Can you beer me now? Good!

Well fall has come to Texas a bit early as well as a bit wet and humid as well. The good thing is we’re rapidly making up for a long summer of little or no rain with the regular heavy soakings we’re getting.

Indeed as I am writing this the sky is dark and ominous.

The bad news is we’re rapidly making up for a long summer of little or no rain with the regular heavy soakings and a  lots of streams rivers bayous and retention ponds are overflowing due to their inability to process so much water in such short periods of time.

On the bright side were finally getting some relief from the high electric bills brought on by the summer heat. However is the early Fall onset (its usually 4 weeks later) is any indication we’re in for a colder than normal winter which means the electric heat will be running more and the bill will go right back up.

For those of you who follow the predictions of the Wooly Bear Caterpillar’s stripes, there have been numerous sightings of Wooly Bears totally sans stripes. I suggest buying extra blankets, snow shovels, firewood candles and fuel for your hurricane lamps now.

OK enough chit chat we got a full issue to get to.

I’m thinking of mass producing  my Brown Gold Blend under this label but only selling to certified fellow Curmudgeons.

11 Reasons Why You Should Drink Coffee Every Day

The Huffington Post  |  By Renee Jacques Posted: 10/17/2013 11:58 am EDT  |  Updated: 10/18/2013 11:55 am EDT

There really can’t be any adult in this great big world that has never tried coffee. It’s consumed everywhere, and judging by the amount of Starbucks locations in the United States alone, (in 2012, there were 10,924!) we love our caffeine.

And that’s fine. In fact, there are many advantages to being one of the 54 percent of Americans over 18 who drink coffee everyday. Coffee can be pretty amazing for your brain, your skin and your body. Read on to discover 11 reasons you should wake up and smell the coffee…

Americans get more antioxidants from coffee than anything else.

According to a study done in 2005, “nothing else comes close” to providing as many antioxidants as coffee. While fruits and vegetables also have tons of antioxidants, the human body seems to absorb the most from coffee.

Just smelling coffee could make you less stressed.

Researchers at the Seoul National University examined the brains of rats who were stressed with sleep deprivation and discovered that those who were exposed to coffee aromas experienced changes in brain proteins tied to that stress. Note, this aroma study doesn’t relate to stress by itself, only to the stress felt as a result of sleep deprivation. Now, we’re not entirely sure if this means you should keep a bag of roasted coffee beans on your nightstand every night, but feel free to try!

Coffee could lessen the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

ScienceDaily reported in 2012 that drinking coffee may help people with Parkinson’s disease control their movement. Ronald Postuma, MD, the study author, said, “Studies have shown that people who use caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, but this is one of the first studies in humans to show that caffeine can help with movement symptoms for people who already have the disease.”

Coffee is great for your liver (especially if you drink alcohol).

A study published in 2006 that included 125,000 people over 22 years showed that those who drink at least one cup of coffee a day were 20 percent less to develop liver cirrhosis — an autoimmune disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption that could lead to liver failure and cancer. Arthur L Klatsky, the lead author of the study, told The Guardian, “Consuming coffee seems to have some protective benefits against alcoholic cirrhosis, and the more coffee a person consumes the less risk they seem to have of being hospitalised or dying of alcoholic cirrhosis.”

Studies have also shown that coffee can help prevent people from developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). An international team of researchers led by Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School revealed that drinking four or more cups of coffee or tea a day may be beneficial in preventing the progression of NAFLD.

Coffee can make you feel happier.

A study done by the National Institute of Health found that those who drink four or more cups of coffee were about 10 percent less likely to be depressed than those who had never touched the java. And apparently it’s not because of the “caffeine high” — Coke can also give you a caffeine high, but it’s linked to depression. Study author, Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, told Prevention.com that the proposed reason coffee makes you feel good is because of those trusty antioxidants.

Coffee consumption has been linked to lower levels of suicide.

A study done by the Harvard School of Public Health determined that drinking between two and four cups of coffee can reduce the risk of suicide in men and women by about 50 percent. The proposed reason is because coffee acts as a mild antidepressant by aiding in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline.

Coffee could reduce your chances of getting skin cancer (if you’re a woman).

Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School followed 112,897 men and women over a 20-year period and, apparently, women who drink three or more cups of coffee a day are much less likely to develop skin cancer than those who don’t.

Coffee can make you a better athlete.

The New York Times reports, “Scientists and many athletes have known for years, of course, that a cup of coffee before a workout jolts athletic performance, especially in endurance sports like distance running and cycling.” Caffeine increases the number of fatty acids in the bloodstream, which allows athletes’ muscles to absorb and burn those fats for fuel, therefore saving the body’s small reserves of carbohydrates for later on in the exercise.

Coffee could reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Coffee also lowers risk of Type 2 diabetes, according to a study from The American Chemical Society. The study’s researchers found that people who drink four or more cups of coffee a day reduce their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by 50 percent. Subsequently, with every additional cup, the risk gets lowered by 7 percent.

Drinking coffee could help keep your brain healthier for longer.

Researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Miami found that people older than 65 who had higher blood levels of caffeine developed Alzheimer’s disease two to four years later than others with lower caffeine. Dr. Chuanhai Cao, a neuroscientist at the USF, and co-author of the study, said, “We are not saying that moderate coffee consumption will completely protect people from Alzheimer’s disease. However, we firmly believe that moderate coffee consumption can appreciably reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s or delay its onset.”

Coffee may make you more intelligent.

You usually drink coffee when you are sleep-deprived, right? Well, that much-needed jolt not only keeps you awake, it makes you sharper. CNN reports that coffee allows your brain to work in a much more efficient and smarter way. TIME reporter, Michael Lemonick, says, “When you’re sleep-deprived and you take caffeine, pretty much anything you measure will improve: reaction time, vigilance, attention, logical reasoning — most of the complex functions you associate with intelligence.”

Moral of the story? COFFEE IS THE BEST THING EVER. KEEP DRINKING IT.

It’s getting on towards Halloween or as we Irish first named it Samhain. Time to start trotting out the weird bizarre and spooky stories

SO THAT’S WHY we have liberals, what their original name and reason behind their existence was! 

MUST-SEE PHOTO: ‘Salute Seen Around the World’ Shows True American Hero

Emily Hulsey | On 15, Oct 2013

During a mission in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan, the U.S. Army’s 3rd Ranger Battalion was attacked by a massive suicide explosion that left four members of the team dead. Ranger Josh Hargis, one of the survivors, was severely wounded from the attack.

Here is a picture of Josh recovering in a hospital in Afghanistan. About fifty soldiers crowded into the room to award him with the prestigious Purple Heart for his wounds received in action. Despite the horrible pain he was experiencing, he still gave this incredibly beautiful salute to his commanding officer. This is the definition of true patriotism:

Here is what Josh’s wife posted, along with the photo, to her Facebook page:

I received this picture today along with a letter from the commander of the team Josh was a part of on the night of his injuries. A letter to explain to me what kind of man I have the privilege of being married to. He explained to me what happened and what was going on in the picture.

“Josh was seriously wounded as you know, and survived for almost two hours after his injury before arriving to the hospital. Josh was immediately pushed through a series of surgeries and emerged hours later into an intensive care unit here at our base in Afghanistan.

Despite being in intense pain and mental duress, Josh remained alert and compassionate to the limited Rangers that were allowed to visit his bedside. Prior to Josh being moved to Germany for his eventual flight to America, we conducted a ceremony to award him with the Purple Heart for wounds received in action.

A simple ceremony, you can picture a room full of Rangers, leaders, doctors, and nurses surrounding his bedside while the Ranger Regimental Commander pinned the Purple Heart to his blanket. During the presentation the Commander publishes the official orders verbally and leaned over Josh to thank him for his sacrifice.

Josh, whom everybody in the room (over 50 people) assumed to be unconscious, began to move his right arm under the blanket in a diligent effort to salute the Commander as is customary during these ceremonies. Despite his wounds, wrappings, tubes, and pain, Josh fought the doctor who was trying to restrain his right arm and rendered the most beautiful salute any person in that room had ever seen.

I cannot impart on you the level of emotion that poured through the intensive care unit that day. Grown men began to weep and we were speechless at a gesture that speak volumes about Josh’s courage and character. The picture, which we believe belongs on every news channel and every news paper is attached. I have it hanging above my desk now and will remember it as the single greatest event I have witnessed in my ten years in the Army.”

What an inspiring young man. Just as Josh’s commander pointed out, Americans need to see more heroes like this. This story belongs on every news channel and website and newspaper across the country. Let’s each do our part to SHARE this incredible example of patriotism and honor.

Ranger Josh Hargis we here at DL/LL Electronic Media salute you and your sacrifice. From the bottom of our  passionately Red, White & Blue hearts Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

7 Famous Songs That Don’t Mean What You Think

http://celebs.answers.com/music/7-famous-songs-that-dont-mean-what-you-think?param4=ob-us-de-enter#slide2

A dating service to die for

Who says you can date after you die? Well, apparently in the digital world, you can.

GhostSingles.com is exactly what it sounds like: A dating site for ghosts. It’s got profiles of other single ghosts looking to have a good time in the afterlife with that special someone.

Zombies and vampires aren’t allowed, so ghosts won’t have to worry about the living dead or the undead stealing their soul or eating their brains.

Ghosts can filter your results by gender, age, and if they died horribly, mysteriously, tragically, or suddenly. There is even a chat room to help make new dead friends, and a special section on dating tips for the dead.

Happy hauntings! http://ghostsingles.com/

Cooler weather makes me start thinking about belly filling soul warming comfort foods. One of my all time favorite side dish comfort foods is stuffing with gravy. When its herb stuffing with Pork gravy, well the only thing that might be better is Turkey stuffing and gravy.

Baked Pork Chops with Garden Stuffing Recipe

At a glance

 Prep 15 min. |  Total 55 min.  Serves 6

Bake: 40 min.

Herb-seasoned stuffing mixed with colorful vegetables make a savory bed for tender, oven-baked pork chops topped with a golden mushroom sauce.

Ingredients

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup water
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
1 tablespoon butter
4 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing (not the cubes)
6 bone-in pork chops, 3/4-inch thick (about 2 pounds)

How to Make It

• 1 Heat the oven to 400°F.
• 2 Heat 1/3 cup soup, 1/2 cup water, vegetables and butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil.  Remove the saucepan from the heat.  Add the stuffing and mix lightly.  Spoon the stuffing mixture into a greased 3-quart baking dish. Arrange the pork on the stuffing.
• 3 Stir the remaining soup and remaining water in a small bowl. Spoon the soup mixture over the pork.
• 4 Bake for 40 minutes or until the pork is cooked through.

and here is the prefect accompaniment:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CRUMBLE

Serves: 8

Filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 to 4 large shallots, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 ounces bacon (about 2 strips), chopped

1 cup finely chopped brown mushrooms

3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/8 tsp sage

1/2 cup chicken stock

Salt, freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Crumble topping:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a 2-quart baking dish.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic and bacon; sauté until shallots are soft. Add mushrooms and squash; saute until squash starts to soften and brown, about 15 minutes.

Add parsley, sage, stock, salt and pepper; mix well. Transfer squash mixture to prepared baking dish, cover with foil and bake until tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the crumble topping: Mix the flour, nuts, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper. Add butter and pinch with your fingers until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal; there will still be some pea-sized lumps of butter. Set aside in freezer until ready to use.

Remove dish from oven and uncover. Scatter the crumble topping over the squash; return to oven. Bake 45 minutes more, or until the topping is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Been seeing a lot of this old stinker making it’s 3 or 4th trip around the e-mail circuit lately.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

SOMEONE WAS AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH A CAMERA.

IT WAS REPORTED THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS FURIOUS THAT HE WAS CAUGHT ON CAMERA AND IT WAS PUBLISHED AND TRIED TO BLOCK IT!

The name of the book Obama is holding is called:

The Post-American World, and it was written by a fellow Muslim.(Fareed Zakaria)

“Post” America means: The World “After” America !”

Sorry boys and girls but the re-emergence of this turd has resulted in the appearance of one of my favorite heros:

Yuppers, its Bullshit Cat! Keeping us on the straight truth with an ear splitting caterwaul cry of Bullshit! According to Snopes what were looking at here is:

Origins:   The above-displayed photographs of Barack Obama carrying (and presumably reading) the best-selling book, The Post-American World, is a real one, snapped by Doug Mills of the New York Times in Bozeman, Montana, in May 2008. However, the characterization of the pictured book as “a Muslim’s view of a defeated America” is erroneous: The book does not posit a “defeated America,” nor does it express a Muslim point of view.
The The Post-American World was written by Fareed Zakaria, an Indian-born political journalist (commonly described as a “political moderate”) who specializes in world affairs and has written for (and edited) U.S. national news publications, hosted U.S. television news programs, and authored several books on international issues. A Village Voice profile described Zakaria (a naturalized citizen of the United States) thusly:

Although he was a rising star in the serious foreign-policy world of the ’90s (The Nation once described him as a “junior Kissinger”), it was his post-9/11 Newsweek cover story “Why They Hate Us” that put him on the mainstream map as someone who could make sense of the now threatening outside world. And he has continued to win himself a substantial following with his thoughtful critiques of the Bush administration’s activities in Iraq. He is America’s go-to man for global chaos, providing some urgently needed outside perspective on our never ending war on terror.
His own upbringing was open-minded and secular; he sang Christian hymns at school and celebrated Hindu as well as his own Muslim holidays. “I do know a lot about the world of Islam in an instinctive way that you can’t get through book learning,” he says thoughtfully, but admits he finds the role of token Muslim explainer in the American media slightly uncomfortable. “I occasionally find myself reluctant to be pulled into a world that’s not mine, in the sense that I’m not a religious guy.”

The following review (from Publishers Weekly) summarizes the thesis of The Post-American World:

When a book proclaims that it is not about the decline of America but the rise of everyone else, readers might expect another diatribe about our dismal post-9/11 world. They are in for a pleasant surprise as Newsweek editor and popular pundit Zakaria (The Future of Freedom) delivers a stimulating, largely optimistic forecast of where the 21st century is heading. We are living in a peaceful era, he maintains; world violence peaked around 1990 and has plummeted to a record low. Burgeoning prosperity has spread to the developing world, raising standards of living in Brazil, India, China and

Indonesia. Twenty years ago China discarded Soviet economics but not its politics, leading to a wildly effective, top-down, scorched-earth boom. Its political antithesis, India, also prospers while remaining a chaotic, inefficient democracy, as Indian elected officials are (generally) loathe to use the brutally efficient tactics that are the staple of Chinese governance. Paradoxically, India’s greatest asset is its relative stability in the region; its officials take an unruly population for granted, while dissent produces paranoia in Chinese leaders. Zakaria predicts that despite its record of recent blunders at home and abroad, America will stay strong, buoyed by a stellar educational system and the influx of young immigrants, who give the U.S. a more youthful demographic than Europe and much of Asia whose workers support an increasing population of unproductive elderly. A lucid, thought-provoking appraisal of world affairs, this book will engage readers on both sides of the political spectrum.

As for what the chief executive reads in his spare time, according to deputy press secretary Bill Burton, President Obama brought the following books with him to his August 2009 vacation at Martha’s Vineyard:

• The Way Home by George Pelecanos, a crime thriller based in Washington, D.C.
• Lush Life by Richard Price, a story of race and class set in New York’s Lower East Side.
• Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Tom Friedman, on the benefits to America of an environmental revolution.
• John Adams by David McCullough, a biography of the Founding Father and 2nd U.S. President.
• Plainsong by Kent Haruf, a drama about the life of eight different characters living in a Colorado prairie community.

Last updated:   17 April 2013
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/postamerican.asp#2RbJTC1iqL33qXAz.99

Only a Dragon would call something that depraved and perverted ‘sexy’. Speaking of ‘perverted’, its time for:

Today we’ve got a twofer. Gailwynds sent me this bit of Perverted Prose after seeing last weeks perversion of Simply Simon I called Idiot Impish.

and now the one I know you’ve been waiting for since I announced it last week, my perversion of Puff the Magic Dragon I call Impish the Glutinous Dragon!

My next bit of Purloined Prose used to belong to Kermit the Frog and be titled ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green” since I perverted it and made it mine it’s now known as ‘It’s Not Easy Being Blue’. Stop by next week to see what happens to it!

I hate to disappoint you all but there is no Parting Shot this week.

OK! STOP CHEERING- THAT’S NOT FUNNY! JUST STOP! YOU TOO IMPISH!

My In Laws were up for the weekend and I spent way too much time last week on that rebuttal to a closed minded but wide opened mouthed, brain dead liberal lemming which Impish posted on Saturday as a guest rant so he didn’t have to make one since he was pressed for time. As a result I’m all out of Parting Shots at the moment.

Besides given the current Benadryl fog I’ve existed in for the past 10 or so days I sincerely doubt there is enough coffee in my house to make my thoughts coherent enough to assemble one through the heavy mind fog of befuddlement I’m currently in.