwith.

We have 3 entrants, and now it’s up to you the reader to decide who wins 13 packets of Arby’s glorious Bronco Berry Sauce that was bestowed upon me by Hala Moddelmog.

Here are the entries, you may vote for your favorite at the bottom:

Savory Bronco Balls by Matt

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1/3 c. minced onion
1/4 c. milk
1 egg
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. shortening
2 Cups Bronco Sauce

Mix beef, crumbs, onion, milk, egg, parsley flakes, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently shape into 1-inch balls. Melt shortening in electric skillet, brown meatballs. Remove meatballs from skillet; drain off fat. Heat Bronco Berry Sauce in large crock pot stirring constantly. Add meatballs; stir until coated. Simmer 30 minutes, serve hot with a toothpick or in a sub roll.

The BBP by Damaris

(Bronco Berry Pierogie)

*Bronco Berry Sauce

*crisp up some Pierogies in butter in a skillet
*put on a plate
*dip in Bronco Berry Sauce, or drizzle on for a fabulous presentation

Bronco Berry Ball Sauce by Trista

48 precooked meatballs

(Meatball recipe at the end for people who don’t know how to wad together some meat and seasoning)
12 oz bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce
8 oz jar of grape jelly
Arby’s Bronco Berry Sauce
Dump entire bottle of chili sauce into a pot. Add half of the jar of grape jelly (4 ounces) and equal amount of Arby’s Bronco Berry Saunce. Heat and stir until everything cooks down into a yummy looking sauce. Add meatballs. Simmer. Serve.

So, now you vote!  Who deserves to win the 13 lucky packets of sweet jalapeño goodness?

You have a week to vote, then I’ll ship the goodies to the winner after they’re notified.  You vote according to the rules of the poll, so I believe you can vote often.  Get your friends & family to vote for you, and may the best recipe win!

If you haven’t been following the adventures of Bronco Jalapeño, you may want to catch up:

A CONTEST FOR YOU! Gimme a recipe, win some Bronco Berry Sauce.

240 Packs of Bronco Berry Sauce!

Want 13 of these?

OK.  If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I have an entire  case (& a little more) of Arby’s delicious Bronco Berry Sauce just taking up space in my dining room.  I would eat it all if I could, but it’s probably not an achievable (or wise) goal.  Sadly, my Bronco Berry Sauce will have to go without its perfect partner Arby’s delicious Jalapeño Bites… as they have not yet returned to the menu here in Pittsburgh.  Perhaps there is still reason to Occupy Arby’s even if Hala asked me nicely not to?

I’m left with a few tasks… figuring out what to do with the sauce besides dunking Tyson’s chicken tenders in it, and trying to pawn some off on friends, family, and maybe even a busker.  It expires in June, and I’d hate for any (more) to go to waste.

I was thinking it may make an excellent glaze for meatloaf, or even as an internal ingredient.  It would also probably be good as a glaze on grilled or baked chicken, but I’m guessing the high sugar content would make it blacken quite quickly.  I wonder if it will freeze?  A Bronco Berry Popsicle could be either incredible or disastrous.  Would there be a way to work it into an icing (or again as an ingredient) in a chocolate cupcake?

My readers and commenters are obviously the most enlightened and intelligent group of people I know, so I’m turning to you for ideas.

I promise to wrap it better than my last gift from Arby's if I need to mail it to you.

I promise to wrap it better than my last gift from Arby's if I need to mail it to you.

Here’s where the contest comes in.  Give me your recipe for something including Arby’s Bronco Berry Sauce as an ingredient.  You may want to familiarize yourself with it if you’ve never tried it.  The name is misleading, it contains no berries or horses.  It’s sweet, it’s spicy, it’s awesome.  This will be like Chopped or Iron Chef, except instead of TV fame and butt-loads of money the prize is… Let’s say 13 packs of Bronco Berry Sauce, because I like the number 13.  Also, I’m not Alton Brown or Ted Allen.  If it’s really good, we’ll maybe eventually have to make copycat recipes to continue making the prize winner.

You have until Friday May 4th to get your recipes to me.  I’ll post them in a blog, put up a poll, and have the readers vote.  We’ll close the poll & pick a winner on May 13th.  You can enter multiple times within reason.  Voting will happen with the little poll widget here, so encourage your friends, neighbors, family, and even enemies to vote for you.

The only way to enter: You can email your fantastically delicious recipe to world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com with the subject containing the hashtag “#Bronco13” & the name of your recipe.  We’ll annoy people with it on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, & wherever else hashtags work.

In the event of a tie, both of you will get 13 packets of Bronco Berry Sauce.

What are you waiting for?  Get to work!

Validate my goofy guitar habit?

So, not too long ago, I submitted some photos of my favorite toys to the Tone Fiend blog’s Mutant Beauty Pageant.  If you’d like to follow the saga at the Tone Fiend blog, check these posts out:

You can pick your 3 favorites, and list them in the comments here: Mutant Beauty Pageant: Choose the “Winner!” You can also email your votes if you’d like them to be anonymous.  Of course, your 3 favorites could be for all 3 of my guitars, but… I do encourage you to vote for your actual favorites.

No prize was apparent at the time of my entry, but now I see a nifty little custom-built Uglyface stompbox is being offered up as booty.  I certainly wouldn’t mind playing around with the little thing.  At any rate, it was cool that people got to show off their weird guitars, and we can all share in our inherent oddness.

Mutant Beauty Pageant: Choose the “Winner!”

Mutant Beauty Pageant: Choose the “Winner!”

Tone Fiend | Mutant Beauty Pageant

Cerberus the Turkey

Cerberus, the Darkmeat Knight

So, I entered 3 of my goofy beauties into the “Mutant Beauty Pageant” in Joe Gore‘s Tone Fiend blog at the Seymour Duncan website.  I have had people tell me they’re ugly, I have had people that dig them.  I’m just glad that we live in a world with so many available options.  Guitar beauty (& awesomeness) is subjective, after all.

You can check out the entries so far by clicking the triple-headed turkey, and you can also read the original rules post.  When you’re done with that, enter your weird guitar!  Yeah, it’s got to be yours… not something you just found on the internet somewhere.

I’m really diggin’ Dr. Soda’s “calm like a bomb” Explorer custom …thing.  I’d love to see some more photos.  Is that circuit board 3D?  I can imagine ripping my hand open on that… but then again, that would be one hell of a show.

Also, you’ll notice that Mr. Gore used my Batman guitar in the photo with the tri-topped turkey that I have dubbed “Cerberus, the Darkmeat Knight”.  How cool is that?  Funny part is, I just got a Seymour Duncan Distortion Humbucker to drop into it.

Guitar stereotypes are always fun:

So, where do my favorite toys fall on this amusing scale from Gearpipe?

GearPipe.com | Trustworthiness of Guitars Scale

GearPipe.com | Trustworthiness of Guitars Scale

I do have to say…  I don’t get why the Prince guitar is for repugnant individuals.  I guess if you’re not Prince, it is a goofy axe to sling.  I am glad that the boring Washburn/Jackson/Ibanez shape is all the way on the left though.  I just can’t get behind them.  I’m not sure why the oh-so-common Les Paul and Stratocaster shapes convey any level of trustworthiness of the player.  Perhaps I’m over-thinking.  This is quite amusing nonetheless.

Seriously though, I can’t find any of these…

Dewey Decibel FlipOut

Dewey Decibel FlipOut

Galveston - B.B. Stone

Galveston - B.B. Stone

Six Flags Batman Guitar

Six Flags Batman Guitar

If you’re quick and lucky, you can win a copy of this poster from Guitar Noize.


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Tag Archives: news

Flash Video Streaming from the Cloud

Two years ago, Adobe announced that they would discontinue support for the Adobe Flash Player plugin on Android. This is part of a larger trend. In the era of HTML5, many mobile devices don’t support Flash. Site owners have been moving to alternative video formats, but this change is happening gradually. Many popular websites still […]

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A new version of Silk

Psst! Remember us? Roughly 344 days ago, we debuted this blog to announce the launch of our new browser, Amazon Silk. We originally expected to publish a regular cadence of updates, but it turns out we were way more excited about working on the browser than writing about it! Well, a few of us finally […]

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Introducing Amazon Silk

Today in New York, Amazon introduced Silk, an all-new web browser powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and available exclusively on the just announced Kindle Fire.  You might be asking, “A browser?  Do we really need another one?”  As you’ll see in the video below, Silk isn’t just another browser.  We sought from the start to […]

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A music professor from the University of California at San Diego, Miller Puckette, is in the process of writing a book on electronic music, and the draft version can be found on this site. The book "is about using...
The goal of the Networked Computer Science Technical Report Library (NCSTRL, pronounced "ancestral") is to provide access to research papers produced at over 60 computer science departments and laboratories worldwide....
The New York Journal of Mathematics (NYJM), based at the State University of New York, Albany, is the first electronic general journal of mathematics. This online journal is refereed by mathematicians at top North...
The electronic issues of the Pacific Journal of Mathematics is available as of October, 2000. Articles on Stekloff eigenvalues, Cantor systems, and Bertini Theorems are among those featured. Articles may be viewed in...
This resource for educators and students of game theory aims to make lessons on game theory more relevant to the student (see also NSDL Scout Report for Math, Engineering, and Technology, October 11, 2002). This section...
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Business Office

Welcome to the Carleton College Business Office Website

The Business Office is dedicated to serving the financial needs of the College and helps to support overall operations by providing friendly and efficient financial services to students, faculty and staff. Students may pay tuition, room/board, and other miscellaneous fees at the office. The Business Office also processes payroll, vendor invoice payments, and employee travel and expense reimbursements. This website provides information regarding policies, procedures, forms, and answers to frequently asked questions.


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. >>> several government agencies are checking on cell phone records. national security has been under a lot of scrutiny after secretly collecting information from people's cell phones. local police departments are also getting information. more than 125 police agencies and 33 states would target specific cell phone towers and they could then get information like names, activities an locations of any phones. >>> time now is 6:47 that means it is time to check in with torii campbell for a look at what is coming up on mornings on 2. >>> after a string of attacks and problem matt particular -- problemmed behaviors in san francisco library, it was all a hoax, a woman was denied a tip because of her sexual orientation and what will happen to all of those donations she received in sympathy. >>> and they will be impacted more than any other bay area county when it comes to rising sea levels. what is being done to learn about the devastation and how to protect the area, those stories and more coming up on the news, let's bring sal back. >>> yes, dave, pam, we have highway 4 according to chp and you
edward snowden reveals a massive program by the national security agency to track the location of cell phones around the world. according to "washington post" they are gathering 5 billion records a day on the location of cell phones oversee seas -- overseas. the nsa's tracking program may be the reason that president obama is not allowed to have an iphone. there may be concern that phones could easily reveal his location. apple's smartphone is a favorite of nsa agents because iphone's operating system has 38 different features that can be tracked. >>> 8:16. more incriminating allegations against the mayor of toronto, rob ford. newly-released court documents indicate gang members may have had a video of mayor ford smoking crack cocaine. the documents describe wiretap recordings of gang members talking about black mailing the mayor. reportedly police did recover a copy of the video from a laptop computer. >>> the man accused of a deadly shooting in san francisco over a popular gaming system is due back in court on monday to enter a plea. 21-year-old ronnie collins made his first court ap
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January 24, 2006

Rebel commitment picks friend over brother

Some recruiting fans may have been surprised when one Olive Branch prospect chose to continue his playing career with his best friend instead of his brother. One day after Anthony Summers announced he was going to another instate school, Markeith, along with best friend, Allen Walker, announced they would shake up the state rivalry by choosing Ole Miss. Go inside for this exclusive interview.

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AT HOP card

Log in to your AT HOP account, create account to buy or register an AT HOP card online, or find an AT HOP retailer.

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  • A reusable prepay smart card for travel on trains, ferries and buses around Auckland.
  • Save money on fares - at least 20% discount off single trip cash fares (excludes NiteRider and Airbus Express bus services and Waiheke ferry services). Check out AT HOP fares.
  • Load a concession for discounted fares.

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Manage your My AT HOP account online, register your card, check balance, view transactions and top-up.

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Top up your AT HOP card with HOP money or load a monthly pass before using your AT HOP card for travel.

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Find an AT HOP retailer to buy or top up your AT HOP card. List of AT HOP retailers by Auckland region or find on the map.

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Is GE Life fairly valued?

In Uncategorized on 03/05/2010 at 4:40 am

Based on friday’s closing price of $15.66,  GE Life is trading at  1.18x 2009 ‘s  Embedded Value (the sum of net assets plus the current value of future profits from existing policies) of $13.167 a share. I have argued that based on what PRU is paying for AIA, GE Life’s value should be unlocked by OCBC

According to FT’s Lex, when an insurer is sold at  EV, this means it is assumed it will write no more new business, nor make any gains on its investments.  That is why most recent deals in mature markets have been completed at about 1.2 times – a small premium for control, for cost synergies, and for growth potential. The 1.69 times that the UK insurer is proposing to pay seems bullish, given that AIA’s two biggest markets by gross written premiums are Hong Kong and Singapore, already overrun by agents.

Then there’s the question of what the new owner will be allowed by regulators to keep. Some of the licences AIA holds were acquired decades ago, under old rules on foreign ownership. Factor in forced disposals, likely to be at multiples below 1.69, and the effective price for the remnants could become even higher. Korea Life, another insurer talking up an Asian growth story, recently went public at one times embedded value. Japan’s Daiichi Mutual, ditto, went at 0.6 times.

So if FT is right, the Pru is overpaying for AIA, and by implication GE Life at $15.66, is priced about right at about 1.18x EV. And that I talked nonsense about how much it was worth to OCBC, if sold.  If Pru’s shareholders vote against the deal, I talked rubbish.

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Adelaide woman sues McDonald’s over hot coffee
Adelaide woman sues McDonald’s over hot coffee

An Adelaide woman has taken a McDonald’s franchise to court after she was burnt with scalding hot coffee.

News Limited reports Jessica Wishart says the coffee inflicted multiple second-degree burns to her inner thigh, groin and buttock.

The 22-year-old bought the lidded coffee at the Renmark store in April 2009.

Her statement of claim said: "While sitting in the front passenger seat (of a car) she experienced a burning sensation to the fingers of her right hand, which was holding the cup.

"Due to the intense heat emanating from the cup and the failure of (McDonald's) to properly secure the plastic lid, hot coffee spilled on to her thighs."

The largest of the blisters measured 8cm by 3cm by 3cm which she says has left her with permanent scarring and trouble walking.

In 1994, Stella Liebeck was awarded $2.86 million after hot coffee scalded her at a McDonald’s restaurant in the United States.

The 79-year-old received two years of treatment after the coffee left her with third degree burns on six percent of her body.

The lawsuit was considered frivolous by many and the 'The Stella Awards' were formed, which bestows a yearly honour on the laughable legal claims.

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Abstaining From Common Sense: The Sorry State Of Sex (Mis)Education in Texas

Here's a news flash for the Religious Right: The vast majority of Americans have sex before marriage.

Whenever people ask me for a concrete example of how the Religious Right has affected public policy, I point to the spread of "abstinence-only" sex education. Thanks to pressure from Protestant fundamentalist and traditionalist Roman Catholic groups, federal tax money funds only these programs.

This is the case even though polls show most Americans support comprehensive sex education for young people – programs that stress the value of abstinence but also talk frankly and accurately about ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

So how are the "abstinence-only" programs working out? A new report by our friends at the Texas Freedom Network (TFN) illustrates how ineffective they can be. TFN found that sex education in Texas' public schools is rife with inaccuracies, often based on programs that stress fear and shame and, most alarmingly, sometimes includes religious material.

The TFN report finds that nearly 10 percent of Texas' secondary school districts have incorporated religious material into their sex ed classes. One school district distributed a handout titled "Things to look for in a mate." The first item listed was, "Is Jesus their first love?" Another district asked teens to explain what the Bible says about premarital sex.

The report also found that inaccurate information about condoms was found in 40 percent of the school districts. Most commonly, condom failure rates are exaggerated, or discredited claims are made that the AIDS virus can pass through latex condoms. (Not true, says the Centers for Disease Control.)

In my travels shadowing the Religious Right over the years, I've noticed this unrelenting hostility toward condoms. The thinking of the Religious Right seems to be that if young people find out condoms exist, they will start having sex.

I've got news for the Religious Right: Young people know about condoms, and they are having sex. The problem is, your groups have scared many away from using them. (Even Bristol Palin knows why this is irresponsible!)

Here's another news flash for the Religious Right: The vast majority of Americans have sex before marriage. A 2006 study by the Guttmacher Institute found that 95 percent of Americans engage in pre-marital sex. As Guttmacher put it, the practice is "nearly universal among Americans and has been for decades." The "abstinence-until-marriage" message is completely disconnected from reality,

Texas spent $18 million spreading the "abstinence-only" message in 2007. It's not working. The state has one of the highest teen birth rates in the nation and, according to TFN, spends $1 billion annually on the costs associated with teen pregnancy.

I wish Texas – and indeed the entire nation – had a sex education policy that was based in the real world. Alas, it appears that won't be arriving any time soon. The federal 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill is out. It allocates $94 million for more "abstinence-only" programs.


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September 22, 2010

Russell Wilson holds weekly press conference

NC State quarterback Russell Wilson has the Pack off to a 3-0 start, their best opening record since 2002 when the team began 9-0. Wilson held his weekly press conference after practice on Wednesday and talked about the upcoming game at Georgia Tech, playing away from the friendly confines of Carter-Finley Stadium, and various other topics. Below is a full transcript of what the quarterback had to say.

Coach Tom O'Brien was talking about how important it was this week to be patient on offense. When you play Georgia Tech, you can be off the field for a long time and it creates almost a false sense of urgency. Has he talked to you about that at all?

Yeah, he's talked to us about it as an offense as a whole. It's kind of exactly what you just said, I think the main thing is just taking it one play at a time, just focusing on the opportunities that you do have, don't make too much of it, but stay in a rhythm. One play at a time, try to score when you can and get first downs.

Have you ever played against a 3-4?

Yeah, a lot of teams go to odd fronts, with three guys down, but not necessarily the whole game. But, we've worked on it, we're definitely ready for it. I'm excited about the game.

Do you feel like you turned a corner in the Cincinnati game and found your comfort level?

I always feel like there's so much more I can get better at, I never feel like I've reached my comfort level. I'm never comfortable, I'm always trying to push myself. I'm never satisfied on the field, I'm never satisfied on the practice field, I always have to get better.

What's it like being 3-0 around here?

There's a lot of excitement, but, at the same time, we're just trying to stay steady and stay consistent on what we have been doing. [We're] focusing on the small things and, at the same time, the big things. Focusing on one thing at a time simplifies everything, we're trying to work and get better every day.

When you watch film, how critical are you of yourself?

I'm always critical. [Sometimes], I feel like I can make a little better of a throw, even if the guy catches it. Where can I get another completion? Where can I get another touchdown? There's always little stuff out there, I always watch my footwork and my rhythm and my timing, making sure I'm going 100 percent every play, in terms of my fakes and all that kind of stuff. I just try to focus on the big picture, but on the little things, as well, which will make me better as a player individually and it will make our team better as a whole.

Is that how you have always been or something that you grew into here?

I've always been like that, but I've definitely grown in that mindset because you're consistently trying to get better. As you mature, as you learn things, as you see different things, as you watch NFL quarterbacks, as you watch other good college quarterbacks, as you talk to Coach Dana Bible and get a better feel of how you can get better individually, it makes the team better, too. I've definitely matured and grown from that, but I've always kind of had that instilled in me at the same time.

Coach talked about pre-snap penalties being something he is disappointed in. How much of a focus has that been this week?

A focus? You can't make too much of it. Sometimes, you make so much of it that it becomes a problem, even more. We just have to focus much more, communicate better or whatever [the problem] is. Everybody has just got to get on the same page, and get rolling.

You mentioned playing against the 3-4, Georgia Tech also used some 4-3 against UNC. How important is recognition of what they are doing since they are a multiple defense?

They've got a great defense, they can do a lot of different things. We've seen a lot of different things as an offense, we know how to adjust to it and we just got to keep moving, like I said, take it one play at a time: see that one particular play and run with it.

You've been getting more opportunities this year with the defense getting off the field. Can that really contribute to getting the offense in a better rhythm?

Definitely, the more you have the ball, the better and the more chances there are to score, more opportunity. Every time we get the ball is an opportunity to score and an opportunity to get first downs, win the game, that's how you have to look at it. It's definitely exciting.

You excelled in the no-huddle offense at the beginning of the Cincinnati game. Can you better predict what type of defense you are going to see because you are putting pressure on the defense?

Predict? I don't really think you should be predicting, you just have to see it for what it is. Whatever defense they are in, you know where you are going from there. That's the way I look at it. You want to have up-tempo because it tries them out a little bit and you can focus on that one particular play and keep it rolling, continuing with the rhythm, but, at the same time, you don't want to rush, either.

You have backs, fullbacks and tailbacks, who can really catch the football. Talk about them.

It's always good. You want to have multi-talented guys that can get out, catch the ball, run the ball. It's more of a threat for the offense in general, it's definitely a positive thing for our offense right now.

Have you been surprised with how well Mustafa Greene has done catching the ball out of the backfield?

I'm not surprised, he works at it every day, same with the other running backs and the rest of the guys. I'm not surprised by the talent we have at those positions, I think that they are very skilled naturally, but also work at it every day. They make you have confidence every time you throw them the ball.

How has the team improved since game one?

That's a tough question. There are always things, like I said, that I feel like we can improve on. I think the wide receivers are catching the ball really well. The offensive line is doing a great job, we have guys that can come in to step up when we need to, and we have guys starting that are great players, too. I think our mentality more than anything, having that attack mindset, but not rushing. [We're] trying to take it one play at a time, that's the mindset that we going with in every game and every play.

Over the past two seasons, the team has been successful at home but had some trouble on the road. What do you attribute that to?

It's always a little bit tougher to play on the road, obviously, because you're not on your home field, your eyes are a little bit different, you have to adjust your eyes and make sure you're looking at the right spot at the right time, and the crowd is cheering against you. That's the type of things [that make it tough], but, at the same time, you can't worry about it. 100 yards is 100 yards and you have to focus on one play at a time, and try to be successful every chance you get.

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Musings: Easy Cranberry & Apple Cake

This dessert looks quick and easy, but is it delicious?

We’ll start posting Ina’s Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake on Thursday, Dec. 16.

What did you think of it? Did you make any changes to the original?

December 2010 Recipes

I hope the beginning of the holiday season finds you all well!  I think the HEIT recipes for December will fit nicely into those crazy December weeknight menus and may provide you with some ideas to bring to your holiday parties.  Enjoy!

Lemon Chicken Breast, page 120 (post on 12.2.10)

Roasted Summer Vegetables, page 169 (post on 12.9.10)

Easy Cranberry & Apple Cake, page 205 (post on 12.16.10)

Roasted Figs & Prosciutto, page 28 (post on 12.30.10)

Musings: Mixed Berry Cheesecake (Post by Aug. 31)

Doesn’t Mixed Berry Cheesecake sound like the perfect summer-to-fall transitional dessert? Maybe after we make it, the weather will take a hint.

Will you be making any substitutions or using a homemade jelly or berries you picked yourself? Go ahead, make the rest of us jealous.

August Recipes

Can you believe it’s August already??  Where has this summer gone to?!

Even if time is zipping by, we’ve still got some great Ina recipes!  The 3rd recipe is optional but you may want to join in the fun while we start trying out new recipes from Ina Garten’s 7th (!!!) cookbook,  How Easy Is That? which is set to be released on October 26, 2010.  Ina’s cookbook publicist sent me an advanced copy of the book and has encouraged us to start trying some of the recipes – how cool is that??

Vicki of My Fare Lady

has chosen Oven-Fried Chicken

which can be found in Barefoot Contessa Family Style on page 81

and should be posted by Tuesday August 31st.

Nathalie of Snowbell Jewelry

has chosen Mixed Berry Cheesecake

which should be posted by Tuesday August 31st.

Ultimate Grilled Cheese

as chosen by Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake – to be posted by August 31st.

serves 6

12 slices thick-cut bacon, such as Nodine’s applewood smoked
1 cup good mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 white pullman loaf or sourdough bread, sliced 1/2 inch thick (12 slices)
6 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature
6 oz aged Gruyere or Comte cheese
6 oz extra-sharp Cheddar, such as Cabot or Shelburne Farms

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange the bacon on a baking rack set over a sheet pan in a single layer and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until nicely browned.  Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and cut in 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Lay 12 slices of bread on a board and spread each one lightly with butter.  Flip the slices and spread each one generously with the mayonnaise mixture.  Don’t neglect the corners!

Grate the cheeses in a food processor fitted with the largest grating disk and combine.  Distribute the bacon evenly on half the slices of bread.  Pile 1/3 cup grated cheese evenly on top of the bacon and top with the remaining bread slices, sauce side down.

Heat an electric panini press.  When the press is hot, cook the sandwiches for 3 to 5 minutes in batches until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.  Allow to cool for 2 minutes.  Cut in half and serve warm.

June Recipe Choices + Some Small Changes

My apologies for posting June’s recipes so incredibly late!  I realize this is the day before the 2nd Thursday of the month but I’ve decided to relax the posting requirements for the summer months (through September).  I’ve also decided to close membership to new members (as of today) for the summer months (also through September).  I’d like to get the blogroll back in order and I’m going to need some time to do this…time, which seems to be escaping me these days.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

Gwenn of Cooking in Pajamas

has chosen Sour Cream Coffee Cake

which can be found in Barefoot Contessa Parties! on page 37

and should be posted by Wednesday June 30th.

Josie of Pink Parsley Catering

has chosen Scalloped Tomatoes

which should be posted by Wednesday June 30th.

Musings: Jam Thumbprint Cookies

We’ll start posting this month’s second cookie recipe, Ina’s Jam Thumbprints, on Thursday, April 22. Ina recommends raspberry or apricot jam, but I’ve got a feeling we’ll be seeing some experimentation here. Anyone using homemade jam? How good would that be?

Musings: Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

It’s cookie time! Our first cookie recipe this month is Ina’s Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies, which we’ll be posting Thursday, April 8. What did you think? Any baking issues with these?

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February 9, 2012

Recruiting Notebook

Arkansas has targeted several of the nation's top junior prospects from around the nation and will host several of them in Fayetteville (Ark.) this weekend.

Check out this week's recruiting notebook for updates on a number of guys who have Arkansas on their early list of possibilities:

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