Good morning. Since we here at DL/LL Digital Media have a bit of a situation going on I’ll get right to it.

SECURITY BULLETIN

TO: ALL DL/LL H.Q. STATIONS/SECTIONS & READERS

RE:BOLO ON IMPISH DRAGON

Impish has apparently missed several meals snacks and coffee break/smoky treat opportunities since hosting his issue opening Saturday.

He was last seen heading into the mine area carrying the long handled 4 qt sauce pan used for his gravy ladle with a partially consumed turkey leg sticking out of it muttering  “must protect the precious”.

This occurred shortly after he issued an order that all T-Day leftovers were to be held for his personal consumption and was informed that there were none to be had as the planned leftover for him had instead been the basis of his preT-Day tasting inspection.

THIS IS A SAFETY/WELLNESS ALERT ONLY! DO NOT ATTEMPT APPREHENSION! 

IF OBSERVED:

1. DO NOT APPROACH!
2. REPORT SIGHTING IMMEADIATELY TO SECURITY CONTROL, DR. QUACK OR  LETHAL.
3. AVOID INTERACTION AS DRAGONS SUFFERING BAD TRYPTOPHAN TRIPS ARE UNPREDICTABLE.
4. IF ENGAGED BY HIM IN CONVERSATION, ATTEMPT TO EXIT AREA IMMEADIATELY WHILE CALLING OUT ‘THE FLAGGON WITH THE DRAGON HOLDS THE BREW THAT IS TRUE.”  THIS SHOULD INDUCE A SUBLIMINAL NEED FOR COFFEE WITHIN IMPISH WHICH SHOULD COUNTER ACT THE TRYPTOPHAN LEVELS IN HIS SYSTEM.

Christmas is a big holiday. There’s a lot that goes into it, and it means something different for everyone. I think that’s great.

I’m quite happy to take the seasonal greeting “Merry Christmas!” and place it lovingly next to my memories of snow and family, food and fun without finding some reason to be offended. I know it’s meant as an innocuous way to co-celebrate our shared mirth.

Pushing Christmas as an either/or activity purely centered around the Christian canon is probably the best way to make sure your holiday will be crappy.

Therefore I offer this cartoon in the spirit of understanding: we are all builders upon the shoulders of our ancestors. In our shared history, tremendous advances happened not when we tried to force each other’s beliefs, but instead converted simple respect into a win-win relationships.

Jesus is in there, for sure, but so are many other things. Together, they make up the wonderful hodgepodge of traditions we Americans experience at December’s end.

Texas Logic

• The easiest way to eat crow is when it’s still warm. The colder it gets the harder it is to swallow.

• Don’t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t botherin’ you none.

• Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

• Never miss a chance to shut up. Well-timed silence has more eloquence than speech.

• If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.

• If it don’t seem like it’s worth the effort, it probably ain’t.

• It don’t take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.

• The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with watches you shave your face in the mirror every morning.

• Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.

• If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some considerable influence, try ordering someone else’s dog around.

• Don’t worry about bitin’ off more than you can chew, your mouth is likely a whole lot bigger than you think.

• People who are tough never have to tell you that they are. It’s the same with people who are honest.

• The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket.

• Red meat is NOT bad for you. Blue-green meat, now that’s bad for you!

• When you’re throwing your weight around, be ready to have it thrown around by someone else.

• Good judgment comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

• When you give a personal lesson in meanness to a person or a critter don’t be surprised if they learn it.

• Lettin’ the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in.

• Always take a good look at what you’re about to eat. It’s not so important to know what it is, but you should know what it was.

• Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear, or a fool from any direction.

• Don’t judge people by their relatives.

• Behind every successful rancher is a wife who works in town.

• When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

• Talk slowly, think quickly.

• It’s better to be a has-been that a never-was.

• Sometimes you get and sometimes you get got.

• Always drink upstream from the herd.

• Generally, you ain’t learnin’ nothing when your mouth’s a-jawin’.

• Tellin’ a man to git lost and makin’ him do it are two entirely different propositions.

• If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there with ya.

• You can’t tell how good a man or a watermelon is ’til they get thumped. (Character shows up best when tested.)

• If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen are defrocked, shouldn’t it follow that cowboys would be deranged?

Over the weekend my beloved Molly and I quietly celebrated our 12th Wedding Anniversary since we both were not feeling up to snuff.

I just wanted to take the opportunity to wish her a Happy Anniversary and thank her for a wonderful 12 years to date.

Caution! You May Live In The Radical Mosque Zone

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve called for the “dissolution” of radical mosques following last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Belgium’s Prime Minister, Charles Michel threatened similar action in his country where the attacks were staged.

Neither President Obama nor other officials in his administration, however, have spoken of shutting down radical mosques in the U.S. But U.S. reticence about taking actions now being implemented by France and Belgium isn’t for a lack of mosques in this country in which hatred for American values and support for jihad terrorism are regularly heard.

There are more than 80 radical mosques in the U.S., according to the Clarion Project, a non-profit group that describes itself as “dedicated to exposing the dangers of Islamist extremism.”

Using Clarion’s definitions, The Daily Caller News Foundation has mapped these radical mosques in an effort to aid readers seeking to understand the extent of radical Islamic voices in this country.

These mosques or their leading clerics have radicalized attendees to become terrorists, supported terrorist organizations, made radical Islamist remarks or hosted others that have, or are financially backed by radical individuals or organizations.

“Islamist extremists have developed a sophisticated network of interconnected organizations across American,” according to Clarion. “The common thread among these organizations is their ideology of political Islam, which aspires to implement sharia governance and to establish a global Islamic caliphate.”

The FBI declined to say if the nation’s top law enforcement agency has a similar list.

The map includes 83 – or nearly 4 percent – of the 2,106 mosques in the United States as of 2010.

Mosques from Clarion Project’s list were excluded if their address could not be verified. These include Islamist communes like Islamberg in New York.

Several mosques on the Clarion Project’s list stand out.

• Dar al-Hijrah, located just outside Washington in Falls Church, Virginia, for example, was the place of worship for two of the 9/11 hijackers. This mosque’s present Imam, Shaker Elsayed, described Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna’s teachings as “the closest reflection of how Islam should be in this life.” The Brotherhood “seeks to implement Sharia-based governance globally,” according to the Clarion Project.

• Multiple terrorists have come from the Islamic Society of Boston, including the Boston Bombers and al-Qaeda terrorists Aafia Siddiqui, Tarek Mehanna and Ahmad Abousamra.

• The Islamic Center of Tucson was “basically the first cell of al-Qaeda in the United States,” terrorism expert Rita Katz told The Washington Post in 2002. “At least a dozen terror-linked individuals have been tied to the” center, according to the Clarion Project.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE MAP AND SEE IF YOU LIVE CLOSE TO A RADICAL MOSQUE ZONE

Bless that Mrs. Dragon! She really never stops trying to ‘take care’ of Impish!

I’m still too full from Thanksgiving and leftovers of seriously think recipes.

Lightened-Up Stuffed Peppers

Total Time: 1 hr 40 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Level: Easy

Ingredients

4 bell peppers (any color)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
8 ounces 90-percent lean ground beef
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1/3 cup brown lentils
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, parsley or 1/4 teaspoon dried mint

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the tops off each pepper, reserve them and hollow out the insides of the peppers of any seeds and seed walls. Sprinkle the insides with a pinch salt and a pinch pepper and set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and onions. Cook until softened, 3 minutes, and then add the beef, oregano, cinnamon and cumin. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the tomato paste until it coats the meat and is slightly darkened. Stir in the broth, rice and lentils. Remove from the heat and set aside until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is cooled slightly. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Divide the filling among the peppers and place the tops back on. Set the peppers upright in a small baking dish, such as an 8-inch square baking dish. Whisk 1 1/2 cups water with the remaining tablespoon of tomato paste and olive oil. Pour into the dish around the peppers.

Cover tightly with foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the rice and lentils are cooked through, about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Carefully transfer the peppers to a serving dish and pour the cooking liquid into a medium nonstick skillet. Boil over high heat until the sauce is thickened and reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove from the heat and add the dill. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce with the stuffed peppers.

What there’s still leftover dessert? Well… maybe just a nibble to go with my coffee.

No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

With a candy-bar-inspired top and a crumbly cookie base, each of these rich squares packs a double dose of that perfect pairing: chocolate and peanut butter.

Yield 2 dzn bars

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 9 ounces chocolate wafers (about 40 wafers), finely ground (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 5 ounces (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup chunky peanut butter
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• 1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides.

2. Combine wafers, oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add chunky peanut butter and 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, whisking until well combined. Add peanut butter mixture to wafer mixture, stirring until combined. Transfer to baking dish, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or an offset spatula to firmly press mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Pour melted semisweet chocolate over chilled mixture and, using an offset spatula, spread into a thin layer that covers the entire surface. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 15 minutes.

4. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter in a small saucepan until runny. Drizzle peanut butter over chilled chocolate. Drizzle melted milk chocolate over peanut butter. Refrigerate until hardened, about 15 minutes.

5. Use parchment to lift out chilled block of bars. Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry well, and cut into 24 squares, wiping knife between cuts. Let bars stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

Cook’s Notes

Sliced bars can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.

The truth about extended warranties

If you buy a new smartphone, tablet, computer, TV or even car stereo, it’s very likely the sales person will try to sell you an extended warranty. You never know when something terrible might happen to your gadget, after all.

It’s no secret that extended warranties are a money-maker for stores, otherwise they wouldn’t push them so hard. But does that mean that they’re a bad deal for you? It depends on a number of factors that we’ll look at. There are also some alternatives to in-store extended warranties you should know.

Alternatives

Before you even consider any extended warranty, check with your credit card company. It might give you an extended warranty or extra benefits automatically when you buy with certain cards. Some cards will extend the manufacturer’s warranty another full year.

You also might want to shop around for the item you want. Some stores will throw in an extended warranty or extend the factory warranty for free when you buy from them. It’s a good way to get extra protection without paying.

Another way to get an extended warranty for less is to check with companies like SquareTrade and Protect Your Bubble. These offer third-party warranties on electronics from phones and tablets to TVs and appliances that can be more comprehensive and cost less than a store’s extended warranty.

Buying a two-year extension on your smartphone’s warranty, for example, will end up costing you at least $240 through the manufacturer. If you’re willing to put in a little time on SquareTrade’s website, you can pay $5 monthly to protect your phone or just $99 for two years.

If your phone breaks, simply mail it to SquareTrade. You’ll receive an overnight replacement for your phone. Not only that, but the company covers more “circumstances” that can cause a phone or gadget to break than most stores.

That’s a good deal if you’re accident-prone, but most people might not even need a warranty in the first place. Let’s take a look at the surprising data.

Do you need a warranty?

Consumer Reports collected information on gadget failures and it shows that most gadgets don’t fail during the extended warranty period. Most manufacturing problems with a gadget will show up in the first year during the manufacturer’s warranty period.

If your gadget makes it through that first year, it often won’t see wear and tear failures until after the extended warranty expires. So as long as you don’t destroy it some other way, an extended warranty typically isn’t needed.

Even if you have a problem during the extended warranty period, most extended warranties aren’t as comprehensive as you would hope. It might not cover common types of damage or wear and tear, so it’s always a good idea to ask questions and find out exactly what the warranty covers.

Don’t forget that prices on many types of electronics drop fast. So, by the time a gadget does fail, the cost to repair it, or even replace it, might be less than what you paid for the extended warranty itself.

Instead of paying for a warranty, you might set the money you would have spent aside. If your gadget breaks, you can use the money for repairs. If your gadget never has trouble, you can put the money toward a new gadget.

Still, there are some cases and electronics where an extended warranty makes sense.

When to buy an extended warranty

Our rule of thumb is this: Plan for an accident before you regret it. If you’re buying a laptop for travel, for example, an extended warranty that covers theft, drops and spill damage might be a good investment.

Likewise, Apple’s extended warranties can be a good deal. Click here to learn more about the pros and cons of AppleCare. If you do want to buy an extended warranty elsewhere, there are a few rules to follow.

1. Make sure you read the fine print to know exactly what situations the warranty does and doesn’t cover.
2. Check the extended warranty start date. Many extended warranties begin when you buy the product, which means it overlaps with the factory warranty. That’s just wasted money.
3. Never pay more than 20% of the cost of the item on an extended warranty.
4. For larger electronics, like TVs and appliances, make sure the warranty includes in-home repair, or free pickup and transportation to get the gadget back to the factory.

Statue of Liberty originally conceived as Muslim woman

Sculpture intended for Egypt

The United States’ symbol of immigration and welcoming was originally intended to be a statue watching over the Suez Canal in Egypt, according to The Huffington Post.

According to the Smithsonian Institute’s magazine, the Statue of Liberty was originally conceived as a Muslim woman in traditional dress.

The Daily Beast reports French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi initially wanted the statue placed in Port Said.

The ruler of Egypt at the time, Isma’il Pasha, dismissed the project as being too expensive, according to The Huffington Post.

The Smithsonian Institute’s magazine reports Bartholdi eventually altered his plans and ultimately created “Liberty Enlightening the World,” the official name for Lady Liberty, which has been overlooking the New York Harbor since 1886.

I’d like to see the original designs… with a veil over her face, an IED in her hand and a plaque that reads…”Give us your crazy, your murdering, your hateful masses yearning for 72 virgins.”